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"Referring to two forthcoming by-elections, where UKIP candidates will challenge previously Conservative and Labour seats, Mr Farage said: "We've now got the Labour Party as worried in Heywood and Middleton as we've got the Conservatives in Clacton."
I am the resurrection and I am the light.
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Watch out Heywood on 23:20 - Sep 30 with 1511 views
Hopefully Heywood will be spared this bloke campaigning. Doubt he knows where anywhere is North of Watford. Seems him and his brick went down very well with the Tory Faithfull at their conference. Boris is the one holding the brick.
A large VAT Dave
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Watch out Heywood on 17:30 - Oct 1 with 1363 views
Cheers for the reply 1mark1. I had (wrongly) pigeon holed you in the Labour camp that refuses to engage in debate, but you've come good, with an excellent and interesting reply!
Funny you mention John Smith, I always quite liked him even though he was on t'other side.
I'm not sure who Cheyney is: Is he the ginger one off corrie? But, I fully agree with you on your overall view of the East.
I imagine, like me, you're appalled at the amount of money Blair is earning as a consultant to countries in that neck of the woods. He's since made himself a multi-millionaire out of wrong doings whilst in our office it seems to me.
Ramsey MacDonald would be spinning in his grave!
[Post edited 30 Sep 2014 22:29]
Thanks for the compliment. There's a saying "if you can't stand the heat keep out of the kitchen" and as far as as I am concerned that applies to debates about anything including politics (and football), ie you should be prepared to back up what you say or write. However IF someone convinces or proves I am wrong I will always admit it, though usually I am right.
Cheyney was Dick Cheyney, Bush's hawk of a vice presdent and head of massive fuel service company Haliburton (who happened to secure many billions worth of contracts in Iraq after the invasion.
I am totally appalled at the amounts ex politicians full stop earn on the backs of the political service, but Blair is the worst ever, to be called a "peace envoy" is a sick joke in my opinion. Compare him to Gordon Brown, who is a UN envoy for education, getting no extra money for it , just using his influence and name to try to get more help for children in poor countries and for girls in places like Pakistan where often girls can't or won't get education. Like I have said. Blair is a war criminal as far as I am concerned, responsible for countless deaths including many British casualties.
Indeed, McDonald and all previous LP leaders would be spinning in their graves.
Agree with most of this - though I preferred Callaghan to Wilson.
And you hit the nail on the head regarding the culpability of Saudi Arabia for the majority of the woes of the middle east.
I have a certain sympathy for the anti-EC stance of UKIP, in that the EC is fundamentally a capitalist organisation. However their extreme right wing social policies make them insupportable.
Of course if Ned Moribund grew a pair and promised that a Labour government would hold a referendum on the EU, he'd piss the next election. In the meantime, I'll be voting Green...
We will have to agree to disagree re Wilson and Callaghan. Wilson deliverd many great things as prime-minister including Open University and the "white heat of technology" was given massive state help by his governments. Callaghan started the move to monetarism and helkped Thatcher gain power, in my opinion.
Totally agree re UKIP.
Totally agree re Miliband, and agree there should be a referendum. We should have a referendum too about becoming a republic.
There is however much more wrong with Labour than EU referenda, in my opinion. They still believe in austerity, the nuclear bomb, senseless wars abroad, etc etc. However they would IMHO be better than Tories, Condems.
I agree re Greens. I would love to see a "rainbow alliance" of Greens, Labour, SDLP, with a sizable Red/socialist Labour contingent, the likes of Denis Skinner, John McDonnell, etc.
Regarding Europe, IMHO it needs democratising, with the elected parliament being the sovereign all powerful body. Get rid of the unelected commissioners, and have instead a cabinet system chosen by the MEPs , who would also choose the leader and deputy.
We are better off just about in Europe, but I would rather see a socialist/green rather than capitalist, but I am a left wing socialist green.
I think the problem is that whatever the rights and wrongs of it, the "old Labour" is simply unelectable.
Blair recognised that and realised that to get into power, he was only going to do so by appealing to disgruntled Tory voters, rather than appealing to the old guard of Labour, and for all the rights and wrongs of doing that, you can't change anything by being the most principled party in opposition.
Cameron knows this and this is why many of his words aren't aimed at the Euro sceptic back benchers, but at the same 5% or so of the population who decide every election.
It won't change with the current voting system, but I don't know whether PR would sort it out either.
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Watch out Heywood on 18:14 - Oct 1 with 1315 views
I think the problem is that whatever the rights and wrongs of it, the "old Labour" is simply unelectable.
Blair recognised that and realised that to get into power, he was only going to do so by appealing to disgruntled Tory voters, rather than appealing to the old guard of Labour, and for all the rights and wrongs of doing that, you can't change anything by being the most principled party in opposition.
Cameron knows this and this is why many of his words aren't aimed at the Euro sceptic back benchers, but at the same 5% or so of the population who decide every election.
It won't change with the current voting system, but I don't know whether PR would sort it out either.
Whilst our first-past-the-post electoral system has many faults, PR would be a disaster for this country. Don't know if it'd work elsewhere, but one thing it leads to is an almost complete lack of leadership. Good ideas, which might initially seem unpopular, get buried.
To call PR a "race to the bottom" might be a double entendre too far, but that's exactly what it'd result in.
I think the problem is that whatever the rights and wrongs of it, the "old Labour" is simply unelectable.
Blair recognised that and realised that to get into power, he was only going to do so by appealing to disgruntled Tory voters, rather than appealing to the old guard of Labour, and for all the rights and wrongs of doing that, you can't change anything by being the most principled party in opposition.
Cameron knows this and this is why many of his words aren't aimed at the Euro sceptic back benchers, but at the same 5% or so of the population who decide every election.
It won't change with the current voting system, but I don't know whether PR would sort it out either.
I would have to disagree Col, about "Old Labour" being UN-electable. They got elected many times, last being 1974, but the winter of discontent happened and Thatcher came to power on the back of it, after Callaghan started trying to become a Thatherite. Of course, the wilderness years followed, with 2 more election defeats, but lets not forget, one of those was based on the back of the Falklands war, which had been brilliantly engineered by Maggie.
Also Neil Kinnock became Labour leader and he was more interested in attacking his own left wing rather than the Tory right wing. He also pissed off many Trade Unionists and others by his refusal to support the miners and Liverpool City Council, who rightly or wrongly had stood up to the Tories. I by the way supported fully both the miners and Liverpool City Council. So we lost that election, ( I was Labour activist at the time).
If John Smith had lived, like I have said previously, without doubt he would have won in 97. He was very popular and had very high poll ratings, and had assembled an excellent shadow cabinet, and close team that included all sections of the parliamentary LP.
Much of politics is based on viewpoints and not facts, so we will have to disagree about Blair, being needed to win. Lets not forget there are many millions who used to vote Labour but no longer do so, and the vast majority of these are working class people. Many of these do not vote at all now, and are waiting for a party they can vote for.
You are of course right (it is a fact) that elections are very often won on "swing votes" in constituencies that go one way then another. Will be very interesting to see what effects UKIP will have on things indeed even the Greens might have some effect, as they might take one or two more seats especially if they hold Caroline Lucas's Brighton seat. Scotland with the SNP could be problematic for Labour, though I believe they will gain back the majority of seats lost in Scottish parliamentary election, and council elections for the Westminster election.
Just on the Greens, they would join a Labour coalition if asked to, and never a Tory one.
Whilst our first-past-the-post electoral system has many faults, PR would be a disaster for this country. Don't know if it'd work elsewhere, but one thing it leads to is an almost complete lack of leadership. Good ideas, which might initially seem unpopular, get buried.
To call PR a "race to the bottom" might be a double entendre too far, but that's exactly what it'd result in.
The alternative vote referendum was defeated 68% to 32% in 2011. There is no mandate for it.
I suspect the Green party may get a higher share of the vote than the Lib Dems in many constituencies.
The result in Heywood will be very interesting. A UKIP victory could increase the likelihood of more Labour held Northern seats falling to them at the next election. Surely Rotherham will not re-elect Labour after the sexual exploitation scandal?
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Watch out Heywood on 19:02 - Oct 1 with 1271 views
Whilst our first-past-the-post electoral system has many faults, PR would be a disaster for this country. Don't know if it'd work elsewhere, but one thing it leads to is an almost complete lack of leadership. Good ideas, which might initially seem unpopular, get buried.
To call PR a "race to the bottom" might be a double entendre too far, but that's exactly what it'd result in.
I was in favour of FPP system, but have come round to thinking a better and fairer system is needed. I will be honest and say that when I was in Labour, I never believed we should change the system, because I was looking at it through red tinted glasses. However in the five years I came out of Labour, I have looked at it more closely.
I still believe very strongly in the constituency system, but this is how I would change. I would cut back on the number of constituencies say by 200 and have those 200 elected by PR based on Regions used for European elections. So we would have 450+ larger constituencies represented by a MP elected on the FPP, and about 200 elected by PR, regionally.
I would scrap the Lords as it stands and have the following. About 100 appointed by a committee made up of ALL Westminster parties MPs, who are experts in various fields like science, engineering, commerce, banking, trade unions, business, in fact as many as possible different fields as possible. Then I would have 200 elected based on the Regions as used by European elections on PR system. This second chamber would ONLY be able to amend NOT block totally legislation put forward by the Commons. It's time to get rid of people who are merely there because they happen to be the son or daughter of someone else.
I would have an elected President, as head of state.
The alternative vote referendum was defeated 68% to 32% in 2011. There is no mandate for it.
I suspect the Green party may get a higher share of the vote than the Lib Dems in many constituencies.
The result in Heywood will be very interesting. A UKIP victory could increase the likelihood of more Labour held Northern seats falling to them at the next election. Surely Rotherham will not re-elect Labour after the sexual exploitation scandal?
The AV proposals were a complete joke-a cop out, and only put forward to appease the bloody Libs. Many voted against AV because they saw it as a vote against the Libs, as it was.
The Greens will beat the Libs in many seats, and it will be very close overall as far as the popular vote.
I honestly don't see apart from possibly Rotherham, Labour losing to UKP in the Gen Election, though they might well win the by-election.
Your parliamentary reforms are very interesting and something that I would back. Although constituencies need to be of an equivalent size and the anomaly of Labour requiring fewer actual votes to obtain an overall majority should be addressed.
I like your point about politics not being about your parents are:
Didn't Harriet Harperson want her mate Mirian O'Reilly to stand in Heywood and Middleton? So much for trusting local members to represent the people in their community!
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Watch out Heywood on 19:49 - Oct 1 with 1218 views
Your parliamentary reforms are very interesting and something that I would back. Although constituencies need to be of an equivalent size and the anomaly of Labour requiring fewer actual votes to obtain an overall majority should be addressed.
I like your point about politics not being about your parents are:
Didn't Harriet Harperson want her mate Mirian O'Reilly to stand in Heywood and Middleton? So much for trusting local members to represent the people in their community!
Constituencies in my opinion should be based on geographical areas, and this might mean some, especially inner city seats having larger electorates, or some in say the Highlands of Scotland that cover a much larger area a smaller electorate. A MP for a inner city seat might have the same number of electors, as someone from a rural area, but they will end up representing many more people due to family sizes etc, and having far more issues to try to help with.
So saying we should have equal size constituencies would not be possible, if we are to take into considerations of various different problems that arise in particular areas.
Yes it makes me sick the nepotism of politics, especially in Labour it seams. Like I have said previously, it was sickening and pure wrong local party in HM not being able to choose their own shortlist, thus allowing the members the chance to select their own lamb to go to the slaughter.
The Rochdale MBC Green Party chose their own LOCAL candidate from local members who showed an interest in standing. There had been offers from outsiders to stand, if there had been no local member willing/able to stand, including ex Middleton Lab Councillor, and Rochdale Lab parliamentary candidate David Williams, who has been up campaigning, and is coming up again from Oxford where he is the leader of the City's Green group.
One rule I'd like to see is that anyone standing for a constituency must have been resident there at the time the constituency was previously contested. Would stop the professional carpetbaggers and leeches who flit from place to place and remove the unhealthy influence of the party HQs from the candidate selection process.
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Watch out Heywood on 08:35 - Oct 3 with 1077 views
One rule I'd like to see is that anyone standing for a constituency must have been resident there at the time the constituency was previously contested. Would stop the professional carpetbaggers and leeches who flit from place to place and remove the unhealthy influence of the party HQs from the candidate selection process.
I agree with most of that. MIGHT change the qualifying time, to maybe 3 years, but generally a good idea.
Could look at doing the same for council seats too.
I keep getting fliers through our letter box from the candidates and I keep on saying why are they sending them here??? I don't live in Heywood or Middleton. Then the penny has just dropped...I am ashamed to say that I do belong to this catchment area and I didn't realise it. I live in Marland. Castleton and Bamford are also included. Well, I never!!! I will have to watch out for Nigel in the Success to the Plough now !!!!
This means I will have to vote on Thursday and pay more attention to whom I should be voting for...wakey, wakey !!!
I keep getting fliers through our letter box from the candidates and I keep on saying why are they sending them here??? I don't live in Heywood or Middleton. Then the penny has just dropped...I am ashamed to say that I do belong to this catchment area and I didn't realise it. I live in Marland. Castleton and Bamford are also included. Well, I never!!! I will have to watch out for Nigel in the Success to the Plough now !!!!
This means I will have to vote on Thursday and pay more attention to whom I should be voting for...wakey, wakey !!!
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