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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 9:05:00 GMT
I sometimes go here for a ludicrously cheap curry. Above 20% actually seems like a respectable tory performance given what a total dive the area is.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 9:09:33 GMT
Going back to the timing of this resignation, if this by-election were to be held at the same time as the council elections elsewhere in the country, here would be Labour's good news - an easy win, probably with UKIP in second place - offsetting possible (perceived) disappointments elsewhere. Could the OMRLP stand? This would have been one for the late Mad Cow-Girl Rosalyn Warner if she had still been with us. It was her part of the world
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 9:29:40 GMT
South Shields Census stats burst (arbitrary choices) All usual residents | 82,294 | Residents - Europe (United Kingdom) | 78,838 | Household is not deprived in any dimension | 13,266 (of 37,900) | No qualifications | 19,808 (of 68,032) | Economically Actuve: Unemployed | 4,192 | Christian | 55,632 |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 9:51:58 GMT
There have been three by-elections in the South Shields constituency before: in 1910, 1916 and 1918. On all three occasions the Liberal candidate was elected unopposed (it was a Coalition Liberal in 1918).
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mboy
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Post by mboy on Mar 27, 2013 11:17:53 GMT
I think we have all the evidence we will ever need that when push comes to shove, David Miliband's instinct is not to challenge the leadership. I think this is unfair. I think he was weighed by the importance of loyalty to the leader, and I think that counts for something. I think more politicians who value personal loyalty and a few less cut-throat treacherous ego-maniacs would be a good thing. I agree that the adulation of him today is very over the top, but not because he didn't knife Gordon in the back - rather because he was a mediocre minister over many years in government. He is still head and shoulders above most of the current shadow cabinet though, which says something...
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Mar 27, 2013 11:25:26 GMT
Going back to the timing of this resignation, if this by-election were to be held at the same time as the council elections elsewhere in the country, here would be Labour's good news - an easy win, probably with UKIP in second place - offsetting possible (perceived) disappointments elsewhere "Percieved" by whom?? A few months ago it looked like the Tories were going to go for a "Labour fail to make breakthrough" narrative with the county council elections (even though we look almost certain to make significant gains throughout the country) but the losses they now seem likely to sustain have (hopefully) put paid to that. Not just that, but doesn't the HoC rising for the Easter break today make it too late to move the writ for local election day anyway?? Late in May looks likeliest now.....
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 11:29:26 GMT
I think we have all the evidence we will ever need that when push comes to shove, David Miliband's instinct is not to challenge the leadership. I think this is unfair. I think he was weighed by the importance of loyalty to the leader, and I think that counts for something. I think more politicians who value personal loyalty and a few less cut-throat treacherous ego-maniacs would be a good thing. I agree that the adulation of him today is very over the top, but not because he didn't knife Gordon in the back - rather because he was a mediocre minister over many years in government. He is still head and shoulders above most of the current shadow cabinet though, which says something... I can understand why any young pretender would not have been attracted to the idea of becoming Labour leader in 2007 with the likelihood of a general election defeat just around the corner.
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Mar 27, 2013 11:39:15 GMT
There was a period in the summer of 2008 when quite a few in Labour feared not just defeat, but near obliteration - D Milibands (in)famous speech then was a response to that. The irony of things was that Brown was very likely saved by the arrival of the worldwide financial crisis in September of that year - not only did plotting look slightly frivolous just then, but he used that moment to show that he could (after all) lead.
Miliband Snr is arguably more culpable for what happened the following year. It is widely thought he assured his friend James Purnell that he was ready to follow him in walking out of the Cabinet, but at the last minute got cold feet. That he then dithered for several hours before giving the ludicrous Hoon/Hewitt "toytown coup" the following January the thumbs down, only increased the doubts of some about his judgement.
Yup, in retrospect June 2009 was his moment - and he fluffed it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 12:44:26 GMT
If he is to be the CEO for International Rescue, does this mean he gets to fly Thunderbird One if he wants to?
I wonder which emergency he would choose to intervene in?
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Post by East Anglian Lefty on Mar 27, 2013 12:57:22 GMT
I think we have all the evidence we will ever need that when push comes to shove, David Miliband's instinct is not to challenge the leadership. I think this is unfair. I think he was weighed by the importance of loyalty to the leader, and I think that counts for something. I think more politicians who value personal loyalty and a few less cut-throat treacherous ego-maniacs would be a good thing. I don't entirely disagree with that - although I'd assign a slightly greater importance to lack of nerve, and slightly less to loyalty. But I don't think it takes away from my core point, that David Miliband is unlikely ever to make substantial trouble for the Labour leadership and therefore could have had a continued frontbench career had he wanted it.
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Sibboleth
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Post by Sibboleth on Mar 27, 2013 13:11:50 GMT
His brother is a ruthless bastard (which is why I gave Ed a higher preference than David), be he is not. Get the impression that he might actually be happier doing something else.
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Post by timrollpickering on Mar 27, 2013 13:21:01 GMT
Dok, sometimes I wonder if your polemic hatred of Labour has just stemmed solely from the Preston bus station decision, because you never used to be such a right-wing attack dog. And I can never understand why anyone wants to keep Preston bus station.
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Post by greatkingrat on Mar 27, 2013 13:57:12 GMT
Not just that, but doesn't the HoC rising for the Easter break today make it too late to move the writ for local election day anyway?? Late in May looks likeliest now..... Yes I think you are right. The Commons don't return until 15th April so the earliest possible date would be 9th May.
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Post by Andrew_S on Mar 27, 2013 15:37:41 GMT
Bit of an error from Labour if they aren't going to hold it on the same day as the local elections.
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Post by East Anglian Lefty on Mar 27, 2013 15:41:20 GMT
It's in a Met boro, so there won't be elections this May anyway. Holding it on May 2nd would just draw resources from Northumberland and the North Tyneside mayoral race.
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Post by greatkingrat on Mar 27, 2013 15:47:05 GMT
That assumes Labour had any control over the timing of DM's resignation. I get the impression they were as surprised as the rest of us.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 15:56:23 GMT
not so sure you know ... because very quickly without confirmation MP's from all sides were on twitter wishing him good luck.
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Post by East Anglian Lefty on Mar 27, 2013 16:00:18 GMT
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Mar 27, 2013 16:11:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 16:31:31 GMT
not so sure you know ... because very quickly without confirmation MP's from all sides were on twitter wishing him good luck. What does that prove?
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