This is the big shock news from Boris Johnson's speech after signing his acceptance of office. If you keep any dogs in mangers, you have been warned.
You can view the whole speech here.
That said he does seem keen to build a government of all the talents. It will be interesting to see what next week brings.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Is it just me, or has the BBC been a pile of excrement?
Well is it just me?
From the ridiculous Stalin to Mr Bean stuff, the cold winter bit or the wild west show over the Liberal Democrat vote that Jeremy Vine did last night to the lack of rolling results as they came in for the London mayoral elections the BBC has been a large pile of fetid urine soaked manure of the most odious kind.
One person who texted me insisted that it was because they are all lefties. I say no, it is because they are all a complete bunch of merchant bankers. It has nothing to do with political bias, it has all to do with the sort of bankers in the news departments of the BBC.
In order to get up to date results I decamped to my local pub and watched it on Sky news. There was no sound, but then there was no Jeremy Vine making a spectacle of himself. What there was in the bottom right hand corner of the screen was up to date results which were missing from the BBC.
From the ridiculous Stalin to Mr Bean stuff, the cold winter bit or the wild west show over the Liberal Democrat vote that Jeremy Vine did last night to the lack of rolling results as they came in for the London mayoral elections the BBC has been a large pile of fetid urine soaked manure of the most odious kind.
One person who texted me insisted that it was because they are all lefties. I say no, it is because they are all a complete bunch of merchant bankers. It has nothing to do with political bias, it has all to do with the sort of bankers in the news departments of the BBC.
In order to get up to date results I decamped to my local pub and watched it on Sky news. There was no sound, but then there was no Jeremy Vine making a spectacle of himself. What there was in the bottom right hand corner of the screen was up to date results which were missing from the BBC.
That Boris Speech: Echos of Thatcher.
in victory and it echoed I have to say I thought Boris' acceptance speech was fantastic. MagnanimousMargaret Thatcher's speech when she took office in 1979, echoing Saint Francis of Assisi's prayer.
Boris said:
Ken Livingstone also delivered a gracious speech.
Well done all.
Can I just say this.
The voting is over. It is excruciatingly hard work to lose an election,
(well, it is if you are trying to win) let alone winning one, however the work for the winner has only just begun.
I am personally confident that Boris Johnson will be a fantastic Mayor of London and will deliver results even if Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh is his diplomatic adviser. He may say some things that will throw seasoned hacks in to spin, but that is just Boris.
Boris said:
Where there have been mistakes we will rectify them,Outstanding speech. I should add that he started by thanking all those who voted against him many of whom he said he had met over the last month, not all of whom were entirely polite.
where there are achievements we will build on them
where there are neglected opportunities we will seize on them.
Ken Livingstone also delivered a gracious speech.
Well done all.
Can I just say this.
The voting is over. It is excruciatingly hard work to lose an election,
(well, it is if you are trying to win) let alone winning one, however the work for the winner has only just begun.
I am personally confident that Boris Johnson will be a fantastic Mayor of London and will deliver results even if Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh is his diplomatic adviser. He may say some things that will throw seasoned hacks in to spin, but that is just Boris.
Ken Livingstone wins more votes in London than he has ever done!
However, Boris Johnson won more and so is Mayor of London.
It is a fantastic result.
Brian Paddick also won more votes for the Liberal Democrats than they have in the past.
This is a win for the Conservative party, but a massive win for democracy as voters have turned out in much larger numbers than they have in the past.
It is a fantastic result.
Brian Paddick also won more votes for the Liberal Democrats than they have in the past.
This is a win for the Conservative party, but a massive win for democracy as voters have turned out in much larger numbers than they have in the past.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Liberal Democrats lose Liverpool then regain it this afternoon?
Rather amusingly Labour took enough seats of the Liberal Democrats to put Liverpool into No Overall Control. Then this afternoon they signed up an independent Labour councilor and regained control.
Bizarre but true. See the BBC here.
Bizarre but true. See the BBC here.
Local Elections: Conservatives outstanding win!
The local elections have produced an outstanding victory for the Conservatives, gaining 256 seats.
The last time these elections were held was a very low ebb for Labour. In reality it would have been possible for Labour to claw back some net gains, certainly with the Brown bounce last summer. All that is now gone and labour have had a right kicking losing 331 seats.
The BBC have calculated the national share of the vote and that puts Labour in third place on 24% of the vote with the Conservatives on 44% and the Liberal Democrats on 25%. This is the worst Labour result for 40 years.
The BBC has this.
The last time these elections were held was a very low ebb for Labour. In reality it would have been possible for Labour to claw back some net gains, certainly with the Brown bounce last summer. All that is now gone and labour have had a right kicking losing 331 seats.
The BBC have calculated the national share of the vote and that puts Labour in third place on 24% of the vote with the Conservatives on 44% and the Liberal Democrats on 25%. This is the worst Labour result for 40 years.
The BBC has this.
Conservatives gain Southampton!
Fantastic.
Also Nuneaton and Bedworth!
Looks like a good night for the Conservatives.
Also Nuneaton and Bedworth!
Looks like a good night for the Conservatives.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Turnout high in Conservative areas
Various reports on blogs are indicating that turnout is high in Conservative areas and low in Labour ones. See Iain Dales blog here and politicalbetting here.
The mood for a change in London also seems strong. Boris Johnson looks like he is going to win.
The mood for a change in London also seems strong. Boris Johnson looks like he is going to win.
Boris to win London Mayoral Election!
Well, that is my prediction. Boris Johnson MP will beat Ken Livingston in the race to be the next mayor of London.
That said the question will be by how much. According to this thread on politicalbetting.com the last YouGov poll is much tighter than before.
To be honest I don't know what the margin will be but what I do know is that there seems to be a mood for a change. Labour voters are demotivated and we have the wind in our sails.
On the wider picture I suspect we will pick up over 100 seats in the council elections which will be a real bonus because 2004 when these seats were last contested was already a very low water mark for Labour. To give you some idea of how bad that was, if these elections were held with the same positive sentiment that existed for Gordon Brown between June and September last year then Labour would have gained at least 100 seats. No one thinks they will have any net gains now.
That said the question will be by how much. According to this thread on politicalbetting.com the last YouGov poll is much tighter than before.
To be honest I don't know what the margin will be but what I do know is that there seems to be a mood for a change. Labour voters are demotivated and we have the wind in our sails.
On the wider picture I suspect we will pick up over 100 seats in the council elections which will be a real bonus because 2004 when these seats were last contested was already a very low water mark for Labour. To give you some idea of how bad that was, if these elections were held with the same positive sentiment that existed for Gordon Brown between June and September last year then Labour would have gained at least 100 seats. No one thinks they will have any net gains now.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Voter Fraud to mar London and local elections
Those of us who follow politics know about voter fraud and how easy it now is. This will no doubt be a factor in some elections on Thursday.
The Labour government brought in universal postal votes in order to rig the voting system in their favour however at the expense of introducing much fraud.
Well there is a new report out by the Joseph Rowntree foundation that backs that up. Having said that I am not sure it tells us anything we did not already know. The Times has this article here.
The Labour government brought in universal postal votes in order to rig the voting system in their favour however at the expense of introducing much fraud.
Well there is a new report out by the Joseph Rowntree foundation that backs that up. Having said that I am not sure it tells us anything we did not already know. The Times has this article here.
Gene Therapy working! 18 year old has his sight fixed.
One of the interesting things about modern times is genetic testing.
In its early days this led to fears that if you had a genetic test which said you were very likely to get say cancer, you then would not be able to get life insurance.
However now we have the upside of the testing which is gene therapy. It is now being tried on a rare genetic condition that causes eyesight to generate over time until it is lost.
Well, the Independent has a headline "The blind man who was given the gift of sight by gene therapy" which may be over egging it a little as he still had some residual sight so was not blind though he would have become so in time.
What is now going to happen is the techniques and understanding of how to replace defective genes in situ will grow in leaps and bounds, which may well lead to curers for many diseases which are at there heart genetic, and where they don't lead to a full cure they may at least stop the progress of the diseases.
The BBC has this.
In its early days this led to fears that if you had a genetic test which said you were very likely to get say cancer, you then would not be able to get life insurance.
However now we have the upside of the testing which is gene therapy. It is now being tried on a rare genetic condition that causes eyesight to generate over time until it is lost.
Well, the Independent has a headline "The blind man who was given the gift of sight by gene therapy" which may be over egging it a little as he still had some residual sight so was not blind though he would have become so in time.
What is now going to happen is the techniques and understanding of how to replace defective genes in situ will grow in leaps and bounds, which may well lead to curers for many diseases which are at there heart genetic, and where they don't lead to a full cure they may at least stop the progress of the diseases.
The BBC has this.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Humphrey Lyttelton dies at 86
I have to wonder if he would say it was not a moment too soon.
Humphrey Lyttelton was and I suppose still is a legendary jazz musician, but I remember him for "I am sorry, I haven't a clue" a Radio 4 show that I have been a fan of since I was knee high to a grasshopper.
I will miss this great talent on the one hand but celebrate his life on the other.
Alas, I can't think of any funny innuendo.
The BBC has this whilst wikipedia has this.
He will live in my heart forever, and will always be remembered with a chuckle.
Humphrey Lyttelton was and I suppose still is a legendary jazz musician, but I remember him for "I am sorry, I haven't a clue" a Radio 4 show that I have been a fan of since I was knee high to a grasshopper.
I will miss this great talent on the one hand but celebrate his life on the other.
Alas, I can't think of any funny innuendo.
The BBC has this whilst wikipedia has this.
He will live in my heart forever, and will always be remembered with a chuckle.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Tory poll calamity!
The latest YouGov poll in the Telegraph places the Conservative party only 18% ahead of Labour.
Labour poll watchers insist this is a disaster for David Cameron, and he should be at least 250% ahead if he expects to win any kind of election.
One Labour insider described it as "only a flesh wound" and invited Cameron to come close so that he could bite his ankles.
Labour poll watchers insist this is a disaster for David Cameron, and he should be at least 250% ahead if he expects to win any kind of election.
One Labour insider described it as "only a flesh wound" and invited Cameron to come close so that he could bite his ankles.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Office of Government Commerce: Is this the funniest logo you have ever seen?
As noted by Dizzy, the Register and Daniel Finkelstein's blog on comment central the Office of Government Commerce has just conducted a major re branding exercise which will see a new logo appear soon.
Like the university that was for a time known as the Central University of Nottingham and Trent, it must have seemed like such a good idea at the time to the big wigs far away from reality.
Without further ado, here is the new logo, though tipped on its side.
Frankly I think it suits them!
Like the university that was for a time known as the Central University of Nottingham and Trent, it must have seemed like such a good idea at the time to the big wigs far away from reality.
Without further ado, here is the new logo, though tipped on its side.
Frankly I think it suits them!
Is Quentin Davies looking to jump ship again?
I have just watched PMQ's again, which was knockabout stuff today, and as noted by Guido, and Three line Whip, you can see Quentin Davies appearing on the Conservative side of the House of Commons again.
The best shot I saw was about 11 minutes in as the camera shows David Cameron and the Speakers chair in a long shot, just in the middle is Quentin Davies.
As Guido has noted before, you would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh!
The best shot I saw was about 11 minutes in as the camera shows David Cameron and the Speakers chair in a long shot, just in the middle is Quentin Davies.
As Guido has noted before, you would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
10p tax U-turn: jam in October?
Apparently the government is going to review the effects of Gordon Brown's last budget which removed the 10p tax band, and do something about it in October, albeit backdated to the beginning of the tax year.
Brilliant.
So if you have no, or little money you can starve till October. Not only that but you get the impression that someone will have to apply for something where the take up will be less than 100%.
The BBC has this.
Brilliant.
So if you have no, or little money you can starve till October. Not only that but you get the impression that someone will have to apply for something where the take up will be less than 100%.
The BBC has this.
Hillary Clinton keeps in the race
Senator Hillary Clinton has won by enough in Pennsylvania to keep in the race for the Democratic party nomination.
The bottom line is that this is good for Senator John McCain who I personally hopes wins in the end.
The Democrat nominees are ripping their party apart. I have to say that Hillary Clinton is the most unattractive candidate I have seen in a long while. There is something about her that is so relentlessly unpleasant.
The BBC has this.
The bottom line is that this is good for Senator John McCain who I personally hopes wins in the end.
The Democrat nominees are ripping their party apart. I have to say that Hillary Clinton is the most unattractive candidate I have seen in a long while. There is something about her that is so relentlessly unpleasant.
The BBC has this.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Will the 10p band be Gordon Brown's last stand?
Apparently there has been much comment on this. Politicalbetting has this which quotes from this article by former Brown cheerleader Jackie Ashley.
It is not looking good for Gordon Brown or Labour. Even if they do get rid of Brown there is no one in Labour who could recover their electoral position.
The BBC also has this.
It is not looking good for Gordon Brown or Labour. Even if they do get rid of Brown there is no one in Labour who could recover their electoral position.
The BBC also has this.
How Much?
Apparently we are now all going to bail out the banks to the tune of £50 billion, or possibly double if this story from the Times is correct.
What is more the scheme as laid out gives a helping hand to the irresponsible banks whilst at the same time being about as popular as a bucket of cold sick.
Well done.
The BBC also has this.
What is more the scheme as laid out gives a helping hand to the irresponsible banks whilst at the same time being about as popular as a bucket of cold sick.
Well done.
The BBC also has this.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
10p tax rate abolition: Will it be Gordon Brown's last stand?
Many people commented on the abolition of the 10 tax rate when it wasn't announced by Gordon Brown last year, but was hidden in the budget detail.
Many, including me, thought it was a case of robbing the poor to pay the rich. We still do. The finance bill which contained it passed without much revolt at the time because Labour MP's either were too scared of their soon to be new Supreme Leader or because they thought they could get away with it.
Well, the truth is coming home to roost now. That cut is unpopular. No one bar the most sycophantic minister will appear to defend it. The wagons are circled around Downing Street. There will be no giving in apparently.
The only problem is that up to 75 Labour MP's have smelt the coffee, and will rebel when an amendment is voted on for this years finance bill.
We have to be clear on this. It would be a huge smack in the face of this government and Gordon Brown in particular to lose a vote on a finance bill. It is the sort of thing you expect to bring down governments.
So if Gordon loses, will he call a general election or try hand over to Ed Balls who will guarantee a Conservative victory of massive proportions?
Who knows. I would not want to be in Labour now though.
The BBC has this.
Many, including me, thought it was a case of robbing the poor to pay the rich. We still do. The finance bill which contained it passed without much revolt at the time because Labour MP's either were too scared of their soon to be new Supreme Leader or because they thought they could get away with it.
Well, the truth is coming home to roost now. That cut is unpopular. No one bar the most sycophantic minister will appear to defend it. The wagons are circled around Downing Street. There will be no giving in apparently.
The only problem is that up to 75 Labour MP's have smelt the coffee, and will rebel when an amendment is voted on for this years finance bill.
We have to be clear on this. It would be a huge smack in the face of this government and Gordon Brown in particular to lose a vote on a finance bill. It is the sort of thing you expect to bring down governments.
So if Gordon loses, will he call a general election or try hand over to Ed Balls who will guarantee a Conservative victory of massive proportions?
Who knows. I would not want to be in Labour now though.
The BBC has this.
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