DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived Cleggeron era

Letter in Metro the other day compared Sam Cam with Nic Cage which made sense to me in my head but I can't find good photos to show it.

The "Dave and Nick show" article on the BBC site reminded me of it, tbh (xpost)

this one: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8678370.stm

I had them more as Gilbert and George, but hey.

guys it's over you lost can we please get somebody back into the football threads now?

xp Two shits, certainly.

afaict the actual first thing this govt did was to take down the signs at the dept for children schools and families and change it to dept for education, even though that doesn't make sense because it's only responsible for schools and children's care not universities and colleges. can only assume that this was done out of visceral hatred for ed balls, like when brian clough in the damned utd gets don revie's desk and chops it up and burns it.

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=18111&channel=0&title=Green+Party+councillor+dies+in+accident+

Obviously wasn't hugging it hard enough.

xpost

I thought the Libby Demmies had persuaded them to keep the DCSF?

I thought this government wasn't going to do these cash-wasting ego-strokin' departmental name changes? HMSO bills will mount up.

Maybe they can just charge it on expenses to the Parliamentary Resources Unit, whatever that does?

Oh fuck they've rebranded as the first step to killing it I guess. Great week for the Vague household, hats off to our Liberal overlords.

nv - same dept, different name: http://education.gov.uk/. they had new signs up by 3pm yesterday.

vince will probably still be in charge of colleges though, except for 16 to 19 stuff, fwiw.

until they create their 90s revival funding body and principals can go back to perpetrating massive frauds.

Mrs V. is pretty connected to the non-Education aspects of the, um, Department of Education.

my condolences

ah fuck it, there's gonna be some grim satisfaction lulz with peeps who told me "nothing could be worse than Labour" this month.

"They've re-badged it, you fool!"

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/2/10/1265809183944/Alan-Partridge-005.jpg

t/s "nothing could be worse than Labour" vs "something's gotta be better than labour" vs "labour have gotta get better eventually"

Just remember: Things! Can only get better!

Oh god: YES. Thank you, internet. Dave/Nick slash.

http://rhaegal.dreamwidth.org/23404.html

(may not be safe for work, though it is only text based)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1276721/Gordon-Brown-resigns-Pound-plunges-dollar-markets-express-horror-Lib-Lab-coalition-talks.html

It started the day around $1.483, soared above $1.5 as the prospect of a deal with David Cameron grew - but plunged back below $1.5. Tonight, it was trading around $1.4850.
Harry Adams, a senior currency trader from the foreign exchange firm Schneider, said: 'The fall confirms that the market is looking for a Conservative government - and anything else won't do.

― mierda defensa ... no impedir ... espectador (onimo), Monday, 10 May 2010 22:06 Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

£1 now = $1.4758 --- seems the market has changed its mind. Expect Daily Mail "POUND PLUNGES!" story any minute...

Speaking of the Pound:

Says one Arsenal regular at the match with his wife and teenage son: ‘Usually, if you are an away supporter in a box, you keep very quiet. We were in front of this executive box and I heard a stream of abuse.

‘Two ladies behind me said they couldn’t believe the language being used, and that they thought it was coming from an MP. I turned round and recognised Stephen Pound.

‘He called out to Sol Campbell ­saying: “You are a big f***ing fairy.” I was so shocked that I wrote what he said down in my programme. It was the language of the gutter.

‘He went on to shout abuse at the ref saying: “What game are you at — you f***ing w****r.” Then I saw him leaning over the box to make an ­offensive gesture. A steward went up to him to remonstrate.’

Lol @ kate's link, especially how innocently it all builds up

It's only a story if the dollar makes gains on the Labour pound, silly.

Kate's link even provides 'frisson' in the 3rd para.

Oh my god, I've discovered the motherlode...

"Don't you see?" gasped Cameron, passionately. "It's destiny. Look at our logos - you're the little yellow bird, frail and defenseless. I'm the big, open oak tree, spreading its boughs, offering respite for your weary, tiny wings. It's perfect - it couldn't be more perfect. And obviously so long as you don't crap on the Bentley, but that goes without saying."

And now I'm going to go and dive head first into some smutty public schoolboy tennis fic action...

::explodes with joy::

LOLLLLLLLLL

Dave knows he's good at this; you don't become leader of the Conservative party without knowing how to suck cock.

smutty public schoolboy tennis fic action

Uhhhhhhhhh, smutty public schoolboy tennis fic action starring Nick Clegg and David Cameron?

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/10/21/article-1079486-00971ED800000259-434_468x390.jpg

^^^LOL@ tube socks/black loafers man in the front.

Dunno if they're better or worse than the beefburgers on the guy on his left. Cameron's in loafers too I think?

Seriously needs animating:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/5/12/1273700169630/David-Cameron-and-Nick-Cl-006.jpg

Theme from Dr. Zhivago playing in the background

His face seems to be morphing into Michael Winner of late.

http://noto55.com/

It's a face only Nick Clegg could love

smutty public schoolboy tennis fic action

Uhhhhhhhhh, smutty public schoolboy tennis fic action starring Nick Clegg and David Cameron?

― Whirlwind Bromance (Tom D.), Thursday, 13 May 2010 13:02 (3 minutes ago)

Yesss! yes yes yes...

::falls off chair::

This has been the ONLY good outcome from this entire election.

We need a sweepstakes on how much weight Cam gains over this year, as it's starting and no more cycling 4U. It will be Boultonesque.

I am only laughing at tennis boi in the spirit of Welcome To 1985, Meet The One Guy Who Still Likes Nik Kershaw.

So apparently it started on the Guardian, rather than Livejournal!!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/12/clegg-cameron-steps-downing-street-conversation

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/5/12/1273687801254/Nick-Clegg-and-David-Came-006.jpg

Cameron God, but I love you . . .

Clegg It is the love that dare not speak its name.

Cameron To hell with what anyone may think, I want the whole world to know I would gladly melt into your arms for ever.

Clegg Say you'll never leave me.

Cameron I'm yours and yours alone. At least for a couple of months.

Clegg I've got to have you. Right here, right now.

Cameron That tie goes so well with your hair.

Clegg You feel a-m-a-a-a-a-zing. Your arms are so buff.

Cameron I bet you say that to all the boys.

Clegg Don't tease me. I'm feeling very vulnerable.

Cameron Has anyone ever told me how much you remind me of my fag?

Clegg I would have died to be your fag.

Cameron Your political career just has.

Clegg That's odd, so has yours.

I like the ones where Clegg is the top.

I like the ones where I can stop throwing up within an hour of reading them.

Was too busy thinking the guy in front of DCam in that tube socks pic was Nick Clegg to notice it was actually a DCam pic.

Good piece on the World At One about the 55% thing by a constitutional expert. His main points:

Ppl need to stop saying this is for no confidence, it's for dissolution. He even went as far as calling Jack Straw "stupid" for continuing to claim it was.
It's a consequence of fixed term parliaments and nothing more, to try and hold them together. In his opinion it was set too low, that anything under 60% was still too easy to dissolve at a whim.
An easy way round it, if it were sought, would be to raise a bill to change the date of the next election - this would only require 50%+1 of voting MPs.

The way I would then see it working would be as follows (and this is my interpretation):

In an LD/Con split, LD and Lab could force a motion of no confidence and win at 50%+1. David Cameron would then have to resign as PM. There would then be a vote for dissolution. If >55%in favour then there is an immediate election. If <55% in favour then the sitting parliament could try and raise a new PM - LD/Lab, LD/Con on different/improved terms, Rainbow Coalition) - which presumably has a time limit for formation before an election becomes the default status.

This answers all of stet's points to me earlier this morning I think. Given that complete PR seems still to be the LD gameplan (Simon Hughes on the radio on Tuesday talking about AV+ as a target in the life of this parliament, and STV this decade) it would appear to be consistent with their policies to start putting in building blocks that support it now like making it harder to dissolve a parliament with NOC.

that's at about 26:00 here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00s8k9f

cambridge constitutional dude (30:00 onwards) is a former LD MP btw

Hmm.

Simon Hughes on the radio on Tuesday talking about AV+ as a target in the life of this parliament, and STV this decade

He's unlikely to get re-elected otherwise!

tbf, he also thinks it's a good idea for other reasons.

Good piece on the World At One about the 55% thing by a constitutional expert. His main points:

Ppl need to stop saying this is for no confidence, it's for dissolution. He even went as far as calling Jack Straw "stupid" for continuing to claim it was.
It's a consequence of fixed term parliaments and nothing more, to try and hold them together. In his opinion it was set too low, that anything under 60% was still too easy to dissolve at a whim.
An easy way round it, if it were sought, would be to raise a bill to change the date of the next election - this would only require 50%+1 of voting MPs.

The way I would then see it working would be as follows (and this is my interpretation):

In an LD/Con split, LD and Lab could force a motion of no confidence and win at 50%+1. David Cameron would then have to resign as PM. There would then be a vote for dissolution. If >55%in favour then there is an immediate election. If <55% in favour then the sitting parliament could try and raise a new PM - LD/Lab, LD/Con on different/improved terms, Rainbow Coalition) - which presumably has a time limit for formation before an election becomes the default status.

This answers all of stet's points to me earlier this morning I think. Given that complete PR seems still to be the LD gameplan (Simon Hughes on the radio on Tuesday talking about AV+ as a target in the life of this parliament, and STV this decade) it would appear to be consistent with their policies to start putting in building blocks that support it now like making it harder to dissolve a parliament with NOC.

― BLOODY BOLLOCKS HELL! (aldo), Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:45 PM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark

but we don't need fixed-term parliaments. only a tiny number of disproportionately powerful MPs were elected saying they'd bring it in.

that guy on TWAO says that a vote of no confidence needn't lead to a general election but to a new government. in other words more coalition bullshit no-one wants.

i.e. in practice no-confidence votes DO lead to dissolution, even if they don't "necessarily" (what is this, france?)

Useful cribsheet on just how rich our new overlords are

http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/10/oxford-universitywealth-school