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

qn 4 britishers:

how big a thing was this, really?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/world/europe/18britain.html

Mr. Zafaryab, 27, defied a tow-truck team by sitting in his car for 30 hours, eventually running up more than $6,000 in parking fines, as towing company officials, supporters of Mr. Zafaryab and police officers gathered in the delivery area behind a shopping plaza where he had started it all by parking for two hours in a restricted zone.

On Tuesday, the British government announced that it would introduce legislation in the fall banning private companies from clamping — the British term for what Americans know as “booting” — or towing any vehicle parked on private land, and limiting the companies to a regulated system of parking tickets.

Wasn't at all really. Hits a few 'outrage' buttons (well, the cowboy clampers one), but rly, nothing to see here.

first i've heard of it

never heard of it

heard something about private clamping being made illegal but not about this man

Not heard about this specific incident, but there have been rumblings to outlaw cowboy clampers pratically since the clamp was introduced.

s/pratically/practically

There was a segment on Sky News or BBC News 24 about it, that kept repeating. Had an interview with the guy etc. Didn't really pay much attention - I think clamping has been banned in Scotland for ages...

Yeah, Sky. Like I say, outrage buttons, non story. I think it's just private clamping, but yes, brings it into line with Scottish legislation apparently.

so the next qn is why the times ran this as if it were real? was John F. Burns just sitting in his hotel room watching TV? it's not an answerable qn, mind.

It's all part of the WAR ON MOTORISTS that this brave coalition is determined to end.

James Cleverly wrote: "We may be coalition partners but it doesn't stop me thinking Simon Hughes is a dick."

lol cleverly is actually his name

DATELINE: WIMBLEDON

great detail from the guardian's piece on the first 100 days, about steve hilton, the tories' blue skies thinker:

There are many inevitable tensions from trying to force some notably varied policy ideas into the coalition's one-size-fits-all narrative. Hilton sits in meetings and asks of all suggestions put forward: "But is it transformative?", while his hand indicates thought-bubbles ascending from his head.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/18/coalition-life-conservatives-liberal-democrats

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/01/08/article-1241503-07BB5F17000005DC-267_224x423.jpg

meddle management

Blue Scum Thinking

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/20/labour-hints-charles-kennedy-defect-liberal-democrats

Wee Charlie to go rogue? He should get in quick and take on all the Eds and Milibands.

The problem with that article is that it implies that the outcome of the Labour leadership contest will determine the future of the LDs. The LDs are doomed simply by allying themselves with the Tories. Kennedy is going to be interesting though - he's always been on the left of the party, and opposed the coalition, so how long he can swallow the bile of the coalition is anyone's guess.

I mean, my MP is Menzies Campbell, who has often got by on his military credentials (like Ashdown did), but the Tory cuts are threatening the base here - will he have the balls to oppose any such closure? Will enough LDs be sickened by the Tory's ideological hatchet jobs to bring down the government?

Seriously doubt enough LD MPs will jump ship to break the coalition. A more likely scenario is that the Tories get confident enough to backstab them and call an election to get a full majority.

Yeah, plenty enough LD tories, as I said to anyone who would listen to my rambling before the election. It's like nobody, except me and Cameron, read the Orange Book. None of those people will leave the coalition (including Cable).

Patrick Mercer, ex-chairman of the Commons subcommittee on counter-terrorism, said former senior police and army intelligence officers had informed him that dissident splinter groups had discussed targeting David Cameron's first conference as prime minister.

Sources for West Midlands police said they had no intelligence of a specific threat against the Tory party conference.

Fuck me is it 1985? What a strange dream I've had.

liam fox has too much time on his hands it seems

Too much air on his lungs amirite?

http://twitter.com/YouGov

Latest net government approval rating -2 (39% approve, 41% disapprove)

Had the Today programme on this morning and heard Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mark Hoban describe specific cases where the poorer were worse off under the coalition budget, with particular regard to housing benefit, as 'details'. He didn't want to get bogged down in 'details' you see, he wanted to look at the general need for austerity. I don't know whether I was feeling unduly sensitive that early in the morning, because I know it's par for the course, but it seemed disgustingly hand-wavingy even for a policy-defending politician.

Also nauseating, the bit where he wouldn't say whether or not they'd done the legally required equalities impact assessment

(from Graun)
Osborne's budget is also facing a legal challenge over claims it may break equalities laws.

The Guardian has learned that the government has so far failed to answer whether it carried out an assessment as required by law, showing it had considered whether women, ethnic minorities, the disabled and the elderly would be disproportionately affected by the cuts.

The Fawcett Society has filed a legal challenge and the government was supposed to reply by Monday. It has asked for more time before lawyers acting on its behalf send a reply.

Sources say the equalities impact assessment, as required by the Equalities Act of 2010, has not yet been carried out.

sounds like the equalities act 2010's days are numbered.

So much of this shit is total psy-ops - 'ooh, I KNOW - let's make the people who didn't vote for us feel totally insecure about their homes and jobs! That's it! Pass the champagne, George - due to 'austerity measures' it's Veuve instead of Cristal...'

the dude on the today programme this morning refusing to answer whether they'd done the testing required by the equality law was disgusting. these are bad dudes.

That man was a total cunt-chancre.

isn't this the sort of garbage a govt is supposed to get caught on in their second term or at least fourth year?

This is the part of the thread where I shake my fist at Selfridges HR department for rejecting George Osborne all those years ago, thus prompting him to try politics.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/8/24/1282674686190/Chancellor-George-Osborne-006.jpg

In a similar vein, love this turning of the tables by Unison but fear that they may not have the resources that cunts employers have to hold up industrial action over the placement of a sem-colon on a strike ballot or whatever

Consultations are rubbish in 99 per cent of cases: you fill them out for anything that's not 6Music and they just proceed with whatever it is they're going to do, having 'consulted'.

Drag 'em thru the courts tho, provided you can afford it

one thing I don't often see discussed in talk of the effects of budgets is the real difference it makes. For example:

Its analysis suggests that low income families with children are set to lose the most - about 5% of net income - due to benefit cuts announced in the Budget

okay, but the additional thing is that a millionaire losing, say, 15% of their net income maybe has to buy a few fewer shares throughout the year, whereas someone like me losing 5% of my net income means that I can't heat my house in the winter, or some such. But the net percentage figures seem to be the bottom line most of the time. Does anyone try to take the more subjective factors into consideration?

Had the Today programme on this morning and heard Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mark Hoban describe specific cases where the poorer were worse off under the coalition budget, with particular regard to housing benefit, as 'details'.

Surely you've realised by now that people who claim housing benefit do not count to Tories

The Deserving Poor are all who matter - actually true of all the political parties

By Gad tho, normally they at least gesture with lies towards a vaguely philanthropic sop to those who think maybe that equality should not be based purely on financial worth.

xpost - take it from the medium poor, to give to the government poor etc etc.

Paloma Billie Pasty Cameron. Poor child.

saw david miliband in person today. one of his questioners asked about how he can defend being foreign secretary at a time when uk citizens were being tortured by his own side. it got VERY much under his skin..

David Cameron's new-born daughter is to be named Florence Rose Endellion, Downing Street has revealed.

The baby was born by caesarean section, weighing 6lb 1oz, on Tuesday while the prime minister and wife Samantha were on holiday in Cornwall.

St Endellion is a village in the north of the county.

St Endellion is a village in the north of the county.

just as well for the kid they were in cornwall rather than visiting auschwitz

what's the difference amirite etc

poland is full of polish plumbers

Bagsy a seat on Eric Pickles' table.