Goat Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Good blog from Dan Hodges: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100287540/if-labour-wants-to-sneak-ed-miliband-into-downing-street-its-treating-the-nation-with-contempt/ Yesterday’s conference speech broke Ed Miliband. In my immediate response to his address, I noted the way he had failed to focus on a number of major strategic issues, among them the macroeconomy, the deficit and immigration. Ed Miliband did not fail to focus on them. There was no deliberate omission. Instead, it has now emerged that he simply forgot about them. Let’s take a second to deconstruct that. The budget deficit currently stands in excess of £95 billion. Every political decision that is taken today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, next decade, will be coloured by it. Our ability to tend for our sick, keep our streets safe, keep our elderly warm, educate our children, defend our nation – the deficit is the key determinant in all those things. It is the defining issue of British politics. Indeed, it may prove to be the defining issue of our age. And Ed Miliband, the Labour Party candidate to be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom in eight months time, forgot about it. It simply slipped his mind. This man could be PM in 8 months time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patfig Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 He is quite simply a KNOBHEAD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 IMPO I think he lacks any leadership skills whatsoever. However, I think he must be a very scheming indvidual because he had to have done something to beat his brother, Balls and the other candidates for the Labour leadership - unless, of course, they are even worse than he is which is possible I suppose? It just shows you how bad Labour is now in terms of cronyism - people getting safe Labour seats because they are the children, grand-kids or nephews/nieces than previous Labour MPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen_out Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 What does it matter? We're firmly in the end-game. We'll just keep playing numberwang and pretending everything is OK until it isn't. The question is what do you do whilst you're waiting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LC1 Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 What does it matter? We're firmly in the end-game. We'll just keep playing numberwang and pretending everything is OK until it isn't. The question is what do you do whilst you're waiting? Indeed, fiddling (the figures) while Rome burns. (well, it's more likely to blow up, but that doesn't fit the metaphor!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendy Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 What does it matter? We're firmly in the end-game. We'll just keep playing numberwang and pretending everything is OK until it isn't. The question is what do you do whilst you're waiting? I was thinking about the whole 'value' thing the other day (bad I know) - but even though we have a massive debt how much is the cultural value of a nation worth (and the nukes)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDavola Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 He's just so un-statesman-like that I wonder if Labour don't actually want to win the next election? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Generation Game Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Hopefully he'll bring in an able 'minister without portfolio'. Unfortunately he probably wouldn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errol Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 - worth noting that a search on Google for 'Ed Balls so what' brings up NO relevant results as far as I can see. At the bottom of the results it says: Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe. So are we to assume that Balls or someone working close to him has applied to have references to the episode removed from Google? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Generation Game Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 - worth noting that a search on Google for 'Ed Balls so what' brings up NO relevant results as far as I can see. At the bottom of the results it says: Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe. So are we to assume that Balls or someone working close to him has applied to have references to the episode removed from Google? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-532989/So-Tories-claim-Childrens-Secretary-Ed-Balls-DID-dismiss-tax-burden-Budget.html The Tories today suggested Ed Balls could have tried to doctor the official record of Parliament after he was accused of shouting out "so what" as David Cameron told MPs that Britons were paying record levels of tax. Tory MP Andrew Robathan raised a point of order in the Commons, claiming people sitting on his party's benches and in the gallery above the chamber had heard the Children's Secretary's apparent jibe. He even suggested that Mr Balls, who is Gordon Brown's closest Cabinet ally, could have asked for the official record of the House to be doctored to erase the comment. The MP said: "In column 299 of yesterday's Hansard, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families made a sedentary intervention allegedly saying 'So weak'. "A large number of people on this side, in the Gallery, journalists, heard him say 'So what?' "There is a site called YouTube on the net and you can listen to the video. "I reckon I can hear 'what' being said." He added: "Could you arrange for the editor of Hansard to come and tell the House, or make a statement, as to whether the Secretary of State or anybody on his behalf approached Hansard to have it doctored." The Minister had interrupted just after the Conservative leader had warned Britain was woefully ill-prepared for the troubled economic times ahead and now had the highest tax burden in our history. Hearing Mr Balls interject, Mr Cameron replied "'So what', says the minister for children. I know he wants to be Chancellor so badly it hurts. "I have to tell him - another Budget like the one we have just heard and he won't have to wait very long." Later, as Mr Balls continued to shout excitably, the Tory leader added: "I know he is the minister for children, but he doesn't have to behave like one." Mr Balls claimed last night that he had only said "so weak" as David Cameron was outlining the tax burden in what had escalated into an embarrassing row. His aides also revealed that Hansard, the official record of Parliament, had agreed not to include the remark. What's doubleplusgood for the goose is doubleplusgood for the gander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendy Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Bowman Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 IMPO I think he lacks any leadership skills whatsoever. However, I think he must be a very scheming indvidual because he had to have done something to beat his brother, Balls and the other candidates for the Labour leadership - unless, of course, they are even worse than he is which is possible I suppose? It just shows you how bad Labour is now in terms of cronyism - people getting safe Labour seats because they are the children, grand-kids or nephews/nieces than previous Labour MPs. Someone told me when I was on the Isle of Bute in the spring that many Scottish people will never forgive Salmond for letting out the Lockerbie bomber and for that reason alone it will be a no vote. I suspect the same is true of Millibrain it might not ever be mentioned but it was a pretty cold and ruthless thing to demonstrate that when push comes to shove you will shaft you brother something people feel as wrong at a deeper level than petty politics. Agree 100% with your views on Labour cronyism but the others are no better unfortunately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patfig Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I just find him totally dopey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R K Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 To be fair he spoke for an hour without notes. The Torygraph spinmeister was correct about this though Let’s take a second to deconstruct that. The budget deficit currently stands in excess of £95 billion. Shame he forgot to mention that's after 4 years of Cameron's policies! (If you're a deficit obsessive) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Knimbies who say No Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Funny how Osborne's proven empty rhetoric is good enough for some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidg Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 - worth noting that a search on Google for 'Ed Balls so what' brings up NO relevant results as far as I can see. At the bottom of the results it says: Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe. So are we to assume that Balls or someone working close to him has applied to have references to the episode removed from Google? be interesting if anyone else gets the same results (UK based), worth contacting Private Eye if this is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saver Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 be interesting if anyone else gets the same results (UK based), worth contacting Private Eye if this is the case. google gets this ons second hit: (I am in uk) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'm not fan of Milliband, but this is a pretty weak attack really. A guy who speaks for a hour without notes and forgets a few passages. I regularly do that when I'm presenting - but thankfully no-one notices when I speak. Next time he'll likely use an autocue with a speech that some party wonk has focus group tested to death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 To be fair he spoke for an hour without notes. The Torygraph spinmeister was correct about this though Shame he forgot to mention that's after 4 years of Cameron's policies! (If you're a deficit obsessive) Arguably unimpressive, but what was the structural deficit when the present Government came to power? They have been crap at reducing the deficit, but God knows what it would be now if Labour had got back in. Or maybe it would have all been over, the £ destoyed, and we would be building a New UK from the smouldering embers of our nation by now... We're f*****d. Let's get it over with for God's sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Bear Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 IMPO I think he lacks any leadership skills whatsoever. However, I think he must be a very scheming indvidual because he had to have done something to beat his brother, Balls and the other candidates for the Labour leadership - unless, of course, they are even worse than he is which is possible I suppose? It just shows you how bad Labour is now in terms of cronyism - people getting safe Labour seats because they are the children, grand-kids or nephews/nieces than previous Labour MPs. IMO he must also be extremely arrogant, because in spite of so many people saying he is not up to it - he is simply not PM material - he still apparently thinks he'll be fine. God knows I have no love for Cameron, but the thought of Ed M representing this country on any sort of international stage makes me cringe with embarrassment already. I can't bear listening to him or even seeing him talk - I have to switch over or leave the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goat Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'm not fan of Milliband, but this is a pretty weak attack really. A guy who speaks for a hour without notes and forgets a few passages. I regularly do that when I'm presenting - but thankfully no-one notices when I speak. This isn't forgetting a few passages, this is forgetting the central issue that will dominate politics for years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 He knows nothing of thread gauges and dining chairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patfig Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 I'm not fan of Milliband, but this is a pretty weak attack really. A guy who speaks for a hour without notes and forgets a few passages. I regularly do that when I'm presenting - but thankfully no-one notices when I speak. Next time he'll likely use an autocue with a speech that some party wonk has focus group tested to death. Are you serious This guy wants to be the next PM, he has rehearsed ( apparently) and h made a mess of it.......... really not good enough from the clutz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer466 Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 France has some serious problems due to the high taxation system and spending on welfare. It is in the downward death spiral, only a matter of time. http://www.cbn.com/tv/3255110732001 Millibands vision for the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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