blandy

"Theme to an unmade silent movie" by Hurricane Smith. Tony Butler used to play it on BRMB on his Saturday programme.

Sure. Absolutely. But that misses at least half my point. Put simply, he is unfit and has always been unfit to be leader. I'm not talking in the hypothetical about, really, how he could have done better, because he's frankly not capable of that. Others are and were. Labour choosing him (at the time he stood as a "buggins turn to be the token arse") was a massive howler, and a massive shock when he won. (the reasons why are another subject altogether, Blair, wars, multiple failings... etc). But I suppose it depends on your (anyone's) perspective. Mine is that I want to see an end to the tories, for ever. I'm not pro any particular party, I'm not a "loyalist" to any party political cause. I know I detest the tories, I know that the closest parties to my personal take are a mix of Green, Lib Dem and Labour when you look at the current manifestos (as per that thread that had graphs from a survey in it). So in order to get what I personally want, an end to Tory rule, and [all fluffy things and harder things I like], it needs the Tories to get hoofed out. For that to happen with the current system (FPTP) then Labour needs to be not the recipient of some tactical votes out of sympathy, but an actual electoral force, a genuine alternative government. It is none of those things with Corbyn in charge, you're right. He does scare the horses. So maybe more of him in front of voters, putting a case for something he doesn't believe, like Remain, might have re-inforced those opinions of him as a voter scarer. yeah. With the time machine, him never being made leader is what I'm thinking. Not specifically Corbyn could've done better, but Starmer, Cooper, Benn, Burnham..many names, would have done better. The likes of Corbyn, Len McLuskey, Abbott, and others of that ilk are basically bumbling fools at best, or poison at worst. Their incompetence is enabling tories. Their incompetence enables the BBC and other broadcasters to reflect the reality that these effwits are not going to solve anything, when the country is crying out for credible politicians and leaders.

I agree, that's fair comment - particularly if you take the starting point as sometime in the pretty recent past. You're right, that with the current situation on Brexit, it would always end up divided, whoever was in charge of Labour. Fair comment. Where I disagree, and the point I've been making for several years, pretty much since Corbyn took over Labour, is that his ineptitude during the referendum (he mostly hid), immediately after it ("trigger A50 immediately") up to and during this election "I'm neutral on Brexit and any Labour deal I hope to negotiate". As well as pie in the sky plans for 4 days weeks and nationalising everything (I exaggerate, but not by much) - these things scare voters. His attitude to terrorists and Russia and South African socialist despot regimes scares voters. In order to win there is a need to appeal to people outside your clique, and outside your world view. The NHS is on it's knees, homeless people on the streets, no-one apart from the super rich has had a real pay rise in years, businesses are packing up and leaving, investment's stopped, racism on the rise, the roads and rail are a mess, energy policy is a mess...all these things (some of which Corbyn rightly raises and campaigns on) should see a credible opposition look like a government in waiting and romp home, had they had a clear eyed stance on opposing the Tory Brexit clusterpork of the last 3 and a half years and 10 years of "Austerity" (ideologically driven cuts). Labour has utterly failed over the past 4 years or so to present any kind of opposition to the tories. We've got catweazle and his bunch of angry tramps to thank for that. I would suggest that go back 4 years to when Cameron called the referendum and play it differently from there and my hypothesis is not as daft as you correctly point out if you take "right now" as the time frame. So go back, Labour campaigns unambiguously and hard against the UKIPy tory "Leave" lot, they sell EU membership, they point out the lies and flaws in what the Leavers were arguing, they do, in effect, some of what Caroline Lucas, Rory Stewart and others did, but on a much bigger scale which was go and talk and listen to people and point out that people in the North and Midlands are not and were not ignored because of the EU, but because the UK governments have neglected them (us). And listening to concerns about immigration, crumbling rail, housing, all the investment going into the South, and so on, and formulating and explaining how things will change. How membership of the EU can be used as a positive. It's not that big a leap of faith to think that the 51.7%/48.3% result would not have ever arisen with such a campaign. Even with the result as it actually was, Labour's response has been pitiful, and still is.

It is not so. Listen, I think the BBC's coverage has been poor, and at times appears biased towards the establishment, but the quoted criticism is utterly feeble minded. 1. Failure to secure an interview with Johnson is not "a scandal". Just think on a moment. Suppose Johnson had agreed to a date, there is nothing whatsoever to stop him later reneging on any agreement, with some feeble minded "events" excuse. There is no legal way anyone can be compelled to be interviewed by anyone, nor should there be. The failure/decision of Johnson to avoid Neill is not the BBC's fault in any way at all. It is not a scandal. The broadcasting of the interviews with Corbyn, Swinson, Farage may or may not be considered "politically damaging" by supporters or opponents of those people, or may be they did well in others' view. They freely agreed to be interviewed. That Johnson indicated he would then never fixed a date is not the BBC's or the other leaders' fault. Johnson has been widely seen and called for cowardice. No scandal. Stupid comment. 2. "a state broadcaster subjecting the opposition to relentless and damaging political interrogation, while seeming unable or unwilling to do the same when it comes to the government" - also bollocks. From what I've seen, the BBC has interviewed various tories to the same level as the labour or other parties. They have not been (overall) soft soaped compared to other parties' spokespeople in interviews. And again "damaging" interrogation suggests to me that the Labour and other people interviewed didn't respond well in that writer's eyes when their more loony policies or positions were subjected to questioning. Personally the Tory positions have also been "damaging" when interviewed - from the extra nurses idiocy, to the extra hospitals, to the extra police and so on - these have all been repeatedly exposed as lies across all the broadcasters. The BBC has not done at all well, it has been cowed and feeble at times, and this has been the case for 10 years or more - ever since Alistair Campbell went at them both Labour and Tories have kept them under pressure when in Government, and they have consequentially been weaker than we'd like. But the whole whining about the media, the BBC, whoever, from Labour is a sign that (as ever) they are not prepare to look at themselves and their own performance. "Whose fault is it we lost - must have been the BBC, if only they'd been fair, we'd have won" - delusional claptrap. Labour is a disorganised shambles, led by an unelectable twerp with too many ludicrous policies to allow the good that they have to come to light. They have good MPs, some good policies, but are letting the tories off the hook because of Corbyn and his acolytes, not because the BBC couldn't force Johnson to be interviewed, or because Laura K repeats too much unattributed briefing. As angry as people are at the BBC, I think they're misdirecting their ire. It belongs with feeble **** running Labour. That's why, despite the worst (by a mile) government in history, the result isn't going to be what it should have been if Labour were remotely competent - a Labour landslide. And that's where the anger should be directed.

Oh the team one in your vid and pic is definitely Sheff Utd at the end of the season. But I think Ron Saunders trip back to VP was maybe 5 or 6 months later, for a midweek game. I don't think the old players were on the pitch for Ron's return. I'm sure someone will remember more clearly than me the timing of it all. But it's less the date than the feeling and the nostalgia and Saunders being back after many years and the acclaim he got. It was lovely.

You might be right, but my memory says it was a midweek game, not that Sheffield United weekend one, Tegis. I have it in mind it was maybe the next season, about October time. But I might be completely wrong.

You may have missed "This isn't a comment on your post" snowy. Your mention of "hostile environment just reminded me of the IFS assessment I read. Sleep well.

Just needs some greens with it

In terms of impact on the NHS, with Labour's and the Tory plans for immigration are negative, say the independent IFS. This isn't a comment on your post, just a nod towards yes Tories bad", but Labour's position is also bad for the NHS and economy. The choice for voters is not actually (IMO) between evil tories and virtuous Labour, it's between very harmful tories and also pretty harmful Labour, going by what they say in their manifestos. It's a truly awful choice and set of parties.

It was a really lovely moment when he was invited back, when Randy was here. All hail Saunders, all hail Aston Villa

Yeah, one of those that's genuinely gutting. He was my first sporting "hero", well him and Brian Little, I couldn't tell you which was first. Brilliant bowler, and more recently just excellently curmudgeonly - telling it like it is - but in a nice way, on the Sky analysis programme. So sad.

Just looking at my CDs from this year, it's a been a lean one, pretty meagre in terms of belters.. Kate Tempest - The Book Of Traps And Lessons Mercury Rev - Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen. Julia Jacklin - Crushing Jesca Hoop - Stonechild The Comet Is Coming - Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery Bat For Lashes - Lost Girls Pay It All Back Vol.7 That's pretty much it. Maybe I've missed some out.

I did the long one too. I got the results below. I think they might be a bit skewed because there are a couple of Green and a couple of Labour policies I recognised, and really don't like, so I ended up picking what appear to be LD answers for those questions. Not a hint of tory in my answers. :smug:

Blake's a fool. Like you say, some places voting green is the best option - obviously Brighton Pavilion,but also Bristol, Norwich etc. Plus safe seats where there will be no change, then vote green, if you're a green. And that's before anyone looks at Labour's weaknesses. Parties get funding based on their share of the vote. Wanna get more funding for the greens, then vote green, unless it can actually stop a Tory.

Literally unplayable

This is the thing. It’s not “we were away from home”, or “it’s Man U” or whatever. It was “how do we try and win”, and then putting that into practice. The whole point is trying to win. We might not, we might, but we tried, and we wanted to. Not “let’s see if we can sneak it”. A football team trying to do what football teams are supposed to do. Playing to win, playing to be entertaining, representing the club and fans. Getting better at it, too. It’s a joy.

Pair of Window-lickers.

[Edit] This reply was written before I saw posts by @chrisp65 and HV and Bicks discussing the same thing. [/edit] This post makes me sad - "the damage that the SNP, and to a much lesser extent Plaid, are doing to Labour's prospects" - To me that's the wrong way round. SNP and Plaid are clearly offering something to the voters in Scotland and Wales which the people who live there prefer to what Labour offers. If Labour is trailing, it's not the others doing the "damaging" it's Labour not being good enough, or being what they should be - the damage is done by Labour, basically, no-one else. And then you move on to "Labour need to try to bring the Lib Dem vote down". No, they don't. Labour need to either increase the Labour vote OR accept that in some places the Lib Dems are actually well placed to unseat Tories and actually allow the LDs a chance to do so (as do the LDs in reverse in other areas). So it all reads like a photographic negative. Obviously if all you want is a Corbyn gov't and nothing else will do, then that negative slant is understandable, perhaps - "It's others stopping us, the nasty others, Booo!". But to me whether inadvertently or not, it kind of reads all wrong. Because if what you want more than anything is "not tory government" then the SNP, Plaid, Lib Dems, Green, Independents are not "damaging" things by being more popular than Labour in some places, they're part of the solution. They're doing or offering things Labour fails to do. The tories and Labour have gone into their Silos and are ignoring an awful lot of the populations of England, Wales, Scotland and NI.

Amen Brother.

Given that it's reported One of the men who took down the terrorist was a convicted murderer on day release. I'd like to think it shows people can change. Maybe, just maybe, this person wanted to in some way compensate, or act in the way they did because they'd done such a bad thing earlier in their life. I dunno. Maybe that's trite.

It does, Mike, yeah. And this for a Neil Young Vibe. Give the whole thing a listen, it's just magnificent.

Is this pub rock? Whatever, it’s good.

That's changed, I think. There's loads of good Aussie indie and even Pop acts now. Though they seem strangely obsessed with Paul Kelly, of "Making Gravy" ahem, "fame". But back to the indie stuff, theres king gizzard and the lizard wizard, Courtney Barnett, Jen Cloher, Luluc, the stroppies, Julia Jacklin, Nick Cave & the bad seeds and some with sweary names. Anyway, Luluc

Fremantle.I posted a pic of his statue there a while back. Freemantle with 2 e's is Southampton uk. The Youngs were Scots, too.

Yeah, the redemption was that because of the complaints of MEPs and the exposure that got and then the petitions etc. and because of stroppy (God bless 'em) Belgian district politicians and others, they put a stop to it. Not sure I get the point about how that caused or contributed to Brexit, but that'll be me being dim.