bridge too far

And apparently, when Gove was in charge of Education, one school playing field every 3 weeks was being sold off! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/keep-the-flame-alive/10516870/One-school-playing-field-sold-off-every-three-weeks-since-Coalition-was-formed.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-great-british-selloff-whos-in-9792625.html

If you watch Mr Tumble as much as I have to these days I think you'd see that he's a very very talented actor who has a real handle on what makes small children adore him. My youngest grandchildren really do love him and he's done so much to promote Makaton sign language.

Enoch Powell too allegedly http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/tory-mp-enoch-powell-investigated-as-alleged-member-of-westminster-paedophile-network-10142235.html

So it looks like there's been a vote in the EU about tax dodging. The law went through, thank goodness but look who voted against it! http://leftfootforward.org/2015/03/tory-and-ukip-meps-vote-against-proposals-to-crack-down-on-tax-dodging/

If you re-read my post, you will maybe understand that I was asking a rhetorical question - of course you need a TV licence to watch Sky and ITV. That was the very point I was making

Economical with the truth there Lord D. [h=3]"If you don't pay you could face a £1,000 fine[/h] Watching 'live TV' without a licence is against the law. TV Licensing has enforcement officers that carry out checks. Fee dodgers can face prosecution plus a fine of up to £1,000 if they're found to be watching 'live TV' without a licence. You cannot be imprisoned for TV licence evasion in itself, although you can be imprisoned for non-payment of a fine imposed by the court." And can you watch Sky and ITV if you don't have a licence? So it's not a BBC product you're buying in fact.

Tenuous link between Saggy and a dodgy outfit http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/online-gambling-companys-director-arrested-in-21m-fraud-investigation-10141491.html

I don't think Tesco build stores - rather a developer builds the store and sells / rents it to Tesco. Given Tesco's rowing back from new stores, I wonder if the developer will have to try to do something else with the site. He won't give Pompey any dosh until he's done so, surely?

He's doing a gig in my town later in the year - we'll probably go. We are so lucky with the number of quality comedians we get here.

Going to see him in June - got to squeeze Tim Vine in first

17% of working age households receive working tax credits - hardly a very small proportion http://www.poverty.org.uk/15/index.shtml

Lots of people do earn money that is then publicly subsidised - e.g companies paying minimum wages ARE subsidised by you and me because we have to provide their employees with benefits so that they can live.

And this is what Dave wouldn't tell us last night http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32084722

My point still stands

You don't know that - don't generalise! There are plenty of people out of work (and in work for that matter) who claim benefits having paid NI for donkey's years.

http://www.bbench.co.uk/#!%E2%80%9CEvery-Labour-government-in-history-has-left-unemployment-higher%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%93-A-Fact-Check/crhk/15B68EE0-FA3E-4B5C-9F0E-D81DBFDE4254

Interesting alternative poll http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-32071377

I used to use that stretch to go to work and, at this time of the year, the sun caused all sorts of problems (both going eastwards to work and westwards coming home) Don't know if the glare was bad this morning when this happened. Dreadful

Crikey - I'd watch it if Guy Martin fronted it. I've loved everything he's done so far

I can't see how he'd get a redundancy settlement. His contract was about to expire and the BBC chose not to renew it. That's not the same as redundancy.

At the very least he would have had to have his lip stitched.

It depends on how you define 'privatisation of NHS services'. Does this graph show / include non-clinical services such as catering, cleaning, maintenance, portering? Does it include using private hospitals (at no charge to the patient) for elective surgery in order to reduce waiting times? Or does it solely show outsourcing of clinical services such as oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics? Because the distinction is important.

I'll second this

I'll make allowances for your liquid lunch Lord D, although the bit 'Nigel may say THONGS that are unpalatable...' did make me chuckle. With regard to the hedge fund issue, I wasn't 'defending' anything - merely posting a report in a newspaper that sought to demonstrate that this particular hedge fund manager appeared to be quite honest in explaining how far removed he was from the perceived views of hedge fund managers. I then quoted Sir Alistair Graham and I couldn't understand why you were saying I'd missed bits out. We were obviously at cross purposes here. However, I'm glad you concede that Abbott / Livingstone etc weren't involved in the Farage incident.