pap

Nice vid trousers.

Link to the speech that Miliband gave today :- http://labourlist.org/2012/01/ed-miliband-speech-to-london-citizens/ I imagine it reads a lot better than it sounds. Whether he can get this message to the wider public remains to be seen.

Given that we're already 10 days into 2012, now might be the last time to reflect on the achievements of our squad in 2011. Personally, my highlights are:- The emergence of Richard Chaplow as a much better player than I ever gave him credit for. Rickie making the step up to the NPC with consummate ease. The signing of Jos. What did it for you in 2011?

Ed was on the Today programme getting a small grilling from Humphries. He is due to make a speech today setting out his strategy. Guardian article here.

Blimey, didn't realise it was that bad. Sounds like a decent business opportunity for someone.

Apparently, Worrall-Thompson's businesses went down the pan in 2009, so you are probably onto something there.

Just get yourself the biggest broadband pipe you can and learn how to torrent, phil. Your TV woes will be over.

Yeah, I did see the first passport bit, but it's not really relevant to the situation right now. Nor does that have any bearing on how I self-identify. Like yourself, I'd say I was English instead of British - but I normally save that for a) when I'm abroad b) when I'm asked So I'm not actually saying different. I'm just pointing out that "England" doesn't cover the political entity that will be left in the event of a Scottish yes vote, and that Great Britain is probably not going to be usable in an official capacity. As for not reading your post, I did. Just didn't make a great deal of sense in the context of the question I was posing.

Succinct assessment of the situation. You only ever hear about the unions in relation to strike. In reality, most of the time is spent negotiating change and nine times out of ten, there's compromise on both sides and things progress smoothly. The perception we have in the public is mostly about strife, because that's what makes the news.

Current passports don't cite "England" as their country of origin. They say "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Don't think we'll be able to use Great Britain in the official capacity. Very much enjoyed reading your ardent proclamation of your nationality though. One can only hope that you were beating your chest whilst you were typing it. I feel duty bound to point out that if you are rocking a red barnet, there's a good chance you might be a bit Scottish or Irish as well. Ms pap traces her redheaded roots to Scotland, herself.

That's what I was thinking.

I would say that has been slightly superceded by more modern interpretations. By the same token, we don't still put leeches down our undergarments to cure all ills. Britain has come to mean us, Scotland and Wales, hasn't it? The official name of our country is the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". That's what I'm getting at.

That is an interesting perspective.

I was actually looking at IT contracts in Dubai. Now that I know that Top Gear is the best thing on TV over there, I'll give it a miss. Why are you so miffed at people knocking the show? Top Gear is alright for what it is, which is WWE for car anoraks. It's not real, but I can watch it in that spirit and enjoy it (a bit). It's very much an "on if it's on show" in our gaff. The South American tour was bloody excellent, but the pretend romp-a-rounds and the fawning audience that looks like Top of the Pops, only populated with Young Conservatives, I can do without.

Just going over some of the implications of Scotland actually voting yes. Some questions:- 1) Would we still be able to call ourselves Britain? We'll still live on the British landmass, but we can't, for example, use GBR as our country initials in sporting events. 2) Can we even call ourselves "United Kingdom"? IIRC, the only union involved is between England and Scotland. Wales and Ireland were the result of conquests, etc. (simplistic, I know - but for the sake of brevity) 3) Speaking of Northern Ireland, what happens to them? Their link with Britain is mostly by way of the Ulster Scots who migrated there. Do they bundle in with us?

Yup. The banks supplied a lot of money they didn't really have. House prices ballooned to meet the amount of available capital in the lending market. Now the banks are demanding it back. You mean, like the present system? The one where if we raised interest rates to anything sensible, we'd send millions more into the spectre of repossession? It is the PRIME factor, and I suspect you know it. We'll never know why Dyson buggered off. If you ask James Dyson, he points to the lack of component manufacturers in the UK and the fact that he can get a better supply chain setup. Personally, I suspect you are correct, which kind of proves my point. We demand high wages because we have high outgoings. Housing is one of the largest. Then you look at the massive tax burden of the average UK citizen. Even if you don't pay income taxes, you're getting taxed in the bolox almost every time you spend money. Council tax, VAT, fuel duty (which doesn't just affect wages), ciggies and beer for those that partake. I know it seems like we are paying all that, but ultimately, business is footing the bill for the lot. I'm not denying that the unions had their part to play, or that they weren't part of immense problems in the late 1970s, but they are a factor amongst many. I also remember that without the unionised effort of our forebears, the average person in this country wouldn't have the free time to even participate in discussions like these. The public sector is being asked to make sacrifices to cover the losses of the professional gambling industry, or the financial services industry as it is better known. It is understandably a bit miffed. Disgraced bankers are still getting massive Brucies from tax-payer owned banks, the Government seems intent on collecting as little tax as possible from large corporations, yet it's the public sector being asked to swallow a sh*t-burger and smile. Unions are mostly reactive institutions. Ask the public sector to eat a sh*tburger when they are already underpaid and you'll get a guaranteed reaction. People make a natural association with the Winter of Discontent whenever they hear the word union, and that is the unions' punishment for letting things get so out of hand. Overall, unions have been a force for progressive change. It is simplistic to blame them for everything and demonstrates a rather myopic view of the big picture. I'm actually quite interested in what your beef is with them.

What is the big ticket item in the cost of living, Ginge? I think it's your rent or mortgage. Average house price in 1980? 24K. Today? 166K.

I have to say, I do find it a little self-serving that we "didn't have time" to debate the UK's involvement in the EU, but Cameron and pals are making a big thing of this.

Who is the_dune?

And I would agree, except I think on other matters, such as free Uni education, pretty sure you have to be BORN in Scotland to qualify.

It's an interesting question, if only because it leads to more questions. What makes a Scot? Birth? Residence? What about all the English who buggered off North of the border after selling their properties in England?

I often make the joke that my kids are entirely uninterested in anything that was made before they were born. In reality, I've lucked out. While the youngest daughter is distressingly a present fan of One Direction, I have no such concerns about Juvenile Unit #1. We alternate between playlists on school runs. The eldest routinely fills the car with stuff like Arcade Fire, Evanescence and Tinie Tempah, all of which meet or exceed my approval.

No-one likes a grass, but to be fair, anyone visiting this site should never have to do it. The moderators need to be on top of stuff. btw, are you dune and the_dune on UI?

At the moment, any legally binding referendum on changing the make-up of the union has to include all of the UK, according to this article. I would expect that the legal work that Cameron and co are developing is to provide an exception so that Scots can vote alone. Conceptually, it seems right that the Scots decide this on our own. I get trousers' point, but applied to say, UK membership of the EU, the argument doesn't seem as strong.

FWIW, if the rest of the UK did get to vote, I don't think they would block it. Personally, I'm rather sick of the question. If they want to leave, so be it. Frankly, if Salmond manages an independent Scotland with anything like the diligence he applies when managing his diet, then I'm not sure they're in good hands. Shallow, I know.