trousers

Perhaps it would help if FF (or someone else 'in the know') posted a 'case study' of a typical BA employee who stands to lose out by what BA are proposing and how it will affect their lives. Until I/we understand the actual personal circumstances isn't it premature to fire off sweeping criticism? For example, let's say BA employee 'X' is currently paid £30k for a job that would only attract £20k at another airline then is it 'morally right' for that employee to lose something they have been used to (and therefore run their household budgets to) even if 'logically' they are being overpaid when compared to their industry as a whole? We all live within our means so how is someone expected to cope if their income vs outgoings ratio is altered unfavourably? Again, just trying to see both sides here.

I was trying to be diplomatic so that I don't fall out with FF ;-)

I've just turned down a corporate ticket to the Cup Final. Tricky decision: 'Go and see Pompey humiliated by Chelsea' or 'refuse to go on principle' Nick Clegg could learn a lot from me....

Oh joy

My money is on the following question being asked by someone on here before long: "Why does it matter what his nationality was?"

Cameron: "Hang on a minute. I got 4 million more votes than you...." Clegg (under breath): "la la la la la la"

Oooh, you're provocative...but I like you... ;-) No, I disagree...most UKIP votes would go to the conservatives IMHO. Perhaps cameron's best bet if he gets squeezed out by the parties thst came 2nd and 3rd in the election is to agree to hold a EU membership referendum after the next election thus clawing back those oh so decisive UKIP votes? That said, labour and the lib- debs will have changed the voting system by then (without a referendum initially) so all a bit academic

Fair point. That's certainly the way it works in the industry that I work in. If you don't like one company you resign and go and work for another. Perhaps there are constraints in the airline industry that prevent BA workers from engaging in such 'free movement' that we (the general public) don't appreciate or understand? Benefit of the doubt and all that...

There are cleverer, more imaginative ways of protesting against the people that run a company than a blanket strike.

He can't vote so one way or the t'other it's a chisel off the Tory majority. No wonder mandleson and co were happy to see a safe Tory seat 'lost' when they voted for the speakers position last year...not that I'm saying they were scheming and manipulative of course...

I was reading today that if UKIP didn't exist and all their votes had gone to the Tories instead (which would be the 'best fit' home for those voters) then Mr Cameron would have got the 326 seats he needed. Is that true or some made up nonsense? A bit ironic if true: "vote UKIP, vote for closer ties to Europe"

Dr Who

Trousers thinking out loud alert... How about a hybrid system? We stick with first-past-the-post as the method for determining which political party resides in downing street and they run the country's 'national' interests (global finance, defence, tax, etc) but each constituency has, say, three representatives in parliament - i.e. The top 3 in each constituency vote. The man (or lady) who came top gets 3 voting points in parliament, the 2nd placed 2 voting points and 3rd placed gets 1 point. To cover the costs of 3 MPs per constituency, we can reduce the number of constituencies (i.e. Have much larger 'local' areas) so the net number of MPs is manageable. So we get strong/stable national government and representative Government for more local issues? Win win?

I know it's right for the police to have a significant say on this but, technically/legally, do they have the ultimate sanction on this or could cortese have said: "thanks for the advice chaps but we're going ahead anyway." I assume they can refuse to police games which probably answers my question

Echo breaking a Saints news story ahead of an official announcement? Whatever next? ;-)

Weston and Derry (if memory serves me correctly) heard that Hughes may have been at st mary's when saints were playing up at tranmere and that it was suspected that cortese wasn't at tranmere...

You are, of course, technically correct, but to suggest that the leader of the party isn't a significant influence on who people vote for is to stick one's head in the sand somewhat

In the London 2012 Olympics I thnk we should give the gold medal to everyone coming third for a change. It's only "fair". There are, afterall, many more people who don't come first than those that do...

Yup, but that's before they offered them such a big carrot

If the PM announces he's resigning after an election doesn't that then pave the way for the Tories to lead a minority government?

Ok, time for cameron to get on the blower to alec salmond to tell him he can have his independance if he supports the Tories for next 2 years. Win win

FFS

What happens to the employees of a company that goes bust because of strike action?

We've currently got a party who got c.20% of the vote deciding the future of the country as we speak...

If your question involved the use of the word "why?" then, no, you didn't get an answer, per se, within 2 hours.