Lord Duckhunter

Robin Cook resigned over the Iraq war, but Short backed it and voted for it. She only became all moral and against it once it was obvious Blair was going to sack her. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2863277.stm

So you be support the raising of the tax threashold then? Why with 13 years of power didn't Labour do the same, and will they be supporting the measure when it goes through parliament?

Did anyone see Abbott on "This week" last night? Digby Jones put her on the spot with "what would you do then?" and she waffled and looked puzzled.

Didn't John Smith write the "shadow budget" that contributed greatly to Kinnocks '92 defeat?

The Labour Party is all about spin, not policies. If the rank and file's views were reflected in their leader Abbott would be their "man".She is nearer to the grassroots position's than Miliband or Burnham.

Portillo wipes the floor with her every week.

I look forward to seeing her on "This week" tonight. Perhaps Wiggy Neil will grill her over policies..

If the rank and file got to see the views of the candidates without knowing whose views were whose, DA's would most closely match the majority of the Party, she is more in touch with the membership than David Milliband ever will be. The Labour party will never elect a Female leader, and as I said earlier, 40 years after the Tories did, are still no nearer to doing so.

Abbott is not going to win this election, therefore it's a fact that 40 years after Maggie the "right on" people's party, despite all their "positive discrimination" and countless empty gestures, are no nearer being led by a Female.

Her views are nearer to the grassroot Activists than most of the others. The Labour movement has always been a male dominated body. Nearly 40 years after Maggie Thatcher was made Tory leader ,and we're still no nearer the Brothers following their lead.

There's something about Abbot, she's not bad for a 50 something leftie. Have you seen her flirting with Portillo on "This week"? She's not in the Caroline Flint area but she's got something about her. There's no way the dinosaurs in the people's party will have a Women lead them.

There's enough of a problem with people running around London full of drugs, without adding to the numbers with athletes. Should have let France have it, then the people who want to watch it can hop across and do so, without leaving the rest of us with a massive debt. I would rather the money was spent on grassroots sport facilities for all to use.

My mate is a teacher, he told me himself that he can retire and draw a pension from 55. Is he wrong? If so, I hope he's not teaching the children economics.

Ring these people, they are fantstic http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ I am in the middle of dealing with the garage that conned my oldest son out of £800 in respect of his car. They have dictated letters over the phone to me, and they have talked us through every stage and all our rights.

They have been bribing the electroate for the past 11 years. After sticking to Tory spending plans for 2 years, they went on a massive binge chucking our money about on themselves, their supporters and the marginal areas. It is my 10 year old son and 9 year old daughter and their children who are going to have to pay for this Labour Govt's mismanagement of the public finances. Whilst Mandleson, Blair, Brown, Campbell and the like enjoy a comfortable old age, doing a few lecture tours writting the odd book, the rest of us poor bloody mugs will be paying their credit card bill.

The Public sector employees have to be brought in line with the Private sector. There are hardly any Final salary pensions in the private sector (cheers Gordon), the retirement age should be the same, and sickness/holidays should be brought into line as well.The days of generous pension provisions to compensate for lower wages in the public sector are over, we need a complete revolution where public sector workers are concerned. There are fantstic people dedicating their life to the public service, but there should not be two classes of employees in this Country.

The Labour party abandoned Socialism when it was unpopular. Their motto now seems to be " You don't like our principles? here's another set" If their focus groups detect that Socialism is coming back into fashion, all of a sudden they'll be championing it again. Old Socialist's like Prescott get their heads turned by power and privilege and end up in the house of Lords.

Is that true, out of order if it is.

Dont know if this has been posted yet. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Grant-39agrees-to-join39-Hammers.6300731.jp

Not sure how he feels about our new regime, remember he was very keen on the Lowe revoulutionary set up last season. Losing Jan/Wotte and Lowe could have blown our chance of signing him.:yawinkle:

I think Mrs Balls should have the balls to stand against Balls.

The figures dont include PFI which committed the British taxpayer to future spending of £215bn over the length of the contracts. Our Pension provisions will be higher than other Country's as our Public sector pensions are gold plated. George Osbourne is setting up an independent audit of last Govt's spending and I dread to think what that will look like. Like all Labour Govt's the last one ran out of money, our money, and it'll take a generation to sort it out.

Foxes are vermin, not some cuddly Basil Brush like pet.

Would have liked to have seen Thomas stay (but he's obviously on good money) and sad to see Perry go, but other than that, think we've got it spot on. James, Gillet, Lancashire, Thomson, were just not good enough. People seemed to get all misty eyed over some of them because they're young and came through the ranks, but they were not good enough.I just hope they can find another club, and can make a decent living in the lower leagues, because they are decent honest pro's. Hopefully Perry and Murty can find a coaching or media job and I'm sure Thomas will be snapped up by someone.

Had the Lib/Dems not spoken to Labour, you'ld have had lefties complaining that they did a deal "without even talking to Labour", so they couldn't win either way. They had 2 options, a minority Tory Govt, that would have lasted till about Oct. Or to go into Govt with them and get some of their policies implemented. They also now have the chance to show the British people that hung parliaments can work and that they are a serious party which can govern well.