dune Posted 16 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 16 December, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16222988 Ever get the feeling that we might not get a xmas card from the French this year. Perhaps we should have a pop back, instead of rolling over. Their banks are screwed, they were downgraded last week, they have massive exposure to southern european government bonds and they are in the euro. Their cheif source of funding is their government which is facing a ratings downgrade which will significantly affect their banks ability to raise money from the state. There must be a modern day equivalent of the "up yours, delors" motto we can use. We should just laugh at them. They are rattled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 16 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 16 December, 2011 Last night’s YouGov poll for the Sun had topline figures of CON 41%, LAB 40%, LDEM 10%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 16 December, 2011 Share Posted 16 December, 2011 Last night’s YouGov poll for the Sun had topline figures of CON 41%, LAB 40%, LDEM 10%. FWIW the "Feltham and Heston" poll gave Labour 54.42%, Conservative 27.71% - a swing to Lab from Con of 8.6%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verbal Posted 17 December, 2011 Share Posted 17 December, 2011 Last night’s YouGov poll for the Sun had topline figures of CON 41%, LAB 40%, LDEM 10%. As the realities become clearer those numbers will change. Cameron's veto did not prevent powers shifting from London to Brussels. The proposal from Germany was merely that euro-zone member countries - of which Britain is not one - would more tightly co-ordinate their budgets. Nor was Britain seeking an opt-out for EU regulation on financial services, but merely a unanimous vote on certain financial-services issues. He also sought to prevent the transaction tax being used by Frankfurt to remove euro-transacted business from the Square Mile. Dave did NOT seek to block a financial transaction tax as such, nor was he seeking weaker EU regulation of the banks. Nor, above all, was he seeking to weaken repatriate any powers from Brussels to London. Above all, he was trying very hard, beneath the pizzazz, to be as circumspect as possible, given that the stability of the euro-zone is essential to British bankers, who, at the end of June this year, hold about £3/4 of a trillion in Euro-denominated sovereign debt. The only tangible gain made by Dave was on behalf of the French, who didn't want Germany's budgetary controls anyway. Sarkozy was off the hook with voters in France thanks to Cameron. And that really is about it. So you can ignore all the breast beating by euro-sceptics. This government and this Dave-led Tory Party, is having nothing whatsoever to do with any kind of withdrawal from the EU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 17 December, 2011 Share Posted 17 December, 2011 Dave did NOT seek to block a financial transaction tax as such, nor was he seeking weaker EU regulation of the banks. Nor, above all, was he seeking to weaken repatriate any powers from Brussels to London. The only tangible gain made by Dave was on behalf of the French, who didn't want Germany's budgetary controls anyway. Sarkozy was off the hook with voters in France thanks to Cameron. Thing is if a referendum was held in France today on EEC membership we'd probably opt out as well.Sarko has just started a new "buy French" campaign, don't know if it will be of the essor of the "Buy British" campaign back in the 60s (or 70s) though. Yer average "homme dans la rue" is beginning to believe that we are being invaded by cheap Chinese trash for goods and Africans for everything else. It's not for nothing that the Front National who are completely devoid of any tangible political credibility are polling at above 21%. The French want change but they don't want the Socialists because that will just lead to more immigrants and more public cash given to them. The French adopted the initial Maastricht Treaty by something like 50.2 to 49.8 with a general feeling that Mitterand had made sure that he didn't lose by any means necessary because Maastricht was the Mitterand/Delors "cheval de bataille". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pap Posted 17 December, 2011 Share Posted 17 December, 2011 Much as I dislike adding to dune's 'popular' threads The Tory leaning papers have a couple of stories about France becoming increasingly isolated. A week in politics is a long time :- French seek to heal rift with Britain as suddenly they are the isolated ones Nicolas Sarkozy was looking increasingly isolated last night as France faced losing its AAA credit rating and David Cameron held "positive" discussions with the German chancellor. Angela Merkel telephoned the Prime Minister yesterday morning and the German foreign minister will visit London on Monday, amid growing European disquiet over the behaviour of senior French figures in recent days. Mail article Telegraph article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 17 December, 2011 Share Posted 17 December, 2011 I'm certainly not one to gloat over the current situation, but from today's papers: What's the capital of France? ... ... about £2.50. (kelvin.mackenzie@dailymail.co.uk) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 18 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 18 December, 2011 There's an ICM poll in the Sunday Telegraph with topline figures of CON 40, LAB 34, LDEM 14. Now that Dave is listening to me the tide has turned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 18 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 18 December, 2011 Much as I dislike adding to dune's 'popular' threads The Tory leaning papers have a couple of stories about France becoming increasingly isolated. A week in politics is a long time :- Mail article Telegraph article Just as I said would happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 18 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 18 December, 2011 The plotting against the Nerd goes public... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075670/Ed-Milibands-speeches-criticised-new-40k-year-speechwriter.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 18 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 18 December, 2011 Nick Hewer on 'Have I Got News For You' made me laugh, he claimed he'd met Ed Miliband. He described him as, 'Tall, arrogant, weak handshake'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted 18 December, 2011 Share Posted 18 December, 2011 Nick Hewer on 'Have I Got News For You' made me laugh, he claimed he'd met Ed Miliband. He described him as, 'Tall, arrogant, weak handshake'. I perceive him as arrogant too. He is a liability to the Labour Party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 18 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 18 December, 2011 I perceive him as arrogant too. He is a liability to the Labour Party. He's typical of New Labour. He's a career politician. A member of the Islington Liberal Elite. He's a complete and utter non entity. If you took him away from the Westminster bubble and put him in the real world he wouldn't be in senior management or even middle management, he'd be the geeky computer technician or doing something equally dull that required no personality. Ed Balls is different, but just as arrogant and unlikeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/dec/19/farage-ukip-tories-pact-referendum "Farage says Ukip could offer Tories electoral pact in return for referendum" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/dec/19/farage-ukip-tories-pact-referendum "Farage says Ukip could offer Tories electoral pact in return for referendum" They'd be better off with Kim Yun Il. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verbal Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/dec/19/farage-ukip-tories-pact-referendum "Farage says Ukip could offer Tories electoral pact in return for referendum" I'd love to see this - Farago offering to trade his 0 seats for a senior government position - presumably for the aviation portfolio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 He's typical of New Labour. He's a career politician. A member of the Islington Liberal Elite. Career politicians are from all the parties. Cameron & Clegg to name but two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecuk268 Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 Career politicians are from all the parties. Cameron & Clegg to name but two. That's half the problem with many of today's politicians. They leave University, get a researcher's job with some MP and then after having a go at some unwinnable seat, are given a more realistic one. They've never had a "proper" job, working for a company that needs to be profitable. It leaves them lacking knowledge of the realities of everyday life for "alarm-clock Britain" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 That's half the problem with many of today's politicians. They leave University, get a researcher's job with some MP and then after having a go at some unwinnable seat, are given a more realistic one. They've never had a "proper" job, working for a company that needs to be profitable. It leaves them lacking knowledge of the realities of everyday life for "alarm-clock Britain" Something everyone can agree on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derry Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 I'd love to see this - Farago offering to trade his 0 seats for a senior government position - presumably for the aviation portfolio. If UKIP didn't stand, their vote would probably go Conservative. For example if UKIP had pulled out of Southampton Itchen, John Denham wouldn't have been elected MP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 19 December, 2011 Share Posted 19 December, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16245469 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 19 December, 2011 Author Share Posted 19 December, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16245469 At a press conference in London, Mr Westerwelle said the UK was an "indispensable partner" within the EU... Or in other words we are a Germanic race like them and they need us and the Scandinavians there to counteract the idiocy of latin europe. A sidelined UK is an isolated Germany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 At a press conference in London, Mr Westerwelle said the UK was an "indispensable partner" within the EU... Or in other words we are a Germanic race like them and they need us and the Scandinavians there to counteract the idiocy of latin europe. A sidelined UK is an isolated Germany. Setting aside the racial stereotyping, it does seem that in the cold light of day and away from the cloying presence of the French midget, that the Germans have had a change of heart and realised what side their bread is buttered on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 If UKIP didn't stand, their vote would probably go Conservative. For example if UKIP had pulled out of Southampton Itchen, John Denham wouldn't have been elected MP. Assuming that all of UKIP votes went to the Tories. There are a large number of traditional Labour voters that are anti-EU as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 (edited) Setting aside the racial stereotyping, it does seem that in the cold light of day and away from the cloying presence of the French midget, that the Germans have had a change of heart and realised what side their bread is buttered on.... IMO Germany genuinely want to build an inclusive, united federal Europe in order to end wars and compete successfully as a bloc against North America and the Far East -and so they want /need Britain to be a part of that. Misguided in my view, but genuinely held. France just wants to be top dog in Europe, or as close as they can get by being 'best mates' with the biggest lad in the class. Edited 20 December, 2011 by buctootim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pap Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 IMO Germany genuinely want to build an inclusive, united federal Europe in order to end wars and compete successfully as a bloc against North America and the Far East -and so they want /need Britain to be a part of that. France just wants to be top dog in Europe, or as close as they can get by being 'best mates' with the biggest lad in the class. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ultimately, it'll be down to Germany to enforce the new fiscal compact. We might be good mates with the Germans now, but there is a lot of historical enmity between the Germans and their near-neighbours. I wonder how far the Germans would actually go in enforcing the rules. Some collected thoughts here. No tinfoil hat required Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 I wonder how far the Germans would actually go in enforcing the rules. Annexation I imagine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ultimately, it'll be down to Germany to enforce the new fiscal compact. We might be good mates with the Germans now, but there is a lot of historical enmity between the Germans and their near-neighbours. I wonder how far the Germans would actually go in enforcing the rules. Some collected thoughts here. No tinfoil hat required That's an excellent summary of where we are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pap Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 That's an excellent summary of where we are. Cheers, Alps. Interestingly, I have just read an article in the Telegraph which references Python too. I didn't nick my bit from there, in case you're wondering. The House of Lords are considering doing a cost-benefit analysis of membership of the EU. A good read, but heavy on speculation. I would be very interested to see if it happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ART Posted 20 December, 2011 Share Posted 20 December, 2011 Moody's have just issued the following warning to the UK, leaving France for a downgrading not before 2012 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8969196/Moodys-warns-UK-credit-rating-at-risk-if-growth-stalls.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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