The Politics Thread

[General Mannerheim]

what a load of fuss about nothing - its not like he called her summat interesting, like 'a fat old northern bigoted nice person' or summat!?

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

"I met this woman in Rochdale the other day..."

[BWFC_Insane]

"I met this woman in Rochdale the other day..."

I'd love him to do that!

[as]

what a load of fuss about nothing - its not like he called her summat interesting, like 'a fat old northern bigoted tw*t' or summat!?

I dunno.

She'd worked all her life, paid her taxes and probably wasn't lucky enough to have the education he has....and asked him a serious question.

Granted it was funny, especially him in the radio studio having to listen to it afterwards, but if a working-class northerner (living in a town where immigration is rife) asks questions he doesn't like, then perhaps he should f**k off back down south and let David win the votes.

Talk about a sitting duck, Labour still have a big following round these parts (we still seem to believe that Labour represent 'us') but this current mob seem desperate to burn every bridge.

Roll on the C4 election night coverage with Brooker, Jimmy Carr and David Mitchell.

[fatshaft]

What a stupid controversy. George Bush once called a guy a "major league asshole" on mic and nothing happened. I bet Brown would have gained more votes by standing by his words.

Totally disagree. Labout (according to the leaked document) engineered an open doors immigration policy designed to create a multi-cultural society. Large swathes of the English population are very concerned with immigration, perhaps even being the top priority for many, and Gordon's response when it was only a small part of what she said, is to call her a bigot. He will have lost thousands of votes on the back of this comment.

[Athers]

Anyone seen the full transcription other than "Where are these Eastern Europeans flocking from?" ?

BBC has this

GD: You can't say anything about the immigrants because you're saying that you're... all these Eastern Europeans what are coming in, where are they flocking from?

PM: A million people come from Europe but a million people, British people, have gone into Europe. You do know that there's a lot of British people staying in Europe as well?

Their conversation continues for a few more minutes, with Mrs Duffy mentioning university tuition fees and her grandchildren, before Mr Brown congratulates her on her choice of red jacket. He tells Mrs Duffy to take care, before they part.

Looks like no-one was listening to them and now she's the most important woman of all time.

Odds on a party leader tonight saying a microphone joke with their first response?

[BWFC_Insane]

What a stupid controversy. George Bush once called a guy a "major league asshole" on mic and nothing happened. I bet Brown would have gained more votes by standing by his words.

Totally disagree. Labout (according to the leaked document) engineered an open doors immigration policy designed to create a multi-cultural society. Large swathes of the English population are very concerned with immigration, perhaps even being the top priority for many, and Gordon's response when it was only a small part of what she said, is to call her a bigot. He will have lost thousands of votes on the back of this comment.

I don't think he should have said it BUT.

She was very annoying. She wouldn't let him finish his answers kept interrupting used the classic "in my experience" to show only a limited understanding of issues.

Thing was he handled her ok, so really there was little need to say what he did. But I can imagine I'd have said something similar. She came across as a right "northern" xenophobic thicko. Which she probably isn't to be fair. But in the heat of the moment I'd have probably thought and said similar.

[thebish]

If we want moronic robotic media-friendly smiley-smiley sparkly nicey-nicey bland and inoffensive whose top talents are smarming and being ingratiating - then that's what we will get.

Brown is a deeply flawed person (as we all are). I will be saddened at what looks like his imminent demise - not because of him as a person, but because of something he represents...

My view - probably not vey well expressed - is that he is probably the last leader of the main parties we will now ever see who is primarily a conviction politician - someone who is there PRIMARILY because of what he believes in. His breed is dying out (Michael Foot a few weeks ago)

they are being replaced in all parties - labour included - by shiny media-friendly people - like Blair - and I suspect that image will now always triumph over substance, it is the world we live in.

but I think we will be all the poorer for it.

[H. Pedersen]

My view - probably not vey well expressed - is that he is probably the last leader of the main parties we will now ever see who is primarily a conviction politician - someone who is there PRIMARILY because of what he believes in. His breed is dying out (Michael Foot a few weeks ago)

they are being replaced in all parties - labour included - by shiny media-friendly people - like Blair - and I suspect that image will now always triumph over substance, it is the world we live in.

See Obama, Barack.

But it's not like this is a new trend:

[fatshaft]

She was very annoying. She wouldn't let him finish his answers kept interrupting used the classic "in my experience" to show only a limited understanding of issues.

Sorry, as I watched it, I kept thinking, let her fecking finish Gordon, as he continually tried to interupt her.

She came across as a right "northern" xenophobic thicko.

She did not in any way come across like that.

[boltonboris]

She was very annoying. She wouldn't let him finish his answers kept interrupting used the classic "in my experience" to show only a limited understanding of issues.

Sorry, as I watched it, I kept thinking, let her fecking finish Gordon, as he continually tried to interupt her.

She came across as a right "northern" xenophobic thicko.

She did not in any way come across like that.

I tought she did...... "All these Eastern Europeans and poles coming over.... Where are they all coming from?"

Probably, Eastern Europe and Poland I suspect

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

My view - probably not vey well expressed - is that he is probably the last leader of the main parties we will now ever see who is primarily a conviction politician - someone who is there PRIMARILY because of what he believes in. His breed is dying out (Michael Foot a few weeks ago)

they are being replaced in all parties - labour included - by shiny media-friendly people - like Blair - and I suspect that image will now always triumph over substance, it is the world we live in.

See Obama, Barack.

Seeing as you've mentioned Barry, yesterday's events did remind me of this slightly. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 740080.ece

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

If we want moronic robotic media-friendly smiley-smiley sparkly nicey-nicey bland and inoffensive whose top talents are smarming and being ingratiating - then that's what we will get.

Brown is a deeply flawed person (as we all are). I will be saddened at what looks like his imminent demise - not because of him as a person, but because of something he represents...

My view - probably not vey well expressed - is that he is probably the last leader of the main parties we will now ever see who is primarily a conviction politician - someone who is there PRIMARILY because of what he believes in. His breed is dying out (Michael Foot a few weeks ago)

I used to think this about Brown, but the more I have thought about it and watched him, the more I think he's just another one who, over his career, has been desperate to get to the top job, more for himself than for anybody else.

[BWFC_Insane]

She was very annoying. She wouldn't let him finish his answers kept interrupting used the classic "in my experience" to show only a limited understanding of issues.

Sorry, as I watched it, I kept thinking, let her fecking finish Gordon, as he continually tried to interupt her.

She came across as a right "northern" xenophobic thicko.

She did not in any way come across like that.

I tought she did...... "All these Eastern Europeans and poles coming over.... Where are they all coming from?"

Probably, Eastern Europe and Poland I suspect

Not to mention that the Eastern European/Polish migrants are actually on the decline!

To me she did come across in that way. And I imagine to Gordo as well! He couldn't have a debate with her as she didn't actually engage.

Unlike the bloke who challenged Cameron over special schools who knew what he was talking about, listened to the answers and then challenged them appropriately. He came across as intelligent and balanced. And Cameron handled him quite well apart from not being able to actually tell the truth and answer his questions, but hey no change there. But I'd bet he uttered a few choice words when he got back in his car!

[thebish]

It's quite clear what has happened...

The word "Immigration" has unfortunately become a red-button word. I suspect that all the politicians have it yelled at them every single day from every crowd they happen to meet.

Brown has dropped a bollock and simply lumped this woman with every other person who has waved the word "immigration" at him - and made assumptions about her agenda for being there.

this is sloppy and a bit dumb - but perfectly understandable - he misjudged her through the weariness of hearing the same old-same old shouted at him wherever he goes - and as a consequence he didn't really listen to her.

2 things occur to me about what happened next.

1. What would I rather hear a politician say in the car - given that he has made that assumption about the woman: a) she's a bigot - what a disaster! or b) it seems some people in Rochdale are worried about immigration - how can we best spin our policies to please them?

a) suggests you have some conviction - but are grumpy if people seem to disagree with you - but you will stick by your conviction
b) suggests you haven't really got any conviction and would change your view from day to day and town to town to suit your audience.

if it were a choice - i'd actually rather hear a) and then hear an apology for misjudging in the first place than b)

2. I heard people interviewed from her street today - and a bloke said this...

the journalists interviewed everyone they could see - and 19 out of 20 people said they would still vote labour and it made no difference - as soon as they said that the media lost interest and moved on - until they found one bloke who said he was angry and now would vote lib dem - at which point that bloke was surrounded by every camera and microphone available - and he was presented by the media as the "voice of the street". That's bad journalism and doesn't serve us well.

[boltonboris]

As an aside, my issue isn't really what he said, just the fact that he said it whilst forgetting to turn his microphone off... That's George W Bush kind of dense... He'll probably issue a rollocking to his aides for not reminding him, which is amazing!

[thebish]

As an aside, my issue isn't really what he said, just the fact that he said it whilst forgetting to turn his microphone off... That's George W Bush kind of dense... He'll probably issue a rollocking to his aides for not reminding him, which is amazing!

speaking as one who gets radio-miked-up every week - forgetting to turn it off is REMARKABLY easy to do!

[Raven]

Time to vote after 20+ years of refusing to on the grounds of not believing a word they say (still dont) but to my horror last night I looked up who I could vote for in the local and nat elections and saw...

Local - Labour, Tory and BNP
Nat - Labour, Tory, Lib and BNP

So now having to use my vote (as a protest I guess) to help make sure the BNP do not get in, quite open who for, its Labour for the locals and might have been the Libs for the National one but the Lib candidate lives in Stoke, not that local to Nuneaton is it! So its Labour again. After leaving school in 1982 and seeing what a mess Thatcher made and how she single handedly tried to destroy all UK manufacturing (with help from some moronic unions), decided that mass unemployment was the best weapons against 10%+ interest rates (along with other things) there is no way I would vote Conservative, also "Eton Boy and professioanl Politician Dave" comes across as a complete untrustworthly bland tosspot.

[thebish]

Time to vote after 20+ years of refusing to on the grounds of not believing a word they say (still dont) but to my horror last night I looked up who I could vote for in the local and nat elections and saw...

Local - Labour, Tory and BNP
Nat - Labour, Tory, Lib and BNP

So now having to use my vote (as a protest I guess) to help make sure the BNP do not get in, quite open who for, its Labour for the locals and might have been the Libs for the National one but the Lib candidate lives in Stoke, not that local to Nuneaton is it! So its Labour again. After leaving school in 1982 and seeing what a mess Thatcher made and how she single handedly tried to destroy all UK manufacturing (with help from some moronic unions), decided that mass unemployment was the best weapons against 10%+ interest rates (along with other things) there is no way I would vote Conservative, also "Eton Boy and professioanl Politician Dave" comes across as a complete untrustworthly bland tosspot.

are the lib dems not standing in your local elections? I'd be very surprised... I suspect you haven't got a full list - but, no need - you seem to be on the right track!

[boltonboris]

As an aside, my issue isn't really what he said, just the fact that he said it whilst forgetting to turn his microphone off... That's George W Bush kind of dense... He'll probably issue a rollocking to his aides for not reminding him, which is amazing!

speaking as one who gets radio-miked-up every week - forgetting to turn it off is REMARKABLY easy to do!

Do you slag off your Parish folk at the end of your sermons? Naughty naughty