The Politics Thread

[Lofthouse Lower]

Be a good idea to use the cannons, if only to give the sweaty bifters a wash

[thebish]

Vince Cable appears to have made a monumental arse of himself...

[Bruce Rioja]

Vince Cable appears to have made a monumental arse of himself...

But hang-on there, Bish. Isn't he about to use his heayweight status to bring down the government?

[thebish]

Vince Cable appears to have made a monumental arse of himself...

But hang-on there, Bish. Isn't he about to use his heayweight status to bring down the government?

the nuclear option - yeah - after he has impartially passed judgement on the BskyB case whilst at the same time declaring war on BSkyB....

[Lord Kangana]

Being the sworn enemies of Murdoch, I think The Telegraph have gone and shotten themselves in their foots wih that one.

[thebish]

Being the sworn enemies of Murdoch, I think The Telegraph have gone and shotten themselves in their foots wih that one.

indeed! maybe that's why they redacted it in the first place - though they have more to come, I believe...

maybe they decided that the scoop was just irresistable...

[ratbert]

Funny how the Telegraph is targeting Lib Dem and not Tory ministers.

I'm sure the Telegraph is 100% behind the coalition and wouldn't want a solo Tory government, oh no.

[thebish]

Funny how the Telegraph is targeting Lib Dem and not Tory ministers.

I'm sure the Telegraph is 100% behind the coalition and wouldn't want a solo Tory government, oh no.

nor did they want murdoch taking over the entire world's meeja... what a dilemma eh? still - they can work for a Tory govt and then shaft the BBC...

[Lord Kangana]

To be honest Vinny probably shouldn't have said what he said.

But its pretty low to pretend to be a constituent with problems just to wangle your way into a private surgery meeting with an MP. Its very tabloid. I would expect better from The Telegraph.

[thebish]

27 March 2010: Lib Dems promise to cut commuter rail fares.

hmmmm.....

[Bruce Rioja]

27 March 2010: Lib Dems promise to cut commuter rail fares.

hmmmm.....

3rd January 2011: Lib Dems are in no position to cut rail fairs or owt else!

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

To be honest Vinny probably shouldn't have said what he said.

But its pretty low to pretend to be a constituent with problems just to wangle your way into a private surgery meeting with an MP. Its very tabloid. I would expect better from The Telegraph.

I know I'm late to this one, but I'm just enjoying Richard Branson's gift of free WiFi on my way home.

I was chatting to a friend of mine on the Telegraph's grad scheme, and I put it to her that this was all very unseemly, News of the World type stuff.

She agreed (as I would expect her to - a nice girl, and the outstanding candidate in my year and subject at university) and said that there is a worrying addiction to the poltical scoop developing in The Newspaper That Brought You The Expenses Scandal.

The whole thing was actually an upmarket version of the classic honey trap - two of the Telegraph's pretty young Oxbridge graduates in their late twenties show up to talk a bit of politics and poor old Vince welcomes the chance to hold court for a bit... welcome relief from the benefit claims issues and boundary disputes that are the standard fare of those MPs' surgeries, no doubt. My friend was almost moved to nausea by the sound of them giggling like schoolgirls to egg him on (and she knows them both). I mean, which one of us hasn't bigged ourselves up and talked some right rubbish in a similar situation - I do it every bloody time I go out!

Anyway, the result of all of these things... Wikileaks, Giggglegate etc, is not that we will have a more open, healthy political culture - it's just that officials will eventually say nothing at all. All the off the record communication that contributes immeasurably to getting things done in the real world will suffer because of the childish modern view that things will be better if everyone knows everything all the time.

[superjohnmcginlay]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12157768

Naughty boys. Good work doing them for it though.

Good to see that dopey looking student fella get sent down as well.

[Gary the Enfield]

If Illsley receives a prison term of 12 months or more he will be disqualified from being an MP under the Representation of the People Act 1981.

Erm, so if he gets 10 months in prison how will he be able to fulfill his mandate to his constituents? Unless, of course he gets sent down during his summer break.

[Bruce Rioja]

If Illsley receives a prison term of 12 months or more he will be disqualified from being an MP under the Representation of the People Act 1981.

Erm, so if he gets 10 months in prison how will he be able to fulfill his mandate to his constituents? Unless, of course he gets sent down during his summer break.

Let me get this right then, though. If he isn't sent down for 12 months or more, despite being elected as the candidate for a party that's disowned him he can still stay in office as what? An independent?

[thebish]

If Illsley receives a prison term of 12 months or more he will be disqualified from being an MP under the Representation of the People Act 1981.

Erm, so if he gets 10 months in prison how will he be able to fulfill his mandate to his constituents? Unless, of course he gets sent down during his summer break.

Let me get this right then, though. If he isn't sent down for 12 months or more, despite being elected as the candidate for a party that's disowned him he can still stay in office as what? An independent?

yeah - he is now an independant MP.

the coalition told us that they would introduce a "right of recall" to constituents for gross misconduct of MPs....

[Little Green Man]

Let me get this right then, though. If he isn't sent down for 12 months or more, despite being elected as the candidate for a party that's disowned him he can still stay in office as what? An independent?

yeah - he is now an independant MP.

the coalition told us that they would introduce a "right of recall" to constituents for gross misconduct of MPs....

They must have stolen the idea from Mr Illsley's previous backers....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... orm-labour

[thebish]

Let me get this right then, though. If he isn't sent down for 12 months or more, despite being elected as the candidate for a party that's disowned him he can still stay in office as what? An independent?

yeah - he is now an independant MP.

the coalition told us that they would introduce a "right of recall" to constituents for gross misconduct of MPs....

They must have stolen the idea from Mr Illsley's previous backers....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... orm-labour

they did. Illsley's former backers were not elected though - so it falls to those who were....

[William the White]

If Illsley receives a prison term of 12 months or more he will be disqualified from being an MP under the Representation of the People Act 1981.

Erm, so if he gets 10 months in prison how will he be able to fulfill his mandate to his constituents? Unless, of course he gets sent down during his summer break.

Let me get this right then, though. If he isn't sent down for 12 months or more, despite being elected as the candidate for a party that's disowned him he can still stay in office as what? An independent?

yeah - he is now an independant MP.

the coalition told us that they would introduce a "right of recall" to constituents for gross misconduct of MPs....

Does gross misconduct include the breaking of 'solemn pledges'???

Because in a certain Sheffield constituency some students might be getting ideas...

[thebish]

If Illsley receives a prison term of 12 months or more he will be disqualified from being an MP under the Representation of the People Act 1981.

Erm, so if he gets 10 months in prison how will he be able to fulfill his mandate to his constituents? Unless, of course he gets sent down during his summer break.

Let me get this right then, though. If he isn't sent down for 12 months or more, despite being elected as the candidate for a party that's disowned him he can still stay in office as what? An independent?

yeah - he is now an independant MP.

the coalition told us that they would introduce a "right of recall" to constituents for gross misconduct of MPs....

Does gross misconduct include the breaking of 'solemn pledges'???

Because in a certain Sheffield constituency some students might be getting ideas...

they're there before you william!

http://www.righttorecall.co.uk/