[Update] The Liberal-Conservative Coalition

[Ignitionnet]

No thanks, I'm loving the liberal and tempering edge he and his party have brought to the government, along with the tempering effect the Conservatives have on the more left-wing aspects of Lib Dem policy.

Out of interest do you pay top rate tax, a fair whack of it, and are you liable for capital gains?

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Anyone remember my posting about how Newcastle would vote for a vomit covered turd if it had a red rosette?

Well...

http://order-order.com/2010/05/18/anyone-for-bingo/

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...2703-26445740/

To be honest, despite your rather colourful rhetoric, I would have thought that honouring the commitments to her constituents was more important, don't you think?

Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle Central, has made a point that she will not stand on ceremony in her battle to get the best for the region and keep in touch with voters.

What is there to object about that?

You wouldn't be getting a bit tribal with your politics, now would you.

---------- Post added at 14:14 ---------- Previous post was at 14:07 ----------

Originally Posted by Derek S

Maybe it can come from some of the last minute vote grabbing money thrown about in the last few months.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8690312.stm





The sad thing is some people still think labour did a good job and would sort everything out with their magic bag of money if they did get back into power.

Hmm, but apart from some much needed regeneration funding for Blackpool and some civil servants' bonuses (which, as I am led to believe, was contractual), no real examples of these spending decisions seem to be very forthcoming.

Don't all governments do this when they first take power?

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

To be honest, despite your rather colourful rhetoric, I would have thought that honouring the commitments to her constituents was more important, don't you think?

What is there to object about that?

You wouldn't be getting a bit tribal with your politics, now would you.

Nice try but no, I wouldn't regarding playing bingo instead of being sworn in and participating in parliament as being 'honouring the commitments to her constituents', I would regard it as trying to avoid doing her job as an MP, which necessarily involves things like being at Parliament to be sworn in and to attend the speaker's election, by going and playing bingo which she will have plenty of her own time unoccupied by parliamentary business to do in the future.

Playing bingo is hardly 'getting the best for the region'. To get the best for the region she needs to actually be at Westminster putting the case forward for that region, not ticking numbers off a bingo card.

I would have given the same comment regardless of which party the MP came from. To suggest being too busy to attend parliament on account of promising to play a game with constituents is ridiculous. If it were serious constituency business I would give it more credence.

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Nice try but no, I wouldn't regarding playing bingo instead of being sworn in and participating in parliament as being 'honouring the commitments to her constituents', I would regard it as trying to avoid doing her job as an MP, which necessarily involves things like being at Parliament to be sworn in and to attend the speaker's election, by going and playing bingo which she will have plenty of her own time unoccupied by parliamentary business to do in the future.

Playing bingo is hardly 'getting the best for the region'. To get the best for the region she needs to actually be at Westminster putting the case forward for that region, not ticking numbers off a bingo card.

The game of bingo was not for her own enjoyment, but for her to be able to get to know her constituencies a bit better. Rather than making several trips to London and back, paid for by the taxpayer, I would have thought that even you would applaud that. You seem to be getting a bit desperate in finding things to criticise the Labour MPs about. I would have thought that you would have led with Labour MP Suspended After Expenses Charge

Or even the fourth homes scandal afforded to leading Conservative ministers. Now I know that they are traditionally allowed such favours, but when Cameron screamed about the excesses of governments, don't you think that it is a bit rich, now that they are in power?

I would have given the same comment regardless of which party the MP came from. To suggest being too busy to attend parliament on account of promising to play a game with constituents is ridiculous. If it were serious constituency business I would give it more credence.

So you mean, when you said:

Newcastle would vote for a vomit covered turd if it had a red rosette?

You really meant that they would vote for anybody in a rosette, did you?



*Awaits patiently for next excuse.*

[Xaccers]

Wow flyboy, either you genuinely missed the point, or you've deliberately missed it.
One would think that an MP would know when they were due to be in Parlment for important matters such as being sworn in, and voting for the speaker, and therefore be able to arrange their agendas better.
It's shocking that she hasn't taken her job seriously enough to know these things.

Interesting that you fixate on "vomit covered turd if it had a red rosette" rather than the comments made about the MP.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

The game of bingo was not for her own enjoyment, but for her to be able to get to know her constituencies a bit better. Rather than making several trips to London and back, paid for by the taxpayer, I would have thought that even you would applaud that. You seem to be getting a bit desperate in finding things to criticise the Labour MPs about. I would have thought that you would have led with Labour MP Suspended After Expenses Charge

Why would I do that? I posted the story purely because I came across it on Guido's blog. Nice try at making out I go out of my way to dig up dirt, and I am sorry to disappoint.

You'll excuse me if I don't regard going back to a group of constituents, already met during the campaign, to play bingo as being urgent business for a new MP. Interesting that you know better than her why she was doing it though, you must've asked her, given that she had already met them but didn't have time to play bingo with them it sounds like the bingo was a motivation given I'm sure there would have been ample opportunities to meet them not involving a bingo night.

“I had visited them during the campaign and I didn’t have time to come and have a game with them,” said the new MP.

She seems to quite enjoy her bingo too.

The Labour MP said bingo was a “great” way to spend a night and was not heard enough about.

Yes I would expect her to go backwards and forwards as her duties may require - that's her job. MPs receive allowances for a second home to make the commons more accesible for a reason, it's not for it to be a guest home when they aren't doing more pressing things like playing bingo.

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Or even the fourth homes scandal afforded to leading Conservative ministers. Now I know that they are traditionally allowed such favours, but when Cameron screamed about the excesses of governments, don't you think that it is a bit rich, now that they are in power?

Nice try but at least some of these grace and favours are owned by trusts and they cannot be sold off or used for any other purpose. They have to be maintained anyway so they are either used or they sit doing nothing.

It's actually good for the economy that these leading ministers take this 'scandalous' benefit - they pay income tax on it. This tax liability is why David Milliband didn't reside in his grace and favour, Carlton Gardens, and Jacqui Smith while Home Secretary didn't take up an official residence so that she could save income tax and, of course, describe her family home as her second home for expenses purposes.

Originally Posted by Flyboy

So you mean, when you said:

You really meant that they would vote for anybody in a rosette, did you?

*Awaits patiently for next excuse.*

Again - nice try but I commented specifically on Newcastle. What my pointing out the obvious fact that Newcastle would vote for a vomit covered turd if it were standing for Labour has to do with being tribal in any way is completely beyond me - I was talking to someone from Newcastle who wanted to vote Labour and couldn't explain why, a quick check showed it to be staunchly Labour with no real evidence of why the Labour candidates were so superior.

There are several areas that would vote a corpse as a Tory MP, in this case however I was discussing Newcastle, where they are Labour.

There is nothing tribal about being truthful I'm sorry to say. Ignoring that detail it's all about the context. It's that thing you love to take people's words out of to prove your point.

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Why would I do that? I posted the story purely because I came across it on Guido's blog. Nice try at making out I go out of my way to dig up dirt, and I am sorry to disappoint.

You'll excuse me if I don't regard going back to a group of constituents, already met during the campaign, to play bingo as being urgent business for a new MP. Interesting that you know better than her why she was doing it though, you must've asked her, given that she had already met them but didn't have time to play bingo with them it sounds like the bingo was a motivation given I'm sure there would have been ample opportunities to meet them not involving a bingo night.



She seems to quite enjoy her bingo too.



Yes I would expect her to go backwards and forwards as her duties may require - that's her job. MPs receive allowances for a second home to make the commons more accesible for a reason, it's not for it to be a guest home when they aren't doing more pressing things like playing bingo.



Nice try but at least some of these grace and favours are owned by trusts and they cannot be sold off or used for any other purpose. They have to be maintained anyway so they are either used or they sit doing nothing.

It's actually good for the economy that these leading ministers take this 'scandalous' benefit - they pay income tax on it. This tax liability is why David Milliband didn't reside in his grace and favour, Carlton Gardens, and Jacqui Smith while Home Secretary didn't take up an official residence so that she could save income tax and, of course, describe her family home as her second home for expenses purposes.



Again - nice try but I commented specifically on Newcastle. What my pointing out the obvious fact that Newcastle would vote for a vomit covered turd if it were standing for Labour has to do with being tribal in any way is completely beyond me - I was talking to someone from Newcastle who wanted to vote Labour and couldn't explain why, a quick check showed it to be staunchly Labour with no real evidence of why the Labour candidates were so superior.

There are several areas that would vote a corpse as a Tory MP, in this case however I was discussing Newcastle, where they are Labour.

There is nothing tribal about being truthful I'm sorry to say. Ignoring that detail it's all about the context. It's that thing you love to take people's words out of to prove your point.

These excuses are all well and good, but they do not detract from the fact that you viewed Guido Fawkes's website; for what? The only reason to do so would be to find some dirt on an MP, particulalry a Labour one, seeing as it their raison d'être. Did he not report on Eric Illsley? Did he mention minister's fourth homes?

---------- Post added at 15:24 ---------- Previous post was at 15:22 ----------

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Wow flyboy, either you genuinely missed the point, or you've deliberately missed it.
One would think that an MP would know when they were due to be in Parlment for important matters such as being sworn in, and voting for the speaker, and therefore be able to arrange their agendas better.
It's shocking that she hasn't taken her job seriously enough to know these things.

Interesting that you fixate on "vomit covered turd if it had a red rosette" rather than the comments made about the MP.

Now, seeing that you commented on both aspects of this, don't think that your remarks are a bit self defeating?

Originally Posted by Flyboy

These excuses are all well and good, but they do not detract from the fact that you viewed Guido Fawkes's website; for what? The only reason to do so would be to find some dirt on an MP, particulalry a Labour one, seeing as it their raison d'être. Did he not report on Eric Illsley? Did he mention minister's fourth homes?

---------- Post added at 15:24 ---------- Previous post was at 15:22 ----------



Now, seeing that you commented on both aspects of this, don't think that your remarks are a bit self defeating?

Erm, I read Guido Fawkes, Iain Dale, Dizzy Thinks, Liberal Conspiracy, Rachel North London, LabourHome, MailWatch, Anna Raccoon, and many others - they provide different viewpoints on different things.

Or should we only read things that reinforce our current views, rather than those that may challenge them?

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Now, seeing that you commented on both aspects of this, don't think that your remarks are a bit self defeating?

Perhaps I'm using too many long words for you as once again you miss the point.

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Perhaps I'm using too many long words for you as once again you miss the point.

Okay then, show me where I fixated on "vomit covered turd if it had a red rosette" rather than the comments made about the MP" more than I did about the Newcastle MP's absence from the house of commons.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by frogstamper

Blimey haven't any of you Tory voters moved on yet?? The election was over a week ago and you are all still bashing the previous government, add to that apart from Fly-boy there are no left of center voters even bothering to argue anymore.
Your all moaning in a vacuum with literally nobody to question the standard,"Labour are crap, poor old Tories" line anymore, and you guys like to accuse liberals of bashing Thatcher for all the worlds ills...holy krud you have taken Brown and Labour bashing through the stratosphere!!!

Sorry matey but I'm not a Tory, never have been and didn't even vote for them but don't let those facts prick your little bubble.

As you say it's only a week since New Labour left the building they'd lived in for 13 years so with all due respect I think you can expect plenty more quite legitimate carping about what they've done and for very good reason. New Labour were very keen on blaming the previous administration years after they'd lost power so presumably they won't be complaining when they discover that what goes around comes around....

---------- Post added at 16:13 ---------- Previous post was at 16:12 ----------

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Wow flyboy, either you genuinely missed the point, or you've deliberately missed it.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

These excuses are all well and good, but they do not detract from the fact that you viewed Guido Fawkes's website; for what? The only reason to do so would be to find some dirt on an MP, particulalry a Labour one, seeing as it their raison d'être. Did he not report on Eric Illsley? Did he mention minister's fourth homes?

OK So you can't disagree with what I said. Didn't think so.

This is a new experience for me, I've never been told why I read something before.

If we're discussing Guido and your accusation that he purely digs dirt on Labour MPs just a very quick scroll down to this, a nice juicy story on a Tory Secretary of State and this directly conflicting with likely ConLib coalition policy just from the front page without looking further would appear to disagree.

I read that, amongst many other things. Reading widely gives a more balanced view of things allowing a more informed opinion I find.

Just for your information I've raised concerns over said Tory Secretary of State's ability to be unbiased over the decision in question with my MP.

Sorry Froggie but till we know the full scale of the calamity labour have left the country in you can expect many more anti labour comments and probably threads although i know it must be painful reading for the party faithful .

Home Information Packs - suspended from today - I am liking this new government already!!! They are keeping the energy efficiency certificates though which can only be a good thing.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Bus...ded_From_Today

[slowcoach]

New Labour's anti-recession policies now coming good LINK
A nice little helping hand for the, soon to be seen as incompetent, coalition.

Edit: --------------------------------------------------------
More investment paying off LINK
Beginning to look like Gordon was right and the media was wrong, again....