General Election 2017

[Ernest]

John Major has come out and told the Tories not to make a deal with the DUP

 

[Moshe Gariani]

(And you can still back May to be next PM at 1.07 - approximately 1/14 - on Betfair. Buying money, shirley?)

Yes. Betting at long odds on about things that are very likely to happen is literally buying money. There is no downside and I would join you in encouraging everyone to get involved.

It is really easy. You find something that is very likely to happen and then you stake a large amount of money backing that outcome.

You should normally be able to get around 1.10 on something that is very likely to happen and thus achieve a 10% return on your investment. Where else can you get that sort of interest rate these days?

Even better is betting at 1.05 on things that are almost certain to happen. These can readily be unearthed with a bit of shrewd research and offer a practically risk-free 5% interest rate.

 

[nigeyb]

Great news - a strong and stable government is all but formed, and they can get on with the business of running this country

Enough already with the "S&S" - it's anything but, as everyone can clearly see

Interesting that Dominic Cummings, the former Vote Leave campaign director and former special adviser to Michael Gove, is using his Twitter account to highlight how the whole Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) is a shambles. Two of DExEU’s (Department for Exiting the European Union) four ministers have just left - a week before Brexit talks begin. Hmmm.

 

[Machiavelli]

Whilst agreeing with you about the direction that the country should go in politically, we currently have to accept the underlying message from Buzzer's post which is that over 40% of the country are in complete disagreement. In a democracy, the parties have to make the best of the hand dealt to them in order to serve the interests of the country. Otherwise we risk becoming like America where the left and right has roughly equal support, but is so polarised that one side will shore up the presidency of someone who, if not a traitor, certainly seems to be an idiot, rather than have to find a compromise with the other side.

Unfortunately, Buzzer's hope that the largest party will try to move towards a consensus approach seems unlikely to occur given that the lesson that they seem to have taken from the election results is that the whole country thinks that all of their ministers, including Jeremy Hunt, are doing a great job, would love a bit more Christian fundamentalism and haven't half missed that nice Michael Gove.

With you, and yes, there's the immediate political issue, but also longer-term ones that are at stake. The reference to Buzzer was far more informed by his overall political position (which I disagree with) rather than his current analysis of politics/government/parliament (which I agree with).

 

[beorhthelm]

The "No magic money tree" statement was one of the many ridiculous attempts at a sound bite from May during the election campaign. She well knows that there IS a magic money tree...it's called Quantitative Easing, and the Bank of England has printed over £400bn over the past 7 years or so.

the Labour borrowing is not the same as QE. QE has brought up bonds that the Bank of England holds either until expiry or they can sell back into the market to deflate the economy. its a transfer between balance sheets, doesn't dissipate directly into the wider economy by design, it applies a moderate inflationary pressure that's reversible. Labour's plan is to borrow 50bn extra a year, at interest cost, and spend directly on unspecified project, with a significant effect on inflation as money supply would greatly increase. side effect would be to push up interest rates and taxation to attempt to counteract that inflation.

* their plan used to be to print money, they where apparently advised against that being sensible.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

the Labour borrowing is not the same as QE. QE has brought up bonds that the Bank of England holds either until expiry or they can sell back into the market to deflate the economy. its a transfer between balance sheets, doesn't dissipate directly into the wider economy by design, it applies a moderate inflationary pressure that's reversible. Labour's plan is to borrow 50bn extra a year, at interest cost, and spend directly on unspecified project, with a significant effect on inflation as money supply would greatly increase. side effect would be to push up interest rates and taxation to attempt to counteract that inflation.

* their plan used to be to print money, they where apparently advised against that being sensible.

Well said,you can't just borrow without consequences.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

R4 today at 1pm news (around 1-10+) gave an good insight as to the possible long term outlook for politics in N/I and the Tories on the Mainland.

 

[Buzzer]

Whilst agreeing with you about the direction that the country should go in politically, we currently have to accept the underlying message from Buzzer's post which is that over 40% of the country are in complete disagreement. In a democracy, the parties have to make the best of the hand dealt to them in order to serve the interests of the country. Otherwise we risk becoming like America where the left and right has roughly equal support, but is so polarised that one side will shore up the presidency of someone who, if not a traitor, certainly seems to be an idiot, rather than have to find a compromise with the other side.

Unfortunately, Buzzer's hope that the largest party will try to move towards a consensus approach seems unlikely to occur given that the lesson that they seem to have taken from the election results is that the whole country thinks that all of their ministers, including Jeremy Hunt, are doing a great job, would love a bit more Christian fundamentalism and haven't half missed that nice Michael Gove.

Well...quite. My scenario is predicated on no deal with a bunch of homophobic throw-backs to the 70s and on May quitting. I still think she will go. She's on notice from the 1922 Committee and I've seen nothing so far to suggest that she's got what it takes to get things back on track. I'm done completely with supporting them if the DUP are part of the government. I suspect there's lots who think the same way.

 

[Ernest]

May off to Paris for the football so no agreement likely to be signed off today, John Major's intervention won't have helped either

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Unfortunately, Buzzer's hope that the largest party will try to move towards a consensus approach seems unlikely to occur given that the lesson that they seem to have taken from the election results is that the whole country thinks that all of their ministers, including Jeremy Hunt, are doing a great job, would love a bit more Christian fundamentalism and haven't half missed that nice Michael Gove.

Quite.

Its enough to reduce you to tears!

 

[Leekbrookgull]

May off to Paris for the football so no agreement likely to be signed off today, John Major's intervention won't have helped either

J/M on R4 gave a solid Q and A session. I am a Brexit voter,but J/M has asked serious questions without being personell.

 

[vegster]

May off to Paris for the football so no agreement likely to be signed off today, John Major's intervention won't have helped either

Any deal with the DUP is going to cost May, the government and us quite a bit. 10 seats and they have NEVER had it so good, this is their time in the sun for however short a time and they are going to exact a heavy price for their co-operation. If May caves in against this lot, what would she be like negotiating with Europe !

 

[vegster]

R4 today at 1pm news (around 1-10+) gave an good insight as to the possible long term outlook for politics in N/I and the Tories on the Mainland.

Yes, I listened in today, very interesting, did you stay on for the 15 minute Jeremy Bowen series on the Middle East, seems like a lifetime ago but how we were duped by Bush/Blair.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

No,but as J/M rightly points out what about S/F or other parts of the U/K.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Will give it a listen.

 

[CherryInHove]

I thought this was quite interesting and shows that Labour didn't just win the the "students wanting free stuff", but beat the Tories in every single employment category other than Retired.

Perhaps rather than other people's suggestion about raising the voting age, we should put a cap on it, so you can't vote when you're retired.

 

[Butch Willykins]

I thought this was quite interesting and shows that Labour didn't just win the the "students wanting free stuff", but beat the Tories in every single employment category other than Retired.

Perhaps rather than other people's suggestion about raising the voting age, we should put a cap on it, so you can't vote when you're retired.

What the hell is the "other" category? What are these people doing all day?

 

[lawros left foot]

I thought this was quite interesting and shows that Labour didn't just win the the "students wanting free stuff", but beat the Tories in every single employment category other than Retired.

Perhaps rather than other people's suggestion about raising the voting age, we should put a cap on it, so you can't vote when you're retired.

Educational achievement is revealing as well, so much for Labour supporters not understanding grown up politics

 

[lawros left foot]

What the hell is the "other" category? What are these people doing all day?

Trustafarisns living of their rich parents money, maybe

 

[Butch Willykins]

Trustafarisns living of their rich parents money, maybe

But wouldn't they come under "Not working".

There is an awful lot of choices for doing bugger all but only one for doing a full weeks work.