Off Topic The Politics Thread

I'm sure he's hijacked part of the Monster Raving Loony Party manifesto...

 

I'm willing to put a fiver in to help send him on the first interstellar ship.

 

Pity it wasn't the whole manifesto - it would make it more vote worthy!

 

I think he's already beamed himself up to the mother ship so you can give yourself a couple of quid back as he's part way there.

 

I thought Corbyn handled the audience reasonably well but still felt he was living in cloud-cuckoo land saying taxes would go up 'a little bit' to pay for his wish-list. The IRA question will haunt him like a bad smell as his questioner wasn't too impressed with his answers. Paxo will be a different beast...

 

I was going to watch but Family Guy is on.

 

Paxo's looking rusty to me, been out of the game too long. Corbyn doing ok, stuffed him on the monarchy question. Hope Paxo is as aggressive with May.

 

Corbyn looked a bit flustered on the Security Services and military scrutiny, if he can't back such requests 'in real time' there would be serious friction between himself and the top brass, not an ideal working relationship...

 

I had no idea May was a Blackpool fan.

 

Corbyn came across with Paxo as a lightweight, cheeky chappy who still wears a Che Guevara vest under his shirt. May is still full of platitudes. The audience was kind to both.

 

He's a pacifist, with perhaps some exceptions for foreign groups he sees as victims of injustice but who are also prone to terrorism. Thought he did ok overall.

My natural bias is probably kicking in, but I don't think May is performing like a prime minister. Paxo at least not interrupting as much with her.

 

May seemed more hesitant in her answers but many of the hard questions were the result of her changing her mind through the time she has been PM, some of them a bit of an open goal for Paxo. I thought he made a bit of an arse of himself with the 'No deal' question as no PM would be stupid enough to give a figure. Overall she had more to lose but only herself to blame for decisions she has made...

 

****ing hell Stainsey, taking a spanner to the computer is a bit drastic to get a couple of days off!

Feeling especially smug about my longstanding avoidance of BA, which has, with the exception of the world class baggage handling in Heathrow Terminal 5, appalling customer service. All airlines let you down it's the way they react to it that gives you the measure of them. Lufthansa has a shocking record with strikes but man do they apologise well. Even United, whose internal US flights don't turn up 30% of the time because of weather or breakdowns, are really good at rerouting you fast, via the app which gives you choices! Of course, that's when they are not taking you down an alley to beat you up.

 

I see Jeremy had trouble with his figures this morning, he tried to phone a friend. Unfortunately Diane answered

 

Ariana Grande to play Manchester benefit concert on Sunday

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Image copyright PA
Image caption Grande said she wanted to "hold and uplift" her fans
Justin Bieber, Coldplay and Katy Perry are among the stars who will join Ariana Grande at a benefit concert following the Manchester attack.
The One Love Manchester show will raise money for those affected by the blast which left 22 dead.
Take That, Miley Cyrus and Pharrell will also play at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground gig on Sunday.
Grande is offering free tickets to fans who were at her Manchester Arena show on 22 May.
Others performing include One Direction's Niall Horan and Usher, with more to be announced. The venue has a 50,000 capacity and the gig will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC radio.
Tickets for the tribute concert go on sale on Thursday, with prices yet to be announced. Those attending are asked not to bring bags.
Proceeds will go to the We Love Manchester emergency fund, which has been set up by Manchester City Council, in conjunction with the British Red Cross. Organisers expect at least £2m to be raised from the event.
Grande sent a tweet with details of the gig, with the One Love logo featuring the bunny ears she is known for wearing. Her manager Scooter Braun also tweeted, with the message: "We stand with you."

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Image copyright Ariana Grande/Twitter
Image caption Ariana Grande tweeted details of the concert after details were announced
Seven children were among the victims who died when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb on 22 May.
Grande, 23, suspended her Dangerous Woman tour, including cancelling two shows at London's O2 Arena, following the attack.
But the US singer had promised to return to Manchester, saying: "I don't want to go the rest of the year without being able to see and hold and uplift my fans".
"I'll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honour and raise money for the victims and their families."

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Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Coldplay will be taking to the stage this weekend
Earlier on Tuesday, Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins told BBC Radio Manchester: "When the idea of the concert came up, my first reaction was, we need to speak to the families of the victims and see what they feel.
"It's fair to say that the majority of them are very much in favour, there are some that clearly aren't and that is absolutely understandable."
After the attack, the singer posted her condolences on Twitter, saying: "Broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words."
Fifty people injured in the attack were still being treated in hospital - including 17 in critical care.
Manchester Victoria station reopened on Tuesday. The station, which is connected to Manchester Arena, suffered structural damage in the incident.

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Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Well-wishers left tributes at St Ann's Square for the victims of last Monday's attack
As well as BBC radio, the three-hour show - which will take place from 19:15 BST - will be broadcast on Capital Radio networks.
BBC director general Tony Hall said: "Bringing the nation together, the BBC is proud to be broadcasting what will undoubtedly be a moving tribute to the victims and their loved ones."
The kick-off for Manchester United player Michael Carrick's charity testimonial, taking place in Manchester on the same day as the tribute concert, has now been moved to an earlier time so it does not clash with the concert.

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Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Flowers and tributes have been left at St Ann's Square in Manchester
Police say their investigation into the attack is "making good progress" and has around 1,000 people working on it.
In total 16 people have been arrested - but a woman and a 16-year-old boy were later released without charge.

 

Yeah, much better not to include any figures in your manifesto policies in case you are asked about them. The electorate are much happier with slogans bleated out endlessly 'strong and stable', 'best possible Brexit', 'four legs good, two legs bad'. And if you say something that people don't seem to like, change your mind sharpish! Even better take the Nuttalls approach and make it all up as you are being interviewed. Concentration camps for anyone who wears a hat! I'll build them myself!

 

The nightmare scenario getting closer. Well done Mother Theresa, everything your pathetic campaign deserves...

 

When I go to meetings involving numbers, I take a laptop with me, or notes. No-one expects me to remember them. Those meetings might also include the specialists who put the numbers together in the first place. It's just another example of the media turning politics into entertainment for the masses.

 

A glorious Labour/SNP/Other coalition. Come on Other!

 

He only had to remember one number, the one relevant to the subject he had decided to talk about all of yesterday. He's pretty clearly exhausted. But that doesn't mean criticism from people who aren't even pretending to offer numbers to back up their promises of austerity is fair.

Corbyn was also on the One Show doing the light hearted personal thing. He's not a great raconteur, one of those who has to include every single boring detail of a story, not just the funny bits. Now some of his sinister fan club have accused Emma Barnett, the Woman's Hour reporter who embarrassed him yesterday, of being a Zionist. Just when I was beginning to think I could force myself to vote Labour, I am reminded how diseased bits of it are.

Newest poll has May losing 20 seats and a hung parliament. Do Tory voters still lie to pollsters? Probably. Watch Project Fear MkIII go all the way to 11. While it's fun I just don't believe this (though the modelling used got both the Scottish and Eu Referenda right). Tory majority of 50-80. Still a personal disaster for May.