Off Topic Politics Thread

Cough,

So £25 to vote in the Labour election (rich toffs welcome) but bugger off if you've been a full member for 5+ months. The party of the working man in action?

 

Yes mr Anorak (Long time ago that)

Exactly. Its like one of those scams that take your money under false pretenses.

 

Like buying a Pompey season ticket you mean.

 

I think it's more a case of discouraging members of the Socialist Workers Party (most inappropriately named party ever) from coughing up 3 quid out of their giros to vote for the old Trot.

At least members of the People's Party (those whose membership goes back a bit further than last Xmas) get to hold a vote.

 

I understand the wish to stop abuse of the £3 nonsense like last time. I don't understand that an unemployed or low wage working person could make a commitment to Labour by becoming a full member last Feb and is excluded. Meanwhile, for example, Ms A. Leadsom can join in the fun for a smidgen of her paper clip allowance.

 

Marilion could only wish that they could compose something as poignant and beautiful as this song from Billy about the loss of his father...

Kiss me goodnight and say my prayers
Leave the light on at the top of the stairs
Tell me the names of the stars up in the sky
A tree taps on the window pane
That feeling smothers me again
Daddy, is it true that we all have to die?

At the top of the stairs is darkness
At the top of the stairs is darkness

I closed my eyes and when I looked
Your name was in the memorial book
And what had become of all the things we planned
I accepted the commiserations
Of all your friends and your relations
But there's some things I still don't understand

You were so tall, how could you fall?

Some photographs of a summer's day
A little boy's lifetime away
Is all I've left of everything we've done
Like a pale moon in a sunny sky
Death gazes down as I pass by
To remind me that I'm but my father's son

I offer up to you, this tribute
I offer up to you, this tank park salute



Read more: Billy Bragg - Tank Park Salute Lyrics | MetroLyrics

 

It does sound like a bit of a dog's breakfast if anyone can just pay £25 and get a vote. I don't know that that's exactly how it's going to work in any case, the details look a bit vague at this moment. I think the key point is that only those whose membership goes back to last year will have an automatic right to vote.

 

No they are trying to apply it to people who paid up last time on the premise that they could vote and now possibly might not be able to even though they were already paid up.

They are suggesting that they will be doing like the Tories where it is £25 and you have to have been a member for "x" amount to get a vote to avoid people paying £25 just to vote. That doesn't make it right that people already paid up under the "old" scheme of last year are now possibly going to be unable to vote.

From what I gather it is Corbyn's lot that want the date because rich people are going to sign up to get him out whereas it is the PLP that want the "old" £3 members to have voting rights removed.

I think many are misjudging just who is voting for Corbyn anyway. Many of his £3 voters would have just paid £25 as a lot of them are full on middle class Trots. Reasonably well off.

 

Not to get into a Billy Bragg negative but one song doesn't make up for the rest of the ****. Marillion produced an album with great lyrics and an underlying concept of the current singers marriage breakdown to meeting someone else and all the agony that goes in the middle where he was trying to keep the happy stuff away from the sad stuff.

Music is music though. What I like others don't and vice versa. At least it doesn't really effect any world order.....

 

Just one thing "****" doesn't usually make it into the top 500 albums of all time...

 

Sure he does...

 

I disagree also - but one things for sure, he is a great ambassador for our country, and I personally felt he was a good man. (Just in the wrong party )

 

Even if everyone were to agree that Brexit was a good thing, that Britain is stronger and better, and that the turnover in government is fantastic, etc. ... all that stuff happened either in spite of Cameron, or because Cameron inadvertently and incompetently caused it to happen.

It's like if Rupert Lowe tried to take credit for Saints' success.

 

I'm reading Rod Liddle's excellent book - Screaming whining monkeys at the moment and it is rather excellent and higly accurate although of course in Rod Liddle's typical exaggerated, elaborated style.

 

LOL, no.

 

Cameron's been a great PM for this country. Sad to see him go.

 

Yes, he does.

 

The people going to food banks would think differently. Austerity was/is a **** idea.

 

Teresa May's speech outside No10 could have been from a socialist Prime Minister. Fine words, but will be interesting to see what she delivers.