General Election Is On

[aggi]

The Brexit party is having a few issues.

Obviously it was originally set up by Farage so that he could wield absolute power on the direction it takes (hence it being set up as a company and not having members). Now that there are some MEPs with nothing much to do apart from occasionally make themselves look foolish ( https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/green ... eo-1324900 ) they want some input and obviously Farage can't countenance that.

As such, it looks like 4 of their MEPs (including the other Rees-Mogg and John Longworth) have resigned the whip with one of the 4 saying that the Brexit Party shouldn't be running in any seats for the general election.

[Spiral]

This was highlighted on reddit. From the US Chamber of Commerce (a powerful and influential US lobby group closely affiliated with the Republican party and current Trump administration).

https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default ... mber19.pdf

"Negotiations between the United States and the UK may encounter some of the difficulties that arose during the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. Indeed, concerns about potential impacts on Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) already are being aired. It should nonetheless prove easier to overcome these challenges with the UK as an individual negotiating partner, at least in the services sector. In general terms, the UK stands at the “liberal” end of the spectrum of EU member states on trade and investment issues; its trade objective post-Brexit is “… to push for greater liberalization of global services, investment and procurement markets;”1 its economy is heavily services-oriented; and its GATS commitments are more complete and its red-lines on liberalization are fewer than most EU member states.

To preserve and enhance mutually beneficial services trade between the United States and the UK, any future legal arrangement governing U.S.-UK trade in services should include provisions that ensure equitable treatment of foreign services suppliers, maximize the general openness of each services market, continue best practices, and introduce new innovative elements for the expanding digital economy."

The part in bold states in black and white what a lot of people have feared for a long time; that Brexit will move Britain towards the American sphere of influence, and that leaving the EU weakens our bargaining power and negotiating strength. This sovereignty that people are quite sincerely trying to reclaim is going to be pawned off to corporations by the conservatives. People are being mugged, here. Anyone with a sharpened worldview and appreciation of global political realities has been aware of this since day one. Our laws will be increasingly affected by shadowy lobby groups - where we as citizens have zero influence, rather than Brussels - where we currently do have a voice. If efforts to collect the appropriate and due taxes has the potential to incite a trade war with the US, as is happening with France and internet/tech companies, we need to reconsider what sovereignty looks like, because we're a colony of the US at that point.

[tiger76]

Yes, a bit of viewing of BritainElects shows quite a wide range. The trends tend to be more interesting than the absolute figures in many ways

This one amused me though

EU referendum voting intention:

Remain: 52% (+1)
Leave: 48% (-1)

via
@PanelbaseMD
, 27 - 28 Nov
Chgs. w/ 22 Nov

EU ref polls have shown a small but consistent lead for remain for about a year now,they are within MOE though,which makes predicting any future vote if there is one a mug's game.

[aggi]

EU ref polls have shown a small but consistent lead for remain for about a year now,they are within MOE though,which makes predicting any future vote if there is one a mug's game.

Yes, this one amused me too:

[Inchy]

Its good to see the Tories are adding 50k more nurses to the NHS


Clowns

[Lowbankclaret]

EU ref polls have shown a small but consistent lead for remain for about a year now,they are within MOE though,which makes predicting any future vote if there is one a mug's game.

Why do we all think if that’s really the state of play now in the leave vs remain debate, that the Lib Dem’s who will definitely keep us in are losing vote share.

That’s surprised me.

[Lowbankclaret]

Re Jeremy Corbyn and the IRA, what I don't get, if you are working for peace, why do you choose to invite IRA representatives to meet you in HoC a short time after the government, which you had always opposed, had been bombed by the IRA (yes, IRA/prov IRA/other IRA groups, whichever that was at the time)?

And, how did that look to UK military who were serving in N.Ireland at the time?

If you google what London Labour leaflets said at the time.

They apparently but two slogans on it,
One was something like, try riding your bike now , Norman.

The other, what do you call 4 dead Tories, a start!

That might get you into mindset they had then.

[Lowbankclaret]

Labour want to tax the rich more, and alleviate the great distress many of our citizens find themselves in due to austerity. This is realistic and laudable. It's also better for the economy, because the extra pound in the pocket of a poor person goes into the local economy, whereas the extra pound in a rich person's pocket could well end up in the Cayman Islands.

Labour also want to bring back under public ownership; the rail system, utilities, our national broadband network, and Royal Mail. These are all things we've owned in the past (telephones for broadband), and are now weighing the country down with high prices and bad service. So doing this is laudable too.

Why nitpick over tax changes when the overall movement is in a positive direction?

Just about every person who earns over £20,000 will be paying more tax under Labour.

That pound in their pocket you talk about is not happening under Labour.

[android]

"Get Brexit Done..."

Boris keeps banging this mantra, but forgets that his Brexit isn't the Brexit the majority of people wanted. His Brexit is merely a tick in the box for a bloke who will say and do anything to hold on to power.

Truth is, if you actually want to "Get Brexit Done..." you could, no SHOULD vote for Labour and Jeremy Corbyn. When you do that, you empower a government to reach a realistic possibility for a real Brexit with the EU and then we can all have the choice of whether its actually what we want.

"Yeah, but we voted for Brexit already, why should we vote again?

Simply put, what JC is proposing is removing the uncertainty of the previous Tory government bumbling along trying to vote through parliament a poor/no deal Brexit that no one actually wants (dont forget its just a tick box for Boris - he used to want to stay in the EU when it suited him remember) and we can put the Brexit issue to bed for good.

Boris will not "Get Brexit Done..." he will have to drag out years of negotiation with the EU to enable him to tick a box to say he succeeded, whereas JC will enable us, the public not MPs, to decide if we still want a realistic Brexit that can occur.

I get that you are a Corbyn fan Rick and if you share his beliefs so be it. But I don't see how anyone could support Corbyn's Brexit proposals if they want Brexit?

Given what we know about his proposed deal it would be a version of effectively remaining in all but name and without any say going forward. Even Corbyn has said that he would not campaign for his own deal. Who would campaign for it? Presumably they would have to find some stooge from the Labour party to nominally campaign for it. But do you know anyone who would vote for it? A straight re-run of Leave v Remain would be too close to call. But surely Corbyn's deal v Remain would be a landslide for Remain on a low turnout (it would be largely ignored as a rigged poll by Leavers I reckon) and Farage and co would start all over again - back to square one solving nothing.

[AndrewJB]

I get that you are a Corbyn fan Rick and if you share his beliefs so be it. But I don't see how anyone could support Corbyn's Brexit proposals if they want Brexit?

Given what we know about his proposed deal it would be a version of effectively remaining in all but name and without any say going forward. Even Corbyn has said that he would not campaign for his own deal. Who would campaign for it? Presumably they would have to find some stooge from the Labour party to nominally campaign for it. But do you know anyone who would vote for it? A straight re-run of Leave v Remain would be too close to call. But surely Corbyn's deal v Remain would be a landslide for Remain on a low turnout (it would be largely ignored as a rigged poll by Leavers I reckon) and Farage and co would start all over again - back to square one solving nothing.

The Labour Leave position is up against a Tory hard Brexit. So there’s your choice.

[Rick_Muller]

The Labour Leave position is up against a Tory hard Brexit. So there’s your choice.

That was the kind of point I was trying to make, and I think a realistic Labour leave is more feasible than a Tory hard brexit

[martin_p]

Just about every person who earns over £20,000 will be paying more tax under Labour.

That pound in their pocket you talk about is not happening under Labour.

That’s just not true.

[RMutt]

Ooooohhhh,! Andrew Neil.

[dsr]

The Labour Leave position is up against a Tory hard Brexit. So there’s your choice.

If that was what they wanted to have a referendum about, then they would have something worth campaigning about. But what they are proposing is a choice between Remain and Leave-but-as-close-to-Remain-as-possible. Anyone who thought they were voting for something more than just abolishing EU elections in this country but otherwise continuing as before, will not have that choice again.

[Inchy]

So the 300,000 includes nurses working in the independent sector. You can question the number of nurses now. You can question if government would actually deliver 50,000 more nurses. But they are different arguments to questioning the logic of saying we will have 50,000 more nurses by training more people to become a nurse, bringing in more nurses form overseas and doing a better job at keeping hold of nurses.

The Tories knew exactly what they were doing when they worded the pledge to get more nurses. To deceive the public.


They say they are going to retain more NHS nurses. How the hell are they going to do that? Working conditions are awful at the moment. Record levels of nurses leaving the profession.

The only way they can retain staff is by increasing the retirement age, which is nailed on to meet this pledge


Utter w*nkers

[ClaretAndJew]

Spoke at length to my placement educator who's a speech therapist in Leeds. She told me about the funding cuts in 2012/2014 that have led to a reduction in the amount of available therapists within the NHS for the children in the local schools.

It's also meant the schools have to buy in time to see the children who need it most. It's stretched beyond belief.

[AndrewJB]

Just about every person who earns over £20,000 will be paying more tax under Labour.

That pound in their pocket you talk about is not happening under Labour.

If they benefit to the tune of a few thousand a year net, do you think anyone would say no to paying more tax?

[AndrewJB]

That was the kind of point I was trying to make, and I think a realistic Labour leave is more feasible than a Tory hard brexit

Tory hard Brexit means good times for the rich financiers betting against our economy, but very tough times for ordinary people. And such a straightforward soft Labour Brexit would get it done before the Tories could. All comes down to what you want!

[Cryssys]

There you go, no change.

Yep, Boris is still running away.

He's declined to be interviewed on ITV's Tonight programme and is running scared from Andrew Neil as well.

Doesn't inspire confidence.

[tiger76]

Tory hard Brexit means good times for the rich financiers betting against our economy, but very tough times for ordinary people. And such a straightforward soft Labour Brexit would get it done before the Tories could. All comes down to what you want!

That would have some validity if Labour weren't proposing to renegotiate and then campaign against their own deal,i can understand them advocating a softer brexit if that's the alternative they feel is best for the economy,but a referendum between Labour's planned close relationship and remaining is pointless.

[taio]

The Tories knew exactly what they were doing when they worded the pledge to get more nurses. To deceive the public.


They say they are going to retain more NHS nurses. How the hell are they going to do that? Working conditions are awful at the moment. Record levels of nurses leaving the profession.

The only way they can retain staff is by increasing the retirement age, which is nailed on to meet this pledge


Utter w*nkers

As though increasing the retirement age is the only way.

Through retention strategies like allowing more flexibility for nurses to transfer jobs and placing more focus on the wellbeing of staff and better working conditions.

What statistics are you referring to when you say record levels of nurses are leaving the profession? NHS digital shows the nursing workforce as relatively static for years.

Imagine if the NHS was so defeatist about their ability to improve things.

All that aside what you say makes a mockery of what the shadow chancellor said when he talked about NHS staff working a four day week in the next decade.

[martin_p]

That would have some validity if Labour weren't proposing to renegotiate and then campaign against their own deal

They aren’t.

[Bordeauxclaret]

What’s Boris scared of with Neil?

[taio]

What’s Boris scared of with Neil?

Neil is pretty fierce but if Boris dodges him it's pathetic.

[tiger76]

Ooooohhhh,! Andrew Neil.

He's clearly laying the gauntlet down to Johnson,every other major party leader has braved grillo,so will Boris i doubt it.

[tiger76]

They aren’t.

Offically maybe not but many in their party are ardently voicing a remain position,it's likely to be a moot point anyway unless the polls show a dramatic shift in the numbers,Corbyn won't be getting the keys to Downing Street.

[AndrewJB]

That would have some validity if Labour weren't proposing to renegotiate and then campaign against their own deal,i can understand them advocating a softer brexit if that's the alternative they feel is best for the economy,but a referendum between Labour's planned close relationship and remaining is pointless.

They’re not doing that. They’re putting a deal that works for lots of people (they’re unlikely to suffer economic dislocation) against Remain back to the people. The Labour Party is split on leave or remain, so it won’t campaign for or against as a unit. Corbyn said he’d stay out of it altogether. You won’t get that from the Tories, who’ve purged their MP ranks on the issue, and now seem poised to go for a no deal (with the pretence of trying to get a deal).

Take yer pick

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

What’s Boris scared of with Neil?

Pretty embarrassing he’s scared of a 30 minute interview. The spin doctors really are worried about Johnson being in the public eye for any longer than necessary not the best attribute for a PM.

[Inchy]

As though increasing the retirement age is the only way.

Through retention strategies like allowing more flexibility for nurses to transfer jobs and placing more focus on the wellbeing of staff and better working conditions.

What statistics are you referring to when you say record levels of nurses are leaving the profession? NHS digital shows the nursing workforce as relatively static for years.

Imagine if the NHS was so defeatist about their ability to improve things.

All that aside what you say makes a mockery of what the shadow chancellor said when he talked about NHS staff working a four day week in the next decade.

For a start I don’t support the shallow chancellor however most nurses already work a 4 day week.


I’m not defeatist about the NHS staff having the ability to improve things, I have no confidence what so ever in this government to improve things because consistently for the past 9 years things have got worse.

A pay freeze for 8 years doesn’t help retain staff.

Every day and night wards are understaffed by at least 1 nurse less than 9 years ago. Night shifts are run on the majority of wards with 2 nurses for 30 patients. It only takes 1 to be deteriorating, or 1 to be wondering confused, and all other patients do not get the care they need. It’s happening every day and night. It was never perfect before but it’s a lot worse now.

What would make more nurses stay?
A pay consistent pay rise in line with inflation and their level of training.

Less cooperate management

More qualified healthcare staff. Not agency HCAs who can often be worse than useless because the agencies don’t seem to care if they have any healthcare background. They don’t even seem to care if they even have an interest in healthcare.

Another reason nurses are leaving the NHS is suicide. The pressures of having to care for 30 patients on your own and one mistake and you will be taken down. The guilt of not being able to care for someone because you are too busy. The guilt of letting someone die alone in a side room because you are too busy to hold their hand.


Speak to anyone who works in the NHS and they will
Tell you how ****** off they are with the past 9 years.

What have they tories done to retain staff vs drive them away?

So what’s my money on? Boris making improvements to the benefit of patients and staff? Or increasing retirement age?

https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workf ... 9-04-2019/

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theg ... fe-balance

[android]

The Labour Leave position is up against a Tory hard Brexit. So there’s your choice.

But Andrew & Rick who would campaign in Labour's 2nd referendum for the Labour Leave option? Not Corbyn, he has made that clear. I can't think of anyone else on the Labour front bench either, as they all seem to prefer remain. No Tory MPs would campaign for it, as they all now support Boris's deal, which involves leaving the customs union and other degrees of separation not envisaged by Labour. Obviously no Lib Dems or SNP either.

And who would vote for it? I can't imagine anyone I know, whether Leave or Remain, voting for Labour's version of Leave (from what we know it would be so close to remaining that it has to be worse than actually remaining). Can you think of anyone who would vote for it? Any UTC posters willing to come forward?

[Heathclaret]

I’m sorry but, no matter how bad you think they are, Corbyn is worse. No one would be as bad as him. Even Adolf Hitler would be better.

Does that mean you’re a fan of Adolf, him and Boris are both right wing?

I just think that the country cannot afford another four years of austerity, it will be more of the same from the conservatives. Labours plans may be ambitious, but at least they seem to be aiming at the right targets.

[Spiral]

The guilt of letting someone die alone on a side room because you are too busy to hold their hand.

F.ucking hell, Inchy, that one just hit me right in the gut. I'd never in my life even contemplated that a nurse might need process they could be the very last human being a dying person will ever see. Bloody hell. How low we've sunk, where a deceitful slogan takes precedence over the fading vestige of the greatest triumph of human decency.

[Inchy]

F.ucking hell, Inchy, that one just hit me right in the gut. I'd never in my life even contemplated that a nurse might need process they could be the very last human being a dying person will ever see. Bloody hell. How low we've sunk, where a deceitful slogan takes precedence over the fading vestige of the greatest triumph of human decency.

With the best will in the world dying is often unpredictable even with patients who are palliative. If someone deteriorated overnight you call relatives but can’t always get hold of them. If you can they still have to get up and drive in. Generally it’s clear when the end is nearing but it’s not always easy to tell. It could be days or a few hours. Nobody should die alone so we go in there, hold their hand, sit with them. Whether they are aware we are there or not it doesn’t really matter. They shouldn’t be alone. However I have been in the situation where I haven’t been able to sit with someone who is dying because simply there isn’t the staff. That’s not new it has always happened but in my experience it’s a lot more frequent now. Not being able to comfort someone who is dying can have a massive effect on the nurse. You feel like you have failed. You may have known that patient and their family for weeks in certain settings. E.g blood cancer patients who are often frequently in and often for a long time

I have seen colleagues really struggle with this. To go to work and find it impossible to do a good job. It’s not like a lot of jobs. If you can’t offer the care you aspire to the patients and relatives will hate you and the nurse will hate themselves.

The tories have done bugger all but make things worse.

Fortunately I work in an environment where I am not in this situation often but when I was it takes it toll. You don’t go home and feel good

[CrosspoolClarets]

The Tories knew exactly what they were doing when they worded the pledge to get more nurses. To deceive the public.


They say they are going to retain more NHS nurses. How the hell are they going to do that? Working conditions are awful at the moment. Record levels of nurses leaving the profession.

The only way they can retain staff is by increasing the retirement age, which is nailed on to meet this pledge


Utter w*nkers

I wouldn’t deny that the Tories are being a bit disingenuous, but ultimately if retention is improved in the NHS it won’t be government doing it, it will be NHS England. Politicians like to pretend otherwise but parties come and go, but the senior management in the NHS is often in for life, they will be cracking on regardless.

There are lots of proven ways to improve nurse retention. More flexible working practices, cutting edge data analysis, improved training, improved preceptorship schemes etc. The biggest change of all, providing care closer to home to release the pressure on Trusts and improve the quality of working life.

p.s. I agree with and sympathise with Inchy’s above comments after the ones I quoted. There is a lot Government can still do, and funding pay rises is a key area. Safe (funded) staffing levels are another.

[Claret-On-A-T-Rex]

Yep, Boris is still running away.

He's declined to be interviewed on ITV's Tonight programme and is running scared from Andrew Neil as well.

Doesn't inspire confidence.

Is he frit?

[AndrewJB]

But Andrew & Rick who would campaign in Labour's 2nd referendum for the Labour Leave option? Not Corbyn, he has made that clear. I can't think of anyone else on the Labour front bench either, as they all seem to prefer remain. No Tory MPs would campaign for it, as they all now support Boris's deal, which involves leaving the customs union and other degrees of separation not envisaged by Labour. Obviously no Lib Dems or SNP either.

And who would vote for it? I can't imagine anyone I know, whether Leave or Remain, voting for Labour's version of Leave (from what we know it would be so close to remaining that it has to be worse than actually remaining). Can you think of anyone who would vote for it? Any UTC posters willing to come forward?

The Tory alternative is a hard Brexit. Who voted for that?! Who wants or needs a hard Brexit, apart the few who will benefit financially from this country’s ills?

If Brexit had been defined as a particular “thing” then it wouldn’t have won in the referendum. The time to define Brexit was then, or at least right after the vote.

[Lowbankclaret]

If they benefit to the tune of a few thousand a year net, do you think anyone would say no to paying more tax?

No they will be worse off.

You really really need to read through the bullshit politicians tell you.

You will pay more tax , you will be worse off if you work and earn a living to pay for the 95 billion they are going to spend.

You will learn as get older.

[dsr]

The Tory alternative is a hard Brexit. Who voted for that?! Who wants or needs a hard Brexit, apart the few who will benefit financially from this country’s ills?

If Brexit had been defined as a particular “thing” then it wouldn’t have won in the referendum. The time to define Brexit was then, or at least right after the vote.

I think you are missing the point of democracy. At the European election, 35% of voters voted for Brexit or UKIP - that is, parties whose sole policy was Brexit now, deal or no deal. It's all very well to say that you believe they are wrong. But to say they are so very wrong that they musn't be allowed to vote again for what they voted for last time? That their preferred option must be ignored because they aren't fit to express it? That's not democracy.

[dsr]

No they will be worse off.

You really really need to read through the [deleted] politicians tell you.

You will pay more tax , you will be worse off if you work and earn a living to pay for the 95 billion they are going to spend.

You will learn as get older.

£95 billion they are going to spend? That's per year. And you've left out the £56 billion on the WIFSPI women (Women in favour of state pensions inequality), the nationalisation costs of gas, electricity, water, rail, internet, air, land, sea), and all the other little extras they are dreaming up as they go. 20,000 new teachers today.

And what is their mantra? That it's all fully costed. Where is the £56bn WASPI money coming from? Issuing bonds. Where is the nationalisation money coming from? Issuing bonds. It's the answer to everything - issue bonds.

And then there's the policy on nationalisation - the rail nationalisation won't cost the country anything because the country is getting an asset equal in value to what the country is spending. And then they promise to give away tickets for free. What's the asset worth then? Same with electricity - gain a valuable asset, deliberately kill the profits, and claim that the asset is still worth what they paid.

[aggi]

No they will be worse off.

You really really need to read through the bullshit politicians tell you.

You will pay more tax , you will be worse off if you work and earn a living to pay for the 95 billion they are going to spend.

You will learn as get older.

I assume you can show your workings for this.

Although this bit You really really need to read through the bullshit politicians tell you. did make me laugh given that you're campaigning for Farage.

[Rick_Muller]

.

Inchy, thank you. Thank you for caring. Thank you for doing all you do. Thank you for being a great nurse, and also a great human being. I don’t know what else to add apart from I hope we can save the NHS and everything it stands for so that you, and people like you can continue your selfless careers.

[AndrewJB]

No they will be worse off.

You really really need to read through the bullshit politicians tell you.

You will pay more tax , you will be worse off if you work and earn a living to pay for the 95 billion they are going to spend.

You will learn as get older.

What a patronising post. Three million new voters have registered since the election was called - and they won’t put up with your lies and pats on the head.

Okay boomer. Let’s make this simple for you. Your tax goes up ten pounds a month, but you no longer pay thirty pounds a month for Internet - which will improve in quality. You are now twenty pounds a month better off. You’re old, and you’ve been suckled on the Thatcherite cool-aid that “state is bad” - but nobody reads the Sun anymore, so you’re a shrinking group. My parents understand, so there’s hope for you.

[Rick_Muller]

This is truly unbelievable, well actually not that unbelievable because its a Tory saying it. People with learning difficulties should get paid less apparently... what a f#cking disgrace.

https://twitter.com/chunkymark/status/1 ... 2057112579

https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/06/tory-can ... -11280594/

[AndrewJB]

£95 billion they are going to spend? That's per year. And you've left out the £56 billion on the WIFSPI women (Women in favour of state pensions inequality), the nationalisation costs of gas, electricity, water, rail, internet, air, land, sea), and all the other little extras they are dreaming up as they go. 20,000 new teachers today.

And what is their mantra? That it's all fully costed. Where is the £56bn WASPI money coming from? Issuing bonds. Where is the nationalisation money coming from? Issuing bonds. It's the answer to everything - issue bonds.

And then there's the policy on nationalisation - the rail nationalisation won't cost the country anything because the country is getting an asset equal in value to what the country is spending. And then they promise to give away tickets for free. What's the asset worth then? Same with electricity - gain a valuable asset, deliberately kill the profits, and claim that the asset is still worth what they paid.

Coming from a party that hasn’t even costed their manifesto! History lesson. The last time there was such a degree of investment in the country (1945) led to the greates period of general prosperity our country has ever had. The money doesn’t get taxed and disappear. It goes toward building and buying things that benefit everyone, and the money keeps circulating in the economy, benefiting everyone. Under the Tories this money will just sit in the Cayman Islands.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

This is truly unbelievable, well actually not that unbelievable because its a Tory saying it. People with learning difficulties should get paid less apparently... what a f#cking disgrace.

https://twitter.com/chunkymark/status/1 ... 2057112579

https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/06/tory-can ... -11280594/

Reportedly she’s also a governor at a specialist school.

[Rick_Muller]

Reportedly she’s also a governor at a specialist school.

its frightening that people like her exist and even more frightening that people will defend her viewpoint and still vote for her and her kind.

[CombatClaret]

So according to the Conservatives there will be no interviews as the public is fed now up with interviews.

I'll add that to the list next to experts. And looking at their manifesto once they're in power the public will soon be fed up with Courts and Judges...

[FactualFrank]

They say they are going to retain more NHS nurses. How the hell are they going to do that?

By putting their retirement age up again.

[tiger76]

What a patronising post. Three million new voters have registered since the election was called - and they won’t put up with your lies and pats on the head.

Okay boomer. Let’s make this simple for you. Your tax goes up ten pounds a month, but you no longer pay thirty pounds a month for Internet - which will improve in quality. You are now twenty pounds a month better off. You’re old, and you’ve been suckled on the Thatcherite cool-aid that “state is bad” - but nobody reads the Sun anymore, so you’re a shrinking group. My parents understand, so there’s hope for you.

I don't want to burst your bubble Andrew but three million new voters haven't registered recently,many of those who registered will already be on the electoral role,it is true that there will be some new voters due to the new register,but it won't be in the millions,as ever the problem amongst younger voters is how many will bother to vote,you'd think with issues such as climate change and brexit they'd be more politically engaged,but we'll find out post-election if that's driven higher turnout.

[claretandy]

James O'Brien is absolutely furious that Boris won't do the Neil interview, even though he just admitted even if he did it wouldn't change a thing.