Lefties 9: This will succeed through its success

I'm not twittering folks; I struggle to keep tabs on this.

I take we went from lefties 7 to lefties 9?

Guardian v good today. excellent interview with Caroline Lucas.

How can I get involved in the discussions on Twitter? I am @gingercat123 on Twitter.

'Also available is the Margaret Thatcher 30th Anniversary tankard. They make a perfect matching pair!'

Tells you all you need to know about the politics of the coalition.

Thanks for all the articles you all linked in. They are very informative. Feels like we were away for years, when in fact it was only a week.

Am trying to catch up with the thread. Back to England, yeah!

Anyway, I am not sure Yvette Cooper is in Opus Dei. I think it is Ruth Kelly with the small children.

And only £29.95 . Bargain. They'll be flying off the shelves.

Top thread title.

Did you see the piece in the Guardian re that tear-inducing photo of the Brown boys in the war room? It's all very lovely.

Ed Balls - can someone please tell me why he's so disliked? He reminds me of an affable PE teacher - what's the back-story? Why is he so mistrusted? Is it just the Brown closeness?

Sophable - If you don't think the local politics route appeals, why not research? That seems to be the other way. This is where we need seasoned female political hacks to nip in and start discussing career routes for women.

I have many thoughts about politics, most of them centring on how hard it is for women to get a foot in the door. That has to be changed by more women just ... going for it.

Zepherine was betting on Vince being the first jumper, wasn't she? I wonder if Ladbroke's have a book on that.

Marking place and begging you all not to completely defect to twitter.....

Interestingly the Times leads with Cable's desperation to avoid a deal with the Tories here. You can see why he might not be happy - apart from being more of a natural fit with Labour, he's landed the equivalent of having to sit next to the boy with personal hygiene issues on the school bus. Working with George O is such a short straw. (sorry, mixed metaphors abound!)

Those Guardian articles make for interesting reading. Thanks hupa. Sounds like Vince is in a difficult position, I hope he manages to do what he wants. Good for Brown if this bit is true;

""Gordon said: 'If you want to reopen formal discussions with us and if you will stop formal negotiations with the Conservatives and start them with us then fine. If you can't tell me that, then I'm going to conclude there is no possibility of us forming a majority.'"

"Cameron, instead of building a big tent like nuLabour has knocked through to the neigbour in forming ConLib" .

Great observation that sums up why Labour must not allow themselves to abandon the centre ground. As Soph said they should use Eco and youth issues to distingusish themselves, but without pushing too far left.

Listening to Yvette C this morning I am remined why she would be so good as leader. Better tone and substance that any of the male candidates. She really need to be persuaded to reconsider but it is clear that she is thinking of her children. Why cant ED Balls read the bed time stories?

The Guardian has an interview with Nick Clegg here and one with Vince Cable here today. I think it´s a bit soon for Clegg to be claiming the offence caused was worth it. I think he needs to wait and see what happens over the next few weeks/months/years before a judgement can be reached

I´d love to know what some on the right wing of the Tory party are thinking right now. It´s certainly not what they were looking forward to a few months ago and I wonder how long it will be before the internal wrangling breaks out.

yes, and Simon Hughes mood and words hint that ConLib is not entirely a love in....reading between the lines. Labour need to stand ready.

Just popping in to point and laugh at W. Hague - on Today this morning, being asked aboyt his meeting with Hillary Clinton, he said that she'd been "intrigued" by the formation of a coalition govt, and so he was "able to tell her all about it". Oh William, William. Do you not think she might have already met Angela Merkel at some point?

I have a slight problem with you having to be 30 years or younger to become PM these days. Experience is no longer cherished.

I have a radical policy on private school that would keep Mr Milliband OUT of office as it is so radical. They should be abolished. I send my kids to private school so you can accuse me of being a hypocrite. The thing is, I would be happy to send my kids to local comp/grammar school if everyone else had to do the same.

That's interesting. Have ordered. Before it arrives, I'd be interested to learn more about this proposition:

"He argues that, instead of promoting greater equality, the government has cultivated an "educational apartheid" that sees "25% of education spending go on 7% of pupils","

Where or how does this arise? I'm not aware of this disparity. Is it a reference to independent schools?