Westministenders: Promises, promises

[BigChocFrenzy]

We should see the party manifestos soon
in 2017, that changed the election

So far, Tory and Labour have been competing for who can offer the most spending on the NHS

Labour have been giving tantalising glimpses of free dental care and free broadband

The Tories have been hinting at tax cuts, as well as public spending

The polls suggest the public like all of the above,
but also that Brexit is the most important issue

25 days to go, still all to play for

Westministenders' Abbreviations:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/3492426-Westministenders-Abbreviation?msgid=84503730

here's a number two in number ten

In a recent phone-in, Boris Johnson has mentioned a coming announcement on childcare:

www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/11/nursery-owner-challenges-prime-minister-childcare-funding?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Under%205%2020%20November&utm_content=Under%205%2020%20November+CID_7aed94014ea2ce6f2556cbf1e3cdaeac&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=here

We're all waiting with bated breath...

Laura Kuenssberg
@bbclaurak
·
6m
Amjad Bashir, Tory candidate for Leeds North East suspended over antisemitism

I remember being enthralled as an impressionable student by the serious debates before the 1975 ref

I felt reassured that whichever way the ref went,
we had politicians on both sides and in both main parties who were up to the task of handling the consequences

Such a difference now in quality of politicians and moderators too

This was when the BBC & ITV aimed for grownup informative debate, not showbiz

Robert Saunders@redhistorian

If you want a model of what a television debate could look like, here's Roy Jenkins and Tony Benn debating EEC membership in 1975.

No studio audience, little intervention from the chair, just 50 minutes of serious and substantial debate.

Roy Jenkins and Tony Benn debate : The European Communities membership referendum, 1975 - Panorama

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_zBFh6bpcMo

here's Roy Jenkins and Tony Benn debating EEC membership in 1975.

I sometimes watch old TBenn speeches I honestly think he would have been the best prime minister we never had, especially as he got older he become such a statesman

Probably the only one who thinks that

So that's the 2nd Tory candidate for MP suspended for anti-semitism

In both constituencies, afaik the Tories had little chance anyway, so not as if it affects the seat count

What are the practical consequences for those candidates (apart from minor embarassment) - @red, anyone ?

I presume this means they can't stand as official Tory candidates ?
And they lose all the central party help in their campaign

Can they even stand, since their nomination papers would have stated under which party they would stand ?

You may be lonely again, poster !
I disagreed with most of Benn's policies at the time, especially Lexiting

However, I always appreciated his talent and his staunch ethics

• for several years, there has been a dearth of both in the top and middle ranks at least, of all parties

He was always worth listening to and made me think, even if only to formulate why I disagreed
Adding a serious politician like Jenkins from the Labour right, or a One Nation Tory, was always a don't-miss occasion.

tbh, he'd be much better than any of the godawful choices we have atm and he would have prepared for Lexit, not jumped in with 2 ignorant big feet.

Policies may change acording to the times, but fundamental moral principles and talent not very much

Tony Benn in office is a lot less impressive than Benn in opposition: He gave us North Sea Oil, Concorde and Radio 1.

In Tesco this morning to collect from the pharmacy I walked past the newspapers: three headlining "Corbyn failure" or words to that effect, one saying it was a draw, and two ignoring it altogether on the front page, as far as I could see at a cursory glance. Disheartening.

But three people were having a conversation beside the racks, saying what they disagreed with about the headlines; two were an elderly couple, one was a youngish man. Heartening.

Concorde, R1, North Sea oil....um...

....If you had to pick two?

@ArseDarkly - let’s get to the important facts: I thought JC said that he makes his own damson jam.

Did I mis-hear Dad? Whatever, Jeremy's face lit up with genuine delight at the mention of jam. I'm sure he makes a lot of lovely varieties, meanwhile Johnson just buys the cheapest stuff, sticks it in a different jar then steals it back off you later to give to someone else. What a bastard!

Well North Sea oil is really Scottish, Concorde was really French, and Radio 1 was really bad.

.....R1 was really bad?

Arse - there was a lot of audience noise at that point, reacting to BJ's initial suggestion that he would his Brexit deal under the tree for Jeremy. Someone needs to take one for the team and listen again...

The BBC and some other sites heard it as "make my own damson jam" www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2019-50471140/page/3

but some are reporting JC saying "I love damson jam".

Press release from the Muslim Council of Britain:

mcb.org.uk/general/mcb-questions-itvs-failure-to-address-islamophobia-in-the-conservative-party/

"Press Release

20 November 2019
MCB questions ITV’s failure to address Islamophobia in the Conservative Party

Today the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has written to ITV questioning its decision not to raise the issue of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party during last night’s debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn.

The debate was the first debate of this election between the party leaders, and focused on many issues pertinent to voters, including Brexit, the NHS and climate change. Despite the plague of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party having been prominent in the news recently, and particularly over the last week, ITV failed to raise this issue even once.

The Prime Minister, who himself has a record of making offensive Islamophobic remarks and winning the endorsement of far-right, anti-Muslim activists, was not questioned over this, nor over the string of incidents over the last week which has seen prospective parliamentary candidates, councillors and party members exposed for making or endorsing Islamophobic comments. The MCB has called this editorial decision by ITV “seriously concerning”, and has asked for a full explanation as to why Islamophobia, despite being an issue of great importance to many voters – Muslim and non-Muslim – was blatantly omitted from the debate.

Given that Mr Johnson and other Conservative Party leadership contenders all pledged to hold an external inquiry into Islamophobia in the party live on TV in June this year and have since reneged on this, it is astonishing that ITV did not pick up on this during the question about lies and public trust in politicians.

Commenting, Secretary General of the MCB Harun Khan said:

“Last night’s thorough debate explored a number of important issues that will be at the forefront of people’s minds on 12th December.

“It makes no sense whatsoever therefore that ITV felt it was not important enough to call out and hold the Prime Minister to account over Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, which we know to be a systemic problem of great significance to many people.

“Even if we were to overlook the Conservative Party’s history, and indeed the Prime Minister’s own history with Islamophobia, the last week has brought enough new cases of Islamophobia from within its ranks for it to be discussed and raised in last night’s debate.

“We should be holding all parties equally responsible over incidents of racism. Muslims, and racism against Muslims, should not be considered less important and ITV’s failure to address this is deeply disappointing.”

ENDS

Is there a case for viewing Islamophobia as a variant of antisemitism ? Or vice-versa ?

NO I think both strains have their own de-merits, as commonly understood.

But for the majority population it's probs true - if you find one, you'll find the other sat close by.

R1 - well for someone who doesn't like rap/hiphop/house/garage/drum n bass, then it's really gone down hill since 1976.

R1 - well for someone who doesn't like rap/hiphop/house garage/drum n bass, then it's really gone down hill since 1976

As a Londoner, it was Capital over anything else anyway. 194 and later 95.8

That's a weird disjunct from the 70s that may or may not be relevant now ... some families seemed to be "BBC" families whilst others were "ITV". Some people were "Radio 1" people whilst others were Capital (London, certainly). Or so my memory seems to reflect ...

Joe Strummer was not a Capital fan ...

Radio for me as a kid was Radio Luxembourg. I only had a tiny transistor and the only way I could get a signal was by sitting at the bottom of a huge electricity pylon, which presumably worked as an aerial.

Radio Caroline was good, too. I always admited them as swashbuckling pirates sticking it to the man out there in the North Sea. When Radio One came along, I lost interest (or could afford LPs by then).

I thought Jeremy C said I love damson jam.

Why doesn't he come out and say that the Labour Party will be neutral with induvidual MPs free to campaign for either side? Because the best thing is to bring the country together under whatever the majority decide? Surely there's a way to spin it?

I built my first radio aged 8 ... starting me off on a path that led to computers and communication systems ...

Electoral Commision are aware and will deliberate. It's not like OFCOM where the number of complainants gives a compaint weight. It is a matter of the law, and the figlead CCHQ in very small writing would not appear in any retweet, so it's open and shut

The Electoral Commission sent me an email to say they only regulate political finance and not campaign content. They said they will repeat their call to campaigners to campaign responsibly and transparently.

So it appears to be a moral responsibility only....

Sigh