Westminstenders: Frozen

[RedToothBrush]

Boris Johnson was empty chaired by C4 with a block of ice.

The Conservatives went mental and have threatened to look at C4 broadcast remit.

This is illiberal and anti democratic.

Journalists are supposed to hold power to account on behalf of the public. If MPs don't turn up then they can't be held to account.

They have a duty to show. It's not good enough to avoid scrutiny because it might make you look bad. That's the whole point.

The contempt with which Johnson holds the press and public is reprehensible and you should be concerned whatever your political alligence. It allows corruption to fester without consequence.

And to then threaten C4 because they do their job in line with their responsibility as a broadcaster is alarming.

This is how authoritarian dictators work.

How many tory campaigners are there? They don't have many members do they? Are they able to canvass much?

ps. I know nothing about Albania and thought I'd wandered onto the wrong thread earlier!

DP is going to do some canvassing he says he has never done anything like that before. he's not even a party member. people are energised/desperate I think.

How many tory campaigners are there? They don't have many members do they? Are they able to canvass much?

Based on pictures I have seen on twitter of senior MPs canvassing alone, I'd hazard a guess that in some southern constituencies they are struggling to find enough members willing or able to canvas (bearing in mind also the average age of party members).

£££ from hedge funds and Russian oligarchs will buy you a social media campaign but it won't put boots on the ground in marginal constituencies.

Still no sign of any candidates or leaflets. You wouldn't know there was an election on in my area.

Every Tory campaigning pic I've seen its always a handful of members of the older demographic, while you do see some low Labour turnout campaign pics they arent the norm its normally loads of people young and old, there also seems to be a lot less diversity in the Tory pics

And for an 'unpopular' leader like Corbyn there always seems to be a long ass line waiting to get in and they normally have to broadcast the speech outside, I just hope that is going to be reflected nationally, while I agree there is some loss of support for Labour in the heartlands is it going to be enough to unseat a sitting Labour MP, obviously I hope not

Emma Lewell-Buck
@EmmaLewellBuck
·
Nov 30
So tonight’s #labourdoorstep lasted a bit longer, an elderly man’s door had swelled so much he couldn’t shut it at all. My lovely hubby
@Harry__Harlow
went into DIY mode and now his door shuts again. Please (& I know lots of us in Shields do) look out for your neighbours.

Everything is a lie! I am getting distressed by the lies. They are trying to rewrite reality.

The state of this: twitter.com/juniordrblog/status/1200328947420008448

Right I need to sleep before night shifts... calm down calm down

Matt Turner
@MattTurner4L
·
36m
Letters from Ian Austin on behalf of the Tories dropping in marginal seats this morning urging people to vote for Boris Johnson. Hope he's proud of himself.

Alexei Sayle used to make lots of jokes around Albania in the 80s.

The radiographer that did DWs MRI scan last year was Albanian. He spotted the surname, and commented it was nice to speak in Italian for a bit.

There's a fucktonne of Roman archaeology buried (hopefully safely) in Eastern Europe - Romania, Hungary Albania. They never experienced the continual ploughing England did, plus had much less of an industrial revolution that demanded more ploughed land. There was a fascinating and sad "Time Team" about a Roman treasure that was suspected of being ripped out of Hungary illegally.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seuso_Treasure

Alexei Sayle wrote a brilliant autobiography, a lot of it about travelling in communist Russia with his parents who were very commie. Cant remember the name but it was hilarious, must look and see if he ever wrote another one. (That is supposed to be vaguely relevant to Albania)

Tony Hawks (or Hawk, I get them confused) write a hilarious book about attempting to get a number one hit in Albania and enter Eurovision. That is how I know about the Norman Wisdom thing. It's v funny and a real insight into a closed off country.

.

DW has just commented that unlike all the other parties literature (3 copies - me, DW and DS), there's only one - addressed to me. A casual conclusion would be that they aren't wasting money on women

DGR - when a Tory canvasser came to our door recently and I firmly told him he would not get my vote, he immediately started to walk away, without even asking if he could speak to the two women of the house who also are on the electoral roll... Presumably, he's assuming that as the head of the house, I will be telling the womenfolk how to vote.

@ squid4 that Twitter post is bloody awful!

Alexei Sayle wrote a brilliant autobiography, a lot of it about travelling in communist Russia with his parents who were very commie. Cant remember the name but it was hilarious, must look and see if he ever wrote another one. (That is supposed to be vaguely relevant to Albania)
We don't see enough of Alexei nowadays. I heard him on the radio about a year ago. So bloody funny.

Comedy on radio 4 is so predictable. Usually delivered by someone called Miles.

Miles Jupp is a very funny man

Just received a flyer from our new Tory candidate (parachuted in after predecessor was defenstrated by Johnson and fled to LDs). Seems to have no particular connection to our area and there is no prominent indication on the front that she's even touting for the Tories. Has a bit of a go at the LDs on the back, which sounds like they're worried about them.

LDs have sent 3 flyers (one to each registered voter) and the candidate has actually been round to see us - first time I can remember. DW is eligible to vote for the first time and, since the candidate is also of German background (parents, I think), he can probably count on her vote as an ardent Remainer. My gut instinct is always Labour and I like their manifesto, as well as the proposal of a 2nd referendum (unilateral automatic revoke would be very hard to swallow for many), but all the tactical voting websites recommend LD and they're probably right in this true blue area, so I'm a bit torn.

Not heard anything from Labour yet, although it's understandably not a priority seat for them.

Lewis Goodall
@lewis_goodall
·
7m
The Conservatives have proposed no extra money for local govt in their manifesto save for pot holes. Therefore IFS says council tax would have to increase by 4% a year every year and it still wouldn’t be enough to keep up with rising demand for local govt services.

Alexei Sayle: Stalin Ate My Homework!! highly recommended by ME.

Very funny book

Follow up was Thatcher Stole My Trousers, which I have just ordered.