What's Cameron's game with the TV debates?

[TestMangler]

Right, batch job running again.

Ok, I'm not interested in changing systems or politics for that matter, I just want to get on and get a decent living, the way that I get a decent living is being ahead of the herd by both brains and a bit of muscle. I really could not care less about independence, labour or the conservatives really, I just want the political system to stay out of my way and stop spending the money I pay in tax frivolously.

My father was from a single end in Parkhead, he became a company director of a well known UK brand through a grammar school education and total graft, nothing to do with politics.

The herd will always be the herd, just don't try and convince yourself that politics will change that.

Staying ahead of the herd isn't exactly rocket science though, is it ? I would expect almost everyone (even Psychocandy) would be considered ahead of the herd in a financial sense.

It depends on what you want I suppose. I've got a couple of non IT related businesses that, while they don't make contracting money, make easily enough to live on and, when I can be arsed, I can go contracting whenever I feel like it. So, in that sense, I don't get the view that voting SNP is somehow following the herd. In Scotland, following the herd is blindly voting Labour 'cause yer granddad worked in the shipyards'. Labour have had power in Scotland for an awfully long time and are responsible for turning it into the tulipe hole that it is.

[TheFaQQer]

I'm sure there is deeper though to this.

The other parties will be battering on about the debates for weeks and weeks, maybe it gives the conservatives more space just to promote the economic upturn unhindered by petty squabbles.

They would have expected all of this stuff today, I don't think this is unplanned and has strategy we might not be clear on yet.

You'd have thought that Cameron would want the chance to brag about the record, while at the same time showing how bad Miliband is and how weak he is.

But if Miliband is so poor, why won't Cameron stand up and show that?

[minestrone]

Staying ahead of the herd isn't exactly rocket science though, is it ? I would expect almost everyone (even Psychocandy) would be considered ahead of the herd in a financial sense.

It depends on what you want I suppose. I've got a couple of non IT related businesses that, while they don't make contracting money, make easily enough to live on and, when I can be arsed, I can go contracting whenever I feel like it. So, in that sense, I don't get the view that voting SNP is somehow following the herd. In Scotland, following the herd is blindly voting Labour 'cause yer granddad worked in the shipyards'. Labour have had power in Scotland for an awfully long time and are responsible for turning it into the tulipe hole that it is.

Thing is the SNP are the softer edge of the nationalist movement, there is a real socialist agenda lurking behind it all. I know an SNP member who is raving Marxist, he is only supporting the SNP as he sees it as the best way to further the true socialist cause and I have picked up on that with various hard line supporters.

You are aware of the real dirty tricks the SNP are now pulling to stop the new members voting on selection? Not announcing selection meetings and then 'trusted' members swoop in from outlying districts to cast votes. The SNP may be very publicly pleased of the membership hike but internally they are deeply uneasy over all of this.

I honestly truly believe that a vote for the SNP may start off business neutral but it will descend into a high tax, high welfare state. I just don't see the Scottish electorate as being that sophisticated enough on masse to understand why that will be counter productive, they are malleable to the first person who promises them something.

For all that I hated Salmond he was fairly pro business, Sturgeon dropped the corporation tax reduction this week, we also got a national identity database as well and don't get me started on the named person tulip.

Anyway, enough of politics, the Rangers EGM has started.

[TestMangler]

Thing is the SNP are the softer edge of the nationalist movement, there is a real socialist agenda lurking behind it all. I know an SNP member who is raving Marxist, he is only supporting the SNP as he sees it as the best way to further the true socialist cause and I have picked up on that with various hard line supporters.

All the SNP members and supporters I know are actually business people, entrepreneurs or freelancers. I know they'll have a cross section including the looney left, but I think it's likely to be fairly well balanced, especially on the decision making level.

You are aware of the real dirty tricks the SNP are now pulling to stop the new members voting on selection? Not announcing selection meetings and then 'trusted' members swoop in from outlying districts to cast votes. The SNP may be very publicly pleased of the membership hike but internally they are deeply uneasy over all of this.

I was involved in Brendan O'Hara's selection and election for Argyll & Bute and like most places, they're loaded with new members. Never heard anything from anyone about this. The voting system was done by an outsourced company, with, as far as I know, only branch members able to access the systems for each area.

I honestly truly believe that a vote for the SNP may start off business neutral but it will descend into a high tax, high welfare state. I just don't see the Scottish electorate as being that sophisticated enough on masse to understand why that will be counter productive, they are malleable to the first person who promises them something.

For all that I hated Salmond he was fairly pro business, Sturgeon dropped the corporation tax reduction this week, we also got a national identity database as well and don't get me started on the named person tulip.

That remains to be seen, but historically, the SNP (especially under Salmond) always understood the need for healthy business in growing an economy. That was borne out by actions in their time in Govt (Small business rates relief being an example).

Anyway, enough of politics, the Rangers EGM has started.

Ah, the gift that keeps on giving. Who will end up in charge ? The tax fraudster or the tax fraudsters assistant ?

[minestrone]

Apparently a sports direct lorry turned up at the stadium after the EGM

Anyway, back to politics.

The SNP seem to be running the show very tightly recently as to who gets selected, these 2 seem to have had a long standing grievance but still raise legitimate claims as to why their individual selection votes where not made available to the members...

Blow for SNP as two councillors quit in key target area | Herald Scotland

But this chap really paints a picture, the SNP are basically asking him to support a labour government if they continue the bedroom tax policy...

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archi.../12/disbarred/

There are numerous tales of this behaviour going around, if the SNP follow labour's continuation of the bedroom tax which looks possible then there will be hell to pay.

[minestrone]

I now recall that Craig Murray was involved in some mess when he was in Ambassador in Uzbekistan.

The envoy who said too much | Politics | The Guardian

[Batcher]

What is the format of this big debate anyway? is it just going round the group asking the same questions?

And if you think Milliband is bad at debating wait till you hear Sturgeon, absolutely hopeless, while she is fine at delivering speeches and quick sound bites she just can't hack one on one stuff, she is getting brutalised every week and FMQ.

Brutalised by who ?

Deputy Dug gets torn a new one every week. I think you must be watching the wrong show

[TestMangler]

Brutalised by who ?

Deputy Dug gets torn a new one every week. I think you must be watching the wrong show

Did you see The Dug get ripped on QT last night ? Every time she got in trouble she tried to shout 'Mansion tax' and got boo'd several times for it. Was great to see a labour branch politician get a tanking from a Glasgow audience.

[Batcher]

Did you see The Dug get ripped on QT last night ? Every time she got in trouble she tried to shout 'Mansion tax' and got boo'd several times for it. Was great to see a labour branch politician get a tanking from a Glasgow audience.

Yeah, thought it funny that Murphy didn't want to be there. Amazing that in a Yes city like Glasgow the Tories had a big chunk of the audience and Davidson got a better reception than The Dug.

[Batcher]

I now recall that Craig Murray was involved in some mess when he was in Ambassador in Uzbekistan.

The envoy who said too much | Politics | The Guardian

He was the one who whistleblew the fact the UK/USA were involved in rendition flights through there and also that the oil pipeline was the reason for the Afghanistan war.