Norwich North

[Menelaus]

...indeed. Says a lot about labour's expectations doesn't it?

I personally am coming to the opinion that they don't actually want to be re-elected next year. I reckon their strategy is to let the tories take the flack for having to implement policies that will hack people off and try to blame them for the grief that people suffer because the country is broke - and then get elected next time. Problem is that there are enough dumb people in this country to actually fall for that if it is true.

Yep.

Watching the psychiatric breakdown of Brown is like the end of Downfall (excellent film, btw - for Bruno Ganz if nothing else) but its something of a concern that people look on it as a spectator sport.

This strikes me as being very, very similar to the final months of the Major government in 1997. He knew there was no hope in hell of winning but, unlike the current incumbent, he was a decent chap who didn't decide to engage in a scorched earth policy.

[expat]

I'm not so sure he is calling the shots anymore. Watch out, there's a mandy about

Good point, unfortunately.

[Menelaus]

I'm not so sure he is calling the shots anymore. Watch out, there's a Machievellian twunt about

fixed that for you.

HTH

[Menelaus]

On the one hand that would make a lot of sense but timeframes for politicians are different from everybody else's.

Labour MPs now might be resigned to the fact that they will be out of government next year and the best that the party can hope for will be to be back four or five years later, but it will be the end of their political career for the MPs that lose their seats.

Not necessarily. See:

• Malcolm Rifkind
• Michael Portillo
• Alan Clarke

Admittedly, all Tories, but after losing elections were subsequently returned to the Commons in a different constituency.

[sweetandsour]

Not necessarily. See:

• Malcolm Rifkind
• Michael Portillo
• Alan Clarke

Admittedly, all Tories, but after losing elections were subsequently returned to the Commons in a different constituency.

I haven't done any research but I would assume that those all had independent incomes outside the House of Commons and could afford to fund themselves through the wilderness years.

The ousted Labour MPs are going to have to get day jobs. That won't necessarily stop them coming back but does make it rather less likely.

EDIT

There was an article in the New Statesman a couple of months ago talking about the number of Labour MPs that have applied for the House of Lords:
http://www.newstatesman.com/2009/05/...ps-party-lords
In case you don't want to click the link (and I wouldn't blame you) it essentially says that 52 current Labour MPs have applied to join the House of Lords. This is a record and suggests that the MPs are expecting a heavy defeat.

[Cyberman]

My money is on UKIP to win this one, with Tories second, and Labour third.

[d000hg]

I take the place is full of thick-as-pigtulip chavs on benefits and public sector workers then?

Since when do chavs vote?

[Menelaus]

Since when do chavs vote?

it's worse than that, the ****ers breed

[Doggy Styles]

I haven't done any research but I would assume that those all had independent incomes outside the House of Commons and could afford to fund themselves through the wilderness years.

The ousted Labour MPs are going to have to get day jobs. That won't necessarily stop them coming back but does make it rather less likely.

EDIT

There was an article in the New Statesman a couple of months ago talking about the number of Labour MPs that have applied for the House of Lords:
http://www.newstatesman.com/2009/05/...ps-party-lords
In case you don't want to click the link (and I wouldn't blame you) it essentially says that 52 current Labour MPs have applied to join the House of Lords. This is a record and suggests that the MPs are expecting a heavy defeat.

I didn't know that you applied for a peerage these days. F*** me, what has this country come to?

[OwlHoot]

I didn't know that you applied for a peerage these days. F*** me, what has this country come to?

You used to be able to buy them. For 50 Gs Lloyd George would flash you a peerage.

Now there was nothing new about the practice of selling honours, or indeed of using the funds as a means of party financing. This had been going on for some time, but by tradition such deals were made with a nod and a wink over a glass of port in the Carlton or Reform clubs. What distinguished the sale of honours under Lloyd George was the sheer scale of the operation and the brazen manner in which honours were offered for sale. Ostensibly handled by Lloyd George's Chief Whip Freddy Guest and his press agent William Sutherland, the operation was actually run by a former actor and theatrical impressario by the name of Maundy Gregory. Gregory had his own offices in Parliament Square and openly touted the sale of honours on official government letters that were sent out boasting of the "exceptional opportunity" on offer. There was even a published tariff with a knighthood being available for £10,000, a baronetcy for £30,000, with a peerage title costing upwards of £50,000.