Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
All Cameron's headline grabbing appear to fade away.......
David Cameron's dream of an 'A-list' of women candidates fades
Less than a third of those selected so far in Tory constituencies are women, as Prime Minister becomes frustrated with slow progress of modernising his party
David Cameron is facing a showdown with Conservative grass roots as he becomes frustrated by activists' refusal to select more women to stand for Parliament in 2015, The Independent can disclose. The Prime Minister has privately expressed his irritation that local associations are failing to select more female candidates, jeopardising his hopes of boosting the number of women Conservative MPs
Fewer than one in three of the candidates so far selected in Tory-held constituencies or crucial target seats are women. It leaves the Prime Minister facing the potential embarrassment of the number of female Tory MPs increasing only marginally at the next election - or even decreasing if the party's parliamentary strength falls in 2015.
One senior minister told The Independent: "The Prime Minister is very exercised about this and is frustrated that more constituencies aren't picking women candidates. But he knows there's not much he can do - he has sent out plenty of messages about modernising the look of the party, but it is slow progress."
Full story Independent.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Well will he force the issue
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Massive cuts risk England's ability to deal with floods, MPs say
Report warns of impact of budget cuts on coping with extreme weather emergencies
Winter wild weather : Environment Agency workers lay sandbags as floods defence in Oxford
Environment Agency workers lay sandbags onto river defence barriers next to the River Thames on Osney Island in Oxford. The EA is facing cuts to its budget and has to reduce staff. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA
"Massive" and ongoing cuts to the budget of the department of environment, food and rural affairs mean its ability to respond to emergencies such as flooding is in danger, according to a report by MPs published on Tuesday.
"Recent flooding events reinforce our concerns about cuts to the Defra budget. It is a small ministry facing massive cuts," said Anne McIntosh, Conservative MP and chairman of the Efra select committee. "Ministers must clarify how further budgets will impact on ... the ability of the department to respond to emergencies."
Full story Guardian.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Cabinet split over George Osborne's plan for £12bn more welfare cuts
Iain Duncan Smith alarmed at chancellor's approach to social security reform, while Nick Clegg warns of 'monumental mistake'
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Don't forget the £30 billion railway debt reg, maybe one day your man edd will get around to mentioning it ?
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
And the tories think they will get re elected?? not a chance
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
about the same chance as ukip getting a majority in Westminster.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
or even winning a seat
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Tory adviser takes gaming job as PM warns of '£100 a go' machines
David Cameron has warned of the dangers of gaming machines
David Cameron's election guru announced he was accepting a job with the main gambling lobbyist in the United States — on the day the Prime Minister warned of the dangers of gaming machines.
Jim Messina, who oversaw President Obama's re-election campaign and was hired by the Conservatives in August, has accepted a job with the American Gaming Association (AGA).
Full oeport The Times.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
just shows really where a lot of these geezers lie
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yeah in the bookies spending 500 quid a minute.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
you're sharp today brian.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yes howard,it comes with some bright sunlight to.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
you get the mouse on one hand pretending hes getting tough
on the other you get other tories outside interests starting to surface
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
What a `ploncker`............
Nadine Dorries warns of a 'tidal wave' of immigrants from Yugoslavia - which no longer exists
Nadine Dorries claimed that Britain could see a "tidal wave" of immigrants from Yugoslavia on live television yesterday evening.
Speaking on BBC Question Time, the Conservative MP waded into the debate on relaxed EU restrictions on immigration from Bulgaria and Romania with the surprise addition of the dissolved country.
Ms Dorries said: "There has been no tidal wave but there might be tomorrow, there might be next year - we don't know - and that is the problem.
"We could have a tidal wave from Yugoslavia."
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
followed by more from siam and abyssinia if we are not careful.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
not forgetting Russia ands its minion states.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
same old tories
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Great news. Last night the government was defeated in a crucial House of Lords vote on the gagging law. [1] A key change which took out one of the worst parts of the bill was voted through. There's more to do, but this is a huge step forward.
Over 160,000 people signed the last-minute petition to ask Lords to back these important changes. [2] It helped tip the balance and people power worked. The petition was integral in winning the vote and persuading Lords to protect freedom of speech.
Just before the big vote, Lord Harries - who proposed the changes - was handed the massive petition, and he referred to it several times during the debate.
The proposed changes were backed by Lords from across the political spectrum. Lord Tyler, an influential Lib Dem peer, joined with Baroness Mallalieu (Labour) and Lord Cormack (Conservative), to support the amendment. [3] The government were defeated by 237 votes to 194.
Lord Harries receiving the petition
Lord Harries receiving the petition in the House of Lords just before the debate.
Lord Harries said:
"Thank you to everyone who added their name to the petition. It was amazingly powerful that I was able to tell fellow Lords during the debate, that I had with me a petition with the names of over 130 NGOs who had signed up to the petition and a staggering 160,000+ signatures of people who have spoken out about this dangerous law.
This was an impressive achievement which will not have been lost on their lordships. As a result, I am pleased to say that we defeated the Government on some of the worst parts of their proposals."
The campaign is working and together we've got the government on the back foot. But we're not out of the woods yet. Next week, on the 21st January, the Lords will hold their final vote on changes to the law.
And if we manage to push through further changes, there's a chance that the government may try to undo our hard work by calling a fresh vote in the House of Commons. So we'll each need to keep an eye on our MPs.
"Thanks so much to everyone who's taken action against the gagging law so far. It's been amazing to see people power in action. We've made great strides in protecting democracy, but the fight's not over yet"
Liz Hutchins - Friends of the Earth
It's been an amazing campaign so far, with 38 Degrees members up and down the country throwing the kitchen sink at the gagging law. [4] This isn't the first time that 38 Degrees members have caused a stir on a big vote in Parliament. Together we've won votes on protecting our forests, stopping Rupert Murdoch and the privatisation of the NHS.
But this is about more than just political point scoring. Some of our core values are around protecting democracy and fairness. 38 Degrees members have shown again that we will stand up together for what we believe in - and that when we do, it makes a real difference.