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Don't leave us Nick! What will we do without your blog to keep us up to date on the doings of the lying, cheating Westminster scum?

The next few months will, without doubt, be very good for trade.

Enjoy

The tell me Suffolk and Somerset are very pleasant at this time of year. Enjoy.

Throw up?

Be careful what your eat!

I'll take that as an admission by Nick that he may have goofed and got this week's news wrong. If the Political Editor can make such a huge mistake is it possible that Nick may not have a job to return to? What unknown pretender to the journalistic crown will take his place? The speculation mounts.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

The weather promises to be the hottest of the year, so I've packed my thick tweed jacket. The wife wanted to take a nice cotton dress, but I quickly put a stop to that. Me aunties always wore a cardie, so so must she. A bucket and spade to fill with millipedes, and we're off!

Nick,

I have thoroughly enjoyed your blogs this year...not sure what I will do without them when you are away.

Let's hope for lots of damaging labour in-fighting on your return!

Nick,

Have a lovely holiday. Just be careful though. jellyfish can give a nasty bite when they're cornered.

re: 7

Lol a fascinating glimpse into the PM's mind...

Whoops posted this on the other board by mistake, so here it is again. I'll bet no-one saw this coming ;)

One thing that does seem certain.... that Brown isn't not going to be PM after the next election.

But I agree. there is a huge amount of uncertainty around. The uncertainty is concerning how and when Brown will be felled and who and what will get damaged in the process.

6 power_to_the_ppl

So you've been naughty again. Go into the corner and face the wall!

Happy hols Nick, far from the madding bloggers.

I wish my Job was as "exhausting" as working on the Today programme. Turn up for a couple of hours work in the morning, then jigger off home for the rest of the day. Very tiring!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

11 Power-to-the-ppl

I don't think this poll gives much insight between the difference between Brown and Milliband.

There is only a 1% split. This is only day 3 of Millibands 'campaign'. Milliband needs to come out from the shadows very quickly and talk about his vision and purpose before any real judgement can be made.

If he skulks for too long he will have no impact on the polls.

I suspect, however, that when he does emerge that he will appear almost equally as unpopular as Brown - people want rid of Labour. That is the bottom line.

#13 - Phoenixarisen

I don't think it's pttp this time. I have just been booted off the previous tread for pointing out that someone had posted a link to a petition that expired in June, while someone else has got away with a four letter word for excrement on another thread. Moddy is in a funny mood.

Nick, You were excellent as a Today presenter. Think hard about this career path when you tire of the Westminster village froth. There's little substance left in the sort of political reporting that your, and other broadcasters, programme editors want these days.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

18 threnodio

Oh dear, it's all too much for my little mind!
I do like to be beside the seaside. We may even catch the Punch and Judy Show, unless it's considered too violent for today's tender children.

re: 18

Yeah, I think you're right threnodio.

re: 13

Right I'll try again. What I was going to say was: I think a certain blogger who has become irritated from the sand at Southwold (hehe) has deliberately reported my posts. But it seems that others are experiencing ham-fisted moderation too, so maybe he's making a day of it!

Nick,
I'm guessing you don't get half the year off and all-expenses paid flights/holidays like MPs do, in which case have a good one!

(in Nick's absence, let's all campaign heartily for Hazel Blears or Ed Balls to become labour leader; nobody on the planet could do worse than Gordon Brown, so let's do the job properly when it comes to labour getting steam-rollered in the next general election; vote for Hazel/Ed for leader !)

re: 17

I don't think Miliband has any vision and purpose other than the same old centralising agenda we know and loathe. He may be as artful as a supermarket butcher but he can't disguise the rotten smell of a government that's been in power too long.

It all goes to pot when Robinson goes on hols and no mistake.

re: 21

It is. And who do we have to thank for that? The world's worst government, unwanted and unaccountable! Rrrrrgh!!

#23 - getridofgordonnow

"- in Nick's absence, let's all campaign heartily for Hazel Blears"

OMG, No! Harperson on speed!

Well done on the Today programme, but don't give up the day job.

In parliament you will find MPs PROSTRATE themselves at your feet just to get a mention on the 6o'clock news.

18. threnodio

The petition expires in June..... 2009.

24 Power-to-the-people

I agree with you - this government has been in power too long. We need real change - not more from Milliband et al.

In the poll you published at post 11 - it was interesting to see Blair was seen as more popular than Brown and Milliband!

Having read some of the recent Labour political memoirs it is appalling to hear how long this back stabbing has been going on.

There has been huge conflict at the very top of Labour and this has paralised good reforming government. Brown blocked Blairs reforms. He also was trying to keep a war chest for when he became PM.

Now Brown is making policy decisions based on keeping him in power and not really for the good of the country. The whole thing stinks.

If Cameron gets in at the next election - I seriously hope they spend their time and efforts taking Britain (what is left of it) forwards.

re: 27

I agree! Not only does she lie all the time, she's one of the worst at it! May I draw your attention to this video again if you haven't seen it already:

re23


No No please not the the glove puppet come to think of it nor Harriet Harperson. Now what about Peter Mandelson ?. He's got the right initials

re: 30

Cameron is risky, but it's better to gamble on him and have a chance of change than to stick with the current lot. If Labour get in again it will cement their arrogance and they'll just carry on ruining things regardless. Any promise of change will go out of the window straightaway. Every day reveals more evidence of contempt for us.

#29 - CarrotsneedaQUANGO2

"The petition expires in June..... 2009."

So it does. Beg pardon.

So by the time they have counted the petitioners, set up the process, tied up the loose ends, we should be ready for an election in the summer of 2010. Sounds like a good id . . . . . wait a minute.

Re 31. Ideally qualified then just like the rest. lying is an artform for this lot

Nick,

Have a great holiday.

Try to cut yourself off for the duration: no news, no internet and no mobile phones.

Remember: if every politician in Britain walked under a bus tomorrow, the world would still keep spinning (albeit at much less cost) and birds would still be sing in my garden.

So, enjoy time with your friends and family.

threnodio

True, but I think the aim is to have 60 million names by the time GB comes back off holiday.

Just to help speed things up a little.

Have a good holiday, Nick.

Enjoy.

re: 37

I happily signed it. How long do you think til we get a visit from Her Majesty's government's minions? If any of us disappear for 42 days, I think we'll know why!

Anyone noticed that the EDF takeover of BE has collapsed blowing the government's energy plans to bits, that it has emerged that the government sold it's shares in BE last year for a third of their current value (all this on Peston's Picks) and that Darling is now talking up the windfall tax (Paul Mason's blog) - and it's only just lunchtime.

40. power_to_the_ppl

Carrot has been detained.

As a coconspirator you are required to surrender yourself to the ministry of love for within 24 hrs for re-education.

Thought Police

There have been a number of comments on the "old" NR thread regarding the new YouGov poll, but both the Grauniad and the Telegraph only give us the "Janet & John" version.

For full details from YouGov in PDF format, click on and/or . Some meat to chew on while Nick's away?

Despite it being a small sample, the regional voting intentions make particularly interesting reading although the lumping together of the Midland and Wales does not help us to gauge who the Lab/Plaid coalition is being judged by the people, but the Scottish figures putting the SNP 14% ahead of Labour will put a smile on many of the usual suspects on the Brian Taylor blog.

Nick, I think you should consider a full time post on the Today programme! Brilliant work, last couple of weeks!

I was preparing some sugarsnap peas for my tea yesterday and one of them had a hole in it, with a little caterpillar poking out and wiggling. Needless to say I thought of our country, and how it has been eaten away by our government. Then I chucked it in the bin.

43. Brownedov

Thanks

He is decisive 9%

Quite an important trait that in a leader

re: 41

I take it that means we'll end up being taxed some more!

re: 43

Ta for the link!

#3

Dont know much about Suffolk, but down here in Somerset, it's great for a holiday anytime of year.... and August is a politics-free month here !

great news; not happy with labour taxing people to death, according to the bbc the lib dems have said that they want to tax queues (yes, I did type that right, you're not imagining things; queue tax)

excellent.

looks like the tories are pretty safe in 2010.

#50

queue tax?

do you mean this?



I believe the word you're looking for is "fine" not "tax"

C'mon you lot.... buckets and spades please..... OUTSIDE!

50. getridofgordonnow

I read that too, its fantastic isnt it, what on earth has airport passenger waiting times got to do with government.

They just can not resist sticking their noses into anything they dont like the look of.

Any money Clegg was stuck in a long queue last week and decided to act to save us all.

Lord save us all from the Lib Dems.

See the best point ever made on question time.

Wake up to a roaring log fire.
Take a Holiday in Weston ;-)

Re #46 CarrotsneedaQUANGO2
& #48 power_to_the_ppl

You're welcome. I haven't found a single stat there yet that doesn't point to NuLab's impending doom. Have to go now but will read up on it and be back tonight.

I'll be especially interested in what the FPTP Labourites make of it, but even Cameron should be getting a mild headache about the Scots.

He'll be pleased that Goldie's excellent work is keeping the Scottish Tories in the frame for 2nd place on 20% to NuLab's 24%, but the SNP's 38% is starting to move into landslide territory under the stupid FPTP Westminster system, which must be nagging sore to a unionist.

At least it should be anything but dull when Cameron gets his go at answering the questions at PMQs. Not that HIGNFY's famous tub of lard would do worse than "Duff" Gordon, of course.

re: 51

Well its purpose is to generate revenue not to enhance customer experience, so in that sense it is a tax, just like the proceeds of speed cameras are in effect tax

Definition : Tax

To strain or push one to the point of exhaustion.


Sums it all up rather well me thinks

The UK has been living under a delusion over its claim to be cutting greenhouse gases, according to two reports that will shake the climate change debate.

They show that instead of falling since the 1990s, UK greenhouse emissions have been growing in line with the economy.

More Labour Lies.

Hello red flag wavers another one for you to defend.

"I think it's very misleading to say that these figures challenge our figures; they are a different calculation altogether," said Environment Minister Phil Woolas.

haha yep they decimal mathematics the blighters

More proof, if more was needed, that every single thing they say is an outright lie.

With apologies to Larkin:

Why should I let the toad 'Labour'
Squat on my life?
Can't I use my vote as a pitchfork
And drive the brute off?

Seven days of the week it soils
With its sickening poison---
Just for paying a few bills!
That's out of proportion.

51. s_slatt.


It’s a compulsory levy, queues are a fact of life in South East England and especially at an airport. Fining for the inevitable is a tax, nothing less.


Definition : Compulsory levy

To strain or push one to the point of exhaustion

See its just the same.

#56

Not sure I agree, first off the customer wouldn't be paying the "tax" (apart from possible higher charges from the airlines to recoup "losses") and it's not going to look particularly good for the airlines who are fined if they have to put up charges because of this is it?

I can see the adverts now...

"come to our check-in desk and if we're really inept you'll have to wait longer and then get charged more for it"

Anything that helps speed up check-in is a good idea in my opinion

#62 Carrot

I agree, but are they a fact of life because there is no way round them, or because there's no impetus to get round them?

At the moment it makes no difference whether a customer has to queue for 10 mins or 10 hours to check in. You've already paid for your flight, so you can't exactly walk away and give your money to someone else can you?

Therefore I would imagine it's just as cost effective - if not more so - for an airline to employ 1 check-in attendent to slowly get through everyone's details than it would be to employ 20 people and speed everyone through......

If there was something pushing (for example a fine) I'm sure the queues would shrink.

re: 63

It'll speed them up yes, but the checks will be more cursory, so who knows what'll happen. These dumb ideas never work. And:

"come to our check-in desk and if we're really inept you'll have to wait longer and then get charged more for it"

is pretty much how it works already

58. Pot_Kettle

Now Now very misleading, you are just twisting the government spin into a mingled fict

Government statistics show emissions are 13% down.

The fact that they have achieved this by moving all our industry to China is not admissible, neither is that fact that air traffic and shipping emissions are massively up as they are not included in the count.

Please stick to the rules when making your calculations.

Reality has no place in statistical analysis.

#54

Think the original line , pot, was ... Come home to a real fire. Buy a holiday cottage in Wales. .... but the Sons of Glyndower seem to have lost the matches in recent years ... perhaps paraffin is in short-supply.

I hope that others have noted that the papers are reporting Prince William temporarily joing the SAS. Now I thought that being a member of the Special Forces was not mentioned by the wonderful MoD.

An MoD spokesman is quoted in the Daily Mail that this is 'boys own stuff', may I humbly totally disagree with the idiot, who ought to be named!

Now my son has had an injunction taken out against by the MoD preventing him from speaking in public, what a wonderful country. Will William go through a process of being 'tortured' so that he will be able to resist interrogation if he is captured.

As for the three soldiers acquitted of 'beasting' will the senior officer be charged with an offence, rather than be promoted. What is going on! I think that the MoD is running this country rather than the elected politicians.

We are told that because of a public inquiry into the death of an Iraqi no comments will be made until the inquiry is completed. I hope other readers note that the inquiry into 'bloody Sunday' has still not been reported on after how many years? Nine, ten, eleven!

I will not forget the death of Dr David Kelly, the death of the Brazilian de Menezes, the finding of the army officer Mendonca innocent, the deaths of our soldiers by 'friendly fire' the deaths of soldiers because of lack of equipment, the death of Mr Lloyd, the reporter, the deaths literaly tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis', both by our hands and the the none prevention of the militias taking action against either religious groups or collaborators. The list is endless, and all this done in our name.

I hope that Prince William enjoys himself in Special Forces, with the concept of boys own stuff, and hope that he has to sign a contract prohibiting him from mentioning anything about his time 'in the service'. Ah, what a wonderful army.

Enjoy your holiday Nick, wonder what will happen whilst you are aware, don't you access to a computer?

64. s_slatt

You are of course right and no one hates queues more than me.

I just dont think government should get involved at this level.

They do very little well and should therefore do less.

Businesses will not be the ones paying the increased costs, we will, businesses always pass on increased costs to the customer. It may take time but it always happens in the end.

When ever the government makes a change or a law that increases operating costs, eventually, its the punter who pays for it.

It never comes from shareholders or director bonuses for any lenght of time. Prices always adjust to reflect cost.

Its a fundamental rule of business.

Any how you just know that they will make a hash of the whole affair and it will end up costing more to monitor and regulate that it will generate in terms of benefit. Plus 150 new non jobs will be created.

For those interested in government emmissions

Nick,

You can't go on holiday and not blog. Some bloggers here might get a life with nothing to blog on!

#65

That's true, but I would say the check-in checks are pretty cursory already, in fact, if you don't have any hold luggage you can check-in without any human contact at all (by far the quickest way).

The security checks can't really be avoided, but I'm sure they could increase capacity by adding in a few more security stations.... although I suppose that might eat into the retail sections of the major airports and we wouldn't want that now... ;)

I look forward to hearing how the police are going to investigate the murder of Jill Dando. Is this not another situation similar to the Birmingham six where people are incarcerated because somebody must be guilty.

What I would say is that it I am concerned about people who are shot either by the police or the military because they are a threat. Are we getting executions by default on the basis that either a trial is too expensive or that people need to be taught a lesson!

No doubt this one will be moderated out because some of us are getting very close to the truth. I ask where exactly are the prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, where are the bodies of the dead or do we just leave them to the vultures. Does nobody get injured as a result of the millions of shots we are firing, or what happens when we drop the bombs.

re: 70

Lol I lost interest in the government's 'emissions' a long long time ago!

re: 68 and 73

I know absolutely nothing about the military other than that the government aren't providing them with decent equipment, but what you say sounds extremely likely indeed!

#69 Carrots

You are of course quite right! How do you get the airlines to do what you want, without the government getting involved, because we all know as soon as they do get involved it's going to go down the swanny!

My original comment was more aimed at the sensationalist comment about "queue taxes" with no references to back it up.

Reading post #50 gives a very negative viewpoint, but then if you look at it in the context of trying to improve the passenger experience, reduce waiting time, reduce delays etc, it's not quite so bad.

That's not to say fines are the best idea, but it's a good start to the debate.

The posting about queue tax being introduced seems to have generated some debate.

Let's be honest, it is a tax; it's forced onto private companies by the government, the company pays it, the customers fund it, and the money goes to the government (or some weird quango they'll setup for it). If that's not a tax then I don't know what is.

"Fining" a private company for having too many customers (or a bad service) is none of the government's business unless they're breaking the law.

Everyone knows the situation, so people generally get to choose before they buy their ticket.

eg buy a BA ticket and you get an overpriced flight, lose all your luggage, and get massive delays, and no information about what's going on. Buy a ticket with someone like Singapore Airlines and you get a fair priced ticket and treated like royalty.

It's all about customer-choice. Everyone knows who the bad airlines are; just choose a good one when you buy the ticket and then let the bad companies go under on their own; that's what the free market is all about.

It's a perfect example of why labour (and now apparently the lib dems too) shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the economy; just more and more tax and pointless red tape.

76. s_slatt

Sounds fine in theory, but I just dont see why should trying to improve the passenger experience etc be on the governments agenda.

Leave it to market forces, people will gravitate towards the efficient carriers.

re: 77

A wise post, and I would expect no less from someone with a username like yours.

Have a great holiday Nick, if you are looking for heat I've heard that Suffolk is the place to be this week then the is forecast is for a heatwave in Fife for the rest of August.

I've just heard that a David Miliband has been given an ASBO and is required to have a tag on his left leg for the remainder of the summer with regular reports of his whereabouts until September.

75.power_to_the_ppl
68. T A Griffin (TAG)

A few interesting stats

UK and French defence budgets are about the same. Except The UK is effectively fighting 2 wars.

The number of civil servants employed by the welfare state is greater than the number of people employed by the armed forces.

76. s_slatt

Can i just add, that I wouldnt mind so much if they had everything else under control.

But they cant even organise for the hospitals to be cleaned properly.

In fact they cant even work out who is responsible for cleaning the hospitals




I bet I can think of 1000 things I would liek them to do before tinkering with my travel arrangements.

And another thing

There is one very big 'National embarrassment' that Id like dealing with first.

getrid and carrots

I agree with both of you, to a certain extent, but I don't think that customer choice and market forces are the only or best ways to achieve success in this area.

I took the MP's comments to include the airports' management as well as airlines, he said something about not letting delays cause planes to sit in holding patterns, which I think is down to BAA and/or the control tower rather than individual airlines (I'll happily be corrected though). Also, speeding up security checks would involve increasing the amount of security stations, again, something the airlines have no control over.

At the moment there is no real impetus for these issues to be addressed, if we want to fly we need to use an airport.

I agree that fines are probably not the best way forward, and also the government will probably do more damage if they get involved, but I do agree with the MP's view that these are issues that should be addressed

82

I can't argue with that one.... ;)

re: 81

Says it all doesn't it.

re: 82

The first step re: sorting out hospital infections would be to limit visiting times to 1hr/day. People can just come in and walk around any time they like and this contributes to the spread of infections more than anything else. Hospitals are supposed to be sterile! Second step would be to stop contract cleaning which is inefficient and wastes billions! Why does anything that can be described as 'inefficient' and 'a staggering waste of money' appeal to our so-called government?

Thanks for the hospitality guys (and sometimes gals).

I've enjoyed reading most of you (apart from he who must not be named).

But currently it's more fun on the Scottish blogs, as Labour here tries to have a (non) leader election to "unify the party, and rebuild the machine", so I'll enjoy the bloodletting.

I'll leave you with a posting which was labelled "Labour's anti-SNP machine. There must be even less work being done in Council offices than there was, as half of them seem to be blogging.

What I would say is that it I am concerned about people who are shot either by the police or the military because they are a threat. Are we getting executions by default on the basis that either a trial is too expensive or that people need to be taught a lesson!

You need to look up risk analysis. No system is perfect and you always get duds. A few mistakes are made and they're corrected. This is the same with anything in life.

Taking one dud and tearing the whole system down that produces 9999 results that are fine is an overreaction, and banging on about it forever is just carrying a grudge around.

It's an old Buddhist saw that you can't change the world but you can change yourself. This can make suffering manageable or, by a change of perspective, the suffering disappears.

If only Labour were this enthusiastic about governing our country:

re: 87

Bye oldnat, it has been a pleasure! You're not off for good are you? Amusing pic btw!

I am sorry but I must be really dumb today. What on earth is a queue tax and where can I find it?

The link is on post 51, it's a tax in all but name

How about a tax on the stupid? Then we could all retire!

#92 - power_to_the_ppl

Thanks pttp.

I am right am I not? The whole bl**dy country's going barking mad.

I have just had the misfortune to read Dennis MacShane's article in the Guardian: "Labour has refound its mojo" (July 30). I would like to make a few points about this article which are very revealing about the current state of the Labour party:

1. Wrong Priorities: "David Miliband has shown that some in the party are now focusing on what Labour must do best: fight the Tories. ... Real leadership is about walking up and down the parapet urging fire upon the enemy." Forgive me if I have missed something here, but I thought that what Labour was supposed to be doing best was to run the country. Perhaps doing your best to wage war on these "enemies" might be more welcome: house repossessions, high fuel prices, unemployment, stalemate in Iraq and Afghanistan, erosion of civil liberties etc etc Prove yourself on such issues, and then you might have something to say to the opposition. MacShane's comments prove that party interest is being put before the interests of the country.

2. Contempt for the Electorate: "...someone telling the truth on the utter vacuity of current Tory policies and people." It's now official: Labour love to insult the British people! As recent polls, as well as real elections, have shown, many more people support the Tories than Labour. So if Tory policies and people are afflicted with "utter vacuity", as MacShane so cuttingly remarks, what does that say about the intelligence and perspicaciousness of the British people? Do we think it is right to reelect a party which is, in effect, calling most of us mindless idiots?

3. Hypocrisy: "...the emptiness of the multi-millionaires who occupy the Tory front bench..." Of course we know that all Labour MPs are impoverished and none of them would ever do anything for financial gain, would they now?

4. Stifling Proper Debate: "...Cameron's claim to be green while simultaneously rejecting the EU..." How is Cameron "rejecting the EU"? Anyone who has the audacity to criticise aspects of the EU is now "rejecting the EU". I seem to remember after the Irish "no", that MacShane was interviewed on Newsnight, and seemed to be suggesting this was Sinn Fein's doing (and let slip "IRA" as well in the same breath). I can only wonder what he was trying to insinuate!

Sinister stuff, don't you think?

re: 94

Lol yep. It's a good thing that we have Nick Robinson's blog, a small island of sanity in these dangerous Labour-infested waters, hehe

Today presentation was great, but before you can relax on holiday Nick, remember to pack the right clothes.
No jackets... especially the sports variety and no shirts, especially if you intend to wear them with the top button undone.
I suggest take camouflage gear or blend in with the locals wherever you go... 'cos for some of us, whatever we do, say or wear is taken the wrong way!

Re #94 threnodio
"The whole bl**dy country's going barking mad."

wrong tenses:
WENT barking mad in 2001 by falling for lies and spin a second time

PROVED THAT IT WAS STILL barking mad in 2005 by falling for lies and spin a third time

SHOWED 1ST SIGNS THAT barking madness may be curable in May 2007 (North Britain) & May 2008 (South Britain)

DEMONSTRATED REAL SIGNS OF RECOVERY from barking madness on 22 May 2008 (South Britain) & 24 July 2008 (North Britain)

#98 Brownedov

Good job I'm not still here, mate!

re: 98

And in 2010 Britain will get the all-clear! :D

Remember that bit in the Spitting Image election special where Kinnock's driving around campaigning and the Labour party are all singing 'We're useless! We're useless! But no-one can say we're excuseless!' LOL

Britain is changing, but some things never do!