politicalbetting.com

dr spyn

Just had a dig on Google, and it looks as if Ken’s unusual accounting practices and selective amnesia got him into trouble over Localaction 12 years ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/678290.stm

So if he forgot to declare £150K in 2000, how on earth could he forget to wind Localaction down by 2012. I wonder what his income tax declarations and statements at Companies House look like? They better be up to date. Is Ken now a predator or producer?

tim

I don’t think anyone does know, least of all the Prime Minister.

Marquee Mark

Has Labour still got time to put another candidate on the London mayoral ballot?

dr spyn

Gordon Brown is an expert on NHS dentists, and was so so frustrated that he couldn’t find one to fix his teeth that he went private.

Anonymous

Last polling in WA State, week or so ago by PPP showed
Santorum 38%, Romney 27%, Paul 15%, Gingrich 12%, 8% other/undecided.

All three have bee working the state recently. Paul has natural base here, esp. with Young Seattle and young voters in general statewide. Strong social/religious conservative network plus tea party hearties for Santorum. Above-averge number of Mormons and lots of moderate Republicans and R-leaning Independents, plus GOP organization types to swell ranks of Mittites who actuall turnout at 9am next Saturday morning.

Caucuses are inherently better for Santorum and esp. Paul than primaries. BTW am planning to observe at GOP caucus for my precinct. Practice for both parties, is to group precinct caucuses together by regions at local schools, community centers, church basesments, whereever they can rent space for several hours. Four years ago, my precinct’s Democratic caucus took place six blocks from my humble abode. This year the GOP caucus for my precinct is being held about three miles from my home. Think this may be indication that turnout for WA GOP 2012 may NOT be as robust as it was for WA Dem 2012.

Speaking of last time around, in WA GOP 2008 caucuses, McCain barely beat Huckabee, amid allegations of favoritism and dirty pool, by both Hucksters and Paulistas, which were duly amplified and given credence by inept way the (then) state party chairman handled matters (sound familiar?)

This time around, new state GOP chairma is bending over backwards, in public anyway, to show fair play all around, for example announce candidate appearences. Will be plenty of blogging, so any criticisms of caucus management including precinct committee officers (PCOs) will no doubt we well-aired.

MrsB

Davy Jones has died.

Anonymous

Oh please, don’t you realise that ALL elitist lefties are absolved from being either predators or producers. They just are, immaculate, inviolate, and dispensing pearls before the swine of the proletariate.

Anonymous

Surely his most vociferous critics would know. or are they just fools howling in the wind…He is going to take it all away within three months,remember..you fellas must have an idea of what will disappear…or perhaps not..

http://www.youtube.com/ajs41#p/p Andy JS

It’s interesting how the 76-year old Ron Paul is so popular with college students.

Anonymous

Like all false religions the NHS is based around peoples fear of death. For some unknown reason the public seem to think that the NHS will extend their lives, (possibly true in some areas outside Stafford). Maybe it would work better without all those pesky patients clogging it up? Certainly would help those who work(?) in it lead a less stressful life.

It’s bollox, that’s why no sensible advanced country with better health outcomes copies it. It’s rubbish. ‘Oh please don’t introduce competition or privatise any of it……it would be the end of civilization as we know it’. Stupid lefty wa*kers.

Anonymous

Worse than that … he was trying to avoid the 40% tax rate as well (as all good leftie freelancers do).

dr spyn

Will Livingstone be forced by predatory journalists to produce accurate financial details?

Anonymous

Dentistry should be a cornerstone of the NHS..no matter who is in power..bad teeth affect the digestive system and that alone causes so many other problems…

dr spyn

So the dyslexic might think that he was related to Cnut the Great Hypocrite.

Anonymous

I rather hope he may be asked to produce them to a Tax inspector

Richard Tyndall

Funny that dentistry should be mentioned tonight. Today I have been rereading George Orwell’s series of essays ‘Inside the Whale’ which includes the fascinating piece ‘England your England’. In it he mentions that two of the distinguishing features of the English are their bad teeth and their gentle manners, both of which set them apart from the Europeans.

Of course this is a meaningless but never the less interesting observation from 1941.

http://scottish-independence.blogspot.com/ Stuart Dickson

Scottish Tories at loggerheads over ‘Devo Plus’ campaign

Alex Fergusson, a senior MSP, and Peter Duncan, a former Scottish Tory chairman, gave their backing to ‘Devo Plus’, which could see Scottish ministers given control over nearly all taxes except VAT and National Insurance.

Mr Fergusson said David Cameron had “blurred the line in the sand” over devolution during a recent visit to Scotland when the Prime Minister promised to consider transferring more powers if separation is rejected.

But the former Scottish Parliament presiding officer admitted the Tory MSP group is divided on the issue and Ruth Davidson, the new leader, does not agree with him.

… “Within the Conservative group (of MSPs) there’s a range of opinions.” He said these had been debated at a party away day in Aberdeen on Monday but would not be aired publicly.

He said he had discussed his participation in the campaign with Miss Davidson and they “might not agree on the preferred outcome”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9111689/Scottish-Tories-at-loggerheads-over-Devo-Plus-campaign.html

Peter the Punter

I am sure the Redknapp defence would get him out of any difficulties.

MrJones

“For some unknown reason the public seem to think that the NHS will extend their lives”

No they don’t. They simply react to the endless stream of evidence that Tories don’t get it and therefore can’t be trusted on the issue.

Max

Lefty Guardian reading pseudo-intellectuals who live in trendy areas of east London like Brick Lane.

http://www.youtube.com/ajs41#p/p Andy JS

Unfortunately the “gentle manners” bit has been out of date for a few decades.

Anonymous

Yes a shame. Despite a manufactured band, they had some cracking tunes. Loved the Monkees show as well when it used to be on TV.

A thousand student nightclubs will always be thankful for Now I’m a Belieiver and Daydream Believer.

Marquee Mark

Bad teeth also a major factor in heart disease.

Peter the Punter

Why?

Wouldn’t you expect the very young to share his certainty?

Plato

Ken will no doubt call them all Nazis.

Plato

Last Train to Clarksville is the one for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUUSdvwEC_Y

Fluffy Thoughts

Davy Jones has died: The cheekie Monkie is no more!

[Src.@Sean_Fear:disqus Al-Beeb.]

For our “herd”, a requiem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iFEa7pRO1o

X Malmesbury

Politicians were so worried by Evul Dentists making Kazillions out of the NHS that they capped the amount that dentists could charge the NHS for treating patients to a nice low number.

This means that if you are a dentist, you can -

1) Do NHS dentistry and get paid like a junior doctor.
2) Do private dentistry and make Kazillions!!!!!!

Strangely, there are still some dentists who do NHS dentistry.

http://twitter.com/Kateshon Kateshon

What is the story behind Ohio’s worthless nut?

Anonymous

Pleasant Valley Sunday. What a song that is.

Neil

I’m sure Ron does very well with the residents of mental homes too! Shame for him they cant all vote

http://www.youtube.com/ajs41#p/p Andy JS

Nate Silver – “The Meaning of Michigan”:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/the-meaning-of-michigan/#more-27179

Anonymous

If only the great British public could experience a health service in another European country, let’s say Germany, France, Italy or Sweden. I don’t think the UK model would stand up too well in the face of such competition……

Oh, of course, competition is the work of the devil. As is privitisation. The NHS is not anywhere near good enough for a first world country. But Labour just want to score more political points, who gives a sh*t about reality?

Lefty bollox and incoherent nonsense yet again. Do you remember Stafford? Dirty hospitals and MRSA? A computer system that cost billions and doesn’t work? GPs getting huge pay rises whilst working less and screwing up out of hours cover? Labour and the NHS-fecking useless.

tim

Cameron is just completely out of his depth on the NHS.

“Of the four Mr Cameron claimed to be in support of the reforms, only the National Association of Primary Care does so without significant reservations.”

http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-who-supports-the-health-bill/9674

It really was all just posturing on his behalf wasn’t it.

”

Mr Cameron was joined by wife Samantha after his speech

Mr Cameron’s speech
David Cameron said the NHS is safe in his hands as he brought the annual Conservative conference to an end.
Mr Cameron accused Labour of mismanaging the health service and said he would be taking to the streets with a campaign to stop the cuts.

The Tory leader also hit out at those accusing him of peddling spin rather than substance.

Mr Cameron called the NHS was one of the 20th Century’s greatest achievements.

“Tony Blair explained his priorities in three words: education, education, education,” he told Tory activists in Bournemouth.

“I can do it in three letters: NHS.”

Mr Cameron, who has a severely disabled son, continued: “When your family relies on the NHS all of the time – day after day, night after night – you know how precious it is.

“So, for me, it is not just a question of saying the NHS is safe in my hands – of course it will be. My family is so often in the hands of the NHS, so I want them to be safe there.”

He promised “no more pointless and disruptive reorganisations”. Instead, change would be “driven by the wishes and needs of health professionals.

http://tomknoxbooks.com SeanT

All my dentistry as a kid was certainly done by NHS dentists. And it was terrible. It’s only cause I am now affluent that I can afford to fix the damage done by Beveridge.

MrJones

Replying to myself it’s similar to how Tory politicians talked about education all the time between Boyce? (big sideburns bod) and Gove – like they’re disconnected from it because they can afford private.

Tissue Price

As in the top tip?

EVADE paying tax by dumping your earnings in an offshore account. When questioned say ‘I don’t know anyfink abaaat it guv’

Anonymous

Tim, we know you’ve mastered the art of cut n’ paste. You’re a genius at it. Awesome. Brilliant. Amazing.

Any chance of an original thought? Just one. Please? Just one teensy weensy opinion not fed through central commands bullshit sewer first.

Plato

Rhodes Boyson?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7R7dDJmwPY

Anonymous

There’s a sense now that choosing the NHS bill every Wednesday is exposing Labour’s ongoing weaknesses on the subject

Is there? Where?

The leader of the Opposition has the PM on the ropes on the NHS, why on earth would or should he lay off the attacks?

http://scottish-independence.blogspot.com/ Stuart Dickson

Sign of the times:

‘Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh dailies under pressure’

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/feb/29/ni-scottish-welsh-regional-dailies-abcs?newsfeed=true

MrJones

Completely missing the point. It’s not about whether the NHS is good, bad, better or worse, it’s about whether the Tories are trusted with it or not. Tories are constantly banging their head against the wrong wall.

MrJones

ah yes that’s him. liked him.

Plato

“EVADE paying tax by dumping your earnings in an offshore account”

Make sure you also have a dog.

Anonymous

For the obvious reason that his attacks at PMQs are not being reported after three weeks. Not much good putting in better performances (which indisputably they’ve been) if the folk out there aren’t aware of them.

And as the polls have shown, it hasn’t given him or Labour much of a boost, has it?

Peter the Punter

Well, it helps if you can’t read, write, text, email, or ask your accountant tricky questions like ‘Do I have to pay tax on this’?

I’m sure some of these would apply to Ken.

http://scottish-independence.blogspot.com/ Stuart Dickson

Betfair – Next UK GE

Con Maj 2.64
No Overall Majority 2.86
Lab Maj 3.65
Any Other Party Maj 130

Peter the Punter

Indeed.

And of course the similarities between Universities and mental homes has been noted before.

http://twitter.com/Kateshon Kateshon

Well thank you!

Anonymous

In all fairness to Labour, what else do you expect them to do but bang the same drum? Opportunistic – Yes! (unless they apologise for introducing more competition in the NHS and land massive bills for the next 20 years for changing those difficult light bulbs) then we can take them seriously. At the moment though, it’s all they got.

Cameron should stop worrying about being a posh boy though and stop worrying if he offends someone! The truth is Labour still attack better than DC defends. Just lucky it’s Ronny Rosenthal finishing!

Anonymous

So the point is the Tories aren’t trusted to modernise a crumbling out of date health system that will collapse under the weight of a growing and aging population? Fair enough, Labour are great at lying and spinning and generally manipulating the truth to suite their slimy political ends. And the British public, through sheer ignorance of anything better, buy the bullshit.

I suggested the other week that the government should just give the health portfolio and it’s budget (let’s say Darlings original 20 billion less budget) to Labour and tell them to run it. Let Labour and the public who stupidly trust them on it stew in their own soon to be greatly shortened life expectency.

http://twitter.com/Kateshon Kateshon

I just took an appointment with a dentist!

Fluffy Thoughts

The deathof Davy Jones reaches The Netherlands, Followed by the one of te best Orish songs ever!

RIP Davy!

Anonymous

Labour promised more privatisation in their manifesto

MrJones

“So the point is the Tories aren’t trusted”

Yes. Everything that comes after that point is moot.

Also i don’t think Labour is trusted on it any more either hence why the gap isn’t as big as it used to be – although obviously they’re trying to work on that.

Richard Tyndall

That is exactly the point. This myth that the NHS is the best in the world relies solely on the fact that there is one country with a worse overall health system and that is the US. This is what the supporters of the NHS always bang on about whilst at the same time covering their ears and shouting la la la whenever someone points out that actually in Europe there are far better models for public health provision with much better outcomes which have a much larger private involvement.

Free at the point of delivery is indeed a great thing but it is not by any means the sole preserve of the horribly outdated and monolithic NHS and anyone who has experienced the health systems of other European countries knows they are decades ahead of us and that the model we religiously cling to actually holds us back – and kills people.

Richard Tyndall

Sadly I think you are correct.

Anonymous

By the way, is Alan Rusbridger on his knees begging for mercy yet?

No?

tim

Camerons personal ratings have fallen by 10 points in a month while his self inflicted wound has been exposed over and over again.

dr spyn

Rhodes: “Well, I was caned in my time and I’ve concentrated all my life.”

Ali: “You were caned? Respect, man. Respect.”

Fluffy Thoughts

Indeed.

And of course the similarities between Universities and mental homes has been noted before.

NOTE: No mention of the local mosque or papist hall. Pick-to-Poke: Our new PtP?

P.S.: When is Fat Steve arranging the next p-up for OGH? I’ve got “days-in-hand”!

:sniggers-in-a-muttley-(darstedly-owned)-way:

:he-he-hee!:

Anonymous

Dino is famous but not qutite legendary even for Republicans. And while he’s a conservative, in 2010 US Senate race he was opposed by even more wacked-out GOPer who took a bit of a bite out of Dino in the primary.

More significant is that Rob McKenna, current GOP state attorney general and 2012 candidate for governor, who in 2008 endorsed McCain, is NOT making any endorsement for this year’s caucuses.

Congressman Dave Reichert, former King Co sheriff has endorese Romney, but while it doesn’t hurt it’s not a big deal.

Truth be told, don’t think 2012 is a big year for endoresments. Mood is too anti-establishmentarian.

Anonymous

No,

Is he singing “don`t let the sun go down on me “

Anonymous

Because it’s based on speculation and plain lies about fictional ‘privatisation’.
How do they propose to improver health outcomes as opposed to killing 1200 patients in mid staffs.
Its solely about opportunism and not in the least about integrity (I suggest as a Labour supporter you may have to look that word up)

Anonymous

The NHS is safe with Labour.

‘One of the worst NHS hospital care scandals – in which up to 1,200 patients died – could happen again, campaigners warned yesterday.
As a full public inquiry opened into the appalling standards of care at the
Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Julie Bailey said little had changed at
the hospital and complaints were still being routinely ignored.
Mrs Bailey, whose mother was one of the hundreds who fell victim to a regime
at Stafford Hospital that left patients ‘sobbing and humiliated’, said: ‘The
hospital needs to close and reopen bit-by-bit until it’s fit for purpose.’
A secret inquiry held last year found between 400 and 1,200 patients died
after suffering routine neglect by hospital staff between 2005 and 2009.

Staff put cost-cutting and Government targets before care, and patients were
caused ‘unimaginable suffering’, it said in findings published in February.’

Anonymous

I extra love the concept of the most important public service in the UK being run for the benefit of it’s employees first, and the patients a distant second. Loads of Royal Colleges of this and that steaming in with their self important twopence worth.

Next time someone on PB needs to see a GP do let me know. I’ll hook you up with one of the many public/private clinics/hospitals here in Stockholm. Fly over (with your Euro health insurance card-everyone should have one!), pop into town to do some shopping and then casually walk into an out of hours clinic. You’ll get a thorough examination from a doctor who will nine times out of ten speak perfect English. I think you’ll still have to pay 12-15 quid, sorry about that.

Or you can wait days on end for an appointment with your (possibly) British GP, who you will (possibly) be able to communicate with during your ten minutes or so rush job before he gets to the next patient.

Anonymous

Thought he was suffering from a double hernia.

No top down re-organisation of the NHS + his non VETO of using the EU Institutions for closer fiscal union for eurozone nations

Marquee Mark

New Fred…..

Anonymous

This must be at least third time he has pasted the same extract – he seems to think it important that Cameron’s wife joined him after his speech…
At least he did not get her to introduce him to make him sound human.

http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2008/09/gordon-sarah-brown-labour-party-conference-415×275.jpg

Can Tim take his interest in the sex lives of party leaders a bit further please?

Anonymous

Is it just me, or is tonight’s C4 news absolutely dire in quality and delivery?

Anonymous

Long time in replying I know, but one of the big questions for me is why did he go there at all. I’ve banged on at some length here (and elsewhere) to the effect that the underlying problems with the NHS are a) increased costs beyong anyones control, such as drugs and b) naive politicians fiddling about with something they understand imperfectly.

Anonymous

Appointments round here (Essex) are usually next day at worst.

Anonymous

Why just tonight’s..it is bad every night..

Anonymous

mainly by you..

MrJones

Keep banging your head against the wrong wall if you want. Makes no odds to me.

Anonymous

How costly is a tooth brush?

Anonymous

Count up all the immaculate lefty stand up comedians who do adverts and voice overs for banks and insurance companies.

Anonymous

Yes but he was quite open and proud and admitted he had had his teeth done and went private – wasn’t he? In fact for over 20 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-441472/Exclusive-Chancellor-100-hour-private-clinic.html

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/03_01/brownWENN1003_228x345.jpg

Labour leaders don’t understand dentistry do they?

Anonymous

Medicine generally was never brought ‘fully’ into the NHS.
but,
‘It was against this background that dentistry was introduced as an important and popular component of the new NHS in 1948. Britain’s dentists signed up to deliver treatment on a fee-for-service basis and retained their status as independent businesses.’
‘The NHS dental service was a success, with dentists and patients enjoying the benefits of a system that was well suited and aligned with the problem’
‘Dentists worked hard to meet need but costs to the Government increased and, within three years, patient charges were introduced.’

(From – NHS dental services in England, An independent review led by Professor Jimmy Steele June 2009).

what were those words again —?
ah yes
‘important’ ‘popular’
Oh yes, ‘patient charges were introduced’, that would be by a Labour government.

Lies come oh so easily don’t they.

sarah warren

Where does Miliband and Liebour go when BoJo takes London again?

Anonymous

The hint is in the title ‘GP commissioning’. Or as its now called ‘GP Led Commissioning’ – so an admirable amount of power was intended for GPs

However, Lib Dems (and of course Labour) do like their bureaucrats which is why they do not trust GPs.

What of course is embarrassing Labour is that a significant tranche of the money that have spend and committed to on shiny hospitals may turn out to have been misplaced.

Anonymous

The Guardian tried to run a story saying that shortfall in spend would be turned into rank profit for GPs but as ever this was just a scare and the DoH pointed out this was not so.
Endless extrapolations and scares.
It did not stop the Guardian from running the story of course, but then the Guardian is just a newspaper after all. It still refuses to acknowledge that its scare about The Heartland Institute and skeptics of global warming was based on a faked document.

Blair and Brown were so tuned in to the NHS of course that they waved a wand (or was it a weather vane) and allowed GP salaries to double. And of course spared them the trouble of out of hours work
And encouraged Mid Staffs to kill 1200 people.
And pushed nurses into falsifying their records.

We should be grateful that Blair and Brown knew so much about the NHS.

Anonymous

My point is she is supporting naked illegal aggression.
A government is not a state – it is the government of the state.
The government of Libya was not a paragon, but its people rose up and removed it (they can do that democratically in Israel) – and Libya still exists.

Anonymous

Yes and you’re talking shite. I look forward to reading your apology in 5 years time.

We currently have a situation where civil servants and bureaucrats get bonuses in the NHS.
I imagine a bonus might accrue to a GP if he performs well. Indeed it already does
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/gps-doing-more-minor-operations-incentive-payments-fail-to-reduce-pressure-on-hospitals-survey-shows-1460763.html

But I suppose Labour incentive payments are all right are they?

This (PDF) report pointed out —
Market-like mechanisms began to be introduced into the National Health Service (NHS) in England from 2002. Aimed at improving system performance, these interrelated policy changes comprised:
■■ giving patients a choice of provider
■■ stronger commissioning (including practice-based commissioning)
■■ greater provider diversity
■■ increased autonomy for publicly owned hospitals
■■ activity-based payments for acute providers (so-called Payment by Results)
■■ revisions of the regulatory framework.

(From, Return to the market: objectives and evolution of New Labour’s market reforms
by
Nicholas Mays, Anna Dixon and Lorelei Jones)

So yes yes yes - this is all oh so fine under nice cuddly Labour.

francis

Play the race card and call us us all ‘little Englander racist’

MickP0rk

I’ve just found out the non-story herd have been made to look like imbeciles yet again. Suspicious?

Plod is coming.

*crying with laughter*

Does Ed need more than the NHS to attack Dave with?

Is he becoming a one club golfer?

@MikeSmithsonOGH