Louisa

I felt Chukka was the best candidate the party had - especially to tap into middle England voters. What a shame. Louisa.

They have a decent beer selection Jeremy and they do regional beer festival specials every so often. But I agree with am, they are a great place to go for a special occasion if you can't afford to be splashing out. And I think the meal they offer including a drink is a bloody good bargain. The menu is also quite big, plenty to choose from. Louisa.

Blah don't get me wrong, unions can and do perform a crucial role in getting a fair deal for employees. I just don't get the relevance of a tie between a political party and a union. Whether we like it or not, perception leads many to not vote a certain way because all those stereotypes that are peddled in the media about socialism and being held to ransom etc stick in people's minds. Louisa.

I've never been a fan of wetherspoons as a pub, but for cheap and cheerful food it's ideal. Especially if you're on a budget and fancy a treat. Louisa.

I so wish the urban left wing intelligensia would just accept that unions are toxic for the Labour movement. Think outside your bubble for one second please. Louisa.

I hate how gastropubs don't even sell small bags of nuts anymore. Who wants to snack on a bowl of olives with your pint? Bring back bar freebies like the old days, roasties, crisps, nuts. Comfort food, not pretentious food. Louisa.

rahrahrah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The truth is that the Tories played to fears about > immigration, to the perception that the financial > crash was down to Labour overspending, and to some > people's suspicion that their are people living > lavish lifestyles paid for by benefits. This > doesn't wash with those living in metropolitan > areas, because they can see the benefits of > immigration (and/or are immigrants themselves), > see the reality of those living on benefits (due > to the cheek by jowl nature of London > communities)and are probably more concerned about > Labours main election issue, cost of living..... > In my opinion. Unfortunantely rah, your analysis plays into the hands of the right. That sort of lefty metropolitan view is patronising to the vast majority of centre-left voters who have an entirely different experience, especially those outside of the M25 where unemployment and immigration from Eastern Europe are married up (rightly or wrongly), and they don't think Labour wants to or needs to acknowledge that. This is why such a substantial proportion of the left are bizarrely turning to right wing groups such as the BNP previously, and UKIP this time around. Labour just isn't speaking to them anymore. You can't have that attitude of 'us' and 'them' regarding metro lefties and heartland socialists, it reinforces division. The Tories will be loving it. Louisa.

I don't believe I'm massaging the figures at all. They speak for themselves. Scotland has shifted to the left oddly on a nationalistic ticket, and England has shifted to the right, again as a result of nationalism. Scotland should be turning to Labour if it's shifting left, it didn't do that. UKIP came second in a string of Labour heartland seats across the north of England. The Tories even increased there vote share significantly in Wales where they had a net gain of +3 seats. After a term in office the tories should have been down, but they were not, vote share was up in southern England and across the marginals. Labour had a static vote share, increasing only in northern English heartlands and some London marginals. The stats speak for themselves. If the Labour Party is going to recover, and fast, they need to recognise this. Louisa.

Blah Blah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We also have to remember that the pecentage of > voting share between the Tories and Labour was > JUST 6%. I think that's a little too simplistic Blah, and possibly optimistic. If you take away Scotland (where the Tories were down anyway) and then take Wales separately too and just look at England, the Tories were on 41% of the total vote, a solid 10% ahead of Labour on 31%. If you then add UKIP to that right wing block who polled 14.6% in England, you have over half of the electorate voting for two centre-right parties. The result in England in terms of seats was Conservatives 319, Labour 206, UKIP 1, Greens 1. There's no getting away from the fact that if you remove the traditionally left leaning countries of Scotland & Wales and just look at England, the country has quite dramatically shifted to the right between 2010 and 2015. Louisa.

miga Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Always talking, saying nothing. With the greatest of respect miga, you're always talking and saying nothing too. You tried to make the argument for the Alternative Vote electoral system against 'FPTP', when to be honest it was a redundant argument. It was emphatically rejected by the electorate in 2011 by 67.9% to 31.1%. I was proven correct in making the case for the stability of 'FPTP' and that's exactly what the people opted for on May 7th, despite what the polls told us. Funny when you disagree with someone that you throw in the poorly thought out one liner above (with regards the death penalty). Whether you agree with it or not consistent polling has shown if there were a referendum tomorrow it would be a pretty close call. So how exactly am I saying nothing? Louisa.

Can I just reassure everyone. I've NEVER walked across Michael Gove (or any other tory minister for that matter) in a pair of white stilettos. Ever. Thankyou. Louisa.

Green Goose I ultimately agree with you and quids on this. I often cringe at the analysis of the left, which can only be summarised as sour grapes. Labour have always overspent and the Tories underspent. Louisa.

Blah blah that's what the tories do, they're that kind of party. You wouldn't come across someone from the Green Party eating a rare steak for example, and so on. Louisa.

I think what angers keeky the most is this faux urban trendy attempt to do something like say, eat a fancy burger and chips with a sort of smug "we invented this" kind of sneering. The same goes for posh hot dog eaters, acting as though they've 'discovered' a new way of eating. Makes you want to stamp on their bare toes with a stiletto. Louisa.

I have always felt the death penalty in certain exceptional circumstances should be used. There are certain individuals who for whatever reason are deemed to have commited such dreadful offences that the death penalty is the just form of retribution for such crimes. I understand why it hasn't been reintroduced, and some high profiles cases many moons ago support that argument sufficiently, but I believe it is patronising for elected members to go against public opinion on even debating the argument, just because it's not PC enough to even bare thinking about. Louisa.

Foxy I reckon if I had one of those I would be deemed a serial cheat on those wonderful gentleman at K&W. Can't beat a good kebab after a sauce session. I personally couldn't be without Mr. Louisa who has put up with me for what must seem a prison sentence. Louisa.

I have to say I agree with this 100%. It's fruatrating to say the least. Louisa.

When I say "another Blair" I'm not talking in the literal sense. I'm refering more to the centrist approach (or the perception at least). Whatever you think of the man, he's the only labour leader to win them general election(s) since 1974. That shows you how scary it is that they've failed under every other leader before or since him. Louisa.

If it was my wedding and a guest failed to accept my invite of only them and not their annoying brats, i'd be pretty f##%$? off if they brought them along regardless. I think I would even go as far as turning the family away from the event on the big day. It's my big day, don't like it? Get your own! Louisa.

Over 60???? How very dare you rd!!! Louisa.

Smug bar stewards forcing their nuts onto everyone. Imagine if McDonalds did this?? Louisa.

I think its a little nod to the fact that, you'd have to be totally 'nuts' to wanna pay that price for a burger and chips. Just a thought. Louisa.

At least Izzard would bring some fashion sense to the lifeless world of politics. Louisa.

Labour need to stop Union influence. For those of us old enough to remember the 70s, it was a pretty @&?# time to be around. That generation has broadly not forgiven Labour, and they sway elections. Labour only wins on the centre ground, like under Blair and the unions forced Miliband on the party, when his brother was clearly the better choice. As much as a swing to the left would be great for core vote, that don't play well in middle England. I would love Andy Burnham as leader but I fear he would isolate the south, just as Chukka would isolate the core vote IMO. They need someone who cuts through with everyone, another Blair. Louisa.

Article below. http://www.kfh.co.uk/londonpropertymarket/south-east/why-is-peckham-picking-up Louisa.