UK general Election Analysis thread

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My hung over early analysis is as follows:

Liberals didn't do well enough vs the Tories, although some good second places will serve to change the political map. Good increase in share of the vote and hopefully this marks a shift towards a Lib/Lab, as opposed to a Lab/Con, political argument in this country

Tory share of the vote has barely moved. They failed to get seats such as Basildon (Talismanic Thatcher), or Finchley and Golders. They did too well in London though. They've sucessfully managed to hit some marginals and regain some tradional Tory seats. there was a swing towards the LDs from Cons in a lot of places but not enough just yet.

Labour, a good working majority and one that should ensure that (unless Blair is spectacularly stupid) ID cards , the terrorism bill renewal, religious hatred and a whole host of other things will have to be quietly dropped. The majority should curtail some new labour arrogance. When Blair goes will be all down to what the French do in their EU Constitution referendum. I would say that he'd be gone with enough time for a new leader to be elected by the 2007 party conference.

That opportunist cunt George galloway won in Bethnal Green, however Respect, suspicious bastards that they are should cause Labour to look to their core voters a bit more.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I would like to think it might end the obsession with a handful of middle england voters in a handful of marginal seats. Last night showed that there is nothing like a uniform swing, and supposedly safe seats can be lost if you piss off your core vote and just take their support for granted.

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:21 (twenty-one years ago)

If the Lib Dems had got their campaigning act together (obviously they managed to do so in Hornsey/Wood Green but I'm not at all sure about elsewhere) they could easily have bagged another 20 or 30 seats on top of the 59 they did bag, or retain.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Although Charles Kennedy hasn't been a bad leader and has been a sucessful one by the standrads of liberals in the Last 70 years. I think it might be time for a change.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:30 (twenty-one years ago)

the lib dems need more of an attack dog. but, that said, if they revelaed their true colours i probably wouldn't vote for them. kennedy provided a good safety valve for discontented labour voters, and hopefully a labour party under brown will take note.

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 08:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Kennedy is, as Johnny Rotten once sung, a lazy sod - he lucked out here, because of the Blair/Bliar factor, but he'd better get his finger out if he wants to consolidate or build on anything

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

best bits : watching blair squirm during dead soldiers dads speech. kilroy-silk getting pwned and almost losing his deposit. paxman v. galloway. bryan ferrys son getting arrested again.

worst bit : barking living up to its name and giving the bnp 17% of the vote.

― zappi (joni), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:44 (twenty-one years ago)

i woke up and turned on the telly and basically it was pretty much what i expected. except i didn't think Tories would do as well as they did. lib dems getting some good 2nd places yes but i have a feeling that's as good as it'd ever get unless in 3 years gordon brown takes us to war for no good reason.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

60 odd years ago the East End kicked out Oswald Mosley. Last night they elected his heir apparent, Galloway. The fucking shame of it.

Otherwise I'm pleased Labour won and glad of their reduced majority, hopefully it will help curb Blair's liberal authoritarianisms (ie. ID cards).

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's a pretty good result. Labour down, ensuring hand-over to Brown. Tories stationary in the popular vote, yet the seat gains mean that Howard might hang on as leader, making it pretty unlikely they can win the next election.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:51 (twenty-one years ago)

60 odd years ago the East End kicked out Oswald Mosley. Last night they elected his heir apparent, Galloway. The fucking shame of it.

There just wasn't the burdgeoning, rigorously anti-war (on Iraq) Muslim community in Bethnal Green 60 years ago.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:59 (twenty-one years ago)

... and Tony Blair wasn't leader of the Labour Party

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:03 (twenty-one years ago)

One lesson which I think will prove very important in '09: pretty much any seat is vulnerable to a committed, local Independent.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:08 (twenty-one years ago)

(xpost) Disgusted at that Schmucky McSchmuck carpetbagger Galloway's tacit approval of violence in Whitechapel throughout the campaign and his feigned ignorance on the anti-Semitic heckling directed at Oona King, who was a good constituency MP whatever her vote on Iraq.

― suzy (suzy), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:12 (twenty-one years ago)

One lesson which I think will prove very important in '09: pretty much any seat is vulnerable to a committed, local Independent

Indeed, another highlight, the guy who won Blaenau Gwent as an Independent (on a swing from Labour of 49%!) and then pointed out that any constituency which has had Aneurin Bevan and Michael Foot as MPs hardly needs the some bumfluff policy wonks from Labour Central Office to tell it what candidates to choose

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:14 (twenty-one years ago)

haha the labour party member in my front room shouted at the tv that the welsh dude was 'a bigot'. 'you fucking bigot!' perhaps he was bitter at wasting his day in the roche motel, phoning up people like me.

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 09:18 (twenty-one years ago)

got woken up by galloway shouting at paxman.

am now sat in tory hammersmith...

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Politics/Pix/pictures/2005/04/13/pic2-toe.jpg

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:18 (twenty-one years ago)

haha the labour party member in my front room shouted at the tv that the welsh dude was 'a bigot'. 'you fucking bigot!'

It is a bit bigoted to expect a Labour candidate to actually be a Socialist, agreed

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Think this is a much better result for Tories than it looks on the surface. Lib Dems will conclude that unless they abandon redistributive tax policies they can make inroads against Labour but not Tories. Lab will move to the left to counteract that & the fact that there's evidence their hardcore support isn't as solid as it was. I see a return to the days when Labour/Lib Dems split progressive/left vote while Tories clean up in middle England and the South.

― frankiemachine, Friday, 6 May 2005 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Tory Hammersmith and Fulham, with the emphasis on Fulham, I think, though local hospital issues probably helped swing the vote.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Lab will move to the left

I'm crossing every crossable part of my body

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

what did cuntface galloway have to say to paxo? and vice versa?

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 09:32 (twenty-one years ago)

paxo vs galloway transcript:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/blog/4519553.stm

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Pacman comes across even worse than awful Galloway.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:40 (twenty-one years ago)

> 60 odd years ago the East End kicked out Oswald Mosley. Last night they elected his heir apparent, Galloway.

You genuinely have absolutely no understanding of history or politics, do you?

― rwillmsen (rwillmsen), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:40 (twenty-one years ago)

hmm, i don't think that was vintage paxo. partly because i think king's jewishness is perhaps more of an issue in the campaign. he really is as bad as mosley.

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 09:40 (twenty-one years ago)

> he really is as bad as mosley.

In all seriousness, what the hell are you people talking about?!?

― rwillmsen (rwillmsen), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:44 (twenty-one years ago)

JP: Are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?
GG: I'm not - Jeremy - move on to your next question.
JP: You're not answering that one?

He did answer it tho, surely?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:46 (twenty-one years ago)

gallowaywaged a campaign rooted in stirring up all kinds of ethnic-religious shit, plus um he digs fascist dictators.

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 09:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm still glad he beat Oona King - I'm glad when any Blairite war apologist loses.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Um, yeah, I mean have you people ever heard of the BNP?

― rwillmsen (rwillmsen), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:49 (twenty-one years ago)

wow, galloway is v. revolting, there.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:51 (twenty-one years ago)

have you heard of saddam hussain?

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

you need to see the clip, to get it, perhaps.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

GG: I'm not - Jeremy - move on to your next question.
JP: You're not answering that one?

He did answer it tho, surely?

context: He was going to say "I'm not answering that question" not "I'm not proud". He is clearly proud of the victory but not because it means ousting a black woman, and it did seem very snide of Paxman to focus on that however ugly Galloway has been behaving himself.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:59 (twenty-one years ago)

owever ugly Galloway has been behaving himself.

ha ha, now that remark also reads 'wrong'...

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

You know how Galloway always goes on about how he was marching against Saddam when British governments were supporting him - well people in Scotland were despising Galloway when the rest of the country hadn't even heard of the cunt!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:02 (twenty-one years ago)

meanwhile poor John Humphrys had his vote stolen!

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

good

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:33 (twenty-one years ago)

HOWARD HAS STEPPED DOWN

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 10:36 (twenty-one years ago)

...if the party members decide to change its rules over electing a party leader.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:39 (twenty-one years ago)

An Alan Ainscow stood for Veritas in Bolton NE. I really hope this isn't the former Everton player.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Where's a good coloured-in map? I still want to see how Broxbourne went. I am still having nightmares about John Snow's Nightmare Before Christmas Downing Street animatronics.

― Lapdog Shoesnog (kate), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Beeb has good electoral map thingy.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:52 (twenty-one years ago)

BBC has a good map, although the abundance of blue in the South East makes me annoyed every time I look.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh dear, Broxbourne still a big drop in a sea of blue. :-(

It's a weird kind of backwards map of colour from the US election maps. "Don't blame me, I live in a red county" or something.

― Lapdog Shoesnog (kate), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:55 (twenty-one years ago)

HOWARD HAS STEPPED DOWN

So will Ken Clarke run again?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

In terms of acreage covered, most of England seems to be blue and most of Scotland orange or yellow

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:58 (twenty-one years ago)

In terms of acreage covered, most of England seems to be blue and most of Scotland orange

no change there then...
boom boom.

― Andy Jay, Friday, 6 May 2005 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

http://img230.echo.cx/img230/6073/map5ci.jpg vs http://images.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/elections2004/_images/2000countymap.gif

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:07 (twenty-one years ago)

In terms of acreage covered, most of England seems to be blue and most of Scotland orange

no change there then...

Ha ha, yer right there!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I like the pretty colours (and political diversity) of the UK map better.

But isn't it funny how blue is a "good" thing in the US map but a "bad" thing on the UK map according to typical liberal ILX standards?

― Lapdog Shoesnog (kate), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:12 (twenty-one years ago)

If Plaid Cymru are green, what colour are they going to make Sinn Fein (*insert Loyalist joke about 'blood-red' here*) or, for that matter, the Green Party!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The wall-to-wall hatred for Galloway on here leaves me rather bemused. Why is there no similar outpouring of bile for Blair who lied to coerce his cabinet and party into a war on behalf of a foreign power and is continuing to curb civil liberties in the UK to ward off a terrorist threat which he has helped to instigate and aid the vilification of Muslims?

In what way is Galloway "the heir to Oswald Moseley"? Can someone please point me towards any kind of concrete evidence for his using anti-semitism against King? Or do people really believe that much of what they read?

― Venga (Venga), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

... and in the interest of balance, if the Liberals are orange what colour are the DUP?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, so if you don't think the above snippet was an answer to JP's question, what about:

I don't believe that people get elected because of the colour of their skin. I believe people get elected because of their record and because of their policies. So move on to your next question.

Do you actually find fault with this? Do you think this is a lie or an obfuscation? Because if you do believe that people get elected because of the colour of their skin then you should fuck off to the BNP.

― emil.y (emil.y), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:40 (twenty-one years ago)

GG: Oh well there's no doubt about that one. There's absolutely no doubt that all those New Labour MPs who voted for Mr Blair and Mr Bush's war have on their hands the blood of 100,000 people in Iraq, many of them British soldiers, many of them American soldiers, most of them Iraqis and that's a more important issue than the colour of her skin.

JP: Absolutely, because you then went on to say "including a lot of women who had blacker faces than her"

GG: Absolutely right, absolutely right. So don't try and tell me I should feel guilty about one of the most sensational election results in modern electoral history.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:42 (twenty-one years ago)

To be honest tho, this confrontational approach to interviewing is getting REALLY REALLY boring. Paxman is good at it but now everyone's doing it and most of them just can't pull it off. I saw Galloway being interviewed by some blonde woman who'd have been happier interviewing Gwyneth Paltrow and she was trying to be confrontational and it just pathetic viewing.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:47 (twenty-one years ago)

It was a clumsy, insensitive way of putting it but Galloway was contending with a similarly clumsy allegation.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:48 (twenty-one years ago)

galloway was playing on ethno-religious bullshit in exactly the same way the bnp does. and i think he takes criticism of israel into the realm of denying its right to exist.

"Why is there no similar outpouring of bile for Blair who lied to coerce his cabinet and party into a war on behalf of a foreign power and is continuing to curb civil liberties in the UK to ward off a terrorist threat which he has helped to instigate and aid the vilification of Muslims?"

for the record: i am against the war and very much more against the curtailment of civil liberties. but this stuff won't wash: the 'vilification of muslims' thing is especially doubtful (what the hell has that got to do with the war?), and for all blair's faults, i don't think he 'instigated' the terrorist threat. meantime galloway was an active supporter of saddam's regime. whatever you think of the war, being pro-saddam is just fucked up.

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 11:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree that it shouldn't be played in religious terms, but the state of Israel is completely fucked up and to be honest probably should never have existed (having said that, now it does I don't advocate prejudice or hatred towards those who live there). Yes, Galloway targeted the Muslim communities but I don't believe for one second that this is based on anti-semitism, rather a recognition of the locus of support for many of his platforms and yer average opportunism.

galloway was an active supporter of saddam's regime.

This isn't true.

― emil.y (emil.y), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:02 (twenty-one years ago)

amazing the The Liberal Party still exists [a small core of political activists carry on in near obscurity, they disagreed with the Liberal Party joining with Social DEmocratic Party]

Liberal Party - Manifesto
http://www.liberal.org.uk/electsdesk/2005/manif.htm

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:07 (twenty-one years ago)

the history of israel and zionism is too complex for out-and-out denunciations. i mean, wouldn't it be great if america never existed: no slavery, no slaughter... it's just fantasy stuff. the idea that states which are not israel are somehow more "justified" (by age?) is likewise an anachronism. galloway supported saddam, as an oft-repeated tv clip and documentation of his xmas holiday habits i think reveals. if galloway himself was not anti-semitic, he played on muslim-jewish tensions, and it was a fantastically ugly campaign.

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 12:08 (twenty-one years ago)

he was clearly saying "i salute YOUSE" and was misinterpreted by soft southerners who don't know the idiosyncracies of glaswegian dialect.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

although he said "indefatigability" rather less clearly, admittedly.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

tony benn (who, i hear, ended up back in the labour fold) also made a cunt of himself at the court of saddam.

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 12:12 (twenty-one years ago)

No worries tho, once the good people of Bethnal Green & Bow realise that Galloway is more interested in getting his mug in the papers and going off on all-expenses-paid junkets to the hobnob with Middle Eastern dictators than he is in representing his constituents, he'll be out on his arse

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:13 (twenty-one years ago)

oh i don't know, alan clark did pretty ok.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

That's it, he's not the New Mosley, he's the New Clark

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Guys, do you know how many other politicians have met Saddam? Do you know how many have been polite? What do you want - Galloway to have punched Saddam in the face? Would that have been good? Yes. Would it have been wise? Er, no, not really. Bear in mind that he also spent his time petitioning for civil rights in Iraq whilst there.

Although I do agree that he is an egotistical cunt.

― emil.y (emil.y), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Gerry Adams picks up a fat salary + expenses package without representing his seat in the House of Commons.

British money funding an Irish Catholic who is anti-British.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

My problem with Galloway is that he scares me and that is not something I want from a leader. Maybe I am just a sissy.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

he's in good company with donald rumsfeld, i guess. galloway also reckons the iraqi resistance is a kind of united, progressive force that respect voters can identify with. much as i opposed the invasion, the whole 'massacring civilians' thing popular among the resistance really turns me off.

DJ M, what? adams is also a cunt?

― N_RQ, Friday, 6 May 2005 12:23 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.kentmarshall.com/Photos/Kitten_and_Roses.JPEG

I WILL LEAD YOU STEVEN

― emil.y (emil.y), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.vipers.at/files/kimwild_DJ-saddam.gif

What you can't see in this photo is both Galloway AND Tony Benn having a good ol' bop on the dancefloor.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

It's about time the UK parliament clamped down on this abuse of democracy. Tighten the rules up, EVERY MP should have obligations to represent their seat in the HoC.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe they should pass a law which compels all MPs to be clamped to their seats in the Houses of Parliament.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Should they have to be Protestants as well?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:32 (twenty-one years ago)

and they MUST live in their constituencies!

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:32 (twenty-one years ago)

This might be incompatible with being clamped to their seats in Parliament.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

The member for Skaro approves this plan without reservation.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.daleklinks.co.uk/images/davros1.jpg

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Very well. They must employ lookalikes to live in the constituencies. It'll be the new 'tribute bands'.

xpost x2

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Tebbit's looking well I must say.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I could see Michael Howard as a Davros clone.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:44 (twenty-one years ago)

HAHA I have just realised that the new Lib Dem MP for East Dunbartonshire is none other than old clever clogs goody two shoes herself, Joanne Sw1ns0n from the year below me at school! Typical.

The BBC election coverage was fantastically entertaining viewing. Paxman and co dishing out fairly good natured slaggings to anyone in sight, Dimbleby sarky as ever, wonderful interviews with Ken Clarke, David Blunkett (who threw a hissy fit after he got confused by the satellite delay and thought Paxman was deliberately talking over him), Malcolm Rifkind who NEVER SHUTS UP and many others. Boris Johnson solid gold as ever, Marr in generally good form etc etc. I had a moment of utter panic as I switched on BBC One at first to find AWFUL Scottish coverage which consisted of Sturgeon, McLetchie and others dourly moaning at one another, but thankfully the proper stuff was on Two.

Many Labour heavyweights doing some serious grovelling last night after regaining their seats - much talk of 'listening to the public in future'. This might be a good kick up the arse to actually start doing that a little more.

― Ally C (Ally C), Friday, 6 May 2005 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I doubt it, Ally. The kick up the arse thing, I mean.

I am glad your ex-girlfriend is an MP. Maybe she will pull some strings and get you on Swap Shop.

I tried watching ITV cos I was sick of Paxman, but it was celebrities like Honor Blackman and the 'I Don't Beliiiiiiiiieeeeeeeve It!' man on the London Eye talking about, surprise surprise, themselves.

At 3am-ish I switched over for The Flower of My Secret, which was as lovely as ever.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 6 May 2005 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Look at this fucking cunt:

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2005/05/06/KilroySilkDefeat_final.jpg

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Friday, 6 May 2005 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I think we have our new "pwn3d!" photo.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 6 May 2005 16:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anyone else thought "wow I ought to check the '97 election thread?" (or the 2001 election thread) and then realised in horror that it only seems like they've spent the past eight years on this message board?

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 6 May 2005 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

The reference to Adams being an Irish Catholic who is anti-british is odd; did you eat a copy of Protestant news for breakfast? The key issue is his stance on taking his seat, but the electors have chosen someone who they knew wouldn't be there - that's their privelige isn't it?

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Uh... Ally... what school did you go to? Just out of curiousity? And what year did you graduate?

― Czanger, Friday, 6 May 2005 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The new cabinet:

PRIME MINISTER

Tony Blair

DEPUTY PM AND FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE

John Prescott

CHANCELLOR

Gordon Brown

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Lord Falconer

CHIEF WHIP

Hilary Armstrong

COMMONS LEADER

Geoff Hoon

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

David Miliband

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Tessa Jowell

DEFENCE

Dr John Reid

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

John Hutton

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Ruth Kelly

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Margaret Beckett

FOREIGN SECRETARY

Jack Straw

HEALTH

Patricia Hewitt

HOME SECRETARY

Charles Clarke

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Hilary Benn

LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Baroness Amos

NORTHERN IRELAND

Peter Hain

PRODUCTIVITY, ENERGY AND INDUSTRY

Alan Johnson

TRANSPORT

Alistair Darling

TREASURY CHIEF SECRETARY

Des Browne

WITHOUT PORTFOLIO

Ian McCartney

WORK AND PENSIONS

David Blunkett

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 6 May 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

they forgot to take a chair away when the music stopped then.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 6 May 2005 20:30 (twenty-one years ago)

good god, galloway?! what an absolute fucking shame.

― g e o f f (gcannon), Friday, 6 May 2005 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Hoon stays in the Cabinet? WTF? Fuck me, I can understand - but not agree with - them bringing Blunkett straight back but giving Hoon another job is really fucking arrogant. Do they want him to fuck up the modernisation of the House of Commons and the House of Lords so much that they don't have do it?

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:10 (twenty-one years ago)

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/Juror8/CCunt.jpg

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Ally C, I didn't know you were watching the election, you should have come round and watched it with me and RJG. I only stayed up til half 3, but I did have exams today. BBC 2 was gold, I agree. Paxman was being entertainingly jocular.

What a miserable Blairy cabinet. Glad to see Blunkett on Work and Pensions though, I have grown rather to love him recently.

― Cathy (Cathy), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Surely Blunkett to pensions is him being set to fail, though? "Pensions crisis" and all that...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe Blair's hoping he'll turn a blind eye to it, Dom.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like to apologise to everybody for that last comment.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, it is a rotten job. But at least he's back in the cabinet.

― Cathy (Cathy), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:41 (twenty-one years ago)

rotton

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

blunkett, last night, saying ken clarke was "always good value for money" and, when JP said "I think I may just go back to him, instead, then", saying "off you go!" was funny but I still really don't like him.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 6 May 2005 22:55 (twenty-one years ago)

'Friends of friends' who work at the H0me 0ff1ce say that he was completely useless to work under even without taking his disability into account.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I like him as a person a lot more than as a politician.

― Cathy (Cathy), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Czanger: Douglas Academy, Milngavie. 1990-1996.

Cathy: Imagine my disappoinment upon arriving home to find no one to watch election coverage with; after your talk of preparing with naps I expected your return. At times I wished there were others to share the joy. I only watched till 1.30pm.

― Ally C (Ally C), Saturday, 7 May 2005 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)

: (((

― Cathy (Cathy), Saturday, 7 May 2005 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

David Miliband, who every lazy hack in the country has been saying will be a future Prime Minister for years now, finally makes the Cabinet. That's about the only significant thing I can see here.

What is Steven Byers doing these days? Anyone rememnber him?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 7 May 2005 10:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, does anyone think that "THE NEXT CHANCELLOR (TM)" Ed Balls may have his political career halted by the fact he's, well, called "Ed Balls"?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 7 May 2005 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Michael Portillo offers Stephen Twigg advice on how to cope with not being an MP anymore:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4524647.stm#startcontent

Get used to public transport as soon as possible. At first people on trains and buses will stare but you will soon get used to it,"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 7 May 2005 10:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Did anyone see Stephen Twigg on Newsnight with Portillo on Wednesday (?) night? He looked terrible, all hagard, blotchy, greasy-haired and out of breath, hunched over and sweaty like a madman in an cheap ill-fitting suit, made worse by a sizable beer-belly - which he certainly never used to have.

He looks so unfit it's like he hasn't done any exercise in eight years.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 7 May 2005 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Ally C- oh my God. Uhm... my gfriend was in your year but no other comment. Sorry. She told me to stay zipped.

― Czang., Sunday, 8 May 2005 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

someone explain to me Blunkett's merits.

― $V£N! (blueski), Sunday, 8 May 2005 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha Czang why no other comment? You have to tell me your girlfriend's name!

― Ally C (Ally C), Sunday, 8 May 2005 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

by rights, czang owes ally an e-mail, surely.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 8 May 2005 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Possibly - Ally, what is your surname? Is it Crawford?

― Czang., Sunday, 8 May 2005 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh - is your name Alistair? I see - Alistair Cook. Yes, she remembers you - quiet/ Clover Primary?

― Czang., Sunday, 8 May 2005 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

someone explain to me Blunkett's merits.

Like every great comedian, he says what we're all secretely thinking.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 8 May 2005 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

The Village Voice weighs in on the Galloway upset:

http://villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/000905.php

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 9 May 2005 06:16 (twenty-one years ago)

that was pretty otm except the 'labor' and the "[Galloway] had mobilized more than a million protesters against the war during a 2003 rally." it wasn't galloway wot mobilized them/us!! in fact, some potential speakers (will self for one) refused to speak on the same platform as GG. and the payments from saddam wasn't actually *dis*proved was it?

― N_RQ, Monday, 9 May 2005 08:49 (twenty-one years ago)

What was that about GG, instead of thanking the returning officer as per protocol, actually slagged her and called for her resignation?

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 9 May 2005 08:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Alasdair Cook. V.Quiet/Clober Primary. Primary school too! Extraordinary. LW perhaps? I forget most names. You should send me an email, yeah, if that's OK.

― Ally C (Ally C), Monday, 9 May 2005 09:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I really, really can't. If I tell you who I've been dating for 5 years then I cannot post here again as she dislikes ILX (she curses me for ever posting on it too - she reads the posts from others actually taking me seriously and thinks, "Deary me. Would you not post there please?") and doesn't want her name mentioned anywhere near the board. I'd have my ass kicked, in other words.

But you'd likely be shocked. She says you may have gone to one of her birthday parties in primary school.

― C-Zang., Monday, 9 May 2005 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Your girlfriend does not understand us.

― $V£N! (blueski), Monday, 9 May 2005 11:03 (twenty-one years ago)

she is jealous bcz calum loves us more than her

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 9 May 2005 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

If I tell you who I've been dating for 5 years then I cannot post here again

Ally, PLEASE work it out!

― $V£N! (blueski), Monday, 9 May 2005 11:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha Steve, sorry I think I'm stuck. This is infuriating! Surely you can just give me initials? The only party I can recall from Primary School was one where we watched a double bill of The Goonies and Howard The Duck. Heady days.

This thread has really sidetracked.

― Ally C (Ally C), Monday, 9 May 2005 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Also - finding out someone I was at school with is now going out with someone I don't know doesn't seem that shocking.

― Ally C (Ally C), Monday, 9 May 2005 13:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I really, really can't. If I tell you who I've been dating for 5 years then I cannot post here again as she dislikes ILX

http://waltminkthemovie.typepad.com/production_blog/schreiber.jpg

"Come back to bed Calzy..."

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 9 May 2005 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"I'm just cumming Heidi, I.... mmmmm yesssssss....."

― C-zang, Monday, 9 May 2005 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

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