After being boo-ed and jeered at the TUC conference by his paymasters (the ones who backed his campaign for the loony Labour leadership) I suspect that the honeymoon is well and truely over for Milliband

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14890680

He seems to be not loony enough for the Unions ... perhaps he'll show how sane he can be by sacking A Loads of Balls (and his wife) too ?

Ed Balls's wife is called Ophelia right? Sorry.

He's deeply disappointed me. I never thought he was an electoral asset, but after the insincerity of Blair and the self-pity of Brown, I thought he'd at least be reasonably honourable, but, if anything, he's more shamelessly opportunistic than they are. And the way he rolls his eyes and shakes his head at Question Time, like some spoilt and pompous 6th former at a debating society, well, I'd forgive someone for punching the idiot.

Like any good opposition leader....well bad opposition leader actually! The art is to not get noticed,then hope the government make a Balls up of it all.
Think he's doing that ok,and of course the coalition are certainly helping him

Prunella Minge wrote:
He's deeply disappointed me. I never thought he was an electoral asset, but after the insincerity of Blair and the self-pity of Brown, I thought he'd at least be reasonably honourable, but, if anything, he's more shamelessly opportunistic than they are. And the way he rolls his eyes and shakes his head at Question Time, like some spoilt and pompous 6th former at a debating society, well, I'd forgive someone for punching the idiot.

Opportunistic is exactly the right word, Pru ... both he and Balls pretend that the devastated economy was nothing to do with their party.

When yesterdays figures for unemployment were announced (2.5 million) they "tut tutted" but forgot (conveniently) that almost 2.2 million of that figure were unemployed throughout the 13 years of a Labour government !

Still ... Labour supporters have very short memory (and even shorter attention span)

In The Know wrote:
Prunella Minge wrote:
He's deeply disappointed me. I never thought he was an electoral asset, but after the insincerity of Blair and the self-pity of Brown, I thought he'd at least be reasonably honourable, but, if anything, he's more shamelessly opportunistic than they are. And the way he rolls his eyes and shakes his head at Question Time, like some spoilt and pompous 6th former at a debating society, well, I'd forgive someone for punching the idiot.

Opportunistic is exactly the right word, Pru ... both he and Balls pretend that the devastated economy was nothing to do with their party.

When yesterdays figures for unemployment were announced (2.5 million) they "tut tutted" but forgot (conveniently) that almost 2.2 million of that figure were unemployed throughout the 13 years of a Labour government !

Still ... Labour supporters have very short memory (and even shorter attention span)

Selective Amnesia

They are indeed idiots with short memories.

Does this mean he's no longer Red Ed, ITK? How about A Bit Pink Ed? Instead. You must be at least a little disappointed that he didn't go all grovelly. Maybe he has more balls than... well, Balls...

The thing that got me was the Murdoch phone tapping issue. One day he was asked - several times - whether Rebekah Brooks should resign, and, nervously, he sat on the fence. Then they must have had a policy storming session, because two days later he laid into Cameron, shaking his head yet again, for not condemning Brooks immediately. He's a soulless policy wonk.

In The Know wrote:
Prunella Minge wrote:
He's deeply disappointed me. I never thought he was an electoral asset, but after the insincerity of Blair and the self-pity of Brown, I thought he'd at least be reasonably honourable, but, if anything, he's more shamelessly opportunistic than they are. And the way he rolls his eyes and shakes his head at Question Time, like some spoilt and pompous 6th former at a debating society, well, I'd forgive someone for punching the idiot.

Opportunistic is exactly the right word, Pru ... both he and Balls pretend that the devastated economy was nothing to do with their party.

When yesterdays figures for unemployment were announced (2.5 million) they "tut tutted" but forgot (conveniently) that almost 2.2 million of that figure were unemployed throughout the 13 years of a Labour government !

Still ... Labour supporters have very short memory (and even shorter attention span)

us oldies have excellent memories and can remember when Britain had a genuine Labour government and genuine Tory government...not these two right wing entities that were led by Blair, Brown and now Cameron.

For all your talk..that is still an addition of 300,000 more unemployed.

What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

And you have no choice. It's like protection money..pay them the dole or they hit you with a brick. Especially if you want capitalism to roll on and on...

won;t change..not in your's or my lifetime.

In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

Even Thatcher at her most extreme never went this far!
Go back to Marx's underclass,there was a reason for this pool of labour,vital in times of economic boom.
While we encourage this situation by allowing foreigners unlimited access to our labour markets then it will not improve.

In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

Spot on.

Innocent Accused wrote:
In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

Even Thatcher at her most extreme never went this far!
Go back to Marx's underclass,there was a reason for this pool of labour,vital in times of economic boom.
While we encourage this situation by allowing foreigners unlimited access to our labour markets then it will not improve.

there is a theory that Britain gets European labour cheaply..not having to educate or skill them.

Successive governments have created this dangerous underclass..riots..including Blair Inc.

The ideal solution is to (like FDR) create huge infrastructure programs and guarantee everyone a minimum paying job with all the benefits (as he did) thus everyone wins.

That's almost impossible today while privatisation of everything including the delivery of services is rampant.

Corporatism is killing capitalism.

In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

The Conservatives spent 17 years getting these people onto sick benefits,so as to hide their appauling record on job losses and immigration.Bit late to turn the clock back now.
The Crazy Cons started it,they should pay for it.

veritas wrote:
Innocent Accused wrote:
In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

Even Thatcher at her most extreme never went this far!
Go back to Marx's underclass,there was a reason for this pool of labour,vital in times of economic boom.
While we encourage this situation by allowing foreigners unlimited access to our labour markets then it will not improve.

there is a theory that Britain gets European labour cheaply..not having to educate or skill them.

Successive governments have created this dangerous underclass..riots..including Blair Inc.

The ideal solution is to (like FDR) create huge infrastructure programs and guarantee everyone a minimum paying job with all the benefits (as he did) thus everyone wins.

That's almost impossible today while privatisation of everything including the delivery of services is rampant.

Corporatism is killing capitalism.

The last Conservative government created this situation,now they're blaming the people they created.

GeminiUK wrote:
In The Know wrote:
veritas wrote:
What no-one will accept..or admit..is that the unemployed (like the poor) are with us forever. Only fantasists believe there will be more and more jobs when the opposite is going to happen.

The real test is how to deal with that.

Entirely agree - and never said otherwise - veritas.

What people will HAVE to learn is that if they waste their (educational, for starters) opportunities they are going to suffer as a result ... because WE wont go on paying out for them for the rest of their lives.

If THEY wont support themselves - why should we do it ?

THEY have a choice .....

The Conservatives spent 17 years getting these people onto sick benefits,so as to hide their appauling record on job losses and immigration.Bit late to turn the clock back now.
The Crazy Cons started it,they should pay for it.

ever since Reagan (and Maggie) the UK/USA have been dismantling FDR's superb New Deal economics that made the USA such a rich country with a thriving middle-class...with the UK following , always a few steps behind (and that includes Blair..far worse than Maggie).

back to subject..Millibrand appears to be a very decent person and that's bad in a politician.

Innocent Accused wrote:
While we encourage this situation by allowing foreigners unlimited access to our labour markets then it will not improve.

What situation ?
We have jobs ... some wont do them .... so we have to allow foreigners to do the jobs.

QED

veritas wrote:
there is a theory that Britain gets European labour cheaply..not having to educate or skill them.

Successive governments have created this dangerous underclass..riots..including Blair Inc.

The ideal solution is to (like FDR) create huge infrastructure programs and guarantee everyone a minimum paying job with all the benefits (as he did) thus everyone wins.

with what?

We are trying to reduce our deficit (thank you loony Labour !) - not increase it.

All these "infrastucture" projects STILL need paying for.

You would have thought - according to your ideas - that Greece would now have the best economy in Europe after all those massive infrastructure projects for the Olympic Games?

Greece has a CCC credit rating now ... meaning "junk" - cannot borrow money at ANY rate !

In The Know wrote:
Innocent Accused wrote:
While we encourage this situation by allowing foreigners unlimited access to our labour markets then it will not improve.

What situation ?
We have jobs ... some wont do them .... so we have to allow foreigners to do the jobs.

QED

You really should get out more ITK.There is a huge difference between micro and macro economics

Those badly educated because schools struggle with foreigners taking over and using up resources,or those encouraged to exit the job market by the Conservative last government simply cannot compete with well trained and enthuiastic foreigners.
There are indeed plenty of jobs,but if you check it out all the jobs are still going to foreigners...even under this government you love so well

The only way over this is to leave the EU,and to regain control of our job markets.Till then we have to accept that cheaper labour will continue to prevail.