Tagged: Conservatives

Tory website leak reveals list of “non-target” seats

The Conservatives appeared to write off their chances in a swathe of North-East constituencies, in a leak on the party’s own website.

Eight seats in the region are described as “non target” for the May general election, suggesting little effort will be put into trying to win them.

Unsurprisingly, the eight include some ultra-safe Labour seats where the Tories are miles behind, including North Durham (12,076 votes), North West Durham (9,773) and Sedgefield (8,696).

In others, the Conservatives were in third place in 2010, so face an even bigger mountain to climb in May, in City of Durham (14,350 votes behind) and Redcar (13,165).

However, the list also includes Darlington, where Labour’s Jenny Chapman finished just 3,388 votes ahead of her Conservative opponent five years ago.

Furthermore, Darlington was a Tory seat until it was lost by Michael Fallon – now the Defence Secretary – at the 1992 general election.

Ms Chapman said: “I am surprised. They need to change their attitude, because this is the kind of high-handed assumption that drives voters away from politics.”

But Peter Cuthbertson, the Conservative candidate in Darlington, said: “I think there’s every chance of victory – I’m picking up enthusiasm for change in Darlington.

“I have seen this list, but I have not had any communication with my party about it, so I don’t know whether it is true.”

Asked what help he was receiving from Conservatives headquarters, Mr Cuthbertson said: “It’s down to local people to muscle their own resources. I’ve got no expectation that they will campaign for me.”

Stockton North is also on the list, although Labour’s majority is only 6,676, as is York Central (6,451), where sitting Labour MP Hugh Bayley is standing down.

Other constituencies are described as “non target” because they have big Tory majorities, including Richmond (23,336) and Thirsk and Malton (11,281).

The blunder occurred when a staff member at Conservative HQ uploaded the photographs of hundreds of Tory candidates, of which 112 were categorised as “non target”.

 The leak implied the party had also given up on Rochester and Strood, where the MP Mark Reckless deserted the Tories and won a by-election for Ukip last year.

The mistake was later corrected, but not before the list was recorded by a freelance journalist, who published the information.

Source –  Northern Echo,  12 Feb 2015

HAS INEQUALITY REDUCED SINCE THE CONSERVATIVE-LIBDEM GOVERNMENT OF 2010? YES, AND NO.

The lovely wibbly wobbly old lady

Reposted from Ripped off Britons

In a bakery not far away there was a baker, who treated his customers extremely unequally. To some he gave plain buns, others spiced buns with candied fruit, and to others iced buns. He said the bankers worked harder than the nurses, and so deserved the icing. And the accountants were cleverer than the teachers but didn’t work as hard as the bankers, so they deserved the candied fruit buns. Iced buns are much better than plain buns, inequality was very great.

One day the icing machine crashed, due to a leak in the water pipes leading it to flood. With no icing there were no iced buns. The bankers could only get the spiced variety. Now spiced buns are better than plain buns, but less so than iced buns. Inequality was reduced! At least until the icing machine got bailed out.

The Tories are…

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Coward MP: food banks are only visited by “those with drug, alcohol and mental health problems”

Order Of Truth

winnbanksIn an incredibly callous Twitter post, Tory councillor, Mark Winn claimed that “…the people visiting food banks are those with drug, alcohol + [sic] mental health problems” after he watched an episode of Casualty which had a storyline of a woman suffering from malnutrition.

Winn claimed that the episode was the BBC supporting “Labour propaganda rubbish”.

The backlash from other Twitter users forced Winn to delete his Twitter account.

Winn is also a civil servant with the Ministry of Defence and until recently held an appointment on Buckinghamshire council’s health scrutiny committee, as well as being a councillor on Aylesbury council.

Some of the responses to Winn’s tweet were:

“Are you serious? People visiting food banks are the most vulnerable in society – you should be ashamed of your attitude!” by Daniel Holland.

“Hideous on so many levels and totally unsurprising from a Tory” wrote Lyttle Green.

“Also, even if…

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The election campaign lies have started already

Order Of Truth

elliesWell – it’s started already.

Only a couple of days into the New Year and the political machines are in motion churning out a stream of propaganda and misinformation.

With £78 million to spend on their election campaign, the Conservatives have an incredible amount of money they can use to try and fool the public into thinking they are worthy of another term in government.

Unfortunately for the Conservatives, most people are able to see past this charade and reflect on the woeful mismanagement of the country’s resources by one of the most incompetent governments in recent history.

Knowing that they have been responsible for almost destroying the foundation of British society the Conservative leadership are attempting to buy the election – that is the only resource they have.

Their track record is abominable. Their lies and deceit seem to know no bounds. Their actions during their time in office…

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In the ‘I’ Today: Grant Shapps Tried to Shut Down Left-Wing Blog

Beastrabban\'s Weblog

Here’s another instance of the Tories attempting to silence Left-wing bloggers and online critics. Today’s I newspaper for the 18th December 2014 has a story on page 4 about Grant Shapps being accused of trying to shut down The Political Scrapbook. Shapps used his lawyers to try to bully the blog, sending it three letters threatening to sue because of two stories it published about the Tory chairman. The same firm of lawyers acting for Shapps also sent a letter threatening legal action on behalf of another, unnamed Tory MP, who was also the subject of a blog post. Despite the threats, neither Shapps nor his unnamed colleague have followed up with legal action.

This isn’t the first or only time politicians, of both the Left, Right and Centre, have tried to close down their critics through threats of legal action. There have been any number of cases of…

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Coalition has ‘shifted money from poorest to better-off’

Order Of Truth

colmonshftThose of us who have been keeping an eye on the coalition government for the past few years are well aware of the social and economic engineering taking place which penalises the poorest and most vulnerable in our society and keeps the well-off (Tory voters) sweet.

A study published by the Institute for Social and Economic Research and the London School of Economics reveals that the coalition has taken money from the poorest to fund tax breaks for the well-off. The cuts in low-income and disability benefits has had no effect on public funds contrary to government claims.

The most financially-disadvantaged experienced cuts of nearly 3 per cent of what they would have earned if Britain’s tax and welfare system of May 2010 was retained.

Those who gain from the changes include couples who both work and those in their 50s and early 60s, with an increase of between 1.2…

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Does more Scottish devolution mean IDS is now undefeatable?

Even though Scotland didn’t vote in favour of independence yesterday, promises made by leaders at Westminster may spell disaster for claimants in the rest of the UK. In particular, it may mean IDS remaining free to persecute sick and disabled claimants, even if the Tories lose the next election.

Westminster politicians have guaranteed Holyrood much greater control over issues including welfare benefits and tax. But, in return, the Conservatives are now pushing to prevent Scottish MPs voting on benefits and tax measures in Westminster.

For Scottish claimants the changes are almost certainly good news. In their white paper on independence, published last November, Holyrood promised the abolition of the bedroom tax and a halt to the rollout of universal credit and personal independence payment. Holyrood has not gained independence overall, but in relation to benefits it looks like they may soon have a free hand.

So, for Scottish claimants, PIP, the bedroom tax and UC may all soon be distant memories.

But for the rest of the UK there is now the spectre that IDS and his persecution of the sick and disabled may not be halted even if the Tories lose the next election.

We could very easily find ourselves in a position where a Labour majority, or a Labour coalition, becomes a Conservative majority every time Westminster votes on tax or benefits issues if Scottish MPs are excluded. Whilst it might be difficult for the Conservatives to introduce radical new changes to the benefits system under these circumstances, they could certainly fight very effectively to keep things as they are.

Many claimants may argue that the difference between Labour and the Conservatives has become so slim that it will make little difference who is in charge. But others may consider that, no matter how awful Labour were when in power, they have suffered vastly more under the Conservatives.

So, for claimants at least, the prospect of life improving after the next general election may now be even more distant.

Source –  Benefits & Work, 19 Sept 2014

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/2882-does-more-scottish-devolution-mean-ids-is-now-undefeatable

Row over use of Bedlington working men’s club as a polling station

> Northumberland Conservatives get increasingly weird…

Conservatives have called for a review of the use of a working men’s club as a polling station.

Tories are demanding the club at Bedlington, Northumberland, not be used in future, given they believe it has a “direct affiliation” to the Labour party.

They say supporters and others feel “uncomfortable” voting there given its apparent political leanings and that they “would not dream” of Conservative clubs in the county being used.

> So, Ok, my local polling station was a Church of England church hall… I’m not a Christian, should I complain about feeling uncomfortable using it ?

Of course not, because I don’t feel uncomfortable. I don’t feel anything – its just a space temporarily housing the polling station.

However, Labour accused them of “sour grapes” following their third place finish at the recent European elections in the region, and said parties have the chance to protest against polling station venues before votes are cast.

The club confirmed it is used by one Labour councillor to host surgeries, but insisted it has no affiliation with Labour and that is it politically neutral.

The authority which conducts elections in Northumberland said it hosts polls at a number of social clubs.

The calls for a review relate to the use of Bedlington Netherton Social Club and have been lodged with Northumberland County Council.

They have come from the Morpeth and Wanbseck Conservatives (MWC) acting on a complaint from a local resident.

MWC chairman Richard Wearmouth said he belived the Netherton site might – like other working men’s clubs – pay a subscription to the Labour party.

“It might have people less inclined to go in and vote, I do not know. In Bedlington there is more people voting Conservative in increasing numbers. We find that anything can disincentivise people to vote.”

> It might have people less inclined to go in and vote, I do not know.  So he doesn’t know, he has no proof, but he’s still sounding off about it ?

In Bedlington there is more people voting Conservative –  shouldn’t that read ‘there are more people…‘ ?

I blame Tory education cuts…

A spokesperson for the Labour group on Northumberland County Council said: “The county council makes a non political decision to designate polling stations and they follow electoral law when making that decision.

“Political parties generally have a right to highlight issues with polling stations before elections.”

A spokesman for the county council added: “The location was swapped from a mobile classroom at St Benet Biscop High School due to it not being accessible by wheelchair.

“Polling stations are chosen due to their location and accessibility. In Northumberland we use a wide variety of locations that include churches, pubs and a football club.

“The elections team is always happy to receive alternative suggestions on location, however this is the first complaint they are aware of after changing the location over three years ago.”

Ian Rosemurgey, secretary of the Netherton club, said Labour county councillor Terry Johnstone holds his surgery there once a month.

But he added: “We are politically neutral and we are affiliated to the CIU (Club and Institue Union), not Labour, Conservative or anything like that.”

Source –  Newcastle Journal,   16 June 2014

North East Euro election results

The full results for the North East:

•Labour Party – 221,988

•UKIP – 177,660

•Conservatives – 107,733

•Liberal Democrats – 36,093

•Green Party – 31,605

•An Independence from Europe – 13,934

•BNP – 10,360

•English Democrats – 9,279

Labour won 2 seats, UKIP finally win something – 1 seat.

Conservatives and Lib Dems both lose 1 seat.

Tory Martin Callanan lost his seat. Callanan, who was also chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, was the only MEP standing for reelection in the region, Labour’s Stephen Hughes and the Lib Dems’ Fiona Hall had both decided to stand down – in Ms Hall’s case probably a very wise decision – The Lib Dem vote collapsed from 103,644 in 2009 to just 31,605.

Newly-elected Labour MEP Jude Kirton-Darling said: “It is a fantastic night for Labour.

“We have knocked the leader of the Tories out of the European Parliament – an extremely corrosive politician who has upset a lot of people.”

Her new colleague Paul Brannen claimed it was a “major victory for Labour” as they had not just seen off Mr Callanan but “defeated the Liberal Democrats resoundingly”.

Ukip were the big spenders heading into the North East elections, with the party the only of the main four to spend money on billboard advertising in the region. Electoral Commission records also show their winner  Jonathan Arnott contributing more than £8,000 of his own funds to the campaign… a sum which no doubt he will now proceed to enthusiastically recoup in expenses.

Turnout for the European elections was 31%, with Middlesbrough’s 24% the lowest and Gateshead’s 35% the highest.

UKIP’s 19th Century Anti-Immigration Electioneering

UKIP are making a determined bid for North East votes, as you’ll know if you’ve been following posts on UT&W in the past week or two. Before you’re swayed, read this…

Beastrabban\'s Weblog

ukip_poster_1

On Friday I reblogged a piece from the ever-acute and satirical Tom Pride about how the unemployed worker in UKIP’s election poster was actually an Irish actor. This was a source of highly ironic amusement, as well as a comment on the double standards used by UKIP and some of the other parties, when they start banging on the nationalist and anti-immigration issues. On the same evening you could also see a clip on the BBC’s long-running satirical quiz, Have I Got News For You, UKIP’s Fuehrer, Nigel Farage, being given a thorough grilling by the Beeb’s Nick Robinson. Why, asked Robinson, if immigration was so bad and a threat to British jobs, did Farage employ his wife, who was German, as his secretary? Because, said il Duce, there were no English people, who could do the job, thus torpedoing much of his anti-immigration arguments. It also brought…

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