gdp's Comments

Conservative Home : Kathy Gyngell: Why illegal drugs shouldn't be made legal

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:43:33 +0000

As ever I come to ConHome today as a Labour supporter. I find this article interesting in that it's poorly written and not very persuasive - many of the arguments are weak and based on a biased selectivity of available evidence. HOWEVER ... I still more or less agree with her. I've heard some intelligent and very strong arguments in favour of legislation and decriminalisation, but I find I can't quite take the plunge and support that position. I'd be interested to read an article arguing a similar position aimed at Labour supporters - would it be different ? Is the personal freedom thing important to non-Conservatives ? (actually it IS to me). It's an area of debate that I find fascinating - but about which I claim very little authority. Is there a division along party lines on these issues ?

Platform [OLD] : In praise of ethnic monitoring

Fri, 5 Apr 2013 20:06:11 +0000

Well it's 9 hours later, and I didn't pre-judge. My suspicions were largely accurate though weren't they ?

Platform [OLD] : In praise of ethnic monitoring

Fri, 5 Apr 2013 13:48:12 +0000

You've only ever employed British Citizens - how do you know ? Do you monitor this ?

Platform [OLD] : In praise of ethnic monitoring

Fri, 5 Apr 2013 11:19:14 +0000

And they say irony is dead

Platform [OLD] : In praise of ethnic monitoring

Fri, 5 Apr 2013 10:55:49 +0000

A very informative article. I'm glad to see it on this site. I strongly suspect it will receive a very negative reception in some of the comments. I hope I'm wrong.

The Tory Diary : Round up of reactions to Boris Johnson's Night-Mair interview

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 07:35:40 +0000

Probably - I still don't understand why though

The Tory Diary : Round up of reactions to Boris Johnson's Night-Mair interview

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:27:57 +0000

I'm a bit surprised by some of the comments here - this was a highly skilled interview that took Boris Johnson apart - BUT - and it surprises me that you don't all see this - Boris still comes across as quite likeable in spite of all this - maybe not in spite of - maybe because of it. If all the high profile politicians were back in the Olympic stadium presenting medals this weekend, who do you think would be getting the standing ovations ? Osborne ? Cameron, Miliband ? Brown ? - No - it would once again be Boris Johnson. Sort of scary isn't it ?

The Tory Diary : The shrinking Cameron

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:17:24 +0000

If supporting Labour has taught me anything, it is that fighting party battles in public does not win elections. You'd do well to learn that as well Tim, if you do actually support the Conservative Party.

Platform [OLD] : FROM: @timloughton

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:04:31 +0000

Oddly Kitty I don't spend every spare second on Conservative Home. I do also try to heed my own advice and not feed the trolls

Platform [OLD] : FROM: @timloughton

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:47:33 +0000

Nil sine labore eh Kitty ?

Platform [OLD] : FROM: @timloughton

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:22:54 +0000

What a wag you are Kitty x

Platform [OLD] : FROM: @timloughton

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:42:51 +0000

Does it really mean that ? Wow I never knew. So glad someone intelligent like you was around to enlighten me. Actually the few words of Tim's above do very little to outline the circumstances which led to him using those words, and frankly the man in question's blog doesn't really give a clear indication either - but it is quite amusing : http://is.gd/YdB5mA My advice to Tim is "Don't feed the trolls". (which he clearly still is doing). Finally - "your vernacular" ??? Not me gov !

Platform [OLD] : FROM: @timloughton

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:26:48 +0000

I'm struggling to imagine a situation where Tim Loughton gets to casually call someone 'unkempt' . I know it's not really a a big deal, but "Why ?"

Local Government : Birmingham Council wheelie bin consultations asks residents if they are gay - but not if they want w

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:18:16 +0000

that's garbage !

Local Government : Birmingham Council wheelie bin consultations asks residents if they are gay - but not if they want w

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:11:15 +0000

By way of contrast the heavily Conservative council where I live did not ask me any questions about wheelie bins, but they were introduced anyway. They have on many occasions asked me about race, ethnicity, gender, age and disability for monitoring purposes. i don't recall being asked about sexuality but they may have done - I would leave it blank rather than saying "prefer not to answer" - sexuality is by definition a personal thing IMHO. Although I can see why it would make sense to monitor this in some situations. They did however, as an integral part of the selection procedure for my wife and I to be foster carers, ask me "What first attracted you to your wife ?". I have to say that I refused to answer, and was quite indignant. I'm not sure whether an honest answer of "her arse" would have made them more or less likely to approve our application. You can never tell with these Tory councils.

Local Government : Birmingham Council wheelie bin consultations asks residents if they are gay - but not if they want w

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:02:19 +0000

Read the survey. It asks lots of questions about wheelie bins

Local Government : Birmingham Council wheelie bin consultations asks residents if they are gay - but not if they want w

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:01:35 +0000

It asks them the extent to which they agree or disagree with the claimed benefits and drawbacks of wheelie-bins, it asks them to specifically say whether the property they live in would be unsuitable for a wheelie bin, and it leaves space to provide any other comments regarding the proposal to introduce wheelie bins - which I think has it covered. More than covered. All over it in fact.

Local Government : Birmingham Council wheelie bin consultations asks residents if they are gay - but not if they want w

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:30:40 +0000

"The survey doesn't ask whether residents want wheelie bins or not" Doesn't it ? Really ? Or are you just making that up ? The survey I got to after following your link did ask a lot of questions about wheelie bins - maybe you missed them ? Maybe you just felt saying that would spoil your story. Mustn't let the truth get in the way.

Platform [OLD] : FROM: @chrisskidmoremp

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:26:44 +0000

Hmm, I was a bit of a history geek so perhaps it's a bit of biased answer, but I pretty much had a clue about all of them. Henry V / Agincourt would have been very vague, also Gladstone/Disraeli. Most of my class mates at primary school (in 1972) would have known about 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, I wonder how many who aren't on the list, that I could and perhaps should have known about ?

Platform [OLD] : FROM: @chrisskidmoremp

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:21:23 +0000

I never lie Moby. My source for this was widely reported on in late November, early December 2012 - and derives from a study sponsored by Pearson education http://is.gd/24hskg I personally feel that it's pretty meaningless to compare education systems between countries in so narrow a way (note that it places the UK 2nd worldwide in terms of academic attainment) - I feel, for instance, that countries that have a high reliance on outcomes (such as exam results) don't necessarily provide an education which is intrinsically better than one that doesn't. Also an over emphasis on 'cramming' to learn a narrow syllabus to pass exams, almost certainly detracts from the wider goals of education - understanding and fluency. Repeatedly saying 'it's a lie', and saying "rubbishy teachers and managers", and saying that standards are "plummeting" doesn't actually make it true (although it might make some believe you) - Pearson I'm sure will publish their methodology - look it up and challenge them if you feel that their findings don't concur with what you feel to be true - find another study, and compare it with theirs - I'm sure there are many publications who would be interested to publish such a discussion - Educators are generally quite open to arguments and discussions. Not sure what makes you think that the "Statist Establishment" is left and/or liberal - last time I looked we had a fairly right wing Conservative dominated government running the establishment. Is that too far to the left for you ? I'd also much rather be liberal than illiberal