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A voting guide of sorts

Saturday, April 24, 2010
Borrowed from b3ta.com user benito vasselini.  Can't say I agree with the sentiments, but it IS funny:



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posted by Croydonian

Nick Clegg video shocker

Ok, not the content, but the hair:

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posted by Croydonian

The soundness of the over 65s...

Thursday, April 22, 2010
I've just been sent this, and seeing as the research is interesting I am giving the commissioning company a namecheck:


"New research out today from Peverel Retirement shows retirees are likely to be the difference between success and failure for the Tories when the UK goes to the polls on 6 May.

A survey conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of the UK’s leading property retirement company has found 34% of over 65-year-olds, approximately 3.3 million of the population, say they intend to vote for the Conservatives. This figure significantly exceeds support levels for the two main other parties, with only 14% and 13% of the same age group backing Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively...The Peverel Retirement report, named Thinking about the Future, also found the most important policy issue to those aged 65-plus was healthcare and the state of the NHS (69%). This was closely followed by pensioner welfare (including fuel benefits) at 67%. However, politicians’ ideas for getting the economy back on track will only have a major influence on 54% of pensioner votes".

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posted by Croydonian

Labour manifesto sleight of hand, or a sub-editing error?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Compare and contrast on p46 of the Labour manifesto:

We created the right to request flexible working for parents and carers.

And


By the end of the next Parliament we will ensure that the right to flexible working is extended for older
people.

Incidentally, in a rare outbreak of the Lib Dems getting something right where the other two get it wrong, the LDs index their manifesto.  For which thanks.

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posted by Croydonian

A little light manifesto number crunching

For my sins work reasons, I am reading through the party manifestos, and since I do not feel I should suffer alone, some findings:

The Conservative manifesto mentions 'Labour' some 75 times.

The Labour Manifesto mentions 'Conservative' once and 'Tory' five times.

(To be updated with LD figures, as and when)

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posted by Croydonian

Crowdsourcing the election - #4 Yorkshire & the Humber

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
And another one.  This time I have Conservative up 15 (24), Labour down 17 (27) and LD unchanged on three.  2005 map here.

And the counties (decidedly not to scale):


Data:

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posted by Croydonian

Crowdsourcing the election - #3 Eastern region

And even more....  I make it Conservatives 37 (+ 9), Labour 1 (-9) - achieving a near wipe out and LD unchanged at two.  2005 map here.

The five counties:



Source data:


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posted by Croydonian

Crowdsourcing the election - #2 Wales

More of the same.  Conservatives + 5, Labour -6, LD -1, Plaid +2, Independent unchanged.  2005 map here.

The map:



And the data:


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posted by Croydonian

Crowdsourcing the election - #1 London

I have been looking at the current state of betting over at Betfair, and based on the shortest odds, I am calling London's results as Conservative - 36, Labour - 31 and LD - 6. (E&OE....) Having peered at a 2005 results map, I make that C + 15, L - 13 and LD  - 2.  There are the issues of boundary changes and the Brent / Croydon Central problems, but I think the exercise was worth doing.

Here's a rough and ready map - and the Tories taking Poplar and Limehouse *is* how the market is calling it:

There's a 2005 results map here.

I am quite keen on repeating the exercise with other areas, so if anyone would like to volunteer to take a region, supply some smarter looking graphics, or if those nice people at Betfair would like to pitch in with an easier way of accessing the data, full credit will be given, along with my undying gratitude.

Here's a screenshot of my workings:

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posted by Croydonian

62% of Britons have not heard of the Common Agricultural Policy

Thursday, April 08, 2010
(If that headline looks familiar, it is because I've used it before). 

Eurobarometer has just published its annual EU agricultural survey, including this question:

"Have you ever heard or read about the CAP, the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy?"  And a mere 38% of my compatriots said yes, down from 43% in 2007.  The EU average is 41%, with a French peak of 66% and a Maltese trough of 19%.

All the ranty points from 2007 hold, so fee free to have a look at the archive.

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posted by Croydonian

Meanwhile, North of the Border

I suspect that few of us this side of the border pay much heed to what happens in Scotland, so I am taking the liberty of passing on this nugget from The Scotsman to a smaller audience:

"The Conservatives will today provide further evidence of their campaigning fire-power as Annabel Goldie takes to the air in a frenetic attempt to visit all their Scottish target seats in a day....The Conservatives' airborne style is in marked contrast to the more low-key Labour campaign which has already acknowledged it cannot hope to keep pace with their better-funded Tory rivals. The Scottish campaign yesterday sought to make a virtue of necessity, revealing how it planned to use party members to phone up one million voters...Conservatives in Scotland are sensitive to claims they are outspending Labour, pointing out how they are self-funding. One senior source said: "All the money we spend was raised in Scotland. We don't get money from down south."

Interesting, no?  For the record, I remain a conviction unionist, and hope that the Unionists under the doughty Mrs Goldie will deliver a few more seats for the cause.

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posted by Croydonian

Something else happening on 6/5/10

Wednesday, April 07, 2010
International No Diet Day.

Yes, really.

Feel free to think of the porky candidate of your choice.

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posted by Croydonian

Election fever strikes....

Tuesday, April 06, 2010
From the Guardian's website:

I suppose it rather begs the question as to which type of crisp each of the leaders would be.  I'm mooting strange turnip type things for Clegg, Co-op economy ready salted for Brown, and probably something a bit fancy with sun-dried tomatoes for DC.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ditch, this from a rather more enthusiastic French person, reacting to the news on Le Figaro's site:

"Nos amis anglais vont nous montrer la voie d'une vraie politique de droite" (Our English friends will show us the way with real right wing policies).  A consummation devoutly to be wished.

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posted by Croydonian