What a year, what a week, what a night! Fabulous!

It’s been a while since I posted here, but it seems nothing much has changed!
I'll be voting Labour, like many Londoners.
 
Britain Elects @britainelects • Apr 24 Latest London YouGov poll (20 - 22 Apr):
LAB - 44 (-1)
CON - 32% (-2)
UKIP - 10% (+2)
LDEM - 8% (-)
GRN - 5% (+1)

While out canvassing it has been heartwarming to hear the thanks to our retiring MP. Our new candidate (from a very strong short list) has public services, housing, climate change, and human rights as priorities. That’s good enough for me.

Elena.....the fact that most of the names on that list were councillors and mayors does 'not' make it OK and because you signed Tom Watson's petition, I don't believe you think so either! Unless of course you're one of those people who thinks that by adding your name to a petition you've done your bit for society and that's enough!  If you really want, I can probably dig out a few more names from the 'higher echelons of politics', but it would be a waste of time and energy if like me, what you really want is the truth and protection for our children! I'd like to know 'how' attempts to prosecute Cyril Smith were blocked and by 'whom'!

So.... did I ever suggest that any of these offences were OK? No. 
Did I object to a conspiracy theorist's blog full of lies and smears being used to back up accusations that lots of MPs are paedophiles - Yes.

Any further comment on the D notices or Dunblane?

Nobody is 'on trial' here! Did you even bother to read the Butler-Sloss report or the link that Nigel posted with the list of politicians who've already' been found guilty'? In fact....don't even bother to answer that Elena. Just go back to sleep!

Yes, I had a quick look at the list of “politicians” Nigel posted. It has one MP on it, and one general election candidate. Of the other 17 named, most are councillors. There are about 23,000 councillors at any given time in the UK. William Straw gets a mention because of a minor drug offence when he was 17 and somehow the murderer Dennis Nilsen also gets on this list. Hardly the “higher echelons of politics”

Nigel says this list is unarguable –“ it's politicians who HAVE BEEN CONVICTED. It's an unnaturally high number for any profession, leading me to conclude that the House of Commons is nothing more than a Teflon glee club for child offenders”.

You wrote “....and to think we used to be told anyone standing for parliament were thoroughly vetted and had to be squeaky clean!” and then go on about power corrupting and “so many truly evil people” running and governing the world.

Seems a bit of a leap to me –

A few minutes of research shows that the accusations against George Robertson re Thomas Hamilton in the same blog post are completely unfounded. He had already successfully sued the Sunday Herald when this piece was written.

I also looked up Operation Ore and D notices, I didn’t read the links to other conspiracy theory blogs, but did see this from the excellent Tom Watson MP:
“I have been bombarded with questions about the use of D-Notices in relation to a parliamentary question I asked about an historic child abuse case. I wrote to the secretary of the D-Notice committee. The Minister, Mark Francois, has given a comprehensive reply. I hope this puts an end to the large amount of inaccurate speculation made on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook”

The letter can be read here: http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2013/01/comprehensive-answer-on-the-use-of-d-notices.

I also signed Tom Watson’s petition back in July that lead to the announcement of an inquiry into organised child abuse. The Butler-Sloss appointment was a mistake, and she did the right thing in resigning.

I’m not suggesting for a moment that allegations should not be followed up. But I am sorry that some posters seem so ready to believe some of this stuff, and spread it on an Andy Murray fan site. That’s all I’m saying.

Hmm, trial by MW. Been trying to unread some of these posts. It's not working. Time for a break I think.

I sensed a few steps backwards for Rvans after he went against Leon's advice about playing American tournaments after the Aussie Open. One step forward, two steps back.

Wards deserves the second spot behind Andy.

I thought  Dan Evans has been dealing with injury this year - a knee problem that has been going on for months. Had to pull out of a few tournaments, did his best in some, and then go into others without match practice. This week he lost a very close match against a higher ranked opponent in US Open QR1

Or maybe he just been out clubbing and doesn't care... who knows?

Good luck to Wardy. Match interrupted at the moment at 1-6 6-3 0-1

   I don't think the cost is or should be an issue. Every day we hear about multi-million pound write-offs funded by the tax-payer. Yesterday it was a US security contractor compensated £200m for a u/s and scrapped ID scheme for border control. What matters is the future prospect for the citizens of Scotland.

I'd agree with that, as indeed do many on both sides from what I've seen. But Tamila did ask, and I think the report and follow up is interesting.

Nadal out USO, guess this will spark more speculation about his regime and his future. Thing is he usually seems to come back near invincible!!

So, conspiracy theorists (Gnome and others), that's another 2,000 points he's not defending. 4,000 altogether.

It must be a very cunning plan he's got...!

Myself and many friends have said that the one thing very few have said is how much the whole thing well cost both sides to accomplish a breakaway.  I cannot find any real stats.  Everything will have to be changed all Passports etc.

There was a report on 22nd June by Patrick Dunleavy of the London School of Economics which said immediate costs to Scotland would be around £200 million. There were lots of articles about it.

It was challenged a few days later by Ian McLean of Oxford University who said there are more one-off costs that should have been included and came up with a figure of £1.5 to £2 billion.

Dunleavy then responded. In his conclusion he says: "Scotland’s voters can be relatively sure that total transition costs over a decade will lie in a restricted range, from 0.4 of one per cent of GDP (£600 million), up to a maximum of 1.1 per cent (£1,500 milion). This is a step forward in debate and I am grateful to Iain for helping to bring it out".

This is the third article, which has links to the first and second.
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/a-debate-about-scotlands-transition-costs-a-response-to-mcleans-critique/#Author

Hope that helps! I've no idea about the cost to rUK, but can't see that it would affect anybody's vote.

Im also surprised shes doing it, didnt think this sort of thing would be Judys cup of tea.

She's a huge fan - and I remember her saying she'd do it at the drop of a sequin a year or two ago! I'm looking forward to it.

Think we've all seen Andy do this already! Not usually a celebration though...

Andy Murray 7 hrs ·
this is how an old tennis friend who me and my brother used to practice with celebrates..might try it at us open https://t.co/gj369V3Hhc

There are some geneticists who believe that the Jews are a race.    However. Hitler was usually referred to as being anti-Semitic.     I think you will find the dictionary defines race as being different to nationality.   The word is used loosely but that doesn't necessarily make it correct.       

The Crown Prosecution Service says:

Racist or religious crime: This is an offence where the prosecutor has to prove a racial or religious element as part of the offence itself...

Racial group – this means any group of people who are defined by reference to their race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin. This could include Gypsies and Travellers, refugees, or asylum seekers or others from less visible minorities. There has been a legal ruling that Jews and Sikhs are included in the definition of racial group.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/prosecution/rrpbcrbook.html#a04

Anyway benniebone should have said UK to avoid all this.

Intriguing! PF taking exams? Marking exams?

Amanda ‏@amandasaysno  Aug 10 
Where is @PseudoFed?
 
Not Roger Federer ‏@PseudoFed
@amandasaysno Concentrating

Chris Elliott ‏@ChrisElliott_01  Aug 15
@PseudoFed No courtside tweetings from the Mid West? ....
 
Not Roger Federer ‏@PseudoFed
@ChrisElliott_01 I've been busy doing the concentratings #exams

All 3 Dans and Wardy playing US Open qualis. Starts Tuesday - haven't seen a draw yet

Watched last two sets of Sharapova/Ivanovic SF last night - lots of mad stuff going on! 14 breaks of serve (there were 15 in the Williams/Wozniacki SF).
Ana played 2hrs 46 mins last night finishing at 3am. 16 hrs later she's playing Serena in the final.

Looks as though the men's SFs were pretty quick and one-sided. Milos only getting 44% 1st serves in v Fed