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Post by Eastlondoner62 on May 11, 2015 16:40:03 GMT
Patrick McLoughlin remains as Transport Secretary in the new government. That at least provides some continuity. Will be interesting to see who the Ministers of State are in the Transport Department given Baroness Kramer has gone. Whoever gets the Aviation portfolio may give a hint as to future policy over Heathrow. As Bozza will not sit in the political cabinet he is tied in to future Cabinet decisions including over Heathrow. Might cause some fun in the coming months. There was an article in the Standard today about the stars aligning for Heathrow as the SNP and Torries are both backing expansion and the main opposition who were the Lib Dems are now barely a threat. You also have the threat from the certain MP from Uxbridge but I doubt that's going to do much now.
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Post by snoggle on May 11, 2015 17:00:41 GMT
Patrick McLoughlin remains as Transport Secretary in the new government. That at least provides some continuity. Will be interesting to see who the Ministers of State are in the Transport Department given Baroness Kramer has gone. Whoever gets the Aviation portfolio may give a hint as to future policy over Heathrow. As Bozza will not sit in the political cabinet he is tied in to future Cabinet decisions including over Heathrow. Might cause some fun in the coming months. There was an article in the Standard today about the stars aligning for Heathrow as the SNP and Torries are both backing expansion and the main opposition who were the Lib Dems are now barely a threat. You also have the threat from the certain MP from Uxbridge but I doubt that's going to do much now. Well I would not be surprised to see an extra runway at Heathrow be the favoured option and one supported by the Government. The City and many big businesses will be kicking down the Tory Party's doors demanding Heathrow is expanded. Even if Gatwick fights for a second runway that will bring the pains on in Surrey and Sussex constituencies. There aren't easy answers. It does place Boris in a complete dilemma though. He couldn't vote against the proposal as a member of the Cabinet - if he did then he would have to resign from the cabinet thus weakening chances of a more substantive post. As Mayor he has been implacably opposed to Heathrow full stop, never mind an expanded one. As MP for Uxbridge he has a double dilemma - I suspect many of his constituents work at Heathrow or for businesses reliant on Heathrow. If he advocates closure or blocks expansion they'll be p*issed off with him. However other constituents will not want more noise, pollution and a decades worth of construction activity on their door step. Lots of potential there to give Boris lots of nasty issues to deal with - he'll be regretting being the MP for that constituency within a year or two I reckon.
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Post by vjaska on May 11, 2015 17:54:49 GMT
Nigel Farage has really returned as UKIP leader - I did say he'd return. Hopefully, he begins ruffling the Tories feathers giving them something to think about.
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Post by snoggle on May 11, 2015 19:31:27 GMT
Nigel Farage has really returned as UKIP leader - I did say he'd return. Hopefully, he begins ruffling the Tories feathers giving them something to think about. I think he's made a mistake no matter what the party said. The whole thing looks like a stunt which is not very sensible really. I also think Mr Farage looks knackered and actually needs a break [1]. I think he is also somewhat obsessive which was illustrated by his comments about ignoring medical advice about his back. I know people can be irrational about medical advice but it's a bit stupid to do so when you're a public figure. I've no love for UKIP or Mr Farage but he'd do himself the world of good to have a break away for a few months. I also think there is no great political pressure that they can bring to bear - they only had "power" when there was an election looming. We have the election results and they failed to break through. The Tories won't give a d*mn about them. Ditto for Scotland and the SNP. They'll get their extra powers and Cameron will go into "ignore them" mode for 3 years. The SNP have no power at Westminster because there's nothing for them to align to - Labour has its own woes for at least a year and probably longer. The Tories are going to let rip for the next year or so with all sorts of horrors being unleashed on the country. Unfortunately for them everything that goes wrong will be their fault - can't blame the last government because they were the last government. [1] Boris also looked utterly worn out on BBC London News earlier but he can't take a holiday - he's got 4 jobs to do.
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on May 12, 2015 21:23:51 GMT
There was an article in the Standard today about the stars aligning for Heathrow as the SNP and Torries are both backing expansion and the main opposition who were the Lib Dems are now barely a threat. You also have the threat from the certain MP from Uxbridge but I doubt that's going to do much now. Well I would not be surprised to see an extra runway at Heathrow be the favoured option and one supported by the Government. The City and many big businesses will be kicking down the Tory Party's doors demanding Heathrow is expanded. Even if Gatwick fights for a second runway that will bring the pains on in Surrey and Sussex constituencies. There aren't easy answers. It does place Boris in a complete dilemma though. He couldn't vote against the proposal as a member of the Cabinet - if he did then he would have to resign from the cabinet thus weakening chances of a more substantive post. As Mayor he has been implacably opposed to Heathrow full stop, never mind an expanded one. As MP for Uxbridge he has a double dilemma - I suspect many of his constituents work at Heathrow or for businesses reliant on Heathrow. If he advocates closure or blocks expansion they'll be p*issed off with him. However other constituents will not want more noise, pollution and a decades worth of construction activity on their door step. Lots of potential there to give Boris lots of nasty issues to deal with - he'll be regretting being the MP for that constituency within a year or two I reckon. Boris Johnson stated today that if Heathrow expands, they'll need to introduce a congestion charge in the area. I think he is slowly accepting defeat.
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Post by vjaska on May 12, 2015 21:59:35 GMT
First real test for the new Government - possible national rail strike.
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Post by snoggle on May 12, 2015 22:37:03 GMT
First real test for the new Government - possible national rail strike. Not really - plays exactly into their hands to impose legislation to virtually deprive people of their right to strike. It's very unlikely there will be action because there will be reverse pressure from other trade unions on the RMT not to pull everyone out. I dare say the Tabloids have been gathering all the dirt they can find on Mick Cash so he can be given the "Bob Crow" treatment in everyone's favourite newspapers. The Tories will use the strike threat as justification for shoving through the legislation in about two days flat thus circumventing discussion of restrictive and damaging legislation. We already have a very low rate of industrial action so the legislation isn't necessary (IMO, of course). Worth bearing in mind that the RMT have no settlement with LU for the station staffing changes and yet LU are ploughing ahead regardless. 630 people have already opted to take severance (source - TfL Panel paper I read earlier today) and a second tranche of severance is being offered. It'll probably be oversubscribed.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on May 24, 2015 20:28:27 GMT
I think the end results were Labour gained from the Conservatives - Brentford & Isleworth, Ealing Central & Acton, Enfield North and Ilford North Labour gained from the Liberal Democrats - Brent Central, Hornsey & Wood Green and Southwark & Old Bermondsey. Conservatives gained from the Liberal Democrats - Sutton & Cheam, Kingston & Surbiton and Twickenham
Changes between Labour and the Conservatives were none in Scotland, 2 from Labour to the Conservatives in Wales, 6 either way in provincial England but in London 4 from the Conservatives to Labour. So, Ed Miliband's Hampstead Socialism had a Chas & Dave effect on the General Election!
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