Thursday 16 June 2011

Question Time


David Dimbleby is joined in Aberdeen by Alex Salmond, {First minister, super canny operator and Shrek double.}
Michael Moore{ Super-liberal film maker &..Oh no..its the other one. Long faced,lib Dem minister for Scotland.}
Diane Abbott { Hopeless Labour politician with a very limited grasp of anything. Strangely likeable though..}
Lord Forsyth{ Finally ennobled, venerable, BBC dancing show, entertainer &
oh no..its the other one. Tory Scots lord. Anti devolution man. Might be a clue.}
Sir Tom Hunter{ Scots businessman billionaire. Started selling from a market stall. That always makes me wonder. Did he really sell a billion shoes in Albert square whilst 'midin' the caff for a bit?'}

BQ guesses..
1. Should independence for scotland be resisted by the English..or similar
2. Aid for Africa. Was Cameron right to insist on giving foreign aid.
3. Public sector pensions. teacher's strike.
4. Red Ed's wobbly week. It was all over the Sunday's but the knifing Blair might get an outing.
5. Alex Salmond spat with the Scottish legal system.

{I don't fancy NHS reform this week. It's Scotland.}

Leaderboard Update

Measured - 16.5

Botogol -13
GSD - 12.5

Mark Wadsworth -12.5

Appointmetotheboard - 11.5

Dick the Prick -11

Bill Quango MP -10.5

Nick Drew -9.5

Miss S-J - 10
Malcolm Tucker -10
Hatfield Girl -9.5
Miss CD -9.5

Philipa -9

Timbo614 - 8.5

City Unslicker -6

Budgie -5

Amy -2.5
Blue Eyes -2.5

Lilith - 2.5

Hovis -2

Andrew - 2



28 comments:

Bill Quango MP said...

GSD said...

My guesses are:

1) Scottish Independence - no real idea which aspect though - the two votes thing possibly or a more broad "could Jockland survive as a separate economic entity".

2) Possible public sector strikes - do the unions really think they'll get any support from the larger population?

3) Something about charities playing a wider role in society as the state/councils do less. Scotland to be a model for the rest of the uk?

4) General government bashing u-turn question - does it show they are listening & responsive or clueless & weak?

5) Will the new Greek government be able to sort their crisis out?

Bill Quango MP said...

hatfield girl said...

What's the point of the programme in Scotland when education, health and housing - which concern people most - are dealt with in the UK by different parliaments and with different outcomes?

What would be Scotland's preferred relationships with other nations in the United Kingdom or, even, the British Isles?

Should Gordon Brown be held to account for disgracefully putting jobs in Scotland above the proper defence of the realm?

Isn't Scotland ashamed of sending Labour MPs to England to wreck the lives of others while they are protected by Alex Salmond from Labour?

Did you see the moon last night and was its eclipse an augury of the passing of the Labour party into the shadow?

Are the ugliest women in the UK to be found in Aberdeen?

Bill Quango MP said...

measured said...

I wish the BBC would invest in slug pellets.

1. Oh God, yes, the NHS again, BQ. I can't afford not to put here. I don't mind; I am already in rigor mortis. U-tube, U-turn, U-bend.

2. They have to remind viewers that Ed M still exists and it is a political show, so let's have the Q should politicians prevent public sector workers striking.

3. The Scottish question that will take up half the show. Should Scotland alone be allowed to benefit from the rising cost of energy? Independence.

4. Is it fair to cut benefits to the poorest in our society? (The left wing BBC and Abbott angle)

5. The Middle East. Why should one blogger based in Scotland be allowed to undermine the protest taking place in Syria when we are spending millions and stretching our armed forces to breaking point? BTW they couldn't charge The Herald for breaking the superinjunction on Giggs. I wonder if that blogger will faces a 'privacy' charge for using someone's photograph.

Shame I haven't given Osborne on the banks a look in as he has had a good week imho. If they get to a sixth question, it will all be in greek and I won't be able to understand a word.

Bill Quango MP said...

Nick Drew said...

Even from my German hotel I can't remember a week with more QT potential - where to start ? Anyone who cracks it this week gets a hat-tip from me.

1) Rubbish collection
2) N.Rock
3) Dignitas etc
4) Navy
5) Strikes

could equally be scottish taxes & finances; electricity bills; academy schools; paedo register; inappropriate tweeting / face-booking / emailing

Nice to see my favourite scots ogre on the show.
PS on the way to LHR my (Jamaican) taxi driver said that if Harriet Harman wants to be guaranteed a woman as Labour leader or dep. leader, she should be made to have Diane Abbbottt, that'd teach her

Malcolm Tucker said...

Hi all.-
1. Vat cut nonsense from Ed Balls
2. Strikes across public sector. is pension reform even necessary?
3. Right to die. Terry Prattchet's program and care in general.
4. southern Cross, carried over from last week.
5. Scots Aviation taxes to be devolved to Holyrood. More having cake and eating it and eating some of everyone else's too from Salmond.

Dick the Prick said...

Evenin' Athenians

(with illegitmacy of Westminster music on in the background)

1) Unemployment
2) VAT - Energy
3) Cuts/strike
4) Debate on value of Union.
5) Greece

Hmmm....not confident

Botogol said...

it's a hard week, as I think it's a good week.

- the SNP should hurry up and call a referendum on independence and get it over with

- should Scottish people have the right to help eachother commit suicide

- like him or not, let's face it, given the fall in sales, and economic chaos, Ed Ball's VAT cut is quite a good idea isn't it (subtext.. if scotland were only independent we'd go ahead and do it north of the border)

- should public sector workers be allowed to go on strike, even if they aren't scottish?

- has Facebook jumped the shark?

Bill Quango MP said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bill Quango MP said...

Miss CD

- Scottish energy costs
- Libya/Middle East
- Scottish Independence question
- Public Sector strikes
- Right to die. And right to film that death for TV.

Philipa said...

Yup that Scottish flavour makes it a bit unpredictable..

* Ed Balls speech; tax/deficit and all that

* Public sector strikes

* Dangers/control of social media, Facebook/Twitter (contempt trial/injunction)

* Legalised/assisted suicide

* Something Scottish; independance/Haggis/bagpipes/oil?

Miss S-J said...

Tough one. Too hard to predict so go for the likely ones.

1. Public sector walkouts. Is 1/5 of a vote for a strike enough for industrial action

2.Vat cut. It didn't work last time and it cost £12 billion. Shall we try it again, just to make sure?

3. Salmond's Scotland. When does he plan to call for an independent Scotland?

4. Syria. Why does no one care?

5. Lord Ferguson of Manchester?

Anonymous said...

cancer/charities
Sovereing debt - deficit
Scottish independence/new devolution powers
Something about dancing
Welfare reform - a joke in jockland.

Anonymous said...

Odd the anon above is CITYUNSLICKER!

Timbo614 said...

Whooops getting later and later...

1) NHS U-turns

2) Scottish Independence :)

3) Public sector strikes

4) Northern rock privatisation

:)

Bill Quango MP said...

Questions.

1. Slightly surprisingly the first Q is the Ed Balls VAT cut one.
I don't know why this has got so much attention today. Its clearly not something he would do. Its a get your face into the newsroom, spinroom strategy. He could have said free vouchers worth £500 for Asda. Its not a credible idea, yet he's had hours of airplay.
£12 billion extra on the debt and the dim Margaret Curran, labour, thinks that will bring down welfare spending? How so Margaret? How does reducing Vat stop welfare payments?
She says its 'part of the answer'

Yes, we know. £12 billion here - £20 billion there - £50 billion for something else. {Dimby just said that. Good for him.} She falls back on blaming the Tories.

Lower taxes, yes. Lower Vat, well unless its 10% its pointless. I'd prefer to take all VAT off refurbishment/home improvements or something. Target it properly.

NHS question sneaked in. Prescription charges. Curran won't shut up.

Q2. SNP independence. Why not set a date? {tick}.
Alex isn't very convincing. We keep our promises. He'll need a better answer if we wants to hang on for four years not doing anything.

Dimby had the Treasury spending figures.
£8532/ person in England
£9940/ person in Scotland.

Long suspected yet rarely reported. Good debate from the panel and audience.

Q3.legalise assisted dying. Terry P. Docu question.

Q4. Oil revenues taxation question. Did anyone spot it? It was a good while ago it happened.

That's the lot. {yawn}

Bill Quango MP said...

appointmetotheboard said...

Well, I'm not making the same mistake two weeks running, so there won't be a question on the economy, flogging NR or ring-fencing banks, no sir-ee.

Should that great Scottish-come-Spanish institution Scottish Power be jacking up domestic fuel bills by 20% to pay for a CO2 pipeline?

Should Westminster respect the SNP's mandate and accept their 6 amendments to the Scotland Bill? Possibly leading on to, should there be two referenda about independence?

Greece - what would Pericles make of it?

Summer of Discontent or will the public get behind their working class brothers and sisters? Possibly some Thatcher bashing.

NHS / Home Office / Rubbish-collecting u-turns, and the chance to bash Thatcher some more.

Damnit. I bet someone does ask about ring-fencing banks... I may have another go later...

Bill Quango MP said...

Mark Wadsworth said...

1. Will Scotland use its new tax raising and borrowing powers? Why doesn't the SNP cut corporation tax to 12.5% like O'Ireland? (A fairly idiotic question typically asked by people who understand nothing about tax, so quite possible).

2. How much longer will war in Libya go on? How come we don't invade Syria same as Libya?

3. Why can't we have weekly rubbish collections/why don't councils encourage more recycling by having only fortnightly collections?

4. Does the panel think that splitting up retail banks from investment banks will prevent another financial crisis? (possibly the stupidest question ever, so likely to be asked)

5. Are the looming public sector strikes a sign that Tory cuts have gone too far too fast/a sign that civil servants are all lazy f***s?

Bill Quango MP said...

The best bit.
The scores.

BQ - 1 {damn!}

GSD - caught out too. -1

Hatfield Girl - 1 + 1 for assorted points that came up. As for the Aberdeen ugly woman. In my opinion Acton town has the ugliest girls by far.{my knowledge of NE/NW England is patchy, but Acton is in a class of its own.}

Measured - Well, energy{sort of} and Independence = 1.5 + ½ for NHS as prescription charges and nurses came up. = 2

Nick Drew: You were right. it was a tough week. - 1 for dignitas

Malcolm Tucker -2 + it wasn't aviation but oil taxes. But close enough = 2½

Dick the Prick - 2 good spots. -2

Botogol - 3 excellent choices. + your Q.1 was so accurate it gets an extra.5 = 3½

Miss CD: Also excellent - 3

Philipa: 3 for you too. Some have it ..some others...don't -3

Miss S-J : Good effort -2

CU - 1 +½ for the debt that arose a bit - 1½

Timbo614 - Still on that IT treadmill? -1 +½ for 4qs - 1½

appointmetotheboard - hmmm -1 + ½ for crowbarring in the Scotland bill that got a brief mention - 1½

Mark Wadsworth - just 1. But that 1 was so accurate in the way it emerged on the panel that its 2. -2

Winner is Botogol with a hard won 3½.

Winner's prize is to say yes or no to SNP independence.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Ta.

Botogol said...

woohoo!
the SNP will free themselves from Labour and break the mould of british politics (Or was that the other one?)

Philipa said...

Aw I thought I'd got 4 I was so excited; Ed Balls, independance, suicide and oil. But admittedly two of those guesses were made in one point - I knew the scottish thing would be unpredictable! Oh well, better luck next time :-)

measured said...

Bill, implement a superpoint tax on the use of the letter 'o' sans delay.

I can't believe they included a question on assisted dying. The response is so predictable.

Well Done, Bgtl!

Bill Quango MP said...

I'm tempted for a supertax on number of questions. All those players wedging them into multiple questions deducted -1 for each question not asked!

measured said...

Oops, an unconscious slip there. Well Done, Btgl!

That is a good point, BQ, not that I have ever noticed that. ::[whistles innocently]:: Not wishing to invoke freedom of speech issues and appealing to your better nature, an alternative approach might be to cap the number of questions put forward to five.

Bill Quango MP said...

No better nature today. Made so many work cock-ups its cost a fortune.
And worse, my own errors. can't even blame the others.

Curse..mutter...kick wastebin..break wastebin...add to rising costs of lousy week..muter..curse..plot revenge on unfair world...

Nick Drew said...

well there you go bogo, 3.5 is pretty damn' good on a day like that

a hat-tip from moi

measured said...

I think I'll just go and check whether the second post has arrived. ::[scurries out]::

(Those were the days.)

Philipa said...

BQ - hope my comment didn't annoy you, I was watching a film on the other side and kept flicking back and got quite hopeful but couldn't quite remember what I'd written. Must try harder x