[Daley Mayle]

Indeed.

(former inmate, 1975-1993)

Hmmm. When I read posts I hear the poster's voice based on my knowledge of where they live or the image that's built up in my mind based on that poster's characteristics. I heard your posts in that slightly flat north eastern accent common among Cumbrians. Now I'm going to hear you using the whiny, irritating, for-fuck's-sake-shut-the-fuck-up accent much loved by Essex man.

[youngian]

Simon Heffer's from Essex so he knows how people from Essex

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... x-man.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When I documented the stereotype of Essex Man for the first time nearly a quarter of a century ago, I depicted someone blue in tooth and claw – a man who would sooner send his customised Ford Sierra to the crusher than vote anything other than Tory.

Today, Ford Sierras are no longer produced at Dagenham in the county and, judging by the grassroots support already palpable for Douglas Carswell after his defection to Ukip, neither is Essex Man’s tribal loyalty to the Conservative party.

As many key marginals are in south Essex, there's not a great loylaty to either party.

Frinton – which didn’t allow a fish and chip shop until the 1990s in case it lowered the tone – was the home of one of Ukip’s first MEPs, Jeffrey Titford, who ran a very successful undertakers’ business.

There's a man who can spot a lucrative opportunity

When Mr Cameron memorably described Ukip supporters as ‘loonies, fruitcakes and closet racists’, he failed to grasp that many of them were, from time to time, his own voters.

Cameron grasped that perfectly, that's why the Tories haven't won an election of a quarter of a century.

[crabcakes_windermere]

Indeed.

(former inmate, 1975-1993)

Hmmm. When I read posts I hear the poster's voice based on my knowledge of where they live or the image that's built up in my mind based on that poster's characteristics. I heard your posts in that slightly flat north eastern accent common among Cumbrians. Now I'm going to hear you using the whiny, irritating, for-fuck's-sake-shut-the-fuck-up accent much loved by Essex man.

Fear not - 6 years in Yorkshire, 5 years in Oxford and 5 years in Scotland have chiseled the worst of it off!

[D.C. Harrison]

that slightly flat north eastern accent common among Cumbrians.

As an aside, never say in Cumbria that the people sound like Geordies, unless you fancy some rapid denistry work of the removal variety.

[Andy McDandy]

Last time I was in Ambleside they sounded mostly like southerners.

[D.C. Harrison]

Last time I was in Ambleside they sounded mostly like southerners.

My old man wouldn't recognise them as "Cumbrian", as it used to be part of Westmorland, rather than Cumberland. At times, I get the impression he regards the merging of them (plus bits of Lancashire and Yorkshire) into Cumbria as one of the great crimes of the 20th century.

[Messianic Trees]

What Ed Miliband fails to grasp about the English is that liberty runs through our DNA

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... z3EDcNqVkQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[youngian]

Heffer the political philospher, Where do you even start?

If there is a predominant political tradition in England it is liberalism — the liberalism that made us a nation of free traders, that caused a civil war and a Glorious Revolution when the power of the monarch seemed excessive and unreasonable, and that brought the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent explosion of wealth.

Like Toby Young he hasn't even understood J S Mill or even Tom Paine who came to the conclusion that liberal free trade and limited government had become a barrier to expanding liberty.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of the liberal belief that the law should provide citizen's protection to the executive (citizenship is a concept I doubt Heffer even believes in and would rather remain a subject of the crown) was a Tory home secretary drafting the European Convention on Human Rights. Heffer of course supports this over arbitrary executive privilege.

For centuries, the main desire of English people of every class was simply to be left alone, in peace and quiet, to get on with their lives.

Yes when the English working class defend their right to get on with their lives against the forces of international capital and the state, Heffer is there on the picket line.

Respected and distinguished former ministers such as Frank Field and Kate Hoey

Anyone else like to dissect this comedy further its a gift that keeps on giving.

[Big Arnold]

A real human being I could vote for: Alan Johnson's memoirs reveal a deeply principled working-class hero

Alan Johnson identified as possible replacement for leader Ed Miliband

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z3FYP8jMJf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[youngian]

A warm appreciation of Johnson's personal qualities but this article is not personal but purely politics. Heffer would not be writing the same article about Bob Crow making a good Labour leader.

This geeing up of Alan Johnson is a realisation that Miliband could get to Number 10 through arithmetical good fortune. If there is going to be a Labour leader they'd rather have a pliable Blairite populist.

[The Red Arrow]

A free and cherished press. Writing to order.

[The Weeping Angel]

A warm appreciation of Johnson's personal qualities but this article is not personal but purely politics. Heffer would not be writing the same article about Bob Crow making a good Labour leader.

This geeing up of Alan Johnson is a realisation that Miliband could get to Number 10 through arithmetical good fortune. If there is going to be a Labour leader they'd rather have a pliable Blairite populist.

I don't recall Heffer saying this about his first volume. Probably because the depiction of the fifties didn't fit in with the Mail's version.

[youngian]

Sacking a scientific adviser despite offering zero contrary-evidence to back up his decision must have won Alan Johnson many plaudits in the Mail.

Still what do these boffins know with all their facts and figures and stuff
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/200 ... tone-drugs

[The Weeping Angel]

The usual pompus bull

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... eform.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then there's this nonsense

Sacked from the Cabinet for having a mind of his own, former Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has bravely cast doubt on the Government’s obsession with renewable energy production and warned that this misguided green agenda will raise energy prices for every household.
He’s absolutely right, too, that for many years, ministers have been derelict in their duties by failing to plan a major nuclear power station building programme.
Mr Paterson’s comments are a timely reminder to David Cameron of the importance of having people in his circle who think differently from him, rather than just the bunch of public school cronies who form his inner sanctum.

[youngian]

Here's Simon's dice with death after a cyclist recognised him

Had I been six inches further forward, the bike would have hit me at about 30mph. I would be writing this from a hospital bed, if I was lucky: my attacker, riding at speed into a large quantity of Heffer, might have come off even worse.

And this is the sort of bastards cyclists are

This is no laughing matter. Last year, a cyclist jumped a light and hit a nine-year old girl on a pedestrian crossing in Dorset.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he simply got back on his bike and left the unconscious girl, who had a fractured skull, on the road, and carried on.

The poor little girl got 14 days in intensive care and suffered serious vision and memory problems for long after the incident. The cyclist got an inadequate 12 months for GBH inflicted by ‘wanton and furious cycling’. Had he not given himself up the next day, he might never have been caught.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z3GVPewCqD" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;