Ed Milliband

[bridge too far]

To be fair, I didn't say that you didn't 'care' so to speak. I guess the point I was trying to make was that in the world of the SWF Lounge, there was little out pouring of grief. I brought this subject up last year before the election on numerous occasions. Lefties generally bang on about the public sector, whilst they do not pay too much credence to the 1m+ that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It's just an observation and it doesn't seem fair to me.

 

A friend of mine, mother of four, has just today heard that her job as an air steward at Stansted has gone. I'm very, very worried for her.

[Mao Cap]

To be fair, I didn't say that you didn't 'care' so to speak. I guess the point I was trying to make was that in the world of the SWF Lounge, there was little out pouring of grief. I brought this subject up last year before the election on numerous occasions. Lefties generally bang on about the public sector, whilst they do not pay too much credence to the 1m+ that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It's just an observation and it doesn't seem fair to me.

 

Well of course none of us care that people are losing their jobs if they lost them working for a private company. I remember reading about 60 layoffs at a supermarket here or 250 redundancies at a factory there every night at work (at my redundancy-threatened private-sector employer) throughout 2008 and 2009, and thinking "So long as no council Diversity Co-ordinators are amongst this lot then f*ck 'em. I don't empathise with their plight at all, send the scrounging bastards to the workhouse," etc.

 

Anyway, was listening to the radio on the way to a christening yesterday and Ed Miliband was on. Completely uninspiring, colourless fortysomething Islington/Notting Hill gimp like the rest of them. Still that's a given for all party leaders - someone with a bit about them is far too dangerous, eh.

[SuperMikey]

And now you're 19 1/4 you're an expert on everything.

 

I'm not saying that, more the fact that now I have a better understanding of how politics works within society I like to think that I can form my own opinions and thoughts on politics rather than being dictated to about the immigration epidemic and how Brussels is going to introduce a mandatory law where we have to let our families be raped by Polish plumbers every fortnight. Nice of you to highlight one sentence of my post rather than responding to any of the points raised in it though, as per usual.

[Johnny Bognor]

Anyway, was listening to the radio on the way to a christening yesterday and Ed Miliband was on. Completely uninspiring, colourless fortysomething Islington/Notting Hill gimp like the rest of them. Still that's a given for all party leaders - someone with a bit about them is far too dangerous, eh.

 

Completely agree with your last comment. None of the party leaders are inspirational and they all come from the same mould. Great leaders inspire people...... and that is what this country needs right now.

[SuperMikey]

Completely agree with your last comment. None of the party leaders are inspirational and they all come from the same mould. Great leaders inspire people...... and that is what this country needs right now.

 

Very true. British politics doesn't have an Obama figure with real charisma who inspires people, instead we get grey blobs of Oxbridge dross who are shoved into suits and carefully selected ties and they are supposed to represent the common man.

[Thedelldays]

A friend of mine, mother of four, has just today heard that her job as an air steward at Stansted has gone. I'm very, very worried for her.

a trolly dolly..?

 

if so, plenty of other companies are recruiting

[Thedelldays]

Very true. British politics doesn't have an Obama figure with real charisma who inspires people, instead we get grey blobs of Oxbridge dross who are shoved into suits and carefully selected ties and they are supposed to represent the common man.

because that is what people like you want......

 

just imagine if maggie was running for the leadership of the country.......im sure you would love it....

 

she was probably the last leader who had clear views on how to do the job that were not down the middle.....

it alienates people in the country who feel they are owed everything........either side of the divide

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Anyway, was listening to the radio on the way to a christening yesterday and Ed Miliband was on. Completely uninspiring, colourless fortysomething Islington/Notting Hill gimp like the rest of them. Still that's a given for all party leaders - someone with a bit about them is far too dangerous, eh.

 

I am not alone. Politicians should have lived a life before they came into politics. Totally agree with you.

[SuperMikey]

because that is what people like you want......

 

just imagine if maggie was running for the leadership of the country.......im sure you would love it....

 

she was probably the last leader who had clear views on how to do the job that were not down the middle.....

it alienates people in the country who feel they are owed everything........either side of the divide

 

People like me? Are you saying that 'lefties' like myself just want boring politicans? Obama is a liberal...

[bridge too far]

a trolly dolly..?

 

if so, plenty of other companies are recruiting

 

I think the modern term is flight attendant, although she may well be ground staff. I don't know which airline she works for. She only heard today, so I guess she's working on her options.

 

She has a more out-of-work than in it actor for a husband so she's the main breadwinner.

 

But really the point I was making was more for JB's benefit. Here's one 'leftie' who has huge sympathy for anyone who loses his / her job.

[dune]

Very true. British politics doesn't have an Obama figure with real charisma who inspires people, instead we get grey blobs of Oxbridge dross who are shoved into suits and carefully selected ties and they are supposed to represent the common man.

 

You are joking, right?

 

I shudder at the thought of having a prime minister like Obama.

[Johnny Bognor]

But really the point I was making was more for JB's benefit. Here's one 'leftie' who has huge sympathy for anyone who loses his / her job.

 

Ah, but you're different to the rest on here BTF.

[hypochondriac]

I have sympathy for people losing their jobs but I also realise that it is an inevitability due to the stupid policies of the Labour government over the last few years.

[Thedelldays]

People like me? Are you saying that 'lefties' like myself just want boring politicans? Obama is a liberal...

 

Is he.. Really?

 

Spent more in defence than any other person in history

 

Eroded more privacy laws in the states

 

Sent more troops in foreign countries

 

He makes our right of centre look like a socialist movement..!

[Thedelldays]

I think the modern term is flight attendant, although she may well be ground staff. I don't know which airline she works for. She only heard today, so I guess she's working on her options.

 

She has a more out-of-work than in it actor for a husband so she's the main breadwinner.

 

But really the point I was making was more for JB's benefit. Here's one 'leftie' who has huge sympathy for anyone who loses his / her job.

 

I happen to know flight attendants and they call themselves trolly dollys

 

Guess they are not modern enough for people who don't do the job like you?

[bridge too far]

I happen to know flight attendants and they call themselves trolly dollys

 

Guess they are not modern enough for people who don't do the job like you?

 

Maybe, just maybe, my friend (and also her sister who's a flight attendant for a NZ airline) finds the term offensive. SHE calls HERSELF a flight attendant, so I'm basing my comments on HER experience.

 

You got any other nits you want to pick?

[Johnny Bognor]

Maybe, just maybe, my friend (and also her sister who's a flight attendant for a NZ airline) finds the term offensive. SHE calls HERSELF a flight attendant, so I'm basing my comments on HER experience.

 

You got any other nits you want to pick?

 

My mrs is an air stewardess for Virgin.

 

She finds trolley dolly offensive, whilst she finds flight attendent too americanised.

 

I have to say, I prefer "air stewardess" personally.

[Thedelldays]

Maybe, just maybe, my friend (and also her sister who's a flight attendant for a NZ airline) finds the term offensive. SHE calls HERSELF a flight attendant, so I'm basing my comments on HER experience.

 

You got any other nits you want to pick?

 

Well.. Then it is not a modern term.. Just a preferable one to your friend

[hypochondriac]

Really couldn't care less. Anyone who finds trolley dolly offensive needs to get a life. It's a relatively unskilled job at any rate which most people with a degree of competence could do.

[Verbal]

You are joking, right?

 

I shudder at the thought of having a prime minister like Obama.

 

You surprise me.

[SuperMikey]

Is he.. Really?

 

Spent more in defence than any other person in history

 

Eroded more privacy laws in the states

 

Sent more troops in foreign countries

 

He makes our right of centre look like a socialist movement..!

 

Yes, I would say he is.

 

- Reformed the healthcare system to make it more equal and fair to those who can't afford private healthcare or don't have insurance

- Given extensions on welfare to those laid off by the public sector

- Tax breaks for those studying at university (great idea btw)

- Extended tax credits to low-income families who weren't eligible before

 

He's sent more troops to Afghanistan to resolve the issue more quickly, he's dealing with the mess that GWB left him. A withdrawl of US forces would eradicate all the work that's been done in the region to train Afghan forces to contain the insurgents. The defence spending and privacy law cutting is a counter-terrorist movement, god only knows how many terrorist threats the US faces every week.

 

You are joking, right?

 

I shudder at the thought of having a prime minister like Obama.

 

Why is that? I'm not sure he's done that much to provoke controversy tbh, he's been very good so far.

Edited 17 January, 2011 by SuperMikey

[badgerx16]

I shudder at the thought of having a prime minister like Obama.

Not WASP ?

[Johnny Bognor]

Really couldn't care less. Anyone who finds trolley dolly offensive needs to get a life. It's a relatively unskilled job at any rate which most people with a degree of competence could do.

 

Diagree there Hypo. Being a good stewardess requires more than just competency.

 

You have to be able to take control of situations, think on your feet and deal effectively with situations.

 

My mrs is in charge of the flight and has to deal with Medical emergencies (not always help at hand at 35,000 feet mid atlantic) and Violent situations (not disimilar to those faced by the police sometimes, except for the fact there is no back up, body armour or batons at 35,000 feet). Granted that these don't happen all the time, but nevertheless you need to be able to deal with it effectively and in my experience, not many people can. There are many other examples I could give.

 

I personally don't think it is that easy to be a good stewardess (certainly good senior cabin crew) and you need an element of natural ability/charisma to do the job well (which most people don't have).

[Verbal]

I'll have to take your side on this one Johnny Bog. A few years ago, I met Peggy Oginowski, the widow of the captain of American Airlines Flight 11. She was herself a purser in the same company. She helped us piece together the order of events before the plane struck the North Tower. I also talked to the families of Flight 11 attendants Betty Ong and Madeleine Sweeney, both of whom were left to struggle alone to deal with what they only knew at the time to be a hijacking. They had been extensively trained in responding to the violent takeover of a plane, and acted, bravely, accordingly. Almost everything we know of what happened on that flight came from calls to the ground from Ong and Sweeney. While channelling as much information as possible - which quickly revealed the identity of the attackers - they had to deal with distressed passengers, thrown into a panic by the sudden dives and turns made by the cretinous Atta and his fellow 'jihadists', now at the controls of the 767. At least one of the attendants made repeated attempts to get into the cockpit, having to find her a way past a stabbed, probably dead, passenger (Daniel Lewin), the stabbed, dying flight purser, and through a cloud of Mace. A pretty extraordinary act of bravery.

 

So, yes - dismissively calling people 'trolly dollies' is a mark of smug stupidity. I suppose you just have to make allowances...

[Johnny Bognor]

I'll have to take your side on this one Johnny Bog. A few years ago, I met Peggy Oginowski, the widow of the captain of American Airlines Flight 11. She was herself a purser in the same company. She helped us piece together the order of events before the plane struck the North Tower. I also talked to the families of Flight 11 attendants Betty Ong and Madeleine Sweeney, both of whom were left to struggle alone to deal with what they only knew at the time to be a hijacking. They had been extensively trained in responding to the violent takeover of a plane, and acted, bravely, accordingly. Almost everything we know of what happened on that flight came from calls to the ground from Ong and Sweeney. While channelling as much information as possible - which quickly revealed the identity of the attackers - they had to deal with distressed passengers, thrown into a panic by the sudden dives and turns made by the cretinous Atta and his fellow 'jihadists', now at the controls of the 767. At least one of the attendants made repeated attempts to get into the cockpit, having to find her a way past a stabbed, probably dead, passenger (Daniel Lewin), the stabbed, dying flight purser, and through a cloud of Mace. A pretty extraordinary act of bravery.

 

So, yes - dismissively calling people 'trolly dollies' is a mark of smug stupidity. I suppose you just have to make allowances...

 

Well, after many exchanges, we've agreed on something at last.

 

Although my mrs has not dealt with anything on the scale of Peggy & Co, she has had someone on her flight trying to set off a bomb and fairly recently her plane was struck by lighting (which cracked the underside of the fuselage) and had to prepare the passengers for an emergency landing in the sea (they were very lucky to make it back to LHR) and that's not to mention being punched and spat at along with deaing with deaths on board. There is much more to the job than serving tea and coffee and the skill set required goes beyond 'normal' competencies..

[Thedelldays]

My friend who is a trolly dolly has been flying for 11 years and is a cabin crew manager..for a very large uk company..

 

She calls herself a trolly dolly so sorry if I do the same..

 

And I also know full well what they are trained to deal with an what they put up with..

 

So no verbal, you don't have to make any allowances

[Saintandy666]

I agree. Also the curriculum needs cleansing of its left wing tree hugging bias. Take History as an example. Students should be taught about how good the British Empire was. This is a very important lesson as if children are taught about the British Raj for example they can learn a great deal about becoming sucessful in business.

 

You clearly have no idea about how the Raj is taught in the education system today. There isn't any bias, they present the main events and even do a section on the benefits that Britain bought to India.

 

However, it is just a fact that indefinitely taking over another country and suppressing its peoples is fundamentally wrong.

[Verbal]

So no verbal, you don't have to make any allowances

 

Did you really mean to write that? Hilarious. Well at least we're agreed on something.

[benjii]

I'll have to take your side on this one Johnny Bog. A few years ago, I met Peggy Oginowski, the widow of the captain of American Airlines Flight 11. She was herself a purser in the same company. She helped us piece together the order of events before the plane struck the North Tower. I also talked to the families of Flight 11 attendants Betty Ong and Madeleine Sweeney, both of whom were left to struggle alone to deal with what they only knew at the time to be a hijacking. They had been extensively trained in responding to the violent takeover of a plane, and acted, bravely, accordingly. Almost everything we know of what happened on that flight came from calls to the ground from Ong and Sweeney. While channelling as much information as possible - which quickly revealed the identity of the attackers - they had to deal with distressed passengers, thrown into a panic by the sudden dives and turns made by the cretinous Atta and his fellow 'jihadists', now at the controls of the 767. At least one of the attendants made repeated attempts to get into the cockpit, having to find her a way past a stabbed, probably dead, passenger (Daniel Lewin), the stabbed, dying flight purser, and through a cloud of Mace. A pretty extraordinary act of bravery.

 

So, yes - dismissively calling people 'trolly dollies' is a mark of smug stupidity. I suppose you just have to make allowances...

 

That's an interesting story but I don't think it is representative of anything much other than that otherwise highly unremarkable people are capable of acting heroically under pressure. I suppose it tells us that the unremarkable can quite easily, serendipitously, unwittingly, instinctively become remarkable. The "Trolly Dolly" is a moniker of the normal, the 99.9%.

[Verbal]

That's an interesting story but I don't think it is representative of anything much other than that otherwise highly unremarkable people are capable of acting heroically under pressure. I suppose it tells us that the unremarkable can quite easily, serendipitously, unwittingly, instinctively become remarkable. The "Trolly Dolly" is a moniker of the normal, the 99.9%.

 

Behind the sneering, leering references to 'trolley dollies' is a misogynistic, condescending, narrow-minded peevishness - characteristics found only too frequently here within a small, self-selecting group of oafs presumably in denial of their own inadequacy. I'd avoid joining this pathetic little gang if I were you.

[hypochondriac]

Diagree there Hypo. Being a good stewardess requires more than just competency.

 

You have to be able to take control of situations, think on your feet and deal effectively with situations.

 

My mrs is in charge of the flight and has to deal with Medical emergencies (not always help at hand at 35,000 feet mid atlantic) and Violent situations (not disimilar to those faced by the police sometimes, except for the fact there is no back up, body armour or batons at 35,000 feet). Granted that these don't happen all the time, but nevertheless you need to be able to deal with it effectively and in my experience, not many people can. There are many other examples I could give.

 

I personally don't think it is that easy to be a good stewardess (certainly good senior cabin crew) and you need an element of natural ability/charisma to do the job well (which most people don't have).

 

Thanks for the civil reply. Although I do not fully agree you do make some valid points.

[hypochondriac]

I'll have to take your side on this one Johnny Bog. A few years ago, I met Peggy Oginowski, the widow of the captain of American Airlines Flight 11. She was herself a purser in the same company. She helped us piece together the order of events before the plane struck the North Tower. I also talked to the families of Flight 11 attendants Betty Ong and Madeleine Sweeney, both of whom were left to struggle alone to deal with what they only knew at the time to be a hijacking. They had been extensively trained in responding to the violent takeover of a plane, and acted, bravely, accordingly. Almost everything we know of what happened on that flight came from calls to the ground from Ong and Sweeney. While channelling as much information as possible - which quickly revealed the identity of the attackers - they had to deal with distressed passengers, thrown into a panic by the sudden dives and turns made by the cretinous Atta and his fellow 'jihadists', now at the controls of the 767. At least one of the attendants made repeated attempts to get into the cockpit, having to find her a way past a stabbed, probably dead, passenger (Daniel Lewin), the stabbed, dying flight purser, and through a cloud of Mace. A pretty extraordinary act of bravery.

 

So, yes - dismissively calling people 'trolly dollies' is a mark of smug stupidity. I suppose you just have to make allowances...

 

Using a singular example does not suddenly make all trolly dollies highly qualified and competent. There are stories like that in all walks of life and professions. I'm certain I could find acts of bravery among binmen and people who work on the checkouts and Sainsburys so that doesn't really change anything.

[hypochondriac]

Behind the sneering, leering references to 'trolley dollies' is a misogynistic, condescending, narrow-minded peevishness - characteristics found only too frequently here within a small, self-selecting group of oafs presumably in denial of their own inadequacy. I'd avoid joining this pathetic little gang if I were you.

 

You are extremely condescending.

[Jonnyboy]

Good speech today.

 

Genuine lolage when he called the tories a "miserable shower."

[bridge too far]

Powerful defence of the NHS too. I like the 'one nation' theme (some Tories will be a bit miffed by that)

 

All in all a very good performance

[trousers]

I thought he came across well today. His leadership skills are definitely improving.

[ecuk268]

Even got praise from the Telegraph.

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

I would be unlikely to vote for labour but I would never rule it out. What I think is the unsaid issue is how he shafted his brother and how that plays with the public. There will always be a price to pay for power but I would never compromise my relationship with my family.

[Viking Warrior]

one nation what a load of ********. more a bigger divided nation especially when scotland gets independance and its own border agency

 

Sorry to all those Millipede supporters he is a pratt as far as I am concerned. He has dual standards and only thinks about himself .

 

I wish the coalition would get their fingers out they are not much better either

[Lord Duckhunter]

His bit about Cameron writting a cheque for £40,000 to millionaires was pure class warfare that his father would be proud of. It also showed Labours attitude to tax and income. Their attitude is that this was governement money that was given back to the wealthy, when in fact it's their money and the Govenment has just decided to take less of it.

 

It's also complete and utter ******s.Saying "millionaires" was disingenuous. Andrew Neil monstered Douglas Alexander on this popint when he repeated it on the Daily Politics. He said to Alxander "is Ed Milliband going to receive a £40,000 tax break" to which the reply was "of course not", Neil then said "well he's a millionaire, so whys he not getting it" to which the reply was "but he doesn't earn a million a year", Neil replied "exactly, so why did he claim millionaires , there's a massive difference between people worth a million and people earning a million a year, as you well know".

[badgerx16]

He has dual standards and only thinks about himself .

Isn't that part of an MP's Job Description ?

[Huffton]

He's an MP, therefore he is a smarmy, lying little toe rag who would sell his own mother to further his career a bit. Theyre all as bad as one another.

I also see Ed Balls speech the day before about Labour not being able to reverse tax cuts/ spending cuts etc didn't get much of a mention. Can't think why...

[OldNick]

MIlliband, Balls and his odious wife Evette Cooper are the most cynical of politicians who lap up the gravy train while peddling the'we support the working class' the next generation of the Kinnocks.

Boy,does that family know how to feather it's nest. A generation of miners went out and tried to bring a government down to get Neil as PM, then he swans off to Brussels. It is disgusting the way the working classes have been abused by these people desperate for power any way they can.

I await the attacks by the hoodwinked coming to their defence lol

[trousers]

@frankieboyle: Ed Miliband wants to turn us into one nation. Unfortunately it’s Greece.

[scotty]

Anybody still deluding themselves that ed miliband might be capable of running this (or any) country ought to fire up the iplayer and listen to his interview on today's World at One. Utterly cringeworthy, an embarrassment to the labour party and british politics.

[Turkish]

It was funny seeing him squirm when Charlie asked him on BBC breakfast yesterday how much he Was worth.

[scotty]

It was funny seeing him squirm when Charlie asked him on BBC breakfast yesterday how much he Was worth.

 

 

 

christ turks, it was bad enough listening to him without having to look at him as well.

[Lord Duckhunter]

It was funny seeing him squirm when Charlie asked him on BBC breakfast yesterday how much he Was worth.

 

Someone tweeted yesterday that his quote he wasn't "born to lead" (unlike Cameron), was a bit strange considering the last 2 in the Labour leadership election was him and his brother.

[CB Saint]

MIlliband, Balls and his odious wife Evette Cooper are the most cynical of politicians who lap up the gravy train while peddling the'we support the working class' the next generation of the Kinnocks.

Boy,does that family know how to feather it's nest. A generation of miners went out and tried to bring a government down to get Neil as PM, then he swans off to Brussels. It is disgusting the way the working classes have been abused by these people desperate for power any way they can.

I await the attacks by the hoodwinked coming to their defence lol

 

Aka "three flips"

[buctootim]

Anybody still deluding themselves that ed miliband might be capable of running this (or any) country ought to fire up the iplayer and listen to his interview on today's World at One. Utterly cringeworthy, an embarrassment to the labour party and british politics.

 

Cameron and Osbourne / Milliband and Balls have got to be the weakest party leadership teams in living memory.