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GuF's Burkage: Toffs' Bible Ain't What It Used To Be
Oh No! House-arrestee Paul "GuF" Staines has nicked Chris Whiteside's story almost exclusively found that Labour's candidate in Crewe & Nant is listed in Burke's Peerage.
GuF claims this is because she is a "Toff".
Could he have a point for once? Probably not.
How about Prezza? Doddy? Cilla? Dennis Skinner? Liz Dawn? Sir Alex? Amy Winehouse? Most of whom are also listed in Burke's. And where does this leave Burke's?
Why ET, or at least his dad Sir John Timpson CBE, is not listed I have no idea. There are jumped up used car salesmen and llama farmers in there I tell you. Bruce Forsyth and Ant & Dec are also said to be aggrieved. But that's show business for you.
UPDATE 09:30 AM: Lovers of social mobility will note that while great Irish and American Families are included there seems to be little space for many equivalent "people of colour" - even if they have peerages. Try Warsi and Waheed. Or Obama. Lord Alli is there however. But the Muhammed Ali - the sole Ali - they have is trade who has probably paid to be there. Click images for some examples.
8 comments:
Is Burke's peerage one of those texts that you have to buy a copy to be registered in?
That may well be the case anon. The showbiz ones, and Lembit's ex all list their agent rather than their country seat. The trade ones list their directorships etc.
You think the upwardly mobile Cobblers were too tight to lay out for an entry?
Did you know that the Tories are so committed to crewe that they've had six different candidates for the last six parliamentary elections there?
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One is naturally exceedingly discreet on the question of emoulements and subscriptions. Though things are more open since we bought the franchise in 1999 than in the stuffy olden days.
Did you know that the Tories are so committed to crewe that they've had six different candidates for the last six parliamentary elections there?
That's because it used to be no-hope territory for them, so for the same candidate to keep fighting election after election would be a Bill Boakes-like exercise in futility.
However, there's no serious doubt now that they're going to win tomorrow.
Why do you think that is?
I think that if that happens it will largely be because this is a by-election, mid-third-term and that there is a sentiment for change (of party) in the air, a feeding frenzy from tabloids, a fairly ropey campaign by most reports, and yes, of course, the 10p tax gaffe albeit over-corrected.
It may be that the work on the ground in the constituency had fallen behind where it should be - even in nominally safe constituencies - and that the dialogue with the voter has been less than satisfactory between elections.
NOT because of some intellectual argument won by Cam's conservatives. They're bankrupt.
Interesting that guido etc are all predicting ET will lose the seat straight back at a General Election. Unless they're just saying that as part of the Pickles Love Bombing of Labour supporters. So they can stay at home or lend their vote for one time only with no ill effects.
Do you fancy putting some numbers to your prediction of Tory success?
Do you fancy putting some numbers to your prediction of Tory success?
Not numbers, but gut instinct suggests they're going to do shockingly well - as in "better than Labour's worst nightmares" well. I certainly expect a four-figure Tory majority.
Which is entirely in line both with local polling and national voting trends less than a month ago - the only high-profile exception being Ken Livingstone's better-than-expected performance in London. But there were very specific local reasons for that which clearly don't apply here.
And since nothing significant has changed since then - if anything, opinion of the Government has fallen, and the £2.7bn bribe has been treated with far more cynicism than gratitude - there's no reason to assume they'll do any better in Crewe.
In fact, as you suggest yourself, they might do significantly worse because it carries less risk than voting in Boris Johnson as Mayor of London (another reason Ken did better than expected - I think a lot of people hesitated at the last minute, but I can't see that happening tomorrow).
Sorry and all that, but there it is.
There it is indeed. A bit timid with the four-figue prediction. John Piennar's 7,800 in the BBC sweep resonated with me I must say. Now it's all over. And the real nightmare - finishing third - was avoided thank goodness.
The swings involved are actually LESS than quite a few in equivalent mid term by-elections, FAR LESS than some of them.
It is to be hoped that Sky News' projection of 494 seats for the Tories will hit home and prevent too much repetition of this protest in a General Election.
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