The Coffee House Wall Write ruthlessly what you believe to be the truth, or else shut up!

14May/135

An Alternative to HS2

High Speed 2They keep telling us we have to have HS2 because the main lines from London are full.

This is rubbish.

Many trains out of Euston are not maximum length. London Midland run 4 and 8 car trains, when the maximum is 12.  And Virgin still have some 9 car pendolinos.  And the Pendolinos could be reconfigured to get more seats in.  BR did it with HST’s in the 90’s – it can be done.

They could build some 6 car units for London Midland, thus saving the length of 2 cabs in a 12 car train.

But the real issue is there are a few pinch points on the network that need addressing.

13May/13225

The Coffee House Wall – 13th/19th May

This is the Coffee House Wall for this week. I won't say that it is your chance to communicate with us, as we are all in this together. It is, nevertheless, the Conservative Blog post that has no particular theme, and where everything is on topic. Let's just remember that we want to avoid ad hominem attacks on others. We don't want to engage with trolls. We want to moderate our language ourselves as responsible and mature adults, choosing to use fruity language only where it is necessary. This is our opportunity to show what the Spectator Coffee House Wall could have been like.

Please consider supporting the Coffee House Wall by making a donation, of whatever amount, to fund the running of the site using the Paypal donation button provided.


 

9May/1310

“Nadine Dorries to join UKIP”

NadineDorries_381088c

Sources suggest that Nadine Dorries is planning to join UKIP after the expected demolition of the Conservative Party in the European elections next year. In fact it has been said that there are up to 7 Conservative MPs seriously considering their future. Certainly if the surge in support for UKIP continues then many Conservative MPs who still have some affection for old fashioned conservative principles such as national sovereignty, controlled immigration and the benefits of employment, will wonder whether or not they will be around to promote them in a much reduced Conservative Party after 2015.

7May/138

Carry on Conservative Party!

David CameronCan the leaders of the main political parties really be as stupid as they appear?  Have they really failed so comprehensively to understand what took place in the Council elections last week? It might be comforting to imagine that their responses are all part of a carefully crafted strategy designed to allow them to subvert and contain the threat posed by the rise of UKIP. But observing politicians and politics over the last thirty years,  it is probably most reasonable to conclude that the vast majority of politicians appearing on screen and in print to unburden themselves of their considered reflections are plain stupid.

6May/13163

The Coffee House Wall – 6th/12th May

This is the Coffee House Wall for this week. I won't say that it is your chance to communicate with us, as we are all in this together. It is, nevertheless, the Conservative Blog post that has no particular theme, and where everything is on topic. Let's just remember that we want to avoid ad hominem attacks on others. We don't want to engage with trolls. We want to moderate our language ourselves as responsible and mature adults, choosing to use fruity language only where it is necessary. This is our opportunity to show what the Spectator Coffee House Wall could have been like.

Please consider supporting the Coffee House Wall by making a donation, of whatever amount, to fund the running of the site using the Paypal donation button provided.


 

3May/131

Support the Coffee House Wall

Over the last few days we have attracted extra traffic to the site, and had comments from quite a few new people. The number of pages being viewed is running at over 4,500 a day with 2,100 visitors. We have at least a little market of folk who are interested enough in our conversation to keep coming back for more, even if they haven't introduced themselves, and I have certainly benefited from the returning many times each day to read the views and opinons expressed freely here by many people.

But every site needs support, and this one is no different. And that is not to suggest that what people have already done is not appreciated and greatly valued. Nevertheless if we can share the address of the site with more people and on at other places then it will help us to discover new friends who have similar views to ourselves, and others who are not afraid to contradict us. If we can add a link to the site when we post on the mainstream media comments sections this will also help to advertise our presence as a place where people can speak openly and robustly.

2May/1311

UKIP victory in 37 minutes time!

230px-UKIP_logoIn 37 minutes UKIP will have won a great victory. It will be a sign that things need not continue as they are, and that it is possible to change the political landscape by a peaceful, democratic revolution of ordinary people. UKIP has developed from a tiny fringe party with few supporters to a national political movement attracting millions of British votes, and causing the established parties increasing anxiety about the future.

In 37 minutes I am going to my local Polling Station and I will be voting in a secret ballot for two local councillors. I've done this many times before. As a young, foolish and idealistic adult I first voted for the Labour Party. But for most of my life I have voted for the Conservative Party, having realised at some point that not only could I not vote for Michael Foot, but that I fundamentally disagreed with what he was proposing.

1May/1326

UKIP’s Secret Weapon

230px-UKIP_logoUKIP has a secret weapon that none of the other political parties can use to their advantage in the forthcoming Council elections, nor indeed in the European and General elections if things continue on their present course. The secret weapon is not Nigel Farage. He is undoubtedly a politician who encourages and inspires support for the headline policies of UKIP, and his natural generosity of spirit certainly make him an attractive leader of the party. But political parties and movements must be more than a matter of attractive personalities.

In 1997 a great many people were deceived by the outwardly attractive person of Tony Blair. Indeed his entire period of office was built around the pseudo character he played so well and for so long. There were many people who believed in Tony Blair and believed that 'things can only get better' because he said so.

30Apr/131

Unemployment problem? Let’s import some more!

MigrantsThere are plenty of good reasons to reduce and restrict the very high level of immigration which we see each year. The most obvious reason is that giving out 670,000 National Insurance numbers to foreign nationals each year cannot help but increase our own domestic levels of unemployment, especially among the young and the less well-skilled. But statistics produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission shows that a large proportion of certain migrant communities are destined to add their numbers to the ranks of the unemployed, and therefore we are allowing those to immigrate who have little hope of benefiting the nation.

30Apr/135

The US Right v the UK Right

FlagsBy Andrew Ian Dodge

The British political parties of note are probably viewing this Thursday’s set of local election with a mixture of angst and excitement. While at the same time the actual candidates will see the end to all their hard work on the doorstep. It will be the exhausting end to months of work and toil.

I am sure politicos, me included, are looking upon it all with giddy excitement in anticipation of following the numbers as the reports come in from all over the UK. Will the Conservative vote implode and losses add up to 600 seats as some have predicted or will UKIP be unable to deliver on the day? Will Labour suffer from the rise of UKIP at all, equally or even more than the Conservatives in places like the North? There are as many questions and quanderies as there are council seats up for election.