We're all in this together

Did you know GO changed his name by deed poll at the age of 14. DD changed the spelling of her shortened birth name and dropped the full length version at much the same time. She managed it simply by telling all the family what she had done.

So do we trust an ITN Granada reporter or George Osborne's aide? That's a bit of a tricky one, methinks. She (journalist) does claim that the guard or ticket collector or whoever was standing beside her seat when he had the conversation with the aide. I have no idea whether she was able to record it.

Apparently, they had a big bunch of security Met checking train timetables and surrounding Gideon at Euston to whisk him through a different exit, past the bins and into a car. That way, he didn't have to face journalists, irate members of the public or rent-a-mob.

Oh, that makes me even more ashamed of the coalition!

Apparently GO has been referring to campaigners for sustainable energy sources as the "environmental taliban" Incredibly offensive, I'd say.
www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/beware-george-osborne-we-environmental-taliban-are-on-the-march-8217052.html

GO and DC have not had a good week or so have they?

Wasn't there a really tasteless 'joke' about Chinese cockle pickers at the time of the Morecambe Bay tragedy? Rugby dinners were her stamping ground, I believe. Nelliem, something you said before made me think you might live somewhere around here. Am I right?

Anno the wife of the former member for Macclesfield had a wife. MP for the neigbouring Congleton constituency who was similarly given to gaffs, most notably a really cheap racist remarks she had regarded as a joke.
She was quite put out by the condemnation and in her defence said she had "made the remark at a "private dinner".

Well thats alright then Mrs Winterton!! No problem or offence given there then!

when, much as it hurts to be fair to George Osborne, I am sure you're right.

Just to go back a bit, I once saw Tommy Sheridan on a train, which I thought was good for a start, and he was sitting in Standard Class like the rest of us, which I thought was even better, so although I never shared all his political views I still have a soft spot for him.

whitewve Apologies. I am a clot. I misheard the man on the radio and thought he said George Younger but, in fact, he said George Young as the new Chief Whip. I though Viscount Younger was a bit long in the tooth, though come to think of it Sir George Young must surely be in his seventies. Anyway, please ignore my previous idiotic burble.

When

I think you made a very good, unbiased remark. I think the truth of the story is far less interesting than the media want it to be.

Sir George Young is the new Chief Whip. If anyone watches Parliament Live I think they would have to agree he is a gentleman, a rare breed in Parliament these days.

Travelling from Manchester to Edinburgh, I usually get a good deal on a first class seat on Trans Pennine trains, but their first class on that line is fairly basic. The main differences are that refreshments are included and all seats have tables. Standard seats on the East Coast line are more comfortable. And as for the leg room on Cross Country standard class, don't get me started.

Once again, I am no defender of the Tories but Virgin Rail have supported the statements made by Osborne's office that he and his party were ready and prepared to pay the upgrade price and did not make a fuss.

Rail fares are a nightmare, most of the non-standard rate tickets from my station come with lists of trains you can and cannot take on any particular day and I must say I find when I travel by train I am always concerned that I might, quite inadvertently caught a train I was not meant to be on and the inspector will demand large sums of money off me as a result.

I recently travelled about 30 miles by train. I bought a standard rate ticket on the day using my Senior railcard. I travelled with a friend who got on the train at the previous station five miles away. He had bought his ticket well in advance, also using his Senior railcard. Hs ticket cost 50% more than mine.

whitewave I think George Younger is a viscount, not an earl – that's not quite so posh. However, he's also a life peer so still in the House of Lords. I typed life beer by mistake, which I was tempted to leave as the Younger family made their money as brewers.

When - good points
My 3 DD's used to travel to school by train and very often sat in First because there were no other seats available and they were never charged extra. They were encouraged by the staff to sit there ( probably wanted to get the noisy school crowd out of the way of the other travellers!)
I must be a toff because if I travel to London from Scotland by train I go first-class because more often than not, it's cheaper if booked in advance. Maybe if I was seated next to Osborne and co I would have to down-class to get away

I'm not one to support a Tory, but on this occasion I might just a little bit. Apparently, MPs get expenses to travel second class but can't submit first class for reimbursement now. He and three or four in his group, who had already got their return second class tickets, got on a different train because of a diary change, so had no seat in second class, went to first with his aide, having separated from his security people, and awaited the inevitable inspector. The ITV person (who was in another carriage altogether) who tweeted about the situation may have seen an opportunity to take a rise out of him, and one tweet to Tony Morris, Granada TV news presenter, refers to this reporter 'prepping the inspector for a scrap.'

I don't defend what may have ensued in terms of alleged arguments, but I get the impression this has been blown out of proportion. I have got on many a London train and found someone in my, or a colleague's, second class seat because they missed their own train or didn't want to wait for their later train. The Picadilly to Euston rush hour trains are a nightmare. People with no seat rush to First class and sit there, hoping seats will become available before the inspector comes along. Most inspectors understand the situation and will give passengers an opportunity to move if a vacant seat has come available back in second class, so the 'arguing' referred to may have been no more than discussion about whether he could move or pay the upgrade.

It's a judgement call - do you get off the train and start all over again, hope to spot a vacant seat in due course, get a seat in first class and stand the difference yourself?

GO didn't speak to the ticket inspector - all done through his aide - who was sitting beside him - Poor GO appears to have been struck dumb - oh dear dumber and dumber as they say. Probably worried that he would have to u-turn on anything he said.

Confidentiality doesn't stand up - only if they book an entire carriage to themselves., and we know that someone was there to photograph the incident.

Huh! When I was chairing a local council committee, I had to attend meetings in London. My predecessors had travelled first class, but we were on an economy drive when I succeeded to the chair and was booked in standard. Tough!

Actually to be fair, most people on business expenses travel first on rail. Otherwise there wouldn't be a first class.
I remember 20+ years ago, when a humble training officer in a water company, being amazed to discovered that I was entitled to travel first. This was a legacy of public sector rules. Presumably for public sector "management grades" this was an entitlement.
In the rush hours, first class carriages are often full, but not with people paying out of their own pockets. They will, also, be working usually. If government ministers sat in second they would not be able to work on confidential papers without keeping them from the view of others. The question really is, were they polite to the ticket inspector?

Ah! but the point is did he lower himself to travel with the common people in 2nd. or hitch into 1st class? We all may forget to pay (well sort of?!) but we don't do it to escape the riff raff do we?

Gordon Brown (apparently my MP but not seen for months) travelled from Fife to Edinburgh without a ticket some years ago (D3 was on her way to school at the time and saw it all happening ) and was caught at the barrier where he had to fork out, so it's not only 'out of touch toffs' who do it.

The problem there is if he became our next PM we would be landed with an English Berlisconi! Libido what Libido!!?? and all that brings with it.

How depressing this all is. No wonder Boris – or BoJo as he is now known – is the most popular politician in the country.

I see that the new chief whip is quite different from the old one - this ones an Earl so of course it will make all the difference. He was schooled at Eton and rides a bike. Well only a bit different! I do hope that "call me Dave" has given him a lesson in manners when riding about on his bike, or else he will be another 5 minute wonder. He is known for saying that the homeless are the bodies that you step over when leaving the theatre. Clearly a very charming chap, and so good of him to point this out.

Wonder when "call me Dave" is going to give up ALL of his correspondence between himself and the red frizz. One law for him .........

Our illustrious heir has also adopted the same tactic as his spider notes are being kept secret - well good for him I say what an excellent monarch we can look forward to.

whitewave I did – Politics They're still at it – but no one else was interested so it's gone into limbo.

Has anyone mentioned the latest expenses scam with house swapping and rent fiddles?