Here’s the ‘Bungling’ IMF spokesman in full: “The first half of 2016 revealed some promising signs – stronger than expected growth in the euro area and Japan, as well as a partial recovery in commodity prices. As of 22nd June we were therefore prepared to upgrade our 2016-17 global growth projections slightly. But Brexit has thrown a spanner in the works. The vote in favour of leaving the EU adds significant uncertainty”

Due to Brexit the IMF has trimmed back the expected UK 2016 growth figure from 1.9% down to 1.7%, and the 2017 figure from 2.2% to 1.3%

Got to hand it to whatever organ you have been studying – that’s some spin!

What’s the source? I am guessing it must be quite a learned economist, to accuse the IMF of being bungling.

Especially when these are pre-exit figures, and on the face of it they show a deceleration in growth from current figures, leading up to it. It must be one hell of an expert writing to understand from this that exit will be a good thing.

To take the current growth figure and call it a forecast of what will happen after exit – and further to point to a predicted downward trend and call it upward.. that takes some skill. He or she should work for the PLP.

Does that attitude from the JLR spokesman come from a fear that they might get shown up by this chap’s success? They could have re-used the enormously strong original Defender ‘brand’ forever more, but instead made a questionable call not to. Shareholders might notice if somebody else makes a profit from it.

Locally here no-one believes a word of the promises made to ‘double the workforce’ -that is a nonsensical proposition to those who know ARM’s business – what would the suddenly-employed extra staff do? ARM may or may not enjoy continued steady growth, but promises of exact numbers of extra staff are laughable.

That has lead to suspicion. However you dress it up, ultimately what the Japanese are buying are brains, and the knowledge of chip design and manufacture that they contain.

They were going to do this before Brexit, its just cheaper for them now.

But then, Canada Australia et al would, because they are seeking to replace something that already exists in our relationships but which Brexit will at some point terminate.. Doesn’t show Brexit as a good thing, unless you spin beyond all reference to the real situation we are now in.

If you used that analogy – but it’s only a limited analogy, as the systems are different – Corbyn was placed on a ballot through those nominations, then secured the vote he did from the membership. I admit I was a bit naughty using the direct analogy in the first place – I was highlighting that at the point where she was put in charge of the party and thus became Prime Minister she had 199 votes, as it never got to the stage where the wider party could demonstrate her ‘mandate’. It could never match Corbyn’s relative ‘mandate’ as there are fewer members of the Conservative Party in total (150,000) than there are Labour Members who voted for Corbyn.

I agree none of this demonstrates an actual democratic mandate.

All parties have leaders that are voted for by a tiny fraction of the electorate. Much tinier in the case of the Conservatives, who have more General election voters.

Theresa May, 199 votes.
Jeremy Corbyn, 251,417votes.

Tony, I take your second point, and agree with it.

Your first… you know it’s highly unlikely that thousands of people would join a left wing party just to oust its leader for being in line with the party’s left-wing principles.