The Political Week on Twitter: 15th - 20th January 2012

Friday, 20 January 2012 3:31 PM

All the week's best political tweets in one handy location.

By Ian Dunt

The royal yacht

Michael Gove's suggestion that public money be used for a royal yacht sparked vitriol and bemusement online.

@bloggerheads - I'm actually all for the royal yacht. And I know just the captain for the job...

@archiebland - I look around train at the haggard faces of people worried about economy and think: what will help them is the construction of a royalyacht

@ChrisBryantMP - Gove plan to spend £60million on a new royal yacht just shows ideology can turn a clever mind to mush.

@j_freedland - That Gove feel able to suggest a new royal yacht shows the Tories are feeling ultra-confident

Tom Harris' Downfall

Labour's Twitter tsar, Tom Harris, added another Downfall spoof to the endless list already on the internet. The result? Resignation.

@LukeBozier - Tom Harris forced out over a YouTube meme sensation which has provided innocent fun for many? Diane Abbott gets to stay. #Labour2012.

@JackofKent - Late to this, but I see @TomHarrisMP was sacked as Labour social media adviser for, er, understanding social media

@JonathanHaynes - Meta. RT @hwallop: The Downfall parody of Tom Harris's downfall parody. Twitter was made for days like this bit.ly/zjdygh

@GuidoFawkes - Sun headline on sacking of Tom Harris "Ve gaffe ways of making you walk". We salute the headline writer, truly ve are not vorthy.

@andyneil_ - Deary me, Tom Harris blasts Joan McAlpine for her remarks and then posts a video depicting Alex Salmond as Hitler. A parody of himself.

@wallaceme - Scot Labour thought process: We don't understand the internet. Let's get someone who does. We don't understand what he's doing, sack him!

Miliband's leadership

The rumours over Ed Miliband leadership continued throughout the week, as trade unions attacked him for backing coalition rules for public sector pay.

@johnmcdonnellMP - For Miliband and Balls economic credibility means accepting Tory cuts and pay freezes. To me it sounds like capitulation to neoliberalism.

@AndrewSparrow - Ed Miliband makes typo on Twitter + Sun calls him 'bungling'. Suspect they won't saying same about @rupertmurdoch, who's just done same

@tom_watson - Hey @rupertmurdoch Did you know the Sunday Times spent your money on a poll to ask people if Ed Miliband was too ugly?

@GuidoFawkes - Some good news for Ed Miliband, according to YouGov only 10% of voters think he is "too ugly" to be PM

@dlknowles - Pretty ballsy of David Cameron to attack Labour for tolerating a deregulated City when he and George wanted more deregulation #justsaying

@LouiseMensch - I'll give a shiny penny to anybody who can explain to me, tonight, what Labour's policy on the government's spending cuts is as of right now

@PerfectVerse4U - What's the difference between Ed Milliband and a midwife? A midwife has a plan for labour.

@samirashackle - This 'new Labour strategy' is such an own-goal. Accepting your opponents' terms makes it look like they were right all along.

@Ed_Miliband - Len McCluskey is entitled to his views but he's wrong. Im changing Labour so we can deliver fairness w less money.That means tough decisions.

Special event coverage

ESRC logo

Festival of Social Sciences: Celebrating the Social Sciences

Evidence-based policy should not be a radical concept. It needs to be celebrated.

ESRC logo

Festival of Social Sciences: 2 languages: 2 brains, 2 minds, 2 cultures?

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, the Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre (DCAL) hosted an event exploring the powerful benefits of bilingualism in spoken and sign languages, for hearing and deaf people alike - benefits that reach hearing and deaf people alike.

Opinion Former Events

Voice: Feeling stressed? Understand yourself? Now, move forward Conference

Application forms are now available for an exciting conference in Manchester. The fun-packed day will give you practical solutions and advice on managing stress and time to help you achieve a work/life balance.

BHA: The Marriage Debate - ‘This house would legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales'

Two weeks before the Government’s consultation on same-sex marriage draws to a close, Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association is participating in a debate hosted by Catholic Voices on the motion, ‘This House Would Legalise Same-Sex Marriage’.

BSIA: Information Destruction Exhibition and Conference

This one-day event is targeted at professionals operating in the information destruction industry, and aims at keeping delegates updated on recent developments in their sector, providing an opportunity to network with fellow professionals, whilst offering access to an informative exhibition and a comprehensive conference programme.

ABI: The Future of Long-term Savings & Retirement Income - Automatic Enrolment and Beyond Conference

The Future of Long-term Savings & Retirement Income - Automatic Enrolment and Beyond Conference

Take the Gold Challenge for St Dunstan's

We provide lifelong support for blind and visually impaired ex-Service men and women. You can help give more blind heroes an independent future by taking the Gold Challenge

TACT: 2013 Virgin London Marathon

Join TACT at one of the greatest sporting events on the planet and help give a child in care a future to smile about.

Newsletter sign up

By signing-up you agree to the terms of use and privacy policy.

Unsubscribe