BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 04 May 24 - 06:15 AM

I was also amused to see Ben Houchen, the Tory Mayor of Tees Valley, was re-elected following a campaign in which he distanced himself from his Party, not even wearing the blue Tory rosette. He continued to eschew the wearing of the rosette at the result-announcement and, when he was later joined by Sunak and congratulated on his win, his body-language spoke volumes about his contempt for his leader and the performance of the government.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 May 24 - 05:25 AM

We now have a Labour mayor in N Yorks. Which is quite funny seeing as the area contains Sunak's constituency:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 May 24 - 07:19 AM

Very amusing to see Tory MP Andrea Leadsom on BBC2’s ‘Politics Live’ just now, desperately attempting to apply lip-gloss to a pig over the Tories’ performance, or rather lack of performance, in yesterday’s local elections.

Time the party of selfishness and greed were gone, and for a very long time.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 03 Apr 24 - 06:47 AM

I can still remember the Labour slogan "Thirteen years of Tory misrule" which helped sweep Harold Wilson into power six decades ago*. I'm a great fan (or victim?) of the wave-harmonic theory of historical perception.

* Good grief.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 02 Apr 24 - 01:26 AM

Yes indeed, an excellent treatise on fourteen years of mis-rule, deception, and the populist, three-word, election-winning, slogan.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Apr 24 - 05:38 PM

A long and hard read, kebroxu, but brilliant and truthful. Thank you for the link.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: keberoxu
Date: 31 Mar 24 - 06:52 PM

Here is someone writing for USA audiences about Great Britain.

New Yorker: Sam Knight on fourteen years of Conservative rule

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 31 Mar 24 - 06:34 AM

I've noticed an interesting correlation: the inverse relation between the number of flags visible in the camera shot of a politician, and the number of things said politician has to actually say. In the argot of UNIX error messages:

       EEMPTYBARREL, excess flags error

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Mar 24 - 12:40 PM

I must say I do find it annoyong that people object to a flag - be it the Union Jack or the Flag of St George. OK, they have been (ab)used by right wing parties and others but that is not the fault of the flag!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: DMcG
Date: 30 Mar 24 - 05:02 AM

Back on the 19 March I posted on here that I was uncomfortable with the latest Labour leaflets. According to an article in the Guardian, a number of candidates are unhappy as well. Even Sue Gray has reservations.

There was criticism from those at a meeting of MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds, including Starmer’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, and the chief whip, Alan Campbell, of freepost leaflets that were – as one MP put it – “plastered with union jacks”.

Keir Starmer faces discontent as Labour MPs reject union jack election flyers

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Mar 24 - 04:32 AM

Not exactly a maiden speech from someone who has been in the house 3 times before (I think!) is it?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Mar 24 - 05:44 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGCtyISRcRw MAIDEN SPEECH G GALLOWAY

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: DMcG
Date: 19 Mar 24 - 06:46 AM

I just got a leaflet through about the May elections. It is based on a Union flag, and as I picked it up I was thinking something on the UKIP/NF/Reform lines. Then I thought Conservative is more likely.

It turns out to be Labour. Ok, I get they want to reclaim that they are as patriotic as anyone else. But it still jars ...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: The Sandman
Date: 14 Mar 24 - 08:46 AM

That is unlikely

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 Mar 24 - 03:16 AM

…or even Northern Ireland?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: The Sandman
Date: 13 Mar 24 - 05:41 PM

indeed

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Mar 24 - 02:15 PM

What about Wales?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: The Sandman
Date: 13 Mar 24 - 09:08 AM

Scottish Independence, will it happen? How Will it affect England , and Ireland. They [Yasouf] are talking about reducing corporation tax, to compete with Ireland.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Mar 24 - 04:58 AM

As if to underline the above point, it seems the Fishy Rishi is bringing BoJo back to help win the election. Well, he lied and cheated his way to the top so I suppose bozzer is well suited to fool those who believed his lies last time. Surely even our most ardent Tory supporters on here can see how desperate things are they feel that they cannot win without the blonde buffoon!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 10 Mar 24 - 01:28 AM

> have the lunatics taken over

Long since. When the playground deteriorates to name-calling and fist fights, those with sense* leave the battlefield, or in this case get kicked upstairs into the House of Lords.

* I would have said "grown-ups", but this is politics we're talking about.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Mar 24 - 09:22 AM

have the lunatics taken over

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 08 Mar 24 - 08:14 AM

Aaaahh, Kemi Badenoch, one of the chief headbangers of the Headbangers Party, trumpets more Pre-election Propaganda bollocks. Presumably, the feeble-minded shit-for-brains who fell for the Brexiteers’ bullshit in 2016 will fall for her nonsense in 2024…

Badenoch’s bollocks…

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 08 Mar 24 - 07:40 AM

> Was there a Daily Express front page article today about
> Brexit being a success?

There was: it was under Kemi Badenoch's byline. If she says it often enough, she might even believe it herself.

I really, really wish I could declare independence from Planet Headbanger.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Mar 24 - 07:06 AM

Was there a Daily Express front page article today about Brexit being a success?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 02 Mar 24 - 10:23 AM

> as Galloway [is] anything but far right

It doesn't matter if they're extreme left or extreme right, they're extremists. (That's the polite way to put it.) Most people draw a straight line, and map that to people's political affiliations; but it's not a straight line. The original line was circular, to the left and right of Louis XIV. When I explain this in person, I hold my index fingers together, then use them to draw two semicircles in the air .... and the hands meet again at the bottom.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 02 Mar 24 - 04:19 AM

Very interesting to hear ‘Fishy’ Rishi Sunak, speaking in Downing Street yesterday, complaining that there are elements trying to cause division, and trying to destroy democracy, in the UK.

You’re absolutely right, Rishi. You and your party have been doing those things for years - Tory Brexiteering, Islamophobic statements from Tory MPs, deliberately frustrating long-running pay-disputes with doctors, nurses, and railway-workers and blaming them, denying parliamentary votes and pushing through legislation without a vote being taken, spreading anti-protest propaganda, character-assassinations on MPs of other parties, yadda yadda. I’m sure there are more, but those will do for now.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Mar 24 - 03:35 AM

Well, Gorgeous George is back in the house. Too much of a loose cannon for my liking but certainly a force to contend with and a kick in the nuts for Starmer's Tory light party.

In other news, Fishy Rishi is claiming that Islamist and far right politics are ruining the country. An obvious dig at Palestinian supporters.

Surely, as Galloway 8s anything but far right, the two events are not related are they? ;-S

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Feb 24 - 01:29 PM

There isn't a valid Labour Party any more, Dick. Tory light look like winning though.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 Feb 24 - 03:32 AM

I Hope Labour win.I think trade deals that puts the uk and europe in a common market situation would be good

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 16 Feb 24 - 02:42 AM

The Tory Party Chairman on BBC Breakfast this morning, struggling manfully to impart a lustre on a sizeable piece of fæcal matter, following their disastrous performance in the two by-elections yesterday. I felt slightly sorry for him initially, but I soon came to my senses.

Worrying to see the Reform UK (formerly UKIP and The BrexShit Party) polling comparatively well. Apparently racism and xenophobia are alive and well in parts of the UK.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 Feb 24 - 07:54 AM

Amen Dave, Amen.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Feb 24 - 07:18 AM

From the BBC News

"Labour will block those not fit to be MPs, says John Healey"

If only all parties would do the same. Mind you, we would most likely end up with an empty house of commons...

It is of course with reference to the latest bout of antisemitism due to criticism of the Israeli regime now being treated as antisemitic.

I am heavily sickened by this and those who weaponise antisemitism to defend the actions of a regime hell bent of exterminating the Palestinian people should be ashamed of themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: DMcG
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 05:47 AM

Yes, having repeatedly failed to sort the position of NI arising out of Brexit, despite every variation May-Johnson-Truss-Sunak and their negotiators have been able to come up with, it now looks like they are trying "Let's dump it in Labour's inbox".

Labour cannot sort it either, of course, without addressing the whole EU relationship, not just borders. And so a key part of the Conservative tactics as we approach the next election is going to include a focus on what Labour will do or rule out.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 05:32 AM

If UK opens up the NI/UK border, against EU law then EU must either reinstate our membership or tear up the NI Treaty (Good Friday Agreement. Although the former would be ideal, the latter would probably be the best thing as there is a good chance of violence and bloodshed resuming in Ulster, and that would teach the tories a lesson (HEAVY IRONY). When families are burying their loved ones again, they need to be grateful to the self-serving chancers who gratified their ego trips and topped up the troughs that their snouts are planted in like johnson, mogg, fartarse. As far as I am concerned, if one life is lost, every nasty little proverbial who voted leave should be convicted of murder, locked up for the rest of their lives or deported to another continent.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 05:16 AM

Brexit. The gift that keeps on giving!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: DMcG
Date: 30 Jan 24 - 04:02 AM

It is great news that the DUP has agreed to power-sharing so that Stormont can restart. The people of Northern Ireland deserve to ability to elect their own government, and that is once again restarting, by the sound of it.

However, the Guardian's report on this says "Sinn Féin will get to nominate its inaugural first minister after Westminster legislates to end checks on goods moving within UK and imposition of EU law". And I am afraid that sounds very much like we are going back to square one. It is inherent in having different rules and regulations in the EU and the UK that there is a border somewhere. To be clear, I don;t mean 'border posts', but I do mean a line where the rules differ on each side of it.

Simply saying 'it will not be in the Irish Sea', which this sounds like, just reopens the question "Where is it then?" that has been the problem since day 1 of the negotiations.

I can see only one solution that preserves the GFA and the Windsor Agreement and satisfies the DUP requirement that the rules are the same in NI and the rest of the UK, and that is that every item produced anywhere in the UK has the 'not for sale in the EU' label.

The idea NI does not have to abide by EU law is trickier to address, because that is in the existing agreement with the EU. So that takes us back to before Theresa May's days...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 29 Jan 24 - 05:42 AM

I WONDER what is etc...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Jan 24 - 01:57 PM

Assuming that Starmer will be PM in November, I would what his contingency is for Trump regaining power? I suspect that the orange one will write our PM off as a Communist! I suppose by comparison...

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Jan 24 - 03:10 PM

Bozzer supports Trump

What a surprise. lets just hope that he is as right about this as he was about everything else!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Dec 23 - 05:47 AM

Bloody painful listen on the Today programme this morning. Mishal Husain had the spluttering, stuttering, clunky, meandering, hesitant Starmer on the back foot all the way through the interview. Hopeless. Worrying.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 08 Dec 23 - 10:13 AM

How dare Braverman suggest that I am a racist bigot like her BNP/UKIP/EDL/NF/Britain First or other group of neo-nazi s**m chum she needs to court to win their votes by claiing she is nly speaking on behalf of the 'people of Britain'

I demand a personal apology from Nick Robinson for failing to apoligise on line for Braverman's suggestion that as a British National I am racist filth by association.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 08 Dec 23 - 09:48 AM

> Cruella played it well with Nick Robinson this morning even
> with his going for her jugular

Of Livia, Caesar Augustus's missus: "I heard a snake bit her, and died."

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 09:52 AM

Every answer was the same too. That part of the press conference was highly-orchestrated. The whole thing reeked of a last-ditch, desperate appeal to his own party, especially those on the right.

Labour are supposedly going to vote against the bill. I'm not aware that Starmer has yet had the courage to say that he'd ditch the whole Rwanda farce. I think he should grow some cojones and say that he will, and tell us what he'd do instead. He can't keep letting the Tories say that "Labour hasn't even got a plan" at every turn.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: DMcG
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 07:17 AM

It is worth noting that every question from the media was basically the same, though. They are aware this press statement is not going to actually make things easier for Sunak.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 06:41 AM

Nice dog-whistle news conference from Sunak. Come on you hard-right. Get on board. Let's keep the merry-go-round a-spinning even though I said it won't. Can't you see I'm a desperate man with Cruella snapping at my heels?

By the way, is there a person in the house who can run the country...?

Cruella played it well with Nick Robinson this morning even with his going for her jugular (rather him than me). She kept her cool very nicely whilst saying nothing. We all know what she's up to!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: DMcG
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 04:13 AM

The resignation of Jennick has set the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons. On "Newsnight" it was speculated that Sunak might make the vote on the new bill a vote of confidence to try to force it through.

On my reading, that would be a tactical error. The right wing are convinced the Conservatives will lose the next election anyway, so their thoughts are not on the party winning the house, but themselves holding their own seat. And they judge the mood of the public is for stronger action on this bill, so they see their best hope lies with voting against it, whether Sunak makes it a confidence vote or not.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 01:24 PM

I see Bozo is blaming the WhatsApp app for losing all the messages from the early part of the pandemic. This enquiry is one of the best bits of comic fantasy I have come across in a long time!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 12:47 PM

The 80/20 rule is more properly: The first 90% of the work takes 90% of the available time. The last 10% also takes 90% of the available time.

Meanwhile, back at the point:

> It happened because Starmer is listening to focus groups of
> swing voters.

That was Tone the Clone's single point of failure, which is more properly called following from the front*. We're stuffed.

* I'm sure I've mentioned this before: it's what our cat does when he thinks there's food in it for him.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 12:43 PM

Probably not extreme enought nowadays Nigel!

What percentage of wealth is owned by what percentage of people?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit & other UK political topics - 3
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 09:21 AM

Seems you corrected while I was typing.
The new version requires the boss to be on a multiplier of 1,000 of his average workers pay. That still seems a little extreme to use as an example.