General British politics discussion thread

ancapailldorcha · 29-02-2020 1:33pm #1

It was suggested that a new thread for non-Brexit political matters regarding the United Kingdom might be warranted so here we are.

Please bear the charter in mind when posting.

Thanks.

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ancapailldorcha · 04-03-2020 1:44pm

It looks like the Home Secretary's problems are growing:

The claims are from her time as International Development Secretary from 2016 to 2017, and follow similar claims at the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions.

A Tory source said "dark forces" were trying to influence an inquiry into Ms Patel's conduct in her current role.

Ms Patel denies all the allegations.

The latest claims were reportedly brought to a senior official at the Department for International Development after she quit as its Secretary of State in 2017.

Link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51731753

It'll be interesting to see how Johnson's government handles this. The cynic in me expects all sorts of gymnastics to justify keeping Patel around should she be found guilty but either way, it's going to be the first test of the new administration.

kowloon · 05-03-2020 4:13pm

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

It was suggested that a new thread for non-Brexit political matters regarding the United Kingdom might be warranted so here we are.

It'll be hard to separate Brexit from a lot of stories when BoJo and friends are trying so hard to make every move a part of the 'Brexit that people voted for.'

Ribs1234 · 06-03-2020 10:56am

Might be interesting to hear where people think the structures and balances in UK politics end up in 5 or 10 years. Brexit is a part, but not all, of the changes that could happen.

It might give some context to the (sometimes unexpected) steps the UK government takes (treaties, appointees, trade agreements, constituency boundaries, new laws)

The relevance is that we live next door to it. Obviously the day to day News/scandals will need a place too

PommieBast · 06-03-2020 10:57am

I think the Labour Party leadership contest is due to end sometime soonish. If Long-Bailey wins they will be out of office for the next 15+ years..

ancapailldorcha · 06-03-2020 11:35am

PommieBast wrote: »

I think the Labour Party leadership contest is due to end sometime soonish. If Long-Bailey wins they will be out of office for the next 15+ years..

Keir Starmer seems to be the solid frontrunner. In late January, the Guardian put him at 95% (Source).

Ultimately, I can't see Labour progressing unless it finds a way to reconcile it's socially liberal, city based and young metropolitan voters from the northern and rural socially conservative base. I think Starmer is best placed to accomplish this insofar as it can be done but he needs to win first.

PommieBast · 06-03-2020 6:55pm

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Ultimately, I can't see Labour progressing unless it finds a way to reconcile it's socially liberal, city based and young metropolitan voters from the northern and rural socially conservative base.

Real problem is that Labour offered nothing to places where there are simply no jobs. Anti-austerity is mostly relevant to public-spending recipients, and pay/conditions of the gig economy at least implies people who are working. Social conservatism (read: racism) filled the vacuum.

Rjd2 · 06-03-2020 10:45pm

The Labour leadership race is to ling and its understandable why Boris is chilling right now.

Looking at the debate for labour leader, I assume they are pitching to the members who are mainly lefty and still like Jez.

Assume once Keir wins he will try and pivot more to the centre who are simply rather than worrying about keeping Ash Sarkar and Owen James happy.

As the US proved this week proved, both nations are centre right whether we on the internet like it or not.

Harry Palmr · 10-03-2020 5:02pm

The government has won the Huawei vote but only by 24, quite why they are so determined to stick with them when the other of the "5i" group has gone a different path is curious (other than in terms of pricing of course)

ancapailldorcha · 10-03-2020 5:04pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

The government has won the Huawei vote but only by 24, quite why they are so determined to stick with them when the other of the "5i" group has gone a different path is curious (other than in terms of pricing of course)

I wonder if it's down to a reluctance to agitate the Chinese.

PommieBast · 10-03-2020 5:31pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

The government has won the Huawei vote but only by 24, quite why they are so determined to stick with them when the other of the "5i" group has gone a different path is curious (other than in terms of pricing of course)

Probably because it would involve ripping out a load of kit that is already in place.

Harry Palmr · 11-03-2020 4:02pm

An amazing finding of money when it needs to be found - probably the most socialist budget in macro terms since the 70s and with a background of 0.25% interest rates (unlike the 70s)

Rjd2 · 11-03-2020 7:51pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

An amazing finding of money when it needs to be found - probably the most socialist budget in macro terms since the 70s and with a background of 0.25% interest rates (unlike the 70s)

Why are people surprised by this?

The Tories won the election by running to the left on economics and tacking to the right on social issues.

mariaalice · 12-03-2020 10:54am

Yesterday's budge, busily printing money and cutting interest rates what happnes why they cant print more money nor cut interest rates anymore?

Nody · 12-03-2020 12:52pm

mariaalice wrote: »

Yesterday's budge, busily printing money and cutting interest rates what happnes why they cant print more money nor cut interest rates anymore?

History repeating itself of course.

AllForIt · 13-03-2020 1:03am

Rishi Sunak is a very impressive politician whatever your politics. He has incredible presence and he's obviously highly intelligent. Doesn't come across as your typical 'nasty' Tory, like that hugely unlikable Dominic Raab. Quite possibly the next Tory party leader I'd say. His first budget speech was so well delivered.

On the other hand there isn't a single stand out politician in the Labour party. Keir Starmer is hard to listen to, hard to look at, and I'm not even sure he wants the job. Rather like Corbyn I feel he's being pushed into it.

I think since the Labour party will be insignificant for the foreseeable future they would be better off going with Rebecca Long-Bailey. It would give some credibility to their 'equality' ethos instead of appointing women of color to shadow ministerial jobs who are useless.

13-03-2020 1:33am

Really? All I hear when he speaks is "I've had public speaking lessons" on a loop.

AllForIt · 13-03-2020 2:05am

Deleted User wrote: »

Really? All I hear when he speaks is "I've had public speaking lessons" on a loop.

All I hear from that is a typical lefty disdain for ppl who have had an education.
Up the working classes.

Peregrinus · 13-03-2020 3:00am

Sunak (Winchester College (head boy) and Lincoln College, Oxford; MBA from Stanford; investment analyst with Goldman Sachs) is not really a plausible representative of the working classes. On top of the advantages of his birth and education, he had the foresight to marry a billionaire's daughter that he met while studying at Stanford, which must led to family connections helpful when raising the $700 million seed capital with which he launched his hedge fund firm in 2009.

PommieBast · 13-03-2020 12:56pm

AllForIt wrote: »

I think since the Labour party will be insignificant for the foreseeable future they would be better off going with Rebecca Long-Bailey. It would give some credibility to their 'equality' ethos instead of appointing women of color to shadow ministerial jobs who are useless.

Realistically Labour are going to be using 2024 as a stepping-stone for 2029, and they seriously need to spend the time thinking how they are going to do it. They more or less ran the same policy platform three times in a row, so just doing it a fourth time with a continuation leader is going to see them standing still..

BonnieSituation · 13-03-2020 1:49pm

Seems Laura Keunssberg was coughing up a lung over on BBC earlier on. So much so that it's trending.

https://twitter.com/The_Iceman2288/status/1237744299632201729?s=19

The UK response to this pandemic has been nigh on bizarre. Actually, no, it's not bizarre for them, it's just been brutal.

That Wales Scotland is going ahead tomorrow as well is shocking. Well, not shocking, stupid.

Podge_irl · 13-03-2020 3:00pm

AllForIt wrote: »

On the other hand there isn't a single stand out politician in the Labour party. Keir Starmer is hard to listen to, hard to look at, and I'm not even sure he wants the job. Rather like Corbyn I feel he's being pushed into it.

Corbyn was pushed into being leader of the Labour party!? He barely scraped into the vote and wasn't remotely wanted by the vast majority of the parliamentary party.

An Ciarraioch · 13-03-2020 11:01pm

Sam Russell wrote: »

GBP is on the slide again.

Nearly up to 89p=€1.

The virus, the disruption to supply chains, the extra spend in the budget, the prospect of delays to EU FTA discussions and the huge drop in the shares must be having an effect.

And nearly 91p tonight.

Professor Moriarty · 13-03-2020 11:10pm

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

And nearly 91p tonight.

Christ! Parity here we come.

Sam Russell · 13-03-2020 11:28pm

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

And nearly 91p tonight.

According to xe.com, it has not passed 90p (89.3) yet, but it was 82.9 on Feb 17th.

The markets do not like what is going on - either Brexit or Corona is not seen as good.

An Ciarraioch · 13-03-2020 11:57pm

Sam Russell wrote: »

According to xe.com, it has not passed 90p (89.3) yet, but it was 82.9 on Feb 17th.

The markets do not like what is going on - either Brexit or Corona is not seen as good.

90.7p on the same site?

https://www.xe.com

Gerry T · 14-03-2020 12:24am

Is it just me or has the UK lost all ability to make rational decisions. Brexit from what I've observed has been a fundamental failure of rational decision making. Each step of the process has demonstrated bizzar decision making, but it's been wrapped up in etonian empire think and that's been some excuse. But now it's really serious, the decision of the UK to effectively want their population to be infected to build a resistance to the crisis, is one that ignores the dire position the old or frail living amongst them. How many hundreds of thousands have been put at risk by the uk response.
We may have hoped for some maturity from the uk in the brexit process, but for me that hope has been dashed this week.

Headshot · 14-03-2020 1:18am

Gerry T wrote: »

Is it just me or has the UK lost all ability to make rational decisions. Brexit from what I've observed has been a fundamental failure of rational decision making. Each step of the process has demonstrated bizzar decision making, but it's been wrapped up in etonian empire think and that's been some excuse. But now it's really serious, the decision of the UK to effectively want their population to be infected to build a resistance to the crisis, is one that ignores the dire position the old or frail living amongst them. How many hundreds of thousands have been put at risk by the uk response.
We may have hoped for some maturity from the uk in the brexit process, but for me that hope has been dashed this week.

It's pure madness that schools etc arent closed and it's disgraceful that Cheltenham was allowed to go ahead, just irresponsibility tbh

20silkcut · 14-03-2020 7:52am

Headshot wrote: »

It's pure madness that schools etc arent closed and it's disgraceful that Cheltenham was allowed to go ahead, just irresponsibility tbh

They are acting on the advice of their highly respected chief medical officer.

But perhaps , he is a highly respected eminent chief medical officer with Brexity Tory leaning inclinations. He probably has, considering this government has culled pro EU people from positions of power.

The NI stance on the Coronavirus has spilt along political lines.
With Michelle o Neill advocating the European approach and Arlene advocating the British one. Like some tribal badge of honour.
It’s pathetic with lives at stake.

Rjd2 · 14-03-2020 8:46am

20silkcut wrote: »

They are acting on the advice of their highly respected chief medical officer.

But perhaps , he is a highly respected eminent chief medical officer with Brexity Tory leaning inclinations. He probably has, considering this government has culled pro EU people from positions of power.

The NI stance on the Coronavirus has spilt along political lines.
With Michelle o Neill advocating the European approach and Arlene advocating the British one. Like some tribal badge of honour.
It’s pathetic with lives at stake.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/04/prof-chris-whitty-the-expert-we-need-in-the-coronavirus-crisis

Profile of the CMO in the pro Brexit Guardian.:)

He seems hugely impressive and I hope is right, because his life won't be worth living if wrong.

Sam Russell · 14-03-2020 11:46am

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

90.7p on the same site?

https://www.xe.com

It is now, and so the slide continues. When I checked, it had not crossed the 90p mark.

General British politics discussion thread

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