The General UK Politics (Past and Present) Discussion Thread

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  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    I'm stepping in here to say a few things.

    1) Sir Miles has NOT been active behind the scenes regarding this thread. All of the closings and openings, warnings to keep it impersonal, etc, under my name have been my decisions and mine alone. Occasionally we have discussed things, of course, as anyone would expect but only in a general way.

    2) The only reason I'm not closing this thread is that this would be unfair to Higgins since Sir Miles could keep posting.

    3) Enough of this "yes you did-no I didn't". I would normally advise going to PMs but that doesn't seem like an option here (again) so once again I offer my services as go-between. It almost worked the last time we tried, and I would truly like the two of you to return to the friendly banter you both used to enjoy and am sure that I am not alone.
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    I repeat that my discussion with Sir Miles is over.

    Thank you Barbel and I know
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Ens007Ens007 EnglandPosts: 863MI6 Agent
    I genuinely think that the Brexit topic is too emotive & devisive to facilitate reasoned discussion. You only have to see things going on in other forms of social media to see that there is no common ground in reality.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    There is little common ground for a very small minority. For the rest of us there is a lot of common ground.
  • Ens007Ens007 EnglandPosts: 863MI6 Agent
    Number24 wrote:
    There is little common ground for a very small minority. For the rest of us there is a lot of common ground.

    I'm interested to hear where you see common ground N24 - could prove an interesting diversion from the other bickering! :))
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    Most of us here on this thread see positives and negatives in the EU, Brexit and remain. There are only a few meembers who almost exclusively see the matter from one side.
  • ppw3o6rppw3o6r Great BritainPosts: 2,270MI6 Agent
    Shall we all just agree that the way the UK Government has handled BREXIT is complete and utter incompetent BOLLOX and move on! :D
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited June 2019
    The Brexiteers may tell you that it's mainly Labour's fault because half of them where voting against their personal beliefs.

    :D
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    I'm very unimpressed by the British government's handling of Brexit, yes.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I for one am proud of our government, Once again Britain
    Is #1 ...... no other government could have F*cked it up
    Better :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    You overestimate some of the goverments of the world, TP! There is a lot of potential to be bad for a government on this world, just look at places like Pakistan, Vanuatu, South Africa and Haiti. The British government has along way to go before they can compete in the same League as those countries, even though I admit they've made an effort to join them lately :))
  • JoshuaJoshua Posts: 1,138MI6 Agent
    This is not my return to this topic (until it moves on!) but I wonder if my UK based friends would read the following link and advise me if this is possible. The source seems to be reputable:

    https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/new-prime-minister-intent-no-deal-brexit-cant-be-stopped-mps-0

    Please feel free to reply by private message rather than here but I may take some time to acknowledge as I am busy. Thank you.
  • Smithers500Smithers500 Spectre IslandPosts: 1,341MI6 Agent
    I for one am proud of our government, Once again Britain
    Is #1 ...... no other government could have F*cked it up
    Better :D

    Love it! And couldn’t agree more!
    Japanese proverb say, "Bird never make nest in bare tree".
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I guess with the use of the word Landed, perhaps mainland Europe
    Thinks the UK has begun an invasion ? :D

    Joshua, I don't think any PM would force through a " no deal" , and given that
    John Bercow is remaining as speaker ( going back on an agreement he'd made )
    I don't think it would be possible.

    On the news tonight, I couldn't help laugh at Anna Soubry, who's change party has
    Disintegrated ( losing 6 MPs ) now only 5 MPs barely get 3% of the National vote.
    Yet she's still giving speeches about how they're going to shake up British politics ! :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    I guess with the use of the word Landed, perhaps mainland Europe
    Thinks the UK has begun an invasion ? :D

    Joshua, I don't think any PM would force through a " no deal" , and given that
    John Bercow is remaining as speaker ( going back on an agreement he'd made )
    I don't think it would be possible.

    On the news tonight, I couldn't help laugh at Anna Soubry, who's change party has
    Disintegrated ( losing 6 MPs ) now only 5 MPs barely get 3% of the National vote.
    Yet she's still giving speeches about how they're going to shake up British politics ! :))

    Yes that went well then! :))
    In other news it's nice to see the leader of the opposition (and possible future PM) in his natural environment.... Shouting down a megaphone and rabble rousing, earlier in the day his shadow foreign secretary was denouncing POTUS as a sexual predator and a racist! She also reffered to the Queen as a decent host! Should Labour get the election they've been craving and just happen to win how are they ever going to be able to deal with the USA with such an attitude, surely they should be showing some form of diplomacy and statesman like behaviour! What is interesting is they both attended the Chinese state visit, despite Chinese Premier presiding over a country that has horrific human rights issues (forced abortions, forced contraception coils being implanted in young women, over 1 million muslims locked up in prison camps etc) and issues with anti semitism in their own party it all smacks of double standards to me or even trying to hoover up a few votes. Its also a welcome distraction from their complete lack of policies or direction on brexit! How I wish we had a decent opposition!
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    A question: In the British election system the party that gets the most votes in a constituancy gets the seat and the other parties in the district gets nothing. Is this system, a system that doesn't encourage co-operation and coalitions the way a representative system in my opinion do IMO, be part of the reason Brexit and the Brexit negotiations have been handled so badly?
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Channel 4 had the leadership hopefulls debate tonight 8-)


    Doomed.jpg
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Ens007Ens007 EnglandPosts: 863MI6 Agent
    Channel 4 had the leadership hopefulls debate tonight 8-)


    Doomed.jpg

    Have to laugh - the biggest winner of the debate was actually the bloke who didn't show up! :))
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/10/boris-johnson-unfit-to-be-prime-minister

    It isn't often I find myself agreeing with Max Hastings, but in this case....
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    I too see Boris Johnson that way. I hope Max Hastings is wrong about his view of modern politicians in general. I fear he's right about many of them, especially Boris, but the British have to remember Britain isn't a corrupt semi-dictatorship. Theresa May has many faults, but I don't think she entered politics for fame and fortune. I think it was a sense of duty that made her see the office of Prime Minister.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Number24 wrote:
    the British have to remember Britain isn't a corrupt semi-dictatorship.

    It isn't???? Where have I been living for the last 60 years then?
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    What are you saying - Britain was more democratic 60 years ago?


    The fact is Britain is among the most democratic countries in the world: (Democracy Index)

    1200px-Democracy_Index_2018.png



    ANCHOR23.jpg
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    007.jpg
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    What is you point then?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Ok, I'll spell it out: The UK has a population of about 66m. Why should the PMs (and their entourages) be restricted to only those who have attended Eton/Oxford etc, ie about 0.1% of the population? (Cameron, Johnson, May)
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    I see your point. Britain isn't a perfect democracy, it's just a good one. What did you mean by "the last 60 years" - surely British politics wasn't less dominated by people with Public School backgrounds then?
    It's natural to be frustrated by today's politics and politicians, but very many countries are much worse off. I was thinking of countries like Russia and Venezuela when I said Britain isn't a corrupt semi-democracy. I think we can say Tony Blair and David Cameron are living well, but Putin is possibly the richest man in the world now. There is a lot of difference.
  • CoolHandBondCoolHandBond Mactan IslandPosts: 6,030MI6 Agent
    You get a better class of corruption with the Tories ;)
    Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    Are you seriously suggesting Theresa May and other Tory politicians are nearly as corrupt as Valdimir Putin?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Number24 wrote:
    What did you mean by "the last 60 years"

    Just my lifetime. The cororally is that such people make decisions that beneficially affect themselves- for example, Johnson's recent intention to cut tax on those earning between £50-80k pa while funding that from an increase on NI contributions. This is literally robbing the poor to benefit the rich, ie reverse Robin Hood.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    There are plenty of unjustices to be rectified, and that's a struggle that must never end. But I dislike it when people in some of the most democratic and least corrupt countries in the world try to make it sound like they're in a corrupt semi-democracy. That's just what demagogues like Farage and Trump like to hear. I worry that some of the people read things like that start to belive they are in a corrupt pretend demcracy and start thinking we should get a strong man like Putin who can sort things out. What is there to lose, there's no real democracy or freedom anyway?
    I don't belive you have much time for Trump, Farage or Putin. I just fear weak souls will read posts like that and forget where we've lived for the last decades.
This discussion has been closed.