The General UK Politics (Past and Present) Discussion Thread

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  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    :)) :)) :))
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • CoolHandBondCoolHandBond Mactan IslandPosts: 6,030MI6 Agent
    Number24 wrote:
    Number24 wrote:
    it's corruption in the economic sense, usually taking bribes.

    If the chart that you show was actually true then Switzerland would be a great fat red colour - the FIFA headquarters are there and a more corrupt organisation would be very hard to find.

    Charts are useless, I can find opposite results in seconds on the internet on any subject - the results of each chart are carefully manipulated according to who paid for the survey.

    Are you suggesting FIFA is a very large part of Switzerland's economy? Or that FIFA makes up much of the administration, state and private, in that country? If not that's not that's not very relevant or true statement you just made.
    A good chart is based on verifiable fact and presented in a clear way. The book "Factfullnes" by Hans Rosling is an excelent example of good charts. It uses good and relevant charts to show how the world is and how it's developing - hightly recomeded!

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Factfulness-Reasons-Wrong-Things-Better/dp/1473637465

    I’m unsure how you can claim this book is full of verifiable fact because a simple google search lists scores of opposition to those claims made. It’s also endorsed by a politician, which means it’s a verifiable fact that it only provides results that that party supports ;)
    Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I can't wait to hear the many humorous chants from Unions etc if
    Jeremy Hunt becomes PM. as his name rhymes so easily with ...... ;%
    It's already funny when TV presenters get it wrong Now. :D
    "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
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) :)) :))
    I loved Rory Stewart admitting to smoking opium ........ very 18th century
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,645MI6 Agent
    One for the often overlooked Past politics part of this thread...

    On this day in 2007, Gordon Brown became prime minister of the UK. Regardless of what you think of him, he did make a very good first speech as PM. It's one of my favourites in fact. "I will try my utmost. This is my promise to all of the people of Britain." And, despite his faults, I think he did try his utmost through all the challenges his particular premiership faced, not least the credit crunch and recession of 2008 onwards.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7RRE9Bh2Jo
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,703MI6 Agent
    Have you seen the two recent videos of Chancellor Merkel shaking? It really looks horrible and I hope she's OK.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Agreed, I hope it's nothing serious, but it is
    Disturbing to see.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    Sad play with the UK ambassador's resignation today.

    It became inevitable after Trump denied to working together with him anymore.
    However, this gives a taster, how "special" the US-UK relationship is in this age and who is sitting on the longer lever for potential trade negotiations.

    It's been speculated that his assessment was leaked to get him replaced with a more Johnson (speak Brexit) friendly candidate, today's resignation at least busted that move. The May administration will now be able to chose a candidate of her choice.

    Also remarkable that Johnson made no effort to stand by the man
    Seems that morals play no role anymore in conservative circles.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Ens007Ens007 EnglandPosts: 863MI6 Agent
    Morals & politics never seem to go hand in hand no matter where you are in the world - sadly
  • Sir Hillary BraySir Hillary Bray College of ArmsPosts: 2,174MI6 Agent
    The man was doing his job in assessing the government he was assigned to liaise with. But he did the only honorable thing he could do in resigning -- not because he was wrong, but because he couldn't carry out his duties in light of Trump refusing to engage with him.

    Who knows if this was Brexit-driven, Boris-driven or whatever -- absent evidence, any supposition to that effect is just speculative.

    What's clear are two things which have always been clear (to me, at least):
    1 -- The US President is a moron.
    2 -- Anonymous leakers (of all political persuasions) are the lowest scum.
    Hilly...you old devil!
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,703MI6 Agent
    It's likely many (most?) ambassadors see Trump the way the British ambassador does, but this time his opinion was made public. To think Trump actually claimed he would make America MORE respected :))

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/donald-trump-says-the-kidney-has-a-very-special-place-in-the-heart/vi-AAEazsw



    Merkel suffered a new shaking attack during a visit from Finland's president. I hope it's not as serious as it looks.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    https://youtu.be/q2mrQ1Z73kM
    A funny video with J Hunt, but it has the "C" word in it.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Bride of Barbel was leaning entirely towards Hunt, until she heard that he would not be totally adverse to bringing back fox-hunting. I'm not for it myself, but think that Boris's plan to reduce tax on those earning £50-80k pa while funding that from an increase in NI is more relevant.
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited July 2019
    My parents regularly are getting nightly „visits“ by a wild fox in their garden.
    His urine smell is hard to bear over the next days and they wouldn‘t mind if he‘d be gone :D

    Having said this, I am well aware that the UK style fox hunts are nothing than cruel and deplorable
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • CoolHandBondCoolHandBond Mactan IslandPosts: 6,030MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:

    Having said this, I am well aware that the UK style fox hunts are nothing than cruel and deplorable

    The sight of toffs in their fox hunting granderee is sickening. But I’m a city boy and have no idea how things work in the countryside. Foxes have to be controlled otherwise they run amok on farms, but this should be managed by farmers not sadists on horseback.
    Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) They were worried about Boris saying something stupid !
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • JoshuaJoshua Posts: 1,138MI6 Agent
    Where my lands and livestock were threatened it was possible to sometimes deter the predator by using the scent of the animals that themselves eat the predator. Do this correctly and set up a scent marking pattern the predators will believe that they are straying into the territory of an animal which will attack and kill them and they will not only keep away but go elsewhere. It saved livestock, a bullet and much time and effort in stalking. It is also better than poison for obvious reasons, though the lazy would always use poison as a first resort. I see no reason why this cannot be used to deter unwanted animals from gardens? Of course the only animal a fox would be scared of would be a dog (or a wolf) to allow a dog to mark 'its' territory along the boundaries may have the same effect?

    For countryside, I do not think in the UK that the fox has any predators in the wild? Since there is a ban on fox hunting I presume there is another system in place to control foxes which will be more efficient and less painful (for the fox) so any notion that more control of the population is needed to justify hunting with dogs is perhaps not correct?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    I'll say it again- the fox-hunting is less important than Boris's plan to steal from the poor and give to the rich.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    He's the Anti- Robin Hood ;)
    "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
    Barbel wrote:
    I'll say it again- the fox-hunting is less important than Boris's plan to steal from the poor and give to the rich.
    But in his whole package he is wanting to reduce national insurance for the lowest earners.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    I'll say it again- the fox-hunting is less important than Boris's plan to steal from the poor and give to the rich.

    Absolutely :D
    And Boris' taxplans are just small fry compared to what will come if he really exits without a deal, turn the UK into a tax haven and "negotiate" on a very small lever a deal with his buddy Donald.

    However, Farage as the UK ambassador in the USA would be very entertaining to watch - imo - in a very bad sense of course.

    Stealing money from the poor and give to the rich is a very conservative pattern and the trade name for it is "Tax-cuts"
    The opposite - taking the money from the rich and give to the poor is in those days branded as being "stupid" and "socialist".

    Call me what you want, but I prefer the stupid way of things in this matter.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:
    My parents regularly are getting nightly „visits“ by a wild fox in their garden.
    His urine smell is hard to bear over the next days and they wouldn‘t mind if he‘d be gone :D

    Having said this, I am well aware that the UK style fox hunts are nothing than cruel and deplorable

    Why is it a UK style? It was very popular in Germany and accross Europe too once, recent figures show that in Germany over half a million red foxes were killed in a year with the Fuchswochen being when most of it happens. The French still kill boars with spikes, the Spanish still have their bull fights etc etc, it's a sad fact that some humans the world over get their kicks from killing animals, and in some truly upsetting ways.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    Of course other countries hunt foxes, too.

    As far as I am hearing from my UK friend, the way that it‘s mainly done in the UK is unnecessary cruel and with a lot of „just for fun“.

    And no matter how and where, I find killing of any living being just for pleasure absolutely disgusting.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Chriscoop wrote:
    Barbel wrote:
    I'll say it again- the fox-hunting is less important than Boris's plan to steal from the poor and give to the rich.
    But in his whole package he is wanting to reduce national insurance for the lowest earners.

    IIRC, that's labelled as an "aspiration" so it isn't a commitment.

    And I like the way Higgins put things, agreeing that in this instance the "stupid" way is correct. (I nearly said "right" but that would be prone to misunderstanding.)
  • CoolHandBondCoolHandBond Mactan IslandPosts: 6,030MI6 Agent
    :)) They were worried about Boris saying something stupid !

    Well, all along I thought the reason my posts were rarely commented on was because they were boring but all along its because I’m stupid :))

    Anyway, all good things come to an end and it’s been an enjoyable experience contributing to AJB007 and whilst I will pop back in from time to time to read the threads, my posting days are over, (I’m not having a hissy fit, honest :)) ), I just feel my time on here has come to a natural conclusion.

    Trying to think of a witty Bondian send off but it eludes me so will end with one from The Prisoner.

    Be seeing you.
    Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Sorry to hear that, CHB. :# You will be missed, and I hope you change your mind.
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    I'll miss your posts too CoolHand.
    I particularly remember your Rise And Fall Of A Secondhand Bookshop story, I always like learning more about book collecting.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Sorry to hear you're leaving us CHB. I too hope it will be a short
    Break, as you'll be missed by many, but enjoy your down time
    CHB -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited July 2019
    EU Vice-President Frans Timmermans mocks the UK's preparation for Brexit, stating 'time is running out and you don't have a plan'. Timmermans compares the team to Lance Corporal Jones from Dad’s Army, saying they're 'running around like idiots'.

    https://www.express.co.uk/videos/6060693977001/Brexit-UK-are-running-around-like-idiots-says-Timmermans


    EU negotiator Michel Barnier states by Reuters about the recent "plans" to renegotiate while threatening with "No Deal":


    - EU "has never been impressed" by threats of the UK leaving without a deal.
    - It is not useful that Tory leadership contest to use threats of a no-deal Brexit.
    - There will be no renegotiation.
    - The withdrawal agreement is the only offer on the table.
    - Ready to work on alternative arrangements for Irish border.


    https://www.fxstreet.com/news/eus-barnier-eu-has-never-been-impressed-by-threats-of-the-uk-leaving-without-a-deal-gbp-unfazed-201907180601
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
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