Argue in circles about British politics thread
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- OneTrickPony
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Contempt.
Of the EU
Of the Parliament
Of the Commons
Of the Lords
Of the monarchy
Of the Queen
Of the people
Of the Nation
Of his own party
And now, most likely, of the court
Of the EU
Of the Parliament
Of the Commons
Of the Lords
Of the monarchy
Of the Queen
Of the people
Of the Nation
Of his own party
And now, most likely, of the court
Up the workers!
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- OneTrickPony
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- OneTrickPony
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Meanwhile, back in the government's cabinet, discussions on Brexit deals to be presented to the EU are moving ahead at pace.
Last edited by kungfufighter on Fri Sep 13, 2019 1:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Up the workers!
Well you can't please everyone.kungfufighter wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 9:53 amContempt.
Of the EU
Of the Parliament
Of the Commons
Of the Lords
Of the monarchy
Of the Queen
Of the people
Of the Nation
Of his own party
And now, most likely, of the court
TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:45 pmSlavedog, you do not belong on this forum as you talk too much sense.
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- OneTrickPony
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Is Britain Becoming a Failed State
CHRIS PATTEN ex governor of Hong Kong.
LONDON – What is a failed state? Not so long ago, when I was Britain’s Overseas Development Minister, and later European Commissioner for External Affairs, I would probably have tried to answer the question by pointing to specific examples, including several countries in Latin America and Africa.
I would have highlighted tribal conflicts, military coups, economic failure, extremes of poverty, and high mortality rates. I might have referred to the failure of more prosperous societies to ensure that globalization helped everyone and did not leave some communities trapped in deprivation. In addition, I would certainly have mentioned systems of government that had ceased to do what they were intended to do, and certainly what outside well-wishers hoped and assumed they would do.
As a proportion of its electorate, Britain has fewer political activists than most other European countries. Yet these activists and other political partisans have recently acquired growing control over their parties’ policy direction and choice of leader.
As a result, the Labour Party is now led by Jeremy Corbyn, an old-fashioned far-left socialist. And 90,000 Conservative members, whose views have become more extreme as their numbers have fallen, recently selected Boris Johnson as their new leader, and thus as the country’s new prime minister.
In doing so, they have chosen a mendacious chancer. It is no exaggeration to say that Johnson has lied his way to the top, first in journalism and then in politics. His ascent owes everything to the growing xenophobia and English nationalism that many Conservatives now espouse. Johnson is prime minister because he has promised to deliver Brexit by the end of October, recklessly assuring the world that he will take the United Kingdom out of the European Union with or without a deal, and whatever the consequences.
Johnson has chosen a government of like-minded anti-European nationalists. His principal adviser, Dominic Cummings, was described by David Cameron, Britain’s prime minister from 2010 to 2016, as a “career psychopath.” Cummings is, alongside Johnson, the most powerful figure in the new government; he is an unelected wrecker who earlier this year was ruled to be in contempt of parliament. Fittingly, if depressingly, he now is masterminding our departure from the EU with or without parliamentary approval.
Moreover, the government is scheming to win an election, yet to be announced, on the basis of a “people versus the politicians” campaign. Those who oppose crashing out of the EU without a deal are to be branded as opponents of popular sovereignty. So much for parliamentary democracy.
The Johnson government denies the truth about the consequences of a no-deal Brexit, and denounces any attempt to point these out as “Project Fear.” The EU is blamed for the failure of negotiations, even though this was almost entirely the result of choices made by the previous British government. To cap it all, the public is told that if Britain can convince the EU it is prepared to damage itself with “no deal,” then France, Germany, and others will surrender and give us what we want. Yet any damage that a no-deal Brexit causes to the EU would be dwarfed by the long-term harm it inflicts on Britain.
Johnson and Cummings are prepared to use all the methods that were successful in the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign, when the British public were assured that there would be no question of leaving the EU without a deal. Promises of increased public spending now rain down from a Treasury that will soon be stretched thin. The value of the pound is falling, inflation rose in July, and business investment is flat. The supposed benefits of leaving the EU are no longer touted, with the exception of a promised trade deal with US President Donald Trump that would be almost as unacceptable to the US Congress as it would be to British public opinion. What’s more, the government is simply ignoring the fact that lengthy negotiations with the EU would inevitably follow from a “no-deal” departure.
Worse still, the future of the Union of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland looks increasingly at risk. The government fails to accept that if Britain leaves the EU’s customs union, the resulting border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will imperil the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which has brought more than 20 years of peace to the island of Ireland.
Are these the actions of a successful state? Those who raise the question risk being dubbed “enemies of the people.” We are in good company: this is how Brexiters previously described three British high-court judges who asserted the principle of parliamentary sovereignty in the Brexit process.
Full article
https://www.project-syndicate.org/comme ... en-2019-08
CHRIS PATTEN ex governor of Hong Kong.
LONDON – What is a failed state? Not so long ago, when I was Britain’s Overseas Development Minister, and later European Commissioner for External Affairs, I would probably have tried to answer the question by pointing to specific examples, including several countries in Latin America and Africa.
I would have highlighted tribal conflicts, military coups, economic failure, extremes of poverty, and high mortality rates. I might have referred to the failure of more prosperous societies to ensure that globalization helped everyone and did not leave some communities trapped in deprivation. In addition, I would certainly have mentioned systems of government that had ceased to do what they were intended to do, and certainly what outside well-wishers hoped and assumed they would do.
As a proportion of its electorate, Britain has fewer political activists than most other European countries. Yet these activists and other political partisans have recently acquired growing control over their parties’ policy direction and choice of leader.
As a result, the Labour Party is now led by Jeremy Corbyn, an old-fashioned far-left socialist. And 90,000 Conservative members, whose views have become more extreme as their numbers have fallen, recently selected Boris Johnson as their new leader, and thus as the country’s new prime minister.
In doing so, they have chosen a mendacious chancer. It is no exaggeration to say that Johnson has lied his way to the top, first in journalism and then in politics. His ascent owes everything to the growing xenophobia and English nationalism that many Conservatives now espouse. Johnson is prime minister because he has promised to deliver Brexit by the end of October, recklessly assuring the world that he will take the United Kingdom out of the European Union with or without a deal, and whatever the consequences.
Johnson has chosen a government of like-minded anti-European nationalists. His principal adviser, Dominic Cummings, was described by David Cameron, Britain’s prime minister from 2010 to 2016, as a “career psychopath.” Cummings is, alongside Johnson, the most powerful figure in the new government; he is an unelected wrecker who earlier this year was ruled to be in contempt of parliament. Fittingly, if depressingly, he now is masterminding our departure from the EU with or without parliamentary approval.
Moreover, the government is scheming to win an election, yet to be announced, on the basis of a “people versus the politicians” campaign. Those who oppose crashing out of the EU without a deal are to be branded as opponents of popular sovereignty. So much for parliamentary democracy.
The Johnson government denies the truth about the consequences of a no-deal Brexit, and denounces any attempt to point these out as “Project Fear.” The EU is blamed for the failure of negotiations, even though this was almost entirely the result of choices made by the previous British government. To cap it all, the public is told that if Britain can convince the EU it is prepared to damage itself with “no deal,” then France, Germany, and others will surrender and give us what we want. Yet any damage that a no-deal Brexit causes to the EU would be dwarfed by the long-term harm it inflicts on Britain.
Johnson and Cummings are prepared to use all the methods that were successful in the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign, when the British public were assured that there would be no question of leaving the EU without a deal. Promises of increased public spending now rain down from a Treasury that will soon be stretched thin. The value of the pound is falling, inflation rose in July, and business investment is flat. The supposed benefits of leaving the EU are no longer touted, with the exception of a promised trade deal with US President Donald Trump that would be almost as unacceptable to the US Congress as it would be to British public opinion. What’s more, the government is simply ignoring the fact that lengthy negotiations with the EU would inevitably follow from a “no-deal” departure.
Worse still, the future of the Union of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland looks increasingly at risk. The government fails to accept that if Britain leaves the EU’s customs union, the resulting border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will imperil the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which has brought more than 20 years of peace to the island of Ireland.
Are these the actions of a successful state? Those who raise the question risk being dubbed “enemies of the people.” We are in good company: this is how Brexiters previously described three British high-court judges who asserted the principle of parliamentary sovereignty in the Brexit process.
Full article
https://www.project-syndicate.org/comme ... en-2019-08
Up the workers!
I know what a failed MP is; one who gets his arse kicked out of Parliament by the lib-dems.
Actually, always quite liked Patten. A decent bloke from humble beginnings.
Actually, always quite liked Patten. A decent bloke from humble beginnings.
TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:45 pmSlavedog, you do not belong on this forum as you talk too much sense.
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- OneTrickPony
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Continuing the Boris Rotten theme, I think this one is extremely appropriate.
Same hair, even.
Same hair, even.
Up the workers!
Definitely well on its way to become a failed state, but nothing that cannot be reversed - yet - with the right leadership.
Boris the Circus Clown cannot do it, Comrade Corbyn cannot do it either, so who could turn things around before it's too late? Serious question.
Boris the Circus Clown cannot do it, Comrade Corbyn cannot do it either, so who could turn things around before it's too late? Serious question.
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- OneTrickPony
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I think Corbyn can do it. He's sensibly playing the long game. Sure, his party have divisions over leave/remain too. People know that Corbyn supports leaving the EU, and that he wants to have a referendum on any deal he can work out with: leave with his deal or remain as credible options. This is the voice of reason and democracy amongst the chaos. Forget what you think about his other policies for the moment. Will his strategy work? Probably not. But there is always hope, brothers.Alex wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2019 11:58 amDefinitely well on its way to become a failed state, but nothing that cannot be reversed - yet - with the right leadership.
Boris the Circus Clown cannot do it, Comrade Corbyn cannot do it either, so who could turn things around before it's too late? Serious question.
If he does get in, expect a hell of a lot more furore than there has been around Brexit.
Maybe it's time we had a proper constitution. Hopefully, Johnson will have proved to be of some worth if he gets that ball properly rolling.
And PR, maybe it's also time to have several party coalition governments as a norm. Nothing good would get through clean, but then again it should also mitigate the worst excesses of the bad.
Up the workers!
We can all agree on one thing...that each country should always follow the geopolitical and economic advice from their biggest and wealthiest celebrities. Score one more victory for the Brexiteers:
A Beatle. The Brexiteers got a Beatle on their side. Top that, Remoaners. The only other living Beatle was and is so confused by Brexit that he has no opinion, so he's a neutral.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/art ... ldnt-vote/
A Beatle. The Brexiteers got a Beatle on their side. Top that, Remoaners. The only other living Beatle was and is so confused by Brexit that he has no opinion, so he's a neutral.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/art ... ldnt-vote/
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Oh, FFS. People love him.
The latest poll shows the Tories on 37%, up two since last week, while Labour is unchanged on 25%. The Liberal Democrats whose conference opens this weekend in Bournemouth are on 16% (down one), and the Brexit party is also unchanged on 13%.
The polling – conducted after Johnson shut down parliament for five weeks last Tuesday, and Scottish judges subsequently ruled his action to have been unlawful – shows the Conservatives are continuing to consolidate their support among leave voters.
The latest poll shows the Tories on 37%, up two since last week, while Labour is unchanged on 25%. The Liberal Democrats whose conference opens this weekend in Bournemouth are on 16% (down one), and the Brexit party is also unchanged on 13%.
The polling – conducted after Johnson shut down parliament for five weeks last Tuesday, and Scottish judges subsequently ruled his action to have been unlawful – shows the Conservatives are continuing to consolidate their support among leave voters.
Up the workers!
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