Politics Thread 5

[KK]

This story today a bit of a funny coincidence...

Moderate Labour MPs have been holding secret meetings in a luxury farmhouse to plot a takeover of the party, it was claimed last night.

Around 12 MPs are said to have met at the Sussex holiday estate at least twice to plan the fightback.

The group was said to have included former leadership candidate Liz Kendall and Stephen Kinnock, the former party leader’s son.

The £144 for one night accommodation on a 12-acre site is set within wonderful gardens and accommodation includes a stunning Grade II Listed Sussex farmhouse - Fair Oak Farm - built around 1600.

The most recent meeting was in May, it was claimed. Former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna and and independent MP John Woodcock are also said to have attended.

A source at the meetings told the Express: ‘We are getting together regularly to discuss how to take back control of the party.

‘At some point the Corbyn leadership is going to fail and collapse, we only need to see what is happening with the anti-Semitism problem, and we need to be ready to step in, win the leadership rebuild the party as a credible force and repair the damage that has been done.’

Plotters were said to have travelled to the village of Stonegate from Waterloo East before taking a taxi to the historic farm site.

Among the plans reportedly discussed were proposals for a new party and a scheme to block Mr Corbyn from becoming PM even if he won an election.

One person who attended apparently said that some pro-Remain Conservative and Lib Dem MPs would be interested in joining a centrist movement.

Other meetings are said to have taken place elsewhere.

Mr Kinnock said he did not recall the meeting, saying that if they were taking place he had 'yet to receive an invitation'.

Another reported attendee, Chris Leslie, said the meetings were about policy development and said he met with colleagues 'all the time', saying it was good to get out of Westminster.

He said: 'I can’t recall Jeremy Corbyn featuring in the discussion at all.'

http://www.dailyfail.co.uk/news/article ... house.html

[BID0]

That went well for them last time. And the time before that.

[Hypes]

Big fan of the 'I do not recall the meeting' excuse. Kinnock's played it excellently there

[Rex Kramer]

I'm torn on this. Having more choice when it comes to voting should be a good thing but the system is stacked to only give one of two parties any chance of governing. Would fragmenting the vote just lead to a Tory dominance or would it make coalitions more likely?

[Moggy]

I'm torn on this. Having more choice when it comes to voting should be a good thing but the system is stacked to only give one of two parties any chance of governing. Would fragmenting the vote just lead to a Tory dominance or would it make coalitions more likely?

If there was a significant number of Tory defections then it might stop Tory dominance. Otherwise it is doomed to failure.

At the moment there are not enough Labour/Lib Dem/Green/SNP MPs to take power. Splitting the Labour vote between old Labour and “New New” Labour is only going to help the Tories.

[Rex Kramer]

I'm torn on this. Having more choice when it comes to voting should be a good thing but the system is stacked to only give one of two parties any chance of governing. Would fragmenting the vote just lead to a Tory dominance or would it make coalitions more likely?

If there was a significant number of Tory defections then it might stop Tory dominance. Otherwise it is doomed to failure.

At the moment there are not enough Labour/Lib Dem/Green/SNP MPs to take power. Splitting the Labour vote between old Labour and “New New” Labour is only going to help the Tories.

But you would imagine there are a chunk of centre right Tories who might baulk at a shift further to the right. I just feel there are a lot of voters sitting centre right and left who aren't represented by the two leading parties. The Lib Dems under Cable have been a disaster, right at the point where they could have actually made a difference.

[Moggy]

I'm torn on this. Having more choice when it comes to voting should be a good thing but the system is stacked to only give one of two parties any chance of governing. Would fragmenting the vote just lead to a Tory dominance or would it make coalitions more likely?

If there was a significant number of Tory defections then it might stop Tory dominance. Otherwise it is doomed to failure.

At the moment there are not enough Labour/Lib Dem/Green/SNP MPs to take power. Splitting the Labour vote between old Labour and “New New” Labour is only going to help the Tories.

But you would imagine there are a chunk of centre right Tories who might baulk at a shift further to the right. I just feel there are a lot of voters sitting centre right and left who aren't represented by the two leading parties. The Lib Dems under Cable have been a disaster, right at the point where they could have actually made a difference.

I agree, that's why I said it would need a significant number of Tories to make a jump over to a new party.

All three main UK parties are appalling at the moment. Corbyn, May and Cable leading parties as Brexit is going on. strawberry float me.

[Lotus]

I heard some vague utterings about the Lib Dems the other day and genuinely had to stop, think and try and remember who the party leader was. I had to look it up in the end.
They just don't seem to do anything, other than Tim Farron ranting about the gays. They're pretty much a non-entity.

[Moggy]

I heard some vague utterings about the Lib Dems the other day and genuinely had to stop, think and try and remember who the party leader was. I had to look it up in the end.
They just don't seem to do anything, other than Tim Farron ranting about the gays. They're pretty much a non-entity.

Just over 3 years ago they were in (joint) power.

It is truly astonishing just how much the political landscape has changed since 2015.

[BID0]

There would probably be less than 9 Tory MPs who would make the jump.

I don't think there's much of a market for the centre ground anyway as we live in a world where people have extreme/rabid black or white opinions.

[Moggy]

There would probably be less than 9 Tory MPs who would make the jump.

So less numbers than the DUP.

I don't think there's much of a market for the centre ground anyway as we live in a world where people have extreme/rabid black or white opinions.

NO WE DON'T.

[Trelliz]

There would probably be less than 9 Tory MPs who would make the jump.

So less numbers than the DUP.

I don't think there's much of a market for the centre ground anyway as we live in a world where people have extreme/rabid black or white opinions.

NO WE DON'T.

YES YOU DO - I HAVE A CONVOLUTED YET NEBULOUS RESPONSE WHICH INVOLVES PHRASES LIKE "WILL OF THE PEOPLE" AND OTHER POLARISING TABLOID NONSENSE. ALSO THATCHER, GUY FAWKES AND PRINCESS DIANA FOR SOME REASON.

[Moggy]

There would probably be less than 9 Tory MPs who would make the jump.

So less numbers than the DUP.

I don't think there's much of a market for the centre ground anyway as we live in a world where people have extreme/rabid black or white opinions.

NO WE DON'T.

YES YOU DO - I HAVE A CONVOLUTED YET NEBULOUS RESPONSE WHICH INVOLVES PHRASES LIKE "WILL OF THE PEOPLE" AND OTHER POLARISING TABLOID NONSENSE. ALSO THATCHER, GUY FAWKES AND PRINCESS DIANA FOR SOME REASON.

WE ONLY BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH BUT I GUESS YOU TYPES HATE THAT!

[That]

There would probably be less than 9 Tory MPs who would make the jump.

So less numbers than the DUP.

I don't think there's much of a market for the centre ground anyway as we live in a world where people have extreme/rabid black or white opinions.

NO WE DON'T.

YES YOU DO - I HAVE A CONVOLUTED YET NEBULOUS RESPONSE WHICH INVOLVES PHRASES LIKE "WILL OF THE PEOPLE" AND OTHER POLARISING TABLOID NONSENSE. ALSO THATCHER, GUY FAWKES AND PRINCESS DIANA FOR SOME REASON.

WE ONLY BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH BUT I GUESS YOU TYPES HATE THAT!

MOGGY IS THE LEADER OF A SECRET RING OF REPTOSEXUALS WHO ARE BREEDING AN UNDERGROUND ARMY OF PSYCHIC HUMAN-ALIEN HYBRID SUPER SOLDIERS

[Hexx]

I'd totally watch a film about that.

[Trelliz]

Thats basically the plot of Hybrid Heaven on the N64, but needs more turn-based wrestling.

[Squinty]

Thats basically the plot of Hybrid Heaven on the N64, but needs more turn-based wrestling.

Hybrid Heaven

[KK]

Ukip has suspended three party members after an attack on a socialist bookshop in central London on Saturday.

A statement from the party’s chair, Tony McIntyre, said Elizabeth Jones, Luke Nash-Jones and Martin Costello had been suspended pending an investigation into the incident at Bookmarks bookshop in Bloomsbury.

“It is understood that the three members were involved in an incident at the Bookmarks bookshop in London on Saturday,” a Ukip statement said.

A spokesman for the shop said it had been inundated with messages of support after the attack.

Twelve men, one of whom was wearing a Donald Trump mask, entered the central London shop as staff were closing for the day, knocking over displays and ripping up magazines while chanting far-right slogans.

The shop, which is planning a free public “solidarity” event with appearances from authors on 11 August, said it had received messages of support from MPs and writers as well as thousands of activists from around the world.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/ ... -bookmarks

[Hexx]

Definitely not a racist party. Just a party loads of racists happen to join.

[Preezy]

Can a bookshop have a political ideology?