Politics Thread 7: Dishy Rishi's Cabinet of Horrors

[Sprouty]

At the rate this is going, we'll have a poll come out in the next couple of months which puts support for Reform UK ahead of the Conservative party. This likely wont translate to seats, due to first past the post, but it will ensure that Reform get more air time, which in itself will change politics in the UK.

[Lex-Man]

I think if reform can get past Tories they'll probably get a couple of seats, I'm still not sure they'll be able to do it though.

[Grumpy David]

twitter.com/itvnews/status/1778785472417853683

This is the sort of question that Corbyn always struggled to answer.

Blair's Labour won on a centrist platform and I guess it's a matter of opinion on whether they shifted left after the '97 election or if they stayed centrist. Right wingers will tell you they were crazy leftists, left wingers will tell you they were basically the same as Thatcher.

This post reminded me of this article:

Tony Blair urged 'radical' measures to cut asylum, archive papers reveal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67827016

A detention camp on the Isle of Mull and breaking international law were among measures on migration presented to Tony Blair while prime minister, according to newly released files.

Papers from 2003, released by the National Archives, show Mr Blair was increasingly frustrated by the failure to deter people from coming to the UK.

He had called for more "radical" ideas.

Other suggestions presented to him included safe havens overseas for those whose asylum claims were rejected.

In a paper entitled "Asylum: the nuclear option", advisers even questioned whether the UK needed an asylum system at all, because refugees would already have passed through a safe country before reaching Britain's shores.

Only 20% of applicants were successful in getting asylum. Under the Tories it's 75%.

What the police are investigating her for is registering the wrong address as her main residence on the electoral register. I don't really know the implications of breaking electoral law like this but I suspect Labour are confident she hasnt and will be cleared.

I've seen suggestions that it's a time limited crime too so even if she's guilty, as more than 12 months have passed, there isn't the ability to charge Rayner for it.

Edit: Newsnight clip on the time limit:

twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/1778908020413489275

[Moggy]

From Liz Truss's autobiography.

On Thursday, we received the solemn news that the Queen had died peacefully at Balmoral. To be told this on only my second full day as Prime Minister felt utterly unreal. In a state of shock, I found myself thinking: 'Why me? Why now?'

[Return_of_the_STAR]

From Liz Truss's autobiography.

On Thursday, we received the solemn news that the Queen had died peacefully at Balmoral. To be told this on only my second full day as Prime Minister felt utterly unreal. In a state of shock, I found myself thinking: 'Why me? Why now?'

I'm surprised she didn't say it was another example of the deep state trying to get rid of her

[Outrunner]

Is there any optimism to be had with thinking Starmer's swing to the centre ground of politics is for the purpose of winning but once in power he'll lean more to the left?

Not really. I can't think of any elections where centrist parties have campaigned in a centrist platform only to shift to the left once they're in power. I'm happy to be corrected on this though. The right of the party are in control now, most of their funding is from business now so they'll be pandering to corporate interests. I have no confidence that we'll see any significant move to the left once in power.

You're looking at close to 50 years since Labour last won on a left wing platform.

Blair's Labour won on a centrist platform and I guess it's a matter of opinion on whether they shifted left after the '97 election or if they stayed centrist. Right wingers will tell you they were crazy leftists, left wingers will tell you they were basically the same as Thatcher.

I see Starmer as being roughly the same. He'll campaign on a centrist platform, win a big victory and I have no doubt it'll be better than the last 14 years of Tory rule.

But people have short memories and Starmer will never be brave enough to make big/quick changes that will substantially improve ordinary people's lives. So it'll all seem very disappointing and we'll eventually (probably the 2034 election) end up with another Tory governments who'll drag the country down even further.

I can't disagree with any of this but my vote won't make a difference in my constituency so I feel absolutely fine withholding it from Labour. They're getting in without my vote so I might as well go for the protest vote or spoil my ballot, I just can't bring myself to back them.

[Outrunner]

I can't bring myself to vote for Labour this election. Their lurch to the right has made it impossible. I live in a safe seat so my vote won't matter anyway. I'll always regret voting for Starmer as leader, I'm just glad to be out of the Labour party now.

It’s an unfortunate sacrifice to get the red wall back. I would have enjoyed Corbyn as PM but his radical policies fell flat with a lot of voters, voters Labour needs to get back if they actually want to win.

Starmers policy of the various left factions either getting on board or getting off was the right one. If they get a landslide they can actually take their foot off a little bit and the opposition can do nothing about it.

I can see that, I just feel conned that he pitched himself as a candidate that was going to bridge the left and the right of the party but threw those pledges out pretty quick. I voted for him despite the fact that he was to the right of Corbyn and my particular politics but felt pushed out of the party afterwards. If he'd campaigned to be leader on the basis of Being Blair-esque I wouldn't feel the need to complain as much. With how quick he's been to ditch his leadership pledges and row back on so much I just can't believe in any policies he might announce. Fortunately I'm in a position where I can afford to protest vote without any risk of the Tories getting in. It's not much but other than quitting the Labour party (which I already did) there's not really any other way to register my dissatisfaction with the party, at least not under FPTP

[Moggy]

strawberry float me

[Squinty]

Totally normal leadership

[Qikz]

strawberry float me

I hope at least that all the FOR votes were Tories and there's nobody else who supported it.

[Oblomov Boblomov]

strawberry float me

I hope at least that all the FOR votes were Tories and there's nobody else who supported it.

Don't forget about the DUP banana splits!

https://votes.parliament.uk/votes/commons/division/1785

[Moggy]

strawberry float me

I hope at least that all the FOR votes were Tories and there's nobody else who supported it.

Don't forget about the DUP banana splits!

https://votes.parliament.uk/votes/commons/division/1785

Not one Tory voted against it.

Scum.

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Six things that stand out for me in Liz Truss book - Chris Mason

Beyond Trump, is there anyone still somehow relevant* in politics as deranged and delusional as Liz Truss?

She says the West has become "decadent and complacent," adding that "we have Conservative politicians accepting extremist environmentalist dogma and wokeism".

How to make the word 'woke' even more ridiculous .

She argues the environmental debate is "the single greatest example of Conservatives over the last few decades losing arguments to the Left" and claims plenty of environmentalists are "watermelons" - green on the outside, red (i.e. socialists) on the inside.

Err, okay then? If you're a weirdo who can somehow balance concern for the environment with progressive economic policy, you are now... a fruit!

Truss thinks furlough was too generous
"This has the effect of preserving the economy in aspic," she writes, "with little incentive for people to respond to the changed world by establishing new and innovative businesses."

You idiots! Why didn't you all use your dodgy contacts to obtain dodgy, multi-million-pound contracts to source dodgy equipment that eventually went to enormous waste, instead of clinging onto your jobs that inevitably became relevant again post-lockdown?!


*

And if you are of a sceptical inclination, wondering why or whether she deserves attention, I would say all former prime ministers deserve scrutiny.

And hers is a voice still listened to and influential among her party members, as many Tories privately anticipate losing the election, and consider their future after it.

[Tomous]

She's all been endorsing Trump. Surely this is deeply inappropriate for a sitting MP? She's effectively meddling in a foreign countries election.

[poshrule_uk]

She is so deranged, luckily she doesn't have the personalised cult of Trump to succeed but she's still already dangerous lies for her own agenda and satisfaction.

[Moggy]

On the plus side, Liz Truss did confirm that Boris Johnson has fleas.

[Victor Mildew]

Mason giving her gooseberry fool and telling her people think she was a gooseberry fool prime minister was beautiful tv this morning.

[DML]

I find it astonishing she is given time of day. Why has she not been laughed out of the country?

[Memento Mori]

She's all been endorsing Trump. Surely this is deeply inappropriate for a sitting MP? She's effectively meddling in a foreign countries election.

Inappropriate for a sitting MP and unprecedented for a former Prime Minister to be openly advocating for the removal of the current US President.

[Rex Kramer]

You can see the sweaty, greasy hand of Bannon in every word she says. He's been a strawberry floating stain on humanity.