The Politics Thread 3.0

[Errkal]

How does George Osborne expect to do his job properly for his constituents as a MP while working full-time as editor of a newspaper? I know the real answer is he doesn't and just wants to earn two salaries but what's the official line?

Technically this is his 6th paid job.

twitter.com/johnprescott/status/842737722431324160

[Grumpy David]

Osborne should resign. He clearly has no interest in being an MP and unlikely to be back in the cabinet anytime soon.

He also works for Blackrock asset management.

Guido Fawkes mentions the conflicts he has doing this job.

https://order-order.com/2017/03/17/8-huge-osborne-conflicts-of-interest/

In a separate post, Guido mentions that labour have reported Osborne to the cabinet office.

[Memento Mori]

I need to get into political office clearly.

[KK]

Even if everything is genuinely above board, how can anyone be expected to take the Evening Standard even remotely impartially.

[Alvin Flummux]

Nobody who works at Blackrock should be anywhere near a government position.

[Meep]

Kind of makes me angry that highly qualified people toil away in journalism for years after training for it, living off scraps, dreaming of even getting their own office and a silver spoon type like Osborne just walks into the top job at a newspaper of zero experience, as has done in every other area of his life. This basically exemplifies everything that is wrong with this country. It's a meritocracy for all the people working like dogs at the bottom and a job-for-the-boys gravy train for everyone at the top.

[KK]

Tony Blair praising George Osborne's appointment on the ES today. UNBELIEVABLE. Well, maybe not it's Blair, but still.

It's taken the Lib Dems to speak out on the huge potential for conflict of interest and inability to juggle so many damn jobs while still an MP.

[Meep]

If an influential politician in some African banana republic became the editor of major newspaper of the capital western leader would crowing about how corrupt they are. This just goes to show Britain is not the bastion of democracy it claims to be. Of course, this was always obvious from the jobs other MPs have held during and after holding office and massive trough that is the House of Lords (making parliament the second biggest legislature in the world and mostly unelected).

IMO, Westminster is one of the most dysfunctional seats of government in the developed world. It's presided over decades of decline and failure, turning the country into means to pool wealth around themselves in London whilst elsewhere the UK hosts large areas of deprivation. This is the primary reason I think Scotland might benefit from independence in the long term, even if it costs in the short term. Simply untethering themselves from Westminster will massively improve policy outcomes and the effectiveness of politics there. The sad thing is that it does not have to be that way but I cannot see things changing after so long.

[Lagamorph]

Well, at least we don't have Trump.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

If an influential politician in some African banana republic became the editor of major newspaper of the capital western leader would crowing about how corrupt they are. This just goes to show Britain is not the bastion of democracy it claims to be. Of course, this was always obvious from the jobs other MPs have held during and after holding office and massive trough that is the House of Lords (making parliament the second biggest legislature in the world and mostly unelected).

IMO, Westminster is one of the most dysfunctional seats of government in the developed world. It's presided over decades of decline and failure, turning the country into means to pool wealth around themselves in London whilst elsewhere the UK hosts large areas of deprivation. This is the primary reason I think Scotland might benefit from independence in the long term, even if it costs in the short term. Simply untethering themselves from Westminster will massively improve policy outcomes and the effectiveness of politics there. The sad thing is that it does not have to be that way but I cannot see things changing after so long.

But then fast forward a number of years and the wealth will be pooled around Edinburgh whilst elsewhere in Scotland there will be large areas of deprivation.

[Lagamorph]

If an influential politician in some African banana republic became the editor of major newspaper of the capital western leader would crowing about how corrupt they are. This just goes to show Britain is not the bastion of democracy it claims to be. Of course, this was always obvious from the jobs other MPs have held during and after holding office and massive trough that is the House of Lords (making parliament the second biggest legislature in the world and mostly unelected).

IMO, Westminster is one of the most dysfunctional seats of government in the developed world. It's presided over decades of decline and failure, turning the country into means to pool wealth around themselves in London whilst elsewhere the UK hosts large areas of deprivation. This is the primary reason I think Scotland might benefit from independence in the long term, even if it costs in the short term. Simply untethering themselves from Westminster will massively improve policy outcomes and the effectiveness of politics there. The sad thing is that it does not have to be that way but I cannot see things changing after so long.

But then fast forward a number of years and the wealth will be pooled around Edinburgh whilst elsewhere in Scotland there will be large areas of deprivation.

So pretty much Scotland now?

[satriales]

Tony Blair praising George Osborne's appointment on the ES today. UNBELIEVABLE. Well, maybe not it's Blair, but still.

It's taken the Lib Dems to speak out on the huge potential for conflict of interest and inability to juggle so many damn jobs while still an MP.

Labour have also demanded that the Government details how much it has spent on advertisements in the Evening Standard.

[Rocsteady]

Decades of decline and failure is simply not true.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

If an influential politician in some African banana republic became the editor of major newspaper of the capital western leader would crowing about how corrupt they are. This just goes to show Britain is not the bastion of democracy it claims to be. Of course, this was always obvious from the jobs other MPs have held during and after holding office and massive trough that is the House of Lords (making parliament the second biggest legislature in the world and mostly unelected).

IMO, Westminster is one of the most dysfunctional seats of government in the developed world. It's presided over decades of decline and failure, turning the country into means to pool wealth around themselves in London whilst elsewhere the UK hosts large areas of deprivation. This is the primary reason I think Scotland might benefit from independence in the long term, even if it costs in the short term. Simply untethering themselves from Westminster will massively improve policy outcomes and the effectiveness of politics there. The sad thing is that it does not have to be that way but I cannot see things changing after so long.

But then fast forward a number of years and the wealth will be pooled around Edinburgh whilst elsewhere in Scotland there will be large areas of deprivation.

So pretty much Scotland now?

Well yeah but Edinburgh gets a new Nando's.

[Lagamorph]

If an influential politician in some African banana republic became the editor of major newspaper of the capital western leader would crowing about how corrupt they are. This just goes to show Britain is not the bastion of democracy it claims to be. Of course, this was always obvious from the jobs other MPs have held during and after holding office and massive trough that is the House of Lords (making parliament the second biggest legislature in the world and mostly unelected).

IMO, Westminster is one of the most dysfunctional seats of government in the developed world. It's presided over decades of decline and failure, turning the country into means to pool wealth around themselves in London whilst elsewhere the UK hosts large areas of deprivation. This is the primary reason I think Scotland might benefit from independence in the long term, even if it costs in the short term. Simply untethering themselves from Westminster will massively improve policy outcomes and the effectiveness of politics there. The sad thing is that it does not have to be that way but I cannot see things changing after so long.

But then fast forward a number of years and the wealth will be pooled around Edinburgh whilst elsewhere in Scotland there will be large areas of deprivation.

So pretty much Scotland now?

Well yeah but Edinburgh gets a new Nando's.

If I'm in Edinburgh I prefer Tony Macaronis personally.

[Snowcannon]

Decades of decline and failure is simply not true.

Yes but that doesn't fit with Meep's 'everything is in crisis' agenda

[Squinty]

Martin McGuinness died then. Could have seen that coming a mile off. He was extremely ill looking in that last interview.

I may not agree with deeds in his past, but the man truly did care for peace/unity in later life. Fair play to him.

[captain red dog]

Martin McGuinness died then. Could have seen that coming a mile off. He was extremely ill looking in that last interview.

I may not agree with deeds in his past, but the man truly did care for peace/unity in later life. Fair play to him.

He should have had the decency not to seek power personally, in my opinion. In some strange way I can accept his acts during the troubles as part of war, but I'm never really happy to see those "military" leaders trying to become political leaders.

[Squinty]

I can understand where you are coming from. It's not something that I'm entirely comfortable with myself. But I think his willingness to engage with all people and work towards something better proves that it wasn't a bad thing in his place.

As I said, I'm kinda mixed on the guy. I could never really make my mind up about him when he was alive. I probably won't now.

[captain red dog]

I can understand where you are coming from. It's not something that I'm entirely comfortable with myself. But I think his willingness to engage with all people and work towards something better proves that it wasn't a bad thing in his place.

As I said, I'm kinda mixed on the guy. I could never really make my mind up about him when he was alive. I probably won't now.

I agree to be fair, it's a complicated history. Ironic really that his reputation is probably better than most British PMs of the last 30 years!