Politics Thread 6

[Moggy]

If you want Brexit delivered who else are you going to vote for. Boris thus far has a clear message: we’re leaving on October 31. Where he stands after that if we don’t is another matter.

Surprised Swinson isn’t above Corbyn though.

The majority of the country doesn’t want Brexit delivered and certainly not in the crash out way Johnson looks to be going.

[That]

Because of constant exposure to right-wing propaganda.

It’s far more than that.

Sure, OK, there are a few reasons people might like Boris. I'm sure we both know them. Actual bigots and fascists - and there are lots of them - think Boris will be a good PM because he reflects their terrible opinions. Very rich people think Boris will be a good PM because he represents their class interests. But your "I'm not that into politics" people who have the vague impression Boris will be good but mostly couldn't tell you why? That's the background radiation of right-wing propaganda. It's Boris being soft-balled in the most popular news sources, and the constant focus shifting to made-up nonsense about Remain traitors or secret Labour Stalinists, and so on.

It's mostly a mirror of why so many people still think Leave is a good idea. Some of them are bigots, some of them are disaster capitalists, some of them have been lied to by an adversarial media and now exist in a kind of hellish thought-bubble where there is no conceivable alternative.

[Moggy]

Because of constant exposure to right-wing propaganda.

It’s far more than that.

Sure, OK, there are a few reasons people might like Boris. I'm sure we both know them. Actual bigots and fascists - and there are lots of them - think Boris will be a good PM because he reflects their terrible opinions. Very rich people think Boris will be a good PM because he represents their class interests. But your "I'm not that into politics" people who have the vague impression Boris will be good but mostly couldn't tell you why? That's the background radiation of right-wing propaganda. It's Boris being soft-balled in the most popular newspapers, and the constant focus shifting to made-up nonsense about Remain traitors or secret Labour Stalinists.

It's mostly a mirror of why so many people still think Leave is a good idea. Some of them are bigots, some of them are disaster capitalists, some of them have been lied to by an adversarial media and now exist in a kind of hellish thought-bubble where there is no conceivable alternative.

I wasn’t really thinking of Johnson, more Corbyn’s faults.

To me he is the lesser of two evils (a lot lesser) but he’s not somebody I find easy to support.

The polls show Remain are ahead, but that Johnson leads Corbyn by a long long way. That’s far more than just right wing propaganda (although that is of course part of it). If the “I'm not into politics” were that easily swayed then Leave would have a commanding lead.

[That]

Sure. I agree to an extent, Labour's confused Brexit stance is only going to lose them votes and that's Corbyn's fault. For instance I would struggle to vote for Labour if ending Freedom of Movement becomes a manifesto pledge, but it isn't going to gain them a vote to make up for it from Brexit Party racists, they aren't going to bother to read a manifesto even if they can in fact read at all.

It's a weird one for me as I know I would be on here ranting about how great Labour is right now if they could only pick a palatable Brexit stance and stick to it. I am - to clumsily attempt a sports analogy - an open goal for Corbyn so it's bizarre that he keeps missing.

[Lex-Man]

I think a lot of people have gotten to the point where they want Brexit over with and think that Boris is best placed to deliver that. Just get out whatever and move on. It's basically Boris though fatigue. That said I don't think actually leaving will end brexit, it'll just create chaos and fuel people to try and rejoin the EU.

[That]

In non Brexit related news:

Universal Credit staff taped making disgusting comments about claimants

EXCLUSIVE: One member of staff was recorded saying disabled people were "faking it" to get government cash

Benefits managers have been caught on tape making horrifying comments about claimants.

One advocated blowing them up with a grenade, another accused them of getting money for nothing while the disabled were accused of “faking it.”

In one disturbing taped conversation a manager says: “The police sometimes have sting operations where they gather people together.

"We should nominate one person to throw a grenade in.”

Another reveals a case manager railing at claimants, who can be out of work because of ill health.

They rant: “It does my head in. They’re getting something for nowt, they don’t really have to do a great deal to get it. And they still whinge.”

Another says they “have absolutely no time” for claimants with depression and anxiety.

A regular caller with four children, including one who is severely disabled, is branded a **** after a call.

One manager asks: “Has she got a disabled child?” before another says: “She’s not disabled. She acts it.”

Benefits charities were yesterday shocked at the tapes, passed to the Sunday Mirror by a whistleblower.

Jamie Grier, of benefits support charity Turn2us, said: “Stigmatising people experiencing a financial crisis is divisive and wrong.”

The Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Tim Farron added: “This kind of language and behaviour is nothing short of heartless.

“The Conservatives have created a toxic environment stemming from social security cuts that have left thousands unable to afford the basics.”

Department for Work and Pensions Staff were recorded making the slurs working at a call centre in the Midlands.

They complained of juggling 700 cases each and said hated Universal Credit is a nightmare to grasp.

One confesses: “I don’t know what I’m doing half the bloody time.”

UC combines existing benefits to “simplify” them, but has been slammed after suicides following errors or withheld payments.

Our whistleblower said: “These people hold claimants with thinly-veiled contempt.

"They become so ground down by the scale of the job they give up being nice. I’ve seen them trying to outdo the other in all the mean things they say.”

The Sunday Mirror is not publishing the recordings to protect the anonymity of the whistleblower, who fears reprisals from the DWP if their identity is discovered.

The DWP said: “The Sunday Mirror has not provided us with the recording, or any further details. We are therefore at this stage unable to verify the provenance of this recording.

“We are however deeply concerned by the allegations, and are taking them seriously.

"We will urgently investigate this matter, so far as we can with the limited information we have.

"Where wrongdoing has been identified, we will take appropriate disciplinary action.”

Tories

[Pedz]

Mommy's in the Universal Credit staff?

[Errkal]

I think a lot of people have gotten to the point where they want Brexit over with and think that Boris is best placed to deliver that. Just get out whatever and move on. It's basically Boris though fatigue. That said I don't think actually leaving will end brexit, it'll just create chaos and fuel people to try and rejoin the EU.

I think this is pretty spot on.

People are sick of hear and seeing about it, he says he will just end it so they support that regardless of consequences, partly because people dont think about what actions mean and they just want it over.

No deal will he strawberry floating awful, but right now people want "somthing" to happen and he is offering them that.

[Moggy]

I think a lot of people have gotten to the point where they want Brexit over with and think that Boris is best placed to deliver that. Just get out whatever and move on. It's basically Boris though fatigue. That said I don't think actually leaving will end brexit, it'll just create chaos and fuel people to try and rejoin the EU.

I think this is pretty spot on.

People are sick of hear and seeing about it, he says he will just end it so they support that regardless of consequences, partly because people dont think about what actions mean and they just want it over.

No deal will he strawberry floating awful, but right now people want "somthing" to happen and he is offering them that.

Trouble is No Deal is just the end of the beginning - we’ll have decades more of this gooseberry fool if we crash out.

[Errkal]

I think a lot of people have gotten to the point where they want Brexit over with and think that Boris is best placed to deliver that. Just get out whatever and move on. It's basically Boris though fatigue. That said I don't think actually leaving will end brexit, it'll just create chaos and fuel people to try and rejoin the EU.

I think this is pretty spot on.

People are sick of hear and seeing about it, he says he will just end it so they support that regardless of consequences, partly because people dont think about what actions mean and they just want it over.

No deal will he strawberry floating awful, but right now people want "somthing" to happen and he is offering them that.

Trouble is No Deal is just the end of the beginning - we’ll have decades more of this gooseberry fool if we crash out.

We all know that, but that’s my point, people don’t think past right now. They want a thing to happen and aren’t thinking beyond that thing.

[Moggy]

I think a lot of people have gotten to the point where they want Brexit over with and think that Boris is best placed to deliver that. Just get out whatever and move on. It's basically Boris though fatigue. That said I don't think actually leaving will end brexit, it'll just create chaos and fuel people to try and rejoin the EU.

I think this is pretty spot on.

People are sick of hear and seeing about it, he says he will just end it so they support that regardless of consequences, partly because people dont think about what actions mean and they just want it over.

No deal will he strawberry floating awful, but right now people want "somthing" to happen and he is offering them that.

Trouble is No Deal is just the end of the beginning - we’ll have decades more of this gooseberry fool if we crash out.

We all know that, but that’s my point, people don’t think past right now. They want a thing to happen and aren’t thinking beyond that thing.

I agree and that’s why it’s important to always point out that Johnson going for a crash out will keep this going for another 20 years.

[Corazon de Leon]

In non Brexit related news:

Universal Credit staff taped making disgusting comments about claimants

EXCLUSIVE: One member of staff was recorded saying disabled people were "faking it" to get government cash

Benefits managers have been caught on tape making horrifying comments about claimants.

One advocated blowing them up with a grenade, another accused them of getting money for nothing while the disabled were accused of “faking it.”

In one disturbing taped conversation a manager says: “The police sometimes have sting operations where they gather people together.

"We should nominate one person to throw a grenade in.”

Another reveals a case manager railing at claimants, who can be out of work because of ill health.

They rant: “It does my head in. They’re getting something for nowt, they don’t really have to do a great deal to get it. And they still whinge.”

Another says they “have absolutely no time” for claimants with depression and anxiety.

A regular caller with four children, including one who is severely disabled, is branded a **** after a call.

One manager asks: “Has she got a disabled child?” before another says: “She’s not disabled. She acts it.”

Benefits charities were yesterday shocked at the tapes, passed to the Sunday Mirror by a whistleblower.

Jamie Grier, of benefits support charity Turn2us, said: “Stigmatising people experiencing a financial crisis is divisive and wrong.”

The Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Tim Farron added: “This kind of language and behaviour is nothing short of heartless.

“The Conservatives have created a toxic environment stemming from social security cuts that have left thousands unable to afford the basics.”

Department for Work and Pensions Staff were recorded making the slurs working at a call centre in the Midlands.

They complained of juggling 700 cases each and said hated Universal Credit is a nightmare to grasp.

One confesses: “I don’t know what I’m doing half the bloody time.”

UC combines existing benefits to “simplify” them, but has been slammed after suicides following errors or withheld payments.

Our whistleblower said: “These people hold claimants with thinly-veiled contempt.

"They become so ground down by the scale of the job they give up being nice. I’ve seen them trying to outdo the other in all the mean things they say.”

The Sunday Mirror is not publishing the recordings to protect the anonymity of the whistleblower, who fears reprisals from the DWP if their identity is discovered.

The DWP said: “The Sunday Mirror has not provided us with the recording, or any further details. We are therefore at this stage unable to verify the provenance of this recording.

“We are however deeply concerned by the allegations, and are taking them seriously.

"We will urgently investigate this matter, so far as we can with the limited information we have.

"Where wrongdoing has been identified, we will take appropriate disciplinary action.”

Tories

You could argue that the call centre staff are victims of the universal credit strawberry float up themselves if they freely admit that they don’t know what they’re doing and a whistleblower is calling them “ground down by the job.” Can’t condone a lot of the things said though, even in jest.

[Lex-Man]

I think a lot of people have gotten to the point where they want Brexit over with and think that Boris is best placed to deliver that. Just get out whatever and move on. It's basically Boris though fatigue. That said I don't think actually leaving will end brexit, it'll just create chaos and fuel people to try and rejoin the EU.

I think this is pretty spot on.

People are sick of hear and seeing about it, he says he will just end it so they support that regardless of consequences, partly because people dont think about what actions mean and they just want it over.

No deal will he strawberry floating awful, but right now people want "somthing" to happen and he is offering them that.

Trouble is No Deal is just the end of the beginning - we’ll have decades more of this gooseberry fool if we crash out.

We all know that, but that’s my point, people don’t think past right now. They want a thing to happen and aren’t thinking beyond that thing.

I agree and that’s why it’s important to always point out that Johnson going for a crash out will keep this going for another 20 years.

I think regardless of what happens it's going to keep going.

[That]

You could argue that the call centre staff are victims of the universal credit strawberry float up themselves if they freely admit that they don’t know what they’re doing and a whistleblower is calling them “ground down by the job.” Can’t condone a lot of the things said though, even in jest.

Yes, you are right. The people outright abusing the claimants should be sacked, but I'm sure there are normal people there who have the worst possible working environment, and that's also the Tories' fault. The whole thing is a huge mess and a really good example of how an abstract concept like hating the poor can be systemically manifested.

[Garth]

Ofcom criticises BBC's 'lack of transparency' over Naga Munchetty case

Kevin Bakhurst, Ofcom's director for content and media policy, said Munchetty's exchange in July with co-host Dan Walker "would not breach our broadcasting rules and does not warrant investigation".

But he added: "More widely, we have serious concerns around the transparency of the BBC's complaints process, which must command the confidence of the public. We'll be requiring the BBC to be more transparent about its processes and compliance findings as a matter of urgency."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49959321

[Rex Kramer]

In the least surprising political news of all tjme, Heidi Allen has joined the lib dems.

[Cuttooth]

twitter.com/britainelects/status/1181315080627073030

This strawberry floating country honestly.

[Lagamorph]

twitter.com/WDTATW_Podcast/status/1180819699862515713

[Samuel_1]

If you want Brexit delivered who else are you going to vote for. Boris thus far has a clear message: we’re leaving on October 31. Where he stands after that if we don’t is another matter.

Surprised Swinson isn’t above Corbyn though.

You must be joking, she's bloody awful and is seriously putting us at risk of a No Deal, due to her unwillingness to work with Corbyn.

[Moggy]

If you want Brexit delivered who else are you going to vote for. Boris thus far has a clear message: we’re leaving on October 31. Where he stands after that if we don’t is another matter.

Surprised Swinson isn’t above Corbyn though.

You must be joking, she's bloody awful and is seriously putting us at risk of a No Deal, due to her unwillingness to work with Corbyn.

I think she's open to working with him, just not for making him Prime Minister. The same accusation can therefore be made about Corbyn, he is putting us at risk of a No Deal due to his insistence that he be made caretaker PM.