Politics

[Pinwig]

I was watching the Question Time on earlier thinking it was far more heated than any I've seen before. I found the arrogance of the leave speakers galling to say the least. I love the way the BBC is subtly undermining it all - every time they do vox pops on the news from 'man in the street' leave supporters they come across as total idiots. Especially the ones last night on the news who were saying, "I voted leave but now I feel quite frightened. I'm not sure I did the right thing."

GAH!

I can't see where this is all going to end now. The whole withdrawal process will drag on forever, long past the time everyone is bored by it; I just can't see how English politics, and I mean English as I don't see anyone else doing anything wrong, can get out of this in any shape fit to run a country. We were well out of creditable leaders anyway, now what have we got?

[Bogatan]

It's all more than a bit frustrating. Its not like anyone should have been surprised that he wasnt the most enthusiastic remainer, but from what Ive seen and read he was making a decent case for staying. At least he was trying to debunk the immigration argument which no one from the Conservatives or New Labour was going to do as it meant admitting their own complete failures while in charge.

The question is was he being low key or were the press simply not interested when the madness on the right was happening.

Maybe he should have made an appearance along side Cameron and then just laid in to him for the entire clusterf*%k.

I'd maybe more inclined to believe the shadow cabinets motives if they hadn't spent the last 9 months so very openly wanting Corbyn gone. Or if there was an obvious replacement, one that wasn't a blairite and might stand a chance in a general election.

[Philip Ayres]

Jun 26, 2016 21:37:50 GMT Bogatan said:

It's all more than a bit frustrating. Its not like anyone should have been surprised that he wasnt the most enthusiastic remainer, but from what Ive seen and read he was making a decent case for staying.

I saw him on the Last Leg and he came over very well making clear his reasons for voting remain.

Jun 26, 2016 21:37:50 GMT Bogatan said:

The question is was he being low key or were the press simply not interested when the madness on the right was happening.

The later. Corbyn only fits into the Media's narrative when the rest of his party's out to get him. This was a very media driven campaign and one that I expect a few books will be written on in years to come.

[Bogatan]

I assumed as much. I wonder if the PLP have ever think if they had just put their own egos aside for 9 months and backed Corbyn they might now be in a really strong position to take advantage of the mess the Torys are in.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Jun 26, 2016 22:26:53 GMT Bogatan said:

I assumed as much. I wonder if the PLP have ever think if they had just put their own egos aside for 9 months and backed Corbyn they might now be in a really strong position to take advantage of the mess the Torys are in.

Or if Corbyn and the hard left membership put their fantasies of the wider electorate seeing things their way by the time of the next general election aside for 9 minutes, they might see that an alternative compromise leader respected by the Labour MPs that the public voted into office last year might provide the unifying figure that the opposition in England desperately needs right now.

For all his good intentions, Corbyn is too far one end of the political spectrum to ever be a unifying figure for the opposition. If he recognised that and stood down, Labour would have a chance.

Martin

[Philip Ayres]

An illustration of what last week did to an exchange rate that isn't so widely publicised but is important to us:

hlj.com/product/TKT86855/Sci

¥1,440 = £10.30 !!!!

A deluxe at ¥2,000 used to be £10!

[Marc Graham]

Jun 24, 2016 12:51:02 GMT blueshift said:

And yet it was only 45-55 in Ireland, have people gone mad? And Wales voted leave overall and the EU is where their budget comes from.

I feel like I'm living in some weird unfunny satire.

To some people waving a flag is more important than the economy. Blaming other nationalities on their ills is another feature. Essentially the party that campaigned to leave used those methods. We are used to very divisive politics here and people often vote for things that will leave them disadvantaged.

[The Doctor]

Pound now at a 31-year low as the economy continues to free fall. I hope the arseholes who voted Leave will be happy with the unemployment, wage decreases and austerity forever that we'll get off the back of this. Pretty fucking amazing that the Chancellor appeared to vanish over the weekend. You would think that would be firing offence in this type of situation.

-Ralph

[Bogatan]

No not really, but then I wasnt happy that I was asked in the first place. Nor that such a complex issue was boiled down to such a basic question. I wasnt happy to be given a choice between nuking the UK or supporting a union that had just driven one of its member states to levels of poverty and despair that I dont think even the tories dream of in their wettest fantasies. Im not happy that 30% didnt vote. Im not happy that a 52 to 48 result is being treated like a definitive result.Im not happy that the prime minister abdicated responsibility by having a referendum in the first place or by quitting when it didnt go his way. Im also not happy that amongst the mountains of lies from both sides was the lie that this vote was legally binding. If they had wanted it to be they could have had it be, instead they just acted like it is. I'm not happy that the small number of racists have taken it as a chance to act out. Im not happy that so many remain voters are so quick to label everyone else as stupid, racists, bigots and arseholes, at least the middle two of those do not apply to anyone I know who voted to leave. im unhappy that for some reason no one saw this result coming. In a world were Trump, fucking Trump is a candidate for the White House. Where extremism and inequality run rampant and people who feel abandoned, its not time or place for this kind of vote.

So no, happy does not really describe how I feel right now.

[Pinwig]

Jun 27, 2016 8:38:59 GMT Philip Ayres said:

An illustration of what last week did to an exchange rate that isn't so widely publicised but is important to us:

hlj.com/product/TKT86855/Sci

¥1,440 = £10.30 !!!!

A deluxe at ¥2,000 used to be £10!

This might seem like a bit of a first world problem in the grand scheme of things, but it was the first thing that I thought of when I saw the exchange rate change so dramatically. It'll stop me ordering from abroad for now, and it won't be long before it has a knock on effect with importers like kapow.

[The Doctor]

Speaking as someone who never was much into SNP politics when Salmond was in charge, I've been quite impressed with how Nicola Sturgeon is publically handling the current farce. She comes across as the only political leader acting like a grown-up and who seems to be trying to do things to sort this mess out. She at least has my respect.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson was playing cricket and Westminister seems to be full of children shouting at each other.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

I really don't think the price of imported toys is of any import* at the moment!

-Ralph

*ba-boom tissssshhhh*

[Philip Ayres]

No but it neatly illustrates what's going on financially in terms of something we all have experience with.

And while high street prices are unaffected we can see the impact on us here in a small way.

[The Doctor]

Loving how 2 trillion wiped off the stock market is "nothing to worry about" according to our lords and masters.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

I read, but am open to correction, that neither Boris Johnson or Michael Gove bothered showing up to the house for the debate yesterday.

And people said we were scaremongering when we said they couldn't be trusted?

[browny87]

yeah I read that as well, the first debate after it all started and they cowered away hidden! although I don't know if boris was allowed to be there as hes technically not an MP for anywhere?

[The Doctor]

Indeed. They did not turn up. Boris instead spoke through his £250,000 a year newspaper column.

George Osborne has now woken up and is being interviewed. The man is clueless.

Meanwhile, Sturgeon is acting like the only person in charge. I would not have predicted this two years ago when my opinion of her was very different!

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

Jun 28, 2016 8:02:20 GMT browny87 said:

yeah I read that as well, the first debate after it all started and they cowered away hidden! although I don't know if boris was allowed to be there as hes technically not an MP for anywhere?

He has served as the member for Uxbridge & South Ruslip since 2015

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson

[Philip Ayres]

Jun 28, 2016 8:02:51 GMT The Doctor said:

George Osborne has now woken up and is being interviewed. The man is clueless.

Not news to anyone who's suffered under his financial decisions.

[Benn]

Financial delusions, more like.

[Philip Ayres]

I think this has considerable value going forward

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/119416

[Dezzeh]

I've been reading several articles on the Scotland thorn in the side of brexiteers.
I'm hopeful the one that says the SNP can veto leaving the EU will gain some traction. If Scotland votes for independance, I think that the Mrs and I will be venturing up towards Inverness in a few years. Not my first choice, but a sensible one given the alternative.
Sturgeon very much has had her on right about this whole thing. The leave campaign, turned out to be full of feaces, who knew, and the only one speaking up for them right now is Nigel "I hate foreigners, please relax our gun laws" Farage.

There was a Guardian article a few days ago about how Cameron's resignation was the smartest move he could pull off if he wanted to try to scare the country out of leaving, whoever is the next PM is going to go down in history as the person that pulled the UK out of the EU and made everything truly suck. Maybe some good will come out of David after all!

[The Doctor]

Now looks like May or Gove will be leading the country soon. The former favours no general election before 2020.

Duck and cover!

-Ralph

[Dezzeh]

May is the preference I think

[The Doctor]

I have now watched Gove on camera give his reason which seems to amount to "My friends told me to!"

Fuck sakes.

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

How is it that we're in a position where it's a serious possibility that Michael Gove could be the leader of this kingdom?

I just don't believe this is happening.

[Bogatan]

I know we vote for mps and not the PM but it still baffles me that we can get a new PM and not have any say about it for almost 4 years.

[Philip Ayres]

With the next conservative leader 3 of the last 5 Prime Ministers will not have been initially elected by the Great British Public

[legios]

Jun 30, 2016 19:06:18 GMT Pinwig said:

How is it that we're in a position where it's a serious possibility that Michael Gove could be the leader of this kingdom?

I just don't believe this is happening.

It does seem quite astounding. I was baffled enough that we were in a position that Boris Johnson might become Prime Minister. For him to then get stitched up by Gove is just bizarre.

Karl

[Fortmax2020]

I don't see Gove doing much stitching... He is leaving that knife wound in Boris' back wide open.