Continuation General UK politics [2]

[Captain_Swoop]

This from The Daily Llama.
Q. How come the govt is in recess when we are supposed to be on the brink of a war with Russia?
A. Keep the people frightened. Launch a Bogeyman then piss off to Chequers for ten days of wallop, hi jinks and nookie.

[GlennB]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

This from The Daily Llama.
Q. How come the govt is in recess when we are supposed to be on the brink of a war with Russia?
A. Keep the people frightened. Launch a Bogeyman then piss off to Chequers for ten days of wallop, hi jinks and nookie.

Yes, and with an invasion looming the UK's defence secretary has to cut short his holiday. How jolly inconvenient for him.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by GlennB

Yes, and with an invasion looming the UK's defence secretary has to cut short his holiday. How jolly inconvenient for him.

What is remarkable about his comments is that he thinks it is somehow remarkable that he cancelled the family break.

[Mojo]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

This from The Daily Llama.
Q. How come the govt is in recess when we are supposed to be on the brink of a war with Russia?
A. Keep the people frightened. Launch a Bogeyman then piss off to Chequers for ten days of wallop, hi jinks and nookie.

Would that even work now? Generally, a crisis of external origin such as a war or an epidemic is good for an incumbent’s popularity. All they need to do is to perform competently and show something that looks at least a bit like leadership and the population in general will get behind them. Think Thatcher in 1982, for example. It’s an indication of Boris’s general level of competence that he’s managed to become much less popular during a crisis.

[Captain_Swoop]

Originally Posted by Mojo

Would that even work now? Generally, a crisis of external origin such as a war or an epidemic is good for an incumbent’s popularity. All they need to do is to perform competently and show something that looks at least a bit like leadership and the population in general will get behind them. Think Thatcher in 1982, for example. It’s an indication of Boris’s general level of competence that he’s managed to become much less popular during a crisis.

There's your problem!

[zooterkin]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

There's your problem!

Exactly. I may have disagreed, severely in some cases, with the policies of previous governments, but they generally had ministers who were at least competent and at least a facade of doing things in the public interest rather than their own.

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by zooterkin

Exactly. I may have disagreed, severely in some cases, with the policies of previous governments, but they generally had ministers who were at least competent and at least a facade of doing things in the public interest rather than their own.

We are at the stage where even Liz Truss, one of the frontrunners to replace him, would be an improvement.

[Beelzebuddy]

So what happens now? He has to voluntarily resign in shame, right? Suppose he has none?

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by Beelzebuddy

So what happens now? He has to voluntarily resign in shame, right? Suppose he has none?

There is a *possibility* that 54 of his MPs will put in letters of no-confidence to the 1922 Committee which would trigger a leadership challenge.

Those are internal Conservative Party rules.

[Captain_Swoop]

Last May, in a blatant breach of the ministerial code, Priti Patel lobbied Gove to award a £20m PPE contract to PDL healthcare who were represented by her friend Samir Jassal. We've heard nothing since

[Captain_Swoop]

Levelling Up Latest!

Tory peer suggests Yorkshire is full of 'whingers begging for handouts'

A Tory peer sparked outrage after suggesting Yorkshire is a "county of leftist whingers begging for handouts" from the government in a bizarre Twitter rant.

Lord Moylan, an ex-merchant banker, former diplomat and one-time advisor to Boris Johnson, tweeted the insulting outburst on Saturday night after the Yorkshire Post reported the government's "levelling up" plans "fail to deliver" in the county.

Posting the front page of the paper's weekend edition, the former deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council said: "I’m going to Yorkshire for a short break next week.
"Everything I’ve read recently in @yorkshirepost makes me fear I’m going to find it transformed into a county of leftist whingers begging for handouts.
"Let’s hope that’s not the case."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politi...gests-26218515

[Captain_Swoop]

Lord Frost is among a group of senior Tory MPs and peers urging Boris Johnson to reverse the Government’s ban on fracking as the UK faces an energy crisis.

In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, the former Cabinet minister and around 29 other Conservatives said it is “time to reverse this moratorium”.
The shale gas mining ban which came into effect in 2019 comes after the energy company Cuadrilla was ordered to seal up two of England’s only viable shale gas wells.

Lord Frost said reversing the fracking ban would herald a “British energy renaissance”.
He told the Telegraph: “If our economy is to boom after Brexit, British industry needs a competitive and reliable source of energy which we hold in our own hands and brings investment into this country. Shale gas production achieves all this and more.
“If we don’t produce it here, as we have seen, all we do is import gas from elsewhere, and push up overall carbon emissions too.
“So let’s reverse the moratorium on shale gas and let a British energy renaissance begin.”

https://www.gbnews.uk/news/lord-fros...ing-ban/225099

[Captain_Swoop]

Why do we need fracking when the UK has doubled its gas exports?
What’s to say that won’t be flogged off to the highest bidder, too?

[BillC]

Originally Posted by Darat

What is remarkable about his comments is that he thinks it is somehow remarkable that he cancelled the family break.

This might be a dig at Dominic Raab's refusal to return from his holiday in Crete when the Kabul crisis erupted.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Lord Frost is among a group of senior Tory MPs and peers urging Boris Johnson to reverse the Government’s ban on fracking as the UK faces an energy crisis.

In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, the former Cabinet minister and around 29 other Conservatives said it is “time to reverse this moratorium”.
The shale gas mining ban which came into effect in 2019 comes after the energy company Cuadrilla was ordered to seal up two of England’s only viable shale gas wells.

Lord Frost said reversing the fracking ban would herald a “British energy renaissance”.
He told the Telegraph: “If our economy is to boom after Brexit, British industry needs a competitive and reliable source of energy which we hold in our own hands and brings investment into this country. Shale gas production achieves all this and more.
“If we don’t produce it here, as we have seen, all we do is import gas from elsewhere, and push up overall carbon emissions too.
“So let’s reverse the moratorium on shale gas and let a British energy renaissance begin.”

https://www.gbnews.uk/news/lord-fros...ing-ban/225099

Of course this is utter rubbish. Fracking won't produce anywhere near enough oil and/or gas to make the UK energy independent. It will make a few people very wealthy, prevent the UK achieving carbon net-zero and will pollute the environment - but that's kinda the point.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by BillC

This might be a dig at Dominic Raab's refusal to return from his holiday in Crete when the Kabul crisis erupted.

I think that because of Raab's actions they have created another "things that the public Daily Mail/Telegraph/GBNews expect" checkbox.

[The Don]

Looks like Boris Johnson is firing up the mob.

Quote:

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed he received death threats after Boris Johnson falsely claimed that he failed to prosecute paedophile Jimmy Savile.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60373912

Boris Johnson, following the Trump playbooks is denying any responsibility and refuses to withdraw his lies.

[Captain_Swoop]

Have I Got News For You tweeted

@haveigotnews
Amid reports PM will argue lockdown parties were ‘part of the working day’, nurses that spent 12 months working in a bin bag admit they couldn’t move for all the crisps and prosecco.

[Garrison]

So it appears the Met has decided to respond to the resignation of Cressida Dick in the expected manner:

Sadiq Khan: Met Police Federation has 'no faith' in London mayor

Do they really think that their lack of support is a negative for Sadiq Khan?

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by Garrison

So it appears the Met has decided to respond to the resignation of Cressida Dick in the expected manner:

Sadiq Khan: Met Police Federation has 'no faith' in London mayor

Do they really think that their lack of support is a negative for Sadiq Khan?

Yes, I liked this bit from the Sky News story on it: https://news.sky.com/story/cressida-...-khan-12541947

Quote:

The Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents more than 31,000 officers in the capital, has declared it has "no faith" in London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the federation, said the atmosphere among officers was at "rock bottom" following the resignation of Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

Which presumably meant that the following was beneficial to morale:

The failure to punish Cressida Dick's Aide when he was found guilty of gross misconduct for sexual harassment - and the other failures to punish officers found guilty of gross misconduct. Or indeed the failure to act on the racist and violent sexual WhatsApp chat

[Captain_Swoop]

Apparently Boris has gone to Scotland.
That's a 10% boost for independence then.

[GlennB]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Apparently Boris has gone to Scotland.

High-viz jacket and hard hat, no doubt?

[Captain_Swoop]

Originally Posted by GlennB

High-viz jacket and hard hat, no doubt?

Multiple colours in multiple locations.

[dudalb]

Originally Posted by BillC

Hey, you can do it in Monopoly.

Unless you use the "Maximum PUnishment" house rule.

[Captain_Swoop]

Have we heard anything from The Taxpayer's Alliance on the £4.79bn the government wrote off?

It seems like the sort of thing an actual alliance of taxpayers would be angry about.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Have we heard anything from The Taxpayer's Alliance on the £4.79bn the government wrote off?

It seems like the sort of thing an actual alliance of taxpayers would be angry about.

Send them a message and tell them one of those fraudsters was an illegal immigrant and they'll be all over it.

[Captain_Swoop]

Priti Patel plans shake-up to prevent police and crime commissioners dropping constables for political or personal reasons.

They don't have that power anyway, but she knows that.

[Captain_Swoop]

Boris visited Cumberland yesterday according to his ‘Cumbrian’ MPs.
Maybe that’s why their constituents didn’t see sight nor sound of him.
Cumberland hasn’t existed as a county since 1974.
Nothing says levelling up like not knowing what county you represent.

[Filippo Lippi]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Have we heard anything from The Taxpayer's Alliance on the £4.79bn the government wrote off?

It seems like the sort of thing an actual alliance of taxpayers would be angry about.

The TPA are inside Downing Street now

[Mojo]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Boris visited Cumberland yesterday according to his ‘Cumbrian’ MPs.
Maybe that’s why their constituents didn’t see sight nor sound of him.
Cumberland hasn’t existed as a county since 1974.
Nothing says levelling up like not knowing what county you represent.

Do you have a link for that? All I’m finding is reports of him visiting the Cumberland Infirmary, which still exists.

[Captain_Swoop]

Originally Posted by Mojo

Do you have a link for that? All I’m finding is reports of him visiting the Cumberland Infirmary, which still exists.

I can only find one of the tweets now.
Like all these things, live feeds have rolled on.
It's not worth a lot of time to search any further.

Mark Jenkinson MP tweeted
@markjenkinsonmp
Great to welcome the Prime Minister @BorisJohnson, Minister @willquince and neighbouring colleagues @John4Carlisle, @simonfell and Trudy Harrison to Workington and various visits and events around Cumberland today

[Captain_Swoop]

Richard Tice Leader of the Reform Party Tweeted
@TiceRichard·1h
Colder & poorer: pensioners terrified in Erdington of huge gas bills. Only using 2 hours per day, half last year yet ever higher bills.
People want cheap British gas, shale gas, not Putins gas nor Macrons electricity.

Amazing how all the grifters suddenly started loving fracking.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Richard Tice Leader of the Reform Party Tweeted
@TiceRichard·1h
Colder & poorer: pensioners terrified in Erdington of huge gas bills. Only using 2 hours per day, half last year yet ever higher bills.
People want cheap British gas, shale gas, not Putins gas nor Macrons electricity.

Amazing how all the grifters suddenly started loving fracking.

Will the UK track enough to change the global gas wholesale price ? Nope

[Captain_Swoop]

Schools in England are being reminded to teach sensitive issues in a non-biased way, under new guidance.

It aims to help teachers cover complex topics, such as the history of the British Empire or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, without pushing one political view over another.
There is also a warning against teachers expressing their own views.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi says no subject should be off limits, but teaching must be impartial.
It comes after a row over children at a Nottingham primary school who were encouraged to write a letter criticising the prime minister.

The promotion of partisan political views in class is unlawful under the 1996 Education Act.
This means that where teachers present controversial political views in a lesson, they must offer a balanced overview of opposing views.
The Political Impartiality in Schools guidance, published by the Department for Education on Thursday, asks schools to think carefully when planning lessons and choosing class materials.
It draws a distinction between subject areas which may be part of teaching, such as racism or colonialism, and promoting support for campaigning groups, such as Black Lives Matter.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-60405521

[Captain_Swoop]

Matt Hancock tweets
@MattHancock
It is vital the UK becomes home to new innovations, like fintech and crypto currencies.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Matt Hancock tweets
@MattHancock
It is vital the UK becomes home to new innovations, like fintech and crypto currencies.

How else will the UK continue to be a global centre for money laundering ?

I know that the government is trying to roll back as much financial services legislation as possible so that the City becomes the Wild West but in a crowded global market for money laundering services, the UK needs to stand out.

I'd be interested to know the extent that crypto-currencies actually help the countries in which they're based. I thought that the whole idea of crypto was that it was stateless and anonymous.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

The promotion of partisan political views in class is unlawful under the 1996 Education Act.
This means that where teachers present controversial political views in a lesson, they must offer a balanced overview of opposing views.

Channelling Jimmy Carr...

That Hitler chap caused WWII and was responsible for the Holocaust but OTOH, you've got to agree with his views on Pikeys

The right wing are always suspicious of learning in general and teachers in particular. How can you reliably keep the lower orders in their place if they manage to acquire an education ?

[Lothian]

Originally Posted by The Don

How else will the UK continue to be a global centre for money laundering ?

I know that the government is trying to roll back as much financial services legislation as possible so that the City becomes the Wild West but in a crowded global market for money laundering services, the UK needs to stand out.

I'd be interested to know the extent that crypto-currencies actually help the countries in which they're based. I thought that the whole idea of crypto was that it was stateless and anonymous.

Well exactly. At the moment it is far to easy to see that government contracts are handed out to mates. Crypto payments should make dodgy dealing far harder to uncover.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by The Don

Channelling Jimmy Carr...

That Hitler chap caused WWII and was responsible for the Holocaust but OTOH, you've got to agree with his views on Pikeys

The right wing are always suspicious of learning in general and teachers in particular. How can you reliably keep the lower orders in their place if they manage to acquire the wrong an education ?

FTFY

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by Lothian

Well exactly. At the moment it is far to easy to see that government contracts are handed out to mates. Crypto payments should make dodgy dealing far harder to uncover.

Good point