General Politics Thread

[welshbairn]

3 minutes ago, Sooky said:

Fiona Onasanya has ceased being an MP. 28% of Peterborough constituents signed the recall petition, so a by-election awaits.

Still an MP till the election, and could stand for Brexit. Wouldn't put it past her. The 10% requirement seems a bit low though, how many MPs could pass that threshold?

Edited May 1, 2019 by welshbairn

[Sooky]

Still an MP till the election, and could stand for Brexit. Wouldn't put it past her. The 10% requirement seems a bit low though, how many MPs could pass that threshold?

Believe she immediately loses her seat. Ian Paisley Jnr survived one just a couple months ago.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

26 minutes ago, ICTJohnboy said:

Just listening idly to BBC Scotland news, but not really paying much attention. 

Someone called Liz Smith, an MSP, has just been speaking, and for a moment I thought I was listening to Ruth Davidson.

Can someone explain to me why all these awful, ghastly, female Tory MPs sound so remarkably similar?

Yikes...Liz Smith has scared the shit out of me ever since I first saw her cycling off with Toto in her bicycle basket in the opening scenes of The Wizard Of Oz.

[glasgow-sheep]

Still an MP till the election, and could stand for Brexit. Wouldn't put it past her. The 10% requirement seems a bit low though, how many MPs could pass that threshold?

28% signed the petition in this case

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, glasgow-sheep said:

33 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Still an MP till the election, and could stand for Brexit. Wouldn't put it past her. The 10% requirement seems a bit low though, how many MPs could pass that threshold?

28% signed the petition in this case

Only 10% would have been enough though.

[welshbairn]

38 minutes ago, Sooky said:

 

Believe she immediately loses her seat. Ian Paisley Jnr survived one just a couple months ago.

 

Aye, was wrong. Paisley got 9.4%. She can still stand in the by election but she probably won't. Her law career is likely fucked too, not a great year for her. All over avoiding a few speeding points the dafty.

Edited May 1, 2019 by welshbairn

[Bishop Briggs]

36 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Still an MP till the election, and could stand for Brexit. Wouldn't put it past her. The 10% requirement seems a bit low though, how many MPs could pass that threshold?

She's a committed Remainer - https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/fiona-onasanya-backlash-as-disgraced-exlabour-mp-backs-bill-to-seek-brexit-delay-that-passed-by-just-a4109361.html.

"A disgraced former Labour MP is facing a backlash after casting her vote yesterday in favour of a bill seeking to delay Brexit, which passed by a majority of just one. Leave supporters have slammed Fiona Onasanya for being able to vote on the crucial Brexit legislation on Wednesday despite her criminal record. She confirmed in a tweet she had voted to extend Article 50 as she "could not support crashing out". 

[Chapelhall chap]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

Got the International Development job, more appropriate I think. Jumps onto the Cabinet though, thought he was already there with the prisons job.

That will save Rory from resigning when his prison promise fails to materialise.

[ICTJohnboy]

44 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

Yikes...Liz Smith has scared the shit out of me ever since I first saw her cycling off with Toto in her bicycle basket in the opening scenes of The Wizard Of Oz.

 

21 minutes ago, MixuFixit said:

It's a weird accent isn't it? There's something a bit Alice the Goon about how they pronounce some vowels. There's a few people on radio Scotland who have it too, I've never met someone in the wild who talks like that.

 

Occasionally I chance upon House of Lords debates on the Parliament Channel which can be quite interesting until, inevitably, Annabel Goldie rears her ugly head to attack Nicola and the SNP in that awful plumby accent.

She does this no matter what's being debated.

That's all she ever does in the H.o.L.

[welshbairn]

2 minutes ago, Chapelhall chap said:

That will save Rory from resigning when his prison promise fails to materialise.

Was thinking that, had to check what his promise was. Less drugs and violence, was thinking more ambitious, like recidivism. But fair play to him if he made any progress without hiring a shedload more PO's.

[John Lambies Doos]

Is Williamson a brexiteer?

[ICTJohnboy]

4 minutes ago, John Lambies Doos said:

Is Williamson a brexiteer?

 

Yes.

Says it all, doesn't it.

Edited May 1, 2019 by ICTJohnboy

[Bishop Briggs]

Just now, ICTJohnboy said:

 

Yes.

Bollocks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35616946

"The following MPs have put on the record their intention to campaign to remain in the EU:

Gavin Williamson - Staffordshire South"

[ICTJohnboy]

8 minutes ago, Bishop Briggs said:

Bollocks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35616946

"The following MPs have put on the record their intention to campaign to remain in the EU:

Gavin Williamson - Staffordshire South"

 

Born-again Brexiters

This group all have their eyes on the biggest prize of all – being on the right side of the Brexit debate when May does eventually step down. The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was a leading remainer who now says he has changed his mind and would vote leave if he had his time again, blaming the European commission’s “arrogant” behaviour for changing his mind. The home secretary, Sajid Javid, was a natural Eurosceptic who backed remain at the behest of David Cameron but after the vote appeared to regret his decision, which lost him the trust of many Tory Brexiters. He has been treading a careful line between scepticism and loyalty ever since. The defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, previously a low-key remainer, has grown keener on Brexit as the months have gone on, although he has recently kept his counsel. The Treasury chief secretary, Liz Truss, awkwardly for her boss, the chancellor, has had a damascene conversion and is now a fully signed-up leaver. It will not have passed any of them by that the next leader of the Tory party will have to unify MPs as well as win the support of the predominantly Brexiter membership.

[Bishop Briggs]

1 minute ago, ICTJohnboy said:

 

Born-again Brexiters

This group all have their eyes on the biggest prize of all – being on the right side of the Brexit debate when May does eventually step down. The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was a leading remainer who now says he has changed his mind and would vote leave if he had his time again, blaming the European commission’s “arrogant” behaviour for changing his mind. The home secretary, Sajid Javid, was a natural Eurosceptic who backed remain at the behest of David Cameron but after the vote appeared to regret his decision, which lost him the trust of many Tory Brexiters. He has been treading a careful line between scepticism and loyalty ever since. The defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, previously a low-key remainer, has grown keener on Brexit as the months have gone on, although he has recently kept his counsel. The Treasury chief secretary, Liz Truss, awkwardly for her boss, the chancellor, has had a damascene conversion and is now a fully signed-up leaver. It will not have passed any of them by that the next leader of the Tory party will have to unify MPs as well as win the support of the predominantly Brexiter membership.

Williamson is a classic example of the unprincipled careerist and opportunist liar. Hunt and Javid fit the description perfectly too. They don't really support Brexit - they just want the Brexiteers' votes in the next Tory leadership election. What a bunch of low-life scumbags!

[Bishop Briggs]

The new International Development Secretary

[Chapelhall chap]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

Was thinking that, had to check what his promise was. Less drugs and violence, was thinking more ambitious, like recidivism. But fair play to him if he made any progress without hiring a shedload more PO's.

I certainly give him credit for what he was seeking to achieve and am just inclined to believe his promise.

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, Chapelhall chap said:

I certainly give him credit for what he was seeking to achieve and am just inclined to believe his promise.

I think he's one of the few decent and thinking politicians, even if he appears a bit strange. 

[Chapelhall chap]

Just now, welshbairn said:

I think he's one of the few decent and thinking politicians, even if he appears a bit strange. 

I do find it hard to give him much time as he opposes Scottish independence ( the famous Cairn)  but as a Borderland advocate I understand that he makes a good case for the Unionist arguments, although I don't agree with him . ( I am sure he is really worried about my opinion)  But he does argue quite well and is not a raving Mark Francois, He does look strange but he can't be faulted for that.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

If age has provided me with anything it may be the faculty to seldom accept anything at face value, especially where politics is concerned.

Consider this.  Last week the US security apparatus condemned the UK Government's decision to involve Huawei  in any shape or form in future telecoms projects; the news had originally been leaked to The Telegraph, by persons or persons unknown, but that's not how the Yanks got to hear about it.

Had the US not issued its threat on future cooperation then the leak enquiry would have gently drifted into the ether, with the usual lessons learned, etc.,  The fact that they did however has forced May's Government to seek to hastily ditch the Huawei deal, shit scared as they are of the Americans, especially with Brexit looming (indeed it is surprising it ever materialised in the first place).  What better then than to sacrifice the most hapless member of a hapless Cabinet, namely Private Pike, and to kill two birds with one stone ?

The leaker is hung out to dry, job done, but more importantly, under cover of Williamson's sacking and the horror of leaked highly sensitive info expect May's Government to now revisit and reassess the entire Huawei project, with a wholly predicatable outcome.  Better to offend Beijing than Washington after all, and normal service will quickly be resumed.