General Politics Thread

[Granny Danger]

Pro-Brexit Tory MP lobbied the government on behalf of a firm who was paying him.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/07/mp-owen-paterson-lobbied-government-for-firm-he-worked-for

 

[beefybake]

On 06/04/2019 at 12:47, welshbairn said:

Got 100/1 on Stephen Barclay as the new Tory leader with Paddy Power. Maybe daft, but he's a Brexiteer and May loyalist, something that could go down well in the heartlands. He's had a lot of exposure recently as Brexit Secretary and stands up well to interrogation in Committee and in Parliament. He's also a pretty boy who will have the old Colonels rummaging furiously in their trouser pockets. The moderate side of the Parliamentary might give him a few votes as a foil against the likes of Boris and Raab. Most bookies don't even include him as a possible but hopefully he'll emerge from nowhere like John Major.

He has all the pulling power, and charisma, of a stale pint of heavy.

So yes, there are similarities with John Major,

Howver,   Major had steadily climbed the greasy poles of politics before he got to be PM.

Barclay seems to be just a nonentity, brought in when all the others realised that being Brexit Secretary was a road to oblivion.

100/1 looks to me like an accurate reflection of his chances. .

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, beefybake said:

He has all the pulling power, and charisma, of a stale pint of heavy.

So yes, there are similarities with John Major,

Howver,   Major had steadily climbed the greasy poles of politics before he got to be PM.

Barclay seems to be just a nonentity, brought in when all the others realised that being Brexit Secretary was a road to oblivion.

100/1 looks to me like an accurate reflection of his chances. .

Barclay was willing to stand before he heard welshbairn had put money on him.  

[Donathan]

Matt Hancock is the "John Major" candidate ie the highest profile Tory that hasn't pissed any factions off.

[Granny Danger]

I hope Boris Johnson is the next Tory leader but not the next Prime Minister.

He will stop some of the UKIP types voting for UKIP or Farage but otherwise make the Tories far less electorally attractive.

ETA the Tories have definitely lurched to the right as support at grass roots level for No Deal shows.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2019 by Granny Danger

[pandarilla]

If the mumbleclown had shown some leadership during the EU referendum we might not be where we are.

His duplicitous fence-sitting performance made sure that many Labour voters did not feel they had to back Remain.

Whilst I agree with the general criticism, you have to bear in mind  he is anti-EU.  That was always going to be a key problem.
Under different circumstances his integrity would be admirable but he has failed to recognise the implications of his actions.
He has also betrayed his long standing belief that the Labour leader is answerable to the party membership who have been sidetracked rather than listened to.
 
 

I thought his integrity was admirable, and he summed up the whole thing as well as anyone.

I'm not a big fan of the EU. But on the whole I came to the conclusion that remain was the best option in that particular referendum. In that respect Corbyn represented my feelings on it honestly and without pretending that the EU is some bastion for progressive politics.

I watched a sky news debate in the last couple of weeks of the campaign and he made his case clearly and answered every question very well. I'm not quite sure what folk expected him to do differently.

[NotThePars]

23 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

I thought his integrity was admirable, and he summed up the whole thing as well as anyone.

I'm not a big fan of the EU. But on the whole I came to the conclusion that remain was the best option in that particular referendum. In that respect Corbyn represented my feelings on it honestly and without pretending that the EU is some bastion for progressive politics.

I watched a sky news debate in the last couple of weeks of the campaign and he made his case clearly and answered every question very well. I'm not quite sure what folk expected him to do differently.

 

Richard Seymour's book points out that Corbyn made sixty campaign appearances in sixty days before the vote, made more media appearances than the Labour Remain campaign's leaders and was eventually responsible for 6.1% of all the Labour media appearances compared to Alan Johnson's less than 1%. Angela Eagle of all people praised his performance before the vote. 

 

John Curtice, AFAIK, made the argument that SNP and Labour voters voted in roughly similar proportions for Remain and credited the success of the Leave vote to the collapse of Remainer Conservatives. Given the six most prominently covered political figures in the campaign were allegedly David Cameron, Boris Johnson, George Osborne, Nigel Farage, Michael Gove and Iain Duncan Smith I think it's apparent who's at fault here. Unless it's Corbyn's because he wouldn't share a stage with David Cameron.

Edited April 7, 2019 by NotThePars

[dee_62]

On 4/5/2019 at 17:50, Detournement said:

If Labour commit to Remain they will lose their Leave voters and gain absolutely no one from the other parties.

It's electoral suicide.

just catching up on this thread.  got to say, I think you might be off the mark here.  I come from a family of dyed-in-the-wool Labour supporters/activists who turned and voted Tory at the last GE in order to keep the SNP out.  Never thought I would see the day and told them that in no uncertain terms. 

Anyway, my point is that in the face of a bigger/more immediate threat, you never know what you might be pushed to do.  Switching from Tory or LibDems to Labour for a single parliament in order to remove the threat of a lifetime of being outside the EU with Brexit, is a choice many will take.  

[welshbairn]

Don't pretend to understand the Debenhams story, but if Mike Ashley has lost £150-200 million trying to rip off the pension fund and creditors, then all to the good. 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Don't pretend to understand the Debenhams story, but if Mike Ashley has lost £150-200 million trying to rip off the pension fund and creditors, then all to the good. 

It looks like a technical administration to prevent him getting his hands on the company. The creditors have taken over and pumped in an additional 200 mi!!ion of their own funds. Clearly the plan is to restructure - bringing forward the closure of the 50 stores that were closing in the next 2-5 years; reducing the number of managers within stores; streamlining their distribution for online sales etc - they will be looking to offload the restructured company asap - wouldn't be surprised if they have a buyer lined up.

A lot has been made about their inability to cope with online competition but it's more fundamental than that - previous owners basically reduced current expenditure to inflate profits by agreeing ludicrous long-term leases - then taking out the "profits" made. After the credit crunch they were stuck with leases they couldn't afford - last year's losses were primarily due to an accounting procedure to take account of those leases. That obviously hasn't been enough - this latest move means they will be able to close stores without having to meet lease terms.

The fact that Ashley has been burnt is pleasing but don't for one second think that the creditors are a better bet - there would be job losses under either scenario.

Many staff are really worried about their jobs - from a close source there has been an increased turnover in staff because of concerns over the business.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

It looks like a technical administration to prevent him getting his hands on the company. The creditors have taken over and pumped in an additional 200 mi!!ion of their own funds. Clearly the plan is to restructure - bringing forward the closure of the 50 stores that were closing in the next 2-5 years; reducing the number of managers within stores; streamlining their distribution for online sales etc - they will be looking to offload the restructured company asap - wouldn't be surprised if they have a buyer lined up.

A lot has been made about their inability to cope with online competition but it's more fundamental than that - previous owners basically reduced current expenditure to inflate profits by agreeing ludicrous long-term leases - then taking out the "profits" made. After the credit crunch they were stuck with leases they couldn't afford - last year's losses were primarily due to an accounting procedure to take account of those leases. That obviously hasn't been enough - this latest move means they will be able to close stores without having to meet lease terms.

The fact that Ashley has been burnt is pleasing but don't for one second think that the creditors are a better bet - there would be job losses under either scenario.

Many staff are really worried about their jobs - from a close source there has been an increased turnover in staff because of concerns over the business.

Yes, the US hedgefunds have their grubby claws all over this, so rest assured this is another asset stripping job which sees ordinary shareholders, staff, and landlords screwed right over.

As said, it's good to see Ashley shafted but these hedgefunds are even more despicable than him...................

[JamieThomas]

Angus' favourite simpleton is at it again lads

 

[Dan Steele]

13 minutes ago, JamieThomas said:

Angus' favourite simpleton is at it again lads

 

Hope the next piece of paper she picks up is her P45. 

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Jesus. I'm moving.

[mizfit]

Jesus Christ, what is the opinion of her in Angus? Surely even the most Tory of Tories are embarrassed by her?

[Benjamin_Nevis]

6 minutes ago, mizfit said:

Jesus Christ, what is the opinion of her in Angus? Surely even the most Tory of Tories are embarrassed by her?

I've not yet encountered anyone who doesn't think she's a fucking idiot. She's even managed to piss off my old man who has become a massive fucking Tory over the years. She was elected on a wave of Tory campaigning across the board of "No to a 2nd Independence Referendum", which also saw some absolute Tory belters elected to Angus Council shortly afterwards. 

I expect most Tory voters in Angus would sooner admit to shagging squirrels than voting for that fucking dipshit. 

She was caught bonny a while back as well, she held a surgery in a wee shop which had a post office counter, took a photo of the queue for the post office and claimed they were lining up to speak to her 

 

[NotThePars]

5 minutes ago, jupe1407 said:

I've not yet encountered anyone who doesn't think she's a fucking idiot. She's even managed to piss off my old man who has become a massive fucking Tory over the years. She was elected on a wave of Tory campaigning across the board of "No to a 2nd Independence Referendum", which also saw some absolute Tory belters elected to Angus Council shortly afterwards. 

I expect most Tory voters in Angus would sooner admit to shagging squirrels than voting for that fucking dipshit. 

She was caught bonny a while back as well, she held a surgery in a wee shop which had a post office counter, took a photo of the queue for the post office and claimed they were lining up to speak to her 

 

 

Even at the same time, how does this not potentially mean they're all coming to call her an arsehole? 

[mizfit]

I've not yet encountered anyone who doesn't think she's a fucking idiot. She's even managed to piss off my old man who has become a massive fucking Tory over the years. She was elected on a wave of Tory campaigning across the board of "No to a 2nd Independence Referendum", which also saw some absolute Tory belters elected to Angus Council shortly afterwards. 
I expect most Tory voters in Angus would sooner admit to shagging squirrels than voting for that fucking dipshit. 
She was caught bonny a while back as well, she held a surgery in a wee shop which had a post office counter, took a photo of the queue for the post office and claimed they were lining up to speak to her 
 

I presume the local office thought they’d never actually win the seat and put out the local idiot.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

I presume the local office thought they’d never actually win the seat and put out the local idiot.

Surprisingly for a county riven with Tory farming types, recent candidates have been hopeless. IIRC in 2016 Derek Wann stood, and failed. I don't think leaving a bunch of folk out of pocket following a business bankruptcy was conducive to a successful crack at becoming an MP. We also had Alberto Costa once who's campaigning was risibly bad.

I suspect Braden Davy fancies himself as MP next. He's another fake news spreading careerist shitebag. And erm, "associated" with Ross Thomson.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

For such a beautiful part of Scotland, you seem to have such disturbing levels of self-loathing in the North-East.  'Dyed-in-the-wool' Labour types voting Tory to keep out the SNP - really ?  Mass voting for Tory incompetents rather than even countenance the I-word - fucking pathetic.  It used to be us in the central belt who lamented the monkeys with red rosettes; it seems they have all turned blue and migrated to the bens and glens.

Still, what chance have we got of anyone getting off their knees with DC Thomson, the P & J, Balmoral Castle , the Braemar Gathering and the Peterhead fishing fleet up there ?  And probably still the influence of the pulpit too.