Bo Jo No Mo

JohnInCarolina

CPFC1905 said:

Boris’ successor is the candidate with the least experience and credibility - but at least the party get to have a ‘special moment’ to themselves imagining they’ve got Maggie back. 

Good odds she’ll be hoisted by her own petard fairly soon but no likelihood of the Oppostion presenting any realistic opposition any time soon. 

Saw that.  You guys have got to be pulling your hair out over there, although - was there ever really another possibility in terms of someone getting selected that would have been much more preferable?  

HeavyG

CPFC1905 said:

Boris’ successor is the candidate with the least experience and credibility - but at least the party get to have a ‘special moment’ to themselves imagining they’ve got Maggie back. 

Good odds she’ll be hoisted by her own petard fairly soon but no likelihood of the Oppostion presenting any realistic opposition any time soon. 

Thought this was pretty funny headline.

https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1566834653276807168

Botch

We'll trade you, her for trump and all the cheese you want, gratis.  

dbCooper

Have followed British politics since visiting there, and NI, several times starting in in the 90's.  Follow various media sources (BBC, Guardian, Independent and that vulture The Register) along with an addiction to the weekly "Questions To The Prime Minister" on CSPAN here.

No disrespect intended towards those in the UK but, seems your lot is similar to current circumstances in the USA, you suffer for a lack of competent candidates.

My take is after Theresa May ran her course John Bercow was a desirable successor.  I get he wasn't a Tory (maybe) and had some baggage with how he handled his office staff.

Curious about who those on here in the UK would like to see in the PM role.  Best wishes to you as the BoJo era ends.

CPFC1905

JohnInCarolina said:

Saw that.  You guys have got to be pulling your hair out over there, although - was there ever really another possibility in terms of someone getting selected that would have been much more preferable?  

Boris got the job by supporting issues that would attract the most votes, immune from his own prior statements on or about the same subjects.  The party members saw him as Churchillesque, the reliability of which extended as far as being the same gender and skin tone.   He certainly precipitated some of the crises we are now facing, which even with my loose grasp of history is the antitheses of Winston's legacy. 

However he has a majority following in the party at large and therefore Rishi's attempt to overthrow him as ambitious, a noble failure.  

Across 140,000 votes, among party members - not the general public, Rishi fell short by 10,000 people with an 80K to 60K return against him. 

So now Truss will install her friends in posts of power to protect her and will the set about plotting her continued time in post up to the election in 2024.  At some point there might be a moment or tow to mull not the cost of living crisis, war in Ukraine, Brexit, etc etc  But don't hold your breath.

The highlight of all of this was late last week when BoJo, in a speech and with no irony at all, said all politicians 'must look beyond the short term'.   

With any luck we find out very soon that this is all an experiment and sufficient data has been achieved, so we can go back to normal life. 

CPFC1905

Well,  that's a strong offer but your cheese is not as good as our cheese. 

I notice you've let Harry and Megan escape back to the UK this week, which weakens your negotiating position. 

CPFC1905

dbCooper said:

Have followed British politics since visiting there, and NI, several times starting in in the 90's.  Follow various media sources (BBC, Guardian, Independent and that vulture The Register) along with an addiction to the weekly "Questions To The Prime Minister" on CSPAN here.

No disrespect intended towards those in the UK but, seems your lot is similar to current circumstances in the USA, you suffer for a lack of competent candidates.

My take is after Theresa May ran her course John Bercow was a desirable successor.  I get he wasn't a Tory (maybe) and had some baggage with how he handled his office staff.

Curious about who those on here in the UK would like to see in the PM role.  Best wishes to you as the BoJo era ends.

If you follow and can understand NI politics then you deserve some kind of doctorate.  The Green vs Orange thing is just the very start of that.

May's course was run before she even took the job. Her gradual erosion of major public institutions during tenure as Home Secretary is still bearing fruit now.  Our public prosecutors are currently on strike.  Can you believe that?  Thanks Theresa.   Her mass reduction of police headcount only permitted Boris to announce a plan to bring in 20,000 new officers - which even if it worked (which it hasn't) would take the number back to lower than before. What a stunning pair of geniuses they are. 

Bercow was only ever seen as a cartoonish character in the background with an entertaining wife and appalling manner towards other humans.

In terms of other options as candidates - we, the people, have no real say.  

The Tories select acolytes from the flotsam and jetsam of local politics and or the world of 'political advisers', sometimes from amongst spare family members that haven't made a sack load of cash elsewhere.  

Those poor saps are then bribed / blackmailed in to running for seats as an MP, then hot-housed on a strict diet of rhetoric and negative campaigning,  with a dessert of making things up which sound like great master plans.  

Whichever manages to live without integrity or cognisance of the real world long enough gets to the top and inevitably takes power for about 18 months.

And then there's Labour, and some way behind them the other parties. 

HeavyG

This time the DE really means it - good times are surely ahead for Britain!

JohnInCarolina

I know this is adding insult to injury, @CPFC1905 and @Eoin, but, well…

http://twitter.com/leedsblue67/status/1568528952968318977?s=20&t=3mWyD2bNMJ07jsopKFelOg

JohnInCarolina

This seems like a super-popular move, eh @Eoin, @CPFC1905, and @Stormbringer ?

http://twitter.com/BloombergUK/status/1573264402014420992?s=20&t=XN7kczAaUAKIasIz3fc_EA

CPFC1905

Tax cuts are always popular, right?

Even better these ones aren't actual cuts because the personal tax-free allowance is fixed and wages are rising, so more people are paying more of the albeit slightly reduced tax.

My son in law is a director of tax for family-office private investment firm.  I messaged him to see if he was planning to retrain, because it seemed like all taxes were being abolished at one point. 

Daughter is a CFO for a commodities broker, so between them they know a lot of people much happier about the abolition of the 45% rate for over £150k. 

Reassuringly, for those struggling by on just £500K a year, they will be £17,500 a year better off rising to £23,500 if you include that they won't have to pay the planned rise in National Insurance (another personal income tax, just called something different) 

JohnInCarolina

CPFC1905 said:

Tax cuts are always popular, right?

Even better these ones aren't actual cuts because the personal tax-free allowance is fixed and wages are rising, so more people are paying more of the albeit slightly reduced tax.

My son in law is a director of tax for family-office private investment firm.  I messaged him to see if he was planning to retrain, because it seemed like all taxes were being abolished at one point. 

Daughter is a CFO for a commodities broker, so between them they know a lot of people much happier about the abolition of the 45% rate for over £150k. 

Reassuringly, for those struggling by on just £500K a year, they will be £17,500 a year better off rising to £23,500 if you include that they won't have to pay the planned rise in National Insurance (another personal income tax, just called something different) 

Sounds like things are going swimmingly over there:

http://twitter.com/dinosofos/status/1575395660018368514?s=20&t=GaSputwN73MsjF0hJZXshg

CPFC1905

Our current, possibly fleeting, PM has proved that she is in fact a raffle winner who's been given the job. Whilst we all suspected she was devoid on notion, skill or talent - each passing day simply evidences it.  

Kwasi 'nah, lets just busk it' Kwarteng's made up on the spot budget announcement seems to be uncoiling by the hour.  

Perhaps it's a ploy,  you know the  'right lads, everything is crap and rather than fix it let's make it crapper and fix that - people will think we're genius while all the time the crapness is identical'.  

We've all done it; surgeons, bomb disposal experts, nuclear scientists, furnace operators - it's the hallmark of their trades.

JohnInCarolina

CPFC1905 said:

Our current, possibly fleeting, PM has proved that she is in fact a raffle winner who's been given the job. Whilst we all suspected she was devoid on notion, skill or talent - each passing day simply evidences it.  

Kwasi 'nah, lets just busk it' Kwarteng's made up on the spot budget announcement seems to be uncoiling by the hour.  

Perhaps it's a ploy,  you know the  'right lads, everything is crap and rather than fix it let's make it crapper and fix that - people will think we're genius while all the time the crapness is identical'.  

We've all done it; surgeons, bomb disposal experts, nuclear scientists, furnace operators - it's the hallmark of their trades.

http://twitter.com/brianklaas/status/1580914221399015427?s=20&t=vc1598_h2YkEnAJvTPaL1w

HeavyG

LOL

Was watching BBC News at lunchtime and after her sacking Kwarteng and then holding a whopping 8 minute press conference it seems clear the lettuce will be the victor.

Pork markets!

CPFC1905

It is breathtaking how the last 4 years has seen the group of elected officials chosen to run an an entire country have managed to navigate their role and purpose in to some kind of tabloid side-show.
I do hope there is another election soon and this time they include 'none of the above' as an option on the ballot paper.

SamIAm2

@CPFC1905 - like the sentiment but if NOTA wins wouldn't that leave the current incompetent pols in charge longer?

JohnInCarolina

SamIAm2 said:

@CPFC1905 - like the sentiment but if NOTA wins wouldn't that leave the current incompetent pols in charge longer?

I feel like if NOTA wins the rule would be that a random Brit is drawn from the population to run the country, and they turn it into a reality TV show.  Seems like a win-win to me.

CPFC1905

SamIAm2 said:

@CPFC1905 - like the sentiment but if NOTA wins wouldn't that leave the current incompetent pols in charge longer?

That is a theoretical outcome but I would be happy to run the risk.

Our voting system works to produce one MP per constituency - of which there are 650 across the UK.  It's a simple count, no minimum number needed or percentage, just the person with the most votes wins. They then sit in parliament.  The party with the most MP's in parliament takes power.   

Not all constituencies are the same size, meaning votes are not of equal value and, some are so safe that voters fail to turn out as the result is a foregone conclusion - so not all contests are equally fought.
 
The plus side is that a person, who you can visit to harangue, should be looking out for your local area.    So a NOTA win would leave the constituency unrepresented.  But could also punch a hole in the majority of the party in power.   Perhaps a mandatory by-election would be triggered 90 days later?

More sinister, though, in my eyes is that the public vote passes the blame for a crap Govt on to the electorate; "you voted for them".  Wouldn't it be fairer if prospective parliamentarians had to pass a series of assessments to prove competence?   

CPFC1905

JohnInCarolina said:

SamIAm2 said:

@CPFC1905 - like the sentiment but if NOTA wins wouldn't that leave the current incompetent pols in charge longer?

I feel like if NOTA wins the rule would be that a random Brit is drawn from the population to run the country, and they turn it into a reality TV show.  Seems like a win-win to me.

More or less what happens now.
Biting satire, there - am I right?

dmchicago

JohnInCarolina said:

SamIAm2 said:

@CPFC1905 - like the sentiment but if NOTA wins wouldn't that leave the current incompetent pols in charge longer?

I feel like if NOTA wins the rule would be that a random Brit is drawn from the population to run the country, and they turn it into a reality TV show.  Seems like a win-win to me.

Can it be the one where we judge by the naughty bits?

CPFC1905

dmchicago said:

JohnInCarolina said:

SamIAm2 said:

@CPFC1905 - like the sentiment but if NOTA wins wouldn't that leave the current incompetent pols in charge longer?

I feel like if NOTA wins the rule would be that a random Brit is drawn from the population to run the country, and they turn it into a reality TV show.  Seems like a win-win to me.

Can it be the one where we judge by the naughty bits?

Define naughty.  The current collective proudly boast misdemeanours linked to business activity, unorthodox financial arrangements, lechery, adultery, drink, drugs, and, odious behaviour towards colleagues and staff. 

JohnInCarolina

CPFC1905 said:

JohnInCarolina said:

SamIAm2 said:

@CPFC1905 - like the sentiment but if NOTA wins wouldn't that leave the current incompetent pols in charge longer?

I feel like if NOTA wins the rule would be that a random Brit is drawn from the population to run the country, and they turn it into a reality TV show.  Seems like a win-win to me.

More or less what happens now.
Biting satire, there - am I right?

And your friends tried to tell me you weren’t very bright!

Stormbringer

dmchicago

It’s a blood sport. 

https://www.cnn.com/uk/live-news/liz-truss-prime-minister-intl-gbr/index.html

the lettuce won. 

dmchicago

fishlessman

.im betting the tabloids are our main source of uk news sometimes it even makes front page.  its right up there with whats happening with rachel green

Legume

God save the head of lettuce!

https://youtu.be/Sm-RE95lKJ0

CPFC1905

Yay. We’re all team lettuce now. 

Gulfcoastguy

Well at least the lettuce 🥬 just rots in place. It’s rot isn’t contagious.