Off Topic The Politics Thread

Waffle waffle something in Latin waffle we’ll that’s if he can be arsed from a pre planned trip despite being aware of the by election dates. The resignation is a nice bonus.

 

Can't really be that surprised that the Tories lost both by-elections. Their last mps, represented their constituents by watching porn in the house of commons and by sexually abusing a 15 year old boy. Bit of a no brainer really.

 

The resignation was a nice cherry on top.

 

I know that I come at this from a different angle than many of the regular contributors to this thread, but I suspect many of you will agree with me that this is the worst government of any livery over the last 50 years. Even the Wilson/Callaghan administrations of the mid-to-late 1970s were more competent and had more individual talent than this lot. Callaghan in particular was on a hiding to nothing with the general economic and militant conditions he inherited.

I look across this government and I’m really struggling to identify the talent. To be honest, I have the same problem when I consider the Labour Front Bench too.

Johnson really does seems to think his still sizeable majority is enough for now and all he has to do is keep sufficient numbers of his own MPs on-side. I don’t see any Grand Plan or ideology.

He won his majority because the British public (rightly in my view) saw him as the only viable means of delivering the Brexit the majority (yes!) voted for at the time. He was a Single Purpose Vehicle, but nevertheless was given a tremendous opportunity to do something really special.

Whilst nobody could’ve anticipated the Covid episode, his government’s behaviour throughout this period and now tells you everything you need to know about where he’s at.

I’d like a proper small ‘c’ conservative party to vote for, not these incompetent, authoritarian, ‘big government’ bunch of arrogant ****ers.

The thought of a Labour government, particularly under Keir Starmer, doesn’t fill me with any enthusiasm whatsoever, but that possibility isn’t enough to encourage me to vote for this Tory Party.

 

This is the sorta post I absolutely respect, top post.

 

Do you have an ‘about as good as it gets’ example from here or elsewhere of the sort of government you would like Ubes?

This lot are certainly the complete package of ineptitude. Although I detested her Thatcher had a vision and integrity. This bunch have neither, though I’m quite glad they don’t have Thatcher’s monetarist ideology as we could quite soon be adding high unemployment to the current toxic mix as well.

I will be maintaining my abstain position on elections for the reminder of my time I suspect. Certainly for national elections.

 

I’ve given examples on this thread on many occasions before, Stanners. I’d settle for a general philosophy from this lot, but there ain’t one. I’d want a commitment to small government, lower taxes, a return to traditional policing (bobbies on the beat, local police stations, more visibility), something done to reduce the cost of the Welfare State (but what?), end to student loans and a return to grants, more apprenticeships, better alignment with market needs, more UK manufacturing, an NHS that works (don’t care how it’s structured), an attempt to create a nation that can actually feed and power itself. That sort of thing. Yeah, pretty idealistic, but you have to start somewhere. Not an exhaustive list or prioritised.

Over the years it’s been clear that governments come in and initially lead the agenda and the early sign that they’re crap is when they become reactive and ‘behind the curve’. I can’t think of many administrations that recovered through their own initiative. Some have ‘lucked in’ and then recovered (such as Mags with the Falklands War), but most continue to decline. I see nothing with this lot that suggests they have any clue how to regain the initiative and the unions and others smell blood now.

There was a disillusioned Conservative-voting chap from Woking on the wireless this morning who said what Johnson needed to do was raise the tax-free level to £20k, slash the duty on fuel, do away with his Green Levy and settle the RMT strike to win back some support. That would help (but would be costly), but why the Hell not? Would be a decent start.

 

Wasn't Big Government started by furlough? Large sums paid out to businesses to do nothing during the pandemic. But was there an alternative?

 

Personally, I’d say we’ve had Big Govt long before that. Nanny State an’ all that. Furlough exacerbated it. Whenever there’s an issue the default position is “what’s the government going to do about it?” Not sure what’s happened to individual responsibility. For example, we have economic migrants coming thousands of miles to the UK for work, some sending money back to families back in their home countries (good on them, I say) whilst some of our lot can sit at home on benefits instead of relocating (say) 100 miles to where a job is. It’s taken a concerted effort over too many generations to **** this all up; will take just as long (if not longer) to sort it out. There’s no will, though.

 

Where's the loony party when you need tham

 

I get what you say, Ubes, but the UK is positively Trumpian compared to socialist policies in much of Old Europe, particularly Scandinavia. The Welfare State was a noble idea, has on the whole produced amazingly good results since the early C20th, but it's broken now and needs a rethink. The NHS particularly which is patchy and poor in some parts of the country. We do at least have very high employment currently and long may that continue, in the face of what looks like a worldwide recession approaching.

I see Boris Johnson's time coming to an end. Whoever comes in to replace him, needs a top down look at our society and what is fair in taxes to deal with the cost of living crisis. And they need to solve illegal immigration, by making the Rwanda scheme work. No other political party has any idea how to stop it. And they need to ensure Spanish practices go for good in the railway industry in return for a fair rise in pay. And then they will have to handle all the other strikes that will follow, but big wage increases will simply add fuel to the inflation fire.

 

High wages (in my opinion) is great but I agree, it will add fuel to inflation rates. Bringing the cost of living down would be the solution. Fuel in the motor is a money spinner for the government and something they could act on immediately.
Having said that, this is of Johnsons own doing. How long has he banged on about a high wage economy!!! He's a complete waste of space and an absolute hindrance to the UK.

 

Agree about fuel, Bob. Boris Johnson went on about high wages post Brexit and pre pandemic. The world's economy is now having to reassess.

I don't think you'll have to put up with Boris for much longer! The Cabinet's support may begin to crumble

 

Fuel is crippling the majority at the moment. It can't carry on

 

I’d go for more equitable wages but, more importantly, lower tax. Small Govt and Welfare State… make it more attractive and lucrative to work than draw benefits.

 

Rees-Mogg is now claiming that leaving the EU before they decided that phone chargers should be universal is a Brexit benefit. The man's bonkers.

This after noisier Hoovers and sparkling wine in plastic bottles. What's your favourite?

 

Great post. If you elect an amoral belief-free narcissist as party leader & PM, don't be surprised to have a government without any plan, let alone a grand plan, that seeks popularity alone.

 

The bloke is a moron with a moronic job.

 

The UK's vaccine policy comes quite high up. And the UK's ability to assist Ukraine militarily without France and Germany calling for the EU to drag its heels in case it upsets Putin and their energy supply