British Politics: the Mega-Thread

[Markhor]

Cummings - Civil service positions should be open by default but elements in Whitehall will fight to the death against this.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I think Dom has been spot on with some of the stuff that has been said but I wonder how much of the more outlandish theories that were spouted by politicians are just left-field brainstorming suggestions and not actual well thought out ideas.

Surely Boris could not have have seriously felt like injecting himself with Covid on air would have been have a good idea????

Surely not??!?!!?!

 

[Markhor]

I honestly cannot disagree with anything here. From listening to his testimony it's clear the oft repeated line about Britain's "Rolls Royce" civil service is a myth of the past.

It seems to have become a cosy Oxbridge educated old boys club less focused on delivering results and more interested in fetishising process and keeping themselves relevant.

And the media seriously fails to ask these fundamental questions of how the state functions, content with reporting the soap opera of politics and personalities. They fail even in basic accountability - for example many bought the lie that herd immunity was never the Government's plan when it was literally official strategy !

Obviously Cummings is a polarising figure, and it's one disgruntled man's word, but he has done more to hold the Government to account over the worst crisis since WW2 than the media and dare I say the Opposition.

 

[Last Monetarist]

I honestly cannot disagree with anything here. From listening to his testimony it's clear the oft repeated line about Britain's "Rolls Royce" civil service is a myth of the past.

It seems to have become a cosy Oxbridge educated old boys club less focused on delivering results and more interested in fetishising process and keeping themselves relevant.

One could argue that it was always thus, even during the heydays of the empire. The cogs kept turning due to the colonies, it was never down to the Oxbridge boys in the civil service.

Even after the Second World War, there was always this tension between the tedious interests of the old boys network in the Foreign Office and the folks in British Intelligence looking to shape European and global affairs in accordance with their world view.

 

[MenInG]

Matt Hancock should go as health secretary following Dominic Cummings' claims that he lied about his handling of coronavirus, Labour has said.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told the BBC Mr Hancock had "intentionally" misled colleagues and "thousands" in care homes had died as a result.

On Wednesday, Mr Cummings, the PM's ex-adviser, said the health secretary had lied and should have been sacked.

But Mr Hancock's spokesman "absolutely" rejected the claims.

He would continue to work closely with the prime minister in rolling out vaccines, he added.

The health secretary will appear in the House of Commons at around 10:30 BST to answer an urgent question tabled by Labour about the government's handling of Covid.

During a seven-hour appearance before a committee of MPs investigating "lessons learnt" from the pandemic on Wednesday, Mr Cummings was scathing about Mr Hancock.

He argued that the health secretary "should have been fired for at least 15 to 20 things including lying to everybody on multiple occasions in meeting after meeting in the Cabinet Room and publicly".

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has admitted breaking social distancing guidance after pictures of him kissing an aide were published in a newspaper.

He said he had "let people down" after photos emerged of him with Gina Coladangelo - whom he appointed - and was "very sorry".

Labour urged the PM to sack Mr Hancock, calling his position "untenable".

But Downing Street said Boris Johnson accepted Mr Hancock's apology and "considers the matter closed".

Asked whether the prime minister had "full confidence" in Mr Hancock, the PM's spokesman replied: "Yes."

The Sun reported that its pictures of Mr Hancock and Ms Coladangelo, both of whom are married with children, had been taken inside the Department of Health in early May.

Social distancing in workplaces is not a legal requirement, but it is recommended by the government.

People are advised to keep 2m apart where possible, or 1m with risk mitigation.

On 6 May, when England was still at Stage 2 of Covid restrictions, gathering indoors for work purposes was permitted but only if "reasonably necessary".

Labour Party chairwoman Annaliese Dodds said: "If Matt Hancock has been secretly having a relationship with an adviser in his office - whom he personally appointed to a taxpayer-funded role - it is a blatant abuse of power and a clear conflict of interest.

"The charge sheet against Matt Hancock includes wasting taxpayers' money, leaving care homes exposed and now being accused of breaking his own Covid rules.

"His position is hopelessly untenable. Boris Johnson should sack him."

A government spokesman said Ms Coladangelo's appointment had been "made in the usual way" and had "followed correct procedure".

And, in a statement, Mr Hancock, a 42-year-old father of three, said: "I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances. I have let people down and am very sorry.

"I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter."

Mr Hancock cancelled a visit to a Covid vaccination centre at Newmarket Racecourse, in his West Suffolk constituency, on Friday morning, a few hours after the Sun's story had been published.

'Hypocrisy'
Ms Coladangelo, who has known the health secretary since they worked together on student radio at Oxford University, was made a non-executive director of the Department of Health last September.

The role comes with a £15,000 salary and involves 15 to 20 days of work per year.

The Liberal Democrats called on Mr Hancock to resign and accused him of "hypocrisy" over social distancing.

Health spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: "He was telling families not to hug loved ones, while doing whatever he liked in the workplace."

Mr Hancock's ministerial colleagues rallied around him, with International Development Secretary Liz Truss telling the BBC: "[Mr Hancock] does have my support [in cabinet]. This is a personal matter."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think there has been for a long time a complete difference between what people do in their job... and what they do in their personal lives."

Mr Hancock has been married for 15 years to Martha, who is an osteopath. Ms Coladangelo, 43, is married to Oliver Bonas founder Oliver Tress.

In May last year, epidemiologist Professor Neil Ferguson resigned from the government's scientific advisory group (SAGE) after it emerged he had broken lockdown rules when a woman he was reportedly in a relationship with visited his home.

At the time Mr Hancock called Prof Ferguson's actions "extraordinary", adding that social distancing rules were "there for everyone" and were "deadly serious".

On Friday, Labour's First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said Mr Hancock had been "quick to condemn" Prof Ferguson, adding: "Certainly here in Wales I always expect the whole of our ministerial team to observe the rules we expect other people to observe.

"We can't make laws for other people and not be willing to abide by them yourself."

BBC

 

[KingKhanWC]

)

Hancock scares everyone, telling people to keep a distance or they may suffer. While he is kissing someone other than his wife.

UK government is full of idiots but what is worse if much of the UK citizens are blindly being taken a ride by these idiots.

 

[King_Kohli]

Matt Hancock faces further calls to quit after breaking social distancing rules over kiss with aide Gina Coladangelo

The health secretary says he has "let people down", as Labour, the Lib Dems and some Tory MPs call for the PM to sack him.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is facing mounting pressure to resign after he was filmed kissing an aide in breach of COVID-19 regulations.

A video of Mr Hancock, who is married, embracing Gina Coladangelo has been published in The Sun after stills from the CCTV clip were released on Friday, prompting the health secretary to issue a statement saying he had "let people down" and was "very sorry".

Lawyers are debating whether Mr Hancock has broken his own law regarding coronavirus restrictions, although he has admitted only to breaching guidance.

The Metropolitan Police has said it is not investigating any offences, which allegedly took place last month, because "as a matter of course the MPS is not investigating COVID-related issues retrospectively".

There are also questions about Ms Coladangelo's appointment to her role in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the first place.

Downing Street said Boris Johnson accepts Mr Hancock's apology and "considers the matter closed", but a Labour spokeswoman accused the prime minister of being "spineless", adding: "This matter is definitely not closed, despite the government's attempts to cover it up."


A snap poll from Savanta ComRes, released hours after photographs of the pair kissing in Mr Hancock's ministerial office surfaced, found 58% of UK adults thought that the health secretary should resign, compared to 25% who thought he should not.

Campaign group COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice said the PM's backing for Mr Hancock was a "slap in the face" for families who had lost loved ones to the virus.

"Up and down the country, bereaved families have been doing everything they can to follow the rules and prevent further loss of life," the group said.

"But it's clear Matt Hancock thought that 'hands, face, space' was a rule for everyone else."

Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds said: "He set the rules. He admits he broke them. He has to go. If he won't resign, the PM should sack him."

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who chairs the all party parliamentary group on coronavirus, accused Mr Hancock of "utter hypocrisy" and questioned Mr Johnson's response - saying whether or not he accepted the apology was "irrelevant".

And it's not only Labour and the Liberal Democrats who have called on the PM to sack the health secretary.

There are reports that some Tory MPs have also told the prime minister to "pull the plug", with public reaction over coming days key to Mr Hancock's fate.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told the Daily Mail: "It will all be down to public opinion - it's the only thing that Number 10 cares about. They're polling focus-grouping all the time and if that starts showing the public want him out then he could be gone by Monday."

According to The Sun newspaper, the CCTV footage was taken on 6 May from the DHSC building.

At the time the picture was reportedly taken, guidance said people should keep their distance from anyone not in their household or support bubble.

https://news.sky.com/story/matt-hancock-admits-breaking-social-distancing-after-cctv-leak-shows-office-kiss-with-aide-gina-coladangelo-12341561

 

[mazkhan]

Uk is finished , just need to look at brexit , the general state of the society, next generation, and the individuals in the government , even Labour they are all hopeless incompetent individuals , and then the prime minister who is a clown, country is totally screwed .

When likes of Tommy robinson and nigel farage are so popular with their anti immigrant rhetoric you know the country is in a downward spiral.

Venom against Megan markle, blm , taking the knee footballers being booed .

 

[shaz619]

)

Hancock scares everyone, telling people to keep a distance or they may suffer. While he is kissing someone other than his wife.

UK government is full of idiots but what is worse if much of the UK citizens are blindly being taken a ride by these idiots.

Something is inherently wrong with the Tories, remember pig-gate ? not surprised Hancock can’t follow the very rules he created

 

[mazkhan]

This is probably one of the worst governments in my living memory , it just shows how Labour and the electorate from the broader society have deteriorated that we can't vote this government out and they actually won a landslide.

Hence why I keep banging on this country is in the gutter.

 

[MenInG]

Matt Hancock has resigned as health secretary after he breached social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.

In a letter to the prime minister he says the government "owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down".

He reiterated his apology for "breaking the guidance" and he apologised to "my family and loved ones".

 

[MenInG]

Matt Hancock has resigned as health secretary after he breached social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.

In a letter to the prime minister he says the government "owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down".

He reiterated his apology for "breaking the guidance" and he apologised to "my family and loved ones".

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/ahnqHy6yT9">pic.twitter.com/ahnqHy6yT9</a></p>— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattHancock/status/1408836570069753858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[mazkhan]

Has just walked out on his wife of 15 yrs and kids and is leaving them. Really feel sorry for them .

What a coward and absolute rat this guy hancock is

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jun/26/matt-hancock-resigns-after-questions-over-relationship-with-aide

The former chancellor and home secretary Sajid Javid will replace Matt Hancock as health secretary, Downing Street has announced.

Hancock resigned as health secretary after Tory MPs, ministers and grassroots Conservatives defied Boris Johnson and demanded he be dismissed from the government.

The minister finally fell on his sword after a day that began with senior Tories observing a deliberate silence over Hancock’s future – seemingly to test public opinion in their constituencies – before many later broke ranks to insist he had to go.

The resignation is a massive blow to the authority of the prime minister who had stood by the 42-year-old following his apology, declaring the matter to be “closed”. It also leaves the government without a cabinet minister in charge of the pandemic.

In his resignation letter Hancock said: “We have worked so hard as a country to fight the pandemic. The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis. I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance, and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this. I also need [to] be with my children at this time.”

In his letter he praised the “dedication and courage of the NHS staff” but failed to mention staff who work in social care.

Johnson said in his reply that he was sorry to lose Hancock and that he “should leave office very proud of what you have achieved – not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before Covid-19 struck us”. But Johnson appeared to offer a way back to government. “I am grateful for your support and believe that your contribution to public service is far from over.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer said Matt Hancock was “right to resign. But Boris Johnson should have sacked him.”

It was becoming increasingly clear that Hancock’s position was untenable, and that defence of him was creating an angry public mood. There were also reports that he told his wife of 15 years on Thursday night that he was leaving her, but only when the story of his affair broke in the Sun. Before that she is said to have had no idea of his affair.

It is understood that Coladangelo is also leaving her role as a non-executive director of the health department, following a series of questions about how she secured the role and her influence within Hancock’s office.

On Saturday it emerged Hancock had travelled to Oxford earlier this month for a G7 meeting of health ministers with Coladangelo. Sources confirmed that the Department of Health and Social Care – and therefore the taxpayer – paid the costs.

There had been claims that Hancock would face a police investigation. But minutes after Hancock resigned, the Metropolitan police reiterated its position that the former health secretary would not be investigated by the force over any alleged Covid breachings. A Met spokesperson said that their initial stance when news of his tryst with his aide broke on Friday had not changed and that they would not be launching retrospective investigations into such offences.

Tory MPs said they had spent the past 24 hours being bombarded with furious complaints from constituents. Veteran Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope said his constituents were “seething” and his party association had voted unanimously to call on Matt Hancock to resign immediately, which he felt reflected the mood of the public.

The Observer has been told that Hancock took part by Zoom in the annual general meeting of his West Suffolk Conservative Association on Friday evening, talking about the Covid vaccination programme and local issues but refusing to take any questions about his rule-breaking.

The front-page headline in his local newspaper, the Eastern Daily Press, on Saturday said: “A Complete and Utter Hypocrite.”

North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker told the paper: “In my view people in high public office and great positions of responsibility, should act with the appropriate morals and ethics that come with that role. Matt Hancock, on a number of measures has fallen short of that.”

Asked whether Hancock should therefore resign, Baker responded: “Yes”, before adding “and I have said that to the government”.

Hancock had been due to put a bill before parliament within days on the future of the NHS, which would concentrate more powers in his own hands, and to make new announcements about Covid data and easing of restrictions this week.

 

[MenInG]

Sajid Javid starts work today as the new health secretary, replacing Matt Hancock who resigned after being caught kissing a close aide.

Former chancellor and home secretary Mr Javid said he was "honoured" to be appointed to the role - just 90 minutes after Downing Street announced Mr Hancock had quit on Saturday evening.

The 51-year-old takes over the job not only with coronavirus to contend with, but NHS reform, battles over pay, a lack of a plan for social care, the appointment of a new NHS chief executive, and a huge backlog for treatments.

Mr Hancock resigned yesterday after leaked CCTV showed him kissing aide and former lobbyist Gina Coladangelo in his departmental office.

Ms Coladangelo will also leave her position at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), it has been confirmed.

The images, published by The Sun, were from 6 May - more than a week before the easing of social distancing rules around close contact indoors for people from separate households.

In his resignation letter, Mr Hancock said: "We owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down as I have done by breaching the guidance.

"We didn't get every decision right but I know people understand how hard it is to deal with the unknown, making the difficult trade-offs between freedom, prosperity and health that we have faced.

"I am so proud that Britain avoided the catastrophe of an overwhelmed NHS and that through foresight and brilliant science we have led the world in the vaccination effort, so we stand on the brink of a return to normality."

Responding to Mr Hancock's resignation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote: "You should leave office very proud of what you have achieved - not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before COVID-19 struck us."

He added: "You should be immensely proud of your service. I am grateful for your support and believe that your contribution to public service is far from over."

Mr Johnson had refused to sack his health secretary and his spokesman said the PM considered the matter closed following Mr Hancock's apology. But Mr Hancock submitted his letter of resignation on Saturday.

SKY

 

[King_Kohli]

Government to investigate leak of Matt Hancock CCTV footage

The government will investigate how the footage of Matt Hancock kissing an aide in his office that triggered his downfall ended up in the public domain, a cabinet minister said.

Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) would undertake an internal investigation into the leaking of the CCTV pictures to the Sun. Multiple media reports have said a DHSC employee was the culprit.

The tabloid’s publication of footage recorded on 6 May by the CCTV in Hancock’s office of him embracing Gina Coladangelo led to the health secretary’s resignation on Saturday and replacement by Sajid Javid, the former home secretary and chancellor.

Lewis’s remarks came amid claims the leaker sought the help of an anti-lockdown campaigner in placing the pictures with a media outlet in order to undermine Hancock. While in office the now former health secretary was one of the key ministers arguing last autumn that a second lockdown was needed to reduce Covid infections and stop the NHS becoming overwhelmed.

Speaking on Sky News’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Lewis said: “I have seen some of the reports this morning outlining how different journalists think the tape might have got out there. That is certainly a matter I know the Department of Health will be looking into to understand exactly how that was recorded, how it got out of the system. It’s something we need to get to the bottom of.”


Matthew Hancock standing in front of a car: Matt Hancock with Gina Coladangelo visiting the Royal Cornwall hospital in May.© Photograph: Hugh Hastings/Getty Images Matt Hancock with Gina Coladangelo visiting the Royal Cornwall hospital in May.
The government will investigate how the footage of Matt Hancock kissing an aide in his office that triggered his downfall ended up in the public domain, a cabinet minister said.

Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) would undertake an internal investigation into the leaking of the CCTV pictures to the Sun. Multiple media reports have said a DHSC employee was the culprit.

The tabloid’s publication of footage recorded on 6 May by the CCTV in Hancock’s office of him embracing Gina Coladangelo led to the health secretary’s resignation on Saturday and replacement by Sajid Javid, the former home secretary and chancellor.

Lewis’s remarks came amid claims the leaker sought the help of an anti-lockdown campaigner in placing the pictures with a media outlet in order to undermine Hancock. While in office the now former health secretary was one of the key ministers arguing last autumn that a second lockdown was needed to reduce Covid infections and stop the NHS becoming overwhelmed.

Speaking on Sky News’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Lewis said: “I have seen some of the reports this morning outlining how different journalists think the tape might have got out there. That is certainly a matter I know the Department of Health will be looking into to understand exactly how that was recorded, how it got out of the system. It’s something we need to get to the bottom of.”

The security and privacy of government business means ministers need to understand how someone was able to access and record the footage and then share it with a newspaper, he said.

“What happens in government departments can be sensitive, important and people need to have confidence that what is happening in a government department is something that allows government to be focused on these core issues, and the sensitivity sometimes in the security sense of those core issues.

“I do know that is something the Department of Health will be taking forward as an internal investigation and we need to see and let them have the space to do that, to understand how this happened and to ensure this kind of situation can’t happen again or across government indeed.”

The status and nature of the health department’s investigation is unknown, as is whether its findings will be made public. The Guardian reported on Friday that Downing Street had ruled out a full-scale leak inquiry, despite the security implications of the footage going public, amid concern that, if identified, the leaker could present themselves as a whistleblower who was exposing wrongdoing and thus claim the legal protections whistleblowers are meant to enjoy. Sources say that remains the case.

The Mail on Sunday reported that the leaker sent messages via Instagram to the unnamed anti-lockdown activist. One said: “I have some very damning CCTV footage of someone that has been recently classed as completely f***ing hopeless. If you would like some more information please contact me.”

That was reportedly sent on 17 June, the day after Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings published text message exchanges he had with the prime minister last year in which Johnson called Hancock “totally f*****g hopeless”.

A second message, sent on 19 June, said: “I really need to be careful with this but it involves him in a very compromising position with some [sic] who isn’t his wife last month.”

And a further message, sent later that day, added: “I have the full video … it’s now been deleted off the system as it’s over 30 days.”
The Guardian asked the DHSC for further details of its inquiry and the Mail on Sunday’s claims.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/government-to-investigate-leak-of-matt-hancock-cctv-footage/ar-AALv7kF?ocid=msedgntp

 

[Technics 1210]

Hancock got played. Oldest trick in the book, test fidelity, and once you spot the weakness, exploit.

I never liked Hancock, but do not be fooled into thinking this wasn't planned. It was no coincidence.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/aug/23/ian-botham-appointed-uk-trade-ambassador-to-australia

Sir Ian Botham, the former England cricketer and crossbench peer, has been appointed a UK trade ambassador to Australia, the government has announced.

He is one of 10 parliamentarians given a new role as a trade envoy, taking the total number of MPs and peers performing unpaid trade ambassador roles to 36.

In a tweet welcoming the appointment, the international trade secretary, Liz Truss, said Botham would “bat for business down under” and help firms seize the opportunities created by the free trade deal with Australia agreed in outline this summer.

Botham is popular with Boris Johnson and his ministers because of his strong support for Brexit and he was given a peerage in the honours list last summer. He is regarded as one of England’s greatest ever cricketers and is well known in Australia, not least because he is credited with almost single-handedly defeating its team in the 1981 Ashes tour.

Truss said the 10 new trade envoys would help to expand business opportunities in some of the world’s fastest growing markets.

She added: “By boosting exports, promoting inward investment and creating high-value, high-paying jobs, our trade envoys will help us build back better from Covid-19, ensuring every part of the UK benefits from our trade strategy.”

According to the Department for International Trade, in 2020-21 trade envoys supported more than £16bn in UK exports as part of the department’s export promotion work.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, has been appointed a trade envoy to Cameroon. He already serves as a trade envoy to Egypt.

The former Labour MP Kate Hoey, who sits in the House of Lords as a non-affiliated peer and who, like Botham, was a high-profile Brexit supporter in the 2016 referendum, has been made a trade envoy to Ghana.

John Woodcock, another former Labour MP who is in the Lords as a non-affiliated peer, has been made a trade envoy to Tanzania.

The six MPs who have been made trade envoys are the Conservatives David Mundell (New Zealand), Conor Burns (Canada), Mark Eastwood (Pakistan), Marco Longhi (Brazil) and Felicity Buchan (Iceland and Norway), and Labour’s Stephen Timms (Switzerland and Liechtenstein).

 

[Robert]

Great cricketer. Wonderful fundraiser for sick kids. Evidence of international trade negotiations? This is jobs for the boys as Botham was an enthusiastic Leave booster.

 

[Robert]

Labour goes into the lead in the polls for the first time since 2017.

Opposition able to attack the government again now the COVID emergency is passing. Brexit strife starting to bite. Johnson’s incompetence becoming more apparent. Amoral treatment of refugees appalling more decent Britons.

Labour cannot win by themselves but progressive alliance can unseat Tory MPs.

 

[Technics 1210]

Labour goes into the lead in the polls for the first time since 2017.

Opposition able to attack the government again now the COVID emergency is passing. Brexit strife starting to bite. Johnson’s incompetence becoming more apparent. Amoral treatment of refugees appalling more decent Britons.

Labour cannot win by themselves but progressive alliance can unseat Tory MPs.

Don’t think the rise in NI tax will go down too well - Boris messed up.

 

[James]

Labour goes into the lead in the polls for the first time since 2017.

Opposition able to attack the government again now the COVID emergency is passing. Brexit strife starting to bite. Johnson’s incompetence becoming more apparent. Amoral treatment of refugees appalling more decent Britons.

Labour cannot win by themselves but progressive alliance can unseat Tory MPs.

All respect due, I don’t think that the reasons you cite have much to do with it.

Most people in the country don’t really care about Brexit (it is a nonexistent topic away from the internet), and Johnson’s bumbling idiocy was already priced in when he was elected — even by the many who voted for him. The refugee issue, maybe there is a little bit of sympathy for that one.

But this sudden polling slump is almost all due to the NI rise and the Conservative Party simultaneously breaking its key manifesto pledge. And they do deserve a pummelling for this decision. It will hammer ordinary working people the most of all & it is thoughtless and atrocious. Hopefully they don’t recover from this.

 

[Robert]

Don’t think the rise in NI tax will go down too well - Boris messed up.

All respect due, I don’t think that the reasons you cite have much to do with it.

Most people in the country don’t really care about Brexit (it is a nonexistent topic away from the internet), and Johnson’s bumbling idiocy was already priced in when he was elected — even by the many who voted for him. The refugee issue, maybe there is a little bit of sympathy for that one.

But this sudden polling slump is almost all due to the NI rise and the Conservative Party simultaneously breaking its key manifesto pledge. And they do deserve a pummelling for this decision. It will hammer ordinary working people the most of all & it is thoughtless and atrocious. Hopefully they don’t recover from this.

Possibly I am stuck in an echo chamber of people who will never forgive Brexit.

Though the Tories have been dropping in the polls for a while now so the shine has come off Johnson for other reasons than NI. People will start to see more shortfalls in the shops soon -partly the pingdemic, but partly import charges and trucker shortages caused by Brexit.

But this NI rise is horrible and regressive. It’s the only option for Johnson as he cannot afford to alienate his tax-avoiding corporate donors by making them pay their share.

 

[James]

Boris could have increased the top rate of income tax instead. It would have still broken his manifesto pledge, but only to a few people. The key difference would have been that the working class and lower middle class voters (who despite the “Rich Tory Elite” stereotype are the people who actually vote Conservative in huge numbers nowadays), ie the majority of ordinary people, would not have been affected and be out of pocket. Everyone pays NI.

Making it about NI specifically has also had further negative consequences for the Conservatives already. It has led the press to highlight even further that the NHS and social care are in historically poor condition and are providing such a substandard service. Moreover it has triggered local councils into the view that council tax will need to go up at least 5% in April (and probably more) across the country, in order to support that coming government investment into the social care system. In short, this policy from the Conservatives will make ordinary people noticeably poorer.

It feels like this one for Boris could turn out to be his version of Maggie’s “poll tax moment”.

 

[Robert]

My local authority has been forced to put council tax up 5% for the last three years and I expect will again. Westminster withdrew funding to the councils, pushing the cost of the 2008 bank bailout onto the shires. Plenty of people cannot pay full council tax so the middle classes will bear the brunt of the increase.

There will be less social care, longer NHS waiting times, more poverty and more food banks. Mrs Robert says the price of groceries has doubled in the last three years, and the Brexit food shortages have not fully kicked in yet.

Even without COVID, hard times are coming. We urgently need a change of government to renew the social contract rather than just funnel public money into private hands.

 

[James]

Even petrol is getting ridiculously expensive now. The impact of Covid on overseas travel seems to have caused a spike in fuel prices due to the levels of demand, doubtlessly because everyone is holidaying in the UK this year and getting their cars back on the road. I used to get a full tank in my SUV for £55, now it’s £70. Multiply that weekly and the costs mount up very quickly. Tough times ahead.

 

[Robert]

Sir Keith Starmer at TUC:

Labour would immediately increase the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour.

Labour would ban zero-hours contracts.

Labour would raise sick pay and extend it to all workers.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Boris could have increased the top rate of income tax instead. It would have still broken his manifesto pledge, but only to a few people. The key difference would have been that the working class and lower middle class voters (who despite the “Rich Tory Elite” stereotype are the people who actually vote Conservative in huge numbers nowadays), ie the majority of ordinary people, would not have been affected and be out of pocket. Everyone pays NI.

Making it about NI specifically has also had further negative consequences for the Conservatives already. It has led the press to highlight even further that the NHS and social care are in historically poor condition and are providing such a substandard service. Moreover it has triggered local councils into the view that council tax will need to go up at least 5% in April (and probably more) across the country, in order to support that coming government investment into the social care system. In short, this policy from the Conservatives will make ordinary people noticeably poorer.

It feels like this one for Boris could turn out to be his version of Maggie’s “poll tax moment”.

The bolded part is something I have noticed but strangely I think these people would have reacted more negatively to a tax to the higher tax band than a blanket NI increase.

I don't know whether it's due to the videos of the American right that are becoming more prevalent on youtube/social media, but the British working class seems to have abandoned the "tax the rich" mentality and see some leftist policies that focus solely on taxing the higher earners as being regressive.

Of course, this is just anecdotal experience and based on small sample size but I work in a traditionally white working-class industry and people generally don't seem as interested in these types of policies anymore.

Perhaps its due to the messengers ( starmers labour and "woke left") than the message itself.

 

[Technics 1210]

Sir Keith Starmer at TUC:

Labour would immediately increase the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour.

Labour would ban zero-hours contracts.

Labour would raise sick pay and extend it to all workers.

But would Labour reverse the NI tax hike?

Raising minimum wage is all well and good but how are Labour going to fund the pledge?

Banning zero contract hours will have an adverse effect on the gig-economy.

Raising sick play will only encourage workers to stay at home and claim sick pay, even if it means, mental health.

 

[James]

The bolded part is something I have noticed but strangely I think these people would have reacted more negatively to a tax to the higher tax band than a blanket NI increase.

I don't know whether it's due to the videos of the American right that are becoming more prevalent on youtube/social media, but the British working class seems to have abandoned the "tax the rich" mentality and see some leftist policies that focus solely on taxing the higher earners as being regressive.

Of course, this is just anecdotal experience and based on small sample size but I work in a traditionally white working-class industry and people generally don't seem as interested in these types of policies anymore.

Perhaps its due to the messengers ( starmers labour and "woke left") than the message itself.

Interesting perspective. Traditionally I have associated the English white working classes with economically leftist politics whilst simultaneously leaning right and taking a conservative viewpoint on social issues. It could be that the economic opinions among this demographic are also gradually moving to the right.

 

[James]

Sir Keith Starmer at TUC:

Labour would immediately increase the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour.

Labour would ban zero-hours contracts.

Labour would raise sick pay and extend it to all workers.

Noble, but also interesting that he proposes alternative policies instead of doing what would actually be opposition to the government, which would be to reverse the hike on NI.

 

[Robert]

But would Labour reverse the NI tax hike?

Raising minimum wage is all well and good but how are Labour going to fund the pledge?

Banning zero contract hours will have an adverse effect on the gig-economy.

Raising sick play will only encourage workers to stay at home and claim sick pay, even if it means, mental health.

Best ask then.

The whole idea was f banning zero hours contracts is to wipe out the gig economy. It’s an exploitative practice. I suppose some people like working that way but others are stuck doing four zero-hour contracts with no benefits such as sick pay and holiday pay.

UK pays the lowest sick pay in Europe, on average.

 

[Robert]

Interesting perspective. Traditionally I have associated the English white working classes with economically leftist politics whilst simultaneously leaning right and taking a conservative viewpoint on social issues. It could be that the economic opinions among this demographic are also gradually moving to the right.

The English white working class has seen fit to elect Tory governments more often than Labour - removing Attlee in 1951 despite the welfare state, Thatcher / Major for eighteen years and Coalition or Tories for the last eleven. Even Blair was basically centrist instead of leftist. That’s one socialist Labour PM (Wilson) in seventy years.

The current regime has seen fit to provide an English nationalist sense of belonging. It helped them that Corbyn was useless and Swinson guilty of bad judgement.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://news.sky.com/story/gavin-williamson-removed-as-education-secretary-as-pm-reshuffles-his-cabinet-ministers-12408644

Gavin Williamson has been removed as education secretary as the prime minister carries out a reshuffle of his cabinet ministers.

Number 10 has yet to confirm any moves officially, but those on their way out of Boris Johnson's top team have begun to share the news themselves.

In other changes, Robert Buckland has gone as justice secretary and Robert Jenrick will no longer serve as housing, communities and local government secretary.

In a Twitter post on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Williamson said it had "been a privilege to serve as education secretary since 2019" and that he was "particularly proud of the transformational reforms I've led in post-16 education".

He added he would "look forward to continue to support the prime minister and the government".

Mr Williamson had faced regular criticism of his handling of the education brief during the COVID-19 crisis, including over the pandemic-enforced shutting of schools and a fiasco over the awarding of A-level and GCSE grades.

Last week, Mr Williamson was widely mocked after he admitted to confusing England footballer Marcus Rashford with rugby star Maro Itoje.

As a former Tory chief whip, Mr Williamson was widely credited with securing the vast support for Mr Johnson among Conservative MPs during the party's 2019 leadership contest.

He was previously campaign manager for Theresa May's successful leadership campaign and - with a reputation as one of Westminster's most formidable organisers - it has been suggested he could prove to be a threat to Mr Johnson on the back benches.

Mr Buckland also posted on Twitter to confirm his departure.

He said he was looking to "the next adventure" and that he was "deeply proud of everything I have achieved" after serving in government for the past seven years.

It has been speculated that Mr Buckland's removal as justice secretary, a role he had held since 2019, could create a vacancy for Dominic Raab to move into should he be sacked as foreign secretary.

Mr Jenrick, who last year was at the centre of a row over planning approval granted to a Conservative donor, tweeted that it had been a "huge privilege" to have led the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

"Thank you to everyone at the department for their hard work, dedication and friendship. I'm deeply proud of all we achieved," he added.

"I will continue to support the prime minister and the government in every way I can."

The prime minister is expected to complete the reshuffle of his cabinet today, with changes to lower ministerial ranks to be finalised on Thursday.

Confirmation that Mr Johnson would hold a widely-anticipated reshuffle of his ministers came during Wednesday's session of Prime Minister's Questions.

A Number 10 source said Mr Johnson would look to “put in place a strong and united team” to help the country recover from the COVID pandemic.

They also said the prime minister was looking for his government to “redouble our efforts to deliver on the people’s priorities” and Mr Johnson would appoint ministers “with a focus on uniting and levelling up the whole country”.

At a briefing for Westminster journalists, the prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Johnson had not consulted his wife Carrie on the reshuffle.

Earlier in the day, Mr Johnson's former chief adviser Dominic Cummings had branded the imminent moving of ministers as the "Carrie Reshuffle".

 

[Robert]

Johnson to call a General Election in May 2022, before Brexit really starts to hurt the people. You read it here first.

 

[Technics 1210]

The majority have moved on from Brexit; with a few remainers still hellbent on trying to overturn a democratic result.

Covid has hurt UK more than anything. This is an undeniable fact.

 

[Robert]

The majority have moved on from Brexit; with a few remainers still hellbent on trying to overturn a democratic result.

Democracy didn’t end on 21.6.2016. That’s the thing about democracy - any decision can be overturned if people vote to reverse it.

Rising fuel prices, coming food shortages and rising food prices, cuts to UC, increases in NIC. Lots of people are going to be in need very soon. A perfect storm is coming for this government.

 

[Technics 1210]

Democracy didn’t end on 21.6.2016. That’s the thing about democracy - any decision can be overturned if people vote to reverse it.

Rising fuel prices, coming food shortages and rising food prices, cuts to UC, increases in NIC. Lots of people are going to be in need very soon. A perfect storm is coming for this government.

There’s a difference between not accepting a democratic result (Remoaners) in 2016, and people voting to overturn a decision - like the 1975 EU referendum which was decided in 1973.

 

[Technics 1210]

Also, please demonstrate through evidence that the rising prices in the UK are down to Brexit, and not Covid 19 and Keynesian economics (which relies on inflation).

 

[James]

Covid issues are having a huge impact on global supply chains, and semi-skilled labour is at a premium worldwide. The HGV driver shortage has been years in the making.

There is also the huge challenge specifically within the UK of the main electricity subsea cable from France to Kent currently being unusable, due to the damage recently caused to it by a major fire. Hence the sudden reliance on natural gas, which is unexpectedly enjoying an enormous surge in demand and so has leapt in price by 250%.

To be honest, Brexit is a relatively insignificant happening in the grand scheme of things. Most people in the UK are well past Brexit and the EU. It’s really just a few Remainers who are still harping on about it. (no offence intended)

 

[ElRaja]

too much scare mongering over nuclear over the decades, its a shame that a country with world class engineers and scientists like the uk doesnt employ more nuclear when countries like france generate half their power from nuclear.

im all for wind and solar, but nuclear is clean and consistent too, and the cost premium is arguably justified by the consistency of supply.

 

[Robert]

Also, please demonstrate through evidence that the rising prices in the UK are down to Brexit, and not Covid 19 and Keynesian economics (which relies on inflation).

Well, this government wouldn’t apply Keynes, they are ideologically wedded to laissez-faire.

There are a number of factors in the rising price of food. Firstly shortage due to crops going unpicked due to no Eastern European pickers. I live in the country. You can see the crops rot in the fields.

Secondly the pingdemic has been an issue in the supply chains, of course. Less supply means higher prices.

Thirdly there is a nationwide driver shortage due to long term industrial and infrastructure change. The cracks were papered over by East European drivers prepared to work under slowly deteriorating conditions. But now the cracks are exposed.

When blue wall Tory MPs stand up to ask the PM for visas for pickers and truckers, while others shout “Brexit” you know the penny is dropping on the Tory backbenches.

Food price rises + cut in benefits + NICS rise = sharp rise in poverty. It will get bad next year. The gov’s only response will be to blame foreigners even more, so we will see a rise in racist violence.

 

[Robert]

Covid issues are having a huge impact on global supply chains, and semi-skilled labour is at a premium worldwide. The HGV driver shortage has been years in the making.

There is also the huge challenge specifically within the UK of the main electricity subsea cable from France to Kent currently being unusable, due to the damage recently caused to it by a major fire. Hence the sudden reliance on natural gas, which is unexpectedly enjoying an enormous surge in demand and so has leapt in price by 250%.

To be honest, Brexit is a relatively insignificant happening in the grand scheme of things. Most people in the UK are well past Brexit and the EU. It’s really just a few Remainers who are still harping on about it. (no offence intended)

The changes due to Brexit will play out slowly but will be enormous over time. The legislative framework will change as Eton boys who never did a day’s graft rip up the worker protections which EU law guaranteed. There will be more hire-and-fire, more workplace accidents, more fires, more pollution incidents.

Eventually the UK will break up as people get sick of being shackled to the English corpse. Scotland will leave the Union and rejoin the EU, and Ireland will reunify.

 

[Robert]

What? People get taxed 40% rate on a 30k income? Vow! Is that number inclusive of all taxes, i.e. income tax, NHS etc etc?

Of course there is a high sales tax (maybe called something else in the UK) rate on top of this for all purchases, I am sure. How much is that?

Also, how long do unemployment benefits last?

40% income tax kicks in at about £40K I think. It’s about 25% below that and people earning under £10K a year pay none. Or rather, you don’t pay tax on by the first £10k you earn.

But then there is National Insurance. This is how we have universal socialised health care and Americans don’t. We also get a state pension of around £700 a month max, which is the lowest in Europe.

VAT is 17.5% though some goods are exempt. It’s a regressive tax as it moved money from the poorest consumers up the supply chain through the corporations.

UB benefits - dunno, haven’t claimed in decades.

 

[Robert]

Despite the CLPs voting 80/20 in favour, the Union block vote is 95% against the motion to make PR a Labour policy at Conference. Motion denied.

Union dinosaurs….

 

[Technics 1210]

40% income tax kicks in at about £40K I think. It’s about 25% below that and people earning under £10K a year pay none. Or rather, you don’t pay tax on by the first £10k you earn.

But then there is National Insurance. This is how we have universal socialised health care and Americans don’t. We also get a state pension of around £700 a month max, which is the lowest in Europe.

VAT is 17.5% though some goods are exempt. It’s a regressive tax as it moved money from the poorest consumers up the supply chain through the corporations.

UB benefits - dunno, haven’t claimed in decades.

Upto 12500 is tax free, then upto 49999 is 25%, then upto 99999 is 40%, after which is 45 to 60%

 

[James]

Despite the CLPs voting 80/20 in favour, the Union block vote is 95% against the motion to make PR a Labour policy at Conference. Motion denied.

Union dinosaurs….

A PR system would reduce the Unions’ power over the Labour Party. No way that they would ever accept such a thing. The Unions are to Labour what Big Business are to the Tories.

 

[Robert]

A PR system would reduce the Unions’ power over the Labour Party. No way that they would ever accept such a thing. The Unions are to Labour what Big Business are to the Tories.

It’s sickening.

While I want stronger unions with more members to bring about collective pay bargaining, the bloc vote is an anachronism and antidemocratic. I bet the union godfathers didn’t poll their members.

 

[Technics 1210]

It’s sickening.

While I want stronger unions with more members to bring about collective pay bargaining, the bloc vote is an anachronism and antidemocratic. I bet the union godfathers didn’t poll their members.

Why is it sickening? Welcome to Capitalism.

 

[James]

It’s sickening.

While I want stronger unions with more members to bring about collective pay bargaining, the bloc vote is an anachronism and antidemocratic. I bet the union godfathers didn’t poll their members.

The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that Labour and the Tories are essentially both a part of the same institutionalised political machine. It is not at all far removed from the situation in the US with the Democrats and the Republican Party.

This is what happens in two party systems. They ultimately uphold similar values at similar times and have similar policy offerings. They agree that the key electoral mechanisms should favour them both remaining as the two main parties, and so they ensure that the voting rules remain the same.

Are two such parties really so different to one another? And where is the motivation for people to vote?

 

[Robert]

The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that Labour and the Tories are essentially both a part of the same institutionalised political machine. It is not at all far removed from the situation in the US with the Democrats and the Republican Party.

This is what happens in two party systems. They ultimately uphold similar values at similar times and have similar policy offerings. They agree that the key electoral mechanisms should favour them both remaining as the two main parties, and so they ensure that the voting rules remain the same.

Are two such parties really so different to one another? And where is the motivation for people to vote?

Interesting question. The current Tories don’t care about ordinary working people, they just care about enriching their donors. But ordinary working people vote for them because the Tories give them a sense of tribe in this disconnected world.

The Labour left are ideologues who don’t represent anyone any more except themselves. The Labour right appears to represent Home Counties middle-class voters with a sense of social justice, and Liverpudlians.

The Liberal vote is largely nonconforming idealists who don’t trust Labour but are appalled by the behaviour of the Tories.

 

[Robert]

A USN submarine has whacked something in the South China Sea. Hope it wasn’t a Chinese submarine. Or a British one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58838332

 

[Robert]

Tory MP James Brokenshire has died of cancer at age 54.

He leaves Old Bexley and Sidcup vacant. It is one of the strongest seats in the country - Ted Heath’s old seat for 51 years.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/days-after-lawmakers-murder-prompted-fears-uk-minister-accosted-by-crowd-2021-10-19/

A senior British minister was accosted on the street by angry protesters as he walked to an office in central London on Tuesday, days after the murder of one of his colleagues at a public meeting prompted fears about politicians' safety.

In footage published on social media, housing minister Michael Gove is seen walking by himself when anti-COVID 19 vaccine protesters approach him shouting obscenities. Police officers rush to surround him.

The minister is then ushered him into a nearby building.

The incident took place after Gove's Conservative Party colleague David Amess, 69, was stabbed to death at a church on Friday in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, as he met voters in his constituency.

His death, the second British lawmaker to be killed in five years, has prompted calls for better security for politicians and action to address the growth in online abuse directed at them.

Police said a group of people tried to surround a member of parliament during a protest in Westminster.

"Our officers were immediately on scene where they safely escorted him to a nearby building," the police said on Twitter.

No arrests were made. Gove was not immediately available for comment.

"These scenes would be unacceptable at any time - but seeing them this week is utterly appalling," Nick Thomas-Symonds, the home affairs spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said on Twitter.

Police are continuing to question a 25-year-old man arrested at the scene of Amess's murder under counter-terrorism laws, saying the killing could be linked to Islamist extremism.

 

[Markhor]

The Blair/Brown documentary on the BBC reminded me why I actually was relieved when the Coalition came to power in 2010. What a deplorable set of individuals. There were some truly laughable moments:

- Blair claiming he's on the progressive side of politics. I'm not sure if he knows what that means - Boris's government today is to the left of Blair in terms of taxing and spending.

- Blair's infamous "I'm a pretty straight sort of guy" quote - the straight sort of guy who does business deals with Central Asian despots, Cash for Honours, the Eccleston affair etc.

- Peter Mandelson telling the TUC Conference "you'll get honesty, candour and straight talking from me" - this man was sacked multiple times for various indiscretions, and said he wanted the British trade union movement in a sealed tomb.

- The very appearance of David Blunkett made my skin crawl. Blunkett proposed banning asylum seekers from working while their claims were processed, and stop their children from attending state schools. Speaking of loathesome New Labour Home Secretaries, John Reid pops up too, who once assailed immigrants for coming illegally and "stealing our benefits" (direct quote).

Bear that mind when Labour Shadow Ministers virtue signalled about Theresa May's "go home" vans.

- BBC's coverage of GFA Agreement was laughably one sided as usual. All focus on Sinn Fein's terrorism, with no mention why the armed struggle came about or the Loyalist terror campaign against innocent Catholics.

Richard Wilson, a civil servant, summed it up. Many of the great Blair Govt achievements like Devolution, Freedom of Information, and the Windfall Tax on privatised utilities weren't things Blair invested time in ! Even other accomplishments are tarnished. The Minimum Wage was introduced at too low a rate. Working tax credit subsidised crap pay. Perhaps the only thing Blair directly involved himself coming to any good was peace in Northern Ireland - although the BBC failed to mention John Major laid the groundwork.

I haven't even seen the Iraq part yet.

 

[James]

The Blair/Brown documentary on the BBC reminded me why I actually was relieved when the Coalition came to power in 2010. What a deplorable set of individuals. There were some truly laughable moments:

- Blair claiming he's on the progressive side of politics. I'm not sure if he knows what that means - Boris's government today is to the left of Blair in terms of taxing and spending.

- Blair's infamous "I'm a pretty straight sort of guy" quote - the straight sort of guy who does business deals with Central Asian despots, Cash for Honours, the Eccleston affair etc.

- Peter Mandelson telling the TUC Conference "you'll get honesty, candour and straight talking from me" - this man was sacked multiple times for various indiscretions, and said he wanted the British trade union movement in a sealed tomb.

- The very appearance of David Blunkett made my skin crawl. Blunkett proposed banning asylum seekers from working while their claims were processed, and stop their children from attending state schools. Speaking of loathesome New Labour Home Secretaries, John Reid pops up too, who once assailed immigrants for coming illegally and "stealing our benefits" (direct quote).

Bear that mind when Labour Shadow Ministers virtue signalled about Theresa May's "go home" vans.

- BBC's coverage of GFA Agreement was laughably one sided as usual. All focus on Sinn Fein's terrorism, with no mention why the armed struggle came about or the Loyalist terror campaign against innocent Catholics.

Richard Wilson, a civil servant, summed it up. Many of the great Blair Govt achievements like Devolution, Freedom of Information, and the Windfall Tax on privatised utilities weren't things Blair invested time in ! Even other accomplishments are tarnished. The Minimum Wage was introduced at too low a rate. Working tax credit subsidised crap pay. Perhaps the only thing Blair directly involved himself coming to any good was peace in Northern Ireland - although the BBC failed to mention John Major laid the groundwork.

I haven't even seen the Iraq part yet.

Make no mistake about it. “New Labour” is one of the most right wing governments that Britain has had in the post war era. Also remember that austerity wasn’t just a Conservative / Coalition idea. Alistair Darling had already signalled that Labour would pursue a policy of austerity from 2010 onwards were they to retain government.

 

[James]

Alistair Darling: “we will cut deeper than Margaret Thatcher”

Thinktank warns of 'two parliaments of pain' with spending slashed by 25% to repair black hole in finances

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2010/mar/25/alistair-darling-cut-deeper-margaret-thatcher


March 25th, 2010.

Tories evil Labour good.

 

[Robert]

Make no mistake about it. “New Labour” is one of the most right wing governments that Britain has had in the post war era. Also remember that austerity wasn’t just a Conservative / Coalition idea. Alistair Darling had already signalled that Labour would pursue a policy of austerity from 2010 onwards were they to retain government.

But you didn’t see food banks and 1/3 of children below the poverty line.

They were less right wing than Thatcher, tripling the NHS spend and doubling the education spend. The current regime has been forced into enormous borrowing by the pandemic, but the Brexit project was driven by the billionaire “sovereign individuals” who wanted to continue the tax avoidance that the EU has clamped down on, and now we see widespread crony capitalism transfer of public funds into private hands.

If you read Brown’s autobiography it says that the spending cuts Darling planned were short term, that he would have deployed other policy instruments to help business recover from the credit crunch with short term loans, and that the Coalition rationale of imminent bond market collapse was a chimera, an excuse to shrink the state. I believe him.

 

[Robert]

The Blair/Brown documentary on the BBC reminded me why I actually was relieved when the Coalition came to power in 2010. What a deplorable set of individuals. There were some truly laughable moments:

- Blair claiming he's on the progressive side of politics. I'm not sure if he knows what that means - Boris's government today is to the left of Blair in terms of taxing and spending.

- Blair's infamous "I'm a pretty straight sort of guy" quote - the straight sort of guy who does business deals with Central Asian despots, Cash for Honours, the Eccleston affair etc.

- Peter Mandelson telling the TUC Conference "you'll get honesty, candour and straight talking from me" - this man was sacked multiple times for various indiscretions, and said he wanted the British trade union movement in a sealed tomb.

- The very appearance of David Blunkett made my skin crawl. Blunkett proposed banning asylum seekers from working while their claims were processed, and stop their children from attending state schools. Speaking of loathesome New Labour Home Secretaries, John Reid pops up too, who once assailed immigrants for coming illegally and "stealing our benefits" (direct quote).

Bear that mind when Labour Shadow Ministers virtue signalled about Theresa May's "go home" vans.

- BBC's coverage of GFA Agreement was laughably one sided as usual. All focus on Sinn Fein's terrorism, with no mention why the armed struggle came about or the Loyalist terror campaign against innocent Catholics.

Richard Wilson, a civil servant, summed it up. Many of the great Blair Govt achievements like Devolution, Freedom of Information, and the Windfall Tax on privatised utilities weren't things Blair invested time in ! Even other accomplishments are tarnished. The Minimum Wage was introduced at too low a rate. Working tax credit subsidised crap pay. Perhaps the only thing Blair directly involved himself coming to any good was peace in Northern Ireland - although the BBC failed to mention John Major laid the groundwork.

I haven't even seen the Iraq part yet.

I think it is fair to say that the Coalition was in broad terms another five years of New Labour, with the Tories’ worst impulses moderated by the Lib Dems (some of whom such as Vince Cable were to the left of New Labour).

 

[Robert]

Weird budget from Sunak. More like a Gordon Brown budget.

A real-terms rise in spending for every government department

A freeze on fuel duty

Funding per pupil in England's schools is to be restored to 2010 levels over the next three years

A 5% cut to the extra corporation tax banks have to pay to "maintain competitiveness"
An extra £2.2bn for courts, prisons and probation services, including £500m to reduce courts backlogs

A cut in air passenger duty for internal UK flights - and a tax rise on "ultra long haul" flights

More support for industrial research and development

I agree with the improvements to services, but the burden of taxation seems to have fallen on lower income people while the bankers enjoy tax cuts.

 

[Robert]

https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/1101/1257091-bus-newtownards/

Armed Loyalist men have set fire to a bus in County Down in protest against the NI Protocol.

This is a bad sign.

 

[Robert]

Tories vote to change the rules to protect one of their own for being suspended for sleaze - and let him vote too!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59158469

The Parliamentary system worked as long as there were decent people in charge but now there are not, so we must reform the system.

We need a written Constitution which Parliament can amend but not rewrite.

Get rid of the ludicrous theatrical PMQ system.

Replace the HoC with a modern semicircular chamber instead of the anachronism we have now, which doesn’t even have enough seats.

Replace the HoL with an elected upper chamber.

 

[James]

British democracy is basically dead at this point.

England, Scotland, and Wales all have different governments with different agendas, different views, and three somewhat eccentric leaders who don’t work together and don’t like each other. Moreover the so called opposition to their administrations is universally poor and voters don’t feel like they have a real choice, so keep selecting the same parties in perpetuity.

We had a huge referendum that was scrappily arranged with a vague central question. It had a surprise result which our elite then spent four years trying to overturn, meanwhile nobody is entirely sure what the implementation of the outcome really does or does not mean.

I would suggest the implementation of Gordon Brown’s vision: moving towards a federalised UK. England should also join Scotland, Wales, NI & corm its own parliament, ideally in the North (York?) or the Midlands.

I would add to this that a British Republic would be desirable in the future as well, even if it had to be a fudged compromise with the monarchy being stripped of its powers but retaining a purely ceremonial status.

 

[Robert]

British democracy is basically dead at this point.

England, Scotland, and Wales all have different governments with different agendas, different views, and three somewhat eccentric leaders who don’t work together and don’t like each other. Moreover the so called opposition to their administrations is universally poor and voters don’t feel like they have a real choice, so keep selecting the same parties in perpetuity.

We had a huge referendum that was scrappily arranged with a vague central question. It had a surprise result which our elite then spent four years trying to overturn, meanwhile nobody is entirely sure what the implementation of the outcome really does or does not mean.

I would suggest the implementation of Gordon Brown’s vision: moving towards a federalised UK. England should also join Scotland, Wales, NI & corm its own parliament, ideally in the North (York?) or the Midlands.

I would add to this that a British Republic would be desirable in the future as well, even if it had to be a fudged compromise with the monarchy being stripped of its powers but retaining a purely ceremonial status.

Good post.

Federal UK is not a bad idea. Then Scotland and NI will have the freedom to join the EU.

I agree about moving the English Assembly north, perhaps to Birmingham which is pretty central in terms of population density as well as roughly equidistant from Land’s End and the Scottish Borders.

The monarchy can be kept and downgraded to the level of those of Belgium, Denmark and Norway.

 

[James]

Good post.

Federal UK is not a bad idea. Then Scotland and NI will have the freedom to join the EU.

I agree about moving the English Assembly north, perhaps to Birmingham which is pretty central in terms of population density as well as roughly equidistant from Land’s End and the Scottish Borders.

The monarchy can be kept and downgraded to the level of those of Belgium, Denmark and Norway.

Agree with paragraphs 3 and 4 of your post.

To be clear on the other points — Brown wants a federalised, decentralised, rebooted UK, but still a UK nevertheless. Brown does not want to break up the UK. He opposes Scottish nationalism and SNP separatism, & he is a British unionist.

This is his article:
https://amp.theguardian.com/comment...ay-to-run-a-truly-united-kingdom-gordon-brown

 

[Robert]

Agree with paragraphs 3 and 4 of your post.

To be clear on the other points — Brown wants a federalised, decentralised, rebooted UK, but still a UK nevertheless. Brown does not want to break up the UK. He opposes Scottish nationalism and SNP separatism, & he is a British unionist.

This is his article:
https://amp.theguardian.com/comment...ay-to-run-a-truly-united-kingdom-gordon-brown

Trouble with devo max is that it still won’t allow Scotland to join the EU. 62% of Scots who voted were for Remain, probably more now. They won’t want to be shackled to the English corpse.

 

[Robert]

Yesterday, the Tories were whipped to retrospectively change the rules to stop censure of Owen Patterson for admitted cash-foe-representation.

This morning there is a storm of criticism of the Tories in the press and MPs are deluged with critical emails.

Johnson pulls his usual populist stunt and reverses the decision.

Now Patterson has just resigned.

This is beyond farce.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Trouble with devo max is that it still wonÂ’t allow Scotland to join the EU. 62% of Scots who voted were for Remain, probably more now. They wonÂ’t want to be shackled to the English corpse.

There is a silent but significant population of unionists in Scotland.

Given the choice between joining the EU or remaining in the UK, the majority of Scottish people will choose to remain in the UK.

The SNP's failures are becoming glaringly obvious in the major Scottish cities here. Glasgow has been rolled back 20 years under an incompetent SNP administration, Edinburgh has been decimated due to a lack of tourism during COVID, hospitals are poor, education statistics appalling and despite constant criticism of the Tory approach to COVID, Scottish regions have always been the top of the covid infection statistics.

Unfortunately, because most people are anti-tory they just let the SNP get on with it.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

British democracy is basically dead at this point.

England, Scotland, and Wales all have different governments with different agendas, different views, and three somewhat eccentric leaders who don’t work together and don’t like each other. Moreover the so called opposition to their administrations is universally poor and voters don’t feel like they have a real choice, so keep selecting the same parties in perpetuity.

We had a huge referendum that was scrappily arranged with a vague central question. It had a surprise result which our elite then spent four years trying to overturn, meanwhile nobody is entirely sure what the implementation of the outcome really does or does not mean.

I would suggest the implementation of Gordon Brown’s vision: moving towards a federalised UK. England should also join Scotland, Wales, NI & corm its own parliament, ideally in the North (York?) or the Midlands.

I would add to this that a British Republic would be desirable in the future as well, even if it had to be a fudged compromise with the monarchy being stripped of its powers but retaining a purely ceremonial status.

The problem with that type of federalism is that England is bigger in terms of population & economy. It would only work if we were to split England into administrative regions with their own mini parliaments but I'm not sure how well that would go down.

Covid showed how much of a disaster devolution is. Boris would make a statement that would only apply to certain areas of the country and Sturgeon/Welsh guy would deliberately do something different to stand out. Travel became a nightmare, especially travelling abroad from different regions as the UK government advice would differ from the Welsh & Scottish governments.

Sturgeon even tried to devise fake borders between Scotland & England by asking people not to travel to England or into Scotland from England. Thankfully nobody listened.

So yes, something must be done, urgently, because at this point its all terribly confusing and a bit of a mess.

My (idealistic) suggestion would be to do away with the devolved assemblies - have regional mayors like we have in Manchester and London, across the major cities/population centres of the UK, so that local issues can be dealt with locally. For national issues we could move certain government departments & civil servants across the UK. Finally, in order to enforce a sense of Britishness, the royal family should be more visible and prominent.

 

[Robert]

There is a silent but significant population of unionists in Scotland.

Given the choice between joining the EU or remaining in the UK, the majority of Scottish people will choose to remain in the UK.

I wonder. A year ago “Yes” for independence was ahead, though now Yes and No are running about even.

I think any decision to leave the Union should require a supermajority though: two-thirds not 51%.

 

[James]

I wonder. A year ago “Yes” for independence was ahead, though now Yes and No are running about even.

I think any decision to leave the Union should require a supermajority though: two-thirds not 51%.

@DV lives there doesn’t he? Usually a better measure than polls.

The SNP vote in Scotland is like the Conservative Party vote in England — they get 45%, which gives them huge power, but it’s not actually a majority of the people.

The SNP government is also making a right royal mess of things by all accounts. Scotland is now the hard drugs capital of Europe.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

@DV lives there doesn’t he? Usually a better measure than polls.

The SNP vote in Scotland is like the Conservative Party vote in England — they get 45%, which gives them huge power, but it’s not actually a majority of the people.

The SNP government is also making a right royal mess of things by all accounts. Scotland is now the hard drugs capital of Europe.

Based in Preston in recent times but moved back to a small town outside of Glasgow to spend more time with the family during Covid.

The SNP are not the Tories and thats the only reason people vote for them. The SNP are painted as the architects of utopia in the left leaning English media but its an absolute shambles up here.

Unfortunately until the tories stop selecting absolute ghouls as candidates the SNP will continue to pick up votes.

Labour is finished, the lib dems are useless. I think we are going to see a tory government for the next 30 years.

 

[Robert]

@DV lives there doesn’t he? Usually a better measure than polls.

The SNP vote in Scotland is like the Conservative Party vote in England — they get 45%, which gives them huge power, but it’s not actually a majority of the people.

The SNP government is also making a right royal mess of things by all accounts. Scotland is now the hard drugs capital of Europe.

The Scot Nats aren’t the same as Yes though, any more than the Tories were the same as Leave.

Curious. I was recently in Glasgow and the impression I got was a modern, clean city with effective public transport. I only saw downtown, mind, doubtless there is localised poverty.

Their prison system is better than ours too.

 

[Robert]

Looks like the British delegation blinked first and have suspended their threat to declare Article 16 over the NI sea border.

What a relief!

Of course EU has the power here as they would retaliate to such a suspension by suspending the skeleton deal that Bozo signed last Christmas Eve, resulting in trade war which UK will certainly lose.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...vNQoXT69TVIvGOMKggdE_bOOIEGE8MnaO3wbnCER_qgkA

 

[Robert]

After years, Labour take the lead in the polls as Johnson’s incompetence is gradually revealed and the Tory press turns on him.

I’ll give him six months before enough Tories write to the 1922 Committee to trigger an election, and Sunak gets the top job.

 

[James]

Beginning of the end. Polling suggests that the PM would lose his own consistency seat as well as his day job. But instead of waiting for the usual backbench hatchet job, Boris should just step down on his own terms. He “got Brexit done” and led the UK through a once in a lifetime pandemic…albeit rather averagely in the latter case. He has a legacy already. He has, what is, 5 grown up kids, a toddler, and a 7th baby on the way… and a young wife… he should retire!

 

[Robert]

Beginning of the end. Polling suggests that the PM would lose his own consistency seat as well as his day job. But instead of waiting for the usual backbench hatchet job, Boris should just step down on his own terms. He “got Brexit done” and led the UK through a once in a lifetime pandemic…albeit rather averagely in the latter case. He has a legacy already. He has, what is, 5 grown up kids, a toddler, and a 7th baby on the way… and a young wife… he should retire!

The sooner the better. Stop embarrassing us with his inane comments and ill-fitting cheap suits at COP26 etc. Go back on the after-dinner speech circuit where he excels.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

An interesting couple of weaks ahead in British politics with regards to how the Omicron varient has been handled.

The devolved authorities in Scotland and Wales have been much more heavy handed than the policies in England. Christmas was cancelled for hospitality industry and New Years was cancelled too. Yet business was booming in England as train loads of people made it down from Scotland to bring in the New Year in Manchester and Liverpool

There have been no matches in the Scottish Premier league as the league decided to postpone games because Scot Gov put restrictions in place that limited spectators to 500. Instead Scottish fans have been treated to EPL games with packed houses of 50k+ people!

In a few weeks if there is no major uptick in hospitalisations in England compared to Scotland and Wales I would imagine the respective first ministers would have a lot to answer for.....and for once bumbling Boris may have upstaged them!

 

[James]

The first Tory-Labour defection (in either direction) for a very long time — 15 years in fact:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60054968

<b>Tory MP Christian Wakeford defects to Labour</b>

Tory MP Christian Wakeford has defected to the Labour Party and called on Boris Johnson to quit as prime minister.

Mr Wakeford took the Bury South seat from Labour at the 2019 general election.

He was among the MPs to have written a letter of no confidence in the prime minister, following revelations about lockdown parties in Downing Street.

His defection comes as Mr Johnson faces Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions.

In a letter to Mr Johnson, Mr Wakeford told the PM that "you and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves".

He was cheered by Labour MPs as he crossed the floor of the Commons chamber to join his new colleagues on the Labour benches.

In his letter, Mr Wakeford said Labour was "ready to provide an alternative government that this country can be proud of, and not embarrassed by".

The changes he says his constituents need "can only be delivered by a Labour government with Keir Starmer", he added.

Welcoming Mr Wakeford to his party, Sir Keir said: "As Christian said, the policies of the Conservative government are doing nothing to help the people of Bury South and indeed are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse.

"People across Britain faces a cost of living crisis but this incompetent Tory government is asleep at the wheel, distracted by a chaos of its own making."

Mr Johnson began PMQs by rejecting a call to stand down by Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain, urging MPs to wait for the outcome of a report into lockdown events carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray, which the PM said was due next week.

Before beginning his questions, Sir Keir offered a "warm welcome" to Mr Wakeford to his new party.

Mr Johnson said: "The Conservative Party won Bury South for the first time in a generation under this prime minister."

He said the party had won on an "agenda of uniting and levelling up", saying, "we will again in Bury South at the next election," to loud cheers from Conservative MPs.

Sir Keir replied: "Bury South is now a Labour seat, prime minister."

The last MP to defect from the Conservatives to Labour was Quentin Davies in 2007, when Gordon Brown was prime minister. Before that it was Robert Jackson in 2005 and Shaun Woodward, who joined Tony Blair's Labour Party in 1999.

Mr Wakeford is one of the Red Wall Conservatives, who won traditional Labour seats in the north of England at the 2019 election.

The 37-year-old former insurance broker and Lancashire county councillor took Bury South by just 402 votes from Labour candidate Lucy Burke.