General British politics discussion thread

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117927839#Comment_117927839

as I said "A UN security council member withdrawing its ambassador from the US over a failed arms deal, now that gets international coverage and makes France look petty".

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117927822#Comment_117927822

So you're saying that France looks petty, but the UK actually is petty?

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117927631#Comment_117927631

It constantly astonishing just how much miliage Labour's enemies can get out of the Trots bogeyman slur. Although with all their infighting they don't really help themselves either.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928158#Comment_117928158

Parts of it are down to skewed voter turnout. A lot southern England got very wealthy very quickly under Thatcher. The line about Trots works for a reason. Unfortunately, far too much of Labour's base just doesn't vote or doesn't vote reliably.

Joe_ Public

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928158#Comment_117928158

Yeah i know, but i dunno is it all that surprising tbh, given you have a climate where putrid rags like the Sun and Express are seen by many as agenda setting while on the other side, proposing a few notions like the super rich paying more tax and nationalising a few key public utilities gets you tagged as radical and unhinged. I mean, i think i know which is the truly unhinged thing there, but that probably just makes me a dangerous trot in need of purging.

Seth Brundle

In front of the UN general assembly, Johnson tells the world that it needs to grow up when it comes to climate change and then proceeds to quote Kermit the Frog...

https://twitter.com/nw_nicholas/status/1440942348930887682

Whilst I understand the message, it is a brutal way to convey it.

pixelburp

I'd love to know who thought this was a good idea; insofar as thinking the "affable toff" routine would play well at the UN, through a host of interpretators' translations.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117929513#Comment_117929513

Johnson thought this was a good idea and that was clearly enough. Boris is a character played by Alexander. This persona has helped him escape situations that he got himself into by either failing to prepare or making poor choices that would have ended the career of anyone else. The result is that Johnson has failed upwards but the effect is much more pronounced that with certain other figures like Gavin Wiliamson or Chris Grayling.

A good example is given by Jeremy Vine here:

https://reaction.life/jeremy-vine-my-boris-story/

Vine has to introduce Johnson at an event. Johnson turns unprepared and basically wings it. Vine has the same experience with him years later. I do recommend reading this if you're interested.

The flaw in the Boris person is that it was fine when he had either no responsibility or very little comparatively such as when he was London Mayor. Sure, he wasted goodness knows how much money on nonsense like garden bridges and water cannons but it was minor enough that being funny Boris from Have I Got News for You meant escape from consequence.

The problem now is that he has the most powerful position in the country and the buck stops with him. He can dismiss and reshuffle underlings to his heart's content. Even The Economist wrote a glowing column last week praising his reshuffle in selecting for talent (apparently).

However, the problem with the Boris persona is that it's been toxified by Johnson's actions over Brexit. In the US, Democrats appear to be somewhat irritated by his racist comment about Obama and the ease by which he undermines the Belfast Agreement. Republicans are probably more favourable but will be under pressure from various lobbies to secure the best possible access for American exporters in any future trade deal which thankfully looks less and less likely. I can't think there are too many European leaders who think highly of him but necessity compels both sides to try and work together on key issues.

Sam Russell

Johnson has four major faults that make him unfit for office - any office.

1. He cannot see the big picture, and therefore cannot steer policy.
2. He cannot deal with detail, so he is always unprepared as he does not understand the consequences of any action.
3. He is basically lazy, and cannot put the required effort into any activity beyond the initial push.
4. He has no moral compass, and so does not care who suffers from any action of his (as long as it is not him).

He will eventually run out of road when his poor decisions cause a disaster that he cannot bluff his way out and the subsequent storm of protest will result in those behind him finishing him off.

PommieBast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117932720#Comment_117932720

Those behind him are quite likely lining him up as scapegoat for plenty of other things he had nothing to do with. The irony of him getting the sort of blame that used to be attributed to the EU.

ancapailldorcha

Tweet dump deleted.

O'Neill

https://twitter.com/ToryFibs/status/1442111456368005126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1442111456368005126%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

Totally contemptious behaviour from Starmer. Completly ignoring one of his own members. I accept he might be in a hurry but to not even ackowledge her is not a good look. Utterly bizzare considering how many are questioning his leadership at the moment and any opportunity can be used as a good PR excercise.

fiveleavesleft

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117941786#Comment_117941786

Seems to be a terrible atmosphere at the conference. Look's like he's going to need yet another relaunch.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117941786#Comment_117941786

A come on thought how many people are gonna approach him like that at an event. He is probably bombarded with protesters who are or are claiming to be Labour members. It's a one sided Twitter video

Joe_ Public

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117941946#Comment_117941946

Heard the initimable Steve "Stop Brexit" Bray in full voice outside the bbc makeshift studio during the Marr show this morning, though they seemed to have managed to "move him on" before the Starmer interview. Starmers backers seem to be banking on the perception he hasn't been able to cut through to voters yet because of the restrictions. I'm yet to be convinced that's been a definite negative for him.

fiveleavesleft

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117942263#Comment_117942263

Think the restrictions should have helped him. He just isn't a people guy, he struggles to connect with them. His team have this idea that he can be this real exciting guy which is just insane.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117942382#Comment_117942382

Stop Brexit Steve ?

Starmer was the safe bet to reconnect to a middle ground that barely exists in the UK these days.

He is bland by design

Starmer needs to surround himself with better people for a start.

Angela Rayner seems to be a constant car crash at the moment. Completely devoid of any ideas, just throwing insults.

Rjd2

The Labour convention is going very well for Boris tbf.

Rayner may claim what she is saying is correct, but that type of rhetoric isn't going to go down well outside lefty echo chambers.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117942745#Comment_117942745

Are you thinking of anyone in particular?

not sure what you mean. It’s very difficult to look at anyone in the Labour Party at the moment and feel they would be a good minister.

Their entire approach seems to be about throwing around tired platitudes rather than engaging in constructive debate.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943928#Comment_117943928

Constructive debate like what specifically?

The Tories have the majority they don't listen anyone else.

Do you want labour to solve the absolute misery they have created in the UK over the last decade and the incredible national debt over that period of time ? What good have they actually done for the UK..... At all.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943931#Comment_117943931

Add in that the Tories are racist, homophobic, mysogynistic scum and you appear to have summed up the entire Labour manifesto.

Who the hell wants to vote for that?

WTF is Labour at the moment, is it a Blairite party with some added Corbynistas to appease the hard left, is it a hard left party with a Blairite front man? Is it a pro EU party or pro Brexit?

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943928#Comment_117943928

You said better people. Those are only going to be in the Labour party as it is now.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117944113#Comment_117944113

Constructive debate like what. I asked you since you raised it up. Can you explain.

Also who threw in all the fairly accurate references? I didn't. You did.

What about the deficit? I thought they were meant to be conservative?

Anything else but playing the victim you would like to add....

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943231#Comment_117943231

Labour looking further from power than they ever have been.

Rayner's rant is only distracting from the other calamities.

They really don't seem to have any interest in government.

Tory Govt in to the 2030s likely and Labour don't care.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948087#Comment_117948087

Really? Because for the first time in 13 years Labour have drawn level with the tories on best PM rating. While i dont agree they would win an election topmorrow the idea they are further from power than they have ever been is just not true when you see polling like that.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmer-boris-johnson-ipsos-mori-poll-b957432.html

hotmail.com

Angela Rayner is a C grade politician. How did she manage to get to the top of that party?

She is too stupid to realise that the working class aren't impressed by calling other politicians homophobic, racist etc. It doesn't win votes.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948917#Comment_117948917

when you are calling a party "Racist" you need to be pretty damn sure that your party has a more diverse leadership then theirs. Otherwise it just looks stupid.

RobMc59

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948917#Comment_117948917

She just needs her enthusiasm channeling by a strong leader, someone like Andy Burnham.