General British politics discussion thread

Did Javid get overlooked by Sunak for a portfolio or did he take himself out of the running?

Mad stuff....how do they think such a pronouncement is a good idea?

Over here in my part of London the attitude is: Meh, we've stopped paying attention to how low they want to stoop. Pretty sad really.

See my previous post. Yes the Conservatives are phucked but a lot of people (myself included) have disengaged from politics and already decided not to vote at the next GE. My brother over in Amersham is more positive..

I think the Tories might have sent a strong message to Putin themselves by not accepting large donations from people linked to Russian oligarchs, not handing out peerages to Russian oligarchs, and not providing a variety of enticing money-laundering opportunities to Russian oligarchs. And, of course, by not Brexiting.

Given that they elected to pass up on all these opportunities for sending messages to Putin, they don't have a huge amount of credibility when suggesting that others should do things that, if we're honest, seem much less likely to send any clear message to Putin.

@ancapailldorcha

Dunno about you but I have long stopped wondering how low this rabble can sink.

Edit: I posted this before seeing the Crispin stuff on the next page..

There likely will be a winter of discontent, and if the Tory government are banking on gaslighting the British public yet again by way of coping strategy, they’re on a hiding to nothing.

Irrespective of one’s politics, you can’t but admire the sterling work that Mick Lynch has been doing for the image of unions and speaking very uncomfortable truths to power over the past few months.

Not the most representative of polls, but meant to be illustrative. Public sentiment about strikers as expressed in polls suggests that expressing positions in a clear, logic, articulate and quiet-but-firm manner, and explaining these positions with supporting evidence, seems to work.

There is little doubt that widespread loathing at a demonstrably inept, venal and carefree government must be amplifying the effect, and never more so than since the cost of living crisis started to bite hard.

It may well not be Lynch’s doing, whether in whole or part, but the man has been getting tremendous following on most SM platforms. Deservedly IMHO. This isn’t Scargill or Corbyn haranguing with the Internationale playing in the background.

And likewise

(I’m anything but a pro-union type with left political leanings: I just recognise and acknowledge skillfullness, used well😉)

This Harvard academic cites his own research to come to the conclusion that immigration does undercut wages.

He has literally dozens of papers on this topic, you will need acces to JSTOR to read some of them but others are free on Harvard.edu. Google "george j borjas immigration study" for links to several papers.

Of course the Cato Institute and other libertarian think-thanks have flooded the internet with their own "research" which supposedly shows it doesn't.

Matt Stone and Trey Parker of "dey tuk err jawbs!!" joke are fully signed up Cato Institute libertarians.

I haven't seen any specifically British-based studies but there may be some.

Abstract principles of economics don't change from one country to another.

Since you won't admit academic studies as evidence I conclude that your mind is simply made up beforehand. Good luck to you.