General Election 2024: General UK Politics Discussion here

[Al Bundy]

7 minutes ago, Mister M said:

 

Why?

 

Speaking of rude, have you read the Twitter spat between ex Tory MP kicked out by Boris, Nicholas Soames; and ex Tory MP kicked out by the electorate, but entertainingly named Marcus Fysh...:

 

I am not on twitter, thank goodness.

 

 

[*_ash_*]

20 hours ago, Mister M said:

 In my life time there was the 1979 - 1981 then the 1990 - 1992 recessions, and older people will talk about the 'Barber boom' of the early 1970s

You say that Blair's ideology was far more left wing than he ever said. I just don't see the evidence of that ideology - using more of the private finance and sector in the delivery of public services, more punitive approach to civil liberties, a more hawkish approach to foreign affairs, a much greater gap between rich and poor.... None of that is evidence of his left wing credentials.

His freedom of movement and open borders for one.

His attempting to copy tory policies with no thought, also were terrible. (that wasn't so much left wing, it was an attempt at vote winning and boosting the economy). The tories never did, and couldn't reverse them, also has left the country in part, in the state it is in now. 

The list of things Blair got wrong and such is too long and off topic. 

 

20 hours ago, m williamson said:

 

As someone once said " Oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them "  leaving the country in a bit of turmoil isn't something unusual.

However, never in my long lifetime has a government made such an unholy mess of things to the degree which the Tory's have during their incompetent and blatantly corrupt term.

The flagrant lack of basic honesty and morals has made the country look like a kleptocracy. A significant number of those in authority during that period were privately educated. Only 6.4% of people in England are privately educated yet 63% of the last Tory cabinet went to private schools.

That results in a serious lack of knowledge as to how the majority of the population they preside over live and what their requirements are.

 

The best managing director I reported to was privately educated and went to Cambridge, he was excellent. I also know two families ( one as friends of over forty five years and one I'm related to ) who are multi millionaires. They are also good people and I'm pleased for them.

All I ask is that elected politicians should work for the good of the country in general and not operate as an old boys/girls profiteering syndicate which appears to have been happening two much recently.

 

https://www.libdems.org.uk/news/adlib-articles/the-a-z-of-tory-sleaze-scandal

 

https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-pm-rishi-sunak-cant-leave-the-stench-of-tory-sleaze-behind-nadhim-zahawi-boris-johnson/

1st bold: I agree with it, and it's not something to celebrate. Labour won not by Starmer being any good (he could be, but that's not the point) , he's won because the tories have been in a mess for years. Even tory voters know this. 

 

2nd bold, goes back to what the earlier poster said that I read a report in their post. 

 I am NOT saying privately educated people are good at running governments. I just don't follow this narrative that just because you grew up in a poor family, that you know more about running a country.

 

3rd bold - a lot of this, isn't brexit actually, it's the pandemic response. 

During the pandemic, the opposition did absolutely nothing to support the government. NOTHING. 

They never opposed decisions (until later, when they started moaning about where things were bought from - which was all hindsight, so completely meaningless in my eyes). 

They never gave any ideas on how to do things better. 

They never said anything. 

 

Weak opposition. 

 

The only thing worse than a weak government is a weak opposition, and they were incredibly weak. 

For me that's a worrying state of affairs for a country. 

 

We've now lost a weak government and inherited a new weak government. 

 

 

18 hours ago, Anna B said:

I was quite impressed that Starmer kept Mrs Starmer out of the spotlight. Usually the spouse is wheeled out to support the campaign, particularly if they are attractive and seen as an assett. But Starmer didn't 'use' her, so well done him.

No doubt she will now have a higher profile and be scrutinised thanks to the media,  whether she likes it or not.  

 

 

You're impressed that he has now taken her out of the spotlight into a no doubt scrutinised position?

 

Really what has your country come to?

 

18 hours ago, hackey lad said:

Maybe someone on here could talk about how rich she is . They did with Sunaks wife. 

Oh? Is she rich? I didn't know that! 

 

 

[Wing Commander]

2 hours ago, Mister M said:

 

Why?

 

Because he lacks the diplomatic skills that are required for the role of Foreign Secretary.  He has attracted attention by having rants about Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen.  Unsuitable.

[Mister M]

2 hours ago, Al Bundy said:

I am not on twitter, thank goodness.

 

 

And neither are the Tories:

 

 

"Something went wrong".

Between 2010 - 2024, yes it bloody did! 

 

[Mister M]

5 minutes ago, Wing Commander said:

Because he lacks the diplomatic skills that are required for the role of Foreign Secretary.  He has attracted attention by having rants about Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen.  Unsuitable.

He's an elected politician in a democracy. Yes he can speak his mind.

You didn't mind when gob****e Boris Johnson caused diplomatic rukus with his closeness to people in the Kremlin

[m williamson]

23 minutes ago, *_ash_* said:

His freedom of movement and open borders for one.

His attempting to copy tory policies with no thought, also were terrible. (that wasn't so much left wing, it was an attempt at vote winning and boosting the economy). The tories never did, and couldn't reverse them, also has left the country in part, in the state it is in now. 

The list of things Blair got wrong and such is too long and off topic. 

 

1st bold: I agree with it, and it's not something to celebrate. Labour won not by Starmer being any good (he could be, but that's not the point) , he's won because the tories have been in a mess for years. Even tory voters know this. 

 

2nd bold, goes back to what the earlier poster said that I read a report in their post. 

 I am NOT saying privately educated people are good at running governments. I just don't follow this narrative that just because you grew up in a poor family, that you know more about running a country.

 

3rd bold - a lot of this, isn't brexit actually, it's the pandemic response. 

During the pandemic, the opposition did absolutely nothing to support the government. NOTHING. 

They never opposed decisions (until later, when they started moaning about where things were bought from - which was all hindsight, so completely meaningless in my eyes). 

They never gave any ideas on how to do things better. 

They never said anything. 

 

Weak opposition. 

 

The only thing worse than a weak government is a weak opposition, and they were incredibly weak. 

For me that's a worrying state of affairs for a country. 

 

We've now lost a weak government and inherited a new weak government. 

 

 

You're impressed that he has now taken her out of the spotlight into a no doubt scrutinised position?

 

Really what has your country come to?

 

Oh? Is she rich? I didn't know that! 

 

 

 

The Labour opposition were probably employing Napoleon Bonaparte's wise advise to " Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake. "

Having been out of power for so long and in opposition to a government with an unassailable majority they were up against it. I agree that a strong opposition is needed in order to keep matters on a reasonably even keel which is another reason I want PR+STV. 

FPTP can often return the undemocratic mess we've experienced with the last two general elections. PR+STV results in closer contests and quite often coalitions.  That is actually good as far as stability is concerned. No party can impose its ideology without constraint, and when a different party is elected they have had some input to the decisions made during the last term so have no real need to change everything in a drastic way to suit their ideology.

Germany has had only one non coalition government since 1945,  even then the minor party was included in the government for the first three years.

Germany has had the strongest economy in Europe for the last 44 years.

 

We can only hope that this Labour government has the interests of the country at its heart - as it claims - and doesn't try to impose any ideology which may damage things.

 

I'm afraid I hold a somewhat cynical view of politicians, but live in hope to be proven wrong for all our sakes.

 

[Wing Commander]

11 minutes ago, Mister M said:

He's an elected politician in a democracy. Yes he can speak his mind.

You didn't mind when gob****e Boris Johnson caused diplomatic rukus with his closeness to people in the Kremlin

I've never commented about Boris Johnson's diplomatic skills.  A good diplomat knows when to speak his mind.  The role of Foreign Secretary requires the ability to keep their own personal views private.  David Lammy has failed to do this which is why he is unsuitable to be Foreign Secretary.

 

[Mister M]

3 minutes ago, Wing Commander said:

I've never commented about Boris Johnson's diplomatic skills.  A good diplomat knows when to speak his mind.  The role of Foreign Secretary requires the ability to keep their own personal views private.  David Lammy has failed to do this which is why he is unsuitable to be Foreign Secretary.

 

Haven't you? You had plenty to say when he was PM, and when he was kicked out by his own party.

 

[Wing Commander]

6 minutes ago, Mister M said:

Haven't you? You had plenty to say when he was PM, and when he was kicked out by his own party.

 

I'm a new member here which is why I haven't made comments about former prime ministers. You need to move on. We have a Labour government now so why not comment about members of the current government rather than the previous government?

[PRESLEY]

3 hours ago, Wing Commander said:

Angela Rayner the new Levelling Up Minister will address the problem.

She is too busy helping sort his country out,  Boris is doing nowt, he would make a good toilet attendant because he is used to being surrounded by  ----houses.