Fuck me. Imagine if the Queen did that. End of the monarchy?
And it's not like the Spanish monarchy is massively ancient and widely respected (like the British monarchy). It isn't. It's barely 40 years old, suffered a recent abdication, and is seen by many Spaniards as irrelevant, parasitic or downright venal.
This is not how you DO Constitutional Monarchy.
Spain is headed for a huge crisis.
Surely the only thing that might prevent a UDI at this point is the low turnout, but on the flip side the Catalan separatists have pushed themselves and been pushed by Madrid to the point can they afford not to at least attempt to make the declaration? Sure, Spain will take away the region's autonomy, but that is surely going to have to happen whether the Catalan government UDIs or not unless Madrid has been bluffing this whole time and is about to offer a whole tranche of new powers, which seems improbable.
The only reason the turnout wasn't higher is because of the voter suppression and intimidation from the Madrid government's stormtroopers. When you are dragged out of the polling station by your hair, it is a bit harsh to be classed as a no-show.
Oh indeed - if the turnout had been similar with no suppression, I wonder if they would dare declare, but given they now have very good reason why it was that low, and a reason which means queries about reliability of the turnout amounts and outcome totals seem less important, no wonder they are pushing ahead. The violent response raised the stakes, which were already pretty damn high.
Plop. 63 grand. In my account, to my total surprise. Turns out it is recent royalties for S K Tremayne in Germany (I had no idea the Fire Child was such a hit there).
I tell you, if you want intermittent, sporadic but quite intense highs, then write a book that Does Well In Foreign Parts.
There is nothing, outwith the sexual act, that is as purely, purely pleasurable as unexpected foreign royalties. It's better than winning the lottery, because that is just luck, and you played no part in it.
I'm having a nice glass of wine from a pleasant part of the EU, to celebrate.
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
You have not been listening or maybe you do not want to. The Government announced today big changes to the payments including immediate in hardship cases.
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
I blame the whole UC debacle on ideological purism. I appreciate that some measures have been announced today but it is too little too late. UC is a failure on several levels for instance paying Housing Benefit to the claimant rather than the Landlord complicates the claimants life for no reason what so ever. You have to remember that some of the people who will be moved onto UC have difficulty budgeting or don't even have a bank account to then pay the landlord. People on ESA as well as JSA will be transferred and paid monthly, saying they can have money advanced if in hardship complicates peoples lives again for no other reason than ideology. They will then have to pay the money back again or have it deducted. How on earth can this be deemed to helping them I do not know. To my mind UC has failed and should be scrapped, why does it help claimants on ESA with severe and enduring conditions who are not fit for work to be transferred to this system? I really don't understand why UC is being rolled out further, especially when it clearly is not fit for purpose. IDS is yesterdays news and this stupid system that creates hardship should be buried with IDS's political corpse.
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
You have not been listening or maybe you do not want to. The Government announced today big changes to the payments including immediate in hardship cases.
But that does not fit your narrative
It exactly fits the narrative. Are they doing it because it's right? Because they have come to that opinion out of decency? Or because they see the tide of public opinion receding and needing to catch up. And now they're backtracking on this how about on the disability "reviews" from non-qualified "medical assesors"? Aside from the damage to the disabled people, it costs the taxpayer in appeal after appeal after appeal that overturns the decision to take away their wheelchair, their carer, their independence, their dignity.
Again, it's unnecessary brutality from a party that doesn't give a toss.
Just ran the numbers, if that 25k goes up by inflation or wage inflation YoY then the deal is basically the new triple lock for students. In real terms I think it is even better than a 0 tuition fee, 0 loan deal for most students...
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
I blame the whole UC debacle on ideological purism. I appreciate that some measures have been announced today but it is too little too late. UC is a failure on several levels for instance paying Housing Benefit to the claimant rather than the Landlord complicates the claimants life for no reason what so ever. You have to remember that some of the people who will be moved onto UC have difficulty budgeting or don't even have a bank account to then pay the landlord. People on ESA as well as JSA will be transferred and paid monthly, saying they can have money advanced if in hardship complicates peoples lives again for no other reason than ideology. They will then have to pay the money back again or have it deducted. How on earth can this be deemed to helping them I do not know. To my mind UC has failed and should be scrapped, why does it help claimants on ESA with severe and enduring conditions who are not fit for work to be transferred to this system? I really don't understand why UC is being rolled out further, especially when it clearly is not fit for purpose. IDS is yesterdays news and this stupid system that creates hardship should be buried with IDS's political corpse.
Your ideological purism is another man's helping hand to those who need it.
The current system has clearly failed - dependence on welfare, especially Housing benefit, is not positive for individuals or society.
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
I blame the whole UC debacle on ideological purism. I appreciate that some measures have been announced today but it is too little too late. UC is a failure on several levels for instance paying Housing Benefit to the claimant rather than the Landlord complicates the claimants life for no reason what so ever. You have to remember that some of the people who will be moved onto UC have difficulty budgeting or don't even have a bank account to then pay the landlord. People on ESA as well as JSA will be transferred and paid monthly, saying they can have money advanced if in hardship complicates peoples lives again for no other reason than ideology. They will then have to pay the money back again or have it deducted. How on earth can this be deemed to helping them I do not know. To my mind UC has failed and should be scrapped, why does it help claimants on ESA with severe and enduring conditions who are not fit for work to be transferred to this system? I really don't understand why UC is being rolled out further, especially when it clearly is not fit for purpose. IDS is yesterdays news and this stupid system that creates hardship should be buried with IDS's political corpse.
Not going to happen. Role out continues after problems addressed by the government today.
Feel free to ignore me. I could be wrong. It could be that voters are desperate for someone to the right of Margaret Thatcher with social views anchored very firmly in the 1950s.
Nah. Even I agree with you and, his religious views apart, I do like JRM. But he shouldn't getvwithim a hundred miles of being PM.
I would still like David Davis but accept he is not likely to get the job either by choice or because he cannot enthuse the Tory party.
Otherwise I think they should be looking to bypass all of the current crop of hopefuls. They all have significant faults. Instead they should be looking to the younger generation. Someone like Mercer or Stewart could reinvigorate the party and the electorate.
Or Kwarteng,
But it has to be the Next Generation.
Liz Truss and Dominic Raab come across as the most normal yet credible leaders to me.
She's too busy in China opening new pork markets to be leader.
R> @RochdalePioneers They are also using migration to introduce the ' waiting days ' to housing costs for some claimants for the first time. The legal threshold for a landlord to start possession proceedings for arrears is 56 days. So if you add the paid 4 weeks in arrears and assessment period together everyone is one DWP cock up away from eviction proceedings.For those claimants who then have 7 additional " waiting days " as well the slack is even less.
At best all of this just shoves additional administrative costs on Landlord, advice services and courts before payment comes through and arrears are cleared. But in some cases Ben a basic DWP delay let alone a major one will get folk evicted.
All this in a country where " No Sufis " on a rental Ad is illegal but ' no DSS ' isn't. It's just one more reason for PRS landless not to take UC claimants as tenants. Which takes us back to Osborne Vs IDS. Many of the most objectionable aspects of UC are nothing to do with UC per se but the fact UC is being used to implement big benefit cuts for new claimants.
The absolute certainty of some posters on here that the Tories are hopeless and doomed is somewhat hubristic given that they may have to wait another 4 and half years to find out for sure. Who knows what events will occur in the intervening period?
If it is 4 and a half years to the next election why did Hammond prattle on about Corbyn and Venezuela instead of laying out his own vision for the British economy for the next 4 years?
The absolute certainty of some posters on here that the Tories are hopeless and doomed is somewhat hubristic given that they may have to wait another 4 and half years to find out for sure. Who knows what events will occur in the intervening period?
If it is 4 and a half years to the next election why did Hammond prattle on about Corbyn and Venezuela instead of laying out his own vision for the British economy for the next 4 years?
Leaving that to Theresa May tomorrow.
It is a very big speech for her and expect some rabbits out of the hat
The absolute certainty of some posters on here that the Tories are hopeless and doomed is somewhat hubristic given that they may have to wait another 4 and half years to find out for sure. Who knows what events will occur in the intervening period?
If it is 4 and a half years to the next election why did Hammond prattle on about Corbyn and Venezuela instead of laying out his own vision for the British economy for the next 4 years?
Leaving that to Theresa May tomorrow.
It is a very big speech for her and expect some rabbits out of the hat
The absolute certainty of some posters on here that the Tories are hopeless and doomed is somewhat hubristic given that they may have to wait another 4 and half years to find out for sure. Who knows what events will occur in the intervening period?
If it is 4 and a half years to the next election why did Hammond prattle on about Corbyn and Venezuela instead of laying out his own vision for the British economy for the next 4 years?
Because both sides are trying to both rewrite and re-fight the last election
The absolute certainty of some posters on here that the Tories are hopeless and doomed is somewhat hubristic given that they may have to wait another 4 and half years to find out for sure. Who knows what events will occur in the intervening period?
If it is 4 and a half years to the next election why did Hammond prattle on about Corbyn and Venezuela instead of laying out his own vision for the British economy for the next 4 years?
Leaving that to Theresa May tomorrow.
It is a very big speech for her and expect some rabbits out of the hat
The absolute certainty of some posters on here that the Tories are hopeless and doomed is somewhat hubristic given that they may have to wait another 4 and half years to find out for sure. Who knows what events will occur in the intervening period?
If it is 4 and a half years to the next election why did Hammond prattle on about Corbyn and Venezuela instead of laying out his own vision for the British economy for the next 4 years?
Good enough reason to give him a P45. The over 60s may not change their views on Corbyn, but Hammond has to encourage the under 60s to vote for his lot. Why waste time preaching to the converted?
R> @RochdalePioneers They are also using migration to introduce the ' waiting days ' to housing costs for some claimants for the first time. The legal threshold for a landlord to start possession proceedings for arrears is 56 days. So if you add the paid 4 weeks in arrears and assessment period together everyone is one DWP cock up away from eviction proceedings.For those claimants who then have 7 additional " waiting days " as well the slack is even less.
At best all of this just shoves additional administrative costs on Landlord, advice services and courts before payment comes through and arrears are cleared. But in some cases Ben a basic DWP delay let alone a major one will get folk evicted.
All this in a country where " No Sufis " on a rental Ad is illegal but ' no DSS ' isn't. It's just one more reason for PRS landless not to take UC claimants as tenants. Which takes us back to Osborne Vs IDS. Many of the most objectionable aspects of UC are nothing to do with UC per se but the fact UC is being used to implement big benefit cuts for new claimants.
The last sentence is damning for Osborne. He was eventually schooled in politics and the right thing to do by IDS.
R> @RochdalePioneers They are also using migration to introduce the ' waiting days ' to housing costs for some claimants for the first time. The legal threshold for a landlord to start possession proceedings for arrears is 56 days. So if you add the paid 4 weeks in arrears and assessment period together everyone is one DWP cock up away from eviction proceedings.For those claimants who then have 7 additional " waiting days " as well the slack is even less.
At best all of this just shoves additional administrative costs on Landlord, advice services and courts before payment comes through and arrears are cleared. But in some cases Ben a basic DWP delay let alone a major one will get folk evicted.
All this in a country where " No Sufis " on a rental Ad is illegal but ' no DSS ' isn't. It's just one more reason for PRS landless not to take UC claimants as tenants. Which takes us back to Osborne Vs IDS. Many of the most objectionable aspects of UC are nothing to do with UC per se but the fact UC is being used to implement big benefit cuts for new claimants.
My advice to anyone wishing to be a landlord is ....... Don't.
The other issue on UC is timing. When the government pencilled in this Blitzkrieg on migration it thought it would be mid term and the screaming would have stopped by the time it faced a useless Corbyn in 2020. Now it's happening against the back drop of the lost majority and collapse in authority. But additionally in the context of the astonishing transmutation of Corbyn. The treatment of those UC claimants who are in work will chime with the Corbyn surge in a way almost noone could have predicted. And Tory backbenchers who's surgeries will be inundated will view the issue with different eyes.
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
I blame the whole UC debacle on ideological purism. I appreciate that some measures have been announced today but it is too little too late. UC is a failure on several levels for instance paying Housing Benefit to the claimant rather than the Landlord complicates the claimants life for no reason what so ever. You have to remember that some of the people who will be moved onto UC have difficulty budgeting or don't even have a bank account to then pay the landlord. People on ESA as well as JSA will be transferred and paid monthly, saying they can have money advanced if in hardship complicates peoples lives again for no other reason than ideology. They will then have to pay the money back again or have it deducted. How on earth can this be deemed to helping them I do not know. To my mind UC has failed and should be scrapped, why does it help claimants on ESA with severe and enduring conditions who are not fit for work to be transferred to this system? I really don't understand why UC is being rolled out further, especially when it clearly is not fit for purpose. IDS is yesterdays news and this stupid system that creates hardship should be buried with IDS's political corpse.
Your ideological purism is another man's helping hand to those who need it.
The current system has clearly failed - dependence on welfare, especially Housing benefit, is not positive for individuals or society.
Some people are not capable of work, I really don't think UC is appropriate to severely disabled people. I am a political centrist not a purist. The Tory right are obsessed by benefits, the chancellor in the last 24 hours said the UK has a sound and fundamentally strong economy. The UK is also a rich country yet we cannot afford to look after the poor apparently and need to encourage even those medically unfit for work to do so. There is a strong smell surrounding this and it is not just the hypocrisy of politicians who advocate the demonization of the poor whilst receiving pay rises other public servants can only dream about.
Regarding UC. It was obvious to anyone with the slightest grasp of reality that 6 weeks is long enough to reduce people to starvation and all the mental and physical consequences that provides. And there is a mass of evidence of the punitive damage being done to the people this supposedly helps.
...
I blame the whole UC debacle on ideological purism. I appreciate that some measures have been announced today but it is too little too late. UC is a failure on several levels for instance paying Housing Benefit to the claimant rather than the Landlord complicates the claimants life for no reason what so ever. You have to remember that some of the people who will be moved onto UC have difficulty budgeting or don't even have a bank account to then pay the landlord. People on ESA as well as JSA will be transferred and paid monthly, saying they can have money advanced if in hardship complicates peoples lives again for no other reason than ideology. They will then have to pay the money back again or have it deducted. How on earth can this be deemed to helping them I do not know. To my mind UC has failed and should be scrapped, why does it help claimants on ESA with severe and enduring conditions who are not fit for work to be transferred to this system? I really don't understand why UC is being rolled out further, especially when it clearly is not fit for purpose. IDS is yesterdays news and this stupid system that creates hardship should be buried with IDS's political corpse.
Your ideological purism is another man's helping hand to those who need it.
The current system has clearly failed - dependence on welfare, especially Housing benefit, is not positive for individuals or society.
Some people are not capable of work, I really don't think UC is appropriate to severely disabled people. I am a political centrist not a purist. The Tory right are obsessed by benefits, the chancellor in the last 24 hours said the UK has a sound and fundamentally strong economy. The UK is also a rich country yet we cannot afford to look after the poor apparently and need to encourage even those medically unfit for work to do so. There is a strong smell surrounding this and it is not just the hypocrisy of politicians who advocate the demonization of the poor whilst receiving pay rises other public servants can only dream about.
No, I mean what you see as ideological purism others see as pragmatic.
Centrism is not some nirvana-like state which is above ideology; it has an ideology of its own. It fetishises managerialism, media management and the introduction of far more legislation than any ideology ever encountered in this country.
TMay comes across as a minor shadow minister who is already out of her depth.
Get rid. Enough. Install Boris. If he's a disaster, replace with a new gen MP in 2019.
If the Tories had to resort to a 2nd and a 3rd leader before the next GE they would be toast at that GE for sure.
Really? Who the F knows anymore. Labour have been reborn under.... Corbyn.
The Republicans won under.... Trump.
Macron started an entirely new party and won the French presidency and the French parliament.
Relying on received political wisdom seems, to me, to be an unreliable method in western democracies in the new and profound era of Western Secular Decline (which is where we are).
Yeah, fair point... nothing's 'for sure' these days.
(I still think 3 PMs between GEs would look pretty pathetic, both for the country and the party.)
Feel free to ignore me. I could be wrong. It could be that voters are desperate for someone to the right of Margaret Thatcher with social views anchored very firmly in the 1950s.
You throw around Thatcher as an insult. She was an unbeaten election winner.
No need - the Tories have already discovered the magic money tree for the DUP deal - just give it another shake!
That only cost a billion - not peanuts, but as the price, in theory, for a stablish government for 5 years, it wouldn't be bad. It's all the other stuff that's more problematic.
TMay comes across as a minor shadow minister who is already out of her depth.
Get rid. Enough. Install Boris. If he's a disaster, replace with a new gen MP in 2019.
If the Tories had to resort to a 2nd and a 3rd leader before the next GE they would be toast at that GE for sure.
Really? Who the F knows anymore. Labour have been reborn under.... Corbyn.
The Republicans won under.... Trump.
Macron started an entirely new party and won the French presidency and the French parliament.
Relying on received political wisdom seems, to me, to be an unreliable method in western democracies in the new and profound era of Western Secular Decline (which is where we are).
Yeah, fair point... nothing's 'for sure' these days.
(I still think 3 PMs between GEs would look pretty pathetic, both for the country and the party.)
I'm inclined to agree - unless the third one was a game changer, odds are it would just add to the chaos, confusion and dispiriting of the Tory base I suspect. Better to try one more out.
I do think the Tories need to be resigned to being behind in the polls for some while - had we not had an election, in mid term we'd have been expecting that would we not? Keep plugging away, and then hope the government manages something decent from a brexit deal - winning an election 10-12 years would always be hard, and a brexit so successful to make that probable will be very hard, but is their best hope - anyone angry about austerity is going to carry that through til the next election anyway, that battle can only be mitigated against, not won.
Feel free to ignore me. I could be wrong. It could be that voters are desperate for someone to the right of Margaret Thatcher with social views anchored very firmly in the 1950s.
Nah. Even I agree with you and, his religious views apart, I do like JRM. But he shouldn't getvwithim a hundred miles of being PM.
I would still like David Davis but accept he is not likely to get the job either by choice or because he cannot enthuse the Tory party.
Otherwise I think they should be looking to bypass all of the current crop of hopefuls. They all have significant faults. Instead they should be looking to the younger generation. Someone like Mercer or Stewart could reinvigorate the party and the electorate.
Or Kwarteng,
But it has to be the Next Generation.
Liz Truss and Dominic Raab come across as the most normal yet credible leaders to me.
She's too busy in China opening new pork markets to be leader.
I'm afraid I do have to ask this, but did Gove actually say that about pig's ears? Sorry, but normally I would just ignore it, but this week seems to be a Charles Dodgson fantasy gone mad!
No one seems to have noticed the signs of Spanish government contingency plans to take direct control of the Catalonia region. When you have military units being tagged to role 'in support of the civil authorities' and military police units being readied to move to neighboring Aragon, its clear they have some sort of back pocket plan. .
No one seems to have noticed the signs of Spanish government contingency plans to take direct control of the Catalonia region. When you have military units being tagged to role 'in support of the civil authorities' and military police units being readied to move to neighboring Aragon, its clear they have some sort of back pocket plan. .
That may be, but this latest gaffe or joke, whatever it as, by Boris is beyond bizarre. It's so extraordinary that it's not even really offensive, just utterly weird.
Finally a sensible policy focusing on actually building affordable housing rather than help to buy which just increases prices by 20-40 per cent and makes developers richer but young people either even more indebted (if they can stretch to a £500k one bed new build in Harlesden) or if not then even more priced out!
If people are going to have to rent for the rest of their lives at least they should have security of tenure - not living at constant risk of homelessness at two months notice if their landlord wants to jack up the rent or sell. A truly shocking situation for young families in particular who have to move and find new schools etc.
How can the Tories survive more "victories" like June?
I suspect hung parliaments are a feature of our electoral landscape until things become less polarised.
Or when Dave becomes leader again.
Only Tory to win a majority in the last quarter of a century.
Except he wouldn't come back to parliament unless he could be leader, I would guess, and he couldn't be leader unless an MP, realistically.
I'd like to see a former PM serve in the cabinet of a successor - when was the last time it happened? Even if it wouldn't happen in the immediate aftermath, I'd have thought the benefit of our system would be being able to call upon the services of a former leader.
How can the Tories survive more "victories" like June?
I suspect hung parliaments are a feature of our electoral landscape until things become less polarised.
Or when Dave becomes leader again.
Only Tory to win a majority in the last quarter of a century.
Except he wouldn't come back to parliament unless he could be leader, I would guess, and he couldn't be leader unless an MP, realistically.
I'd like to see a former PM serve in the cabinet of a successor - when was the last time it happened? Even if it wouldn't happen in the immediate aftermath, I'd have thought the benefit of our system would be being able to call upon the services of a former leader.
Alec Douglas Home, he served as Foreign Secretary in Ted Heath's government.
PS - Lord Cameron as PM with George Osborne as his representative in The Commons works for me.
That may be, but this latest gaffe or joke, whatever it as, by Boris is beyond bizarre. It's so extraordinary that it's not even really offensive, just utterly weird.
Surely it can't be Boris. He may be a Tory, but he's no Conservative or conservative.
Feel free to ignore me. I could be wrong. It could be that voters are desperate for someone to the right of Margaret Thatcher with social views anchored very firmly in the 1950s.
Nah. Even I agree with you and, his religious views apart, I do like JRM. But he shouldn't getvwithim a hundred miles of being PM.
I would still like David Davis but accept he is not likely to get the job either by choice or because he cannot enthuse the Tory party.
Otherwise I think they should be looking to bypass all of the current crop of hopefuls. They all have significant faults. Instead they should be looking to the younger generation. Someone like Mercer or Stewart could reinvigorate the party and the electorate.
Or Kwarteng,
But it has to be the Next Generation.
Liz Truss and Dominic Raab come across as the most normal yet credible leaders to me.
She's too busy in China opening new pork markets to be leader.
I'm afraid I do have to ask this, but did Gove actually say that about pig's ears? Sorry, but normally I would just ignore it, but this week seems to be a Charles Dodgson fantasy gone mad!
Yes, according to Google results for a search for pig's ear in news.
No one seems to have noticed the signs of Spanish government contingency plans to take direct control of the Catalonia region. When you have military units being tagged to role 'in support of the civil authorities' and military police units being readied to move to neighboring Aragon, its clear they have some sort of back pocket plan. .
What choice do they have, if Catalonia tries to declare UDI?
For that matter, how do the Catalan nationalists even think UDI would work? From an international point of view it would still be part of Spain, certainly no EU country would recognise it. If the Spanish government didn't intervene, Catalonia would be left in a legal limbo with banks not clearly able to operate (would they operate under Spanish law in this supposedly independent country?), and airlines not able to land. Even trade in goods to across the border with the EU would be in legal and regulatory limbo.
TMay comes across as a minor shadow minister who is already out of her depth.
Get rid. Enough. Install Boris. If he's a disaster, replace with a new gen MP in 2019.
She's not up to it, sadly.
Perhaps so, but if she's not jumping and Boris doing a David Miliband, they're pretty stuck - they will suffer in the polls and perhaps create an unstoppable narrative, but I think given the ructions at the top, the best option may be to get to the EU transition period, if it can be agreed, then switch to a new generation MP, a new face for a new Britain, and hope whoever that is can turn the party fortunes around.
Better than flailing around with senior figures obviously loathing one another - they're certainly briefing it to journalists enough, the various camps, and the denials come across as phony as the Blair-Brown feud denials - but not strong enough to take each other on in a fight, and then one of the damaged old guard ousting May down the line.
Comments
Spain = EU
Catalonia = UK
(In attitude, if not physically)
And they have chosen to continue anyway. Perhaps the Tory ministers didn't understand the brief - which makes them grossly incompetent. Perhaps they simply don't give a fuck about poor people. Perhaps both. Either way, they deserve a long period in opposition to rediscover their principles
But that does not fit your narrative
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/10/03/women-only-cambridge-college-allow-students-simply-identify/
Again, it's unnecessary brutality from a party that doesn't give a toss.
Wonder if May will announce it tomorrow
The current system has clearly failed - dependence on welfare, especially
Housing benefit, is not positive for individuals or society.
At best all of this just shoves additional administrative costs on Landlord, advice services and courts before payment comes through and arrears are cleared. But in some cases Ben a basic DWP delay let alone a major one will get folk evicted.
All this in a country where " No Sufis " on a rental Ad is illegal but ' no DSS ' isn't. It's just one more reason for PRS landless not to take UC claimants as tenants. Which takes us back to Osborne Vs IDS. Many of the most objectionable aspects of UC are nothing to do with UC per se but the fact UC is being used to implement big benefit cuts for new claimants.
It is a very big speech for her and expect some rabbits out of the hat
What a plonker.
A doctor or teacher will be on a 9% higher tax rate than a plumber or electrician.
Centrism is not some nirvana-like state which is above ideology; it has an ideology of its own. It fetishises managerialism, media management and the introduction of far more legislation than any ideology ever encountered in this country.
Guess it will be fully costed.
Edit: The Tories championing council houses - how times change!
https://youtu.be/YZtZAHPmbDc
Al Campbell waves hello.
All that matters to Treasury is cash in and cash out.
But it is the CONCEPT of huge student debt that is toxic - even though most will never be repaid.
Surely they should just cancel all student debt and just have a graduate tax equal to what people are actually repaying.
When discussed the other day, it was rightly pointed out that some people would be much worse off (eg people who paid fees themselves up front etc).
So deal with that anomaly by making the change OPTIONAL - ie give graduates the option of cancelling their debt and moving to graduate tax.
But anyone who prefers to stick with the current arrangement can.
It would cost the Treasury zero (or at least close to zero) but would surely be a massive political win.
Remind me. Are the Tories implementing their own manifesto? or did they accidentally swap it for a spare copy of Corbyn's one?
Use the money to build a new house for each one sold.
Job done.
(I still think 3 PMs between GEs would look pretty pathetic, both for the country and the party.)
I do think the Tories need to be resigned to being behind in the polls for some while - had we not had an election, in mid term we'd have been expecting that would we not? Keep plugging away, and then hope the government manages something decent from a brexit deal - winning an election 10-12 years would always be hard, and a brexit so successful to make that probable will be very hard, but is their best hope - anyone angry about austerity is going to carry that through til the next election anyway, that battle can only be mitigated against, not won.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4606167/theresa-may-council-houses-announcement/
Now, if it was Karl Urban.. Ooo la la !!
That is going to get ugly if the case...
Only Tory to win a majority in the last quarter of a century.
If people are going to have to rent for the rest of their lives at least they should have security of tenure - not living at constant risk of homelessness at two months notice if their landlord wants to jack up the rent or sell. A truly shocking situation for young families in particular who have to move and find new schools etc.
I'd like to see a former PM serve in the cabinet of a successor - when was the last time it happened? Even if it wouldn't happen in the immediate aftermath, I'd have thought the benefit of our system would be being able to call upon the services of a former leader.
PS - Lord Cameron as PM with George Osborne as his representative in The Commons works for me.
For that matter, how do the Catalan nationalists even think UDI would work? From an international point of view it would still be part of Spain, certainly no EU country would recognise it. If the Spanish government didn't intervene, Catalonia would be left in a legal limbo with banks not clearly able to operate (would they operate under Spanish law in this supposedly independent country?), and airlines not able to land. Even trade in goods to across the border with the EU would be in legal and regulatory limbo.
Better than flailing around with senior figures obviously loathing one another - they're certainly briefing it to journalists enough, the various camps, and the denials come across as phony as the Blair-Brown feud denials - but not strong enough to take each other on in a fight, and then one of the damaged old guard ousting May down the line.