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May answering Corbyn at her first PMQs pic.twitter.com/8pAqRgMheZ
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Edit: double first!
Meanwhile, Robertson's question on what the German Foreign Minister said about 'doing whatever it takes to keep Scotland in the EU' was a mis-translation, at best:
Gabriel said the EU would certainly accept Scotland as a member in its own right if the country leaves the United Kingdom and wants to join the EU.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-germany-gabriel-idUKKCN0ZI0B7
I'm wondering how May managed to sit at the Cabinet table during the Coalition years. It's clear to this observer she loathed every minute of it and a more politically astute operator than Cameron such as Osborne would have thrown her out of the Cabinet in 2012 or 2013.
What strange times we live in.
"yes, but they're also balanced by 'the rest'. California is still only about 20% overall. England within the UK would be even larger than Prussia within the German Empire. i can't think of another federation where one component accounts for 80% of the whole.
The logical solution is to implement it on a regional basis within England, particularly as London already has its own devolution deal.
Morris Dancer is, I believe, a big fan of the idea"
This is similar to John Prescott's approach in the early years of this century. Unfortunately, it didn't get much support and was roundly rejected in a referendum in the North East. The English, it seems, don't want to be broken up.
Philip Johnston writes interestingly on the subject of the relationship between the constituent parts of the UK in the Telegraph today: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/19/to-preserve-the-union-we-might-have-to-go-our-separate-ways/
As Corbyn and Corbyn supporters have no interest in Parliament as the vehicle through which to gain power, the outcome of PMQs is as irrelevant to them as the outcome of general elections. Of course, that will make it all even more depressing for Labour MPs. They are living in a parallel universe over which they have absolutely no control.
Theresa Villiers and Montie are on that programme, what they need is a May critic to balance it out. And yet a former shadow cabinet member isn't doing it. But what can Sky do? Invite one of the small gang of Corbynites on?
The new style will suit Corbyn better as well.
Fact of the day. We currently limit tier 1 visas for exceptional talent to 1,000 per year (released in two six monthly tranches). The Tech City component of that is capped @ 200 per year. Completely bonkers.
Beats Gordon's infamous 'I've only been in the job a few days!!' blunder...
"A boss who exploits the rules...reminds him of anybody?"
Bloody hell. It pushed so many of my Tory buttons, I think I need to lie down.
I personally find her slightly smarmy wince/face twist slightly annoying and I suspect she will lose her novelty fast enough. But I repeat, there is no effective opposition and as long as Labour is determined to keep it that way she will be dominant.
Labour responded to the rejection of regional councils by renewing the drive towards unitary authorities, which I would guess now cover more than half the country. But there are still lots of rural areas with both district and county councils, plus parishes, which make adding a further tier problematic.
Leadsom would have been in tears at PMQs
I wonder if that was rehearsed. It didn't seem an accident to me.
Now, I admit to bias, but come on, was he watching the same PMQs as I was?!
Labour (the official opposition) are irrelevant as long as Corbyn is in post.
The real enemy are the backbench Tory headbangers who are still on their Brexit quest
Barry Gardiner will shadow the international trade brief
One hopes Gisela Stuart was asked and told Jeremy where to stick it...
I was transported back a few decades.
Thankfully, Theresa May doesn't share your spite.
Extra sauce on my humble pie, please.
Wales is an economic basket case and simply can't stand alone. That doesn't apply to Scotland. If they'd rather join the EU, more power to 'em.
May should have no trouble with either Corbyn or Smith. In fact she may have more trouble with her own party, some of the trickier questions she faced were from the usual brigade about Europe again. They have won and now they are banging on about what the victory means or should result in. They will be quiet for now but it depends on what sort of deal and end result we get.
My dad always used to complain that PMQs was a waste of time. How on earth could a PM be expected to know about every last bit of government policy? I suppose diligence makes a difference though. Thatcher had it as does May. An essay crisis PM would struggle. But did it in the end really matter? If PMs Brown and Cameron could repeatedly get away with not answering the question and just hope for a soundbite on the news what does the whole really matter?
The rewards for a PM who can re-thatcherise Britain are limitless.
Such a person starts with huge advantages the original could only have dreamed of.
She is very clear that we are leaving and she is clear with her twin objectives of restricted immigration and free trade (whether they will be achievable is another issue). Only those who still want to refight the referendum and moan about how unfair it all was are likely to be a thorn in her side. I hope you can move on and not be one of them, I really do.
Still, we shouldn't get carried away. She's in her honeymoon period at the moment (and, BTW - isn't she looking well?). Troubles will come, as they always do, and the fundamental problems facing her are not going to be fixed easily. What's more, she's reliant in some major departments on somewhat flaky ministers (DD, Boris). She of course also has a small majority; that still matters, even if Labour are busy enacting a bizarre sort of comic-cartoon civil war.
For the moment, her ruthless start will stand her in good stead. In the medium term, enemies and the disgruntlement on her own side may come back to haunt her. She should, in particular, have been more gracious towards Osborne. As one of her most illustrious predecessors said, "when you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite."
https://twitter.com/chamiltonbbc/status/755719340343918592
Blairs dominance of the Labour Party from 1997-2005 also, I think, came in part because nobody could lay a blow on him at PMQs. Hague tried, but Blair was competent enough that he got away with it.
@paulwaugh: On Corbyn position on holding a 2nd #euref, Labour spokesman: "He's not ruling it out, but he's not supporting or endorsing it"
Still, as they managed to call the referendum completely wrongly despite their smug self-satisfaction we can be cheerful.
Erm....Scotland runs a monster deficit. The UK runs a deficit but England, relatively speaking, subsidises Scotland to the tune of over £9bn a year. If Scotland goes they either join the Euro (!!!) or they go truly independent (central bank, currency, debt, etc). Scotland COULD be independent but to do so would require a balancing of the books that makes George Osborne's tax credit removal look like an episode of teletubbies. Ain't gonna happen. Scotland can have independence or socialism but not both. To be viable, as you claim, would require a massive return to the political economy of Adam Smith. A very small state running a surplus. The SNP is more at the Corbyn end of the spectrum.
It's noticeable how many Corbynistas have never actually needed a Labour government or had to fear the possible consequences of a Tory one. For those on the left whose politics are abstract and identity-based he is a hero.
http://www.theengineer.co.uk/scrapping-of-ccs-project-will-boost-cost-of-meeting-emissions-targets-audit-office-warns/?cmpid=tenews_2465795
It was interesting today that in response to the first question May said 'go ask the Home Secretary'
Subliminal message.
That's the pithiest criticism of them I have read.
Something that you wouldn't dream of doing in a million years.
The problem with Facebook, which is where a lot of the campaigning operates and where Momentum have been very successful is that you surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Take a look at the Facebook pages of these poor deluded souls and you will see near endless adulation of Corbyn...what they forget is that there's a bigger world out there beyond their social media friends.
We should all move on now.
"Tony Blair says he will ensure NHS targets do not stop people from seeing their GPs when they want to.
The promise follows claims that some GPs' surgeries are refusing to set appointments more than two days in advance because of the targets. The Labour leader said he was "astonished" when the complaint was raised by a woman on BBC Question Time."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4495865.stm