Does anyone know who the current US ambassador is ?
I certainly don't.
We should not rule it out at this stage. It is both an opportunity and a threat.
The US ambassador to the UK? That's a Democrat fundraiser and activist called Barzun who bought his way into the job. wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Barzun
Our ambassador to them is a Blairite career EUphilic diplomat with a background in zoology.
This is a great chance to get shot of both of them.
Do we now need Trump's permission to get rid of our own ambassadors? Nothing stopping us getting rid of the current ambassador if we want to. If Theresa May really wants to tell Trump to do one, she should sack the current ambassador and replace him with anyone but Farage
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked... to the back of the queue maybe? Replacing Darroch would be the smart move and it should be someone untainted by being a europhile so that Farage can feel he has wielded influence. Finding a non-europhile at the Foreign Office is probably impossible. Therefore since we need an Ambassador focused on Trade with USA, Mrs May should consider a well known business person with charm, who is also a eurosceptic. Lord Digby Jones for example?
On topic, Her Majesty's Most Excellent Ambassador and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America is the top post of the Diplomatic Service, it usually requires years of experience in more junior Ambassadorships.
I'd be quite happy for Nigel Farage start with being Ambassador to Saudi Arabia or Ambassador to the Islamic State, then maybe in two or three years review his credentials to become our man in Washington.
lol!
Trump clearly remembers who has backed him and who hasn't - as we saw with Christie, he poured ordure on him until the moment he got his endorsement, then he couldn't have been nicer about him. Didn't last, though.
I hope no one had money on the North Carolina governorship contest. Looks like the lose is trying shenanigans to end run round the result, and the NC legislature is apparebtly considering a court packing bill to get round the election of a liberal justice their supreme court. Bonkers.
I've just been reading about that; an absolutely astonishing story.
The North Carolina legislature seems to be among the most flagrantly partisan in the country.
It's a strange form of voter fraud that sees Trump and Senator Burr winning, and Mcrory losing.
Are there instances of Democrats seeking to steal elections like this? Maybe it's the partisan filter... But it always seems to be the republicans trying this kind of thing/seeking to disenfranchise minorities etc... I saw a great analysis on how long you have to queue to vote broken down by race... Do the democrats not try things like closing rural polling stations?
The Democrats gerrymander as enthusiastically as Republicans do. I don't know if they go in for other shenanigans currently (obviously they did in the days of Mayor Daley/Tammany Hall). I suppose that their Sanctuary Cities could be seen as the equivalent of Republican malpractice.
Although Democrats gerrymander, it's an exaggeration to say that they do so as enthusiastically as Republicans. States that have non-partisan boundary commissions tend to be Blue states, and all the signatories to the NPVIC are Blue states. What's more, the level of detail in the gerrymandering in some Red states is second to none.
How does one decide whether a member of a commission is really non-partisan? Who appoints the members? Is non-partisan a strict legal test or is it open to creative interpretation?
From the school of "wanting to get fucked and stay virgins".
When will the government actually listen to what is being said and announce no tax credits or housing benefits for new imigrants. You can come but you have to pay your way, in the same way I would if I went to work in Switzerland.
I'm sure over half our EU issues at the moment is due to our inability to say no, you can't have those in work benefits for x years.
Trump is a liberal in the British sense of the word, although not the American (where it just means very left-wing). Most of what he says is hot air to annoy people.
Does anyone know who the current US ambassador is ?
I certainly don't.
We should not rule it out at this stage. It is both an opportunity and a threat.
The US ambassador to the UK? That's a Democrat fundraiser and activist called Barzun who bought his way into the job. wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Barzun
Our ambassador to them is a Blairite career EUphilic diplomat with a background in zoology.
This is a great chance to get shot of both of them.
Do we now need Trump's permission to get rid of our own ambassadors? Nothing stopping us getting rid of the current ambassador if we want to. If Theresa May really wants to tell Trump to do one, she should sack the current ambassador and replace him with anyone but Farage
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked... to the back of the queue maybe? Replacing Darroch would be the smart move and it should be someone untainted by being a europhile so that Farage can feel he has wielded influence. Finding a non-europhile at the Foreign Office is probably impossible. Therefore since we need an Ambassador focused on Trade with USA, Mrs May should consider a well known business person with charm, who is also a eurosceptic. Lord Digby Jones for example?
In other words roll over HMG, due to a tweet for God's sake.
On topic, Her Majesty's Most Excellent Ambassador and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America is the top post of the Diplomatic Service, it usually requires years of experience in more junior Ambassadorships.
I'd be quite happy for Nigel Farage start with being Ambassador to Saudi Arabia or Ambassador to the Islamic State, then maybe in two or three years review his credentials to become our man in Washington.
lol!
Trump clearly remembers who has backed him and who hasn't - as we saw with Christie, he poured ordure on him until the moment he got his endorsement, then he couldn't have been nicer about him. Didn't last, though.
Trump is a liberal in the British sense of the word, although not the American (where it just means very left-wing). Most of what he says is hot air to annoy people.
Haha. Good one. He doesn't just annoy people, he's actually extremely dangerous.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
I'm starting to understand how Trump spent so little to win the Presidency. Note that nowhere in this tweet does he say he wants Farage as ambassador. If he did, he could have done so in one sentence. Instead, we have 'Many people [but not necessarily me] would like to see Farage' coupled with Trump's own ego-stroking comment about a political ally that 'He would do a great job'. All it took was one completely contentless tweet- so contentless that Trump wouldn't even have to back down from it- and he's dominating the news cycles again, thanks to people speculating about the effects of a policy he didn't even announce.
The question that journalists and commentators should really be asking is whether Trump is trying to use this tweet to overshadow another less beneficial story that's just hit the news, or perhaps to prevent the news cycle dissecting an earlier story that has served its purpose. No wonder he showed so much contempt for them in the face-to-face meeting, if he can play them this easily.
That's correct. However, it won't work forever.
How far will he push it all before even the GOP moves for impeachment? I give it two, maybe three years, as the issues with his business, family and POTUS all become hopelessly entangled. It seems he plans to use the office to further his business deals - yesterday he was lobbying a group of, iirc, Argentinians for a building permit.
We're in for a loooooooong eight years.
Surely only four, but it will certainly feel long.
There is an article on Labour List regarding the potential deselection of Hilary Benn. Reading the comments it is clear that the splits in Labour are now so deep that I cannot see how they can be reconciled.
Judging the temperature of anything by online comments is a thankless task - like the Mail it attracts the ultra-zealous. I don't think there is any likelihood of deselection of Hilary or almost anyone else except Danczuk - there just isn't an organised movement to do it, as Momentum always saw it as a "fleet in being" thing which they'd potentially unleash if MPs didn't accept Corbyn's re-election. The article itself refers to "a few" people trying, meh.
TSE might like an earlier video, France versus UK.
It's not off-topic. America is unlikely to win all-out war with China. The purpose of the military competition between China is to keep access to the South China Sea and influence with countries in East Asia and the western seabord of the Pacific Ocean. TPP was an American attempt to keep those states in its camp. The so-called "pivot to China" in US foreign policy. Trump's abolition of TPP, confirmed today, indicates it will no longer bother, leaving the way clear to China. Which means the US military presence there is redundant.
China's rise in its region and US concurrent decline as a world power may be inevitable. Trump is undoubtedly speeding up the American decline.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Trump was one of two candidates to be the next POTUS for many months. An ineffective Ambassador would have built no contacts to both prospective POTUS teams. That is what diplomacy/relations should be about. If Trump was unaware of our Ambassador, that is a failure of our Ambassador.
I hope no one had money on the North Carolina governorship contest. Looks like the lose is trying shenanigans to end run round the result, and the NC legislature is apparebtly considering a court packing bill to get round the election of a liberal justice their supreme court. Bonkers.
I've just been reading about that; an absolutely astonishing story.
The North Carolina legislature seems to be among the most flagrantly partisan in the country.
It's a strange form of voter fraud that sees Trump and Senator Burr winning, and Mcrory losing.
Are there instances of Democrats seeking to steal elections like this? Maybe it's the partisan filter... But it always seems to be the republicans trying this kind of thing/seeking to disenfranchise minorities etc... I saw a great analysis on how long you have to queue to vote broken down by race... Do the democrats not try things like closing rural polling stations?
The Democrats gerrymander as enthusiastically as Republicans do. I don't know if they go in for other shenanigans currently (obviously they did in the days of Mayor Daley/Tammany Hall). I suppose that their Sanctuary Cities could be seen as the equivalent of Republican malpractice.
Although Democrats gerrymander, it's an exaggeration to say that they do so as enthusiastically as Republicans. States that have non-partisan boundary commissions tend to be Blue states, and all the signatories to the NPVIC are Blue states. What's more, the level of detail in the gerrymandering in some Red states is second to none.
How does one decide whether a member of a commission is really non-partisan? Who appoints the members? Is non-partisan a strict legal test or is it open to creative interpretation?
I think it's equal numbers of Dems and GOP representatives so one member from either side needs to cross over to break a deadlock. It means there is more chance of there being a consensus and fair representation of voters.
Farage came to him when his campaign was drifting a bit, gave it a slightly different and much more purposeful focus, and helped hand him the job as the world's most powerful leader. All for no charge.
He probably thinks Farage is a f8cking godsend and a genius, and genuinely thinks we are undervaluing an important asset.
Does anyone know who the current US ambassador is ?
I certainly don't.
We should not rule it out at this stage. It is both an opportunity and a threat.
The US ambassador to the UK? That's a Democrat fundraiser and activist called Barzun who bought his way into the job. wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Barzun
Our ambassador to them is a Blairite career EUphilic diplomat with a background in zoology.
This is a great chance to get shot of both of them.
Do we now need Trump's permission to get rid of our own ambassadors? Nothing stopping us getting rid of the current ambassador if we want to. If Theresa May really wants to tell Trump to do one, she should sack the current ambassador and replace him with anyone but Farage
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked... to the back of the queue maybe? Replacing Darroch would be the smart move and it should be someone untainted by being a europhile so that Farage can feel he has wielded influence. Finding a non-europhile at the Foreign Office is probably impossible. Therefore since we need an Ambassador focused on Trade with USA, Mrs May should consider a well known business person with charm, who is also a eurosceptic. Lord Digby Jones for example?
In other words roll over HMG, due to a tweet for God's sake.
HMG now have an Ambassador who has been publicly scorned. It maybe unfair but Darroch can be moved for understandable reasons. In a past life I would move a country manager where the main government people wanted a change.
I hope no one had money on the North Carolina governorship contest. Looks like the lose is trying shenanigans to end run round the result, and the NC legislature is apparebtly considering a court packing bill to get round the election of a liberal justice their supreme court. Bonkers.
I've just been reading about that; an absolutely astonishing story.
The North Carolina legislature seems to be among the most flagrantly partisan in the country.
It's a strange form of voter fraud that sees Trump and Senator Burr winning, and Mcrory losing.
Are there instances of Democrats seeking to steal elections like this? Maybe it's the partisan filter... But it always seems to be the republicans trying this kind of thing/seeking to disenfranchise minorities etc... I saw a great analysis on how long you have to queue to vote broken down by race... Do the democrats not try things like closing rural polling stations?
The Democrats gerrymander as enthusiastically as Republicans do. I don't know if they go in for other shenanigans currently (obviously they did in the days of Mayor Daley/Tammany Hall). I suppose that their Sanctuary Cities could be seen as the equivalent of Republican malpractice.
Although Democrats gerrymander, it's an exaggeration to say that they do so as enthusiastically as Republicans. States that have non-partisan boundary commissions tend to be Blue states, and all the signatories to the NPVIC are Blue states. What's more, the level of detail in the gerrymandering in some Red states is second to none.
How does one decide whether a member of a commission is really non-partisan? Who appoints the members? Is non-partisan a strict legal test or is it open to creative interpretation?
It's a bright line test.
Non-partisan members do what all right-minded liberal folk think they should
Farage came to him when his campaign was drifting a bit, gave it a slightly different and much more purposeful focus, and helped hand him the job as the world's most powerful leader. All for no charge.
He probably thinks Farage is a f8cking godsend and a genius, and genuinely thinks we are undervaluing an important asset.
Someone sent me a Trump rally address just after he met with Farage. I could hear Nigel talking. And it was a great speech.
Does anyone know who the current US ambassador is ?
I certainly don't.
We should not rule it out at this stage. It is both an opportunity and a threat.
The US ambassador to the UK? That's a Democrat fundraiser and activist called Barzun who bought his way into the job. wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Barzun
Our ambassador to them is a Blairite career EUphilic diplomat with a background in zoology.
This is a great chance to get shot of both of them.
Do we now need Trump's permission to get rid of our own ambassadors? Nothing stopping us getting rid of the current ambassador if we want to. If Theresa May really wants to tell Trump to do one, she should sack the current ambassador and replace him with anyone but Farage
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump.
I don't think we do. Trump often uses a technique called 'talking past the sale'. For instance, 'we're going to build a wall' invites the rejoinder 'we're not going to build a wall,' whereas 'we're going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it' invites the rejoinder 'Mexico aren't going to pay for it'. When Trump got elected, despite losing the popular vote, some groups started the narrative that he wasn't really rightfully president- and the media were starting to pick up on it.
So what did Trump do? Made high-profile changes to his transition team, thus forcing the media to accept the inevitability of him coming into office. Had discussions with Mitt Romney, thus forcing the media to speculate about the makeup of his cabinet. I think this tweet is part of the same strategy. HMG being forced to deny that they'll be changing ambassadors strengthens Trump's narrative: he's talking past the sale of whether he was rightfully elected president, into the realm of him taking office and dealing with foreign policy.
There's a reason that Scott Adams went from 15k twitter followers to 100k over the course of the election, and it's not because the mainstream media is doing a good job of explaining Trump's actions.
It's worth recalling Alex Salmond's spat with Donald Trump. Mr Salmond effectively broke the law to get Trump's golf course approved in Aberdeenshire. Mr Trump was a lot less grateful than Salmond expected and told him to get rid of the windmills Trump could see from his golf course. Not even someone as despotic as Salmond could do that and they fell out.
Donald Trump will be difficult to deal with - for the UK and other European governments as well as those operating in US government. You can't ignore him because he is the elected president of your most important ally, or of your own government. OTOH if you give him an inch he will take a mile, with bad consequences.
Incidentally, just over a fortnight to the Austrian presidential election (again), which is on 4 December. Assuming the adhesive works. And there aren't mysterious 150% turnouts for the ex-Green candidate.
One of the less nutty things trump announced after saying he will pull out of TPP was ban on elected officials being lobbyists for 5 years & never on behalf of foreign governments.
France may be unhappy, but if the EU is anybody's creation it is theirs. I just don;'t see them ditching it. They just won't.
I think there is lot of unreported anger in France with the EU. A French guy I know de work used to be a massive raging EUphile when I met him, over the last couple of years he has slowly become more sceptical. He says he would have voted to remain, but I think in the privacy of the ballot box he would have voted to leave. The French have an ability to thumb their noses at authority. One of his main gripes is with Germany, to paraphrase, "who made her queen of Europe". I think when the French thought they were in charge they were happy with the EU, now that it's clear they aren't, they are unhappy with it.
France may be unhappy, but if the EU is anybody's creation it is theirs. I just don;'t see them ditching it. They just won't.
I think there is lot of unreported anger in France with the EU. A French guy I know de work used to be a massive raging EUphile when I met him, over the last couple of years he has slowly become more sceptical. He says he would have voted to remain, but I think in the privacy of the ballot box he would have voted to leave. The French have an ability to thumb their noses at authority. One of his main gripes is with Germany, to paraphrase, "who made her queen of Europe". I think when the French thought they were in charge they were happy with the EU, now that it's clear they aren't, they are unhappy with it.
The outrage at hollande minor labour law reform shows out of touch they are with the globalised world.
Charles Grant is about as neutral as Michael Heseltine, and his agenda is to stop and reverse Brexit.
I'm sure the EU would have been happy to tell him just quite how awful they're going to have to be, and for him to write it.
It's a quite exceptionally good article, a must-read. The fact that you feel the need to shoot the messenger is in fact evidence of how good it is: it almost certainly is an accurate and well-informed account of how the the EU players view the negotiations. - which is exactly what we need to hear at this stage. Much of the UK commentary seems to assume that the UK gets to decide the terms of Brexit unilaterally.
Having said that, I was amused by one bit:
Reports of May’s meetings with other prime ministers are doing nothing to lift the pessimism in Brussels. Officials hear that she is unwilling to engage much on substance, reluctant to go beyond her speaking notes and seemingly concerned not to pursue courses that could upset Tory right-wingers. Err - I thought we weren't supposed to be negotiating with individual prime minister at all, let alone before Article 50 is triggered!
Does anyone know who the current US ambassador is ?
I certainly don't.
We should not rule it out at this stage. It is both an opportunity and a threat.
The US ambassador to the UK? That's a Democrat fundraiser and activist called Barzun who bought his way into the job. wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Barzun
Our ambassador to them is a Blairite career EUphilic diplomat with a background in zoology.
This is a great chance to get shot of both of them.
Do we now need Trump's permission to get rid of our own ambassadors? Nothing stopping us getting rid of the current ambassador if we want to. If Theresa May really wants to tell Trump to do one, she should sack the current ambassador and replace him with anyone but Farage
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump.
I don't think we do. Trump often uses a technique called 'talking past the sale'. For instance, 'we're going to build a wall' invites the rejoinder 'we're not going to build a wall,' whereas 'we're going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it' invites the rejoinder 'Mexico aren't going to pay for it'. When Trump got elected, despite losing the popular vote, some groups started the narrative that he wasn't really rightfully president- and the media were starting to pick up on it.......
We have already reacted, negatively, defending the indefensible. Realpolitik is to publically note the comment and then quietly plan for Darroch's replacement in line with Trump assuming office. Post the referendum we need a Trade focused Ambassador and not this europhile Panjandrum. Without Trump's tweet, Mrs May had no good reasons to change the Ambassador. But will she seize the opportunity? Mrs Maybe not?
China's rise in its region and US concurrent decline as a world power may be inevitable. Trump is undoubtedly speeding up the American decline.
Or by pre-empting a phase of overreaching, he's prolonging its dominance?
I wouldn't say TPP is "overreaching". A more likely explanation is that TPP is bad for America in his view or the view of Americans in general. He doesn't care what that means for US influence in the world. Which in effect means he is accelerating the decline of the United States as a world power. His rhetoric will be belligerent, but his deed says otherwise. Being generous you could say he might just be accepting the inevitable and is covering it up for as long as possible.
Does anyone know who the current US ambassador is ?
I certainly don't.
We should not rule it out at this stage. It is both an opportunity and a threat.
The US ambassador to the UK? That's a Democrat fundraiser and activist called Barzun who bought his way into the job. wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Barzun
Our ambassador to them is a Blairite career EUphilic diplomat with a background in zoology.
This is a great chance to get shot of both of them.
Do we now need Trump's permission to get rid of our own ambassadors? Nothing stopping us getting rid of the current ambassador if we want to. If Theresa May really wants to tell Trump to do one, she should sack the current ambassador and replace him with anyone but Farage
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump.
I don't think we do. Trump often uses a technique called 'talking past the sale'. For instance, 'we're going to build a wall' invites the rejoinder 'we're not going to build a wall,' whereas 'we're going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it' invites the rejoinder 'Mexico aren't going to pay for it'. When Trump got elected, despite losing the popular vote, some groups started the narrative that he wasn't really rightfully president- and the media were starting to pick up on it.......
We have already reacted, negatively, defending the indefensible. Realpolitik is to publically note the comment and then quietly plan for Darroch's replacement in line with Trump assuming office. Post the referendum we need a Trade focused Ambassador and not this europhile Panjandrum. Without Trump's tweet, Mrs May had no good reasons to change the Ambassador. But will she seize the opportunity? Mrs Maybe not?
No we've not. All we've said is there is "no vacancy". That makes the point but preserved out flexibility to do what is right for the UK
Charles Grant is about as neutral as Michael Heseltine, and his agenda is to stop and reverse Brexit.
I'm sure the EU would have been happy to tell him just quite how awful they're going to have to be, and for him to write it.
It's a quite exceptionally good article, a must-read. The fact that you feel the need to shoot the messenger is in fact evidence of how good it is: it almost certainly is an accurate and well-informed account of how the the EU players view the negotiations. - which is exactly what we need to hear at this stage. Much of the UK commentary seems to assume that the UK gets to decide the terms of Brexit unilaterally.
Having said that, I was amused by one bit:
Reports of May’s meetings with other prime ministers are doing nothing to lift the pessimism in Brussels. Officials hear that she is unwilling to engage much on substance, reluctant to go beyond her speaking notes and seemingly concerned not to pursue courses that could upset Tory right-wingers. Err - I thought we weren't supposed to be negotiating with individual prime minister at all, let alone before Article 50 is triggered!
I am not shooting the messenger, I am qualifying the messenger.
Your personal slight implicit in your post is disappointing.
Does anyone know who the current US ambassador is ?
I certainly don't.
We should not rule it out at this stage. It is both an opportunity and a threat.
The US ambassador to the UK? That's a Democrat fundraiser and activist called Barzun who bought his way into the job. wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Barzun
Our ambassador to them is a Blairite career EUphilic diplomat with a background in zoology.
This is a great chance to get shot of both of them.
Do we now need Trump's permission to get rid of our own ambassadors? Nothing stopping us getting rid of the current ambassador if we want to. If Theresa May really wants to tell Trump to do one, she should sack the current ambassador and replace him with anyone but Farage
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump.
I don't think we do. Trump often uses a technique called 'talking past the sale'. For instance, 'we're going to build a wall' invites the rejoinder 'we're not going to build a wall,' whereas 'we're going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it' invites the rejoinder 'Mexico aren't going to pay for it'. When Trump got elected, despite losing the popular vote, some groups started the narrative that he wasn't really rightfully president- and the media were starting to pick up on it.......
We have already reacted, negatively, defending the indefensible. Realpolitik is to publically note the comment and then quietly plan for Darroch's replacement in line with Trump assuming office. Post the referendum we need a Trade focused Ambassador and not this europhile Panjandrum. Without Trump's tweet, Mrs May had no good reasons to change the Ambassador. But will she seize the opportunity? Mrs Maybe not?
If she wants to look weak and become Trump's lapdog she will.
I hope no one had money on the North Carolina governorship contest. Looks like the lose is trying shenanigans to end run round the result, and the NC legislature is apparebtly considering a court packing bill to get round the election of a liberal justice their supreme court. Bonkers.
I've just been reading about that; an absolutely astonishing story.
The North Carolina legislature seems to be among the most flagrantly partisan in the country.
It's a strange form of voter fraud that sees Trump and Senator Burr winning, and Mcrory losing.
Are there instances of Democrats seeking to steal elections like this? Maybe it's the partisan filter... But it always seems to be the republicans trying this kind of thing/seeking to disenfranchise minorities etc... I saw a great analysis on how long you have to queue to vote broken down by race... Do the democrats not try things like closing rural polling stations?
The Democrats gerrymander as enthusiastically as Republicans do. I don't know if they go in for other shenanigans currently (obviously they did in the days of Mayor Daley/Tammany Hall). I suppose that their Sanctuary Cities could be seen as the equivalent of Republican malpractice.
Although Democrats gerrymander, it's an exaggeration to say that they do so as enthusiastically as Republicans. States that have non-partisan boundary commissions tend to be Blue states, and all the signatories to the NPVIC are Blue states. What's more, the level of detail in the gerrymandering in some Red states is second to none.
North Carolina Congressional District 12 is an amazing work of egregious art.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Trump was one of two candidates to be the next POTUS for many months. An ineffective Ambassador would have built no contacts to both prospective POTUS teams. That is what diplomacy/relations should be about. If Trump was unaware of our Ambassador, that is a failure of our Ambassador.
Trump wasn't a normal candidate. A normal candidate would be briefed on what was going on in the world. Trump wants power and money, there's no sign that he pays attention to anything else. Go back and watch the debates, he knows nothing about foreign policy. He just isn't interested in it.
So an ambassador reaches out to Trump's people while it's in the middle of an election campaign and says what, and how does it get into Trump's consciousness?
There is an article on Labour List regarding the potential deselection of Hilary Benn. Reading the comments it is clear that the splits in Labour are now so deep that I cannot see how they can be reconciled.
Judging the temperature of anything by online comments is a thankless task - like the Mail it attracts the ultra-zealous. I don't think there is any likelihood of deselection of Hilary or almost anyone else except Danczuk - there just isn't an organised movement to do it, as Momentum always saw it as a "fleet in being" thing which they'd potentially unleash if MPs didn't accept Corbyn's re-election. The article itself refers to "a few" people trying, meh.
Nick, the Corbynites have taken over the CLP. They now hold all of the officer posts. This was planned and successfully executed at the AGM last month. There is a GC meeting on Friday - let's see what happens...
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
There is an article on Labour List regarding the potential deselection of Hilary Benn. Reading the comments it is clear that the splits in Labour are now so deep that I cannot see how they can be reconciled.
Judging the temperature of anything by online comments is a thankless task - like the Mail it attracts the ultra-zealous. I don't think there is any likelihood of deselection of Hilary or almost anyone else except Danczuk - there just isn't an organised movement to do it, as Momentum always saw it as a "fleet in being" thing which they'd potentially unleash if MPs didn't accept Corbyn's re-election. The article itself refers to "a few" people trying, meh.
Nick, the Corbynites have taken over the CLP. They now hold all of the officer posts. This was planned and successfully executed at the AGM last month. There is a GC meeting on Friday - let's see what happens...
There is an article on Labour List regarding the potential deselection of Hilary Benn. Reading the comments it is clear that the splits in Labour are now so deep that I cannot see how they can be reconciled.
Judging the temperature of anything by online comments is a thankless task - like the Mail it attracts the ultra-zealous. I don't think there is any likelihood of deselection of Hilary or almost anyone else except Danczuk - there just isn't an organised movement to do it, as Momentum always saw it as a "fleet in being" thing which they'd potentially unleash if MPs didn't accept Corbyn's re-election. The article itself refers to "a few" people trying, meh.
Nick, the Corbynites have taken over the CLP. They now hold all of the officer posts. This was planned and successfully executed at the AGM last month. There is a GC meeting on Friday - let's see what happens...
Prrediction: nothing!
That prediction accurately describes around 99% of Labour Party meetings!
Good news. This is starting to look like an orchestrated campaign. If so, good on the government.
If you are tech company doing work where borders do not matter, then now is absolutely the time to get into the UK. We are currently Europe's tech capital, with open borders ensuring a free flow of top talent from across the continent. Waiting a few years - when the drawbridge could have been lifted - is not a good idea. Cloud-related services, as well as the kind of work that Google and Amazon do, is not predicated on access to the single market, just on the availability of good people. We have those in spades right now. Hopefully, we will ensure that continues after Brexit, too. That's what makes the work visa regime that is put in place so important. Being able to get your visa in the UK having travelled as a tourist to find work will be absolutely essential.
I remember it like yesterday. I was with a group of other software guys in a small company. We got a phone call from someone's wife to say it had just been on telly (no Web then).
After jumping around the office for a bit we went to the pub.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
By "Trade focused" do you mean is interested in cooking up real estate deals with Trump? Most of Scotland will be a golf course by the end of the first term.
Good news. This is starting to look like an orchestrated campaign. If so, good on the government.
If you are tech company doing work where borders do not matter, then now is absolutely the time to get into the UK. We are currently Europe's tech capital, with open borders ensuring a free flow of top talent from across the continent. Waiting a few years - when the drawbridge could have been lifted - is not a good idea. Cloud-related services, as well as the kind of work that Google and Amazon do, is not predicated on access to the single market, just on the availability of good people. We have those in spades right now. Hopefully, we will ensure that continues after Brexit, too. That's what makes the work visa regime that is put in place so important. Being able to get your visa in the UK having travelled as a tourist to find work will be absolutely essential.
Two problems with basing our future on cloud-based services. First is that unlike the American government, HMG does not favour or protect British providers, so the industry is US-dominated. Second, the main attraction of European-based infrastructure is protection from American legislation -- but that comes from the EU.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
By "Trade focused" do you mean is interested in cooking up real estate deals with Trump? Most of Scotland will be a golf course by the end of the first term.
He doesn't want to talk to the monkey he wants to talk to the people that can get his real estate deals through. Like the president of Argentina and the Prime Minister of Japan.
I remember it like yesterday. I was with a group of other software guys in a small company. We got a phone call from someone's wife to say it had just been on telly (no Web then).
After jumping around the office for a bit we went to the pub.
Glorious!
I was 12, in a history lesson and our teacher announced it, whole class was in shock.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
By "Trade focused" do you mean is interested in cooking up real estate deals with Trump? Most of Scotland will be a golf course by the end of the first term.
He doesn't want to talk to the monkey he wants to talk to the people that can get his real estate deals through. Like the president of Argentina and the Prime Minister of Japan.
Good news. This is starting to look like an orchestrated campaign. If so, good on the government.
If you are tech company doing work where borders do not matter, then now is absolutely the time to get into the UK. We are currently Europe's tech capital, with open borders ensuring a free flow of top talent from across the continent. Waiting a few years - when the drawbridge could have been lifted - is not a good idea. Cloud-related services, as well as the kind of work that Google and Amazon do, is not predicated on access to the single market, just on the availability of good people. We have those in spades right now. Hopefully, we will ensure that continues after Brexit, too. That's what makes the work visa regime that is put in place so important. Being able to get your visa in the UK having travelled as a tourist to find work will be absolutely essential.
Two problems with basing our future on cloud-based services. First is that unlike the American government, HMG does not favour or protect British providers, so the industry is US-dominated. Second, the main attraction of European-based infrastructure is protection from American legislation -- but that comes from the EU.
Well, if IBM did speak to the government before making its investment that is very interesting.
Putin ratchets up pressure on the Baltic states -- and by coincidence just after the Americans have elected a man who has openly doubted whether NATO or America should help those countries. All part of Trump's masterplan for something or other.
Err - I thought we weren't supposed to be negotiating with individual prime minister at all, let alone before Article 50 is triggered!
Well, good to see that some pre-negotiations are occurring. I still don't think it's in our interests to trigger A50 until we get further along - you can see from the article (and common sense) just how keen the EU will be to run out the clock.
Against that of course you have the political needs at home.
I wonder if May had any sort of implicit agreement with Merkel before she announced the March "deadline"?
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
By "Trade focused" do you mean is interested in cooking up real estate deals with Trump? Most of Scotland will be a golf course by the end of the first term.
Hmmm. Highland Clearances, Redux? Not sure golf courses are necessarily worse than sheep farms...
I remember it like yesterday. I was with a group of other software guys in a small company. We got a phone call from someone's wife to say it had just been on telly (no Web then).
After jumping around the office for a bit we went to the pub.
Glorious!
Three days before my first boy was born.
I made a fair bit of money out of it. Invested in 150 Evening Standards and picture frames. Put the front cover in the frame and sold each one for - I think - £5 outside Camden Town tube station. They all went in a day and it paid for us to get back to Spain, where we were living at the time.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
By "Trade focused" do you mean is interested in cooking up real estate deals with Trump? Most of Scotland will be a golf course by the end of the first term.
Hmmm. Highland Clearances, Redux? Not sure golf courses are necessarily worse than sheep farms...
I was listening to Crispin Blunt this morning on R5L.
He commented that Farage couldn't be considered for an ambassador's role because he wasn't a member of the Conservative party. I didn't realise that only party supporters were considered.
he also hinted that he wasn't a gentleman. It's possible that he didn't quite mean to say that, but surely admitting that ambassadors were political appointees wasn't wise, even if it is true?
I doubt if he did Ukip any harm. A toff called Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt being condescending to the plebs wasn't all that wise either.
On topic, Donald Trump needs defusing, and Britain is one of the best-placed countries to assist in that. But acquiescing to improper suggestions such as this would be entirely counterproductive.
I remember it like yesterday. I was with a group of other software guys in a small company. We got a phone call from someone's wife to say it had just been on telly (no Web then).
After jumping around the office for a bit we went to the pub.
Glorious!
Three days before my first boy was born.
I made a fair bit of money out of it. Invested in 150 Evening Standards and picture frames. Put the front cover in the frame and sold each one for - I think - £5 outside Camden Town tube station. They all went in a day and it paid for us to get back to Spain, where we were living at the time.
Margaret Thatcher would have been proud of your enterprise.
I was listening to Crispin Blunt this morning on R5L.
He commented that Farage couldn't be considered for an ambassador's role because he wasn't a member of the Conservative party. I didn't realise that only party supporters were considered.
"Sympathetic to the government" would be a more felicitous turn of phrase.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
By "Trade focused" do you mean is interested in cooking up real estate deals with Trump? Most of Scotland will be a golf course by the end of the first term.
Hmmm. Highland Clearances, Redux? Not sure golf courses are necessarily worse than sheep farms...
I remember it like yesterday. I was with a group of other software guys in a small company. We got a phone call from someone's wife to say it had just been on telly (no Web then).
After jumping around the office for a bit we went to the pub.
Glorious!
Three days before my first boy was born.
I made a fair bit of money out of it. Invested in 150 Evening Standards and picture frames. Put the front cover in the frame and sold each one for - I think - £5 outside Camden Town tube station. They all went in a day and it paid for us to get back to Spain, where we were living at the time.
Margaret Thatcher would have been proud of your enterprise.
Ha, ha.
I have never hidden the fact that on a personal level I did very well out of Thatcherism. A lot of what she did was very necessary and she did release enterprise, I think that is undoubtedly true. Like any good leftie, I used to hate her. But nowadays my views are a lot more nuanced. Get past the southern Midlands and her legacy becomes a lot more debatable.
I remember it like yesterday. I was with a group of other software guys in a small company. We got a phone call from someone's wife to say it had just been on telly (no Web then).
After jumping around the office for a bit we went to the pub.
Glorious!
Three days before my first boy was born.
I made a fair bit of money out of it. Invested in 150 Evening Standards and picture frames. Put the front cover in the frame and sold each one for - I think - £5 outside Camden Town tube station. They all went in a day and it paid for us to get back to Spain, where we were living at the time.
Trump is a chump on this matter but he has given us an advantage. He wants someone different there. It is good that we now know that Darroch is unwelcome with Trump. Maybe Darroch was also unwelcome to Obama, but Obama never told us - we just got overlooked...
I don't know why you'd think that Trump knows who the current UK ambassador to the US, let alone has an opinion about him.
Has the British Ambassador not made himself known to the Presdent elect or previously to the Republican presidential candidate?
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
Trump is currently dealing a blizzard of problems and exciting grift opportunities. The idea that he's spending brain cycles on ambassadors of medium-sized countries is ridiculous.
We have a europhile Ambassador whom Farage does not like. Farage poisons the well and Darroch had not created strong links in the months beforehand. So Darroch is toast. We now have an opportunity for a Trade focused Ambassador to the USA, something which Darroch has no record in undertaking.
By "Trade focused" do you mean is interested in cooking up real estate deals with Trump? Most of Scotland will be a golf course by the end of the first term.
Ha ha. Seriously, I mean a Lord Digby Jones type of Ambassador. Let us break away from FO diplomats and retiring politicians.
Comments
Trump clearly remembers who has backed him and who hasn't - as we saw with Christie, he poured ordure on him until the moment he got his endorsement, then he couldn't have been nicer about him. Didn't last, though.
You can come but you have to pay your way, in the same way I would if I went to work in Switzerland.
I'm sure over half our EU issues at the moment is due to our inability to say no, you can't have those in work benefits for x years.
I had a thought - the likely UUP French Presidential candidate, the British Minister of Defence and the Liberal Democrat leader stand in a room:
Fillon meets Fallon meets Farron.
I'll get me stoat...
'Fillon good' that sort of thing.
China's rise in its region and US concurrent decline as a world power may be inevitable. Trump is undoubtedly speeding up the American decline.
Farage came to him when his campaign was drifting a bit, gave it a slightly different and much more purposeful focus, and helped hand him the job as the world's most powerful leader. All for no charge.
He probably thinks Farage is a f8cking godsend and a genius, and genuinely thinks we are undervaluing an important asset.
https://twitter.com/IsabelOakeshott/status/800966004079755264
Non-partisan members do what all right-minded liberal folk think they should
France may be unhappy, but if the EU is anybody's creation it is theirs. I just don;'t see them ditching it. They just won't.
Le Pen is singing from the Farage hymn sheet too. That said, I don;t think she'll win. France loves the EU too much.
Perhaps May should just get someone to set up a twitter account for her.
So what did Trump do? Made high-profile changes to his transition team, thus forcing the media to accept the inevitability of him coming into office. Had discussions with Mitt Romney, thus forcing the media to speculate about the makeup of his cabinet. I think this tweet is part of the same strategy. HMG being forced to deny that they'll be changing ambassadors strengthens Trump's narrative: he's talking past the sale of whether he was rightfully elected president, into the realm of him taking office and dealing with foreign policy.
There's a reason that Scott Adams went from 15k twitter followers to 100k over the course of the election, and it's not because the mainstream media is doing a good job of explaining Trump's actions.
Donald Trump will be difficult to deal with - for the UK and other European governments as well as those operating in US government. You can't ignore him because he is the elected president of your most important ally, or of your own government. OTOH if you give him an inch he will take a mile, with bad consequences.
If a Thatcherite like Fillon won then Paris could mount a genuine challenge to the City.
If the bankers could get past the burning tyres, barricades, undumped rubbish and unburied bodies, that is.
I was actually referring to TSE potential puns if Le Pen won.
Having said that, I was amused by one bit:
Reports of May’s meetings with other prime ministers are doing nothing to lift the pessimism in Brussels. Officials hear that she is unwilling to engage much on substance, reluctant to go beyond her speaking notes and seemingly concerned not to pursue courses that could upset Tory right-wingers. Err - I thought we weren't supposed to be negotiating with individual prime minister at all, let alone before Article 50 is triggered!
Its interesting, certainly. French policy since 1945 has been unequivocally to yoke the German Leviathan to a wider EU consensus and partial demos.
In that aim, they have largely succeeded, I would have thought. Why abandon it now? Changing domestic policy could achieve much.
Your personal slight implicit in your post is disappointing.
So an ambassador reaches out to Trump's people while it's in the middle of an election campaign and says what, and how does it get into Trump's consciousness?
One man's freedom is another man's imposition.
If not, the Ambassador should be sacked.
I agree the content is interesting. I'm just arguing that it's no more objective or unbiased than I am and should be read in that context.
One cock-up and it's gone forever.
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/it-would-get-the-little-prick-out-of-the-country-realises-britain-20161122117597
After jumping around the office for a bit we went to the pub.
Glorious!
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/russia-to-move-nuclear-capable-missiles-closer-to-europe-as-vladimir-putin-claims-nato-expansion-is-threat/ar-AAkAZTM?li=AAdeCd7&ocid=spartanntp
We'd only ever known one Prime Minister.
Against that of course you have the political needs at home.
I wonder if May had any sort of implicit agreement with Merkel before she announced the March "deadline"?
I made a fair bit of money out of it. Invested in 150 Evening Standards and picture frames. Put the front cover in the frame and sold each one for - I think - £5 outside Camden Town tube station. They all went in a day and it paid for us to get back to Spain, where we were living at the time.
He commented that Farage couldn't be considered for an ambassador's role because he wasn't a member of the Conservative party. I didn't realise that only party supporters were considered.
he also hinted that he wasn't a gentleman. It's possible that he didn't quite mean to say that, but surely admitting that ambassadors were political appointees wasn't wise, even if it is true?
I doubt if he did Ukip any harm. A toff called Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt being condescending to the plebs wasn't all that wise either.
Interesting article. in todays Independen.Is Zac gettinga bit jumpy re Brexit?
I have never hidden the fact that on a personal level I did very well out of Thatcherism. A lot of what she did was very necessary and she did release enterprise, I think that is undoubtedly true. Like any good leftie, I used to hate her. But nowadays my views are a lot more nuanced. Get past the southern Midlands and her legacy becomes a lot more debatable.
Seriously, I mean a Lord Digby Jones type of Ambassador. Let us break away from FO diplomats and retiring politicians.