OVER the past seven months the British economy has beaten almost all forecasts. Since the Brexit vote last June, a recession has easily been avoided and job growth remains decent. In one part of the country, however, things look very different. In the year to September Scotland’s GDP grew by 0.7%, while that of the rest of the country grew by 2.4% (see chart). Employment there is falling and wages growing much more slowly than elsewhere.
Scotland’s weak performance is linked to problems in its two most important industries: energy and finance. Those two businesses’ exports have together accounted for up to a third of Scotland’s GDP in the past. Now both are in trouble.
Scottish finance is struggling for two reasons. First, argues Owen Kelly of Edinburgh Napier University, it disproportionately comprises mid-range work, such as customer service. Those jobs are vulnerable to automation, which is proceeding apace across the financial-services industry.....Second, speculation about another independence referendum is hurting the industry. Since the Brexit vote, in which a majority of Scots chose to Remain, the ruling Scottish National Party has accelerated plans for what it calls “indyref2”..... This concerns Scottish financial firms much more than Brexit does. The vast bulk of their business takes place in the rest of Britain, not Scotland,..... Some firms are making contingency plans. Murray Asset Management, another Edinburgh firm, recently moved its registered office to London
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
It's not me who's creating business uncertainty by pushing SindyRef2 - I'm with the Scottish voter - either after BREXIT or at least 20 years....
On two different levels that poll does not say what you suggest it says.
Do educate us.....
What does it say?
Since you obviously can't read or do maths, it isn't worth the effort.
It's not my comprehension which is in doubt.....
Your lack of comprehension is indeed not in doubt.
Then do explain.....if you can.
An ardent Blairite who agreed with every word might well have been among the 35% who thought his intervention would harm his cause.
Since the strongest scores for 'harm his cause' were among UKIP (44) Con (40) and Lib Dem (39) voters - do you think there are many 'ardent Blairites' among their ranks?
I think you've been busted.
Its not me who constructs his case on the basis of ardent Blairites being in UKIP.....
You're constructing your case on a double misreading of an opinion poll question to claim I insulted the electorate.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
We'll see.
I've been assured that the apocalypse is scheduled for the moment after A50 is triggered.
Despite everyone's impatience, the 'real' impact of Brexit on trade and international relations will be a slow burn with the story unfolding during the years after actual exit. Anything that happens earlier than that is sentiment. Sentiment can of course have a big economic impact through the markets, but lack of sentiment-driven impact provides few clues as to whether the actual impact will be real and insignificant, or not. As with the French Revolution, we shall just have to wait and see...
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
Its not a question of salivating Malcolm, it is more a deep frustration that the reluctance to accept the outcome of the referendum is damaging our economy and thus, ironically, our viability as an independent nation.
Scotland is still reeling from the impact of the collapse of oil prices and the consequential collapse of investment. There is very little that the SNP or even the UK can do about that. The tax regime has been made more benign to the point that the tax take is falling to zero but the north sea was always a high cost producer and even that only achieves so much.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
OVER the past seven months the British economy has beaten almost all forecasts. Since the Brexit vote last June, a recession has easily been avoided and job growth remains decent. In one part of the country, however, things look very different. In the year to September Scotland’s GDP grew by 0.7%, while that of the rest of the country grew by 2.4% (see chart). Employment there is falling and wages growing much more slowly than elsewhere.
Scotland’s weak performance is linked to problems in its two most important industries: energy and finance. Those two businesses’ exports have together accounted for up to a third of Scotland’s GDP in the past. Now both are in trouble.
Scottish finance is struggling for two reasons. First, argues Owen Kelly of Edinburgh Napier University, it disproportionately comprises mid-range work, such as customer service. Those jobs are vulnerable to automation, which is proceeding apace across the financial-services industry.....Second, speculation about another independence referendum is hurting the industry. Since the Brexit vote, in which a majority of Scots chose to Remain, the ruling Scottish National Party has accelerated plans for what it calls “indyref2”..... This concerns Scottish financial firms much more than Brexit does. The vast bulk of their business takes place in the rest of Britain, not Scotland,..... Some firms are making contingency plans. Murray Asset Management, another Edinburgh firm, recently moved its registered office to London
London looking after itself and shafting Scotland first, business as usual. Only one solution , when you give someome else all your money you are stupid to think they will spend it on your interests rather than their own.
Blame the English isn't working anymore. SLab's fate awaits the failing SNP occupation.
One set has shifted substantially - 'How well or badly do you think the government are doing at negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU?', from -51 to -9:
F1: just a reminder that testing starts in 9 days, so if you want a heroic/daft early bet, now's the time. Of course, waiting for the mood music will give a better steer but the odds will shift.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
We'll see.
I've been assured that the apocalypse is scheduled for the moment after A50 is triggered.
Despite everyone's impatience, the 'real' impact of Brexit on trade and international relations will be a slow burn with the story unfolding during the years after actual exit. Anything that happens earlier than that is sentiment. Sentiment can of course have a big economic impact through the markets, but lack of sentiment-driven impact provides few clues as to whether the actual impact will be real and insignificant, or not. As with the French Revolution, we shall just have to wait and see...
Yes, but we were told that the four horsemen of the apocalypse would visit famine, pestilence, and death on the UK if it were to even vote leave.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
Its not a question of salivating Malcolm, it is more a deep frustration that the reluctance to accept the outcome of the referendum is damaging our economy and thus, ironically, our viability as an independent nation.
Scotland is still reeling from the impact of the collapse of oil prices and the consequential collapse of investment. There is very little that the SNP or even the UK can do about that. The tax regime has been made more benign to the point that the tax take is falling to zero but the north sea was always a high cost producer and even that only achieves so much.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
Well said. It is only this analysis that makes me understand the Tory surge.
OVER the past seven months the British economy has beaten almost all forecasts. Since the Brexit vote last June, a recession has easily been avoided and job growth remains decent. In one part of the country, however, things look very different. In the year to September Scotland’s GDP grew by 0.7%, while that of the rest of the country grew by 2.4% (see chart). Employment there is falling and wages growing much more slowly than elsewhere.
Scotland’s weak performance is linked to problems in its two most important industries: energy and finance. Those two businesses’ exports have together accounted for up to a third of Scotland’s GDP in the past. Now both are in trouble.
Scottish finance is struggling for two reasons. First, argues Owen Kelly of Edinburgh Napier University, it disproportionately comprises mid-range work, such as customer service. Those jobs are vulnerable to automation, which is proceeding apace across the financial-services industry.....Second, speculation about another independence referendum is hurting the industry. Since the Brexit vote, in which a majority of Scots chose to Remain, the ruling Scottish National Party has accelerated plans for what it calls “indyref2”..... This concerns Scottish financial firms much more than Brexit does. The vast bulk of their business takes place in the rest of Britain, not Scotland,..... Some firms are making contingency plans. Murray Asset Management, another Edinburgh firm, recently moved its registered office to London
London looking after itself and shafting Scotland first, business as usual. Only one solution , when you give someome else all your money you are stupid to think they will spend it on your interests rather than their own.
Blame the English isn't working anymore. SLab's fate awaits the failing SNP occupation.
OVER the past seven months the British economy has beaten almost all forecasts. Since the Brexit vote last June, a recession has easily been avoided and job growth remains decent. In one part of the country, however, things look very different. In the year to September Scotland’s GDP grew by 0.7%, while that of the rest of the country grew by 2.4% (see chart). Employment there is falling and wages growing much more slowly than elsewhere.
Scotland’s weak performance is linked to problems in its two most important industries: energy and finance. Those two businesses’ exports have together accounted for up to a third of Scotland’s GDP in the past. Now both are in trouble.
Scottish finance is struggling for two reasons. First, argues Owen Kelly of Edinburgh Napier University, it disproportionately comprises mid-range work, such as customer service. Those jobs are vulnerable to automation, which is proceeding apace across the financial-services industry.....Second, speculation about another independence referendum is hurting the industry. Since the Brexit vote, in which a majority of Scots chose to Remain, the ruling Scottish National Party has accelerated plans for what it calls “indyref2”..... This concerns Scottish financial firms much more than Brexit does. The vast bulk of their business takes place in the rest of Britain, not Scotland,..... Some firms are making contingency plans. Murray Asset Management, another Edinburgh firm, recently moved its registered office to London
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
It's not me who's creating business uncertainty by pushing SindyRef2 - I'm with the Scottish voter - either after BREXIT or at least 20 years....
Next you will be telling me the Tories are promoting business in Scotland and helping with the demise of oil as much as they trousered the billions for 30 + years. Cutting the budgets is really helpful of them.
One set has shifted substantially - 'How well or badly do you think the government are doing at negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU?', from -51 to -9:
One set has shifted substantially - 'How well or badly do you think the government are doing at negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU?', from -51 to -9:
I think that is largely the Tories funnelling as I have said. As a Tory (despite those graph things we were doing the other day) I am not sure how I would even answer that. The correct answer is surely, well, there haven't really been any yet.
what's really interesting in that Emmbrook result is when you compare it to 2016 (Wokingham elects in thirds) - Lib Dems 1222 Cons 1235 has become Lib Dems 1575 and Cons 879.
Campaign fought on local issues, including development, roads, school funding and the local Tories being a bunch of unpleasant greedy people who are fighting like rats in a sack.
As the Lib Dem agent, I am very proud.
First of all, well done !
Second, I repeat what I wrote a couple of days back. I am beginning to doubt the current opinion polls. All these adjustments to the weighting has created a dog's breakfast.
The Tories cannot have such a big lead and lose badly in all sorts of local by-elections , up and down the country.
How can it be that only the Tories do not come out to vote ?
Take a look at how Labour performed in local by-elections, after 1997. It had no bearing on the next two general elections.
Richmond.
What about it?
It was a Lib Dem triumph against the Tories an independent under normal unique circumstances.....
Every LD gain seems to be down to local/unique circumstances! Surprising how many such circumstances there are. And congrats to Mrs B.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES!
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
Its not a question of salivating Malcolm, it is more a deep frustration that the reluctance to accept the outcome of the referendum is damaging our economy and thus, ironically, our viability as an independent nation.
Scotland is still reeling from the impact of the collapse of oil prices and the consequential collapse of investment. There is very little that the SNP or even the UK can do about that. The tax regime has been made more benign to the point that the tax take is falling to zero but the north sea was always a high cost producer and even that only achieves so much.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
Well said. It is only this analysis that makes me understand the Tory surge.
The Tories recover in Scotland as the referendum allowed them to become the only true unionist party, in the same way that the LibDems are now the only true pro-EU party. And, I expect, the SNP benefited from some tactical anti-Labour votes, that are unwinding now the job is done.
Edit/and, as a further thought, some of the bile that used to be directed at the Tories north of the border has clearly been reallocated to Labour.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
Its not a question of salivating Malcolm, it is more a deep frustration that the reluctance to accept the outcome of the referendum is damaging our economy and thus, ironically, our viability as an independent nation.
Scotland is still reeling from the impact of the collapse of oil prices and the consequential collapse of investment. There is very little that the SNP or even the UK can do about that. The tax regime has been made more benign to the point that the tax take is falling to zero but the north sea was always a high cost producer and even that only achieves so much.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
The SNP's best move would be to declare UDI on tariffs (None) and freedom of movement (Open wrt England and Europe, even if rUK is not open to Scots) in an independent Scotland with both rUK and Europe whilst pursuing aggressively a 3% deficit strategy. A sort of rEU Singapore reverse May strategy.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
The SNP are far from great David but at least they have Scotland's interests at heart, the London Tory and Labour cronies do not even pretend they do. London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland and skint or not our only chance is to get independance. Alternative is continual decline as London neglect us ever more. Whilst the opposition is just two London centred nonentity parties the SNP are not pushed and will end up just like Labour. With independence we could have real Scottish opposition parties.
PS: For Carlotta it is seen as great news, she views it through the prism of her hatred for everything Scottish. On the other hand if we had a real Scottish Tory party we could have nice human beings like yourself running it.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
We'll see.
I've been assured that the apocalypse is scheduled for the moment after A50 is triggered.
Despite everyone's impatience, the 'real' impact of Brexit on trade and international relations will be a slow burn with the story unfolding during the years after actual exit. Anything that happens earlier than that is sentiment. Sentiment can of course have a big economic impact through the markets, but lack of sentiment-driven impact provides few clues as to whether the actual impact will be real and insignificant, or not. As with the French Revolution, we shall just have to wait and see...
Yes, but we were told that the four horsemen of the apocalypse would visit famine, pestilence, and death on the UK if it were to even vote leave.
Getting those horses and all their gear together takes a little time.
And didnt your mother advise you not to believe everything you are told?
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
We'll see.
I've been assured that the apocalypse is scheduled for the moment after A50 is triggered.
Despite everyone's impatience, the 'real' impact of Brexit on trade and international relations will be a slow burn with the story unfolding during the years after actual exit. Anything that happens earlier than that is sentiment. Sentiment can of course have a big economic impact through the markets, but lack of sentiment-driven impact provides few clues as to whether the actual impact will be real and insignificant, or not. As with the French Revolution, we shall just have to wait and see...
Yes, but we were told that the four horsemen of the apocalypse would visit famine, pestilence, and death on the UK if it were to even vote leave.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
We'll see.
I've been assured that the apocalypse is scheduled for the moment after A50 is triggered.
Despite everyone's impatience, the 'real' impact of Brexit on trade and international relations will be a slow burn with the story unfolding during the years after actual exit. Anything that happens earlier than that is sentiment. Sentiment can of course have a big economic impact through the markets, but lack of sentiment-driven impact provides few clues as to whether the actual impact will be real and insignificant, or not. As with the French Revolution, we shall just have to wait and see...
Translation: like lefties with Thatcher, Lib Dems will blame anything and everything on Brexit for years and decades after it has actually happened.
One set has shifted substantially - 'How well or badly do you think the government are doing at negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU?', from -51 to -9:
Mr. Pulpstar, a UDI is not a good idea. A dramatic change in one's political arrangement requires consent of the people, not imposition by a single political party.
If the SNP win a Holyrood majority, with an independence referendum in their manifesto, that's legitimate grounds for such a referendum. Just imposing their own view on a country which voted against that very thing a few years ago is anti-democratic.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
We'll see.
I've been assured that the apocalypse is scheduled for the moment after A50 is triggered.
Despite everyone's impatience, the 'real' impact of Brexit on trade and international relations will be a slow burn with the story unfolding during the years after actual exit. Anything that happens earlier than that is sentiment. Sentiment can of course have a big economic impact through the markets, but lack of sentiment-driven impact provides few clues as to whether the actual impact will be real and insignificant, or not. As with the French Revolution, we shall just have to wait and see...
Yes, but we were told that the four horsemen of the apocalypse would visit famine, pestilence, and death on the UK if it were to even vote leave.
Apocalypse Now Later
It's always apocalypse tommorow and apocalpse yesterday, but never apocalypse today.
I see the Blair-haters have yet to get over his temerity in voicing an opinion. Poor snowflakes.
Blair will never get a hearing as he is a) untrustworthy and b) yesterdays man. He has built a huge personal fortune on the back of his Middle East ambassador status and though his friendship with another loathed individual.
Not all ex-PMs are liabilities - ahead of the last GE Major came out pretty well;
We heard recently Tony Blair pledge to "do whatever it takes to help Ed Miliband win". But what would be help most, visible support or keeping out of the way? For Red Box, YouGov asked the nation: "Thinking about retired politicians playing a role in the current election, do you think getting support from the following politicians would be an asset or a liability for today's politicians?"
The overall greatest asset is considered to be John Major, who scores net zero among the general public, although he is +21 among Conservatives supporters. The second greatest asset, only a whisker behind Major, is Paddy Ashdown on net -1, and net +45 among Liberal Democrats. Bottom of the league is Tony Blair, at net -47, and even among Labour supporters he scores net -22.
Unfortunately, some Remainers are so convinced of their own position's moral rectitude they simply can't understand why any politician - whatever his record - who cleaves to their cause isn't worshiped as a returned prodigal son, here to cast the scales from the eyes of a dumb electorate.
As soon as Blair comes on the telly I reckon most people turn off or switch channel. The Iraq war hangs round his neck like a noose.
It does, and Mrs May's Tories are very good at dodging the blame. The Iraq war couldnt have happened without their support outvoting the LDs and Labour rebels.
Forgiving those who had the wool pulled over their eyes is very easy when many in Britain shared the same fate.
Forgiving the wool master in chief is not likely, however much Violet Elizabeths scream and scream until they are sick...
When will the UK government state that the UK went to war based on a lie and apologise?
Its not a question of salivating Malcolm, it is more a deep frustration that the reluctance to accept the outcome of the referendum is damaging our economy and thus, ironically, our viability as an independent nation.
Scotland is still reeling from the impact of the collapse of oil prices and the consequential collapse of investment. There is very little that the SNP or even the UK can do about that. The tax regime has been made more benign to the point that the tax take is falling to zero but the north sea was always a high cost producer and even that only achieves so much.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
Well said. It is only this analysis that makes me understand the Tory surge.
To be honest the Tory surge is more being driven by the Labour party collapse and the SNP move onto ex Labour turf as a more left of centre than centre left party. Watch the locals. The Tories will do well in all the areas they used to win seats in, the borders, the north east, the posher parts of Edinburgh, Perthshire, Kincardine, probably even Angus. The SNP will take Glasgow and its surrounds from Labour bigly as our US President would say.
Blair's biggest mistake was not calling a referendum on joining the Euro in about 1998. The result probably would have been 55-60% YES such was his popularity at the time, and being a member of the currency union would have made leaving the EU much more difficult.
Has Tony started bombing the cr*p out of Hull for daring to leave the EU yet?
Morning GIN, was amazed to hear the other day that you are a sandal wearing lentil munching Lib Dem. What is the world coming to, you always sounded like a normal human as well.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
clearly youre not campaigning hard enough to shift our opinions
I'm following the opposite strategy. I want Leavers to get steadily more entrenched in their opinions so that when the volte face becomes necessary to even the dimmest Leave voter, it is all the more excruciatingly humiliating for them.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland.
So why do they send you £9 billion a year?
And as with the SNP, you conflate my dislike of the SNP with a dislike of Scotland.
Has Tony started bombing the cr*p out of Hull for daring to leave the EU yet?
Morning GIN, was amazed to hear the other day that you are a sandal wearing lentil munching Lib Dem. What is the world coming to, you always sounded like a normal human as well.
Lentil sales in Wokingham must be sky high if the crop is feeding nearly 60% of the voting population
"Mr Blair was a little breathless, as though keen to show us how brave he was – the only person left with principles! ‘I don’t know if we can succeed,’ he gasped. In a Tintin book this would have been accompanied by three droplets of sweat jumping off his brow.
Fading divas retain their theatricality. It’s the notes that go wrong. Hundreds of thousands of today’s voters were not even born when this man won his first general election. The Blair era was a different world. How odd to think that this man once understood the power of the new.
One set has shifted substantially - 'How well or badly do you think the government are doing at negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU?', from -51 to -9:
Has Tony started bombing the cr*p out of Hull for daring to leave the EU yet?
Morning GIN, was amazed to hear the other day that you are a sandal wearing lentil munching Lib Dem. What is the world coming to, you always sounded like a normal human as well.
Lentil sales in Wokingham must be sky high if the crop is feeding nearly 60% of the voting population
Just checked and Wokingham had the 19th highest REMAIN share of the vote in England outside London at 56.7%.
"Mr Blair was a little breathless, as though keen to show us how brave he was – the only person left with principles! ‘I don’t know if we can succeed,’ he gasped. In a Tintin book this would have been accompanied by three droplets of sweat jumping off his brow.
Fading divas retain their theatricality. It’s the notes that go wrong. Hundreds of thousands of today’s voters were not even born when this man won his first general election. The Blair era was a different world. How odd to think that this man once understood the power of the new.
Few have changed their mind yet, it seems. I find that surprising. You'd have thought that the country would have shifted one way or the other by now.
Art 50 hasn't yet been triggered, and the economy has remained broadly positive.
If the economy stutters and we get back inflation once art 50 is triggered, and particularly migration rises I'd expect sentiment to shift towards 'We should have stayed'.
If the economy does well, inflation keeps low, the pound doesn't fall too much and migration reduces meaningfully then I'd expect sentiment to shift fully behind brexit.
We'll see.
I've been assured that the apocalypse is scheduled for the moment after A50 is triggered.
Despite everyone's impatience, the 'real' impact of Brexit on trade and international relations will be a slow burn with the story unfolding during the years after actual exit. Anything that happens earlier than that is sentiment. Sentiment can of course have a big economic impact through the markets, but lack of sentiment-driven impact provides few clues as to whether the actual impact will be real and insignificant, or not. As with the French Revolution, we shall just have to wait and see...
Translation: like lefties with Thatcher, Lib Dems will blame anything and everything on Brexit for years and decades after it has actually happened.
"Mr Blair was a little breathless, as though keen to show us how brave he was – the only person left with principles! ‘I don’t know if we can succeed,’ he gasped. In a Tintin book this would have been accompanied by three droplets of sweat jumping off his brow.
Fading divas retain their theatricality. It’s the notes that go wrong. Hundreds of thousands of today’s voters were not even born when this man won his first general election. The Blair era was a different world. How odd to think that this man once understood the power of the new.
It's amazing how such a busted flush can attract so much attention.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
The stability of those figures is remarkable. I wonder if they conceal any meaningful churn? My impression is that Tories are now funnelling in behind the current leadership and supporting what is government policy. The Lib Dems, who have had some gains as a result, are more obviously focussed on remain than ever. Labour are, as usual, all over the place.
I suspect the key moments are now coming up. Once the Bill is passed and the Article 50 notice is actually served I suspect that the focus of the vast majority will move on to what kind of Brexit rather than should there be one.
The very long hiatus since June has therefore contributed to the apparent stability. Parties need to think not just about their current positioning but what their positioning will be then. To that extent I disagree with Professor Curtis although Labour should certainly be reflecting the concerns of remainers about the Single Market, for example.
I think there is churn. Excluding don't knows, the Conservatives have shifted from about 62/38% Leave to 72/28%. There's a further element of Conservative voters who think that the decision to Leave was wrong, but aren't that bothered by it.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
Hmmm - when so many column inches and so much air time has been devoted to Blair over the last 24 hours he is clearly not delusional to believe that people are still interested in what he has to say. If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story. The fact is that 10 years since he left the scene, he is still top box office. Only one other post-war PM has had the same affect.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
I cam across Quentin's first novel the other day in a charity shop. He's a great fiction writer...
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
Hmmm - when so many column inches and so much air time has been devoted to Blair over the last 24 hours he is clearly not delusional to believe that people are still interested in what he has to say. If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story. The fact is that 10 years since he left the scene, he is still top box office. Only one other post-war PM has had the same affect.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
.
The SNP are far from great David but at least they have Scotland's interests at heart, the London Tory and Labour cronies do not even pretend they do. London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland and skint or not our only chance is to get independance. Alternative is continual decline as London neglect us ever more. Whilst the opposition is just two London centred nonentity parties the SNP are not pushed and will end up just like Labour. With independence we could have real Scottish opposition parties.
PS: For Carlotta it is seen as great news, she views it through the prism of her hatred for everything Scottish. On the other hand if we had a real Scottish Tory party we could have nice human beings like yourself running it.
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
Mr. JS, the constitutional idiocy (unless you're an SNP type, in which case it's working rather well) was Blair's biggest domestic error.
Blair didn't want to do devolution iirc. He was saddled it from previous policy/manifesto reviews. Indeed, it was effectively unfinished business from Callaghan. Seems to recall he said something about a glorified parish council.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
Hmmm - when so many column inches and so much air time has been devoted to Blair over the last 24 hours he is clearly not delusional to believe that people are still interested in what he has to say. If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story. The fact is that 10 years since he left the scene, he is still top box office. Only one other post-war PM has had the same affect.
Well put.
Hang on a minute.. its only the media that think he is box office..
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
Hmmm - when so many column inches and so much air time has been devoted to Blair over the last 24 hours he is clearly not delusional to believe that people are still interested in what he has to say. If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story. The fact is that 10 years since he left the scene, he is still top box office. Only one other post-war PM has had the same affect.
He's not saying anything we haven't already heard from Tim Farron or Nick Clegg, though Blair does outdo them when it comes to being patronising and arrogant, I'll give him that. Obviously it attracts attention that a former big figure like him has resurfaced.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story.
The front page of the Guardian is 'Blair's Brexit Speech Sparks Labour Fury'.....the only other front page he makes is the Express......so as was pointed out yesterday, this was all about Tony.......
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
.
The SNP are far from great David but at least they have Scotland's interests at heart, the London Tory and Labour cronies do not even pretend they do. London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland and skint or not our only chance is to get independance. Alternative is continual decline as London neglect us ever more. Whilst the opposition is just two London centred nonentity parties the SNP are not pushed and will end up just like Labour. With independence we could have real Scottish opposition parties.
PS: For Carlotta it is seen as great news, she views it through the prism of her hatred for everything Scottish. On the other hand if we had a real Scottish Tory party we could have nice human beings like yourself running it.
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
London has always been the dominant city the UK. I suspect it always will be..
The stability of those figures is remarkable. I wonder if they conceal any meaningful churn? My impression is that Tories are now funnelling in behind the current leadership and supporting what is government policy. The Lib Dems, who have had some gains as a result, are more obviously focussed on remain than ever. Labour are, as usual, all over the place.
I suspect the key moments are now coming up. Once the Bill is passed and the Article 50 notice is actually served I suspect that the focus of the vast majority will move on to what kind of Brexit rather than should there be one.
The very long hiatus since June has therefore contributed to the apparent stability. Parties need to think not just about their current positioning but what their positioning will be then. To that extent I disagree with Professor Curtis although Labour should certainly be reflecting the concerns of remainers about the Single Market, for example.
I think there is churn. Excluding don't knows, the Conservatives have shifted from about 62/38% Leave to 72/28%. There's a further element of Conservative voters who think that the decision to Leave was wrong, but aren't that bothered by it.
Has Tony started bombing the cr*p out of Hull for daring to leave the EU yet?
Morning GIN, was amazed to hear the other day that you are a sandal wearing lentil munching Lib Dem. What is the world coming to, you always sounded like a normal human as well.
Morning Malc. ::)
I was surprised that I came out as a left-liberal we as well!
But I think what it shows more than anything is that I am a political tart. I don't "do" allegiance to any political party... Wherever I lay my (political) hat, that's my home.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
Hmmm - when so many column inches and so much air time has been devoted to Blair over the last 24 hours he is clearly not delusional to believe that people are still interested in what he has to say. If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story. The fact is that 10 years since he left the scene, he is still top box office. Only one other post-war PM has had the same affect.
I still have no idea what Blair is actually advocating people DO about Brexit, but it does seem that whatever it is, it is not good news for Corbyn's Labour. That is worth the column inches.
The stability of those figures is remarkable. I wonder if they conceal any meaningful churn? My impression is that Tories are now funnelling in behind the current leadership and supporting what is government policy. The Lib Dems, who have had some gains as a result, are more obviously focussed on remain than ever. Labour are, as usual, all over the place.
I suspect the key moments are now coming up. Once the Bill is passed and the Article 50 notice is actually served I suspect that the focus of the vast majority will move on to what kind of Brexit rather than should there be one.
The very long hiatus since June has therefore contributed to the apparent stability. Parties need to think not just about their current positioning but what their positioning will be then. To that extent I disagree with Professor Curtis although Labour should certainly be reflecting the concerns of remainers about the Single Market, for example.
I think there is churn. Excluding don't knows, the Conservatives have shifted from about 62/38% Leave to 72/28%. There's a further element of Conservative voters who think that the decision to Leave was wrong, but aren't that bothered by it.
The not so secret Tory weapon of loyalty.
No doubt there's local variation. In say Thurrock or Thanet, support for Leave among Conservatives would be close to 100%, in Battersea or Twickenham, it would be far less.
I feel extremely sorry for the voters of Stoke on Trent Central. They are being asked to vote for a party led by a serial fanatsist and liar who appears to be unaware of where he was or what he was doing at key times, who are trying to appeal to the northern working class despite being the party of wealthy Londoners, who appear to be searching for a new role in the aftermath of Brexit, and whose leader is only in place because of a massive cock-up during the brief and inglorious tenure of some woman nobody had ever heard of leading to a massive rise in sexism and retreat to a badly defined and unworkable emotional comfort zone in the party.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story.
The front page of the Guardian is 'Blair's Brexit Speech Sparks Labour Fury'.....the only other front page he makes is the Express......so as was pointed out yesterday, this was all about Tony.......
He was all over every media outlet yesterday and has huge coverage in all today's newspapers - including the front cover of the Guardian and the Express. Clearly, he presses some buttons. The media has not been forced to give the speech the attention it has. Newspapers and TV channels have chosen to do it. And they have done so because Blair is box office. I actually wish it were otherwise. I would prefer him to slip away into retirement as I think he does more harm than good - but if you actually read his speech, his clarity of thought stands in stark contrast to the current crop of politician on both sides of the Brexit divide.
The stability of those figures is remarkable. I wonder if they conceal any meaningful churn? My impression is that Tories are now funnelling in behind the current leadership and supporting what is government policy. The Lib Dems, who have had some gains as a result, are more obviously focussed on remain than ever. Labour are, as usual, all over the place.
I suspect the key moments are now coming up. Once the Bill is passed and the Article 50 notice is actually served I suspect that the focus of the vast majority will move on to what kind of Brexit rather than should there be one.
The very long hiatus since June has therefore contributed to the apparent stability. Parties need to think not just about their current positioning but what their positioning will be then. To that extent I disagree with Professor Curtis although Labour should certainly be reflecting the concerns of remainers about the Single Market, for example.
I think there is churn. Excluding don't knows, the Conservatives have shifted from about 62/38% Leave to 72/28%. There's a further element of Conservative voters who think that the decision to Leave was wrong, but aren't that bothered by it.
The not so secret Tory weapon of loyalty.
While the Tories & UKIP are hanging on to voters, Lab are losing them and the LibDems regaining them....
Over the past 6 months - change in % Voted for party in GE2015
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
London has always been the dominant city the UK. I suspect it always will be..
Yes but modern economic trends, particularly clustering, is acerbating the trend. It has the critical mass built in in almost every area and the flow over from other areas helps too. As an example London is becoming one of Europe's biggest base in IT. Why? How? What happened to the dreams of the M4 corridor and Cambridge? It sucks up everything.
Regions need to think how they respond. Back office? Specialisation? Educational support? Its not going to be easy, London is just such an exciting place for the ambitious to be in but it is not impossible. Amongst other things it needs politicians who can concentrate on what is needed.
I feel extremely sorry for the voters of Stoke on Trent Central. They are being asked to vote for a party led by a serial fanatsist and liar who appears to be unaware of where he was or what he was doing at key times, who are trying to appeal to the northern working class despite being the party of wealthy Londoners, who appear to be searching for a new role in the aftermath of Brexit, and whose leader is only in place because of a massive cock-up during the brief and inglorious tenure of some woman nobody had ever heard of leading to a massive rise in sexism and retreat to a badly defined and unworkable emotional comfort zone in the party.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
.
The SNP are far from great David but at least they have Scotland's interests at heart, the London Tory and Labour cronies do not even pretend they do. London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland and skint or not our only chance is to get independance. Alternative is continual decline as London neglect us ever more. Whilst the opposition is just two London centred nonentity parties the SNP are not pushed and will end up just like Labour. With independence we could have real Scottish opposition parties.
PS: For Carlotta it is seen as great news, she views it through the prism of her hatred for everything Scottish. On the other hand if we had a real Scottish Tory party we could have nice human beings like yourself running it.
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
London has always been the dominant city the UK. I suspect it always will be..
Not sure that is true. When heavy industry and manufacturing dominated there was much more even distribution of wealth in the UK - and I think there were periods in the middle of the last century when places like Birmingham were actually wealthier per head than London was. The simple fact is that this country managed de-industrialisation very badly. That's made unforgiveable by the fact that we had North Sea oil as something that could have smoothed the way.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
Hmmm - when so many column inches and so much air time has been devoted to Blair over the last 24 hours he is clearly not delusional to believe that people are still interested in what he has to say. If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story. The fact is that 10 years since he left the scene, he is still top box office. Only one other post-war PM has had the same affect.
I still have no idea what Blair is actually advocating people DO about Brexit, but it does seem that whatever it is, it is not good news for Corbyn's Labour. That is worth the column inches.
He was arguing that people might, when they see the actual deal, change their minds. An avenue or route should be made available for that to happen. He was not specific on what that should be apart from parliament should hold government to account for individual decisions around brexit.
I feel extremely sorry for the voters of Stoke on Trent Central. They are being asked to vote for a party led by a serial fanatsist and liar who appears to be unaware of where he was or what he was doing at key times, who are trying to appeal to the northern working class despite being the party of wealthy Londoners, who appear to be searching for a new role in the aftermath of Brexit, and whose leader is only in place because of a massive cock-up during the brief and inglorious tenure of some woman nobody had ever heard of leading to a massive rise in sexism and retreat to a badly defined and unworkable emotional comfort zone in the party.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
I feel extremely sorry for the voters of Stoke on Trent Central. They are being asked to vote for a party led by a serial fanatsist and liar who appears to be unaware of where he was or what he was doing at key times, who are trying to appeal to the northern working class despite being the party of wealthy Londoners, who appear to be searching for a new role in the aftermath of Brexit, and whose leader is only in place because of a massive cock-up during the brief and inglorious tenure of some woman nobody had ever heard of leading to a massive rise in sexism and retreat to a badly defined and unworkable emotional comfort zone in the party.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
You certainly caught me out there and I suspect others too.
I've struggled to formulate my response to Blair's intervention because there's a lot in it which makes sense and with which I agree.
I don't regret voting LEAVE last June but I can't honestly say the thought I might have made a mistake hasn't occurred. Blair is right to point out the majority might not have made the right choice and that shouldn't worry anyone because majorities do sometimes get it wrong.
As I've argued on here before, the triggering of A50 ought to start the real national debate which is about the kind of country, society, economy and indeed people we want to be in the 2020s and beyond. Unfortunately and perhaps deliberately, six months of a slanging match before 23/6/16 has turned most people right off the idea of such of a debate.
I think the big votes of confidence in May and the Government represent, Corbyn notwithstanding, a weariness and a desire just to get on with normal life and not having to think about the big questions too hard. That is in my view a mistake.
I don't have a lot of confidence in the Three Stooges being able to negotiate their way out of a paper bag and, as I fear, in 2019, we start hearing there is no deal to be done, the anti-European quasi-jingoistic rhetoric will be ramped up to ensure it's everyone's patriotic duty to vote Conservative in 2020.
Going into the 2020s with an unsatisfactory non-deal, WTO rules and a legacy of ill-will may sound to some people like the dawn of a Golden Age for Global Britain - I'm less convinced.
The problem is the negotiators are getting no coherent feedback - even now there is a cacophony of differing views on issues from Single Market access to immigration and it remains to be seen whether the "I support the Government no matter what" brigade remains as dominant as it seems at present. May's great plan at the beginning of the year was a series of half-considered platitudes which will unravel pretty quickly once we all get into the detail.
Re: America - Very very early days, but Trump still looks nailed on to serve a second term to me.
What odds will you offer me on the whole eight years?
8 years? He'll be lucky to do two. I suspect Mike Pence will use the 25th amendment to take power from a President who is clearly mad.
Serious question. What happens if the veep takes power under that amendment and is himself then declared insane By the cabinet?
Would the Speaker of the House take over?
I am just thinking of some of Pence's more - ahem - interesting views on sexual orientation.
Pence is installed as President and immediately appoints his own veep (subject to vote in both Houses) iirc. New guy could then use 25th to begin process again.
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
London has always been the dominant city the UK. I suspect it always will be..
Yes but modern economic trends, particularly clustering, is acerbating the trend. It has the critical mass built in in almost every area and the flow over from other areas helps too. As an example London is becoming one of Europe's biggest base in IT. Why? How? What happened to the dreams of the M4 corridor and Cambridge? It sucks up everything.
Regions need to think how they respond. Back office? Specialisation? Educational support? Its not going to be easy, London is just such an exciting place for the ambitious to be in but it is not impossible. Amongst other things it needs politicians who can concentrate on what is needed.
Cambridge is doing very well - it has the university and very easy access to London. ARM - even though it has been bought out by SoftBank - is in the midst of a major expansion. The M4 corridor is fine too. Anywhere within an hour of London is doing OK. It's beyond that where the problems really start.
I feel extremely sorry for the voters of Stoke on Trent Central. They are being asked to vote for a party led by a serial fanatsist and liar who appears to be unaware of where he was or what he was doing at key times, who are trying to appeal to the northern working class despite being the party of wealthy Londoners, who appear to be searching for a new role in the aftermath of Brexit, and whose leader is only in place because of a massive cock-up during the brief and inglorious tenure of some woman nobody had ever heard of leading to a massive rise in sexism and retreat to a badly defined and unworkable emotional comfort zone in the party.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
You certainly caught me out there and I suspect others too.
I can't be bothered myself, (too much money tied up on FR elections) but I suspect betting on Farage to be back in post by end of year is a good one.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland.
So why do they send you £9 billion a year?
And as with the SNP, you conflate my dislike of the SNP with a dislike of Scotland.
The SNP is not Scotland.
They do not send £9B to Scotland. They borrow shedloads of money and make us pay for a whack of it even though we did not ask or want to borrow it. Trying to hide behind the fact you do not like SNP does not cover the fact you are always thrilled at bad news from Scotland , that is despicable and highlights why Tories are hated due to their vile nastiness gloating at other people's misfortunes. You should be hanging your head in shame.
So Europe saying they won't pay up for defence spending. I think it's time for both the US and UK to take a step back from NATO and watch Russian tanks roll through Eastern Europe. Maybe EU development spending or climate change spending will help those nations looking to have their borders properly defended.
At this stage I think Germany deserves a right royal fucking for their parasitical policies within NATO and the Eurozone. They are nothing but a leech within both and should either be made to pay up or be forced out.
When a multi-millionaire PR man for foreign dictators comes hectoring us about the result of the biggest election our country has held, and does so in the name of liberal democracy, surreal is certainly one description. Bonkers, self-delusional egomania is another.
Hmmm - when so many column inches and so much air time has been devoted to Blair over the last 24 hours he is clearly not delusional to believe that people are still interested in what he has to say. If you want to make an egomaniac feel important make him the lead story. The fact is that 10 years since he left the scene, he is still top box office. Only one other post-war PM has had the same affect.
I still have no idea what Blair is actually advocating people DO about Brexit, but it does seem that whatever it is, it is not good news for Corbyn's Labour. That is worth the column inches.
He is not saying that people generally should do anything. He argued that voters have the right to change their minds and that the government should not be given a free hand to negotiate a Brexit deal that nobody voted for. It was hardly earth-shattering stuff.
I feel extremely sorry for the voters of Stoke on Trent Central. They are being asked to vote for a party led by a serial fanatsist and liar who appears to be unaware of where he was or what he was doing at key times, who are trying to appeal to the northern working class despite being the party of wealthy Londoners, who appear to be searching for a new role in the aftermath of Brexit, and whose leader is only in place because of a massive cock-up during the brief and inglorious tenure of some woman nobody had ever heard of leading to a massive rise in sexism and retreat to a badly defined and unworkable emotional comfort zone in the party.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
So Europe saying they won't pay up for defence spending. I think it's time for both the US and UK to take a step back from it and watch Russian tanks roll through Eastern Europe. Maybe EU development spending or climate change spending will help those nations looking to have their borders properly defended.
At this stage I think Germany deserves a right royal fucking for their parasitical policies within NATO and the Eurozone. They are nothing but a leech within both and should either be made to pay up or be forced out.
Spot on - we will be totally unaffected when Russian tanks roll through eastern Europe and/or the German economy falls off a cliff.
The SNP are far from great David but at least they have Scotland's interests at heart, the London Tory and Labour cronies do not even pretend they do. London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland and skint or not our only chance is to get independance. Alternative is continual decline as London neglect us ever more. Whilst the opposition is just two London centred nonentity parties the SNP are not pushed and will end up just like Labour. With independence we could have real Scottish opposition parties.
That's the real trick though isn't it Malcolm? As long as the SNP are genuinely seen to be acting in Scotland's interests and telling the UK government (which is often perceived as anti-Scottish see e.g. May's decision to quit the single market) where they get off, 40% of the population will always support them and they will hold the reigns of power in office or (rarely) out of office.
The risk with Sturgeon's current strategy is that she may come to be seen to be obsessed with independence which for most Scots is actually a secondary issue (yes the SNP do get this - that's why their campaign for independence was not the real issues surrounding independence but on schools'n'hospitals). If that is come to be seen as running counter to Scotland's interests, which it may come to be in time, then the SNP will come to pay a heavy price electorally.
If however they can successfully argue that only independence can resolve these issues then they should win a second referendum. The risk with that strategy is - well, see that bus with £350 million a week written on it.
Personally I would be surprised if there were another referendum within ten years. I also think it would only be winnable if EU membership and a new relationship with the UK was agreed in advance, and I'm doubtful if that will happen given the EU's notorious reluctance to let common sense trump treaty changes.
However, if Brexit is a total dog's dinner and the EU's leaders for once in their miserable and futile existence do something intelligent, I could easily be wrong about that
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
London has always been the dominant city the UK. I suspect it always will be..
Yes but modern economic trends, particularly clustering, is acerbating the trend. It has the critical mass built in in almost every area and the flow over from other areas helps too. As an example London is becoming one of Europe's biggest base in IT. Why? How? What happened to the dreams of the M4 corridor and Cambridge? It sucks up everything.
Regions need to think how they respond. Back office? Specialisation? Educational support? Its not going to be easy, London is just such an exciting place for the ambitious to be in but it is not impossible. Amongst other things it needs politicians who can concentrate on what is needed.
It should be possible to attract talented people out of London. London's a good place to live if you're rich, but I don't see the appeal otherwise.
I feel extremely sorry for the voters of Stoke on Trent Central. They are being asked to vote for a party led by a serial fanatsist and liar who appears to be unaware of where he was or what he was doing at key times, who are trying to appeal to the northern working class despite being the party of wealthy Londoners, who appear to be searching for a new role in the aftermath of Brexit, and whose leader is only in place because of a massive cock-up during the brief and inglorious tenure of some woman nobody had ever heard of leading to a massive rise in sexism and retreat to a badly defined and unworkable emotional comfort zone in the party.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
London has always been the dominant city the UK. I suspect it always will be..
Yes but modern economic trends, particularly clustering, is acerbating the trend. It has the critical mass built in in almost every area and the flow over from other areas helps too. As an example London is becoming one of Europe's biggest base in IT. Why? How? What happened to the dreams of the M4 corridor and Cambridge? It sucks up everything.
Regions need to think how they respond. Back office? Specialisation? Educational support? Its not going to be easy, London is just such an exciting place for the ambitious to be in but it is not impossible. Amongst other things it needs politicians who can concentrate on what is needed.
Cambridge is doing very well - it has the university and very easy access to London. ARM - even though it has been bought out by SoftBank - is in the midst of a major expansion. The M4 corridor is fine too. Anywhere within an hour of London is doing OK. It's beyond that where the problems really start.
The M4 corridor is largely due to American companies. Fly to Heathrow and turn left along the M4. It would be interesting to plot any rise and fall against Concorde making it just that bit easier for the big cheeses to visit.
Yep the Germany economy is profiting from a below parity exchange rate which is boosting German exports while causing significant pain to other EU economies.
As for NATO the agreement has for decades been 2% of GDP - and Germany is spending nothing like that....
So Europe saying they won't pay up for defence spending. I think it's time for both the US and UK to take a step back from it and watch Russian tanks roll through Eastern Europe. Maybe EU development spending or climate change spending will help those nations looking to have their borders properly defended.
At this stage I think Germany deserves a right royal fucking for their parasitical policies within NATO and the Eurozone. They are nothing but a leech within both and should either be made to pay up or be forced out.
Spot on - we will be totally unaffected when Russian tanks roll through eastern Europe and/or the German economy falls off a cliff.
So essentially you are saying we (the US and those that hit the target) simply have to pay for German defence forever and ever because German's won't?
So Europe saying they won't pay up for defence spending. I think it's time for both the US and UK to take a step back from NATO and watch Russian tanks roll through Eastern Europe. Maybe EU development spending or climate change spending will help those nations looking to have their borders properly defended.
At this stage I think Germany deserves a right royal fucking for their parasitical policies within NATO and the Eurozone. They are nothing but a leech within both and should either be made to pay up or be forced out.
Max, you are as deluded as ever, we could not beat a rug. Hundreds of Generals and Admirals and a few broken boats etc will not do against anyone. Loading dubious stuff on pensions and other stuff to try to pretend we meet the 2% does not cut teh mustard. We are only just above Dad's army level.
Today's big hoo-ha is BAe Systems scaling back investment on the Clyde - Westminster LIES! they scream.
Or is it a business weighing risks - whats the point of sinking a fortune of permanent infrastructure into the shipyards of a country whose government may shortly be campaigning for you to lose most of your future orders?
Carlotta salivating at job losses in Scotland, you cannot beat a unionist, we are in this together. Is it any wonder Tories are hated and vilified in Scotland, even the pretendy Scottish ones.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
London does not give two hoots what is happening in Scotland.
So why do they send you £9 billion a year?
And as with the SNP, you conflate my dislike of the SNP with a dislike of Scotland.
The SNP is not Scotland.
They do not send £9B to Scotland. They borrow shedloads of money and make us pay for a whack of it even though we did not ask or want to borrow it. Trying to hide behind the fact you do not like SNP does not cover the fact you are always thrilled at bad news from Scotland , that is despicable and highlights why Tories are hated due to their vile nastiness gloating at other people's misfortunes. You should be hanging your head in shame.
The people who should be hanging their heads in shame are the SNP who are creating business uncertainty by going on about a second Indyref so shortly after the 'once in a generation' previous one.
What shipbuilder in its right mind is going to invest in infrastructure in a country that could lose the vast majority of its contracts in a couple of years?
Re: America - Very very early days, but Trump still looks nailed on to serve a second term to me.
What odds will you offer me on the whole eight years?
8 years? He'll be lucky to do two. I suspect Mike Pence will use the 25th amendment to take power from a President who is clearly mad.
Serious question. What happens if the veep takes power under that amendment and is himself then declared insane By the cabinet?
Would the Speaker of the House take over?
I am just thinking of some of Pence's more - ahem - interesting views on sexual orientation.
Pence is installed as President and immediately appoints his own veep (subject to vote in both Houses) iirc. New guy could then use 25th to begin process again.
You are suggesting Pence would be likely to appoint someone who would declare him insane? I don't think he's that crazy.
More to the point, I think you will find that if the president is declared insane the VP becomes acting president - so that provision doesn't actually apply.
Putting aside the scurrilous accusation of being nice I think you will find us less far apart than you think.
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
London has always been the dominant city the UK. I suspect it always will be..
Yes but modern economic trends, particularly clustering, is acerbating the trend. It has the critical mass built in in almost every area and the flow over from other areas helps too. As an example London is becoming one of Europe's biggest base in IT. Why? How? What happened to the dreams of the M4 corridor and Cambridge? It sucks up everything.
Regions need to think how they respond. Back office? Specialisation? Educational support? Its not going to be easy, London is just such an exciting place for the ambitious to be in but it is not impossible. Amongst other things it needs politicians who can concentrate on what is needed.
It should be possible to attract talented people out of London. London's a good place to live if you're rich, but I don't see the appeal otherwise.
We have some very good regional universities. They could and should be excellent hubs. That's basically what happened at Cambridge. We need to be competing at a global level for top scientific and engineering talent, and giving them the resources to thrive. We also need to recognise when we are on to something. Graphene was isolated in Manchester by two foreign-born academics. It could have been the start of something huge for the city and the region, but instead others have taken the lead.
Yep the Germany economy is profiting from a below parity exchange rate which is boosting German exports while causing significant pain to other EU economies.
As for NATO the agreement has for decades been 2% of GDP - and Germany is spending nothing like that....
Actually the agreement has been in place for 11 years - since 2006. So although I agree that many European countries are taking the piss, it is hardly fair to say it has been in place for decades.
Comments
Scotland is still reeling from the impact of the collapse of oil prices and the consequential collapse of investment. There is very little that the SNP or even the UK can do about that. The tax regime has been made more benign to the point that the tax take is falling to zero but the north sea was always a high cost producer and even that only achieves so much.
What we don't need is continuing uncertainty about our trading relationship with by far our largest customer. This is exacerbated by Brexit because if rUK are no longer in the Single Market we have a clear choice as to which single market we want to be in and the answer is obvious. We need to be in the one we do 4x more business with.
The movement of finance from Edinburgh southwards continues. It may have been inevitable in some respects but it has been accelerated by the threat of a second referendum. I really wish the SNP administration would get that an independent Scotland needs to be able to pay for itself and that their first priority is building a viable economy. Instead we are going to have higher taxes and yet more public sector crowding out paying wages that the private sector in most of Scotland struggle to match. We are all losers from this, even the SNP.
Has Tony started bombing the cr*p out of Hull for daring to leave the EU yet?
Edit/and, as a further thought, some of the bile that used to be directed at the Tories north of the border has clearly been reallocated to Labour.
A sort of rEU Singapore reverse May strategy.
PS: For Carlotta it is seen as great news, she views it through the prism of her hatred for everything Scottish.
On the other hand if we had a real Scottish Tory party we could have nice human beings like yourself running it.
And didnt your mother advise you not to believe everything you are told?
Net Well - Feb 17 diff vs Sep 16
Con: +57
Lab: +7
LibD: +5
UKIP: +55
If the SNP win a Holyrood majority, with an independence referendum in their manifesto, that's legitimate grounds for such a referendum. Just imposing their own view on a country which voted against that very thing a few years ago is anti-democratic.
And as with the SNP, you conflate my dislike of the SNP with a dislike of Scotland.
The SNP is not Scotland.
"Mr Blair was a little breathless, as though keen to show us how brave he was – the only person left with principles! ‘I don’t know if we can succeed,’ he gasped. In a Tintin book this would have been accompanied by three droplets of sweat jumping off his brow.
Fading divas retain their theatricality. It’s the notes that go wrong. Hundreds of thousands of today’s voters were not even born when this man won his first general election. The Blair era was a different world. How odd to think that this man once understood the power of the new.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/02/16/general-motors-decision-quit-europe-cant-blamed-brexit/
http://www.archaeology.org/news/5308-170214-siberia-turnip-pot
The domination of London in the UK is unhealthy not just for Scotland but for most of England. We need much stronger regional voices to drive growth away from London. Osborne's "northern powerhouse" was one such idea but in Scotland we have a government which has a far broader range of tools at its disposal than anything contemplated there. We need all our political parties to be focussed on the local, the needs of those they represent and on the need to compete in a challenging world. If our political class would just focus on the day job I think that there is much that could be done.
I was surprised that I came out as a left-liberal we as well!
But I think what it shows more than anything is that I am a political tart. I don't "do" allegiance to any political party... Wherever I lay my (political) hat, that's my home.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the alternative is Paul Nuttall!
Over the past 6 months - change in % Voted for party in GE2015
Feb 17
Con: 85 (-2)
Lab: 65 (-14)
LibD: 68 (+10)
UKIP: 75 (+3)
Regions need to think how they respond. Back office? Specialisation? Educational support? Its not going to be easy, London is just such an exciting place for the ambitious to be in but it is not impossible. Amongst other things it needs politicians who can concentrate on what is needed.
Would the Speaker of the House take over?
I am just thinking of some of Pence's more - ahem - interesting views on sexual orientation.
I've struggled to formulate my response to Blair's intervention because there's a lot in it which makes sense and with which I agree.
I don't regret voting LEAVE last June but I can't honestly say the thought I might have made a mistake hasn't occurred. Blair is right to point out the majority might not have made the right choice and that shouldn't worry anyone because majorities do sometimes get it wrong.
As I've argued on here before, the triggering of A50 ought to start the real national debate which is about the kind of country, society, economy and indeed people we want to be in the 2020s and beyond. Unfortunately and perhaps deliberately, six months of a slanging match before 23/6/16 has turned most people right off the idea of such of a debate.
I think the big votes of confidence in May and the Government represent, Corbyn notwithstanding, a weariness and a desire just to get on with normal life and not having to think about the big questions too hard. That is in my view a mistake.
I don't have a lot of confidence in the Three Stooges being able to negotiate their way out of a paper bag and, as I fear, in 2019, we start hearing there is no deal to be done, the anti-European quasi-jingoistic rhetoric will be ramped up to ensure it's everyone's patriotic duty to vote Conservative in 2020.
Going into the 2020s with an unsatisfactory non-deal, WTO rules and a legacy of ill-will may sound to some people like the dawn of a Golden Age for Global Britain - I'm less convinced.
The problem is the negotiators are getting no coherent feedback - even now there is a cacophony of differing views on issues from Single Market access to immigration and it remains to be seen whether the "I support the Government no matter what" brigade remains as dominant as it seems at present. May's great plan at the beginning of the year was a series of half-considered platitudes which will unravel pretty quickly once we all get into the detail.
Momentum @PeoplesMomentum 2h2 hours ago
Is his name even Paul? #paulnutallfacts
Trying to hide behind the fact you do not like SNP does not cover the fact you are always thrilled at bad news from Scotland , that is despicable and highlights why Tories are hated due to their vile nastiness gloating at other people's misfortunes. You should be hanging your head in shame.
At this stage I think Germany deserves a right royal fucking for their parasitical policies within NATO and the Eurozone. They are nothing but a leech within both and should either be made to pay up or be forced out.
Pence the quiet assassin. Watch your back Trump.
The risk with Sturgeon's current strategy is that she may come to be seen to be obsessed with independence which for most Scots is actually a secondary issue (yes the SNP do get this - that's why their campaign for independence was not the real issues surrounding independence but on schools'n'hospitals). If that is come to be seen as running counter to Scotland's interests, which it may come to be in time, then the SNP will come to pay a heavy price electorally.
If however they can successfully argue that only independence can resolve these issues then they should win a second referendum. The risk with that strategy is - well, see that bus with £350 million a week written on it.
Personally I would be surprised if there were another referendum within ten years. I also think it would only be winnable if EU membership and a new relationship with the UK was agreed in advance, and I'm doubtful if that will happen given the EU's notorious reluctance to let common sense trump treaty changes.
However, if Brexit is a total dog's dinner and the EU's leaders for once in their miserable and futile existence do something intelligent, I could easily be wrong about that
As for NATO the agreement has for decades been 2% of GDP - and Germany is spending nothing like that....
Do you not think the Germans are taking the piss?
What shipbuilder in its right mind is going to invest in infrastructure in a country that could lose the vast majority of its contracts in a couple of years?
More to the point, I think you will find that if the president is declared insane the VP becomes acting president - so that provision doesn't actually apply.
He's arguing that there should be scope for another referendum if voters dislike the way things are going.
That's why the Labour Party and Tories offered referendums in the 70s, 80s, 90s and the 00s. isn't it?