If adopting someone else's policy at the last minute is going to work for Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte's VVD party, how come Boris Johnson didn't take over in Number Ten after the Brexit vote? Laying the VVD at 1.59 looks tempting (more tempting than backing the PVV at 3, because it may be a tie).
The damage has been done. Some trust in the government will have been lost by many of its supporters.
A question is where the most pressure for the u-turn came from: it certainly wasn't from the opposition. If it was from the Conservative backbenchers rather than the media, then May has some fairly significant problems bubbling under the surface.
It also means she'll have a big credibility problem in negotiations with the EU if they've seen her fold so easily in the past.
She folded on account of simply not being in a position to get the measure through the HoC, since approx 100 Tory MPs were said to be opposed.
A very unimpressive performance both by her and by Spreadsheet Phil.
Silly me, I forgot the special looking glass that means higher Scottish employment is the fault of incompetent Holyrood, and lower the responsibility of wise Westminster.
Well that's a circular argument as it's always trumpeted the opposite way by the SNP.
Since I highlighted the Scottish employment figures in relation to the unending whine from Unionists about EssEnPee referendum uncertainty damaging the Scottish economy, you should probably direct your point to the person suggesting these figures might be a union dividend.
I assumed he was having a wee joke to see if someone bit.
Och, we can all play that game. Thanks for the nibble!
The problem with u-turns like this is that they don't fully fix the issue. People like the boiler man who was ranting about the NIC change whilst fixing my boiler last Thursday won't be thinking: "Oh, that's alright then."
They might feel relief, but many will still feel sore, and some will wonder, rightly or wrongly, how the government will get the money by stealth.
The damage has been done. Some trust in the government will have been lost by many of its supporters.
A question is where the most pressure for the u-turn came from: it certainly wasn't from the opposition. If it was from the Conservative backbenchers rather than the media, then May has some fairly significant problems bubbling under the surface.
Perhaps the Labour Party actually have a very cunning plan. They let Corbyn play pretend at being leader until late 2018, 2019. He continues to be as useful as the proverbial chocolate teapot. Tories get increasingly complacent and let themselves go. Labour depose Corbyn in a swift coup, Jarvis takes over, and Labour ride to victory in a 2020 landslide.
I'm too much of an optimist to believe the alternative.
Jarvis polls poorly with Labour members and what are they going to ride to victory on? Reversing Brexit?
They should take a leaf out of the Tory playbook and bypass a leadership contest. Jarvis would probably be popular with the voters. Doesn't have to be Jarvis of course - there must be at least one Labour candidate who polls well with members and with voters.
On Brexit they need to put forward a sort of 'red brexit' plan - don't reverse it, embrace it, by that point we will have left/be leaving the EU and the Lib Dems will have mopped up the remaining remainers. They need to capture the spirit of 1945 with Churchill and Attlee. The Tories were the ones to deliver the war victory / brexit, but Labour are the ones to build on the peace/build a new britain etc.
Obviously none of this is likely, I'm just saying this is what they need to try and do.
The problem with u-turns like this is that they don't fully fix the issue. People like the boiler man who was ranting about the NIC change whilst fixing my boiler last Thursday won't be thinking: "Oh, that's alright then."
They might feel relief, but many will still feel sore, and some will wonder, rightly or wrongly, how the government will get the money by stealth.
The damage has been done. Some trust in the government will have been lost by many of its supporters.
A question is where the most pressure for the u-turn came from: it certainly wasn't from the opposition. If it was from the Conservative backbenchers rather than the media, then May has some fairly significant problems bubbling under the surface.
The instigator in my opinion was TM herself. She would not accept a manifesto breach
But she must have read and discussed the budget before Hammond read it out? That explanation just makes her look incompetent.
With her tray full delegation is esssntial. I do believe it was a collective failure of the cabinet and TM has reversed it - the right thing to do
Oh come on now: it was the budget. It should be at the top of the tray, at least for a few days. The country hasn't stopped just because of Brexit.
What an utter shambles. And I don't mean Hammond but Davis before Brexit select committee this morning. And we really expect this shower to get ensuring they've promised us from the EU negotiations? The amazing thing is that they're still 40% in the polls.
You trust a Corbyn-led government to do a better job?
Perhaps the Labour Party actually have a very cunning plan. They let Corbyn play pretend at being leader until late 2018, 2019. He continues to be as useful as the proverbial chocolate teapot. Tories get increasingly complacent and let themselves go. Labour depose Corbyn in a swift coup, Jarvis takes over, and Labour ride to victory in a 2020 landslide.
I'm too much of an optimist to believe the alternative.
Jarvis polls poorly with Labour members and what are they going to ride to victory on? Reversing Brexit?
They should take a leaf out of the Tory playbook and bypass a leadership contest. Jarvis would probably be popular with the voters. Doesn't have to be Jarvis of course - there must be at least one Labour candidate who polls well with members and with voters.
On Brexit they need to put forward a sort of 'red brexit' plan - don't reverse it, embrace it, by that point we will have left/be leaving the EU and the Lib Dems will have mopped up the remaining remainers. They need to capture the spirit of 1945 with Churchill and Attlee. The Tories were the ones to deliver the war victory / brexit, but Labour are the ones to build on the peace/build a new britain etc.
Obviously none of this is likely, I'm just saying this is what they need to try and do.
This morning I started writing a thread header that referenced the NI storm being weathered. Just don't get why they'd u turn now.
(a) They [maybe] don't have the votes for it, and (b) the credibility of the 2020 manifesto was at stake.
The fact that the polling we did see was broadly in favour suggests that a more substantial realignment [or maybe even abolition of NI?] may well be part of that next manifesto. I hope so.
The latter point is as important as not having enough votes in the house.
The measure is popular as you say, but not worth breaking the manifesto over.
Comments
A very unimpressive performance both by her and by Spreadsheet Phil.
Thanks for the nibble!
Does anyone think the outsiders in Holland are a touch of value? CDA 40, D66 120, GL 110 on Betfair.
-444 PVV
+424 VDD
+170 All the rags.
Betfair tells me this is worth +£46 at the moment.
On Brexit they need to put forward a sort of 'red brexit' plan - don't reverse it, embrace it, by that point we will have left/be leaving the EU and the Lib Dems will have mopped up the remaining remainers. They need to capture the spirit of 1945 with Churchill and Attlee. The Tories were the ones to deliver the war victory / brexit, but Labour are the ones to build on the peace/build a new britain etc.
Obviously none of this is likely, I'm just saying this is what they need to try and do.
https://twitter.com/kezdugdale/status/841943278199164928
Thread Nouveau
NEW THREAD.
It was a silly, unforced error.
"The Corbyn “experiment” has failed. You have to end it. Now."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/15/labour-mps-must-end-farce-jeremy-corbyns-leadership-now/
The measure is popular as you say, but not worth breaking the manifesto over.