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Ally of David Davis is spreading rumours Boris Johnson slept with Theresa May’s aide during campaign https://t.co/7ltka8PGd8
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Time to roll out the scorpion and frog fable again ?
I can atleast see the argument with Boris (he has the biggest potential upside, although a big downside too), and even Davis makes a certain amount of sense, but HAMMOND?!?!
On topic: it's just over a month since the GE, do we really have to put up with another 59 months of this shambles masquerading as government? I am not sure I can face it tbh.
Major and Currie ?
Edit: Benpointer got there first. I blame vanilla. But clearly your comment would have got the same answer.
Just listen to this terrific piece from Hans Zimmer. So intense, you feel you're there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=296&v=n1VJ39nVIBk
Really? This stuff is all hard evidence based?
Didn't SeanT once claim to have had a fling with Rachel Johnson?
One must be wary of hype, but I've heard nothing bad about it so far.
* The story is not actually that exciting.
We can always exaggerate it for you and take it out of context later at no extra charge.
I slept on the floor. Nothing happened.
On that bombshell, good night.
(it was in the context of this revelation by Boris, https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.independent.co.uk/news/people/boris-johnson-wouldnt-recommend-snorting-icing-sugar-to-any-young-person-9804489.html?amp, and Lord Sewel)
I'm gonna win.
And not a single Nazi uniform in sight.
This really is Anti-Anecdotes Night
In all seriousness, though - both main parties do need some way of ditching Prime Ministers in times of political stress, without triggering a full and impractical leadership contest. Labour had the problem when Brown proved a disaster as PM, and the Tories have a similar problem with Theresa May. Having said that, I think the moment has passed, so I'm surprised that the jostling continues - and a full contest is impossible under the lash of the Article 50 timetable.
Disclaimer: I have a grey suit, and am prepared to do my duty for the party and country.
Year Total Direct Revenue as a %GDP
2010 35.32%
2011 36.31%
2012 36.70%
2013 36.55%
2014 36.77%
2015 36.33%
2016 36.63%
2017 37.20%
But in any event that's not really my point. The deficit can be reduced by spending less or taxing more. Spending less is going to be increasingly unsustainable for this Government if it doesn't want to be annihilated at the next GE.
Expect to see big tax rises over the next few years.
What happened to "taking back control"?The good ship UK is rudderless and riding around in ever decreasing circles.
You guys are just swallowing your own myths... some taxes have gone down, others have gone up (e.g. stamp duty, NI contributions, and restriction of tax relief on pensions).
https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/publications/bns/BN_182.pdf
Financial markets,however,may not see any funny side to government chaos adding to the existing uncertainty,as the OBR suggested.It would not surprise me one bit if a "correction" came along otherwise known as a market crash.
One thing is for sure,this ain't strong and stable.
Deborah Orr
Though it is hard to explain the growth of these offences, they do seem to reflect the rising anger around us"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/14/acid-attacks-capital-london-crime-anger
http://www.politico.eu/article/pis-polands-point-of-no-return/
The first problem the Tories have is that the former demographic is relatively speaking, declining, whereas the latter is increasing. The second problem is that the Tories have no option but to continue with a relatively hard Brexit, given the referendum and their current voter demographics - but that is bound to alienate the second group, the votes of whom in some proportion they need to form a decent majority government.
What is the answer? in the short term, I don't see one but to carry through Brexit to the best they can. Not to do so will ruin the party for a generation given the position they are in - and the more that hardliners on either side rebel against the government's strategy, the harder it makes it for the Tories both to win the next GE and in the longer run, to rebuild the party. The only way forward I see is to bring in Brexit in a relatively united manner, then to take whatever punishment the electorate may deliver at the ballot box and rebuilt the coalition of centrist/conservative middle class and socially conservative/pro-aspiration working class voters that has delivered the Tory PArty victory in the past as best they can.
This might a pretty trite set of comments (apologies for that, I've had a bit to drink), but I really don't see how sniping from both sides of the Conservative coalition helps the Tory Party in any way short, medium or long term and thereby the country - I take the Baldwinesque view that the country needs a strong centre-right force to restrain extremism from both ends of the spectrum. The TSE approach, I think, risks the utter destruction of the Tory Party as it stands and ushers in an era of Labour/centre-left dominance while the centre right sorts itself out, Canadian style, and very possibly with a more populist style. The opposite, hard Brexit approach I think preserves the Tory Party as one of the main parties of state but risks consigning it to the sidelines for a decade or so as we experienced between 1997 and 2010 while the emotions and disillusionment brought into play by Brexit eventually calm down. The danger there is that the Tories become the UK version of the Republican Party, dependent upon a high turnout of declining demographics to achieve power.
Ultimately my view is that the Tories don't have any option but to let Theresa May get on with Brexit. Hardly ideal but I don't see how else the Conservatives can retain the perception as being a competent party of government.
https://www.ft.com/content/9fa6a286-0fed-11e7-b030-768954394623
Wootton Bassett (15.7.09)
Who were these men?
What are they to me,
These eight young men who died
In a land across the sea?
They went to fight the Taliban,
To serve their gracious noble Queen
But what’s it for? What does it mean,
When some are dead at just eighteen?
No more the blazing sun for them
No more the sand or flies
Innoculations or mosquito nets;
The cool relief comes as he dies.
No more the sound of bang and rattle
No more fear of shrapnel’s clatter,
Roadside bombs or I.E.D.s,
Snipers, or their Pashto chatter
Knowing not the greater picture,
Unconscious of the whirlwind’s reaping:
Imperialism’s latest misadventure
Takes its harvest as they’re sleeping
They were someone’s sons and dads,
Boyfriend or a cheeky brother,
Grandson, uncle, one of the lads,
Always someone’s one or other
These eight men, who were they to me?
Someone else’s own Prince Harry,
Someone other’s Daniel Radcliffe,
Perhaps waiting, some day to marry
All were precious, strong, beloved,
Eight noble princes from a different clan
Taken each from his own people,
Now all grimly equal, to a man.