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  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,202

    I don't have a problem with professional politicians. My problem is that they are by and large pretty poor at the job.

    It is the voters who elect them, as the old saying goes 'you get the politicians you deserve'
  • matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    When was IDS found with his hand in the till? Moreover he had been strongly Catholic all his life. There has been no recent religious discovery for him.
  • AndyJS said:

    "Bagehot

    The elite that failed
    Britain’s political crisis exposes the inadequacy of its leaders"

    https://www.economist.com/britain/2018/12/22/the-elite-that-failed

    I've never really understood what the "elite" is. Is Jeremy Corbyn the elite?
    From the Economist link: the new political class has preserved many of the failures of the old establishment. It is introverted and self-regarding, sending its members straight from u
    I seem to recall looking into this problem in the run-up to the 2015 election, and discovering that Cameron, EdM and Clegg had all spent virtually all of their adult lives working in politics, media and PR. One could call such a situation the ultimate triumph of style over substance. It's small wonder that our pitiful excuse for a national leadership seems incapable of doing anything but lurch from one mishap to the next.
    Not quite 't'was ever thus' but I don't think Blair or Howard had much of a back story before politics. Both were lawyers. IDS had been around a bit more, but you wouldn't call him a success. Going further back, of course Attlee was a solicitor and local councillor and Churchill a professional politician and journalist.
    More importantly, Churchill had essentially been a soldier, a POW and an escapee. He had also had that most important of things in life: he had experienced failure on a couple of occasions (e.g. losing in Oldham in 1899).

    I fear that not only have too many senior MPs come up via the same route (e.g. PPE) and have limited wide experience; too many have not experienced failure in their lives. Although the modern media may not make being a 'failure' easy.
    Good points. Of course, after WWII pretty well all male politicians up until the early 70's had been in the Services, apart from Wilson, who had been a Civil Servant in a reserved occupation, and Foot, who to his annoyance, I understand, found himself medically unfit. Bevan hadn't, but he'd been a miner.
    Heseltine famously got himself out of National Service early by standing for Parliament, but otherwise men born before 1939 or so would have done, or been liable for, National Service, and being born before about 1936 would have meant they couldn't avoid it by being at Uni.
    Blair of course was the deposit-losing Labour candidate in Beaconsfield by-election in1982, when the Labour vote was almost halved.
    Didn’t he stand on a platform which included a promise to leave the EEC?
  • CD13CD13 Posts: 6,366
    Dr Fox,


    "My own experience of animal testing is that much of it is pointless and unreliable."

    We can agree to differ there. It's done because of the legal requirements. Some is box-ticking and this applies to consumer fripperies like shampoo which is crazy. But being advised to check my car for bombs in the 1980s because of these loons, I'm happy to smear them all with the same label. Perhaps I'm practising to become a Remainer?

    The Gatwick stunt would be logical for the younger and sillier members, yet there's a reluctance to consider this in the media.

    Of course, it could always be a Ukip stunt.


  • RecidivistRecidivist Posts: 4,679
    edited December 2018
    Just got round to reading Peter Kellner's analysis of the latest polling.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/20/polls-stay-eu-yougov-brexit-peoples-vote

    The headline figures look bad for leave. But it is worth digging into the details. They look worse.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,257
    Plank said:

    I know it sounds counter-intuitive but if I have understood Dr Adler correctly a couple of EU countries have decided that, on balance, it is not in their particular long term interest for us to remain. So would be reluctant to give an extension for another remain referendum.

    Indeed so. As we move into the endgame in the new year MPs will need to tune out the static and concentrate on the decision at hand. Do we ratify the Withdrawal Treaty and leave the European Union? Or do we revoke article 50 and think again?

    It's a big test for them. I hope they are up to it.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,286
    edited December 2018

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    When was IDS found with his hand in the till? Moreover he had been strongly Catholic all his life. There has been no recent religious discovery for him.
    Well I suppose one might say he committed a fraud on the Conservative Party, by suggesting that he would be a competent leader...
  • Plank said:

    kle4 said:

    Plank said:

    I have just been listening to the latest Brexitcast.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06w74ls

    Not the best episode but there were two points I noticed. Laura k thinks that Conservative MP's opposition to TMay's deal is softening. Also Katya Adler thinks that the attitude of a couple of EU countries has shifted against agreeing to an A50 extension should one be requested by Britain.

    Feels odd that they would be less inclined to agree an extension, given they would presumably only agree on in the event of something like a referendum with remain as an option rather than just we would like more time, but anything that helps narrow down the options so MPs make a decision would be good. Though MPs on both sides officially at least don't believe the EU about renegotiation, so presumably would not believe that they would refuse an extension either.
    I know it sounds counter-intuitive but if I have understood Dr Adler correctly a couple of EU countries have decided that, on balance, it is not in their particular long term interest for us to remain. So would be reluctant to give an extension for another remain referendum.
    I suspect (and I haven't listened to this podcast) that the danger with an A50 extension is simply that any one of the 27 can extract concessions, and probably "the urine", in return for saying yes. It must be a massive risk to the endless can-kicking. We can't go asking for that in the second week of March without Spain wanting the keys to Gibraltar and Macron demanding a new golden table for his office.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,871

    Plank said:

    kle4 said:

    Plank said:

    I have just been listening to the latest Brexitcast.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06w74ls

    Not the best episode but there were two points I noticed. Laura k thinks that Conservative MP's opposition to TMay's deal is softening. Also Katya Adler thinks that the attitude of a couple of EU countries has shifted against agreeing to an A50 extension should one be requested by Britain.

    Feels odd that they would be less inclined to agree an extension, given they would presumably only agree on in the event of something like a referendum with remain as an option rather than just we would like more time, but anything that helps narrow down the options so MPs make a decision would be good. Though MPs on both sides officially at least don't believe the EU about renegotiation, so presumably would not believe that they would refuse an extension either.
    I know it sounds counter-intuitive but if I have understood Dr Adler correctly a couple of EU countries have decided that, on balance, it is not in their particular long term interest for us to remain. So would be reluctant to give an extension for another remain referendum.
    I suspect (and I haven't listened to this podcast) that the danger with an A50 extension is simply that any one of the 27 can extract concessions, and probably "the urine", in return for saying yes. It must be a massive risk to the endless can-kicking. We can't go asking for that in the second week of March without Spain wanting the keys to Gibraltar and Macron demanding a new golden table for his office.
    So we'd have to revoke and have a confirmatory referendum afterwards, and ask the leavers to use the time to come up with a workable plan to go on the other side of the ballot?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,237

    Plank said:

    kle4 said:

    Plank said:

    I have just been listening to the latest Brexitcast.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06w74ls

    Not the best episode but there were two points I noticed. Laura k thinks that Conservative MP's opposition to TMay's deal is softening. Also Katya Adler thinks that the attitude of a couple of EU countries has shifted against agreeing to an A50 extension should one be requested by Britain.

    Feels odd that they would be less inclined to agree an extension, given they would presumably only agree on in the event of something like a referendum with remain as an option rather than just we would like more time, but anything that helps narrow down the options so MPs make a decision would be good. Though MPs on both sides officially at least don't believe the EU about renegotiation, so presumably would not believe that they would refuse an extension either.
    I know it sounds counter-intuitive but if I have understood Dr Adler correctly a couple of EU countries have decided that, on balance, it is not in their particular long term interest for us to remain. So would be reluctant to give an extension for another remain referendum.
    I suspect (and I haven't listened to this podcast) that the danger with an A50 extension is simply that any one of the 27 can extract concessions, and probably "the urine", in return for saying yes. It must be a massive risk to the endless can-kicking. We can't go asking for that in the second week of March without Spain wanting the keys to Gibraltar and Macron demanding a new golden table for his office.
    I think that is less of a problem than it was, because the UK can "threaten" to unilaterally revoke a50 of no extension is given.
  • Mr. 1000, requires May to do that, though.

    A vegetarian can order a bacon sarnie. But they won't.
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,856
    Has the government ever realised that it had two options.

    1) Prepare for no deal.

    Or:

    2) Accept whatever deal the EU would offer us.

    I almost have to laugh at someone like IDS saying that it's time for the EU to get serious and start negotiating.
  • Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    https://twitter.com/SamCoatesTimes/status/1076046215949795328

    Malcolm needs to get his turnip crop in quick...
  • Donny43Donny43 Posts: 634

    Just got round to reading Peter Kellner's analysis of the latest polling.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/20/polls-stay-eu-yougov-brexit-peoples-vote

    The headline figures look bad for leave. But it is worth digging into the details. They look worse.

    I'm not sure how meaningful polls are when only one side is campaigning. Governments always poll badly in midterm, as we know.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,677

    Just got round to reading Peter Kellner's analysis of the latest polling.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/20/polls-stay-eu-yougov-brexit-peoples-vote

    The headline figures look bad for leave. But it is worth digging into the details. They look worse.

    Remain is now the anti-establishment vote in the way Leave used to be.
  • Has the government ever realised that it had two options.

    1) Prepare for no deal.

    Or:

    2) Accept whatever deal the EU would offer us.

    I almost have to laugh at someone like IDS saying that it's time for the EU to get serious and start negotiating.

    Or cry. They have learned absolutely nothing from the last two years.
  • Quite a lot of juggling has resulted in a moderate improvement in the public finances in Nvoember (traditionally a bad month for the Treasury.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

  • AndyJS said:

    "Bagehot

    The elite that failed
    Britain’s political crisis exposes the inadequacy of its leaders"

    https://www.economist.com/britain/2018/12/22/the-elite-that-failed

    I've never really understood what the "elite" is. Is Jeremy Corbyn the elite?
    No. Not in any sense.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,705

    Has the government ever realised that it had two options.

    1) Prepare for no deal.

    Or:

    2) Accept whatever deal the EU would offer us.

    I almost have to laugh at someone like IDS saying that it's time for the EU to get serious and start negotiating.

    Or:

    3) Hold a further referendum that could potentially lead to either of the above... or Remain.

    But regardless, I think the answer to your question depends on what you think constitutes 'the government'. I believe TMay and a majority of the cabinet do realise that the options are very limited. The ERG fantasists clearly don't get this however.

    It could be argued that the Labour Leadership also fail to get this, although Labour's preferred softer Brexit, to the extent they have deifined it probably could have come within your 2nd option... but not now, as we have no time left.
  • Mr. Ace, no, it isn't. The media and political class majority were for Remain, and remain pro-EU.
  • On topic, supposing May somehow gets her vote through and the DUP then pull the plug, these 6 MPs will have a strong incentive for there NOT to be an early GE as they will be making themselves unemployed sooner...
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    edited December 2018
    Storage of food in Cumbria, eh?

    Given how slow the road network is there, seems like a daft idea. But I have a bit of land which I am willing to rent out for food storage and the like..... just saying.
  • SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095

    I don't have a problem with professional politicians. My problem is that they are by and large pretty poor at the job.

    Seasons Greetings and thanks for all your articles. I do hope your partner has fully recovered?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,257
    IanB2 said:

    So we'd have to revoke and have a confirmatory referendum afterwards, and ask the leavers to use the time to come up with a workable plan to go on the other side of the ballot?

    That is what the eminent Kenneth Clarke CH QC favours, except that he feels Parliament should decide on the future direction (Remain or a properly planned Leave) without resort to the dreaded R word. He also stresses that there should be no rush. If it takes many years and involves a general election or two, so be it. I always have time for Ken. He is one of my least unfavourite tory politicians.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,705
    Re No Deal...

    PBers who were spouting we'd be fine because: 'Britain can take it', 'Blitz spirit', 'stiff upper lip' and other such nonsense, seem to have gone a bit quiet following the deft way we have dealt with the Gartwick drones and not allowed them to cause any disruption.

    The fact is the world is a vastly more technologically complex place than it was in 1940.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,237
    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    Thou shall not worship false idols?
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    kinabalu said:

    IanB2 said:

    So we'd have to revoke and have a confirmatory referendum afterwards, and ask the leavers to use the time to come up with a workable plan to go on the other side of the ballot?

    That is what the eminent Kenneth Clarke CH QC favours, except that he feels Parliament should decide on the future direction (Remain or a properly planned Leave) without resort to the dreaded R word. He also stresses that there should be no rush. If it takes many years and involves a general election or two, so be it. I always have time for Ken. He is one of my least unfavourite tory politicians.
    Ken Clarke is a grown up. Every time he has spoken recently he shows up the rest of his fellow MPs.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,705

    On topic, supposing May somehow gets her vote through and the DUP then pull the plug, these 6 MPs will have a strong incentive for there NOT to be an early GE as they will be making themselves unemployed sooner...


    Yes, made a similar point a few days ago... they'd be turkeys voting for Christmas to use a topical cliché. Then again, some will genuinely not find themselves able to support this government.
  • I don't have a problem with professional politicians. My problem is that they are by and large pretty poor at the job.

    Seasons Greetings and thanks for all your articles. I do hope your partner has fully recovered?
    That's very kind of you to ask. He's made a full recovery and lives a completely independent life once again.

    He has been incredibly lucky (though he has helped himself enormously by working so hard at his recovery). I suspect few recover as he has done.
  • Mr. Ace, no, it isn't. The media and political class majority were for Remain, and remain pro-EU.

    While Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees Mogg and a number of other establishment figures (let's face it, you don't get much more "establishment" than being old Etonian) were open about being in favour Leave. Let us also not forget that the right wing newspapers (establishment) were also largely pro-Leave. I would also argue that well-known prep-school/top grammar school boy(and famously got 2 Es at A-level), that was brought up in a rural manor house is, despite his protestations, very much part of the political establishment, and also, despite his vagueness has also effectively supported leave through his lack of enthusiasm for the capitalist EU.
    Sorry Mr Dancer, but claiming Leave was anti-establishment really doesn't stand up to scrutiny, unless, of course, you consider the subversive aspect of supporting the foreign policy ambitions of Vladimir, in which case I might take that in mitigation!
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    rcs1000 said:

    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    Thou shall not worship false idols?
    Ha Ha!

    Thou shalt not bear false witness. Or not lying. Would do some City types good to remember that one, too.
  • Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    We are all sinners. Though I agree that one might hope that a solicitor and MP might have not sinned quite so spectacularly over such a trivial matter.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,884

    On topic, supposing May somehow gets her vote through and the DUP then pull the plug, these 6 MPs will have a strong incentive for there NOT to be an early GE as they will be making themselves unemployed sooner...


    Yes, made a similar point a few days ago... they'd be turkeys voting for Christmas to use a topical cliché. Then again, some will genuinely not find themselves able to support this government.
    Looking at that list it is their ability to support themselves that they should be worrying about.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,220

    I don't have a problem with professional politicians. My problem is that they are by and large pretty poor at the job.

    What's worrying recently, and it doesn't particularly vary for your prefferred way forward is the astonishing seeming lack of grasp of the facts. Not ones that are unknowable (The true amount of disruption in a no deal with the EU scenario) but for instance Leadsom stating that the recent unilateral diktats are somehow a negotiation Mk II. They may well benefit the UK collaterally but are emphatically not a 'deal'.
  • Miss Cyclefree, ha. Makes me think of the eleventh commandment.
  • dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,300
    https://twitter.com/MattSingh_/status/1075882690052833280

    Perhaps Fiona Onasanya knows that verse.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,884
    Cyclefree said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    Thou shall not worship false idols?
    Ha Ha!

    Thou shalt not bear false witness. Or not lying. Would do some City types good to remember that one, too.
    It was not coveting thy neighbour's ass that I always found a little problematic.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318

    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    We are all sinners. Though I agree that one might hope that a solicitor and MP might have not sinned quite so spectacularly over such a trivial matter.
    Quite.

    I am not that surprised. I have seen very many people who behave like that over relatively trivial matters. Says a lot about their character. If that is how they behave over unimportant matters, how can they be trusted to behave well over important ones. A question which is not asked as often as it should be.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,884

    On topic, supposing May somehow gets her vote through and the DUP then pull the plug, these 6 MPs will have a strong incentive for there NOT to be an early GE as they will be making themselves unemployed sooner...


    Yes, made a similar point a few days ago... they'd be turkeys voting for Christmas to use a topical cliché. Then again, some will genuinely not find themselves able to support this government.
    I'm sure that I read that Turkeys did indeed vote against Christmas but the remainers took the view that they were ignorant of the implications of that decision and ignored it. Something to do with marginal changes to GDP I think...
  • Nigelb said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    When was IDS found with his hand in the till? Moreover he had been strongly Catholic all his life. There has been no recent religious discovery for him.
    Well I suppose one might say he committed a fraud on the Conservative Party, by suggesting that he would be a competent leader...
    They elected him knowing his views. Caveat Emptor
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    Thou shall not worship false idols?
    Ha Ha!

    Thou shalt not bear false witness. Or not lying. Would do some City types good to remember that one, too.
    It was not coveting thy neighbour's ass that I always found a little problematic.
    That good Jewish joke.

    Moses (after his meeting with God): “I have good news and bad news.”

    Israelites: “What is the good news?”

    Moses: “I bargained Him down to 10.”

    Israelites: “And the bad news?”

    Moses: “Adultery is still in there.”
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,884
    Cyclefree said:

    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    We are all sinners. Though I agree that one might hope that a solicitor and MP might have not sinned quite so spectacularly over such a trivial matter.
    Quite.

    I am not that surprised. I have seen very many people who behave like that over relatively trivial matters. Says a lot about their character. If that is how they behave over unimportant matters, how can they be trusted to behave well over important ones. A question which is not asked as often as it should be.
    It always seemed to me that many people who were so happy to accept the broken window theory of crime prevention involving severe penalties for misdemeanours somehow struggle to see the relevance of the same psychology to their own white collar lives.
  • On topic, supposing May somehow gets her vote through and the DUP then pull the plug, these 6 MPs will have a strong incentive for there NOT to be an early GE as they will be making themselves unemployed sooner...


    Yes, made a similar point a few days ago... they'd be turkeys voting for Christmas to use a topical cliché. Then again, some will genuinely not find themselves able to support this government.
    Abstain?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,257
    Cyclefree said:

    Ken Clarke is a grown up. Every time he has spoken recently he shows up the rest of his fellow MPs.

    Very grown up and literally so. The Father of the House no less. I feel particularly close to him at the moment because he seems to be one of the few politicians who hate both Brexit and the idea of another referendum about equally. Which is what I feel.

    "The fish don't know they're British."

    That was one of many zingers from him over the last year or so.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,286

    Nigelb said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    When was IDS found with his hand in the till? Moreover he had been strongly Catholic all his life. There has been no recent religious discovery for him.
    Well I suppose one might say he committed a fraud on the Conservative Party, by suggesting that he would be a competent leader...
    They elected him knowing his views. Caveat Emptor
    His Grayling class brain ought to have been known about, I’ll allow, but his utter incapacity to speak in public without choking came as something of a surprise...

  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,286
    This is a very good blog post about the state of play in Trumpland:
    https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/12/20/the-moving-parts-the-walls-come-down-around-trump/

    It contains a fair amount of speculation, but that is clearly flagged.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,705
    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    We are all sinners. Though I agree that one might hope that a solicitor and MP might have not sinned quite so spectacularly over such a trivial matter.
    Quite.

    I am not that surprised. I have seen very many people who behave like that over relatively trivial matters. Says a lot about their character. If that is how they behave over unimportant matters, how can they be trusted to behave well over important ones. A question which is not asked as often as it should be.
    It always seemed to me that many people who were so happy to accept the broken window theory of crime prevention involving severe penalties for misdemeanours somehow struggle to see the relevance of the same psychology to their own white collar lives.
    Haha, nice try. In fact of course 52% of turkeys voted for Christmas but fortunately there may be an option to delay the event itself. :smile:
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,318
    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    Cyclefree said:

    matt said:

    On topic sort of, I do enjoy how a certain type of MP finds god once they’ve been caught with their hand in the till. Aitken, Duncan-Smith and now Fiona XXX. They can’t stop taking the public for fools.

    Ms Onasanya has been a long term church attender.

    Actually this is the one area that I cut her a bit of slack. In my experience many of those brought up in the African Christian culture have a much more direct and daily link between their lives and the bible than modern CofE attenders would make. I can easily imagine that these references seemed normal to her and she was merely indicating her scriptural guidance rather than making claims to sanctity.

    Still tin-eared for a politician in modern Britain, mind.
    Curious though, if she does have such a direct and daily link with the Bible, that she is so unaware of one of the 10 Commandments and its applicability to her actions.

    We are all sinners. Though I agree that one might hope that a solicitor and MP might have not sinned quite so spectacularly over such a trivial matter.
    Quite.

    I am not that surprised. I have seen very many people who behave like that over relatively trivial matters. Says a lot about their character. If that is how they behave over unimportant matters, how can they be trusted to behave well over important ones. A question which is not asked as often as it should be.
    It always seemed to me that many people who were so happy to accept the broken window theory of crime prevention involving severe penalties for misdemeanours somehow struggle to see the relevance of the same psychology to their own white collar lives.
    Well, not only are we all sinners but we are all hypocrites, to a greater or lesser extent.
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