The pb.com tories longstanding infatuation with the jug eared geek is just mystifying. He needs to jump straight to the end of his political career and morph into a Portillo style national treasure. Perhaps he could open that fair trade hiking boot co-operative of which he has so often spoken.
That's a pretty nasty comment and not something of which you should be proud.
Just going back to the point about an explicit condition of the last extension being that there would be no renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement.
Of course you can say it's all politics and that can change. But with regard to the commitments now being made about dates - surely as the European Council has formally stated this, it can be reversed only by a further decision of the Council?
Yes, but the Council decides on any further extension and potential renegotiation anyway, so it's a bit academic. If they want to play ball they can, and if they don't they don't.
I honestly don't see the point of all this "now here's Trevor from Thetford with a question" nonsense.
By all means, get people to send in questions and pick some good ones for the interviewer to throw in based on covering the sort of issues people are raising. But why do we need to throw over to Trevor in the Norfolk studio? And are we meant to give a stuff what Trevor personally thinks about Sajid Javid's answer? I can make my own judgment on how well or poorly the Saj has addressed the issue, thanks Trev. With the greatest respect, I don't really give a flying **** about the pre-prepared comments of someone who I don't know and who isn't in the running to be PM or hold any senior office.
Maybe Trevor is a partisan stooge, or maybe he isn't. Maybe he's a moron, a bigot, and a blue-badge abuser. Or maybe he's the finest fellow every to live in Thetford. But we don't know, and so why should we care what he personally reckons?
Sid Vicious basically had it right about the man on the street.
That’s quite a surprise . Perhaps some in here expected too much from Stewart.I think last nights forum didn’t suit him but clearly the public were a lot more positive about him than many in these types of forums .
It is a pleasant surprise but imagine in this kind of poll a significant proportion of people (perhaps even a majority?) answer who they would prefer as PM rather than who performed best on the night.
Just going back to the point about an explicit condition of the last extension being that there would be no renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement.
Of course you can say it's all politics and that can change. But with regard to the commitments now being made about dates - surely as the European Council has formally stated this, it can be reversed only by a further decision of the Council?
Yes, but the Council decides on any further extension and potential renegotiation anyway, so it's a bit academic. If they want to play ball they can, and if they don't they don't.
I'm talking about the timetable, though.
Before any renegotiation can even start, the European Council will have to authorise it. I think that would involve a meeting of heads of government - I doubt it's the kind of decision that would be made by telephone.
Reads really weird. Makes it read like its not really a school but is getting called one.
Those aren't apostrophes. You're as clueless about punctuation as he is.
OK Mr Pedant, single quotation marks. Same button on keyboard.
It wasn't a political point. To me it reads really weird, is it correct grammar to use quotation marks there?
Same "button" on "keyboard"? What "sort" of "keyboard" are you "using"? An "American" one? I "agree" with your "point" though. I find great "amusement" in "unnecessary" "quotation" marks.
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
Certainly quite a while. It's why I no longer watch it.
Reads really weird. Makes it read like its not really a school but is getting called one.
Those aren't apostrophes. You're as clueless about punctuation as he is.
OK Mr Pedant, single quotation marks. Same button on keyboard.
It wasn't a political point. To me it reads really weird, is it correct grammar to use quotation marks there?
Same button on keyboard? What sort of keyboard are you using? An American one? I agree with your point though. I find great amusement in unnecessary quotation marks.
No an English one. The ' button is located with @ as its shift-option two keys to the right of L.
There is also an ` option to the left of 1 but that isn't the button used.
Oh, I see. I thought you were using some weirdy keyboard with ', and " on the same button, one being the shift of the other.
That's not weird; it's the US keyboard. And the standard Apple A1243 keyboard.
Grammar pedantry is one thing - but keyboard layout pedantry ?
Yes, but the Council decides on any further extension and potential renegotiation anyway, so it's a bit academic. If they want to play ball they can, and if they don't they don't.
The EU's "Taskforce 50" has been disbanded and sent back to their home planets so there is nobody with whom to (re)negotiate at the moment.
Just going back to the point about an explicit condition of the last extension being that there would be no renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement.
Of course you can say it's all politics and that can change. But with regard to the commitments now being made about dates - surely as the European Council has formally stated this, it can be reversed only by a further decision of the Council?
Yes, but the Council decides on any further extension and potential renegotiation anyway, so it's a bit academic. If they want to play ball they can, and if they don't they don't.
I'm talking about the timetable, though.
Before any renegotiation can even start, the European Council will have to authorise it. I think that would involve a meeting of heads of government - I doubt it's the kind of decision that would be made by telephone.
I believe they have in the past made significant decisions by telephone (or whatever comms method they use) - for example on the Greek bailout, if memory serves me correctly.
I believe that the biggest problem is not that, but the fact that the term of the Commission and Tusk's presidency ends on the 31st October. Even in the most optimistic scenario it's hard to see any substantive renegotiation happening until the new lot are in place.
The pb.com tories longstanding infatuation with the jug eared geek is just mystifying. He needs to jump straight to the end of his political career and morph into a Portillo style national treasure. Perhaps he could open that fair trade hiking boot co-operative of which he has so often spoken.
That's a pretty nasty comment and not something of which you should be proud.
Amen to that. Nasty comments about politicians should definitely not be allowed here!
Regarding Stewart saying he's talking to Gove, here's what I think is happening -
Stewart has sussed that Raab's group are thinking of voting Javid to knock Stewart out. He also knows that Raab's group ultimately want Johnson and therefore, like Johnson, want Johnson vs Hunt in the Final. So he plants the fear that if he is knocked out he will switch to Gove and thus help Gove make the Final rather than Hunt. Raab's group swallow this and therefore do NOT vote Javid and therefore Javid gets knocked out. Stewart makes the last 4 and now picks up Javid (notice how they hugged after the debate?). It's enough to overtake Gove, who is knocked out, and Stewart makes the last 3. Stewart now appeals to all of those MPs who want Johnson to face an uncomfortable Final. There are lots of them, Stewart overtakes Hunt. He makes the Final. It's him against Johnson.
He loses big style.
Was it worth it? - He clearly thinks so.
Do you think Rory is trying to prove to everyone that the party is beyond hope before he defects?
The used dipping sauce container is bad enough, but what really made me gag was the copy of Britania Unchained.
On a more serious note, disturbing to see that this poor excuse for a human being is now my near neighbour, as he seems to be slumming it in Peckham. Perhaps it would be for the best if he were to move to Downing Street, if only to get him out of South East London.
In fairness to the BBC staff it is a little confusing that there are higher standards for asking a question of the guests competing to be PM than it is to be one of the guests competing to be PM...
The pb.com tories longstanding infatuation with the jug eared geek is just mystifying. He needs to jump straight to the end of his political career and morph into a Portillo style national treasure. Perhaps he could open that fair trade hiking boot co-operative of which he has so often spoken.
Um did you notice the other four blokes taking part? One of them will be your prime minister shortly. Who would you rather have?
Hunt disqualifies himself by his resemblance to Roland Rat and the prominent display of the Butcher's Apron on the lapel. Boris is unsuitable by dint of driving a Previa. So, in a forced choice, it would have to be THE SAJ. I'm pretty sure I've seen him driving a G11 7 Series.
Reads really weird. Makes it read like its not really a school but is getting called one.
Those aren't apostrophes. You're as clueless about punctuation as he is.
OK Mr Pedant, single quotation marks. Same button on keyboard.
It wasn't a political point. To me it reads really weird, is it correct grammar to use quotation marks there?
Same button on keyboard? What sort of keyboard are you using? An American one? I agree with your point though. I find great amusement in unnecessary quotation marks.
No an English one. The ' button is located with @ as its shift-option two keys to the right of L.
There is also an ` option to the left of 1 but that isn't the button used.
Oh, I see. I thought you were using some weirdy keyboard with ', and " on the same button, one being the shift of the other.
That's not weird; it's the US keyboard. And the standard Apple A1243 keyboard.
Grammar pedantry is one thing - but keyboard layout pedantry ?
An ex-colleague of mine always used Dvorak keyboards. If he could not get one, he would touch-type Dvorak on QWERTY keyboards. And set anyone's computer he was using to Dvorak ...
When that annoying child came on demanding 0% carbon emissions in six years I was waiting for one of the candidates to say don't be so ******* stupid... But didn't happen unfortunately.
I honestly don't see the point of all this "now here's Trevor from Thetford with a question" nonsense.
By all means, get people to send in questions and pick some good ones for the interviewer to throw in based on covering the sort of issues people are raising. But why do we need to throw over to Trevor in the Norfolk studio? And are we meant to give a stuff what Trevor personally thinks about Sajid Javid's answer? I can make my own judgment on how well or poorly the Saj has addressed the issue, thanks Trev. With the greatest respect, I don't really give a flying **** about the pre-prepared comments of someone who I don't know and who isn't in the running to be PM or hold any senior office.
Maybe Trevor is a partisan stooge, or maybe he isn't. Maybe he's a moron, a bigot, and a blue-badge abuser. Or maybe he's the finest fellow every to live in Thetford. But we don't know, and so why should we care what he personally reckons?
Sid Vicious basically had it right about the man on the street.
I agree with you - and also with Sid if he too stated in no uncertain terms that the active participation of members of the public in TV political debates, whilst well intentioned, more often than not has the effect of polarizing and dumbing down the discourse.
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
Perhaps I was too naive in the past. I don't remember it being so partisan in the 90s and 00s.
Interesting. I seemed to be the only one on here who was thoroughly underwhelmed by Sajid Javid.
Assuming roughly 30% were 2017 Tory voters, the scores among voters for other parties and non-voters were roughly 42% for Rory, 15% for Boris, 11% for Hunt, less for the rest.
The 15% for Boris should be food for thought for anyone not clinging to some hypothetical poll.
The pb.com tories longstanding infatuation with the jug eared geek is just mystifying. He needs to jump straight to the end of his political career and morph into a Portillo style national treasure. Perhaps he could open that fair trade hiking boot co-operative of which he has so often spoken.
Said from a tw@t whose life is so empty that he has to endanger his life - and more impotently, that of others - by speeding.
And who never learns his lesson.
More impotently? Are you suggesting that if you have a big thingy you don't need a porsche?
As Conservative and Unionist Party members are prepared to: Lose Scotland from the Union Lose Northern Ireland from the Union Trash the economy of the Union Trash the party in exchange for securing Brexit, can anyone please detail the benefits they believe Brexit will bring?
It's not a stronger Union, they'd bin that for Brexit It's not a stronger economy, they'd trash that for Brexit It's not the success of the party, they'd sacrifice that for Brexit
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
Perhaps I was too naive in the past. I don't remember it being so partisan in the 90s and 00s.
Well, admittedly I don't know that I would have realised that had I not heard about it through a political party. I do think they should be open about what they do.
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
Perhaps I was too naive in the past. I don't remember it being so partisan in the 90s and 00s.
They always send a balanced batch of invitations to the political parties in nearby constituencies, as well as to other local community groups and advertising including at the end of each show. Political activists are usually the keenest to attend and hence the easiest way of filling the audience, and it’s been that way for decades. Possibly as “ordinary” people get switched off politics, the proportion not coming from the parties has decreased, I don’t know?
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
Perhaps I was too naive in the past. I don't remember it being so partisan in the 90s and 00s.
People have just become less polite. We seem to be in age where everyone is bloody angry and is prepared to boo and jeer and cheer as they see fit. Decorum and civilised debate has gone.
The pb.com tories longstanding infatuation with the jug eared geek is just mystifying. He needs to jump straight to the end of his political career and morph into a Portillo style national treasure. Perhaps he could open that fair trade hiking boot co-operative of which he has so often spoken.
Said from a tw@t whose life is so empty that he has to endanger his life - and more impotently, that of others - by speeding.
And who never learns his lesson.
More impotently? Are you suggesting that if you have a big thingy you don't need a porsche?
It is apparently a substitute.
(Said quietly, lest a middle-aged neighbour who has just bought a Porsche might hear).
When that annoying child came on demanding 0% carbon emissions in six years I was waiting for one of the candidates to say don't be so ******* stupid... But didn't happen unfortunately.
Perhaps some of them did think of saying "It's ridiculous to suggest you could do something so difficult in such a short time", but then thought better of it?
When that annoying child came on demanding 0% carbon emissions in six years I was waiting for one of the candidates to say don't be so ******* stupid... But didn't happen unfortunately.
Waddawewant? Votes for 15 year olds. Whendowewntit? Now!
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
No, they absolutely keep up the charade that it is a general public audience, not a cavalcade of political appointees.
When that annoying child came on demanding 0% carbon emissions in six years I was waiting for one of the candidates to say don't be so ******* stupid... But didn't happen unfortunately.
Have you ever studied the rate of technological progress during WW2? Not stupid at all, if you act like your survival depends upon it.
I honestly don't see the point of all this "now here's Trevor from Thetford with a question" nonsense.
By all means, get people to send in questions and pick some good ones for the interviewer to throw in based on covering the sort of issues people are raising. But why do we need to throw over to Trevor in the Norfolk studio? And are we meant to give a stuff what Trevor personally thinks about Sajid Javid's answer? I can make my own judgment on how well or poorly the Saj has addressed the issue, thanks Trev. With the greatest respect, I don't really give a flying **** about the pre-prepared comments of someone who I don't know and who isn't in the running to be PM or hold any senior office.
Maybe Trevor is a partisan stooge, or maybe he isn't. Maybe he's a moron, a bigot, and a blue-badge abuser. Or maybe he's the finest fellow every to live in Thetford. But we don't know, and so why should we care what he personally reckons?
Sid Vicious basically had it right about the man on the street.
I agree with you - and also with Sid if he too stated in no uncertain terms that the active participation of members of the public in TV political debates, whilst well intentioned, more often than not has the effect of polarizing and dumbing down the discourse.
Which song was that, btw?
Kinbalu - that was almost exactly what he said. Only he said it somewhat more succinctly.
Reads really weird. Makes it read like its not really a school but is getting called one.
Those aren't apostrophes. You're as clueless about punctuation as he is.
OK Mr Pedant, single quotation marks. Same button on keyboard.
It wasn't a political point. To me it reads really weird, is it correct grammar to use quotation marks there?
Same button on keyboard? What sort of keyboard are you using? An American one? I agree with your point though. I find great amusement in unnecessary quotation marks.
No an English one. The ' button is located with @ as its shift-option two keys to the right of L.
There is also an ` option to the left of 1 but that isn't the button used.
Oh, I see. I thought you were using some weirdy keyboard with ', and " on the same button, one being the shift of the other.
No the " symbol is above 2 but that wasn't the symbol discussed. That's why I called it an apostrope is subconsciously that's what I use that key for, it I want a quotation I normally use " and not '.
That's pretty old hat. It's convention nowadays to use a single quotation mark unless you are quoting within a quote.
However, if you're going to take someone to task over punctuation and grammar it's good to make sure your own house is in order. Just saying
Well one was a press release to the media from a school, during a political maelstrom, the other was a query below the line on a political blog. I would expect a school, let alone a press release from a school, to have higher standards.
Reads really weird. Makes it read like its not really a school but is getting called one.
Those aren't apostrophes. You're as clueless about punctuation as he is.
OK Mr Pedant, single quotation marks. Same button on keyboard.
It wasn't a political point. To me it reads really weird, is it correct grammar to use quotation marks there?
Same button on keyboard? What sort of keyboard are you using? An American one? I agree with your point though. I find great amusement in unnecessary quotation marks.
No an English one. The ' button is located with @ as its shift-option two keys to the right of L.
There is also an ` option to the left of 1 but that isn't the button used.
Oh, I see. I thought you were using some weirdy keyboard with ', and " on the same button, one being the shift of the other.
That's not weird; it's the US keyboard. And the standard Apple A1243 keyboard.
Grammar pedantry is one thing - but keyboard layout pedantry ?
You said "pedantry" five times in front of a mirror. Summoned, I appear...
Would you like some examples of television shows purportedly set in America but whose filming location in the UK was betrayed by having a British keyboard? If you look at the return key, they are different shapes.
Whilst Stewart rightly points out that Give et al are talking bollocks about renegotiation, he also knows the members who get to vote are prepared to eat grass, destroy the union and the party to achieve the Brexit prize. So I expect he will work with the least crazy contender to try and bring some sanity.
Not that it will help. The new leader either delivers Brexit on Halloween, or loses the inevitable election to Farage.
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
Perhaps I was too naive in the past. I don't remember it being so partisan in the 90s and 00s.
They always send a balanced batch of invitations to the political parties in nearby constituencies, as well as to other local community groups and advertising including at the end of each show. Political activists are usually the keenest to attend and hence the easiest way of filling the audience, and it’s been that way for decades. Possibly as “ordinary” people get switched off politics, the proportion not coming from the parties has decreased, I don’t know?
If it is difficult to fill up the audience with ordinary people, why not vary the format? Once a month have a show dedicated to a particular issue only, health, education, environment, with more in depth questions from a cross section of people working in those fields?
To me that is what the BBC should be for. The more they try and be Sky/ITV the harder it becomes to support the licence fee.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
Perhaps I was too naive in the past. I don't remember it being so partisan in the 90s and 00s.
People have just become less polite. We seem to be in age where everyone is bloody angry and is prepared to boo and jeer and cheer as they see fit. Decorum and civilised debate has gone.
Do you think Rory is trying to prove to everyone that the party is beyond hope before he defects?
That's a great thought. But no, I don't think so. I think Rory, despite being in the cabinet for 5 minutes, believes he ought to be PM. It's the sort of absurd self-confidence that a school like Eton inculcates. That's why boys get sent there. It's not the A level prospects. In this regard, Rory and Boris are birds of a feather. The only difference is that Rory is a relatively benign example of the breed. Which, TBF, is a significant difference.
Tory MPs in Scotland are in real trouble if Bozo gets elected .
The SNP already tweeting out quotes from the infamous poem he published in the Spectator . And his comments about money spent in Croydon is better than being spent in Strathclyde .
Bozo is turning out to be the best present Sturgeon could ever wish for.
Do you think Rory is trying to prove to everyone that the party is beyond hope before he defects?
That's a great thought. But no, I don't think so. I think Rory, despite being in the cabinet for 5 minutes, believes he ought to be PM. It's the sort of absurd self-confidence that a school like Eton inculcates. That's why boys get sent there. It's not the A level prospects. In this regard, Rory and Boris are birds of a feather. The only difference is that Rory is a relatively benign example of the breed. Which, TBF, is a significant difference.
I've heard it said he believes he should be PM. But ATEOTD is the Conservative (Brexit) Party the right vehicle in it's current guise?
In the final round of voting, what happens if there is a tie (for second place)? Do they just revote again or would they send 3 candidates to the membership?
This charade has been going on with Question Time for far too long, you can tell from the cheers and boos that they are no longer an audience of the public but political activists with a set script.
Surely the BBC have been quite open about inviting political activists to be in the Question Time audience for decades?
When I was Town Mayor many years ago I was invited to any questions because I was political, but not by the bbc but by the head of hosting institution.
The used dipping sauce container is bad enough, but what really made me gag was the copy of Britania Unchained.
On a more serious note, disturbing to see that this poor excuse for a human being is now my near neighbour, as he seems to be slumming it in Peckham. Perhaps it would be for the best if he were to move to Downing Street, if only to get him out of South East London.
If the Tory Party was acting as it used to then Stewart would be a shoo-in. Stewart is smart, articulate, thoughtful, and has a hell of a back story. Just what is called for in dificult circumstances you would have thought. Even the fact that he looks a bit odd is in his favour, he does not look like some sort of too smooth used-car salesman who is buttering you up whilst trying to rob you, he looks like a normal person.
Unfortunately the Tory Party has been huffing the fumes of Brexit, and will not return to normal until it has been out of power for at least a decade, and that assumes it even survives as a viable party of government.
Comments
By all means, get people to send in questions and pick some good ones for the interviewer to throw in based on covering the sort of issues people are raising. But why do we need to throw over to Trevor in the Norfolk studio? And are we meant to give a stuff what Trevor personally thinks about Sajid Javid's answer? I can make my own judgment on how well or poorly the Saj has addressed the issue, thanks Trev. With the greatest respect, I don't really give a flying **** about the pre-prepared comments of someone who I don't know and who isn't in the running to be PM or hold any senior office.
Maybe Trevor is a partisan stooge, or maybe he isn't. Maybe he's a moron, a bigot, and a blue-badge abuser. Or maybe he's the finest fellow every to live in Thetford. But we don't know, and so why should we care what he personally reckons?
Sid Vicious basically had it right about the man on the street.
Before any renegotiation can even start, the European Council will have to authorise it. I think that would involve a meeting of heads of government - I doubt it's the kind of decision that would be made by telephone.
And the standard Apple A1243 keyboard.
Grammar pedantry is one thing - but keyboard layout pedantry ?
I believe that the biggest problem is not that, but the fact that the term of the Commission and Tusk's presidency ends on the 31st October. Even in the most optimistic scenario it's hard to see any substantive renegotiation happening until the new lot are in place.
it's a shame members weren't polled, as that would have been a good indication of Boris' support
The used dipping sauce container is bad enough, but what really made me gag was the copy of Britania Unchained.
On a more serious note, disturbing to see that this poor excuse for a human being is now my near neighbour, as he seems to be slumming it in Peckham. Perhaps it would be for the best if he were to move to Downing Street, if only to get him out of South East London.
Which song was that, btw?
The 15% for Boris should be food for thought for anyone not clinging to some hypothetical poll.
Lose Scotland from the Union
Lose Northern Ireland from the Union
Trash the economy of the Union
Trash the party
in exchange for securing Brexit, can anyone please detail the benefits they believe Brexit will bring?
It's not a stronger Union, they'd bin that for Brexit
It's not a stronger economy, they'd trash that for Brexit
It's not the success of the party, they'd sacrifice that for Brexit
So what is the prize?
(Said quietly, lest a middle-aged neighbour who has just bought a Porsche might hear).
Whendowewntit? Now!
Would you suggest that major Tory politicians should join a Corbyn Cabinet in case of a Hung Parliament where only Lab + Con could make a majority?
https://twitter.com/theousherwood/status/1141275704987934720
Well, quite.
And that is why the Tories, if they are sensible, should get on the front foot on this issue.
Would you like some examples of television shows purportedly set in America but whose filming location in the UK was betrayed by having a British keyboard? If you look at the return key, they are different shapes.
Not that it will help. The new leader either delivers Brexit on Halloween, or loses the inevitable election to Farage.
To me that is what the BBC should be for. The more they try and be Sky/ITV the harder it becomes to support the licence fee.
This thread has now been eliminated!
OK, I must hunt it out then. I've only got "Never Mind The Bollocks" and it's definitely not on there.
The SNP already tweeting out quotes from the infamous poem he published in the Spectator . And his comments about money spent in Croydon is better than being spent in Strathclyde .
Bozo is turning out to be the best present Sturgeon could ever wish for.
Defect to the LDs and pitch to lead them after Swinson?
Or stick to the Tories and hope they return to sanity post Brexit?
I'm guessing the second. But who knows. Wouldn't be utterly crazy for him to jump ship.
Unfortunately the Tory Party has been huffing the fumes of Brexit, and will not return to normal until it has been out of power for at least a decade, and that assumes it even survives as a viable party of government.