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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The WH2020 betting and polling continue to look good for Biden

SystemSystem Posts: 11,008
edited July 2020 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The WH2020 betting and polling continue to look good for Biden

Above is the latest betting chart on the current race for the White House which has seen a big decline in the chances of a Trump victory with a corresponding increase in Joe Biden’s position

Read the full story here


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  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,903
    edited July 2020
    1st.

    Biden. the comeback kid :D
  • Options
    Wulfrun_PhilWulfrun_Phil Posts: 4,597
    2nd like Trump (if he runs)
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    2??
  • Options
    Wulfrun_PhilWulfrun_Phil Posts: 4,597
    Pulpstar said:

    1st ?

    Hi Joe.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,242

    MaxPB said:

    Lol, I'm enjoying Leicester being treated like a leper colony. Deserved as well. I've got distant family there and they definitely weren't taking the social distancing seriously, one of them posted a gathering of around 60-70 people in a small house on Instagram. I have no doubt that loads of people will have been infected there.

    The 'excuse' being used that many people in Leicester don't understand the English language isn't going to get them much sympathy either.

    Thankfully, it is only in Leicester that people have been ignoring the lockdown rules. We are equally lucky that it is only those who do not speak good English that are doing it.

    Yet it is Leicester which has a current infection rate three times higher than anywhere else.

    And its tolerance of the sweat shop economy has been known about for years.

    If it has been known about for years why didn't the government do something about it?

    I am glad that it will only be Leicester that we have these problems in.

    A relative of mine runs a construction company in London.

    He noticed that some competitors were bidding impossibly low - literally you couldn't make it work while paying legal wages. A quick scout of the sites revealed what was going on - labouring "gangs" of non-english speakers being exploited by their fellow countrymen*. Paid less than minimum wage, treated like dirt etc.

    He tried reporting this - was told by various officials that ignoring what was going on was policy. This happened under both Labour and Conservative governments

    Another angle - these companies were doing domestic work for cash. Big bricks of cash. It would have been trivial to connect anyone whose property had planning permission, and withdrew large sums of cash on every Friday and sending in the tax people.....

    *This sadly is familiar pattern for immigrants around the world. The first stage in their exploration is often people from their own cultural background.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,161
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,577
    edited July 2020
    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,647
    The more relevant question would be has he ever told the truth to the Commons?
  • Options
    MrEdMrEd Posts: 5,578
    FPT, I am glad that @RCS has joined me in thinking Virginia could be a surprise flip for the Republicans in November. He needs to be careful, he might be accused of being a Trumpster :)

    In seriousness, I think the chances are more than expect. As RCS pointed out, Trump's satisfaction ratings are holding up relatively well there. Moreover, there has been a lot of opposition to the Governor's statements on guns and abortion and that has really fired up a lot of opposition particularly in rural areas. I pointed out the flip of a historically Democratic city council to Republicans and, while only a city council, it may highlight Republican turnout may be more motivated.

    Nevada is the other state I would keep an eye on - small Clinton majority last time, signs Biden is polling worse amongst Latinos and the importance of a reopening of the economy of Las Vegas.

    Re Arizona, slightly surprised re the Gravis poll, especially with McNally ahead. However, I will say it again, if you look at the Democrat share of the vote in AZ for the Presidential election, it has been remarkably stable at 44%-45% from 2000 to 2016 despite all the talk of demographic changes helping the Dems. What hit Trump's majority last time was a large peeling off of Republican votes to the Libertarians / McMullin, which may not happen this time.

  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,226
    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,943
    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    edited July 2020
    FPT @IanB2
    IanB2 said:

    Charles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    To try an analogy:

    A party runs in the policy of painting Buckingham Palace blue (and nothing else) and wins 35% of the vote.

    Another party wins 20% support for their sole policy of painting it red.

    They agree to form a coalition.

    @IanB2 @PClipp et al argue that it legitimate because they received over 50% of the vote

    @Philip_Thompson argues that no one voted for a coalition government with a compromise policy of painting Buckingham Palace purple and therefore it is illegitimate

    Aren't they both right?

    Ultimately, if they paint it purple they will have betrayed their manifestos. But that would also be true if they'd not painted it at all because of a plague of locusts.

    They have been elected, and they will need to face the electorate next time around.
    They can’t both be right! You can’t be legitimate and illegitimate at the same time...

    I’d argue that @IanB2 is wrong and that @Philip_Thompson is talking nonsense.

    Legitimacy is our system comes from the ability to command a majority of the House of Commons. Doesn’t matter which party they sit for.
    Your argument appears to be that the system is by definition legitimate, and therefore by extension that any other system would be so. Which is obviously nonsense.
    My argument is that any government elected according to the rules currently in force in that country is legitimate.

    Where a government loses legitimacy is where it uses force or the fear of force to retain power.

    You say “I don’t like the rules therefore the government is not legitimate” which implies that determining legitimacy is your prerogative. I respectfully disagree.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,577
    MrEd said:

    FPT, I am glad that @RCS has joined me in thinking Virginia could be a surprise flip for the Republicans in November. He needs to be careful, he might be accused of being a Trumpster :)

    In seriousness, I think the chances are more than expect. As RCS pointed out, Trump's satisfaction ratings are holding up relatively well there. Moreover, there has been a lot of opposition to the Governor's statements on guns and abortion and that has really fired up a lot of opposition particularly in rural areas. I pointed out the flip of a historically Democratic city council to Republicans and, while only a city council, it may highlight Republican turnout may be more motivated.

    Nevada is the other state I would keep an eye on - small Clinton majority last time, signs Biden is polling worse amongst Latinos and the importance of a reopening of the economy of Las Vegas.

    Re Arizona, slightly surprised re the Gravis poll, especially with McNally ahead. However, I will say it again, if you look at the Democrat share of the vote in AZ for the Presidential election, it has been remarkably stable at 44%-45% from 2000 to 2016 despite all the talk of demographic changes helping the Dems. What hit Trump's majority last time was a large peeling off of Republican votes to the Libertarians / McMullin, which may not happen this time.

    Contrarian points of view are more than welcome - please keep them coming - Trump is so widely loathed that that may blind us to the possibility of his re-election in November and a continuation of the nightmare.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    No if there were truth in that (and there is) then the politicians in PR countries wouldn't be angling for change to FPTP. And they're not.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,577

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    Dont they say all PMs have a relative who causes embarrassing headlines for them?
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 39,966
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
    I think about £25bn so far
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    Charles said:

    FPT @IanB2

    IanB2 said:

    Charles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    To try an analogy:

    A party runs in the policy of painting Buckingham Palace blue (and nothing else) and wins 35% of the vote.

    Another party wins 20% support for their sole policy of painting it red.

    They agree to form a coalition.

    @IanB2 @PClipp et al argue that it legitimate because they received over 50% of the vote

    @Philip_Thompson argues that no one voted for a coalition government with a compromise policy of painting Buckingham Palace purple and therefore it is illegitimate

    Aren't they both right?

    Ultimately, if they paint it purple they will have betrayed their manifestos. But that would also be true if they'd not painted it at all because of a plague of locusts.

    They have been elected, and they will need to face the electorate next time around.
    They can’t both be right! You can’t be legitimate and illegitimate at the same time...

    I’d argue that @IanB2 is wrong and that @Philip_Thompson is talking nonsense.

    Legitimacy is our system comes from the ability to command a majority of the House of Commons. Doesn’t matter which party they sit for.
    Your argument appears to be that the system is by definition legitimate, and therefore by extension that any other system would be so. Which is obviously nonsense.
    My argument is that any government elected according to the rules currently in force in that country is legitimate.

    Where a government loses legitimacy is where it uses force or the fear of force to retain power.

    You say “I don’t like the rules therefore the government is not legitimate” which implies that determining legitimacy is your prerogative. I respectfully disagree.
    That's why I argue other systems would be better, not that the current one is illegitimate, which not only do I not agree with I think it makes it harder to persuade the public, who may not like plenty about this country's systems but dont think its swimming in injustice and illegitimacy.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    Charles said:

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
    I think about £25bn so far
    Indeed in a couple of months, that is an incredible amount of expenditure - especially when you consider the baseline of how big the state is now compared to the US then.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    I dont think he has separate ones just for fecking, but what do I know about rich people.
  • Options
    Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 12,982
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    kle4 said:

    Charles said:

    FPT @IanB2

    IanB2 said:

    Charles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    To try an analogy:

    A party runs in the policy of painting Buckingham Palace blue (and nothing else) and wins 35% of the vote.

    Another party wins 20% support for their sole policy of painting it red.

    They agree to form a coalition.

    @IanB2 @PClipp et al argue that it legitimate because they received over 50% of the vote

    @Philip_Thompson argues that no one voted for a coalition government with a compromise policy of painting Buckingham Palace purple and therefore it is illegitimate

    Aren't they both right?

    Ultimately, if they paint it purple they will have betrayed their manifestos. But that would also be true if they'd not painted it at all because of a plague of locusts.

    They have been elected, and they will need to face the electorate next time around.
    They can’t both be right! You can’t be legitimate and illegitimate at the same time...

    I’d argue that @IanB2 is wrong and that @Philip_Thompson is talking nonsense.

    Legitimacy is our system comes from the ability to command a majority of the House of Commons. Doesn’t matter which party they sit for.
    Your argument appears to be that the system is by definition legitimate, and therefore by extension that any other system would be so. Which is obviously nonsense.
    My argument is that any government elected according to the rules currently in force in that country is legitimate.

    Where a government loses legitimacy is where it uses force or the fear of force to retain power.

    You say “I don’t like the rules therefore the government is not legitimate” which implies that determining legitimacy is your prerogative. I respectfully disagree.
    That's why I argue other systems would be better, not that the current one is illegitimate, which not only do I not agree with I think it makes it harder to persuade the public, who may not like plenty about this country's systems but dont think its swimming in injustice and illegitimacy.
    You’re wrong, of course, but that’s an intellectually coherent argument
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,887
    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645

    TOPPING said:

    TOPPING said:

    TOPPING said:

    This is an absurd debate. Of course this government is legitimate. That is not in question. At the same time the demand for people to pay it fealty is also absurd - just because the government is legitimate doesn't mean that you should like or respect the fact that its incompetence has killed tens of thousands of people and that the Brexit bomb is armed and ready to explode.

    It it classic Tory gaslighting and hypocrisy.
    OH NO!

    "gaslighting"

    Life is seriously too short to try to work out what it means.

    A neologism too far.
    Hardly a neologism. The term refers to a play by Patrick Hamilton (one of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century, imho) from 1938 and has been used colloquially as a term to mean a particular kind of psychological abuse since the 1960s.
    Perhaps you need to lift your ban on learning new things, who knows, you might learn something!
    No it hasn't.
    Wikipedia disagrees with you.

    So what. It has not been in any kind of common usage until a few months ago.
    The term gaslighting has been around for years, certainly before the accession of Trump.
    Yes indeed. I feel, anecdotally, that its use has ramped up considerably and people are broadening its use to its detriment, but the idea its not been around for a long time us not sustainable
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,848
    kle4 said:

    Sandpit said:

    kle4 said:

    I cannot see all that many in Hong Kong taking up the offer of pathway to citizenship. People adapt to new circumstances pretty quickly or, the opposite approach, dont want to give up, so great move as it is I feel like we wint get vast numbers. The chinese state has won.

    That’s up to the people of Hong Kong. The British government has upheld their end of the 1997 agreement in making their offer, and is leading international pressure on China. Short of rolling tanks into HK, there isn’t much more we can do.
    I know, and I'm not even saying a mass exodus should be what they want to do - its their home after all - just that fears of millions of refugees is likely misplaced.

    That The Chinese government have won is really a broader point than whether people now flee it. One of the most odious regimes on earth, partly because the seem to be so successful
    China is successful because the rest of the world bus their stuff. I’m expecting (hoping!) that there’s going to be increasing pressure to stop buying Chinese stuff, following their behaviour over both HK and COVID.
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 39,966
    kle4 said:

    I dont think he has separate ones just for fecking, but what do I know about rich people.
    'I'm going to Greece via Bulgaria' is no doubt code for some moneybags degenerate activity.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,887
    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,969
    Mr. Sandpit, one can but hope.

    I'll believe it when I see it.

    First step is getting Huawei out of 5G here.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    There's no chance of writing "Balls deep in trouble" in PR.

    Senior politicians are much safer in PR than in FPTP.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,532

    Mr. Sandpit, one can but hope.

    I'll believe it when I see it.

    First step is getting Huawei out of 5G here.

    We are experiencing what it is to be on the receiving end of an Opium War. Power in the world has changed, and we need their trade more than they need ours.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,848

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
    £600bn was the total infrastructure investment announced in the Budget, over the course of the Parliament.

    What we are seeing now is the manifestation of the actual projects themselves. I’m expecting an announcement like we had the other day every few weeks, as the projects come to fruition. The media won’t be able to portray them all as somehow bad news.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,532

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    There's no chance of writing "Balls deep in trouble" in PR.

    Senior politicians are much safer in PR than in FPTP.
    It depends very much on the form of PR. I don't like party lists, but STV allows the voter to choose.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    Sandpit said:

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
    £600bn was the total infrastructure investment announced in the Budget, over the course of the Parliament.

    What we are seeing now is the manifestation of the actual projects themselves. I’m expecting an announcement like we had the other day every few weeks, as the projects come to fruition. The media won’t be able to portray them all as somehow bad news.
    When something is unambiguously good news but someone wants to suggest it is bad news or at least not good then you go on about 'however, many details are not yet known' ' questions remain about' 'others say theyve missed out'
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,969
    Dr. Foxy, they're also trying to grab half the South China Sea, repressing Hong Kong, and rattling the sabre generally.

    This isn't a UK-issue. It's a Rest of the World (pretty much) Vs China issue.

    Leaders and nations have been asleep at the wheel. That needs to change.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    Foxy said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    There's no chance of writing "Balls deep in trouble" in PR.

    Senior politicians are much safer in PR than in FPTP.
    It depends very much on the form of PR. I don't like party lists, but STV allows the voter to choose.
    I don't know but I wonder how often Cabinet ministers (or their equivalent) have lost their seats under various electoral systems.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,532
    Lockdown has shredded my already reduced clinic. Half the patients have cancelled today. Some serious stuff in the referrals too.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    edited July 2020

    Dr. Foxy, they're also trying to grab half the South China Sea, repressing Hong Kong, and rattling the sabre generally.

    This isn't a UK-issue. It's a Rest of the World (pretty much) Vs China issue.

    Leaders and nations have been asleep at the wheel. That needs to change.

    They're huge on their own so needs a United front to pressure them. There isnt one and they know it, hence how ballsy they get now.

    Maybe I'm unconsciously impacted by the sci fi novel I read recently where a China vs everyone conflict ended with them accidentally destroying the solar system.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,887

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    They can't all get their policies, unless they had identical manifestos.
  • Options
    ClippPClippP Posts: 1,680
    kle4 said:

    Charles said:

    FPT @IanB2

    IanB2 said:

    Charles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    To try an analogy:

    A party runs in the policy of painting Buckingham Palace blue (and nothing else) and wins 35% of the vote.

    Another party wins 20% support for their sole policy of painting it red.

    They agree to form a coalition.

    @IanB2 @PClipp et al argue that it legitimate because they received over 50% of the vote

    @Philip_Thompson argues that no one voted for a coalition government with a compromise policy of painting Buckingham Palace purple and therefore it is illegitimate

    Aren't they both right?

    Ultimately, if they paint it purple they will have betrayed their manifestos. But that would also be true if they'd not painted it at all because of a plague of locusts.

    They have been elected, and they will need to face the electorate next time around.
    They can’t both be right! You can’t be legitimate and illegitimate at the same time...

    I’d argue that @IanB2 is wrong and that @Philip_Thompson is talking nonsense.

    Legitimacy is our system comes from the ability to command a majority of the House of Commons. Doesn’t matter which party they sit for.
    Your argument appears to be that the system is by definition legitimate, and therefore by extension that any other system would be so. Which is obviously nonsense.
    My argument is that any government elected according to the rules currently in force in that country is legitimate.

    Where a government loses legitimacy is where it uses force or the fear of force to retain power.

    You say “I don’t like the rules therefore the government is not legitimate” which implies that determining legitimacy is your prerogative. I respectfully disagree.
    That's why I argue other systems would be better, not that the current one is illegitimate, which not only do I not agree with I think it makes it harder to persuade the public, who may not like plenty about this country's systems but dont think its swimming in injustice and illegitimacy.
    But don´t forget the Russians.
  • Options
    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,814
    FPT:

    On the eternal legitimacy/PR/FPTP discussion - we're never going to come to an agreement because both sides are arguing from different axioms, which seem incontrovertibly true to each of them.

    It all comes down to what you think “democracy” should be or should mean. It’s simply “The rule by the people” – which is a concept that admits of broad interpretation. These tend to fall down into two types, though, which lead to the Consensual or Adversarial outcomes.

    - If you follow the “adversarial” philosophy (majoritarian), the largest single group should get what they want – exact and complete. If they are the majority, all well and good. If they are merely the largest minority, then a majority can be artificially created, because whomever “wins” should get all of what they wanted, exact and complete, while those who “lose” should get nothing (there are even cases in majoritarian system when the largest plurality “loses” to a smaller plurality, who then get everything at the cost of the larger group). It concentrates power in one group. It is exclusive, competitive, and adversarial. They tend to lead to “with us or against us” and two tribes (fewer effective parties, fewer genuine choices for the voter and less representation of a full suite of public opinion.). They claim better Government effectiveness, at least in achieving their agendas without compromise. They tend to be associated with lower turnouts than proportional systems.

    - If you follow the “consensual” philosophy (proportional), as many people as possible should get as much of what they want – with compromises. It aims at broad participation in government and broad agreement on policies. It shares and disperses power among multiple groups. It is inclusive, compromising, and consensual. (More parties, wider choice, and wider representation of public opinion). Greater satisfaction with their governments is reported among consensus systems and is supported by multiple studies. Surprisingly, proportional electoral systems appear to enhance perceived accountability. However, there is possibly slower policy responsiveness between elections due to the need to consult and co-ordinate among partners. Proportional and consensus systems also tend to have greater representation of women and minorities.

    Majoritarian models include FPTP, AV, and Second Ballot systems.
    Consensus models include the various forms of proportional representation (STV, AMS/MMP, Open and Closed List systems).

    One significant difference is in the friction-to-decision process if the public is genuinely split widely in outlook. In a majoritarian system, a comparatively small plurality can simply take control and impose the “winning” policy stance on all regardless of how unrepresentative it may be. In a proportional system, it can lead to executive gridlock and paralysis. It is arguable as to which of these outcomes is worse; it is inarguable that neither is desirable.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,532
    Sandpit said:

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
    £600bn was the total infrastructure investment announced in the Budget, over the course of the Parliament.

    What we are seeing now is the manifestation of the actual projects themselves. I’m expecting an announcement like we had the other day every few weeks, as the projects come to fruition. The media won’t be able to portray them all as somehow bad news.
    Tax receipts are going to be way down next year. Well over 5 figures less tax paid by my household next year, including a substantial rebate for Mrs Foxy.
  • Options
    OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,066
    kle4 said:

    TOPPING said:

    TOPPING said:

    TOPPING said:

    This is an absurd debate. Of course this government is legitimate. That is not in question. At the same time the demand for people to pay it fealty is also absurd - just because the government is legitimate doesn't mean that you should like or respect the fact that its incompetence has killed tens of thousands of people and that the Brexit bomb is armed and ready to explode.

    It it classic Tory gaslighting and hypocrisy.
    OH NO!

    "gaslighting"

    Life is seriously too short to try to work out what it means.

    A neologism too far.
    Hardly a neologism. The term refers to a play by Patrick Hamilton (one of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century, imho) from 1938 and has been used colloquially as a term to mean a particular kind of psychological abuse since the 1960s.
    Perhaps you need to lift your ban on learning new things, who knows, you might learn something!
    No it hasn't.
    Wikipedia disagrees with you.

    So what. It has not been in any kind of common usage until a few months ago.
    The term gaslighting has been around for years, certainly before the accession of Trump.
    Yes indeed. I feel, anecdotally, that its use has ramped up considerably and people are broadening its use to its detriment, but the idea its not been around for a long time us not sustainable
    I used to dislike it when I thought it was just my wife using it to accuse me of stuff. But I think it's quite an insightful term. One of the upsides of the Me Too movement has been how it has shone a light on the psychologically abusive nature of many human relationships, including those between politicians/spin doctors and the public. It's also derived from the work of one of my favourite writers so what's not to like?
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,577
    kle4 said:

    Dont they say all PMs have a relative who causes embarrassing headlines for them?
    With Thatcher it was her son - which is a bit more embarrassing as you're not really responsible for an embarrassing parent.....

    Technically Johnson Sr has not broken Greek regulations as the ban is not on visitors from the UK, but on direct flights, according to this Greek story:

    https://www.iefimerida.gr/kosmos/pateras-mporis-tzonson-irthe-ellada-koronoios

    Travelling without insurance as a 79 year old is "brave".....
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    People say no one voted for them to work together but it is absurd to argue cooperation in event of no majority is not legitimate unless approved beforehand
  • Options
    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,249
    fpt for @OnlyLivingBoy

    "If a wife tells her husband that he is shirking child care responsibilities and he responds by refusing to acknowledge that it’s even happening, he is gaslighting her."

    You ask "what isn't clear about that explanation?"

    You did X. No I didn't do X.

    That is gaslighting?
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,242
    kle4 said:

    Dr. Foxy, they're also trying to grab half the South China Sea, repressing Hong Kong, and rattling the sabre generally.

    This isn't a UK-issue. It's a Rest of the World (pretty much) Vs China issue.

    Leaders and nations have been asleep at the wheel. That needs to change.

    They're huge on their own so needs a United front to pressure them. There isnt one and they know it, hence how ballsy they get now.
    There is the beginnings of a coalition to push back - the Australians and Canadians have moved action as well.

    The recent law (just passed) making arbitrary life imprisonment, at the whim of the state, in HK is a direct breach of the 1997 agreement.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,919
    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    That depends entirely on whether or not the views of those MPs is being represented in Government. Would you say that the majority of those who voted Lib Dem in 2010 had their views represented in the 2010-2015 Coalition? I suspect not. The same would apply to many of those who voted Tory in that election.

    Coalitions are a great excuse for party leaders to ignore their promises and ignore the electorate.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    ClippP said:

    kle4 said:

    Charles said:

    FPT @IanB2

    IanB2 said:

    Charles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    To try an analogy:

    A party runs in the policy of painting Buckingham Palace blue (and nothing else) and wins 35% of the vote.

    Another party wins 20% support for their sole policy of painting it red.

    They agree to form a coalition.

    @IanB2 @PClipp et al argue that it legitimate because they received over 50% of the vote

    @Philip_Thompson argues that no one voted for a coalition government with a compromise policy of painting Buckingham Palace purple and therefore it is illegitimate

    Aren't they both right?

    Ultimately, if they paint it purple they will have betrayed their manifestos. But that would also be true if they'd not painted it at all because of a plague of locusts.

    They have been elected, and they will need to face the electorate next time around.
    They can’t both be right! You can’t be legitimate and illegitimate at the same time...

    I’d argue that @IanB2 is wrong and that @Philip_Thompson is talking nonsense.

    Legitimacy is our system comes from the ability to command a majority of the House of Commons. Doesn’t matter which party they sit for.
    Your argument appears to be that the system is by definition legitimate, and therefore by extension that any other system would be so. Which is obviously nonsense.
    My argument is that any government elected according to the rules currently in force in that country is legitimate.

    Where a government loses legitimacy is where it uses force or the fear of force to retain power.

    You say “I don’t like the rules therefore the government is not legitimate” which implies that determining legitimacy is your prerogative. I respectfully disagree.
    That's why I argue other systems would be better, not that the current one is illegitimate, which not only do I not agree with I think it makes it harder to persuade the public, who may not like plenty about this country's systems but dont think its swimming in injustice and illegitimacy.
    But don´t forget the Russians.
    Unless they are supervillains I find it hard to credit them sufficient impact when the simplest explanation is we got what we voted for and are not lemmings
  • Options
    FlatlanderFlatlander Posts: 3,884

    kle4 said:

    Dont they say all PMs have a relative who causes embarrassing headlines for them?
    With Thatcher it was her son - which is a bit more embarrassing as you're not really responsible for an embarrassing parent.....

    Technically Johnson Sr has not broken Greek regulations as the ban is not on visitors from the UK, but on direct flights, according to this Greek story:

    https://www.iefimerida.gr/kosmos/pateras-mporis-tzonson-irthe-ellada-koronoios

    Travelling without insurance as a 79 year old is "brave".....
    What would you insure? I think the reciprocal health agreement still holds.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,532

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I wasn't a member at the time, but wasn't the Coalition agreement endorsed in a members ballot of LibDems?
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,848

    Mr. Sandpit, one can but hope.

    I'll believe it when I see it.

    First step is getting Huawei out of 5G here.

    Indeed so. There’s already pressure on companies such as Apple to move their manufacturing somewhere else, but they are also a massive market that Western companies want to supply.

    (Did you see my note about F1 bets on the previous thread? Make sure your bookie pays out at the podium ceremony, as there’s likely to be a whole bunch of technical regulation protests afterwards).
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,577
    Sandpit said:

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
    £600bn was the total infrastructure investment announced in the Budget, over the course of the Parliament.
    Over a decade - so two parliaments (at least): https://www.cityam.com/budget-2020-chancellor-rishi-sunak-promises-record-infrastructure-spend/

    How much of that survives post-COVID economics, time will tell.
  • Options
    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,814

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    There's no chance of writing "Balls deep in trouble" in PR.

    Senior politicians are much safer in PR than in FPTP.
    Indeed. This way, the people of, say, Richmond Park could vote out Zac Goldsmith and eject him from Government altogether.

    Wait a second...
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    Foxy said:

    Lockdown has shredded my already reduced clinic. Half the patients have cancelled today. Some serious stuff in the referrals too.

    My experience on behalf of a relative who has suffered in lockdown is that everything that can be done to stop people trying to see or speak to a medical professional even now is being done, and they can get quite patronising and rude if you persist in trying to progress things. As a result of increasing pain and numbness they can barely even get about on crutches (3 months ago they were walking 10 miles a day) but they are explicitly told so long as they are not technically paralysed and can take a shit, it's not important.

    It's been a real eye opener.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,129
    Trump is behind the 8 ball and no mistake but he's still in the game. Big move from him overnight on masks. Now says he's "all for them" and indeed quite likes to wear one himself because it makes him "look like the Lone Ranger". Quite the pivot and it may just attract some moderate waverers back into his camp. No mention of Tonto however - a careless oversight which detracts from the inclusiveness of the message and so the announcement will probably cost as many votes as it gains. Sloppy. Needs to up his game PDQ or he's in for a shellacking on Nov 3rd.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hchOYs_d_Bw
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    Foxy said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I wasn't a member at the time, but wasn't the Coalition agreement endorsed in a members ballot of LibDems?
    Not their voters though.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    There's no chance of writing "Balls deep in trouble" in PR.

    Senior politicians are much safer in PR than in FPTP.
    Indeed. This way, the people of, say, Richmond Park could vote out Zac Goldsmith and eject him from Government altogether.

    Wait a second...
    He's no longer a government minister in the Commons. Whether we should have the unelected Lords is another matter unrelated to FPTP v PR (personally I'd favour its abolition).
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,532

    kle4 said:

    Dont they say all PMs have a relative who causes embarrassing headlines for them?
    With Thatcher it was her son - which is a bit more embarrassing as you're not really responsible for an embarrassing parent.....

    Technically Johnson Sr has not broken Greek regulations as the ban is not on visitors from the UK, but on direct flights, according to this Greek story:

    https://www.iefimerida.gr/kosmos/pateras-mporis-tzonson-irthe-ellada-koronoios

    Travelling without insurance as a 79 year old is "brave".....
    What would you insure? I think the reciprocal health agreement still holds.
    Yes, but only covers what is available to a Local on their NHS.

    Johnson sr has pots of money, so not much of an issue. He can pay cash if needed.

    Freedom of movement is rarely a problem for the rich.
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,969
    Mr. Sandpit, no, I'd missed that post.

    I do have memories from long ago of a Betfair podium bet going awry (winner, then loser) and I think Ladbrokes (maybe Shadsy here? It was about a decade ago) saying they'd pay out based on the podium as it was.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,887
    edited July 2020

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    That depends entirely on whether or not the views of those MPs is being represented in Government. Would you say that the majority of those who voted Lib Dem in 2010 had their views represented in the 2010-2015 Coalition? I suspect not. The same would apply to many of those who voted Tory in that election.

    Coalitions are a great excuse for party leaders to ignore their promises and ignore the electorate.
    As I have written here several times. I was for the LDs forming a coalition with the Conservatives in 2010. But Nick Clegg in his rush to get into government sold the LDs down the river by agreeing the coalition agreement in just a few days.

    Good coalition agreeements take weeks maybe months of hard negotiation from both sides.

    The LDs had been hoping for dacades to be part of a coalition government, and when they finally got the chance the showed that they here hopelessly unprepared for it,
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    There's no chance of writing "Balls deep in trouble" in PR.

    Senior politicians are much safer in PR than in FPTP.
    Indeed. This way, the people of, say, Richmond Park could vote out Zac Goldsmith and eject him from Government altogether.

    Wait a second...
    Thsts not a FPTP or PR issue.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,848
    edited July 2020
    Foxy said:

    Sandpit said:

    The best thing I can say about Boris Johnson is that he’s not a real Tory. The Prime Minister belongs instead to the popular liberal right, though he seems to get less popular by the day. His appeal to right-wing voters is based on his promise to ‘get Brexit done’ and the demented, 30-tweet-thread rage-pain he stirs in the hearts of some progressives. What these supporters have not yet but one day will have to confront is the fact that Boris is not one of them. Not on immigration, not on climate change, not on the culture wars. Anyone who can establish a substantive difference between his response to the riots and that of Sir Keir Starmer, feel free to fire in down in the comments......

    ....FDR drew upon grand rhetoric to sell grand ideas; Boris talks big to retail small change. The idea of reform seems to energise him but not enough to make the necessary financial outlay. He is a liberal in his head but still a conservative in his pocketbook.


    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/boris-s-new-deal-is-nothing-of-the-sort

    That's why I like him so much!
    But is the government plan remotely up to the task of rebuilding the post-COVID economy?

    In today's money Roosevelt spent £660 billion. We're in roundings of a percentage of that territory....
    No we're not, that's the media telling fibs.

    Roosevelt spent £660 billion when you add all of his spending up together. Not in a single day, not in a single speech.

    Yesterday's speech was £5 billion but yesterday's speech was just one single element of what the govenrment is doing. How much has the government spent when it comes to furlough? That absolutely must be included when it comes to any comparisons with Roosevelt.

    As someone once said "a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money."
    £600bn was the total infrastructure investment announced in the Budget, over the course of the Parliament.

    What we are seeing now is the manifestation of the actual projects themselves. I’m expecting an announcement like we had the other day every few weeks, as the projects come to fruition. The media won’t be able to portray them all as somehow bad news.
    Tax receipts are going to be way down next year. Well over 5 figures less tax paid by my household next year, including a substantial rebate for Mrs Foxy.
    Yes, income tax for self-declarations and corporation tax are very lagging, so even a quick recovery leaves government receipts well down next year and into 2022.
  • Options
    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,814

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    That depends entirely on whether or not the views of those MPs is being represented in Government. Would you say that the majority of those who voted Lib Dem in 2010 had their views represented in the 2010-2015 Coalition? I suspect not. The same would apply to many of those who voted Tory in that election.

    Coalitions are a great excuse for party leaders to ignore their promises and ignore the electorate.
    Why on Earth do they need an excuse?
    Party leaders have ignored their promises under all forms of government.
    In time, they face the electorate again and the electorate pass their judgement on what they've done in the interim.
    In 2015, the electorate passed their judgement on the Lib Dems. It wasn't very positive for them. And would have been a massive downswing on their fate under any system (just like the FDP in Germany, under PR, made too many bad choices, faced the electorate, and were ejected from Government and, for a while, from the Bundestag completely.
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,969
    Annoyingly, the problem I had before recurred.

    After posting, Chrome decided to go weird and I had to close the window. Both times came after posting here, so I'm wondering if it's either a Vanilla issue or a Vanilla+Chrome problem.

    Anyone else had this happen?
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,577

    kle4 said:

    Dont they say all PMs have a relative who causes embarrassing headlines for them?
    With Thatcher it was her son - which is a bit more embarrassing as you're not really responsible for an embarrassing parent.....

    Technically Johnson Sr has not broken Greek regulations as the ban is not on visitors from the UK, but on direct flights, according to this Greek story:

    https://www.iefimerida.gr/kosmos/pateras-mporis-tzonson-irthe-ellada-koronoios

    Travelling without insurance as a 79 year old is "brave".....
    What would you insure? I think the reciprocal health agreement still holds.
    The other FCO advice he's ignoring:

    At the moment, when you travel to an EU country you should have both:

    - a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
    - travel insurance with healthcare cover

    You can use an EHIC until the end of 2020.

    An EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you have both before you travel.


    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-residents-visiting-the-eueea-and-switzerland-healthcare
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,532
    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    Lockdown has shredded my already reduced clinic. Half the patients have cancelled today. Some serious stuff in the referrals too.

    My experience on behalf of a relative who has suffered in lockdown is that everything that can be done to stop people trying to see or speak to a medical professional even now is being done, and they can get quite patronising and rude if you persist in trying to progress things. As a result of increasing pain and numbness they can barely even get about on crutches (3 months ago they were walking 10 miles a day) but they are explicitly told so long as they are not technically paralysed and can take a shit, it's not important.

    It's been a real eye opener.
    My problem is the opposite. I cannot get patients to attend. It was getting better until the new lockdown. Real damage is being done.

    I know lockdown excludes medical appointments, but it certainly makes older patients with co morbidity very reluctant to come.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I voted LD in 2010 but wanted Cameron to be PM. I doubt that was representative but it happens. As for tuition fees, as we know manifestos do not get followed line by line with majority governments and cannot be even if they wanted to as situations change, so an argument against coalitions on that basis is ludicrous
  • Options
    ClippPClippP Posts: 1,680
    kle4 said:

    ClippP said:

    kle4 said:

    Charles said:

    FPT @IanB2

    IanB2 said:

    Charles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    To try an analogy:

    A party runs in the policy of painting Buckingham Palace blue (and nothing else) and wins 35% of the vote.

    Another party wins 20% support for their sole policy of painting it red.

    They agree to form a coalition.

    @IanB2 @PClipp et al argue that it legitimate because they received over 50% of the vote

    @Philip_Thompson argues that no one voted for a coalition government with a compromise policy of painting Buckingham Palace purple and therefore it is illegitimate
    Aren't they both right?

    Ultimately, if they paint it purple they will have betrayed their manifestos. But that would also be true if they'd not painted it at all because of a plague of locusts.

    They have been elected, and they will need to face the electorate next time around.
    They can’t both be right! You can’t be legitimate and illegitimate at the same time...

    I’d argue that @IanB2 is wrong and that @Philip_Thompson is talking nonsense.

    Legitimacy is our system comes from the ability to command a majority of the House of Commons. Doesn’t matter which party they sit for.
    Your argument appears to be that the system is by definition legitimate, and therefore by extension that any other system would be so. Which is obviously nonsense.
    My argument is that any government elected according to the rules currently in force in that country is legitimate.

    Where a government loses legitimacy is where it uses force or the fear of force to retain power.

    You say “I don’t like the rules therefore the government is not legitimate” which implies that determining legitimacy is your prerogative. I respectfully disagree.
    That's why I argue other systems would be better, not that the current one is illegitimate, which not only do I not agree with I think it makes it harder to persuade the public, who may not like plenty about this country's systems but dont think its swimming in injustice and illegitimacy.
    But don´t forget the Russians.
    Unless they are supervillains I find it hard to credit them sufficient impact when the simplest explanation is we got what we voted for and are not lemmings
    Then why don´t the Conservatives publish the report into Russian interference? Their not doing so leads one to suspect the worst.

    And I would have thought the Tory herd here on PB was very similar to a herd of lemmings. They are rushing the whole country to the edge of the cliff.
  • Options
    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,814

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    There's no chance of writing "Balls deep in trouble" in PR.

    Senior politicians are much safer in PR than in FPTP.
    Indeed. This way, the people of, say, Richmond Park could vote out Zac Goldsmith and eject him from Government altogether.

    Wait a second...
    He's no longer a government minister in the Commons. Whether we should have the unelected Lords is another matter unrelated to FPTP v PR (personally I'd favour its abolition).
    Me too, but I found it deeply amusing at the time, because I'd just been arguing with a Conservative about PR versus FPTP (and about the Lords in a separate discussion with the same person) and his main argument was on accountability to the electorate.

    Under STV, of course, you can ensure individual politicians get kicked out as well.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,887

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    See my answer below.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,645
    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    Lockdown has shredded my already reduced clinic. Half the patients have cancelled today. Some serious stuff in the referrals too.

    My experience on behalf of a relative who has suffered in lockdown is that everything that can be done to stop people trying to see or speak to a medical professional even now is being done, and they can get quite patronising and rude if you persist in trying to progress things. As a result of increasing pain and numbness they can barely even get about on crutches (3 months ago they were walking 10 miles a day) but they are explicitly told so long as they are not technically paralysed and can take a shit, it's not important.

    It's been a real eye opener.
    My problem is the opposite. I cannot get patients to attend. It was getting better until the new lockdown. Real damage is being done.

    I know lockdown excludes medical appointments, but it certainly makes older patients with co morbidity very reluctant to come.
    I dont doubt. In fairness when we had to call 999 and the paramedic got in touch with a doctor they did say it was the right thing to do and people shouldnt be afraid to contact them. But most of their colleagues and admin seem to disagree.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    Foxy said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I wasn't a member at the time, but wasn't the Coalition agreement endorsed in a members ballot of LibDems?
    I don't think so, I believe it was endorsed by LD MPs and the Executive but not members and certainly not voters.

    The idea you can simply add all LD voters and all Tory voters together and by magic claim a majority voted for this agreement is nonsense. Two Liberal Democrat MPs (including Charles Kennedy himself) voted against the agreement. There would have been a great many Liberal Democrat voters thinking the same as Charles Kennedy.

    Same too for the Tories.
  • Options
    OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,066
    TOPPING said:

    fpt for @OnlyLivingBoy

    "If a wife tells her husband that he is shirking child care responsibilities and he responds by refusing to acknowledge that it’s even happening, he is gaslighting her."

    You ask "what isn't clear about that explanation?"

    You did X. No I didn't do X.

    That is gaslighting?

    If he is shirking childcare responsibilities and he knows he is but pretends to her that it isn't happening, I think that is an example of gaslighting.
    You are presuming that he actually isn't shirking childcare responsibilities. I think the unspoken assumption underlying the example is that the shirking is in fact taking place. I took that as read.
    What may be happening is that the husband doesn't know he has the childcare responsibilities, simply assuming that the kid will get looked after even if he does nothing about it and failing to acknowledge the burden that places on his wife. In which case he is not gaslighting her, just being a twat.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,887
    RobD said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    They can't all get their policies, unless they had identical manifestos.
    No but they are in a position to negotiate them at the cabinet table.
  • Options
    Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 12,982
    Foxy said:

    Lockdown has shredded my already reduced clinic. Half the patients have cancelled today. Some serious stuff in the referrals too.

    .

    My wife and her partner furtively opened up their dental practice for the first time in months at the weekend so that they could treat each other's husband's teeth. It felt a bit like going dogging.
  • Options
    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,814
    kle4 said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I voted LD in 2010 but wanted Cameron to be PM. I doubt that was representative but it happens. As for tuition fees, as we know manifestos do not get followed line by line with majority governments and cannot be even if they wanted to as situations change, so an argument against coalitions on that basis is ludicrous
    Agreed.
    Each Government is a coalition. Because each of the Big Two is a coalition.
    The views represented by the Big Two depend on the infighting within each of the Red and Blue coalitions - the Corbynite faction was supreme until recently in the Red coalition; it's now been pushed down by the technocratic faction.

    We, the electorate, merely get offered whatever two choices the Big Two decide internally. Whatever flavour economically, socially, nationally/internationally, pragmatically/ideologically, morally/secularly, or whatever else - we don't get to vote for what we really want to be represented. Just what they decide to offer us. All or nothing. Take it or leave it.
    And they'll claim total support for their entire platform as well, no matter how much or little really represents you and your vote.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    That depends entirely on whether or not the views of those MPs is being represented in Government. Would you say that the majority of those who voted Lib Dem in 2010 had their views represented in the 2010-2015 Coalition? I suspect not. The same would apply to many of those who voted Tory in that election.

    Coalitions are a great excuse for party leaders to ignore their promises and ignore the electorate.
    As I have written here several times. I was for the LDs forming a coalition with the Conservatives in 2010. But Nick Clegg in his rush to get into government sold the LDs down the river by agreeing the coalition agreement in just a few days.

    Good coalition agreeements take weeks maybe months of hard negotiation from both sides.

    The LDs had been hoping for dacades to be part of a coalition government, and when they finally got the chance the showed that they here hopelessly unprepared for it,
    The only coalition agreements ever to be endorsed by the voters are those agreements that were made BEFORE the election not after it.

    If it takes months to reach an agreement you should spend those months reaching the agreement and then put that before the voters in an election.
  • Options
    OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,066
    Dura_Ace said:

    Foxy said:

    Lockdown has shredded my already reduced clinic. Half the patients have cancelled today. Some serious stuff in the referrals too.

    .
    My wife and her partner furtively opened up their dental practice for the first time in months at the weekend so that they could treat each other's husband's teeth. It felt a bit like going dogging.

    This is why I never go to the dentist.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,577
    A lesson for politicians who throw their experts under a bus:

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12342772

    The politician has been fired resigned.
  • Options
    Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,814

    Foxy said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I wasn't a member at the time, but wasn't the Coalition agreement endorsed in a members ballot of LibDems?
    I don't think so, I believe it was endorsed by LD MPs and the Executive but not members and certainly not voters.

    The idea you can simply add all LD voters and all Tory voters together and by magic claim a majority voted for this agreement is nonsense. Two Liberal Democrat MPs (including Charles Kennedy himself) voted against the agreement. There would have been a great many Liberal Democrat voters thinking the same as Charles Kennedy.

    Same too for the Tories.
    And they got the opportunity to pass judgement on them at the next election.
  • Options
    SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,848

    Mr. Sandpit, no, I'd missed that post.

    I do have memories from long ago of a Betfair podium bet going awry (winner, then loser) and I think Ladbrokes (maybe Shadsy here? It was about a decade ago) saying they'd pay out based on the podium as it was.

    There have been issues before with protests, and Betfair does now settle most markets on the provisional result shown a few minutes after the race. Worth double-checking with other bookies though, if the final result of the first race takes weeks to be delcared as everyone argues about DAS, fuel flow, double front bulkheads and listed parts design - to think of just four of the possible protests mentioned by teams during the lockdown...
  • Options
    kjhkjh Posts: 10,573

    MrEd said:

    FPT, I am glad that @RCS has joined me in thinking Virginia could be a surprise flip for the Republicans in November. He needs to be careful, he might be accused of being a Trumpster :)

    In seriousness, I think the chances are more than expect. As RCS pointed out, Trump's satisfaction ratings are holding up relatively well there. Moreover, there has been a lot of opposition to the Governor's statements on guns and abortion and that has really fired up a lot of opposition particularly in rural areas. I pointed out the flip of a historically Democratic city council to Republicans and, while only a city council, it may highlight Republican turnout may be more motivated.

    Nevada is the other state I would keep an eye on - small Clinton majority last time, signs Biden is polling worse amongst Latinos and the importance of a reopening of the economy of Las Vegas.

    Re Arizona, slightly surprised re the Gravis poll, especially with McNally ahead. However, I will say it again, if you look at the Democrat share of the vote in AZ for the Presidential election, it has been remarkably stable at 44%-45% from 2000 to 2016 despite all the talk of demographic changes helping the Dems. What hit Trump's majority last time was a large peeling off of Republican votes to the Libertarians / McMullin, which may not happen this time.

    Contrarian points of view are more than welcome - please keep them coming - Trump is so widely loathed that that may blind us to the possibility of his re-election in November and a continuation of the nightmare.
    Absolutely agree.

    It is difficult to understand how anyone other than an idiot or cult follower could vote for Trump, yet he still has a huge base, even a majority possibly amongst men. I really would like to see an explanation for this.

    In particular I would love to be a fly on the wall of the house of George and Kellyanne Conway.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    kle4 said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I voted LD in 2010 but wanted Cameron to be PM. I doubt that was representative but it happens. As for tuition fees, as we know manifestos do not get followed line by line with majority governments and cannot be even if they wanted to as situations change, so an argument against coalitions on that basis is ludicrous
    Agreed.
    Each Government is a coalition. Because each of the Big Two is a coalition.
    The views represented by the Big Two depend on the infighting within each of the Red and Blue coalitions - the Corbynite faction was supreme until recently in the Red coalition; it's now been pushed down by the technocratic faction.

    We, the electorate, merely get offered whatever two choices the Big Two decide internally. Whatever flavour economically, socially, nationally/internationally, pragmatically/ideologically, morally/secularly, or whatever else - we don't get to vote for what we really want to be represented. Just what they decide to offer us. All or nothing. Take it or leave it.
    And they'll claim total support for their entire platform as well, no matter how much or little really represents you and your vote.
    Agreed every system leads to compromise.

    But our system forces the large parties to reach some form of compromise and coalition and then offer that to the voters to be endorsed or rejected.

    Other systems permit parties to say whatever they want and then permits them to junk that and enter government without the public having a say.

    If there's to be a compromise, a coalition, I'd rather we know what that looks like before the election than after it.
  • Options
    eristdooferistdoof Posts: 4,887

    Foxy said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I wasn't a member at the time, but wasn't the Coalition agreement endorsed in a members ballot of LibDems?
    I don't think so, I believe it was endorsed by LD MPs and the Executive but not members and certainly not voters.

    The idea you can simply add all LD voters and all Tory voters together and by magic claim a majority voted for this agreement is nonsense. Two Liberal Democrat MPs (including Charles Kennedy himself) voted against the agreement. There would have been a great many Liberal Democrat voters thinking the same as Charles Kennedy.

    Same too for the Tories.
    I do not claim "a majority voted for this agreement".
    I claim that a majority voted for that collection of politicians. Those politicians then (should) negotiate the best they can for those who voted for them. That is what democratic politics is about.
  • Options
    NerysHughesNerysHughes Posts: 3,347
    kle4 said:

    Foxy said:

    Lockdown has shredded my already reduced clinic. Half the patients have cancelled today. Some serious stuff in the referrals too.

    My experience on behalf of a relative who has suffered in lockdown is that everything that can be done to stop people trying to see or speak to a medical professional even now is being done, and they can get quite patronising and rude if you persist in trying to progress things. As a result of increasing pain and numbness they can barely even get about on crutches (3 months ago they were walking 10 miles a day) but they are explicitly told so long as they are not technically paralysed and can take a shit, it's not important.

    It's been a real eye opener.
    This is going to sound terrible but I think some hospitals and doctor's surgeries are enjoying being quiet, and will continue to use Covid as an excuse to not see people. Surgeries round here are still locked, and it is very very difficult to get an appointment. People think that surgeries are still closed.

    This has to change.

  • Options
    TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,387

    kle4 said:

    Dont they say all PMs have a relative who causes embarrassing headlines for them?
    With Thatcher it was her son - which is a bit more embarrassing as you're not really responsible for an embarrassing parent.....

    Technically Johnson Sr has not broken Greek regulations as the ban is not on visitors from the UK, but on direct flights, according to this Greek story:

    https://www.iefimerida.gr/kosmos/pateras-mporis-tzonson-irthe-ellada-koronoios

    Travelling without insurance as a 79 year old is "brave".....
    What would you insure? I think the reciprocal health agreement still holds.
    The other FCO advice he's ignoring:

    At the moment, when you travel to an EU country you should have both:

    - a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
    - travel insurance with healthcare cover

    You can use an EHIC until the end of 2020.

    An EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you have both before you travel.


    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-residents-visiting-the-eueea-and-switzerland-healthcare
    I don't think Stanley thinks of himself as 79, more like 29. And 29 year olds don't need insurance.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    eristdoof said:

    Foxy said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I wasn't a member at the time, but wasn't the Coalition agreement endorsed in a members ballot of LibDems?
    I don't think so, I believe it was endorsed by LD MPs and the Executive but not members and certainly not voters.

    The idea you can simply add all LD voters and all Tory voters together and by magic claim a majority voted for this agreement is nonsense. Two Liberal Democrat MPs (including Charles Kennedy himself) voted against the agreement. There would have been a great many Liberal Democrat voters thinking the same as Charles Kennedy.

    Same too for the Tories.
    I do not claim "a majority voted for this agreement".
    I claim that a majority voted for that collection of politicians. Those politicians then (should) negotiate the best they can for those who voted for them. That is what democratic politics is about.
    But our system is better.

    Under our system the negotiations to form a coalition, a manifesto took place before the election and the voters go into the election fully educated on what the various internal coalitions look like and choose the most popular one of those. That is what democratic politics is about.
  • Options
    OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,066

    kle4 said:

    Dont they say all PMs have a relative who causes embarrassing headlines for them?
    With Thatcher it was her son - which is a bit more embarrassing as you're not really responsible for an embarrassing parent.....

    Technically Johnson Sr has not broken Greek regulations as the ban is not on visitors from the UK, but on direct flights, according to this Greek story:

    https://www.iefimerida.gr/kosmos/pateras-mporis-tzonson-irthe-ellada-koronoios

    Travelling without insurance as a 79 year old is "brave".....
    What would you insure? I think the reciprocal health agreement still holds.
    The other FCO advice he's ignoring:

    At the moment, when you travel to an EU country you should have both:

    - a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
    - travel insurance with healthcare cover

    You can use an EHIC until the end of 2020.

    An EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you have both before you travel.


    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-residents-visiting-the-eueea-and-switzerland-healthcare
    I don't think Stanley thinks of himself as 79, more like 29. And 29 year olds don't need insurance.
    There is some very heavy nudge nudge wink wink going on in the caption to the photo of him with the young lady.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    eristdoof said:

    Foxy said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    eristdoof said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    FPT

    kamski said:

    kamski said:

    IanB2 said:

    ClippP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    IanB2 said:

    Clearly a take off of the The Americans title sequence. An effective line marred by having to be very quick at reading subtitles.

    https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1278499093350879233
    The bounties were allegedly to kill coalition -- including British -- troops. What's our new National Security Adviser said about it? Or the old one? And when will Boris publish the report into Russian interference in our politics?
    If the Conservatives were clean, they would publish it. They haven´t, so they aren´t. The Johnson government is not legitimate.
    You may not like this government, you may want to attack it, but it is the most legitimate government in recent history after winning an 80 seat majority just 8 months ago
    Err, with only a minority (43%) of the vote and with more people voting for parties opposing its principal Brexit policy than voted for it.
    Name one party opposing Brexit that you think should be the government?

    The government won millions of votes more than any other party. You can't sum up all other parties votes and add them together that's not legitimate, if the other parties voters all wanted the same thing they'd have all voted for the same party. They chose not to do so.
    Whilst what you say is obviously true, and of course the govt should be in power, there are different levels of legitimacy. If it had won over half the vote that would have made it more legitimate even if thats a extremely harsh bar to set given our political system. Similarly if they paid more respect to the rule of law and our unwritten constitution they would be more legitimate. Of course they are the most legitimate available because they won the election but their actions and behaviour undermine that.
    Can you name any western countries in your definition which are legitimate with your phrasing?

    And no coalitions don't count unless they were a defined coalition standing in the election united (like the Coalition in Australia) since the public did not vote for them.
    "coalitions don't count" is just something you made up because you seem to like the not so democratic UK system.
    I didn't make it up, coalitions did not get voted for at the election unless they were a defined coalition at the election.

    If the desire is to get the mandate of 50% plus of votes at the election then you need 50% plus of votes at the election. The coalitions only got 50% plus at the election if they stood at the election.
    As I said, something you just made up.

    Here in Germany there is a legitimate elected coalition government. The proportion of people complaining about the voting system here is tiny compared to the UK. Once you've persuaded some Germans that their government is less legitimate than the UK's I'll start listening to your nonsense.
    The only ones whinging here are those who don't like the results. When it was put to a referendum two-thirds of the country chose to keep our voting system.

    Just because sore losers whinge doesn't make them right.

    The German government is less legitimate than the British government. In Britain quite self-evidently 44% of the country voted for Johnson to be PM and 44% of the country voted for the government we have.

    In Germany by contrast 33% of the country voted for Merkel to be Chancellor and 0% of the country voted for the government they have.

    The fact that our government was determined on election night while the German government was determined SIX MONTHS after the election shows the farce of claims that electoral system is "more legitimate".
    This is absolutely right. With PR the only ones who win are the politicians. No one can know what the final Government make up will be so no one can say they got the Government they voted for.
    If there were any truth in that, there would be a lot more politicians angling for PR!

    That our politicians remain so keen on our current system, where most of them have jobs for life mostly immune from electoral pressure, tells us all we need to know.
    If you are in a safe seat yes, if you are in a marginal constituency you would be less safe than being elected on the list in your region under PR
    This is right. There will be no portillo moment in Germany (which has a FPTP/PR hybrid). If a high-up candidate looses their seat (direct mandate) then they will almost always get into the Bundestag via the party list for the PR part.

    I still prefer PR and variants to pure FPTP.
    Having just read futher up the thread. The idea that a coalition government is illigitmate is just absurd. Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    Not by what they voted for they're not.
    Yes they are.
    Voters who voted SPD are being represented by SPD MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CDU are being represented by CDU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.
    Voters who voted CSU are being represented by CSU MPs in the government, for the policies that they voted for.

    Over 50% of those who voted are being represented in government.
    No, the politicians elected are getting their bums into government, getting ministerial salaries and limousines etc but the voters aren't getting what they voted for.

    We only need to look in the UK. In 2010 are you claiming that Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 voted to make David Cameron Prime Minister and to have Tuition Fees trebled?
    I wasn't a member at the time, but wasn't the Coalition agreement endorsed in a members ballot of LibDems?
    I don't think so, I believe it was endorsed by LD MPs and the Executive but not members and certainly not voters.

    The idea you can simply add all LD voters and all Tory voters together and by magic claim a majority voted for this agreement is nonsense. Two Liberal Democrat MPs (including Charles Kennedy himself) voted against the agreement. There would have been a great many Liberal Democrat voters thinking the same as Charles Kennedy.

    Same too for the Tories.
    I do not claim "a majority voted for this agreement".
    I claim that a majority voted for that collection of politicians. Those politicians then (should) negotiate the best they can for those who voted for them. That is what democratic politics is about.
    Backroom deals after the election to decide the policies that will be implemented? Very democratic.
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