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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » This could be the start of a Stop Gavin succeeding Theresa mov

This Times story looks like an attempt to rubbish ex-Chief Whip now Defence Sec Gavin ("Private Pike") Williamsonhttps://t.co/ETaqLipzW8 pic.twitter.com/FGzJbzS7TM
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Harry and fiancée Meghan Markle have told aides they want the former US president and wife Michelle at their big day on May 19.
Root seems to have lost faith in his offspinner.
A couple of tests later than the rest of us.
But unexciting.
Hope you all got nice presents.
Mr. Meeks, I do wonder how WIlliamson and Hunt will end up getting on.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42481329
Very refreshing to hear a politician stick up for free speech.
https://rochdaleherald.co.uk/2017/12/24/trump-adds-germany-travel-ban-hostages-taken-nakatomi-tower/
Except for those going to stock up on wrapping paper and Christmas cards ready for next year - far too organised!
I'm still recovering from the shock of getting the final answer in the crossword - but only after some clues from stjohn - how does anyone's brain work in that way?!?
It started the moment he promoted himself to Defence Secretary.
There’s also the touch of David Miliband about him which isn’t a good look.
JRM is only implausible because not enough MPs may nominate him, if he got to the membership vote he would be very plausible
Green was in on in the talks and Gavin Williamson was reported to be urging Mrs May to sack Green.
As for your JRM point, you're basically saying 'if you ignore the reasons he's implausible, he's plausible'. It's true, but that line would work on anyone for anything.
JRM is not implausible if he gets to the membership and given Leadsom got to the final 2 before she pulled out it is not impossible there are enough hard Brexiteer MPs to get him that far
Of course Jo Johnson knows this and is only looking for a headline and a more positive impression from people such as yourself.
Response to Freedom of Information request reveals Brexit department claimed to be preparing impact assessments in November 2016
Similarly, I never claimed JRM would not be implausible if he did get through to the final two, I was pointing out that you yourself said his getting through to the final two was implausible (though as you point out now, not impossible), which made your logic very strange, since any judgement of anyone's plausibility has to be considered in the context of the rules and situation, which includes the leadership contest rules. Anyone can be considered plausible if you exclude the reasons that make them implausible. David Miliband is plausible, if you ignore that he is not an MP, and all the rest. For the record, that is the reason I considered JRM implausible.
Some of their support, albeit distorted by the weird machinations of Ulster politics is a bit to the left of the Tories but will such supporters really distinguish between coalition and supply and confidence? That is a distinction which would be lost on 95%+ of the population.
I was really pointing out that JRM is only implausible if you think he has no chance of getting through to the final 2 and even that is not beyond the bounds of possibility
So not cutting those capabilities will have to be made up elsewhere. Probably by not renovating shitty housing and deferring pay rises. Again.
They immediately switched. Who could possibly know or want to know that? Pretty much everyone else in the room agreed although I did get the odd pitying glance. Such odd hobbies I have. Nice to be back here really.
For anyone who is into that, I think Corbyn's history will put them off.
I take it that the Christmas truce is over and the Brexit artillery can resume.
Also If he does manage to talk the Labour Party round on Trident then rather than offering the money to the NHS- he should say it will be used to properly equip our military...
But since Williamson is so disliked it makes him the perfect opponent to Hunt...
Edit: I'm not saying back him now, but keep him in mind when the vacancy does arise.
It is very easy for the mob to pick off one institution at a time. Sometimes a convoy is the best approach - and they need to know they have the government's backing
That the aged membership would vote for JRM is a comment on them (and not in a good way) that has little to do with his credibility. The MPs will make sure he doesn't get in the final two, for sure.
So Nick Cleeg to become "Sir Nick" in the New Year?
When is Mike Smithson going to be Knighted that's what I'd like to know...
Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas Day whether alone or with their family or with their loved ones (delete as appropriate).
The Jo Johnson comments do nothing other than to re-enforce the dilemma. Forcing "free speech" on people seems on the face of it absurdly illiberal. You can't make people or organisations tolerant by legislation.
That said, I do agree that it's worrying institutions whose primary purpose is educational should seem so concerned to diminish the plurality of opinions made and voices heard. People should be able to choose for themselves whether they wish to listen to someone with whose opinions they fundamentally disagree.
That being said, there's no harm in having your conceptions, preconceptions and misconceptions challenged - living inside your own echo chamber may be reassuring and comfortable but it's not a formative experience. It cuts both ways and those coming to speak must be prepared themselves to be challenged, questioned and face hostile argument.
Hate is successfully challenged, not by violence or fear but by argument and reason. When confronted by the reality of the bankruptcy of their arguments, those peddling such views tend to scuttle away into the darkness.
I'd still prefer Government not to get involved and allow Universities and Student Unions to take their own decisions - I would always encourage plurality of debate and diversity of opinions (we could do with more of it on here sometimes) but that has to exist within the framework of the law of the land and cannot include violence or intimidation on either side.
Unfortunately Chloe Smith's leadership bid isn't gaining much traction yet.
It's irrelevant whether we'll miss its capabilities or not as the O needs a LOT of the type of specialist crew which are in very short supply so we're going to have to asset strip it to man the QE class carriers. So we might as well have some cash off the Brazilian Navy for it.
On Jo Johnson's speech, I'm not unsympathetic in principle (speaking as someone who opposed a demo to prevent Nick Griffin speaking in my then constituency), but how would it work? Would any group of students (some of whom do like to wind people up) be able to invite any extremist they like - an ISIS supporter, for instance - and the uni would be fined if they didn't let them?
If that was to happen, the problem would not really have been Griffin, but our society, and I regarded it as such an infantilising view.
Not clear how universities can have influence over that. So either they will be fined for something beyond their control - or they will have to try to force student unions to invite certain speakers. Or most likely option - it will be utterly meaningless.
Not to say we want a free for all of racist slurs or something, but socially acceptable limits have thankfully mostly controlled that.
Repeated appearances on QT (the most ever for one individual?) by Farage and associated fruitcakes didn't do him any harm. It's only the impending prospect of his heart's desire that seems to have done that.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!
UKIP’s rise surely took some BNP votes with it.
That should have made it unprintable in the first place. Once upon a time, no journalist of integrity would print a single source story without corroboration.
The Times, along with most of the rest of Fleet Street, needs to raise its game.
https://youtu.be/b2oW6l3Ktpg?t=49
It's not just the WAFUs (crew), it's also engineers, handlers, armourers and other technical specialists. The QEC carriers need these crew right now for testing and operational development. Remember the RN has to generate a completely new carrier strike doctrine from nothing.
And, yes, we should be training more right now but there is no money for more people. The armed forces are like a business that can only recruit exactly two roles: apprentices and graduate trainees. Every other job has to be filled by internal recruitment. So if wanted QECs AND the O there should have been a recruitment surge 5 years ago and there wasn't because the plan was always just to take them out of other parts of the fleet.