British Politics
Been on holiday for a few weeks, surprised to find no general discussion of British politics so though I'd kick one off.
Tory leadership contest is quickly turning into farce. Trump has backed Boris, which should be reason enough for anyone with half a brain to exclude him.
Of the other candidates Rory Stewart looks the best of the outsiders. Surprised to see Cleverly and Javid not further up the betting, but not sure the Tory membership are ready for a brown PM.
https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
Regarding the LD leadership contest, Jo Swinson is miles ahead of any other candidate (and indeed any of the Tory lot). Should be a shoe in.
Finally, it's Groundhog Day in Labour - the more serious the anti-Semitism claims get, the more Corbyn's cronies write their own obituary by blaming it on outlandish conspiracy theories - this week, it's apparently the Jewish Embassy's fault...
At this point, cons are trying ideas they think will get them votes. I'm reminded of the Thick of It scene where they have to think of something cheap and popular on the way to a ministerial announcement, and some suggests 'bring back the death sentence'.... I wouldn't be at all surprised if that comes up at some point in the tory death throes.
It is an appalling idea, and only supported by appalling people of whom unfortunately there are quite a few.
No surprises to see who here supports appalling ideas.
I think it's an appalling idea.
The volunteering for the NHS etc could be a great idea if it isn't compulsory. Make it was well organised and I'd bet huge numbers of people would volunteer without any compulsion. Having people there who really dont want to be is a serioudly bad idea. Having loads of volunteers without some professional level of organisation to make use of them is just stupidity.
The NHS already has volunteers - last time I was in my local hospital they were helping out and wore badges clearly indicating their voluntary status.
'There will be no return to austerity under a Labour government,' says Rachel Reeves
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said there will be “no return to austerity under a Labour government”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Reeves said Labour plans for an immediate injection of cash into frontline public services would see an extra 40,000 NHS appointments a week, and an additional 6,500 teachers in state schools and 13,000 police and community support officers.
The funding would come from plans including tightening up rules on non doms, cracking down on tax avoidance and windfall tax on energy companies.
Reeves was challenged by Kuenssberg that that the measures were “tiny” compared to the overall budget, and asked if Labour would stick with the Conservatives spending plans which implied a big squeeze on public services.
Reeves said: “There is not going to be a return to austerity under a Labour government”.
Avoids the question.
The NHS already has volunteers - last time I was in my local hospital they were helping out and wore badges clearly indicating their voluntary status.
I know there are some but it's limited roles, not simple and couldn't begin to cope with a large influx.
I worked in (but not for) a hospital and very annoyingly they chucked out the volunteers that ran a not for profit cheap, basic decent quality food and cuppa service. Gotta make the profits. This is a general problem because how can pfi allow volunteers to do much when they want to charge for just about every little thing.
They're probably thinking of the Swedish and Norwegian models of national service, but this isn't Sweden or Norway, our last Cold War national servicemen finished their terms in 1963 (no doubt to their great relief) and it just comes across as a weird gimmick. Addressing the actual problems of recruitment for the armed services might be a better idea.
They've lost ~all of the reasonable voters so have an attention-grabbing right wing policy to win a few deplorable voters away from Reform. That's about it.
Don't hate it - seems pretty good that all 18yos will have a guaranteed job for 12 months - but not really a vote winner for me, albeit I expect it will be popular among the Tory grass roots.
Labour also extending the vote to 16 year olds, which I'm less in favour of, but again it's all a bit meh when we consider the important issues of our time.
We have a labour shortage in this country.
Where is the cost benefit analysis on this? I’m happy to see why someone thinks it is a good idea and the reasons for it. It appealing to ****s isn’t a good reason.
Anyway, it’s good to see that scrapping with Reform over the insane imbecile tranche of voters is really bringing out the best from the Tory policy wonks.
Also rich parents will buy their kids' way out of it:
I saw a comment about the next logical step for them after this dross is proposing a referendum on the death penalty next and I can’t disagree with that.
Back in the 80s there was always a majority in the country in favour of the death penalty, but politicians were more liberal minded (even most of the Tory government), and it was a lunatic fringe issue restricted mainly to hardliners like the Monday Club and NF.
I’d assume now that all the flag shagging brexit voters would vote for it, plus a chunk of non flag shaggers, some abstainers and some remainers but I haven’t seen any polls. Im sure the far right pollster Matt Goodwin can help.
I don’t think the played football at Winchester. And if they did, they were shite. They were probably better at egg chasing, and also soggy biscuit.
Also pulling hot buttered crumpets from jacksies.
lol
The annual cheese-rolling races at Cooper's Hill, Glos, went off well. Winner of the first men's race was Tomas from Germany, wearing a hi-vis jacket (possibly to send up the health-and-safety hierarchy who frown on the event). Winner of the first women's race was Abby from North Carolina, who's won it before. There were British winners in later races, but That Internet has made the event a global phenomenon, with spectators and competitors from all over the world. There is a children's uphill event, but I'm not sure if it involves an adult pace-setter rolling the cheese up the hill by hand.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-engla...
Part of the alluring bonkersness must be Cooper's Hill itself, which is a strange landscape feature. You don't get inclines like that outside of mountain ranges. It looks like a man-made dam, but it inexplicably isn't.
What is going on in London?
There are news of stabbings.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lond...
London
London set an unwelcome new record of 30 teenage stabbing
stabbing
this article is 3 days old:
"Boy, 16, stabbed to death in broad daylight outside west London pub"
https://www.yahoo.com/news/boy-16-stabbe...
different case, article is 17 days old...
great quote from cabinet minister steve baker today
'The Prime Minister told everyone we could go on holiday and then called a snap election. So I've chosen to do my campaign work in Greece.'
10 million people in London.
Far too many stabbings but this is the result of the slow breakdown of what was once a more cohesive society but became a dog-eat-dog arena.
great quote from cabinet minister steve baker today
'The Prime Minister told everyone we could go on holiday and then called a snap election. So I've chosen to do my campaign work in Greece.'
Can't imagine that Baker, a self-proclaimed libertarian, is very impressed with the idea of forcing adults into the armed forces and other types of weekend work.
Police are planning to deploy 80 detectives for their criminal inquiry into the Post Office scandal, the Guardian has learned, but victims will face a long wait to discover if charges will follow.
The investigation will examine potential offences of perjury, and perverting the course of justice by Post Office senior leaders as well as the tech company Fujitsu.
Police have already started discussions with prosecutors about the investigation and potential criminal charges, which stem from the possibility that post office operators were wrongly prosecuted for stealing when bosses allegedly knew their computer accounting system could be flawed.
The police operation will be national and split into four regional hubs. The staffing and resources will be similar to a major murder or terrorism investigation. Police have asked government for a special grant of at least £6.75m to fund the operation.
