Suella Braverman

[CurlewKate]

Does anyone else get Enoch Powell vibes? Makes me shiver....

I was thinking about that earlier.

The red wall lot are nearly all going to lose their seats, as nearly all of them have majorities below 10k. The ones in the soft right stockbroker belt are also vulnerable, the ones with the sort of constituent who voted Remain but was slightly more scared of Corbyn than Brexit.

In terms of the very hard right, the ones I can think of off the top of my head like Suella, JRM, Kemi etc all have majorities of above 20k and are likely to be amongst those reelected. I don't know about the backbench though, if anyone can shed a bit more light.

There is quite an interesting profile of her here. I do think that whatever her actual politics, it gives a bigger picture. A lot of it is very accurate, though I don't recognise the charm!

www.politico.eu/article/suella-braverman-is-the-most-hated-woman-in-british-politics-and-far-nicer-than-you-think/

I went on a hen weekend with her once. Awful. Dumb as a rock and poisonous.

I can't bear how the slimy Tories like Gove find useful idiots like Braverman and let them dogwhistle away, defending and enabling them at every turn while playing the 'I'm a nice Tory myself' card.

Vom.

Fucking hell, a hen weekend with Suella sounds like a violation of your basic human rights.

Actually it seems she has lost her job and will be replaced. Open comment in the papers so she is toast.

A proper, over-the-top comedy drinking straws and crates of prosecco destination themed hen weekend 😆

I genuinely wish her all the heartfelt best in any forthcoming run for the Tory leadership. I want them consigned to oblivion for all eternity.

It is fine to say that we do not want tent cities within our cities

Oh, couldn't agree more.

What it's not fine to say is, "You've made the choice to live in a tent and for that, we're going to take it away, criminalise you and fine you, even though you have no money and if you die of hypothermia in January, well, it's your own fault, you chose that lifestyle.

That's what she means and tragically, you and others agree with her.

what they are nostalgic about is the post war world where there was lots of state spending, a working class aristocracy and unions that kept that going.

I'm not sure I agree with you. I also don't think it's about the colour of their skin, I think a lot of people are shit scared about the culture.

The culture?

The membership who, on listening for weeks to Liz Truss demonstrating herself to be the stupidest and weakest of all possible candidates for Prime Minister voted her in only for her to spectacularly crash the economy? That possibly senile membership?

the role and freedoms of women for example. the ability to go outside and feel the wind blow through their hair - things like that.

@EasternStandard indeed yes, it's not exclusive to the UK.

My own personal view (and I'm not a Tory but nor am I very left wing) is we have got to get things sorted more on the housing front. If we are allowing a free market for house prices , but not high minimum income levels then we have to accept that we need lots of social housing of all sizes in all kinds of areas plus more options for shared ownership (not just 1 and 2 bed flats) and these need to be at proper social housing levels of rent- and available to all kinds of people, not just those with kids and poor income levels.

It would enable people then to be able to get into work that's not always well paid and build on it. At the moment a lot of people are in private rents with no security and are reluctant to take lower level jobs in case it doesn't work out and they then lose their housing.

People need to understand the mentality that insecure housing brings- sometimes it's easier to stay as you are and getting your rent paid and a bit to get by on.

We need to look at skills in school kids- far too little emphasis in giving non academic kids a choice of building up some skills in practical things that will help them in the workplace- they do this in other EU countries. Also defunding FE colleges , these were great for those looking for building, plumbing, beauty, care, motor mechanics etc- we need to be ramping up- not defunding!!

Too many older Tory's moan about people not wanting work these days or not being able to find skilled tradespeople or why you can't just get rentals - without understanding or giving a shit why this might be the case for many

@dogmandu - I do not feel inhibited on these things myself; why might you?

I'm sure many people would not approve of how I live my life either out of misogyny, homophobia or religious dogma. They can disapprove just fine. I just don't have to do anything about it to please these people whereas 50 years ago I would have paid a heavy price for it.

That is not what she said though

I sound like some super Suella fan but I can assure you I am not, it is just stupid to misrepresent what people say.

I feel like some people willfully choose to mishear things that Tories say. They literally just hear 'Tory' and the stereotypes flood in, along with their own projections and own complexes.

To remind you, what she actually said - the bit people willfully miss:

Nobody in Britain should be living in a tent on our streets. There are options for people who don't want to be sleeping rough, and the government is working with local authorities to strengthen wraparound support including treatment for those with drug and alcohol addiction.

I worked with people who are homeless for 4 years and I can assure you that it is very complicated and the key thing to resolve is addictions. She is literally acknowledging that and saying that needs to happen. Unless you sort out the addictions, homelessness will not resolve. And enabling a life in a tent where the addictions can continue (and thereby their lives can get no better at all) really does not help that person in any way whatsoever.

I come from Luton. Not too long ago I went back there and happened to be driving past an infants school at going home time. There were several mums with buggies picking up their children and all of them covered from head to toe - just a peep into the future for women perhaps. Do I find it OK? No.
Just looking at it objectively, that a women has to cover herself so she can't be seen, is utterly bizarre isn't it?

I think she is right to some extent that some people may "choose" to live on the street, because the sad reality is that the alternatives are sometimes even worse. However, describing it as a "lifestyle choice" is deeply offensive. It isn't a positive choice about how people want to live their lives, it's a choice born out of misery and helplessness.

I would be delighted if the government genuinely started to properly invest in tackling the complex root causes of homelessness - e.g by tackling poverty, providing better mental health care, better support for care leavers, better support for people leaving the armed forces, better support for people exiting the criminal justice system, better access to legal advice for people at risk of homelessness, better interventions for people with addictions, better support for victims of domestic abuse, better education and employability support, more affordable housing etc.

In the meantime, until meaningful action has been taken on the above, it is absurd and offensive to suggest that punishing charities for providing tents to vulnerable people with acute needs is somehow the solution, while the government's own shocking mismanagement of the country over many years has created and fuelled so many of those problems in the first place.

Braverman is a disgrace and she needs to go.

Well I can't look for doom myself. I don't feel it. If you don't feel the need yourself, I am not sure it's an issue.

Whether I like what other adult women wear is not my business. If they told me what I had to wear then that would be another matter. I am just in the business of keeping my own freedoms, which happily, Suella aside, seem intact.

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves - the Tory Party have had plenty of time to do this. I didn't actually expect them to oh prior experience but to then start stirring the pot and calling the police partial and the Orange Order are like Hamas is just beyond any sense.

Incidentally Suella is extremely unpopular with the general public so perhaps her smaller world of DM supporters and "I am just saying/have concerns/what don't you like about her" group are loud, but rather small.

The problem is Bombastix, that in most countries where this culture is 'law' women are forced to do what they are told in this regards.
I'd like to say it's refreshing to be able to discuss this subject as we are without being called a racist which I'm not and for that I thank you.

Well then @dogmandu I think you mean you see a clash of culture. That's not racist and I am not going to call you that.

Would I want to live in a country where it was effectively mandated culturally because of religion that I should bd covering myself, then no.

England has a long culture of non conformist behaviour, eccentricity and liberty. People must get on with using that cultural freedom. It's a great thing.

Maybe. I’m sure particular domestic factors play a role and plumbing etc sounds a good idea

There does seem to be some commonality between countries on this emerging

I’d say the political class have created a future issue, one that started a fair few years back

It takes time to build up but some countries are seeing discord go up

@JennyForeigner did she get pissed?

England has a long culture of non conformist behaviour, eccentricity and liberty.

As long as you are on the right side that is.

With a nod to another thread ...

It’s one of those irregular verbs, isn’t it? I have an independent mind. You are eccentric. He is round the twist.

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves nail:head.

I'll live with either....