Part 7.5

[jgw1]

AIBU to still be enjoying falls?

I don't have any faith in our Foreign Secretary.

I am not sure what skills they have for the role. Apart from loyalty to Johnson.

I don't have much faith in our PM to stabilise any situation.

I'm sure he could stabilise a wobbly cake, or lopsided drinks cart.

at least Macron has the guts to spend 5 hours with Putin trying to sort this out

I thought Putin and Macron were supposed to be 'friends'.

Here's Lavrov again -

Feb 2021;
Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, has come under heavy fire from MEPs, diplomats and observers this week who mostly saw him as having been embarrassingly outplayed by Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov...

Borrell’s trip, which had been opposed by some member states, culminated in a press conference during which Lavrov accused EU leaders of lying about the poisoning of the jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny and called the bloc an “unreliable partner”.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/11/eu-chiefs-moscow-humiliation-is-sign-of-bloc-disunity-on-russia-say-experts

No excuse then for Truss not to be better prepared, all she had to do was a google search on Lavrov.

Whatever your political allegiance, we should all agree that we need our top diplomats in such a grave situation. No one is suggesting that the Russians are easy to deal with, so even more important to send an intelligent, articulate negotiator.

Who on earth thought it was a good idea to send Truss? What a fucking embarrassment.

@DuncinToffee

No excuse then for Truss not to be better prepared, all she had to do was a google search on Lavrov.

Indeed. Hopefully @Clavinova has been as diligent in supplying Truss with links as they have us.

HarrietPierce
Short version Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's impression of Truss

Short extract from Camilla Tominey's article;

According to former secretary of state Hilary Clinton, [Sergei Lavrov] behaved like a "jerk" during negotiations with the US. Obama administration officials told the Politico media company that he was an "anti-diplomat" with "nothing redeemable" about his "uncharismatic, offensive, uncompromising, cruel, unlikeable, brusque, caddish" character.

@Clavinova

HarrietPierce Short version Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's impression of Truss

Short extract from Camilla Tominey's article;

According to former secretary of state Hilary Clinton, [Sergei Lavrov] behaved like a "jerk" during negotiations with the US. Obama administration officials told the Politico media company that he was an "anti-diplomat" with "nothing redeemable" about his "uncharismatic, offensive, uncompromising, cruel, unlikeable, brusque, caddish" character.

@Clavinova Are you saying that because Lavrov is like that there was no need for Truss to take her trip to see him seriously?

Blossomtoes:
Far from losing Thatcher’s majority, he persuaded over a million more people to vote Tory.

The term "majority" in relation to the Commons refers to the number of seats won or lost, not the number of votes. John Major lost 81 seats for the Tories. Hope that helps.

Again Clav, thanks for providing the evidence that Lavrov's reputation is well known.

@BoodyDedalus

Blossomtoes: Far from losing Thatcher’s majority, he persuaded over a million more people to vote Tory.

The term "majority" in relation to the Commons refers to the number of seats won or lost, not the number of votes. John Major lost 81 seats for the Tories. Hope that helps.

@BoodyDedalus Have you seen the latest projections for the next General Election?

The term "majority" in relation to the Commons refers to the number of seats won or lost, not the number of votes. John Major lost 81 seats for the Tories. Hope that helps

Love statistics. More people can vote for someone than before but the party ends up with fewer seats in Parliament.

Got to love FPTP

(Plus changes in population size. It's not relevant if more people vote for you than before if there are potentially a lot more people who can vote)

@BoodyDedalus Have you seen the latest projections for the next General Election

I would just wait till nearer the time. There are so many complications, including 'Red Wall seat's' , Blue wall seats, Labour types in cities, tactical voting, Scotland etc.

@BoodyDedalus

Blossomtoes: Far from losing Thatcher’s majority, he persuaded over a million more people to vote Tory.

The term "majority" in relation to the Commons refers to the number of seats won or lost, not the number of votes. John Major lost 81 seats for the Tories. Hope that helps.

Thank you for that patronising (and unnecessary) explanation. All this shows is how fundamentally undemocratic FPTP is.

[quote cakeorwine]**@BoodyDedalus Have you seen the latest projections for the next General Election

I would just wait till nearer the time. There are so many complications, including 'Red Wall seat's' , Blue wall seats, Labour types in cities, tactical voting, Scotland etc.[/quote]
Can't I enjoy the 100+ seats the Tories are projected to lose yet?

Please?

Can't I enjoy the 100+ seats the Tories are projected to lose yet?

Of course you can. I’m enjoying it too.

@Blossomtoes

Can't I enjoy the 100+ seats the Tories are projected to lose yet?

Of course you can. I’m enjoying it too.

Thank you.

Actually it is not so much the number of seats, but the current sheer unlikeliness of the Tories forming the next government.

although I suppose she was a Remain supporter

Truss changed sides though. Perhaps this qualifies her to lick the Russkies into shape.

@cakeorwine

The term "majority" in relation to the Commons refers to the number of seats won or lost, not the number of votes. John Major lost 81 seats for the Tories. Hope that helps

Love statistics. More people can vote for someone than before but the party ends up with fewer seats in Parliament.

Got to love FPTP

(Plus changes in population size. It's not relevant if more people vote for you than before if there are potentially a lot more people who can vote)

I expect you know this, but the Tories ended up with 81 fewer seats because Labour won 418 seats while John Major's tories managed to win only 165 seats.

@Peregrina

although I suppose she was a Remain supporter

Truss changed sides though. Perhaps this qualifies her to lick the Russkies into shape.

That’s conjured up a revolting image!

Have you seen the latest projections for the next General Election?

I've just had a quick look at the link - some of the polls they are referring to have 20% of responses as "undecided" - seems a very speculative projection to me.

@Blossomtoes

Can't I enjoy the 100+ seats the Tories are projected to lose yet?

Of course you can. I’m enjoying it too.

Of course you can, but don't come crying if the projection turns out to be wrong (the next election is probably more than two years away - while a week in politics can seem like forever).

@Clavinova

Have you seen the latest projections for the next General Election?

I've just had a quick look at the link - some of the polls they are referring to have 20% of responses as "undecided" - seems a very speculative projection to me.

Just like most polls nowadays.

It's funny how you quote those polls when the Conservatives are doing well but dismiss them when they are doing poorly.

Personally I take all polls with a pinch of salt. Because there are lots of caveats about them.

But if you believe polls when your party is winning and don't believe them when they are losing, that makes you a hypocrite.

I could post ALL the polls you have posted on here in the past. That also show a lot of undecideds.

The next election is two years and three months away, at the maximum. Whether Johnson decides to scrap the Fixed Term Parliament Act and call an earlier election - well, who knows?

jgw1
Are you saying that because Lavrov is like that there was no need for Truss to take her trip to see him seriously?

I can't believe some of you are backing Lavrov's interpretation of the meeting. He doesn't have much respect for the EU;

MOSCOW, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said a collective response from the European Union to Russian security proposals would lead to a breakdown in talks...