The Westministenders / Media Baron Hunger Games continues. Who is trying to outmanoeuvre who?

[RedToothBrush]

Don't worry we've all lost track.

In the Blue Corner
It started out with Cameron and Osborne trying to win the battle of the Tories, but they got stung in a UK wide vote. Some of us thought it was about the 'EU'. Instead it has turned out it was an internal Tory Bitch fight between some old Oxford and Eton mates, whilst for others a protest vote at being disenfranchised.
Gove and Johnson stabbed Cameron & Osborne in the back to run for Team Leave. Then they won when they didn't expect to. And there was no Plan. Uh Oh. Then it all started to go really wrong.
Cameron quit in disgust. Johnson went all President Churchill, before he also got stabbed by Gove (possibly with the assistance of the dark influence of Osborne).
We now have a Tory Smackdown with the shadowy influence of the Media Barons in the background.

#Team Gove has been doing their best with the knives. This is a mission to stab as many Tory MPs in the back as possible in order to become PM. Sponsored and supported by Murdoch

#Team Leadsom has been selling more unicorns and trying to pretend her CV and tax return are completely transparent. Think positive and the economy will be just fine. She is the homeopathy of politics. Sponsored and supported by Arron Banks, Leave.eu, UKIP and Britain First.

#Team May has been threatening to deport everyone if the EU don't play nice. Sponsored and supported by The Daily Mail's Dacre

In The Purple Corner
Tragically, it appears that not only do UKIP have a Plan A, they also have outwitted everyone by having Plan B. Yes that’s right TWO plans.
Farage has swanned off –sacked—for a life on CBB so they are looking for a new leader.
The potential candidates are all equally loathsome. They include Arron Banks himself, a suspended member of the party and several other people with an uncanny ability to put their foot in their mouths.
If this wasn't horrible enough, Team Leadsom is increasingly starting to look like a UKIP take over bid of the Conservative Party, which might be a neat way of avoiding a leadership battle of their own considering the quality of the candidates on offer.

In short, its a bit like a Bad Dystopian Movie that invokes Godwin, set in 2016 Westminster. Except its real.
In the Red Corner
Meanwhile the WMD has finally gone off in the Labour Camp, as Chilcot has been published. However the Chicken Coup rattles on regardless.

Corbyn is STILL clinging on, putting in a good claim for the Westminster 'Charlie off Casualty' Award. He has however had his Big Moment in the Commons. Which was a bit of a let down really. ...

The Unions have been trying to talk some sense into everyone. Meanwhile everyone else is has given up and are now just praying for a ruddy miracle to end this torture and give the country an opposition party.

Angela Eagle is still outside for the 5th day in a row, going "I will stand. Soon. If he doesn't quit" The BBC now qualify for a discount deal at the local Travel Lodge.

We FINALLY know who the fuck Owen Smith is! He's a Welsh MP and sounds like he's not completely away with the political fairies.

George Galloway appears to be trying to make a late bid to be included on the ballot paper for any leadership election.
Bliar's cried. We didn't. Chilcot took over 2 million words to tell us everything we already knew. As well as the fact that Mi6 like Nicholas Cage a lot.

The Cult of Momentum are still worshiping their Dear Leader by sending death threats to PR companies they suspect of disloyalty. Somehow they still manage not to get the title of the most vile pressure group in the UK.

And I suppose I should ask, when will a50 be triggered....? And by whom?

All these questions and more.
Tin foil hats now available upon request

Sense of humour compulsory. No experience necessary though

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2670552-Has-Boris-been-outmanoeuvred?pg=1 Previous thread 1

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2672388-Has-Boris-been-outmanoevered-Will-someone-please-tell-me-who-is-in-charge Previous thread 2

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/a2673982-Have-Boris-and-Jeremy-been-stabbed-in-the-back-Please-can-we-have-some-leaders Previous thread 3

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2675432-Boris-outmaneovered-Et-tu-Gove-Corbyn-The-Westministenders-Hunger-Games-Continues? Previous thread 4

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eu_referendum_2016_/2678198-The-Westministenders-Hunger-Games-continues-Boris-still-trying-not-to-be-outmanoeuvred Previous thread 5

I didn't think that speech was that impressive that was secretly recorded. Not sure why people said it was brilliant.

It matters a lot Chalalala.

Elections next year...

Loathsome dislikes Scotland (via BBC):
"Unbelievable perks" for "our northern friends"&"another nail in the coffin of the Union"

tweet with screengrabs from the blog here

She was also asked how often she'd been to Scotland, and couldn't remember.

Oh yes Red, I meant that the French and German position of "no single market without free movement" is clearly supported by the public, so there is no distinction between opinion and policy.

EU governments will also be comforted by this

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/08/brexit-causes-resurgence-in-pro-eu-leanings-across-continent

Thanks for that TheBathroomSink - I didn't know that. It seems there has been a whole wave of tax return publishing I was completely unaware of! So saying naff off it is my own business - yes, not the current climate. Still a bit finger pointing though. Building a duck house or whatever came out through the Telegraph expenses exposure thing was, was public money!

She was also asked how often she'd been to Scotland, and couldn't remember. She should hurry back up. I've got plenty of sheep shite I could throw at her.

PM welcomes 'close combat' roles for women soldiers
Posted at
16:05
Women soldiers
Ministry of Defence
David Cameron says he's asked that a ban on women serving in "ground close combat roles" be lifted "as soon as possible".

It follows a recommendation from Chief of the General Staff General Sir Nick Carter that the ban be lifted from this year.

The prime minister added: "It is vital that our armed forces are world class and reflect the society we live in. Lifting this ban is a major step. It will ensure the armed forces can make the most of all their talent and increase opportunities for women to serve in the full range of roles."

Yeah I saw that. (And thought alarming in the context of Godwin).

What do we think with regard to whether national service will come back?

That's probably on Loathsome's list, right underneath grammar schools.

Probably an incredibly naive question here, but is it really possible to massage previous tax returns? Surely the point is that you just publish what you sent HMRC, and it is what it is?..

This is cheery. YouGov have just done a survey. Only 22% think the United Kingdom will last 10 years. 27% think Scotland will be independent. And another 31% think it will be further broken up.

Great Britain indeed.

Chalalala
When Cameron published his, it was a statement from his accountants, not the actual return, which was greeted with some scepticism.
I think if you do it online, you don't have a copy to release, though, I'm not sure as I've only ever been PAYE.

The other problem is that HMRC cannot comment on what you publish.

Chalalala I don't do my own tax return as an accountant does it (not a stealth boast, I am just crap with sums).

But I think most people keep a copy of the completed form for their own records as well as filing a copy with HMRC. One could then doctor one's own copy, of course, on one's computer. Not sure what the situation would be re. HMRC releasing the filed copy.

I don't suppose AL does her own returns, though. I wonder whether discussions with accountants are holding things up...

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-labour-leadership-challenge-angela-eagle-next-72-hours-a7127221.html
'Jeremy Corbyn could face Labour leadership challenge in next 72 hours
Ally of Angela Eagle says: 'She will challenge him''

GET ON WITH IT THEN FFS

'Jeremy Corbyn could get struck by a bus in the next 72 hours, is looking about as likely at the moment.'

Meh. Sure she will. I'll believe it when I see it. Frankly, I don't think she has a chance. She's watered down her effectiveness with her constant "I'm going to stand.... no really, I will... okay not today, but in a few days.... okay not yet, but I'm warning him, step down or I will stand.... maybe...." Pffffft.

I think our elusive Owen has a better chance.

God, this is never going to end, is it Red?

How much do you want to bet that next Friday AE is still flapping about telling him to quit, the unions are still 'trying to reach an agreement' between him and Watson and the country still has no viable opposition?

Just fucking do

GET ON WITH IT THEN FFS I love the cartoon showing Jeremy as Lemmy

Can anyone explain why Angela is the sacrificial lamb? She's such a dithery wet lettuce.

Oh she really is. I can't cope with one more interview with a teary eyed Angela being doorstepped outside her house.

I think actual lettuce would have a better chance than she does right now. Every time she comes forward and makes any statement other than "ok, that's it, I'm standing" she makes herself look indecisive and weak.

Because the rest of them have even less spine.

There is the mythical Owen Smith, of course, but despite him having a voting record and all, he's still not actually been seen, I don't think.

I think 'sacrificial lamb' about sums it up, and whoever stands against him could well find themselves deselected if they lose (or possibly even if they win, depending on their CLP), and none of them wants to take the risk.

I do think Labour is making a mistake here pushing a woman forward, presumably because of the media talking about how they've not had a woman leader previously (although they've been pushing AE forward prior to that). I think they need to look at who can do the job (AE clearly can't), rather than trying to provide a token woman to complete the "set."

I'd vote for a lettuce. Or a unicorn.

Cannot possibly be any worse than the current shower of shite.

Owen Smith = 0 charisma.

Smith's voting record seems pretty even handed. If he has any charisma at all (not a clue if he has, as he seems to be invisible!), he could probably make a good go of it. He seems to follow some of the lines that JC does, but more "mainstream" for lack of another way to put it.