Westministenders: Oh No Not Another One. Thread that is.

[RedToothBrush]

In this edition of Westministers we play a game of ‘Where are they now?’

In June 2016 our screens were subjected to the sight of a number of particularly vocal MPs who participated in debates and stood on soap boxes to talk about the referendum.

The most noticeable of these for Leave were perhaps Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom, Gisela Stuart, Nigel Farage, Priti Patel and Kate Hoey. For Remain it was David Cameron, George Osborne, Jeremy Corbyn, Ruth Davidson, Sadiq Khan, Nicola Sturgeon, Nick Clegg and Tim Farron.

It is starting to seem that anyone involved in campaigning either for or against Brexit in June 2016 has faced an epic battle for survival. Just how long can they last before being defeated or conceding defeat.

David Cameron’s scalp was the first to go, as he swanned off leaving everyone to clear up his mess.

Boris Johnson, who was keen to stamp his mark and pitch for the leadership by stitching up Cameron, got stitched up by Michael Gove who also lost his own bid for leadership as a result.

Johnson, of course, still lives to fight another day by getting a nice job as Theresa’s whipping boy. He’s occasionally let out by himself, but its Michael Fallon who does the ‘Grown Up Business’. He was said to be one of the last to support an early election. I can’t think why that might be.

Poor old Gove is now confined to a straight-jacket, the back benches where he’s been told to think about what he’s done like a naughty school child and a column in the Times

Andrea Leadsom was sent to a field of cows never to be seen again except to pop up for the odd cameo line shouting about ‘Jam’.

Queen Theresa also dealt with the other Conservative Leader Leave Candidate Mr Liam Fox, by shipping him off to every dodgy corner of the global to get pampered by state hostility.

Stephen Crabb simply crawled back under his rock.

The announcement of the General Election seems to be like the major soap incident episode where half the cast get killed off by a totally unrealistic disaster because their acting contracts weren’t being renewed.

The quitters and abdicators who now have legged it at the sight of a General Election are Gisela ‘Champion of the Brexit Bus’ Stuart and Nigel ‘Too chicken to be defeated for an eighth time and risk losing my nice EU pension’ Farage. George Osborne took the advice of his school teachers and had another career to fall back on when he didn’t become successful in his first choice.

Its rather starting to look like the curse of being a leading Brexiteer is to be made to disappear off the face of the earth or fuck off when the going gets tough. Have you seen Priti Patel lately? Does she even still exist? And Chris Grayling? He was convinced he was going to get chancellor when he supported May in her bid for the leadership.
Instead he got packed off transport and disappeared off the face of the earth much to the annoyance of everyone caught up in the rail strikes.

The only one who is remotely visible seems to be David Davis and is like May’s pet poodle who just tries to please his owner.

It’s almost like the only one still standing or hasn’t been banished is Kate Hoey. And the Lib Dems are trying to work on that one and make her sink beneath the waves, on board her Alan Partridge Titanic once and for all.

Conversely the visible Remainers seem to be – on the face of it - fairing rather better at the moment.

Sadiq Khan is hugely popular and actually does his job rather than fannying about on zip wires. Ruth Davidson is also well respected and apparently has saved Priti Patel’s job from abolition. If the rumours are to be believed bored with scrapping with Nicola, she might be lining herself up for ‘Big Things’ in Westminister. Cameron’s one time love interest, Nick Clegg hasn’t shaken the tarnish of the coalition but he is enjoying a new reputation as the Brexit Soothsayer and some people actually know who Tim Farron is now, which is progress. Nicola Sturgeon is of course riding high and seems to be a permanent thorn in Theresa’s side.

Jeremy ‘I’m a Remainer, honest comrades’ Corbyn is the one who seems to be something of a walking disaster area yet is also thriving with it like a zombie who just keeps going regardless of what you throw at him.

And then of course there is Queen Theresa. The Remainer. Who has crushed everyone in her party. Not just the saboteurs. Even her supposed ally Hammond and BBF Rudd have been thrown under the bus at her wimb when its suited May personally.

The General Election now sets a new scene and opportunity for new characters to emerge. Now the rats have left the ship or been put in their place.

Will May set course to the left or to the right or simply plow on like a bull in a china shop?

Anyway I’m now looking forward to the shocking soap opera moment where your favourite hero or villain gets killed off in a twist you didn’t see coming. Role on June 8th. If only to get pass the upcoming horror of the next six weeks.

Wonderful intro as usual Red!

Done a few calculations just to make it interesting.

If we charge 50% tax on earnings over £70,000 then actually someone on £75,000 only pays and extra £500 in tax per year (without deductions for pensions etc).

This means that on this income the tax bill per month would be increased by £41.

What do we think?

And here's yet more evidence of how pointless this election is:

Guy Verhofstadt says results of the election will be an irrelevance

Writing in the Observer, the former Belgian prime minister, who will play a key role in the coming Brexit negotiations, describes the election announced by May on Tuesday as “an attempted power grab by the Conservative party, who wish to take advantage of a Labour party seemingly in disarray to secure another five years of power, before the reality of Brexit bites”.

Verhofstadt further claims that putting more Tory MPs in the House of Commons will do nothing to bolster the British prime minister when it comes to the talks in Brussels. The latest polls have the Tories about 20% ahead of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party.

“The theory espoused by some, that Theresa May is calling a general election on Brexit in order to secure a better deal with the EU, is nonsensical,” he says.

Nothing that hasn't been said on these threads but good to see a politician put his head above the parapet and confirm our suspicions.

If we charge 50% tax on earnings over £70,000 then actually someone on £75,000 only pays and extra £500 in tax per year (without deductions for pensions etc).

I think it's fine. £41 or less than £500 a year will not break the bank for many, although they might have to forgo a couple of nights out. Or not be able to afford quite as expensive a holiday.

If you think of George Harrison's 'Taxman' - "there's one for you, nineteen for me", this was never true. It was only the top slice which was taxed at that rate.

I agree, Danny, that the tax rise won't make high-earners substantially worse off but never underestimate the readiness of the wealthy to feel victimised.

Brilliant intro. Made me laugh, it's so true. Need something to laugh about as most of the time am in despair. What a time to live through.

Oh yes.

Being a high earner I know that, people talk all sorts of crap about how much tax they pay, always quoting the marginal and not the average rate.

Or acknowledging that they pay a far smaller % of their income in NI than others.

Well
We live in interesting times!
that's what I keep telling ds1!

I think part of the problem is that Brits calculate their pay by the gross amount. So if you earn £75,000 pa, that's about £6,250 a month before deductions or about £4,300 after deductions which sounds a lot less. My friends and family in Italy would just say that they earn such and such a month and that would be the take-home pay not the gross amount.

Great intro just wish this wasn't real life

Yeah
Stuff like this was really funny on "the thick of it"
😞

Blank manifesto? If May could get away with it she would.

Instead the buzz word is 'flexible'.

This is a nice word to hide nasty surprises we all know are coming.

I think May might be making a real mistake over her election strategy. She's keeping even Torygraph political journos away. Journos don't like this what ever their political allegiance. Pisses them off makes them raise questions the public might notice more than if May allowed a small amount of contact and access to her.

It'll take a couple of weeks of it before May is forced to crack or it starts to become the story and she starts to lose control of the agenda.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39644473

Thanks for the new thread RTB

Thanks for keeping them coming Red

I am sure that the Mansion Tax did for Vince Cable last time as much as the coalition, even people I thought were very liberal were indignant. Whilst you can see it as entitled and self serving you can also sort of see why when one of the challenges facing even families with two parents in professional jobs Is housing in an area where you would struggle to find a suburban semi with a loft conversion and a bit of garden under £1m even in roads without a chance of a place in a good school nearby (or even no chance of a school place at all at first allocations ), miles from a station or shops and under the Heathrow flight path.

All bets are off until after the French elections.

One thing annoys me about criticisms of Labour is that they are a 'tax and spend' party. We have to reframe this. What is wrong with paying for health care, and an educated population, elderly care, defence even, (although perhaps not Trident)?

I did challenge someone on this recently, and they did rather sheepishly back down and admit that yes, a civilised society will pay for those things.

HS2 is on its way but bid troubles and snap election could still derail project The new line’s progress is anything but speedy and, in light of controversy and recent political events, it could grind to a halt
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/22/hs2-on-way-bid-controversy-snap-election-derail-project?CMP=twt_gu

The upside of totalitarian penury, at least various AONB have had a reprieve.

Looks like these were good marches today:
www.theguardian.com/science/2017/apr/22/evidence-not-arrogance-uk-supporters-join-global-march-for-science

The marchers chanted: “What do we want? Evidence-based policy. When do we want it? After peer review”
Darn enlightenment.

I would actually pleased if HS2 was derailed - pardon the pun. I used to think it a good idea, but then looked into it more for a course I did, and revised my opinion. There is a lack of capacity in the south east, which could probably be better served by building a freight line, leaving the existing lines for passengers. Similarly, modernising the trans-pennine route would bring much greater economic benefits.

To make it even better woman

Doctor Who himself makes an appearance at the March for Science in London
mashable.com/2017/04/22/doctor-who-peter-capaldi-march-for-science-london/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link#e8T2t1q6piqn

for the new thread.

The next phase of HS2 being derailed would be great. Its utterly pointless for the NW. It won't generate anymore business, and no one will be able to afford to use it. For the sake of saving mins.

We've seen a nice house just by the route. Right now its in the middle of beautiful countryside. I'd move there in a flash if it wasn't for HS2. I don't know how the poor bastards are going to sell it.

Lots of lovely cash for their Tory mates though, eh?

Mike Smithson‏*@MSmithsonPB*
^Huge changes in first post election announcement Opinium poll
Con 45 (+7) Lab 26 (-3) LD 11 (+4) UKIP 9 (-5)^

Opinium's 11% the LDs far the best share since GE2015 from a pollster the generally gives it the worst ratings. In July Opinium had LD on 4%

Opinium have had the LDs down at least 2 - 3% on all the other pollsters taken at a similar time.

All HS2 will do is suck more people into the south east.

I recall when the HST's were introduced on the Great Western line, as it now is, in September 1976. Within two months, prices in Didcot and Reading had shot up because the commute was now quicker. Something like 43 minutes from Didcot as opposed to an hour and 10 minutes.