Westministenders: Theresa's Common People

[RedToothBrush]

She came from Oxfordshire she had a thirst for knowledge
She studied geography at Saint Hugh's College
That's where politics
Caught her eye

She told them that her husband was loaded
The press barons said "In that case have a rum and coca-cola"
She said "Fine"
And in thirty seconds time she said

I want to look like common people
I want to do whatever common people do
I want to eat like common people
I want to sleep like common people
Like you

Well what else could Fiona and Nick do
They said "We'll see what we can do"

They took her to a supermarket
I don't know why
But they had to start it somewhere
So it started there
They said pretend you've got no money
She just laughed and said
"Oh you're so funny"
They smiled "Yeah”
Well we can't see anyone else smiling in here

Are you sure you want to live like common people
You want to see whatever common people see
You want to eat like common people
You want to sleep like common people
Like me

But she didn't understand
She just smiled and held Trump’s hand

Order that benefits get the chop
Tell them all to get a job
Promise to bring back the grammar school
Pretend you don’t think them a fool
But still you'll never get it right
'Cause when you're laid in bed at night
Watching the news talking about building the wall
All have to do is call your mates to fake it all

You'll never live like common people
You'll never do whatever common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
Whilst you blame it all on the EU
Because that’s all you can do

Sing along with the common people
Sing along and it might just get Brexit through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh about leaving the EU

It’s the most stupid thing that you will do
Because you think that it is cool
You’ll call them a ‘lying foreigner’
But don’t say we didn’t warn you
You’ll regret saying we are better off out
'Cause everybody hates a benefits tourist

It doesn’t matter if you can’t do the math
With all those pockets that you grease
You’ll win the vote in Bath

You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere left to go
You are amazed that they exist
And wish they were all white
So you tell ‘The Big Lie’

Get THE flat above THE shop
Cut your hair and get THE job
Trick some mugs and hire some fool
Pretend you are not really cruel
But still you'll never get it right
Instead you're plotting late at night
About which ‘cockroach’ will take the fall
All have to do is call your mates to fake it all
Yeah

You'll never live like common people
You'll never do what common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
As we plan to leave the EU
Because there's nothing else left to do

But ‘moan’ about how we don’t want to leave the EU.

Merkel's remarks were very well timed, and it seems Macron is on board with the Europe for itself and by itself zeitgeist and apparently not going to take any shit from Trump. www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40077241

Rapturous applause greeted her fiery calls for Europeans to fight for their own destiny.

No wonder she's sounding confident. France has a new president who shares her pro free-trade, Europhile values, so there is a positive feeling in Europe that the EU's Franco-German motor is back in business.
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40078183

Trump's body language/shoving/facial expressions spoke louder then even his words on his recent outing.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nick-clegg-brexit-theresa-may-terrorism-manchester-threat-to-national-security-a7760891.html
Leaving the EU may mean losing access to the whereabouts of terrorists, Nick Clegg warns

The Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson warns that if the UK leaves the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, it may lose access to crucial, shared anti-terror information

This is important. Cleggy knows his EU shit. This isn't just electioneering. (Though obviously it's also part of it)

The Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson warns that if the UK leaves the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, it may lose access to crucial, shared anti-terror information

Leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, which is a fundamental tenet of the Prime Minister's Brexit plans, is likely to mean the UK would lose access to the EU's database on the whereabouts of criminals and terrorists, which British law enforcement agencies currently look at thousands of times a day.

The second generation of Schengen Information System database, known as SIS II is a database of "real time" alerts about individuals of interest to national police forces throughout EU member states. Information on thousands of people wanted under the European Arrest Warrant is maintained within it, including those suspected of fighting jihad in the Middle East and elsewhere.

UK police and security services queried the database over half a billion times in 2016 - equivalent to 16 checks a second.

Mr Clegg claims that access to the system is open only to countries who under the legal jurisdiction of the ECJ. It is by no means certain that the UK would lose access to it in the highly likely event that it leaves ECJ jurisdiction, but no other country has ever done so.

Look those darn Leftie weak appeasing experts were at it on Saturday. God they probably like human rights lawyers and everything:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/27/eu-theresa-may-combat-terror-brexit-europol?utm_source=POLITICO.EU&utm_campaign=8bc33d37c7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10959edeb5-8bc33d37c7-190035413
We need deal with the EU to combat terror, experts tell Theresa May
Chair of Commons intelligence committee and leading security figures warn that Brexit threatens to deprive UK police of access to key European databases

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/domestic-violence-tsar-crack-down-10521096
Domestic violence tsar will crack down on abuse if Tories win election vows Theresa May

But critics point out Government cuts have triggered closures of women’s refuges, with more 30 hit since 2010

Policy announced tonight.

This is the well thought out details in full:

"Quick! Lynton, we are losing the women's vote what do we do? Oh wheel out a policy that's utterly pointless and meaningless without the funding to back it up. A problem that has been made massively worse to deal with as a direct result of our policy since we've been in government. Genuis love it. Get the press release out from when I get back from church"

"Who do we have in mind for this role Fiona? Could we get in someone who has shown an interest in this field? Who is the most highly unsuitable, unqualified and inappropriate candidate you can find? We'll have him. And yes it has to be a him. Equal opps and all that. What do mean it'll take a week to shortlist from the number of qualified candidates we have in the party! Brilliant. Glad to hear the idea has so much support behind it from the party."

I swear the news tonight just gets worse. It is Trumpandbrexit. All of it.

If the other parties were as dirty as the Conservatives they'd be all over Trumpandbrexit like a rash.

Theresa May the best person to do Brexit negotiations? Don't make me laugh. Corbyn is. Mainly because he'll actually DO negotiations unlike May who will just strop off at the first available opportunity to try and blame the EU.

Rosh @rothbeth
Worse still, there are rumours @michaelgove might be new SoS for NI. That's Gove who was against the peace process

George Eccles @ gweccles
Report in @thetimes that, post #GE2017, May intends to bring Michael Gove & Ian Duncan Smith into the Cabinet. How poisonous is that! #Marr

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/police-quiz-tory-mp-over-10520751

Police quiz Tory MP over claim he got a dog drunk and brawled with friend

Mark Menzies is alleged to have angered a friend by feeding alcohol to his pet but he claims he was the victim of an unprovoked assault and is the victim of a smear campaign

Why can't we have more fluffy warm and cute stories like this one rather than scary ones about our national security, economic sanity and Michael Give and IDS returning to the cabinet?

Hell this story even has a photo of the doggie in question.

And if we get Amber Rudd does that not mean another PM without a mandate and so another GE...and so it goes on.

I suppose if Gove was against the peace process, that's not an obstacle to him becoming SoS for NI given that the GFA won't be able to continue with a hard border between NI and ROI

Evan McMullin @ evan_mcmullin
In our Trumpian era, is there any longer a traditional right and left? Or are there only those who fight for liberty and those against it.

Jasmin Mujanovic @ jasminmuj
Authoritarians decimate trad pol binaries; regime reduces politics to subservience or treason. To question is to be an enemy of the state.

Hmm Trumpandbrexit.

Swedish, DH thinks there is a 50:50 chance we won't manage a full length term of parliament after this election...

www.theguardian.com/media/2017/may/29/publishers-call-for-rethink-of-proposed-changes-to-online-privacy-laws?CMP=twt_gu
Publishers call for rethink of proposed changes to online privacy laws
Warning that new regulations will give Google, Apple and Facebook too much control of advertising and personal data

More than two dozen leading publishers – including the Financial Times, Guardian, Le Monde, Spiegel, Telegraph, Daily Mail and Les Echoes – have signed a letter to the European parliament, which is deliberating proposals to tighten up how data is gathered and used by web companies.

Woah. Hang on a sec. Wasn't one of those law Brexiteers didn't like something to do with the cookie message?

I agree with your dh, RTB. Far too much instability to come.

When are you expecting the riots to start?

Oooo, I'll give it til next summer. Riots need sunshine.

(Times paywall) Mayday < relaunch >

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mayday-jx22db6qd

"The Tories’ average poll lead has more than halved since the start of the campaign, and so has the size of the Commons majority the party expects to win.

The signs are that in the final stretch of the campaign the party’s messaging will be firmly controlled by the Australian election guru Sir Lynton Crosby.
He may allow leading cabinet figures who have not so far been conspicuous on the hustings, Boris Johnson among them, to dilute the focus on Mrs May,

but he is expected to insist on unrelenting attacks on Mr Corbyn and his record.

This will not do.

The Labour leader’s weaknesses, including his unacceptable past closeness to the IRA, have been well-known since long before the start of the campaign, and appear to have done him little harm among undecided voters.

Conservative complacency in the absence of a serious opposition has led to an equally glaring lack of serious discussion of the issue that brought Mrs May to power, prompted her to call the election and will define the country for generations to come."

"the prime minister has yet to convince a surprisingly large number of voters that she has what it takes to lead Britain out of its present uncertainty and into the next chapter of its history. She has ten days to persuade them."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40043891?ocid=socialflow_twitter&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=twitter
Tories accused of 'sleight of hand' on manifesto grammar schools data

"It does seem that unless they've actually tricked themselves that they believe that the bottom third of families aren't working class, or either they are stupid enough to think that they're not, that they are actually using a bit of statistical jiggery-pokery."

the only tory posters I've seen, are on landowners' estates.

That's true round here, Oxford West and Abingdon, with the exception of one on the Tory MP's mother's garden fence. It was true last time too, but didn't stop them winning.

However, I am under the impression that the Tories are doing more canvassing this time, no doubt because they are 'frit'. Canvassing didn't help them with the County Council elections; it doesn't make up for the preceding years of neglect of the electorate. Being a good Councillor/constituency MP does help IMO - even when people don't particularly like the party. So, we shall see.

On the subject of the Tories trying to save themselves by changing PR attack to be all out anti-corbyn I have noticed the telegraph have stepped things up on Twitter and are back to back Corbyn attack. I don't think this will work out well for the Tories. Everything there is to know about Corbyn's past has been raked over in the labour leadership elections already and it now comes over as blatant distraction and avoidance of discussing issues in favour of personal attacks on an individual.

I seem to remember there was a post on here some time ago suggesting the reason for the Tories failiure and the labour success was that labour put forward a positive proposal for change. Even if it may seem pie in the sky people are responding to the fact that they are giving a different way forward whereas the Tories are offering fear and more of the same. From this point of view their strategy of stepping up attacks on Corbyn will be a disaster for the Tories.

I agree a Conservative strategy to focus on JC and his past is a big tactical error - all it does is talk to their secure base and turn everyone else off. The more the electorate see of JC the more they like him. If you are his opponent it makes no sense to give him even more exposure.

I was struck by similar thinking watching NS last night. If you were already in her camp then she very competently dealt with AN's questioning of her record. If you were not then she did nothing to persuade or reach out and on the questions of Indyref and Brexit she spoke just to her base and turned everyone else off. Talking about progressive alliance just highlighted to Left voters that if you want Labour you should vote Labour.

JC is a problem for NS as she can hardly call him Tory lite.

Btw I hope to god the rumour about Gove isn't true.

The thing is May will probably see appointing Gove to NI as a sign of strength and that she means business and won't be held hostage over NI with Brexit. Which is why I think she might be dumb enough to actually do it.

If the rumour is true it sets up a potential chain of events. Think Donald Trump levels of bad:

Stormont is currently in disarray. Gove will want that to continue. Tories want permanent direct rule.

Gove is opposed to the GFA. One of the conditions for us to proceed to the next step of Brexit is sorting out Ireland / NI.

I just don't see this happening under Gove. Indeed I think he will work against and there will almost certainly be a hard border as a direct result.

A hard border means the end of the GFA. Breaking an international treaty isn't a good look for a country who wants to make trade deals. This screws Ireland too. The UK has reason to screw Ireland. Politically it makes it more difficult for government to call for reunionification as they will have enough problems if their own to deal with. Also breaking the GFA removes the ability to call for a referendum on reunification. From both sides of the border. It stops NI from leaving the union. It keeps UK and NI together and to hell with the will of the people.

This will all lead to an early breakdown in Brexit negotiations. It also has implications for Gibraltar. As in May is counting on strength of public opinion there being so high for British sovereignty that she can take for granted. Or course when the Spanish don't play ball, there is only so long that's sustainable there if you live in Gibraltar. Can the UK maintain military support to ease problems there ? What with cuts to the military and having to do the police's job (let's not forget NI is now potentially getting pissy too).

Also breaking an international agreement over the GFA isn't a bright idea when the French President is also saying "Excuse me about these border arrangements....". It gives Macron a very easy way to say piss off Britain. You deal with this shit now.

On a similar note, the Falklands status rests on international good will as well as military force. May is the Anti-Thatcher and fails to see the connection between relations with the EU and our soveignity elsewhere.

The removal of the GFA and imposition direct rule makes devolution effectively obselete. They won't say this, but having done what Gove wants (he who is of the mindset of burning it all down is the only way to achieve 'progress' politically) it'll be more along the lines of "Hey we need to renegotiate the devolution settlement -including getting rid of that pesky reference to the Human Rights Act and the ECHR".

If Gove is appointed for NI talks over Brexit won't break down until after the Marching season is over. If Stormont is still out (which I suspect it will be if Gove is appointed as the DUP will see no point in agreeing anything and probably have been promised a sweetener that won't come to anything) then it's even more easy.

Would therefore suggest plan for Brexit talk walk out No1 is currently end of July.

Talks will reform but complete breakdown probably around the time of the German election. (Bet there will be lots of threats of it before Election. Probably some comments about cars and the third Reich and that will help Merkel and please Schultz. At which point we'll throw toys out of pram when the German people put two fingers up at us.)

Of course where does this all leave us? With a begging bowl to the US? Did you see the body language between May and Trump over the weekend? That's not hand holding. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson is due here for a meeting to show the strength of the 'special relationship' after the Manchester arena bombing. This is an emergency meeting, not to show strength but because someone is panicking. The Cons want to cosy up to America. But not THAT much as that undermines their power grab.

Sigh. Anyway... Let's hope Gove isn't given NI and I'm just getting wildly carried away and hysterical over the possibility and it's knock on implications.

To be honest though if IDS and Gove both pop up in the cabinet any suggestion that May will find it easier to compromise is out the window. If they do reappear, I fully expect Hammond given the boot out the backdoor, and Fallon as chancellor. None of these three have much of a clue about anything other than spouting bollocks to order.

Stormont is currently in disarray. Gove will want that to continue. Tories want permanent direct rule.

This is nonsense.

Gove wants the disarray in Stormont to continue?
Proof of this?

'The Tories' (so all of the conservatives?) want permanent direct rule?
Proof of this?

Gove is opposed to the GFA.

So was Jeremy Corbyn.

Your last post was full of hyperbole with no basis; it was full of supposition and wild speculation.

Bigly when I studied political communication re: British / American elections, the big thing was that negative campaigning generally turned off voters. Voters look for positive messaging.

I have to say looking at how the three parties are going, the election is about framing it as Corbyn v May which pushes out the LDs.

The LDs are helping themselves with some of their campaigning. The whole Farage as May poster and leaflets Campaign is totally counter productive imho. It puts up people's backs and is more likely to result in leavers being more motivated to vote against the LDs in one way or another. It also doesn't inspire Remainers with a message of positivity. The LD manifesto has been described by the Times as 'an exercise in thinking' and by the Institute for Fiscal Studies as by far the best for the poorest in this country. The message isn't getting across: itself it's all Brexit in a potentially alienating fashion to some people and their drugs policy.

In then having it framed as Corbyn v May this is also pushing Remainers to Labour even though Labour policy is Brexit. This includes even hardened Remainers as they fear May but think that there is policy and substance in Labour, even if they don't agree with it all or don't think half of it is achievable. It's hopeful and ambitious and sells that well. For this reason the inadequacies of Corbyn are being over looked. Remember, ABC1s who voted remain are rational thinkers and more likely to be drawn to policy too.

The Conservatives are going for the purely emotional vote and Campaign. It's negative and aggressive and gets people's backs up too. Support for May is only there because these people like Corbyn less. It lacks substance, its based on fear because in recent elections this has actually worked as a divide and conquer strategy (note it didn't work at the referendum as it wasn't divide and conquer based and was up against a massively positive message). What the Tories are up against is that there is a threshold beyond which their message just falls flat on its face and people go 'so what that's bollocks'. The dementia tax made it worse as it was a taster for what's to come and people didn't actually like that. They are too driven by the emotion and fear that Corbyn will be worse and many are trying to kid themselves that May's the better option right now. A lot of their strategy also appears to be about suggesting a softening approach with a bigger majority so they don't have to appease the Tory right as much. This is bullcrap. You only have to look at where May was yesterday. But there are lots of Tories and would be Tories who want to believe it, so choose to.

the only tory posters I've seen, are on landowners' estates.

I wouldn't expect them to be. Tories aren't known for shouting about politics. It's viewed almost as crass. That said in the past there have always been loads round here, and there are hardly any. But this is remain land which won't be helping matters (and isn't reflective nationally I suspect) and I think the lack of signs is in part down to Luke warm shallow support for May which isn't being accurately reflected in polling because of the way it's done.

I do think that the way things are shaping up, May could see her approval ratings go off a cliff. Not because of Brexit itself because people will like that but because of all the other things that go with it. These are people who for one reason or another haven't done joined up thinking over the EU. What makes anyone think they suddenly will? So if May does something unpopular because of Brexit, it may well not be properly seen in the context of Brexit but in the context of May being incompetent or a breaking of a promise. (An implied promise rather than necessarily a real one).

The newspapers are only going to be her friend to a point on this. If something really is unpopular with the public they will throw her under the bus slowly but surely.

Great post red thanks.

Thanks for setting out the timescale. And meanwhile the ROI has a gay Indian running for Irish PM.

www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/indian-origin-gay-minister-favourite-to-become-ireland-s-next-pm/story-QZTQS8zlfqrQ1LF8A5S1KL.html.

Macron , Trudeau, Merkel, this guy Varadkar. What intelligence, integrity talent and optimism there is beyond these shores.

Perhaps Charmeggon. Isn't it also the flip of the Tory attack on Corbyn too though?

We shall see how it pans out. Corbyn did ultimately want peace. Gove's attitude to the GFA is far more virulent and toxic. If and indeed it it is a big if still, he is put in charge of NI it's a real attack symbolically as much as in reality. Which is important. And is why I think it fits in line with May's approach so far and her general attitude.

As I say, I bloody hope I'm wrong. And I bloody hope I am being hysterical. The problem is I do see it as being a realistic possibly too though. The mere fact I can see that is alarming. It should be firmly in the lands of la la.

I don't entirely agree with your statements about the LibDems Red. In my seat which is being targetted by them, the focus is very much on how much Nicola Blackwood has failed to keep her promises as an MP e.g. she 'assured' us that Childrens' Centres were safe, the Tory led CC has now closed them all, she voted to pull out of Euratom, when the nuclear industry is a big local employer, plus a focus on the NHS.

It's not a seat where Labour has ever done well and I don't think they are campaigning all that hard.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4551424/Longer-jail-terms-people-attack-children.html
Theresa May vows to introduce longer jail terms for people who violently attack children

No this story is not related in anyway to the Manchester Arena bombing (it's not in anyone's psychology right now The all and this headline won't play on that ).

This is a guide in how to stir up voters by the Daily Mail. The domestic violence policy to be launched by May appears to be being centres on children. Not women. Children.

It also says this:

Recent opinion polls have shown the Tory lead over Labour slipping to as little as five points, with party chiefs privately voicing concern they may even be overtaken.

Last night a Tory source told the Daily Mail: ‘We fully expect to fall behind Labour in a poll in the coming days. It will happen.’

This is bollocks. This is, let's ensure those postal votes all come back in by bigging up the Corbyn risk.

If Labour do overtake Cons in polling I'll be truly amazed.

This is, let's ensure those postal votes all come back in by bigging up the Corbyn risk.

This may be too late. Most postal voters send their votes off within 48 hours. DS & DIL did so. (They didn't vote for May the Tory candidate.)