Westministenders: Hey Hey we're the Monkies.

[RedToothBrush]

Welcome to the Listening Parliament.

Have you noticed it yet?

The Three Monkeys of See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil have been in a bit of a fight with didn’t fair well. Its funny how politicians of all shades and levels are desperate to prove just how good they at listening and how they see the problems.

Its quite incredible to think that officials elected to serve the public are even in this position where they are having suddenly think about how they show they are listening. It rather shows up that they have been accustomed to telling the public what to think and what to believe.

What they are still to work out, is that in saying they are listening, they also have to demonstrate they are listening and be credible.

The trouble is, that even though some of the monkeys have been killed off, we still have a lot of monkeys in parliament. 'Monkey say, Monkey do' actions still lurk. Politicians who imitate others without understanding the consequences.

There is no point in listening if you are only listening to one group and don’t understand the consequences of simply repeating the words of others.

Politicians saying they are listening when you can find dozens of incidents where they have said completely the opposition, without having the gumption to explain they have changed their position and without having the grace to explain the evidence that has lead them to change that position rather undermines the idea they are listening.

U-Turns are not a bad thing. U-Turns can show that you were making an error but were wise enough to admit that and why you were wrong. U-Turns are bad when you fail to acknowledge your failings and only do it to chase votes. This is where cynicism creeps in and lack of trust in politicians occurs.

Listening also requires actions to reflect words. There is no good in saying one thing, if your actions don’t reflect that. This is where the Listening Parliament is already failing. And I’m sure we will see it more.

Above all, listening is only part of a conversation. A politician is supposed to be accountable. They are supposed to have their eyes open to evil, not deaf to it and not unwilling to speak inconvenient truths where they recognise the evil.

Any politician who tells you they listen needs to back it up somehow. They need to demonstrate and justify their positions accurately. If they don’t they aren’t listening properly.

Isn’t it funny how it was in Hartlepool that the monkey got hung for being a Frenchman? No one was there to explain differently.

grump

If you're interested in how people are reacting to the Vince Cable's view of Brexit, James O'Brien on LBC now is the place to be

I was listening to (bits of) that too. Some pretty insightful callers. What was more alarming were the callers just before his show. Really keen on Brexit, refused to admit there were any problems and angry that the Vince Cable is questioning whether Brexit will actually happen.

I'm starting to think only an economic disaster of immense proportions will steer us away from Brexit.

My favourite quote from the LBC show was "it is easier to fool someone than convince them they have been fooled" (Mark Twain)

It's so true

So by asking the other parties for help, is she also trying to expose that they have no ideas either? Or put their policies in the limelight instead of Tory ones?

I think this is an interesting development with a lot of potential ramifications for all sides.

Have been loitering the last few days just trying to keep up!

Caught the news that TM is asking for other parties to come up with ideas instead of criticising and also the bit about being pm as a different reality now.

Did she ever know how government worked? How the hell is she running the country without knowing the basics?

It's as though the election just happened, of its own accord, and took TM by surprise. Not that she called it, and was too stubborn to listen to advice from others.

Vote Leave campaign director says only 'morons' would want to leave Euratom

Dominic Cummings, the Vote Leave campaign director (who tweets as odysseanproject), has said that those in government who favour leaving Euratom are “morons”.

www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/jul/10/brexit-theresa-may-could-remain-subject-to-ecj-during-transitional-period-after-brexit-says-damian-green-politics-live

That's us all right.

Is Dominic Cummings having some sort of crisis of conscience or is he just a professional troublemaker?

No. DH must be right. The Tories are doing it for a bet.

When Japan has a better handle of Bexit issues that the British government

uk.businessinsider.com/japan-brexit-note-to-britain-2016-9

The message is addressed to everyone in Britain, not just some government official in Theresa May's Department for Exiting the European Union. Its title is "Japan’s Message to the United Kingdom and the European Union."

The 15-page document is also startling because it isn't couched in vague, political spin. The only thing we "know" about May's Brexit strategy is "Brexit means Brexit." May has given no further details about what her government is trying to achieve.

The note from the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in contrast, is a list of specific concerns and demands.

To quote the letter (emphasis ours):

"There are numerous Japanese businesses operating in Europe, which have created 440,000 jobs. A considerable number of these firms are concentrated in the UK. Nearly half of Japanese direct investment intended for the EU in 2015 flowed to the UK ... we strongly request that the UK will consider this fact seriously and respond in a responsible manner to minimise any harmful effects on these businesses."

The most startling aspect of the note is contained in a series of text boxes. "Actual requests from Japanese businesses are listed in the boxes under the headings below," the letter says. One of those boxes says Japanese banks may leave if Britain cannot maintain an EU-like economic relationship (emphasis ours):

"If Japanese financial institutions are unable to maintain the single passport obtained in the UK, they would face difficulties in their business operations in the EU and might have to acquire corporate status within the EU anew and obtain the passport again, or to relocate their operations from the UK to existing establishments in the EU."

And then there is a bucket of cold water for everyone who wants to reduce immigration (as May herself does). Companies can't survive without flexible immigration, the Japanese say. In fact, immigration should be increased, they say:

Maintaining access to workers with the necessary skills
 To maintain an immigration system that allows the
acceptance of highly skilled professionals in the banking
and other sectors
 To maintain an immigration system that allows the
acceptance of workers for the construction of power plants
 To give serious consideration to the appropriate visa
procedures for foreign workers

 To maintain, at least, the current parameter of the immigration system.
Japanese businesses are concerned at the possibility that the UK may impose further stringent requirements concerning visa applications by Japanese and other foreign workers in the UK, which would affect their business operations. In fact, the inflow of skilled labour from outside of the EU needs to be liberalised. In order to ensure stable staffing for business operations in the UK, the requirements for obtaining and extending visas need to be relaxed, especially for intracompany transferees.

Full letter here:

www.mofa.go.jp/files/000185466.pdf

I think if I were the opposition I wouldn't dignify TM's rallying call with a response.

val2 I'm not ignoring you but I need something with a keyboard to reply properly.

I think if I were the opposition I wouldn't dignify TM's rallying call with a response.

I would just refer her to Arkell v. Pressdram, and leave it at that.

I'm sure someone will be along with a greater understanding of East Asian protocol than me (ron?) but isn't that letter from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs extremely explicit verging on the aggressive/rude by Japanese standards? Or was it written with Westerners our cloth-eared government in mind?

LH If nothing else, these threads are flushing out the Private Eye readers

but isn't that letter from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs extremely explicit verging on the aggressive/rude by Japanese standards?

The Japanese are very direct, you just need to listen.

They've already been very direct on their view of the UK:

"All we need from the English is their language. And we've already stolen that."

Maybe we have have a sweepstakes on how many countries need to advise the UK that Brexit is a Bad Idea before it starts being reported ?

I thought directly disagreeing or correcting someone was seen as very rude in Japanese culture (although very understandable in this case ). There's not much disguising that they think the UK government is barking and are extremely exasperated by it. They've effectively drawn up their own red lines.

I'm always surprised by the calls for Gove et al to slash EU red tape on drug safety trials in the context of the contaminated blood scandal.

Even leaving aside the human cost as a good tory probably should, I cannot comprehend why they don't understand that it is cheaper to review things carefully and get them right rather than fudge, lie, wait for people to go away and eventually hold a public inquiry which completely lambasts them and makes them look utterly shifty and untrustworthy.

The drug trials legislation (and environnmental protections) actually protect politicians here as well as individuals as it stops them making really bad decisions which bite them hard, later.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-regulations-michael-gove-environment-drugs-a7649041.html

I'm always surprised by the calls for Gove et al to slash EU red tape on drug safety trials in the context of the contaminated blood scandal.

Calls from whom ? Certainly not people who know anything about it ... what are they called ? Oh, experts.

Medical research has come to the conclusion that there aren't many - if any - new "wonder drugs" to be discovered.

Current thinking is now looking at existing drugs in a new light (some hope for MrsLH, as Multiple Sclerosis is a focus of investigation), and the developing understanding that disease is very much an individual experience, and personalise medicine is the way forward. (It was also the way of the past, but we'd probably not be thanked for reminding doctors they've spent 2 centuries rubbishing that ).

Sorry typo - calls from gove and moggy! Definitely not experts but we've all had enough of them...

calls from gove and moggy!

It's probably just me and my prejudices, but I really am racking my brains to think of two people I would trust less. With anything.

evolvepolitics.com/theresa-may-forced-beg-jeremy-corbyn/

Crisis-stricken Prime Minister Theresa May is set to make an unprecedented move tomorrow: appealing to Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party to formulate policies for the government post-Brexit.

Weak and wobbly May is reportedly due to make a speech tomorrow where she will offer an ‘olive branch’ to Jeremy Corbyn, Labour, and other opposition MPs and parties currently sitting in government. This olive branch will be the opportunity to collaborate with the government and be involved in the policy-making process.

In reality, it would be Jeremy Corbyn and Labour offering a hand as Theresa May clings onto the cliff edge. After failing to win a majority in last month’s general election, she is in a precarious position and needs the support of opposition parties for her minority government to survive – especially as the Tory hawks are already circling her demanding a change in leadership.

(contd)

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tory-mp-racist-brexit-recording_uk_59638608e4b02e9bdb0e2c77?

Tory MP Anne Marie Morris Recorded Saying Brexit No Deal Is A ‘N*** In A Woodpile’

Morris comes on the heels of Rosemary Caroll who not two weeks ago made a delightful joke comparing Asian benefit claimants to dogs:

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-former-mayor-suspended-sharing-10710922

Tory former mayor suspended for sharing 'racist' joke about benefit claimants on Facebook
The post shared by Rosemary Carroll suggested benefits would be dished out to a dog who is "brown, stinks and has never worked a day in his life"

Weak and wobbly May is reportedly due to make a speech tomorrow where she will offer an ‘olive branch’ to Jeremy Corbyn

an olive branch. She's reaching out to Corbyn, either so he can pull her out of the shit - or much more likely she can pull him into it too.

Actually quite shocked by the racist comments linked above. Then I just feel hopeless naive and sheltered.

Corbyn's response to Theresa May is out

The joke is beyond but I would like to know why it has stopped at her being suspended.
This was a clearly racist attack. Is there not some legal action that should be taken against her?
I really think that politicians like her should be held accountable in front of a tribunal.

And then seeing the comment by Morris, it seems that a lot of Tories have really no issue with racist comments (See the lack of reactions of the people around her too).

I wid hope that this is not representative of the Tory party as a whole. But I'm starting to doubt TBH.

it seems that a lot of Tories have really no issue with racist comments

It's a shame we have to be reminded that it's easily within living memory that the Tories (allegedly) sent a leaflet out saying "If you want a n*** for a neighbour, vote Liberal or Labour".

(I say "allegedly" as despite this having entered national folk consciousness, I have never ever seen a copy of this leaflet. "Fake news" is not a new thing. Also I've never heard it officially denied by the Tories).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smethwick_in_the_1964_general_election