Westministers: Happy New Year?

[RedToothBrush]

And so we enter a New Year full of hope that things might just be about to recover from our national nervous breakdown... or perhaps not.

As we have Damien Green ejected from his role as Deputy PM over allegations of inappropriate conduct towards woman and use of porn at the end of last year, 2018 sees a bright new progressive dawn with the appointment to the role of universities regulator of Toby Young. A man who has deleted 20,000 tweets including many which are inappropriate and offensive to women, is a fan of eugenics and hates the working class and disabled.

Meanwhile the NHS is facing a crisis which is totally unexpected to the government and couldn't possibly have been planned for by a man who has over seen it for over five years. Which naturally bodes really well for Brexit planning.

We are apparently planning to join the TPP. Never mind geopolitics we can move the UK to the Pacific region.

We still are not ready for trade talks because the Cabinet can not agree on anything. Not that it sounds like they have actually discussed anything along these lines yet.

Rumours are that the Cabinet - including arch leavers such as Gove - are leaning towards supporting May and a softer option, despite the disgust of Johnson, who once again is the subject of malicious chatter about his sacking in a forthcoming Cabinet Reshuffle.

There is talk of further Tory Party war with the revelation that membership of the party has dropped to a core of just 70,000 hardline authoritarian men, most of whom are over 60. Tory HQ now wants to (perhaps with some good reason to prevent the loons) rewrite the constitution and limit the power of local associations to select candidates. The Tory party is now lining up to be a power struggle between internal authoritarians, who don't like democracy voices or structure.

Meanwhile the Labour Party membership now apparently overwhelmingly looks upon staying in the customs union and single market favourably and is in favour of a second referendum. In opposition to the leadership who are utterly committed to Hard Brexit. Much to the annoyance of Lord Adonis who is pitching a fit about government corruption and incompetence and being accused of being elite because he going skiing. Unlike of prominent Leavers who are in touch with the working class.

And finally Nigel Farage has got a meeting with Barnier. Farage, unlike Clegg, Clarke and Adonis, will not be accused by the Right Wing Press of undermining the government's negotiating position because...

It appears that we are in for another year of Brexit nonsense then.

We've not even heard mention of Gibraltar yet.

No.

Nigel met Barnier on Monday and the British press barely blinked. There was no interest.

Then this happens 3 days later?

Its about publicity. That's all.

He's about to start getting extreme and shocking to get publicity again. You watch.

Remember if no one gives a shit about Farage and the public now think he's irrelevant and a has been then he loosing any sort of protection that might give to any possible domestic prosecution if he happened to ever be caught up in something dodgy as fuck.

Backing a second referendum on any terms would have been controversial and garnered plenty of attention though - seems short sighted to punt remain as an option

So many things spring to mind that could be “dodgy as fuck”. I’d love it if he had to face international pressure/prosecution too, perhaps in the form of an fbi and/or special counsel investigation

It quite funny watching the lib Dems on twitter responding to Farage with the liberal democrat equivalent of pumping fists in the air and shouting 'Bring it on mo fo!'

“He's about to start getting extreme and shocking to get publicity again. You watch”

And there’s Our Tobes stealing all his thunder...

I'd actually be quite surprised if in the privacy of the voting cubicle, back on that fateful day in June - our mate Nige had actually voted leave. Who knowingly votes themselves out of a job? And one as cushy as his, at that?

The whole point of his life is to be an agitator and a wind up merchant. When leave won - and it seems actually the majority agreed with him - he lost all his power, his raison de'tre and -soon - his MEP status and salary.
And now - isn't his wife leaving him and taking him to the cleaners? Bad timing for the personal finances of Mr. Farage.
He must be frigging desperate for us to head back into the welcoming, warm folds of the EU - then he can start spreading his poison again.
Brexit Britain is no fun for Nigel.

When learning about Nazi Germany at A level my teacher, who was the best I've ever had at teaching critical thinking, went to painful lengths to remind us that looking back through hindsight at just the negatives of what the regime became would teach us nothing. He felt it was important to recognise that some good was done, especially in the early days or their power wouldn't have been solidified in the way it became. Whilst also pointing out that of course that good often came at the expense of others and many horrific things which were completely unforgivable.

Seems Gove may have gotten half that message.

Just to go back to the posts about hospital donation, our local hospital is the John Radcliffe in Oxford - large teaching hospital etc.

DH had a car accident a few years ago which required two lots of surgery - one for an immediate fix to a broken bone and a subsequent set to do the permanent fix when the swelling had subsided and they could see what they were doing. Unfortunately there was no ice machine on the trauma ward, because they couldn't afford to replace it so he could either have huge lumps of ice or nothing.

We fundraised to buy a new ice machine, but it seemed and still seems ridiculous that a basic piece of equipment like that couldn't be replaced without a patient donation.

Laura Kuenssberg @bbclaurak
Interesting, Graham Brady, top brass of Tory backbenchers, says he might well support separate tax for NHS like @NickBoles and supports Royal Commission

The NHS Tax.

Coming to your pay packet soon.

Thanks for the suggestions to seek out a "Friends of X Hospital" type group - I'll do that

artisan - I guess the difficulty comes in differentiating between "essential" and "important". Is the ice machine essential? Or just important?

(I love the idea of a decent drinks trolley in a hospice, though - I'd donate for that)

Red - what do you make of the fact that Gove has previously been a staunch supporter of the Jewish community, but is apparently able to overlook TY's failings that take him into neo-nazi territory?

Would an "NHS Tax" be as fatal to the current executive as the separate line on US pay slips for Obama Care?

what do you make of the fact that Gove has previously been a staunch supporter of the Jewish community, but is apparently able to overlook TY's failings that take him into neo-nazi territory?

That Gove blows with the wind ?

Would an "NHS Tax" be as fatal to the current executive as the separate line on US pay slips for Obama Care?

No, I think not, because the NHS is something we have treasured for 70 years, whereas Obama Care is new, 'socialised' medical care.

Would an "NHS Tax" be as fatal to the current executive as the separate line on US pay slips for Obama Care?

It's hardly a new idea. The LibDems suggested it going back to 2010, of not before, so it's hardly a vote winner.

Meanwhile, Boris is singing from the EU hymn sheet ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42650266

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has challenged the US to show there is a better alternative to the deal with Iran that limits its nuclear programme.

Following talks in Brussels with his Iranian and European counterparts, he said the 2015 accord was a considerable accomplishment that was preventing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

(contd)

Or is this some shady deal to get Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe out ?

This is from the 27th December
Chris Williamson MP‏ @DerbyChrisW
The relentless vituperative insults directed at @skwawkbox shows it's a thorn in the side of the Establishment, making it essential reading for anyone who wants to break the neoliberal status quo to create a fairer country; and it's why @skwawkbox deserves our support

This is what he was up to yesterday:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42639553
Labour's Chris Williamson suggests doubling tax for top value homes

Here's swarkbox licking his bum without any question:
skwawkbox.org/2018/01/11/williamsons-bold-idea-exposes-tory-reality-they-devolve-blame-not-power/
Williamson’s bold idea exposes Tory reality: they devolve blame, not power

And today:

George Eaton @georgeeaton
Labour's Chris Williamson tells me he can't "confirm" that he's resigned from the frontbench but did not deny.

Lucy Fisher @LOS_Fisher
Chris Williamson has definitely resigned, I understand.

In other words he likes media that agrees with his shit ideas without question. He obviously can not see how doubling council tax on housing in London, might be a bit of a shit idea that might get passed on to people who rent and might not necessarily be the ideal solution. It might also affect homes are owned by the elderly on low incomes and only have those properties by virtue of having bought at the right time, not because they are cash rich. Is he proposing they sell up and be shipped out of London? That would work out just fine...

Seriously, this is ideological bullshit that is bonkers and so short sighted to the point that I question whether he's been involved in an accident that caused trauma to his eyeballs.

Lets just wind people up to hate everyone else not in their social circle. That'll work out just fine. And isn't at all fucking irresponsible.

Williamson is a staunch Corbyn ally. The fact that Labour MPs are saying that propaganda machines that pose as journalists and have a poor track record with fact checking should be supported without question is not good.

As to why he quit.

I hear there are some London elections coming up....

Muppet. Absolute Muppet. And you wonder why the government which is full of muppets is still doing so well in the polls?

Dunno about Nige, but Boris blatantly voted Remain.

Red Is there any tax rise that you would accept? I've only ever seen you argue against them. If you don't want tax rises, what do you see as the solution to underfunding in education, NHS, housing etc?

(I don't have a particularly strong feeling about the Williamson proposal, just a sense that taxes do have to rise if we're going to get anywhere)

Red - what do you make of the fact that Gove has previously been a staunch supporter of the Jewish community, but is apparently able to overlook TY's failings that take him into neo-nazi territory?

You mean like how Trump has a son in law and daughter who are Jewish.

Big fucking deal.

He's says things that seem to be supportive of the Jewish community. They are voters who often like conservative values and can be useful allies when it suits, but you'd stab them in the back at the first opportunity if it was to your political advantage.

Of course Gove is a paragon of virtue and would never political betray his political allies.

He's just out for himself and his vision ultimately. Everyone else are just unfortunate 'collateral damage' in the journey towards 'utopia'. He has to make difficult decisions and do unpalatable things so that other people don't have to. He is the one that suffers for it and is a martyr to the cause.

I think the phrase is 'For the Greater Good'.

Red Is there any tax rise that you would accept? I've only ever seen you argue against them. If you don't want tax rises, what do you see as the solution to underfunding in education, NHS, housing etc?

Where the fuck have I said that?

Don't have a problem with taxes as such, as long as its thought through. I don't see much to that effect.

Instead I just see cheap political point scoring rather than even a vague attempt to genuinely try to solve problems and actually help people they claim they will benefit.

My particular concern about a separate NHS tax?

Makes it easier to separate the NHS off from being a government responsibility and for it to be changed in future to a privately run insurance scheme.

@OlennasWimple Ice as part of rest, ice, compression and elevation is standard for a broken bone. It was also prescribed, it just couldn't be made in a way which could actually be used by the patient - e.g a solid unmovable lump doesn't work for patients in traction.

It may be a nice to have rather than essential but it also added two weeks to his hospital stay which was pretty pricy for the nhs.

I ended up bringing in cold packs which helped eventually.

red for your analysis of Chris Williamson and his bold idea.

I saw that yesterday and it sent me wandering around the house, muttering under my breath.

You've expressed my misgivings far more eloquently than I did.

I have to say, it sent me into a mood of deep despair as to the next GE, the causes of which I don't want to spell out because I just can't bear it, frankly.