Why is getting Brexit more important than having a competent government/leader?

[GertrudeSaysWhat]

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/01/brexit-party-nigel-farage-lead-opinion-poll-conservatives-

I can’t understand. I’ll be upfront and same I’m an ardent remainer but trying to think objectively, I can’t understand how a party with only one policy, no serving MPs, no-one with any experience of leading a government, running a ministerial department can possibly be topping the opinion polls for the next election. I mean seriously?! Farage has tried and failed multiple times to become an MP in the UK. His attendance record as an MEP was abysmal. His previous political party, UKIP failed and then slipped into an openly racist shit show (from which he sidled off) What on earth qualifies him to PM?

A protest vote for them at the MEP elections is one thing (potentially not that damaging if we do leave the EU as they’d have no jobs) but actually having them in UK parliament? I don’t understand! Please do explain, someone, ANYONE!

Unfortunately people do follow rabble rousers. Many of them will quietly regret it, but won't admit it because they won't want to admit to being stupid.

As far as I'm aware you do not need qualifications to be prime minister. Merely be able to lead a group of people who are more popular than another group. I think thats a major part of democracy in that anyone with the odd exception can become an MP and potentially PM.

I am with you OP and the poll suggesting the Brexit party would be 20 MPs short of an overall majority in a general election makes no sense.

Rabble Rowser is perfect description. Very much in Fashion.

And I fucking hate Protest Votes. What a stupid stupid stupid strategy.

{Unfortunately people do follow rabble rousers. Many of them will quietly regret it}

Quietly regretting it would be the 'easy way out' unfortunately if he were to get in, things could get very nasty as he is not prepared to put the work in and he has some very unpleasant friends.

People see what they want to see.
I abhor everything Farage stands for. His little schtick is transparent and he not the leader who will 'bring back' democracy to Britain. His lifestyle is bankrolled by wealthy supporters and as long as he continues to battle for Brexit, he'll enjoy the fruits of doing very little in life his labour.

People are chumps. They are bought and sold so easily by loudmouths with deep pockets. All you have to do is be loud and bullish, tap into that tribal xenophobia and boom, you've got the plebs in your pocket and the bankrolling you need. Same shit. Different decade.

Just waiting for the delusional He's a man of his word. Brexit was a democratic vote and he's the only decent politician to uphold it ship of fools to sail in. Any minute now .

Singletomingle - true. Usually though, a lot of the government will have been MPs before and will have an understanding of how things work, what it actually means to serve their constituents, to actually be in parliament before jumping straight into government.

Can you imagine the first day after the election in parliament:

‘Urm, can someone show the whole government where the toilets are please’.

Does being able to find the toilets make someone a competent PM or experience as an MP? I'd happily argue that Blair was our last competent PM and it pains me to say that. I'd also argue that real life experience is more important than someone who has never held any other job than being an MP.
Further I'd also question just how much is the actual PM and how much comes from advisors, ministers and all the other faceless people who arent elected at all.

Why is getting Brexit more important than having a competent government/leader?
Brexit is for the next 40 years +
A government/leader will only be for the next 3 years.

The most important issue right now is getting out of the EU. No matter what. Once that is sorted we can worry about voting in a government to deal with other issues.

But Farage/Boris can only be better than May was or Corbyn would be.

Once that is sorted we can worry about voting in a government to deal with other issues.

It is likely that there will be at least two more (probably three) general elections before we can consider Brexit "sorted"

{The most important issue right now is getting out of the EU. No matter what. Once that is sorted we can worry about voting in a government to deal with other issues. }

The stupidity of this as a 'plan' is beyond belief.
It is almost the same as wondering about a parachute just after you have jumped out of a plane.
The 'other issues' are the things that successive UK governments have ignored for decades, what makes you think they will start now and how will they achieve it with a shattered economy?

They COULD have started making reparations at the time of the referendum 3 years ago, but they haven't.

Trusting Farage or Johnson is stupid. May for all her faults did try and is a hard worker.

It is almost the same as wondering about a parachute just after you have jumped out of a plane
Is it almost the same as wondering about a key just after you have locked yourself in a prison?

It is likely that there will be at least two more (probably three) general elections before we can consider Brexit "sorted" I agree. But I was referring to the single act of getting out of the EU, not about what comes after it. And that can be sorted this Halloween.

Trusting Farage or Johnson is stupid
In what way is it stupid Who else could you trust more to actually get us out of the EU properly? Boris is one of the best options to achieving this

{I agree. But I was referring to the single act of getting out of the EU, not about what comes after it. And that can be sorted this Halloween.}

Once a decision is made, possibly 31 October, that signals the START of the best part of 3 or more years of actual negotiations.
If you think that November 1st the UK will be out of the EU like switching off a light, you are perhaps the most deluded person on the planet.

Once a decision is made, possibly 31 October, that signals the START of the best part of 3 or more years of actual negotiations.

Three years is a MASSIVE underestimate. We're already 3 years post referendum and we haven't even agreed the easy bit.

I think 5-7 years is a reasonable assumption, assuming a negotiated withdrawal (ie with good relations and a following wind). 10 years + if the U.K. wants to make itself an international pariah.

Trade agreements are highly technical and legalistic. They can't be done fast.

If you think that November 1st the UK will be out of the EU like switching off a light, you are perhaps the most deluded person on the planet You are just arguing semantics, stop being silly.

Boris is one of the best options to achieving this

I find this astonishingly naive.

BJ is vain, lazy and capable of holding several contradictory opinions simultaneously. Obviously just the sort of person you want in charge of a project which requires hard work and attention to detail.

I'm also in favour of Doris, mainly because he is the our best chance of Brexit not happening at all.

Three years is a MASSIVE underestimate
I wasn't saying anything would be finished in three years. I was referring the time before we can change PM at the next GE. Which is why picking a competent leader is not as important as picking someone who will get us out of the EU.

I'm also in favour of Doris, mainly because he is the our best chance of Brexit not happening at all

You play the game you takes your chance.

A helluva lot of damage could be done by Farage in three years. Particularly to the NHS and equality.

Anybody here ever breastfed in public? Gone on maternity leave?

A helluva lot of damage could be done by Farage Corbyn in three years & yet Momentum keep electing him Labour leader.

As it stands I would prefer Gove to be PM but dont think I can vote for him based on his Brexit stance. Funny how Londoners used to think Boris was a great leader for 8 years.

Why the hell would anyone vote for a party with no policies anyway?

I cannot even contemplate what enormous damage farridge would do to my dds future, grrr that smirking twat spouting nonsense in the media makes me so so angry I could wipe the stupid grin of his mug the duplicitous gurning gobshite.

Oh that's ok then... best vote in Farage in case Corbyn does something terrible like nationalise the railways or something...

Anyway, thought this was about Farage and Boris.

Funny how Londoners used to think Boris was a great leader for 8 years.

I don’t think Londoners DID think he was a great leader. I’ll be honest, I voted for him - he was charismatic and engaging and I thought he would be better for the city than another term of the slightly too pious Ken.

What did he actually achieve? Not a great deal. Boris bikes are thought to be his - actually very much Ken’s invention, which just happened to be realised under Boris’ reign. He said he would ease traffic congestion in the city - it got worse. Knife crime...got worse. And he spent £55m on a vanity project; the ill fated garden bridge.

He isn’t a great leader, he’s great at spin and getting people to think he’s a great leader. And, frankly, I’d rather not have a lightweight leading us through the greatest crisis we’ve faced in the last 70 years, if we’re forced to go through with something so patently destructive to our economy, culture, lifestyles and wellbeing.