Westminstenders: The Imperial March

[RedToothBrush]

There are many ways to enforce power indirectly using privilege. Jacob Rees Mogg knows every trick in the book and dresses it up as respectability rather than a subtle form or intimidation and deliberate exclusion.

It's not the stuff 'of the people'.

Meanwhile the newly crowned PM, is making rather a bug deal of how he is the man 'of the people', here to serve them and to deliver their will.

There's a big theme here about presenting as 'of the people' whilst simultaneously serving the interests of the elite and reestablishing its power over the people.

It's a theme that is set to run for some time, and is entrenched in Trumpism too.

This shift in power is particularly harmful to women it must be noted.

'Strong and stable' was 'weak and wobbly' and we should be mindful that in the era of reversed spin, what 'of the people' signifies.

We've long known about the authoritarianism at the heart of leaving thinking. It's only now that it's finally going to start stomping it's feet all over our freedoms and power.

The road back will be a long and hard one because we failed to spot the threat and the dangers of it.

How would you say your mental health is generally, buffy? Do you think this whole situation has got too much for you (I'm not surprised if it has; I find it a struggle, particularly with some of the doom-filled posts on here which I tend to skip over when I realise what they are)?

Do you do any mindfulness-type stuff (I've said before that I do cross stitch, as it's good for taking my mind off everything but it). DD gets me colouring a fair bit too!

I hope you don't think I'm patronising you; but your last post has me concerned about you.

Yep.
The challenor case makes me feel physically ill.

Thank you for your concern.

I think my mh is fine (or at least I'm as ok as I've always been!)

I just think I've finally acccepted the inevitable.

Perhaps it's making me sound odd :)

A decent local independent candidate would be amazing...

Just can't see it happening.

Not odd as such. But to say you despise ALL politicians is unusual, hence me wondering if you felt OK!

If the 70% Remain Labour vote did combine with the core LibDem vote (about 10% of electorate) and 25% Remain Conservative that would indeed give a Remain coalition.

However while the LibDems could theoretically deliver this, the Labour Party could not. I am sceptical because of the geography of the Conservative Remain and LibDem votes and overlap in the wrong places. ie 400 seats have a natural Leave majority.

Christopher Hope on Twitter:

"why has Dominic Cummings, the PM's senior adviser, told aides to prepare for a Budget in the week starting Oct 7, just three weeks before the PM has committed to the UK leaving the EU?"

Goes on to speculate that Cummings wants Labour + Tory rebels to vote down the budget, forcing a GE.

Well, lets say most of them :)

Not odd as such. But to say you despise ALL politicians is unusual, hence me wondering if you felt OK!

I generally don't have a high view of politicians. In part due to my DFs cynicism, and in part due to living next door to a conservative councillor growing up. Ultimately anyone who wants to actually be a politician should be automatically and permanently prevented from doing so.

Until that day, the next best thing is to pragmatically wait for the ones that have the best chance of either delivering what I want, or in a very worst-case scenario not fucking things up too badly.

If too many get to the end of that series of decisions with no viable outlet, it's time to worry.

A lot of people naively assume that people like Boris would balk if it appeared there could be civil unrest. Because they are nice people, and because that's what their reaction would be. The problem is they aren't nice people (nice people don't threaten countries with starvation) and would welcome some civil unrest as an excuse to put the proles in their place once and for all. Which should be the next item on Boris to-do list as he seeks to become even more Churchillian.

Ultimately anyone who wants to actually be a politician should be automatically and permanently prevented from doing so.

The problem is that you'd then have politicians who didn't want to do it. And who's to say they'd do any better a job than those who want to?!

The problem is that you'd then have politicians who didn't want to do it. And who's to say they'd do any better a job than those who want to?!

Well the Greeks managed astoundingly well with sortition.

Or are you defending the present system ?

I hate the present system (I thought this was obvious, but there you go). But I'm not sure having people doing it who don't want to is the answer.

Life was rather different in Ancient Greece with fewer choices / opportunities. I'm not sure that everything from that time would translate to the modern era.

Many people try VERY hard to get out of jury duty, and that's only a fortnight (generally). Choosing such people to be politicians surely wouldn't get the type of person who's suitable for the job either.

A decent local independent candidate would be amazing...Just can't see it happening

Maybe the decent local candidate could be you?

Count me in please Queen. I’ve got loads of my art works to hang on the walls, many suitably creepy.
No animals but I really want to get a smallish, friendly dog. Fancy a Ccavalier King Charles and had one before. Rather but off by MN’s reports on puppy farms, backstreet breeders and inherent medical conditions though.
See it’s an equestrian centre. Not ridden for years but as the queen rides at her age sure I still could. I can break in and train horses and give riding lessons. Might be a money earner.

I already have 4 voluntary roles in my community there

I was asked to stand for labour at the locals in may. Told them to fuck off no.

I like to spend some time with my family...

...
But who knows?
If we are heading towards a Gilead esque society then I wouldnt be allowed to stand anyway...

I remember reading a short story when I was in my late teens/early 20s which left a lasting impression: set in the future, in it the President of the world iirc was a role that you were appointed to, as was the executive body, because you were deemed to have the right skills, and you were obliged to do it - like Jury Service. Your assets were put into trust for the period that you were in the role (and for a period after and/or a bonus related to the performance of a range of economic and societal measures ) so that they were dependent on the success of the economy as a whole. The very act of wanting to be leader automatically disqualified you - as per DGR's comment.

I wish I could remember who wrote it, so I could re-visit it

Distrust of bureaucrats and politicians is what makes people vote Conservative.

Piece of rubbish journalism on Dominic Cummings being lauded on twitter.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/07/what-does-dominic-cummings-want

Apparently he single-handedly broke the governmental grip on schooling as Gove's Spad No he didn't. That was Tony Blair setting up Academy Trusts.

Apparently he despises Arts graduates and career politicians like Johnson. Kinda funny because he did almost exactly the same degree as Johnson and apart from a rather long gap year or 2 in Russia has been a political adviser his whole career.

Where I think the article is correct is in his analysis of how to build a power base within a party. Despite the incessant wailing about Seamus and co they have not done this in Labour - probably due to Corbyn's scruples - either that or the sheer successfulness of the Blair / Campbell takeover.

@Iambuffy do recognise that feeling of helplessness now. I do think any hope of anything other than no deal is for the birds.

I agree with others on here that Brexit is the hair on fire 🔥 thing that must be dealt with after no deal. For me all else falls away.

If we do have a snap election I will vote tactically, in forlorn hope.

We all have our lines in the sand. For me the trans issue is very close to home, but nevertheless I do think that a collective madness has taken over those in the medical profession who sanction life changing treatment for what is surely in many cases normal growing up 'who am I' confusion. As for the self ID issue 😱. Tragically the whole furore and the inevitable backlash ( and it WILL happen) will make things very very difficult for the genuinely gender dysphoric.

You're already doing more than your bit in RL - that's clear. It's absolutely admirable, and in itself a political act.

Have some and never feel you don't belong here!

I do recognise, that should read

grinchly
Thank you x

I've sent the tavistock report to my MP.

He won't care but...

Matthew Goodwin
@GoodwinMJ
· 3h
Latest poll in UK

"It's not hard to see how Boris & thr Conservatives get back to 40% & re-assemble 2017 electorate

Slashing the Brexit Party vote in half gets them most of way there

Labour, on the other hand, have a tougher road ahead

Their 2017 coalition has imploded"

"Replying to
@GoodwinMJ
Is Boris heading for a Mrs Thatcher 1983 style GE landslide?
ConservativeMargaret Thatcher
397 seats (13,012,316 - 42%)

Labour Michael Foot
209 seats (8,456,934 - 27.6%)

Alliance (LibDem)David Steel & Roy Jenkins
23 seats (7,794,770 - 25.4%)"

"Probably, and that was the centrists fault too, fractured the party to get Foot beaten. But the 'gang of four' is now a gang of a hundred"

Couple of comments from Goodwin's twitter thread on latest polling.

Good that you sent it!

Even though we can be hopeless about Brexit, it doesn't mean giving up hope in all forms of political engagement. ( meant in broadest sense)

I am writing that as a reminder to myself more than anything.

These fabulous threads too. Where would I have been these last three years without the wit wisdom and insight we have here?

I was talking to one of my dc recently about us all relocating elsewhere.
Unfortunately the options we have, where family members have or could claim nationality, are a dangerous, terrorist infested Middle Eastern country, a Central American country in total financial meltdown, a small African country fighting a civil war, a very poor but reasonably stable African country, a European country recently in financial meltdown, and the good old US of A.
Guess we’ll all be staying here then.
I keep inserting Oxford commas to see if anyone notices. It’s my little rebellion.