Westminstenders: From Uxbridge to...? Part deux GE 2019 special.

[placemats]

New thread.

General election 12th December 2019. Results out on Friday 13th. Unlucky day for some.

So this election is unusual in that it will focus primarily on Brexit and referendums with domestic issues tagged alongside, for some parties.

Only a day or two after Amber Rudd suffered a close bereavement ?

Yes, her dad died less than a week before. I remember thinking how fucking heartless it was to ask her to do it.

Press Release from the Muslim Council of Great Britain:

Press Release

6 November 2019
Islamophobia in the Conservative Party: Muslim Council of Britain Condemns Continued Obfuscation

The Muslim Council of Britain has described the claim by Michael Gove that the Conservative Party will establish an independent inquiry into Islamophobia as “outright dishonest”.

Michael Gove, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, claimed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday 5th November that the Conservative Party would “have an independent inquiry into Islamophobia and it will be established before the end of the year.”

However Mr Gove’s potentially welcome commitment was swiftly rendered false when multiple Conservative Party contradicted Mr Gove and re-affirmed its wilful determination to ignore the problem by instead holding a watered-down, internally conducted investigation that would broadly look into discrimination and prejudice, not specifically at Islamophobia. This, despite the fact that over 100 incidences of Islamophobia has been identified in the Conservative Party.

There now seems to be a pattern whereby Conservative Party leaders say one thing when confronted about Islamophobia, only to scale back on their commitments. During the Conservative Party leadership election, all leadership candidates, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, committed to an independent inquiry into Islamophobia. Since beginning his premiership, however, this inquiry has been scaled back significantly.

Commenting, the MCB’s Secretary General, Harun Khan, said:

“In classic Orwellian double-speak, Michael Gove yesterday confirmed the Conservative Party will hold an inquiry into Islamophobia – but one that doesn’t look into Islamophobia and isn’t independent. This is not just another case of the Conservative Party obfuscating the issue of Islamophobia within its ranks. It only re-affirms that the Conservative Party has zero intention of dealing with the problem.”

“This is simply not good enough, and Muslims across Britain deserve better. Islamophobia in the Conservative Party is systemic and institutional, rife in every level in the party, including: the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, members of the Cabinet, the London Mayoral candidate in 2016, MPs, councillors and ordinary party members.

“The Conservative Party knows it should be holding an independent inquiry into Islamophobia, in addition to an inquiry into prejudice and discrimination. If it didn’t feel it was important or needed, Michael Gove would not have tried so hard to commit to it without having to commit to it. Any further dithering and dishonesty is simply unacceptable.”^

[ENDS]

AskingQuestions I'm going to take the liberty of quoting an entire post by my learned friend @Icantreachthepretzels

If JRM was in a fire he'd wet his Eton issue bloomers and wait for Nanny to take control. Andrew Bridgen would not fare much better.

But that's neither here nor there.

What these men don't seem to understand is: People are not stupid for following fire brigade advice - and that isn't because they are weak, or lack authority or are naturally meek little followers, it is because being in a fire is not an everyday occurrence, it's probably your first time in one, it's very dangerous and very frightening - so the sensible thing to do is what the people who deal with fires everyday tell you is the best course of action.

And of course - if Grenfell had been up to code, the fire brigade's advice would have been the sensible action. Neither the fire brigade or the residents of Grenfell are to blame (and certainly aren't stupid) because crooked builders and local councils short changed them.

People who panic and don't follow fire brigade advice aren't stupid either - their reaction is completely understandable. And anybody who hasn't experienced a fire first hand is in no place to judge - as they have no idea how they would react in the same situation. You don't know until you're tested - and no one actually wants to be tested.

People who don't know fire brigade advice (because who would ever think to look it up - no one thinks this will ever happen to them) aren't stupid either. They will make a snap decision - probably to flee... however in the dark, with countless flights of stairs and the air thick with smoke - they might end up opening their front door and swiftly changing their minds, staying put and inadvertently following fire brigade advice. Not knowing and so following your instinct is not stupid - and it is not your fault if that instinct leads you wrong especially if you are in a building that violates health and safety standards

The people who are stupid, however, are the arrogant arseholes who think they know better than the experts - who ignore advice not because they genuinely don't know what it is, but because they think they know better; who don't understand the difference hindsight makes in deciding what you would have done in x position; who somehow believe - without ever being tested - that they will respond calmly and logically in an emergency situation and therefore are better than the people who did not act this way, and who don't have the imagination to consider that - when opening your front door and being confronted with darkness, thick smoke and flames - slamming your door and backing away probably does seem like the sensible reaction at that time.
People like this are not only stupid but are dangerously so. No empathy, no imagination and a towering self belief, without the competence or experience to back it up - that is the shit that gets people killed.

Long time lurker, as always, thank you all for the knowledge and analysis.

I thought you all might like this:

twitter.com/politicsjoe_uk/status/1192053989921173504?s=21

Behind on the thread so I don't know if this has been posted.

mobile.twitter.com/livefrombrexit/status/1192077074539958273

Posted too soon, joe has helpfully shortened Cleverly for length purposes 🤣🤣

Sorry - should have said it's a way to compare the tactical voting websites. mobile.twitter.com/livefrombrexit/status/1192077074539958273

Third time lucky with the actual link. Tactical voting comparison. www.livefrombrexit.com/tacticals/

"Crushing taxes"

That's a few quid more per month for those earning over 80k

"Mass confiscations"
Won't happen, because of the EHRC .... unless of course BJ takes us out of that

"Fuck Business"

Now tell me if Corbyn or McDonnell said that,
would you be so blithely saying "that little mantra means, ironically, fuck all in the real world."

Tom Peck
@tompeck
·
1h
“They want to ban Ofsted, that protects children from bullying in the classroom,” says Boris Johnson.

Yes, Labour is pro the bullying of children. Is anyone expected to believe that?

- Cabinet minister Cairns has just resigned
- Cabinet minister Rees-Mogg had to apologise for insulting Grenfell survivors
- Bridgen apologised for defending Rees-Mogg
- The doctored Starmer video
- Whitehall slapdown over anti-Labour numbers
.....
Pause while Tory party swaps over feet in mouth

"Boris has been talking for less than two minutes and he's already told three lies"

It would have been more lies, but the piffle takes up time

"Boris has been talking for less than two minutes and he's already told three lies"

It would have been more lies, but the piffle takes up time

That's a few quid more per month for those earning over 80k

And their taxes on business, on assets, on shares, on property? Don't be disingenuous.

Won't happen, because of the EHRC

Then Labour should stop promising it to their voters, shouldn't they?

Now tell me if Corbyn or McDonnell said that, would you be so blithely saying "that little mantra means, ironically, fuck all in the real world."

The point is that they do say it every day, with their every policy statement, and the public have noticed, hence Labour's laughably poor ratings on the economy. What a pity that what you assumed would be a killer line is getting ... no traction at all!

Neither the fire brigade or the residents of Grenfell are to blame (and certainly aren't stupid) because crooked builders and local councils short changed them.

Those crooked builders will positively THRIVE thanks to the bonfire of regulations advocated by the likes of Mogg.
Bonfire of regs = real fire = real lives lost
How DARE he lecture anyone.

Add to the list:

• no Brexit for 3 years / No Deal ?

Michel Barnier raises prospect of extending Brexit transition until 2022 despite Tory denials

The Express were headlining this, but I'll go with the Indie for less frothing:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-deal-latest-michel-barnier-boris-johnson-conservatives-a9186391.html

EU chief negotiator casts doubt on Boris Johnson’s campaign pledge
.....

“As long as we have not completed negotiations with the UK the risk of a cliff edge remains and we should all remain vigilant.”
.....
“Our starting points are not necessarily the same.

“On our side the EU will require strong level playing field guarantees, the EU will not tolerate unfair economic competition."

Now we have proof: the government used your money to lie about poor people

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/06/government-universal-credit-deception-asa-taxpayer-funded-features

btw, Cairns hasn't stepped down as a candidate. Just resigned as minister on the last day of government.

Not quite the same thing ...

"What a pity that what you assumed would be a killer line is getting ... no traction at all! "

Seems to be getting a lot of traction with you, so I'll repeat:

🎺🎺 BJ said: "Fuck business" 🎺🎺

It hasn't been raised yet by Labour, but let's see if I can raise the profile

However, we may both be wasting our time:
this poll have the economy rated at issue #4, with only 6% of the public rating it the most important issue

“They want to ban Ofsted, that protects children from bullying in the classroom,” says Boris Johnson.
Because all bullying ended at the inception of Ofsted right? Because teachers don't give a shiny shit about children bullying each other? Or more that likely he doesn't actually know what ofsted is or does.

They want to ban Ofsted, that protects children from bullying in the classroom,” says Boris Johnson.

Do Ofsted cover private schools ?

Of course, BJ makes so many gaffes, can't expect anyone except politics nerds to remember them all

They seem to have forgiven his arrogant blundering in Iran that cost poor Nazanin yet more years in jail
His remarks about "picaninnies" and "burkas like postboxes" are long forgotten too
His rudeness in the temple

Labour could do an entire party political broadcast of Boris Fuckups and be spoiled for choice as to content.

Compare and contrast

@bbclaurak Laura Kuenssberg

Nothing massively new in PM’s statement just now, clear No 10 reckons they have to win the argument about needing to have an election in the first place

@tompeck Tom Peck

Eight blatant lies so far in Boris Johnson’s statement outside Downing Street.

Sorry nine.

@IanDunt Ian Dunt

Incredible. Almost the first thing Johnson says is: "I don't want an early election". He had support at second reading for his Brexit deal. He pulled it because he didn't like the timetable.
...
He quite plainly and emphatically did want an election. You can't even count a full minute of a speech before he starts lying.

@paulwaugh Paul Waugh

.@BorisJohnson says he's wanted to "chew my own tie" in frustration over Brexit not being delivered.
Proof that he treats even steps of No.10 like an after dinner speech. But will it work with the voters when they see a clip on the TV news?

@stephenkb Stephen Bush

Which bit of this long, rambling address is meant to clip for the news or social media?

Methinks that Laura Kuenssberg needs to remember that her job is to be a journalist and not the mouthpiece of BJ/10 Downing Street

Methinks that Laura Kuenssberg needs to remember that her job is to be a journalist and not the mouthpiece of BJ/10 Downing Street

Or even more ...

"I don't want an early election"

liar. liar, Y-fronts on fire