Brexit Arms: the discussion continues....

[XingMing]

I'm not promising to be the resident landlady, and I can't even hope to moderate the discussion or offer up great memes etc because I don't know how, but here's opening the next iteration....

First drink is on the house.

If you don't mind a diversion, I've been puzzling over Belle's earlier post that Self ID might have been kicked into the long grass because neither of us could find it in the manifesto.

It's just struck me. Belle is probably right. Because that's the whole point: it isn't in the manifesto, and therefore it won't be in the Queen's Speech if a Conservative majority government is returned. Whereas it is explicitly in the Labour and Lib Dem manifestos.

Rather like the dog that didn't bark.

The whole Tavistock/GIDS/LGB Alliance/Stonewall mess is heating up nicely and with luck, may boil over soon. It would be a very self-assured or very foolish PM who would try to introduce Self ID legislation when (a) it isn't even in the manifesto, (b) the vast majority of Tory MPs are gender critical even if they don't make a song and dance about it, and (c) the overwhelming majority of Conservative constituency parties are GC and they absolutely don't mind making a song and dance about it.

I never thought it a coincidence that the Women and Equalities Minister role was taken off Penny Mordaunt and given to Liz Truss.

And now it's time to turn in, I think, so goodnight all. Sweet dreams. 💤

Just looked through the Boris manifesto. It seems pretty solid, nothing like the car crash that was the Maybots.

Liking the bursaries for nurses, some free hospital parking, more homes, immigration controls, small tax cut, tougher sentencing, higher minimum wage, animal friendly... No hostages to fortune.

And it all seems AFFORDABLE. Should keep the poll levels steady with a double digit lead.

Brexit here we come. ✔✔✔✔✔

Glad to hear self ID has been dumped. Listening to Swinson, who is gung-ho about it, was a bit scary.

Great that there's no self ID in the tory manifesto. On another note has anyone seen JC's reaction to the Tory Manifesto? Would anybody be able to explain to me what he is on about! A manifesto' by Billionaires for Billionaires that the rest of us will have to pay for' !! I've no clue, do any of you?

A manifesto' by Billionaires for Billionaires that the rest of us will have to pay for'
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Its also a manifesto to sell all our hospitals to Donald Trump. Don't lets facts get in the way of a Corbyn soundbite!

Morning All!

This made me chuckle...

Morning all! Kettle's on. Builders brew for me, coffee for anyone who's around plus a lemsip for the Landlady.

The manifesto really is just "steady as she goes", undoing some of Gideon's short-sighted policies such as nursing bursaries and laying the ground for doing away with Theresa's insane clampdown on stop-and-search which almost certainly led to more knife crime. And that's the point. How can Labour object to the reversal of some Conservative policies when they themselves objected at the time?

If you can't find anything to protest about in Corbyworld, you have to make something up. In that sense, a 'manifesto by billionaires for billionaires that the rest of us have to pay for' makes perfect sense 😂.

I read an interesting little article in the Telegraph yesterday that Labour activists are being given "lines to take" if Jeremy's anti-semitism crops up on the doorsteps. It seems that all those photos of him laying a wreath and standing next to the grave of someone who boasted he'd planned the Munich massacre were "Daily Mail frauds", and that horrible mural he defended was not a problem in anyone's eyes till Luciana Berger decided to throw a hissy fit and make a big deal out of it.

The Daily Mail is big enough and ugly enough to take care of itself and I've no doubt it will use Labour's mazkirovka to its advantage. I can see the headlines now.

Luciana Berger, though. Hmm. "Blame it on the Jewish woman" is not a good look for a Party being investigated by the EHRC for anti-semitism, is it? Kinda proves Luciana's point.

"lines to take"

Goodness. Scandalous! I thought it was just the Eton/Harrow lot who apparently did this? It seems an extreme measure tbh.

I should work for Momentum PR. Apparently I can turn nothing into something too.

Morning, Epic.

😂 Media phrase, from the media training I was once required to take - a whole week of it. Never thought about the other meaning though...

You are definitely a loss to Momentum. Mazkirovka, Comrade Epic!

Jokes aside, I do wish the Tory Manifesto went a little further, but I also see the purpose in hedging against any potential economic fluctuations during the Brexit trade adjustments. There is also a global economic retraction and further predicted slowdown (The Uk is apparently out performing that trend slightly, according to figures I have previously seen, albeit only slightly.) to carefully hedge against, so I guess that is important to factor in to any public spending commitments. I’m no economist and I am not saying that is the reason, but it surely must be a significant factor in the forecasting and analysis process.

Also Loving Tony Blair, coming out as usual, like a snake in the grass, injecting each party with a poison bite to the ankle, to somehow achieve his own aim of a second referendum. He is citing chaos, whilst blatantly inviting it. Go figure.

“You are definitely a loss to Momentum. Mazkirovka, Comrade Epic!”

Well, I do have a lot of time on my hands now! But!

The lady is not for turning.

As for Corbyn and his ‘billionaires’, well, whatever the fuck he is waffling on about, with hyperinflation under Labour, we will all be billionaires anyway, so his (?) point, will ultimately be moot.

Make it rain Jezza, I have a turkey to buy.

With a decent majority - and I'm making an early prediction of 368 seats, which is a working majority +47 - there will be five full years. Plenty of time to steady HMS Brexit and see where the land lies. I think The Saj is keen to maximise the £100bn headroom to make us competitive and the emphasis on helping small to medium businesses is long overdue (sorry it didn't come soon enough for you). Bloody CBI.

Tony Blair. A one man oil slick. No cause so desperate that he can't make it worse. It must be hard being relatively young and massively irrelevant. Ooh, a bit like Prince Andrew, but for different reasons.

“the emphasis on helping small to medium businesses is long overdue (sorry it didn't come soon enough for you).”

Yes, I was very pleased to see Boris cite this in his speech, whether it came in time for us or not, I want the government to recognise the efforts and importance of SME’s, so I’m glad to see they are taking further, vital measures in this area. Besides, once the dust settles and we hopefully give Corbyn a giant swerve, maybe I will set up a new business doing something else! 🤷🏻‍♀️ Anything that helps with that is great news. 😊

Morning all, coffee needed here please!

Interesting re momentum lines for the doorstep @SingingLily
I follow one of the Manchester Evening News journalists on twitter and she has a few tweets about how Labour canvassing is going in Bolton West (marginal con/lab seat). She said feedback is low for Labour and canvassers are arguing with people on the doorstep. Still uncertain whether it will mean a swing away from Labour however, but the arguing could be 'counter intuitive'.

Personally, if someone arrived at my doorstep and didn't listen to what I said and started arguing with me I wouldn't be very impressed nor want to give them my vote.

“Personally, if someone arrived at my doorstep and didn't listen to what I said and started arguing with me I wouldn't be very impressed nor want to give them my vote.”

🙌🙌🙌🙌 I agree. It has happened in here A LOT (although much less lately, thankfully) and the end result is the same. I honestly don’t get the mentality behind that kind of behaviour. It’s a bizarre strategy if you want to win hearts and minds. Nobody enjoys being patronised or ignored, especially if that is an indicator for what you would be voting in!

Personally, if someone arrived at my doorstep and didn't listen to what I said and started arguing with me I wouldn't be very impressed nor want to give them my vote.

This ^ to the power of 10, Hollycatberry! Bolton West is on my Watchlist because, apart from one blip, it's always been a bellwether seat - same as Loughborough. Your post will cheer up my Boltonian husband who maintains that Bolton is the centre of the universe and the answer to everything.

On a side note, I've just read David Gauke's piece on the ConservativeHome website. Adopting the Voice of Doom, he quavers, "Labour is struggling. The LibDems are not cutting through. The Tories will win by default". He says that so far, the voters he has spoken to on the doorstep fully agree with him (right, David, so that's your own doorstep sorted. Your wife and mother agree with you; time to see what the neighbours say).

Finally, he concludes that "Trust is a problem". Yes, David Gauke. 😂🤣😂🤣😂

I think he did the same motivational course as the afore-mentioned Tony Blair who has so often in the past correctly identified the malaise without once thinking to look in the mirror for the cause.

Epic 😂, haven't we Leavers spent the last three-and-a-half years being patronised and ignored? I think we could now count ourselves as seasoned veterans on that one! They never learn, do they?

“Epic 😂, haven't we Leavers spent the last three-and-a-half years being patronised and ignored? I think we could now count ourselves as seasoned veterans on that one! They never learn, do they?”

Frankly, we deserve a medal... 😂 🏅

I cannot imagine a Momentum lecture will go down well on the doorsteps of Bolton at all! And that's not because people are blindly in the pockets of the Tories and believe everything they say either. I imagine there is deep and scathing scepticism towards both parties. But people don't like to be patronised in their own home, they want their concerns to be listened to and noted, not given a lecture from a script on how you are wrong and Labour are right.

I guess we will see if the labour/momentum strategy pays off in due course.

Personally If I get labour door knockers, I plan on inviting them in, killing them with kindness, pretending to believe what they say, take an age making them a Boris style cup of tea and only release them when I have sufficiently wasted their time, in the way they intended to waste mine.

It probably makes me a dick, but I make no apologies. 😂✊🌹🤡

Hello all. First time posting here - in fact first time I’ve found this thread - so thanks to whoever it was for the suggestion over on the rather refreshing Tory AIBU thread.

3 years ago I was a (luke-warm lefty) Remainer. What a difference time (and a LOT of reading, talking and listening makes). I plan to vote Tory at this election and I’m very happy to do so, for a number of reasons - including getting Brexit done!

I love a cunning plan!

Serious question, though. Does anyone else have what appears to be a "paper candidate" in their area?

Our never-daunted private-school-and-Oxbridge man of the people Labour candidate (the one who thinks "Stalin was a diamond geezer") appears to have been...well, daunted. He's been replaced by someone I've never heard of. There has been no Labour propaganda leaflet delivered and the new candidate seems to have no digital presence. I can't find out anything about her. She's a 👻

Welcome, Jillyhilly! The Landlady is striving to keep the wheels of the economy turning in real life but she would say the only rule here is all views welcome as long as there is no nastiness and as long as you enjoy a laugh. First drink is always free.

Welcome Jilly! It was me! 😉

Lovely to have you here, are you on landlady duties today singing? A for me, and whatever Jilly is having please!