Westminstenders: Frozen

[RedToothBrush]

Boris Johnson was empty chaired by C4 with a block of ice.

The Conservatives went mental and have threatened to look at C4 broadcast remit.

This is illiberal and anti democratic.

Journalists are supposed to hold power to account on behalf of the public. If MPs don't turn up then they can't be held to account.

They have a duty to show. It's not good enough to avoid scrutiny because it might make you look bad. That's the whole point.

The contempt with which Johnson holds the press and public is reprehensible and you should be concerned whatever your political alligence. It allows corruption to fester without consequence.

And to then threaten C4 because they do their job in line with their responsibility as a broadcaster is alarming.

This is how authoritarian dictators work.

sigh - a link that works

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/03/you-know-youre-not-legally-required-to-like-jeremy-corbyn-in-order-to-vote-for-him-right

Preparations for the end of the NHS well underaway. Here's how insurance companies will be able to dodge taking on troublesome cases.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/05/children-receive-whole-genome-sequencing-birth-ambitions-laid/amp/

All children to receive whole genome sequencing at birth, under ambitions laid out by Matt Hancock

(contd)

Bet Google get all your that data free.

I'm not a freeman of the land type idiot. But that might just be reason enough to ensure any children I have in future (highly unlikely admittedly) were born off-grid.

I was asked at the gym (Germany) "what about the 12th ?"

I was baffled for a moment how she knew that the 12th was our works team Christmas do that I'm organising

• Then I realised she meant the GE !

I've been asked about the GE at work before - the deceptive website, videos & tweet account by the ruling party seem to many like how the far right in Hungary or even Russia / Putin would try to fiddle a GE,
esepcially coming after the notorious psyops in the 2016 ref.

Our European neighbours - ordinary people, not just the leaders - are worried about what we are doing to ourselves.

Queen, GFS has been really consistent with this, but other models not so keen. We've a way off yet.

"All children to receive whole genome sequencing at birth, under ambitions laid out by Matt Hancock"

I hadn't realised that "Gattica" was a hard right roadmap

Cant remember if someone said they were in Phillip Davies constituency

Jo Pike
@JoPike3
·
37m
I'm the woman taking on Philip Davies MP and make no mistake, I’m ready to win.

So are hundreds of thousands of Labour supporters across the country.

RT if you are one of them

#GeneralElection2019

twitter.com/i/status/1201833461536849920

I personally don't care if Labour are squeezing the LibDem vote in a seat where they are most likely to win anyway. What I would care about if this was spun as last time that "80% of people voted for parties which support Brexit."

I personally don't care if Labour are squeezing the LibDem vote in a seat where they are most likely to win anyway.

Me neither. Well not since LibDems felt ToryLite was the way to go.

The NHS is the Tories Achilles heel (deliberate classical reference for when this thread is read to Boris).

Dominic Raab being forced to deny being that "Dominic Raab" that co-wrote a pamphlet pushing NHS privatisation

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-raab-nhs-privatisation-general-election-hospitals-conservatives-manifesto-a9230606.html

and then being forced to admit that post Brexit, drug prices will be set by the US ...

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-raab-brexit-nhs-privatisation-trump-us-drugs-price-increase-a9230661.html

Well not since LibDems felt ToryLite was the way to go.

Following Blair's example of course.

Since his time was two decades ago, I don't think we need to get into who is the most ToryLite, too much. Except I personally could live with some moderate Tories; I can't live with the ERG types.

Well not since LibDems felt ToryLite was the way to go.

There is a graph (IFS I think) kicking around which shows that the LDs economic policies are the most progressive of all the three main parties.

In this content, it's LAB that is Torylite

I can well believe this, since the LAB free university policy is highly regressive and is a big chunk of planned spending.

(I'm not AGAINST free university but where there are hard choices to make, I would prefer to prioritise the least well off rather than subsidising kids from private school to go to Russell Group unis).

Um ... so instead of Andrew Neil, look who Boris will be facing.

www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/johnson-schofield-neil-willoughby-interview

There is a graph (IFS I think) kicking around which shows that the LDs economic policies are the most progressive of all the three main parties.

Like the dodgy polls?

In other news, the COP25 climate summit has begun in Madrid. Greta Thunberg has just arrived in Lisbon by catamaran from the USA (3 week journey to avoid flying) ready to travel to Madrid, where I presume she’ll be making speeches, campaigning.

I wonder if Trump’s attending and whether he’ll meet her this time?

Like the dodgy polls?

No, I think it's real. It shows the net impact of policies by income group. Free university benefits go disproportionately to the better off. Because this is an expensive policy, it distorts the overall impact of the Labour manifesto in favour of the better off.

And if you add in the Waspi giveaway, you distort Labour spending even more in favour of the relatively privileged.

I'm not saying that either free uni or the Waspi giveaway are bad politics but they are not a good way of improving the lot of the least well off.

Free university benefits go disproportionately to the better off.

For the really weathly, this is a bargain. University fees c. £9000, school like St Paul's, in the region of £26,000 for a day boy. Bargain!

I wonder if Trump saw this flying in ...

My home city, making me proud

Thing with the Waspi money is that in some cases - I’m an example - it would go to women who don’t need it but there are others who are on the bones of their arse and for whom it would be life changing. Like one of my friends who has another four years to work in terrible health, her greatest wish is to be made redundant.

Thing with the Waspi money is that in some cases - I’m an example - it would go to women who don’t need it

The state pension is taxable, so at least some of the money would be clawed back that way.

Very true but even after tax I’d still get a five figure sum. It’s over generous at my end of the scale.

pmk with a silly one

My DSM gets her free pensioner's bus pass in Scotland. She does not need it at all really but she recognises that others do and it is a great thing. A Lot less expensive than Waspi money, of course.

You do have to apply for a bus pass - so if you know you are never going to use it, there is no point in applying. Prince Charles didn't bother.

Free tuition fees is THE most persuasive policy to me. It's not privately educated kids heading to RG unis that are put off uni by tuition fees. I teach any number of less well off students who are choosing not to go, or think it is beyond their means.