Westminstenders: Penny dropping time

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson already seems to be hinting at protections for workers rights and the environment that he promised are to be dropped.

Along with enshrining Brexit in law to the end of Dec 2020 thus creating another Brexit no deal date. This time without any safety net in parliament.

"won't Johnson be more liberal than he suggested" they cry

About that...

The majority voted Leave; the majority voted Tory. I did neither. However, you can pretend all you like that this didn't happen and also that there was a decent opposition to those two positions. It happened. There wasn't.
A decent electorally appealing opposition would have ripped this shower to pieces.

,

Once again on the news last night, the reporter was in an English town down at heel, ravaged by austerity. He spoke to 2 men, both young but weary looking. They both had zero hours contracts and poor substandard housing. They both wanted change, both voted for change. Who did they vote for.. "Boris".. Cos they wanted change.... They both believed 'Boris' (and I quote, as they talked like they were all pals), would deliver change..

I don't like to say fucking idiots so I'll say nothing.

@ssd , because they didn't believe Labour as a feasible option.

Johnson already seems to be hinting at protections for workers rights and the environment that he promised are to be dropped.

Maybe he is going to go full on soft Brexit and that's why he thinks he can get Brexit over the line in less than a year ? Dashing the hopes and dreams of the ERG ? Now there's a cheery thought

A slim majority of those voting in the Referendum voted Leave, yes.

The majority voting in this election did not vote Tory. They got in because of the FPTP system, which they will hang onto as long as it gives them a majority. Nor are they the biggest party in Wales or Scotland. That might not help Wales, mostly not having their own legal system and the same control over their affairs as Scotland, but it could definitely work in the Scot's favour.

Will be coming to camp in your garden prettybird!

Placemarking
The Road to Wigan Pier was the first book I read that had a profound impact on me politically, and is probably why I tended towards the centre from then on
www.forbes.com/sites/timreuter/2018/05/24/why-socialists-are-despised-as-explained-by-george-orwell/#2b2900c1b001
(Yes, I know Forbes is an odd link for this)

The Road to Wigan Pier was the first book I read that had a profound impact on me politically

To most here this will be an unsurprising book considering my politics but mine was 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists'

Pmk - thank you -

[Same as Lonelycrab and Stinkyeddie]

Sorry to keep going on about the Labour Party but

I kind of think it matters.

Not having an Opposition - or even the promise of one - Is a significant part of figuring out the terrain of the present and near-future.

And I really don't know that we have one.

A lot of very, very good Labour MPs have been trapped in the back benches and deliberately side-lined. That even happened to Keir Starmer to an extent.
They're just waiting to be de-selected & replaces with someone more acceptable.
I don't think many people outside the Labour Party appreciate how deep the problem is.
Ed Miliband changed structures within the Party, the hard Left then moved fast to change still more.
I actually don't know if it is even possible to change it back.
For those thinking we just have to wait for a Kinnock, I can tell you that that is not going to happen.

The numbers of members are against that.

In the Corbyn/Smith leadership contest, 313k voted Corbyn and
193k voted Smith.

Since then
90k have left Labour (many of whom were moderates)

We're looking at a massive imbalance within the Labour Party (200K?) membership - and that's before you even start thinking about re-organisation of Union funding/backing and Party institutions like the NEC (hard Left controlled).

And there is a whole issue of demographics. The hard Left is weirdly doughnut shaped: lots of retirees, lots of young people and very few people in their 50s.

Weirdly, that works against moderation. The younger people 'know' that their politics will, eventually, prevail - just the simple fact of human mortality will deliver it. So they just need to hang on in there for 20 years or so.

The older people probably own houses, with mortgage paid.

The people who need change, now, are not in Labour. I suspect a fair few of them are in that group of people who've left.

(I have many thoughts on this I represented group, by the way.)

Anyway, I just think there is a real uphill task - and the situation isn't comparable to the 80s/90s.

@bellinisurge, I agree but it's more than that. They listened to the media, read the rhetoric on fb, twitter etc and didn't realise their pal "Boris" is part of the government who gave them zero hours contracts and poor housing.
Labour should be ashamed, I agree.
But the bigger picture is that
" Boris" was sold to these people as a pal, a person who has their backs.. Even the way politicians are talked about... It was "Mrs May", showing respect and deference, "Jeremy Corbyn" , the full name, like when a kid at school gets told off they get the full name, and "Boris" , like he's our pal, a friend, someone we'd trust. They were sold this bullshit and they swallowed it and labour allowed it to happen.
It's sickening.

I agree cat and I think Labour will be a long time in the wilderness, at least 2 elections. It's as bad as it's ever been.

There's a John pilger documentary on tonight about the selling off of the NHS and trumps involvement, and apparently the government stopped it being aired till after the election.

Well.
Had a load of toys donated to foodbank so I'm off to play santa this morning...
I guess that's all any of us can do atm...try and keep the darkness away x

PMK

Thank you RTB

My positive thing is to remember that 16,753,651 voters did not vote Tory. In that sense it is a minority government albeit with a FPTP majority!

On a more negative note- here's a summary of the rumoured evidence emerging so far about how Boris Johnson will use his FPTP majority:

1. Putting 2020 Brexit date in law - with or without a trade deal. Sigh.

1. The Department for International Development being absorbed into the Foreign Office.

1. Brexit department being absorbed into the Department for International Trade headed up by Gove?

1. No dealer Zac Goldsmith amd Remainer Nicky Morgan headed for the Lords.

1. More press reports of the possible removal of workers' rights, but no surprises there due to the removal of that part from the WA.

1. Rumours of departure from EU restrictions on genetically modified food – key demand of American trade lobbyists.

1. Jacob Rees-Mogg, Liz Truss and Andrea Leadsom all reportedly at risk in reshuffle in February.

1. Page 48.

The only positive indicator that the new order could end up in a softer arrangement is number 7.

It's possible 1,5 and 6 could just be for playing hardball in negotiations and posturing I suppose - but seems unlikely?

PMK as ever thank you, I’m feeling the same as DrBlackbird it just seems like a never ending horror show

Maybe he is going to go full on soft Brexit and that's why he thinks he can get Brexit over the line in less than a year ? Dashing the hopes and dreams of the ERG ? Now there's a cheery thought grin

Not holding my breath.
We've always been careful with money but now we're really going to look at each penny because we want to build a bigger cushion in case of health insurance and education costs going through the roof. We're already thinking US style.
Bloody depressed.

My positive thing is to remember that 16,753,651 voters did not vote Tory. In that sense it is a minority government albeit with a FPTP majority!

16million who were promptly ordered to "put a sock in it"

Us too songs

Looking forwards, I think it's going to be a tough time for all those 'small luxury' small businesses.

As the public sector is replaced by things you now have to pay for (initially health insurance, minor health procedures, increased cost for things like rubbish collection & parking, etc) - all the creeping costs of public services being eroded, I just see a lot of small businesses like restaurants going to the wall.

Point 7. is a bonus.

As for the BBC interviewing those who support 'Boris' - I am 100% sure they won't be interviewing them in 5 years time when 'Boris' has let them down.

1. 'Green' issues being ignored/eroded.

As people have said on these threads before, US trade deals have clauses in them effectively preventing Green considerations

Carried over from the previous thread:

Would Johnson have won a Scholarship to Oxford if he'd been to an ordinary state school? I suspect not however clever he might be.

It was me who mentioned the scholarship

As I said in my post, the scholarship was Eton, not Oxford

It's the 'King's Scholar' thing that they do - only a handful a year & awarded to those who show outstanding academic potential

(Sorry for derail, not looking for scrap, just correcting misinformation)