Brexit Megathread Part 3: COP26 and beyond. The Empire is no more.

[prettybird]

The old thread is nearly full so as COP26 is in my home town, I thought I'd start the next one.

I'm not expecting anything wonderful from COP26. The selfishness that is Brexit will extend to the rich nations - or rather corporations, countries and cronies - not wanting to do anything that might actually cost them money or hurt their profits and having made their money on the back of the resources of the poorer nations (in some cases quite literally ), they'll expect them to pay the price for the riches of the West.

The deliberate mistranslation of France's letter to the EU will distract from real issues - but that's ok for BJ as he can then blame the perfidious French.

Nothing changes.

Just as with the General Election, de Spaffle was elected on a popularity contest, having been mildly amusing on HIGNFY etc..

It's the X-Factorisation of politics. Not something we should be celebrating...

I can't get excited about a single opinion poll as the election is still 2+ years away.

Plus, (whilst I am sure it was not meant that way), LouiseCollins reminded me of how much talent the Conservative party has haemorrhaged in recent years. Ditto the opposition.

That both parties have haemoraged talented people is not something I'd dispute for one moment!

TBH Hezza and Clarke were getting on a bit and "yesterday's men" . Hezza autobiography "Life In the Jungle" I'd recommend as to why he never became leader btw.

That said, some big figures on all sides leave at every election Paul Flynn being a good, lesser known, example from the Labour benches (who I'd no idea was 84 at the time of his death)

Johnson was relected as mayor of London, you think that happens if you're a dyed in the wool conservative tradionalist?

London is not a microcosm of the UK. Or England even. No "as above so below" there. Trying to extrapolate the countries mood from London is - as a lot of Cameron-era Tories discovered - fraught with complications.

London is probably the closest thing in Europe to a true city state. Especially when you consider it contains 20% of Englands population and 15% of the UKs.

Even my adopted city of Birmingham would struggle to get to a million - less than a seventh of Londons population.

Even if you add Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool together, you still don't get to London.

These are all facts.

@DGRossetti

Johnson was relected as mayor of London, you think that happens if you're a dyed in the wool conservative tradionalist?

London is not a microcosm of the UK. Or England even. No "as above so below" there. Trying to extrapolate the countries mood from London is - as a lot of Cameron-era Tories discovered - fraught with complications.

London is probably the closest thing in Europe to a true city state. Especially when you consider it contains 20% of Englands population and 15% of the UKs.

Even my adopted city of Birmingham would struggle to get to a million - less than a seventh of Londons population.

Even if you add Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool together, you still don't get to London.

These are all facts.

We are not interested in facts. They are used by experts and we know what they are like.

Gummer who famously was agriculture secretary during the BSE episode, shouldnt be lecturing anyone about anythng IMO.

People learn and change, even politicians.

This doesn't explain working class Tories though.

Orwell understood them. This is quite a good article (found on a random Google)

www.forbes.com/sites/timreuter/2018/05/24/why-socialists-are-despised-as-explained-by-george-orwell/?sh=18f7ae691b00

I see Mr Attention-to-Detail Johnson thinks that COP26 was held in Edinburgh

He's the gift that keeps on giving to Scottish independence

https://twitter.com/adambienkov/status/1459953775033171975?s=21

Why do these Tories have such a poor sense of geography?

Raab hardly realised that Britain was an island, only separated from France by 20 miles. Sunak thought he was in Bolton when he was in Bury, and now Johnson thinks that he went to Edinburgh.

Then of course, they all seem to think that we are a Pacific nation.

.

prettybird every day he sinks to new depths.

More sleaze?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59288493.amp

Grant Shapps this time.

@DGRossetti

Johnson was relected as mayor of London, you think that happens if you're a dyed in the wool conservative tradionalist?

London is not a microcosm of the UK. Or England even. No "as above so below" there. Trying to extrapolate the countries mood from London is - as a lot of Cameron-era Tories discovered - fraught with complications.

London is probably the closest thing in Europe to a true city state. Especially when you consider it contains 20% of Englands population and 15% of the UKs.

Even my adopted city of Birmingham would struggle to get to a million - less than a seventh of Londons population.

Even if you add Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool together, you still don't get to London.

These are all facts.

er, I'm not sure you meant to but you made my point for me....London is very atypical in lots of ways compared to other areas of the UK. Its atypical in ways that almost all disfavour traditional conservatives, yet the city elected Johnson to be mayor, twice.

@Peregrina

Why do these Tories have such a poor sense of geography?

Raab hardly realised that Britain was an island, only separated from France by 20 miles. Sunak thought he was in Bolton when he was in Bury, and now Johnson thinks that he went to Edinburgh.

Then of course, they all seem to think that we are a Pacific nation.

It they also seem to think that they are suitable people to be MPs and government Ministers...

er, I'm not sure you meant to but you made my point for me....London is very atypical in lots of ways compared to other areas of the UK. Its atypical in ways that almost all disfavour traditional conservatives, yet the city elected Johnson to be mayor, twice.

As an ex-Londoner, but born an bred in that city, I can tell you that the biggest tick in the box for a candidate is to be a Londoner. Which is why Ken Livingstone - as an independent - trounced the Labour candidate in 2000.

People completely ignored the party Livingstone stood for, proven in the 2004 election.

Fast forward to 2008 and it took Boris - also a well known Londoner - to unseat Livingstone.

Now we have Sadiq Khan - who clearly is accepted as more of a Londoner that Zac "where's my speedboat" Goldsmith, and Shaun Bailey.

@DGRossetti

er, I'm not sure you meant to but you made my point for me....London is very atypical in lots of ways compared to other areas of the UK. Its atypical in ways that almost all disfavour traditional conservatives, yet the city elected Johnson to be mayor, twice.

As an ex-Londoner, but born an bred in that city, I can tell you that the biggest tick in the box for a candidate is to be a Londoner. Which is why Ken Livingstone - as an independent - trounced the Labour candidate in 2000.

People completely ignored the party Livingstone stood for, proven in the 2004 election.

Fast forward to 2008 and it took Boris - also a well known Londoner - to unseat Livingstone.

Now we have Sadiq Khan - who clearly is accepted as more of a Londoner that Zac "where's my speedboat" Goldsmith, and Shaun Bailey.

Is Boris a Londoner, because he is always on the make, a bit like Del Boy...

Another MP with his snout in the trough.

Oh look! It's a Tory minister!

Who'd a thunk it...

@HannibalHayeski

Another MP with his snout in the trough.

Oh look! It's a Tory minister!

Who'd a thunk it...

Well the purpose of being a Tory MP or Tory Minister is to enrich oneself, so it isn't a surprise.

Sacre Bleu!

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/15/sacre-bleu-french-flag-changes-colour-but-no-one-notices

Allez Les Bleus

Imagine if Labour did even a tenth of this, how much of an outcry there would be from the Tory Press.

As the Mirror piece quotes - it's the spirit of the legislation that matters.

HS2 slowly being dialled back (as predicted).

Eventually all to show will be a slightly upgraded Cornish Pasty Co. at Euston.

Surely the already dodgy business case for hs2 must collapse if it doesn't go beyond brum?

Yes, I know we should just find out which ministers are tied to the HS2 contracts but they've managed to hide for the last few funding rounds so we'll need a whistle-blower first.

@DGRossetti

HS2 slowly being dialled back (as predicted).

Eventually all to show will be a slightly upgraded Cornish Pasty Co. at Euston.

The country vitally needs this upgrade of the infrastructure between Birmingham in the North and London, that way people can choose to live in Birmingham and commute to London, levelling up the ground needed to build the line on.

Meanwhile Bradford remains the worst connected major city in the country, trans Pennine trains are a joke and as for bus services.