Politics Arms

[ommmward]

This is a thread for chit chat, banter, memes and emojis about current politics.

It is NOT intended as a fight club.

It is NOT intended as a place to rehash old arguments about the merits (or otherwise) of Brexit - please pop over to the Brexit forum for that.

Politics threads sometimes attract posters who make personal attacks or who hold their views so very strongly that they find it hard to be respectful of other opinions. Please do not engage with such posters; MN has a handy report button for any posts that fall outside their posting guidelines.

Now, pull up a bar stool, and I'm sure one of our lovely staff will be over with a menu shortly.

One minute he was seen as a leading voice in the EU, the next he's probably on his way. Tumultuous times!

Interesting rumblings about Carrie Symonds 'feuding' with Cummings over the reshuffle and potential damage to 'Boris' reputation.

Good way to divert responsibility away from the dear brave PM himself and focus on two unelected advisers. Still, if there's really going to be a fight I hope she gives Cummings a swift kick in the goolies before seeing him ejected.

Also, something that didn't get much attention yesterday - scandal about NHS selling patient data that can be traced back to individual patients. reported in the Guardian and Daily Mail www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/08/fears-over-sale-anonymous-nhs-patient-data

Could you lock the door on your way out please Arse and leave the key with H next door.

Many thanks

The Management

Is the thread dead..or is it just playing possum?

Reminds me of that scene in Hot Fuzz where Simon Pegg empties out the pub of under-age drinkers leaving just him and the landlord says sarcastically, 'another cranberry juice?'

No shortage of politics out there to discuss so I will continue to chunter on until some new brave souls venture in here. Hopefully they'll be happy to chat and disagree across the political spectrum. Maybe sometimes I'll tell them about the bad old days when you only had to utter one word out of place and you'd get the shit kicked out of you - rough ol' place it was...

No, not emptied out Arse, just taking a breather for the electrician and the broadband issues that afflict me.

I am currently watching the discussions of HS2 (which I thought should have started from the North to South build but pleased to see it going ahead although my DH disagrees fairly vehemently), following the outcome of the Eire GE.

I am also quietly watching the LOTO election thread. Not being a member, I can't vote but as a citizen I feel I have a vested interest in having the best possible Opposition front bench, to hold the ruling party's toes to the fire and to make them win their ground after full debate. I like Lisa Nandy better than her rivals, but given the party's unelectable current position, I hope Starmer wins so she can gain the political experience she lacks now to come back fighting in 2025.

Heard Adonis this morning talking about HS2 and the dishonesty (as ever) of Johnson stringing people along with suggestions that it might be cancelled, the additions to the monstrous cost caused by such shit. By giving false hope to those opposing it I think they can expect more vociferous protesters and therefore more delays and yet more cost.

Heard Chris Packham at lunchtime commenting on the environmental destruction, the hypocrisy of the govt talking about green strategy. He has stated they will take court action = delays/cost etc.

I'm fascinated by the possible downfall of Cummings.

If Labour vote Starmer in I think it could be the start of a major improvement for the party, both in sorting itself out and in public perception. Plenty for him to get his teeth into - dreadful statement today from Angela Rayner pushing a 'Trans Liberation' (wtaf!) agenda at the expense of women's rights and threatening expulsion to anyone who refuses to sign up to it.

It's a shame as i previously thought Rayner would make a good deputy to Starmer but she's completely lost her head over this.

Scenes from Hot Fuzz regularly come to mind with some of these threads @Arseaboutdarkly . I assume there is another village somewhere but I can't be bothered with that soul sucking drama anymore .
The HS2 "rebellion " is interesting. Being in The North where we have been crying out for proper infrastructure to get around The North for years and given the government's propensity for not giving a shit about social and environmental impact up here(google M67 /Denton), I'm surprised they haven't just focussed on building up here. But I suppose that actually helping our infrastructure is too parochial (google Mottram bypass - or lack of) .

Bellini HS2 is just Another London project as far as I can see: It extends the reach of the London conurbation. Grand!

The bonkers idea of the bridge between Portpatrick and Northern Ireland, it is such a " Boris" idea. Big, brassy and economically hollow.

Couldn't agree more re. infrastructure desperately needed for travel between northern towns/cities. This huge amount of money could have been so much better spent.

Sadly, this vanity project is likely to have one outcome: pushing some Birmingham house prices up to London levels.

I will put money on it not going further north than Brum, myself

Proper connectivity between northern towns and cities is what's needed but that's boring admin to BoJo.

"I will put money on it not going further north than Brum, myself"
Completely agree and won't take that bet because of it.
I can already get to London from Manchester by train direct in two and a half hours. I'm sure that infrastructure needs updating but not as badly as the infrastructure up here. I don't need to get to London any quicker, I need to get to Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle etc.

Try making your way through northern England by train. I now avoid at all costs.

I will put money on it not going further north than Brum, myself

That's a dead cert. Keeping the new midland voters happy I suppose, midlands will become part of London. Who knows, maybe it will have some knock-on effect higher up..

Heard some tory dweeb on R5 this morning trying to brush off the announcement that there will be significant trade barriers in place 2021. Tory dweeb said, robotically, that it was just the start of the process so hopefully trade will be 'as frictionless as possible'. Emma Barton pointed out that this was
a. meaningless
b. complete change from what had been promised pre-brexit

dweeb just continued to rinse and repeat.

Government successfully distracted from the bad news by announcing fake plans to erect a giant squirrel in the sea between scotland and NI.

Barton asked Labour momentum twerp for labour's position on Brexit, twerp pointed out that as labour had, y'know, lost the election, Brexit had happened and their position was therefore 'in flux'.

Yes, if you were a northern voter who'd 'lent' their vote to the Tories, on the 'levelling-up' of the north ticket, I'd hope you'd already be seeing how you've been 'done'.

Massive financial hole being dug to get Midlanders, then northerners, down to the place where all the cash is, faster.

I'm all for rather more investment in our northern regions. There's a hell of a lot of talent going unexploited. And I say that as a softie southerner!

Surely investing that bottomless pit of cash into northern cities was what you thought you were voting for? Not HS2.

Cummings- PJ Masks? WTAF?

Is this the best we can look forward to?

'The night time is the right time to fight crime'?

Really?

How short lived was this triumph.

I'm hoping the PJ masks stuff is a sign of his mental disarray Miljea - looks like Carrie Symonds has got the better of him and he's on his way out.

On the other hand, it could just be yet another sign that he's an ego-maniac with no idea how to behave. Same as 'Boris'.

Javid??

That was to bluecrystals btw, not Miljea

I was going to say, I have no idea what 'sock-puppet' means!

The old Arms was riddled with sockers, it's one of the disadvantages of the MN rules on name changing. I've name-changed from Arseaboutdarkly btw.

Nice tweet from Yvette Cooper in response to Javid resignation-sacking - Respect. Also, Sajid Javid was the only Tory MP who contacted me directly on Friday to express support & solidarity when a Tory activist was sentenced for violent threats against me

Hi Arse !

So, someone who name changes in order to agree with themselves?

Life is surely too short!