RJRB 688 #409 Posted November 15, 2019 I think our politicians are overwhelmed by the enormity of the tasks in hand and create smokescreens to get by on a day to day basis. Boris’s rail plans and Corbyn ‘s free broadband make headlines but hardly figure on most people’s agenda. First and foremost Brexit must be achieved or binned. If we do get a WA everyone should be aware that this is only the start of the process and I believe those who say that our economy will take a hit for the foreseeable future. I have long wished that our major parties would find some common ground on major policies so that there is some continuity irrespective of who is in power. The first in line should be a firm policy on the funding of the NHS where both parties state their wholehearted support,but continue to use it as a battleground. Regrettably we have the most damaging polarisation of opinions at the moment so I am not holding my breath. I am heartily sick of the type of confrontational party politics that we have to endure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Anna B 1,414 #410 Posted November 15, 2019 1 hour ago, RJRB said: I think our politicians are overwhelmed by the enormity of the tasks in hand and create smokescreens to get by on a day to day basis. Boris’s rail plans and Corbyn ‘s free broadband make headlines but hardly figure on most people’s agenda. First and foremost Brexit must be achieved or binned. If we do get a WA everyone should be aware that this is only the start of the process and I believe those who say that our economy will take a hit for the foreseeable future. I have long wished that our major parties would find some common ground on major policies so that there is some continuity irrespective of who is in power. The first in line should be a firm policy on the funding of the NHS where both parties state their wholehearted support,but continue to use it as a battleground. Regrettably we have the most damaging polarisation of opinions at the moment so I am not holding my breath. I am heartily sick of the type of confrontational party politics that we have to endure. Indeed. And if politicians had the best interests of the country at heart it should be possible for them to work together. But as brexit has shown when people of whatever party are diametrically opposed it's very difficult to get a satisfactory agreement. To my mind the problem is that our political system is designed to be oppositional and needs reform. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
hobinfoot 25 #411 Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, L00b said: The rules linked by CaptainSwing yesterday (post #408, 'Guidelines' link in the text: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/844380/General_Election_Guidance_2019.pdf) do not contain any provision allowing the Prime Minister to withhold a Select Committee report. Rather, section D paragraph 3 of these Guidelines maintain the Committee Clerk post-dissolution, together with his attributions, including to publish, during purdah, a Select Committee report already approved for publication by that Select Committee prior to Parliament dissolution. Now unless I am mistaken, the report under discussion was approved for publication prior to the purdah period. Johnson has just sat on it since for the sake of 'redaction', and so is acting beyond his powers (an opinion shared by quite a few British constitutional lawyers). Oh, and Purdah is a not 'a curtain'. What's the matter, are you embarassed about the cultural provenance of the word? noun. the practice in some Muslim and Hindu societies of screening women from men or strangers especially by the means of a curtain. Edited November 15, 2019 by hobinfoot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Longcol 604 #412 Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) 21 minutes ago, hobinfoot said: noun. the practice in some Muslim and Hindu societies of screening women from men or strangers especially by the means of a curtain. Also; Lame excuse by Johnson / Cummings for delaying potentially embarrassing (or worse) report on Russian interference in the EU referendum until after the General Election. Edited November 15, 2019 by Longcol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
hobinfoot 25 #413 Posted November 15, 2019 17 minutes ago, Longcol said: Also; Lame excuse by Johnson / Cummings for delaying potentially embarrassing (or worse) report on Russian interference in the EU referendum until after the General Election. Who wouldn’t? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Longcol 604 #414 Posted November 15, 2019 1 hour ago, hobinfoot said: Who wouldn’t? People with nothing to hide presumably......................................................... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Baron99 803 #415 Posted November 16, 2019 And the hyperbole of promises continues to be ramped up. Conservatives; We'll plant 30 million trees. Lib Dems: We'll plant 60 million trees. My first thought was don't tell Amey but what next? Labour; We'll turn the UK into a jungle. Greens: We've seen a documentary called "Jurassic Park" & we intend to bring back the dinosaurs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Longcol 604 #416 Posted November 16, 2019 What is wrong with politics in the UK that we've ended up with leaders of the main parties who most folk wouldn't trust to run a jumble sale? Maybe one of the problems is the parties themselves and the ease of which a pretty narrow section of opinion can take them over and push their agenda on millions. Interesting article in the Grauniad; https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/16/only-those-who-worship-at-the-feet-of-the-party-leader-are-fit-to-stand-labour-tories Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
tinfoilhat 11 #417 Posted November 17, 2019 17 hours ago, Longcol said: What is wrong with politics in the UK that we've ended up with leaders of the main parties who most folk wouldn't trust to run a jumble sale? Maybe one of the problems is the parties themselves and the ease of which a pretty narrow section of opinion can take them over and push their agenda on millions. Interesting article in the Grauniad; https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/16/only-those-who-worship-at-the-feet-of-the-party-leader-are-fit-to-stand-labour-tories Yet over the border, sturgeon and Ruth Davidson both seem better leaders than anything we’ve got. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Anna B 1,414 #418 Posted November 18, 2019 (edited) On 16/11/2019 at 22:24, Longcol said: What is wrong with politics in the UK that we've ended up with leaders of the main parties who most folk wouldn't trust to run a jumble sale? Maybe one of the problems is the parties themselves and the ease of which a pretty narrow section of opinion can take them over and push their agenda on millions. Interesting article in the Grauniad; https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/16/only-those-who-worship-at-the-feet-of-the-party-leader-are-fit-to-stand-labour-tories I think we need a major rethink and need to do things very differently. We have one of the oldest systems in the world which reeks of entitlement and privilege. It is out of date, and makes a mockery of real democracy. It is quite simply no longer fit for purpose in a fast moving modern world. The Government needs a proper place of work in an up-to-date building with state- of- the- art technology and facilities that remind the occupants that it is a place of work where they are there to serve the best interests of the people, not the other way round. Edited November 18, 2019 by Anna B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Lex Luthor 10 #419 Posted November 18, 2019 On 03/11/2019 at 23:21, Pettytom said: Indeed. However, terrorist/freedom fighter is a well worn path. In my opinion, the more discourse there is, the better the world will be. That includes talking to some pretty unpalatable people at times. Interesting though that some are happy to call Corbyn a terrorist sympathiser but not call out Cameron for the same. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
apelike 10 #420 Posted November 18, 2019 4 hours ago, CaptainSwing said: .... In fact, being appointed by the PM (albeit, possibly, the previous PM), the ISC is unlikely to come up with anything particularly critical of the Tories per se. I suspect that, at most, the report will just confirm that the Leave campaign was funded and, perhaps, manipulated by Russia. I think the reason why the report has not been published is possibly because there is not much at all in the allegations about Russian involvement in both funding or manipulation and because of that it will automatically be made out to be a whitewash by this government. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...