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    Original OP 
(I saw Allan mention the lack of one so I thought I'd make one.)

Recent political stuff:

  • The vote to see if Britain should adopt Alternative Voting has failed.
  • Lib Dems lose lots of councils and councillors, whilst Labour make the majority of the gains in England.
  • The Scottish National Party do really well in the elections.

A link to the BBC politics page containing relevant information.

Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 3rd 2023 at 11:15:30 AM

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#30551: Sep 22nd 2017 at 8:16:03 AM

More like they can't agree on what they want

"You can reply to this Message!"
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#30552: Sep 22nd 2017 at 8:25:05 AM

The actual content of the speech can be summed up as follows from what I can tell:

"Please sir, I haven't done my homework, can I please have two more years to get it done?"

I think that is what is frightening the government right now. "Tick Tock" is starting to loom large in the minds of at least some of the Ministers.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#30553: Sep 22nd 2017 at 8:26:45 AM

[up]I still can't fully wrap my head around just how poorly the UK government has handled this mess. For crying out loud, a lot of the things they are arguing about should have been figured out way back in March when May sent that damn letter.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CenturyEye Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign? from I don't know where the Yith sent me this time... Since: Jan, 2017 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
#30554: Sep 22nd 2017 at 8:36:10 AM

[down]Ah. Missed it the first time... NVM

edited 22nd Sep '17 8:39:44 AM by CenturyEye

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#30555: Sep 22nd 2017 at 8:37:08 AM

That was already mentioned less than a page ago...

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Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#30556: Sep 22nd 2017 at 9:11:10 AM

You could do a drinking game out of those speeches...take a shot every time she talks about a close relationship with Europe or a special relationship...take a shot whenever she implies that the EU is somehow stalling the negotiations by not being forthcoming enough...but if you really want to go for the kill, take a shot for every empty phrase, two if it includes the word "Brexit".

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#30557: Sep 22nd 2017 at 9:23:08 AM

I couldn't bear it: I quickly switched back to Simon and Mark dying of their colds while trying to film review.

Two men with raw throats was a whole lot less painful to listen to. :/

edited 22nd Sep '17 3:45:29 PM by Euodiachloris

Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#30558: Sep 22nd 2017 at 3:41:29 PM

It's not just useless, it's destructive. She addressed it to the leaders of the various EU nations, rather than the EU Commission, who the government is actually negotiating with. It's a transparent attempt to undermine the Commission's position by dividing and conquering the EU, and it's got a bunch of folks on the continent seriously annoyed.

What's precedent ever done for us?
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#30559: Sep 22nd 2017 at 3:43:32 PM

Well, she doesn't seem to have worked out how divide and conquer works. Well, outside the Tory party, at least. tongue

Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#30560: Sep 22nd 2017 at 3:46:58 PM

The 2017 election campaign was largely run by Lynton Crosby. She knows the principle, it's putting it into practice she has difficulty with.

What's precedent ever done for us?
RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#30561: Sep 22nd 2017 at 3:53:10 PM

Why are they assuming she's got any idea who she's actually negotiating with?

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Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#30562: Sep 22nd 2017 at 3:57:51 PM

Major cyber-attack will happen soon, warns UK's security boss

A “category one” cyber-attack, the most serious tier possible, will happen “sometime in the next few years”, a director of the National Cybersecurity Centre has warned.

According to the agency, which reports to GCHQ and has responsibly for ensuring the UK’s information security, a category one cybersecurity incident requires a national government response.

In the year since the agency was founded, it has covered 500 incidents, according to Ian Levy, the technical director, as well as 470 category three incidents and 30 category two, including the Wanna Cry ransomworm that took down IT in multiple NHS trusts and bodies.

But speaking at an event about the next decade of information security, Levy warned that “sometime in the next few years we’re going to have our first category one cyber-incident”. The only way to prevent such a breach, he said, was to change the way businesses and governments think about cybersecurity.

Levy’s advice to organisations who want to prevent such a catastrophic breach from affecting them is to stop putting their faith in off-the-shelf security solutions, and instead work with employees to uncover what is actually possible.

“Cybersecurity professionals have spent the last 25 years saying people are the weakest link. That’s stupid!” he said, “They cannot possibly be the weakest link – they are the people that create the value at these organisations.

“What that tells me is that the systems we’ve built, as technical systems, are not built for people. Techies build systems for techies, they don’t build technical systems for normal people.”

edited 7th Apr '18 11:19:03 AM by Wyldchyld

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
Zendervai Visiting from the Hoag Galaxy from St. Catharines Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishing you were here
Visiting from the Hoag Galaxy
#30563: Sep 22nd 2017 at 3:59:31 PM

May is so far out of her depth that trilobites think she's intruding. What's especially absurd is that every single time she tries a new tactic, she makes herself look even worse. There are two very obvious outs she has right now. One: withdraw Article 50 and accept any of the demands the EU makes. Two: Actually consider the EU position and don't assume the EU is going to crack and capitulate any day no and negotiate with the assumption that the UK is in the position of weakness.

I'm seriously wondering where the image of her competence came from because, by what I can find, she's kind of always been this oblivious and dismissive.

Not Three Laws compliant.
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#30564: Sep 22nd 2017 at 4:00:55 PM

I think the party is worried about the potential consequences of leadership fight.

edited 7th Apr '18 11:20:23 AM by Wyldchyld

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#30565: Sep 22nd 2017 at 8:46:02 PM

Her competence right now derives from people looking at the potential Tory alternatives. Many people are overselling what May can offer because they live in fear of any of the other "Big Hitters" becoming Prime Minister.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#30566: Sep 22nd 2017 at 8:52:16 PM

[up] Johnson, Rees-mogg...yeah, I see your point.

edited 22nd Sep '17 8:52:28 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#30567: Sep 22nd 2017 at 9:39:14 PM

Rees-Mogg isn't that big a hitter, I think he's just being bigged up by elements in the party because he'd make a good staking horse. Basically he can challenge May for the leadership, forcing a race then stand down from the race and let the real competitors run.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#30568: Sep 23rd 2017 at 12:56:07 AM

So apparently (according to Spiegel) Moody's stepped down the UK's credit rating after May's speech.

Source from the Independent

"You can reply to this Message!"
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#30569: Sep 23rd 2017 at 1:49:45 AM

And not before time I would imagine. You know, threatening to walk out on your financial commitments... should that not damage your credit rating just a smidgen?

edited 23rd Sep '17 1:50:13 AM by singularityshot

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#30570: Sep 23rd 2017 at 2:06:06 AM

Yeah, refusing to pay the bills is generally a sign that you don't want to work with such a person.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#30571: Sep 23rd 2017 at 2:18:56 AM

It's not just elements in the party pushing Rees-Mogg.

As for May, it's worth noting that her opposite number in Shafow Home for most of her term was Yvette Cooper, who proved singularly incapable of what is widely regarded as one of the easiest jobs in the Shad Cab - the Home Office only really enters the news when something goes wrong, after all.

What's precedent ever done for us?
Quag15 Since: Mar, 2012
#30572: Sep 23rd 2017 at 6:53:20 AM

[up] (sees the link)

"Moggmentum"?[lol] What a silly hashtag.

edited 23rd Sep '17 6:53:43 AM by Quag15

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#30573: Sep 23rd 2017 at 7:59:45 AM

So, to get this straight: Theresa May is PM because, for all her complete lack of grounding in reality, she's still the least incompetent leader in the Conservative Party?

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#30574: Sep 23rd 2017 at 8:22:05 AM

[up] Scary, right?

edited 23rd Sep '17 8:22:24 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#30575: Sep 23rd 2017 at 8:24:06 AM

Pretty much. In fact, it is that tendency to run through the sunlit fields of wheat which helps her position.

Don't forget, Theresa May's first job is to be the leader of the Tory party: it is actually a prerequisite in order to be PM. The Tories themselves are split into three factions - two of whom live in their own fantasy lands. You might as well call them the Past, Present and Future Tories.

Past obviously want to take the UK back to the fifties, dreaming of empire. Future can only see a bright future of deregulation and tax breaks in a post EU world. Present actually want to discuss what is happening, but they are too small to have a meaningful input.

So you need a leader that lives in both fantasy and reality. That is all things to all Tories. But they have to embody both fantasies: best way to do that is simply create a third fantasy world and let the other groups project their fantasies onto it.

edited 23rd Sep '17 8:28:05 AM by singularityshot


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