British Politics Thread

Double-post for a topic-change: that beating up of the two lads. What the hell?!? I hope they find the guys who did that... I surely do. <fumes>

The retired should work to "earn" their pensions, says Lord Bichard

Lord Bichard who retired onto a generous Civil Service pension in 2001 at the grand old age of 54. And in all those years, he doesn't appear to have ever learned how pensions actually work.

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)

Also a prime guy for "old age happens to other people" thought pattern, if ever I saw one.

So... "old" and "retired" should only mean "sick", now?

By the way, how is Alex Salmond's Week going? Not Very Well, it appears.

...and Ford to shed 1,300 jobs as it closes two UK operations: I knew it was going to happen: Southampton is to close, along with a pressing plant in Dagenham. This is on top of Ford announcing closure of their Genk plant in Belgium.

My view on the Number 10 Paedophile Ring: Treachery Cover Up, since it puts the existence of the British State and Establishment at risk.

edited 25th Oct '12 4:44:58 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On

What's that? Salmond's shit does stink?

Anything that wipes the smile off that smug bastard's face gives me a happy feeling.

With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.

BBC: Mental illness 'biggest UK health challenge' - Miliband

What really annoyed me was this bit: "The Labour leader will criticise those in the public eye who "abuse the privilege of their celebrity to insult, demean and belittle others". "

As noble as that is, who gets to decide what a. is or is not insulting, demeaning and belittling, and b. whether said comments constitute abuse. Considering there are some people who reach for the notepaper for things that are clearly tongue-in-cheek and not an actually held viewpoint.

"Yup. That tasted purple."

^

True, it's the whole bias thing. And, of course, if it's left down to the person, it could change according to how they're feeling at the time*

, and what they know — after all, what is insulting to one person is not to another — what might be insulting to, say, David Cameron, is a commonly-held view on a Council Estate.

Keep Rolling On

Best thing he's said since becoming Labour leader, I think.

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)

Scotland Yard could be sold as part of £500m savings plan

...and Tony Blair calls for elected president of Europe: You know who he's got in mind, don't you?

Here's William Hague on Classic Form in February 2008*

In Link Form

EDIT: Let's see if it works this way...

edited 30th Oct '12 7:07:06 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On

Yup, that's the government for ya.

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)

The problem with defending hate speech under freedom-of-speech laws is that it is, itself, aimed at shutting out and marginalising people. You can end up with a tyranny-of-the-majority situation where the sufficiently wealthy, powerful, and motivated can drown out the people they don't like by shaping the national discourse as they see fit.

A good example is in America, where the massive amounts of effort and funding poured by social conservatives into casting gay people as the devil have made it extraordinarily difficult for LGBT activists to make their voices heard, not least because they now have to wade through a sea of legally protected bullshit and misconceptions before they can even start talking about policy ("no, Mr. Senator, gayness is not a communicable disease, we don't want to rape and eat your children, and we don't want to legally annul your marriage and force you to get hitched with a dude. Now, if you wouldn't mind doing something about that proposed bill to legalise burning gay people at the stake...").

What's precedent ever done for us?

Various things:

• EU budget: Cameron in bitter clash with Miliband
  • Why? Cameron wants to hold the EU Budget, the Rebels want to reduce it, along with a few other Countries, including Sweden.
• Heseltine report calls for action to stimulate growth
• Economic recovery may bypass low and middle earners

---

News 01/11/2012:

• Comet retailer close to administration, say reports

edited 1st Nov '12 4:57:23 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On

Cardinal O'Brien named "Bigot of the Year" by Stonewall. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson (the first openly gay leader of a major British political party) was named Politician of the Year.

It says a lot about our society where we can't call bigots bigots. Ultimately, homosexuality is only tolerated in this country, not yet accepted. And that's why we have to call the bigots bigots.

edited 1st Nov '12 4:26:43 PM by TheBatPencil

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)

A lot of things are tolerated. Stiff Upper Lip and all that...

edited 1st Nov '12 4:40:59 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On

Remember, remember, the fifth of November;
Gunpowder, treason and plot!
I see of no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow...

And let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that)

Fawkes: the only man to enter the Houses of Parliament with good intentions.

The quote is "honest intentions".

... Ah. Well, it still makes sense.

So this lunchtime, I check the news on the BBC online and find out everyone's favourite anti-abortion legislator Nadine Dorries was to be going on the country's most erroneously titled reality tv show "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here".

This afternoon I check the news and find that the chief whip has had her suspended from the parliamentary party.

...I'm still trying to parse that. It's the kind of thing that would serve as an episode plot on The Thick Of It if The Thick Of It was an absurdist satire rather than one that strives for realism.

With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.

Well let's see- going on the show is a clear attempt to try and raise her public profile due to a difficulty in getting anything done as a backbencher, disliked by the leadership, with a focus on abortion law- a topic that can't even win media time over sick trees in this country.

This then involve committing to not voting during a period of time in which certain three-line-whip issues are going to come up; effectively pre-emptively disobeying the whip. Therefore, with sod all political shielding, she's open to getting the pre-emptive punishment too.

What a shame.

A loss to great British democracy.

But on a more serious note; you can't be a bloody servant of the peoples, and then scoot off and be a servant to yourself. If you're going to do non-parliamentary shit during parliamentary time that has nothing to being a parliamentarian, then get the fuck out of Parliament, as far as I'm concerned.

@ pagad:

Yes, but like Yes Minister, based on Real Life Material. Government is really like that, with probably a bit of Reality Is Unrealistic thrown in no doubt.

Keep Rolling On

Indeed. I'd say she displayed the degree of her rational judgement admirably. And, getting the cold shoulder and the sack will... kind of suit that.

And, it's always been this way. Hogarth was able to reap hay on similar things.

edited 6th Nov '12 5:38:25 PM by Euodiachloris

Seems the tory politician implicated in the North Wales child abuse scandal has been named on Twitter. Cue the deafening silence from the media mafia over here.