POLITICS CORNER

[Tripps]

I've noticed on a quite a few occasions the use of the words 'common purpose' in politicians' speeches. Brandon Lewis the Tory party Chairman, used it today in his introduction to the result of their current leadership ballot. Whenever I hear it - it seems to not quite fit into the context - as today.

There is, you will be aware, an organisation of that name Common Purpose which many think is a bit sinister. They never invited me to join so I really don't know whether it is or not. I can't help wondering if the use of the phrase is some sort of mutual recognition signal, similar to a Masonic handshake.

Or should I get out more?

[Sue]

When can I emigrate...oh dear where can I emigrate to

[plaques]

..oh dear where can I emigrate to

. Stop where you are, you are probably in the best place already.

[Sue]

Is that literally where I am now ie France?

[plaques]

Is that literally where I am now ie France?

Exactly. A much more civilized country.

[Stanley]

Well. We are where we are! (What a trite phrase though completely true) Now we wait for the charade to play out under the new Tory management and I for one haven't the faintest idea what will happen. At the moment they have us groping round in the fog of hyperbole and spin of the accession. The smoke may start to clear later this week. All I am certain of is that none of it is good.
The EU send out coded messages that to change the deal would be to demonstrate that they are a weak organisation but allow that they could fiddle the future relationship. In other words, the backstop, exclusion from customs union and an Irish Border stay. This ensures a no deal as far as Johnson is concerned. Tin hats on lads!

[Sue]

This may arouse an interesting discussion amongst you. I signed the petition and received the transcript this morning. It willtake some time to read thoroughly

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2 ... TradeDeals

[Sue]

..oh dear where can I emigrate to

. Stop where you are, you are probably in the best place already.

Too hot and sticky by far! Give me the cold norf anyday, and a thick jumper as required

[Stanley]

Your post about the NHS is well taken Sue. On the evidence available Trump has already started his love in with Boris and there is no doubt that one of his targets will be getting a foothold in the potential profits he can see in the NHS. This is incredibly dangerous. Trump +Bojo +Nigel looks like lunacy to me.
As for France v UK, I agree, "Jumping out of the frying pan into the fire" springs to mind.....

[plaques]

In case you missed it. The Labour Lords have decided NOT to hold a vote of no confidence on Corbyn. It now all depends on whether Boris Johnson (Muffin the Mule) will go belly up once Trump has got hold of the strings.
Always a good sign of things to come is when you see the media with headlines that include, antisemitism, Skripals, Marxism, Russia and cartoons of Corbyn. If all these appear at once then a general election is on the horizon.
Is the NHS up for sale? certainly not. We will give it away.

[Tizer]

Your post about the NHS is well taken Sue. On the evidence available Trump has already started his love in with Boris and there is no doubt that one of his targets will be getting a foothold in the potential profits he can see in the NHS. This is incredibly dangerous.

I posted this in June..

..On a related point, Donald Trump recently said he wanted to `buy into the NHS' but our government ministers said `Never'. Philip Aldrick in The Times has since pointed out that American big pharma has already `bought into the NHS' - it is acquiring the NHS's valuable anonymised data pool.

Later..just seen this quoted from the New York Times: "The front-runner to become Britain's next prime minister is a portly white man with unkempt blond hair, an adoring base of supporters, disdain for Europe, a dodgy private life and a loose relationship with truth and principle.There are also differences between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump, but the similarities have been much noted in some European circles, with no small misgivings."

[Sue]

I agree Stanley, France is lovely for a holiday but we never had any intention of moving here, even less likely to now having experienced some of the under currents surrounding life here. I am not happy with the UK but it is certainly not better here.

[Stanley]

Good Lass Sue, hang in there, we will outlive the buggers!
None of the flim flam and speculation of yesterday is worthy of comment. My experience is that when the officer class wraps itself in the flag and talks about energy and commitment what they actually mean is we are in deep shit so tough.
Jo Swinson sounded almost naïve when she attacked Bojo but actually she was being perfectly honest and I believe accurate. That's what happens when someone stands up and points out that the emperor has no clothes.....
Later, some reactions coming in to the Night of the Long Knives (17 of May's Cabinet have either resigned or been sacked.) Raab is regarded in Brussels as the worst Brexit negotiator ever and now he is FM. Patel is remembered in Ireland for her remark that the way to bring Ireland to heel was to cut food exports, not the most sensitive subject to raise there.... Now she is Home Secretary. I could go on but there is no point as all we can do is sit back and observe. Watch the markets and the level of the Pound.
One thing that has struck me is that even though it was noted, nothing has been said in Brussels about possibly Johnson's most contentious statement... that the £39billion payment agreed and promised could be handy for alleviating the consequences of a No Deal exit. He appears to be considering reneging on the debt..... This from a man who says we need good relations and a new negotiation.
One last thing. Can you remember Richard forecasting almost three years ago that if Brexit went wrong the EU would be blamed for causing it by their intransigence. Did you notice that in his podium speech in Downing Street Bojo laid the groundwork for that on his first day?
Then there is the small matter of Dominic Cummings.... (and J Rees Mogg as Leader of the House....)

[PanBiker]

One way or the other, I don't think we will have Boris by Christmas.

[Tripps]

Mentioned elsewhere - the site is a lot slower to load pages today. deeply disappointing especially as that Boris cove promised us all superfast broadband only yesterday.

Not a good start Boris.

[Tizer]

Boris has been put in place with one sole objective: crash the UK out of the EU with no deal and a refusal to pay them anything. They know quite well there is no possibility of a deal. It's a kamikaze operation and Boris knows he'll take the flack and be chucked out afterwards. But so what, he doesn't care, he'll be the darling of the Brexiteers, right-wingers, libertarians and populists and make a fortune writing articles and on the lecture circuit. These three years have been a right-wing project to bounce us out of the EU, come what may. Have you noticed how the Brexit issue was manoeuvred to become a binary issue? A deal or no deal. The no Brexit option was been quietly sidelined. The Machiavellians are winning!

[Tripps]

I do hope someone is keeping the score of how many times Boris mentions leaving the EU on 31st October. It will be interesting to compare it with Mrs May's tally of 108, (+/-) for March 29th, and that didn't end well. I'm not doing so, but he must have notched up ten or so today, and he's still speaking. .

He's made a lot of promises. I doubt many of them will happen.

[plaques]

From the BBC Boris, 'Speaking to MPs, Mr Johnson said his government would throw itself into Brexit negotiations with energy, while Michael Gove would lead on no-deal planning as a "top priority".'
The negotiations may be done with energy but the real effort is towards leaving. Planning for failure? Lost for words.

[Stanley]

I think you are all right. There is no intention of getting a deal, the madmen are in charge of the asylum and there is only one goal, to get out of the EU, keep the money and get England back to 19th century laisser faire, that has been the goal since 2010. This is beyond dishonesty, it is verging on treason.
The question now is how can they be stopped. I think the answer is give them enough rope to hang themselves and then go for no confidence vote and a general election. A letter from a united opposition to Brussels asking for an extension because we were in a state of flux could work because they don't want Brexit either. That would give us time to chuck the buggers out and rescind Article 50. I can see no other way now.
What is certain is that it needs some imaginative combined action to avert what is certainly going to be a disaster.
What is also certain is that the fractures and fault lines in UK society in politics are fully exposed, I have never seen a country in melt down before. In terms of having any influence in the world we have blown it.

[plaques]

Some of today's headlines.

The SUN, Boris Johnson is off to a flying start as PM after crushing Jeremy Corbyn during their first meeting in Parliament

The Times. Boris Johnson whacks, peels and pummels Jeremy Corbyn into a pulverised mess

The Telegraph. Boris Johnson's blistering Commons debut has sent Labour into meltdown

Poor old Jeremy Corbyn. After being 'crushed', 'pulverised' and then melted down he will probably return like Terminator 2 and add Boris Johnson's scalp to the list of failed Tory Prime Ministers.

[PanBiker]

Well we can see what the agenda is there, we will see. Boris can say what he wants he won't be there in 2020.

[Tizer]

Poor old Jeremy Corbyn. After being 'crushed', 'pulverised' and then melted down he will probably return like Terminator 2 and add Boris Johnson's scalp to the list of failed Tory Prime Ministers.

I know you like satire, Plaques, and that comment is a gem. J. Corbyn et al should have done much more to oppose the Tories but they've let us down badly at a time when the Opposition should having been taking full advantage of a crippled Tory Party. It won't be Corbyn, it'll be Boris himself and the Tory right who bring an end to Boris's short time as PM. They'll spit him out once they've sucked the juice out of him.

[plaques]

It won't be Corbyn, it'll be Boris himself and the Tory right who bring an end to Boris's short time as PM.

I'm not sure it will be the Tory Right more likely the Tory centre. At the moment this is Boris's honeymoon period. He can make as many outlandish statement has he likes full of aspirations with fantasy promises and the Tories will clap and cheer like a Trump rally. Its when he actually gets round to doing something or alternatively the old cliché, 'don't just do something, stand there,' that the trouble will start. Corbyn made the mistake of raising a vote of No Confidence on Mrs May too early another 3 months would have given a different result. We are in for a period of bluster until the penny drops that nothing is going to happen then it could be 'good night from him, with another resignation and another selection process.

[Tripps]

Are our leaders a bit out of touch with the ordinary punter?

It is reported that Mrs May went to Lords cricket ground the day after she quit - probably because that's exactly what John Major did when he left, and it seems she was wearing a bracelet, which probably had belonged to Mrs Thatcher, and was recently bought at auction for £40,000 (Guide price £1500) - would seem to indicate that they are.

She was accompanied as usual by her former Chief of Staff, Gavin Barwell. I wonder if the players were aware, since England were destroyed by Ireland - all out for 85 runs. I have said previously that she should be sectioned - I offer this as further evidence.

[PanBiker]

We are in for a period of bluster until the penny drops that nothing is going to happen then it could be 'good night from him, with another resignation and another selection process.

I don't think Boris will go voluntarily. It will probably be failure in parliament that sees him off as a waste of space. That or, OK you've buggered the country by taking us out of the EU now we need an election to prove you can continue to bugger it some more.