Let's Get Political!

[brocklesby red]

Boris acted as though he was on Question time rather than at Prime Ministers Questions. He’s doing rather a good job of making Jeremy Corbyn look statesmanlike. Didn’t answer a single question and appears to get rattled very easily

[Chubbs]

Just like May, in times of crisis and despair Boris does what Boris does best and resorts to childish name calling.
I've seen better behavior from 10 year olds

[horlock07]

Shouting 'call an election you great big girls blouse' is so stateman like.  Fuck me it's not primary school you rude arrogant prick.

Apparently first PM in history to roll out a 4 letter word in PMQ's, got rebutted by the Speaker and made a face in response, its just goes on and on.

All hot air and bluster. He has nothing to him apart from that. Simply cannot answer anything with a coherent response of any relevance.  

From the way he is acting and behaving I seriously wonder whether he is on something, the manic nature of his responses is quite disconcerting and downright peculiar.  

[pauld]

Blimey indeed.  Do you know whether they specified what they meant by "prefer Corbyn"?

I suspect it's in the sense of "Would you rather have your knob trapped in a door or nailed to a shelf?" but this is from the article before it disappears behind a paywall:

"Unlikely as it may seem, he is now seen as the lesser of two evils by analysts at Citibank and Deutsche Bank, respectively American and German titans of the financial system.

“Is Corbyn as bad as no-deal? Perhaps no longer,” said Christian Schulz at Citi.

It is not that the financiers favour the opposition leader’s plans for “higher taxes, tighter labour laws, spending increases and the nationalisation of network industries”, but that this may cause less harm than leaving the EU without a deal"

There was a similar report floating around the Independent (I think) last night but can't now find it. Maybe it was the FT?

[pauld]

From the way he is acting and behaving I seriously wonder whether he is on something, the manic nature of his responses is quite disconcerting and downright peculiar. 

He gets very easily flustered when his "Ha ha look at me, I'm such a decent old buffoon" shtick doesn't work. Apparently no-one told the MPs that he is BORN to lead, so they should just jolly well pipe down or they'll get a ragging off the head boy. And no-one told him that PMQs is a bit different from Have I Got News for You?

[Nemo]

I see Santa Javid is busy offering huge piles of cash to every cause and every department. There must be an election brewing!

[horlock07]

There was a similar report floating around the Independent (I think) last night but can't now find it. Maybe it was the FT?

I think it was the FT although I cannot see it either?

I see Santa Javid is busy offering huge piles of cash to every cause and every department. There must be an election brewing!

Dunno what you man. BTW Javid has an extremely annoying voice!

[Pax Romana]

He gets very easily flustered when his "Ha ha look at me, I'm such a decent old buffoon" shtick doesn't work.

Yes it's quite bizarre isn't it.  It's not as if he didn't know exactly what was coming yet it seems to really throw him.  Surely even Boris would have done a bit of prep.

[pauld]

Yes it's quite bizarre isn't it.  It's not as if he didn't know exactly what was coming yet it seems to really throw him.  Surely even Boris would have done a bit of prep.

Only swots do prep, natural born rulers don't need to, they glide through everything effortlessly, prep is for oiks who have to work. He's never done any basic groundwork for anything in his life, why would he start now?

[Ardiles]

This release comes from the People's Vote campaign, so bear in mind their agenda when reading.  But, if true, it damns Johnson's strategy and pulls apart the notion that there is any sort of mandate for an EU exit without a trade deal.

'Voters regard Johnson’s suspension of parliament as undemocratic by an overwhelming 46% to 32%, while the prime minister’s decision to throw 21 of his MPs – including two former chancellors of the exchequer and the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill – out of his party is also viewed as undemocratic by 45% to 32%.

Barely a fifth (22%) of voters think people voted in 2016 to leave with no deal, reinforcing claims by Johnson’s opponents that he has no mandate to impose this on the British people now. But only 21% think a general election is the right way to settle Brexit. Instead, a majority – 53% excluding don’t knows – say they support a new public vote.

Johnson has defended his hardline stance by claiming he’s seeking to negotiate a new deal but fewer voters (39%) think he’s serious about this than think he’s not serious (42%).'

[Arriba]

I'm definitely in the want a second vote camp. The options need to be clear and all options ready to go after any result

[Batch]

yes, it's the best way now. muddying domestic policy with the brexit issue is messy.

but I suspect it gives Bojo his best way to force no deal through

[Ardiles]

yes, it's the best way now. muddying domestic policy with the brexit issue is messy.

but I suspect it gives Bojo his best way to force no deal through

Dominic Cummings is all for it as well.  At least, he was in Jan 2016 when he gave this interview to the Economist...

I think that is a distinct possibility, yes. It’s obviously not something that we can force. We’re a campaign group. But I think it is perfectly possible that leadership candidates to replace David Cameron will say that they think there are good grounds for a new government team to offer the public a voice on what the deal looks like. And we obviously wouldn’t oppose that, if that’s what senior politicians want to offer. I think there’s a strong democratic case for it. There’s also the issue of the profound loss of trust that the establishment has suffered over the past 20-30 years. All parties have told lies about this subject, whether it’s John Major and David Cameron or Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Nick Clegg. People have repeatedly promised referendums then not held referendums. So given that, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if leadership candidates to replace Cameron said: we need a mechanism so people can have confidence in what we say.

[horlock07]

Johnson has defended his hardline stance by claiming he’s seeking to negotiate a new deal but fewer voters (39%) think he’s serious about this than think he’s not serious (42%).'[/I]

This is clearly bollocks, Cummings has already been quoted as confirming that negotiation is a sham, after 2/3 of the agreed negotiating period with the EU they have presented sweet FA in terms of alternative options whilst instead of being involved they have withdrawn from most engagement with the EU.

But you know, taking back control and all that!

[RobertT]

I don't think a second referendum will be much use, the more I think about it.  Namely it's impossible to word it in binary terms.

The calling of a GE may be the path to finish this off one way or the other, and if it is truly about getting control back to the UK, people have to suck it up and take the shit they vote into office.  If they vote enough people in to block leaving, tough shit.  If they vote a majority for No Deal, press on.

You'd probably now have the Conservative Party backing No Deal as an option (so, maybe saying they'll try and get a deal, but would leave with No Deal).  Labour can then find a position that might just give them something to vote for (they've been a fence sitting waste of space until now) and stand on the basis of seeking a deal, but if none can be agreed by Parliament we chalk this one down to experience and get back to running the country within the EU.

Lib Dems can stand on being a straight refusal to accept the referendum results, and so on.

Frankly, that should render the Brexit Party pointless, which they are.  If the country votes in a Conservative Majority (very possible) we just all accept we do that knowing the outcome will more than likely be a No Deal on Brexit.  Sure, there are other reasons to vote for a party, but if this really is such an important thing to solve, it's no different to a crashing or booming economy being a reason to vote out or keep in a Govt.