Topic: Never mind 'Stop the Boats' - STOP THE TORIES

[killer-heels]

Thames Water has defaulted on its debt   What a mess privatisation has been

Good news.

[thaddeus]

Good news.

Possibly but it's not clear how heavily invested UK pension schemes are.

Thames Water’s parent company defaults on debt

...

The default threatens to wipe out the stakes of Thames Water’s nine shareholders, which include the Chinese and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds as well as Canadian and UK pension funds. The shareholders last week said that actions by water regulator Ofwat had made the company “uninvestable”.

I'm sure this structure is much more sensible than public ownership...

[Red-Soldier]

Thames Water has defaulted on its debt   What a mess privatisation has been

It's been a a huge win for the sharholders!

[Red Beret]

I know my pension scheme USS was invested in Thames water. No idea which dumbass thought that was a good idea. They should have looked into divesting years ago.

[TSC]

I know my pension scheme USS was invested in Thames water. No idea which dumbass thought that was a good idea. They should have looked into divesting years ago.

Possibly quite a few UK pensions are invested to varying extents.

[west_london_red]

It's been a a huge win for the sharholders!

It depends which shareholders, I don’t think the current ones are feeling like or will be winners at all, the former Australian shareholders are probably the ones laughing all the way to the bank, where as the current shareholders will be thinking why and how the fuck they got themselves into this mess in the first place, but as we are all warned the value of your investment may go up as well as down and you can get back less than you originally invested, capital is at risk.

[PaulF]

I know my pension scheme USS was invested in Thames water. No idea which dumbass thought that was a good idea. They should have looked into divesting years ago.

Any idea what their exposure is?  I'd assume they wouldn't invest more than 2% in any company. Probably no more than 5% in any sector.
(On the upside, think of all the lovely dividends your pension has benefited from you capitalist leech (joke) )

[Red Beret]

Any idea what their exposure is?  I'd assume they wouldn't invest more than 2% in any company. Probably no more than 5% in any sector.
(On the upside, think of all the lovely dividends your pension has benefited from you capitalist leech (joke) )

Their last statement on the matter was around March 28. I used to work for them so I have some idea around the basics. They have a very diverse portfolio to guard against this sort of thing, so I reckon a potential collapse has been factored into their latest financial appraisal.

Pity my pension. Is only worth £1500 a year.

[TSC]

Thousands to miss out on dementia drug treatment as capacity of NHS is behind that of every other G7 country.

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-guardian/20240406/281500756273380

[Red Beret]

Thousands to miss out on dementia drug treatment as capacity of NHS is behind that of every other G7 country.

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-guardian/20240406/281500756273380

And this is why we need privatisation!

[spen71]

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson saying it would be insane to have an arms embargo with Israel.    How many shares does he have in the industry?

[west_london_red]

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson saying it would be insane to have an arms embargo with Israel.    How many shares does he have in the industry?

Like he’s got any money of his own, he lives off the charity of his wealthy supporters and friends half the time.

[TepidT2O]

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson saying it would be insane to have an arms embargo with Israel.    How many shares does he have in the industry?

Given that we make up 0.1% of Israel’s arms imports I suspect very little.  This is a morla position over anything else.
Something he lacks l

[PaulF]

Given that we make up 0.1% of Israel’s arms imports I suspect very little.  This is a morla position over anything else.
Something he lacks l

Apparently the defence trade is very heavily skewed to us importing from them too.

[Red Beret]

Saw a Guardian headline saying US anti abortion lobbyists are stepping up in the UK and "forging links with MPs".

Fuck's sake we need that election soon.

[killer-heels]

Saw a Guardian headline saying US anti abortion lobbyists are stepping up in the UK and "forging links with MPs".

Fuck's sake we need that election soon.

Never happening here.

[Red Beret]

Never happening here.

I don't believe anything is certain anymore. I've seen too much. Way too much.

[TepidT2O]

There’s nearly 90% support for abortion in the uk https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/47568-where-does-the-british-public-stand-on-abortion-in-2023

And we don’t have the evangelical Christians they have in the US.

So I don’t think it’s likely. Imagine all the extra school fees for Tory MPs

[Red Beret]

There’s nearly 90% support for abortion in the uk https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/47568-where-does-the-british-public-stand-on-abortion-in-2023

And we don’t have the evangelical Christians they have in the US.

So I don’t think it’s likely. Imagine all the extra school fees for Tory MPs

It's like that now. But the GOP played a 40-50 year waiting game with Roe vs Wade. They won't be expecting to overturn it in a decade - but they're dealing with an electorate that voted for Brexit and Bozo. They can wait.

[TepidT2O]

It's like that now. But the GOP played a 40-50 year waiting game with Roe vs Wade. They won't be expecting to overturn it in a decade - but they're dealing with an electorate that voted for Brexit and Bozo. They can wait.

Yeah, but we don’t have the same legal system.

I can’t see it ever getting even a foothold

[killer-heels]

It's like that now. But the GOP played a 40-50 year waiting game with Roe vs Wade. They won't be expecting to overturn it in a decade - but they're dealing with an electorate that voted for Brexit and Bozo. They can wait.

Thats because of their fucked up legal system.

[Red Beret]

Yeah, but we don’t have the same legal system.

I can’t see it ever getting even a foothold

The government want to pull the country out of the ECHR. We cannot afford to be blasé. Not a single basic human right or need can be taken for granted in the current climate. It's easy enough to rig the system in a way that restricts abortion without technically making it illegal.

[Elmo!]

There's been a bit of a concerted effort in Scotland from anti-abortionists, funded by American evangelicals etc, with the Scottish Government bringing through legislation to introduce buffer zones around abortion/sexual health clinics. It hasn't really taken off though, beyond an initial bump.

[TSC]

The government want to pull the country out of the ECHR. We cannot afford to be blasé. Not a single basic human right or need can be taken for granted in the current climate. It's easy enough to rig the system in a way that restricts abortion without technically making it illegal.

Government are at best split on pulling out.  Even if the loons to the right manage to push this forward, there’s not enough time left before a GE.  Government is in its dead zone.

[Red Beret]

Government are at best split on pulling out.  Even if the loons to the right manage to push this forward, there’s not enough time left before a GE.  Government is in its dead zone.

My concern is that we cannot take anything for granted anymore, or dismiss any potential outcome as outlandlish or improbable, no matter how insane it might seem on the surface. Vigilance is going to be what is needed here.

The Tories aren't finished yet. We don't know if the damage is going to be permanent. Many hoped that in 1997 and 2001. They were wrong. This country has shown it is capable of incredible idiocy and self harm, especially on single issues.

I'm not spouting hyperbole here. Just a warning. If we want to hold onto our rights, we cannot afford complacency. We have to be prepared to fight for them.

[TSC]

My concern is that we cannot take anything for granted anymore, or dismiss any potential outcome as outlandlish or improbable, no matter how insane it might seem on the surface. Vigilance is going to be what is needed here.

The Tories aren't finished yet. We don't know if the damage is going to be permanent. Many hoped that in 1997 and 2001. They were wrong. This country has shown it is capable of incredible idiocy and self harm, especially on single issues.

I'm not spouting hyperbole here. Just a warning. If we want to hold onto our rights, we cannot afford complacency. We have to be prepared to fight for them.

I think they’re finished this time, and I wouldn’t generally take that view lightly.  Okay, something totally unforeseen, ie some sort of ‘curve ball’ event, could happen, but even that may not save them. Geopolitically, the world’s already in a state of flux. 

For example, theyve been running with this Rwanda farce for years now, at significant costs to the taxpayer. They aren’t getting through legislation re leaving the ECHR before a GE.  It’s rhetoric, as they battle it out internally for future control of the party after its GE defeat.

[rob1966]

It's like that now. But the GOP played a 40-50 year waiting game with Roe vs Wade. They won't be expecting to overturn it in a decade - but they're dealing with an electorate that voted for Brexit and Bozo. They can wait.

They'll all be dead in the next 15/20 years, the younger generation won't buy into that shit

[Red Beret]

I want to believe you guys, and maybe even you're right. But we can't take anything for granted anymore. We've seen too much idiocy from the electorate, regardless of who might be dead or alive in 20 years.

Maybe when the Tories are on 20 seats I might begin to relax, but we know these extremists will just turn their attention to whichever group offers them the best chance of making noise. We've seen with Reform that you don't actually need a single MP to make waves.

All those right winger voters will need to find a political home somewhere. And whichever party they end up supporting will drift right to accommodate them.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

I know my pension scheme USS was invested in Thames water. No idea which dumbass thought that was a good idea. They should have looked into divesting years ago.

The USS Pension Scheme. Rubbish name for a Starship that.

[Red Beret]

The USS Pension Scheme. Rubbish name for a Starship that.

There are more boring names out there.

[Kenny's Jacket]

UK Abortion laws are not particularly liberal. Stella Creasy will be looking to make them more so.  I think Abortion laws are likely to improve than go more American.

Edit - England and Wales may have been a better term than UK, not sure if they are different in Scotland or NI

[TSC]

Tories deleting bizarre social media ads again

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-party-montage-britain-powerful-b2524466.html

https://www.thenational.scot/news/24235918.tories-delete-bizarre-campaign-poster-widespread-ridicule/

[rob1966]

The USS Pension Scheme. Rubbish name for a Starship that.

Very apt for The Undiscovered Country

[Kenny's Jacket]

Tories deleting bizarre social media ads again

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-party-montage-britain-powerful-b2524466.html

https://www.thenational.scot/news/24235918.tories-delete-bizarre-campaign-poster-widespread-ridicule/

The England Football team 
Such a popular, unifying, entity

[rob1966]

The England Football team 
Such a popular, unifying, entity

The team are dignified losers, while the fans entertain Singing God save the King, 10 German bombers, two world wars and one world cup, what's not to be proud of?

[BarryCrocker]

The team are dignified losers, while the fans entertain Singing God save the King, 10 German bombers, two world wars and one world cup, what's not to be proud of?

You forgot 'Football's Coming Home' and the slave song.

[Jiminy Cricket]

The team are dignified losers, while the fans entertain Singing God save the King, 10 German bombers, two world wars and one world cup, what's not to be proud of?

Was the poster designed by a particularly young and particularly inept intern? Is there is no one of any talent or intellect or even good judgment left at any level within the Tory Party?

[Kenny's Jacket]

Was the poster designed by a particularly young and particularly inept intern? Is there is no one of any talent or intellect or even good judgment left at any level within the Tory Party?

Not since Lee Anderson left 

[9 kemlyn road]

My concern is that we cannot take anything for granted anymore, or dismiss any potential outcome as outlandlish or improbable, no matter how insane it might seem on the surface. Vigilance is going to be what is needed here.

The Tories aren't finished yet. We don't know if the damage is going to be permanent. Many hoped that in 1997 and 2001. They were wrong. This country has shown it is capable of incredible idiocy and self harm, especially on single issues.

I'm not spouting hyperbole here. Just a warning. If we want to hold onto our rights, we cannot afford complacency. We have to be prepared to fight for them.

I too believe that the tories are not finished,damaged and in disarray,a shambles most definitely but not finished.
I thought in 97 it would moderate them when they slunk off to lick their wounds so if they did get in at some point it wouldn’t be another repeat of the thatcher years at least .but the tories are the political party of the establishment from the very top of society who are there to look after the establishment’s interests.
After they are beaten in this next election they will be a very different wounded beast to the one that was defeated in 97 .that one regrouped ,went and reinvented itself to look more caring and more in the ,new labour Tony Blair image .
This one is dangerous,like a wounded animal it’s going to lash out and fight for its life.the tories and their co Horts know exactly how to play dirty to win and will use every dirty ,illegal,dark trick in the book to survive .this is going to be as low as the tories have ever been in their existence so nothing will be out of bounds to them .
For sure there’ll be in fighting in the short term in the aftermath of what looks to be an election disaster for them but they’ll soon re group and pull together to regain power .it’ll  take them time ,two terms out of office at least  but they’re patient,they know how to play the long game.they plan years in advance for everything ,decades even but when the time is right they will strike back with a vengeance,it’s what they do and they are good at it .
They have two things we don’t have ,Time and money .they’ll use both to the maximum to get their way.
This is what we have to watch out for ,they won’t be finished they’ll be plotting for the future.

[thejbs]

There's been a bit of a concerted effort in Scotland from anti-abortionists, funded by American evangelicals etc, with the Scottish Government bringing through legislation to introduce buffer zones around abortion/sexual health clinics. It hasn't really taken off though, beyond an initial bump.

Northern Ireland says hold my beer…

Since the decriminalisation of abortion in NI nearly 5 years ago, hundreds of women have still had to travel to England for a safe abortion. Half of our political parties actively oppose abortion and there’s widespread public anti-choice sentiment.

Abortion services are still scant. Thankfully the safe zone laws keep most of the deranged extremists from harassing vulnerable women now.