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

[clinical]

Enough is enough. Extreme capitalism is not the answer and I feel at some point people will realise this. I hope anyway. The worst Government of all time.

[TepidT2O]

It isn’t the worst government because of its policies, it’s the wrist government because it doesn’t have any credible policies.
It’s a policy vacuum

[filopastry]

Enough is enough. Extreme capitalism is not the answer and I feel at some point people will realise this. I hope anyway. The worst Government of all time.

The thing is economically this is not the most right wing Tory govt ever, the particular issue here is with its authoritarianism and social illiberalism.

The other big problem is the country is facing a lot of difficult issues and we have a do nothing govt that just postures and doesn't have any clear policy agenda beyond trying to keep themselves in power.

[afc tukrish]

it’s the wrist government because it doesn’t have any credible policies.

Government full of terror wrists...

[Wabaloolah]

Just heard a snip of Bojo talking on the news, you can tell from his tone of voice he doesn't give a shit about the UK or what people are going through.

Yep and he always has that default smug look on his face whilst being interviewed, c*nt of a bloke, worst PM ever and I've lived through the Thatcher years

[Wabaloolah]

It's amazing that they continue to speak of the Cost of Living crisis as some kind of natural disaster.

As a consequence they never talk about economic policy. Sure, there's the old reflex which makes Tory morons say "we'll continue to cut taxes when we can", but absolutely nothing else. The Cost of Living crisis is simply like a plague of frogs which we must all endure. It came from God and when we've suffered enough God presumably will stop the Cost of Living crisis.

I'm amazed they haven't blamed it all on the last Labour government

[Wabaloolah]

Think Starmer's tone in his 'victory speech' was all wrong.

Labour have won back a former stronghold seat, not very convincingly, and he's crowing like he's just been given the keys to No10.

He has an inibility to 'read the room'.

Dress it up any way you like, Labour have comfortably won back a seat that they lost under the worst leader in a generation.  Not entirely sure what you want him to say, the bloke can't win.  If he gets excited about something he is going to far, if he acts calmly he's lacking passion!

[Red-Soldier]

Dress it up any way you like, Labour have comfortably won back a seat that they lost under the worst leader in a generation. Not entirely sure what you want him to say, the bloke can't win.  If he gets excited about something he is going to far, if he acts calmly he's lacking passion!

This.

People love a moan!

[Shankly998]

You have to wonder how the confidence vote would have gone if held now...

[oldfordie]

You have to wonder how the confidence vote would have gone if held now...

Also wonder why they held the confidence vote before the By-elections, everyone thought they would have to get rid of him if the results were as bad as expected so why not wait a couple of weeks. 

[Shankly998]

Also wonder why they held the confidence vote before the By-elections, everyone thought they would have to get rid of him if the result was a bad as expected so why not wait a couple of weeks.

Tory incompetence, these people are most definitely not our best and brightest they can't even trigger a confidence vote at the right time.

[Dr. Beaker]

Great situation. He'll never resign. They are all as twitchy as fuck. They have no ideas. They will be at each other's throats constantly. Only Labour could fuck this up, but if they just sit tight it should fall into their laps. There will hardly be a day when some ambitious but incompetent Tory pretender doesn't make a complete fuck-up of their title bid.

[Libertine]

You have to wonder how the confidence vote would have gone if held now...

Would have been tighter certainly. But he already had 75% of backbenchers against him. Hard to increase that too much, given the number who are complete loons (Fabricant et al). It needs the payroll to start breaking against him, but why would they? This is as good as it gets for most of them.

Also wonder why they held the confidence vote before the By-elections, everyone thought they would have to get rid of him if the results were as bad as expected so why not wait a couple of weeks. 

It was all unorganised though. Simply a triggering of the vote once 54 went in. Piss up in a brewery etc.

[Shankly998]

Great situation. He'll never resign. They are all as twitchy as fuck. They have no ideas. They will be at each other's throats constantly. Only Labour could fuck this up, but if they just sit tight it should fall into their laps. There will hardly be a day when some ambitious but incompetent Tory pretender doesn't make a complete fuck-up of their title bid.

Since Labour said bye bye to Corbyn I've always thought they'll get in almost by default not because they're political masters in the style of Blair (I do find Starmer rather milquetoast but he's nowhere near as a big a liability in the electorates eyes as Corbyn) but more due to voters getting tired of the tories after how long they've been power, 14 years is an awfully long time for any party to be in government and for the electorate not to get sick of you. How long they'll manage to stay in power under Starmer is another question entirely you do never know but I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't a particularly lengthy stay.

[oldfordie]

Tory incompetence, these people are most definitely not our best and brightest they can't even trigger a confidence vote at the right time.

Your probably right, cynic in me makes me think they wanted to get it out the way knowing they would win it and keep Boris safe for another year to turn things around with a miracle. only Tory MPs who want him as PM are his sycophant cabinet and MPs who think it's better if he takes all backlash for the at least a year then kick him out with another blah blah PM.

[jillcwhomever]

I see there has been some odious Tory MP's and Lords celebrating the decision of the Supreme Court in the US, they get their propaganda from the same places too. How long before they try it here?

[Shankly998]

Your probably right, cynic in me makes me think they wanted to get it out the way knowing they would win it and keep Boris safe for another year to turn things around with a miracle. only Tory MPs who want him as PM are his sycophant cabinet and MPs who think it's better if he takes all backlash for the at least a year then kick him out with another blah blah PM.

I did think of that as a possibility, I could have seen it being true if the rebellion against him had barely edged above the initial number of MP's who submitted a letter to the 1922 perhaps some loyal ministers submitting a vote to get it out the way. Given the sheer size of the rebellion though I don't think that's the most likely scenario, they really are just incompetent and that's the reason the vote was scheduled when it was.

[TepidT2O]

I see there has been some odious Tory MP's and Lords celebrating the decision of the Supreme Court in the US, they get their propaganda from the same places too. How long before they try it here?

Almost impossible for it to happen here I think….

[Shankly998]

I see there has been some odious Tory MP's and Lords celebrating the decision of the Supreme Court in the US, they get their propaganda from the same places too. How long before they try it here?

The UK is way less religious than the US there's no sizeable minority wanting to ban abortion, let alone a majority I don't see that changing anytime soon even BoJo described the decision in the US as a big step back.

[jillcwhomever]

Almost impossible for it to happen here I think….

The decision will embolden the likes of the Pro-Life movement, who have already been pressuring clinics where abortions take place. The Government has already decided extra protection for those clinics is not  needed, because it only happens "to a few women." That will just be the beginning of it, don't underestimate those who would like our laws to be watered down. While these buggers are in power, I trust no one.

[jillcwhomever]

The UK is way less religious than the US there's no sizeable minority wanting to ban abortion, let alone a majority I don't see that changing anytime soon even BoJo described the decision in the US as a big step back.

It's the pro-life movement which holds more sway here, and they are already organising and pressuring people. As for Johnson, like I would believe a single word which came from his mouth.

[Shankly998]

The decision will embolden the likes of the Pro-Life movement, who have already been pressuring clinics where abortions take place. The Government has already decided extra protection for those clinics is not  needed, because it only happens "to a few women." That will just be the beginning of it, don't underestimate those who would like our laws to be watered down. While these buggers are in power, I trust no one.

I mean the tories did extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland so I don't think its that likely.

[PaulF]

What is worst is that they have no plan to deal with it. No fiscal policy to help tackle it.
Which is why it is so bad.
Why can’t they actually govern???

Part of the problem, and it may be media portyal rather than the truth, but labour don't seem to have many concrete ideas on how to fix things ? What, for example, are they proposing to lessen the cost of living crisis.

[Jiminy Cricket]

Part of the problem, and it may be media portyal rather than the truth, but labour don't seem to have many concrete ideas on how to fix things ? What, for example, are they proposing to lessen the cost of living crisis.

The most practical change would be to rejoin the Single Market and Customs Union. Indeed, I am not sure how the UK can make meaningful improvements to its situation while it remains outside of the SM and CU. The problem is that it seems that Labour are a long way off from making such suggestion, let alone commitment. I understand that they probably need to play it smart for now, but I cannot help but feel that it will be way too long before they grasp this particular nettle.

[TSC]

Part of the problem, and it may be media portyal rather than the truth, but labour don't seem to have many concrete ideas on how to fix things ? What, for example, are they proposing to lessen the cost of living crisis.

Any reasonable ideas are quickly copied and adopted by Tories, eg windfall tax on energy firms.  I guess u-turns in themselves damage the Tories, although the Tories have had so many u-turns over the last couple of years I’ve lost count.

Smart response right now is to propose the opposite of what the Tories are doing.  That should not be difficult as doing something beats doing nothing.

[Wabaloolah]

Part of the problem, and it may be media portyal rather than the truth, but labour don't seem to have many concrete ideas on how to fix things ? What, for example, are they proposing to lessen the cost of living crisis.

it's not for Labour to suggest ideas, keep their powder dry for now and let the Tories destroy themselves

[Wabaloolah]

The most practical change would be to rejoin the Single Market and Customs Union. Indeed, I am not sure how the UK can make meaningful improvements to its situation while it remains outside of the SE and CU. The problem is that it seems that Labour are a long way off from making such suggestion, let alone commitment. I understand that they probably need to play it smart for now, but I cannot help but feel that it will be way too long before they grasp this particular nettle.

that would be political suicide in the current climate, it would rally the troops behind the Brexit flag and give Johnson an unnecessary lifeline.  Labour need to stay well away from that, for now...

[TepidT2O]

The decision will embolden the likes of the Pro-Life movement, who have already been pressuring clinics where abortions take place. The Government has already decided extra protection for those clinics is not  needed, because it only happens "to a few women." That will just be the beginning of it, don't underestimate those who would like our laws to be watered down. While these buggers are in power, I trust no one.

We have over 70% support for abortion in the uk.  It’s something we almost actually agree on…

https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/bpas-polling-uk-voters-prochoice-political-spectrum

I don’t think there will be any issue.

[oldfordie]

Part of the problem, and it may be media portyal rather than the truth, but labour don't seem to have many concrete ideas on how to fix things ? What, for example, are they proposing to lessen the cost of living crisis.

They came up with the Windfall tax. Starmer keeps telling him to drop taxes and reminds him they have put up taxes something like 14 times.
Everyone keeps saying Labour have no policys, Johnson said the same throughout Covid and people believed it yet I saw him tell Johnson he had to do this or that throughout the whole 2 yrs. I take that to mean that would be what Starmer would have done if he was PM so he did have solutions and policys. the same applies to the economy. Starmer keeps telling him he has to do this every week yet people don't connect this to being his policys if he was PM.
I found it to be a bit annoying. people were asking where his manifesto was within weeks of him taking over.
I agree with Jiminy am also not happy about his Brexit stance, if he left the option  open to re-join if Labour came to power then I could understand but he has closed that option and it was a unnecessary silly mistake. the problem is the knives are out and all these arguments of not knowing what Labour stand for anymore will be made to bring in someone who may well undo all the progress made over the last few yrs.
I know what the Labour party stand for today, they are pro decency. pro NHS, care and education. etc etc.  were in a situation were we have a extreme right fascist's in power yet people don't see the serious consequences of loosing in 2024.
If Labour did do what we thought was impossible in 2019 and win the next election them I just hope people give them a break. they certainly didn't after 97 after another Tory government ran everything into the ground.
They will have an enormous job to do. the warnings went unheeded back in 2016 (referendum) and 2019, anyone thinking the next Labour government are going to make everything brilliant is sadly badly mistaken, they will struggle for years to take us back to where we were before 2010.

[Yosser0_0]

Tory incompetence, these people are most definitely not our best and brightest they can't even trigger a confidence vote at the right time.

It did help to divert attention from another headline that day though.

HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson, who announced the news 30 minutes before the outcome of the confidence vote in Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, said the Government will explore alternatives for how high speed trains will reach Scotland.


https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2022-06-07/scrapping-3bn-hs2-golborne-link-will-lead-to-bottleneck

However reading details of the plan, £3Bn sounds like an awful lot of money for an 18 mile stretch of railway. I can't help but wonder what such a figure could achieve if it was allocated to improving the East / West railway links across the north of the country or other northern based projects, you know if there was a genuine 'levelling up' policy.

https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-11-18/hs2-a-rail-betrayal-or-a-transport-revolution

[ShakaHislop]

They came up with the Windfall tax. Starmer keeps telling him to drop taxes and reminds him they have put up taxes something like 14 times.
Everyone keeps saying Labour have no policys, Johnson said the same throughout Covid and people believed it yet I saw him tell Johnson he had to do this or that throughout the whole 2 yrs. I take that to mean that would be what Starmer would have done if he was PM so he did have solutions and policys. the same applies to the economy. Starmer keeps telling him he has to do this every week yet people don't connect this to being his policys if he was PM.
I found it to be a bit annoying. people were asking where his manifesto was within weeks of him taking over.
I agree with Jiminy am also not happy about his Brexit stance, if he left the option  open to re-join if Labour came to power then I could understand but he has closed that option and it was a unnecessary silly mistake. the problem is the knives are out and all these arguments of not knowing what Labour stand for anymore will be made to bring in someone who may well undo all the progress made over the last few yrs.
I know what the Labour party stand for today, they are pro decency. pro NHS, care and education. etc etc.  were in a situation were we have a extreme right fascist's in power yet people don't see the serious consequences of loosing in 2024.
If Labour did do what we thought was impossible in 2019 and win the next election them I just hope people give them a break. they certainly didn't after 97 after another Tory government ran everything into the ground.
They will have an enormous job to do. the warnings went unheeded back in 2016 (referendum) and 2019, anyone thinking the next Labour government are going to make everything brilliant is sadly badly mistaken, they will struggle for years to take us back to where we were before 2010.

Speak for yourself.

It was always nonsense to suggest Labour had no chance of winning the next election. It was only said to defend how terribly they were doing in the polls last year. If things turn against Labour/in favour of the Tories again before the next GE, I'm sure we'll start hearing the "it was inevitable it would take time to recover from Corbyn" excuses again, as if Labour had never been 10+ points ahead since 2019.

[oldfordie]

Speak for yourself.

It was always nonsense to suggest Labour had no chance of winning the next election. It was only said to defend how terribly they were doing in the polls last year. If things turn against Labour/in favour of the Tories again before the next GE, I'm sure we'll start hearing the "it was inevitable it would take time to recover from Corbyn" excuses again, as if Labour had never been 10+ points ahead since 2019.

It wasn't based on personal opinion, it was based on history, no party had   ever suffered such a loss of seats and come back to win the next GE. I don't remember anyone saying they think Labour will come back and win in 2024 either. the talk was about the Labour party trying to repair some of the damage so they have a chance in the following election.

[ShakaHislop]

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson planned £150,000 treehouse for son Wilf at Chequers

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson planned to build a £150,000 treehouse in the grounds of Chequers but was forced to abandon the idea after the police raised security concerns.

The Times has been told that the prime minister and his wife Carrie wanted to build the treehouse at the country retreat in autumn 2020 for their son Wilf.

Two sources said that there were discussions about having Lord Brownlow, a Tory donor, fund the project and plans for the treehouse were drawn up.

The project was ditched after the prime minister’s close protection officers warned of a security risk because the treehouse would be visible from the road. This was despite the design including bulletproof glass, which increased the cost of the project significantly. The couple decided against pursuing the plans after the advice of the police.

No 10 aides raised concerns about the cost of the project and the fact that it would have been more expensive than buying a house in many parts of the country. “He was told it would look terrible,” a government source said.

There were also concerns about the prime minister accepting such a significant donation and whether it would represent a conflict of interest.

It was unclear whether the Chequers Trust, the body which runs the house, would have accepted the plans as many trees in the grounds are protected.

Brownlow did not respond to requests for comment. A government spokesman said: “We do not comment on private or family matters which do not involve any ministerial declarations or taxpayer funds.”

Brownlow was previously embroiled in the scandal over the refurbishment of Johnson’s Downing Street flat.

Shortly after entering Downing Street in 2019 the prime minister and his wife embarked on a significant makeover of the flat above No 11.

Brownlow committed £112,000 towards the refurbishment, including £52,000 which was paid to the Conservative Party and £60,000 to Soane Britain, for refurbishments carried out by Lulu Lytle, the designer.

The electoral commission found that the party had broken the law by failing to disclose some of the donation. The party was fined and Johnson subsequently repaid the money.

https://archive.ph/DImZ6#selection-1043.0-1453.249

[killer-heels]

Wilf? Thats what he called him?

[BarryCrocker]

Wilf? Thats what he called him?

Named after the name his dad once called his mum?

[PaulF]

Any reasonable ideas are quickly copied and adopted by Tories, eg windfall tax on energy firms.  I guess u-turns in themselves damage the Tories, although the Tories have had so many u-turns over the last couple of years I’ve lost count.

Smart response right now is to propose the opposite of what the Tories are doing.  That should not be difficult as doing something beats doing nothing.

But if labour keep bringing up good policies. That are then enacted, that's good for the country right. And as long as the message gets through that they are labour led policy then even better.
I'm not sure windfall tax is a great example. I'm sure the Tories considered it, but rejected it as it would be against their mantra.
Probably sonme correct posts about getting cosier with the EU would help costs, but really don't know how the numbers work electorally.
Be interesting to compare inflation in other EU nations, but I susoect they are getting even harder hit by gas prices. Esp Germany as they have been switching off nuclear since Fukushima.

[Riquende]

Wilf? Thats what he called him?

Reminds me of that Coupling episode where Patrick gets called Wilf and takes it as an insult.

Also, Wilf is 2. What would a 2 year old be doing in a treehouse? Johnson really does believe he'll be PM for a generation, doesn't he? I'm sure some other Tory no-mark said last year his ambition was to have a longer tenure than Thatcher's .

[rob1966]

But if labour keep bringing up good policies. That are then enacted, that's good for the country right. And as long as the message gets through that they are labour led policy then even better.
I'm not sure windfall tax is a great example. I'm sure the Tories considered it, but rejected it as it would be against their mantra.
Probably sonme correct posts about getting cosier with the EU would help costs, but really don't know how the numbers work electorally.
Be interesting to compare inflation in other EU nations, but I susoect they are getting even harder hit by gas prices. Esp Germany as they have been switching off nuclear since Fukushima.

It is and it isn't. Yes the Tories bring in the good Labour policies, but then the c*nts bang on about how wonderful they are doing and the fucking idiots of the country fall for the bullshit once again, miss the fact it's NOT a Tory policy but a Labour policy and vote the c*nts back in and the destruction of the country and the economy continues.

Look at Covid, they monumentally fucked up every step of the way, they cost tens of thousands of people their lives due to the mismanagement, yet because Hancock watched contagion and got a good idea from the film, Boris is a hero with the thick fuckers because we had "the best vaccine rollout" and the dead are forgotten about.

[TSC]

Remember the Owen Patterson scandal which seen him depart?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60260220

The company he lobbied for which was awarded contracts through the Covid waves reports record profits.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61935146

[TSC]

But if labour keep bringing up good policies. That are then enacted, that's good for the country right. And as long as the message gets through that they are labour led policy then even better.
I'm not sure windfall tax is a great example. I'm sure the Tories considered it, but rejected it as it would be against their mantra.
Probably sonme correct posts about getting cosier with the EU would help costs, but really don't know how the numbers work electorally.
Be interesting to compare inflation in other EU nations, but I susoect they are getting even harder hit by gas prices. Esp Germany as they have been switching off nuclear since Fukushima.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/05/26/desperate-tories-put-windfall-tax-on-fuel-giants-to-soften-pr-blow-of-partygate-16714398/