POLITICS CORNER

[Tizer]

Second, who did their research?

As shown in the FT text quoted in my post:
`..according to the research by YouGov for the ESRC Party Members Project, funded by the Economic Social and Research Council.'

Moving on...Have you noticed how in recent years those who make a statement based on evidence have begun to be accused of being biased, simply because the evidence doesn't suit the opponent? On one side there are evidence-based facts, and on the other dogma, misinformation and often outright lies. An example is how owners of businesses are accused of being biased when they simply state how their business will be adversely affected by Brexit.

[plaques]

Sorry Tizer, missed that. Don't trust them anyhow. Polls have been so misleading, ask Mrs May to her dismay, that other than the more sophisticated exit polls they could be wide of the mark. The FT have been pushing this second referendum for some time now. One wonders why?
I agree with you on the " well they would wouldn't they" syndrome, perhaps we have got so used to the American 'pork barrel' politics that we trust nobody. With the Parliament shut down and Mrs May repeating the same insane message newspapers will grasp at anything for a bit of copy. Even Sajid Javid our Home Secretary is trying to make a few illegal immigrants landing in rubber dingies into an 'event' of Trumpian proportions. I'll carry on ignoring polls and try to think for myself.

[plaques]

And later. This were the apparent questions asked by different polls. Poll Link.

1. ESRC survey asks Labour party members the following question “Do you think Labour should or should not fully support holding a new referendum on Brexit?” to which 72 per cent of respondents said yes.

2. People’s Vote question back in September 2018, which asked Labour activists “When the negotiations with the European Union about Brexit are complete, would you support or oppose a public vote on the outcome ?”, to which 86 per cent agreed.

3. ESRC, which asked Labour members to “imagine that Parliament eventually votes to reject Mrs May’s proposed Brexit deal... Would you support or oppose holding a referendum on the deal if Parliament voted to reject the proposed Brexit deal?” to which 79 per cent agreed.

Perhaps they should have included another question for balance. Would you prefer a general election as your first priority?

[Stanley]

All very interesting but it's like arguing about the number of angels you can fit on the head of a pin. Based on the evidence of what Cameron's Catastrophe has done to politics and the economy and the acknowledged damage that will follow any decision, there are only two clear courses that makes sense, either rescind the application or ask for a year's delay and have a General Election.
Sajid Javid blames the migrants for the 'crisis'.
Grayling blames the unions for the state of the railways.
Hunt bangs on about the UK 'punching above their weight'.
None of them have a policy, all of them regurgitate the 'same old'. Politics as usual....
What happened in Downing Street yesterday?

[Stanley]

Later.... The Home office has asked the MOD for help patrolling the Channel. A vessel is ready to sail but now they are arguing about who pays the £20,000 a day cost of such a deployment.
May's strategy seems to be to 'have discussions' with MPs in the DUP and other parties in the search for an assured majority in the House for her deal. Question is, will the House allow this naked attempt to time out the discussion?
In the US, the Democrats take over the house today with a majority of 40 seats. This is bad news for D Trump. Expect them to go after the Russia connection and his tax records for starters. They now control the major committees and I don't think they will be hanging about!
We live in hope!

[Tizer]

In the US, the Democrats take over the house today with a majority of 40 seats.

Speaking of which...
`Nancy Pelosi: The remarkable comeback of America's most powerful woman' Pelosi

Meanwhile, back at home we're running short of skilled employees as the deadly brexit disease takes hold...
`Labour shortages and slowing sales put squeeze on UK firms' LINK

And now it's The Guardian that's telling us..
`Corbyn defies calls from within Labour to back second Brexit referendum' LINK

[plaques]

Suddenly we realize that shrinking manufacturing from 20% GDP down to 10% isn't a good idea after all. It takes years to educate people up to a standard where we can compete against foreign countries. Even where we have an apparent lead, university research for example, the intellectual rights are often owned by a foreign country. We are facing a legacy of government mismanagement that will be very difficult to recover from.

So the Guardian is on the band wagon. Who next , Independent, Telegraph, Mail, Spectator....All trotting out the same answer to a single question.
Question:- would you prefer to die from a heart attack or cancer? Headline:- people want to die from a heart attack. The politicians spend hours trying to frame the question that gives the result they want. Whose problem is it? Answer ,the Tories, Trying to drag Corbyn into the mix is a cunning wheeze to make it look like he is to blame.

[PanBiker]

Seaborne Freight the company given 14 million for cross channel ferry operations without any ships have been taken to task. Apparently when updating their website they copied a large portion (no pun intended) of their terms and conditions from a local take away firm.

Brexit Ferry Firm Accused Of Copying Web Page From A Takeaway Shop

[Tizer]

More on Nancy Pelosi and the US shutdown. Congress reconvenes today, Thursday. Watch out for this lady...
`US shutdown: Democrats to pass funding bills as they take control of House' LINK

This series of 5 programmes by Neil MacGregor broadcast this week make good listening...
`As Others See Us' LINK
`2019 is a year of potentially momentous change for the United Kingdom, and in a new series of five programmes, Neil MacGregor visits five different countries to talk to leading political, business and cultural figures to find out how they, as individuals and as members of their broader communities, see Britain. India, Egypt, Nigeria and Canada are explored in the rest of week, but he begins his journey in Munich and Berlin.'

The Germany one is especially interesting in view of Brexit and whatever you do don't miss the last 10 minutes. Here he asks the guests what they think of Britain leaving the EU. They are appalled and disappointed and can't understand why we would want to do it. One of them, Wolfgang Schäuble I think, said something like: "Why would a representative democracy hand over such an important decision to a popular referendum". They willingly admit that the rest of the EU will suffer too. Sadly, our maniac Brexiteer squad and rabid newspapers will spin this as a weakness and start saying things like "We've got them over a barrel" and call them rude names (remember the Americans calling the French like `cheese-eating surrender monkeys'?). I'm beginning to see the Brexiteers in the same light as Trump. Time we brought the adults back into the room!

[Tripps]

Debate Parliament 1994

I had this pointed out to me today. i enjoyed it - so many differences to see, compare, and contrast,and think about; and it was only 25 years ago. Even a glimpse of Gordon Prentice.

[Stanley]

Good posts....
Tiz. 'as Others see us'... I've been listening every morning, today is the last one. Very instructive and thoughtful.
"Whose problem is it? Answer ,the Tories, Trying to drag Corbyn into the mix is a cunning wheeze to make it look like he is to blame." Dead right P and we are going to see more and more of this.
Seaborne Freight. Ian, did you hear Hunt saying he wasn't going to apologise for setting on a start up firm? He projected the gaffe as the Tories being friendly to small start up business.
Debate 1994. Nice one David and if my memory is right Labour managed to win the 1997 election....
I hope there is an earthquake when Parliament re-convenes. If there isn't we need a revolution and a new system. Our present one isn't fit for purpose!
(Did you all read Bob's Bit yesterday......)

[PanBiker]

Debate 1994. Nice one David and if my memory is right Labour managed to win the 1997 election....

Indeed, a landslide victory in 1997. Gordon had been there for 5 years by then, we got him elected for Pendle in 1992. Fortunately he was never a yes man for Tony Blair.

[Stanley]

He was my idea of a good constituency MP. We are still in touch......

[Tizer]

Oh no, John Redwood turned up on the Today programme this morning. He is to the EU/Brexit issue what Nigel Lawson is to climate change - they both say anything, true or false, as long as it supports their stance on the issue. Every time the BBC has one of these two on air they should also have present their Reality Check man, Chris Morris, with a loud hooter to sound every time the speaker tells a fib. Perhaps also a loud raspberry from the sound effects man each time they employ a Straw Man argument. Like this morning when Redwood said we shouldn't be making all these silly preparations in case of a no deal Brexit, we shouldn't worry about leaving the EU, the other EU members will all still want to trade with us, everything will carry on as normal. This is a deliberate distraction from the real problem - the legal and regulatory difficulties that will arise and interfere with trade and other activities regardless of whether or not the other member nations want to continue trading with us or not.

Here's an article from November 2017 about Redwood and Brexit: Redwood His voting record gives you a good idea of what he's like. The Vulcan

[Stanley]

I once had a friend who had a senior position in Ireland and had to work with Redwood as he was the Minister in charge. He told me then to watch him carefully, he was dangerous. He was right......
Brexit is OK, T May is consulting........
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest Trump is beginning to realise he is out on a limb and like all children, doubles up on his bad behaviour hoping to frighten everyone into submission. I don't think the Democrats are going to let up on the pressure..... They may offer him a face-saver but he will eventually have to climb down off his fence.
Nothing on the web yet but another of Trump's defence advisers has quit over troop withdrawals.....
Later HERE'S the BBC report on the resignation of Kevin Sweeney.

[Tripps]

Take care in Number ten today -there is a danger of being struck by one of several dead cats being thrown on to the cabinet table.

After being promoted relentlessly, we now find that the roll out of Universal Credit will now be stopped, and a trial of ten thousand users will be conducted.

There is also a 'historic' new 10 year plan for the NHS.

Meanwhile the Daily Mail leads with this anything but Brexit headline for the main story.

Not all bad news though - I heard Ruby Wax say that if there was no deal she would be promptly leaving the country. Now it's really getting serious.



PS If there is any possibility of the 'meaningful' vote being lost, this mad woman will of course find a reason to postpone it again.

[plaques]

I heard Ruby Wax say that if there was no deal she would be promptly leaving the country.

The Spice Girls said the same thing if Tony Blair was voted in. Promises promises. Alan Sugar has also promised to leave if Corbyn gets in. Not only that he will be taking his children, grand children and all the future sugar cubes with him. Shame I rather liked him.

[Stanley]

The bottom line is that nobody knows what is going on, we are being managed by a woman who confuses activity with action whose only thought at the moment is to get everyone to see things her way. She has (quite accurately) realised that the longer she procrastinates the more likely she is to get her preferred result. This is abuse of the Parliamentary System and the theory is that at this point the Oppositions combine and cut the Gordian Knot. Problem is they are not thinking straight. It is obvious that the enemy is time and rather than be pressurised into an entirely artificial deadline, we should be halting the process and getting our collective act together, no matter how this is done. The consequences of drifting as we are at the moment is too awful to contemplate.
My solution is simple. Admit that the idea of leaving was a mistake and rescind the application to leave. Then go on and influence the course of the EU from the inside. Only drawback with that is that we have made complete fools of ourselves in European eyes..... It will take a long time to repair the fences!
Later.... It would appear that President Trump is resiling on his December 19th announcement that the tropps would be home from Syria in 30 days. Apart from the 3 major resignations this triggered in the Department of Defence, he is under pressure from all his 'allies'.

[Tizer]

My solution is simple. Admit that the idea of leaving was a mistake and rescind the application to leave.

As you know, that's what I've been asking for ever since the referendum result was announced - for the politicians to `take back control' and do what they should have done in the first place, act as a our representatives and do what they know is right. Every time I mention it to anybody I get a response along the lines of `It'll be damaging for democracy and there'll be rioting in the streets'. Well, we've already damaged democracy by having a badly organised, uninformed referendum instead of a proper informed decision by our representatives in Parliament. Now that people have seen all the time and money being wasted on `Brexit preparations', how much more complicated it is than they were told, and how they've been misled and lied to they'll be only too glad for a U-turn (and we're used to U-turns anyway). People in other EU member nations know that our public has been misled and let down and they might think the politicians have been foolish but they are sorry for us and will be relieved to know we have changed our mind and want to stay in the EU and contribute to its future success.

It's time we stopped trying to be a leading actor in world military affairs and concentrated on the respect we still have from many other countries, especially in the EU and in our former colonies. Let's see more attention given to peaceful collaborative projects. Tackling climate change is one for a start!

[plaques]

for the politicians to `take back control' and do what they should have done in the first place, act as a our representatives and do what they know is right.

There is just one big flaw in this approach. The very people who we propose to hand back control to are the very ones that told lies, misrepresented facts and had hidden agendas to maximize their own capital gain. Cameron knew that if he didn't give way to the rightwing within the Tory party there was a distinct possibility that the Tory Party would fragment never to gain power again. In effect he put the Party before the Country. Now that we know what it is all about why should we turn the clock back as though nothing had happened?

I still can't get my head round creating giant lorry parks to cope with the bottlenecks that will be caused at the customs barrier. Its a bit like having a semi blocked bath plug outlet and buying a bigger bath to solve the problem. A Chris Grayling idea? Say no more.

[Big Kev]

Will my continental quilt still work after March 29th?

[Stanley]

Right attitude Kev! Make a joke about it, just what we did in the war.....
I agree entirely with Tiz. All this talk about 'damage to democracy' is flim flam. If you want to see damage, carry on as you are going now!
P, that isn't a flaw at all. If Parliament actually got their act together and forced rescinding the application it would show that there was a bedrock of sense in there. The lies and obfuscations came from the rabid wing of the House and they will lose all credibility.
Later.... Despite government denials reports are coming in from Brussels that UK diplomats and negotiators are doing the rounds floating the idea of extending Article 50. In other words May looking for more time.

[Tripps]

On a more serious note - will winners of the Euro-Millions lottery have to repay their winnings when we Brexit? I think they should as a matter of principle.

I got a reply from my MP yesterday to my intemperate email last month, when I vowed never to vote for her again, and what is more - take down my picture of her, which hangs in my kitchen.

Heidi Allen She is nice isn't she?

[Tizer]

Will my continental quilt still work after March 29th?

Only if you get yourself an EU passport.

[plaques]

Back to the Brexit. If I can draw an analogy with the private sector, If the Chairman of a company and his CEO plus his board of directors decided on an action plan that if it failed could bring the company down what would the shareholders say? What is different to what we have now with the Prime Minister and her Cabinet following a plan that has clearly failed but somehow the electorate is not being allowed a say on the matter. This situation was created by the Tories, executed by the Tories and failed by the Tories. What we have now is a situation similar to 1944-45 WW2 where Hitler continued the war when all those around him knew it was lost and that all they were doing was inflicting further unnecessary suffering on their people. Lets hope common sense prevails.