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horsefly

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Everything posted by horsefly

  1. FFS! Read what I ACTUALLY said. I merely suggested that one possible way of constituting a second chamber representative of the regions and nations would be to disperse the second chamber through bodies like reginal assemblies. It is ENTIRELY a point connected to what might replace the HOL. Now please block me again instead of posting this utterly disingenuous and irritating irrelevance.
  2. Not remotely accurate! I discussed the possibility of regional parliaments as constituting the second chamber when the Lords is abolished, so quite clearly that is directly related. You keep raising the very separate issue of PR and reform of the Commons. It really isn't difficult to grasp.
  3. I don't think anyone on here is so naïve as to not think that political power by its very nature opens up enormous potential for corruption. There is not a country in the world free of its temptations (even Vatican City!!!). Frankly we should all be delighted to see it exposed wherever it occurs. Particular focus on the UK by posters here is justified because this is where we live, and because Boris Johnson descended to new levels of depravity in modern UK politics to the degree to which he nakedly and unashamedly sought to corrupt the standards of parliamentary process and privilege for his own and his party's personal gain.
  4. I see Boris Johnson is taking another beach holiday: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/walrus-appears-on-hampshire-beach-more-than-2-000-miles-from-home-in-arctic-ocean/ar-AA15bhes?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=01e0b39b4ffe4ed9be873fc5f43f1624
  5. The artist Christo found them and put them to good use:
  6. Truly one of the funniest people ever to grace the planet. Very sad! https://www.msn.com/en-gb/tv/other/victor-lewis-smith-dead-broadcaster-writer-and-satirist-dies-aged-65/ar-AA15bf9o?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=f94402328bf24abd843365e5841079c9
  7. Like most of his constituents I didn't realise he was still alive.
  8. So what! It merely says HOL reform is necessary before it moves on to discuss possible reforms elsewhere. This thread is specifically about abolition of the Lords NOT reform of the Commons. Nothing prevents you starting up a separate thread about HOC reform.
  9. Start a thread on Commons reform then FFS! This one is about abolition of the Lords.
  10. Good interview with Ian Hislop reviewing the year in politics: Here's a link to the brilliant Adam Curtis series of documentaries on Russia to which he refers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0d3hwl1/russia-19851999-traumazone
  11. Splendid start to the day! For some strange reason I now have an urge to brush my teeth with Sensodyne, make a nice cup of Tapal tea, and finish off last night's KFC
  12. In other words you have no evidence whatsoever that the EU wouldn't grant the UK membership to the EEA and access to the SM. The fact that this would massively benefit EU export trade and resolve the interminable NI protocol issue, seems to have passed over your head.
  13. Apparently it told them, "f**k off! I've got standards"
  14. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/smallbusiness/don-t-say-gay-florida-lawmaker-indicted-on-fraud-charges/ar-AA151IZY?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=6a227383ff9c47e792a071a3d132dfa9 'Don't Say Gay' Florida lawmaker indicted on fraud charges
  15. You seem to have forgotten the current cabinet. I would happily send them down a deep hole in the ground providing there was no prospect of their return above ground (could we also send Hancock down with them to assist with survival techniques).
  16. Nah! "World Beating GB Rail" is a must.
  17. There we have it, the fallacy of "whataboutery" at it's finest. Because Mone didn't actually murder anyone defrauding the NHS of multi millions for personal gain, her corruption is "trivial" by international standards. Not only did Mone aggressively push for contracts to be awarded to a newly set up company that charged the NHS more than double for its PPE, it also provided PPE that was unusable . Unusable and unavailable PPE undoubtedly cost the lives of many health workers during the Covid crisis. The loss of billions of pounds as a result of fraud is the loss of billions of pounds that could have been used to save lives. For the families that grieve the unnecessary loss of loved ones, I expect little comfort will be found in being told that the fraudsters who contributed to their deaths didn't actually fire a bullet into their heart. It is clear that Mone did nothing to check that Medpro was able to supply usable equipment to the NHS; I guess she was too busy conspiring with them about the elaborate system of offshore bank accounts required to launder £29m into her personal bank account. As for the "international" perspective on this fraud, perhaps it's worth a few moments watching this foreign report: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/video/news/gravitas-michelle-mone-the-baroness-who-made-millions-during-the-pandemic/vi-AA14VNB6?ocid=msedgntp&t=86
  18. Starmer described him as blancmange in PMQs and that seems most apposite. A bland mess that wobbles at the slightest prodding. The Tories are now a party bereft of any principle, scruple, or trace of competence. The next two years will be hellish.
  19. Because it was evident to everybody else that Well b back's words were not to be taken literally but were simple hyperbole making humorous reference to the Tory Party's overused and false claims to be "world beating" at everything they considered to be vote winning. Either you were incapable of seeing what was obvious, or you decided to misrepresent his post in order to start an argument.
  20. The present HOL is fundamentally a revising chamber. As such it doesn't duplicate or dilute existing political bodies. That fundamental function will remain true of a reformed second chamber. The key difference will be that the people doing the revising will be democratically elected representatives of all the regions and nations of the UK. I really don't think your concerns are remotely likely to present a problem. But sure, it's always wise to remain cautious.
  21. Hancock's Suffolk constituency have just posted the following vid to lament their loss:
  22. Perhaps it might be best to wait and see what Labour's detailed plans actually are for the second chamber. It would be naive to think that it is not well aware of the various tiers of government with which a new chamber would need to relate. At this stage Labour has done nothing more than commit to the principle of abolishing the Lords and replacing it with an elected chamber. I fail to see how anyone can genuinely quibble at the abolition of a chamber that is a paradigm of privilege, cronyism, corruption, and orthogonal to every aspect of the democratic ideal which the UK claims to uphold. Perhaps you might consider writing to Labour HQ to express your concerns, that would be a very noble example of the sort of participatory democracy that a reformed second chamber is meant to encourage.
  23. Spot on Herman! Democracies become degenerate when apathetic scepticism prevails in the voting public. You would think that Labour's attempt to restore faith and credibility to our political system by making the second chamber truly representative of the regions and nations of the country would be welcomed by anyone moved enough to take the slightest interest in politics (such as those posting about it on a social forum for example). I suspect the same people shrugging their shoulders are identical with the same set who complain that "they're all the same" when yet another unelected Lord/Lady is exposed as corrupt. But of course, they will happily point out, "There's nothing you can do about it" as they deride Labour's proposal to actually do something about it.
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