New Tory Leader

[Herman 9,819]

50 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

I think the UK is now both literally and metaphorically an old and tired country. We've lost belief in ourselves as a go getting world leading country. We can't build the modern infrastructure of our asian competitors, the sky scrapers, the lights, the buzz of dynamic 'new' and emerging countries instead wallowing in our past. I'm very sure the Victorians wouldn't recognize us as their heirs. Nimbies and the 'entitled' everywhere.

You can argue that Brexit was supposed by some to change that but it was largely voted for by the elderly and insular wanting in simple terms a return to the past not the future. I wonder how they'll get along if we eventually do a free trade deal with a senior partner, India, with it's inherent cultural exchange and indeed movement of many more people here. Whoops.

Crazy Rich Asians anyone ?

As a note the start of that romp of a film is clearly offensive/overdone to any Brit as I'm sure in 1995 no hotel had such attitudes apart from in Brexit central.

It was only just over 10 years ago that we hosted the Olympics, where we showed the world we could do big things majestically and with confidence. Cameron and Osborn's well sold, but an epic failure, austerity has sucked that confidence out of us rather quickly. It's going to take a long time for us to get a semblance of that back.

[Pyro Pete 1,915]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

The positive side of this is that more and more people will start to see how bad they are. (How people still vote for them is anyone's guess.)

But there may not be much left of the country.

After the betrayal of the New Labour project, the Lib Dem coalition mess, Brexit and 13 years of Tory austerity, I'm frankly sick of the lot of them.

For me, Starmer's increasingly right wing Labour is merely the lesser of two evils.

I suspect that as climate change forces the hands of every government around the world, both Labour and Conservative will look increasingly archaic and anachronistic in the coming years.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Pyro Pete

[Pyro Pete 1,915]

Anyway, to lighten the mood:

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,189]

There's still hope for the conservatives at the next GE....if they can convince the  Argentinians to invade The Falklands...

[A Load of Squit 5,208]

This is poor from Cleverly, he forgot to say he was doing a f****** good job.

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by A Load of Squit

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

1 hour ago, A Load of Squit said:

This is poor from Cleverly, he forgot to say he was doing a f****** good job.

 

Well there we go, a phrase straight out of the manifesto. They were higher, longer, deeeper, shorter, whatever than why we took office.

So were doctors and nurses wages you arrogant loser.

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,189]

[Herman 9,819]

Ooops.....

 

[A Load of Squit 5,208]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

Ooops.....

 

One of the lessons here is that anything that the Tories set up with a title containing 'research group' is going to be sh!t.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

3 hours ago, Herman said:

Ooops.....

 

Cash for Secrets has a ring to it.

[Pyro Pete 1,915]

I see he's pleading he is innocent.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Pyro Pete

[A Load of Squit 5,208]

7 minutes ago, Pyro Pete said:

I see he's pleading he is innocent.

Either it was a work event or he had declassified the information with his mind.

Probably will just get a Fixed Penalty Notice & a £60 quid fine that he'll put on expenses.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

2 hours ago, A Load of Squit said:

Either it was a work event or he had declassified the information with his mind.

Probably will just get a Fixed Penalty Notice & a £60 quid fine that he'll put on expenses.

Don't forget the TV series with Tom Hiddlestone playing the role.

[Pyro Pete 1,915]

[dj11 377]

I saw this today, and was shocked at Sunak’s body language  I’m not sure if it was cut short, but it looks like he has given up  

https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1701265323469500823?s=48&t=xiS9eJd8T_u_4mK8kzQTZQ

[Yellow Fever 3,818]

1 hour ago, dj11 said:

I saw this today, and was shocked at Sunak’s body language  I’m not sure if it was cut short, but it looks like he has given up  

https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1701265323469500823?s=48&t=xiS9eJd8T_u_4mK8kzQTZQ

Don't know about that but this EU-US-India 'deal' to counterbalance China with the UK looking on, a minnow caught between giants, is not a good look.

Perhaps we can get ourselves a rail siding off the main line out of it!

[dj11 377]

I also hate to think what the trade deal with India will look like if we finally get one.  They seem to hold all the cards, and it would appear we need them more than they need us!

[A Load of Squit 5,208]

Not life size, Rishi is a bit shorter than figure sold.

 

[Herman 9,819]

As was pointed out on radio, Sunak sounded the Corbyn klaxon quite early in PMQs. He's run out of ideas and any positive things to say about me his government. 

[Well b back 3,267]

Government pollution relaxation bill, blocked by House of Lords 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66804160

[Barbe bleu 832]

1 hour ago, Well b back said:

Government pollution relaxation bill, blocked by House of Lords 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66804160

What do you think about the bill WBB?

I can't really see how much in the way of nutrients would get into a water course from house. Small bits from gardening maybe, but nothing compared to that from a fertilised field. Seems like a political storm that's not close to being anchored in the facts of the matter. 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Barbe bleu

[littleyellowbirdie 2,577]

On 12/09/2023 at 18:46, dj11 said:

I also hate to think what the trade deal with India will look like if we finally get one.  They seem to hold all the cards, and it would appear we need them more than they need us!

Not all the cards; they're very very keen for more liberal visa rules for Indian citizens in the UK. That would be a massive coup for Mohdi in the run up to the next Indian election, which is about the same time as we'll probably have one.

I'd bet on a very good deal before the next election that opens up a lot of the Indian market, for both goods and services, for concessions on that score.

[Herman 9,819]

Michael Gove's speech on the environment and his actions on the environment are two completely different things. His new bill was an unnecessary change and a sop to his party funders.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/stronger-protections-for-the-environment-move-closer-as-landmark-bill-takes-shape

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/01/michael-gove-housing-plans-latest-divergence-promised-green-brexit

More brexitty tinged lies and dishonesty that the same people wish to wave away.

[Herman 9,819]

 

[Barbe bleu 832]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

His new bill was an unnecessary change and a sop to his party funders..

More brexitty tinged lies and dishonesty that the same people wish to wave away.

I cant see what difference a house really makes to nutrients getting into water courses and the eutrophication that causes.  In my mind if we are concerned about fertiliser in rivers the more obvious place to look for cuts isn't with houses but with farms.

What's your view as a horticulturalist with a stated desire for us to build more houses?   

Is the claim of lies related to the apparent reversal of a policy not to loosen environmental controls or is it your belief that the lie is in saying that the reversal is of EU rules?

[Creative Midfielder 2,001]

15 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

I cant see what difference a house really makes to nutrients getting into water courses and the eutrophication that causes.  In my mind if we are concerned about fertiliser in rivers the more obvious place to look for cuts isn't with houses but with farms.

What's your view as a horticulturalist with a stated desire for us to build more houses?   

Is the claim of lies related to the apparent reversal of a policy not to loosen environmental controls or is it your belief that the lie is in saying that the reversal is of EU rules?

The lies relate to ministerial statements, made on multiple occasions.

Not that there is anything unusual about that under this Government or its Tory predecessors, per se.

But when they start to get called out for their lies by conservative charities like the RSPB and peers in the HoL then I think you can be re-assured that they have taken their lying to a new level.

Thank goodness there are still a few, if isolated, voices that are prepared to push back against this set of corrupt b*****ds!

 

[A Load of Squit 5,208]

29 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

I cant see what difference a house really makes to nutrients getting into water courses and the eutrophication that causes.  In my mind if we are concerned about fertiliser in rivers the more obvious place to look for cuts isn't with houses but with farms.

What's your view as a horticulturalist with a stated desire for us to build more houses?   

Is the claim of lies related to the apparent reversal of a policy not to loosen environmental controls or is it your belief that the lie is in saying that the reversal is of EU rules?

Firstly it was a piece of political chicanery to add these details to a bill that had already passed through some of the stages.

Secondly the governments own nature watchdog told them that the rule changes were not necessary and that the current scheme was working to deliver homes and reduce nutrients.

And thirdly the costs are being switched from the housing developers to the tax payer.

 

[Barbe bleu 832]

11 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

Firstly it was a piece of political chicanery to add these details to a bill that had already passed through some of the stages.

Secondly the governments own nature watchdog told them that the rule changes were not necessary and that the current scheme was working to deliver homes and reduce nutrients.

And thirdly the costs are being switched from the housing developers to the tax payer.

 

Adding it to a bill already underway hadn't helped them has it!

The second bit is the key. The rules were definitely 'red tape' and the proposal was definitely going to reduce that. That could be a good thing, it could be a bad thing- The big queation was one of balance, was the red tape a proportional means of achieving a legitimate aim, ie how much did it reduce housebuilding and what is the relative importance of housebuilding in these areas against the impact on the water courses?

This debate had focused entirely on process and rhetoric and not on the actual issue.  Does everyone who passed the tweets around actually know what eutrophication actually is?

Its like so much political debate in the twitterx world- important issues are no longer debated on their facts but how easily they can be reduced to a tribal meme. It makes for very poor policy making. And before anyone says it - this is true of all sides.

[A Load of Squit 5,208]

2 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

Adding it to a bill already underway hadn't helped them has it!

The second bit is the key. The rules were definitely 'red tape' and the proposal was definitely going to reduce that. That could be a good thing, it could be a bad thing- The big queation was one of balance, was the red tape a proportional means of achieving a legitimate aim, ie how much did it reduce housebuilding and what is the relative importance of housebuilding in these areas against the impact on the water courses?

This debate had focused entirely on process and rhetoric and not on the actual issue.  Does everyone who passed the tweets around actually know what eutrophication actually is?

Its like so much political debate in the twitterx world- important issues are no longer debated on their facts but how easily they can be reduced to a tribal meme. It makes for very poor policy making. And before anyone says it - this is true of all sides.

A superb example of just ignoring the facts and typing b0ll0x.

Well done.

[Herman 9,819]

Is there anything the government does that Barbe won't stick up for, ffs.