New Tory Leader

[littleyellowbirdie 2,597]

1 minute ago, Herman said:

Yes, and the direction of the conservative party has been of the headbanging ERG variety. And she has joined in full pelt. That is why I initially stated her view has gone from one side to the extreme end of the other.

Brexit secretary doing trade deals and now acting as foreign secretary wasn't headbanging of any sort; it was her assigned job in the government. 

[Creative Midfielder 2,003]

2 hours ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

Brexit secretary doing trade deals and now acting as foreign secretary wasn't headbanging of any sort; it was her assigned job in the government. 

I don't think it was the roles per se that are the issue but the manner in which she discharged those roles that Herman quite rightly referred to as 'headbanging'.

[horsefly 4,318]

According to some (admittedly Tory loons) the greatest PM ever and a brilliant orator. According to others:

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by horsefly

[Nuff Said 5,178]

 

[sonyc 5,541]

9 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

 

That's politicians isn't it? Some being a lot worse than others.

I've been wondering much more recently whether keeping up with the news is a good thing (for any of us). I realise we need information to be able to form our opinions. Does it make us happier? Probably not. Definitely not?

I came across this tweeted cartoon and it is probably a close approximation to how things are. Treat everything with some scepticism or at least maintain an open curiosity to what is said or reported! And definitely so with a populist very right of centre government in place.

[TheGunnShow 6,016]

On 18/07/2022 at 19:38, PurpleCanary said:

From Tory MP Bill Wiggin today about Bojo the Charlatan:

At every opportunity the prime minister has shown contrition and a desire to get on with a Conservative agenda. However, the mud slinging and the relentless nature of politics and the media eventually take its toll on even the steeliest character.

The Labour Party and some in the media are glad to see the prime minister go as we are losing a political communicator and leader of historic proportions.

On “reach and the likeability”, Johnson he said “remains one of the rare politicians who’s on first name terms with the public”, adding: “This reflects a rapport with the public which is frankly astonishing (given) the extent of smears from all corners of society.”

The prime minister he said “remains immensely popular across the country”, adding:

He loves his children, he is caring.”

He added: “It is going to be a great shame that he is going when he has done so much for the free people of Ukraine....he is right to leave with his head held high.

I always love it, sarcasm meter turned full on, when political candidates use family as a means of being more relatable. The nadir of this was when Andrea Leadsom said she would be better qualified than Theresa May simply as she was a mother. Whilst it was correctly criticised, she didn't catch anywhere near enough flak for that as she should have.

[Nuff Said 5,178]

58 minutes ago, sonyc said:

That's politicians isn't it? Some being a lot worse than others.

I've been wondering much more recently whether keeping up with the news is a good thing (for any of us). I realise we need information to be able to form our opinions. Does it make us happier? Probably not. Definitely not?

I came across this tweeted cartoon and it is probably a close approximation to how things are. Treat everything with some scepticism or at least maintain an open curiosity to what is said or reported! And definitely so with a populist very right of centre government in place.

You’re probably right, the 24 hour news culture is not conducive to considered, rational debate. I remember seeing a piece a few months ago interviewing an academic (I think, it might have been someone who made a lot of money early on social media tech and then cashed out) who talked about never listening to news, apart from one weekly summary. There’s definitely something to be said for that kind of big-picture only viewpoint.

[littleyellowbirdie 2,597]

13 hours ago, Creative Midfielder said:

I don't think it was the roles per se that are the issue but the manner in which she discharged those roles that Herman quite rightly referred to as 'headbanging'.

What is it about the manner in which she has done the job that makes her a headbanger as such? 

[horsefly 4,318]

42 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

I always love it, sarcasm meter turned full on, when political candidates use family as a means of being more relatable. The nadir of this was when Andrea Leadsom said she would be better qualified than Theresa May simply as she was a mother. Whilst it was correctly criticised, she didn't catch anywhere near enough flak for that as she should have.

Hard to beat John Selwyn Gummer force-feeding his child a burger during the BSE crisis. I'm sure he reassured her she probably wouldn't die.

[horsefly 4,318]

Predicted this would  happen a little while ago:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/sunak-reallocating-votes-to-truss-claims-senior-tory-condemning-dirtiest-ever-contest/ar-AAZKZ6t?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=00594440271144e29a803cfd7d7642fc

[sonyc 5,541]

11 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

You’re probably right, the 24 hour news culture is not conducive to considered, rational debate. I remember seeing a piece a few months ago interviewing an academic (I think, it might have been someone who made a lot of money early on social media tech and then cashed out) who talked about never listening to news, apart from one weekly summary. There’s definitely something to be said for that kind of big-picture only viewpoint.

I believe that is correct NS. A weekly summary sounds optimal. I'm sure there is a radio programme that provides this. On SC4 they have a weekly news show called "Yr Wythnos" and it's a decent summary of lots of news, national and a bit international.

Maybe the old fashioned newspaper is the best format of all😅 

I believe this discussion also ties into what @KernowCanary has said recently about the sheer saturation of news items. With news being 24/7 now they have a lot of minutes to fill don't they! So we get the endless recycling. No wonder the heatwave gave them the opportunity to move away from the crushing boredom of the Tory leadership race (to ensure I keep this on topic).

On your tech fella story, I recall reading that those who work for FB rarely use it and ensure family don't. News can depress some people too ("doomscrolling") and Twitter certainly creates echo chambers. 

Even one of my former musical heroes (he went a bit weird) Mozza has warned "stop watching the news because the news conspires to frighten you".

Anyway, only a short while now before a new PM is announced.

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la meme chose"

 

[TheGunnShow 6,016]

18 minutes ago, horsefly said:

Hard to beat John Selwyn Gummer force-feeding his child a burger during the BSE crisis. I'm sure he reassured her she probably wouldn't die.

Gummer reminds me of my favourite piece of political candour, simply as he was the victim of it when the former Norwegian Environment Secretary Thorbjoern Berntsen famously called him a "drittsekk", which is Norwegian for "sh-itbag".

Nice to see a politician who is economical with words instead of the truth, really.

[Icecream Snow 762]

56 minutes ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

What is it about the manner in which she has done the job that makes her a headbanger as such? 

Because she insists on driving through deals that with be detrimental to Britian.

https://www.politico.eu/article/liz-truss-uk-food-sector-australia-new-zealand-trade-deal/

[littleyellowbirdie 2,597]

13 minutes ago, Icecream Snow said:

Because she insists on driving through deals that with be detrimental to Britian.

https://www.politico.eu/article/liz-truss-uk-food-sector-australia-new-zealand-trade-deal/

Trade between the UK and New Zealand amounts to about £2.5bn for 2020-2021. Most of the criticisms of the trade agreement focus on agriculture, which is projected to contract by £150m for an industry that accounts for 0.5% of GDP; the negative aspects for Britain as a whole are being grossly exaggerrated for an agreement that should offer substantial benefits to UK services, which represent a far larger part of the economy. 

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/367/international-trade-committee/news/171028/impact-of-uknew-zealand-trade-deal-on-agriculture-and-food-examined/#:~:text=The first will focus on,) for semi-processed foods.

Edited July 20, 2022 by littleyellowbirdie

[Nuff Said 5,178]

1 minute ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

Trade between the UK and New Zealand amounts to about £2.5bn for 2020-2021. Most of the criticisms of the trade agreement focus on agriculture, which is projected to contract by £150m for an industry that accounts for 0.5% of GDP; the negative aspects for Britain as a whole are being grossly exaggerrated. 

So it’s not particularly bad. That’s about the sum total of what the Tory party and Liz Truss are able to claim as achievements. 
 

I can see the election posters now. “At our best, we’re only a bit sh1t. Vote Conservative.”

[littleyellowbirdie 2,597]

5 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

So it’s not particularly bad. That’s about the sum total of what the Tory party and Liz Truss are able to claim as achievements. 
 

I can see the election posters now. “At our best, we’re only a bit sh1t. Vote Conservative.”

FTAs with Australia and New Zealand were stepping stones to CPTPP accession. How successful the UK is in future FTAs once accession is completed will be of more interest than those two. 

As you say though they're not particularly bad, and these trade agreements go from not particularly bad to pretty when you consider  they have more strategic value than the deals themselves when considered as an end in their own right. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by littleyellowbirdie

[Nuff Said 5,178]

18 minutes ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

FTAs with Australia and New Zealand were stepping stones to CPTPP accession. How successful the UK is in future FTAs once accession is completed will be of more interest than those two. 

As you say though they're not particularly bad, and these trade agreements go from not particularly bad to pretty when you consider  they have more strategic value than the deals themselves when considered as an end in their own right. 

“Not particularly bad” was my summary of your take on it, not my view. British farmers don’t appear to see the FTAs with NZ and Australia as benignly as you: “Once again, there appears to be extremely little in this New Zealand trade deal to benefit British farmers.”  https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/nfu-responds-to-finalised-uk-new-zealand-trade-deal/

Edited July 20, 2022 by Nuff Said

[littleyellowbirdie 2,597]

10 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

“Not particularly bad” was my summary of your take on it, not my view. British farmers don’t appear to see the FTAs with NZ and Australia as benignly as you: “Once again, there appears to be extremely little in this New Zealand trade deal to benefit British farmers.”  https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/nfu-responds-to-finalised-uk-new-zealand-trade-deal/

Yeah, and British farmers represent 0.5% of the UK GDP. It's a small part of the picture, and that's ignoring that New Zealand and Australia's concessions are mostly about meat, which is set to go out of the window anyway given the impact on climate change of meat production; talking up the negatives for agriculture of these agreements is no different to the level of attention paid to fishing concessions to the EEC in 1972 given the wider economic benefits we know came from that. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by littleyellowbirdie

[Nuff Said 5,178]

1 minute ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

Yeah, and British farmers represent 0.5% of the UK GDP. It's a small part of the picture, and that's ignoring that New Zealand and Australia's concessions are mostly about meat, which is set to go out of the window anyway given the impact on climate change of meat production; talking up the negatives for agriculture of these agreements is no different to the level of attention paid to fishing concessions to the EEC in 1972. 

Not sure who you are criticising for focusing on these deals. The posters who have pointed out they’re not so great, or the government for trumpeting how important they are? Fishing is only a tiny part of our economy too, that didn’t stop stupid stunts like Farage’s boat down the Thames and the media focus. 

[littleyellowbirdie 2,597]

12 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

Not sure who you are criticising for focusing on these deals. The posters who have pointed out they’re not so great, or the government for trumpeting how important they are? Fishing is only a tiny part of our economy too, that didn’t stop stupid stunts like Farage’s boat down the Thames and the media focus. 

The original comment that I questioned was that Truss was a Brexit 'headbanger', which was justified based on the manner in which she has done her job. To me, she has produced not unreasonable trade agreements that play a part in pursuing a bigger economic objective represented by CPTPP accession following departure from the EU. But even if the agreements were actually truly disastrous, I'd still argue that it would merely be evidence of being no good at the job rather than being a 'headbanger'. 

Your point about fishing is exactly the point I was making regarding the exaggerated attention being paid to the potential impact on agrigulture and semi-processed foods. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by littleyellowbirdie

[horsefly 4,318]

What a vomit inducing spectacle of hypocrisy at PMQs. A standing ovation from a Tory party that had justifiably knifed Johnson in the back for being the most corrupt PM in UK history. History will remember him as a liar and fraud who put his own ego before all in pushing for a Brexit that has seriously divided the country and had a devastating impact on the economy. The highest taxes in 70 years, highest inflation in 40 years, a cost of living crisis that will leave millions impoverished. He has brought shame on our parliament with his willingness to lie and dissemble in the birthplace of modern democracy. He didn't just ignore the ethical values essential for the flourishing of democracy, he positively courted the breach of those values to serve the malign interests of himself and his mates. Frankly, I do not wish him well for his future, I sincerely hope that the forces of karma deliver to him precisely the sort of judgement on his egregious, narcissistic, mafia style reign that he deserves. 

[benchwarmer 625]

At 9.4% UK inflation is at its highest for over 40 years, higher than the EU and the US.  Why?

According to economic analysts, the two main factors driving inflation globally are surging energy prices and labour shortages.  The EU has the first but not the second while the US has the second but not the first to any degree.  Post-Brexit, the UK has both.  That's why.

None of the candidates will admit it, of course.

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by benchwarmer

[horsefly 4,318]

Time for Keir to send out for some wallpaper swatches.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,435]

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Shock after shock. Penny is dropped. The two didn't want to deabate are through. 

We are going to be in for an awful two years anyway but now its worse.

Edited July 20, 2022 by keelansgrandad

[canarydan23 4,060]

Truss or Sunak? What on earth has happened to the Tory Party? They've always been self-serving see you next tuesdays, but you had to always have a grudging respect for how they have managed to say so successful despite the fact that they and their policies damage the majority of the country.

But Truss or Sunak? I was genuinely concerned when Johnson was ousted, because anyone with a modicum of competence could wipe the floor with Starmer. But Truss or Sunak? They'll be partying at Labour HQ tonight.

[horsefly 4,318]

Just a little reminder of the reality of Johnson's legacy as mayor of London: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/it-s-been-a-disaster-how-boris-johnson-s-docklands-business-hub-turned-into-a-ghost-town/ar-AAZMfVe?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=a1309a2ec7ff478789e6518ba7d5e222

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

And now they agree to a TV debate. Who cares? 

[A Load of Squit 5,221]

The take-away curry and beers order has gone in, there's a work event tonight at Labour HQ.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

1 minute ago, horsefly said:

Just a little reminder of the reality of Johnson's legacy as mayor of London: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/it-s-been-a-disaster-how-boris-johnson-s-docklands-business-hub-turned-into-a-ghost-town/ar-AAZMfVe?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=a1309a2ec7ff478789e6518ba7d5e222

But that is all he has ever done. Talk things up. He couldn't run a charity.