UK General Discussion:The Rt. Hon Alex Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Populist Hero

[CumbrianLefty]

We leave the EU next month in all likelihood - what does he then do for the next 4 years?

(as I said elsewhere one answer to that, sadly, is making us into a managed democracy)

[CumbrianLefty]

How democracies die:
https://twitter.com/JohnSimpsonNews/status/1206010631763234817

Arguably the BBC in general, and Today programme in particular, don't deserve any better.

I would worry more about the about to become infamous page 48 in that regard - pure Orbanism.

[CumbrianLefty]

Is Yvette Cooper really that likely to succeed Corbyn? It seems like she would be a staunch turn away from Corbyn, and someone reasonable like her might make me prefer a Labour-Lib Dem coalition.

No, and I genuinely have no idea why people keep hyping her up.

In truth a deeply mediocre career politician* who has rarely if ever said or done anything remotely memorable, and when she had a chance to prove that assessment wrong (after Labour's 2015 defeat) ran just about the most cack handed and insultingly substance free campaign possible (hell, even Liz "4.5%" Kendall actually made some attempt to engage with issues and offer something meaningful, even if it wasn't what the party needed or wanted - she is a nicer person too) And now has a marginal seat too, so that will put off some for merely pragmatic reasons.

(*something that should be mentioned in this context far more than it actually is, is her almost total failure to lay even a single glove on a certain T May when she was shadow Home Secretary)

[CumbrianLefty]

I mean, is that surprising?

[CumbrianLefty]

McDonnell looked genuinely devastated on election night - the idea that this Labour leadership, whatever their other faults, "didn't care about winning" really is one canard that needs to be binned.

[CumbrianLefty]

The point is, some in SLab may have noted that the strident pro-unionist approach might work OK for Ian Murray - but rather less well for everybody else. There are no obvious or easy ways back to relevance, but a willingness to consider different tactics can't be bad in itself.

[CumbrianLefty]

Harry and Meaghan?

Hello.

Major upheavals coming for the British monarchy in the next few years, almost inevitably. At a time of more general instability, even some not enthusiastic about the institution will view that with some concern.

[CumbrianLefty]

Harry and Meaghan?

Hello.

Major upheavals coming for the British monarchy in the next few years, almost inevitably. At a time of more general instability, even some not enthusiastic about the institution will view that with some concern.

Which type of upheavals are you thinking of?

Well to put it at its most obvious the Queen turns 94 this year and her consort (who is clearly not in great health these days) 99 - even if she outlives her mother, the talk of formally moving to a regency in the next few years is growing. And her heir is widely reported to have plans to seriously streamline and "modernise" the monarchy (this may partly be in response to the evidence that he is not as popular as his mum) He also has *much* more of a tendency to actually express identifiable views on topics that are actually controversial with the public - at a time of general volatility, how would that go down?

[CumbrianLefty]

It looks like we are exiting the EU next week without formal approval from the devolved governments, contrary to what was previously agreed and an obvious potential trouble spot in the future.

[CumbrianLefty]

Trump threatens a lot of things, one finds. He rarely actually follows throw on them unless he knows there will be no real comeback.

So he can do pretty much what he likes with our government, then?

[CumbrianLefty]

Though support does appear to be lower with the youngest voters, compared to people in their 30s and 40s.

[CumbrianLefty]

I think it has also showed up in other polls before.

[CumbrianLefty]

Anyway, today is the BIG DAY and come 11PM our time a door closes.

Yes, its the football transfer period over until the summer!

Something else may also be happening, or so I am told.......

[CumbrianLefty]

And let's not forget the dirty little secret of all too many (no, not all) of the PV/#FBPE campaigners - ultimately stopping Brexit was always secondary to stopping Corbyn, and some were quite clear off the record as seeing it as a ramp using a "wedge issue" to return Labour to the supposed "grown ups".

So whilst they will be sad today, maybe not that sad. The bottom line is that, if forced to choose, they always preferred Johnson and Brexit to Corbyn and no Brexit.

This should not be airbrushed out of things now.

[CumbrianLefty]

Remain's whole approach was awful and the current "you're racist, you're racist" approach done by many, which may be true, just has the effect of putting people's backs up.

The left in general needs to find a new approach.

The remain campaign was if anything more identified with centrism than leftism.

(indeed, that could be cited as a key reason why it failed)

[CumbrianLefty]

Ignoring everything else, he's showing rather staggering ignorance regarding the British electorate. The number of people who voted Leave so we could be more neoliberal is probably in the single digits.

Though quite a few of that tiny minority are prominent in politics and the media.

[CumbrianLefty]

A Corbyn government would have ultimately done a lot of economic damage to the UK; do you think that those with the wealth would have accepted the result?

The sooner Labour moves on from the Corbyn aberration the better.

In historical terms, I suspect Blairism (or more specifically, the pro-war pro-privatisation late period version that people like you are so strangely fond of) will prove to be the real aberration.

And the "success" of Change UK shows how much appetite exists for it in the UK now.

[CumbrianLefty]

A Corbyn government would have ultimately done a lot of economic damage to the UK; do you think that those with the wealth would have accepted the result?

The sooner Labour moves on from the Corbyn aberration the better.

In historical terms, I suspect Blairism (or more specifically, the pro-war pro-privatisation late period version that people like you are so strangely fond of) will prove to be the real aberration.

And the "success" of Change UK shows how much appetite exists for it in the UK now.

There wasn't much of an appetite for Corbyn's Labour either. He was toxic. Pretty terrible when County Durham returns more Conservative MPs than Labour. Downright depressing in fact.

The logical conclusion to therefore draw is that neither approach is a successful one.

And incredibly, I now see more (former?) Corbynites willing to admit that to at least some degree than continuity Blairites (just look at the stinking pile of turd deposited by the execrable Hodge in their Sunday house journal yesterday) Make no mistake, *they* are the worst "cult" in UK politics now.

[CumbrianLefty]

Yes, the relief they are finally able to use the "takes" they had ready and waiting in 2017 is pretty evident

[CumbrianLefty]

Indy at 50% and 52% in new polls from Panelbase and Survation. SNP at over 50% in polling for Holyood in both.

Terrible news for Ed Miliband.

'Patriotic' Brexiteers 🤡 have made sure that Scottish independence is all-but-guaranteed. I guess that's a benefit for them, though, since it all-but-ensures perpetual Tory government, benefiting them with the state paying for their miserable existence, all to the detriment of the young.

This myth really is a myth, but it stubbornly refuses to die.

[CumbrianLefty]

Just so stupid, apart from anything else.

Why do they do it?

[CumbrianLefty]

Not just "contacting" him, but continuing to pester him after he was politely told "no thanks".

[CumbrianLefty]

Mackay has now been suspended by the SNP, and his future as an MSP must be in some question.

[CumbrianLefty]

It appears that Boris wants his bridge again.

[CumbrianLefty]

Speaking of which (or maybe not, depending on your POV) HS2 has been given the go-ahead.