British Politics thread

Local Labour party just emailed me about selection to stand for parliament, and kindly informed me that our constituency runs an all-female shortlist. Reckon I'm going to denounce my membership now and not vote Labour in the next general election if I'm voting in Bristol - I honestly cannot bring myself to vote for a politician who was selected by her sex organs rather than on the basis of merit. It's always sickened me that Labour do this sexist shit with hardly any public backlash.

The Obama Administration knifes Britain yet again over the Falklands

“Our policy is unchanged. We believe that this is a bilateral issue that needs to be worked out directly between Argentina and the United Kingdom."

I thought this had already been worked out back in 1982 when the two sides went to war. Why is this still an issue? What does Argentina even want with this island? Or Britain for that matter?

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100162100/the-obama-administration-knifes-britain-yet-again-over-the-falklands/

The reasons behind why Argentina want the islands are centuries old. Some of their logic, or that I've read on websites, is it's geographical proximity which in return some Britons say as we're on the same continental shelf or some such we should claim Argentina as our own. Britain got to the islands first and have invested too much I'd say to realistically ever leave the islands to Argentina.
Sad truth is though we're not in the position to defend them. 1982 was a bloody miracle and somehow showed the world that we could do it if we put our mind to it and without American help. Well, major US help. To do it now would be a truer miracle.
Sure, according to Thatcher's book, that the UN recognises as law that the islands belong to Britain and that any action against them now would be considered illegal. Also some idea during 1982 by the US that some other country should hold the islands, i.e. Brazil, as an intermediary between the UK and Argentina.

Cameron at least seems resolute on the islands but...well, so was Gordon Brown. Dare I say, oh for another Maggie? I will and damn the torpedoes.

This is funny!

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-prime-minister-leaves-daughter-pub-102225447.html

j7wild wrote:

This is funny!

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-prime-minister-leaves-daughter-pub-102225447.html

NOT if you are the daughter.

saint mark wrote:

j7wild wrote:

This is funny!

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-prime-minister-leaves-daughter-pub-102225447.html

NOT if you are the daughter.

Solid, logical, well thought out point.

saint mark wrote:

j7wild wrote:

This is funny!

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-prime-minister-leaves-daughter-pub-102225447.html

NOT if you are the daughter.

Aren't those bodyguards also supposed to make sure everyone is in the cars?

Did they not notice one person is missing?

Children aren't really people though.

Children are Soylent Green.

Soylent Green is made of people.

What does everybody make of the Church of England's reaction to the gay marriage consultation? I find it hilarious that an institution designed entirely to get some bloke a divorce 500 years ago is so concerned with the sanctity of marriage.

Hehehe, they'd do well to remember that when they're about to pontificate about something.

Eh, who cares what they think? Good luck to same-sex couples.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Hehehe, they'd do well to remember that when they're about to pontificate about something.

Eh, who cares what they think? Good luck to same-sex couples.

Indeed, and I'm very glad the government appears to be going ahead with it anyway. Cameron is turning out to be a truly great Prime Minister, if what his government has spoken on recently occurs: sensible (and long needed) welfare reform, the reintroduction of standards in primary and secondary education, and an appropriately sceptical approach to Europe which may, soon, result in a much demanded referendum. Health policy is a concern and Osborne is a hopeless Chancellor, but Labour's opposition in general is so pitiful that if Cameron keeps this up, I'll almost certainly be voting Conservative in 2015.

I think it's a bit early to throw around "truly great", but I'd agree that he's finally showing some promise. Though Michael Gove deserves a lot of the credit for the education reform.

I love that this reshuffle is getting the Guardian reading sorts on Twitter all riled up, especially Maria Miller as Minister for Women and Equalities - judging by the responses, the actual name of this (already ridiculous) post should be Minister for Far-Left Radical Feminism.

I'm also very glad that Gove and Duncan-Smith remained where they were.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/27/david-cameron-letterman-late-show?intcmp=122

Classic. I imagine if he had known the answer to both questions, the Guardian would have run a more flattering headline like 'Out of touch PM flexes knowledge of Latin and imperialist anthems on American television, puts toff Eton education to work'. Rather pathetic that the Guardian (and, iirc, the Independent) are trying to score points from this when most people in the country won't watch the interview and it seems to have been done solely to promote the country abroad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20079031

Naddine Dorries has won a ballot to have a debate in the Commons about reducing the abortion limit from 24 to 20 weeks. Thank goodness. Anybody who knows how developed a foetus is at 16 weeks, let alone 24, knows how fucking disgusting the current limit is. Except the feminists, of course, who are up in arms about this - for them nothing except the autonomy of the woman is important, and I suspect they mostly favour on-tap late term abortions too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20077758

Iain Duncan-Smith also seems to be maintaining focus on the two-child benefit cap. It sounds like a good move to me, as long as it isn't applied retroactively (which would be cruel). I saw him talk at the Conservative Association today, ahead of the lecture mentioned in the article (which I was unaware of until this morning). He didn't discuss this measure in particular, but I have great faith in him tackling the welfare issue. He seems to legitimately care about it, and the current situation is ridiculous.

x

Erica Ambler wrote:

Cleggeron has already attempted to replace Iain Duncan Smith. Plus real change can only take place if there is a second term. How likely is that?

Oh, and you've got 24 hours to sort out your policy on EastEnders, right?

The government would be very unwise to get rid of IDS considering his measures are generally popular with the public (even the audience on Question Time last night were supportive - a supposedly "representitive" audience selected by the "impartial" BBC, usually comprised of fart-sniffing middle-class Guardian readers).

As for the second term, a Labour majority is obviously being predicted by the polls. But we have to see how that goes since growth is back (although it's probably just an Olympics-related upturn preparing Labour's inevitable bleating about a triple-dip in three months), and even if it isn't back properly most economic commentators I've read are optimistic. If they can get the economy firmly on the path to recovery, 2015 will be a lot tighter. If they offer us something substantial on Europe, they may well win a small majority. If Scotland buggers off, we're guaranteed Conservative majorities until the end of time.

A senior political figure may be outed as a paedophile on Newsnight tonight. Incredible. The original story about Savile was so disgusting I didn't think it could be topped, but now it appears paedos were all over the place. Glitter and Starr aren't big shocks really, especially Glitter, but it seems there's a lot more filth to come.

Were it not for the Hurricane and maybe the US Election we'd have heard a bit more by now.

Looks like Newsnight bottled it. Not enough evidence to name the peado, but more than enough evidence to assume he is a paedophile and smear the entire Conservative party by association.

http://www.thewrap.com/media/article/nurse-who-took-radio-hoax-call-princess-kate-found-dead-68321

Assuming she committed suicide because of shame or embarrassment, I'm going to have to defend the prank callers. There was no reason to assume someone would kill themself over being part of what appears to have been a benign prank (but I haven't heard the crank call, so I don't know for certain). Having said that, I suspect these radio hosts will lose their job.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

http://www.thewrap.com/media/article/nurse-who-took-radio-hoax-call-princess-kate-found-dead-68321

Assuming she committed suicide because of shame or embarrassment, I'm going to have to defend the prank callers. There was no reason to assume someone would kill themself over being part of what appears to have been a benign prank (but I haven't heard the crank call, so I don't know for certain). Having said that, I suspect these radio hosts will lose their job.

Indeed nobody would assume she would kill herself on basis of a prank call, that said the gentlemen cannot deny their responsibility and have done so accordingly and have removed themselves from the air for some unspecified time. I assume they are shocked themselves at the consequence of one of their pranks, you would be a rather cold bastard if that did nothing to you even if you think that there is nothing that you could have done to stop such an OTT reaction on a prank.

saint mark wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

http://www.thewrap.com/media/article/nurse-who-took-radio-hoax-call-princess-kate-found-dead-68321

Assuming she committed suicide because of shame or embarrassment, I'm going to have to defend the prank callers. There was no reason to assume someone would kill themself over being part of what appears to have been a benign prank (but I haven't heard the crank call, so I don't know for certain). Having said that, I suspect these radio hosts will lose their job.

Indeed nobody would assume she would kill herself on basis of a prank call, that said the gentlemen cannot deny their responsibility and have done so accordingly and have removed themselves from the air for some unspecified time. I assume they are shocked themselves at the consequence of one of their pranks, you would be a rather cold bastard if that did nothing to you even if you think that there is nothing that you could have done to stop such an OTT reaction on a prank.

I'm sorry, but what is their "responsibility"? Is national pride so important to Britons that they'd kill themselves over being caught flat-footed on a prank phone call? I'd expect this from the Japanese, but the British? Pfffft!

EDIT: Okay, I finally just listened to the prank call. I'm going to take up for, and defend, these two radio show hosts. I CANNOT BELIEVE anyone took this call seriously. It was so obviously an over-the-top phone call that I believe the nurse was humiliated and embarrassed for having fallen for something so transparently bad in the first place. There was no reason to believe that anyone would kill themselves over being on the end of this prank phone, and it isn't "bullying" as some bleeding-heart pansies in the talk-back sections of YouTube and other media outlets have been calling it. Nor do these hosts have "blood on their hands" or any "responsibility" for this woman's death.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

saint mark wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

http://www.thewrap.com/media/article/nurse-who-took-radio-hoax-call-princess-kate-found-dead-68321

Assuming she committed suicide because of shame or embarrassment, I'm going to have to defend the prank callers. There was no reason to assume someone would kill themself over being part of what appears to have been a benign prank (but I haven't heard the crank call, so I don't know for certain). Having said that, I suspect these radio hosts will lose their job.

Indeed nobody would assume she would kill herself on basis of a prank call, that said the gentlemen cannot deny their responsibility and have done so accordingly and have removed themselves from the air for some unspecified time. I assume they are shocked themselves at the consequence of one of their pranks, you would be a rather cold bastard if that did nothing to you even if you think that there is nothing that you could have done to stop such an OTT reaction on a prank.

I'm sorry, but what is their "responsibility"? Is national pride so important to Britons that they'd kill themselves over being caught flat-footed on a prank phone call? I'd expect this from the Japanese, but the British? Pfffft!

EDIT: Okay, I finally just listened to the prank call. I'm going to take up for, and defend, these two radio show hosts. I CANNOT BELIEVE anyone took this call seriously. It was so obviously an over-the-top phone call that I believe the nurse was humiliated and embarrassed for having fallen for something so transparently bad in the first place. There was no reason to believe that anyone would kill themselves over being on the end of this prank phone, and it isn't "bullying" as some bleeding-heart pansies in the talk-back sections of YouTube and other media outlets have been calling it. Nor do these hosts have "blood on their hands" or any "responsibility" for this woman's death.

Still somebody died as a result of an action undertaken by the two DJ's, even if they are not to blame, which I agree with. These gentlemen will have to live with the result of their action, and that will undoubtely be the hardest on them.
I am sure that the Murdock brigade will be wanting to crucify them as usual, I can only say that yes they are responsible for their actions but not to blame for the ott reaction of the nurse. But sadly due to the action of 2 dj's a woman died, something nobody would have predicted I guess.