The UK Politics & Brexit Thread

[Darrell]

The right to protest is, rightly enshrined in law, however the law sets proportional limits to protest to stop the unlawful acts committed by these people people.

They acted in a disproportionsl way and also behaved as if their beliefs made them no longer subject to UK laws. The received just sentences in my opinion.

Lefty friend has lived in Skiathos for over 35 years so cases like this don’t affect him.

 

[markjay]

Here it comes....:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/world/europe/uk-israel-gaza-war-policy.html

"U.K.’s Policy on Israel, Long Aligned With America’s, Veers Away

Britain’s new government is likely to withdraw objections to the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s pursuit of a warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, two people told The Times."

 

[st13phil]

Britain’s new government is likely to withdraw objections to the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s pursuit of a warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, two people told The Times.

I’m shocked and amazed

 

[markjay]

I’m shocked and amazed

It was to be expected.

There are strong powers within Labour that are not at all aligned with Keir Starmer's thinking, some even say he was seen by them as the 'useful idiot' who'll get them back in power.

I think that Keir knows that his position within the party may very quickly become untenable unless he falls in line with the powers to be. Now that the elections are over, the masks will fall and old Labour will come out fighting.

I suspect that in order to preserve his public image as a strong and decisive leader while caving in to the Pro-Palestinians, the Bennites, etc in his party, he will make some pointless 'dictatorial' moves by taking random decisive action regarding minor policies or against junior Labour MP, just to keep up appearances and maintain the facade of a strong leader who's in charge of his party.

The obvious question is whether he can keep this up for the next 5 years.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Vote for a lawyer and you get a lawyer.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

in general, haven’t Jewish politicians become far less influential than a generation or two ago? In both houses.

While at the same time Muslim voters have gone from being counted in their hundreds of thousands to millions. The Muslim population has trebled in the last 25 years, from 1.3 million to 3.9 million, and most Muslims will always vote Labour.

 

[Dryce]

It was to be expected.

Arguably it is also an alignment with EU - which is another aspect that has been expected.

 

[st13phil]

Rachel Reeves expected to reveal £20bn shortfall in public finances

Chancellor may raise some taxes in the autumn due to what Labour describes as its ‘shocking inheritance’ from Tories

www.theguardian.com

How odd that Ms Reeves will on Monday claim that there is a "huge black hole" in the public finances just days after the government of which she is part has pledged huge pay rises for public sector workers.

I wonder if there could be a connection?

Also from the Grauniad article:

Hang on a minute. I thought the Tories had imposed savage austerity on the country? I really can't keep up with all this...

 

[Dryce]

How odd that Ms Reeves will on Monday claim that there is a "huge black hole" in the public finances just days after the government of which she is part has pledged huge pay rises for public sector workers.

I suspect it will be a bit like a new CEO coming into a company and piling all the bad news they can into the balance sheet to conveniently declutter their own blameless path forward.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Rachel Reeves expected to reveal £20bn shortfall in public finances

Chancellor may raise some taxes in the autumn due to what Labour describes as its ‘shocking inheritance’ from Tories

www.theguardian.com

How odd that Ms Reeves will on Monday claim that there is a "huge black hole" in the public finances just days after the government of which she is part has pledged huge pay rises for public sector workers.

I wonder if there could be a connection?

Also from the Grauniad article:

Hang on a minute. I thought the Tories had imposed savage austerity on the country? I really can't keep up with all this...

So was the extra £75 billion annually, promised for military spending by 2030, not part of Labour's commitment to the military?
That £75 billion that Starmer KC mentioned when he went on a votes tour of all the UK Military bases?

"Like no tomorrow:" Is that a veiled comment about Nuclear warfare with Russia?

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-starmer-committed-increasing-defence-spending-25-gdp-2024-07-09/

A billion here, a billion there. Soon you're talking serious money.

 

[ChipChop]

They are very harsh, for sure.

The question isn't whether they are harsh, the question is if they are "harsh but fair"?

The new public nuisance law was stress tested in an earlier JSO case. Namely the New Zealander Trowland & his German homeless buddy Marcus Decker who caused havoc above the Dartford Bridge for 36 hours in October 2022.

They appealed their sentences (Trowland 3 years) and the crown court concluded that the sentence was "severe but not manifestlly excessive or disproportionate."

Trowland served 14 months and was then released.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

As expected, France's enemies "lean in."

"French train network hit by 'malicious' arson attacks hours before Olympics ceremony, rail firm says"​

(The coverage is Olympics focussed, but it's equally an attack on French families as they all trot off on holiday at the same weekend. Something Auntie BBC doesn't quite understand)

Watch out for disruption on the road networks as well. If anyone's thinking of driving to France this weekend...."what on Earth were you thinking????"

France trains live updates: French train network hit by 'malicious' arson attacks hours before Olympics opening ceremony, rail firm says

A series of fires causes widespread cancellations, with Eurostar services disrupted and passengers told not to travel to French stations.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Tonye]

Trowland served 14 months and was then released.

And where are they now, probably setting fire's on french rail infrastructure around Paris.

 

[Tonye]

Watch out for disruption on the road networks as well

I'm here another month so should be OK

 

[markjay]

Rachel Reeves expected to reveal £20bn shortfall in public finances

Chancellor may raise some taxes in the autumn due to what Labour describes as its ‘shocking inheritance’ from Tories

www.theguardian.com

How odd that Ms Reeves will on Monday claim that there is a "huge black hole" in the public finances just days after the government of which she is part has pledged huge pay rises for public sector workers.

I wonder if there could be a connection?

Also from the Grauniad article:

Hang on a minute. I thought the Tories had imposed savage austerity on the country? I really can't keep up with all this...

Many years ago a good friend of mine was appointed MD of one of the divisions in a multinational construction company. He was an outsider at the time. The group CEO warned him that after the first year, every new MD blames the failure of the company on the mess that their predecessor left behind them, at the end of the second year they say that they have just managed to fix all the problems that they inherited and that next year the company will turn a profit, and at the end of the third year they run out of excuses and resign. Then, a new MD is appointed, and the cycle starts all over again.... (I am happy to report that my friend lasted many years in his job).

The difference is that politicians never run out of excuses, and rarely resign because they failed.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I'm here another month so should be OK

Except when you try to get into a restaurant on a Saturday night or Sunday lunchtime.

But.... August in France is the true France.

Very happy memories of the heatwave of 2003, when 10,000 Parisian geriatrics prematurely snuffed it because the country had all gone south for the month.

 

[markjay]

So was the extra £75 billion annually, promised for military spending by 2030, not part of Labour's commitment to the military?
That £75 billion that Starmer KC mentioned when he went on a votes tour of all the UK Military bases?

"Like no tomorrow:" Is that a veiled comment about Nuclear warfare with Russia?

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-starmer-committed-increasing-defence-spending-25-gdp-2024-07-09/

A billion here, a billion there. Soon you're talking serious money.

What fiscally-irresponsible political parties often tend to do is allocate the same pot to different causes, which helps them get elected. They then either raise taxes, borrow, print money, or just find excuses as to why the money isn't being spent on the causes that they promised to fund.

 

[st13phil]

The group CEO warned him that after the first year, every new MD blames the failure of the company on the mess that their predecessor left behind them, at the end of the second year they say that they have just managed to fix all the problems that they inherited and that next year the company will turn a profit, and at the end of the third year they run out of excuses and resign.

A variant on the “take three envelopes” method.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

What fiscally-irresponsible political parties often tend to do is allocate the same pot to different causes, which helps them get elected. They then either raise taxes, borrow, print money, or just find excuses as to why the money isn't being spent on the causes that they promised to fund.

Has there ever been a fiscally responsible political party?

Apart from in Switzerland, natch.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

My chums in Paris and the South are taking a different view on the French rail signalling attacks.

They're convinced it's the French "signalling" how "disaffected" they are with Macron and his Government. Not "Jean-Luc L'Etranger" at all.

There are also stories circulating of "industrial action" in Paris. As an example, the staff at the main hotel that's hosting all the Olympic Committee glitterati have gone on strike, demanding more money for all the extra Olympic related work that they've had to do.