UK Politics Thread XII: The Lockdown

[Philjia]

Faced with mounting pressure regarding their handling of the Coronavirus pandemic, the government has resorted to the traditional escape route of an administration that finds itself in a difficult position.

There's going to be an inquiry.

[Celritannia]

Faced with mounting pressure regarding their handling of the Coronavirus pandemic, the government has resorted to the traditional escape route of an administration that finds itself in a difficult position.

There's going to be an inquiry.

Good, there needs to be.

[Agarntrop]

UK has dropped from 33rd to 35th in the press freedom index

[Celritannia]

UK has dropped from 33rd to 35th in the press freedom index

I'm surprised it's taken this long to drop in the ranks.

[Agarntrop]

UK has dropped from 33rd to 35th in the press freedom index

I'm surprised it's taken this long to drop in the ranks.

Its mostly due to the Lyra McKee murder

[Greed and Death]

I'm surprised it's taken this long to drop in the ranks.

Its mostly due to the Lyra McKee murder

Getting shot by a rioters during a gun battle with Republicans and police is hardly a decrease in press freedom.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Thankfully Chris Grayling didn't get made chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. A bullet dodged there.

[Vassenor]

Welsh parliament to debate motion on independence for first time in its history

...Wow. Boris might actually be responsible for the breakup of the UK after all.

[Thanatttynia]

Welsh parliament to debate motion on independence for first time in its history

...Wow. Boris might actually be responsible for the breakup of the UK after all.

Politicians want more power, more at 10

[Celritannia]

Welsh parliament to debate motion on independence for first time in its history

...Wow. Boris might actually be responsible for the breakup of the UK after all.

Politicians want more power, more at 10

I disagree.
This is more showing just how out of touch and little control Boris actually has.
This is a statement telling Westminster they have failed the UK.

[Fartsniffage]

Politicians want more power, more at 10

I disagree.
This is more showing just how out of touch and little control Boris actually has.
This is a statement telling Westminster they have failed the UK.

He's spent the worst crisis since the second world war not talking to the devolved government. What did anyone expect?

[Hirota]

UK has dropped from 33rd to 35th in the press freedom index

I'm surprised it's taken this long to drop in the ranks.

Before its decline to 35th in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, the UK had risen seven places in the 2019 Index, bringing it to 33rd after spending the previous two years ranked at 40th.

So not exactly a drop when looked at properly. Heck, the furthest back I could go only had us at 29th in 2013. So yeah - not a world leader in Press Freedoms, but not bad. We regularly appear to be in the same league as Spain and/or France.

Its mostly due to the Lyra McKee murder

Getting shot by a rioters during a gun battle with Republicans and police is hardly a decrease in press freedom.

That is literally the first reason listed in the report.

[The New California Republic]

Thankfully Chris Grayling didn't get made chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. A bullet dodged there.

I think the Tories are a bit butthurt about it as the whip has now been withdrawn, even though it was still one of their own that won.

[Vassenor]

Thankfully Chris Grayling didn't get made chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. A bullet dodged there.

I think the Tories are a bit butthurt about it as the whip has now been withdrawn, even though it was still one of their own that won.

I'm shocked I tell you. Shocked.


OK, maybe not that shocked.

[Hirota]

Thankfully Chris Grayling didn't get made chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. A bullet dodged there.

I think the Tories are a bit butthurt about it as the whip has now been withdrawn, even though it was still one of their own that won.

He's one of the Brexit "Spartans" - if it wasn't for their obstinance May probably wouldn't have quit.

[Fartsniffage]

I think the Tories are a bit butthurt about it as the whip has now been withdrawn, even though it was still one of their own that won.

He's one of the Brexit "Spartans" - if it wasn't for their obstinance May probably wouldn't have quit.

Can you imagine if May had be in charge of Corona?

[Philjia]

Welsh parliament to debate motion on independence for first time in its history

...Wow. Boris might actually be responsible for the breakup of the UK after all.

Support for Welsh independence is only up to 25%, but Labour's remaining seats in Wales could find themselves under threat if it keeps rising.

[Celritannia]

He's one of the Brexit "Spartans" - if it wasn't for their obstinance May probably wouldn't have quit.

Can you imagine if May had be in charge of Corona?

I think she would have been better.
Although, that's not saying much with who is currently PM.

[Fartsniffage]

Can you imagine if May had be in charge of Corona?

I think she would have been better.
Although, that's not saying much with who is currently PM.

I don't think she would have been. She was ditherer.

[Celritannia]

I think she would have been better.
Although, that's not saying much with who is currently PM.

I don't think she would have been. She was ditherer.

True, but it might also helped her to stall over Brexit.

[The Free Joy State]

Thankfully Chris Grayling didn't get made chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. A bullet dodged there.

Thank goodness. Withdrawing the whip from Julian Lewis shows just how petty this government is (and I say that while disliking basically all of his political positions).

Let's just hope he's at least more qualified than Grayling...

Can you imagine if May had be in charge of Corona?

I think she would have been better.
Although, that's not saying much with who is currently PM.

I think, under May, we'd have seen fewer large contracts handed out to companies that could not deliver/could not deliver properly -- so that's one mark to her.

I'm not sure she'd have handled the crisis brilliantly, just that she'd have been more competent than the PM.

Though, pick pretty much any random person on the street and the same would probably also be true.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

I think she would have been better.
Although, that's not saying much with who is currently PM.

I don't think she would have been. She was ditherer.

She is unimaginative but competent. She would have got on with things and done what was necessary, following scientific advice more than making political decisions.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

I see the report on the Priti Patel bullying claims is being sat on.

[Hirota]

Thankfully Chris Grayling didn't get made chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. A bullet dodged there.

Thank goodness. Withdrawing the whip from Julian Lewis shows just how petty this government is (and I say that while disliking basically all of his political positions).

Let's just hope he's at least more qualified than Grayling...

He was chair of the defence select committee last parliament, so there is some prior experience. He's a bit of a character though.

[The Notorious Mad Jack]

Yvette Cooper casually eviscerating the Home Secretary and Permanent Secretary to the Home Office.

Between this and the report about her bullying becoming news again, it's not been a great week for Priti Patel.