UK Politics Thread XIII: The Brexit Ship Departs

[The New California Republic]

Oops, there's some Labour bureaucratic nonsense that we seem to have missed.

A new mayor of Liverpool needs to be elected, since the last one turned out to be bent. A shortlist of three candidates came forward, except then the shortlist was scrapped and the people on it barred from standing. Labour have failed to explain why this is.

???

If I'm being generous then the most benign explanation is that there was some procedural error that means the candidates are not valid, but since I'm not being generous then I think that there is some skulduggery going on.

[Fartsniffage]

[The Nihilistic view]

Oops, there's some Labour bureaucratic nonsense that we seem to have missed.

A new mayor of Liverpool needs to be elected, since the last one turned out to be bent. A shortlist of three candidates came forward, except then the shortlist was scrapped and the people on it barred from standing. Labour have failed to explain why this is.

???

If I'm being generous then the most benign explanation is that there was some procedural error that means the candidates are not valid, but since I'm not being generous then I think that there is some skulduggery going on.

Probably decided they didn't want an all white shortlist.

[Bear Stearns]

The Royal Stewart Society accepts American members. I think I will join.

Tbh, an Anglican theocracy for the UK actually sounds great. I'd also advocate a conquest of Ireland, a reintroduction of the Scottish Highland clan system, and restrict lordship to those whose ancestors fought at Bannockburn.

I don't know why Brits have to make their politics so boring. There is a lot of meme potential in restoring an absolute monarchy.

[Bear Stearns]

If I'm being generous then the most benign explanation is that there was some procedural error that means the candidates are not valid, but since I'm not being generous then I think that there is some skulduggery going on.

Probably decided they didn't want an all white shortlist.

Would that really be so bad?

[The Free Joy State]

The Royal Stewart Society accepts American members. I think I will join.

Tbh, an Anglican theocracy for the UK actually sounds great. I'd also advocate a conquest of Ireland, a reintroduction of the Scottish Highland clan system, and restrict lordship to those whose ancestors fought at Bannockburn.

I don't know why Brits have to make their politics so boring. There is a lot of meme potential in restoring an absolute monarchy.

Tell you what, after you've been the subject to both, let us know how it goes and we'll consider it.

More serious answer: fuck no to both. I like boring politics. If this last year has taught me anything, it's that I prefer to live in uninteresting times. Uninteresting times are stable (not Theresa May's "strong and stable", actually stable, without a raised risk of death and ever-changing laws).

[Vassenor]

The Royal Stewart Society accepts American members. I think I will join.

Tbh, an Anglican theocracy for the UK actually sounds great. I'd also advocate a conquest of Ireland, a reintroduction of the Scottish Highland clan system, and restrict lordship to those whose ancestors fought at Bannockburn.

I don't know why Brits have to make their politics so boring. There is a lot of meme potential in restoring an absolute monarchy.

This may shock and upset you, but most people dont like their government being based on meme potential. Especially if that includes drastic restrictions on their rights.

[The New California Republic]

Tbh, an Anglican theocracy for the UK actually sounds great.

You say this without saying why.

I'd also advocate a conquest of Ireland

Was one round of the Troubles not enough in your opinion?

a reintroduction of the Scottish Highland clan system

As a lowlander: no.

and restrict lordship to those whose ancestors fought at Bannockburn.

Which is likely a lot of the Scottish population by this point.

There is a lot of meme potential in restoring an absolute monarchy.

This contradicts the theocracy you were advocating earlier.

[CoraSpia]

The Royal Stewart Society accepts American members. I think I will join.

Tbh, an Anglican theocracy for the UK actually sounds great. I'd also advocate a conquest of Ireland, a reintroduction of the Scottish Highland clan system, and restrict lordship to those whose ancestors fought at Bannockburn.

I don't know why Brits have to make their politics so boring. There is a lot of meme potential in restoring an absolute monarchy.

This may shock and upset you, but most people dont like their government being based on meme potential. Especially if that includes drastic restrictions on their rights.

This government already has a lot of meme potential, if that's the aim it's going pretty well.

[The Nihilistic view]

Probably decided they didn't want an all white shortlist.

Would that really be so bad?

You got to understand the Labour only stands for non-white minority groups at this point so an all white shortlist is like turning up to a puritanical dinner party with beelzibub's cock shaped turnip.

[CoraSpia]

Rishi Sunak accidentally admitted to being a ‘total coke addict’ before spending an inordinate amount of time clarifying that he meant the drink, not the drug.
https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/03/rishi-su ... -14176424/

[The Nihilistic view]

Rishi Sunak accidentally admitted to being a ‘total coke addict’ before spending an inordinate amount of time clarifying that he meant the drink, not the drug.
https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/03/rishi-su ... -14176424/

Not a total surprise given today's budget is probably going to look like it's from somebody on crack.

[Vassenor]

Would that really be so bad?

You got to understand the Labour only stands for non-white minority groups at this point so an all white shortlist is like turning up to a puritanical dinner party with beelzibub's cock shaped turnip.

You're getting straw on the carpet.

[The Nihilistic view]

You got to understand the Labour only stands for non-white minority groups at this point so an all white shortlist is like turning up to a puritanical dinner party with beelzibub's cock shaped turnip.

You're getting straw on the carpet.

And your carpet is made out of straw.

[The Notorious Mad Jack]

And considering Gove admitting he was a coke head ended his leadership ambitions, understandable that Rishi trying to clarify so hard.

[Hirota]

Would that really be so bad?

You got to understand the Labour only stands for non-white minority groups at this point so an all white shortlist is like turning up to a puritanical dinner party with beelzibub's cock shaped turnip.

I'm pretty sure I read one of the three candidates was black.

Edit: Yup

[The Archregimancy]

My metaphorical popcorn is at the ready...

I shall be spending today glued to events at Holyrood.


Three possible scenarios:

1) Sturgeon emerges unscathed; strengthened by her vindication, the SNP goes on to win this year's Holyrood elections at a canter. Independence becomes near-inevitable, but for the most part is achieved via constitutional channels and sober negotiation (albeit with a fair amount of grandstanding on both sides).

2) Sturgeon is terminally damaged; she is left with no choice but to resign; the broader damage to the SNP - and let's not forget that the status of Sturgeon's husband as party chief executive is a key part of the problem - means that no party wins a sustainable majority in Holyrood this year. Scottish politics become unstable, but independence goes onto the backburner for the next decade; there are opportunities for both unionists and nationalists in this scenario, and the long-term outcome is difficult to predict.

3) Sturgeon is terminally damaged; she is left with no choice but to resign. This becomes Scotland's Parnell moment in that the collapse in authority of the previously formidable leader of the constitutional nationalists leads to a surge in support for the more extreme nationalists who simply want to declare independence on the basis of an SNP majority, and only then negotiate withdrawal; on the theory that Ireland didn't hold a referendum to achieve independence (no, Joanna Cherry, they didn't; but they did have a fairly nasty civil war).

That's not a comprehensive list; feel free to conjure up alternatives.

[Vassenor]

My metaphorical popcorn is at the ready...

I shall be spending today glued to events at Holyrood.


Three possible scenarios:

1) Sturgeon emerges unscathed; strengthened by her vindication, the SNP goes on to win this year's Holyrood elections at a canter. Independence becomes near-inevitable, but for the most part is achieved via constitutional channels and sober negotiation (albeit with a fair amount of grandstanding on both sides).

2) Sturgeon is terminally damaged; she is left with no choice but to resign; the broader damage to the SNP - and let's not forget that the status of Sturgeon's husband as party chief executive is a key part of the problem - means that no party wins a sustainable majority in Holyrood this year. Scottish politics become unstable, but independence goes onto the backburner for the next decade; there are opportunities for both unionists and nationalists in this scenario, and the long-term outcome is difficult to predict.

3) Sturgeon is terminally damaged; she is left with no choice but to resign. This becomes Scotland's Parnell moment in that the collapse in authority of the previously formidable leader of the constitutional nationalists leads to a surge in support for the more extreme nationalists who simply want to declare independence on the basis of an SNP majority, and only then negotiate withdrawal; on the theory that Ireland didn't hold a referendum to achieve independence (no, Joanna Cherry, they didn't; but they did have a fairly nasty civil war).

That's not a comprehensive list; feel free to conjure up alternatives.

I mean Joanna Cherry already proved that she's got a very loose grasp on science when it doesn't fit her narratives. It wouldn't shock me that she has the same problem with history.

[Vassenor]

So everything is guaranteed to be back to normal by June, but we're extending the furlough scheme though to September and the Megalabs are contracting personnel until well into 2022.

Hrm.

[The Archregimancy]

Ms Sturgeon has been spending some time this morning describing in considerable detail a meeting where she was told that Mr Salmond had been accused of harassment, but which she previously claimed she had forgotten.

Despite describing that previously forgotten meeting in some detail, Ms Sturgeon continues to insist that details of the accusations were not clear until she met with Mr Salmond a few days later.

I suppose that it's just about possible to believe that the previously forgotten initial meeting only involved her being told that accusations existed, but that the substance and detail of those accusations only became clear after the second meeting. Just about possible; but it strains credulity that Ms Sturgeon wouldn't have asked for at least some detail in the first meeting given Mr Salmond's significance within Scottish politics, especially given that she now seems to remember this first meeting in far more detail than she previously conceded.

[The New California Republic]

My metaphorical popcorn is at the ready...

I shall be spending today glued to events at Holyrood.


Three possible scenarios:

1) Sturgeon emerges unscathed; strengthened by her vindication, the SNP goes on to win this year's Holyrood elections at a canter. Independence becomes near-inevitable, but for the most part is achieved via constitutional channels and sober negotiation (albeit with a fair amount of grandstanding on both sides).

2) Sturgeon is terminally damaged; she is left with no choice but to resign; the broader damage to the SNP - and let's not forget that the status of Sturgeon's husband as party chief executive is a key part of the problem - means that no party wins a sustainable majority in Holyrood this year. Scottish politics become unstable, but independence goes onto the backburner for the next decade; there are opportunities for both unionists and nationalists in this scenario, and the long-term outcome is difficult to predict.

3) Sturgeon is terminally damaged; she is left with no choice but to resign. This becomes Scotland's Parnell moment in that the collapse in authority of the previously formidable leader of the constitutional nationalists leads to a surge in support for the more extreme nationalists who simply want to declare independence on the basis of an SNP majority, and only then negotiate withdrawal; on the theory that Ireland didn't hold a referendum to achieve independence (no, Joanna Cherry, they didn't; but they did have a fairly nasty civil war).

That's not a comprehensive list; feel free to conjure up alternatives.

Of the latter two the first seems more likely, as I don't think the UDI faction of the SNP would be bolstered enough to do it, it's likely that the moderates would spend quite a lot of time trying to find a new leader that is somehow not tainted by all this, but I don't think enough of their base would bleed away to the UDI side.

The actual result may be something between 1 and 2, a 1.5 option would be that she manages to blag her way through this gauntlet and out the other side, wounded and weakened with this mess still unresolved and casting a pall over her, but still wanting to carry on. Some SNP supporters (and voters) aren't happy, and it damages them in the next election.

Ms Sturgeon has been spending some time this morning describing in considerable detail a meeting where she was told that Mr Salmond had been accused of harassment, but which she previously claimed she had forgotten.

It's a total lie. If a colleague told me about another colleague being possibly involved in a sex scandal (even more so in this case, as it was her former mentor no less!) then I wouldn't forget it, it'd be seared into my mind, regardless of how busy I was.

[Hirota]

My metaphorical popcorn is at the ready...

I shall be spending today glued to events at Holyrood.

That's not a comprehensive list; feel free to conjure up alternatives.

I've been keeping an eye on it for a while. Initially I though Salmond was indulging in conspiracy theories, but as more and more evidence has come to light, the more Sturgeon looks in trouble.

[Jarvikan]

I feel like the EU is just trying to keep control.We have lost a major part of our fishing waters,and the EU have made us have a soft border,not letting Northern Ireland get food.Just shut the thing down.

[The New California Republic]

New poll up. Not had a new one for a while.

[The Huskar Social Union]

I feel like the EU is just trying to keep control.

Nope, the EU expects the UK to honour its commitments.

We have lost a major part of our fishing waters,

No you didnt, you lost markets to sell fish to, European Markets but thats what the UK agreed to so all the brexit supporting fisherman can lap it up because ive been told for four years that people knew what they voted for.

and the EU have made us have a soft border, not letting Northern Ireland get food

Yeah no this was because most companies in the UK, let alone Northern Ireland, didnt have the proper forms filled out in order to bring certain goods into Northern Ireland, thus they were not allowed to sell the goods those forms were for that were already in stores. So they were removed and most stores either continued to sell the bulk of their goods or substituted with goods that were complient with EU standards from other shops till they can get their own stuff sorted. Maybed, just fucking maybe the UK government should have helped British and Northern Irish Businesses prepare for this instead of spending four years acting like fucking retards?

The EU is not sitting there dumping food into the fucking water and laughing like evil bastards. Food continues to go from the Republic to Northern Ireland no bother, the failures of shipping goods from Britain to NI is the fault of the UK not being prepared. Again, four years. Four years to prepare and this is the best the UK can do.

Just shut the thing down.

Delusional nonsense spoken by someone who wont have to deal with the fallout. I will. So fuck that noise.