UK Politics Thread: The Good Friday Arraignment

[The Notorious Mad Jack]

Why?

He is not a US citizen, he has no obligation not to release US military secrets. He certainly should not be extradited to face the death penalty.

That makes no sense. By this logic a country couldn't prosecute foreign spies.

As for the death penalty, I'm against it but I'm also a fan of well deserved schadenfreude, so I'll just quote what Assange said to journalists who encouraged him to redact the names of Afghan translators being used by the coalition forces there:

"Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it."

Seriously though he shouldn't be extradited to face the death penalty and I believe it's actually against the law for us to do so.

[-Britain-]

Assange is accused of spying and publishing classified information, some of which blew the cover of Afhans working for US intelligence and possibly resulted in their murders. He has skulked cowardly in this country for too long. It's time he was extradited to face justice so we can wash our hands of this greaseball. And, if convicted, he is given the death penalty, it'll be deserved.

[Hirota]

Could someone please post a non-X link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sM0phFeFp0

It's erm, certainly something.

[Philjia]

Could someone please post a non-X link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sM0phFeFp0

It's erm, certainly something.

Shades of the New Labour New Danger campaign.

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

He is not a US citizen, he has no obligation not to release US military secrets. He certainly should not be extradited to face the death penalty.

That makes no sense. By this logic a country couldn't prosecute foreign spies.

As for the death penalty, I'm against it but I'm also a fan of well deserved schadenfreude, so I'll just quote what Assange said to journalists who encouraged him to redact the names of Afghan translators being used by the coalition forces there:

"Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it."

Seriously though he shouldn't be extradited to face the death penalty and I believe it's actually against the law for us to do so.

He is not a spy, he simply put online something an American gave to him. You could find what he published with Google, should they be prosecuted?

[Hirota]

He is not a US citizen, he has no obligation not to release US military secrets. He certainly should not be extradited to face the death penalty.

That makes no sense. By this logic a country couldn't prosecute foreign spies.

As for the death penalty, I'm against it but I'm also a fan of well deserved schadenfreude, so I'll just quote what Assange said to journalists who encouraged him to redact the names of Afghan translators being used by the coalition forces there:

"Well, they're informants," Assange replied. "So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it."

Seriously though he shouldn't be extradited to face the death penalty and I believe it's actually against the law for us to do so.

I should note that there are varying accounts around how reckless Wikileaks were when it came to informants data, and if anyone actually was put at risk.

[The Archregimancy]

Could someone please post a non-X link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sM0phFeFp0

It's erm, certainly something.

For total clarity, that's the original now-deleted version with the New York Subway scenes still inserted. The Conservative Party have since released an edited version which is almost exactly the same - same American-accented voiceover, same statistics - except with the New York scenes replaced with UK scenes.

I really have to wonder who the target audience is for this. All those Reform-leaning Red Wall male voters they're suddenly obsessing over?

[Kerwa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sM0phFeFp0

It's erm, certainly something.

For total clarity, that's the original now-deleted version with the New York Subway scenes still inserted. The Conservative Party have since released an edited version which is almost exactly the same - same American-accented voiceover, same statistics - except with the New York scenes replaced with UK scenes.

I really have to wonder who the target audience is for this. All those Reform-leaning Red Wall male voters they're suddenly obsessing over?

Plenty of women in the north hate London too.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Could someone please post a non-X link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sM0phFeFp0

It's erm, certainly something.

"Who implemented attacks on driving forcing people to stay inside" DRAMATIC MUSIC. CUT TO SAD CHILD LOOKING OUT WINDOW.

edit: "Or go underground" wat...

Jesus fucking christ what is this timeline im stuck in when this is not a parody but something a government leading party actually put out. I want out, i want time travel so we can go back and have chaos with Ed Miliband,

Edit edit: "Seized power" he was elected... twice.. i cant.

[Almonaster Nuevo]

Could someone please post a non-X link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sM0phFeFp0

It's erm, certainly something.

Thanks.

Same old Tories, same scare stories, eh?

[The Archregimancy]

For total clarity, that's the original now-deleted version with the New York Subway scenes still inserted. The Conservative Party have since released an edited version which is almost exactly the same - same American-accented voiceover, same statistics - except with the New York scenes replaced with UK scenes.

I really have to wonder who the target audience is for this. All those Reform-leaning Red Wall male voters they're suddenly obsessing over?

Plenty of women in the north hate London too.

Yes, but I was specifically referring to the recent statistic suggesting that Reform now leads the Conservative Party among male voters, and that there's a significant gender gap in support for Reform.

See here: https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index ... ut-gender/

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sM0phFeFp0

It's erm, certainly something.

Thanks.

Same old Tories, same scare stories, eh?

I'm just disappointed they didn't get Sheriff John Bunnell for the voiceover.

[The Archregimancy]

Edit edit: "Seized power" he was elected... twice.. i cant.

In fact Sadiq Khan has won more elections put to an open vote than either of the last two Conservative Prime Ministers (acknowledging that Truss at least won a Conservative Party members' vote).

The irony; it burns.

I look forward to the Labour Party referring to how the Sunak regime seized power from the failed Truss regime.

[Tinhampton]

...

Amazingly not the only time in 2023 a quango tried to change the name of a mechanism which is fixed in statute law. The UK Statistics Authority decided some six months ago that all National Statistics will be called accredited official statistics, without recourse to the old name. The decision to issue a new badge was taken last week and it has materialised in at least one internal blog post.

This was an even more radical shift than had been originally proposed - the UKSA had wanted to attach a note to all future bulletins clarifying that "National Statistics are accredited official statistics." So if you're reading the news at some point in the next couple of years and are wondering why your National Statistics have a fancy if not completely unrecognisable new title, blame the UKSA.

(How did I find this out? Earlier today, for reasons of boredom, I visited a gov.uk page relating to the Survey of Personal Incomes. The page read that SPI statistics had been reclassified from National Statistics to National Accredited Statistics effective this year. I actually thought that they had been downgraded because of reliability issues until I went to check the UKSA website for an explanation.)

[The Huskar Social Union]

Education minister Robert Halfon quits government

Robert Halfon has quit his government role as a junior education minister.

The MP for Harlow announced he is stepping down in letter to Rishi Sunak posted on social media site X, and will also be standing down as an MP at the general election.

He is joined by the armed forces minister James Heappey, who has also resigned.

The Conservative MP for Wells, Somerset, announced his intention to quit as an MP earlier this month.

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

I have to wonder who will be the shadow cabinet after the next general election. Will there be any names we recognise?

[-Britain-]

I have to wonder who will be the shadow cabinet after the next general election. Will there be any names we recognise?

You can expect Michael Gove to lead a small Opposition from the centre in the inevitable case of a Labour victory.

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

I have to wonder who will be the shadow cabinet after the next general election. Will there be any names we recognise?

You can expect Michael Gove to lead a small Opposition from the centre in the inevitable case of a Labour victory.

He might step down to avoid a Portillo moment, or if he doesn't he might well lose his seat.

[Atrito]

I have to wonder who will be the shadow cabinet after the next general election. Will there be any names we recognise?

I can imagine Mordaunt becoming Leader of the Opposition if she concedes some high profile jobs (like Shadow Home Secretary) to the right flank.

or the party just disintegrates (could go either way).

[The Archregimancy]

I have to wonder who will be the shadow cabinet after the next general election. Will there be any names we recognise?

You can expect Michael Gove to lead a small Opposition from the centre in the inevitable case of a Labour victory.

Michael Gove ... 'centre'.

My, how things have changed over the last decade.


Edit: Of course, this also assumes that the Conservative and Unionist Party will form His Majesty's Loyal Opposition following the next general election. I'm not convinced that's a foregone conclusion.

[Almonaster Nuevo]

It's one of these attempted nominative determinist things, like "easy peelers". See www.michael.gove.uk/centre

</joke>

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

UK approach to China 'robust' says Rishi Sunak

The UK's approach to China is "more robust" than most of its allies, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.

It comes after some MPs criticised the response to cyber-attacks against the Electoral Commission and UK politicians, which the government has blamed on Beijing-linked hackers.

Ministers are facing growing calls to designate China as a "threat".

However, Downing Street has played down suggestions the government is preparing to do this.

Appearing in front of senior MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee, Mr Sunak defended the government's approach.

He rejected a suggestion from Business and Trade Committee chairman, Labour MP Liam Byrne, that where allies acted on China, the UK was merely "thinking about it".

... and this article was placed right next to this one

UK Treasury staff worked at bank accused of communist links

The UK Treasury sent staff to work at a Chinese bank accused of being "dominated by the communist party" in the last three years, the BBC can reveal.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was set up in 2015 as a Beijing-based rival to the World Bank.

David Cameron's government joined the organisation during the so-called golden era of relations between the UK and China.

Last year, Canada's government froze activity with the AIIB after a top Canadian official there alleged the organisation was an "instrument" of the Chinese government.

And earlier on Tuesday Rishi Sunak insisted the UK's approach to China is "more robust" than most of its allies.

He told MPs: "China represents the greatest state-based threat to our economic security."

[Philjia]

You can expect Michael Gove to lead a small Opposition from the centre in the inevitable case of a Labour victory.

Michael Gove ... 'centre'.

My, how things have changed over the last decade.


Edit: Of course, this also assumes that the Conservative and Unionist Party will form His Majesty's Loyal Opposition following the next general election. I'm not convinced that's a foregone conclusion.

Fiddling with the electoral models I think a Conservative vote share below 20% is the danger zone where is becomes theoretically possible for the Libs to oust the Tories as the official opposition. I think this currently seems unlikely, but at the same time it's only 3-6% off current polling so it could look more likely by election day.

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

What happens if two parties are tied for the second place with equal numbers of seats? Do they alternate as opposition or form some weird coalition shadow cabinet?

[Philjia]

What happens if two parties are tied for the second place with equal numbers of seats? Do they alternate as opposition or form some weird coalition shadow cabinet?

The Speaker of the House decides.

If any doubt arises as to which is or was at any material time the party in opposition to His Majesty's Government having the greatest numerical strength in the House of Commons, or as to who is or was at any material time the leader in that House of such a party the question shall be decided for the purposes of this Act by the Speaker of the House of Commons, and his decision, certified in writing under his hand, shall be final and conclusive.