UK Politics Thread XII: The Lockdown

[The Archregimancy]

Are you asserting, by implication, that the young man in question was a consenting recipient of these text messages? A clarification would perhaps be welcome. That Mr Mackay lives with his partner is no doubt irrelevant if the young man was consenting.

i have no particular comment on this case specifically at this time because i have not adequately researched it. i'm just commenting on that there are a lot of people with that general position both in regards to and outside of this case and that i find that position strange.

Clearly the only logical solution is to ban both sex and voting.

[Celritannia]

I do think both should be 16.
But this is a stain on any married public official.

Mr Mackay is not married. He separated from his wife in 2013 after coming out as gay. He currently lives with his partner Fraser Adam. He's not married to Mr Adam, though I'm not sure that entirely matters here.

Huh, very well then.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Police believe the Continuity IRA (CIRA) was responsible for a bomb found attached to a lorry in County Armagh on Tuesday morning.

It is thought the device may have been intended for a Brexit day attack.

Police said they first received a report about an explosive device in a lorry at Belfast docks on 31 January - the date the UK left the EU.

In a call to a media outlet, it was claimed the lorry was due to travel by ferry to Scotland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-51401435

Fuck off IRA. Keep your bombs out of Scotland. Actually scratch that, just fuck off with planting bombs anywhere.

From what i heard on the radio today heading home from they believe the CIRA intended for the bomb to go off on the way to Scotland and fuck over the ferry in transit.

Bunch of fucking scumbags. They have been a bit quiet this decade compared to what they used to do, dont need them coming back to fucking cause shit alongside the Real IRA and the shower of Loyalist bastards we still have.

[Celritannia]

i have no particular comment on this case specifically at this time because i have not adequately researched it. i'm just commenting on that there are a lot of people with that general position both in regards to and outside of this case and that i find that position strange.

Clearly the only logical solution is to ban both sex and voting.

Don't give the Tories any ideas

[The Archregimancy]

Mr Mackay is not married. [...] He currently lives with his partner Fraser Adam. He's not married to Mr Adam, though I'm not sure that entirely matters here.

How I'd love to be a fly on the wall in their house when all this shit hit the fan.

I'm sure it will go over just as well with Mr Adam as it would for a 40-something heterosexual male in a cohabiting relationship to announce to his partner that he's been sending 270 flirtatious text messages to a 16 year old girl.

And if Mr Adam were to respond the same way as most women would in the heterosexual version of that scenario, who would blame him?

[The New California Republic]

How I'd love to be a fly on the wall in their house when all this shit hit the fan.

I'm sure it will go over just as well with Mr Adam as it would for a 40-something heterosexual male in a cohabiting relationship to announce to his partner that he's been sending 270 flirtatious text messages to a 16 year old girl.

And if Mr Adam were to respond the same way as most women would in the heterosexual version of that scenario, who would blame him?

I feel sorry for Mr Adam. None of this is his fault, but now his name is in the news, and the press will likely be hounding him for his reaction. If I was him, I'd book a very long holiday away somewhere, to get away from both the press and Mackay.

[Definitely Not Trumptonium]

MSN News.

Surprised this was for a 2019 election, not a 2005 one.

[Fartsniffage]

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MSN News.

Surprised this was for a 2019 election, not a 2005 one.

What is that chart showing?

[Liriena]

Well, SNP in the shit once again.
Derek Mackay removed from the party due to messaging a 16 year old buy.

The newspaper detailed allegations that the 42-year-old politician contacted the boy "out of the blue" in August of last year and sent about 270 messages on Instagram and through Facebook.

What is it with guys over the age of 40 and sliding unsolicited into random teenagers' and young adults' DMs? Even if the boy had been an adult, that's just bad horny on main etiquette.

[Pyrghium]

Can the pair of you go do it in one of the myriad American politics threads?

So help me I will throw your tea into the harbor again

Not another fraternal fistfight over tea and taxes ...

[Pyrghium]

Today, officially marks the beginning of the 68th year of Her Majesty’s reign (Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6th, 1952). With that in mind, what do y’all Brits think of Queen Elizabeth II, her reign, and the British Monarchy in general? Should it be maintained? Should it be replaced? If so, with what?

[Ifreann]

Today, officially marks the beginning of the 68th year of Her Majesty’s reign (Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6th, 1952). With that in mind, what do y’all Brits think of Queen Elizabeth II, her reign, and the British Monarchy in general? Should it be maintained? Should it be replaced? If so, with what?

Monarchies are old and boring. Bring on the tyrannical catgirl dictatorships.

[Hirota]

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https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... nd-scandal

Imagine being this inept....Did you actually read your own link before posting? Because even a cursory look over the Guardian article demonstrates that Norton has had a number of issues going back well before the Brexit contributed to the issues in 2016. At best you can argue Brexit uncertainty was one of the final nails in the coffin, but the first few nails were hammered in long before.

Moreover, basic common sense dictates that uncertainties over Brexit and opportunities with Brexit are not mutually exclusive. Both can happen simultaneously. In times of upheaval there is inevitable change and that brings perils and opportunities aplenty.

Tories still showing how inept and idiotic they are

I've got no love for Gove - honestly I think he's a twat, but I'd say not understanding what he is saying is inept and idiotic. He's arguing that there are certain things that should not be compromised on for the sake of a trade deal. He's basically echoing the rhetoric of those so keen to protect the NHS from those wicked dastardly Americans. Different priorities, sure, but coming from the same principle that certain things are inviolate. If those things he's arguing should be protected are worthy of protection is open for discussion.

And the situation with a Tory Government gets worse

Any evidence beyond some twatter post that this is more than an isolated anecdote? I'm sure it did happen, and I'm sure it does happen, but incoherent twatter ramblings don't accomplish anything. I've got thoughts on what might accomplish something later.

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This one is almost accurate. But again, stop relying on twatter for your information.

The guardian describes this as a refocus on PM's priorities. That's not a net cut in public funding, simply a reallocation. What this means for the 13.8bn reported last year is unclear. We know there is probably a large enough war-chest to support that kind of one-off investment in infrastructure.

It's worth also noting that during the election other parties promised far more than the Tories. I remember pointing out during the election poll that shwon the electorate thought Labours fiscal policy was absurdly unrealistic. It wasn't that the electorate thought the Tories pledges were particularly realistic, but rather that they were the least unrealistic.

Economics, if it wasn't obvious to you already, doesn't parse well into the brevity of Twatter. Now, if you ask me (not that I'm an economist) there are probably other areas that would benefit from investment more than the NHS, police and what have you. And that would be the benefits system:

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?

I mean the cause seems moderately obvious. The idea of a universal credit is certainly more elegant and efficent than having a dozen or so separate benefit systems like before, but so far it's been implemented so poorly that it has to be fixed. Once that improves, foodbank usage, health issues (like the anecdote you posted earlier) and crime should all see some benefits as a result.

[Hirota]

Today, officially marks the beginning of the 68th year of Her Majesty’s reign (Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6th, 1952). With that in mind, what do y’all Brits think of Queen Elizabeth II, her reign, and the British Monarchy in general? Should it be maintained? Should it be replaced? If so, with what?

I used to be quite the republican in my youth, but I'm far more laid back these days.

Her Majesty has been fine really. She's dignified, does the duties without complaint, and somehow still doesn't look like she's sick of it. I think it would be best if it finished with her though.

Monarchies are old and boring. Bring on the tyrannical catgirl dictatorships.

Would Liz with a buttplug tail and furry ears suffice?

[The Huskar Social Union]

Sexy republican cat girls for the lads.

[Samudera Darussalam]

Today, officially marks the beginning of the 68th year of Her Majesty’s reign (Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6th, 1952). With that in mind, what do y’all Brits think of Queen Elizabeth II, her reign, and the British Monarchy in general? Should it be maintained? Should it be replaced? If so, with what?

Well, I'm not a Brit, but congrats!

[The New California Republic]

TV presenter Phillip Schofield has revealed he is gay, after 27 years of marriage to his wife Stephanie Lowe.

The 57-year-old made the announcement via a statement posted on his Instagram story.

"Today, quite rightly, being gay is a reason to celebrate and be proud," he wrote.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51414010

With the aid of my trusty gaydar I have known for a long time that he is.

[SD_Film Artists]

TV presenter Phillip Schofield has revealed he is gay, after 27 years of marriage to his wife Stephanie Lowe.

The 57-year-old made the announcement via a statement posted on his Instagram story.

"Today, quite rightly, being gay is a reason to celebrate and be proud," he wrote.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51414010

With the aid of my trusty gaydar I have known for a long time that he is.

So his wife was actually his beard or he's bi? Forget Brexit, this is the question on the nation's lips!!

[Ifreann]

Today, officially marks the beginning of the 68th year of Her Majesty’s reign (Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6th, 1952). With that in mind, what do y’all Brits think of Queen Elizabeth II, her reign, and the British Monarchy in general? Should it be maintained? Should it be replaced? If so, with what?

I used to be quite the republican in my youth, but I'm far more laid back these days.

Her Majesty has been fine really. She's dignified, does the duties without complaint, and somehow still doesn't look like she's sick of it. I think it would be best if it finished with her though.

Monarchies are old and boring. Bring on the tyrannical catgirl dictatorships.

Would Liz with a buttplug tail and furry ears suffice?

It's a good start.

[Nimzonia]

Today, officially marks the beginning of the 68th year of Her Majesty’s reign (Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6th, 1952). With that in mind, what do y’all Brits think of Queen Elizabeth II, her reign, and the British Monarchy in general? Should it be maintained? Should it be replaced? If so, with what?

Previously, I was indifferent on the monarch personally - Elizabeth II has been sort of goodish, but I don't expect much from her heirs - but vaguely in favour of it as an institution as I used to think it was all that stood between us and some abysmal populist president. But we seem to have an abysmal populist prime minister, so I guess it wasn't the bulwark against demagoguery that I thought it was. I suppose I should have learned from history, since Italy being a constitutional monarchy didn't stop it also being a fascist dicatatorship. So if it can't even do that, I'm now in favour of abolishing it and replacing it with something less emblematic of entrenched privilege.

Also, over time I've become a hardened iconoclast and anti-traditionalist, so I now lean towards saying down with the monarchy on principle. Burn it all down, throw out the stupid symbols and rituals, and build something new. Then burn that down too once it starts getting stale. If we've stagnated as a culture, it's not because everyone is having premarital sex or whatever other nonsense social conservatives blame, it's because we're too in love with our history and traditions and endless clutter of hoary old symbols and rituals to innovate anymore. A society runs out of energy when it's more in love with its past than its future.

[Andsed]

TV presenter Phillip Schofield has revealed he is gay, after 27 years of marriage to his wife Stephanie Lowe.

The 57-year-old made the announcement via a statement posted on his Instagram story.

"Today, quite rightly, being gay is a reason to celebrate and be proud," he wrote.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51414010

With the aid of my trusty gaydar I have known for a long time that he is.

Wait so what does his wife think of this? Did she even know? Kinda feel bad for her if not.

[Alvecia]

With the aid of my trusty gaydar I have known for a long time that he is.

Wait so what does his wife think of this? Did she even know? Kinda feel bad for her if not.

I saw the Sky News article on it lead with this sub heading:

He says: "With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay."

So I guess they're okay?

[Andsed]

Wait so what does his wife think of this? Did she even know? Kinda feel bad for her if not.

I saw the Sky News article on it lead with this sub heading:

He says: "With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay."

So I guess they're okay?

Well that makes it seems like he has been denying his homosexuality for much of his life and has just recently come to terms with it. I would still imagine it is kind of an awkward situation for his family but better than him just coming out one day without their knowledge

[Satuga]

Can the pair of you go do it in one of the myriad American politics threads?

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So help me I will throw your tea into the harbor again

Im gonna stick this into my "funny quotes" bag.

[Definitely Not Trumptonium]

(Image)

MSN News.

Surprised this was for a 2019 election, not a 2005 one.

What is that chart showing?

A poll on where people got their news from for Dec's GE