UK Politics Thread XII: The Lockdown

[Celritannia]

Regardless what you say though, it's the civil service that is the experienced backbone of the country. The UK cannot function without it, and time and time again, they are the ones that have to either inform the Minister something can't be done, or find ways to do it.
MPs maybe elected to represent the constituency, but it is the Civil Service that are the policy makers.
Remember, an MP is representing their constituency, but the Civil Service makes policy at the national level.

Governments come and go, but the Civil Service remains. Whether some are stuck in their ways or not (depends really so cannot generalise) they still have so much more benefits to give to policy making.

And yes, the Monarchy my be a hereditary position, but it is not a dangerous institution like it was in the past. a long reigning monarch who has seen problems time and again does have more experience than an amateur government, which is why her advice to the Government is necessary.

Whether you like it or not (and I honestly cannot believe you decided to make a whole argument based on one passing comment) the Monarch cand and sometimes does have more experience from a long reign than an inexperienced first time Prime Minister.
It's the same with the Civil Service. I respect the Civil Service a great deal.

Yes the monarch does have more experience in certain matters. But different matters. And experience does not necessarily make someone better. Experience can be good, but it is hardly the only thing we judge people on and you can have a lot of experience and still not be very good at something. And I never said the civil service is bad. Yes you need it too.

The point though is simply we have nothing to show Elizabeth would be good at exercising real power or good at deciding on matters she has never publicly decided. We have no idea what she would do or what what she stands for.

Again, still more experienced than this current government full of completely idiotic Tories that only care about themselves and their friends. This Tory Government is certainly not good at excising real power in any way.

[Ostroeuropa]

People losing their shit over Starmer writing for the Daily Mail and waffling about fascists and so on.

For context, 15% of Mail readers voted for Corbyn.

For further context, 15% of Mail readers is more than the entire readership of the Guardian.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Will Gavin Williamson last the month in his job? I think he is not as essential to Boris Johnson as Dominic Cummings, so he may well be gone when they want to draw a line under the exams crisis.

[Celritannia]

Will Gavin Williamson last the month in his job? I think he is not as essential to Boris Johnson as Dominic Cummings, so he may well be gone when they want to draw a line under the exams crisis.

It would seem logical to allow students COVID related mitigating circumstances when applying to 6th Form or University.

[The Free Joy State]

Will Gavin Williamson last the month in his job? I think he is not as essential to Boris Johnson as Dominic Cummings, so he may well be gone when they want to draw a line under the exams crisis.

It would seem logical to allow students COVID related mitigating circumstances when applying to 6th Form or University.

From what I understand, sixth forms are showing latitude, but students still risk having (if the government messes around with GCSE grades as they did with A-levels) failing grades, and most jobs need a C or higher in English and Maths at GCSE level.

Will Gavin Williamson last the month in his job? I think he is not as essential to Boris Johnson as Dominic Cummings, so he may well be gone when they want to draw a line under the exams crisis.

It depends. If Johnson and the rest of the government dig their heels in and back the decision, his job may be safe. If they reverse it, I think it may be at risk.

As you say, he's not as essential as Cummings, and I can't help but note that -- unlike with Cummings' "eye test" -- Conservative ministers don't seem to have been mobilised to express their support for him.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

It would seem logical to allow students COVID related mitigating circumstances when applying to 6th Form or University.

From what I understand, sixth forms are showing latitude, but students still risk having (if the government messes around with GCSE grades as they did with A-levels) failing grades, and most jobs need a C or higher in English and Maths at GCSE level.

Will Gavin Williamson last the month in his job? I think he is not as essential to Boris Johnson as Dominic Cummings, so he may well be gone when they want to draw a line under the exams crisis.

It depends. If Johnson and the rest of the government dig their heels in and back the decision, his job may be safe. If they reverse it, I think it may be at risk.

As you say, he's not as essential as Cummings, and I can't help but note that -- unlike with Cummings' "eye test" -- Conservative ministers don't seem to have been mobilised to express their support for him.

Apparently we can expect a government announcement on the subject later on today. It may be a u turn, in which case I agree he will be gone.

[Philjia]

The Tory MP accused of rape will not return to the Commons in September, instead working from home until his bail date in November.

So, no chance of him being able to hide unless Conservative HQ bans every former minister in his 50s from attending parliament.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

The Tory MP accused of rape will not return to the Commons in September, instead working from home until his bail date in November.

So, no chance of him being able to hide unless Conservative HQ bans every former minister in his 50s from attending parliament.

Aren't quite a lot of MPs still working from home anyway for social distancing? Probably still going to be the case in September.

[The New California Republic]

The Tory MP accused of rape will not return to the Commons in September, instead working from home until his bail date in November.

So, no chance of him being able to hide unless Conservative HQ bans every former minister in his 50s from attending parliament.

There will be journalists sat with lists of male Tory MPs watching the return, ticking off the names of everyone who attends, and whoever is missing (since there may be more than one male Tory MP missing) better have an airtight alibi if they don't want to fall under suspicion.

[The New California Republic]

The Tory MP accused of rape will not return to the Commons in September, instead working from home until his bail date in November.

So, no chance of him being able to hide unless Conservative HQ bans every former minister in his 50s from attending parliament.

Aren't quite a lot of MPs still working from home anyway for social distancing? Probably still going to be the case in September.

Actually that might further complicate the plan I just mentioned, as absences will likely be a lot higher in light of social distancing.

[Ifreann]

Aren't quite a lot of MPs still working from home anyway for social distancing? Probably still going to be the case in September.

Actually that might further complicate the plan I just mentioned, as absences will likely be a lot higher in light of social distancing.

Tories forming a rota of who has to take a day off to cover for the accused.

[Ostroeuropa]

Figures.

And without an entrenched MRM to highlight this issue, it'll pass by without many people knowing.

Also, notably, the reduction of grades has his the disadvantaged across the board.

Poor, minority, and so on, and that is all being acknowledged. However, when it comes to boys, there is silence, because to speak of them in the same breath as a disadvantaged group would disrupt peoples preconceptions. And yet this is a consistent pattern on issues that impact all disadvantaged groups. When we see a "Target all disadvantaged" thing, it's men, not women, who face the consequences. That should tell you something.

[Juristonia]

It tells me that you're still a one trick pony, but considering two reddit posts with the same questionable image are all I can find about this, and there's nothing on any of the school's pages either, not really much else.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

And a massive u-turn from the government.

[Greed and Death]

So BoJo will remove most of the civil service ad replace them with political cronies in a month then ?

Nah, civil servants are employed by the Crown, not Parliament, to prevent exactly that sort of thing.

So BoJo will advise the crown to dismiss h the civil service ?

[Celritannia]

And a massive u-turn from the government.

This U-Turn?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 73981.html

[Celritannia]

Nah, civil servants are employed by the Crown, not Parliament, to prevent exactly that sort of thing.

So BoJo will advise the crown to dismiss h the civil service ?

The Civil Service is so integral to the British Government now that it would be impossible to remove.

[Philjia]

And a massive u-turn from the government.

This U-Turn?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 73981.html

This has also been ballsed up by not including BTEC students.

[The New California Republic]

How didn't they pre-empt all this farce with the grades by seeing what happened in Scotland prior and acting accordingly? It gave them adequate warning that deciding grades by an algorithm was going to lead to serious discontent.

[Crysuko]

How didn't they pre-empt all this farce with the grades by seeing what happened in Scotland prior and acting accordingly? It gave them adequate warning that deciding grades by an algorithm was going to lead to serious discontent.

tories are extremely pig headed when it comes to this kind of thing, and will only learn with the benefit of a slegehammer wielded by andre the giant

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

How didn't they pre-empt all this farce with the grades by seeing what happened in Scotland prior and acting accordingly? It gave them adequate warning that deciding grades by an algorithm was going to lead to serious discontent.

Probably the classic situation where someone at the top is demanding the final decision on everything, but fails to make decisions quickly enough, so people are left floundering.

[Greed and Death]

So BoJo will advise the crown to dismiss h the civil service ?

The Civil Service is so integral to the British Government now that it would be impossible to remove.

Are you challenging BoJo ?

[The Notorious Mad Jack]

So BoJo will advise the crown to dismiss h the civil service ?

The Civil Service is so integral to the British Government now that it would be impossible to remove.

Never underestimate the stunning incompetence of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Wiffwaff Johnson

[Crysuko]

The Civil Service is so integral to the British Government now that it would be impossible to remove.

Never underestimate the stunning incompetence of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Wiffwaff Johnson

if he runs out of all the normal political fuck ups, he'll invent new ones.

[Celritannia]

The Civil Service is so integral to the British Government now that it would be impossible to remove.

Never underestimate the stunning incompetence of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Wiffwaff Johnson

Well in the words of Crysuko - My little crony: corruption is magic

Also, I think that should be the title for the next rendition of the UK politics thread.