The UK Politics and EU Referendum thread - merged

[horseplayer]

While most of these polls are laughably inaccurate and this one will be no different, it was of some interest, Cameron's embarrassing trip to Europe, Shapps claiming responsibility for the death of that young man and the Lord's stepping in to halt Osborne's attack on the poor. At least some people out there might be noticing. Conservative lead down to 4 points.

http://www.comres.co.uk/polls/daily-mail-december-political-poll/

It's not a link to the Daily Mail.

Just a few minor points been swept under the carpet by the right wing media..

Still good to see some people realising

[kukushkin88]

https://t.co/Sm9U7RoUJT


There are now 96 tory special advisors.. average salary 84k. Eight cabinet ministers have 3 yes 3 each.

I can see the justification of having one special advisor each almost but three?

It's tough rewriting history in a way that convinces even the intelligent and politically engaged. There is no historical evidence that suggests the economy is better off in Tory hands.

Just one example of many:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6975536.stm

[MintTrav]

So Tim Farron has the lowest Favourable and the lowest Unfavourable, with more than half neither Fav or Unfav, more than double the next highest 'Neither'.

"Lastly, do you regard Tim Farron favourably or unfavourably?"
"Who?"
"He's the leader of the Lib Dems. Here's a photo of him."
"Sorry, I don't know that man."

[RickBFA]

Does Liam Fox have any sense of responsibility to his party?

The guy just cant help himself on Europe and makes headline news as he has already decided to campaign for leaving the European Union.

He should at the very least allowed Cameron to finish negotiations before jumping the gun. Seems a common political courtesy to your leader just a few months after the Tories first outright victory in a General Election for over 20 years.

If I were Cameron I would be mighty pissed off that Fox has no discipline - part of the Tories downfall historically were a bunch of ill disciplined Eurosceptics who's obsession with leaving Europe was more important to them than the future of their own party in power.
 

[david3103]

Does Liam Fox have any sense of responsibility to his party?

The guy just cant help himself on Europe and makes headline news as he has already decided to campaign for leaving the European Union.

He should at the very least allowed Cameron to finish negotiations before jumping the gun. Seems a common political courtesy to your leader just a few months after the Tories first outright victory in a General Election for over 20 years.

If I were Cameron I would be mighty pissed off that Fox has no discipline - part of the Tories downfall historically were a bunch of ill disciplined Eurosceptics who's obsession with leaving Europe was more important to them than the future of their own party in power.
 

Wouldn't it be best if all politicians were obsessed with improving the state of the nation rather than how to stay in power?

Clumsily expressed but I know what I mean.

[RickBFA]

Does Liam Fox have any sense of responsibility to his party?

The guy just cant help himself on Europe and makes headline news as he has already decided to campaign for leaving the European Union.

He should at the very least allowed Cameron to finish negotiations before jumping the gun. Seems a common political courtesy to your leader just a few months after the Tories first outright victory in a General Election for over 20 years.

If I were Cameron I would be mighty pissed off that Fox has no discipline - part of the Tories downfall historically were a bunch of ill disciplined Eurosceptics who's obsession with leaving Europe was more important to them than the future of their own party in power.
  

Wouldn't it be best if all politicians were obsessed with improving the state of the nation rather than how to stay in power?

Clumsily expressed but I know what I mean.

Perhaps my wording was clumsy too.

They aren't going to improve the state of the nation by obsessing over one issue at the expense of all other political issues including the power to actual make those improvements.

[DaveShoelace]

Question of the day

What do you view as the major ideological/policy differences between the Lib Dems and a Corbyn led Labour these days? Do you think the two would make a well matched coalition?

[DungBeetle]

Voting reform.  Lib Dems want PR, whereas Corbyn as far as I know still likes FPTP with the link between constituency and local MP.

I suspect that Corbyn doesn't like the Lib Dems idea of raising the personal allowance, because it also benefits better paid workers.

[DungBeetle]

But in general, yes, would seem a safe coalition if the Libs get their act back together. 

[kukushkin88]

Does Liam Fox have any sense of responsibility to his party?

The guy just cant help himself on Europe and makes headline news as he has already decided to campaign for leaving the European Union.

He should at the very least allowed Cameron to finish negotiations before jumping the gun. Seems a common political courtesy to your leader just a few months after the Tories first outright victory in a General Election for over 20 years.

If I were Cameron I would be mighty pissed off that Fox has no discipline - part of the Tories downfall historically were a bunch of ill disciplined Eurosceptics who's obsession with leaving Europe was more important to them than the future of their own party in power.
 

I don't think there's any negotiating still to be done. They've told him no way and now he needs another plan. It was a crazy spot to put himself in, asking for an incredibly meek and watered down set of conditions that he doesn't believe in to try and appease his cabinet, backbencher's, party member's etc. It has been an abject failure and although I don't agree with much that Liam Fox says or does, now was the time to speak up if anything meaningful can be changed by the next round of talks in February.

You couldn't make some of this up.:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35150356

The main sticking point in talks with other EU leaders is Mr Cameron's demand for non-EU workers to be barred from claiming in-work benefits for four years.

Downing Street ruled out making the rules apply to UK citizens - one of the suggested compromises - after official analysis found that as many as 300,000 Britons could lose out.

"We are not considering any option that would affect this number of British citizens," a Number 10 spokesman said.


The initial plan was to change European Law for everyone apart from UK citizens YBA. It's not a surprise he's got nowhere with it.

[kukushkin88]

John Major spoke in a very intelligent, balanced and eloquent way on the subject on Andrew Marr over the weekend. Cameron could do a lot worse than have a long chat with him pre February.

[nirvana]

John Major spoke in a very intelligent, balanced and eloquent way on the subject on Andrew Marr over the weekend. Cameron could do a lot worse than have a long chat with him pre February.

Yep. I thought this too

[horseplayer]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/the-sun-told-to-put-apology-to-jeremy-corbyn-on-front-page-a6782181.html

[kukushkin88]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/the-sun-told-to-put-apology-to-jeremy-corbyn-on-front-page-a6782181.html

Their excuse as given in that article is funny. The written press continue to disappoint. Never has a dying industry been more deserving of its fate. It's fitting the Telegraph get a mention for their £30,000 fine, forsaken the last of their credibility pursuing ill conceived hate campaigns against politicians.

[Woodsey]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/the-sun-told-to-put-apology-to-jeremy-corbyn-on-front-page-a6782181.html

I would say he's going to get it in the neck even more from them now.