Current Politics in the United Kingdom

[Wendigo]

During the meanwhile

Brexit: Debate on second EU referendum after millions sign petition
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36777494

It seems a waste of parliamentary time as even those who decry our current system of Government should accept that 4 million signatures on an online petition is a gnat's fart compared to the 33 million plus who went to the trouble of actually voting on the day. Whichever side they voted for.
As the BBC points out
Those who signed it have already received an email that said the prime minister and government had "been clear that this was a once-in-a-generation vote" and the decision "must be respected".
Interestingly before the result was declared just 22 people had signed it that means 4 million+ were so upset by the result they frantically pressed a few buttons on their computers over the next month or so to register their anger at not having won. Many of them no doubt regretting the fact they could not be arsed to go to their local polling station on the day.

[tamsmith]

Originally Posted by vinceprince

Pensioners are usually easily bribed by the Tories with higher pensions.

Nice to make a quote that cannot be backed up with facts.

Pensions have reduced since the Conservative government due to very low inflation rates. Same as wages. Of course the rich won't know the difference.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by tamsmith

Nice to make a quote that cannot be backed up with facts.

Pensions have reduced since the Conservative government due to very low inflation rates. Same as wages. Of course the rich won't know the difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWNchHXrOpk

Hyman Roth agrees with you...

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by vinceprince

Pensioners are usually easily bribed by the Tories with higher pensions.
.

Like Labour bribed the proles with "Tax Credits" ?

[vinceprince]

Originally Posted by tamsmith

Pensions have reduced since the Conservative government due to very low inflation rates. Same as wages. Of course the rich won't know the difference.

Well here some good news then, inflation is about to take off

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/con...e-brexit-vote/

Interest rates to hit rock bottom. No returns on savings.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bu...-a7130451.html

[haroldeye]

There has been five eigths of four fifths of f*ck all return on savings since the crash of 2008.

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by haroldeye

There has been five eigths of four fifths of f*ck all return on savings since the crash of 2008.

Tell me about it ! I'm fed up subsidizing the indebted which is what is happening with interest rates so ridiculously low.

I'm making more money from Premium Bonds - and exploiting my tenantry of course !!

[benboe]

When I was a child I was not interested in politics.
I was aware of Wilson and Heath being PM and switching places on a regular basis.
Also I was aware of the power of the trade unions and feeling they had too much power.
The trade unions were the dog that wagged the labour parties tail.
With the election of Blair maybe even Kinnock things started to change.
Upto that time the general public felt the Labour Party looked after the needs of the working class.
After Blair this slowly changed.
Now in 2016 I have no idea who the Labour Party represents or protects.
With the election of Corbyn I thought the party was returning to its root values but over 170 labour MPs think that makes them unelectable.
The power of the trade unions needed weakening but not to the point they allow zero hours contracts.
The benefit system needed toughening up to make it less of a handout to lazy people but not at the cost of the deserving.
Nationalised industries needed rationalising and making efficient but privatising them has not improved their services, just made them more expensive.
So what is going on with Labour?
Which party will emerge?
I what a socialist Labour Party that will be a strong opposition or government that will drive our countries forward.
I do not want a Labour Party run by a red Tory.

[deepsepia]

One of Britain's interesting political allies in negotiating with Europe will be Spain. The Spanish are intensely worried that Catalonia will try to secede from Spain and join the EU as a nation.

For that reason, they'll likely stonewall any attempt by Scotland to try to enter on its own, which would be a precedent for Catalonia. With oil at $50 a barrel, Scotland would have a very hard time qualifying for EU membership . . .

Meanwhile, the EU itself has rejected Spain and Portugal's budgets

Originally Posted by Euro finance ministers agree Spain, Portugal violating budget rules

Eurozone finance ministers on Monday agreed that Spain and Portugal are in violation EU budget rules, potentially setting the stage for unheard of penalties being imposed on the euro currency users.

The eurogroup finance ministers agreed with an assessment issued last week from the European Commission, the EU's executive, that Madrid and Lisbon failed to live up to their commitments to slash their budget deficits.

The issue will now go before the all 28 EU finance ministers on Tuesday.

"The eurozone members tomorrow ... will vote to support the commission's recommendation unanimously," said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the 19 finance ministers from EU countries that use the euro currency.

Once the decision is made, the Commission will have 20 days to prepare penalties.

http://www.dw.com/en/euro-finance-mi...les/a-19394327

Here's the thing that strikes me: I've never seen so much acrimony between nations which are basically friendly towards one another. Belgium and the UK, for example, historically have a very warm relationship -- UK diplomacy is the reason that Belgium exists, in the first place.

So it all feels like an own goal by Europe.

[bloke57]

Originally Posted by Wendigo

Brexit: Debate on second EU referendum after millions sign petition

It seems a waste of parliamentary time as even those who decry our current system of Government should accept that 4 million signatures on an online petition is a gnat's fart compared to the 33 million plus who went to the trouble of actually voting on the day. Whichever side they voted for.

I agree that petition is a non-starter. But I will say this to all those who say that remainers should put up or shut up.

To me, it would be very un-British to give up at the first hurdle - A true Brit continues to fight, and even Churchill said that "success was a matter of going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm".

In addition ask yourself who are real the quitters here? Answer - the leave camp. Boris, Gove, Nigel all gone...very un-British to be a quitter!

As Ian Hislop pointed out, you are quite entitled in a democracy to continue to put the argument even if things don't go your way. So I say let the petition have its day. It won't change anything but it might influence the sort of Brexit we ultimately achieve.