The Politics Thread 2019

[Wolfie]

9 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

All of this despite the amazing trade deals the EU put in place for us?

You could argue that the demise of manufacturing was brought about because of such trade deals - opening us up to increased & global competition. Our heavy, and mass production industries just couldn't - and still can't - compete with low cost economies.

[Stive Pesley]

58 minutes ago, Wolfie said:

You could argue that the demise of manufacturing was brought about because of such trade deals - opening us up to increased & global competition. Our heavy, and mass production industries just couldn't - and still can't - compete with low cost economies.

The double-edged sword of globalisation. With one hand we've reaped the benefits, whilst accepting the destruction of our domestic manufacturing base on the other

Will this nebulous Brexit aim of "taking back control" fix that? Genuine question

 

[Wolfie]

7 minutes ago, StivePesley said:

Will this nebulous Brexit aim of "taking back control" fix that? Genuine question

Barring a miracle, no, I think that particular horse has bolted. For the short & medium term at least IMO.

As I've said many times before, if we want to encourage manufacturing in the UK we have to invest a lot more in research into new technologies. Develop this into loads of low volume/high value manufacturing companies and then move onto the next thing before the low cost overseas competition catches up.

[Stive Pesley]

OAP TV licenses...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

My dad is past 75 and a lifelong Tory voter. He has a massive pension, a 4 bed house, 2 cars and goes on 5 holidays a year

Yeah he worked hard and he deserves all those things, but when Labour brought in free TV licenses for the over 75s he loved it - to the point of being smug about it to my eldest lad (ie his grandson) who moved into his own (rented) house and couldn't afford a TV license

Now predictably he's gutted. Sorry Dad!

Thing is - he's part of a generation of pensioners who aren't struggling and can easily afford it. So why does he feel so entitled to it? He's worse than a flippin millenial sometimes haha

 

[Norman]

2 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

All of this despite the amazing trade deals the EU put in place for us?

None of which are free. Not to us, anyway.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, McRamFan said:

You run your own business?  Really? 

Trade deal with EU, travel distance to furthest EU member 2,235 miles (Cyprus if you need help).  Distance to South Korea 5,500.

So you have to factor in a minimum of twice the distance to move goods, factor in over twice the time.  I'll let you figure out how that makes it not an upside.

Dyson has moved his business to Malaysia.  Do you know why?  Because Malaysia has a tariff free trade deal with the EU, after brexit, if it happens, the UK will not.  He has done the maths and even with shipping costs, it is better for him to deal with the EU, rather than the UK post brexit.  He wins either way.  EU way bigger market than the UK, especially as he is moving into electric cars, and this lame duck country are miles behind mainland Europe.

Dyson moved production to Malaysia many years ago so completely unrelated to Brexit 

[Wolfie]

53 minutes ago, StivePesley said:

OAP TV licenses...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

My dad is past 75 and a lifelong Tory voter. He has a massive pension, a 4 bed house, 2 cars and goes on 5 holidays a year

Yeah he worked hard and he deserves all those things, but when Labour brought in free TV licenses for the over 75s he loved it - to the point of being smug about it to my eldest lad (ie his grandson) who moved into his own (rented) house and couldn't afford a TV license

Now predictably he's gutted. Sorry Dad!

Thing is - he's part of a generation of pensioners who aren't struggling and can easily afford it. So why does he feel so entitled to it? He's worse than a flippin millenial sometimes haha

 

It says the average age of BBC TV audience is over 62...

Well, that finally explains the appeal of Mrs Brown's Boys, then.

[Archied]

1 hour ago, StivePesley said:

OAP TV licenses...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

My dad is past 75 and a lifelong Tory voter. He has a massive pension, a 4 bed house, 2 cars and goes on 5 holidays a year

Yeah he worked hard and he deserves all those things, but when Labour brought in free TV licenses for the over 75s he loved it - to the point of being smug about it to my eldest lad (ie his grandson) who moved into his own (rented) house and couldn't afford a TV license

Now predictably he's gutted. Sorry Dad!

Thing is - he's part of a generation of pensioners who aren't struggling and can easily afford it. So why does he feel so entitled to it? He's worse than a flippin millenial sometimes haha

 

Bet you have fun round the Xmas dinner table?

[eddie]

I see that the time has expired for nominations to be included into the competition to become the last Tory PM of all time.

[maxjam]

1 hour ago, StivePesley said:

OAP TV licenses...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

My dad is past 75 and a lifelong Tory voter. He has a massive pension, a 4 bed house, 2 cars and goes on 5 holidays a year

Yeah he worked hard and he deserves all those things, but when Labour brought in free TV licenses for the over 75s he loved it - to the point of being smug about it to my eldest lad (ie his grandson) who moved into his own (rented) house and couldn't afford a TV license

Now predictably he's gutted. Sorry Dad!

Thing is - he's part of a generation of pensioners who aren't struggling and can easily afford it. So why does he feel so entitled to it? He's worse than a flippin millenial sometimes haha

 

Don't forget its Sunday!

[Red_Dawn]

5 hours ago, StivePesley said:

OAP TV licenses...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

My dad is past 75 and a lifelong Tory voter. He has a massive pension, a 4 bed house, 2 cars and goes on 5 holidays a year

Yeah he worked hard and he deserves all those things, but when Labour brought in free TV licenses for the over 75s he loved it - to the point of being smug about it to my eldest lad (ie his grandson) who moved into his own (rented) house and couldn't afford a TV license

Now predictably he's gutted. Sorry Dad!

Thing is - he's part of a generation of pensioners who aren't struggling and can easily afford it. So why does he feel so entitled to it? He's worse than a flippin millenial sometimes haha

 

Tell him to stop paying it and ignore the stupid threat letters they send. I'm 31 and haven't paid it once in my life.. 

[GenBr]

3 hours ago, eddie said:

I see that the time has expired for nominations to be included into the competition to become the last Tory PM of all time.

Which party exactly do you see replacing the Tories? Labour won't win a general election under Corbyn - the only areas they are managing to cling on to at the moment are the old coal mining areas and the inner city areas. Greens won't be in a position to do anything for years and years unless we change from a FPTP voting system. Lib Dems will maybe replace the Labour party as the opposition, but that is extremely unlikely to the point where it is almost laughable. The Brexit party is only a threat if the general election happens before Brexit.

The Tories are almost guaranteed to be the largest party in the next election - they have too many safe seats in the south. The only way they can be stopped is if the opposition can form a large enough coalition. One of the main reasons the Tories struggle for a majority is down to the split over Brexit - if that is sorted before a general election they won't have any problem getting a majority. If they choose Johnson as leader and Corbyn stays the Labour party may as well throw in the towel. 

[alexxxxx]

delete

[Van der MoodHoover]

22 hours ago, ariotofmyown said:

Feel a bit sorry for Gove. He's clearly an unpopular and snivelling little cretin, and his drug taking would clearly be an attempt to fit in to the world of journalists who were all on coke anyway. Your Tory party member probably quite likes reading about more gang deaths too.

Johnson has already committed much worse sins than Gove, deliberate and malicious acts that surely everyone knows about by now. And I would like to know why Amber Rudd said on live tv that he is the sort of person you wouldn't like to go home in a taxi with. What is the story behind that fairly obvious accusation?

Trump makes the pair of them look like saints. The world is screwed.

Political analysis of the day, right there.

So, so true.....?

[eddie]

2 hours ago, GenBr said:

Which party exactly do you see replacing the Tories? Labour won't win a general election under Corbyn - the only areas they are managing to cling on to at the moment are the old coal mining areas and the inner city areas. Greens won't be in a position to do anything for years and years unless we change from a FPTP voting system. Lib Dems will maybe replace the Labour party as the opposition, but that is extremely unlikely to the point where it is almost laughable. The Brexit party is only a threat if the general election happens before Brexit.

The Tories are almost guaranteed to be the largest party in the next election - they have too many safe seats in the south. The only way they can be stopped is if the opposition can form a large enough coalition. One of the main reasons the Tories struggle for a majority is down to the split over Brexit - if that is sorted before a general election they won't have any problem getting a majority. If they choose Johnson as leader and Corbyn stays the Labour party may as well throw in the towel. 

Much of that depends upon just how self-destructive they seem to want to be.

It's a bit of a stretch to think that the Farage Party will achieve anythong at all, because sooner or later the fact that they have zero policies about anything will find them out. Peterborough was ripe for a major protest vote, and the Brexiteers couldn't be bothered to turn out in a constituency that voted 60:40 for suicide.

Personally, I just don't care any more. In 10 years I'm likely to be dead, and so will most of the Brexiteers.

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

Just heard on telly Prince Charles  now has a new Eco car .  The fuel it runs on is wine .   Probably not relevant to this post but had to put it somewhere in a rage .  How the other half ( or very privileged couple of hundred) live. Here's to doing bugger all and living to 98. 

[GboroRam]

5 hours ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Just heard on telly Prince Charles  now has a new Eco car .  The fuel it runs on is wine .   Probably not relevant to this post but had to put it somewhere in a rage .  How the other half ( or very privileged couple of hundred) live. Here's to doing bugger all and living to 98. 

Not sure why that would offend you so much. Think of it as a fruit based liquid undergoing a natural process. Then think about the refinery process required to convert a fossil fuel that's extracted and transported thousands of miles. Which is the expensive option now? 

And for the record, congratulations on joining the left in seeing the exorbitant luxury that the Royal family lives in and becoming enraged. 

[GenBr]

9 hours ago, eddie said:

Much of that depends upon just how self-destructive they seem to want to be.

It's a bit of a stretch to think that the Farage Party will achieve anythong at all, because sooner or later the fact that they have zero policies about anything will find them out. Peterborough was ripe for a major protest vote, and the Brexiteers couldn't be bothered to turn out in a constituency that voted 60:40 for suicide.

Personally, I just don't care any more. In 10 years I'm likely to be dead, and so will most of the Brexiteers.

The Brexit party will take votes primarily away from the Tories. Although Brexit was voted strongly for in most of the Labour strongholds as well. They would have an effect on a GE if its before Brexit even if they dont win any seats - UKIP and the Greens took almost 5 million votes in 2015 and only won 2 seats. Peterborough did see a major protest vote - Labour only won by a handful of votes and I agree with you it is astonishing that a party with no other major policies that has only been in existence for a few weeks actually got that close to winning. In the last GE the 2 major parties took almost 95% of the vote between them in Peterborough and Labour won with more than 48% - in this by election the two major parties barely managed 50% between them.

8 hours ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Just heard on telly Prince Charles  now has a new Eco car .  The fuel it runs on is wine .   Probably not relevant to this post but had to put it somewhere in a rage .  How the other half ( or very privileged couple of hundred) live. Here's to doing bugger all and living to 98. 

Doesn't Charles get most of his money from the Duchy of Cornwall? My understanding is that it isn't like the Crown Estate - he can do what he wants with  the money he receives from it can't he? 

[RamNut]

8 hours ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Just heard on telly Prince Charles  now has a new Eco car .  The fuel it runs on is wine .   

Quite funny really. Self-parody or what?

 

[AndyinLiverpool]

20 minutes ago, GenBr said:

The Brexit party will take votes primarily away from the Tories. Although Brexit was voted strongly for in most of the Labour strongholds as well. They would have an effect on a GE if its before Brexit even if they dont win any seats - UKIP and the Greens took almost 5 million votes in 2015 and only won 2 seats. Peterborough did see a major protest vote - Labour only won by a handful of votes and I agree with you it is astonishing that a party with no other major policies that has only been in existence for a few weeks actually got that close to winning. In the last GE the 2 major parties took almost 95% of the vote between them in Peterborough and Labour won with more than 48% - in this by election the two major parties barely managed 50% between them.

Doesn't Charles get most of his money from the Duchy of Cornwall? My understanding is that it isn't like the Crown Estate - he can do what he wants with  the money he receives from it can't he? 

What’s the difference between the Crown estates and Duchy of Cornwall? Are you suggesting he earned the Duchy and it wasn’t a nice pressie from his mum?