UK General Discussion

[Supersonic]

Hey whats the general public opinion of William Hague? Does he have a political future? The only real insight I get into British politics besides this forum are PMQs, and I always loved him during those.

Held in high esteem generally, but such is the job of foreign secretary.

Couldn't see him as the leader again though, I doubt he wants it at this point anyway.

Every Conservative MP I've spoken to sings his praises, and the grassroots of the party love him.

Anyway, did anyone see the BBC 2 thingy 'Young, Bright and on the Right'? Thoughts, if any?

[Supersonic]

Any UK'ers planning on going to their respective Party Conferences this year?

[Supersonic]

Any UK'ers planning on going to their respective Party Conferences this year?

Where are they this year actually?

The tories are in Birmingham, labour are in Manchester and the lib dems are in Brighton.

Bit of a step down for the Liberals there, haha.

I, for one, will be attending that 'wretched hive of scum and villainy' that is the Conservative Party Conference.

[Supersonic]

As of last Thursday, I'm officially going to be in the first £9,000 cohort of University students. Just to shamelessly attention whore.

Oooh. Where are you going for University? What did you get for A-Levels? Pray, tell all.

As of last Thursday, I'm officially going to be in the first £9,000 cohort of University students. Just to shamelessly attention whore.

That's more expensive than my tuition I think.

That's per year too, lol. Thankfully I was in the last group to pay the £3,300 fees.

[Supersonic]

Ah, yes, congratulations on your results! Especially on that French A, I can't do languages to save my life, aha.

[Supersonic]

Did any UK'ers watch the last episode (the third one) of Accused on the BBC?

I just finished it, and my God, the ending made me feel sick. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but wow, I'm actually shaking with shock.

I can't wait for next weeks episode!

[Supersonic]

Ken Clarke's gone. There's a mistake I didn't think the PM'd make. He was offered Commons Leader, but said no apparently. That'd be a complete insult to him.

Greening off to Health. She's risen through the ranks quicker than her skills would suggest. Lansley being sacked was a no brainer, even if he did have the PM's "full backing" before the recess.

So far, this is all seeming a bit... omnishambles.

Where are you getting this from?

Anyhow it's good to see Clarke go, we need a strong law and order type at Justice in the wake of the London riots a year ago. Michael Howard would be a strong pick. Greening had to be moved away from Transport as she had threatened to resign over the third runway at Heathrow.

Hopefully Grant Shapps will be in cabinet or at least be appointed Tory Chairman. Warsi is a catastrophe.

[Supersonic]

A rather boring re-shuffle on the whole it seems.

The only decent changes from my point of view is that the liberal Clarke is out and a right-winger, in the form of Grayling, is at Justice. Andrew Mitchell will be an excellent Chief Whip, and the disaster that is Lady Warsi is replaced by Grant Schapps.

It's rather telling that Justine Greening has been thrown out of Transport after less than a year, she looked fuming after leaving Downing Street.

[Supersonic]

It's rather telling that Justine Greening has been thrown out of Transport after less than a year, she looked fuming after leaving Downing Street.

Greening to Health and Hunt to International Development would've been more sensible! After the disaster of a term he had at Media, why the hell does Jeremy Hunt deserve such a big promotion? He was in over his head at Media, never mind Health.

I agree. After the whole Murdoch scenario he's not exactly the best person to take up the Health portfolio, at least Greening was something of a blank slate.

[Supersonic]

Richmond Park would make for one of the most interesting by-elections the country's had in a long time and he knows it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/d70.stm

Tory hold is the most likely outcome here.

The Liberal vote will be weakened due to defectors voting Labour. Labour themselves lack any significant base in Richmond Park making it rather unlikely they'll win it. The Conservatives should pull it off if Goldsmith does a 'Davis' and stands as the Conservative candidate again, if he runs as an independent, then it will be interesting.

[Supersonic]

This whole Greenie thing of "I'm stepping down to give someone else a chance" right when it has the most momentum is really *facepalm*-inducing, I've got to say. 

Nigel Farage did this with UKIP.

He returned after two years.

[Supersonic]

Sources suggest 140 Tories against, 132 for. If confirmed I'll resign my membership.

139-132 is the current (final?) figure

Seems to be. Letter already drafted. I can't quite believe I'm doing this under these circumstances on what should be a good day.

Did you actually resign membership?

[Supersonic]

It's amazing that half of the right-wing party voted for gay marriage.

Eh, a lot of the UK Convervatives are probably similar to those New England Republicans who are now Independents who vote Democratic.

I wouldn't be so quick to assume that many Tories would vote Democratic.

I was at a Conservative Future (under-30's wing) election hustings in London the other day, and the topic of 'who would you support in the 2012 US election' came up. All the candidates said they would have supported Romney or Gary Johnson. One drunk girl in the audience shouted 'I LOVE OBAMA', then the vast majority of the room shouted 'SHAME' and 'UNSOUND' in response. I overheard the person in front of me say 'how can you be a Conservative and a Democ-RAT'? 

Obviously this is just one little snippet, but Conservatives are not like-for-like Democrats, although I would agree that there is significant overlap on social issues.

[Supersonic]

It's amazing that half of the right-wing party voted for gay marriage.

Eh, a lot of the UK Convervatives are probably similar to those New England Republicans who are now Independents who vote Democratic.

I wouldn't be so quick to assume that many Tories would vote Democratic.

I was at a Conservative Future (under-30's wing) election hustings in London the other day, and the topic of 'who would you support in the 2012 US election' came up. All the candidates said they would have supported Romney or Gary Johnson. One drunk girl in the audience shouted 'I LOVE OBAMA', then the vast majority of the room shouted 'SHAME' and 'UNSOUND' in response. I overheard the person in front of me say 'how can you be a Conservative and a Democ-RAT'? 

Obviously this is just one little snippet, but Conservatives are not like-for-like Democrats, although I would agree that there is significant overlap on social issues.

In my experience, the members of the youth wing of conservative parties try to prove that they're the most right-wing person in the room. I think in many cases it's just an act - they move into the grown-up wing of the party and stop making fools of themselves.

I do think this does play into it.

[Supersonic]

It's John Major's 70th birthday today.

Share the love guys.

[Supersonic]

Cameron faces a new EU revolt, this time due to his referendum pledge.

I'm bloody sick of these rebellions, I'm almost of the view that Cameron should make a new rule saying any revolt with more than 20 Tory MP's should be a vote of no confidence in the government. This stuff is just embarrassing now.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2301668/Cameron-faces-Europe-revolt-100-Tory-MPs-broken-promises-referendum.html

[Supersonic]

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week

My local young conservative branch are doing this for a week, living on £53 that is. Should be fun, and not too hard.

[Supersonic]

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week

My local young conservative branch are doing this for a week, living on £53 that is. Should be fun, and not too hard.

It'll be like a jolly old camping trip.

Except no champagne.

I spend about 50 pounds a week some weeks.

Yeah, £55 or so is my weekly budget. Though I am a student.

[Supersonic]

So, is Parliament going to pass that royalty bill that says the firstborn, regardless of gender, will become monarch? Kate is due in just a few months, and all the Commonwealth countries have to pass the changes too.

Also, is Parliament going to pass Gay Marriage anytime soon?

I thought the first had already been passed. If not, it will do. The changes will take ages since, as you mentioned, all the Commonwealth countries need to enact the same law.

Yeah, the bill ended the Committee stage on the 4th of March, although I'm not sure when they're next taking it up. Soon definitely.

Edit: Oh, just seen the Mail frontpage. Twitter lefties were in uproar about that earlier. Though my answer to this, as with most things in newspapers is: 'if you don't like it, don't read it'.

[Supersonic]

The issue is the poisoning of discourse, which affects even those of us who regard the Daily Mail as a fundamentally evil organ used to play a counterpoint of hate and self-loathing.

I could say the same about the Guardian and that paper badgering on about the Bedroom Tax though, and that for sure, has influenced the political discourse.

'if you don't like it, don't read it'.

That's not the point.

Why not?

[Supersonic]

I have to say, all this bluster is quite hilarious. Free promotion for the Mail.

[Supersonic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-22017567

MP Rob Wilson - the parliament troll.

Haha, that's jokes. Michael Fabricant said on Twitter that this was apparently 'a prank'.

'if you don't like it, don't read it'.

That's not the point.

Why not?

Same way that if you don't like the celebrating Thatcher's death t-shirts, you don't buy them? Except the whining about that was top of the agenda for most Tories, and they weren't the largest selling newspapers in the country (the Sun themselves described it as 'state-subsidised manslaughter') but a stall at a union conference.

It's funny how laissez-faire the Right become when it suits them.

I don't give a McDonalds Big Mac if you buy a shirt celebrating Thatcher's death. Yeah, I'll think it's distasteful but I won't go all 'THIS IS OUT OF ORDAAA EVUL LEFTISTS!!11' on you. I will seethe and plot your electoral doom.

[Supersonic]

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/05/blair-i-would-have-given-cameron-a-
run-for-his-money/

Blair says he would have done better in the general election than Brown.

I think the effect may have been marginal, Labour should have called a snap poll in 2007, they probably could have won with a majority of 25 or so.

[Supersonic]

http://www.zimbio.com/Nigel+Farage/articles/X3YrSq1RAI_/UKIP+hypocrisy+Nigel+Farage+stance+extremism

It appears that UKIP are fielding a former member of the National Front in my council district election this May (South Thanet)

Glorious. This is my home seat.

[Supersonic]

Even Maggie couldn't win this Tory party a majority.

Just goes to show UKIP is going to have to die/merge for the Tories to win a majority.

Waah. I put these numbers into the UK Polling Report swingometer and it gave Tories 305, Labour 303. I died inside.

Also, are any of the UK'ers going to London for Thatcher's funeral? I'm getting the 5am coach down from Birmingham...