UK General Discussion II

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Called it!

Anyway, Tories want to scrap the Human Rights Act next parliament.

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If I was in charge of strategy I would make a deal with the Greens and effectively concede, say, Brighton Pavillion and Norwich South; in return for Greens clearing out of key marginals.

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Jesus Christ, that's appalling



Brooks Newmark (of the sexting scandal) standing down in 2015.

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This is a thing now.

that's it , Mike Read has convinced me. I'm a UKIP guy now.

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Lib Dems circa 2010: The House of lords is undemocratic, filled with people only relevant because of their parentage and should be elected by the people!

now: Hooray! The Lords have elected the great-grandson of one of our leaders! Yay!!

Also, love the inexplicable snipe at Labour in the Lib Dem Voice piece.

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It's better than the status quo, although I dislike the name "Senate".

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Emily Thornberry resigns from shadow cabinet.

She should have followed a great sage's advice - "too many tweets might make a twat".

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can you still be kicked from the Commons for bankruptcy?

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2854421/Minister-staged-obscene-Commons-debate-BET-Tory-says-c-k-six-times-lewd-stunt-sailor-pals.html

Genuinely hilarious.

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Non-pornograhic news! We just got the last Autumn Statement ("pre-Budget budget") before the election where we, the people, get lots of sweeteners so we forget everything that didn't go as planned in the last few years. This year, we're getting:

Stamp Duty reform - will be made more progressive, rather than the current bonkers system. The Daily Mail has just run a headline saying this will be "a kick in the guts" to estate agents and the mega-rich homeowners. Those poor babies

£5 billion worth of taxes from easy villains like banks and megacorps - the centrepiece is a 25% tax on profits from tax-avoiders, in what is being called a "Google Tax", but might more approproiately be called a "F*** you, Google" Tax.

£2 billion injected into NHS (The health service has recently requested £8 billion though)

Review on the (admittedly very odd) business rates system (a property tax that only applies to non-domestic property) in a desperate (and fruitless) attempt to save the High Street from the internet.

Rise in the highest threshold of income tax

Fuel duty freeze

Investment to create a "Northern powerhouse"

VAT knocked on a few things like air ambulances

And we're going to MARS!!!


In less fun Autumn Statement news, Osborne conveniently hid the stinger in the report. Overall public spending still was too high, and thus 60% of his planned austerity measures would have to be saved for next parliament in order to achieve a balanced budget by the end of the decade.

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The idea that the Osborne is able to cut public spending to 1930's levels, in an environment with far less working-aged people, while simultaneously cutting immigration as the Tory right are demanding, seems somewhat insane.

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PR stunt for the bookies. I highly doubt Elizabeth II - a women who views her role with almost comic duty - would want to follow the footsteps of such a brilliant role-model as, err, Edward VIII.

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PR stunt for the bookies. I highly doubt Elizabeth II - a women who views her role with almost comic duty - would want to follow the footsteps of such a brilliant role-model as, err, Edward VIII.

It could be health reasons the pubic doesn't know about.

The precedent if the monarch has health issues is for a regent to be appointed. I guess we could break with that tradition, but knowing the Windsor family I doubt it.

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new era of localism

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Leon Brittan, former Home Secretary under Thatcher, dies.

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Support for Welsh independence at recent high...

#neverletthedreamdie

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Even if I supported the monarchy, I could never support the dirge that is currently our national anthem. There's only one good part and that is the instrumental crescendo before 'send her victorious'. Otherwise it's dreck even worse than that dreary Scottish tune.

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From what I hear in some trans groups, some people find the idea of drag offensive as it paints the idea that all transgendered people are drag queens, and it confuses the public.

I think some feminist second-wave throwbacks often are angry at drag for denigrating the holy sanctity of the female form, or something like that (second-wave fans are fairly demented)

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Yeah it's in discussions like that the absurdity of much sjw juggling comes through

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Anyone watching this hammy Coalition TV drama on C4? There was just a spectacular scene that almost made me feel sorry for DCam

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Imao