UK General Discussion Thread: mayy lmao

[YL]

Corbyn wouldn't authorise use of British nuclear weapons

Given Corbyn's well known views on nuclear weapons, it would have been more noteworthy if he'd said he would be prepared to use them.  Sometimes he can't win...

[Barnes]

Denis Healey has died today, aged 98. Rest in peace to a great Labour man.

Incidentally, Healey was the last surviving member of the 1964 Labour Cabinet.

[Phony Moderate]

RIP, very good innings that too. I wonder what he made of recent events in the party.

[Phony Moderate]

Incidentally, Healey was the last surviving member of the 1964 Labour Cabinet.

He also must be the last major connection to the Gaitskell era, having held the role of Shadow Foreign Secretary from 1959-1961.

[Silent Hunter]

Rest in Peace; a major figure in the party and one that should have been Leader.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sad news, but a long life well lived. RIP.

[Phony Moderate]

Rumours swirling that a high-profile Labour figure is about to resign from the party.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Lord Adonis apparently. Interesting definition of 'high profile'.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

He never really seemed entirely in the party to begin with, tbh. Apparently he's joining some sort of Osborne commission on infrastructure (which to be fair to him, is his talent).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

For those who like electoral trivia (i.e. everyone here), Healey's electoral record in terms of percentage majorities:

Pudsey & Otley 1945 (defeated) - lost by 3.2%
Leeds South East (by-election) 1952 - 26.4%
Leeds East 1955 - 10.5
Leeds East 1959 - 9.1
Leeds East 1964 - 15.7
Leeds East 1966 - 23.1
Leeds East 1970 - 15.3
Leeds East 1974 - 20.8
Leeds East 1974 - 27.7
Leeds East 1979 - 22.2
Leeds East 1983 - 14.5
Leeds East 1987 - 22.2

[ChrisDR68]

Saw his last interview on Newsnight yesterday evening that was shot a few weeks ago.

Asked if he thought he'd go into politics now if he was a young man he said no he wouldn't. His reason was that he thought there was a class war going when he entered politics and these days it's all but gone.

I thought that was a strange reason given that the idea that there was indeed a class war going on in the 1920's and 1930's is a controversial one.

The Conservatives would never have won a general election since universal suffrage was adopted had they not had a sizeable working class vote after all.

Having said that had he won the Labour leadership in 1980 I think the party would have been far more competitive in the 1983 general election and had Thatcher still won it her government would have had a much smaller majority and may have been unable to privatise most of the things they privatised in the 1983-87 parliament.

[Phony Moderate]

He even dropped an F-bomb during it.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Some vintage Healy in pretty standard 90's British TV.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V4LwJW909l8&ebc=ANyPxKqZAZypKX9yqCikvxXVb89E80SJcsiSPmKoBh55tw4ZDIRQ0DKp6nGNKwu2CvvE6_4_td20bNnbBCmDcFAtxPz7GTV1QQ

[afleitch]

Cameron just made a very bold pitch for the centre ground.

[Phony Moderate]

He's not going to stand down in this parliament.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I see that the Conservatives are now in favour of wind power.

[afleitch]

I see that the Conservatives are now in favour of wind power.

While Labour try to generate energy from old fossils...

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Jesus, the Welsh Tory leader is terrifying.

[YL]

Cameron just made a very bold pitch for the centre ground.

I'll believe it when I see it, especially with a man with a record like Cameron's when it comes to this sort of thing (<cough> greenest government ever <cough>).  Look at the actual policies: a vicious anti-union bill, the tax credits cuts (look at the actual figures on the effects, not the Tory spin), etc.   And look at Theresa May...

Corbyn is closer to the centre ground than this lot.

[Hnv1]

Cameron just made a very bold pitch for the centre ground.

Sounded very Nick Cleggish.

Any contender bar for Osborne and lazy mayor tossser for the premiership after pigshagger goes?

[Phony Moderate]

Cameron just made a very bold pitch for the centre ground.

Sounded very Nick Cleggish.

Any contender bar for Osborne and lazy mayor tossser for the premiership after pigshagger goes?

May, Javid and Morgan are other names that have been thrown around.

[afleitch]

This might not be a great time for the Nonce Finder in the press.

[Phony Moderate]

And another former Chancellor - Sir Geoffrey Howe - has died. He was 88. RIP.

Probably as important a political figure (for several reasons) as the one who passed away a week ago.

[Silent Hunter]

Indeed, the 'dead sheep' who brought down Thatcher.

Rest in Peace.

[YL]

Indeed, the 'dead sheep' who brought down Thatcher.

Rest in Peace.

That quote from his resignation speech, referring to Thatcher's approach to European negotiations:

You must be logged in to read this quote.