The Dictatorship of the Etonariat

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  • gurnemanz
    Full Member
    • Nov 2010
    • 7381

    The Tory Party can't be forgiven for what the referendum has done to our country. Whichever way the cards fall, we are all losers.

    Comment

    • teamsaint
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 25195

      Labour may have a leadership that is comfortable with leaving with a deal, but it is a remain party at heart, and that will end up being the more significant part of their stance. Remainers really ought to have no thought of doing anything other than voting labour in seats where it has the best chance of beating a tory, because that is the remainers’ best hope of either a soft brexit, or no brexit.

      Labour is going to have to box very clever as to the timing of the next election, but when it does happen, they still have a lot of cards to play, despite the poor poll showing at present.
      I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.

      I am not a number, I am a free man.

      Comment

      • Serial_Apologist
        Full Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 37595

        Originally posted by teamsaint View Post
        So, er, it seems as though Labour may refuse to vote for a GE, assuming they win the no deal bill vote.

        Which leaves things, if it were possible, even more confused.

        Doesn’t it?
        Well that wasn't left clear. I think Labour should say "bring it on" if Johnson is forced into an election. Given that no time will be left to re-negotiate May's agreement, in the context of announcing its programme to implement its new policies Labour would then host a new referendum on its 3 clearly argued options - backstop; no deal; remain. My betting is that based on the popularity of the new programme a majority would go for remain.

        Comment

        • Serial_Apologist
          Full Member
          • Dec 2010
          • 37595

          Originally posted by Richard Barrett View Post
          I would imagine that the thinking behind refusing to vote for an election on 14 October (which is what seems to be on offer) is that it would be preferable to let the 31 October deadline pass with no Brexit, watch the Tories tear themselves to pieces, and then win an election with a larger majority than might otherwise be the case. That's just a guess off the top of my head though; no doubt there are people who've thought this through more thoroughly and with more knowledge and insight than me. I very much hope we don't have to wait too long for an election though.
          Yes, that's possible.

          Comment

          • Serial_Apologist
            Full Member
            • Dec 2010
            • 37595

            Originally posted by teamsaint View Post
            Labour may have a leadership that is comfortable with leaving with a deal, but it is a remain party at heart, and that will end up being the more significant part of their stance. Remainers really ought to have no thought of doing anything other than voting labour in seats where it has the best chance of beating a tory, because that is the remainers’ best hope of either a soft brexit, or no brexit.

            Labour is going to have to box very clever as to the timing of the next election, but when it does happen, they still have a lot of cards to play, despite the poor poll showing at present.
            Such a position would be in line with my own that for all the rhetoric about economic and political sovereignty (which is becoming more and more threadbare with each passing day) remaining is the preferable option, given that at least some of the progressive legislation fought for over decades on workers rights and environmental protection are enshrined in EU law, not to mention obvious issues of transportation distances in our carbon footprint age, and the unlikelihood of gaining trading agreements outside the EU when most of these have already been mopped up by other powers that got in there earlier. As things are the LibDems and Scots Nats seem the only people still advocating reform of the EU.

            Comment

            • Serial_Apologist
              Full Member
              • Dec 2010
              • 37595

              By the way tonight's Channel 4 and 5 resortings to studio debates a la Questiontime with audience interjections, together with Paxman's programme asking what is wrong with today's politicians, were weak affairs that just illustrated the mainstream broadcasting media's complicity in the general public's ill-informed confusion over a lot more than Brexit. I'll try and be more specific tomorrow, having taken a few notes. Time to hit the sack!

              Comment

              • kernelbogey
                Full Member
                • Nov 2010
                • 5736

                Originally posted by gurnemanz View Post
                The Tory Party can't be forgiven for what the referendum has done to our country. Whichever way the cards fall, we are all losers.

                Comment

                • ahinton
                  Full Member
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 16122

                  Originally posted by gurnemanz View Post
                  The Tory Party can't be forgiven for what the referendum has done to our country. Whichever way the cards fall, we are all losers.
                  That's very true but extends to any General Election that might be called, for no party is likely to wione and I would be unsurprised if no two (or it might even need to be three) parties will be able to agree to form a coalition, so we will all lose also because UK will increasingly look to be ungovernable because its electorate cannot and/or will not give any party a mandate to govern.

                  Comment

                  • MrGongGong
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 18357

                    Originally posted by teamsaint View Post
                    Labour may have a leadership that is comfortable with leaving with a deal, but it is a remain party at heart, and that will end up being the more significant part of their stance. Remainers really ought to have no thought of doing anything other than voting labour in seats where it has the best chance of beating a tory, because that is the remainers’ best hope of either a soft brexit, or no brexit.

                    Labour is going to have to box very clever as to the timing of the next election, but when it does happen, they still have a lot of cards to play, despite the poor poll showing at present.
                    You must be joking
                    The Labour party is led by a lifetime opponent of the EU and is complicit in the whole mess by going along with it in the first place. Then, voting for it repeatedly.

                    Every Labour politician I hear on the radio starts off by saying "we need to respect the result of the referendum"
                    erm, no we don't, it was fundamentally flawed and dishonest and the role of REPRESENTATIVES is to represent not obey the whims of those who vote for them.
                    I also hear MPs saying that they have been "instructed" by the minority of the population who voted for it...

                    Furthermore a fantasy "soft Brexit" still means we lose our rights and freedoms for WHAT ?

                    The Labour party is part of the problem, trying to blame everything on the "evil Tories" is simply doing the whole "big boy did it and ran away" routine again.

                    Who we can actually vote FOR is anyones guess

                    Comment

                    • ahinton
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 16122

                      Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
                      You must be joking
                      The Labour party is led by a lifetime opponent of the EU and is complicit in the whole mess by going along with it in the first place. Then, voting for it repeatedly.

                      Every Labour politician I hear on the radio starts off by saying "we need to respect the result of the referendum"
                      erm, no we don't, it was fundamentally flawed and dishonest and the role of REPRESENTATIVES is to represent not obey the whims of those who vote for them.
                      I also hear MPs saying that they have been "instructed" by the minority of the population who voted for it...

                      Furthermore a fantasy "soft Brexit" still means we lose our rights and freedoms for WHAT ?

                      The Labour party is part of the problem, trying to blame everything on the "evil Tories" is simply doing the whole "big boy did it and ran away" routine again.

                      Who we can actually vote FOR is anyones guess
                      Indeed so but, if voting for any party results in no party achieving a majority, a GE will have produced nothing other than expense, heightened acrimony and the maintenance of a status quo without the status.

                      Comment

                      • Bryn
                        Banned
                        • Mar 2007
                        • 24688

                        Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
                        You must be joking
                        The Labour party is led by a lifetime opponent of the EU and is complicit in the whole mess by going along with it in the first place. Then, voting for it repeatedly.

                        Every Labour politician I hear on the radio starts off by saying "we need to respect the result of the referendum"
                        erm, no we don't, it was fundamentally flawed and dishonest and the role of REPRESENTATIVES is to represent not obey the whims of those who vote for them.
                        I also hear MPs saying that they have been "instructed" by the minority of the population who voted for it...

                        Furthermore a fantasy "soft Brexit" still means we lose our rights and freedoms for WHAT ?

                        The Labour party is part of the problem, trying to blame everything on the "evil Tories" is simply doing the whole "big boy did it and ran away" routine again.

                        Who we can actually vote FOR is anyones guess
                        Agreed in every particular. The only political organisation I ever actually joined (though even then, only for a couple of years or so, used to have a catchphrase, "Labour, Tory, two wings of a single bird of prey".

                        Comment

                        • MrGongGong
                          Full Member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 18357

                          Originally posted by ahinton View Post
                          Indeed so but, if voting for any party results in no party achieving a majority, a GE will have produced nothing other than expense, heightened acrimony and the maintenance of a status quo without the status.
                          Indeed
                          Though maybe a government that realises that it doesn't have a mandate to do anything that changes our international relationships would be a good start IMV

                          But, where I live, voting is a total waste of time.
                          I have only voted FOR a political party twice, having voted AGAINST many times.

                          Comment

                          • LMcD
                            Full Member
                            • Sep 2017
                            • 8409

                            Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
                            Indeed
                            Though maybe a government that realises that it doesn't have a mandate to do anything that changes our international relationships would be a good start IMV

                            But, where I live, voting is a total waste of time.
                            I have only voted FOR a political party twice, having voted AGAINST many times.


                            Same here, subject to replacing 'twice' with 'once' - and that was in a local council election. I'm tempted to decide to vote (subject to my choice not being racist, homophobic or whatever) on whichever candidate looks like coming last, which probably means the Green Party if they're fielding one.
                            Philip Hammond came as close as he probably ever will to incandescent fury in the 0810 interview on 'Today'.
                            I agree completely with gurnemanz about the baleful consequences of that damned referendum. Cameron was running scared of the Brexiteers and Johnson is doing the same.

                            Comment

                            • ahinton
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 16122

                              Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
                              Indeed
                              Though maybe a government that realises that it doesn't have a mandate to do anything that changes our international relationships would be a good start IMV]
                              But the point here is that, should a GE produce no party or coalition of parties with a mandate to govern, there will BE no such government will have to be held - and maybe another and another until such time as the deadlock can be broken.

                              Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
                              But, where I live, voting is a total waste of time.
                              Where I live, the Tory candidate's majority is lifted somewhat because some Labour supporters vote for him because of the high regard in which he is held as a constituency MP.

                              Comment

                              • ahinton
                                Full Member
                                • Nov 2010
                                • 16122

                                Originally posted by LMcD View Post
                                Philip Hammond came as close as he probably ever will to incandescent fury in the 0810 interview on 'Today'.
                                Indeed so; I listened to that myself and could not help but note that PH is not one customarily given to incandescent fury! I fear that he may be wrong on one thing, though and that is that, should the sacked Sonia Khan take her case to an employment tribunal, she would win it; she was not merely sacked but escorted from the building by armed police, which fact would in ordinary circumstances be expected to assist her case but, in this instance, I feel sure that the government would dictate to the employment tribunal that it must dismiss her case hands down and, should it fail to comply with such an order, it would take steps to dismiss that employment tribunal.

                                Comment

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