The Political Thread

[IndigoPrime]

No, this was directly out of the Trump playbook: grinning while a reporter is booed, waiting far too long to quieten the crowd, saying the reporter should be allowed to ask their question, and then allowing the entire debacle to repeat. I'm not saying Corbyn is Trump-like, but this episode was in the same territory, albeit at a much smaller – and more 'British' scale.

I've no idea what his answer was, but Labour so far have dodged that particular question like champion Dodgeball player Dodgy Dodge McDodgerson. Meanwhile, Labour activists continue to slam anyone asking the same question (including 'hilariously' getting Swinson's name wrong), while offering outright lies like how only the LOTO can form a government if the PM falls, and that other parties would be picking Labour's leader. (The confidence of the House can be held by any MP, and, indeed, any Lord. And there's nothing in law that states Corbyn could not continue as leader of the Labour party, planning the next GE, and defining policy, while someone else is temporary PM.)

[Leigh S]

I see what youre saying, though it isnt booing the journalist as such, but calls of "no", as in calling for Corbyn to resist what the Journalist proposes - I readily admit that you and others might see that as semantics - hesitating enough to let some awful woman drone on wasn't the best admittedly. still more interested in his answer.

Whether Corbyn is in the wrong in stating he should lead any interim Gvt or it is those calling for it not to be Corbyn is so chicken and egg that you could probably fuel a perpetual motion machine on the concept

[IndigoPrime]

I don't like Corbyn, but I don't think he's wrong. I also am furiously angry with Swinson's ridiculous red line, given that she should have taken a lesson from May. Where the wheels fall off for Corbyn is in Labour's ongoing ideological position, which appears to be "back us, or we'll ensure the country falls into the abyss".

Labour COULD have offered a cooperative temporary government. Instead, they want Labour alone, and for support from everyone else will ensure no-deal doesn't happen, and would offer a second referendum – albeit one they're now saying they'd be neutral on (as the government, which is fucking astonishing).

Corbyn COULD entertain the very real possibility that he doesn't in fact – and will not under this composition – command the confidence of the House. So what then? What would Labour do if a VONC passes, and there's no temporary government to guarantee no deal doesn't happen? We might not be able to do a GE fast enough, so that means no deal by default because, what, Corbyn couldn't hack the possibility of someone else being PM for a month or three? He needs to get over himself. He's not bigger than the country. No-one is.

Frankly, the fucking lot of them need hurling into the sea, with a few rare exceptions. (That all said, I'm not sure who should head up a temporary government as PM. Who would everyone get behind? Is there a Lord that everyone could be OK in getting behind? Or an independent like Heidi Allen?)

[Leigh S]

Aye, there's the crux.  I do think the worry in the idea of parachuting in a Ken Clarke or Harman or Heidi Allen is they are ardent remainers - the very stereotype of "liberal elite" that Brexiteers have told us are trying to undemocratically take their toy from them - how would Farage et al spin that? Corbyn may have frustratingly tried to play both sides by playing none, but that makes him more of a neutral figure than those proposed - Corbyn would argue he is trying to find a "third way" between disastrous Tory Brexit and "let's call the whole thing off" - that might indeed put him in a minority in Parliament, so it might be the only alternative palatable to Parliament is a "sensible Centrist".  But what kind of look is that outside of Westminster?

If Corbyn isnt going to get this coalition, maybe someone else should do it - why do they need to wait for him if he doesnt have the numbers?

Frankly, the fucking lot of them need hurling into the sea, with a few rare exceptions. (That all said, I'm not sure who should head up a temporary government as PM. Who would everyone get behind? Is there a Lord that everyone could be OK in getting behind? Or an independent like Heidi Allen?)

[IndigoPrime]

If Corbyn isnt going to get this coalition, maybe someone else should do it - why do they need to wait for him if he doesnt have the numbers?

Because if someone tries to circumvent Corbyn, a chunk of Labour will stomp off with their ball, leaving the numbers short.

[Professor Bear]

it isnt booing the journalist as such, but calls of "no"

It's perhaps germane that of the two kinds of attacks on journalists - physical assault and heckling - discussed in the last page or so of this thread, the one we ended up most invested in is the guy who got heckled.

[Professor Bear]

From the journalist in question (Andy Bell):

"2 points for me out of this 1) a partisan crowd's enthusiasm should not tip over into threat  (It didn't) 2) those on platform should make clear journalists must not be shouted down (they did)"

[IndigoPrime]

Ultimately, a lot of this comes down to Labour's shitty media training. Corbyn could and should have nixed this earlier, and not grinned like an idiot at his lot shouting down a journalist asking a perfectly reasonable question. Also, I'm very much aware that this kind of shit happens at Brexit and Conservative pressers, too. But I want Labour to be BETTER.

[Professor Bear]

I can't believe I missed the obvious "WOW those Corbyn people jumped all over that journalist like it was 2AM outside a pub" joke.

[Dandontdare]

At least we'll have bendy bananas.

Edit: which I meant to post in the politics thread.  Ah well.  It's here now.

I certainly agree that Johnson's career should have ended back in 1994, when he made up that myth!

Stewart Lee has been writing about BJ often in his Sunday column,, adding to his name each time - he now refers to him as "Boris Piccaninny Watermelon Letterbox Cake Bumboys Vampires Haircut Wall-Spaffer Spunk-Burster Fuck-Business Fuck-The-Families Get-Off-My-Fucking-Laptop Turds Johnson" - which come to think about it, is an easy way to fill up a 500 word column if you repeat the gag a few times! 

[JOE SOAP]

he now refers to him as "Boris Piccaninny Watermelon Letterbox Cake Bumboys Vampires Haircut Wall-Spaffer Spunk-Burster Fuck-Business Fuck-The-Families Get-Off-My-Fucking-Laptop Turds Johnson"

Classic

[TordelBack]

There have been very few human beings as relentlessly and pointedly funny as Stewart Lee.  There's your caretaker PM right there.

[Frank]

There have been very few human beings as relentlessly and pointedly funny as Stewart Lee.  There's your caretaker PM right there.

That'd be an entire decade of privately educated Prime Ministers, who were all at Oxford together*


* Which would mean the UK had been governed by Oxford graduates since 1979, with only the brief tenure of the unelected Brown (Edinburgh) and Major (Life) offering respite. May wasn't at Oxford at the same time as Cameron, Johnson and Lee, but she was there alongside Blair. If the IRA had really been trying to alter history, they'd have targeted Corpus Christi, not chip shops.

[Funt Solo]

I can only read that as either A) genuinely suggesting murder or B) making a joke about murder.  Either way, it's in poor taste. Any sentence that begins with "What the IRA should have done..." should trigger alarm bells in that part of one's mind that filters the output.  Do you have that?

[Frank]

I really like your posts, Funt, but part of your brain is missing. This keeps on happening to you.