The Political Thread

[Mikey]

...  the ultra righties on the Conservative side humiliated...

But they've brought in the DUP! Any more right and they'd be left!

I have to admit I'm finding a lot of the outrage about it (the DUP) quite funny. Maybe it's a defence mechanism, or maybe it's refreshing to see it's not just me who finds them repugnant. Hope it continues after this gubmint collapses but I doubt it!

[Goaty]

£140 millions spend on this election?

[JayzusB.Christ]

And the same again in autumn.

[Professor Bear]

I suspect there's no hurry for the Tories in their current form to go another round with Labour, especially while the UK media is desperately eating crow trying to claw back some credibility - the DUP/terrorist links alone in the wake of another terror attack would likely have journalists out for Tory blood.

[IndigoPrime]

I suspect we'll see most papers quietly ignore that particular elephant in the room. Along with the DUP's anti-science, homophobic, anti-abortion, pro-creationism, anti-public breast feeding (it's apparently "exhibitionism") stance.

People were concerned the Tories would become UKIP. It's worst. They've become the GOP. With luck, this is a step too far. Also, it's stupid. May had an ideal opportunity to detoxify the Tories and halt the Labour advance. Just say she's heard the result and the will of the people, etc., and will seek a more consensual approach to a few key policies, including Brexit. Cue: actual stability and leadership, a likely bounce in the polls, and Labour being stranded. Instead, we're now seeing Tories who warned against Corbyn's history doing the very things they claimed he might have done had he had the chance.

(I know it'll never happen, but I still wish Sinn Fein would say: "Fuck it. We know we never said we'd take our seats, but we'll make an exception." Kick the Tories and the DUP in the balls.)

[JayzusB.Christ]

This is not democracy.

[IndigoPrime]

It's disgusting. She's literally saying things about having to abide by the will of the people for a non-binding referendum a year ago, while ignoring the general election she called that happened this past week, which is apparently not the will of the people. (I trust people here saw one Tory arguing the voters had "got it wrong"? How fucking arrogant can you get? Hard to beat that, for sure.)

[JayzusB.Christ]

I would say her policies are being made out of desperation now.  I'm imagining her with Ian Curtis's voice in her head going 'Feel it closing in... feel it closing in...'

[TordelBack]

I suspect we'll see most papers quietly ignore that particular elephant in the room. Along with the DUP's anti-science, .
(I know it'll never happen, but I still wish Sinn Fein would say: "Fuck it. We know we never said we'd take our seats, but we'll make an exception." Kick the Tories and the DUP in the balls.)

I too would love to see that, for all that the less of either of those wanker-collectives I see in a position of power the happier I am. However, SF are smart politicians (although not smart enough to dump Adams in the south, apparently) and they have no mandate for this: if nationalists (and sane people) wanted to elect representatives to Westminster they would have voted SDLP.

I heard Tim Montgomerie still banging on about Corbyn's connections to the IRA... Is anyone in GB aware that there was a peace process, and most of the devolved assembly either have far closer links to terrorists or actually were terrorists (never mind former UK governments and collusion), as is the norm where a protracted civil war comes to an agreed conclusion?  Most notably those 'people' that now form of the Westminster government.

[IndigoPrime]

"Corbyn years ago had meetings with IRA!"
Like Thatcher.
"Yes, but CORBYN!"
Like Thatcher.
"And we could have had a COALITION OF CHAOS!"
Like the one we have, albeit with the SNP – who aren't fucking hideous – instead of the DUP.

And repeat until the heat death of the universe.

[Modern Panther]

"Corbyn spoke with terrorists" is the British equivelent of Trump supporters screeching "But Hilary's emails!" whenever their glorious leader does something horrific.  To some, it doesn't matter what May does, or how much she has to rely on religious fundamentalists to retain power.

Dr Paul Nuttal summed up the reasoning of the right in this country during the televised debate.  When challenged, just scream "you're friends with Hamas!" at the left winger with an actual plan to help the country.

[Tjm86]

I think it's been said before that political satire is struggling to keep up because political reality is currently playing out as satire.  How on earth do you write comedy about everything that is going on?  Prior to embarking on the most complex set of negotiations in the best part of half a century the Prime Minister throws an election she didn't need to.  She then goes on completely mess up her parliamentary majority through the most antagonistic campaign we've seen for years (which takes some doing).  To top it all off she then tries to form a partnership with an insignificant (to the rest of the UK) party who's leader is currently embroiled in a scandal about financial irregularity.  And she claims that her's is 'strong and stable' leadership? 

I mean, think about it.  Doesn't it read like the plot of a comedy along the lines of Yes Minister or The Thick of It?  Talk about life imitating art.  It would be funny if it wasn't for the potential consequences.    I know there were a lot of insanely pessimistic predictions during the referendum but they don't seem to have come close to reality.  At the risk of sticking my head above the parapet here, I'm almost inclined to think that Sharky is actually spot on in his analysis of government (please note the almost).  A Tory Government: for the person in your life you really hate!

[IndigoPrime]

It's funny reading Ian Dunt's posts on Twitter. His Brexit book was seen by some as the essential volume on the subject. In hindsight, it's a failure in some ways, because he didn't predict how absolutely useless in every way this government would be. (Right now, the UK's in a worse position than his predicted worst-case scenario.)

[Modern Panther]

"We need policies which look good, but don't actually cost anything"

"Umm...dog asbos, a national spare room database, and everyone has to carry a carrierbag."

[TordelBack]

I find myself reflecting that the last half-decent elected PM of the UK was John bloody Major.  And while that's really not saying much, at least he had the decency not to shore his government up with the Political Wing of the 17th Century (not mine, but very much my favourite description), prefering to expend political capital on the Good Friday Agreement that Blair would eventually take credit for.

I take it everyone has read this timely resurrection of a months-old story?