Britain's next leader

[Anchorman]

At last we have a leader who is committed to honouring the choice made by the people of this country.

Which country? This country - Scotland -last voted Tory majority in the days of MacMillan.
This country did not vote for May, nor did we have a chance to tell johnson where to go.
This country in common with Northern Ireland rejected leaving the EU.
This country has been ignored for too long.

[Maeght]

At last we have a leader who is committed to honouring the choice made by the people of this country.

No matter what.

[Alan Burns]

Which country? This country - Scotland -last voted Tory majority in the days of MacMillan.
This country did not vote for May, nor did we have a chance to tell johnson where to go.
This country in common with Northern Ireland rejected leaving the EU.
This country has been ignored for too long.

I appreciate your concerns for Scotland, but much of my concern goes to the poorest countries of this world who are forced to pay exorbitant tariffs to the EU in order to export their produce into Europe. 

[Anchorman]

I appreciate your concerns for Scotland, but much of my concern goes to the poorest countries of this world who are forced to pay exorbitant tariffs to the EU in order to export their produce into Europe. 

   


Agreed....but much of MY concern is based on the inhuman Westminster austerity policies which have led to a disasterous increase of suicides due to the infamous universal credit, and the distressing need for food banks, which are now, in many cases, struggling to meet the needs of those who have literally nothing.

[Gordon]

John Crace, in good form.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/24/boris-first-policy-unites-uk-by-blaming-half-the-country-for-our-problems

[Stranger]

I appreciate your concerns for Scotland, but much of my concern goes to the poorest countries of this world who are forced to pay exorbitant tariffs to the EU in order to export their produce into Europe.

So please explain how having, as you put it, "a leader who is committed to honouring the choice made by the people of this country", or more accurately, a lying narcissist who is committed to forcing through a kind of Brexit that bears no resemblance to anything mentioned during the referendum, almost certainly against the wishes of the majority of the country, inflicting extensive and totally unnecessary damage to the country, its standing in the world, and its economy, and losing all influence on the EU, is going to help these poorest countries? Do you really think Boris gives a flying fuck about them?

[Walter]

He has one principle which is 'I Love Me'.

which I'm guessing you can easily associate with !
Smh x

[Harrowby Hall]

So please explain how having, as you put it, "a leader who is committed to honouring the choice made by the people of this country", or more accurately, a lying narcissist who is committed to forcing through a kind of Brexit that bears no resemblance to anything mentioned during the referendum, almost certainly against the wishes of the majority of the country, inflicting extensive and totally unnecessary damage to the country, its standing in the world, and its economy, and losing all influence on the EU, is going to help these poorest countries? Do you really think Boris gives a flying fuck about them?

Ah, Boris. Our national hero.

Alexander Boris Piffle Johnson - demonstrating his completely open approach to the challenges ahead.  Always open - well, his mouth and his flies are ...

[Christine]

I appreciate your concerns for Scotland, but much of my concern goes to the poorest countries of this world who are forced to pay exorbitant tariffs to the EU in order to export their produce into Europe. 

Hi Alan.  It seems to me that you're applying the same intellectual rigour to your views on Brexit as you do to your religious beliefs.  I.e. none.  Do some research on the EU policy on tariffs relating to the world's poorest countries instead of swallowing liars' lies whole.  Given all the evidence of the lies told by Leavers over the last 3+ years, anyone with any sense would be double checking if one of them told you it was sunny today.

https://fullfact.org/europe/out-africa-facts-about-eu-tariffs-african-exports/ 

I'm thinking of placing a bet that we will still be in the EU on November 1st, as Alexander Johnson has stated so confidently that we will not. 



 

[SusanDoris]

Hi Alan.  It seems to me that you're applying the same intellectual rigour to your views on Brexit as you do to your religious beliefs.  I.e. none.  Do some research on the EU policy on tariffs relating to the world's poorest countries instead of swallowing liars' lies whole.  Given all the evidence of the lies told by Leavers over the last 3+ years, anyone with any sense would be double checking if one of them told you it was sunny today.

https://fullfact.org/europe/out-africa-facts-about-eu-tariffs-african-exports/ 

I'm thinking of placing a bet that we will still be in the EU on November 1st, as Alexander Johnson has stated so confidently that we will not. 



 

I hope you're right!! I don't like the sound of that Adviser Boris has appointed.

[Gordon]

John Crace yet again.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/25/dont-call-it-a-coup-youll-spoil-boris-johnsons-big-day-out

[jeremyp]

Which country? This country - Scotland -last voted Tory majority in the days of MacMillan.
This country did not vote for May, nor did we have a chance to tell johnson where to go.
This country in common with Northern Ireland rejected leaving the EU.
This country has been ignored for too long.

He means the UK.

Scotland did not reject leaving the EU. Scotland was not asked about leaving the EU. Neither were any of the other regions of the UK. The referendum was a referendum of the people of the UK. Each person had exactly one vote.

[jeremyp]

I appreciate your concerns for Scotland, but much of my concern goes to the poorest countries of this world who are forced to pay exorbitant tariffs to the EU in order to export their produce into Europe.

And you seriously think matters will improve with Britain not in the EU?

How do you think it will be better for these poor countries wit us not in the EU?

[ProfessorDavey]

He means the UK.

Scotland did not reject leaving the EU. Scotland was not asked about leaving the EU. Neither were any of the other regions of the UK. The referendum was a referendum of the people of the UK. Each person had exactly one vote.

Sadly Anchorman is unable to see anything other than through the narrow optic of petty nationalism.

[Anchorman]

Sadly Anchorman is unable to see anything other than through the narrow optic of petty nationalism.

     


The problem remains that Scotland, and, more to the point, Northern Ireland, are being ignored.
Westminster can ignore Scotland - they are experts at it - but they ignore the wishes of the majority in Northern Ireland at their - and our - peril.

[ProfessorDavey]

     


The problem remains that Scotland, and, more to the point, Northern Ireland, are being ignored.

You can't help yourself can you - you are unable to see things other than in the nationalistic terms of Scotland, NI and presumably England and Wales.

The area where I live voted very slightly more remain than Scotland - why aren't you claiming St Albans is being ignored. London voted heavily remain - surely London is being ignored just as much as Scotland, and there are considerably more people in the former than the latter.

The reality is that the wishes of 48% of the people who voted in the referendum are being ignored - but that is what happens in a democratic process.

Westminster can ignore Scotland - they are experts at it - but they ignore the wishes of the majority in Northern Ireland at their - and our - peril.

I agree on the latter point about NI, but not on nationalistic grounds. There are special obligations that the government has to the people living on the island of Ireland due to the Good Friday Agreement and nothing that the Government does in terms of brexit must limit those obligations because brexit does not and cannot trump the GFA.

[ProfessorDavey]

Which country? This country - Scotland -last voted Tory majority in the days of MacMillan.
This country did not vote for May, nor did we have a chance to tell johnson where to go.
This country in common with Northern Ireland rejected leaving the EU.
This country has been ignored for too long.

You could say the same about Liverpool or Manchester or Newcastle or East London.

Why is Scotland being ignored any more than those places?

[jeremyp]

     


The problem remains that Scotland, and, more to the point, Northern Ireland, are being ignored.

Lots of people are being ignored. People are screaming that Brexit is a terrible idea from all parts of the UK, not just Scotland. About one voter in three in Scotland voted for Brexit. When you say Scotland wants to stay in the EU, you whitewash a third of your voters out of existence.

Please stop making Brexit a petty Scottish independence issue.

[ProfessorDavey]

Lots of people are being ignored. People are screaming that Brexit is a terrible idea from all parts of the UK, not just Scotland. About one voter in three in Scotland voted for Brexit. When you say Scotland wants to stay in the EU, you whitewash a third of your voters out of existence.

Please stop making Brexit a petty Scottish independence issue.

Strange how petty nationalists think only of countries rather than people.

[Udayana]

This thing of ignoring the views of people on the losing side of a vote is profoundly undemocratic in any case.

Deliberately pissing them off as ippy suggested above is a clear path to collapse.

[Harrowby Hall]

This thing of ignoring the views of people on the losing side of a vote is profoundly undemocratic in any case.

Deliberately pissing them off as ippy suggested above is a clear path to collapse.

Essentially, the referendum was asking if people wanted to change from the status quo. Just over a third of the electorate chose this option.

Since, legally, the referendum was advisory not mandatory, which was the "losing" side?

[Anchorman]

Strange how petty nationalists think only of countries rather than people.

   


I'm thinking of both.
Both countries - Northern Ireland and Scotland -voted to remain.
Ignoring that fact, especially in the case of the former, may well have serious consequences.
I have a contact in the Corymeela Community - the Irish equivalent of the Iona community - a group dedicated to reconciliation and peaceful co-existance. They were background hosts to much of the groundwork which led to the Good Friday agreement.
They try to keep in contact with both sides of the sectarian divide, and I'm told that several republican elements outwith the control of Sinn Fein have gone very quiet since February.
When these particular elements 'go quiet' that means they stop attending reconciliation meetings and sever contacts with neutral liasons.
If Northern Ireland is pulled out of the EU against her will, you can bet whinging will be the least of her problems.
The situation as it exists at present is not perfect by any means, but it has, by and large, worked.
Change it and the balance will shift; other republican elements, at the moment content to lie low, will not wish to be seen as doing nothing while the 'extreme extremists' act.
Is this a price worth paying?

[Udayana]

Essentially, the referendum was asking if people wanted to change from the status quo. Just over a third of the electorate chose this option.

Since, legally, the referendum was advisory not mandatory, which was the "losing" side?

I liked this from elsewhere: "Boris became PM with 92k votes. Boaty McBoatface got 124k and was overruled for being a bloody stupid idea...."

[jeremyp]

   


I'm thinking of both.
Both countries - Northern Ireland and Scotland -voted to remain.

No. Countries didn’t vote. People voted. We all had exactly one vote each.

Ignoring that fact, especially in the case of the former, may well have serious consequences.
I have a contact in the Corymeela Community - the Irish equivalent of the Iona community - a group dedicated to reconciliation and peaceful co-existance. They were background hosts to much of the groundwork which led to the Good Friday agreement.
They try to keep in contact with both sides of the sectarian divide, and I'm told that several republican elements outwith the control of Sinn Fein have gone very quiet since February.
When these particular elements 'go quiet' that means they stop attending reconciliation meetings and sever contacts with neutral liasons.
If Northern Ireland is pulled out of the EU against her will, you can bet whinging will be the least of her problems.
The situation as it exists at present is not perfect by any means, but it has, by and large, worked.
Change it and the balance will shift; other republican elements, at the moment content to lie low, will not wish to be seen as doing nothing while the 'extreme extremists' act.
Is this a price worth paying?

So instead of trying to use Brexit as a wedge to break up the UK why not fight to stop it?

[jeremyp]

I liked this from elsewhere: "Boris became PM with 92k votes. Boaty McBoatface got 124k and was overruled for being a bloody stupid idea...."

Ok let’s compromise. From now on Boris is to be called Twatty McTwatface. Seems fair.