Stop voting for fucking Tories

[Lobby]

The "invasion" has certainly done a beautiful job of distracting away from all the shit.

And all this despite the very inconvenient truth, that numbers are nowhere near as high as the scare-mongers claim

The UK receives far fewer asylum applications per capita than other European countries

...The UK received eight asylum applicants for every 10,000 people across the country in 2020/21, the figures show. This compared with just under 23 for Germany and just under 18 in France. Cyprus received 153 applicants for every 10,000 people in the country, the highest among 32 European countries...

...The significant and highly visible trend that has become central to current political debate is the rise in small boat arrivals. Almost 40,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2022, according to government data – the highest number since figures were first gathered in 2018. In 2021, the total was 28,526 people, while in 2020 it was 8,404.

Nearly all of those arriving by small boats claim asylum, according to the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence.

The top five nationalities entering by small boat in the first quarter of 2022 were Afghan, Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian and Eritrean, all of whom have very high chances of being granted asylum....

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... are_btn_tw

I imagine it's also quite hard to arrive in Germany in a small boat, unless you are sailing up the Danube.

[dpedin]

Despite all the noise about Albanians the UK only approved 1/3 of applications from this group of asylum seekers between 2017-2019. Current info is not available as there is a huge backlog of initial applications with over 100,000 in a queue, over 60,000 are over 6 months old. As Starmer rightfully pointed out currently only 6% of initial asylum claims were dealt with within 6 months of being made. Also remember that many appeals are successful so the figures are even more difficult to assess.

For some good reliable info about migration see:

https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/r ... uk-asylum/

[Paddington Bear]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

[fishfoodie]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

Meanwhile you've an aircraft carrier you paid billions for, up on bricks. The spending priorities are fucked.

[Hal Jordan]

The "invasion" has certainly done a beautiful job of distracting away from all the shit.

They'll be hoisted by their own petard though. They can't and won't stop it without closer cooperation with France and safe asylum routes - neither of which are palatable to the opinion setting ghouls in the redtops. This issue will destroy Braverman as it did Patel who was just as committed to ending it.

It's actually very stupid politics.

But it satisfies a certain section of the voting public, who the Tories need to have any hope of retaining power (apart from all the voter disenfranchisement they are merrily carrying on with).

[Paddington Bear]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

Meanwhile you've an aircraft carrier you paid billions for, up on bricks. The spending priorities are fucked.

Ship needs maintenance shocker.
None of this is about priorities, it is a Treasury addiction to squeezing capital spending until the pips squeak.

[Paddington Bear]

The "invasion" has certainly done a beautiful job of distracting away from all the shit.

They'll be hoisted by their own petard though. They can't and won't stop it without closer cooperation with France and safe asylum routes - neither of which are palatable to the opinion setting ghouls in the redtops. This issue will destroy Braverman as it did Patel who was just as committed to ending it.

It's actually very stupid politics.

But it satisfies a certain section of the voting public, who the Tories need to have any hope of retaining power (apart from all the voter disenfranchisement they are merrily carrying on with).

Not sure this is true, approval of their immigration policy is running at 6%. If you want to talk about an invasion etc then you need immigration to be low or none and have a clear handle on it, rather than net migration being at 1 million and the asylum system breaking down. If you want liberal votes you need to not sound cruel whilst doing so. They're failing on both ends

[fishfoodie]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

Meanwhile you've an aircraft carrier you paid billions for, up on bricks. The spending priorities are fucked.

Ship needs maintenance shocker.
None of this is about priorities, it is a Treasury addiction to squeezing capital spending until the pips squeak.

They don't usually need maintenance after having travelled less miles than the Isle of White ferry though


... and it's not just maintenance, it sounds like one entire drive train needs to be replaced

[C69]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

Wtf is this we shit?
This is the same Government that you voted for and have been in power for 12 years.
They own it, they own the Police failures, the NHS crisis, the massive immigration and the channel crisis, and they own the cost of living crisis and the massive increases in Interest rates and mortgage payments that people will be having for years.
They have driven us into the deepest recession for decades

I am not part of this "we" ffs. Have a look at yourself ffs. If you are going to blame anyone, get the mirror out.

[Paddington Bear]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

Wtf is this we shit?
This is the same Government that you voted for and have been in power for 12 years.
They own it, they own the Police failures, the NHS crisis, the massive immigration and the channel crisis, and they own the cost of living crisis and the massive increases in Interest rates and mortgage payments that people will be having for years.
They have driven us into the deepest recession for decades

I am not part of this "we" ffs. Have a look at yourself ffs. If you are going to blame anyone, get the mirror out.

Addressing what I actually wrote, failing to invest properly in nuclear power and rail infrastructure is not unique to Sunak or the Conservative Party and has typified the British State since the 90s at least.

[I like neeps]

The "invasion" has certainly done a beautiful job of distracting away from all the shit.

They'll be hoisted by their own petard though. They can't and won't stop it without closer cooperation with France and safe asylum routes - neither of which are palatable to the opinion setting ghouls in the redtops. This issue will destroy Braverman as it did Patel who was just as committed to ending it.

It's actually very stupid politics.

But it satisfies a certain section of the voting public, who the Tories need to have any hope of retaining power (apart from all the voter disenfranchisement they are merrily carrying on with).

But it doesn't because they get very angry that it doesn't get fixed! See Patel's high favourably decline and decline when people lost faith that she would make beaches in Kent look like German fortifications of Omaha Beach.

[SaintK]

That nice Gavin Williamson could be in a spot of bother...........hopefully!

Wendy Morton, chief whip under Liz Truss, has submitted the complaint about "vile and threatening messages" sent over the course of many weeks.

[Lobby]

That nice Gavin Williamson could be in a spot of bother...........hopefully!

Wendy Morton, chief whip under Liz Truss, has submitted the complaint about "vile and threatening messages" sent over the course of many weeks.

Even the Tories hate Gavin Williamson

[dpedin]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

Wtf is this we shit?
This is the same Government that you voted for and have been in power for 12 years.
They own it, they own the Police failures, the NHS crisis, the massive immigration and the channel crisis, and they own the cost of living crisis and the massive increases in Interest rates and mortgage payments that people will be having for years.
They have driven us into the deepest recession for decades

I am not part of this "we" ffs. Have a look at yourself ffs. If you are going to blame anyone, get the mirror out.

Addressing what I actually wrote, failing to invest properly in nuclear power and rail infrastructure is not unique to Sunak or the Conservative Party and has typified the British State since the 90s at least.

Tories need to get this next budget/not the budget/fiscal event right or else all hell will be let loose. Surely they need to recognise they need:

- to get as much money as possible into the hands of the poor/lower end of the earnings bands as this group spend the cash in local economies and keep them going
- this means increasing benefits - UC, disability payments and pensions - in line with inflation
- maintain infrastructure spending to keep employment going
- tax the medium to well off and extend tax into unearned income ie dividends, etc,
- get rid of non-dom status and other tax loopholes to increase tax take
- hit the oil and gas companies and banks with a proper windfall tax (get rid of this loophole of setting it off against investment)
- dump the while idea of 'investment zones' as they will cost tax revenues and bring in unwanted deregulations ie employment and environmental
- rejoin the single market & customs union to boost growth and reduce trade barriers with our largest and closest market ... and thus
- increase the available workforce by increasing inward migration
- push to reduce interest rates (I know this is the BoE responsibility) as soon as possible as inflation works it way out of the system in mid 2023.

We need a 'trickle up' economic model in place and if this needs higher taxes in the short/medium term then so be it. However much of this is a complete anathema to the right wing of the Tory party so we either have sensible economics or else a self imposed death wish - I suspect we might get the latter!

[Insane_Homer]

[Biffer]

Wtf is this we shit?
This is the same Government that you voted for and have been in power for 12 years.
They own it, they own the Police failures, the NHS crisis, the massive immigration and the channel crisis, and they own the cost of living crisis and the massive increases in Interest rates and mortgage payments that people will be having for years.
They have driven us into the deepest recession for decades

I am not part of this "we" ffs. Have a look at yourself ffs. If you are going to blame anyone, get the mirror out.

Addressing what I actually wrote, failing to invest properly in nuclear power and rail infrastructure is not unique to Sunak or the Conservative Party and has typified the British State since the 90s at least.

Tories need to get this next budget/not the budget/fiscal event right or else all hell will be let loose. Surely they need to recognise they need:

- to get as much money as possible into the hands of the poor/lower end of the earnings bands as this group spend the cash in local economies and keep them going
- this means increasing benefits - UC, disability payments and pensions - in line with inflation
- maintain infrastructure spending to keep employment going
- tax the medium to well off and extend tax into unearned income ie dividends, etc,
- get rid of non-dom status and other tax loopholes to increase tax take
- hit the oil and gas companies and banks with a proper windfall tax (get rid of this loophole of setting it off against investment)
- dump the while idea of 'investment zones' as they will cost tax revenues and bring in unwanted deregulations ie employment and environmental
- rejoin the single market & customs union to boost growth and reduce trade barriers with our largest and closest market ... and thus
- increase the available workforce by increasing inward migration
- push to reduce interest rates (I know this is the BoE responsibility) as soon as possible as inflation works it way out of the system in mid 2023.

We need a 'trickle up' economic model in place and if this needs higher taxes in the short/medium term then so be it. However much of this is a complete anathema to the right wing of the Tory party so we either have sensible economics or else a self imposed death wish - I suspect we might get the latter!

I reckon they’ll do about a third of that.

They don’t accept the first point about spending in lower income tiers. They’re wrong, but they don’t accept it.
Infrastructure spending will be cut / delayed. Moronic as that is a reduction in GDP for no gain, but there you go.
Most we can hope for in tax increase is that they’ll freeze the bands, which I think they will. I think they’ll also dip a toe into taxing unearned income properly, but no more than that.
Windfall tax will be extended, that’s a populist move as well as actually being the right one. Doesn’t restructure the way oil and gas are taxed though which is what’s needed.
They won’t drop investment zones, gives the libertarians and brexiters some raw meat to gnash on
No chance they’ll rejoin the SM
Probably will surreptitiously increase immigration

[SaintK]

..............and in other news, bears shit in the woods!

[tabascoboy]

Pfft, nothing but a bizarre set of coincidences #ToryHQ

[PornDog]

Is that a misprint? Surely must be £100M? A £100k contract does not leave a lot of room for high level corruption. Certainly there are ethical questions to be asked, but that's a pretty miniscule amount all things being considered.

[Biffer]

Sunak’s wife is taking £11.5 million a year from a company that still operates its Moscow office despite promising to close it.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... hata-murty

[Hal Jordan]

Police confirm that the migrant centre firebomber was motivated by lone wolf tactics. Sorry, right wing ideology.

[C69]

Police confirm that the migrant centre firebomber was motivated by lone wolf tactics. Sorry, right wing ideology.

That will stop the invaders

[Hal Jordan]

In vaguely positive move, the Tufton Street mob in the form of the Restore Trust twunts looking to get on the board of the National Trust to save us from wokery and politely suggesting these enormous country piles might just have been built with shady money have been given short shrift at the AGM.

No doubt they'll be back next time to have another go at proving the maximum that malevolent arseholes only need to win once.

[fishfoodie]

Fireplace salesman is fucked !

[Line6 HXFX]

The tory immigration policy (sorry tactic) seems to be lifted straight from Trump and his pals (Stephen Miller) Mexican border policy.
Everything about it seems mirrored, from the media drive, language, the criminal gang element, cruelty, castigatibg legal asylum seekers as illegal.

It is jarring that we are living through this stuff in our country.


Honestly thought we were better than Stephen fucking Miller, and our media was better than Tucker fucking Carlson.


On the upside, Biden seemed to have sorted it all out in a matter of weeks.
We can just ask him.
Amazing what you can do when you want to do something.

This video moved me last night. When satire just collapses and even comediens cannot handle it anymore.

[media] [/media]

[dpedin]

The tory immigration policy (sorry tactic) seems to be lifted straight from Trump and his pals (Stephen Miller) Mexican border policy.
Everything about it seems mirrored, from the media drive, language, the criminal gang element, cruelty, castigatibg legal asylum seekers as illegal.

It is jarring that we are living through this stuff in our country.


Honestly thought we were better than Stephen fucking Miller, and our media was better than Tucker fucking Carlson.


On the upside, Biden seemed to have sorted it all out in a matter of weeks.
We can just ask him.
Amazing what you can do when you want to do something.

This video moved me last night. When satire just collapses and even comediens cannot handle it anymore.

[media] [/media]

Couldn't agree more mate! This whole sorry immigration dabble is making me angry, very angry. I honestly thought we were better than this as a country but I have been sadly proven wrong. Brexit provided a focal point for this whole racist, xenophobic behaviour and gave it a vehicle to come out into the open and almost become acceptable in the eyes of many. Farage must be wetting his pants at all this, meanwhile the country slides down a slippery slope just like the US did under Trump. We have not so much shot ourselves in the foot as unloaded both barrels straight into our face and still argue we did it because we enjoy the smell of cordite! Feckin unbelievable!

[fishfoodie]

Well known liar keeps lying !

[sockwithaticket]

Well known liar keeps lying !

Even if the bullshit excuse is true, ok, so in the heat of the moment he's unable to control himself and is compelled to type out abuse to people? Sounds entirely unsuitable for any position where he has to interact with others.

[fishfoodie]

Well known liar keeps lying !

Even if the bullshit excuse is true, ok, so in the heat of the moment he's unable to control himself and is compelled to type out abuse to people? Sounds entirely unsuitable for any position where he has to interact with others.

Of course ! He's just trying to reduce the offence down to being a dick, from systematic harrasment, & bullying.

Presumbly the former is survivable, while the latter ain't.

[C69]

LKs interview with Dowden today was as usual a disgrace, her and Fiona Bruce are wholly invested to the right.
Dowden was allowed to obfuscate and ignore questions.
LK was appalling and shouldn't be anywhere near a top political pundits job. She was known to be a big pal of Boris and her tone of towards and interrogation of non Tories is quite starkly overt. She is so establishment it is drips from her.
AM was so much better.

[fishfoodie]

[petej]

Rumours that both Sizewell and a lot of the rail improvements in the north are going to be scrapped now that we have a grown up sensible government again.

We are absolutely addicted to making ourselves poorer

Wtf is this we shit?
This is the same Government that you voted for and have been in power for 12 years.
They own it, they own the Police failures, the NHS crisis, the massive immigration and the channel crisis, and they own the cost of living crisis and the massive increases in Interest rates and mortgage payments that people will be having for years.
They have driven us into the deepest recession for decades

I am not part of this "we" ffs. Have a look at yourself ffs. If you are going to blame anyone, get the mirror out.

Addressing what I actually wrote, failing to invest properly in nuclear power and rail infrastructure is not unique to Sunak or the Conservative Party and has typified the British State since the 90s at least.

I think we've been over this before. Blair and his lot did restart up and start a lot of this. It is pretty much unique to Tory party at this point when you look at policy, particularly energy policy. I didn't like the way Blair funded stuff (pfi). Also due to life of existing nuclear plants the need to actually start building wasn't until very much the end of new labour.

[fishfoodie]

So he knew about the complaint, but didn't seek any further information, & deliberately decided not to, but instead just appointed him to his Cabinet ?

And now that he does know the content, he's decided that they are, "unacceptable".

Does he think taking such a cavalier attitude to important decisions is the hallmark of good Leaders ?

Was his lack of curiosity down to the fact that Williamson was a well known collector of blackmail material against colleagues ?

The prime minister believes expletive-laden text messages sent by Sir Gavin Williamson to a colleague are "unacceptable", No 10 has said.

A series of messages sent by Sir Gavin to ex-chief whip Wendy Morton were published on Sunday.

Downing Street confirmed the prime minister knew about a complaint against Sir Gavin before appointing him to cabinet, but had not seen the messages.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63530070

[tabascoboy]

Good, a pointless vanity project scrapped.

UK drops plans for £250m national flagship yacht

Plans for a national flagship yacht to promote the UK abroad have been shelved, the defence secretary has announced.

Ben Wallace told MPs a competition to build the vessel, estimated to cost up to £250m, had been terminated. The ship was commissioned by former PM Boris Johnson last year to host trade fairs and diplomatic events.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63547568

[Biffer]

Good, a pointless vanity project scrapped.

UK drops plans for £250m national flagship yacht

Plans for a national flagship yacht to promote the UK abroad have been shelved, the defence secretary has announced.

Ben Wallace told MPs a competition to build the vessel, estimated to cost up to £250m, had been terminated. The ship was commissioned by former PM Boris Johnson last year to host trade fairs and diplomatic events.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63547568

Indeed. A fuckingboutrageous waste of money.

[Slick]

So he knew about the complaint, but didn't seek any further information, & deliberately decided not to, but instead just appointed him to his Cabinet ?

And now that he does know the content, he's decided that they are, "unacceptable".

Does he think taking such a cavalier attitude to important decisions is the hallmark of good Leaders ?

Was his lack of curiosity down to the fact that Williamson was a well known collector of blackmail material against colleagues ?

The prime minister believes expletive-laden text messages sent by Sir Gavin Williamson to a colleague are "unacceptable", No 10 has said.

A series of messages sent by Sir Gavin to ex-chief whip Wendy Morton were published on Sunday.

Downing Street confirmed the prime minister knew about a complaint against Sir Gavin before appointing him to cabinet, but had not seen the messages.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63530070

It's absolutely inconceivable that he would be told about the messages but not the content. Even an idiot, and I don't think he is one, would ask that as a first question.

[Biffer]

Why do the English keep voting Tory? Are they really that fucking stupid?

I know the two automatic answers -

1. It’s the media! But we get most of the same media and we don’t vote for them. And if that’s your excuse you’re just saying the entire country is gullible and unable to actually discern truth from bullshit.

2. But Labour are rubbish! But the Tories aren’t any better. Particularly recently. And that suggests they’d rather vote for people who rip them off and neglect them but who are a bit more competent - even though they’ll use that competence to make their lives worse.

Both of these answers just suggest the entire country is fucking stupid.

[SaintK]

Good, a pointless vanity project scrapped.

UK drops plans for £250m national flagship yacht

Plans for a national flagship yacht to promote the UK abroad have been shelved, the defence secretary has announced.

Ben Wallace told MPs a competition to build the vessel, estimated to cost up to £250m, had been terminated. The ship was commissioned by former PM Boris Johnson last year to host trade fairs and diplomatic events.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63547568

If you add up all Johnson's vanity projects that have not got off the ground, he's spaffed over £50m of tax payers money.!!!

[Tichtheid]

Why do the English keep voting Tory? Are they really that fucking stupid?

I know the two automatic answers -

1. It’s the media! But we get most of the same media and we don’t vote for them. And if that’s your excuse you’re just saying the entire country is gullible and unable to actually discern truth from bullshit.

2. But Labour are rubbish! But the Tories aren’t any better. Particularly recently. And that suggests they’d rather vote for people who rip them off and neglect them but who are a bit more competent - even though they’ll use that competence to make their lives worse.

Both of these answers just suggest the entire country is fucking stupid.

To be fair it's mainly rural England, and we have our share of rural eedjits across the Borders and in Grampian too - what is it they say? Normal for Norfolk, or Normal for Hawick maybe.

Down here I'm in the one Green constituency in the UK, with a couple of red seats either side in the same city, the English Channel to the south and in every other direction a sea of forelock-tugging idiocy.

[tabascoboy]

Why do the English keep voting Tory? Are they really that fucking stupid?

I know the two automatic answers -

1. It’s the media! But we get most of the same media and we don’t vote for them. And if that’s your excuse you’re just saying the entire country is gullible and unable to actually discern truth from bullshit.

2. But Labour are rubbish! But the Tories aren’t any better. Particularly recently. And that suggests they’d rather vote for people who rip them off and neglect them but who are a bit more competent - even though they’ll use that competence to make their lives worse.

Both of these answers just suggest the entire country is fucking stupid.

As a non Tory voter, can't really answer that - but seems that many are content to express their discontent/protest solely through local/county elections. For example my ward and those around have changed from Tory to Green or Lib Dem but you can bet that in a parliamentary election the borough will have a decisive Tory majority just as it always has regardless of the local elections that may have only been 1 year earlier.

My guess that the No 1 reason would be "They bring economic and political stability" - which has clearly been shown to be nonsense this year!