the snap general election thread

Moby

kabayiri wrote: »

Them's the rules.

You can't pick and choose your version of democracy retrospectively.

Don't like it? Push for a change.

We have absolutely no idea how the working relationship with the DUP will play out.

How can this Govmt be an honest broker between the DUP and Sinn Fein now?

Mistermeaner

Maybe Sinn Fein can send their MPs to Westminster and support the torriee in the same way; then things will be even

It's sinn Feins choice not to turn up

Anyone citing this arrangement as threatening peace in ni is actively trying to create division and instability.

Grievance hunting is so common nowadays

kabayiri

Moby wrote: »

How can this Govmt be an honest broker between the DUP and Sinn Fein now?

I'm sure there will be those in the government who have raised this very question.

I understand the technical reasons why Sinn Fein won't come to parliament, but surely we can find a way around those.

kabayiri

Joe_Horner wrote: »

By all means give meaningless answers to a snipped quote. What you may not see after so many years of the politics we've had is that life isn't about scoring quick points. It may look great on PMQ but it doesn't actually achieve anything unless you also address the issues.
...

I actually think we see more knee jerk politics, trying to score points.

Not less.

I was cynical about the Labour proposals for student fees, and I didn't trust the Tory switcharoo on the social care proposals.

I wonder whether the average English person has ignored the situation in NI for too long.

After listening to people talking about the place yesterday, it is definitely a place I want to visit now.

CKhalvashi

fun4everyone wrote: »

Westminster voting intention:
LAB: 45% (+5)
CON: 39% (-3)
LDEM: 7% (-)
UKIP: 3% (+1)
(via Survation / 10 Jun)
Changes with GE2017

Absolutley amazing. Also 150k new Labour party members in the past three days.

After a week of the creationist coalition of chaos it will be more like 50% :rotfl:

http://www.electionpolling.co.uk/swingometer/2017?CON=39&LAB=45&UKIP=3&LD=7&GRN=3.84

I feel a pretty swift motion of no confidence being plotted.

Sapphire wrote: »

I wasn't. Zac is the best MP by far I've ever had – in any area.

That invisible woman's husband actually worked for Heathrow, and she would be utterly useless at working to stop the expansion (despite, of course, stating that she would in the annoying copious campaign material), whereas Zac understands the environment and has worked effectively for environmental causes throughout his career.

And ever since I've lived in this area, I've noted the actual lies in the campaign literature of the liberal democrats – something my sister and b-i-l, who have lived in Richmond for much longer than I have here, also remark upon.

Have you forgotten the racist Mayoral campaign? You know, the one that even the Conservatives described as disgusting?

You can support expansion of an airport without breaking the Lib Dems views on it.

I support Sat 4 at Stansted where the remote stands are now, it doesn't mean I support a second runway and also doesn't mean I support a new terminal building.

Sustainable growth is good for everyone, where the plans for Heathrow currently cannot be seen to be sustainable at all.

gfplux

Enterprise_1701C wrote: »

So who here remembers the 70s when the unions destroyed so much industry.

We were the sick man of Europe, with constant impossible wage demands. Red Robbo helped bankrupt the car industry. Lightning strikes constantly closed ports damaging exports and damaging our food supply.

The miners strike was intended to stop collieries closing, in spite of the fact they were not profitable. They stopped any maintenance being carried out in the mines, so a lot of them became unusable as they were unsafe.

There was a lot of policies in the labour manifesto that I disagreed with, but the idea of unleashing the unions again is wrong and would totally destroy the country.

When the unions were designed to help there members they were a force for good, now they want to stop progress.

Closed shops should not be allowed, flying pickets are unfair, lightning strikes are very wrong, all these things would happen again at the drop of a pin, if someone smiled at the wrong colleague. Unions have to be subject to rules, they should not be allowed to bankrupt and industry because they think they deserve so much more pay than they really do.

I remember the 70's very clearly. I was in my 30's. Do you remember the 70's?????
This was just before we joined the EU and Britain was known as the poor man of Europe,
Thatcher destroyed the unions and changed the landscape of industrial relations. Parliament also passed laws that make your vision impossible.
Frankly to compare then with now is "interesting" BUT wrong.

However without unions we would still have oppressed workers, wages paid in company coin that could only be spent on company shops, and much more. We should be grateful and remember those who made great sacrifices for the worker.
That was then, now is now. The world has turned and those bad days on both sides will not return.
I don't ignore that some small key groups can still cause disruption Train drivers as an example) but the days of a General strike are well gone.

Joe_Horner

kabayiri wrote: »

After listening to people talking about the place yesterday, it is definitely a place I want to visit now.

Honestly, as someone who did a tour out there during the Troubles, if you'd like to visit I suggest you do it sooner rather than later.

My tour was relatively safe (tech so not on the streets) but one clear message I brought home was that we in the rest of the UK didn't see even a tenth of the activity that was going on there.

On local news - remember, this was before the internet spread things internationally - sectarian bombings and kneecappings by both sides was practically the normal business of the day.

Not sure I heard a single evening news broadcast out there that didn't have at least one "minor" act of violence or attempted violence. It really was daily life to the people of NI but the rest of the UK only heard about it when it was too high profile for them to ignore.

A hell of a lot of those ill feelings are still there, simmering under the surface, and it's incredibly irresponsible for the UK government to risk inflaming them.

kabayiri

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Honestly, as someone who did a tour out there during the Troubles, if you'd like to visit I suggest you do it sooner rather than later.
...

It's a shame because I am led to believe it is beautiful countryside there too.

If this whole election process could persuade both Sinn Fein and DUP to come and work within Westminster, that would be a good thing would it not?

gfplux

hallmark wrote: »

I said most, not all, and it's a fact. The DUP were the most Googled party yesterday.

I also Googled the DUP.
I knew there were two armed groups (and splinter groups) with two political wings. Frankly after the peace agreement these two unpleasant groups and their political beards had dropped of my radar.
After reacquainting myself (thank you Wikipedia) I am shocked the Conservative Unionist party would dream of linking up with the DUP. Shame on you Theresa May.

Joe_Horner

kabayiri wrote: »

It's a shame because I am led to believe it is beautiful countryside there too.

If this whole election process could persuade both Sinn Fein and DUP to come and work within Westminster, that would be a good thing would it not?

Yes, it is beautiful, and the ordinary people are some of the most warm and generous you're ever likely to meet. Most of them can even appreciate a good Mick & Paddy joke - has to be a good one, mind, and they won't spare you with the come-backs

As for Sinn Fein not taking their seats. Personally I do think that's a great shame, and that they lose a great opportunity to progress things for all in NI by doing so, but for now their position on that remains clear (and a hell of a lot more stable than Mayhem :rotfl: ) and we can't force political change on them any more than we've been able to in certain sandy places.

I do sincerely hope they'll eventually come round of their own volition though.