[TobyD]

It's quite clear that under Corbyn, racists felt perfectly comfortable in the Labour Party. It would do many posters on here to reflect upon why that is.

I'm extremely sceptical that Corbyn was so naive and innocent about the widespread abuse of Jewish Labour MPs; they tried repeatedly to get support from the leadership and were brushed off.  The abuse and threats they received are absolutely appalling.  The fact that Corbyn still clearly thinks hes the victim is disgusting and he deserves to be thrown out of the party just for that alone to be honest. 

[tomtom]

Meanwhile another U-turn as Boris funds a child welfare program after meeting Rashford (this is of course a good thing!)

It turns out Liz Truss’ super Japan trade deal has led to tariff reductions for four items. Of which the UK doesn’t export anyway.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-japan-trade-deal-liz-truss-exports-b1619263.html

Oh - and we’ve a week or two to get a EU trade deal. Let’s not think about how Biden will get on with BJ.

[nai]

Let’s not think about how Biden will get on with BJ.

About that:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mr-president-i-have-a-mr-johnson-on-the-line-will-you-accept-the-call-rg8mxsfhf

[ali k]

Meanwhile another U-turn as Boris funds a child welfare program after meeting Rashford

As one of those that voted against the Commons motion last month I wrote to my MP this morning asking how he was feeling today.

[Nigel]

Oh - and we’ve a week or two to get a EU trade deal. Let’s not think about how Biden will get on with BJ.

Which we probably will, now that Trump is gone the rug is pulled out from under no deal. That said he's still technically in office until Jan 2020 so there is still a window for shenanigans. But if as I suspect we do manage to get a deal, it will be the EU handing us a stack of paper with the instruction "sign here - sorry, there's no time for you to read it". I.e. it will be on EU terms and not favourable to the UK. Although of course there will be the usual theatre, hard deadlines which are passed then sorted a day later, and then the inevitable BJ spin that its a sweeping victory for team UK. Covid has masked the fact that all of Johnson's hard deadlines to the EU so far have passed without incident - he was obviously waiting to see which way the US election went. Given the Internal Market Bill's effects on Northern Ireland, Irish Catholic Democrat Biden was not Johnson's preferred choice.

Brexit has "reclaimed UK sovereignty", only to give it over to a few thousand swing voters in Pennsylvania. They in turn have handed it to Michel Barnier. Slow hand clap...

[Oldmanmatt]

Wow. Rumpelstiltskin has left the building!

Possibly just for an eye test, but hopefully for good.

Is this the death nell of the SPAD?

[tomtom]

Empty your desk Cummings

It’s fucking obvious what’s happened here.

He’s got a place on I’m a celebrity!!

[Mike Highbury]

Empty your desk Cummings

It’s fucking obvious what’s happened here.

He’s got a place on I’m a celebrity!!

Replacing Katya, surely.

[TobyD]

Oh - and we’ve a week or two to get a EU trade deal. Let’s not think about how Biden will get on with BJ.

Which we probably will, now that Trump is gone the rug is pulled out from under no deal. That said he's still technically in office until Jan 2020 so there is still a window for shenanigans. But if as I suspect we do manage to get a deal, it will be the EU handing us a stack of paper with the instruction "sign here - sorry, there's no time for you to read it". I.e. it will be on EU terms and not favourable to the UK.

Although this is a widespread opinion, I think that this is to underestimate Boris Johnson's enthusiasm for Euroscepticism, which is perhaps the only ideology which he possesses. I think that no deal is still pretty likely, in other words. Frost is also still negotiating, and he is very much willing to go for a no deal. I'd guess that any brake on this is likely to come from minister(s) terrified about the consequences of spiralling food prices and screwed up borders for months.

Frankly, would it not be cheaper to pay all fishermen fifty grand to keep quiet and just let the France and Spain have the rights anyway? After all they eat the majority of it while we import Norwegian cod, prawns from SE Asia etc and export most of our catch to the rest of Europe, as Brits just won't eat whelks or sardines or whatever.

I do wholly agree that if we get a deal it will be a) shit and b) hailed as a success by the government. Much like the last shit deal which was hailed as a success despite being a bit shitter than what Theresa May had got a few months earlier, which they thought was awful. If we don't get a deal, every other country will surely look at our 4 year debacle to agree anything with the EU and swiftly conclude that the UK is just too difficult to bother trying to negotiate with at all. What a great success Dominic Cummings has been for the UK, eh.

[tomtom]

Apparently Frost offered his resignation last week.

Throw that into the mix of why Cummings went/was fired.

[Oldmanmatt]

Apparently Frost offered his resignation last week.

Throw that into the mix of why Cummings went/was fired.

Aka:
Almost all of “Vote leave” has ducked out, just early enough to be able to avoid taking the blame for what happens in the spring.
Cummings isn’t dumb enough to brief against the PM accidentally.

[ali k]

Frankly, would it not be cheaper to pay all fishermen fifty grand to keep quiet and just let France and Spain have the rights anyway?

I was assuming this might be the tactic that the EU adopts to get Frost to buckle. Then BoJo gets to shout about how he saved the fishing industry at the same time as getting royally fucked for access to EU financial markets or other imposed tariffs.

[sdm]

Although this is a widespread opinion, I think that this is to underestimate Boris Johnson's enthusiasm for Euroscepticism, which is perhaps the only ideology which he possesses.

Johnson is not an ideological Eurosceptic. He was largely pro Europe until he spotted an opportunity to switch sides to suit his ambitions.

It's a marriage of convenience that he would drop in a flash if he thought it benefitted him.

[Oldmanmatt]

Although this is a widespread opinion, I think that this is to underestimate Boris Johnson's enthusiasm for Euroscepticism, which is perhaps the only ideology which he possesses.

Johnson is not an ideological Eurosceptic. He was largely pro Europe until he spotted an opportunity to switch sides to suit his ambitions.

It's a marriage of convenience that he would drop in a flash if he thought it benefitted him.

Much akin to his trousers...

[TobyD]

Although this is a widespread opinion, I think that this is to underestimate Boris Johnson's enthusiasm for Euroscepticism, which is perhaps the only ideology which he possesses.

Johnson is not an ideological Eurosceptic. He was largely pro Europe until he spotted an opportunity to switch sides to suit his ambitions.

It's a marriage of convenience that he would drop in a flash if he thought it benefitted him.

I really don't know about that.  He made a name for himself writing terrible  articles about Brussels and the EU as a journalist before he was sacked for making several of them up.
I suspect that this is one thing that he might believe in.  He might cave in on no deal if he thinks that it'll be an utter catastrophe though. Particularly with supplies of vaccine and essential medicines

[DAVETHOMAS90]

If only.

[tomtom]

Dominic Grieve on Boris and #10

Those of us who have watched him (Johnson) in action as a colleague over the years can appreciate the engaging optimism that forms the base of his success as a communicator. But behind this lies a vacuum of detail, industry and integrity. It is this vacuum that gets filled by chaos. Equally troubling is the tendency when facing hard choices to take refuge in Churchillian “heroics” that serve only his personal short-term needs and can be reckless as to consequences.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/16/dominic-cummings-no10-boris-johnson

[tomtom]

If only.

That C*nt doesn't deserve a click, post or any attention.

[Will Hunt]

If only.

That C*nt doesn't deserve a click, post or any attention.

I occasionally listen to him to see what he's up to. I watched this video and it's striking that he doesn't actually say why he thinks Brexit is in danger. He points out that a couple of people have left number 10 (but claims most of Cummings' slogan master strokes as his own  ) but doesn't say what policy change that will precipitate which will in turn imperil the great project. Is it an extension to the transition period, is it a bad deal with the EU, is it No Deal?
He does foretell that Brexit will be put in danger and bets the viewer that his prophecy will come to pass, which is so obviously a fait accompli because WHATEVER happens in the next few months he will say that it is not a True Brexit. The rest of the time he spends trotting out the same anti establishment rhetoric he's peddled for years, but with no real thrust to it.

I know this isn't new, but it's really disappointing how people lap this stuff up with no critical thought.

[JohnM]

So now Boris Johnson has to self-isolate for 2 weeks. The papers/BBC etc are mainly saying that this is a bad situation for him as he wanted to now portray a more ordered government ready to start afresh after the reason departures. The way I see it is that it is just a way for him to avoid parliamentary scrutiny for a while after the recent departures, potential new reshuffle and questions on anything from how the Brexit deal is coming along and what the government are planning to do on the 2nd December (he will miss two Prime Ministers questions - unless they link him up via Zoom or whatever which according to Jacob Ress-Mogg is technologically challenging for some reason and they are looking into whether they can do it in time).

Whilst it is potentially a good advert for the current status of the track and trace system that the MPs involved and Johnson were contacted by the app to say they had been exposed, how likely is it that that is what really occurred? I am worried I am turning into one of these conspiracy nuts where I assume everything that comes out of government is a lie or has an ulterior motive but it all seems too convenient for me.   

[teestub]

If he’s just self isolating and not ill then I don’t see why they can’t just let Starmer give him a PMQ roasting over Zoom instead! 😂

Tomtom, some Sun Tsu for ya

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

[Johnny Brown]

What about if I know the enemy but not myself?

[teestub]

What about if I know the enemy but not myself?

In the words of another famous philosopher, in that case you need to talk to the man in the mirror.

[tomtom]

Does Sun Tsu have anything specific to say about peanut headed bell ends?

[Oldmanmatt]

Does Sun Tsu have anything specific to say about peanut headed bell ends?

Possibly not, however, the BMJ do:

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4425?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=hootsuite&utm_content=sme&utm_campaign=usage

I believe that was “both barrels”.
Wasn’t sure whether this belonged in a Covid thread or here. It’s decidedly political though, isn’t it.