[ali k]

I suspect the appointment of Cruella Braverman was for the most part simply a measure to generate some support from the far right of the Conservative party.

However I would not be surprised if to some degree the decision was taken knowing that it's just a matter of time before she once again messes up and will be forced to resign. At which point a more competent replacement can be appointed and Sunak can say to the far right 'well I said I would make Braverman Home Sec in exchange for your support, it's not my fault she's incompetent, so the deal still stands'.

Yep exactly. Starmer did the same with Rebecca Long-Bailey to appease the Corbynites. Except this tactic has a bit more risk attached when it’s THE ACTUAL HOME SECRETARY rather than just the shadow education secretary.

So much for country before party…

[mrjonathanr]

It’s never country before party, as we all know. Even Charles Walker was bemonaning ‘the damage done to this party’ when it should have been ´country’ uppermost in his mind:
https://youtu.be/VM5ijPHRw88?t=63

[Wellsy]

I don't know if it's just the way you've written this, but someone earning £50k wouldn't be paying anything at 40% (ish dependent on whether you have a company car or whatever taking from your allowance, up to £50k earnings would be at 20%), and someone earning £55k would only be paying the 40% rate on that last 5k right?

Yes this. Tax doesn't work like that as I'm sure Matt knows. Someone on £70k is paying 40% on the last £20k (approx., depending on other benefits and allowances).

What happens in reality is people on £100k+, if they're smart and if they're at risk of slipping into the additional rate, can avoid much tax by instruments such as salary sacrifice into their pension instead of taking the wage. This can drop them back down under the additional rate band for income tax.
Also anyone on a wage much over £40k who receives a windfall can top up their pension using the annual allowance of £40k backdated for three years at 100% of the annual wage, and receive 20% tax relief. Those are just two simple and well-known methods for the highly-paid, but not 'super-rich', to not get stung for additional rate or for dealing tax-efficiently with windfalls. They encourage investing and saving for the future.       

Although the Annual Allowance does taper these days, but only if your threshold income is over 200k so really its 40k a year for almost everyone regardless

[TobyD]

It’s never country before party, as we all know. Even Charles Walker was bemonaning ‘the damage done to this party’ when it should have been ´country’ uppermost in his mind:
https://youtu.be/VM5ijPHRw88?t=63

It was definitely not just him, to be fair, I've heard interviewers on the BBC and LBC tear into Conservative MPs for the party emphasis.
Having said that, I don't know how much harm Braverman can do, unless you're unfortunate enough to be in that migrant camp in Kent. She seems to be so incompetent I can't see her getting anything past other MPs. If reports are correct, she's not popular in her own party. I'd give her a few months in post.

[mrjonathanr]

It shows how far government has declined that we are celebrating incompetence now.

[TobyD]

This charming man represents Christchurch: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/antivaxers-applaud-tory-mp-christopher-chope-as-he-questions-safety-of-covid-vaccines-ktpsldhwm?shareToken=43c684910dcca4cb68f01aca0ad27587

Got to wonder if the residents of his constituency want to fund his frothing promotion of conspiracy theories.  He also happens to be a prominent supporter of Boris Johnson.  I'm not saying that the two are connected. 

[Wellsy]

He was the bloke that stopped that upskirting bill wasn't he? Prick

[TobyD]

He was the bloke that stopped that upskirting bill wasn't he? Prick

He was, but I don't think that was a particular belief, he routinely shouts object because he doesn't like bills not following whatever precise route he wants them to through the commons. It's a shame his attention to detail doesn't extend to any actual facts about vaccination.

[TobyD]

It's not UK politics, but the election of Lula in Brazil is hopefully a good thing for the Amazon, and a defeat for a deeply problematic populist.

BBC News - Brazil election: Lula makes stunning comeback
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-63451470

[Moo]

It's amazing how fast the tide of populism as been pushed back though admittedly by far narrower margins than I'd like to see.

[IanP]

It's not UK politics, but the election of Lula in Brazil is hopefully a good thing for the Amazon, and a defeat for a deeply problematic populist.

BBC News - Brazil election: Lula makes stunning comeback
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-63451470

He hasn't accepted the result yet but seems like his political allies are and any support for an attempt to deny the result may be ebbing away fairly quickly.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/31/brazil-election-bolsonaro-concede-reaction

Brazilian democray looks like it may be in a better place than in the US?

[andy popp]

Meanwhile, it is election day here in Denmark, the government having finally been brought low by the great mistaken mink cull of 2020. I know the whole world is agog with anticipation.

[TobyD]

Meanwhile, it is election day here in Denmark, the government having finally been brought low by the great mistaken mink cull of 2020. I know the whole world is agog with anticipation.

There should be a single descriptive word for a mass extermination of mink. Mink-ocide just doesn't sound right.  Perhaps Suella Braverman has missed her calling, and should be exterminating mink. She certainly doesn't seem to be able to do anything else very well. 

[andy popp]

A Lemming of Mink?

[petejh]

An exterminkation, obvs.

[GazM]

An exterminkation, obvs.

Making Denmark the Extermink-nation.

[mrjonathanr]

I am not too happy that the conditions in Manston have been allowed to deteriorate as they have. When a child has to write a letter asking for help for medicine and food, we are sinking below any normal standards of decency. 4k people in a facility fit for 1600? Cases of diptheria, scabies, MRSA?   

The way to change that is persuade the Home Office, which acts on our behalf, that this is a guaranteed vote loser.
I sent this, with my view, to my MP by email:


the link is here if you want to do the same:
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f07fe6d11d7811198874b29360c8b4f236c8f2f6/0_292_2333_2914/master/2333.jpg?width=300&quality=85&dpr=1&s=none

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/02/home-office-removing-asylum-seekers-from-manston-as-fears-rise-for-their-health

[TobyD]

I am not too happy that the conditions in Manston have been allowed to deteriorate as they have. When a child has to write a letter asking for help for medicine and food, we are sinking below any normal standards of decency. 4k people in a facility fit for 1600? Cases of diptheria, scabies, MRSA?   

The way to change that is persuade the Home Office, which acts on our behalf, that this is a guaranteed vote loser.
I sent this, with my view, to my MP by email:


the link is here if you want to do the same:
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f07fe6d11d7811198874b29360c8b4f236c8f2f6/0_292_2333_2914/master/2333.jpg?width=300&quality=85&dpr=1&s=none

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/02/home-office-removing-asylum-seekers-from-manston-as-fears-rise-for-their-health

I agree with you,  but,  sadly an awful lot of people don't and Suella Braverman etc know it. I'm usually shocked every time I visit family in South Devon how concerned many people are about immigration round there, given that there are barely any immigrants in the area.

[seankenny]

I'm usually shocked every time I visit family in South Devon how concerned many people are about immigration round there, given that there are barely any immigrants in the area.

I went on holiday to Devon last year with my partner and mother in law, both Asian, and we got properly gawped at literally every time we left the house. It was incredibly obvious and the worst we’ve experienced in the U.K., but to be fair, there were lots of very friendly people and we had a good time. But really, give it a rest guys!

This article on young right-wingers is a bit half-formed but nevertheless an interesting read on a group of people who might be about to emerge in public life:

https://unherd.com/2022/11/meet-britains-radical-new-right/ 

[TobyD]

I'm usually shocked every time I visit family in South Devon how concerned many people are about immigration round there, given that there are barely any immigrants in the area.

I went on holiday to Devon last year with my partner and mother in law, both Asian, and we got properly gawped at literally every time we left the house. It was incredibly obvious and the worst we’ve experienced in the U.K., but to be fair, there were lots of very friendly people and we had a good time. But really, give it a rest guys!

This article on young right-wingers is a bit half-formed but nevertheless an interesting read on a group of people who might be about to emerge in public life:

https://unherd.com/2022/11/meet-britains-radical-new-right/

I recognise that completely.  Most people in Devon,  like most places are friendly and pleasant,  but I've heard any number of absolutely shocking attitudes and beliefs down there.  I'm sure much of it is based on ignorance rather than genuine malice,  but it's no excuse either way as far as I'm concerned. 

[Fultonius]

I'm usually shocked every time I visit family in South Devon how concerned many people are about immigration round there, given that there are barely any immigrants in the area.

I went on holiday to Devon last year with my partner and mother in law, both Asian, and we got properly gawped at literally every time we left the house. It was incredibly obvious and the worst we’ve experienced in the U.K., but to be fair, there were lots of very friendly people and we had a good time. But really, give it a rest guys!

This article on young right-wingers is a bit half-formed but nevertheless an interesting read on a group of people who might be about to emerge in public life:

https://unherd.com/2022/11/meet-britains-radical-new-right/

Did you delve into the comments? 

[Johnny Brown]

  They've got quite a thing about Marxism haven't they?

[SA Chris]

Enough material there to last Dave Gorman for a year.

[BrutusTheBear]

From the above anecdotes we might conclude that Devon specifically is a hot bed of ignorant racists.  Speaking as a resident of Devon that had worked with young people here for almost 20 years I can certainly say that I have encountered and challenged entrenched racist attitudes on a fairly regular basis.  I can also state that it doesn't feel like that has exceeded anything I have encountered whilst work with young people in Warwickshire or West Yorkshire.
Your anecdotes suggest that this is a Devon specific problem, I would invite you to be a tourist in say Kent or a 'Northern' County and see if attitudes presented are generally different.
There a few things I would like to counter.  Firstly, people do not develop their attitudes in a vacuum and the idea that there are no excuses seems unconstructive.  Perhaps, there a reasons rather than excuses but I think the point stands.
Secondly, the prevailing culture in our society whether you like it or not is cultivated and manufactured by the strongest influential forces.  Media and education.  Considering the bombardment of dog whistle attitudes (that goes right to the top) within our culture and the platforming of individuals with these attitudes, it is unsurprising that racism is alive and well everywhere in this country. Eg.  In the last week we have witnessed a BBC reporter in Kent talking war language with reference to asylum seekers 'invasion', 'frontline', 'crisis' and 'defence' being used to describe the situation.
Perhaps, in our metropolitan elite middle class worlds we don't encounter these attitudes as much but when we get amongst the proles on our holidays we see it more?
In conclusion, what you're experiencing is not exclusive to Devon, it's not a Devon problem, it's an everywhere problem. Racism in the UK has very much been cultivated to ensure that blame is never pointed towards the actual source of our problems/poverty.

[seankenny]

I’ll be sure to tell my better half that some white guy can explain exactly how racism works and where she should expect to find it, thanks.

As for this:

Perhaps, in our metropolitan elite middle class worlds we don't encounter these attitudes as much but when we get amongst the proles on our holidays we see it more?

Just do one.