NPR

Let's face it Raab has been known to be a narcissist bully for years. A real nasty piece of work totally self absorbed and out of touch with real people.
Feck the nasty cnut

Don't vote tory thread still going?

People who vote tory don't give a shit, you know that right?
I had a litteral heart attack from the stress of jobseeking. Thought I was going to be sanctioned all the time, got so stressed (nightmares etc) I woke up having chest pain.
43 at the time. My heart nearly exploded.
That's how much the bedroom tax and threat of sanctions worried me.

That I could be destitute at any second.
Did that make me more employable?
Being stress tested to destruction?
Of course not.
This place is still a jobless enclave.
Still 3000 applicants per job.
Less of a chance to get one, now my heart is fucked.

But hey, tory voters love it.
Punishing me and stress testing me to destruction is just Red meat to them.
Their contempt is self serving, it serves them to have contempt so they do.

And the problem with self serving contempt is no indignity, no punishment, no policy or reform is ever going to be enough fir them. It serves them to have contempt so they do, no matter what has gone before.

C69 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:49 pm Let's face it Raab has been known to be a narcissist bully for years. A real nasty piece of work totally self absorbed and out of touch with real people.
Feck the nasty cnut

Meh. Think we have to bear in mind that most civil servants are a bunch of fannies.

Slick wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:23 am

C69 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:49 pm Let's face it Raab has been known to be a narcissist bully for years. A real nasty piece of work totally self absorbed and out of touch with real people.
Feck the nasty cnut

Meh. Think we have to bear in mind that most civil servants are a bunch of fannies.

Thanks.

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:38 am

Slick wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:23 am

C69 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:49 pm Let's face it Raab has been known to be a narcissist bully for years. A real nasty piece of work totally self absorbed and out of touch with real people.
Feck the nasty cnut

Meh. Think we have to bear in mind that most civil servants are a bunch of fannies.

Thanks.

Thought you might enjoy that

I did say "most"

She can't even inspire confidence to a fellow Tory MP

She wasn't appointed for her intelligence, probity, political acumen or savvy. She was appointed to be Minister for Culture War and Owning The Libs.

Hal Jordan wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:10 pm She wasn't appointed for her intelligence, probity, political acumen or savvy. She was appointed to be Minister for Culture War and Owning The Libs.

She was appointed because she was the worst lawyer in the Party, & thus could be relied on to rubber stamp the most obviously illegal Bills.

AG is one of the most important jobs in Government, & handing it to her, showed the contempt the Tories have for the Rule of Law !

A cynic might think she's been installed to fail and be the patsy for general government incompetence, but apparently they genuinely appear to believes she's the best choice as Home Sec???

"Don't come to the UK illegally as there are safe legal routes!"
"What are those routes?"
" mumbles something about Ukraine and Afghanistan"


And this took over 2 months to sort out...

Suella Braverman warned four times of potential Manston law breach

Home Secretary Suella Braverman was warned four times in September and October her department was potentially breaking the law by keeping migrants at Kent's Manston centre, MPs have heard.

Previous reports suggested Ms Braverman was told failing to provide alternative accommodation was in breach of the law.

Ms Braverman told the Home Affairs Select Committee she would not comment on leaked documents.

However, she said she was aware from September Manston had a problem.

tabascoboy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:43 pm She can't even inspire confidence to a fellow Tory MP

Well played Tim Loughton!
Thick as mince and so far out of her depth. Not sure what the good folk of Fareham have done to deserve her, or us come to that

Well there's a surprise.

The privileges committee inquiry into whether Boris Johnson misled the Commons may be delayed until January, after No 10 finally handed over a cache of evidence relating to Partygate four months after it was requested.
The Guardian understands that the autumn deadline for beginning oral evidence sessions, in which the former prime minister will be called as a witness, has been abandoned. Instead, sources said the highly anticipated sessions could be pushed back to after Christmas.
The delay has been blamed on the Cabinet Office digging its heels in and resisting providing key information requested four months ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ ... 0-delay

SaintK wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:27 pm

tabascoboy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:43 pm She can't even inspire confidence to a fellow Tory MP

Well played Tim Loughton!
Thick as mince and so far out of her depth. Not sure what the good folk of Fareham have done to deserve her, or us come to that

It's been a Tory safe seat for decades, that always brings with it the possibility of having the party's most hapless, yet most ambitious, parachuted in. They only have themselves to blame really.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... e-ppe-firm

Eventually catching up with the thieving bastards! Jail is too good for some of them ....

They are beginning to shit themselves now as all details about their dodgy deals come home to roost. The Mone deal is just one of many that will not stand up to scrutiny and once the domino falls over there will be a lot more dragged into the shit. They will try hard to derail or delay any investigation into their wrong doings just as they are doing with the Blonde Bumblecunt, Raab bullying, Patterson fiasco, Immense contract, Brexit disaster, etc etc but they will ultimately fail. The whole steaming pile of corrupt shit will be uncovered.

Nothing too bad in what Gove says there. But it doesn't mean it's not really bad, it's going to stand or fall on what passed for the official process he's constantly trying to pass the buck to

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:52 am Nothing too bad in what Gove says there. But it doesn't mean it's not really bad, it's going to stand or fall on what passed for the official process he's constantly trying to pass the buck to

This has legs

dpedin wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 11:50 am

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:52 am Nothing too bad in what Gove says there. But it doesn't mean it's not really bad, it's going to stand or fall on what passed for the official process he's constantly trying to pass the buck to

This has legs

Just as regards Gove if he instantly alerted officials and subsequently saw a suitable process followed he might be okay.

From the outside it looks like a mix of corruption/nepotism, fraud, theft and incompetence, even if set in circumstances that would likely good people trying to act in good fashion struggle. And it's not good it's taken so long to even vaguely start to look into PPE, Test & Trace and so on. Though this is being brought to us by the team who have no issue using £100k of public money for Boris to spend time with Jenny Arcuri, and the Met police who fundamentally consider it wrong to look into crime committed by the senior persons

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 12:18 pm

dpedin wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 11:50 am

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:52 am Nothing too bad in what Gove says there. But it doesn't mean it's not really bad, it's going to stand or fall on what passed for the official process he's constantly trying to pass the buck to

This has legs

Just as regards Gove if he instantly alerted officials and subsequently saw a suitable process followed he might be okay.

From the outside it looks like a mix of corruption/nepotism, fraud, theft and incompetence, even if set in circumstances that would likely good people trying to act in good fashion struggle. And it's not good it's taken so long to even vaguely start to look into PPE, Test & Trace and so on. Though this is being brought to us by the team who have no issue using £100k of public money for Boris to spend time with Jenny Arcuri, and the Met police who fundamentally consider it wrong to look into crime committed by the senior persons

I'd love to know how many contacts were put forward by Tory MP's, how much was awarded to these contacts and then how much PPE was actually delivered. Then of course how much of this money made it's way back to the MP/party for their help.

What this is unlikely to cover of course is the huge amount of contacts the were put forward that were utter nonsense and weren't awarded anything. The CS had to prioritise looking at these because of the pressure applied meaning legit companies being later down the line.

It is a horrendous thought process. The country is in a state of emergency, I know the usual competition regulations are on hold, time to apply pressure and get all my mates through, that might delay the contracts going to the legit people who can actually help and mean a load of tax payers money is wasted on junk, but at least I'll be quid's in.

It would be nice to provide a bit of a balance and speak about other party MP's that got caught up in this but it was all Tories.

I see the cnuts have refused to even meet with the nursing unions. I think too many of them still think that nurses merely wipe arses and make beds.

Abandon ship!! Abandon ship!!

MPs are already predicting as many as 50 colleagues may decide not to stand in 2024, having looked at the state of the polls.
Conservative MPs have been given a deadline of 5 December to declare whether they plan to stand down at the next election. The date coincides with the final decision on boundaries for the next election, so that Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) can start to look at the full electoral picture with new constituencies.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2 ... intention

Blackmac wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 8:16 am I see the cnuts have refused to even meet with the nursing unions. I think too many of them still think that nurses merely wipe arses and make beds.

Run it into the ground and when the public demands something is done, flog it cheap to the chums to save it.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 8:16 am I see the cnuts have refused to even meet with the nursing unions. I think too many of them still think that nurses merely wipe arses and make beds.

HCAs do that now

SaintK wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 4:47 pm Abandon ship!! Abandon ship!!

MPs are already predicting as many as 50 colleagues may decide not to stand in 2024, having looked at the state of the polls.
Conservative MPs have been given a deadline of 5 December to declare whether they plan to stand down at the next election. The date coincides with the final decision on boundaries for the next election, so that Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) can start to look at the full electoral picture with new constituencies.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2 ... intention

This of course means that these MPs can, & will now try to start rehabilitating their images, by standing up against the whip, because while they know they're fucked in the next GE, they may still hold ambitions for GE+1, when the economy has been repaired by Labour.

It could also of course be curtains for the fat blond turd, when his Standards committee appearance eventual happens; because they're going to hold him to blame, & they don't need to pretend it isn't all his fault anymore !

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:24 pm

Ahh yes, the preferred legal tool of corrupt oligarchs and kleptocrats.!
I thought everything was in his wife's name anyway?

More Census data came out yesterday, and there's an interactive map for the nerdier amongst us to play with https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps

A few interesting things for me:
1) The scale of demographic change over the last 20 years is quite something and has implications for building a cohesive society over the next 20-30
2) We live in a very segregated society and seemingly have all agreed to pretend we don't and never mention it
3) The 'why has London become so firmly Labour' question that arises quite regularly now has a blindingly obvious demographic answer rather than anything about Tory lack of liberalism. Tory leaning largely white voters have exited London in vast numbers.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:35 pm More Census data came out yesterday, and there's an interactive map for the nerdier amongst us to play with https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps

A few interesting things for me:
1) The scale of demographic change over the last 20 years is quite something and has implications for building a cohesive society over the next 20-30
2) We live in a very segregated society and seemingly have all agreed to pretend we don't and never mention it
3) The 'why has London become so firmly Labour' question that arises quite regularly now has a blindingly obvious demographic answer rather than anything about Tory lack of liberalism. Tory leaning largely white voters have exited London in vast numbers.

Well, this is a great surprise

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:35 pm More Census data came out yesterday, and there's an interactive map for the nerdier amongst us to play with https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps

A few interesting things for me:
1) The scale of demographic change over the last 20 years is quite something and has implications for building a cohesive society over the next 20-30
2) We live in a very segregated society and seemingly have all agreed to pretend we don't and never mention it
3) The 'why has London become so firmly Labour' question that arises quite regularly now has a blindingly obvious demographic answer rather than anything about Tory lack of liberalism. Tory leaning largely white voters have exited London in vast numbers.

The scales change, it's worth watching that. The National identity one is a great example. One or More UK Identity, at the lowest end, already starts at 58%

Can one of you natives explain that to me? I had a quick look on my mobile, and it seems nowhere in Wales do more than 25% of the polulation identify as British. I find this astounding, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of these people are British nationals.

Calculon wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:57 pm Can one of you natives explain that to me? I had a quick look on my mobile, and it seems nowhere in Wales do more than 25% of the polulation identify as British. I find this astounding, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of these people are British nationals.

You got the option of identifying as British, English/Welsh/Scottish etc or a combination. Parts of Wales have over 20% of people identifying as English!

Select the one or more UK identity option and you'll see it's the vast majority.

Britain isn't real.

Its a political entity, a fig leaf worn by the English ruling class to allow the celtic fringe to feel like they matter (they don't).

British "identity" is more or less english culture with a sprinkling of colonial attitudes and a dash of historical myopia.

The idea of Britain was a useful tool during the colonial era but doesn't seem that relevant anymore.

National identities like English Welsh and Scottish are more relevant these days.

I genuinely wouldn't be able to define a characteristic as something as being uniquely British where as being Welsh has a very definite set of cultural and linguistic signifiers.

The much vaunted "British Values" taught in schools: Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect and Tolerance, Individual Liberty, are hardly unique to being British.

yermum wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:26 pm Britain isn't real.

Its a political entity, a fig leaf worn by the English ruling class to allow the celtic fringe to feel like they matter (they don't).

British "identity" is more or less english culture with a sprinkling of colonial attitudes and a dash of historical myopia.

The idea of Britain was a useful tool during the colonial era but doesn't seem that relevant anymore.

National identities like English Welsh and Scottish are more relevant these days.

I genuinely wouldn't be able to define a characteristic as something as being uniquely British where as being Welsh has a very definite set of cultural and linguistic signifiers.

The much vaunted "British Values" taught in schools: Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect and Tolerance, Individual Liberty, are hardly unique to being British.

Sounds about right to me.

yermum wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:26 pm Britain isn't real.

Its a political entity, a fig leaf worn by the English ruling class to allow the celtic fringe to feel like they matter (they don't).

I genuinely wouldn't be able to define a characteristic as something as being uniquely British where as being Welsh has a very definite set of cultural and linguistic signifiers.

Maybe I’m too close to it to know but I’m not sure what Wales’s culture is any more. To me it could be all about the language but I realise that the English monoglot Welsh see themselves as Welsh and not English. I grew up in a Calvinist, rural, Welsh-speaking culture that was totally different from that of the Valleys and I struggle to see what we have in common. Is it just not being English?

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:13 pm

Calculon wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:57 pm Can one of you natives explain that to me? I had a quick look on my mobile, and it seems nowhere in Wales do more than 25% of the polulation identify as British. I find this astounding, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of these people are British nationals.

You got the option of identifying as British, English/Welsh/Scottish etc or a combination. Parts of Wales have over 20% of people identifying as English!

It’ll be in the stats somewhere but I think about a third of Wales’s population was born elsewhere. And supposedly it’s the only place where immigration is raising the average age.

yermum wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:26 pm Britain isn't real.

Its a political entity, a fig leaf worn by the English ruling class to allow the celtic fringe to feel like they matter (they don't).

British "identity" is more or less english culture with a sprinkling of colonial attitudes and a dash of historical myopia.

The idea of Britain was a useful tool during the colonial era but doesn't seem that relevant anymore.

National identities like English Welsh and Scottish are more relevant these days.

I genuinely wouldn't be able to define a characteristic as something as being uniquely British where as being Welsh has a very definite set of cultural and linguistic signifiers.

The much vaunted "British Values" taught in schools: Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect and Tolerance, Individual Liberty, are hardly unique to being British.

Hmm I think this is wrong on any number of levels.
The issue 'Britishness', and to a lesser extent Englishness, has in terms of being distinctive is that it is so pervasive from language down to sport to formal dress etc that it seems ubiquitous. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist. With that said, spending a couple of weeks working abroad is an eye opener to the fact that we have some very different character traits and methods of doing things to near neighbours. Were you to say that England is in dire need of a cultural revival I would certainly agree.

Then we can get on to the fact that significantly more English people identified as British on this census than as English (though admittedly part of that is because British was listed above and most English people use the two fairly interchangeably, I know I do). Or the pre-eminence of the Union Jack compared to the Cross of St George across England.

I'm sure this could go round in circles but I'd say there probably hasn't been a time in history when people from the different home nations have been more culturally homogenous than they are now. This starts with the collective decline of the CofE, the Kirk and the non-conforming Churches but pervades through education, fashion, social attitudes and popular culture. Even Wales turning to football over rugby is a good example of this.

The usual crop of racists, stooges, useful idiots and white replacement conspira-hate-preachers are hyperventilating furiously about all this.

Muslamic ray guns, lamentations that some cities will exist where white people are the minority and "Father" Calvin changing his background to Enoch Powell are much in evidence on the bird app, with the usual Farage monologue to his mobile camera, filmed so closely you can see the subtle shading of the different hues of yellow and brown on his teeth.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:30 pm

yermum wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:26 pm Britain isn't real.

Its a political entity, a fig leaf worn by the English ruling class to allow the celtic fringe to feel like they matter (they don't).

British "identity" is more or less english culture with a sprinkling of colonial attitudes and a dash of historical myopia.

The idea of Britain was a useful tool during the colonial era but doesn't seem that relevant anymore.

National identities like English Welsh and Scottish are more relevant these days.

I genuinely wouldn't be able to define a characteristic as something as being uniquely British where as being Welsh has a very definite set of cultural and linguistic signifiers.

The much vaunted "British Values" taught in schools: Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect and Tolerance, Individual Liberty, are hardly unique to being British.

Hmm I think this is wrong on any number of levels.
The issue 'Britishness', and to a lesser extent Englishness, has in terms of being distinctive is that it is so pervasive from language down to sport to formal dress etc that it seems ubiquitous. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist. With that said, spending a couple of weeks working abroad is an eye opener to the fact that we have some very different character traits and methods of doing things to near neighbours. Were you to say that England is in dire need of a cultural revival I would certainly agree.

Then we can get on to the fact that significantly more English people identified as British on this census than as English (though admittedly part of that is because British was listed above and most English people use the two fairly interchangeably, I know I do). Or the pre-eminence of the Union Jack compared to the Cross of St George across England.

I'm sure this could go round in circles but I'd say there probably hasn't been a time in history when people from the different home nations have been more culturally homogenous than they are now. This starts with the collective decline of the CofE, the Kirk and the non-conforming Churches but pervades through education, fashion, social attitudes and popular culture. Even Wales turning to football over rugby is a good example of this.

Excellent post.

I am not sure there is such a thing as cohesive English nationalism...it is more that because England's electorate now dwarfs that in the other home nations (a relatively recent development in the history of the UK) that it's become possible to be elected to government with a minority voter base in Scotland and Wales (this is the one reason for Welsh and Scottish nationalism I have some sympathy for...certainty more so than the blatant anglophobia or lies about stealing money and resources). Inevitably then these politicians will pander to concerns that perhaps only really exist in England like immigration or the EU (although attitudes towards migrants are similar throughout the UK). Even though I dislike many parts of the asymmetric devolution settlement (Labour did it in the assumption they would control the devolved assemblies) I can see why it makes sense in this context.

In my experience outside of sport English people use English/British interchangeably with very little thought going into it. Its also funny how many English people with a casual awareness of sport will assume that the fans of UK nations will all support each other. The UK like the British identity is complex - as many posters s know I do oppose those who want to break it apart but there is no denying there are many contradictions and tensions within it.

Another noticeable point for me is that amongst ethnic minorities in the UK (of which England has by far the most) British identity rather than English will be self-assigned.

Hal Jordan wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 5:28 pm The usual crop of racists, stooges, useful idiots and white replacement conspira-hate-preachers are hyperventilating furiously about all this.

Muslamic ray guns, lamentations that some cities will exist where white people are the minority and "Father" Calvin changing his background to Enoch Powell are much in evidence on the bird app, with the usual Farage monologue to his mobile camera, filmed so closely you can see the subtle shading of the different hues of yellow and brown on his teeth.

You write something like this then throw your arms up in the air and wonder why something like Brexit happened

tc27 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:31 pm

I am not sure there is such a thing as cohesive English nationalism...it is more that because England's electorate now dwarfs that in the other home nations (a relatively recent development in the history of the UK) that it's become possible to be elected to government with a minority voter base in Scotland and Wales (this is the one reason for Welsh and Scottish nationalism I have some sympathy for...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since the Parliament of Great Britain, or whatever the correct term was after 1707 and on into the UK, English seats have always vastly outnumbered the combined total of the other constituent parts of the UK, meaning that you don't even really need a minority base in Scotland/Wal/NIrn if you can win a significant majority in England.