"A pound spent in Croydon is of far more value to the country than a pound spent in Strathclyde" - Boris Johnson.
Nope, not a fan after that. The mission should be to develop neglected parts of the UK and not simply strengthen the SE. All in IMO of course.
I do get where @Tikay10 is coming from though. Despite my instinctual reaction to hate him, I do see some likable qualities. His speech around the time London had the olympics was rather rousing. I do think however that he is ultimately driven by 'what is good for Boris' rather than 'what is good for the country'.
That line caused me a sharp intake of breath, Marky.
Since when has "likeable" got anything to do with what politicians we should or should not vote for?
"Likeable" should be at the bottom of the list of qualities we seek in people on power.
The best politicians & Prime Ministers in my lifetime were not likeable - but they did what needed to be done.
To watch Theresa May, & before her, David Cameron, squirm & react weakly to those who opposed their ideas was a terrible thing.
A good politician needs intellect, savvy & the courage to stick to their views, no matter how unpopular they may be. They do NOT need to be likeable.
Give me an unlikeable but strong Prime Minister. It's not a Popularity Contest.
Point taken. Although someone having the qualities you mentioned would make them 'likable' to me. I guess it depends on what each of us feel would personally make someone likable to us. Watching Cameron and May squirm to try and be likable to potential voters instantly made them not likable to me.
I did admire the way Thatcher had a strong backbone and stuck to her principles. I just disliked most of her policies.
Good post Marky, agree 100% with your logic, though of course we have different views on The Great Lady.
"personality politics", kow-towing to the voters is sickening to behold.
I am completely opposed to Mr Corbyn & everything he represents, but I do admire his refusal to say what the media & public want him to say.
Tony Benn & Enoch Powell, both of whom I disagreed with on just about everything, were nonetheless great politicians. I disliked what they stood for but respected them as strong characters who refused to suck up to anyone.
A few things have recently emerged on Brexit. The Government has had to admit to having the impact assessments that they said they had, and then denied all knowledge of. These assessments show that in every scenario, we will be worse off after Brexit, which explains the governments reluctance to admit to their existence. The staunch brexiteers in the Government claim that the civil servants responsible for these reports, are idiots, and don't know what they are doing. If that was the case, then you wonder why they bothered in the first place, and then lied about their existence. Secondly, any trade deal we get with the USA will be more than offset by the losses due to the lack of EU immigration. Thirdly, the brexiteers keep banging on about the fact that we are leaving, will enable us to do trade deals with the rest of the world. Yet Germany currently export eight times as much as we do to China, without a trade deal. We already export and import to and from China, without a trade deal. I just cant understand why even politicians would lie about stuff that is obviously going to affect them and their families as well as everyone else.
Gutless Boris strikes again. Yesterday he slithered out of Parliament like the snake he is, rather than face an urgent question from the opposition. The question stemmed from the leaked letter he sent to the PM regarding the Irish border, in addition to his recent stupid comments regarding the same. He was present for Prime Ministers questions, then sneaked out like a schoolboy avoiding detention, rather than facing up to an embarrassing question. The man is an idiot, and surely not a future Prime Minister.
This Thread is like BBC Question time .... great debate sensible answers audience applaud nothing happens things stay the same. We are not the movers or shakers and if you try to speak to your MP you get his / her secretary then wait for stock letter reply.
It looks like the Conservative Party's Brexit fantasy is about to come to an end. Mrs May will soon have to admit publicly that we cant get exactly the same benefits after we leave, that we got when we were members, and that an Irish border is unavoidable if we leave the Customs Union. What I have found surprising is the lengths that politicians will go to, to support their arguments. They will omit, exaggerate, mislead, and lie to justify their position. Jacob Rees-Mogg says that food will be cheaper after we leave. What he doesn't say is that this is based on the idea that we can import food produced to lower standards from non EU countries, at cheaper prices, putting our farmers out of business. Even though the cheaper prices seem unlikely as some food prices haven't increased in 15 years, and food prices are generally at an all time low. Many politicians imply that in order to do trade deals with non EU countries we have to be outside the EU. They present it as a choice, we can either be members of the EU or do trade deals with other countries. When in fact we are able to trade with other countries while we are still members. Around 20% of our current trade is done with the USA, while we are still members. Germany currently do around 50% of their trade with non EU countries. Surely the best of all worlds is Single Market membership whilst also trading with other countries. Is it really possible to argue against this? All EU migrants that haven't got a job within 3 months of arriving, could and should be sent back.
Apparently time is up for another brilliant Boris idea. The cable car across the Thames, which cost us £60million, and only ever had 4 regular users, is to be sold off, or shut down. To say it may be sold off, displays a huge level of optimism. Well done Boris.
We have Nuclear Power Stations, Nuclear weapons, Plutonium.
Did MI5 devise this ruse on May's orders to delay Brexit / unite Europe take the wind out Vlad Putin's popularity by blaming Russian secret service agents.
Three Threads in one here ; Conspiracy ... Pictures make u think .... UK politics
Boris is at it again. Claiming not to have been taken in by a hoax phone call. This explanation doesn't stand up to much scrutiny. Those that have listened to the tape will have clearly heard Boris addressing the hoaxer as Prime Minister. If he knew it was a hoax you have to wonder why he remained on the phone for 20 minutes.
I'm not saying I either agree or disagree with this article/video by FOX, but what would have been good, as far as the referendum was concerned would have been factual debates like this, by both sides, regarding the financial implications of BR exit. Lets face it, leave or remain, not many of us new the actual facts and/or potential implications.
It was like asking a blind man what his favourite colour is. Probably has an opinion, but, unfortunately for him, he's in the dark.
Factual debates like this, instead of back biting and political manoeuvering would have been quite helpful. I am sure they are picking examples that suit the Trump campaign here by the way, but people "should" also have the opportunity to do the opposite, as counter arguments.
The point being, we had no decent information like this. Was anyone really explaining what it would cost to leave? I was a remain voter, and happy with my choice. More because is seemed "to me" the more humanitarian option, than any financial thoughts, but it was a big failing by the remain campaign imo, they didn't put across how much better off financially we are IN the EU than OUT.
Anyway, what's done is done, just thought it interesting that the US at least give useful/factual information out, even if it is from a biased perspective. :=)
I think that many things have become clear. David Cameron only called the referendum to satisfy a section of his own party. The remain supporting politicians were complacent and never in a million years thought they could lose. The leave side lied. Some politicians put themselves before the public. Boris Johnson was a remainer one day, and a leader of the leave side the following day. The remain side knew what they were voting for, as they were opting for the status quo.
The leave side didn't have a clue, and still don't, what they were getting . Many voted to leave in an attempt to curb immigration. Yet our immigration policy is pathetic, and not fit for purpose. We are now causing damage to the NHS by denying visas to doctors who have already secured jobs in the NHS. We are now increasing the visa quotas for other countries rather than the EU. So we are swapping EU immigrants for others coming from elsewhere in the world. We always have and always will need immigrants. The EU freedom of movement includes a clause which allows for sending them back if they are not working in three months. We have never used this clause. The government insist on including students in the immigration figures. Students are a massive source of income to UK universities, contribute to the economy, and return home after completing their course. Why include them in the figures? Shouldn't we try to get more. It is now becoming clearer every day that leaving the EU, will mean less trade, the loss of thousands of jobs, and it will cost more than staying in. What about the Irish border? How does this taking back control nonsense affect the life of the average working man on a daily basis.
Richard Madeley stopped an interview with Gavin Williamson last week. He gave the politician four opportunities to answer a question, and when he went off at a tangent for the fourth time, said he was terminating the interview. Should interviewers do this more often? I am fed up with politicians not answering the questions put to them. Should they go further and stop inviting those that don't answer questions on to any tv programmes. Perhaps this would make them answer them.
How can the DUP maintain the position that when it comes to Brexit, they will not tolerate any difference between NI and the rest of the UK. Yet when it comes to things like abortion, and gay marriage, they are adamant that they must be different.
Richard Madeley stopped an interview with Gavin Williamson last week. He gave the politician four opportunities to answer a question, and when he went off at a tangent for the fourth time, said he was terminating the interview. Should interviewers do this more often? I am fed up with politicians not answering the questions put to them. Should they go further and stop inviting those that don't answer questions on to any tv programmes. Perhaps this would make them answer them.
I think people would respect politicians more if they answered more honestly and I think it would mean more people would be engaged in politics.
Richard Madeley stopped an interview with Gavin Williamson last week. He gave the politician four opportunities to answer a question, and when he went off at a tangent for the fourth time, said he was terminating the interview. Should interviewers do this more often? I am fed up with politicians not answering the questions put to them. Should they go further and stop inviting those that don't answer questions on to any tv programmes. Perhaps this would make them answer them.
I think people would respect politicians more if they answered more honestly and I think it would mean more people would be engaged in politics.
I am not sure if there is such a thing as am honest politician. There seem to be so many that are dishonest, evasive, and care mostly about themselves. A great step forward would be to force them to give honest, forthright answers to the questions put to them. When you watch political interviews on the telly it often appears that the interviewer has compiled a list of questions they intend asking, and the politician has memorised a set of answered that they intend to give. The problem is that the politicians answers bear no relation to the questions. I suppose its our fault for putting up with it.
Boris threatened that if the extra runway at Heathrow was given the go ahead, he would lie in front of the bulldozers. I would love to see it, and preferably one with dodgy brakes. Don't hold your breath though, he hasn't got an honest bone in his body.
The speaker in the House of Commons, is as many people will be aware, quite a short man, and prone to losing his temper. One day when David Cameron was Prime Minister, he had the hump, and shouted in the House of Commons "I am not happy" To which David Cameron replied "Ok, so which one of the seven dwarfs are you then" He was obviously better at jokes than running the country.
Comments
"personality politics", kow-towing to the voters is sickening to behold.
I am completely opposed to Mr Corbyn & everything he represents, but I do admire his refusal to say what the media & public want him to say.
Tony Benn & Enoch Powell, both of whom I disagreed with on just about everything, were nonetheless great politicians. I disliked what they stood for but respected them as strong characters who refused to suck up to anyone.
The Government has had to admit to having the impact assessments that they said they had, and then denied all knowledge of.
These assessments show that in every scenario, we will be worse off after Brexit, which explains the governments reluctance to admit to their existence.
The staunch brexiteers in the Government claim that the civil servants responsible for these reports, are idiots, and don't know what they are doing. If that was the case, then you wonder why they bothered in the first place, and then lied about their existence.
Secondly, any trade deal we get with the USA will be more than offset by the losses due to the lack of EU immigration.
Thirdly, the brexiteers keep banging on about the fact that we are leaving, will enable us to do trade deals with the rest of the world. Yet Germany currently export eight times as much as we do to China, without a trade deal. We already export and import to and from China, without a trade deal.
I just cant understand why even politicians would lie about stuff that is obviously going to affect them and their families as well as everyone else.
The question stemmed from the leaked letter he sent to the PM regarding the Irish border, in addition to his recent stupid comments regarding the same.
He was present for Prime Ministers questions, then sneaked out like a schoolboy avoiding detention, rather than facing up to an embarrassing question.
The man is an idiot, and surely not a future Prime Minister.
What I have found surprising is the lengths that politicians will go to, to support their arguments. They will omit, exaggerate, mislead, and lie to justify their position.
Jacob Rees-Mogg says that food will be cheaper after we leave. What he doesn't say is that this is based on the idea that we can import food produced to lower standards from non EU countries, at cheaper prices, putting our farmers out of business. Even though the cheaper prices seem unlikely as some food prices haven't increased in 15 years, and food prices are generally at an all time low.
Many politicians imply that in order to do trade deals with non EU countries we have to be outside the EU. They present it as a choice, we can either be members of the EU or do trade deals with other countries. When in fact we are able to trade with other countries while we are still members. Around 20% of our current trade is done with the USA, while we are still members. Germany currently do around 50% of their trade with non EU countries. Surely the best of all worlds is Single Market membership whilst also trading with other countries. Is it really possible to argue against this?
All EU migrants that haven't got a job within 3 months of arriving, could and should be sent back.
Well done Boris.
Did MI5 devise this ruse on May's orders to delay Brexit / unite Europe take the wind out Vlad Putin's popularity by blaming Russian secret service agents.
Three Threads in one here ; Conspiracy ... Pictures make u think .... UK politics
If he knew it was a hoax you have to wonder why he remained on the phone for 20 minutes.
Probably embarrassed by his comments regarding the journalist that wasn't really dead.
It was like asking a blind man what his favourite colour is. Probably has an opinion, but, unfortunately for him, he's in the dark.
Factual debates like this, instead of back biting and political manoeuvering would have been quite helpful. I am sure they are picking examples that suit the Trump campaign here by the way, but people "should" also have the opportunity to do the opposite, as counter arguments.
The point being, we had no decent information like this. Was anyone really explaining what it would cost to leave? I was a remain voter, and happy with my choice. More because is seemed "to me" the more humanitarian option, than any financial thoughts, but it was a big failing by the remain campaign imo, they didn't put across how much better off financially we are IN the EU than OUT.
Anyway, what's done is done, just thought it interesting that the US at least give useful/factual information out, even if it is from a biased perspective. :=)
https://www.facebook.com/FoxBusiness/videos/1997577770559560/
David Cameron only called the referendum to satisfy a section of his own party.
The remain supporting politicians were complacent and never in a million years thought they could lose.
The leave side lied.
Some politicians put themselves before the public. Boris Johnson was a remainer one day, and a leader of the leave side the following day.
The remain side knew what they were voting for, as they were opting for the status quo.
The leave side didn't have a clue, and still don't, what they were getting
.
Many voted to leave in an attempt to curb immigration.
Yet our immigration policy is pathetic, and not fit for purpose.
We are now causing damage to the NHS by denying visas to doctors who have already secured jobs in the NHS. We are now increasing the visa quotas for other countries rather than the EU. So we are swapping EU immigrants for others coming from elsewhere in the world.
We always have and always will need immigrants.
The EU freedom of movement includes a clause which allows for sending them back if they are not working in three months. We have never used this clause.
The government insist on including students in the immigration figures. Students are a massive source of income to UK universities, contribute to the economy, and return home after completing their course.
Why include them in the figures?
Shouldn't we try to get more.
It is now becoming clearer every day that leaving the EU, will mean less trade, the loss of thousands of jobs, and it will cost more than staying in.
What about the Irish border?
How does this taking back control nonsense affect the life of the average working man on a daily basis.
He gave the politician four opportunities to answer a question, and when he went off at a tangent for the fourth time, said he was terminating the interview.
Should interviewers do this more often?
I am fed up with politicians not answering the questions put to them.
Should they go further and stop inviting those that don't answer questions on to any tv programmes. Perhaps this would make them answer them.
Yet when it comes to things like abortion, and gay marriage, they are adamant that they must be different.
A great step forward would be to force them to give honest, forthright answers to the questions put to them.
When you watch political interviews on the telly it often appears that the interviewer has compiled a list of questions they intend asking, and the politician has memorised a set of answered that they intend to give. The problem is that the politicians answers bear no relation to the questions.
I suppose its our fault for putting up with it.
I would love to see it, and preferably one with dodgy brakes.
Don't hold your breath though, he hasn't got an honest bone in his body.
One day when David Cameron was Prime Minister, he had the hump, and shouted in the House of Commons "I am not happy"
To which David Cameron replied "Ok, so which one of the seven dwarfs are you then"
He was obviously better at jokes than running the country.