The Politics Thread

[Worthy4England]

I see that the plan to enforce all schools to become Academies has quietly been buried on a busy political news day. I have rather thought they might have wanted to announce such a key policy change on education to the nation with a fanfare of trumpets.

[Prufrock]

To be fair it's more cunning than I thought Nicky Morgan capable of!

[thebish]

tbh... I'm still struggling to think of a single significant measure that this dynamic libdem-free tory govt has yet succeeded to get past this awful, weak, rubbish and disastrous labour opposition...

the list of govt policy/bill casualties grows by the month...

[Worthy4England]

To be fair it's more cunning than I thought Nicky Morgan capable of!

Clearly someone has helped her with her homework. What we need to do is more testing, to see if she can get it right (maybe multiple-choice)

Q1) You've just been roundly ignored and laughed at, at a Conference for Head Teachers as well as your policy being questioned by your own backbenchers and the largely Conservative County Councils Network do you:

A1) Stick to your guns - you know you were right all along - you've been telling everyone there was only one way, so there couldn't possibly be a different way now could there?
A2) Wait for Jeremy to announce he's talking to Doctors - he's been telling everyone there was only one way, so he couldn't possibly have a different way now could he, then announce a possible re-think, hoping everyone will notice Jeremy's change of tack rather than yours?
A3) Wait for Jeremy to announce he's talking to Doctors and widespread election results being the focus of the news, prior to announcing you've buried it, without any clear alternative plan given it was the only viable option, allegedly, in the first place?

[CrazyHorse]

tbh... I'm still struggling to think of a single significant measure that this dynamic libdem-free tory govt has yet succeeded to get past this awful, weak, rubbish and disastrous labour opposition...

the list of govt policy/bill casualties grows by the month...

You don't feel that bringing an EU membership referendum, potentially the single most significant change to our lives ever seen and one that'll shape both home and foreign affairs for at the next generation and beyond as a significant measure then, no?

Tough crowd.

[thebish]

To be fair it's more cunning than I thought Nicky Morgan capable of!

Clearly someone has helped her with her homework. What we need to do is more testing, to see if she can get it right (maybe multiple-choice)

Q1) You've just been roundly ignored and laughed at, at a Conference for Head Teachers as well as your policy being questioned by your own backbenchers and the largely Conservative County Councils Network do you:

A1) Stick to your guns - you know you were right all along - you've been telling everyone there was only one way, so there couldn't possibly be a different way now could there?
A2) Wait for Jeremy to announce he's talking to Doctors - he's been telling everyone there was only one way, so he couldn't possibly have a different way now could he, then announce a possible re-think, hoping everyone will notice Jeremy's change of tack rather than yours?
A3) Wait for Jeremy to announce he's talking to Doctors and widespread election results being the focus of the news, prior to announcing you've buried it, without any clear alternative plan given it was the only viable option, allegedly, in the first place?

actually there were several things smuggled out...

1/ the academies climb-down
2/ lynton crosby getting a knighthood
3/ Toby Young - The Tory columnist and broadcaster quit as CEO of the West London Free School, opened by Boris Johnson just five years ago. He admitted in an interview with Schools Week that he regrets being harsh about teachers, and Labour's track record on education. He said: “Yes. There are a lot of things I regret. I was very critical of England’s public education system under the last Labour government, and I hadn’t grasped how difficult it is to do better, and to bring about system-wide improvement.
4/ New regulations governing the relationship between pub companies and their tenants have been delayed by the Government - because the document is riddled with errors.

[Worthy4England]

tbh... I'm still struggling to think of a single significant measure that this dynamic libdem-free tory govt has yet succeeded to get past this awful, weak, rubbish and disastrous labour opposition...

the list of govt policy/bill casualties grows by the month...

You don't feel that bringing an EU membership referendum, potentially the single most significant change to our lives ever seen and one that'll shape both home and foreign affairs for at the next generation and beyond as a significant measure then, no?

Tough crowd.

Cameron might decide not to go ahead with it yet!

[thebish]

tbh... I'm still struggling to think of a single significant measure that this dynamic libdem-free tory govt has yet succeeded to get past this awful, weak, rubbish and disastrous labour opposition...

the list of govt policy/bill casualties grows by the month...

You don't feel that bringing an EU membership referendum, potentially the single most significant change to our lives ever seen and one that'll shape both home and foreign affairs for at the next generation and beyond as a significant measure then, no?

Tough crowd.

errr.. well - not sure that they have yet succeeded in getting through that. calling one is not winning it... whether the tories get it through remains to be seen, surely?

[Prufrock]

tbh... I'm still struggling to think of a single significant measure that this dynamic libdem-free tory govt has yet succeeded to get past this awful, weak, rubbish and disastrous labour opposition...

the list of govt policy/bill casualties grows by the month...

Gives the lie to the idea that the centrist wing of the party are all "basically Tories" doesn't it? Faced with a leadership they fundamentally disagree with they still consistently vote against Tory policy. How bizarre!

[thebish]

tbh... I'm still struggling to think of a single significant measure that this dynamic libdem-free tory govt has yet succeeded to get past this awful, weak, rubbish and disastrous labour opposition...

the list of govt policy/bill casualties grows by the month...

Gives the lie to the idea that the centrist wing of the party are all "basically Tories" doesn't it? Faced with a leadership they fundamentally disagree with they still consistently vote against Tory policy. How bizarre!

if you say so...

labour MPs vote against Tories shocker!

[Prufrock]

Well it *is* quite shocking if they're "basically tories".

Less shocking if they're not. In fact, if they're not and, as you imply, it's pretty easy to get Labour MPs to vote against the Tories, getting MPs to vote against Tory policy is a pretty useless metric for how useful or otherwise the opposition is.

That's two "if you say so"s in a matter of days. Good to see we've finally settled that!

[thebish]

Well it *is* quite shocking if they're "basically tories".

Less shocking if they're not. In fact, if they're not and, as you imply, it's pretty easy to get Labour MPs to vote against the Tories, getting MPs to vote against Tory policy is a pretty useless metric for how useful or otherwise the opposition is.

well - except that the tories have a majority... more than labour MPs have voted them down. were it just a case of persuading labour MPs to vote against tories - then the tories would have passed all their commons legislation... I'm still trying to think of a single significant success...

are you really saying that Corbyn's opposition has not been successful? I get that you dislike the guy - fair enough - but, really??

also - quote marks? who are you quoting - yourself?

[Bijou Bob]

Poor Jeremy. Asked not to go anywhere near Scotland during their campaign, barred from Wales in case he poisoned the waters and now refused a meeting with the new Labour mayor of London. Clearly electable then. The Tories must be crapping themselves.

[Worthy4England]

Poor Jeremy. Asked not to go anywhere near Scotland during their campaign, barred from Wales in case he poisoned the waters and now refused a meeting with the new Labour mayor of London. Clearly electable then. The Tories must be crapping themselves.

Aye, tis a bit like when the Tories thought Micheal Howard was a good idea. He's not stupid and you could sorta see how they got to elect him but never likely to work in practice being a dinosaur of the Thatcher era. The list of people running for Labour was hugely short on noticeable talent but the answer like Tories and Howard isn't to move back.

Was actually a pretty good night for the Tories in the sense that Labour losing a shitload of seats might have heightened Corbyn's departure.

[Worthy4England]

As an aside, the computer in the London mayoral vote has allegedly been allocating votes to incorrect party...might make it somewhat interesting given the amount of back-patting going on in Labour camp (some congrats from Tories too) and some soul searching stuff in Tory camp about negative campaigning...

[Lord Kangana]

I can only find the Daily Mail reporting that story. Just saying like.

[thebish]

Poor Jeremy. Asked not to go anywhere near Scotland during their campaign,

aye... and look how well labour did in Scotland after they distanced themselves totally from his leadership... it seems that Jez-less labour is a really much more attractive proposition!

[Worthy4England]

I can only find the Daily Mail reporting that story. Just saying like.

Twas on the beeb's live website last night. Bit bizarre there's little reporting of it, as it was allegedly the reason for the delayed announcement.

[Prufrock]

Well it *is* quite shocking if they're "basically tories".

Less shocking if they're not. In fact, if they're not and, as you imply, it's pretty easy to get Labour MPs to vote against the Tories, getting MPs to vote against Tory policy is a pretty useless metric for how useful or otherwise the opposition is.

well - except that the tories have a majority... more than labour MPs have voted them down. were it just a case of persuading labour MPs to vote against tories - then the tories would have passed all their commons legislation... I'm still trying to think of a single significant success...

are you really saying that Corbyn's opposition has not been successful? I get that you dislike the guy - fair enough - but, really??

also - quote marks? who are you quoting - yourself?

1) Are you seriously arguing that the reason back-bench Tory MPs have voted against government measures it's because they have been persuaded by bearded commie Jeremy Whatshisname, and not because the complete lack of an opposition means they can vote pretty much how they feel on any issue. It's arguably making it harder for Cameron, yes, but by incompetence.

3) yes! Jesus man yes! It's bad enough you think he's doing a good job but that you think it's utterly stunning that someone might think he isn't Christ! Labour I Scotland want nothing to do with him. Sadiq Khan wanted nothing to do with him. Against a riven, unpopular Tory govt fighting itself and its core over Europe, in midterm elections which are traditionally nightmares for governing parties, we're just about breaking even. Hurray. William Hague gained over 1500 seats ffs!

Every time the Tories screw up, we let them off the hook. Georgie chicks yo the budget, it's fine, we'll throw Mao's little red book at him. Yet another U-turn, we'll get Ken on to talk about Hitler. Yet another another U-turn, Ken's back again.

So yes I am saying Corbyn's opposition has been unsuccessful, and we're wandering right on down that path to electoral oblivion.

3) I'm paraphrasing many people. Among them

If the cost of getting Labour or the Lib Dems elected is to turn them into an alternative Tory party - then what's the point?

Kendall is a tory (in all but name)

[Prufrock]

I can only find the Daily Mail reporting that story. Just saying like.

Twas on the beeb's live website last night. Bit bizarre there's little reporting of it, as it was allegedly the reason for the delayed announcement.

Yeah I saw it somewhere else as well. Can only think the winning margin is so large and the number of affected votes so small it isn't a huge deal.

That would be embarrassing! I think that's the first vote I've ever cast for someone who won!