When will this shit end?

[Ozanne]

Just now, Quark said:

No chance of a GE. With the majority they have there is absolutely no need. At some point there'll be a vote of no confidence in Johnson when he's outlived his usefulness and they'll have a leadership contest, probably with a view to get Gove in. There's no way they'll risk an 80-seat majority.

It'll be reinforcing the message that they can back the Brexit amendment without breaking ministerial code so they'd better jolly well do it.

They’ll get rid of Johnson after we’ve left the transition period, no point tarring the new leadership with that crap. 

[efcfanwirral]

 

16 minutes ago, Quark said:

My parents are (increasingly disillusioned) Tory voters. And they've HATED Hancock from the outset.

Mine are the same - the only reason they voted Tory was to keep Corbyn and authoritarian communism out....so they can still claim "it would've been worse with the other lot"

Edited September 11, 2020 by efcfanwirral

[Quark]

3 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

I doubt he'll do that, but I do wonder if he genuinely believes in all this shit he's doing with the international law, damaging no deal etc (remember he didn't want to leave at all until it got him power)  and is relying on somebody somehow stopping him from causing the undoubted damage on the way. He can then be "thwarted by remainers" and ride off into the sunset without being the man who gave us food shortages and riots....  

There is a theory that this is why Starmer hasn't been pressing this point in parliament, and why the EU are staying at the negotiating table.  It;s gradually starving him of the oxygen that is people to blame or turn on.

[Fuzzy Afro]

Some rumours that the Lords are prepared to block his Europe bill so he needs a GE with it in the manifesto to compel them to wave it through. This has the ability to go horrendously wrong for him once Starmer smells blood 

[ace56blaa]

[ace56blaa]

3,539, no change in tests

[Simsy]

10 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

My best guess is that he’s going to inform them that he’s walking away from Brexit talks and start preparing for a no deal exit, however it might also be to discuss the rule of six as a lot of the backbench Tories are pretty big Libertarians. Steve Baker for one is utterly fuming. 

Hmm, my local Brexit lorry park is currently a covid test centre, that could be interesting in January.

[squirrelarmy]

Calling an election now would be political suicide. 
 

Do they honestly expect the majority of over 18’s to gather in the same places in a single day during a pandemic? Will there be an army of election officials wiping down each polling booth after every vote is cast?

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, Simsy said:

Hmm, my local Brexit lorry park is currently a covid test centre, that could be interesting in January.

might be an efficient way of getting people tested ... those damn eu lorry drivers 

Edited September 11, 2020 by crazyfool1

[Ozanne]

3 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

Calling an election now would be political suicide. 
 

Do they honestly expect the majority of over 18’s to gather in the same places in a single day during a pandemic? Will there be an army of election officials wiping down each polling booth after every vote is cast?

To be fair I'd walk through hell on earth for a chance to vote the Tories out of office.

[efcfanwirral]

2 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

To be fair I'd walk through hell on earth for a chance to vote the Tories out of office.

same. this would be the dream if that unlikely rumour is true - if Starmer could get past the ensuing vote of no confidence from his own party for suggesting it, and run on a "I promise we will get a deal", and basically make it a deal vs no deal election, he would probably win. And everyone would avoid the ridiculous mess that is coming. Added bonus of asking for a potential extension and not doing any of this madness during what is looking like a brutal winter.... Everyone walks away relatively unscathed, Tories don't have to deal with letting down the angry Brexit types nor the pandemic and get themselves back in to sweep up the mess left behind afterwards. 

Of course he's likely calling the meeting to bully and threaten them to push it through so all this is fantasy land. But it would be a perfect out for everyone...

[Ozanne]

It's worth noting that he can't actually call a General Election, he needs to vote it through Parliament under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act with a 2/3rd majority. Or if that fails run a one line bill that can call one which needs a simple majority.

[squirrelarmy]

7 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

To be fair I'd walk through hell on earth for a chance to vote the Tories out of office.

I’d definitely be voting if it did happen but the Tories would be exposing their most vulnerable voters unnecessarily. 
 

Many of them would stay at home and their majority is almost certain to be wiped out.

It’s pure madness from a logical point of view but when has our government ever been logical or sensible. 
 

If an election is called I do hope a ban on political advertising on Facebook is in effect. 

[Mr.Tease]

16 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Some rumours that the Lords are prepared to block his Europe bill so he needs a GE with it in the manifesto to compel them to wave it through. This has the ability to go horrendously wrong for him once Starmer smells blood 

I don't know, I think BJ and the tory papers will then just focus on 'the unelected house of lords' as the outrageous enemy who can be blamed when it all goes wrong 

[steviewevie]

no way is he going to call an election. He'll probably just do his usual please everyone speech...lots of bluster, and everyone will be happy, until they realise that he's just bulshitted them again.

[stuie]

17 minutes ago, Simsy said:

Hmm, my local Brexit lorry park is currently a covid test centre, that could be interesting in January.

Mine too! Manston? 
 

[efcfanwirral]

1 minute ago, squirrelarmy said:

I’d definitely be voting if it did happen but the Tories would be exposing their most vulnerable voters unnecessarily. 
 

Many of them would stay at home and their majority is almost certain to be wiped out.

It’s pure madness from a logical point of view but when has our government ever been logical or sensible. 
 

If an election is called I do hope a ban on political advertising on Facebook is in effect. 

More likely a rushed online voting system that we find out years later was compromised, but way too late after all the damage is done 

[philipsteak]

3 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

I don't know, I think BJ and the tory papers will then just focus on 'the unelected house of lords' as the outrageous enemy who can be blamed when it all goes wrong 

"Activist lawyers" doesn't seem to have taken as well as they hoped it would apart from a few columnists and Twitter cheerleaders  

[squirrelarmy]

1 minute ago, efcfanwirral said:

More likely a rushed online voting system that we find out years later was compromised, but way too late after all the damage is done 

Our government involved in shady online shenanigans? Surely not. 

[onthebeach]

23 minutes ago, ace56blaa said:

3,539, no change in tests

It’s just been updated to add another 52k tests - I think it’s now updated weekly, later on Fridays? Hope this is the reason for the higher positive cases today

[Simsy]

15 minutes ago, stuie said:

Mine too! Manston? 
 

No, Portsmouth. There must be a few of them around!

[ace56blaa]

14 minutes ago, onthebeach said:

It’s just been updated to add another 52k tests - I think it’s now updated weekly, later on Fridays? Hope this is the reason for the higher positive cases today

yeah for the most part in this week testing hasn't gone up much. 

the testing figures shown today are actually for yesterday, so won't see how many tests for today till next week

[Fuzzy Afro]

https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2020/09/11/in-defence-of-youth/

Found this article from a Scottish local blogger on why it’s unfair to demonise the young people right now 

[Zoo Music Girl]

53 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

To be fair I'd walk through hell on earth for a chance to vote the Tories out of office.

This. Would be delighted if they would call an election right now. Surely there'd be a good chance of least doing serious damage to that majority.

Can't see it at all, but I said that about the last two...

Over 3,000

 

[st dan]

Really interested to see how Sweden get on in regards to the ‘second wave’ the rest of Europe is currently experiencing, mainly as a result of the gradual reopening of things back to ‘normal’. Maybe their model was right after all? 

Edited September 11, 2020 by st dan