UK Politics Thread

[MGR1]

Jim Murphy has stepped down as SLAB leader with a broadside at the unions:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-32760196

Len McCluskey of UNITE hits back:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...lands-32771657

Deputy SLAB leader Kezia Dugdale is currently the favourite for taking over:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kezia_Dugdale

Mike.

[BossMark]

PM To Renew Funding Vow For 'Seven-Day' NHS

http://news.sky.com/story/1485818/pm...-seven-day-nhs

the NHS is "safe in our hands".

"Until I sell it off to all my rich mates"

[STEED]

Why is it a number of Tories feel over turning the fox hunting ban must go straight to number one on the queen's speech?

[STEED]

UK can exist outside EU - JCB chief



The boss of building equipment firm JCB has backed the idea of Britain leaving the European Union, saying the country could exist "peacefully and sensibly" on its own.
Lord Bamford's comments to the BBC - which are at odds with sentiments expressed by a number of other business leaders - come after Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to hold an in/out referendum on membership by the end of 2017.
The remarks came as the family-held firm posted annual earnings for 2014 down 3.2% to £303 million as revenues slipped 6.3% to £2.5 billion.
Lord Bamford, a Tory donor, told BBC Midlands Today: "We are the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world. We could exist on our own - peacefully and sensibly."
He said an exit would enable the UK to "negotiate as our country rather than being one of 28 nations".

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/jcb-builds...4.html#ATP5OU1

At long last a company tells it straight we can leave the EU.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by STEED

Why is it a number of Tories feel over turning the fox hunting ban must go straight to number one on the queen's speech?

Because most of them are hunters...or at the very least something that rhymes with hunt.

Originally Posted by STEED

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/jcb-builds...4.html#ATP5OU1

At long last a company tells it straight we can leave the EU.

We can, certainly, but not in the manner in which many media publications, and Nigel Farage, seem to think we can. What is needed, if we are to leave and I think that we'd be worse off for it in the long term, is a gradual withdrawal so that our markets have the opportunity to adjust to the new conditions rather than a sudden departure which will send shockwaves through the city and screw prices up for all of us common people (because let's face it, when the City sneezes, the common people get the flu).

Personally though, I think that it would be both strategically and tactically a poor choice to leave the EU if Britain wants to consider itself relevent in todays world. Britains GDP and military size is quite pitiful in comparison to the US, China, Japan, and military wise Russia, although our GDP is better than theirs. We cannot afford to keep a decent military force, nor can we a hundred percent rely on NATO if America should decide to follow an isolationist path or return to its Pacific focus. In short, it is down to Europe to defend Europe, and like it or not, we are a part of Europe.
Alone, the nations of the EU are pretty unremarkable, GDPs low, military forces nothing to write home about, but together we have one of the largest GDPs and military forces in the world. That is a relevent matter.
Only the dreams of Empire which has long past is keeping us from being a relevent member of the EU, and quite honestly we've got to stop living in the past, the British Empire is dead, we are not the superpower we were a hundred years ago, not even the superpower we were seventy years ago, we are a small island nation with an even smaller military, and whilst our economy is good, it's stronger as part of a large European co-operative entity.
It would be foolish to think that Britain can go alone any more.

[MGR1]

Originally Posted by Oberon

We can, certainly, but not in the manner in which many media publications, and Nigel Farage, seem to think we can. What is needed, if we are to leave and I think that we'd be worse off for it in the long term, is a gradual withdrawal so that our markets have the opportunity to adjust to the new conditions rather than a sudden departure which will send shockwaves through the city and screw prices up for all of us common people (because let's face it, when the City sneezes, the common people get the flu).

Personally though, I think that it would be both strategically and tactically a poor choice to leave the EU if Britain wants to consider itself relevent in todays world. Britains GDP and military size is quite pitiful in comparison to the US, China, Japan, and military wise Russia, although our GDP is better than theirs. We cannot afford to keep a decent military force, nor can we a hundred percent rely on NATO if America should decide to follow an isolationist path or return to its Pacific focus. In short, it is down to Europe to defend Europe, and like it or not, we are a part of Europe.
Alone, the nations of the EU are pretty unremarkable, GDPs low, military forces nothing to write home about, but together we have one of the largest GDPs and military forces in the world. That is a relevent matter.
Only the dreams of Empire which has long past is keeping us from being a relevent member of the EU, and quite honestly we've got to stop living in the past, the British Empire is dead, we are not the superpower we were a hundred years ago, not even the superpower we were seventy years ago, we are a small island nation with an even smaller military, and whilst our economy is good, it's stronger as part of a large European co-operative entity.
It would be foolish to think that Britain can go alone any more.

Something I agree with completely, Oberon. I'm no fan of the EU's bureaucratic, somewhat overbearing, tendencies, but I agree, for better or worse, the UK will have more clout as part of a larger group. After all, the UK itself would have been nothing without the Empire and it's not as if many former colonies and territories are going to suddenly turn around and re-embrace the UK if we leave the EU. We burned our bridges with them a long time ago.

Lets not forget that the US has made it pretty clear that it wants the UK in a strong, united Europe which the US can, ideally, leave to it's own affairs without having to intervene militarily to defend or stabilise. If the UK leaves the EU, I think it's pretty certain that the US will put us near the bottom of their list of useful strategic partners. The UK is of no use to them otherwise, if we're going to look at things in a purely geo-strategic way.

In terms of world relations, what the British public wishes to do is pretty irrelevant.

Mike.

[STEED]

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's largest trade union has threatened to sever links with the opposition Labour party and deprive it of millions of pounds in funding if the party's next leader tries to move it too far to the centre ground of British politics.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uks-bigges...5.html#ZMLOOVT

Not looking good.

[Jimbuna]

I should imagine David Cameron is wringing his hands with glee.

[BossMark]

UK inflation rate turns negative

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32793481

UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation turned negative in April for the first time on record, falling to -0.1%, official figures show.

Chancellor George Osborne said the fall in the inflation rate was only temporary.

Well Gideon your doing a fine job and how long is temporary????

[BossMark]

Ian Duncan Smith has confirmed that killer nurse Victorino Chua, found guilty of killing two patients and poisoning at least twenty others, has successfully applied for a senior position at ATOS Healthcare

[Betonov]

[BossMark]

David Cameron has renewed his vow to boost NHS funding and create a "seven-day" health service.

Is that per annum?

[Jimbuna]

Very early post election days but the signs are arguably beginning to look promising.

[BossMark]

Looks like the Tories plan has backfired. The nurse at Stepping Hill got caught.

[STEED]

David Cameron was given the wrong oath today, he took the Hitler oath and said this one suites his evil vision better.