UK Politics Thread part II

[Skybird]

April Fool's Day Law in Scotland.

When the "paywall" appears, there are two options at the bottom of the text: "Unterstützen Sie uns mit einem Beitrag" and "Ich unterstütze bereits". Click on the latter, and it should let you pass.
https://www-tichyseinblick-de.transl...en&_x_tr_hl=de

This opens one question now. Should we cry or should we laugh?

In France, Canada and some other countries as well probably you can get sued and punished at court with high five digit penalties and even 2 years prison if you publicly do not agree and express your disagreement with the official Corona polcies of the government.

This far we already got - and it will get much, much worse. EU Digital Services Act, anyone?

Freedom gets 24/7 carpet-bombed these days, and its always the same malicous ideological camp behind it. In Scotland - and beyond. The time is near when I will need to conclude that I can no longer take the risk to post the opinions and arguments and links and thoughts that I do post. Nor anyone of you.


"So this is how liberty dies - with thundering applause."

[Jimbuna]

Rishi Sunak's crisis behind the scenes as No 10 insider gives 'summer election' verdict

Rishi Sunak has been urged to hold a summer general election - out of fear that the PM may not last until autumn, according to an insider. There is growing panic inside No 10 Downing Street that Mr Sunak could be ousted from office before a general election expected to take place in the second half of this year.

This comes amid fevered speculation about the number of letters of no confidence lodged against the PM. The threshold to remove trigger a vote on removing the Tory leader is 53 MPs.

Some of Mr Sunak's closest advisers in Downing Street have told him to go to the polls as early as June. The mood inside Downing Street is reportedly growing bleaker by the day.

Earlier today official figures confirmed that the UK economy went into recession at the end of last year, dealing a blow to Mr Sunak's attempts to reassure Tory MPs that the economy is turning around.
Also this week, leading pollster Sir John Curtice gave Labour a 99 per cent chance of forming the next government. There is panic among Tories over the threat from Reform UK with the party on the brink of overtaking the Conservative as the second-biggest in Wales, according to a new poll from Redfield and Wilton.

To add to the turmoil, two loyal Tory ministers, Robert Halfon and James Heappey, quit the government in a double blow to Rishi Sunak.

The pair join a growing exodus of Conservative MPs from the Commons, bringing the number of Tory MPs quitting at the next election to 63.

Tim Montgomerie, a prominent former Tory adviser, exposed the crisis behind the scenes in No 10. He revealed that a source in No 10 told him Mr Sunak was openly questioning his suitability as PM to advisers in Downing Street.

Mr Sunak reportedly told No 10 advisers: "Am I not very good at this? Why isn't anything happening?"

Keir Starmer launched Labour's local elections campaign earlier today, and surprised many by praising the ambition behind Boris Johnson's levelling up policy.

It is understood that May's local election results, which are expected to be bruising for the ruling party, could intensify the anger among Tory MPs.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...5c5b6099&ei=14

[Jimbuna]

Fury at the UN's 'hypocrisy' for urging the UK government to scrap the Rwanda flights plan despite sending asylum seekers there

The United Nations was accused of 'double standards' last night after it urged the Government to abandon the Rwanda asylum scheme.

The international body's human rights committee called on Rishi Sunak to drop the programme – even though the UN itself sends refugees to Rwanda.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) said Rishi Sunak should repeal measures already in place to allow migrants to be handed a one-way ticket to the east African nation.

A source close to Home Secretary James Cleverly said: 'It has always been the height of irony and double standards that one arm of the UN says it has concerns about Rwanda as a country and another arm of the same organisation continually and consistently uses Rwanda to house and process asylum seekers.'

The separate UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) sent more than 2,000 asylum seekers from Libya to Rwanda aboard 15 evacuation flights between 2019 and the end of last year.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...aae5bfb3&ei=22

[Skybird]

Thats the same despicable UN that just made Saudi Arabia the global keeper of women's rights, so dont be surprised.

[Jimbuna]

True that

[Jimbuna]

Rishi Sunak criticised for 'appalling cronyism' after knighting billionaire Tory donor Mohamed Mansour

Rishi Sunak has announced a major donor to the Conservative Party will be knighted as part of the Easter honours, leading rivals to criticise “cronyism”.

Labour and Liberal Democrat members have called out the prime minister for awarding the honour to Mohamed Mansour - who gave the Tories £5 million last year.

The Egyptian-born billionaire businessman’s name was one of several on Easter honours list and Tories have said it reflects his charitable work.

Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said: “This is either the arrogant act of an entitled man who’s stopped caring what the public thinks, or the demob-happy self-indulgence of someone who doesn’t expect to be prime minister much longer.

“Either way, it shows a blatant disrespect for the office he should feel privileged to hold.”
Paul Kohler, a Lib Dem candidate for Wimbledon constituency, added: “Even in the wake of this appalling example of Tory cronyism, Labour have not ruled out giving honours to donors.”

Born in Alexandria, Sir Mohamed is now a British citizen and is the chairman of Mansour Group, which is one of the largest businesses in Egypt, as well as the London-based investment firm Man Capital.

He donated the £5 million to the Conservative Party in 2023, which was their biggest single donation since 2001.

"I look at what he has achieved in his first months in office and think what he could do in five years," Mr Mansour said of Mr Sunak - adding he wanted to see him re-elected.

Other names up for an Easter honour are British-American film director Christopher Nolan as well as Tory MPs including Tracey Crouch, Harriett Baldwin and Philip Davies.

Easter honours are not a traditional event and Reform UK leader Richard Tice said that other names had been added alongside that of Mr Mansour to “disguise” their intentions.

“The nation is sick of the Tories and their obscene cronyism,” he told the Telegraph.

“Bung them a few million quid and a peerage or knighthood is yours. The whole thing stinks like a rotting fish, from the head.

“Amusingly, they have tried to disguise their tracks with various other soft or cultural types being honoured. We are not that stupid.”

Sir Mohamed’s charitable work includes supporting The King’s Foundation and the St Paul’s Cathedral’s Remember Me project for those who died of Covid-19 in the UK.

Mr Sunak has recommended the honours to the King and the announcement comes ahead of the Easter recess - not the traditional times of June or New Year.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsl...f767f445&ei=38

[Jimbuna]

'Very worried' Tory MP admits Reform is 'absolutely killing us' in leaked recording

Reform UK is "absolutely killing" the Tories, one of Rishi Sunak's MPs has admitted in a leaked recording.

Danny Kruger, who co-chairs the right-wing New Conservatives faction, said he was "very, very worried" about voters switching to the insurgent party.

The Tory MP for Devizes made the comments at a gathering of local party members in Salisbury last Friday.

In a leaked recording reported by The Telegraph, he is asked about the increasing support for the rebranded Brexit Party.

Mr Kruger replied: "Yes. Yes, we should. I am very worried about that. Very, very worried about that."

Asked what can be done, Mr Kruger added: "Well, I mean, bluntly, we need to take the voters back because those voters voted Conservative last time, overwhelmingly - obviously some, not all.
"But they are at now, in some polls, 15% and we're like at 19%. So I mean, they are absolutely killing us."

Mr Kruger also admitted Reform's criticism of the Conservative Party is "mostly valid".

He said: "But I am sympathetic to their general critique. I don't really believe in them, I don't really like them to be honest.

"I don't think they stand for genuine conservative ideas, I think they're just a destructive force. I think it will be a tragedy if they did end up replacing us.
"But their general critique of what's wrong, I think, is mostly valid. And the people who are attracted to them, I understand why and we have to have major respect for them, not insult them."

It comes as a new YouGov poll has put Richard Tice's outfit on a record 16%, just five points behind the Tories on 21%.

Ashfield MP Lee Anderson earlier this month defected to the right-wing party after losing the Conservative whip in an Islamophobia row.

Pollsters have suggested Nigel Farage, who is Reform's honorary president, would provide a further boost if he returns to frontline politics.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...9e424d61&ei=23