UK Politics Thread part II

[Jimbuna]

Ian Blackford is to stand down as leader of the SNP group at Westminster, it has been confirmed.

Mr Blackford said he believed it was time for "fresh leadership" after five years in the role.

He said he would formally stand down at the group's annual general meeting next week.

There has been speculation in recent weeks that some SNP MPs were plotting to replace Mr Blackford as group leader.

In a statement, he said he would continue in his role as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber and had also accepted a new role at the centre of the SNP's independence campaign.

Mr Blackford said: "After more than five years in the role, now is the right time for fresh leadership at Westminster as we head towards a general election and the next steps in winning Scotland's independence.

"During my time as leader, the SNP won a landslide victory in the 2019 general election, with an increased share of the vote and MPs, and support for independence has continued to grow with polling this week showing a majority in favour."

Mr Blackford has become as well-known figure in the House of Commons through his weekly appearance at Prime Minister's Questions and is seen as being a close ally of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader.

He faced calls to resign from political opponents after the Daily Mail reported in June that it had obtained a recording of Mr Blackford urging fellow MPs to give "absolute full support" to SNP MP Patrick Grady, who was suspended for sexual misconduct.

Mr Grady, a former SNP chief whip, was suspended from Parliament for two days over a sexual advance towards a colleague in 2016, and also suspended from the SNP's Westminster group for a week.

Ms Sturgeon subsequently said that the support expressed for Mr Grady had been "unacceptable".

There have been reports that some SNP MPs were also unhappy at Mr Blackford's handling of the case, with Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn recently dismissing suggestions that he was "on manoeuvres" with a view to replacing him as group leader.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63821836

[Jimbuna]

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has promised "the biggest ever transfer of power from Westminster to the British people" if elected.

Labour published a report on Monday by former prime minister Gordon Brown setting out plans for sweeping constitutional change, including abolishing the House of Lords.

The plans would release £200m a year and change the economy, Sir Keir said.

He called the reforms an end to short-term "sticking plaster politics".

Sir Keir told BBC Breakfast the unelected second chamber was "indefensible", and added that a Labour government would abolish it and replace it with an elected body "with a strong mission" - but did not provide an exact timeframe.

"I'm very keen that all of the recommendations in the report are carried out as quickly as possible," he said, adding the proposals could be implemented within five years of a Labour administration.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63851922

[mapuc]

^ ....and people believe this

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Most people now believe that a politician is lying when they see their lips move.

[Jimbuna]

Conservative donations fall to lowest level since 2020

Donations to the Conservative Party between July and September fell substantially compared to recent years, with the party raising £2.9m.

It is the lowest amount they have received since mid-2020 and comes after months of turmoil in the party.

Labour raised similar amounts in the same time period, receiving £2.8m including £1.6m from trade unions.

The union Unite gave over £700,000 to the party, despite previous threats to review the funding.

Donations to the Liberal Democrats hit £1.4m, while the SNP did not register any donations.

Responding to the figures, a Conservative Party source said the numbers covered the six-week leadership election when donors gave money to leadership campaigns.

The latest donations have been published by the Electoral Commission - the watchdog which oversees spending by political parties - and covers the period from July to September of this year.

During that time, Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister following scandals over Covid rule-breaking and the appointment of Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip.

Liz Truss was elected to replace Mr Johnson but was forced to step down weeks later when her economic plans triggered market turmoil.

The political turbulence appears to have damaged Conservative donations which fell from £4.8m in the second quarter of 2022 to £2.9m in the last three months.

Businessman Gareth Quarry is one donor who has switched his backing, giving Labour £50,000 - in 2016-17 he donated the same amount to the Conservatives.

A Labour spokesperson said: "Donors are coming back to Labour because they can see we are a changed party that is serious about getting into government and building a fairer, greener, more dynamic Britain."

Over half of the party's donations came from unions, with Unison giving £196,000 and Unite donating £728,000.

Earlier this year Unite, Labour's biggest donor, said financial support for the party was under review.

It followed a bitter row between the unions and the Labour-run council in Coventry over a pay dispute for bin lorry drivers in the city.

"Our wallet is closed to bad employers," Unite boss Sharon Graham said in February.

In addition to donations, Labour received £1.9m in public funds, which includes short money given to opposition parties to help pay for their activities in Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats and the SNP party claimed £296,342 and £396,300 in public money respectively.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63871767

[Catfish]

I read that Labour wants to dissolve the House of Lords, is there any chance this happens

[Gorpet]

Originally Posted by Catfish

I read that Labour wants to dissolve the House of Lords, is there any chance this happens

Of course, If your a shark, get rid of the nibblers, right off the bat.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Catfish

I read that Labour wants to dissolve the House of Lords, is there any chance this happens

Hard to say atm but they should concentrate on trying to win a general election first.

[Moonlight]

Originally Posted by Catfish

I read that Labour wants to dissolve the House of Lords, is there any chance this happens

It'll happen one day in the next 20 or 30 years, but not in the way you or I will think it will happen, "those elections for the "House of Lords" positions will all be controlled by the Westminster Political Parties.
If you think for one moment that a commoner of England like your next door neighbour has a chance of being elected then you are going to be very, very disappointed.
In with the new and out with the old, is that what you're thinking?, it's never going to happen matey, it would be political suicide for all the Political Parties, they can't have these new "House of Lords" representatives who don't represent Labour, Lib Dems or the Tory party running around spouting their bleeding mouths off, it would lead to political anarchy.
So, it will all just be the same but with a different name than Lords, an example would be "Peoples Representative" but these muppets won't represent the common folk, oh no, they'll represent their masters, the "Westminster Political Parties".

[Jimbuna]

Matt Hancock has just announced he will not be standing in the next general election.

Hardly a world shattering surprise.

[Skybird]

Once a mighty empire, Britain today sees millions struggling simply to live

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/b...isis-rcna57630

[Jimbuna]

The only growth industry currently in the UK is food banks.

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Once a mighty empire, Britain today sees millions struggling simply to live
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/b...isis-rcna57630

"More than 200 miles north of London, in seaside Morecambe, Dusty Thomas says he spends many of his days quietly starving. He is 60, a veteran of the 1982 Falklands war and the sectarian “Troubles” in Northern Ireland."
What the H.

[Jimbuna]

Yet Sunak is worth an estimated £700 million

[Jimbuna]

Kwasi Kwarteng says he got carried away as chancellor

Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng says he "got carried away" when he announced a huge package of ill-fated tax cuts alongside former PM Liz Truss.

Mr Kwarteng told the Financial Times his biggest regret was being "too impatient" with the mini-budget.

The plans sparked turmoil in the markets, eventually leading to Mr Kwarteng and Ms Truss's resignation.

"There was a brief moment and the people in charge, myself included, blew it," he said.

Reflecting on his time in office, the MP for Spelthorne said there had been "no tactical subtlety whatsoever".

"People got carried away, myself included," he said.

As chancellor, Mr Kwarteng set out a package to abolish the top rate of income tax for the highest earners, axe the cap on bankers' bonuses, and provide an expensive and long-running energy support package.

The plans would have required more than £70bn of increased borrowing, but most of the measures were torn up by his successor, Jeremy Hunt.

The pound fell to a record low against the dollar after the announcement, requiring intervention from the Bank of England and increasing mortgage rates for homeowners.

Two days later, Mr Kwarteng signalled more tax cuts were coming, causing more market uncertainty.

He was sacked from the position after just 38 days, becoming Britain's second shortest-serving chancellor, with Ms Truss's time as prime minister coming to a chaotic end shortly afterwards.

Mr Kwarteng, who is a long-time ally of Ms Truss, previously said he told her it was "mad" to sack him, saying he urged her to "slow down".

His comments come after Ms Truss's former chief speech writer, Asa Bennett, said she took a "Spinal Tap approach" to government and demanded the volume "was turned up to 11".

Spinal Tap are a spoof heavy metal group created by a team of comedians and musicians, who famously had amplifiers that were "one louder" than 10.

Mr Bennett said the former prime minister was determined to put "rocket boosters" under the economy when she arrived in Downing Street.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63927502