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

[Moonlight]

Starmer or Sunak are not capable of fixing what's wrong with the UK and, the sad fact is, there isn't anyone else on both parties backbenchers who are either.

Who would I vote for out of these three.

Tice.
He's an unknown quantity at this time, would the voters elect him as Prime Minister, I seriously doubt that will happen, maybe in 10 to 15 years time they might do but, the UK doesn't need a political novice or his party at this time.
Starmer.
Not a cat in hells chance, he'd be inviting Migrants, Terrorists, the EU and the UN into British political decision making, he has no backbone and neither has his party. He'd be too quick to drop to his knees, and even quicker at dropping his pants, he's a top class currant who can't be trusted.
Sunak.
This currant is probably the worst Prime Minister we've ever had, unelected or elected, the quicker this twat left this country the better for all of us, how those dickheads of the Tory party could vote for this political pigmy I'll never know but, that tells me one thing as well, they aren't fit to govern either.

The good ship HMS UK, hasn't got a skipper or a rudder, well done Sunak, now **** off back to India and don't come back.

[Jimbuna]

Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick proposes migrant crime data is published

Details of nationality, immigration and visa status should be recorded whenever a criminal is convicted, ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick has proposed.

Mr Jenrick has submitted an amendment to the government's Criminal Justice Bill, saying the data would help to inform deportation and visa policies.

"We would want to apply a higher level of scrutiny to nationalities that are higher risk," he said.

Rishi Sunak has been under pressure to cut net migration figures.

Revised estimates published in November indicated net migration - the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving Britain - reached a record 745,000 in 2022.

Mr Jenrick resigned as immigration minister in December in protest at the prime minister's Rwanda deportation plan.

His amendment, first reported by the Daily Telegraph, would mean a report presented to Parliament each year which would collate the nationality, visa and asylum status of every offender convicted in English and Welsh courts in the previous 12 months.

Mr Jenrick's proposal has been backed by 25 MPs, including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sir Robert Buckland.

If the amendment is submitted, it would be one of dozens submitted for the Criminal Justice Bill.

It would need to be selected to be voted on by the entire House of Commons as the overall bill continues its passage through Parliament, and would then become part of the government policy if it is backed by a majority of MPs.

A government source told the BBC: "We will consider the amendment and engage with colleagues in the usual way."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68697796

[Jimbuna]

Tories to keep hold of less than 100 seats as Labour take 468, new poll suggests in further blow to Rishi Sunak - whose own constituency survey says is also at risk

The Tories are on track to suffer their worst election result with less than 100 seats, while Labour could sweep the board with 468, a new poll suggests.

In such a scenario, Sir Keir Starmer's party could end up with a 286-seat majority as Britain swings from Conservative rule to the first Labour government in 14 years, according to a 15,000-person MRP poll conducted by Survation on behalf of Best for Britain.

With 45 per cent of the vote, Labour would largely dominate the House of Commons, with the Tories picking up just 98 seats and notably not one in Scotland or Wales, The Sunday Times reports.
Adding to his woes, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is not even guaranteed his own constituency, with just a 2.5 percentage point lead and the new Richmond & Northallerton seat forecast to be won by Labour.

Also treading a fine line of risk is Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who leads by just one point over the Liberal Democrats in his new seat of Goldaming & Ash.

This latest poll will fuel further fears that delaying the election until later in the year will almost guarantee a Conservative defeat.

Tory MPs have privately told Sunak fears that things will only get worse for the party, suggesting the PM could use the Rwanda row as a springboard for a campaign.

The frenzied speculation came as the PM publicly bemoaned his 'hospital pass' from Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, saying he had inherited the 'worst' situation for 'decades'.

Conservative unrest has been mounting over previous dire polls showing Keir Starmer on track for a landslide when the country goes to the ballot boxes.

Election guru Sir John Curtice has estimated a 99 per cent chance of Labour being in power in the next Parliament.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other...9cc5a956&ei=60

[Moonlight]

ROBERT JENRICK: Why do we still send millions to China when we desperately need that money to defend ourselves against countries like... China?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...id-budget.html

This is a strange one, politicians who've been running the UK for 14 years can moan about the politicians who've been in charge for the last 14 years with a straight face. Maybe he shouldn't be asking those in power that question but, the normal everyday person instead, I'm sure they'll put him on the right track.

The real scandal here is that the government borrows billions of ££££££s just so they can give it away to the likes of China, India and Pakistan, all of whom have invested heavily into nuclear weapons and 2 of them having their own space programs, thick twats or what?, undoubtedly.

If I said to my family, right we're thousands of ££££££s in debt but I'm going to borrow more money so I can give it away to charity, I wonder what any sane person would say to that, that's what our so-called government is doing.

Britain's Conservative government reduced overseas aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income (GNI) in 2020, the Labour Party were shedding bucket loads of crocodile tears as usual but, you can expect Starmer and his lefty baboons to increase it back to 0.7% pretty damn quick.

Foreign Aid needs to be scrapped, its being abused by most countries who have their grasping hands out and, it wouldn't surprise me if oil rich countries are in receipt of Foreign Aid too.

[Jimbuna]

Be fair, someone has to pay for the Chinese space programe.

[Jimbuna]

[Moonlight]

^Come on man cough up and stop being a skinflint, this begging by the Labour Party is getting bloody embarrassing now, you can chuck in a tenner for me while you're at it, I've always wanted to be as generous with other peoples money as the Labour Party are.

[Jimbuna]

Not one penny....those days are long past for me.

I've yet to forgive the party for allowing Steptoe take over the leadership role.