Gove should have stuck to his strengths in Justice rather than team up with a sociopath to pursue an impossible fantasy. I think he didn't see what Boris was soon enough. And Theresa? Well, she is now getting involved with a bunch of terrorist-sympathising right-wing Bible bashers (way to keep governmental neutrality on the N.I. issue!). It seems that making poor relationship choices is a Tory forte. IDS... well, he should have stuck to his principles. Crocodile tears impress nobody. On the upside... Meanwhile Dan Roberts tweeted some Breality for May: Some thoughts on what happens when Theresa May’s “stable” new government has its first brush with reality at the Brexit talks in 10 days: 1) May will be told in no uncertain terms that there is nothing to take home on trade until she admits she lied about the size of the bill 2) May will be forced to tell her new DUP partners that both sides of Ireland’s border have to be flexible if a hard border is to be avoided 3) May will be forced to admit that it is economically and politically absurd to maintain that Britain can simply walk away with nothing 4) May will be forced to admit that Jeremy Corbyn had a point when he called for a more consensual approach to negotiations 5) May will be forced to confront the facile myth that unfettered access to European markets can be achieved at no cost to Britain 6) May will have to take these uncomfortable truths back home and sell them to a parliament where she does not command a majority
I hold no candle for the DUP, if for no other reason than the assumption that they don't like my sort, but I wonder if we are right to treat all ( or all but one) of NI's elected representatives as untouchable. Okay it would be better if the SDLP and OUP hadn't been abandoned by their voters and better still if some new parties emerged on ideological rather than sectarian lines, but this lot are who the people there have chosen to send to Westminster, so should we consider them on that basis.
I've been away from the thread for a couple of days so excuse me for a second... Plaid held up my way, good news, but only gained 1 seat overall which is a shame. Regarding UK politics - what a result! It's like the UK has woken from its miserable slumber, at last. Thank **** for that. My faith is restored.
Now you wouldn't be putting words in someone's mouth would you? Now reread my post and note that I referred to 17/18 of NI's representatives and after checking the election results (Google ) you'll see that refers to more than one party.......... Should I assume you misread my post?
Wasn't my intention, I was just musing on whether it's now seen as unacceptable to accept support from any NI MPs! If so remind me why they get Westminster seats.......
Yeah, it is, for two reasons: 1. Whoever voted Tory in mainland British constituencies did not consider the manifesto of N. Irish parties, because they obviously had no candidates standing in those constituencies. But now all of a sudden the DUP in N. Ireland gets to indirectly influence politics in those constituencies through a coalition with a mainland British party. Not democratic--it's like, say, if the SNP suddenly got a say in your English constituency. 2. The British government, and its Northern Ireland secretary have always adopted a position of absolute neutrality with respect to the devolved N.I. government. If the leading party has a coalition with one specific Irish party, that neutrality is in question.
Take a left and then the 2nd right from my house and you're at the DUP headquarters. It's literally a 5 min walk away, and I can tell you wholeheartedly that you should NOT consider them on that basis. The "Why?" of it is a 10,000 word dissertation that I'm not going to get in to now, however, but the take home is that people either vote green or they vote orange and there's zero thought put in to the actual policies they represent. Alliance is non-sectarian and their leader, Naomi Long, was MP for East Belfast for a single term. That ended up in a smear campaign, a flag protest, death threats against her, and a loyalist pact to ensure she doesn't get the office again.
It does reflect how the DUP and SF behave in Stormont, the other side suggested a policy, so we must scream no at the top of our lungs based on the suggestion having come from the other side rather than assess the merit of the policy.
Really seeing a worrying trend among Conservative voters right now. Apparently it's not May to blame, or just how democracy turns out, but it's the people who didn't vote Conservative's fault. Tory voters aren't voting with austerity and tough love and whatever in mind, it's that deep down they actually do want a dictatorship with Conservatives in charge. I really haven't seen anybody complain so much about anything, let alone effectively winning, as I have both Brexit voters and now Conservative voters, while they will tell you it's everyone else who moans.
No it's May. Almost singularly May and her advisers. I'm surprised. Because most conservative are incensed at May for this. Ruth Davidson given DUP gay rights assurance http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40229826
Certainly the pro-May ones are gonna have to spin it some way, and clearly this is democracy's fault. Wasn't tricking people into keeping a basic and archaic voting system by using dead babies enough?
The pro may lot need to give up. Keep her until a speedy replacement can be found ideally davis, Definately not rudd or boris and then move and dump her. In the current realm of political possibilities Davis is the PM we need, not the one we deserve (god help the country if we were to get what we deserve)
Honesty I've not looked into his links to deeply, it's just his name kept cropping up when i was reading articles about the DUP and their links to terrorism, like i said I've not looked to deeply into those links but on the wiki it claims he was was photographed wearing the group's paramilitary uniform at an Ulster Resistance demonstration. That, for me, is deeply worrying, not only that Mrs May would risk that neutrality but also the hopefully slim chance that by being seen as no longer impartial that, god forbid, the IRA or similar may take up arms again because the political solution is no longer working or seen as biased. If it were me I'd put Davis in charge until the negotiating with the EU is done and then Boris in charge for the next GE, although i can't lay claim to that idea as i heard it on last nights C4 elegtion special.
I'm not hearing blame the voters from the conservatives. It's pretty much blame May all in. Regarding PR wasn't the Labour party against that as well?
Tories and Labour are against it. The referendum we had in 2011 wasn't on proportional representation though, it was on the Alternative Vote - that's not a true proportional representation system.
I think it's ironic that the Conservatives went through all this crap with the EU Referendum and this election not to be in thrall of a small, far-right wing party anymore, only to end up in thrall of another small far-right wing party. And yet again Theresa May seems clueless as to just how bad the decision to cuddle up to the DUP is looking to Tory voters. In a democracy people get the government they deserve, not the one they need. And this is it. Good luck.
