Sort of. What some people are saying is the Conservatives deliberately broke the spending rules in Thanet to make sure Farage didn't get elected as an MP. The accusation is they hid the overspend by claiming it was a national campaign expense whereas the other side are claiming it was a constituency campaign expense hidden as a national one. The CPS has to decide if that the limits were broken (yes) and if it was done deliberately and knowingly (no, or certainly not prove able, in the other cases today). A sideshow.
Well it was actually about a lot more than the battle bus, but I really mustn't test Col's patience, so let's all accept that the Tories got away with buying their 2015 majority and move on.
Tell me about it, lots of people scratching their heads and thinking 'oh dear' where I am. He was sacked for things that have been public knowledge for months, but I'm sure it was a coincidence that the coup de grace was delivered a couple of days after he asked for more funding to investigate Russian influence on the election.......Breibart/Bannon, UKIP/Banks, AFD, Le Pen/FN, Beppe Grillo/Five Star ........all on speed dial to the Kremlin. I'm usually the first to scorn the conspiracy theorists, but I find this pattern disturbing. I am re-reading 1984 at the moment, for about the fourth time but the first time for about 30 years. Still a beautifully written work of genius, and still terrifying. Thankfully, so far, we haven't seen any Party with the competence to deliver Orwell's nightmare in full, but you see some of the tools he describes in use.
I've read it a couple of times too. There is a lot in it that we see today. although I'm not as up-tight as some about some of the work done by our Intelligence agencies etc. There's quite a bit of speculation that this latest Trump thing could be another Watergate.
It's the manipulation of language (Brexit is classic Newspeak, so much of what we hear is soundbite, slogan, shorn of meaning and nuance) and the past (Fake News!) and the increasing focus of many political parties on what (and who) they are against as opposed to what they are for, rather than the activities of the intelligence agencies that echoes most with me mate. Though of course the technology for telescreens which can observe you permanently has existed for some time and been used (was it Samsung?).
I think it was Samsung. Britain is one of the most observed nations on earth. Completely agree about personalities over beliefs. It's been heading that way for a long time. I know you don't rate May, but all we hear about is her awkward public persona rather than what she stands for. Same goes for all the other political leaders.
She's never stood for much at all, Col. The personality thing is what the Tories want to focus on because they know that there's a perception (carefully cultivated by the right-wing press) that she is a strong (and stable) leader and that Corbyn is weak. The Labour manifesto has been leaked today and there's a lot in there that's very popular. Let's focus on the policies.
Corbo's manifesto has been "leaked". I actually think it looks rather good even if wants to maintain the ridiculous triple lock- good vote winner though it is.
Interesting. I don't care if Mrs May has an awkward public persona. It's not X Factor - or at least, it shouldn't be. She has been very cagey about what she stands for, though - only speaking in the most generic terms and using language that allows different people to hear the different things that they are personally looking for (or, for her political opponents, the things they want to put in her mouth to attack her with). I hope she turns out to be the one-nation, compassionate Conservative that she hinted at in her first days as PM. Cameron and Osborne were not. If she gets a huge majority and turns out to be completely in the pockets of wealthy foreigners and non-doms it will be too late. I'd like a bit more precise language and clarity now so we can have an idea who we're going to get. From all of them, not just her.
Yes, some good stuff in there. The 'leak' has been portrayed as being a bad thing for Labour, but I think it could work well for them to get the debate onto policies as early as possible. The Tories would rather the election was fought on soundbites.
It will probably be torn to pieces by the media while they ask May what her favourite colour is and how many sugars she has in her tea.
If it also included an immediate cancellation of Article 50 and confirmation that the UK would remain an active member of the EU, they might then get the votes to at the least provide a decent opposition.
I don't know. A lot of big Labour areas were very pro-Brexit and realistically also the most pro hard Brexit.
Top line the Labour manifesto looks interesting, though rather old fashioned (but what else to expect from a bunch of people who are rather locked into the 70s?). It's expensive though, very dependent on a strong economy, and the very fact of them being elected would have an instant hit on that (unfair but always the way), the corporation tax stuff (though I support it) would also impact, we know that the 'top 5%' are very good at creatively avoiding tax. Plus, of course, there is Brexit to be paid for and the economic impact of that too. I suspect that, however laudable the intentions, they would be firefighting on the economy from day one, and little of this apart from the tax rises would be delivered. Of course the Tories will major on personality, even if May hasn't got one, and it's not just the media fuelling this, it's Corbyn's vague and contradictory statements. Apparently May and Hammond not getting on, I'm guessing because Hammond actually wants to put some policies in their manifesto, which May will be very nervous about.
The policy is to slag Corbyn off at every opportunity and pretend this is an election entirely about Brexit, where of course only May can single-handedly get us all an exceptional deal, and nothing else matters.
Yes, I realise that. I was thinking about the 48% of the voters who voted Remain. A large portion of that vote must be up for grabs, not all of them can be dedicated Tory, Nationalists, Lib Dem or Green. None of the English Parties whose plans I have read propose cancelling Article 50 Now. I am not convinced the UK can elect to reject any Brexit deal offered in 2 years time, and just stay in the EU without a lot of damage, as the LibDems and Greens seem to suggest.
