Dr Strangelove (how I learned to stop worrying and love Boris)

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65555262

Not exactly the right thread for this but seems as good as any, given where the conversation may go.

I have a lot of experience with TransPennine Experience and very little of it is positive. First Group have provided a dreadful service for far too long and it's excellent news that they've lost the contract.

1 in 5 trains will now be effectively ran by Nationalised companies within Britain. Privatisation of our railways has been a complete failure. The public pick up the bill on one side as National Rail are responsible for infrastructure but then also pay the price of profiteering corporation's on the other side of the deal too.

Time to Re-Nationalise in my opinion. Set up a new "British Rail" (with a look at how successful nations do it) and take contracts back one by one as they expire.
It is a publc service, and as such should be run in the interests of the wider public not a few shareholders. Same with the buses.
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65555262

Not exactly the right thread for this but seems as good as any, given where the conversation may go.

I have a lot of experience with TransPennine Experience and very little of it is positive. First Group have provided a dreadful service for far too long and it's excellent news that they've lost the contract.

1 in 5 trains will now be effectively ran by Nationalised companies within Britain. Privatisation of our railways has been a complete failure. The public pick up the bill on one side as National Rail are responsible for infrastructure but then also pay the price of profiteering corporation's on the other side of the deal too.

Time to Re-Nationalise in my opinion. Set up a new "British Rail" (with a look at how successful nations do it) and take contracts back one by one as they expire.
I wouldnt normally be in favour of re-nationalisation because I think that ship has sailed. I do think the rail network though is a candidate. It is an absolute mess acroas the board really. Mind you the govt are making a horlicks of HS2 so I am not sure they are competent enough to run a horse and cart, let alone a train system.
 
Tobias Ellwood has called for cross party working party into the politics of hate, which to be honest is what we have in parliament. Sadly it didnt take long for a labour MP to say no. Too many of our MPs these days dont have the ability to do anything other than screech and shout and object, or call each other names and lie about each other, way beyond them to have any sort of consensus. The only thing they seem to have in common is the ability to behave terribly.

I like the bloke, talks a lot of sense.

But calling for cross party cooperation, by criticising the Labour Party, isn't too clever tbh.

"In a warning to the Labour Party, Ellwood said: “British politics is entering a dark chapter that risks damaging our hard-earned reputation as a democratic exemplar on the global stage."


I'd say a PM being a criminal then forced out of office, another crashing the economy and a third immediately breaking promises after assuring honesty and integrity will have damaged our hard-earned reputation tbh.

A bit of balance please Mr Ellwood.
 
Labour MPs lambast own party after senior aide who allegedly groped intern keeps job

Labour has been engulfed by a sleaze row after an aide who allegedly groped an intern kept his job despite Sir Keir Starmer's pledge of zero tolerance towards sexual harassment.

The party came under fire from its own MPs and activists unimpressed by its reported handling of claims made about a senior member of staff.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...1&cvid=760dacbf450a4247a601844427a34334&ei=31
I have just been reading about this. Another very grim accusation emerged this afternoon as well from from a female labour MP.

You have to wonder about the culture in Westminster. Take off party rosettes for a minute and look at the grim stories left and right of the spectrum. Something cannot be right in that environment. It seems there is a higher percentage of rotten apples than in some other walks of life.
 
I like the bloke, talks a lot of sense.

But calling for cross party cooperation, by criticising the Labour Party, isn't too clever tbh.

"In a warning to the Labour Party, Ellwood said: “British politics is entering a dark chapter that risks damaging our hard-earned reputation as a democratic exemplar on the global stage."


I'd say a PM being a criminal then forced out of office, another crashing the economy and a third immediately breaking promises after assuring honesty and integrity will have damaged our hard-earned reputation tbh.

A bit of balance please Mr Ellwood.
I think he was asked about the ads about Sunak not jailing *****philes and gave a general response. He talked about the general tone in parliament being similar to that of the US model. I thought it was quite balanced to be fair. He is one of those sensible MPs, that exist both sides, who I think care about standards and how we perceive them. Shame the front bench crowd dont.

Lets be honest mate, when it comes to breaking promises, sunak and starmer are in a race to a winning line on that. Starmer is proving to be every bit the hypocritical, policy revoking, promise breaking political leader they all are. In some way it goes with the territory because the landscape changes weekly and it would be mad to plough ahead with a policy that makes sense no more, like zero tuition fees, or the bonfire of eu laws. But lets have it right he has ridden the biggest of moral high horses about decency in politics, and built a following and credit off it, whilst Boris and co were misbehaving, now he is repeating the lie that Sunak wont jail *****philes, and demanding his front benchers toe the line. He is shown up us someone who pulled the wool over our eyes. In that conext I have no issue with Ellwoods comments at all. The only people who suffer with the sort of politics we have is us, the public.
 
I think he was asked about the ads about Sunak not jailing *****philes and gave a general response. He talked about the general tone in parliament being similar to that of the US model. I thought it was quite balanced to be fair. He is one of those sensible MPs, that exist both sides, who I think care about standards and how we perceive them. Shame the front bench crowd dont.

Lets be honest mate, when it comes to breaking promises, sunak and starmer are in a race to a winning line on that. Starmer is proving to be every bit the hypocritical, policy revoking, promise breaking political leader they all are. In some way it goes with the territory because the landscape changes weekly and it would be mad to plough ahead with a policy that makes sense no more, like zero tuition fees, or the bonfire of eu laws. But lets have it right he has ridden the biggest of moral high horses about decency in politics, and built a following and credit off it, whilst Boris and co were misbehaving, now he is repeating the lie that Sunak wont jail *****philes, and demanding his front benchers toe the line. He is shown up us someone who pulled the wool over our eyes. In that conext I have no issue with Ellwoods comments at all. The only people who suffer with the sort of politics we have is us, the public.

The difference between them is massive ...

... one is in power, the other isn't.

I do like Ellwood though, proof that good people go into politics.
 
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The difference between them is massive ...

... one is in power, the other isn't.

I do like Ellwood though, proof that good people go into politics.
This is where we differ.

Labour are heading to power. It is right to assess them now, and their behaviour, to get a sense of what we are in for. Some might even say we judge them now to tell us if they are worth voting for, but maybe that is too radical. Maybe even we, as those on the receiving end of what they will do, can influence them before they take power. That would require an ability to listen, which so seems beyond party leaderships sadly.

My opinion, if we only challenge those with power, we will never get the what we want next. It leads to the low bar politics of they cant be as bad as the current lot. It is ehat we have had for 50 years.
 
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This is where we differ.

Labour are heading to power. It is right to assess them now, and their behaviour, to get a sense of what we are in for. Some might even say we judge them now to tell us if they are worth voting for, but maybe that is too radical. Maybe even we, as those on the receiving end of what they will do, can influence them before they take power. That would require an ability to listen, which so seems beyond party leaderships sadly.

My opinion, if we only challenge those with power, we will never get the what we want next. It leads to the low bar politics of they cant be as bad as the current lot. It is ehat we have had for 50 years.

I've never known a government as bad as this from any party.

They're not only arrogant and untruthful they've failed in almost every way.

I'm just sick of all the talk of austerity, strikes, food banks, pledges and integrity.
 
I've never known a government as bad as this from any party.

They're not only arrogant and untruthful they've failed in almost every way.

I'm just sick of all the talk of austerity, strikes, food banks, pledges and integrity.
We agree on that. Labour can be the party of integrity and decency, as they promised, and walk into power. They are missing a trick in my opinion.

All I want is a better government and parliamentary environment. The only people that can do that is us. We seem split fundamantally across party lines, like the US, and in that world I dont see us demanding the change in political standards and process needed. Labour will waltz in and the conservatives will be objectionable and take advantage after 8 or 12 years of unfulfilled promises. Unless history doesnt repeat itself, here is hoping.
 
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I wouldnt normally be in favour of re-nationalisation because I think that ship has sailed. I do think the rail network though is a candidate. It is an absolute mess acroas the board really. Mind you the govt are making a horlicks of HS2 so I am not sure they are competent enough to run a horse and cart, let alone a train system.

Plus water
 
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We agree on that. Labour can be the party of integrity and decency, as they promised, and walk into power. They are missing a trick in my opinion.

All I want is a better government and parliamentary environment. The only people that can do that is us. We seem split fundamantally across party lines, like the US, and in that world I dont see us demanding the change in political standards and process needed. Labour will waltz in and the conservatives will be objectionable and take advantage after 8 or 12 years of unfulfilled promises. Unless history doesnt repeat itself, here is hoping.
If we get PR, then its highly likely nobody would win a majority and they'll be forced to work together. That should get rid of extremists from both sides and that can only benefit everybody.

Unless it turns out like Israel.

UK politics is fooked and we need some sort of change.
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65555262

Not exactly the right thread for this but seems as good as any, given where the conversation may go.

I have a lot of experience with TransPennine Experience and very little of it is positive. First Group have provided a dreadful service for far too long and it's excellent news that they've lost the contract.

1 in 5 trains will now be effectively ran by Nationalised companies within Britain. Privatisation of our railways has been a complete failure. The public pick up the bill on one side as National Rail are responsible for infrastructure but then also pay the price of profiteering corporation's on the other side of the deal too.

Time to Re-Nationalise in my opinion. Set up a new "British Rail" (with a look at how successful nations do it) and take contracts back one by one as they expire.

Anyone who remembers nationalised rail travel should know that was an abject failure as well. And because we don't do the middle ground as a nation, that means there's no solution.
 
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It is a publc service, and as such should be run in the interests of the wider public not a few shareholders. Same with the buses.

If was run entirely in the interests of the unions when it was nationalised.
 
Anyone who remembers nationalised rail travel should know that was an abject failure as well. And because we don't do the middle ground as a nation, that means there's no solution.
The best railway system I know of is the Dutch and they arent fully nationalised. China and Russia are, though...
 
I've never known a government as bad as this from any party.

They're not only arrogant and untruthful they've failed in almost every way.

I'm just sick of all the talk of austerity, strikes, food banks, pledges and integrity.
Yes, and they would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those anti growth coalition of looney lefties <laugh>
 
If we get PR, then its highly likely nobody would win a majority and they'll be forced to work together. That should get rid of extremists from both sides and that can only benefit everybody.

Unless it turns out like Israel.

UK politics is fooked and we need some sort of change.
I think that change has to come from the electorate though. Until the general public realise that it's in their interests for the parties to work together more, and turn away from this divisive, adversarial politics that people seem to enjoy, the political classes will just reflect that choice.

Having said that, I think we are sorely in need of a centrist party who will take a more technocratic approach and appoint people with relevant knowledge to ministerial roles. For example, the education secretary should be a former teacher, defence minister (as is actually the case now) someone who has served in the armed forces, and so on.
 
Yes, and they would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those anti growth coalition of looney lefties <laugh>

When things go wrong it's either because people aren't interfering and that's called 'weak opposition' ...

... or if people do question the government that's called 'interference and sabotage'.

Just like Steve Bruce, always someone else's fault <doh>
 
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I think that change has to come from the electorate though. Until the general public realise that it's in their interests for the parties to work together more, and turn away from this divisive, adversarial politics that people seem to enjoy, the political classes will just reflect that choice.

Having said that, I think we are sorely in need of a centrist party who will take a more technocratic approach and appoint people with relevant knowledge to ministerial roles. For example, the education secretary should be a former teacher, defence minister (as is actually the case now) someone who has served in the armed forces, and so on.
We'll need a referendum on FPTP or PR. The government need to let us decide. It's the only way the public can have our say.

Should Labour need the Lib Dems to prop them up, I'm hopeful that will be one of the conditions that the Liberals demand.