An activist in Turkey reckons we are past the point where the electoral system can stop the UK from becoming an authoritarian state. I fear he might be right. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/p..._xMDHTn0ov-XsaVdnnxCkPyCUgOLI5ukZU0Wi0z6J5Sz4
Unfortunately we are witnessing the collapse of civil liberties and even democracy in this country. We are now seeing women of all ages being assaulted by the Metropolitan police just because they held a vigil for a young woman who was brutally murdered by a serving police officer. Those women have the right to show some love to Sarah Everard and solidarity with each other. The way the police behaved is disgusting and those involved should be immediately kicked out of the service. We have politicians telling blatant lies whenever they want and refusing to answer questions put to them, just because they know there is nothing anyone can do about it. It is a disaster that things have come to this and with this bunch of right wing imbeciles, we are heading for many years of restrictions on our personal freedoms. Things we have long taken for granted are at risk, but my guess is that there are enough idiots in our country willing to keep these vile people in power. A year or so ago Chilco wrote that he feared we were fast heading towards a dystopian future in this country, and he was spot on. I would just add that I think we have now arrived at the place he warned of. Just imagine, people were so sure that Jeremy Corbyn would wreck the country so they voted to usher in a bunch of arrogant right wing, incompetent, unprincipled, dishonest imbeciles masquerading as politicians. What a triumph.
I have mentioned on here a few times that for the first time in my life I voted labour at the last election. I am still probably fundamentally just right of centre, but no way I could vote in or vaguely agree with anything the current Tory party stand for.
I'm not sure who is and isn't accepting what here. I'm saying that it has to be uniformly addressed if there's any hope of progress. The issue ultimately isn't with people failing to assimilate to British values, because traditional British (and American, and Canadian, etc) values feature some pretty appalling stuff, too: it's failure of a whole bunch of groups across cultural lines to assimilate to the modern world. Because if the groups that are pointing the finger at the retrograde practices of one group are simultaneously hand-waving it for others, no one will have the moral authority to actually make change likely.
Planning bosses are to ask councillors to approve the runway extension at Southampton Airport. Has to be good for the local economy. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19168022.next-southampton-airport-runway-plans/
This is a surprisingly candid report, by Laura Kuennsberg, reference the last year. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56361599
Pretty much what my son said last night; you can ban protests but you can’t stop them. My French friend, when I tried to explain to her what the government are doing, said “English people protest? When?”
Some Spanish politics. Spain is legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide. Quite a step for a predominantly Catholic country. https://www.thelocal.es/20210318/of...qtnw9ecHol1zE-JblBt2KwNY-wOeA1krvD92bvCkwpr40
Honestly first past the post has always created temporary dictatorships, it amplifies a minor plurality of the vote to full unfettered, unassailable control of the country for 5 years, all it took was for someone to get in charge who wasn't interested in adhering to the series of non legally binding 'Gentlemens Agreements' and precedent that form our 'Constitution'. Honestly our democracy is such a warped, flimsy version that its surprising that its taken this long for it to come into danger.
I was making this point fairly frequently throughout the Trump saga; the USA has a robust, written constitution expressly designed to prevent a tyrant from refusing to let go of the reins. We in the UK have no such protection, in effect we have an elected dictatorship. Parliament is the only line of defence, and with a large enough majority in the HoC, all our rights, and the institutions that protect them, can be legislated out of existence.
I think this shows the level of hypocrisy that exists in the BBC. Naga Munchetty forced into apologising for liking some tweets, all BBC employees previously issued with warnings, about what they can or cannot write on social media, all because the BBC wants to give the impression of impartiality. And then you see things like this.
He really is just a slimy little **** isn’t he? And yet people believe the bile he spouts and give him media coverage. I just want to punch his little face when I see it .....
