France are apparently looking at offering us a deal, which would improve our control of immigration, but take away our financial 'passport', which would effectively let them make Paris the new financial hub. "Paris and Frankfurt would emerge as enormous winners by ending passporting. Hugely boosting popularity of French and German leadership." Meanwhile, our economy would be hit massively, I would imagine. The U.K. majority see it as a win as there are "less immigrants", meanwhile longer term, our economy suffers drastically.
Not sure if this has been posted yet, but an interesting read: http://www.thecanary.co/2016/06/28/truth-behind-labour-coup-really-began-manufactured-exclusive/
Which is what I have said for ages. I think many confuse this term Blairite as people supporting Blair. Blair was just the puppet. Blairite is the creation of the master kingmaker Mandelson and it would surprise me greatly if he is not still very active in trying to keep his creation alive. The powerful person is never the leader even if that leader is the PM. They are only as powerful as those that support them are. The big beasts can get them there and as quickly topple them. If they start to go "native" then these powerbrokers will turn on them more quickly than a traffic light goes from amber to green. Mandelson was the most powerful politician in this country for a decade. He is still there protecting his legacy that people describe as "Blairite". Kingmakers never get to power because if they do it leaves that vacuum behind them. Powerbrokers utilise a vehicle (Blair/Cameron) to get their policies through. This is why Osborne (the power behind Cameron) was never going to be able to become PM. The reason being because the minute he showed he had aspirations he left that powerbroker vacuum and Gove who is even more powerful stepped in. Gove is nearly as good a politician as Mandelson and it will be very very hard to stop him getting Boris in. Not impossible but hard. This is why Cameron gave Gove all those jobs that would make him unpopular. Not because Gove would be a danger to the PM job but to try and reduce his ability to take Osborne out. It didn't work. I am a Tory man but Mandelson was the ultimate supreme politician. A modern day Earl of Warwick. Gove is not far behind that level now.
Tim doesn't think it can be cured. He's a practicing Christian but he didn't vote on the final motion to pass gay marriage. Personally, as a Lib Dem voter, that disappointed me. I don't see how a Liberal leader can be neutral on that matter, but clearly his religion weighs on him. I don't think he's homophobic or against gay marriage though, I just think in his own head that his conscience was clearest if he carried the motion to the final vote and then waited to see what happened. Tim's a decent bloke. Not sure he's 100% the right leader but he's capable of giving a bloody good speech, I'll give him that.
I agree with all of that: he should've backed it as a 'liberal'. I think he is a good man, and has been brilliant on issues like the EU and refugees.
Mostly IDS to be fair to Crabb, as he hasn't been in the role long, and has had the referendum as a distraction.
Nope he said it himself. He believes the tests should be even more strict. So basically **** how the ill person feels.
The Lib Dems made a big mistake not electing Norman Lamb as leader. He came through the last election after a year or so in the limelight very well and would have been the best to lead them forward. Tim Farron is often called "Cheggers plays politics" in comments sections.
Yes, he had form before IDS ran and he was given his job. Since then done nothing to suggest he's grown a heart.
People like Crabb have no chance. They are just trying to "thin out" the anti Boris support to make sure that Boris makes the last 2.
I'm sure you're right but my idea of what is likely or probable has taken a few knocks over the last week
What a surprise: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/28/rupert-murdoch-brexit-wonderful-donald-trump?CMP=fb_gu
That's really nothing new. It's what was said two years ago in the Scottish referendum. Assuming the UK actually leaves, if Scotland wants to be in the EU they have to have another independence referendum, win, leave the UK and then apply to join the EU as a new country. The rebate that the UK currently gets will no longer exist so they'll have to pay in more proportionally (although Scotland is a poorer country so they'd probably get a lot more back as well) and they will have to agree to join the Euro. Having said that the currency thing is a total unknown. I assume an independent Scotland would want to continue using the pound in the short term and I'm not sure whether they'd actually be able to join the Euro in that scenario. One of the current pre-conditions for joining the Euro is that you have to be in ERM II (i.e. your currency is pegged to a certain level against the Euro) for 2 years before you join the Euro. Not joining ERM II is how Sweden - which officially HAS to join - stays out of the Euro. If Scotland was using the pound then they wouldn't be in control of their currency and wouldn't be able to join ERM II.
