Off Topic Politics Thread

This is not how that works. Juncker was the PEC candidate for the European People's Party, which had the largest count of MEPs after 2014, and consequently had the first crack at obtaining majority support. He then secured preliminary majority support in the European Parliament, at which point the member-states of the EU had the chance to exercise what amounts to a veto; when they did not, instead endorsing him by 26-2 (Cameron and Orban against), it was put to a full vote of the European Parliament, where he won handily.

It's similar to how Theresa May was the only candidate for PM because she was the leader of the largest party in Parliament. They didn't hold a vote in Parliament on whether Farage should be PM? Tyranny!

Moreover, you are again demonstrating how thoroughly democratic and respectful of the rights of the involved member-states the process is. Juncker was chosen in a free and fair election as the candidate for his party. A free and fair European election was then held, in which his party emerged with the largest share of both seats and votes. He then formed a working agreement with the second-largest party in the European Parliament, providing him with what amounted to a loose majority coalition for his election as PEC. As a further check and balance, the member-states were given the chance to ratify that choice, and did overwhelmingly, at which point a free and fair vote was conducted within the Parliament itself, which Juncker took at a canter.

 

Imps the Spin Doctor. .

Feel free to say I’m still shocked, newly shocked or not really shocked. If that’s all you can pull from my posts of the last couple of days.

There was a chance to win me over and convince me that this is for the better. Lots and lots of words around a topic; Question unanswered.

Are you a politician?

 

More spin. Was there a vote and did he get all the votes?

 

Anyone see John Barnes last night on QT? Only one question. How do we vote for him?

 

Ummmm ..... did you actually read what I wrote, Imps? When (please god, “if”) we leave the EU there ARE no EU rules which apply between us and any EU country. Therefore, they are free to do as they wish, including allowing anyone to go across the channel. Currently, they are bound by EU rules and cannot do this .....

 

Apart from Barnes always has to make white people feel better about themselves. His **** on Liam Neeson has pissed off a lot of black people.

 

As if the French could stop determined people from coming to a hostile Britain. The majority have come over tortuous routes from horrors we can hardly comprehend.

 

People moaning at the EU need to look closer to home. Austerity has been linked to 100k + deaths since it was brought in... Austerity and the way poor people are treated by the Government is what is ruining this country not the EU.

 

Dave.......... in Fact we both agree on a lot of what you have said here.We have wasted years in not preparing for the exit. Yes I do expect sterling to slump further if there is no deal. However had they planned things better as you say it possibly wouldn't have been quite as bad if any.......The uncertainty is crippling this country and is now adding to the affect on global markets. Although a down turn generally in the global market has nothing to do with us.
Illegal immigrants have been coming into this country for 5/6 decades you'll never stop that. Its strange isn't it........they are illegally in France too........ Now what a surprise...... the French have made little effort to stop them. Especially over the last 10 years I wonder why!!!! You say the EU don't want to make us suffer.......Mate you've seen nothing yet......you wait ......and see what happens if we come out without an agreement !! Although not all will take part in any attempted destruction of the UK. There is a lot more going on in the EU that has not been publicised. Blind eyes to rule breakers etc....No I can't prove it but my European contacts tell me them selves. Ok like everyone else i'm relying on other peoples words. However some of these people I have known for donkeys years. I would certainly believe them before any official in ours or the EU governments...........

 

Thank you for saying what I had been thinking about for a long time.
It’s the Tory Government that has destroyed social housing.
It’s the Tory Government that is destroying the NHS, the last thing of value that we still own.
It’s the Tory Government that is destroying social care.
It’s the Tory Government that is destroying unions and employee’s work rights.
It’s the Tory Government that is giving tax breaks and tax reductions to companies whilst they continue to pay dividends.
It’s the Tory Government that is under funding local councils, especially Labour run councils., forcing some into being on the verge of bankruptcy.
It’s the Tory Government that has privatised every business that could have poured billions of pounds into our coffers.

I am sure there are more, but I can’t carry on, as I have to get my wife to her oncology appointment, whilst it is still covered by the NHS.

 

Beddy, that's a pretty good case for staying in. As you say leaving won't stop immigration, now how about that list of benefits that exiting EU will bring and the timescale we can expect them to come into effect?

 

And yet the ordinary public that all these things affect still vote for them to get elected...
It's about time that we had a creditable opposition to challenge them or a new way of politics altogether.

The last lot of election boundary changes were a complete stitch up, how can the Southampton Itchen vote be swallowed up by the old traditionally Tory greenbelt Eastleigh constituancy. Southampton is generally a Left/Centre city and i'm still fuming that that odious toad, Royston Smith, scraped in after a recount last time.

 

Proportional representation needed, see the electoral reform society website. https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/voting-systems/types-of-voting-system/

 

I don't accept your first point, and I know a number of people of colour who get what he is saying about Neeson.

Barnes' first point is that racism is endemic. I remember diversity training in the 80's where we would be asked to consider how being raised in a racist society impacted on our thinking. His point about Neeson's Irish upbringing is very relevant. His second point that then follows on, is that a racist mind-set can be found in all of us regardless of ethnicity.

It is a nuanced debate, and, he is arguing, it is unhelpful to simply polarise debate by using the racist tag. Sadly for John Barnes, nuanced debate has been taken off the agenda - if it was ever there. Did you see the way he was attacked for saying that ordinary punters didn't get the economics debate around Brexit, and was accused of calling Leave voters "thick"? This is where we are with debate in this country and it is frightening.

I have mentioned before that there is a TV programme put out on TF1 at peak time in France that is a debate between two people who hold opposing views. The debate is evidence based and the protaginists listen to each other and reply politely. Contrast this to the screaming at each other seen on QT - or in the Letters column of local and national papers.

 

“Beef, cheddar cheese and other foods could have tariffs of 40% imposed on them in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Northern Ireland Retail Consortium and Retail Ireland warned in a statement.

At the end of last month, the chief executives of Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Asda and Waitrose penned a letter to the Government, warning of “significant disruption” after Brexit.

The letter read: “While we have been working closely with our suppliers on contingency plans, it is not possible to mitigate all the risks to our supply chains and we fear significant disruption in the short-term as a result if there is no Brexit deal.

“For consumers, this will reduce the availability and shelf life of many products in our stores.”


DONT WORRY GUYS! “Project fear” is making it all up

 

Well that's a relief. Now, back in the real world it is reported that British pigs will get around the tariffs by flying to the continent, and the National Pig Council has agreed that each adult pig will carry a lamb so addressing the concerns expressed by sheep-farmers.

#isitjustmeorareweallfeckingmad

 

Beddy, I think it’s time you started researching facts and posting them. You continually talk about people you know and your contacts. How many millions of contacts do you have? I’m not saying you’re right or wrong, but from a far, it seems that you are talking about rumour and hearsay.

We can all start talking about what we’ve heard or been told. I have worked for some European based companies that don’t cut corners and do get tied down by regulations they adhere too... do they offset the ones you’ve been talking about?

 

You haven't been paying attention during Question Time, have you? Highest rate of employment; tax cuts for the poor; the Universal Credit which is saving the lives of millions. And my favourite fom last night - less children in "absolute poverty". Can anyone explain why anyone in Great Britain in 2019 is in absloute poverty? Sorry, it's explained as being a life style choice or something. Hmm.

In future, every time I go to the Foodbank I will shout abuse at the scroungers who come in, looking for handouts. After all they've only got a temporary cash flow problem, the gits.

Honestly, to listen to some people you'd think we had poor people in this country. It's a life style choice.

Yeah, right .... Zero hours; Universal Penury, sorry Credit; incentivising staff to sanction sick people; no services for those with mental health issues .... Obviously I've misunderstood somewhere along the line.

 

I have mentioned before that I work in a supermarket distribution warehouse, and even now any disruption to the arrival of lorries, as a result perhaps of an incident on the motorway, can have a massive knock on effect.
Our last delivery should arrive no later than 12.30 pm, because some of the space used for offloading supplies is needed to store deliveries going out to the shops.
Late deliveries = staff staying late to receive and collate shop orders = overtime payments = price rises to the public.
Lorries not arriving at all, or delayed by too long = shorter dated (or no) products in the shops = poorer quality = fewer sales = potential loss of staff to cut costs and/or price rises to the public.
There are no winners, unless you want to end up doing extended shifts and earn overtime, albeit flat rate, but then quality of life suffers because you won’t know just how often you will need to stay late and how much it will impact on other people in your life.

 

Unfortunately Austerity was unavoidable after the f**k up Labour made of spending when they were in charge. Agree it could have been handled better though