Off Topic Politics Thread

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Oh so lying to the House, or being so ****ing ignorant of his own laws is your defence upon which you are relying? Criminal act or not, it is utterly unforgiveable what he has done.
Eh? Stop putting words in my mouth. I just pointed he's not a criminal. He's got no defence for what he's done and I haven't been defending him. His days as PM are numbered but it's my view that he shouldn't go right now.
 
Oh so lying to the House, or being so ****ing ignorant of his own laws is your defence upon which you are relying? Criminal act or not, it is utterly unforgiveable what he has done.
So far as I understand party organisers are liable to a fine of £10000. The originator of the BYO door and those responsible for the other illegal gatherings should be fined appropriately. I think there's a sliding scale of penalties, when you've got them by the bollocks squeeze until the pips run dry.
 
It is an absolutely travesty that they haven’t resigned.

Every time I think politicians can’t sink any lower, they go and surprise me. BJ & Sunak’s position are both absolutely untenable and they have to go immediately in my opinion.

The war excuse is totally laughable. We changed prime ministers during an actual world war. To think that fat blonde mess is too important to dispose of is ridiculous.
 
Stop crediting Johnson with our practical support for the Ukraine. This is being carried out by the defence minister with cross party support. Johnson's incompetent abilities are not involved. Another reason why he should go is his incompetence regarding the Ukrainian refugees. He has sought no publicity for himself with this because it is a ****ing disaster. Johnson is an arsehole. When things are going well he claims the credit and basks in the glory. If things go wrong then he blames others and distances himself from the matter. I am astonished at the gullibility of those saying he should stay. Do they not live by any sort moral or ethical code?
 
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The people of Russia …

(And, still, somehow, some ultra right wing authoritarianism lovers in the west )

Russians!!
I am not sure how many Russians you know, l know quite a few when working in the ME and am still in contact with then. The educated and travelled Russians are not interested in anything Putin has to say and that was long before this war. The provincial populous, with strong cultural ties to the Soviet Union will follow anything Putin has to say. They hardly matter in the whole scheme of things, you will never change that mindset.
 
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I am not sure how many Russians you know, l know quite a few when working in the ME and am still in contact with then. The educated and travelled Russians are not interested in anything Putin has to say and that was long before this war. The provincial populous, with strong cultural ties to the Soviet Union will follow anything Putin has to say. They hardly matter in the whole scheme of things, you will never change that mindset.
I have some Friends in Yekaterinburg, the city where the Czar and his family were executed. It is also the home city of Boris Yeltsin. I have not commented onbthe subject with them, and, I daré say, they wouldn't want to talk about it either.
 
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Stop crediting Johnson with our practical support for the Ukraine. This is being carried out by the defence minister with cross party support. Johnson's incompetent abilities are not involved. Another reason why he should go is his incompetence regarding the Ukrainian refugees. He has sought no publicity for himself with this because it is a ****ing disaster. Johnson is an arsehole. When things are going well he claims the credit and basks in the glory. If things go wrong then he blames others and distances himself from the matter. I am astonished at the gullibility of those saying he should stay. Do they not live by any sort moral or ethical code?
Can you tell.me any "glory" that he has achieved that entitles him to bask in its rays? Maybe when he resigns will be his most glorious moment.
 
I read that Johnson had apologised for his breach of rules, yet the only statement I have seen is the one below, in which I can see no sign of the words “I am sorry” or “ I apologise”. Is there another statement in which he uses those words? If not, where is his apology?
"In all frankness, at that time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules…But, of course, the police have found otherwise and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation…I accept in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better"
 
I read that Johnson had apologised for his breach of rules, yet the only statement I have seen is the one below, in which I can see no sign of the words “I am sorry” or “ I apologise”. Is there another statement in which he uses those words? If not, where is his apology?
"In all frankness, at that time it did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules…But, of course, the police have found otherwise and I fully respect the outcome of their investigation…I accept in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better"
Provided by the front page of the daily mail who helpfully invented the fact that he made one and rely on no one actually reading the quotes in full
 
You are correct, but I sense that you, like a lot of Tory supporters, will be hoping that Johnson’s misdeeds will have somehow been forgotten by the time of the next GE. You know as well as I do that the long list of his lies, deceit, and utter corruption will have grown even longer by then, and what state will our poor country be in by then?
Anyone whose MP is a Tory should be writing to them demanding that enough is enough. We simply cannot have a convicted criminal as PM. As I said before, Britain is now guilty by association with this lying, cheating crook, and our standing as a nation has been irreparably damaged.

As a floating right of centre voter, in my 'ideal' world, Boris would go now, a credible leader emerges that isn't corrupt and a liar and in 2 years the election is fought on policy over the following 5 years rather than the corruption and lies of the Boris era. I can't see it happening as personally I think the current Tory party is too far down that rabbit hole now and needs a total shake up and a minimum of 5 years in opposition to turn it around.
 
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Maybe, but it's important that all NATO members put on a united front against Russia and in support of Ukraine. Now is not the time to be ****ing around with a change of PM/cabinet which would take weeks. Boris needs to go, but not right now. In my humble opinion of course.
The French are going about it now AND supporting Ukraine
 
I am not sure how many Russians you know, l know quite a few when working in the ME and am still in contact with then. The educated and travelled Russians are not interested in anything Putin has to say and that was long before this war. The provincial populous, with strong cultural ties to the Soviet Union will follow anything Putin has to say. They hardly matter in the whole scheme of things, you will never change that mindset.


I think Putin is currently polling something like 87% in favour at the moment. This has gone up from mid 60% before the conflict. People holding out for a regime change from within are in for a long wait. Most people approve if his actions in Ukraine and many Russians appear to feel they were necessary. Unfortunately the response of NATO has underscored concerns within Russia. We are effectively fighting a war against the Russians with Ukraine as a proxy and the continual supply of weapons only serves to create a viscious circle which underscores the Russian position that the West is meddlingand working against their interest.

I am not sure if the Russians would really care about the view from the West. Putin has long since been a pariah but the apparent need to suck up to the oligarchs and buy oil from Russia effectively means we are hamstrung. I can only see a really dreadful conclusion which will see Russia devastate Ukraine and , once this as been done, he will turn his attention to the Baltic states to get access to the sea. Getting Sweden and Finland in as part of the NATO team will just serve to convince Putin that he will need to do this sooner rather than later. i am not convinced that we will see nuclear weapons being used but it will be fascinating to see just how much the West will let him get away with things. Looks like the Italians are wavering already. I doubt if NATO will do much more than act by proxy.
 
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I think Putin is currently polling something like 87% in favour at the moment. This has gone up from mid 60% before the conflict. People holding out for a regime change from within are in for a long wait. Most people approve if his actions in Ukraine and many Russians appear to feel they were necessary. Unfortunately the response of NATO has underscored concerns within Russia. We are effectively fighting a war against the Russians with Ukraine as a proxy and the continual supply of weapons only serves to create a viscious circle which underscores the Russian position that the West is meddlingand working against their interest.

I am not sure if the Russians would really care about the view from the West. Putin has long since been a pariah but the apparent need to suck up to the oligarchs and buy oil from Russia effectively means we are hamstrung. I can only see a really dreadful conclusion which will see Russia devastate Ukraine and , once this as been done, he will turn his attention to the Baltic states to get access to the sea. Getting Sweden and Finland in as part of the NATO team will just serve to convince Putin that he will need to do this sooner rather than later. i am not convinced that we will see nuclear weapons being used but it will be fascinating to see just how much the West will let him get away with things. Looks like the Italians are wavering already. I doubt if NATO will do much more than act by proxy.

Out of interest Ian, what are the Russian interests that the West are meddling in? Do you mean attacking Ukraine?

With regards the Russians view of the West, I'm not sure they have a choice to find out unless they are inclined to get a VPN.
 
So you don’t think Putin will make any political capital and propaganda about one of the NATO leaders being a proven liar who has broken the law? Utterly laughable, of course he would. The UK has been compromised as a credible force by this, and not just because of the parties and the lies. The association with Lebedev is equally damaging and who knows what photos were taken in that villa that might be used to political pressure?

The fact that there is no credible alternative is a fair point, but a general election would solve that problem. France aren’t cancelling their presidential election, I notice, so what is the difference?

he has to go immediately, no question.

1. How can Johnson make any claim for having a credible moral compass on a world stage when it has been demonstrated that he has lied before parliament? It has affected out standing interantionally.

2. Le Pen has links with Putin and is no more credible than Johnson.

3. I agree that a general election is necessary and would solve the problem. Hopefully it will take away Johnson's mandate.

4. Lets not forget that the outcome of any enquiry in to the handling of Covid is likely to be far more damaging than Partygate.

I just think that the Uk, like the US, needs a complete re-set from a political point of view. It is difficult to lecture Putin when you have no real right to take the moral high ground.
 
Out of interest Ian, what are the Russian interests that the West are meddling in? Do you mean attacking Ukraine?

With regards the Russians view of the West, I'm not sure they have a choice to find out unless they are inclined to get a VPN.

I am largely thinking about the expansion of NATO. This organisation effctively ceased to have much relevance after the 1990s but it's continued expansion and influence in former Soviet States is unpalatable to most Russians Same with EU economic meddling in Ukraine.I just feel that the West has been at all tactful in handling Russia in the 21st century and we are partly responsible for allowing this monster to evolve to such an extent. All the progress since Glasnost in the late 1980s has been dissipated. I just can;t help but think all the progress made in the 1980s was squandered.

For what it is worth, I think Russian has always been problematic -even when you go back as afar as the Great Game scenarios in the mid 1800s where Russian nd British antagonism provoked some dreadful reverses in places like Afghanastan. I do not feel we have ever really understood Russia nd have always looked upon the country with a degree of distaste. I am not sure that the suspicion will ever be gone between our two countries
 
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