Off Topic The Politics Thread

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Should the UK remain a part of the EU or leave?

  • Stay in

    Votes: 56 47.9%
  • Get out

    Votes: 61 52.1%

  • Total voters
    117
  • Poll closed .
The Guardian supported the 'Remain' side so i would take that with a large pinch. Although they do have a good arts section.
Did you read the article Ellers? Starts off predictably but ends up with everyone in the 'elites' getting a kicking, especially Labour and it's mealy mouthed bipolar attitude to racism. It's not about Europe, it's about division.
 
Agree it's not clear. Perhaps it will depend on how long they've been here. All to be decided
Hey Goldie, hear the news? Thanks to the devaluation of sterling, we are now only the 6th biggest economy in the world!!! Guess who overtook us......that's right, La France.

Sorry, couldn't resist it.
 
I would agree with that Goldie. No one will be punished restrospectively - this may be done on a tit for tat basis but in the end no government is going to make a decision which harms their nationals overseas. I mean does the government really want around 2 million disgruntled returning Britons all with voting rights ? I know it will not affect my life here, although some others are a little nervous about it.

My main reason for being sad about the result is that Britain really has something to offer the EU. and Europe will be a poorer place without them. When you have lived abroad for a long time you can get very critical of your homeland - because you want to be proud of it (particularly here). But you also get to appreciate things as well. Britain is miles ahead in terms of things like multi culturalism and tolerance - it is the only country in Europe where you could see a policewoman wearing a headscarf as part of her uniform - the only one where its capital city could elect an Islamic lord mayor. Look for people of immigrant origins in the civil service in Germany and you will be looking for a long time. The only country where normal policeman do not carry guns and lastly, the only country where people thank bus drivers when getting off the bus (at least in rural areas) - the grumpy Germans could never understand this one. This is why many people are surprised that so many voted in the UK. on the basis of immigration - but this is seen from outside. Most Germans are sad about what is happening in Britain ( and this is not for economic reasons) because Europe needs Britain as much as the other way around.

A good post, Cologne, but the UK isn't leaving Europe and if mad Juncker goes, Merkel can offer something akin to associate membership with reciprocal trading benefits (but maintaining the UK red lines on immigration control and sovereignty) while pursuing its project of the Euro. Must be possible surely
 
Hey Goldie, hear the news? Thanks to the devaluation of sterling, we are now only the 6th biggest economy in the world!!! Guess who overtook us......that's right, La France.

Sorry, couldn't resist it.

It's only temporary. Let them have some good news. They need it with their appalling record of poor industrial relations, and Marine moving fast up the polls
 
Really interesting short Panorama on Leave voters just been on, only slightly marred by being presented by Adrian Chiles. Not sure if it was shown nationwide, as all the people interviewed were from Tipton, might just have been a West Midlands thing.

No one interviewed was by any stretch of the imagination well off, but most had clear views and expressed them very strongly. One, a youngish pub landlord, put his view very clearly and well - if you are well off, got a nice house, a good job, live in a nice place why would you risk change? For every one else they want these things and the vote was a way to express their anger. Everyone said that immigration (numbers of people, not where they are from) was the key issue for them. But what they talked about was closed shops and lost industries. Some talked about pressure on services, but there was a palpable longing for the welfare state and solid working class communities of the past from everyone over about 45.

Not saying these were representative leave voters, but I would be surprised if there weren't several millions very similar. They will be very angry if they don't see some positive change in their own circumstances pretty soon, especially if there is slow or no movement on actually leaving the EU. I hope a few politicians, especially those who will form the new government, go and listen to people like this. Have to say I think the BBC has represented ordinary Leave voters very poorly until this. All of the vox pops on the news have shown people in a very poor light (from my perspective), going on about being ruled by Germans etc. This was much more like it. Sadly I don't think Brexit will help them much. I don't think the EU is the problem.

Fully agree Stan.

We all know 150k+ net immigrants from outside the EU arrive every year under the points system, so even if no EU migrants come there will still be lots here. Most won't be white or Christian either, so will be more visible., will people notice any real change?

I don't see the new Hard right Tory government doing much for these people shown in the panorama film either. Suspect UKIP will be hoovering a lot of these voters up in their left wing guise of standing up against the elites.

Question is, who will the Tory remain voters back?
 
Hey Goldie, hear the news? Thanks to the devaluation of sterling, we are now only the 6th biggest economy in the world!!! Guess who overtook us......that's right, La France.

Sorry, couldn't resist it.

We will be back up to fifth soon (I have said that before with QPR and got let down).
What worries me is the Tory leadership. I seriously wouldn't trust Teresa 'deport' May and her comments recently hasn't exactly made EU members living and working here feel welcome. I hope Leadsom wins because she actually seems to have a heart.
 
Seen a piece on CNN today about Brexit. They interviewed people in Ebbw Vale about whether they voted to leave or stay. The majority seemed to vote leave even though their town has received huge amounts of money from the EU. One man said he regretted voting to leave. The main reason they gave was immigration. Excuse my ignorance as I have never been to Ebbw Vale but if I was an immigrant, Ebbw Vale would be way down my list of places to emigrate to. Does anybody know if Ebbw Vale has many European migrants living there? I bet there are more people from Ebbw Vale living on the Costa Del Sol than there are EU migrants living in Ebbw Vale. I hope that is not a slight on Wales or Ebbw Vale.

I have an Aunt and Cousin who live in Lincolnshire and them and my Cousin;s two sons have decided recently to go live in Spain. They are going within the next week or so. The thing is, they don't know if Spain will change it's residency rules for UK nationals living there. Luckily, they are all entitled to obtain Irish passports even though my cousin is a proud (UK) ex RAF officer. Already you can see the effects of Brexit on ordinary peoples lives.
 
Seen a piece on CNN today about Brexit. They interviewed people in Ebbw Vale about whether they voted to leave or stay. The majority seemed to vote leave even though their town has received huge amounts of money from the EU. One man said he regretted voting to leave. The main reason they gave was immigration. Excuse my ignorance as I have never been to Ebbw Vale but if I was an immigrant, Ebbw Vale would be way down my list of places to emigrate to. Does anybody know if Ebbw Vale has many European migrants living there? I bet there are more people from Ebbw Vale living on the Costa Del Sol than there are EU migrants living in Ebbw Vale. I hope that is not a slight on Wales or Ebbw Vale.

I have an Aunt and Cousin who live in Lincolnshire and them and my Cousin;s two sons have decided recently to go live in Spain. They are going within the next week or so. The thing is, they don't know if Spain will change it's residency rules for UK nationals living there. Luckily, they are all entitled to obtain Irish passports even though my cousin is a proud (UK) ex RAF officer. Already you can see the effects of Brexit on ordinary peoples lives.
Ebbw Vale has a whopping 2% immigrant population Fingy, half EU half non EU. That's less than 1500 people. Haven't been anywhere near there for many years, but it was rather grim.
http://www.ilivehere.co.uk/statistics-ebbw-vale-blaenau-gwent-12053.html
 
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Andrea Loathsome attracts the support of Johnson! Hurrah!

Has she published her tax returns yet? As a former very senior employee of Barclays and Invesco (seriously senior, she can be held jointly accountable for lots of their decisions in the 1990s and 2000s) she would have earned enough cash to retire in her forties, the pay cut to MP/ministerial salary levels would not have mattered to her. But I would be very surprised if she didn't have cash ferreted away all over the place, probably legally but doubtless embarrassing. Of course this background would normally be a positive in terms of leadership, she has actually had a life outside of politics and clearly been successful at it. But the popularity and trust in bankers is just about on a par with politicians.
 
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I'm not sure what publishing your tax return will mean. If she's been hiding millions of ill gotten gains it's not going to be shown on the return and she is ijust very rich, so what!
 
I'm not sure what publishing your tax return will mean. If she's been hiding millions of ill gotten gains it's not going to be shown on the return and she is ijust very rich, so what!
It's about openness and accountability. If she really wants the most powerful job in the country, she can't expect people to just believe her if she says she's above reproach. So far, she's flat refused, and so people are interested. This will either be a huge enabler (if she publishes and is as clean as she says) or the end of her hopes (if either she does not publish, or if she publishes and her closet has more skeletons than a Gloucester semi)
 
It's about openness and accountability. If she really wants the most powerful job in the country, she can't expect people to just believe her if she says she's above reproach. So far, she's flat refused, and so people are interested. This will either be a huge enabler (if she publishes and is as clean as she says) or the end of her hopes (if either she does not publish, or if she publishes and her closet has more skeletons than a Gloucester semi)

Over here Trump constantly tells people how rich he is, how much earns and donates to charity's so people want to see his tax return. I'm still not sure what could be in her tax return that could derail her bid.
 
So the Doctor's dispute goes to ACAS, and the doctor's union, the BMA, recommend accepting the resulting new contract from the government.

Then 6 out of 10 young doctors vote to reject it and the BMA's head is obliged to resign.

The dispute seems to be about gaps in the doctors rota now that they will be obliged (quite rightly in my view) to provide full cover at weekends, given that patients can't choose which day they're going to be ill.

A young doctor writing in the Independents suggests that Hunt could:

"...commit to publishing national doctor rota gap data at least twice a year, providing honesty and transparency about NHS understaffing. He could address the current loophole denying junior doctors the whistleblowing protection afforded to all other NHS staff."

Seems reasonable. Is this all it's about? If the young doctors are shooting themselves in the foot so far as the public are concerned, I suppose at least they can treat themselves (so long as they don't do it at a weekend)
 
I wish that Mark Carney would shut up. Every time he opens his mouth the pound drops. I understand we all need to be realistic with this but he is so doom and gloom.
and
That off Camera conversation from SkyNews with Ken Clark and Malcom Rifkind is such a farce. It's just to stitch up the Brexit challenger's and put Teresa May in No 10. Listen to it. It is basically telling the public who to vote for. No other mundane conversation bar the candidates, it's virtually scripted.
Beginning to think a big stick up is coming
 
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I wish that Mark Carney would shut up. Every time he opens his mouth the pound drops. I understand we all need to be realistic with this but he is so doom and gloom.
and
That off Camera conversation from SkyNews with Ken Clark and Malcom Rifkind is such a farce. It's just to stitch up the Brexit challenger's and put Teresa May in No 10. Listen to it. It is basically telling the public who to vote for. No other mundane conversation bar the candidates, it's virtually scripted.
Beginning to think a big stick up is coming
Carney is doing his job, calling it as he sees it. If he didn't people would be squealing 'why the **** didn't you tell us!'
I thought the Clarke/Rifkind chat was hilarious. They were quite complimentary about Andrea Loathsome too, and not entirely positive about May.

May polls more MP votes than the 4 other candidates combined in first round voting. She is also way ahead of all of her potential run off rivals in polls of Tory party members, Andrea closest but only gets 36% compared to May's 63%. Even pollsters don't make errors that big. Time for the others to quit so we can have a government, please. Was good seeing 'Dr' Fox come stone last with 16 whole votes though.