Category: Politics

Public Aggression

MPs condemn newspaper attacks on judges after Brexit ruling

Shadow justice secretary urges lord chancellor to speak out against ‘hysterical’ headlines in rightwing press

Front pages of British newspapers on 4 November
Front pages of British newspapers on 4 November. Photograph: Benjamin Fathers/AFP/Getty Images
Guardian

So the courts rule that the Royal Prerogative cannot be used to trigger Article 50 to initiate Brexit. The fact that excessive use of Government power with the enhancement of Parliament mean nothing to these organs of power. As an article said yesterday, the English fought a civil war to enforce the supremacy of Parliament over Crown power.

The intolerance and violent atmosphere this shows is worrying.

From one of my favourite blogs

Gongs for the boys — again

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Looking at David Cameron’s ‘resignation honours’ list of people given peerages, knighthoods and other gongs either for doing their (often well-paid) jobs or for giving money to the Tories reminds me of a conversation I had recently with a friend who is a Life Peer. He is an eminent, decent, intelligent and thoroughly honourable person. I asked him how it felt being a Lord. He thought for a moment and then replied: “It’s a privilege but it’s no longer an honour, given some of the other people who now get peerages.”

Sums it up, really. Also, recall that we recently had a vote to leave the EU because we didn’t want to be governed by ‘unelected’ bureaucrats in Brussels. We are apparently still content to be governed by unelected political donors in London, though.

Source: Gongs for the boys — again | Memex 1.1

 

Donald Trump is in the news

Trump is the Republic party candidate for the presidential election in November. His campaign has been tracked with ongoing disbelief from the outset. He continues to confuse and shock the world but maybe not his intended audience with his words. Here is a neat description of him by Rupert Cornwall in the Independent:

Before he entered the race, he was merely the flashy, ever-bragging entrepreneur, with a knack for TV. Now we know Trump the politician. He’s shown himself to be incapable of self-discipline for more than five minutes. His relationship with the truth is next to non-existent.

He’s got an incredibly thin skin. He never lets an insult go unreturned. He lacks uttterly that vital political skill of sometimes turning the other cheek. And, even though he’s hopelessly ignorant on policy matters, he seems unwilling to listen to advisers, convinced that he himself is the source of ultimate wisdom on all matters.

How much more can France take before it spirals into hatred?

From the Independentnice-attack-23

Why has France become such a persistent target for jihadist assault? There is a temptation, both inside and outside the country to suggest that France, and successive French governments, may be partly to blame. This hides a darker reality. The truck attack which slaughtered 84 people in Nice was the third mass killing in France in 17 months. There have also been a cluster of other, “smaller” incidents which were broadly jihadist in nature.

Source: How much more can France take before it spirals into hatred?

On the evening of Bastille day celebrations a driver of a trunk mowed down and killed 84 people with more in a sever state. Violence and the apparent Jihadist threat remains.

The reaction of the French government is more of the same. The state of emergency has been extended and more aeroplanes have been sent to bomb Syria some more. This was after the day before Francois Hollande had announced that the state of emergency would end by the end of July. So a reflex reaction for which there is some discussion regarding the effectiveness of this approach.

From the Guardian:

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There has been an admission from the prime minister of France that terrorism is here to stay and if I understand correctly that there are no simple solutions.

The Guardian gives a potted reasoning for why France is so targeted. Some of the explanation relates to local French problems and social exclusion. A more appropriate approach to find solutions?

 

Conversation with a Brexiter

Via Whatsapp I had a conversation with MM today. He voted out and is pleased with the result.

His argument is that the EU is a failed programme and it is better to take your chance, leave and be optimistic regarding the outcome. Struck me as happy to gamble. Well for some people, who are in a good state in life and so are resilient to the potential adverse outcomes of the gamble that is likely to be OK. However all things are not equal in the UK and there are plenty of people who are already struggling, who were sucked into voting out, who do not have the resilience for when things turn out badly and are more likely to be on the end of the adverse effects anyway.

So there is a group of Brexiters who are happy to follow their doctrine because they are safe if things turn out badly. Reminds me of Peter Q in years gone by who was happy with the prospect of the socialist state even if quality of life was impaired by the change.

There is no plan, risks are not important,only opportunity and I’m ok Jack.

 

David Cameron resigns after UK votes to leave European Union | Politics | The Guardian

PM announces resignation following victory for leave supporters after divisive referendum campaign

Source: David Cameron resigns after UK votes to leave European Union | Politics | The Guardian

To be expected and deserved that he resigned.

What a political error. As PM he almost lost Scotland and now will go down as the man who unexpectedly took UK out of EU.

The face of the Etonian elite who have lead the country to uncertainty and possible chaos.