UK Brexit aftermath/repercussions

Jo Swinson is the new Lib Dem leader, the first female leader they have ever had. I voted for her. I heard something about her being the British Obama. They said that about Chuka at one point too. :)

Boris Johnson is likely to be the next Tory leader. It's going to be announced today. I read that if some Tory MPs resign the whip then he would not have the confidence of the house and the Queen cannot appoint him as Prime Minister. I don't know if that will happen!
 
I saw Trump called Boris Johnson "Britain's Trump", oh dear. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

It's a fairly insulting comparison as Boris is quite intelligent as well as being liberal and centrist. Well, he was as London Mayor. I hope he won't be too bad as PM. Famous last words.:rofl:
 
I can understand how to somebody valuing the democratic decision process who wants to accept and stand by the decision that was made, this is disappointing, but it is IMO one of the misconceptions about democracy that the opinion of a clueless person riled by a frenzied media is just as important and valuable as the opinion of an expert who has analyzed the subject and can present the realistic outcome. I do not think the two are equally valuable, but then, that is my view.

My God, that is an elitist perspective, well suited to Richard Dawkins' Social Darwinist views. This is an issue of governance that has been well understood since at least 1992. What I have found is that Leave voters were and are on the whole better educated about the EU, precisely because they are motivated by effecting change; and that includes younger (twenty-something) colleagues of mine who voted Leave.

What Britain needs is far more Swiss-style Direct Democracy, though Jo Swinson has evaded the issue of whether she would respect the result if another People's Vote doesn't go the way that she wants.

 
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What I have found is that Leave voters were and are on the whole better educated about the EU, precisely because they are motivated by effecting change; and that includes younger (twenty-something) colleagues of mine who voted Leave.

With all due respect, that seems to go against any analysis I have seen explaining which people voted leave, and which people voted remain.
There the common denominator seemed to be, that, the more educated, young, and open-minded a person was, the more likely that person was to vote "remain". So when you suggest anecdotal evidence that the "leave" voters you have encountered were better informed, this is hard for me to accept. The main reason, short and simply, given for the "leave" vote was that older people participated in the referendum at a much higher rate.

But, enough discussion, time for something helpful...

 
The Tory government's parliamentary support has been reduced to a wafer-thin majority of 1 MP:

If we had a general election now, I think the LibDems could do relatively well, especially if the Remain parties would unite behind a single candidate in seats where they had a realistic chance of toppling Brexit-supporting incumbents.
 
If we had a general election now, I think the LibDems could do relatively well, especially if the Remain parties would unite behind a single candidate in seats where they had a realistic chance of toppling Brexit-supporting incumbents.
That said, I don't think the LibDems could win a general election, i.e. get a majority, or even become one of the two largest parties. They could win back third place from the SNP. A general election is going to be about so much more than Brexit, and beating the Tories will, as always, firstly be Labour's job.

With that in mind, I was encouraged to read this piece by the Guardian's deputy opinion editor:
(3. August 2019)
 
It made me laugh that Ukip got beaten by the Monster Raving Loony Party in that by-election. :D

I assume Boris is just using the threat of No Deal as a negotiating tactic. He said he has “absolutely no intention” of forming a pact with the Brexit Party, but we can't really trust everything he says!
 
I'm in the odd position now of being a Lib Dem member and intending to vote for them in a Gen Election but part of me is quite enjoying seeing Boris Johnson being rude to the EU. :rofl:

I'm so utterly sick of hearing about Brexit constantly and don't even really care if we leave the EU now.

I agree with his pledge to put a lot more police officers on the streets and to make changes to the powers to stop and search. Crime is a huge problem here now.
 
It made me laugh that Ukip got beaten by the Monster Raving Loony Party in that by-election. :D
Yes, that put a smile on my face as well!

I assume Boris is just using the threat of No Deal as a negotiating tactic.
I'm not feeling confident about that as I can't quite see him cave in and accept the current deal, which is the only deal the EU has said they will accept. BoJo became PM precisely because that deal wasn't acceptable to himself, the ERG and the DUP.
 
I was watching The Pledge the other night and one of the journalists is the sister of Boris, Rachel Johnson. She said that she wondered what would happen in 6 months time and if anyone could predict it, she said it twice. I was thinking maybe that is when the next Gen Election is planned?:shrug:

I read that the Conservatives have bought Brexit countdown clocks ticking away until Halloween 2019.
 
There were have it, the US will be ready, pen in hand, to sign a comprehensive bilateral trade deal with the UK as soon as it's out of the EU. It seems fitting that Brexit should happen on Halloween then, considering the American fondness for this holiday. I'm imagining the Halloween trade deal could unlock the gates to 'creatures of the night' such as the much discussed chlorinated chicken and the much feared GMOs, but more importantly, it could lead to "harmonisation" of laws to protect the environment, consumers and employees, and more privatised health care, further undermining the NHS. Is this what "independence" looks like? Is this what the 52% voted for?

(7. Aug. 2019)
 
There is a smug part of me that thinks Pro-Brexit voters are getting what they deserve for voting on the basis of an emotional knee-jerk without any forward thinking but it doesn't help all of the Brits who didn't want to leave. They are going to suffer for no reason other than a small majority of foot stompers throwing their toys out of their prams! Britain may become, effectively, the next US state.
 
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There is a smug part of me that thinks Pro-Brexit voters are getting what they deserve for voting on the basis of an emotional knee-jerk without any forward thinking but it doesn't help all of the Brits who didn't want to leave. They are going to suffer for no reason other than a small majority of foot stompers throwing their toys out of their prams! Britain may become, effectively, the next US state.
What we're headed for now is a Tory right-wing Brexit. I really don't think this has the support of the majority of the electorate including Labour voters and other non-conservatives who voted for Brexit in 2016.
 
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bräxit.jpg


"Vote for the government to build a submarine out of cheese" is the metaphor I did not know I needed - until now.
 
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