[Politics] Tory meltdown finally arrived [was: incoming]...

[A1X]

“Prime Minister, we need to give you a popular culture reference point so you don’t seem aloof.”

“Leave it with me…”

 

[TomandJerry]

Jeremy Hunt said he would back further interest rate rises by the Bank of England, even if they risk plunging the UK into recession, in order to combat soaring inflation.

The chancellor’s comments come after figures this week showed annual inflation in April was higher than expected at 8.7%, raising the prospect of a 13th interest rate rise by the Bank of England. Markets are predicting that interest rates could climb to 5.5% by the end of the year, up from their current level of 4.5%, putting further pressure on borrowers and the housing market.

 

[KZNSeagull]

As an aside, if you want to watch a very interesting interview, Feargal Sharkey is on the latest episode of Political Thinking on the BBC talking about growing up in Derry and how he became a key figure in the fight to save our rivers from shite. Well worth a watch.

 

[medwayseagull reborn]

What have this cabal done to the Conservative party ?

'Will the last Tory MP please turn out the lights': Whatsapp messages reveal turmoil in the Conservative Party

A trove of leaked WhatsApp messages between MPs has laid bare the scale of the turmoil engulfing the Conservative Party. Panicking Tory MPs warned the party is on course to turn into a “skip fire” and could even “die”. And Simon Hoare, a Conservative MP since 2015, said: “Would the last Tory MP to leave the building please turn off the lights.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...-chequers-conservative-whatsapp-b2345494.html

And people wonder why so little thought, time and effort is going into running the country as it plunges from crisis to crisis on a seemingly hourly basis

Is that the same Hoare who has just been named as one of the Tory MPs claiming fines on his expenses ?

 

[Bob!]

For those questioning Labour policies being no different to this Government's

Labour plans to allow local authorities to buy land cheaply for development

Exclusive: If elected next year, party would allow officials to buy up land at fraction of potential cost as part of ‘pro-building’ agenda

www.theguardian.com

 

[Thunder Bolt]

As an aside, if you want to watch a very interesting interview, Feargal Sharkey is on the latest episode of Political Thinking on the BBC talking about growing up in Derry and how he became a key figure in the fight to save our rivers from shite. Well worth a watch.

Lee Mack and Steve Coogan are campaigning for Lake Windermere.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

This applies to the protests too.

 

[A1X]

Whatever your political opinions, it is outrageous for a Government of any persuasion to lose a vote in Parliament and then go “nah we’ll do it anyway”, it’s a total undermining of our parliamentary democracy

 

[Stat Brother]

Did we miss the government saying they weren't building 40 new hospitals.
Of the 40 new hospitals promised some would be renovations, but it was all a moot point anyway as they wouldn't be ready by 2030.

But crucially they haven't broken an election promise.

 

[Randy McNob]

Did we miss the government saying they weren't building 40 new hospitals.
Of the 40 new hospitals promised some would be renovations, but it was all a moot point anyway as they wouldn't be ready by 2030.

But crucially they haven't broken an election promise.

Johnson's legacy.....

40 new hospitals - bollox
20,000 more police - bollox
Fix social care - bollox
Get Brexit done - bollox

 

[clapham_gull]

The best the Tories can hope for is a Labour majority. If there is a Lib / Lab coalition, I'd imagine the Lib Dems will push for a change in the voting system without a referendum. That could see the Tories out for years.

Undemocratic ?

Possibly but the Government change the way we vote for Mayors two years ago without public consultation. Next London Mayoral election is now FPTP.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Tories asset stripping the country.

 

[beorhthelm]

Tories asset stripping the country.

the trouble with twitter is too many unreliable witnesses, they'll tell you something without all the information. this tweet has for some reason ignored investment in water. that would be over £160bn according to the industry, and its a bit naughty to ignore that. you can argue there has been too much dividends, you can argue dividends shouldnt be paid from debt (110% agree to both, though the numbers are manipulated). arguing all the debt has gone to dividends is false, arguing there has been no investment is also false. its actually how they grow the businesses, by spending more their assets increase and therefore business value increase. its also amusing how the term "gaslighting" keeps getting thrown around so lightly.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

the trouble with twitter is too many unreliable witnesses, they'll tell you something without all the information. this tweet has for some reason ignored investment in water. that would be over £160bn according to the industry, and its a bit naughty to ignore that. you can argue there has been too much dividends, you can argue dividends shouldnt be paid from debt (110% agree to both, though the numbers are manipulated). arguing all the debt has gone to dividends is false, arguing there has been no investment is also false. its actually how they grow the businesses, by spending more their assets increase and therefore business value increase. its also amusing how the term "gaslighting" keeps getting thrown around so lightly.

The clip is of Baroness Jenny Jones in the House of Lords.

Show me the investment in water, and why we have beaches and rivers full of sewage. Criticise Twitter all you want but come back with facts.

 

[beorhthelm]

The clip is of Baroness Jenny Jones in the House of Lords.

Show me the investment in water, and why we have beaches and rivers full of sewage. Criticise Twitter all you want but come back with facts.

you just ignored the industry feedback so lightly. you can find the investment in reports and stats if you look honestly. didn't Southern build a whole load of new facilities under the city couple decades back, and more recently at Telscombe? there's more to water than sewage, there is supply side and seems a lot of priority went there.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

you just ignored the industry feedback so lightly. you can find the investment in reports and stats if you look honestly. didn't Southern build a whole load of new facilities under the city couple decades back, and more recently at Telscombe? there's more to water than sewage, there is supply side and seems a lot of priority went there.

Yes, the Telly Tubby mound at Peacehaven which hasn't stopped raw sewage going into the sea at Peacehaven to Seaford.

The fact remains, that water is vital for life, should never have been privatised nor used for bonuses, dividends nor profit. Ever.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

you just ignored the industry feedback so lightly. you can find the investment in reports and stats if you look honestly. didn't Southern build a whole load of new facilities under the city couple decades back, and more recently at Telscombe? there's more to water than sewage, there is supply side and seems a lot of priority went there.

They are two different companies. Southern Water is concerned with waste water and South East Water with provision of drinking water. You can’t compare the two as ther are completely different organisation. TBF both are as crap as each other. Ardingly reservoir is shut for 8 weeks so that urgent repairs to the bank can be carried. Repairs that were required in 2019 but were ignored but will now cost significantly more to fix if they had done it in 2019. Of course we know how that will be funded!

 

[Jim in the West]

I worked in the water industry for nearly 4 years (albeit at a "Water Only" company, not a "Water & Sewage Company"). It is an exceptionally highly regulated industry (as it should be). Every 5 years water companies have to get their pricing and investment plans approved by the regulator (Ofwat...effectively the government). The regulator gives each water company an allowable return (ie, sets the prices they can charge), and tells them how much they can invest. I'm paraphrasing a massively complex process here, obviously. But for the last 5 year period (2020 - 2025) the regulator (aka the Government) was paranoid about increasing water bills, and forced water companies to significantly scale back their investment plans. Whilst I think water companies should be doing a huge amount more to reduce sewage overflows, the government is massively to blame too. It's a scandal. And the other scandal is the amount that senior management in water companies are paid. The water industry is surprisingly complex, but water companies are monopolies. There is virtually zero risk to revenue. Nice work if you can get it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I worked in the water industry for nearly 4 years (albeit at a "Water Only" company, not a "Water & Sewage Company"). It is an exceptionally highly regulated industry (as it should be). Every 5 years water companies have to get their pricing and investment plans approved by the regulator (Ofwat...effectively the government). The regulator gives each water company an allowable return (ie, sets the prices they can charge), and tells them how much they can invest. I'm paraphrasing a massively complex process here, obviously. But for the last 5 year period (2020 - 2025) the regulator (aka the Government) was paranoid about increasing water bills, and forced water companies to significantly scale back their investment plans. Whilst I think water companies should be doing a huge amount more to reduce sewage overflows, the government is massively to blame too. It's a scandal. And the other scandal is the amount that senior management in water companies are paid. The water industry is surprisingly complex, but water companies are monopolies. There is virtually zero risk to revenue. Nice work if you can get it.

Exactly. The government is massively to blame for this mess. You are right about monopolies, as none of us can change our water supplier.

 

[The Clamp]

Looks like the slippery arseholes have wriggled free again.

What is it about our lawmakers and arbiters that they repeatedly let the Tory’s off the hook?

I honestly despair.

Boris Johnson’s ‘missing’ Covid inquiry evidence must be found, says Labour – as it happened

Latest updates: vital evidence must be handed over if ‘whiff of a cover-up’ is to be avoided, says Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader

www.theguardian.com