A short journey into the debacle that is the current UK government

M

mark mywords

Active member
Our PM, Liz Truss came to office on Sept 6 her first duty was to go to meet the queen who was so unimpressed by her that she died.
After this inauspicious start there was a couple of fallow weeks - a decent period of mourning and all that.
Anyhow she and her chosen chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, who politically are carbon copies of each other set about scuppering the country's finances by dropping the tax rates for the over paid (those earning £1million per year found themselves a cool £55 000 per year better off) the low paid had to content themselves with a few crumbs.
This at a stroke caused the currency to crash, further increasing the price of energy (which is paid for in US dollars) the increase more than eating up the crumbs given to the average and below average earner.
Government gilts had a run and had to be propped up by the bank of England and the typical mortgage rate shot up from 2% to somewhere around 6% adding a couple of hundred to the average monthly mortgage payment.
As recently as last night the chancellor declared that he was not for resigning and Liz Truss pledged her undying support (never a good sign in politics) he did after all bring in the exact policies that she was elected on by her party.
This morning the chancellor was recalled by the PM from a trip in America.................and fired.
Lis Truss' position now looks untenable and she too could soon join the ranks of exTory prime ministers the fourth in 6 years
 
It was near top of the 5pm/ET radio news.
iirc the news report says she fired some guy (Kwarteng?), and reversed the tax cuts for the wealthy.
"he was not for resigning and Liz Truss pledged her undying support (never a good sign in politics) he did after all bring in the exact policies that she was elected on by her party." m #1
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I don't know enough about that case. But in general, is there ever a point that a campaign promise should be broken? For the common good?

I've noticed the moving van parked permanently @ #10 Downing.
 
the news report says she fired some guy (Kwarteng?), and reversed the tax cuts for the wealthy.
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like I said in the opening post "This morning the chancellor was recalled by the PM from a trip in America.................and fired."

I cant find anything definitive on income tax changes that will probably be for the new chancellor to decide but changes in corporation tax have been scrapped


But in general, is there ever a point that a campaign promise should be broken?
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The campaign promise was to her own party and didnt include the changes she announced, at this point her own party are baying for her blood - part of the reasons Kwarteng was fired is that it was unlikely that the commons (even his own party) would have approved them.

Truss was not a popular candidate and really only got elected because she was marginally less unpopular than the other candidates
 
"Misery loves company" is an oversimplification in my opinion.
In the U.S. we're on a tough row to hoe. Mid-term elections in less than a month. Today's new, Trump (R) says he's not voting until ... (something that's probably not going to happen).
The Democrat's prayers have been answered.

Thing is you guys are in the stew too. I don't mean to actually welcome you to the mess. But it is odd that such a stalwart but separate ally & friend would be mirroring US, & vice versa. I'll hope for peace & prosperity X 2.
 

Chancellor warns of tax rises and squeeze on spending​

By James Gregory & Ione Wells - BBC News

Difficult decisions will be needed "across the board" on tax and spending, the new chancellor has told the BBC.
Speaking in his first interviews since replacing Kwasi Kwarteng, Jeremy Hunt said some taxes will go up, while government spending may need to fall.
Cutting the top rate of tax and not independently costing measures were mistakes being "put right", he added.
He also insisted he had a "clean slate" after Liz Truss sacked Mr Kwarteng on Friday.
www.bbc.com

Chancellor warns of tax rises and squeeze on spending

Jeremy Hunt warns of difficult decisions ahead, as he signals major changes to Liz Truss's economic plans.
www.bbc.com
 
U.S. politics is perplexing enough. Kudos to R #5 for bravely taking a stab at it.

If I had to explain it to a 5 year old: "something bad happened. There was a shake-up. Go to bed."
 
just in
new chancellor (Jeremy Hunt) has announced that all the tax cuts announced by his predecessor are cancelled

the sharks are circling and the days of Liz Truss (PM) seem to be numbered and Hunt is now PM in all but name
 
Liz Truss was called to a special PMQs (when MPs can question the PM on recent events) she cried off stating very genuine reasons and sent a repetitive in her place.

Oh dear oh dear the sharks are nibbling at her toes
 
This is how bad it is.
The U.S. congress has "parliamentarians" to police the protocols on the house & senate floors.
And STILL I don't fully get the U.K.'s parliamentary system.

What rescues me from a grim demise by my own ignorance of parliamentary protocol is the calming reassurance that the U.K. has been around a while, and is likely to be around a good while longer, E.U. membership status notwithstanding.
 
m #11
Ha!
That's what you get for having inspired ours in the first place!
- house of commons / house of representatives
- house of lords / senate

Bottom line, the difference between government and the mafia is slim, differing mostly in method. They're both protection rackets. The mafia breaks your legs. Government throws you in the dungeon (where you get to meet a lot of friendly fellas).
 
house of lords / senate
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at the time almost all of our lords would have been hereditary but these days they have virtually ended the hereditary peers (they are still a lord but they dont get a seat or a vote) and the system of peerages has pretty much fallen into disrepute
 
Oh. Just like congress.
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I was going to say that at least you cant buy your way into congress ......but these days that isnt really true

Here there are strict limits on how much both a party and a candidate can spend on electioneering, I gather that that isnt the case where you are, we also have limits on what a candidate can say about opponents ("honest and decent")
 
mark mywords said:
("honest and decent")
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"Crooked Hillary", the label Trump found for Secretary Clinton.
I don't recall the name of the precedent, but SCOTUS ruled that $$$money is speech, and that the expenditure of money in an election campaign is protected as a free speech right by the First Amendment.

I don't read tea leaves well. But I get the impression things are settling down a shade about the Parliament thing. Makes me miss Maggie Thatcher a little.
I said a little.
 
I get the impression things are settling down a shade about the Parliament thing.
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Mmmmm, not really the PM is still circling the political drain, she is in position but not in control. It would seem that the PM these days is Hunt in all but name.


Makes me miss Maggie Thatcher a little.
you forget the way in which she left no 10?
Her party rallied against her and she was gone.

If I remember it correctly it took just 10 days after her party decided that she was a liability until her tearful departure from No10.

Truss may cause the rewriting of Enoch Powell's famous saying "all political careers end in failure", Liz Truss political career started in failure continued in failure before ultimately ending in failure (OK we have not got to the last bit YET)

There was a moment of amusement yesterday when, talking about Truss' firing of Kwarteng. a Labour MP said -
"it was like a ventriloquist firing the dummy for saying the wrong thing"
 
"you forget the way in which she left no 10?" m #17
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Completely.
Mine was not an expression of admiration for her competence, merely a nostalgic reflection on a more stable past. Not smooth as glass to be sure, just a little more dignified.

Political simile. I've long suspected our MOC get some of their best lines from the staffers half their age.
 
The home secretary (third most important post after the PM and chancellor) has now resigned the PM says its due to a "breach of the ministerial code" The former home secretary says that she has severe concerns as to the direction the government is moving.
So did she jump or was she pushed?
 
Alright.
Perhaps I should just buy and wear a vivid red naïveté T-shirt.
For most of my life politics including who I voted for was an issue entirely separate from entertainment, which comedy I watched on TV. BUT !!
With genuine maniacs like Marjorie Taylor Greene and her Jewish space lasers (she actually got elected!) (oh yeah, and that "Trump" guy, ever heard of him?) I've begun to wonder whether U.S. voters have become so jaded about politics that they figure it doesn't matter who they vote for, so they might as well put into office someone that'll give them a chuckle now & then.
Seriously.
How else can we explain this?

What the %$#@ is going on here Mr. mm ?! Has the whole world gone mad, or is it just me?
 
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