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

The PM is not elected as such (other than them being an MP) the PM is simply the leader of the party in government.
Although on a local level you may vote a certain way because you like the candidate in reality you are voting for the party not the man
 
mark mywords said:
telling the world how crap, disorganised and incompetent our government is?
this free publicity has already seriously increased the cost of government borrowing and mortgages whilst at the same time driving down the value of the pound

a month ago you could get a mortgage at about 2.25% its now over 6% this increases the monthly payment for the average mortgage by over £275
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The entertainment value is obvious. News here is, it's all they talk about.
But doubling mortgage interest rates downsizes the homes borrowers can afford. Meaning, this will end up bearing consequences for years.
 
mark mywords said:
the PM is simply the leader of the party in government.
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Selected from that party's members within parliament?

t #42
I might have been more dismissive about the "entertainment value" angle, until Trump came along. VERY difficult for me to perceive Trump as serious. His lies are clearly not realistic.
 
Selected from that party's members within parliament?
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I think that a leader of a party who does not win a seat gets stood down and replaced by some one who did win a seat (not sure as I dont think that it has ever happened the party leader usually stands for a seat where they would elect a donkey that was wearing the right rosette)

But doubling mortgage interest rates downsizes the homes borrowers can afford
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In most cases it just means that people who already have a house/ mortgage cannot afford to move up the property ladder. First homes are usually something akin to a rabbit hutch, my daughter bought one during the property boom in 2007 the crash came and it was almost 10 years before the house was once again worth what she paid for it she has a child at school now and is more or less tied to the area so is living in a microscopic 2 bedroom house which is probably only 650 sq ft.

The BIG problem is that people bought houses on 2% mortgages that they were stretched to afford and now have £300 extra to find each month to cover the loan AND have heat and light bills that have more than doubled a large percentage of the country will be in serious financial distress during the next few months.
Woman on the radio the other day who has a severely disabled son and her heating bill for the coming year will be £17000 (house needs to be kept extra warm lots of washing of clothes and bedding and showers for the child)
 
Cold comfort I'm sure. I predict parliament will simmer down, mainly because it'll explode if it doesn't. Guy Fawkes day is coming up.

m #44,
Your descriptions are simply grim. It leaves my head shaking.
I'm not invoking any supernatural anything. But your #44 makes it real easy for me to count my blessings. PS Putin is real icky !
 
schools, churches and charities are opening up "warm banks" for people to go and sit in the warm so that they dont have to heat their houses.

I have never been as embarassed and ashamed by my country since food banks became common now they are so common place I no longer notice them

And shame upon the patriot
When the mark of the Bulldog Breed
Is a family without a home
And a pensioner in need
Billy Bragg (again)
 
When one voice rules the nation
Just because they're top of the pile
Doesn't mean their vision is the clearest
The voices of the people
Are falling on deaf ears
Our politicians all become careerists
They must declare their interests
But not their company cars
Is there more to a seat in parliament
Than sitting on your arse?
And the best of all this bad bunch
Is shouting to be heard
Above the sound of ideologies clashing
Outside the patient millions
Who put them into power
Expect a little more back for their taxes
Like school books, beds in hospitals
And peace in our bloody time
All they get is old men grinding axes
Who've built their private fortunes
On the things they can rely
The courts, the secret handshake
The Stock Exchange and the old school tie
For God and Queen and Country
All things they justify
Above the sound of ideologies clashing
God bless the civil service
The nations saving grace
While we expect democracy
They're laughing in our face
And although our cries get louder
The laughter gets louder still
Above the sound of ideologies clashing
 
m #46 & #47
What you and Billy have me wondering:
- is it actually getting worse? I realize it's never static. Even if seemingly little change, it's an equilibrium, not static.
But were things actually net better in the good ol' days? Another possibility:
- it's as bad as ever, BUT !! reporting has gotten better, the Internet is a lightning quick mass communication conduit that puts Mark Twain's 3 forms of mass communication in the past: telegraph, telephone, tell a woman

see ?

Is it actually getting worse? Or are we merely getting a clearer picture of how bad it's always been?
 
All the Billy Bragg stuff comes from the Thatcher era so whilst things might not be getting worse they are certainly getting no better.
With the exception of special cases such as the miners strike I dont remember food banks or soup kitchens during thatchers time they are everywhere now.

During Thatchers day I remember that the story of pensioners "freezing" to death (hypothermia) in winter was common if this winter is harsh it wont be just pensioners
 
I understand the poise of the nation is in clumsy transition at the moment.
Is there a chance a viable action plan can be executed in time to prevent disaster here?
 
Is there a chance a viable action plan can be executed in time to prevent disaster here?

Not a hope!
in the newly jigged rules there can only be 3 candidates for the party leadership (and PM) so far Boris is in second place and this whilst he remains the subject of a parliamentary standards investigation!
 
sear said:
Is there a chance a viable action plan can be executed in time to prevent disaster here?
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mark mywords said:
Not a hope!
in the newly jigged rules there can only be 3 candidates for the party leadership (and PM) so far Boris is in second place and this whilst he remains the subject of a parliamentary standards investigation!
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I share your concern about the political churn.
My inquiry regarded:
mark mywords said:
During Thatchers day I remember that the story of pensioners "freezing" to death (hypothermia) in winter was common if this winter is harsh it wont be just pensioners
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I meant the prospect of preventing grammas getting hard in their own living room across the nation, and smelling real bad before their corpses can be dispositioned.

Thank you for your unwavering human compassion, and concern for the welfare of your countrymen.
450351034111601b13de9b0f7bd36ff1ab17c47.gif
 
mark mywords said:
Boris has dropped out of the process
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Why?
- Playing hard to get might seem a plausible explanation for this.
- Boris is smart enough to know it's a meat-grinder? That anyone leaping into the breach is likely to be ground up in it, along with their political career and reputation?

Here's a Stateside report:

LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Sunday he will not run to lead the Conservative Party, ending a short-lived, high-profile attempt to return to the prime minister's job he was ousted from little more than three months ago.
His withdrawal leaves former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak the strong favorite to become Britain's next prime minister — the third this year — at a time of political turmoil and severe economic challenges. He could win the contest as soon as Monday.
Johnson, who was ousted in July amid ethics scandals, had been widely expected to run to replace Liz Truss, who quit last week after her tax-cutting economic package caused turmoil in financial markets, was rapidly abandoned and and obliterated her authority inside the governing party.
www.npr.org

Boris Johnson drops out of the race to be the next U.K. prime minister

Treasury chief Rishi Sunak is now the strong favorite to become Britain's next prime minister — the third this year — at a time of political turmoil and severe economic challenges.
www.npr.org www.npr.org
 
9:30 AM/ET
Our New York feed of BBC news announced the next PM. She whispered it, but I gather it was former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak.

GO GET 'EM TIGER !
 
In the event Sunak got in unopposed his only remaining challenger dropping out at the very last minute after failing to get the required 100 nominations
 
And money to burn?

Funny thing is Trump pretends to be $rich. But Trump is already in legal trouble for under-stating value of property for tax purposes and over-valuing them as collateral for bank loans. I kind of hope Sunak is richer than Trump.
And I wish the newest Prime Minister a very long, spectacularly successful career bringing peace, prosperity, and joy to all those in the U.K., and to many beyond. GO GET 'EM some more TIGER !
 
One of the main reasons that Sunak was not elected last time was that people didnt like his wealth (variously stated as between £700 million and £1 billion) at public appearances much was made of Truss wearing high street clothes and cheap jewelry whilst Sunak was wearing hand made suits and £1000 shoes
 
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