UK Politics Mega-thread - Page 16

On September 05 2013 02:32 KwarK wrote:
The whip will have arranged pairings whereby a yes voter and a no voter both don't show up rather than forcing both to come back. As long as they're prepared to come back and vote if need be they often don't actually have to. Parliamentary convention at work.

On September 05 2013 02:35 Klive5ive wrote:

But the 3 line whip told everyone to vote yes?

The government's immigration minister has launched a ferocious defence of the controversial 'Go Home' van campaign.

Mark Harper said illegal immigrants were "taking the Mickey out of everyone else" by being in the UK.

The Tory minister also stood by a poster campaign in Scotland, showing a homeless person with the caption: "Is life here hard? Going home is simple".

Ministers have been boosted by opinion polls showing the public support the confrontational billboard campaign, which was dubbed the '#racistvan' on Twitter.

However, people are sceptical about whether it will work.

The prime minister has denied reports that he has been snubbed at the G20 Summit in St Petersburg after an adviser to President Putin allegedly dismissed Britain as "just a small island," adding: "no one pays any attention to them".

The slight was reported by the BBC’s political correspondent Nick Robinson, who claims the remark was made by a senior Putin aide.

Cameron is already reeling from last week's dramatic reversal in the Commons vote over proposed British military intervention in Syria, and this latest rebuke will do little to restore his credibility as a global statesman.

Putin, a long-time ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has been delighting in Cameron's failure to convince Parliament of the importance of joining the coalition following the Syrian regime's alleged use of chemical weapons in late August. Despite posing for pictures alongside the Cameron earlier on Thursday, this latest rebuff from the former KGB officer is likely to do little to ease ongoing tensions between Moscow and London.

Speaking to the Press Association, Dmitry Peskov, who is alleged to have made the cutting aside, denied making the comment.

"I don't know the source of that claim. I simply can't explain the source of that claim," he said. "Definitely it is nothing to do with reality. It is definitely not something I have said. I don't know whose views it reflects - it's nothing to do with us.

Leaving the European Union is not something to be afraid of and would create new opportunities, a Treasury minister has said.

Economic Secretary Sajid Javid said the best outcome of the process to change the UK's relationship with Brussels started by David Cameron would be remaining in a reformed EU more focused on free trade.

But with the Tories committed to a referendum on the UK's membership of the 28-member union by the end of 2017 Mr Javid said he would "embrace the opportunities" created by a vote to sever ties with Brussels.

He told The House magazine: "The best outcome is we do have a renegotiated relationship. I've done thousands of negotiations in my job in business and you never go into a negotiation without some sort of weapons in your arsenal, so we are right to have a referendum as it increases our ability to negotiate.

"I think the European Union should be much more focused for us on free trade in goods and services. If the British people decide that they want to leave the European Union, that's not something I'd be afraid of.

On September 07 2013 06:16 Zealos wrote:

I can't tell if this is trying to put him in a positive or a negative light.
I'm leaning towards the former, because it's the first time I have ever felt anything good towards David Cameron.

Labour has been warned it looks like a "disunited" party because of the row over its links with unions.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, warned that people would not vote for a party which was "squabbling".

He revealed that the number of members Unison affiliates to Labour, in a system similar to the one championed by Miliband, is set to fall from half a million to 430,000, costing Labour £210,000.

He told a press conference in Bournemouth: "We look like a disunited party. Where I grew up, in Leeds, we were told never to wash your dirty linen in public."

Prentis said Labour had lost the election in Australia because of internal squabbles, adding: "It will happen to the Labour Party in this country if it does not get its act together."

Prentis said any malaise in British politics could be blamed on politicians following controversy over issues such as MPs expenses and the Iraq war.

The GMB has decided to reduce its funds by over £1 million after leader Ed Miliband said he wanted to change the way union members are affiliated.

Under his plans, union members would have to opt in rather than being automatically affiliated to Labour.

Other unions, including Labour's biggest affiliate, Unite, have held back from following suit, offering a breathing space to Miliband, who makes a crucial speech to the TUC Congress in Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Tory MP Nigel Evans has quit his job as deputy speaker of the House of Commons after being charged with a series of sex offences against seven men.

On Tuesday evening the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, QC, said the 55-year-old is accused of two counts of indecent assault, five counts of sexual assault and one rape count.

Evans, who represents the Ribble Valley constituency in Lancashire, will appear before magistrates in Preston on September 18.

Starmer said: "Following an investigation by Lancashire police, the Crown Prosecution Service has received a file of evidence in the case of Mr Nigel Evans MP which concerns allegations of a sexual nature.

"After careful consideration, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Mr Evans.

"Lancashire Constabulary has therefore been authorised to charge two counts of indecent assault, five counts of sexual assault and one count of rape relating to a total of seven alleged victims.

"The decision in this case was taken by Joanne Cunliffe, an experienced specialist rape prosecutor, in consultation with John Dilworth, Head of the CPS North West Complex Casework Unit and in consultation with an external and highly experienced criminal QC.

On September 04 2013 22:23 GhastlyUprising wrote:
It's pretty clear to most of the population that the UK cannot sustain unlimited immigration.

England is already one of the most densely populated countries in the whole world.

We have enough trouble providing for our population ALREADY. The government is already making cuts to basic public services, including the NHS. A subsequent wave of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, such as what we experienced in the past, would be absolutely disastrous for the UK.

On September 11 2013 07:20 3Form wrote:


Lol, oh lol. I suppose I have people like you to thank that my girlfriend had to leave and go back to China?

Got a job as a "Mandarin Speaking Insurance Assessor", but turns out that "Insurance Assessor" didn't grade high enough on the UKBA's "list" to be eligible for work permit sponsorship. She's a qualified interpretor ffs, but most of that sort of work is freelance which, hey presto, is not good enough for a work permit.

This government has caved in to the Mail reading fanatics. EU immigration can't be controlled so it's immigrants from the rest of the world that suffered. We are actively DISCOURAGING bright and able individuals not to stay here since the Post-Study Work Visa has been scrapped. We should be making efforts to keep foreign students - China exempts overseas students that return to China from car tax as an incentive to return.
We however are pretty much kicking them out. We have great universities that attract the ablest from all around the world but nope, JOBS FOR THE BRITISH.

How the hell are we going to compete in "emerging markets" when we don't have the skills to exploit these markets? Do you speak Mandarin? Portugese? Russian? Nope, thought not.

On September 11 2013 07:38 3Form wrote:
Not really, maybe as far as tourism and going on holiday is concerned?

Not many Russians or Chinese speak fluent English. If a British company wants to do anything in either of these countries they will need interpreting and translating. Not to mention the sort of insight that only a native can have. It's all well and good speaking a language but you still need to know how things work in a country, conventions etc - what advertises well in the UK might not necessarily do so well in another country.

I honestly think we are crippling our country with this current obsession with immigration.