A Political Thread pt. 2

[TRF_Olyy]

USA literally licking their lips at the idea of it,
They're desperate for another conflict after pulling out of Afghanistan, gotta keep those arms dealer profits up

 

[Gavin]

IMO it doesn't make sense for Russia to invade Ukraine, or at least the contested eastern regions.

It would be economic suicide

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

IMO it doesn't make sense for Russia to invade Ukraine, or at least the contested eastern regions.

It would be economic suicide

I agree in theory, but states with megalomaniac at the helm aren't always the rational actors we perceive them to be tbh

 

[Seeker]

Putin's a bully. He has been since his KGB days. If you speak out against him you'll probably disappear or be poisoned. Hey Yulia, if you never see another post from me you'll know why.

 

[Which Tyler]

I'm seeing speculation that IF BJ is found to have broken the law (so a fixed notice fine) then it could trigger - or allow to be triggered - a by-election in Uxbridge.
Also speculation that, due to our unwritten constitution, as PM he could simple ignore it as he does for ny other gross misconduct report, and even just ignore the fine (or have Priti overrule it)

Anyone have any knowledge on this? Well outside my comfort zone

 

[ncurd]

I'm seeing speculation that IF BJ is found to have broken the law (so a fixed notice fine) then it could trigger - or allow to be triggered - a by-election in Uxbridge.
Also speculation that, due to our unwritten constitution, as PM he could simple ignore it as he does for ny other gross misconduct report, and even just ignore the fine (or have Priti overrule it)

Anyone have any knowledge on this? Well outside my comfort zone

A fixed penalty notice wouldn't trigger it. A custodial sentence has to be included.

Recall elections - House of Commons Library

This briefing outlines the system of recall of MPs in the UK

commonslibrary.parliament.uk

There's also the following two,

1) Suspension from the House following report and recommended sanction from the Committee on Standards for a specified period (at least 10 sitting days, or at least 14 days if sitting days are not specified);

2) Convicted of an offence under section 10 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 (making false or misleading Parliamentary allowances claims). Note – the sentence does not have to be custodial for this condition.

Two doesn't count as its about expenses so it's only possible if the standards committee decide to suspend him for it.

 

[Yulia]

Putin's a bully. He has been since his KGB days. If you speak out against him you'll probably disappear or be poisoned. Hey Yulia, if you never see another post from me you'll know why.

You haven't seen the rest... I'm more scared to think about our next president because Chechen leader Kadyrov is powerful now, very ambitious and is still pretty young. And is too good to be true!

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Cressida Dick: Why is it so hard to fix the Met’s toxic culture?

The resignation of Britain's most senior constable comes after a series of crises has engulfed the force.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

You haven't seen the rest... I'm more scared to think about our next president because Chechen leader Kadyrov is powerful now, very ambitious and is still pretty young. And is too good to be true!

Come now. A thug with his own death squads, private zoo (what is it with tyrants and zoos?) and a growing messiah complex following an alleged blood transfusion from a descendant of Mohammed is nothing to be concerned about. Putin probably has a good 10 years left in him yet. Heck, in 10 years time he'd be about the same age as the two US presidential candidates were.

So both UK and US telling their nationals to leave Ukraine. Is it getting to squeaky bum time of Russia invading Ukraine?

I'm still unclear about Ukraine's fate. It has been a very mild winter there so any air supported Blitzkreig to the capital risks getting slowed down in a swamp. And Russia's Duma has this past week delayed the vote on recognising Donbass citizens they've given passports to as Russian citizens (which could have been the green light for military action). Germany appear to be moving increasingly away from Russian sympathy and the wider perception of Putin is shifting from a shrewd performer with Russia's best interests at heart to a loose cannon overplaying his hand.

Honestly, I don't think the Russian establishment know what to do here. Their body language has gone from laughing and joking to being bitter. I think were expecting less solidarity across Europe. Perhaps they are waiting for a plan they are hatching within Ukraine. Perhaps they are waiting for a late winter cold snap. As we head to spring I think they will likely take action regardless. Putin has no interest in a quiet life or in domestic prosperity and wellbeing. He has a 'mission' to unify the Russian speakers that the USSR distributed around eastern Europe. He is 69 years old and probably is thinking of a legacy. Crimea and a little spot of eastern Ukraine probably isn't sufficient in his mind.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Surely Kadyrov is too batshit crazy to be in a realistic position to lead Russia?
You can say what you want about Putin but he's very much of the establishment - something Kadyrov very much isn't. He/His father were Russia's necessary evil for peace in Chechnya

I was also under the impression that there's prejudice against the Caucasus, in Russia

 

[Yulia]

Surely Kadyrov is too batshit crazy to be in a realistic position to lead Russia?
You can say what you want about Putin but he's very much of the establishment - something Kadyrov very much isn't. He/His father were Russia's necessary evil for peace in Chechnya

I was thinking the same before,but who knows.. he's getting more and more powerful and everyone's scared to touch him. There's a big scandal related to one Chechen family and our officials prefer to close their eyes on it.."we don't touch them and they don't touch us"

‘We will pursue you until we cut off your heads’ Chechnya reports massive protest against the family of anti-torture activist — Meduza

On Wednesday, February 2, the Chechen authorities reported that 400,000 people had joined a rally in Grozny to protest the family of prominent anti-torture activist Abubakar Yangulbayev. The demonstration came a day after Russian lawmaker Adam Delimkhanov threatened to decapitate members of the...

meduza.io

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I didn't realise that the NI elections were in a few months. The UUP are within 4 points of the DUP in the polls and one polls even put Alliance within 3 points 2nd (I'm not sure what happens with joint government in that instance, I assume they are ignored or something crazy like that).

Brexit: NI Protocol issues 'unlikely to be resolved before election'

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says the government has "dishonoured" the New Decade New Approach deal.

www.bbc.co.uk

Hopefully the UUP can campaign on the platform of arguing against the NI Protocol but that Stormont shouldn't be shut down during those negotiations (arguing a shutdown doesn't apply any pressure on the EU or UK and merely harms NI). Hopefully Nationalist tactical voters realise avoiding the DUP as the largest unionist party is priority number one (more so than an SF FM) and hatch a voting plan accordingly by putting UUP and Alliance up their preference list.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I didn't realise that the NI elections were in a few months. The UUP are within 4 points of the DUP in the polls and one polls even put Alliance within 3 points 2nd (I'm not sure what happens with joint government in that instance, I assume they are ignored or something crazy like that).

Brexit: NI Protocol issues 'unlikely to be resolved before election'

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says the government has "dishonoured" the New Decade New Approach deal.

www.bbc.co.uk

Hopefully the UUP can campaign on the platform of arguing against the NI Protocol but that Stormont shouldn't be shut down during those negotiations (arguing a shutdown doesn't apply any pressure on the EU or UK and merely harms NI). Hopefully Nationalist tactical voters realise avoiding the DUP as the largest unionist party is priority number one (more so than an SF FM) and hatch a voting plan accordingly by putting UUP and Alliance up their preference list.

It'd be a weird one alright. My view is that they could be in power sharing - neutral on the union = retaining status quo = unionism. It's tenuous but it'd be in everyone's best interest of they managed it.

I'm not quite sure what to think of the party. It's a bit like the Irish Green party (who I voted number 1 last election fwiw) their message is good, their politicians are inoffensive, their achievements are miniscule. I won't be voting green that highly again and wouldn't vote Alliance if I was up North tbh.

 

[Gavin]

I didn't realise that the NI elections were in a few months. The UUP are within 4 points of the DUP in the polls and one polls even put Alliance within 3 points 2nd (I'm not sure what happens with joint government in that instance, I assume they are ignored or something crazy like that).

Brexit: NI Protocol issues 'unlikely to be resolved before election'

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says the government has "dishonoured" the New Decade New Approach deal.

www.bbc.co.uk

Hopefully the UUP can campaign on the platform of arguing against the NI Protocol but that Stormont shouldn't be shut down during those negotiations (arguing a shutdown doesn't apply any pressure on the EU or UK and merely harms NI). Hopefully Nationalist tactical voters realise avoiding the DUP as the largest unionist party is priority number one (more so than an SF FM) and hatch a voting plan accordingly by putting UUP and Alliance up their preference list.

The funny thing is that within NDNA it makes reference to the NI Protocol and all main parties signed up to it.

But also none of the Unionist parties have said whether they will nominate a deputy leader if SF return as the largest party.

So you could have election result of SF as the First Minister but no Unionist parties willing to be deputy, so a government isn't formed.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

The funny thing is that within NDNA it makes reference to the NI Protocol and all main parties signed up to it.

But also none of the Unionist parties have said whether they will nominate a deputy leader if SF return as the largest party.

So you could have election result of SF as the First Minister but no Unionist parties willing to be deputy, so a government isn't formed.

Exactly my thinking. But DUP more likely to take that stance than UUP.

 

[Which Tyler]

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I'm not quite sure what to think of the party. It's a bit like the Irish Green party (who I voted number 1 last election fwiw) their message is good, their politicians are inoffensive, their achievements are miniscule. I won't be voting green that highly again and wouldn't vote Alliance if I was up North tbh.

That's disappointing to hear about the Irish Greens seeing as they got 7% of the vote and 8% of seats. That should be enough to give them some clout. The Greens in Scotland are also in government and ineffectual, but that is because they are pro-independence and the mantra of the past 20 years seems to be "don't do anything that might turn off a possible independence voter", which translates into "don't do anything". We do now have free bus travel up until the age of 21, which is better than nothing. But progress on key things like EV infrastructure, how we heat our buildings and developing renewable technologies and jobs in the ruddy renewable energy hotspot of the planet that is the British Isles is about nil.

It isn't helped by the fact anything the Greens do achieve won't get any coverage because media owners are not sympathetic to them as they don't campaign on a platform of increasing wealth inequality. It is incredible up here. If I was in charge of witness protection schemes I'd make my witnesses become leaders of the local Green party. Nobody would ever be able to trace them as people would always instead hear reports on leaders of smaller parties who were more aligned to the thinking of media moguls.

The problem for Greens new to government is they need to be seen to be respectable and have mass appeal rather than abrasive and threatening to bring the government down. So they end up being a sort of greenwashing fig leaf for larger parties who have no genuine concerns in the fate of the planet. Whereas if they get into double digits, like in Germany where they have the Foreign minister, they can make pretty seismic political change both nationally and internationally. Of course, none of this applies in elections with an unrepresentative electoral system.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Petrol and diesel prices reach new record high

The price of fuel at the pump has risen with petrol at 148.02p a litre and diesel at 151.57p.

www.bbc.co.uk

Money printing machine as the BP chairman said.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Petrol and diesel prices reach new record high

The price of fuel at the pump has risen with petrol at 148.02p a litre and diesel at 151.57p.

www.bbc.co.uk

Money printing machine as the BP chairman said.

Glad I filled up yesterday at 1.39 a litre. Anyone else a member of Costco?

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Post Office scandal ruined lives, inquiry hears

The inquiry into wrongful convictions must put former sub-postmasters at its heart, a lawyer says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Scandalous. Imagine losing your home or going to jail due to a computer system which couldn’t add up and just accused sub post masters of stealing non-existent money,