Yes, there is much hand-wringing in the UK about declining attendances at the ballot box and plenty of apparent “soul-searching” amongst politicians interviewed about “the disconnection between the people and politics” but no-one in politics actually wants to change anything in our balloting system to allow people to reflect their dissatisfaction with the existing status quo and thus move forward. It appears much easier to just gerrymander a bunch of seats and wards when in power to try and extend their time in government than actually grasp the nettle of why so many people feel completely disenfranchised or disillusioned with their political representation.
My time on the front line of protests fighting for change has been and gone and I suspect there are smarter ways of bringing the publics attention to some of the injustices in our system than staging marches and fighting running battles with the police which has shown to be necessary in the past.
Several people I know spoiled their police commissioner ballots last week with ACAB
Absolutely true.
Partly because it doesn’t serve their interests and also partly because reforming stuff means owning stuff, whereas the easy route is blame someone else.
Like the EU.
wavey
9075
Guerilla marketing for cucumbers?
wavey
9077
Not Brexit, but in UK immigration news: the Home Office - slogan, “the cruelty is the point” - conducted a dawn raid on the first day of Eid to detain two immigrants.
But their neighbours were having none of it, and hundreds immediately protested in the street, blocking the van they were detained in from leaving. The two men were freed under police orders.
Someone tell me what’s going on?
A scapegoat attempting an escape gloat.
I couldn’t understand the follow-up question. Too muddled.
And who that was.
I think he asked something about somebody giving evidence?
Matt Hancock, Health Secretary. The follow-up was about Cummings (ex eminence grise to PM) giving evidence to MPs.
Matt Hancock, health secretary for the UK being asked ‘Are you worried about Dominic Cummings giving evidence today Mr Hancock?’.
Ref: This opinion piece from The Gruniad:
Which isn’t to say the apologies weren’t self-serving. Cummings knows the rules of the game and if you want to go on the attack, then it’s first best to make sure you’ve covered your back. First in the crosshairs was the health secretary. Hancock was basically a serial liar who should have been fired back in April last year. Saying that patients would be tested before being released into care homes was only the greatest in an extensive catalogue of crimes, Cummings claimed. Dom – along with most of Downing Street – had begged the prime minister to sack him on a daily basis, only for Johnson to refuse, because he wanted to save him as a sacrificial lamb for the inevitable public inquiry.
Banjax
9087
I don’t thinik that he’s being scape goated.
Dominic Cummings has an ego the size of planet and will present the truth in the best possible way for him. I’m sure there was a lot of omission in some of his roles but he did repeatedly say that he got things wroing.
He’s also definitely settling scores. Both Hancock and Johnson got thoroughly eviscriated but Sunak and Gove were kept out despite the problems with Eat Out to Help Out and the fact tha many of the issues he talked about came out of the Cabinet Office whose minister is one Michael Gove.
But outright lying I find it hard to believe. So much of what came out was very much the belief by investigative journalists anyway. I would recommend anybody read ‘Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus’ by members of the Sunday Times team.
And while I have my problems with Johnny Mercer’s campaign his comments about ’ he claimed ‘almost nobody tells the truth’ and ‘This is the most distrustful, awful environment I’ve ever worked in, in government.’ just match what DC is describing.
It’s all a bit Lord of the Flies and Trump like. Our clown just isn’t orange.
Oh, he’s not now. But I have no trouble believing Bojo had him marked for the altar. Ironically Dom calling this out so blatantly has probably tipped the situation in Hancock’s favour.
So, any of the UK posters already start stockpiling food or is this just Project Fear talk?
spiffy
9090
Some might think the Guardian is too far left, but rarely is it sensationalist.
The department said the points-based immigration system “makes clear employers should focus on investing in our domestic workforce, especially those needing to find new employment, rather than relying on labour from abroad”.
It’s funny, because as we are a large employer in our field, we always hire locally if we can first, and go abroad only when we have to, and yet we still rely on 30% EU workers. If the domestic supply of workers were here, then you wouldn’t see so many immigrants filling the gaps. Vicious logic circle, apparently.
Well, it is a direct quote from the Department of Transportation in a reaction to the letter of these Food Federations and Associations. I personally don’t find that sensationalist.
spiffy
9092
So Matt Hancock is resigning for having an affair during lockdown. Whatever, but…
The health secretary was given an official email account, but it was reported that he preferred to use his personal one. The practice, in contravention of official guidelines, means officials may not have a complete record of government dealings prior to and during the pandemic.
Officials can request access to ministers’ personal email accounts, but require “substantial” reasons for doing so. Such requests are rare. Any granted request would involve the minister going through their own personal inbox and being allowed to decide what to disclose, rather than handing it over to officials to decide.
Nice, I like that. Sorry officers, don’t have much to give you. That big patch of newly dug soil in the backyard is nothing at all, but if you want I can give you my grocery receipts from yesterday, good luck in your investigation.
