Current Affairs

[Onelife]

Apart from the BBC and the opposition parties who of you are going to be the first to knock holes in Braverman’s excellent speech?

[Bensham33]

What speech are you talking about, migrants or the 45%. On migrants she sounds good on the 45%, just like her bosses Suella Braverman is wrong. Simple as.

[Onelife]

If they weren't ready to make the announcement they should have toned it down fulfilling a couple of electioneering promises and say that, due to events, more would come at the party conference? But, you have to admit they have both come across as very amateurish/naive in their delivery so far.

It looks like there is a slide back towards an announcement on 23rd November (I thought it was supposed to be brought forward) ... whenever it is, if they do not get that update right, I am not sure if Truss will make it to Christmas. (BTW it is an interesting choice of date, just before thanksgiving, American markets closed? I wonder if there is any political significance in the choice of date).

The Dunning-Kruger effect

A job which is made far more difficult when those of the same party think their Dunning-Kruger effect is far better than those voted to do the job.

[Onelife]

What speech are you talking about, migrants or the 45%. On migrants she sounds good on the 45%, just like her bosses Suella Braverman is wrong. Simple as.

Braverman’s excellent speech this afternoon.

[david63]

Braverman’s excellent speech this afternoon.

Not heard it so cannot comment but I believe she up against Grove this evening at one of the fringe meetings - now that would be interesting.

[Ray Scully]

Interesting fact Braverman, who practised as a barrister for 10 years and whose promotion to Queen’s Counsel in February followed automatically when she became attorney general. Braverman was not a “real QC”. I can't find any references to her successes as a Barrister.

[Onelife]

I see the asylum seeker charities are up in arms after Braverman’s speech today. What I didn’t know was that according to one of the charities CEO’s nearly all of the asylum seekers have legitimate claims for entry into the UK. She also went on to say we should provide safe transport for them which would curtail the need for traffickers.... what she didn’t mention was the hotel bills which are currently costing UK tax payers £5 million a day for board and lodgings.

It reminds me of that famous quote from the film “Field of Dreams” which went something like “If you provide it, they will come”

[Mervyn and Trish]

There js a difference between being having a legitimate claim to asylum and having a specific right to claim it in the UK. As I understand it France is not an unsafe country.

[towny44]

There js a difference between being having a legitimate claim to asylum and having a specific right to claim it in the UK. As I understand it France is not an unsafe country.

I know what you mean Merv, but using your rationale only asylum seekers rowing all the way from the Med or flying in from Lybia would ever be considered at all.

[barney]

I see the asylum seeker charities are up in arms after Braverman’s speech today. What I didn’t know was that according to one of the charities CEO’s nearly all of the asylum seekers have legitimate claims for entry into the UK. She also went on to say we should provide safe transport for them which would curtail the need for traffickers.... what she didn’t mention was the hotel bills which are currently costing UK tax payers £5 million a day for board and lodgings.

It reminds me of that famous quote from the film “Field of Dreams” which went something like “If you provide it, they will come”

That’s a point of discussion down my way at the moment.
A large hotel in Ilfracombe has closed it’s doors and the rumours are that it’s due to be used for asylum seekers.
Many, many locals are up in arms about it because of the local housing crisis.
Quite a few saying that they are living in cr***y bedsits and would be delighted to take a hotel room if they are available.
It can’t end well, can it?

[Kendhni]

I see the asylum seeker charities are up in arms after Braverman’s speech today. What I didn’t know was that according to one of the charities CEO’s nearly all of the asylum seekers have legitimate claims for entry into the UK. She also went on to say we should provide safe transport for them which would curtail the need for traffickers.... what she didn’t mention was the hotel bills which are currently costing UK tax payers £5 million a day for board and lodgings.

The number is right but to put it into perspective, that is less than 0.05% of GDP, the government wastes significantly more on other things, e.g. they have just wasted 0.2% on making amateurish announcements a figure that could rise to 3.5%; or the new government has already announced additional borrowing that amounts to about 12% of GDP; or 4% of GDP on outstanding negligence claims against the NHS. Should we have to spend it, no ... is it significant in the overall picture, probably not ... is the government using it as a diversion as it has done over the last few years, definitely.

For the last 12 years they have spent billions more every year in cockamamie schemes to fulfil promises to reduce immigration and every year they have failed, all they have done is make it worse ... one of the reasons is that the government chose to shutdown 'legal' routes for asylum seekers (ergo increasing the number using illegal routes). Get 'legal' routes open again giving control. I am using the term 'legal' very loosely here.

As I said before there is a hotel in our town housing several hundred asylum seekers. When you ignore the lies and spin from a small number of xenophobic hate mongers in our town, the most trouble they have caused (according to a recent policing statement) is selling the big issue (something you see in many towns) and they have actually contributed to making the town better.

It reminds me of that famous quote from the film “Field of Dreams” which went something like “If you provide it, they will come”

Just like foodbanks then

[Kendhni]

Today is Liz Truss's big opportunity to apologise for the mistakes over the last few weeks and sell her ideas and plans to the party faithful and public alike.
I really hope she does not waste her hour, or so, on back story and her political journey, we all know who she is, we have had 3 months of it being rammed down our throats ... although that might be good for sending the audience to sleep.

[Onelife]

Hi Ken….5 million per day may not appear significant when set against annual GDP but rounded up it costs the UK tax payer in excess of 1.5bn p.a. add to this free NHS care, Dentistry, Schooling plus spending money then I would think the bill will be significantly higher.

I don’t doubt there are genuine Asylum seekers fleeing whatever but being in a position to separate those from the hordes of economic migrants has become an impossible task and one which will be an ever-increasing problem if we don’t set clear boundaries as to what is legally acceptable and what is not. I thought Braverman’s speech gave a clear indication that illegal entry into the UK is not going to be tolerated and that she is prepared to act on it.

If I can make one thing clear… I don’t really care who is leading the conservative party what I want is someone who has the foresight for change, change that will stop us going around in circles…. Liz Truss to date is the only one who sees the necessity for change in my opinion.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I've always thought opposition is so much easier than being in government. As an opposition MP you have plenty of time to deal with constituency issues without the risk of having to be a minister as well. You don't actually have to have policies. I wouldn't have done that or too llittle too late is all you need to know. Sir H is a master of that. The media don't question your decisions because you're not making any. Neither do your constituents. You get paid the same as those who do have the work to do. You don't get blamed when it all goes pear shaped. No-one cares if you have a party at work.

The way a number of Tory MPs are behaving at the moment they clearly believe this too. They actually want to lose the next election and put their feet up for at least 5 years while someone else screws up and takes the flak. Of course they know this can only happen if some of them lose their seats but don't really believe it will be them personally. And in any case the severance pay and pensions are good.

[Onelife]

I see the asylum seeker charities are up in arms after Braverman’s speech today. What I didn’t know was that according to one of the charities CEO’s nearly all of the asylum seekers have legitimate claims for entry into the UK. She also went on to say we should provide safe transport for them which would curtail the need for traffickers.... what she didn’t mention was the hotel bills which are currently costing UK tax payers £5 million a day for board and lodgings.

It reminds me of that famous quote from the film “Field of Dreams” which went something like “If you provide it, they will come”

That’s a point of discussion down my way at the moment.
A large hotel in Ilfracombe has closed it’s doors and the rumours are that it’s due to be used for asylum seekers.
Many, many locals are up in arms about it because of the local housing crisis.
Quite a few saying that they are living in cr***y bedsits and would be delighted to take a hotel room if they are available.
It can’t end well, can it?

Hi Barney…No I don’t think it can end well, and I can appreciate why some locals feel upset.

[Onelife]

I've always thought opposition is so much easier than being in government. As an opposition MP you have plenty of time to deal with constituency issues without the risk of having to be a minister as well. You don't actually have to have policies. I wouldn't have done that or too llittle too late is all you need to know. Sir H is a master of that. The media don't question your decisions because you're not making any. Neither do your constituents. You get paid the same as those who do have the work to do. You don't get blamed when it all goes pear shaped. No-one cares if you have a party at work.

The way a number of Tory MPs are behaving at the moment they clearly believe this too. They actually want to lose the next election and put their feet up for at least 5 years while someone else screws up and takes the flak. Of course they know this can only happen if some of them lose their seats but don't really believe it will be them personally. And in any case the severance pay and pensions are good.

In a nutshell Sir Merv

[david63]

Liz Truss to date is the only one who sees the necessity for change

The problem is that although she may have a plan (although from what she keeps says most of it hasn't been decided) she is not telling the public what it is, how it will work nor what it will cost, not just financially but in jobs or reduction in services.

Instead of rushing off and making some piecemeal announcements if she had taken another few weeks to consolidate her plans and then made an announcement there would not be all of this unrest.

Liz Truss's first job should have been to unite the Parliamentary Tory party bearing in mind that less than one third supported her but she appears to have done the opposite by widening the divisions. There is the old saying "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Everyone has their own view on how she has performed since taking office but unfortunately many of those views are negative.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I see the asylum seeker charities are up in arms after Braverman’s speech today. What I didn’t know was that according to one of the charities CEO’s nearly all of the asylum seekers have legitimate claims for entry into the UK. She also went on to say we should provide safe transport for them which would curtail the need for traffickers.... what she didn’t mention was the hotel bills which are currently costing UK tax payers £5 million a day for board and lodgings.

It reminds me of that famous quote from the film “Field of Dreams” which went something like “If you provide it, they will come”

That’s a point of discussion down my way at the moment.
A large hotel in Ilfracombe has closed it’s doors and the rumours are that it’s due to be used for asylum seekers.
Many, many locals are up in arms about it because of the local housing crisis.
Quite a few saying that they are living in cr***y bedsits and would be delighted to take a hotel room if they are available.
It can’t end well, can it?

Hi Barney…No I don’t think it can end well, and I can appreciate why some locals feel upset.

The problem, without any hint of racism or lack of compassion, is this is a small island and is already overcrowded. We have a housing crisis, shortage of health and social care, constant traffic jams etc. We cannot provide properly for the population already here. The number crossing the Channel already this year is 50% more than the population of the town we live in. The pressures will sooner or later lead to an explosion of unrest.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Liz Truss to date is the only one who sees the necessity for change

The problem is that although she may have a plan (although from what she keeps says most of it hasn't been decided) she is not telling the public what it is, how it will work nor what it will cost, not just financially but in jobs or reduction in services.

Instead of rushing off and making some piecemeal announcements if she had taken another few weeks to consolidate her plans and then made an announcement there would not be all of this unrest.

Liz Truss's first job should have been to unite the Parliamentary Tory party bearing in mind that less than one third supported her but she appears to have done the opposite by widening the divisions. There is the old saying "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Everyone has their own view on how she has performed since taking office but unfortunately many of those views are negative.

In some ways i agree but opponents, on this forum and the wider world, were already screaming we need action now. I don't think they would have been impressed by further delay while she dotted the i's and crossed the t's.

[barney]

Liz Truss to date is the only one who sees the necessity for change

The problem is that although she may have a plan (although from what she keeps says most of it hasn't been decided) she is not telling the public what it is, how it will work nor what it will cost, not just financially but in jobs or reduction in services.

Instead of rushing off and making some piecemeal announcements if she had taken another few weeks to consolidate her plans and then made an announcement there would not be all of this unrest.

Liz Truss's first job should have been to unite the Parliamentary Tory party bearing in mind that less than one third supported her but she appears to have done the opposite by widening the divisions. There is the old saying "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Everyone has their own view on how she has performed since taking office but unfortunately many of those views are negative.

How does she unite a Party when the vast majority of the Mps didn’t want her in the first place.
On the first few rounds, she was well down the list for first choice.
She only scraped through because some of Sunak’s supporters voted for her over Mordaunt, assuming she’d be easier to beat in a one to one.
She’s not wanted.

[Manoverboard]

Only a LibDem could dither as much, if she was Watford's Manager she'd be gone by now ...

[Onelife]

How does she unite a Party when the vast majority of the Mps didn’t want her in the first place.
On the first few rounds, she was well down the list for first choice.
She only scraped through because some of Sunak’s supporters voted for her over Mordaunt, assuming she’d be easier to beat in a one to one.
She’s not wanted.

There’s nothing new there Barney…I can’t remember any time in the past six years where there has been agreement on who should lead the party…too many wannabe chiefs and not enough Indians springs to mind.

[towny44]

Liz Truss to date is the only one who sees the necessity for change

The problem is that although she may have a plan (although from what she keeps says most of it hasn't been decided) she is not telling the public what it is, how it will work nor what it will cost, not just financially but in jobs or reduction in services.

Instead of rushing off and making some piecemeal announcements if she had taken another few weeks to consolidate her plans and then made an announcement there would not be all of this unrest.

Liz Truss's first job should have been to unite the Parliamentary Tory party bearing in mind that less than one third supported her but she appears to have done the opposite by widening the divisions. There is the old saying "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Everyone has their own view on how she has performed since taking office but unfortunately many of those views are negative.

How does she unite a Party when the vast majority of the Mps didn’t want her in the first place.
On the first few rounds, she was well down the list for first choice.
She only scraped through because some of Sunak’s supporters voted for her over Mordaunt, assuming she’d be easier to beat in a one to one.
She’s not wanted.

The majority of labour MPs didnt want Corbyn either, but he managed to stick around through two general elections.
TBH I would prefer the old system where the Tory grandees sit around in the Carlton club and decide who would make the most acceptable leader. That way you get what you're given, and learn to like it.

[Onelife]

The Charlton Club system has got to better than the self-destruct path they are on at the moment.

[barney]

It seems quite bizarre but I think that I’ll be better off with the spike in energy prices.
I’m with Shell Energy and was paying £120 a month on standard tariff. I had about £250 in credit.
My new direct debit after October has been put up to £167 a month.
It then says that I get £66 discount subsidy so I guess they will actually take £101 a month.
Weird ?