jj23

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Even with that majority? How?

That majority was gained on the back of a weak Labour. Jeremy Corbyn had one good chance against Theresa May, and his own staff destroyed that opportunity. Once the rumors of Antisemitism hit, he was done.

Starmer is more in line as a figure that people can rally behind.

If people start to actively distrust Boris, I can see the conservative leadership give him the boot. They don't hang about. There is always someone waiting.
 

FAH1223

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That majority was gained on the back of a weak Labour. Jeremy Corbyn had one good chance against Theresa May, and his own staff destroyed that opportunity. Once the rumors of Antisemitism hit, he was done.

Starmer is more in line as a figure that people can rally behind.

If people start to actively distrust Boris, I can see the conservative leadership give him the boot. They don't hang about. There is always someone waiting.

There'd be a new leadership contest but that doesn't mean a new election though, right?
 

jj23

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There'd be a new leadership contest but that doesn't mean a new election though, right?
No. Depends on the state of the country. TBH the conservatives have a big enough majority that they can withstand a war of attrition until election day. It would take an unprecedented loss of confidence and defections to change that.
 

jj23

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@FAH1223 - the knives may already be sharpening



The prime minister faces Keir Starmer for PMQs at noon amid mounting concern on his own back benches about the governmentā€™s faltering approach to unlocking the UK economy. Tory MPs are angry about the failure to reopen English schools; dismayed by the adherence to 2-meter social distancing; fuming about airport quarantine rules; and concerned the ā€œworld-beatingā€ test and trace system is anything but. The discontent is growing, and it will be fascinating to see how much spills over today ....

Newsnightā€™s Nick Watt is hearing the very same grumbles from Tory MPs. ā€œI am picking up real unease from Conservative MPs about Boris Johnsonā€™s handling of this phase of the pandemic,ā€ Watt reported last night. ā€œGrave disappointment on that announcement on schools, lots of Tory MPs blaming that on the failure to overrule scientists on the 2-metre rule. Tory MPs believe cutting the 2-metre rule down to 1 meter is absolutely at the heart of the wider opening of the economy ā€¦ One very senior Tory MP said to me: ā€˜Our leadership is pitiful. Boris Johnson needs to be honest. Opening up the economy brings risks. If we donā€™t do this we are heading for economic catastrophe.ā€™ā€
 

jj23

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:francis:

UK economy likely to suffer worst Covid-19 damage, says OECD

Britainā€™s economy is likely to suffer the worst damage from the Covid-19 crisis of any country in the developed world, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A slump in the UKā€™s national income of 11.5% during 2020 will outstrip the falls in France, Italy, Spain and Germany, the Paris-based thinktank said.

Germanyā€™s decline in national income (GDP) will be 6.6% this year while Spainā€™s GDP will fall by 11.1%, Italyā€™s by 11.3 and Franceā€™s by 11.4%.

Highlighting the task awaiting the UK government as it seeks to ease the lockdown, the OECD ruled out a V-shaped recovery for the global economy, saying the path back to previous levels of activity would be hampered by long-lasting effects of the pandemic.

The forecast of an 11.5% drop in GDP this year is an improvement on the 14% fall in national income put forward last month as a likely ā€œscenarioā€ by the Bank of England, but will add to pressure on the government after the OECD found that even countries that have come under severe criticism for their handling of the pandemic will fare better than the UK.

Brazil, the US and Sweden were on course for contractions in GDP of 7.4% or less, the OECD said, while China was likely to drop by 2.6% and Russia by 8%.
 

jj23

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Haha Labours calling Priti Patel a c00n
She keeps deflecting real racial issues using her experiences to silence them. The conservatives love it. She is actually worst than that.

BAME MPs accuse Priti Patel of gaslighting in racism debate

Senior Conservatives have hit back after more than 30 Labour MPs from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds accused Priti Patel of trying to silence debate by ā€œusingā€ her own experience of racism.

The 32 MPs, including Diane Abbott and Clive Lewis, expressed their ā€œdismayā€ after the home secretary said in a Commons debate that she would ā€œnot take lectures from the other side of the houseā€ because she had been racially abused as a child.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, accused them of ā€œdivisive identity politicsā€.

In the strongly worded letter, the MPs told the home secretary they were disappointed ā€œat the way you used your heritage and experiences of racism to gaslight the very real racism faced by black people and communities across the UKā€.

They added: ā€œWe all have our personal stories of the racism that we have faced, whether it has been being defined by the colour of our skin or the faith we choose to believe in.

ā€œOur shared experiences allow us to feel the pain that communities feel when they face racism, they allow us to show solidarity towards a common cause; they do not allow us to define, silence or impede on the feelings that other minority groups may face.ā€

Patel herself responded strongly to the letter on Twitter, saying: ā€œI will not be silenced by @UKLabour MPs who continue to dismiss the contributions of those who donā€™t conform to their view of how ethnic minorities should behave.ā€

Asked about the letter at the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing, Hancock said, ā€œof course Priti Patel was not wrong to talk of her personal experiences of racism. I have seen this letter, and I abhor this divisive identity politics thatā€™s being levelled at Priti Patel. Iā€™m incredibly proud to be part of the most diverse government in history.ā€

Former chancellor Sajid Javid called the letter ā€œutterly misguided and irresponsibleā€.

ā€œImagine listening to an ethnic-minority womanā€™s history of suffering racist abuse - and then deciding that youā€™d rather condemn the victim than her abusers,ā€ he tweeted.

The letter was coordinated by the shadow community cohesion minister, Naz Shah, and was also signed by other senior Labour MPs including Tulip Siddiq, Kate Osamor, Chi Onwurah, Seema Malhotra, Dawn Butler and Rosena Allin-Khan.

In a Commons debate on Monday, the Labour MP Florence Eshalomi suggested the government did not understand the anger felt by people and the desire to tackle structural racism.

Patel told the Commons she was ā€œreally, really saddenedā€ by Eshalomiā€™s criticism and added: ā€œIt must have been a very different home secretary who as a child was frequently called a Paki in the playground, a very different home secretary who was racially abused in the streets or even advised to drop her surname and use her husbandā€™s in order to advance her career.

ā€œA different home secretary recently characterised ā€¦ in the Guardian newspaper as a fat cow with a ring through its nose, something that was not only racist but offensive, both culturally and religiously. [Patel was referring to a Steve Bell cartoon.] So when it comes to racism, sexism, tolerance or social justice, I will not take lectures from the other side of the house.ā€

In the letter, the Labour MPs tell Patel that ā€œbeing a person of colour does not automatically make you an authority on all forms of racismā€ and that experiences should not be used to ā€œsilenceā€ others.

They write: ā€œIn conclusion, we ask you to reflect on your words and to consider the impact it had towards black communities in the UK trying to highlight their voices against racism.

ā€œRest assured that Asian and ethnic minority colleagues on this side of the house will not use their experiences to silence our black colleagues, but will use our shared experiences to stand behind them and support their voices to lead us on standing up against the distinct form of racism black communities in the UK and across the globe face.ā€

Patel said on Monday that ā€œthugs and criminalsā€ would be brought to justice for pockets of violence at the largely peaceful anti-racism demonstrations in London at the weekend.


 
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