maxque
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Post by maxque on Aug 18, 2021 20:44:37 GMT
So his Majesty Starmer can declare anything disciplinary to stifle debate and criticism. What is next? Soviet style "unique candidate" selections? Hello Canada! You are killing your own democratic institutions and you don't even seem to be noticing. I'm merely trying to help.
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Post by maxque on Aug 18, 2021 20:41:32 GMT
Good thing too! Where would we be if local party members were allowed to debate what they want and vote as they wish? Democracy is far too dangerous to allow if you want a socialist society. the point was that CLPs are not allowed to debate disciplinary matters while they are ongoing, something his fellow suspendee (and vice chair of the CLP) Bridget Dunne acknowledged. So his Majesty Starmer can declare anything disciplinary to stifle debate and criticism. What is next? Soviet style "unique candidate" selections?
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Post by maxque on Aug 15, 2021 22:10:12 GMT
I realise Covid issues provoke strong feelings - even on the Canadian politics thread - but can we keep things civil please, with a degree of mutual respect. (Not aimed at any specific post or poster) Thank you. Civil? When one poster literaly behaves in a way that would kill another poster because he is so selfish and nihilistic?
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Post by maxque on Aug 15, 2021 16:24:37 GMT
It's all part of the Chesterfield Conference* "let people who actively oppose the Labour party into the Labour party" tradition. See also affiliation attempts by the Communist party in the 1930s. Michael Crick's book on Militant made the point that Labour Party people with the "no enemies on the left" approach are typically very naive and do not realise (until too late) that the groups they let in will not be allies in the fight with the Labour right, but will purge them from their positions just as happily. And "Labour" right preference to wage war on the Labour Left instead of Conservatives means yet another 20 year period out of power for them. They did not learn in the 80's, they are not learning now.
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Post by maxque on Aug 14, 2021 20:13:18 GMT
Then he needs to learn not to treat the public as fools.... but it is just so tempting for them, as of course, the public are just that, most of the time. look at mak wearing for an instance. I don't think anyone yet proposed to wear the member for Havant.
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Post by maxque on Aug 10, 2021 20:53:16 GMT
I find all these jokes as amusing as anyone, but it has been pointed out that a key reason for the infamous delays in the past was Lutfur Rahman supporters invading counts and intimidating council staff - which is both not such a laughing matter, and hopefully at least largely in the past now. Well we will see. If they are the last to declare this Thursday, we will know something else is going on, like general incompetence. Them being last wouldn't be the sign of a problem given the size of the electorate (c. 7400). Orwell, East Suffolk (electorate c. 7800) is a bit bigger and South Lakeland (c. 4700) is quite smaller. A sample of 3 isn't enough to find a problem. (Scotland usually counts the day after).
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Post by maxque on Aug 8, 2021 14:21:28 GMT
If the speculation is to believed that the Prime Minister will call a general election today, the procedure is remarkably like the UK (prior to the FTPA), namely the Prime Minister drives to Rideau Hall in Ottawa and seeks an audience with the Governor General. There they formally request a dissolution of Parliament and the right to call a general election. The difference between the UK and Canada is that the Governor General is the person who makes that decision, not Her Majesty, therefore they agree, the Prime Minister leaves Rideau Hall (usually after a press conference confirming that an election has been called) and only THEN is Her Majesty informed that an election has been called. www.gg.ca/en/procedures-dissolution-parliament-and-calling-electionIf an election is called today, as Ottawa is five hours behind the United Kingdom, the most likely time is no earlier than 3.00pm our time and no later than 5.00pm our time (and yes, that does clash with the closing ceremony of the Olympics, but according to a friend of mine, that won't bother the television networks in Canada as they never screen it live anyway!) Not today, the Prime Minister published his schedule and it's empty (personal time in Ottawa). However, multiple candidates (of multiple parties) have their campaign launch.
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Post by maxque on Aug 2, 2021 14:33:04 GMT
There appear to be two vacancies on the Common Council of the City of London Corporation, caused by resignations around the beginning of April: 1) Aldersgate ward. Joyce Nash (subsequently died on 13 June) 2) Aldgate ward. Sylvia Moys. And there's a vacancy for Alderman in Cordwainer ward, as Sir Roger Gifford died on 25 May. I assume Aldgate resignation is also due to ill health, as she took a leave of absence for ill-health back in December.
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Post by maxque on Jul 24, 2021 21:52:06 GMT
That ward is majority white and one of the least Hindu of Leicester East, as it was already heavily discussed in the by-election thread.
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Post by maxque on Jul 23, 2021 16:37:34 GMT
Stephen Crabb would have the greater claim to the South Pembrokeshire seat, yes. Although the BCW have still not released their initial recommendations for parliamentary constituencies in Wales it is inevitable at this point how Dyfed's new constituencies will turn out. What's the timetable for BCW? September. No news from Scotland since they published electorates on March 30th. They did not even publish a guide or guidelines yet. Northern Ireland says "autumn".
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Post by maxque on Jul 23, 2021 14:45:55 GMT
mike treats this site as the spine he likes to run down. I am actually getting quite concerned for Mike. Rational scepticism about all existing political parties is one thing, and in our heart of hearts we can actually share something of that, some more than others. Dislike of sentimental attitudes, we can all recognise that especially when it gets really mawkish and irrational,and about things we don't happen to care so deeply about ourselves. A hard-nosed critique of the government's response to the Covid crisis- yes we could sure do with some of that, though I think there needs to be a recognition there are no easy answers. But increasingly I find Mike's response to all these questions over the top. Political parties are not just fallible human institutions, they seem like the embodiment of evil. Dislike of sentimentality seems to be veering into mysogyny- he no longer seems to accept what it is to be human. And something that has already killed 4 million people should be accepted rather than fought with the tools at our disposal, however imperfect. Well, humanity is a disposable asset, isn't it? Am I reading him wrong? He is just a nihilist who doesn't care if millions of people die, he is just a selfish person being who wants to go drink a latte without a mask.
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Post by maxque on Jul 20, 2021 15:29:35 GMT
It would be interesting to see if the Republicans can take the 13th in 2022 or regain any of the other ones. Not happening, given it's the 2016 seats (+ plus any appointment Abbott did this year and who are now on this cycle in the future) which are up. 1st: Only the 2 Republicans left are up 3rd: Only the last Republican is up. 4th: 2 Democrats up, so cannot flip. 5th: Only the 2 Republicans left are up 13th: 1 Democrat up, so best they can do is a tie. 14th: Only 2 Republicans up.
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Post by maxque on Jul 19, 2021 13:36:43 GMT
*If* we are talking about the same group that made a splash (particularly re the Claudia Webbe controversy) during the last GE campaign, then yes they are an almost entirely self-declared group with no official party status. But that could be a mistaken assumption tbf. Even if they are self declared, are they Tory, BJP or not in fact Indian? If they are Indian and genuine Labour supporters then their concerns can't be dismissed as it being a Tory smear or being just a pro Modi issue. As Mike has said not all Indians support Modi, particularly active Labour supporters. Some of them are treating this as an attack on India the state rather than Modi the politician. One of the co-chairs is Darren Jones MP, not indian.
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Post by maxque on Jul 18, 2021 14:16:15 GMT
Any idea why they picked this child? I can’t find any details of his career or education. I think the key there is 'child.' He's young enough to be active whereas the rest were a set of old duffers, in large part trying to get back a job or job prospect they lost 22 years ago. Many of those lords are running in those elections since then. If they were popular and liked by the electorate, they would have been back in the Lords already.
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Post by maxque on Jul 14, 2021 13:38:37 GMT
It’s probably in more in the Tories interest to finish second here then a Labour win. From a pure party perspective probably but from a constitutional point of view any SNP loss has to be the priority Which is a ridiculous point of view, as Scottish Independance won't be decided by a Westminster by-election. Anyways, normalcy is restored by providing them the choice of solid left-wing and right-wing alternatives, not by hiding policy behind a flag. A flag isn't policy.
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Post by maxque on Jul 13, 2021 19:43:34 GMT
Regrettably in my experience often true. I can think of a couple of cases where the woman in question forgave the partner and let him back into her life. In every case that my advice was sought I said that abusers very, very frequently repeat their behaviour and that domestic abuse is about power in a relationship not momentary, substance induced violence. Low self-esteem, sometimes generated in that relationship, can be a problem for the person abused - not feeling they deserve more, or that they cause the behaviour, or that this is some kind of love. These things make domestic abuse a difficult crime to prosecute requiring skilled, empathetic police work. So no, I wouldn't see the matter as closed simply on the say so of the partner. I agree, but given that there is nothing even hinted at that this was anything other than a one off incident, given that a caution was deemed appropriate thereby indicating the offence was at the lowest end of the scale, and the perpetrator didn’t contest the allegations at any point and referred himself for disciplinary investigation by Plaid, I would be leaning on the side of the situation being under control. If it was a one-off incident, I doubt someone would have involved the police.
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Post by maxque on Jul 12, 2021 14:39:51 GMT
Is there a shortage of suitable candidates to head NATO? The important criteria isn't suitability, it's whether it's a candidate other countries would back.
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Post by maxque on Jul 9, 2021 22:34:27 GMT
Uh no. There are no Sikhs left in Pakistan to create a state there. Any such state would have to cover a few districts of the Indian Punjab. However, with the current rate of migration, the state may as well come up in British Columbia or Ontario. Or Slough. 😜 Slough, Brampton and Surrey Sikh City-States?
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Post by maxque on Jul 8, 2021 23:46:02 GMT
That sounds unlikely- the outgong independent councillor for Feniton was scathing about the lack of any campaigning from Labour there. Of course, the previous strong county campaign by the same young Labour candidate for St Michaels had covered Feniton as well as Honiton, so they may have uncovered some potential there at that stage, and certainly the Labour vote in Feniton went up a bit, but I'm sure they were concentrating on St Michaels this time. I think the Local Democracy Reporter (who is in his first week in the job so cut him some slack) was confusing the two wards. Note he refers here to a Liberal Democrat candidate for Feniton having done no campaigning - but the man he names was a candidate in Honiton St Michael's. Some of them will see no by-elections for months, he gets the job a few days before multiple ones. Rough start.
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Post by maxque on Jul 8, 2021 23:43:52 GMT
I don’t wouldn’t hazard a guess, but oddly, according to Joe Ives’ Twitter commentary they were more hopeful in Feniton. That sounds unlikely- the outgong independent councillor for Feniton was scathing about the lack of any campaigning from Labour there. Of course, the previous strong county campaign by the same young Labour candidate for St Michaels had covered Feniton as well as Honiton, so they may have uncovered some potential there at that stage, and certainly the Labour vote in Feniton went up a bit, but I'm sure they were concentrating on St Michaels this time. Joe Ives corrected himself later. Also, it seems the Liberal Democrat in St Michaels seems to have told Joe Ives he did not campaign.
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