Questions Of The Day (Politics)

[Mick Harper]

It is instructive to compare the formation of the SDP (highly successful) with Chuka & Co's lurch into the unknown (oblivion). Their first mistake was to invite 'people of good will from other parties to join them'. Are you kidding? How can they be people of good will if they belong to other parties?

[Mick Harper]

It falls to me, as per, to set out the position

1. Every sovereign nation has the right to interfere in the elections of any other sovereign nation. It's called foreign policy.
2. Every sovereign nation has the right to protect itself from other sovereign nations interfering in its elections. It's called national security.
3. Every candidate running for office has the right to dish the dirt on their opponent irrespective of the source of the dirt. It's called democracy.

So cease your moralistic prattling and be thankful we live in such a pluralistic world.

[Mick Harper]

We must try to support democracy where we can. It's disgraceful that Hong Kong's elected assembly's determination to put their extradition laws onto the same basis as normal international practice is being prevented by these street protesters, many of them too young to vote.

[Mick Harper]

Boris's handlers are worried about him making gaffes but they did allow him what they thought would be a safe BBC lunchtimec chat. Oh dear. "The public are fed up with blue-on-blue action," he warbled. What you've done there, Boris, is mixed up the porn phrase "girl on girl action" meaning a lesbian romp with the military phrase "blue on blue" meaning an engagement between friendly forces -- the opposition are coloured orange on situation maps. He seems to have got away with it this time but only because nobody was listening. Least of all him.

[Mick Harper]

Jo Brand has been cleared by the police. That and knife crime are our two big worries here in the capital.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Reckon Peterborough will need to be re-run.

Too many pointers saying fraud has taken place.

1) Brexit Party were 7 to 1 on to win. Bookies more reliable than pollsters.
2) Suspicious high level of postal votes, as per usual in Peterborough. Dark tales of yet more postal votes burnt.
3) Track record of dodginess from Local party and former MP.


Police now investigating.

It aint as simple as a Brand Baker accusation.

Tread carefully Mr Plod.

[Mick Harper]

I trust everyone was watching this weekend's Hong Kong demo. Every single person in every single camera shot was young. So, if the organisers are correct, and this represented one third of Hong Kong's population, Hong Kong has one of the strangest demographics of any society that has ever existed.

Let them be aware: what is fashionable is not necessarily sensible -- people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And western news media: stop this ridiculous pandering to your audience and start being news media.

[Mick Harper]

I was strangely inspirited by Tom Watson's clarion call to reverse Brexit. I had quite forgotten that actually it's better inside, that there would be a comfortable majority now to stay inside and that worrying about doing the dirty on the previous Brexiteer majority (which this undoubtedly would be, with fairly grave consequences) should be set aside in pursuit of the wider goal. There doesn't seem any pathway to achieving it but that also seems secondary. We must look instead to ructions in the Labour Party for our consolation.

[Mick Harper]

If you want a post in Boris's government, you have to take a photo of your ballot paper with the cross in the right place. The 1922 Committee got wise to this and insisted you park your phone with them while you go in to vote. Word went out from Camp Boris to take two phones along, and surrender one of them. On the next ballot there was a possibility of a pat down so you had to go equipped with one of these new and, in practical 1922 terms, undetectable pencil phones (that you can allegedly hide in your anus, or so prison scuttlebutt has it) just in case. However they had to be given back immediately because they are still in short supply. When one of the early returnees handed his in, unused, there was much laughter as he was greeted with, "No shit, Sherlock."

Source: One of Rory Stewart's old muckers from MI6. Make of that what you will.

[Mick Harper]

All right, but I only made up the second half.

[Mick Harper]

My voting form arrived this morning. The Tories don't know it but I'm really a Corbynista who pays his £150 sub just for this very moment. I'm voting for Jeremy Hunt.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Oh the good days of left and right, wet or dry. What would Maggie have done? Guess what we need is a bit of One Nation pragmatism. Must keep the Union together don't you know.

It's now all down to a democratic vote of members.

Hmm.

Democracy is not exactly our strong point is it? DC's referendum did not exactly solve the Euro conundrum after all. Public uprising. Whoops. Voters now hate us, but not as much as our own members.

OK who to put forward.

Not good. Things don't look sunny. Bit like Rorke's Drift. Only worse.

Oh yes it's time for an Old Eonian chancer.

[Mick Harper]

A little incoherent, Wiley, but if I get your gist you're complaining that the most successful political party in the history of the world, the natural governing party of the most successful political entity in the history of the world, is going about its business. Have I got that right?

[Mick Harper]

I agree with the Boris Johnson supporter that the police calling at his house over a domestic dispute shows he is 'a man of the people'. On the other hand, having a screaming match on Day One of a Leadership Contest might show poor judgement. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Wile E. Coyote]

The MP's and party membership will not get the leader they want (Thatcher), they will get a leader their antics deserve.