DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived Cleggeron era

Cameron goes after the 1922 Committee: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8693078.stm

Liberal Conservatives in 2015, anyone?

Murdoch has already visited Downing Street

Breaking news: LATEST: Extradition of computer hacker Gary McKinnon on hold as home secretary reviews medical evidence. More details soon …

Hooray for Theresa May?

Jeremy Hunt's Twitter assault on Clegg mysteriously disappears
http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/2010/05/jeremy-hunt-memory-hole.asp

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/19/royal-mail-privatisation-plan

er

Cable believes that while Royal Mail remains in state ownership it cannot compete in a liberalised postal market.

vs

The company made an operating profit of £184m in the first six months of the year, up slightly on the previous year.

And here was us foolishly saying "how much damage can they do? what else is there left for them to privatise?"

The company made an operating profit of £184m in the first six months of the year, up slightly on the previous year.

tbf the issue is getting the pensions liability off govt books

The government is likely to offer to meet workers' retirement benefits if privatisation goes ahead, as Mandelson did last year.

what else is there left for them to privatise?

Welfare (don't know how that would work tho) ... NHS, of course ... still a lot I'd say

The BBC, libraries...

tbf the issue is getting the pensions liability off govt books

Yes but "they can't compete" doesn't cut it as an excuse when they clearly can. They'd be better attacking it from "unfair state funded advantage" like they do the BBC.

Oh yes, I was thinking about libraries recently, I imagine a lot of them will probably be shut (xp)

The company made an operating profit of £184m in the first six months of the year, up slightly on the previous year.

"Operating profit" isn't the same as real profit though. Operating profit is what companies report when they're haemmoraging money elsewhere.

Still, it'll be amusing to watch the Labour MPs who were wholly in favour of privatising the Royal Mail last year suddenly decide it's a terrible idea.

It is a terrible idea obviously. Not to mention that the real reason it failed was because no one actually wanted to buy it.

Oh yes, I was thinking about libraries recently, I imagine a lot of them will probably be shut (xp)

BIG SOCIETY!

What kind of sociopath would close a *library*...? Oh wait.

BIG SOCIETY!

Big books, big words, big deal (just using the officially sanctioned language of The Coalition)

Still, it'll be amusing to watch the Labour MPs who were wholly in favour of privatising the Royal Mail last year suddenly decide it's a terrible idea.

If you think that's amusing, wait till the vote on voting reform!

Big Society Bank

On Big Society Street, the Big Society Bus Stop is right outside it, it's between Big Society McDonalds and a big branch of Big Society Boots

Don't worry, it'll soon close and be turned into a Big Society Tescos.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00719/HIPs__2__719315a.jpg

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00719/Home_Information_Pa_719232a.jpg

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00719/HIPs__3__719301a.jpg

Blond woman next to la Allsop looks like John Major in bad drag.

Big Society Eric

Is that a Post Office?

They're very good at gimmicks this lot aren't they, red tape to-day, Cameron walking to Parliament yesterday, tomorrow Clarkson hacking down a speed camera on the A1.

I think it's something to do with getting rid of HIPs - the red tape surrounding selling your house. Either that or it's was a giant house-shaped cake.

So basically we're back at a situation where every single buyer has to get their own searches etc done for each property, well done everybody.

By the way, well done to the kids at City & Islington College, just along from my gaff, for booing the Traitor Clegg yesterday

i used to live right opposite!

Yeah, I figured as much what with the fragrant Allsop there, that was her thing. I suppose now they've done it she's redundant, except as Lords fodder.

xp

More New Politics in action, fix the House of Commons, fix the House of Lords, fuck up your backbenchers

Before we get to the foxes, the badgers are going to get it.

that was already happening:

this govt orders badger culls!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/16/badger-cull-wales-challenge-rejected

― all i wanna do is poll poll poll poll and zing and discuss mia (history mayne), Tuesday, May 18, 2010 9:56 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark

This Government has a lovely Rapist's Charter

xp - but they're extending the cull into England - there's no escape for badgers this time!

Why can't we just cull the Welsh?

Honestly, if the Tories are looking for something to privatise, Wales would be a good place to start.

ok, so it's not ok to call diane abbott an idiot, but...

Sorry, wrong forum. Forgot the Welsh thing isn't a running joke here. ::rolls eyes::

Dunno if we've talked about it here, but there are already questions being asked about Caroline Spelman's impartiality. Won't be surprised if she is presiding over the Department of Keeping Farmers Happy:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/15/caroline-spelman-environment-lobbying-defra-food-agriculture-politics

srsly considering just pretending that parliament doesn't exist for the foreseeable future

"We will be strong in defence of freedom. The Government believes that the British state has become too authoritarian, and that over the past decade it has abused and eroded fundamental human freedoms and historic civil liberties. We need to restore the rights of individuals in the face of encroaching state power, in keeping with Britain’s tradition of freedom and fairness."

lol at reading the coalition's propaganda document and thinking "fuck yeah".

basically most of the section on civil liberties is awesome. let's see if they deliver on it.

Or let's see if the first thing they do is give more power to the police and stop you drinking lat at night?

Drinking "lattes at night" that should have said, obviously.

... and fix the House of Commons and House of Lords so you can't get rid of them (even though no-one voted for them) and muzzle any backbench dissent

nanny state sez no caffeine b4 beddybyes

nanny state otm tbf

way to pretend any of the things you're mentioning are even in the same league as the erosion of civil liberties under labour guys.

Fixing parliament isn't a biggie to you?

Hmm, let's think about which geniuses introduced the Criminal Justice Bill...