Be very interested to know who it was that originally approached Rashford about this, I'm guessing one of the charities or campaigning orgs that have been involved.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:16 (three years ago) link
Whichever individual had the idea has probably been on the socially distanced lash for a couple of hours already.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:19 (three years ago) link
Marcus Rashford looking up ‘leader of the opposition’ on Google Images pic.twitter.com/I2rhEKxTdD— Rhys (@rhysrmann) June 16, 2020
― comparing me to Harold Shipman is unfair (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:37 (three years ago) link
People who pay attention knew RLB was on it but also know she has been undermined (or at least doing the job of opposition in a quiet way). She doesn't cut through.
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:40 (three years ago) link
Johnson is definitely trying to play the 'cruelty is the point' card with transgender rights and Mirza's appointment but it might be easier to knock that out at times.
Partly due to covid and the odd intervention.
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:45 (three years ago) link
After everything that has gone on the thing that gets Cameron out the shed is "save dfid".
― stet, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:48 (three years ago) link
Meanwhile there's this announcement of the merger of the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development:
Johnson justified the decision, saying: “Dfid outspends the Foreign Office more than four times over and yet no single decision-maker in either department is able to unite our efforts or take a comprehensive overview.“We give as much aid to Zambia as we do to Ukraine, though the latter is vital for European security. We give 10 times as much aid to Tanzania as we do to the six countries of the western Balkans, who are acutely vulnerable to Russian meddling.
“We give as much aid to Zambia as we do to Ukraine, though the latter is vital for European security. We give 10 times as much aid to Tanzania as we do to the six countries of the western Balkans, who are acutely vulnerable to Russian meddling.
Hmm curious examples, you complete fucking bag of cunt
― Boris the Spreader (NickB), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 13:56 (three years ago) link
It is notable that it was RLB that was on BBC Breakfast this morning, after it had finally cut through, and not Reeves or Starmer. It probably is bandwagon jumping from the leadership's office but equally if they'd been fundamentally opposed they would have shut the whole thing down ages ago, even Starmer asked the question at PMQs a week ago.
Rashford takes the vast majority of the credit, alongside probably a lot of people who worked hard to get it to this point and will never be acknowledged publically.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 14:02 (three years ago) link
is Starmer going to have a scrap Universal Credit policy or does he just fancy a few little reforms here and there, because even after a small victory like this there is still going to be a lot of hungry children about in the long term as the benefits system currently is. But apparently it doesn't matter what he says at this stage, but i strongly disagree! I can't remember if he committed to scrapping it during the leadership campaign, not that you'd take it as a solid commitment from such a duplicitous tory cunt!
― calzino, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 14:18 (three years ago) link
They've been pushing the meals policy for weeks though, it's legitimate to ask why a lot of people are apparently unaware of this.
I think they're still committed to scrapping UC, though the campaigning is likely to be around chipping away at elements of it for now.
― ShariVari, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 14:21 (three years ago) link
This DFiD thing really does smell of Cummings. Especially shoving it through at this pace, at this time, like there was nothing else for the govt to be focused on.
― stet, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:05 (three years ago) link
am suspicious of foreign aid as a political activity in the first place, but that said this is effectively taking funding away from some of the world's poorest regions just at a time when the impacts of climate change on those communities are becoming ever more palpable. climate change that we and our partners are largely responsible for. sickening tbh
― Boris the Spreader (NickB), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:26 (three years ago) link
Replying to a question from the Tory MP Steve Double, Johnson said:"What is actually happening, of course, is that Dfid and the FCO are now joining together to become a new Whitehall super-department for international affairs which will be of huge benefit to our ability to project Britain’s sense of mission about overseas aid.For too long, frankly, UK overseas aid has been treated as some giant cashpoint in the sky that arrives without any reference to UK interests or to the values that the UK wishes to express or the priorities diplomatic, political or commercial of the government of the UK."
"What is actually happening, of course, is that Dfid and the FCO are now joining together to become a new Whitehall super-department for international affairs which will be of huge benefit to our ability to project Britain’s sense of mission about overseas aid.
For too long, frankly, UK overseas aid has been treated as some giant cashpoint in the sky that arrives without any reference to UK interests or to the values that the UK wishes to express or the priorities diplomatic, political or commercial of the government of the UK."
no moral responsibilty here at all
― Boris the Spreader (NickB), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:29 (three years ago) link
also i'm pretty sure that's absolutely untrue
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:30 (three years ago) link
mmmmm britain's sense of mission
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:31 (three years ago) link
I'm agreeing with everything people are posting today, but just saying the deeply horrible phrase "smell of Cummings" needs to be thread-banned lads!
― calzino, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:31 (three years ago) link
How about 'Cummings all over' as an alternative?
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:33 (three years ago) link
was going with "a taste of Cummings" but Matt ftw
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:33 (three years ago) link
the very essence of Cummings.
― Andrew Farrell, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:35 (three years ago) link
a residue of Cummings, if you will
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:36 (three years ago) link
Cummings leaving his mark
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:38 (three years ago) link
"Taste of Cummings" playing to the tune of "Taste of Cindy" in my head
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:41 (three years ago) link
the idea that britain has been acting too selflessly overseas is a real corker. reminds me of big supermarkets starting to ditch fair trade and come up with myriad weird own-brand versions so they can scrutinise the supply chain more intensely and ensure they're getting #valueformoney. the differences between how countries invest overseas and bid with each other are ofc grimly fascinating. in cameroon they joke that a chinese-run mining operation will build a railway to the mine, an american-run one will build a road there, and a french-run one will fly the ore out by helicopter.
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:43 (three years ago) link
A military aircraft is receiving a secret makeover to give Boris Johnson and senior cabinet ministers a Union Jack-coloured jet for official travel, defence sources said https://t.co/V8WRngQIUm— SkyNews (@SkyNews) June 16, 2020
― stet, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:52 (three years ago) link
meanwhile we're back to 200+ deaths in 24 hrs again, thank goodness we can join the Sports Direct Death Queues though!
― boxedjoy, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:53 (three years ago) link
We've been sitting around 200 on weekdays for awhile now, right?
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:55 (three years ago) link
Private Eye has been good in the past on the relationship between DFID and the commercial / military objectives of the government.
― ShariVari, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:56 (three years ago) link
Imagine being a country vulnerable to Russian meddling.
― nashwan, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:56 (three years ago) link
have always assumed that Foreign Aid is predicated on backdoor subsidy of UK industry, especially the arms industry. no way it has ever been apolitical
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:57 (three years ago) link
The timing of this announcement feels so calculated to appeal to the "why are we sending all that money there for, why can't we feed our own kids?" crew that I wonder if they rushed it forward by a few days/weeks.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:58 (three years ago) link
Does anyone particularly know what the UK's objectives / policies for Ukraine and the Western Balkans are? Do we even have any?
― ShariVari, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:04 (three years ago) link
Foreign policy other than China / the EU / the US seems like a relic from another era.
France is v busy running things in a lot of Africa too ofc
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:11 (three years ago) link
In our bio we previously referred to Blue Labour’s tenets as “Work, Family and Tradition”. We were told that this is actually the slogan of Vichy France. We have updated it to the real Blue Labour slogan of “Work, Family and Community”. Apologies for any offence caused.— Young Blue Labour (@BlueYoungLabour) June 16, 2020
― glumdalclitch, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:13 (three years ago) link
Does anyone particularly know what the UK's objectives / policies for Ukraine and the Western Balkans are?
*does Tarzan howl/chest bump*
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:13 (three years ago) link
lol glum is that a spoof? it looks real
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:14 (three years ago) link
resultant cummings
― ||||||||, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:14 (three years ago) link
hahahahahahahahahahaha omg
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:15 (three years ago) link
can’t be real??!
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:16 (three years ago) link
"Mr Johnson, as foreign secretary in 2018, said he would like a "Brexit plane" to help him travel the world."
should paint the £350M slogan on it
― koogs, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:17 (three years ago) link
xxpEither they are very confused or they've crafted something that's flown under many people's radar, including mine
― glumdalclitch, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:17 (three years ago) link
i think the most obvious explanation is that Blue Labour share a world view with collaborative Nazis and it's real
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:18 (three years ago) link
psy op imo
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:20 (three years ago) link
it does feel we’re headed towards a world without a lot of subtext
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:21 (three years ago) link
The Scottish Covid Deaths over the past week were Wednesday 1, Thursday 5, Friday 3, Sat 4, Sun 5, Mon 0, Tuesday 5
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:22 (three years ago) link
wow
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:23 (three years ago) link
Still a high total figure overall though.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:24 (three years ago) link
@BlueYoungLabour44mWhere do you think the Corbyn era went wrong? It’s something I’ve been thinking about in recent weeks...
Lonley guy thinkin bout things
― nashwan, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:27 (three years ago) link
think we need a "take off and nuke the Labour Party from orbit" thread
well, maybe we've already got enough
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:28 (three years ago) link
in what sense is painting a plane a "secret" makeover?
― mark s, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:23 (three years ago) link