droodzilla
pfm Member
Nice.
Lib Dems - Tories in Disguise
- Thread starter Snufkin
- Start date
droodzilla
pfm Member
But seriously... yeah, all good thanks. I'm well settled in my apartment in Lyon, and I'm in my third week of work (fourth week here).
It's hard to make generalisations but there's a big canteen at the site where I work and almost everyone uses it, followed by after-lunch coffee together in a communal area back at base. It seems more companiable than the UK but it might just be the corporate culture of Solvay.
It's turning into a fun adventure but I don't think I could do what you've done and up sticks completely. I get too homesick and, in any case, have a lingering affection for England, even if it's in danger of becoming a far-right shithole.
richardg
Admonishtrator
I like how the bars have a civilised burble, no cackling, braying or shrieks of laughter. Everyone is quite relaxed. And the tram is silent. My kids embarrass me when we got on one.
I am of course, getting old. 25 years ago I might have said they were all boring and restrained.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Yeah. Europe does seem to have a bigger proportion of proper grown-ups; probably why we Brits don't fit in
richardg
Admonishtrator
speak for yourself, rosbif. I'm turning grenouille.Yeah. Europe does seem to have a bigger proportion of proper grown-ups; probably why we Brits don't fit in
gintonic
50 shades of grey pussy cats
bit like round here.
richardg
Admonishtrator
where's here?
The Far North
pfm Member
From today's Times.
Jim Audiomisc
pfm Member
Alas, recent history shows what allowing the "LDs to hold the balance of power" means. In reality, they hand round the biscuits during cabinet meetings and acquiesce to what the Tories decide. Lipstick on a pig.
And the "doing better than Corbyn" still really means:
1) As described by a press whose wealthly ex-UK owners are determined to prevent any LP policies which weaken or expose the way they manipulate and vampire us.
2) Probably still means the LP will get rather more MPs than the LDs.
I wish people would bother to actually:
A) Make good use of the BBC Parliament channel and listen to what politicians *actually* say and the policies they describe. NOT rely on cherry-picked out-of-context 'quotes' or plain inventions in most of the press.
B) Find out who funds *every* party. Not just assume the LP must be in the pockets of the Unions without scrutiny of the unpublished funding for other parties from a wealthy few. For this PE is a good start if you want to know what really goes on, but doesn't appear in newspapers and rarely on the BBC.
TheDecameron
Unicorns fart glitter.
You’ll probably come back to Hull for a visit in a couple of years and get fingered to the local Brexit Party Gauleiter who’ll sentence you to five years on a collective potato farm for collaborating with the enemy.
Tony L
Administrator
Not at all. They thankfully learned their lesson and have propped up no one despite having more seats than the DUP at the last election and a hell of a lot more now.
Jim Audiomisc
pfm Member
Their behaviour since, inc their choice of leader, gives me little confidence that they have "learned their lesson". Quite the converse. So far as I can see, if they have "learned" any "lesson" it is that going with the flow to Corbyn-bash will help them with the newsmedia to grab some extra votes.
For example: IIUC Swinton hasn't said that 'austerity' was a damaging mistake that has done great harm to the UK (and EU), and that the LDs now bitterly regret propping up the Tories in applying it for the benefit of their wealthly paymasters, etc. Or have I missed this? At least we had Clegg doing "I'm so sorry" about one issue. But I haven't seen a more general apology or regret expressed.
Similar comments can be made wrt *social* housing (not the 'affordable' chimera), and various other politicies they enabled.
Quite simply: we would not be in this mess now if they hadn't enabled it. And I don't just mean 'Brexit'.
farfromthesun
pfm Member
Dubious. Blair's relaxation in 2004 of freedom of movement is probably a substantial contributor, amongst other things.
jackbarron
Chelsea, London
maxflinn
pfm Member
The Tories played their part when Cameron announced a Brexit referendum to try to placate nationalists within his own party and stop Ukip gaining Tory seats.
The electorate (those who voted) then enabled it by voting for it.
I don't see how Labour has enabled it. Can you explain?
Snufkin
pfm Member
See post 173
ks.234
Half way to Infinity
Learned? Having elected a leader with a voting record Iike Swinson’s I doubt it. She’s voted with the right wing nationalists on austerity, immigration, health and schools and not apologies. And she’s welcomed with open arms right wing nationalists from the Tories.
The LD’s propped up one right wing governments and voted through Brexit, austerity anti public service legislation and pandering to the nationalists, there is nothing to suggest they’ve changed and much to suggest their basic DNA remains Tory
gavreid
Pretty Words...
They've also opposed Labour in local government at every opportunity
Indeed. All the parties appear to have abandoned as irrelevant any notions of technical competence in the day-to-day management of the country. Perhaps they are correct in that it simply doesn't sell to the voters but it is getting more and more urgent for the interests of the majority that some technical competence is brought to bear to adjust how wealth is currently flowing, to slow and reverse the destruction of our social infrastructure and to start removing some wealth from the excessively wealthy in a manner they are prepared to accept. Until one of the political parties starts doing this our current downwards trajectory for the majority is going to continue with more and more expressions of social instability like the self harm of brexit, growing faith in extremism on the left and right, etc...