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The Scottish Conservative (and Unionist) party has enjoyed something of resurgence in recent years under the energetic leadership of Ruth Davidson.
The party’s opponents are convinced that Boris Johnson as prime minister could put an end to all that – and could even put an end to the union between Scotland the rest of the UK.
It’s true that Mr Johnson could hardly be more different from the down to earth, plain speaking and Remain-voting Ms Davidson. The two are not friends and have vehemently disagreed before.
Some observers like to speculate that Boris will appear to Scottish voters to be the very epitome of the upper-class English ruling caste that Scots so dislike. But policy may well prove to be more important than personality.
Mr Johnson appeared to have a weak grasp of the dynamics of devolution when he proposed tax changes that take no account of the fact that income tax rates in Scotland are set by the Scottish Parliament.
But since then he has promised Scottish Tory MPs he will set up a “union unit” inside No 10 to check every policy. If he knows what he doesn’t know, then maybe he can avoid these gaffes as PM.
It’s Brexit that may be his undoing, in so many ways. In Remain-voting Scotland, his problem is that the idea of a no deal Brexit is far less palatable than it is in the rest of the UK. The harder the Brexit Boris delivers, the more the Tory party in Scotland could suffer.
If Prime Minister Johnson [he will officially take on the role this Wednesday] pursues a Brexit policy at odds with what most voters in Scotland would like to see, then it’s possible they may change their minds about whether remaining part of the UK is in their best interests. Some recent polling evidence suggests as many as 60% of voters could vote “yes” to independence if we leave the EU with no deal.
In the end it may not be the precise details of any Brexit deal that stokes desire for independence – or indeed the character of any individual politician – but a sense that Scotland has different aspirations from the rest of the UK, which can’t be reconciled within the current union.
If Mr Johnson wants to keep the kingdom united, he will need to take care not fan those flames.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.
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How embarrassing was that speech, he’s making Corbyn look like a statesman.
The man is a buffoon ?
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.How does that work fwipperie
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.So you think BJ isn’t bad enough, you now want Farage as PM.
There is at least one big problem with that, he isn’t an MP also do you REALLY think the Brexit Party would ever get enough seats to win an election?
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Question Time last night, The Brexit man and the Radio DJ were intent on bullying Emily Thornbery off the programme, no protection from Fiona Bruce sadly. The fight for Media supremacy in getting the scoop at all costs is as dirty as what is going on in the House of Commons.
I turned it off feeling a little sad.
Funny how we all see things differently. I saw Thornbery being idiotic in her arguments and being called out by not only the Brexit supporting duo but Fiona Bruce too.
I also turned it off wmc for the very same reasons. Plus I can not stand Fiona Bruce. She was a bad choice for QT IMHO
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.Hi Brydo. Who thought Leicester City would win the PL! Re QT, I stopped watching last series for three reasons, unbalanced panel, anti Brexit bias and Bruce unable to chair the programme.
Like you, fwipperie, I gave up watching but as the panel seemed balanced for a change last night, I thought it might be interesting, but of course it wasn’t. Should have been renamed “the Fiona Bruce show featuring Lady Nugee and Ian Blackford”.
Just like the BBC in general QT has gone downhill. The same could be said of our politician’s. One almost despair’s.
In BJs fight against the Brexit Party what about the estimated 5,000,000 Tories who voted to remain?
Its clear a GE is coming and BJ is in full election mode he is up and down the country taking every opportunity to look stupid.
What will be the effect of his bluster and actions on the Tory vote.
The polls show the Tories with over 30% of the vote, with Labour low 20% and lib dems high teens and Brexit Party 12%. The wise money is on a hung Parliament and the country being no further forward but potentially more polarised.
The pundits say that the Tories need to somehow reduce the Brexit parties share of the vote to approx 4% for them to win an election but with the 3 months extension looming it is likely this will be achieved.
The other interesting point is that the pundits are suggesting the Tories will lose seats in Scotland, wales and northern island via the DUP. The suggestion is the could lose up to 15 seats between the three. Add to this that a few of the 21 Tories ejected from the party may stand as independent and it becomes more problematic.
So how do we get a government with a majority, I’m not sure its possible at present. BJ would some how need to conjur up a deal or somehow leave on the 31st to get rid of the Brexit party. As for the others there is no chance labour or lib dems can get enough support to win on their own. A left wing coalition could be on the cards, but that would probably require ALL the others to agree and I’m not sure that would work.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Labour and other UK opposition parties have agreed not to back the PM’s demand for a general election before October’s EU summit.
Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and Plaid Cymru say they will vote against or abstain in Monday’s vote on whether to hold a snap poll.
The SNP’s Ian Blackford said they wanted to make sure the UK did not crash out in a no-deal Brexit.
But the PM said the parties were making an “extraordinary political mistake”.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.If Johnson truly believed that the opposition parties were making an “extraordinary political mistake” he would have kept quiet about it and let them make that “mistake”.
This blustering rhetoric is just him trying to goad parties into opening the only escape door that he currently has. If the opposition sit tight and leave Boris to hang until the EU summit on October 17th he will either have to ask for an extension (by law) or resign if he refuses to do so. The conservatives can then elect a decent and truthful party leader, if their blinkered bunch of elderly party members can learn from the horrific voting mistake they made recently.
If BJ has any sense he will sack the very dangerous Dominic Cummings straight away and then apologise to the 21 sacked MPs (who were got rid of at Cummings insistence) and reinstate them. This might go some way to appeasing the huge anger within his ranks at the way a handful of extreme right wingers and one anarchist are tearing the conservative party apart.
The one route open to BJ, unless he has something else up his sleeve, is to agree to Mrs May’s deal, or a form of it, and leave on the 31st.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Fiona Bruce is lovely on antiques roadshow ivegot lambs liver and onions chips and garden peas for dinner with a glass of Pepsi max
It did indeed wigwam I find young Bruce a very elegant refined non council lady who speaks well I find her as enjoyable to watch as carol kirkwood and Louise minchin
Wigwam thought you had left us, things aren’t going as you hoped I guess lol.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.It’s certainly not going well for democracy at the moment Brydo. At least peoples eyes are being opened, from conversations I hear.
I totally agree with your first sentence wigwam.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.
What, no bacon Magnum?
I’ve given up watching or listening to any news. I’m sick to the back teeth with the whole debacle! I just watch you guys commentary drift by 🙂
On the plus side, now that democracy has been well and truly exposed for the sham it has become, at least I won’t have to bother turning out for any future votes!
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.
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