For Sale: DUP MPs. £100m per MP ONO.

June 26, 2017 6:38 AM

Government has been formed with the Tories striking a deal with the DUP. The big part of the deal? £1 billion is headed towards Northern Ireland.
posted by Talez (107 comments total)

Now THAT's how I like my taxes being spent... {/}
posted by pipeski at 6:46 AM on June 26, 2017

Robert Peston: "DUP sources tell me I have undervalued the wonga they have prised from the Treasury. They say that a relaxation of constraints on access to an existing £500m pot for education investment, under the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, should be factored in by me. And also that the promise that NI will get some additional Enterprise Zones will be highly valuable.

So in total the package of support they’ve won is certainly more than £1.5bn - and possibly as much as the rumored £2bn they were demanding."
posted by dng at 6:49 AM on June 26, 2017

A bribe for the dinosaur party, stolen from the people.
posted by Artw at 6:50 AM on June 26, 2017

Imagine if Labour bribed Sinn Fein with a billion pounds to take their seats. I'm sure The Sun and The Daily Mail would not shut up about Corbyn giving a billion pounds to "terrorists".

But since the Tories are doing it instead, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by Talez at 6:51 AM on June 26, 2017 [63 favorites]

I mean, I guess if it helps anyone in NI there's some silver lining, but everyone else could do with it too and it's not like the DUP aren't a bunch of ultra corrupt medieval shits who will be pocketing or misusing most of it.
posted by Artw at 6:52 AM on June 26, 2017 [3 favorites]

It'll be interesting to see if Ruth Davidson has a spine. She has Westminster over a barrel and I wonder if she'll realize it.
posted by Talez at 6:53 AM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]

Since we all now know that money doesn't grow on magic little trees, imagine how many more people they're going to have to hit with benefits sanctions to rustle up this money.
posted by dng at 7:00 AM on June 26, 2017 [8 favorites]

*heavy sigh*
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 7:06 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

So they are not going to apply the Barnett Formula. SNP and PC are going to love that.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:12 AM on June 26, 2017

So is this whole shitshow an attempt to distract us from today's EU nationals policy gibberish horrorshow, or is that an attempt to distract us from this, or is it just distractions all the way down now I can't tell anymore
posted by dng at 7:16 AM on June 26, 2017 [10 favorites]

Imagine if they funded the NHS with that money instead. [/sarcasm]
posted by Omon Ra at 7:19 AM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]

Soooo... anyone got an over/under on how long this government holds together? Doesn't seem like there's enough duct tape and baling wire to hold it for long.
posted by azpenguin at 7:23 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

It lasts exactly as long as is necessary to ensure we're out of the EU and there's no turning back (see cancelling next years Queen's Speech to minimise the chances of losing a confidence vote before then).
posted by dng at 7:25 AM on June 26, 2017

There was a quote in The Times over the weekend by some senior Tory source, possibly a minister, that the plan/aim was to keep May until the autumn conference then get Hammond in for a couple of years then get someone else in before the next election. You know, Strong and Stable.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:26 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

There was a quote in The Times over the weekend by some senior Tory source, possibly a minister, that the plan/aim was to keep May until the autumn conference then get Hammond in for a couple of years then get someone else in before the next election. You know, Strong and Stable.

If they get the all but openly contemptuous of Brexit Hammond in by autumn I will be delighted.
posted by jaduncan at 7:32 AM on June 26, 2017

get Hammond in for a couple of years

The Hamster has trouble not crashing cars little alone the economy!
posted by Talez at 7:33 AM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]

They're there until 2018 I think.

Another snap election would be disastrous but holding on might strengthen Labour now they're all on the Corbyn bandwagon.

A few by-elections may change that though.
posted by fullerine at 7:39 AM on June 26, 2017

Copying this across from the last thread because I think it's important context:

Given that HMG will no longer publish stats on the most deprived areas of the UK as a whle, I'm going to have to make an ironic choice. Eurostat have looked at the richest and most deprived areas of Northern Europe (2011 data, admittedly), taking purchasing parity into account.

Here's the UK data:

Region, % GDP per Capita, GDP per Capita,
West Wales 64 16800
Cornwall & Isles of Scilly 64 16200
Durham and Tees Valley 71 17900
Lincolnshire 74 18500
South Yorkshire 75 18700
Shropshire and Staffs 77 19300
Lancashire 78 19600
Northern Ireland 78 19700
East Yorks & North Lincs 80 20100

These are ordered, so I'm not sure that I'd agree that NI is uniquely needy. Why won't that funding be going to Wales? Well, because it's got Labour/Plaid MPs. That's pretty corrupt, IMO; openly directing funds to reward a government's political supporters rather than on the basis of need is pretty banana republic.

Apologies for the formatting, I don't think Mefi has support for tabs/spacing.
posted by jaduncan at 7:41 AM on June 26, 2017 [14 favorites]

There's no policy here, it shouldn't be seen as anything other than a straight up bribe.
posted by Artw at 7:43 AM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

The Hamster has trouble not crashing cars little alone the economy!

One Hammond will sit next to someone making extremely racist assertions and happily go along with it for the approval of the audience/personal gain whilst distancing himself a little for deniability. The other...

I'll come in again.
posted by jaduncan at 7:44 AM on June 26, 2017 [18 favorites]

So they are not going to apply the Barnett Formula. SNP and PC are going to love that.

When the SNP say they will most reliably stand up for Scotland, it would appear they have a point.
posted by jaduncan at 7:47 AM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

"Honnod's grip on that sheer Californian granite is as nothing, nothing compared to Theresa May's determination to cling on to power." A savage monologue from the inimitable Frankie Boyle.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 8:01 AM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]

This all ends with Matt LeBlanc in charge, doesn't it?
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:03 AM on June 26, 2017 [17 favorites]

Well at least we've found the Magic Money Tree... it's in Belfast
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:06 AM on June 26, 2017 [8 favorites]

I guess the indicator for funding deprived areas from this cash will be "Do the kerbstones match the UK flag?"
posted by scruss at 8:16 AM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]

The EU citizen proposal is beyond contempt. I'm afraid this is to signal that May is more than ready to walk away from the negotiations.
posted by runcifex at 8:30 AM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

A few by-elections may change that though.

A few by-elections could change a LOT. They feel like such a creepy and morbid thing to wish for, though.

All I'm saying is that if Royston Smith suddenly felt a desperate desire to become Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds, I would be quite pleased.
posted by the latin mouse at 8:48 AM on June 26, 2017 [3 favorites]

But blimey eh, didn't the Lib Dems sell themselves cheaply... a referendum on PR that the Tories hammered into the ground and... er... Pupil Premium, whatever that was, well they still keep going on about it... and er... um... it'll come to me... wait a minute
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:55 AM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

Was still writing up a post myself, but work and the constant changing situation (Barnett!) got in the way. Here's the draft:

Coalition of Chaos

Following a campaign where they focussed on the damaging potential of a Labour government propped up by a smaller regional party (the SNP) and Jeremy Corbyn's meetings with people linked to terrorism in the past, the Conservative party have found themselves dependent on the DUP (a smaller regional party linked to terrorism and extremists) to prop them up in government.

Nearly three weeks after the General Election, they have announced a Confidence and Supply agreement with a £1bn price tag.

More inside with growing tensions in Northern Ireland, devolution in the UK, impact for Brexit and blow back for the parties.

Northern Ireland
Power sharing in Northern Ireland broke down in January, following a scandal over the Renewable Heat Initiative and Arlene Foster's refusal to step aside for the duration of the investigation. This lead to the March 2017 elections, with Sinn Fein gaining 4 seats and the DUP losing 5 leaving a gap of only 1 seat. Along with other changes, this meant that the Unionist parties lost their majority for the first time in history. This massively weakened the DUP. Negotiations for power sharing stalled, had deadlines extended, and then re-extended after the UK General Election was called. The Stormont Executive was already under pressure before the outcome of the election.

The problem with the deal between the Conservative party and the DUP in Westminster is that the British government has to remain a neutral party with regard to the Northern Ireland assembly. The DUP will now be part of that government. Sinn Fein last week declared that they feel that Theresa May is not honouring the Good Friday Agreement, as have John Major (former Tory PM) and Enda Kelly (the Irish PM). There is now a legal challenge being mounted.

Brexit
Theresa May partly called the election to get an endorsement for her vision of a Hard Brexit (leaving the customs union, single market, etc), and instead received a large rebuke. She now has to find a way to satisfy a majority of her party and the DUP (who want a softer Brexit due to the border with Ireland). David Davis (Brexit Minister) is insisting that the position remains the same, but has seen supportive ministers in his department sacked after the election. Internally within the Conservative party, the Chancellor Philip Hammond and the Scottish Tory Leader Ruth Davidson are both leading calls for a Soft Brexit (remain in single market, customs union, etc) with a focus on jobs. The latest signs are that the stance may be softening, with the UK agreeing to the 'divorce bill' being the first topic. Negotiations between the EU and the UK started on Monday, with no government, no overall aim, no plan to achieve it, no functioning department to deliver it, no confidence at home or abroad with which to pass it, no trade expert capacity to negotiate it, and no time to manage it.

Opinion Polls
The last couple of years have been a problem for polling companies, with both the 2015 General Election (polling review) and the Brexit Referendum results contradicting the majority of polls. In the run up to the election, there were questions about the polling, but in general assuming they underestimated the Tories (as historically has been the case). Over the election campaign the majority had a sizeable but shrinking lead for the Tories and an overall majority. With one notable exception - YouGov's Election Model using data with Multilevel Regression and Poststratification (their poll still predicted a Tory majority). Nate Silver of 538 sounded a note of caution just before the election, polls almost always miss in the opposite direction of what pundits expect. Eyebrows were raised at YouGov's out of alignment poll, but in general it was dismissed. That was a mistake, as it was highly accurate, getting the winner in 93% of seats.

Theresa May
It's not a matter of if she goes, it's a matter of when. As above, she called this election for an endorsement of herself and her views on Brexit (as the Daily Mail put it - to 'Crush The Saboteurs'), and to destroy the Labour opposition. Opinion polls at the time suggested an increased majority of up to 200 seats from 50% of the vote, and Conservative targetting seats with Labour majorities of up to 8,000. This is the backdrop to which she is judged.

The campaign for the Conservatives Theresa May's Team was extremely focussed on her personally, to the exclusion of other prominent Conservatives. Unfortunately, this soundbite driven personality campaign was tied to a Prime Minister seemingly lacking in personality, and then compounded this by retreating from showpiece events (to the degree that even House of Cards got involved). The central control of the campaign extended to threatening constituency campaign funding if they went away from the central talking points. Key to this were May's staff and advisors, who were able to insert wildly unpopular policies into the manifesto without discussion with the relevant cabinet members. The manifesto was savaged as either the most disastrous in recent history, or the vaguest suicide note in history (cf), and followed by u-turns in which 'nothing had changed'.

Despite remaining the largest party, Theresa May lost the Conservative's their overall majority. She still believes that her team can provide a period of stability and certainty. Her ex-colleagues however believe she's a dead woman walking, while the Tory press believe she's in office, but not in power. Her trusted advisors are gone, she lacks the political capital to carry out planned sackings, and a Queen's speech for a double length parliamentary session is thin on policy. Her current saving grace appears to be the lack of any figure for the party to unite behind following the last leadership race and the Brexit campaign, and the perception of prominent Tories among the electorate.

Jeremy Corbyn

Tim Farron

Nicola Sturgeon

Paul Nuttal



Previously on MeFi.
posted by MattWPBS at 9:12 AM on June 26, 2017 [76 favorites]

A few by-elections could change a LOT.

Just the time to destabilise NI, eh?
posted by jaduncan at 9:14 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Here's the draft:

Many thanks. Flagged as fantastic.
posted by Mister Bijou at 9:39 AM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm particularly touched by the notion that people with Permanent Residency will have to register and apply with this new ID card as their PR doesn't give them any rights. Westminster specifically urged EU citizens to apply for PR up until a short while ago - what a lovely & thoughtful way to earn money off people's misery.

PS. I'm an EU citizen living in the UK.
posted by kariebookish at 9:46 AM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]

*Taps forehead* You can't be thrown out of parliament, if we don't have parliament
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:59 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Still, at least we've got an absolutely massive ridiculously expensive pointless boat now.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:02 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Just the time to destabilise NI, eh?

Funny you should mention NI! An amusing diversion for those that could use a laugh (and maybe a little sobbing).
posted by Candleman at 10:08 AM on June 26, 2017

[Enda Kenny is no longer the Irish Prime Minister]
posted by roolya_boolya at 10:19 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Muchas gracias for the long form, MattWPBS. As an outside spectator "DUP ... the wonga" sounded like something you'd watch me do after the whip instead of the nae nae.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 10:24 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Michael Higgins looks like some sort of creature from Irish folklore, a boggin or something.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:31 AM on June 26, 2017

*Taps forehead* You can't be thrown out of parliament, if we don't have parliament

May partied too hard running through fields during Glastonbury.
posted by Talez at 10:47 AM on June 26, 2017

Michael Higgins looks like some sort of creature from Irish folklore, a boggin or something.

He's definitely one of the wee folk, to be sure
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:48 AM on June 26, 2017

I await Ruthie's take on the small matter of the DUP deal breaking the rules on regional funding.
posted by Devonian at 11:10 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

You don't have to wait.

"The Barnett formula ensures that if funding for public services goes up in England, it does across the devolved nations, if they are responsible for delivering these services. That system remains in place. But the UK government has always been able to spend outside Barnett - like the city deals, which invested £500m directly in Glasgow, £125m in Aberdeen, and £53m in Inverness. Or like the £5m for the V&A Dundee, the £5m for the Glasgow School of Art, or £5m on regenerating Helensburgh’s waterfront.

And with its distinct politics, Northern Ireland has received this sort of special funding package before – the last one in 2015.

It’s absurd for the SNP to criticise UK government spending on top of Barnett in Northern Ireland, when the exact same thing happens in Scotland. And it is incredibly hypocritical for the SNP to complain when, under their reckless plans for independence, they would end the UK’s funding deal immediately – leaving Scotland with a £15 billion black hole in our public finances.

With 13 MPs fighting Scotland’s corner from within the party of government, rather than the SNP which will only ever vote against Conservative budgets in the Commons - we can get more done and deliver for Scotland."
posted by dng at 11:13 AM on June 26, 2017

It's strange, isn't it, considering how right and necessary this all is, how it seemed to slip their minds while they were writing their election manifesto.
posted by dng at 11:15 AM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

You have to hand one thing to this government: they're doing a lot of work to raise general public awareness of devolution issues. Two weeks ago, everyone became an expert on NI party politics. Now, everyone's going to become an expert on Barnett consequentials too!
posted by Catseye at 11:19 AM on June 26, 2017 [12 favorites]

May is fully committed to the Ends justifying the Means now. I wonder if she's ever watched Game of Thrones? Maybe she should. Losing her Scottish and Welsh Tory supporters to gain Arlene Foster and her gang of thugs is a long term loss for her and her party.

And it would be bizarre if the DUP got all this money sent to NI over the next few years and then lost power there and the money was able to be spent by Sinn Fein on their pet projects instead of the DUP pet projects. And by bizarre, I mean probably lead to open warfare in the streets.
posted by fshgrl at 11:28 AM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

After helping guide the Tories through the election to an historic own-goal, former Obama deputy chief of staff Jim Messina finally returned to Twitter today
posted by indubitable at 11:31 AM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]

With 13 MPs fighting Scotland’s corner from within the party of government, rather than the SNP which will only ever vote against Conservative budgets in the Commons - we can get more done and deliver for Scotland.*

(* actual deliverables not included)
posted by Devonian at 11:53 AM on June 26, 2017 [3 favorites]

former Obama deputy chief of staff Jim Messina finally returned to Twitter today
you can help stop trump by joining his team as a strategist

I had considered finishing this with a [wasted.gif], but the replies to his tweet are something else.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:00 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

Losing her Scottish and Welsh Tory supporters to gain Arlene Foster and her gang of thugs is a long term loss for her and her party.

dng posted Ruth Davidson's response. She's toeing the party line fully. No Scottish revolt from the backbench here.
posted by Talez at 12:37 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

So far. Remember we're at day zero.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:38 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Losing her Scottish and Welsh Tory supporters to gain Arlene Foster and her gang of thugs is a long term loss for her and her party

Here's hoping. But seeing as the DUP is the party that says pretty much everything Tories wish they could get away with, there's the potential for a veritable blood orgy.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:54 PM on June 26, 2017

Let's just reflect on this. The Conservative minority government have just had to negotiate with a party one thirtieth of their size, who are incredibly sympathetic to their political position. It has taken more than two weeks, cost a number of manifesto policies, and £1bn.

The European Union negotiating team must be quaking in their boots.
posted by MattWPBS at 1:04 PM on June 26, 2017 [35 favorites]

A Scottish Tory is still a Tory and nothing good can be expected of them.
posted by Artw at 1:05 PM on June 26, 2017 [8 favorites]

Let's just reflect on this. The Conservative minority government have just had to negotiate with a party one thirtieth of their size, who are incredibly sympathetic to their political position. It has taken more than two weeks, cost a number of manifesto policies, and £1bn.

And considering they almost certainly could have carried on as a minority government anyway, these were negotiations they actually could walk away from with no deal being better than a bad deal.
posted by dng at 1:09 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

And considering they almost certainly could have carried on as a minority government anyway, these were negotiations they actually could walk away from with no deal being better than a bad deal.

They couldn't walk away without it going to a second election. Minority government still requires confidence and supply from a majority of MPs which is the exact deal the Tories got. Back in the '70s Labour was making every deal they could to keep a no-confidence motion from passing. We all remember how that ended, right?
posted by Talez at 1:17 PM on June 26, 2017

Well I actually don't remember it, so I'd be interested to hear your account of it, Talez. Tell me more.
posted by tel3path at 1:20 PM on June 26, 2017

They couldn't walk away without it going to a second election. Minority government still requires confidence and supply from a majority of MPs which is the exact deal the Tories got.

I'm not convinced the DUP would have supported any no-confidence motion in the government with or without a deal (although I suppose out of spite they might have done), purely because keeping Jeremy Corbyn out of power seems to be as important to them as it is to the conservatives.

They wouldn't even have had to actually support the government, as simply abstaining would be enough to prevent everyone else from being able to win the vote.
posted by dng at 1:28 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

TALEZ YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER

And actually, so am I.
posted by tel3path at 1:31 PM on June 26, 2017

Yes, they could have just brazened it out - "we're offering you nothing, we suggest you vote with us on the Queen's Speech anyway. Unless you want the other lot to get in..." Bonus for big party is that you're not seen to be promising anything, bonus for small party is that every time a bill comes up where they want your vote, well, let's see what they're offering. (I suspect that if Labour had been in the current Conservative position seats-wise, this is what they'd be offering the SNP and/or Lib Dems - the SNP would probably go along with it, not sure about the LDs.)
posted by Catseye at 1:54 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

No no, let's talk about the 1970s! Specifically February 1974. Conservative PM, sitting on an ok-but-not-massive majority, is tangled up in worsening economic situation and concerns over Britain's relationship with Europe. Decides to call an election to get ahead of things and cement/increase majority. Appeals to country to vote for a "strong Government". Centres campaign around the unelectable left-wing-extreme-ness of Labour (literally "Labour will TAKE YOUR HOUSE" stuff), accompanied by a manifesto big on rhetoric but low on detail. Tabloids kick the hell out of Labour and the unions for being far-left lunatics. Polls give the Conservatives a lead right up until election day.

Result: hung parliament. Oops.

The past is a foreign country, etc etc...
posted by Catseye at 2:07 PM on June 26, 2017 [15 favorites]

(also I wasn't there either - I grew up under Thatcher. Which I suppose makes me part of the generation that hears "Don't let Corbyn drag Britain back to the 1970s!" and thinks "wasn't that when we had lower inequality, affordable housing, student grants and final salary pensions? OH HEAVENS NO SPARE US FROM THIS HELL!")
posted by Catseye at 2:17 PM on June 26, 2017 [14 favorites]

TALEZ YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER

JFC. It's a rhetorical device not a literal statement.
posted by Talez at 2:30 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also widespread trade union protection and nationalised trains.

But what else did the 70s do for us?
posted by jaduncan at 2:38 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

This PaddyPower Ad is a thing of beauty.
posted by pharm at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

Or possibly horror. You choose.
posted by pharm at 2:41 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER

"DAE sometimes manage to recall facts that relate to times before their birth?"
posted by jaduncan at 2:44 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

When a MeFi user buttons, the Monks of Metafilter fan out over the Internet to find their new reincarnation. They bear with them objects from the users' past life such as AskMe questions answered, FPPs favorited, and particularly intricate snarks. Arriving at new users' addresses the Monks present these objects together with cunningly-chosen decoys in the hope that the new user will correctly respond. If they do, they are declared to be the new incarnation of the Button That Was, and they are ceremoniously installed among their brethren, sistren, and other sibren. Hence the famous Metafilter koan, What was your username before you logged on? Ponder on that and be enlightened.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:02 PM on June 26, 2017 [9 favorites]

"Estate agents claim the London property market is extremely buoyant after a 60-year-old woman paid £1bn for a terraced property with an SW1A postcode."
posted by the latin mouse at 3:18 PM on June 26, 2017 [15 favorites]

It's a rhetorical device not a literal statement.

Yes, other people sometimes use rhetorical devices too, like I do.

However, is ANYONE here old enough to remember? Really curious now.
posted by tel3path at 3:29 PM on June 26, 2017

Well eighteen years of Conservative rule, eleven of those with Thatcher as PM, I think the more pertinent question is do people who are old enough actually want to remember?
posted by Talez at 3:55 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

I remember growing up getting 16% on a savings account for instance.
posted by Talez at 3:56 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

I remember my parents getting a petrol ration book during the oil crisis. And the power going off a lot. And wondering why on earth Wilson had resigned.

But political awareness came pretty much as Thatch recited St Francis, and I thought 'you don't mean a word of that, do you?'. i'd watched Callaghan make a muck of it, and liked Healey, but not with any real idea of what was going on... not sure I like it much better now that I do, tbh.
posted by Devonian at 4:12 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

I remember growing up getting 16% on a savings account for instance.

Well, I can think of one way to get a 16% return on capital nowadays. A lot of people in the upline of a multi level marketing scheme I'm forced to belong to are getting that kind of money. Rentallife, I think it's called. I think its existence can be credited with why we're saddled with a government so incapable of meeting our needs. Because people are afraid the pyramid will fall.
posted by ambrosen at 4:39 PM on June 26, 2017 [6 favorites]

Since we all now know that money doesn't grow on magic little trees

Soooo... anyone got an over/under on how long this government holds together?

Guys I figured out how they're gonna get the money.
posted by saysthis at 6:09 PM on June 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

Martin Rowson brilliantly caustic as usual.

Here's a little bit of art history for the background.
posted by runcifex at 6:59 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

God I love Rowson's political cartoons. I usually have to read the comments and do quite a bit of deep-diving to understand the message and the symbolism. That is not a complaint.
posted by kalimac at 7:34 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

is it just distractions all the way down now

Pretty much, yeah.
posted by flabdablet at 11:02 PM on June 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

Rowson's been on blistering form lately... see his Finsbury park attack cartoon that triggered a complete meltdown over at the Mail.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:32 PM on June 26, 2017 [7 favorites]

Guardian on the story inside the Tory campaign: How the Tory election machine fell apart
posted by MattWPBS at 3:54 AM on June 27, 2017

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has given a speech in Germany. Cites concerns about petty politics overcoming economic logic, and business confidence being damaged by a failure to agree a transitional deal quickly. Big swipe at BoJo with a line in German about cake.
posted by MattWPBS at 7:54 AM on June 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the SNP, made a statement earlier this afternoon in the Scottish parliament which, despite what you might read in the MSM, stated that her intentions re another referendum are unchanged in that she wants to hold one once Brexit negotiations have finished and it's clearer what is going to haven ie probably around Autumn next year.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:25 AM on June 27, 2017

once Brexit negotiations have finished

Wellllllllll... I got some news about that.....

Unless she means the rubble after the Article 50 clock runs out.
posted by Talez at 10:09 AM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think the various devolved nation party leaders harrumphing about fairness in funding are missing the point. This is a straight-up bribe, from a Tory minority government, purely to allow them to stay in power, using taxpayer money, and rather a lot of it.

If Labour did this the right-wing press would be absolutely screaming, but because it's the Tories we get a load of wind about Barnett. This has nothing to do with Barnett, or the city deals, or anything else. It's buying seats with taxpayer money and doing so after loudly claiming the coffers were empty.

It's absolutely fucking sickening.
posted by Happy Dave at 10:28 AM on June 27, 2017 [17 favorites]

If Labour did this the right-wing press would be absolutely screaming

Miliband had to publicly come out and say he wouldn't consider a deal with the SNP for the majority in any circumstance after the rags were crying out for "putting England in the hands of Sturgeon".

I don't think they would be "screaming", they would be pleading the Queen to begin a coup and seize power. Same shit that happened here when the right-wing media mafia was frothing at the idea of a post-election leftwing coalition and was crying for Botox Pumpkin to intervene and save Portugal from the soviets.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:38 AM on June 27, 2017

Same shit that happened here when the right-wing media mafia was frothing at the idea of a post-election leftwing coalition and was crying for Botox Pumpkin to intervene and save Portugal from the soviets.

More details on this please? When exactly was this? Who is Botox Pumpkin?
posted by dhens at 12:02 PM on June 27, 2017

Long story short, for the 2015 Legislative elections, both right-wing parties ran as a coalition that failed to get a majority but still managed to have more seats than the "socialist" party. During the time (about a month) it took to the dust to settle with all votes tallied in, Passos being charged to form a government by Botox Pumpkin (Cavaco Silva) and failing, until Costa was elected by a left-wing coalition, every newspaper had at least one economist or lawyer basically throwing everything (including a couple of them suggesting a presidential coup) on their opinion pages daily to prevent that from happening. This also includes a never-ending cast of analysts on TV that are associated with previous right-wing governments.

I know that in a mostly US site, attacking the press sounds a lot like Trumpism, but in here (and in the UK, in all likelihood) the situation is completely different. Basically, conservatives (and best pals, economic liberals) are never challenged for choices that would warrant endless rivers of ink if they were made by the center/left, and there's very little they don't control.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:41 PM on June 27, 2017 [11 favorites]

The DUP voted with the Tories to beat a Labour amendment that would have ensured a small pay rise to Nurses and Firefighters.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:59 PM on June 28, 2017 [4 favorites]

DUP Wear Suits Covered In £1,000 Notes Into Stormont Negotiations With Sinn Féin
posted by fshgrl at 10:59 PM on June 28, 2017 [3 favorites]

Let's not brush over them defeating the Labour amendment. This followed a day in which they briefed on a relaxation on the 1% pay cap, then briefed against the briefing.
posted by MattWPBS at 1:14 AM on June 29, 2017

...a small pay rise to Nurses and Firefighters.

If only there had been a recent high profile tragedy in the UK's largest city which highlighted the vital contributions made by those two lines of work.
posted by tractorfeed at 1:37 AM on June 29, 2017 [5 favorites]

And in today's "are you trying to make yourself look bad?" news, the first meeting of the Kensington and Chelsea cabinet since Grenfell is going to be held in private.
posted by MattWPBS at 4:34 AM on June 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) doing its best to serve the neighbourhood: Company in charge of Grenfell Tower locks community out of therapy centre
posted by Mister Bijou at 6:15 AM on June 29, 2017 [3 favorites]

Government's trying to avoid a Queen's Speech amendment by offering to fund abortions for NI women centrally.

In NI itself, apparently Stormont is looking to be in trouble when it comes to re-establishing power sharing.
posted by MattWPBS at 6:31 AM on June 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

And it looks as if the government has fled in fear from the prospect of the amendment on abortion funding for NI women in the UK and coughed up the cash to make it go away.

So: Northern Irish women who need to come to the UK for an abortion will now be able to do so free of charge for the procedure. Otherwise, the DUP would have had to vote for an amendment establishing the same, which would... have been interesting.

But the effect's the same, which will doubtless infuriate the godly.
posted by Devonian at 9:15 AM on June 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

The Speaker has told the house that it will no longer be compulsory for gentlemen to wear ties in the chamber, though it sill has to be 'business attire', so you can't just rock up in jeans and t-shirt, mores the pity
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:08 PM on June 29, 2017

1. Rule should be at least one of: tie, wig, or Bermuda shorts
2. Abortions for some, miniature Union Jacks for others?
posted by Huffy Puffy at 1:33 PM on June 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

Its funny, it seems like just yesterday that rich educated English protestant women were shaming Irish Catholic society for not providing abortions on demand. Calling Irish women mad for putting up with it. Its a topsy turvy world.
posted by fshgrl at 2:59 PM on June 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

Jeremy Corbyn sacks three frontbenchers after single market vote
Jeremy Corbyn has sacked three Labour frontbenchers who voted against the party in favour of a Queen’s speech amendment calling for Britain to remain within the customs union and single market.
The Labour leader, who has been emboldened by the general election result, decided to take a tougher approach than after the vote to trigger article 50, when shadow ministers who rebelled were allowed to remain in position.

Just a reminder for any Labour voters who were still under the illusion that the recent general elections would be treated as a Brexit referendum by Labour leadership.
posted by PenDevil at 12:02 AM on June 30, 2017 [6 favorites]

Yep, we're still fucked.
posted by dng at 4:15 AM on June 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

This Richard Seymour article on Labour and Immigration was long but interesting. (Warning: contains Marxist potshots at "liberalism").
posted by TheophileEscargot at 5:33 AM on June 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

OpiniumResearch -- 27 - 29 Jun:

Westminster voting intention:

LAB: 45%
CON: 39%
LDEM: 5%
UKIP: 5%
GRN: 2%

posted by Chrysostom at 10:14 PM on July 1, 2017

I'm starting to feel like all these polls are bad news - the more polls saying the tories are fucked in another election, the more likely they are to hold together behind Theresa while fucking everything up.
posted by Dysk at 5:13 AM on July 2, 2017

That implies there was any other option.
The problem they have is they need to show a less evil side to the voters or face an inevitable rout whenever the election comes.
This is nigh on impossible because they don't have a less evil side and the more they try to manufacture one the more the ideologically pure amongst them will speak out.
posted by fullerine at 11:49 PM on July 3, 2017

I found this ConservativeHome article quite cheering:

But the game changer, that too few are talking about, was Labour’s grassroots campaign machine. which deployed vast numbers of volunteers around the country – outnumbering the Conservatives ten to one in some seats...

They developed their use of social media and IT to marshal their workers, and this approach has also been incorporated into mainstream Labour. A ‘phone banking’ app called ‘Grassroots Now,’ a carpooling app, and other pooling sites such as ‘mynearestmarginal,’ used by 100,000 people, helped activists work together and travel to where they were needed. It’s the old military adage: ‘get there first with the most.’

So on 8th June, Labour were able to put hundreds of activists into key seats where the Tories had 20 or 30 helpers. In Hampstead and Kilburn, Labour had ‘knocked up’ all their potential voters at least twice before 3pm. They did it again after 7pm.

That could be as many as 300 volunteers. There are no specific figures, but talking to various campaigners I would estimate that on polling day, the Conservatives had between 10,000 and 15,000 activists on the ground. Labour had over 70,000.

That is why the polls were wrong. Because most pollsters only counted those ‘certain to vote.’ Labour’s ground army found the uncertain voters and dragged them out. Smart social media is great, but it must be exploited by people who knock on your door, remind you what you think, and tell you where the polling station is.

This is how the money and the media of the right can be beaten.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:11 PM on July 4, 2017 [4 favorites]

We heard the same claim about Obama's victory, and we had started to hear it about Clinton's presumed victory before events overtook it. I think victorious campaigns are indeed often the ones that can summon many supporters, but the cause and effect aren't necessarily easy to distinguish.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:37 PM on July 4, 2017 [5 favorites]

PMQ, 5 July 2017...

Corbyn on form today: "The PM found £1bn to keep her own job, why can't she find the same money for the nurses who help us all?"
posted by Mister Bijou at 5:40 AM on July 5, 2017 [4 favorites]

Soundtrack of My Life: Lord Buckethead

I don't wan't to oversell this... but every one is pure genius.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:21 AM on July 7, 2017 [5 favorites]