UK Politics Thread

Heseltine just on Sky News. Called Corbyn a extremely credible candidate for No.10 and said that May needs to go within months.

Ah the DUP... it'll be popcorn time when a deal is struck

http://m.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/david-mcwilliams/watching-dup-play-kingmakers-of-uk-politics-best-done-from-behind-couch-35810561.html

Edited by colemanY2K - 20 Jun 2017 at 5:56pm

Really bizarre times ahead. 

May would have no choice. The ability to form a Government was the only way that she could credibly claim she won the election. Failure to cobble together a government would be the end, and it may not even require backbenchers to revolt to shift her.

pre Madonna wrote: I hope she can cobble something together with the loyal loonballs, a few months of absolute catastrophe before resigning in disgrace would be for the long term good.  Unfortunately, I think she is dealing days and weeks rather than months alright though.

I recall Mary Harney's quip about the worst day in government always being superior to the best day in opposition. The assumption is that any deal with the DUP would be a disaster, but holding the reigns gives a lot more control over the direction of policy, and provides scope for populist policies, giveaway budgets etc, all while appeasing the DUP. And potentially making a success of it from their point of view. If it turns out to run smoothly this would actually favour the Tories, eliminate the need for an election, and allow them to work on starting the process of public amnesia over the next five years.

pre Madonna wrote: Any deal with the DUP will be disaster and is exactly why it won't work, what it will do is show Britain what a shower of lunatics they sent over to us all those years ago and highlight the lengths the Tories will go to stay in government.  The only danger is the damage they could do to Brexit, but it seems double Davy is making a right hash of that without any need for Arlene's help at all!

I hate using a phrase like "wait and see", but the actual deal and the lengths the Tories might go to to retain power might be enough to give such ragbag Government a degree of stability. Particularly if it is just a confidence motion. A fresh election will put an end to it one way or the other.

But if in power they have bought themselves the ultimate bargaining chip, which is the ability to set the policy agenda, which will include populism, giveaways etc which will be designed to seek electoral absolution at some point over the next five years.

The reality is all parties that won seats, won in some aspects of the election, and lost in others, apart from UKIP who lost everything (quite the laugh!). A fresh election is the only answer.

@georgeeaton
John McDonnell: "The Tories need to sort themselves, because when we get into government we will need an effective opposition."

irishmufc wrote: colemanY2K wrote: Tbf to the DUP they are probably the sharpest negotiators in Whitehall atm. They've had plenty of experience Sharpest? I think that crowd of firebrands bigots won the lottery in happening to be currently being more than a mousefart than usual in British politics the last few weeks. Love the fact the most right-wing gutter press have articles in reference to the DUP with questions such as 'Who are they'? . The Unionists must be chewing their teeth that they'll never ever be viewed as British as even Thatcher seen them as 'those people'

Ah come on themselves and sinn fein would make mince meat out of Westminster elite.

fwiw I'm really enjoying this sh*t show