Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[mongers]

Can't really blame them for a grim determination to get this over with.

If Brexit happens it's just the start of dealing with Brexit.  It doesn't get anything over with.

People seem to think that the deal has already resolved all the issues, and just placing a signature will magically restore the Empire.

Yep cloud-cuckoo land here now.

[Sheilbh]

Three election leaflets so far. Two Labour, one Worker's Revolutionary Party.

[mongers]

Three election leaflets so far. Two Labour, one Worker's Revolutionary Party.

Other than those, how many others have you delivered?

[The Brain]

SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR CAUSE THIS BURN IS SICK

[Sheilbh]

There's a lot of shadiness going on from the Tory campaign, but this is particularly striking given the earlier conversation about Facebook and political ads:

BBC tells Tories to take down Facebook ad featuring its presenters
Laura Kuenssberg and Huw Edwards footage could damage perception of impartiality, says corporation
Jim Waterson
Thu 28 Nov 2019 19.25 GMT
Last modified on Thu 28 Nov 2019 21.20 GMT

The BBC is demanding the Conservatives take down Facebook adverts featuring footage of its journalists Laura Kuenssberg and Huw Edwards, arguing that their inclusion could damage perceptions of the corporation's impartiality.

The paid-for advert uses footage of the BBC's political editor and the News at Ten host to argue that chaotic debates over Brexit can be avoided if people vote Conservative.

The short clip begins with Kuenssberg saying the words "pointless delay to Brexit", in footage taken from an archive news broadcast. Although the clip gives the impression it was the BBC political editor delivering that judgment, it appears she was actually quoting Boris Johnson's comments from September when he rejected a further extension to article 50.

Her appearance is followed by footage of Edwards – who will host the BBC's election night coverage – intoning that there will be "another Brexit delay", followed by shaky footage of opposition leaders accompanied by threatening music.

The BBC said its footage had been used without permission and asked the Conservatives to stop using the material in this manner. "This is a completely unacceptable use of BBC content which distorts our output and which could damage perceptions of our impartiality. We are asking the Conservatives to remove these adverts," it said.

In common with other intentionally provocative stunts pulled by the Conservatives during this campaign, such as rebranding their press office Twitter account as a fact checker, it is possible the party will welcome any press coverage that focuses attention on its message.

The advert had been running for 24 hours on both Facebook and its sister site Instagram by the time of the BBC's complaint. In this time it had been seen by around a 100,000 people and it remains live. The advert was targeted at older male voters, although it is possible the Conservatives intended to put more money behind it to reach a wider audience.

[Josquius]

It really seems this election they've just accepted they're going to be charged with breaking a bunch of rules and decided the price is a bargain.

[Sheilbh]

I think the bigger issue here is I'm not sure that breaks any rules. It's one of the issues with Facebook and Twitter etc.

[garbon]

The climate debate shenanigans were...odd.

[Syt]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-news-live-boris-johnson-corbyn-andrew-neil-climate-debate-ice-polls-brexit-a9225591.html#post-1180202848

Stanley Johnson has been speaking on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme about the trust issues his son faces.

Replying to one viewer's comment describing the prime minister as "Pinocchio", Johnson Sr. replied: "Pinocchio? That requires a degree of literacy which the great British public doesn't necessarily have."

Asked what he meant, he said: "They couldn't spell Pinocchio if they tried, I should have thought."

Turning more serious he says: "I think it is utterly absurd and wrong that you can read out, on air, a tweet, coming in from one of your readers, on air, that calls the prime minister a liar. I think it's amazing you can do that."

Video: https://twitter.com/VictoriaLIVE/status/1200360662674763776?s=20

[Duque de Bragança]

BoJo does Macron-style elitism, nice! 

[Syt]

EDIT: Sorry, turns out this is old news from 2015:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/workers-under-25-dont-deserve-living-wage-because-theyre-not-as-productive-says-tory-minister-a6683851.html

[Richard Hakluyt]

Hancock is a blithering idiot, comparable to Grayling.

[Sheilbh]

That might not be fair. I know a few people who've worked with him or his team while he was at DCMS and at Health (on the tech/data side) and they've all said he's pretty good and clearly on the detail.

I'm not convinced even Mrs Grayling would say that about Chris.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Ok, I suppose I am judging him on election campaign type appearances, which hardly show the best side of anyone.

[Sheilbh]

Fair. And Grayling is the Nureyev of incompetence so I'd only use that comparison for an enormous fuck up.