Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Admiral Yi]

I'm not bothered about Raab at all but I dislike that the law apparently defines bullying with reference to the feelings of the recepient rather than objectively

Amen

[Josquius]

So. Abbot suspended from labour.

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-04-23/diane-abbott-has-labour-whip-suspended-after-comments-after-racism-letter

It really seems she pulled a serious Corbyn. If you squint then I can see how what she said was technically true, but the way she said it, the fact she even said it, was just an unforced error.

Nonetheless I totally get the wailing and gnashing off the far left. If you're so inclined to see conspiracy everywhere it does seem they're being picked off one by one.

Given how unjustly* reviled Abbot is by fascists there's all sorts of angles on this one.  It should play well with apolitical people but will they even be voting? Will this be have much impact on far left voters or did they already throw a strop and decide better a pure opposition than a non evil incompetent government?



*I'm not a fan. She's a bit crap. But the amount she gets is just insane. They still keep going on about that one time she fluffed her numbers a decade ago. Obvious racism at work.

[garbon]

She knew better.

[Tamas]

Now see, she would not have got into any trouble for this in the olden times when neither Jews nor Irish were considered white. 

[Sheilbh]

I quite like Abbott but I agree with Garbon, she knew better - not least because a big chunk of what is, I think, the largest Hasidic community in Europe is in her constituency. Worth noting that averaged out, her constituency has about two anti-semitic incidents reported to the police every week.

Less relevant to her constituency, but on most measures like education, poverty etc, the Irish Traveller Community are at the very bottom.

Also I think her "it was just an early draft" defence was not great, if anything it makes it worse.

Slightly intrigued that the Observer just published it as a letter and only published an article on it once others picked it up as problematic.

[Gups]

God only knows what she was trying to achieve.

[Admiral Yi]

Less relevant to her constituency, but on most measures like education, poverty etc, the Irish Traveller Community are at the very bottom.

Do they send their kids to school?  Do they get day jobs?

[Josquius]

Less relevant to her constituency, but on most measures like education, poverty etc, the Irish Traveller Community are at the very bottom.

Do they send their kids to school?  Do they get day jobs?

The Blacks?

[Admiral Yi]

The Blacks?

What about them?

[Josquius]

The Blacks?

What about them?

Just saying to imagine asking this kind of question about another ethnic group, for instance black people.

Travellers like any other group have good people and bad people. Yet quite uniquely with them it's seen as totally fine to dismiss the entire group as represented by their scummiest scum bags.

[Admiral Yi]

Just saying to imagine asking this kind of question about another ethnic group, for instance black people.

Travellers like any other group have good people and bad people. Yet quite uniquely with them it's seen as totally fine to dismiss the entire group as represented by their scummiest scum bags.

*imagines*

When some of those people who dismiss the entire group as represented by their scummiest scum bag we should give them a stern talking too.

Shelf suggested that their low educational attainment and poverty was a result of discrimination.  I suggested in response that some or all of those results might be explained by their life choices.

[crazy canuck]

The product of the US education system, fully on display.

[Sheilbh]

Meanwhile in Scotland, after reports over the weekend Yousaf has had to deny that he has ever used a burner phone and state that he never heard people in the party talking about burner phones (though he pushed on defining it a little bit):
https://twitter.com/stvnews/status/1650601477214294016

Edit: The reports are that the police are investigating use of them - as well as more suspicious (but reassuringly low rent) purchases such as luxury pens, fancy kitchenware and a fridge freezer.

Edit: Again feel that as continuity candidate he probably didn't expect he'd be here saying "well it depends on your definition of 'burner phone's

[mongers]

Meanwhile in Scotland, after reports over the weekend Yousaf has had to deny that he has ever used a burner phone and state that he never heard people in the party talking about burner phones (though he pushed on defining it a little bit):
https://twitter.com/stvnews/status/1650601477214294016

Edit: The reports are that the police are investigating use of them - as well as more suspicious (but reassuringly low rent) purchases such as luxury pens, fancy kitchenware and a fridge freezer.

Edit: Again feel that as continuity candidate he probably didn't expect he'd be here saying "well it depends on your definition of 'burner phone's

Shelf, something you may like, the BBC has dedicated a whole new podcast series to Nicola Sturgoen:

Nicola Sturgeon

 

[Tamas]

From Huw Pill, of Bank of England (Chief Economist, I think?): People in UK 'need to accept' tey are poorer.

I'll resist the "tough pill to swallow" jokes and just say this is 9/10 on the "shut up already, peasants" scale.