OT. The futures Bright, the Futures Brexit!!!

[Trickytreesreds]

Perhaps there is still room for both
The Americans don't find it a problem with ammunition calibres

[swaledale]

We have both, we don't have a problem with miles or pints do we?

[MadAmster]

We have both, we don't have a problem with miles or pints do we?

Give him an inch and he'll take a yard

[Geoff Parkstone]

Apparently there’s an old measure called a ‘Scruple’ which was used by apothecaries and equivalent to twenty grains.
I can’t imagine a less appropriately named unit of measurement being reintroduced by the current government.

Don't forget the barleycorn as a unit of length of around one third of an inch...and we all know John must die - he shouldn't play in the traffic.

Then there is the Butt, a unit of measure which brings me back to Dianne Abbott. And before the pc police chase me off the site, I if course refer to her always being the butt of the joke.

[swaledale]

Then there's the Johnson, a measure of stupidity!!

[Trickytreesreds]

Don't forget the imperial Starmer, used to measure the swing of a pendulum

[MadAmster]

Then there's the Johnson

.... aka the meat of a gent's meat and 2 veg.

[swaledale]

Trust you to lower the tone MA!

My personal joy from Brexit is listening to Brexit supporters moaning about the effects of Brexit that were foreseen and foretold, absolute gas!!

[MadAmster]

Trust you to lower the tone MA!

No tone lowering swale, simply taking on your use of the word that probably best describes the PM.

Looking at the result of the vote yesterday, BJ got 5% less than May did in her vote of confidence "election". She was gone inside 6 months. Her deal was way better for the economy than BJs.

[ramAnag]

No tone lowering swale, simply taking on your use of the word that probably best describes the PM.

Looking at the result of the vote yesterday, BJ got 5% less than May did in her vote of confidence "election". She was gone inside 6 months. Her deal was way better for the economy than BJs.

When around 40% of your own ‘followers’ publicly display no confidence in your ability to lead it’s terminal, imo...MA.
Not before time either, but a sign of our desperate times that the most significant factor in favour of his (temporary) survival is the apparent absence of any credible Tory alternative.

[Andy_Faber]

Just to try to bring this thread back to life, lets see y'all put your minds to a manifesto to recover the country to some sort of normality by the time the next election is called in 2025. Who would you want running the country as PM, what policies would you like to be pushed/dropped, how would you fund it. No fantasies like reversal of Brexit or Labour taking the reins, ie be realistic. I'd be genuinely interested

[ramAnag]

Just to try to bring this thread back to life, lets see y'all put your minds to a manifesto to recover the country to some sort of normality by the time the next election is called in 2025. Who would you want running the country as PM, what policies would you like to be pushed/dropped, how would you fund it. No fantasies like reversal of Brexit or Labour taking the reins, ie be realistic. I'd be genuinely interested

Okay...so in answer to the original question, I wrote - on 4/7/16...8107 posts ago...when Cameron was still (just) PM...

‘A genuine coalition of the best of Labour, the Liberals, the ‘One Nation’ Tories, the Welsh, the SNP and the Greens. Don’t really care who is the leader but my vote would go to such a voice of moderation with policies designed around common sense, compassion, and concern for the well being of the whole of the UK.’

Surprisingly, despite all that has happened since those days in the immediate aftermath of the Referendum, my view remains the same and the only specific additions I’d suggest are rejoining the Single Market and the Customs Union, stop viewing Europe as the ‘enemy’, ensure that any member of the current Cabinet be disqualified from any future attempt at leadership and the placement of an effigy of Boris Johnson in the vicinity of Traitors’ Gate.

Personally I’d also have Farage thrown into the Tower and the keys into the Thames but recognise that that might be unhelpfully divisive.

P.S. I’d also outlaw MP’s behaving like the worst of 1950’s public school brats by banging their desks to signify their agreement as they did (again) in this morning’s Cabinet meeting. It’s loutish, boorish and frankly ridiculous...like a scene from ‘If’.

[Andy_Faber]

Okay...so in answer to the original question, I wrote - on 4/7/16...8107 posts ago...when Cameron was still (just) PM...

‘A genuine coalition of the best of Labour, the Liberals, the ‘One Nation’ Tories, the Welsh, the SNP and the Greens. Don’t really care who is the leader but my vote would go to such a voice of moderation with policies designed around common sense, compassion, and concern for the well being of the whole of the UK.’

Surprisingly, despite all that has happened since those days in the immediate aftermath of the Referendum, my view remains the same and the only specific additions I’d suggest are rejoining the Single Market and the Customs Union, stop viewing Europe as the ‘enemy’, ensure that any member of the current Cabinet be disqualified from any future attempt at leadership and the placement of an effigy of Boris Johnson in the vicinity of Traitors’ Gate.

Personally I’d also have Farage thrown into the Tower and the keys into the Thames but recognise that that might be unhelpfully divisive.

P.S. I’d also outlaw MP’s behaving like the worst of 1950’s public school brats by banging their desks to signify their agreement as they did (again) in this morning’s Cabinet meeting. It’s loutish, boorish and frankly ridiculous...like a scene from ‘If’.

I recall that post rA and apart from being fantasy, its a good stab. I love the idealist in you but we are where we are with the conservatives in power and not likely to share it

I was thinking more along the lines of, lets say, Tobias Elwood as PM and Jeremy Hunt as his 'henchman'/second in command. And there was transparency regarding negotiations with the EU, be they good or bad, and areas of dogma like allowing EU folk to fill resource starved job vacancies like bin men (sorry) baggage handlers etc.

Agree on the archaic practises of the Commons, how DO they get into that childish frame of mind?

[ramAnag]

I recall that post rA and apart from being fantasy, its a good stab. I love the idealist in you but we are where we are with the conservatives in power and not likely to share it

I was thinking more along the lines of, lets say, Tobias Elwood as PM and Jeremy Hunt as his 'henchman'/second in command. And there was transparency regarding negotiations with the EU, be they good or bad, and areas of dogma like allowing EU folk to fill resource starved job vacancies like bin men (sorry) baggage handlers etc.

Agree on the archaic practises of the Commons, how DO they get into that childish frame of mind?

It’s only idealistic because of the self interest which ensures the maintenance of the current system, AF.

Take the current situation...we have one Party with a huge majority who were elected by about 43% of the 67% (I think) who bothered (or were eligible) to vote.
How can that be right...whichever Party benefits?
The system we have is broken and outdated and we have to move towards greater consensus in politics.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Okay...so in answer to the original question, I wrote - on 4/7/16...8107 posts ago...when Cameron was still (just) PM...

‘A genuine coalition of the best of Labour, the Liberals, the ‘One Nation’ Tories, the Welsh, the SNP and the Greens. Don’t really care who is the leader but my vote would go to such a voice of moderation with policies designed around common sense, compassion, and concern for the well being of the whole of the UK.’

Surprisingly, despite all that has happened since those days in the immediate aftermath of the Referendum, my view remains the same and the only specific additions I’d suggest are rejoining the Single Market and the Customs Union, stop viewing Europe as the ‘enemy’, ensure that any member of the current Cabinet be disqualified from any future attempt at leadership and the placement of an effigy of Boris Johnson in the vicinity of Traitors’ Gate.

Personally I’d also have Farage thrown into the Tower and the keys into the Thames but recognise that that might be unhelpfully divisive.

P.S. I’d also outlaw MP’s behaving like the worst of 1950’s public school brats by banging their desks to signify their agreement as they did (again) in this morning’s Cabinet meeting. It’s loutish, boorish and frankly ridiculous...like a scene from ‘If’.

Perhaps surprisingly, I think there is a deal of sense in that position, if we exclude the vindictive levels to which it stoops the further the post goes!

A centrist coalition would be desirable and a Norwegian solution to Brin would have my support IF it was limited to trade and excluded any United States of Europe elements.

But then I think that is probably fantasy as the vested interests would soon tear apart any coalition, so my more radical solution would be to ban all political parties and have a parliaments of (say) 500 representatives elected by STV with no political cause affiliation.

No party donations, no party sponsorships by unions or business or other pressure groups. Well in fact no parties. Each candidate being allocated a part of a central campaign fund, with those not meeting a minimum voter support having to give it back. Individual responsibility for actions in parliament - responsible to the electorate at constituency level direct. You **** up, you're out. Increase MP salaries to more viable levels, abolish expense claims. Hold all meetings on zoom so your MP can stay in his or her constituency

Policies to be put to this parliament by the civil service (sorry stolen an EU Commission concept here) rather than being dreamed up by a cabinet or shadow cabinet and agreed by majority / consensus of the 500 MP's.

So no PM, no cabinet but a forum for agreeing policies proposed by professionals, greater constituency level interaction and accountability and well, who knows, a fresh start from the poison of the two party state.