Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

My parents had very reasonable jobs as Dad was in the Royal Navy and Mum worked in the Civil Service for the last 20 years of her working life before she has to retire early because of ill health.

l can assure you they are not well off as they have to budget everything just like our household does.

whether someone is 49 , 68 . 80 or whatever age they are its only a age at the end of the day and it does not make a iota of difference at the end of the day.

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

I am sure you are right, Den, and the majority of people are certainly not well off in old age.

However, to see some of the posts on here you would think that pensioners were slimy, child eating monsters cashing in at the expense of the younger generation. I think these ageists need to look at how much the old age pension actually is and wonder whether they could live on that.

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

George Orwell would have be proud of you. Respinning a discussion based on objective facts into pearl clutching outrage. Bravo ..

The temporary diversion of the relative disparity of the Baby Boomer generation's wealth & advantage was never about the individual. To make it one, as some have tried to so, is disingenuous. Discussions of trends on a macro scale can never be defined by individual case studies.

BTW, I think this diversion away from the topic of Mr Johnson is at an end?

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

I think a lot of young people feel that the pension, that they don't expect to get, should be high for old people. You don't find any of the parties that younger people support supporting a reduction in the state pension.

What they're angry about is that the government doesn't do anything to address the economic problems of younger people. In fact the Government makes those problems worse but cutting as much as possible from jobseekers allowance for the under-25s, tripling tuition fees and prioritising protecting property values rather than increase the supply.

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

That's why Boris is preparing for a no deal Brexit.

They won't be doing EU countries any favours by continuing that stance. Ah, well, at least we will have overcome the backstop stalemate.

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

You forgot to add the important part that Johnson told the EU that he will not talk to them unless the backstop is removed:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...scrap-backstop

In fact, the Leavers pulling Johnson's strings are quite brazen about it:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...enario-eu-told

This whole deal spin is just a sham. Those who control the PM just want the ruinous No Deal. Nothing else. In fact the ERG are quite open about it:

Mark Francois says ERG will vote down Withdrawal Agreement even if Boris Johnson gets rid of the backstop

So even if the EU cave in which is unlikely, the ERG would impose their vision of hell on this country.

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

In today’s Times

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b...TM_1Imag_CR1_2

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

By what convention can a PM be removed if they refuse to acknowledge losing the confidence of Parliament?

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

Just what I was wondering..

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

Seems fair enough. Mr Speaker and his allies have played fast and loose with convention often enough over the last few months. They should have realised the chickens would come home to roost eventually. When you work in a system that is governed so extensively by convention, then you can’t afford to try to pick and choose the conventions you respect and the ones you’re prepared to bend or break to suit your agenda. There is no written statute that compels Her Majesty’s Prime Minister to resign following a lost no confidence vote; choosing instead to remain PM until after the outcome of a general election may not have the same weight of convention behind it, but then we’ve been led to believe convention is quite flexible, especially when it’s inconvenient.

I think the reality is, there is going to have to be a general election right after Brexit anyway. Bojo’s Commons majority is barely workable as it is and might be expected to vanish well before 2022. With the Brexit Party neutralised and the possibility of some of the pro-EU uber-rebels getting deselected, it’s as good a time as any for him to go all in.

It would appear that’s the plan anyway. His grand tour of the UK followed by NHS spending announcements looks suspiciously like the opening salvo of an election campaign.

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

Thing is though I'm not sure that's how it works:

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk...ral-elections/
So there isn't actually a requirement for the PM to resign, as it's a no confidence vote against the whole Government.

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

But in this case they're saying even if a 'Government of National Unity' is formed, i.e Parliament has confidence in a different Government, he would refuse to acknowledge that. Until there is a Government the last PM remains but if Parliament says 'Hey, this is the government and this is who leads it' what compels the last PM to go?

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

Time for the Roundheads to reform and assert Parliamentary democracy. Boris' head on a stake at Traitors gate I should think ;)

Re: [Update 2] PM Boris forms a government
 

Appointing the PM is the Queen’s job, having taken advice as to who is most likely to command the confidence of the Commons. The PM, plus whoever s/he appoints as a minister, is the government. All the Commons can do is vote to express its confidence on the government. It cannot hire or fire a government.

In fact, the FTPA’s effect here would appear to be to strengthen Boris’ hand in staying in post for 14 days, enduring a second lost confidence vote and then seeing a general election triggered. As long as the election date falls after 31 October, he gets his wish.