Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Thank you.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

An interesting counter point:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The former American Green Card holder has his eyes on the prize.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

A free trade deal wth the US? :D

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Yes but the trade is only one way and it is just for him and his family

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Indeed, an FOM deal for his family after the next election. As a financier, he knows about hedging his bets. ;)

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Not quite sure what you mean here. He had/has a Green card and was/is clearly planning to move to the US when he can. This clearly demonstrates his commitment to this country and its citizens. He really doesn't give a toss about the UK.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

One large piece of evidence supports Ian. Sunak donated $3m to a US college, not a British one. However, it was 2018 so he might have changed his mind on a future relocation. His Party is unlikely to win the next election so will he be comfortable sitting on the Opposition benches?

In terms of competence, Sunak is the most competent PM we've had for some time - head and shoulders above May and Johnson.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I’m not sure he’s more competent than May, someone who was dealt a hand like a foot in poker parlance.

However his loyalties are clearly in doubt. On a personal level and the family business.

Theresa May spoke off the country she loved in her farewell speech. She’s not a liar or a crook. She just didn’t have the loyalty of the most despicable, spineless cretins who have ever assembled to represent the Conservative Party!

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I think the Bank of England would have a strong view on her competence v Sunak's given they had to save the economy after the disastrous mini budget. But I agree she's not a liar or crook and probably had better intentions than many of her peers.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

It was only a few days ago one of the forum's members was preaching to us on how well the economy was performing. Today's news will put Sunak under more pressure and won't endear the government to mortgage holders.

I'm pleased we're not in a recession but I hope for that member's sanity he does not see today's news:

https://news.sky.com/story/another-s...-high-12906709

https://news.sky.com/story/no-decrea...t-8-7-12906181

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Debt at 101% of GDP. Turns out there is a magic money tree if you are a bank, a big 6 energy firm, Baroness Mone or Matt Hancock’s pub landlord.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Interest rates going up further is going to be brutal. Anyone on a variable rate or whose fixed term is expiring this or next are going to be hit hard. :(

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The good news is capitalism has the answer. Force a recession to shift the burden onto the poorest and those in the most precarious work.

The game is up.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I think debt levels reaching 100% of GDP, high inflation stuck at 8.7% and mortgage rates exceeding 6% show we are nowhere near being in a better place than in 2009!

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Indeed dropping interest rates was a weapon to stimulate the economy and finance the bank bailouts. No such silver bullet here.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Are you aware of the difference between the debt and the deficit?

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Irrelevant.

A debt level of 100% of GDP is highly problematic in its own right, and has implications for the way potential lenders perceive us as a risk as we seek to borrow more in future. Eliminating the deficit is of course a prerequisite for reducing the debt, however with the debt being so high to begin with, the pain induced by the measures required to reduce it may be significant.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I love the way this is presented as if the Tories after a decade of austerity had an answer to either :rofl:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Yes but as Chris says, irrelevant.

Are you aware of the similarities? I'll save you the time - they're both high and increasing!
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/gover...36.2%20billion.

Is that doubling of the budget deficit what you mean by "under control"? :confused:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Peston laying it all out: real wages falling and need to fall even more! Unemployment needs to go up.

We can’t have the metropolitan elites having to downsize and the property bubble burst can we.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I wonder if they'll hike rates by .25% or .5% tomorrow? They might feel like they need to do something drastic.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Rumours are of a modest 0.25% tomorrow with the strong likelihood of a larger rise in August.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

They should just go full Bhuna 1%. If they are going to crash the system might as well get it over with. It’s already priced into mortgages anyway.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

This is starting to get quite funny.

22% of people need certifying though. Where would we put them all? Rwanda?

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Unlike you. Grow up. :rolleyes:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

:LOL:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The lies about 'levelling up' and brexit have finally taken their toll...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...e/#16879419629

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Still 18 months to go until the General Election. Don’t give yourself a heart attack with all that excitement.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

:rofl:

18 months with all the money spaffed up the wall. I can’t wait to hear what plans they have to turn it round. CCHQ give you any intel or just lines to parrot?

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Old Boy knows that whilst Starmer is dreaming of No 10, the current incumbent PM is dreaming of somewhere else. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-aK6JnyFmk

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Hope springs eternal l suppose...

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Hard to see how the Tories could turn it around but it's possible. This isn't 1997 Labour and the polling on Starmer is basically 'meh, he'll do' rather than anyone being enthusiastic.

But the problem is the Tories have little to point at for the last 14 years. When the election comes there will be high NHS waiting lists still, probably still people in economic difficulty even if inflation and interest rates might be on their way down, police don't turn up to every break-in still, Brexit is now polling as unsuccessful even in Leave areas and Sunak is less popular than Starmer anyway.

What will change?

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Add on the powwrful narrative of its time for a change when governments have been in power for a long time and that nothing is actually working anymore and is unlikely that will change anytime soon then one would think HMG is hoping for a miracle.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

https://www.theguardian.com/business...water-collapse

More corporate socialism coming at the expense of the taxpayer.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The great water privatisation rip off, l think we have been here before sadly.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

No need to restrict that to water. Energy competition hasn’t meaningfully reduced prices with the big providers acting as a cartel. Telecoms isn’t much better - much of the underlying competition is stimulated, and unattractive rollout requires state subsidy in any case.

Don’t even start me on the train operating companies :rofl:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

That'll be the NHS that had record approval rating when they inherited it, safe in their hands ffs, who in their right mind will ever believe them again?

Temporary nationalisation, what does that mean, the taxpayer picks up the bill and then it gets sold of on the cheap again to friends and donors, feck that, let the shareholders who have made of like bandits for 30 years pick up the pieces

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Yes, the last election was won on ABC - Anyone But Corbyn. Next year it's looking to be Anyone But Conservatives.

The Conservative Party has had a gruelling 14 years in office marked by in-fighting over Europe and a decline in the country's prosperity, public services and international standing.

Apart from some major sporting success and economic miracle, I think the Conservative's election fate is sealed.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

No argument here. A Torygraph link would have been better.

Canadians and Kuwaitis own Thames waters. A corrupt company, filling our rivers and sea with sewage....12billion in the red.

Did they pay dividends the last 5 years? or not. I got conflicting reports.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The thing that never fails to amaze me is that so many people are content that they are being ripped off. If you had a payslip deduction labelled "Payment to Water/Train/Energy Company Shareholders", you'd be livid yet for years that is what has been has been (indirectly) happening.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Unfortunately in Wales we have drakeford and his cronies, controlling , what every one eats , drinks and slowing down traffic so much so I was overtaken by two push bikes today.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Decades of propaganda has gone into the fallacy of the “efficiency” of the private sector, and the pretence that four or five companies or providers constitutes a genuinely free market as opposed to a cartel.

Sure there were probably some immediate efficiencies. However fundamentally cutting costs means cutting wages or cutting corners. Ploughing excrement into the sea a classic example of the latter.

The energy companies are enjoying their windfalls. Now it’s the banks having their turn. Essentially the wealth of the nation - declining - is being extracted. Trickle up economics.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Pretty much, its not that peope want really labour, its more a case of they want someone other than the conservatives, and they dont want the liberals, or any of the mior crackpot parties, so its labour by default.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The “good” news is by the time Sir Keir has pandered to Murdoch and u-turned on about every commitment he’s ever made he will basically be Tory.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I don't think they did last year...

As far as the vast majority of us are concerned, so what

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/...-b1091238.html

Water companies preparing for the next government.

Keen to keep the gravy and human excrement flowing at the expense of the Great British public.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

:rofl:

Presumably the one who forwarded the email …

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Rule one of emails - once it’s sent, assume the whole world will be able to see it; don’t say anything you can’t defend in public…

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I did a couple of contracts for the civil service in the mid noughties and very quickly learned the art of the conversation on the stairs. It’s an actual thing.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Even the Johnson trick of using WhatsApp wouldn't have been much better if you've got a potential leak. ;)

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Same in local government, particularly when discussing the latest FOI or EIR request form a particularly vociferous local action group (though these days it's more often than not by phone - nearest thing to stairs in the modern remote working world).

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

You’d think she would have learned a lesson from when she was in charge at Openreach and was heard to describe older employees who’d been there a fair few years as dinosaurs.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Tories face biggest by-election defeat in British history in Nadine Dorries seat
Survey by Opinium finds Labour would overturn a 24,664 Conservative majority in Mid Bedfordshire, held by the Tories since 1931

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...iftigniter-rhr

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The residents of Mid Beds would be better off with a tortoise as MP than Nadine.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

She's just used the role cynically as a cash point. Any MP making half an effort there for the constituency would be an upgrade, whatever their party.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Ooh…. I’ve come a cropper to the “reply to all” a few times……………

Sometimes you just have to style it out.

Recall email, doesn’t work, never has, never will.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Lol, ditto.

Every time you see a "recalled email", it's normally worth reading.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

What left wing rag can I pick this comment piece up in today?

Ah yes, the Daily Telegraph.

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%...t-defend-it%2F

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Not one but two buts of good news today for Sunak.
https://news.sky.com/story/sue-gray-...finds-12913803

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/la...crisis-2448872

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Westminster tittle tattle, won’t resonate with the man on the street, must happen all the time, revolving door etc. etc etc.

Insert other generic sentences to downplay.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Starmer's (and Labour's) approach of always shouting "something must be done" without ever expanding on what they would do when in power is very tiresome.

They'll win in 2025, no doubt, but the margin of victory is still there to be fought for.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Agreed.

As to how many Conservative MPs have the fight in them remains to be seen - many are standing down.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Starmer might not have any ideas but he’s up against 14 years worth of bad ones.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Add to that the colossal shitshow the Conservatives have made of this country where nothing works anymore many voters l would imagine would be pretty happy to vote for a sober boring politician rather then the clowns this country has elected these past few years.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

What are the positive Conservative legacies since David Cameron took power? I appreciate that some of politics is luck but the Conservatives tenure has not just been during the two years of Covid.

Some that come to mind are ironically quite woke: introduction of same-sex marriage, a record number of ethically diverse MPs, a legally-binding target of Net Zero emissions by 2050, sales of petrol/diesel-only vehicles banned from 2030 and revoking Thatcher's bus deregulation by allowing regional transport authorities to manage bus routes like TfL does in London.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Be fair Andrew they've just come up with a cracking new wheeze... Cutting the number of visas for care workers. Too many of these types coming over here and caring for our increasingly geriatric nation.

RIP The Brains Trust, formerly known as the Conservative Party...

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

One thing for sure about this Government is that it’s very ethically diverse. But I’m not sure it’s a good thing. :rofl:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Michael Gove's sh*t cake is on the making, I can smell it.

We have been accused that we abnormally produced too much sh*t.
See attached.

Can we go lower? We are a laughing stock of a country.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

If there’s a country that can go any lower on any meaningful barometer I’d back the United Kingdom every time.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Rishi Sunak is facing yet another by-election this morning after the Parliament's standards watchdog has published the findings of an inquiry into groping allegations against former government whip Chris Pincher..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-66115262

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The trouble is that the Tories announce all sorts of new initiatives but seldom manage to put a useful deadline and on any they do they then conveniently forget about them before being forced to announce a new initiative.They never get to an end point.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

1 in 4, it's scary.
Some of these people might be on the streets...:shocked:

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Move away from the moderate centre ground of British politics to the increasingly extreme politics of the right wing is it any wonder their poll ratings are utterly desperate.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Retired homeowners with inflation linked pensions are rolling in it right now relatively isolated from the economic chaos.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The Government don't have an answer to the more systematic problems the country is facing. They can't do much about inflation, they can't turn around the economy with an easy fix and they can't do anything quick about the NHS having underfunded it for a decade. In hindsight, I think not taking advantage of historically low-interest rates to actually invest in the country and capital projects and instead choosing austerity will be seen as a massive blunder.

So instead they're focusing on culture war issues.

Their polling rates are bad because people are seeing their mortgages spike, the price of their food shop increasing each month, big waiting lists for the NHS and people dying because an ambulance can't get there in time and the Government is telling them not to worrying because they're clamping down on children identifying as a cat.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...abour-shortage

Oh dear, oh dear. A labour shortage.

We truly have a Government determined to drive down living standards and balance the economy by breaking the backs of hard working Brits in the process.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I would say a few of the threads you've started are definitely leaning very to the right. Might not be extremely right but what are you going to suggest when you can stop cultural change (un-whitening??) in the country.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

We all know what extreme right wing politics is. Don’t act dumb.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

At risk of falling foul of that well known internet law. The obvious reference point is the Nazis. If one walks through the Topographie des Terrors in Berlin there’s an exhaustive account of how propaganda was used to divide the population, against Jews, against travellers, against homosexuals, against the disabled. Anyone not determine or be of pure blood. Divisive rhetoric to distract the population.

100 years on the groups might have changed but the MO I’d the same.

We know what the extreme right is. That’s not the question. It’s whether the shoe fits.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I don't think anyone is claiming that's precisely where they are. However, given. they've parked their tanks firmly on fighting the next election on culture wars there are some parallels.

Although, given their political and economic incompetence, I will concede there's nowhere else for them to fight the next election.

Multiculturalism wasn't a problem for the decades of conservative rule that they've used migration to drive down living standards. Indeed, even on this very day, a Minister in His Majesty's Government is calling for more migration on work visas from the European Union from which our population (emphatically, so I'm told) voted to reject.

When will the Conservatives pick up that mandate from the Great British people and take us to these sunlit uplands? The high-wage, high skill economy we were all promised. Can't our own businesses show entrepreneurial spirit without them?

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Of course there's evidence for this. They literally stand there in front of podiums inscribed with the words "stop the boats".

Whether immigration is too high (or not) the pretence that the entire demographics of this country is changing due to those that got off boats - as opposed to permitted migration - which is hundreds of thousands above Conservative Party targets per year - is at best disingenuous and at worst dangerous.

The enforcement of law and order in this country has little to do with the problems in France. Although the 2011 London riots might demonstrate weaknesses that could be exploited.

What do you say to those hard working Brits working in those sectors George Eustice deems not worthy of a pay rise and instead we should import people to do the jobs for less?

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I wholeheartedly agree. That will remain the focus of my attention and not the small thousands of people entering the country illegally - as they always have done - there isn't anything special about the 2023 intake except they've been scapegoated by a rudderless Government.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

2022 - 1.2 million immigrants entered the U.K. 46K illegally via small boats. 3%.

They should be stopped but they’re not the problem.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

The cynic in me thinks the Conservatives make more political capital out of not solving the problem.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

That can't be right, we were promised it would be in the tens of thousands and george useless wants even more

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

They are clearly a problem that needs to be grasped firmly, and Labour will not stop the flow.

We need firm laws in place to send illegal migrants back and ensure that we only allow those in that have the skills we need or are fleeing persecution in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

We do have a labour force shortage at present, which means we need to train our own people up in those areas so that they can replace those who have left, hopefully paying them more as well (which comes from the labour shortage, exactly as Brexiteers planned). At the same time, we need to stop people taking advantage of our generous benefits system.

Clearly, if we still have a shortage in any specific areas, we then need to open the way to foreigners with those skills to come into this country.

There has been a deliberate false message being passed around by remainers, the Opposition parties and the bleeding heart liberals that Brexiteers wanted to stop migration due to racial prejudice. This is not so. Brexiteers were merely asking for control of immigration to the levels this country can cope with.

---------- Post added at 12:46 ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 ----------

Why do you think the Illegal Migration Bill is going through Parliament? Surely, you weren’t expecting the government to break the law, were you?

You know perfectly well that we need the legal change put in place before we can deal with the people smugglers in a more effective way.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

Then what do you have to say to George Eustice’s plan for blanket work visas for under 35s, regardless of what skills someone has? Unfettered freedom of movement to drive down working conditions and living standards for hard working Brits?

I trust you will show objectivity and condemn this proposal for not being consistent with our Brexit ambition. :rofl:

They’re playing you for a mug, OB.

Where is the plan to reduce this migration considering we are rubber stamping an eye-watering one million migrants PER YEAR!

This country is supposedly at breaking point, and the Tories aren’t going to do a thing as long as the gravy train keeps flowing for their donors.

---------- Post added at 12:49 ---------- Previous post was at 12:47 ----------

That would be the migration bill that is illegal. They can engineer all kids of grievance that mugs will lap up blaming lawyers and judges for actually upholding the law by blocking it.

The proposals, even if they were legal, only apply to those who are here and get caught. It does nothing to stop boats.

Re: The Chronicles of Rishi
 

I do not support what Eustice said, of course I don’t. I have no idea where he was coming from if he has been reported correctly and this is not government policy.

The plan is the Illegal Migration Bill, and that will remove the incentive for people to come here. The migrants will know they will be sent directly back to their country and where that would mean danger for them or where there are no alternative arrangements in place, they will be off to Rwanda.

Why would they want to cough up all that money and risk their lives to come to a country that will simply oik them out again within a week or so? It will break the model used by the people smugglers and Labour has no plan to do so.

The Bill is not illegal as long as the appeal the government has lodged is successful. If it is not, then we will need to adjust our position vis a vis the ECHR. Then it will be legal.

I do sense, jfman, that you tend to think that existing laws and barriers can never be tackled to achieve change. But change to our immigration laws is what people want and so the government has a legitimate aspiration to put these new arrangements in place.