IntenseDebate - Fernando

1 week ago @ http://www.conservativ... - David Gauke: The Covid... · 0 replies · +1 points

David is too superficial and too short-term when listing Johnson's future challenges. The NHS has been shown to be inadequate to the Covid crisis and needs urgent re-organisation and increased funding. Crucial will not be the politician put in charge but the team assembled to devise the changes and then implement them. SAGE needs to be revamped and its remit extended. Lives need to be saved but the cost, upheaval and disruption inflicted on the economy, education of the young and basic freedoms is out of all proportion to the 100k of lives saved. There has to be a better way and this needs to be considered urgently, as 'experts' like Witty are already talking about lockdowns next year.
I'm not gloomy about Johnson meeting the challenge. A good feature is his willingness to pick people who can do the heavy lifting he is unable to undertake himself. The choice of Lord Frost to negotiate the trade agreement is a good example. Truss seems to have assembled a good team around herself. The Treasury is always strong and Sunak is fluent in explaining his policies.
There are significant gaps, however, notably health as already mentioned but also education where Williamson is a complete lightweight.

3 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - WATCH: May - 'I will t... · 5 replies · +1 points

May's intervention is a timely reminder of Starmer's bad judgement. By thinking he could reverse the 2016 referendum result he not only paralysed the Labour Party response to Brexit and antagonised the voters in the old "red wall" seats, but he forfeited the opportunity to keep us in the single market by accepting her deal or even EEA membership. His misjudgment is compounded because his support would have probably split our party and delivered electoral benefits to Labour.
He is a much over-rated politician and his defects become ever more obvious.

3 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Speech of the year: Ke... · 1 reply · +1 points

I have no idea of the situation in America but this division of society into black victims and white oppressors is completely out of date over here. One of my grandchildren has a British and Kenyan heritage. On what side is he supposed to identify.
The young should be helped to develop their characters and taught to aspire; not be held down by stories of oppression.
My grandson will be taught that if he meets prejudice that is only the ignorance of one person and that the vast majority in this country are fair-mined and on his side.

10 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alistair Burt: Global ... · 2 replies · +1 points

Sam, your reply merely strengthens my case. If Corbyn was so dire it should have opened the way for the Libdems, who were brandishing their pro-EU credentials as if they thought it a vote winner. They had good precedents: an unpopular government was defeated in 2010 but the Libdems won 23% of the vote, over 50 seats and emerged as the power-brokers. They did well in the euro elections when few bother to vote. They had won over highly-regarded defectors from Labour and the Conservatives.
But, as I pointed out, they got nowhere. Re-joining the EU was not a vote winner then and it is not now.

10 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alistair Burt: Global ... · 0 replies · +1 points

I'll form a judgement when the event happens.

You, on the other hand, have already decided.

10 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alistair Burt: Global ... · 0 replies · +1 points

Burt can defend himself, but I think all he is saying is that as regards foreign policy there are many issues where our interests and those of our neighbours are closely aligned. I cited a few: over Iran, over the WHO, over the UN and over climate change.

10 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alistair Burt: Global ... · 2 replies · +1 points

He had the whip restored before the election, supported Boris's deal but had already decided to leave the Commons. I hope he is still a Conservative as we need members with his experience and judgement.

10 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alistair Burt: Global ... · 4 replies · +1 points

Were you participating in the same election as the rest of us? The party which definitely wanted to stay in the EU, indeed wanted to revoke our request to leave without a referendum were the Libdems. They managed 23% of the vote in 2010 and regarded themselves as a growing force in 2019 in British politics, picking up recruits from Labour and the Conservatives.
They ended the election with 11% of the vote, one less MP and their leader turfed out of her seat. Where are Umunna, Berger and Gyimah and the big celebrity converts, now?

10 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alistair Burt: Global ... · 5 replies · +1 points

Starmer may be doing well and be miles better than Corbyn, but is he proposing to rejoin? No, he isn't. He wants to move on and not re-open old wounds.

The die-hard Remainers are like the Jacobites, worshipping in their non-juror church, toasting a king over the water, hoping for foreign allies to come to their rescue but an irrelevance to the future of Britain.

10 weeks ago @ http://www.conservativ... - Alistair Burt: Global ... · 0 replies · +1 points

I was merely stating the obvious fact that none of the main UK-wide parties were proposing to rejoin. The last thing Starmer wants to do is re-open the issue. And what would we be rejoining: the eurozone, Schengen - the EU has moved on. There is a good debate to had about the closeness of our relations with the EU but the issue of membership is dead for the next decade at least.

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