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rockinjoeco · 5 years

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The Stigma from the Media

In the wake of the tragic suicide of former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack, the topic of mental health has become more vital and sensitive than ever. It shouldn’t have to take a tragic suicide for people to start thinking about how they impact other people’s mental health, but it seems that’s where we are now. I could preach to people about thinking about mental health, etc, but it appears that in the wake of Brexit, those days where a majority of British people are kind appears to be over. If we are to tackle mental health stigma, then we need to get to quite possibly the key architect behind this stigma and influencing a toxic attitude on society; the media.

The media is a very powerful tool in our society and unfortunately it’s been proven so by influencing a poisonous culture on everyone. Is it any coincidence that dumbed down, exploitive outlets like tabloid newspapers are the most-read newspapers during a time when, as proven with Brexit and the election, that maybe a majority of the British public aren’t as intelligent as we’d like them to be. This isn’t an assessment I’ve made because an election result didn’t go the way I wanted. We all know about the problems caused by the Tory government, like many people being forced into poverty because of austerity and universal credit, how a knife crime epidemic started because of police cuts made by the government and we all know the billions of pounds wasted on Brexit, which I’m still yet to hear any logical reason as to why that’s a good idea, leaving the NHS to be underfunded. Yet the conservatives won the election by an overwhelming majority despite the hardship that they’ve caused for a lot of British people. Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party may not had been the formidable challenger to Boris Johnson as many would had liked, but Corbyn would have been more likely to fund the NHS and help those in poverty than Johnson. The theory is still that the media won Boris Johnson the election with a smear campaign against Corbyn, although the antisemitism allegations weren’t a complete fantasy. The media spouted propaganda to manipulate the public rather than being unbiased like any insightful journalist, and unfortunately too many people were gullible to believe some of the wild speculation they reported.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to retire from royal duties, there was outrage amongst the public, but there were still people like myself who knew that the media treatment they had received was a major reason behind this. In the wake of Caroline Flack’s death, it’s a tragic summary of their brutal treatment of public figures and how it can seriously harm their mental health. The media relentlessly report on celebrities’ private lives, usually against their will, but for what reason? The private lives of celebrities isn’t exactly need-to-know information and doesn’t boast any insight into anything. It’s just a money-making scheme to sensationalise the most insignificant of events so the gullible and ignorant people can absorb themselves into. What we know now is the harm it does to the people that the news articles are about. Of course those in the media have branded Prince Harry and Meghan Markle selfish for stepping out of the media spotlight as an effort to excuse their abhorrent pursuit of them. They still make excuses for the car crash that killed Princess Diana in Paris back in 1997 and state that she was killed because the driver was intoxicated, but just before the crash, paparazzi were chasing the car that Diana was in and so it must be argued that the media had a part to play in the horrific car crash. The media are so powerful that they can get away with anything, even murder it seems.

We can debate about whether Love Island is a good tv show, and whether newspapers like The Sun, Daily Mirror and Daily Mail are good newspapers, but what must be talked about is whether or not they’re harmful. Let’s not forget that that two Love Island contestants, Sophie Gordon and Mike Thalassitis, also tragically took their own lives last year. Whether Love Island played any part in Caroline Flack’s suicide is up for debate, but surely the TV show should be under more intense scrutiny than ever, especially as questions about whether it damages someone’s mental health. Also last year, a guest on the Jeremy Kyle Show, Steve Dymond, took his own life and the show was cancelled as a result. For Love Island to not only continue, but add a winter series after two of their previous guests committed suicide raises a lot of questions and shows that ITV put ratings before the well-being of their participants. The media has now become more of a weapon, especially looking at Piers Morgan’s merciless vendetta against Meghan Markle and Jameela Jamil, all because he finds them irritating. Not because they’re criminals or because they’ve done any kind of wrongdoing. The phone hacking scandal by the News of the World demonstrates how certain media outlets have become weaponised to intrude public figures for the means of getting a story. Piers Morgan has frequently dismissed mental health awareness by stating that those who speak out are just ‘wallowing in self-pity’ and are ‘virtue-signalling berks’. If anybody else had tweeted that, they’d probably get in trouble at work, maybe even sacked. The fact that ITV haven’t punished Piers Morgan in any way shows contempt from the network as well as Morgan in regards to mental health and this is why there is still so much stigma around mental health. As someone with anxiety and depression, the media, especially ITV, is why I’ve suffered in silence for so many years.

Social media has also become more harmful than ever too. It has become a tool for users to harass and abuse people, especially celebrities. The cancel culture on social media is so brutal. Taylor Swift spoke out about how social media had impacted her when, following a public falling out with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, the hashtag #taylorswiftisover trended for days on Twitter and it was like being told to kill yourself and Twitter users were likening a human being to a TV show and they could just be killed off if they’re not how the public wants them to be like. Meghan Markle has also been victim of savage abuse on social media, as she admitted on ITV last September, and Lily Allen quit Twitter days after the General Election as she said that Twitter ‘gives a voice to the far-right’ and that it is used to ‘spread disinformation and lies’. When celebrities give their political opinion on twitter or if a news story has that sort of thing, the comments on twitter can contain people saying things like ‘stop talking’ or ‘stick to acting’, which is killing democracy in our country. Are celebrities not entitled to an opinion? Why are they less allowed to have their say than any non-famous person on social media? Nobody has to agree with them, but they have the right to an opinion, just like we are.

ITV has always been a poisonous institution, as any company which keeps Piers Morgan in a job would prove to be. Caroline Flack was forced to resign from Love Island following her assault charge on her boyfriend Lewis Burton, but many have pointed out that Ant McPartlin was allowed to keep his job at ITV when he was convicted of drink-driving, arguably a more serious offense than the one that Caroline was charged with. Because of McPartlin’s popularity, you could say that he is untouchable and can get away with almost anything, even if he did cause death by dangerous driving, ITV will still keep him on because he generates ratings, and that’s what comes first with ITV. The moment when Philip Schofield came out as gay on This Morning was a heartwarming moment and was seen as brave and inspiring to express your sexuality in the way Schofield did. Those inspiring moments are too few on ITV, especially looking at the suicides of their participants. Something at that company is wrong and their mental health campaigns seem redundant now. ITV care so much about ratings that it wouldn’t surprise me if they announced an autumn and spring series in addition to Love Island.

Caroline Flack said back in December; ‘if you’re going to be anything, be kind’. It shouldn’t have to take a tragic suicide for people to start being kind, but Britain has become a less tolerant and more crueller country than ever, especially in the wake of Brexit. People are so quick to pounce whenever a celebrity makes any kind of mistake, like all human beings do, and berate them in the most brutal way possible. While it is important to be kind, we still have to be brutally honest on important matters like mental health and we must get to the source of where it stems from; media corporations like tabloid newspapers and ITV. I, like many other people, hope that action is taken against the media for all the harm that they have caused people, because the media have too much blood on their hands.

#caroline flack #love island #itv #piers morgan #philip schofield #this morning #mental health #royal family #prince harry #meghan markle #taylor swift #lily allen #general election #brexit

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berniesrevolution · 6 years

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JACOBIN MAGAZINE

American leftists are stuck in a conundrum. On the one hand, our two major parties are dominated by corporate interests — including the Democrats, who are currently tasked with (and failing to) meet the challenge of opposing the openly reactionary and wealth-worshipping Republicans.

On the other, our country’s laws governing third parties are the most restrictive of any established democracy, making ballot-line challenges to the two major, corporate-dominated parties arduous, if not impossible. We seem doomed to either quixotic, ineffectual third-party challenges, or getting sucked into the conservatizing force field of the Democratic Party.

In a 2016 article, Jacobin executive editor Seth Ackerman proposed another way. He argued for creating an independent organization that functions in key ways like parties in other countries around the world, with an official membership, a binding platform, and clear mechanisms to ensure fealty to that platform from candidates and officeholders running under the organization’s banner — all things the Democratic Party currently lacks.

The issue of whether to run on the Democratic ballot line or something else, he argued, should be secondary: left candidates should run as independents when it makes sense to and Democrats when it doesn’t. But our principal concern should be creating that party-like organization — not what’s listed on a ballot line.

In the wake of successful challenges to the Democratic Party leadership by insurgent candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the explosion in membership of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Daniel Denvir of Jacobin’s The Dig podcast spoke with Ackerman about the ideas in that article and the path forward. You can subscribe to Jacobin Radio here.

Daniel Denvir:

Your article “Blueprint for a New Party” argues that the institutional nature of American electoral politics is such that we have to think beyond this debate that we’ve had forever on the Left about whether we need a third party or should work to transform the Democratic Party.

The way we do that, you argue, is by building a militantly democratic and independent party-type organization, while opportunistically hijacking the Democratic Party ballot line when we need to. Explain what the problem is with the American electoral system and what your solution is.

Seth Ackerman:

The American electoral system is off the charts in its uniqueness, structure, and institutional setup — to the point that almost all of the basic concepts and terms used in democratic politics throughout the world tend to have a different meaning in the American context.

The most fundamental element here is the question of what it means to have a political party. What is a political party? People on the Left talk all the time about the Democratic Party: Is it good? Is it bad? Can you change it? Who’s in control? Often people talk about the Democratic Party as if it were a party in the normal sense that’s used in other countries. But it really isn’t.

In most places in the world, a political party is a private, voluntary organization that has a membership, and, in theory at least, the members are the sovereign body of the party who can decide what the party’s program is, what its ideology is, what its platform is, and who its leaders and candidates are. They can do all of that on the grounds of basic freedom of association, in the same way that the members of the NAACP or the American Legion have the right to do what they want with their organization.

In the United States, that’s not the case at all with the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. We’ve had an unusual development of our political system where, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the bosses of the two major parties undertook a wave of reforms to the electoral system that essentially turned the political parties into arms of the government, in a way that would be quite shocking — you could even say “norm-eroding” — in other countries.

If you took a comparative politics class in college during the Cold War, it would have discussed the nature of the Communist system, which was distinguished from a democratic system by the merger of the Party and the state, becoming a party-state. Well, the United States is also a party-state, except instead of being a single-party state, it’s a two-party state. That is just as much of a departure from the norm in the world as a one-party state.

In the United States, the law basically requires the Democrats and the Republicans to set up their internal structures the way that the government instructs them to. The government lays out the requirements of how they select their leaders and runs their internal nominee elections, and a host of other considerations. All this stuff is organized by state governments according to their own rules. And of course when we say state governments, who we’re talking about the Democrats and the Republicans.

So it’s a kind of a cartel arrangement in which the two parties have set up a situation that is intended to prevent the emergence of the kind of institution that in the rest of the world is considered a political party: a membership-run organization that has a presence outside of the political system, outside of the government, and can force its way into the government on the basis of some program that those citizens and members assemble around.

Daniel Denvir:

Even though your analysis parts ways with the orthodox third-party approach, that approach is entirely right about the fact that this is a two-party cartel system designed to exclude them.

Seth Ackerman:

That’s absolutely true. And you can see that in the way that the two parties have set up the rules regarding how other parties get on the ballot. The United States is the only democratic country in the world where two governing parties automatically get on the ballot, and every other party has to petition to get on the ballot with an enormous series of obstacles, such as signature requirements. And then the two parties send their lawyer goons to strike those petitions off and keep the other parties off the ballot.

We’re used to this kind of stuff in the United States; it’s considered the cost of doing business if you’re operating on the margins of the mainstream political system. But in other countries, again, that sort of thing doesn’t exist.

So the attitude of supporters of the purist third-party approach is absolutely correct. But then it’s a question of what do you do about it, and that’s where I part ways with a classic third-party approach.

Daniel Denvir:

You call for the “electoral equivalent of guerrilla insurgency.”

Seth Ackerman:

I want to see the Left organize to the point that it can strategically and consciously exploit the gaps in the coherence of the system in order to create the equivalent of a political party in in the key respects: a membership-run organization with its own name, its own logo, its own identity and therefore its own platform, and its own ideology.

The membership and leaders and candidates of that party would go out and present their message to the electorate. Just as the Democrats distinguish themselves from the Republicans, this organization would distinguish its political vision from the existing visions of the mainstream parties.

The question is how you fit that within the institutional setup that we have now regarding how the government regulates parties. We’re seeing initial steps being taken by people who, I think, have this ultimate vision in mind. Until we get to the point where we actually have the strength at the national level to frontally challenge the mainstream Democrats and Republicans with that kind of cohesive organization, how do we get to that point? It’s a chicken-and-egg problem.

If you don’t have candidates who are visibly contesting for power under a different political stripe, then it’s hard to convince rank-and-file voters and ordinary people that you you have a distinct vision and they should care about it. So, that’s where the Catch-22 comes in.

I think what we’re seeing now with Ocasio-Cortez and so many other candidates at the state and local level, are attempts, especially by members of Democratic Socialists of America, to take the first steps of having candidates operating under an alternative banner — somewhat tangentially, but still pretty palpably.

Every article about Ocasio-Cortez mentioned that she’s a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, that she’s a democratic socialist. That is a major step towards the goal of having an alternative political vision beamed into the consciousness of a larger electorate in a way that is very difficult to do when you don’t have candidates with a chance of winning running under that kind of banner.

What we haven’t seen yet is a membership organization with an organic relationship with these candidates, and a consistent ideological and programmatic coherence.

Daniel Denvir:

Something that would look more like an actual political party, like the Labour Party in the UK?

Seth Ackerman:

Exactly. The Labour Party is an actual membership organization. You can go to your local Constituency Labour Party and become a member, you have your party card, you have the right to vote on agenda items. Because of the nature of that party, the left wing of the party was able to project their candidate, Jeremy Corbyn, to the head of the party in 2015. And then he was able to impose and cultivate a new ideological and programmatic identity for the party. That’s because there are levers of power within that party that allow Corbyn and those who have won those fights within Labour to actually impose discipline.

We don’t have that yet. The Democratic Party itself doesn’t have that yet because it’s an institution that prevents any kind of a democratic membership from imposing discipline. And of course they’ve set up the whole institution to make it so that nobody else can either.

That’s the problem we need to overcome. So far, with DSA, we don’t have the wherewithal quite yet. But we are taking the initial steps of creating a distinct political identity and having candidates who can project that political identity to a larger audience.

(Continue Reading)

#politics #the left #jacobin #jacobin magazine #DSA #democrats #democratic party #Democratic Socialists of America #democratic socialism #electoral politics #progressive #progressive movement

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billiejoeshappytrail · 7 years

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do all 140 questions you coward i dare you ;)

jfigkgkgkg okay guys, never do this to gee because she will do it back eventually, ,,,,, 3 Fears? Never being able to get top surgery, relapsing, bad things happening to Green Day 3 things I love? Green Day, my cat, malachite 2 turns on? Oh yikes,,, i'm tryna make this blog more kid friendly but i'm pretty sure you already know my weird kinks 2 turns off? Being right wing, being a posh twatMy best friend? I don't have one.. maybe my cat lmao Sexual orientation? PanHow tall am I? 5'6"What do I miss right now? Honestly? Uni. I know that sounds lame af but I just want it to be Monday alreadyFavourite colour? I have a lot of them! I'm an artist Do I have a crush? *exhausted noises*Favourite place? I really don't know right now What am I listening to right now? Nothing Shoe size? UK 6Eye colour ? BlueHair colour? PinkMeaning behind my URL; 😂😂😂Favourite song; IdkFavourite band; Green Day How I feel right now; Okay Someone I love; Bilky My current relationship status; Uh My relationship with my parents; Weird but not badFavourite season; SummerTattoos and piercing i have; lion tattoo on my chest, pink panther in my left elbow ditch, a dotwork crown on my left middle finger, a lot of stick and pokes, septum piercing, snakebites, earlobes, tongue Tattoos and piercing i want; Too many tattoos to explain, eyebrow piercing, nose piercingThe reasons I joined Tumblr; Fuck knows 😂Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts? ! !! ! !!! I sometimes get a good morning from Gee on kik Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? My phone is dead but I think probably not?? How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? Uh, about five minutes unless I'm going full punk Have you shaved your legs in the past three days? Jgkhkh nope Where am I right now? My roomDo I like my music loud or at a reasonable level? Depends on the setting Do I live with my Mom and Dad? I live with my mum Am I excited for anything? ! ! !! ! !!!!! ! ! ! Tomorrow Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to? Sounds cishet but okHow often do I wear a fake smile? Never, if i'm sad of pissed off yr gonna know about it If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? Billie Joe Armstrong What do I think about most? Mad shit, food, weed, music, intrusive bpd crapDo I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? BehindWhat was the last lie I told? I don't know, I try not to lieDo I perfer talking on the phone or video chatting online? I'm sort of uncomfortable with both but like, the select few people I'll call usually skype me so I guess video chat Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens? Ghosts; dunno, aliens; fuck yea Do I believe in magic? I want toDo I believe in luck? What's there to believe in? Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't but it exists like just by virtue of people being lucky sometimes What’s the weather like right now? GreyWhat was the last book I’ve read? Idk manDo I have any nicknames? Ya i'm itchy or itch to most of my online friends Do I spend money or save it? Idk man, I'm poor so idk Can I touch my nose with a tounge? NahFavourite animal? LionWhat was I doing last night at 12 AM? Maybe sleeping?What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it? Any Green Day song What is my favorite word? I don't have oneMy top 5 blogs on tumblr; yo i'm not going that I have way too manyIf the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say? Feed the fucking poor you heathens Do I have any relatives in jail? Not that I know ofWhat is my current desktop picture? I don't really use a computer but my tablet one is billie joe Had sex? Ya Bought condoms? NahGotten pregnant? Nope Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? Yeah it was kinda not as good as it sounds Had job? Sort of Smoked weed? Ye Smoked cigarettes? YeDrank alcohol? YeAm I a vegetarian/vegan? Veggie ✌Been overweight? YeBeen underweight? Probably not Gotten my heart broken? YeBeen to prom? YeBeen in airplane? YeLearned another language? Not fluently but I can sort of speak German like, more than the average brit can speak of their Fremdsprache :0 Wore make up? YeoDyed my hair? YepHad a surgery? Not yet Met someone famous? STZA REPLIED TO MY MESSAGE LAST NIGHT HFGJG also i met jeremy corbyn a few times, eddie izzard a few times and i have a wild story abt how I almost stabbed him Stalked someone on a social network? Ye Been fishing? Nah Been rejected by a crush? YeWhat do I want for birthday? It just happened Do I like my handwriting? I guess Where do I want to live when older? Everywhere Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad? YeWhat I’m really bad at? Being neurotypical What my greatest achievments are? Not dying The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me; dude in my high school found out my mum had cancer and he said i deserved for her to die What I’d do if I won in a lottery; pay people's tuition, pay people's medical bills, buy either avocado toast or a house, I haven't decided yet What do I like about myself; Lots of stuff :0 My closest Tumblr friend; The goons :0 Any question you’d like? Are you outgoing or shy? Both at different times What kind of people are you attracted to? It depends, I don't really have a type Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? God I hope not, I never want that ever again for a really long time Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? Depends who with Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? RoryWhat does the most recent text that you sent say? IdkWhat are your 5 favorite songs right now? RVIVR - Resilient Bastard, Armstrongs - If There Was Ever A Time, Riverdales - Rehabilitated, New York Dolls - Personality Crisis, Green Day - The Grouch Do you like it when people play with your hair? Ye, unless I just did my mohawk in which case they can get the fuck away from me Do you think there is life on other planets? YeDo you like bubble baths? Sometimes Do you like your neighbors? Yeah!!! My next door neighbour is this lady called Lily and she encouraged me to try roller derby Where would you like to travel? A lot of places Favorite part of your daily routine? Taking my sertraline with a coffee maybe but not because it's exciting, just because it's the only thing I do every day without fail.What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with? TiddiesWhat do you do when you wake up? Feed my cat Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker? I like it how it isDo you ever want to get married? Fuck no If your hair long enough for a pony tail? Nah Would you rather live without TV or music? TV Have you ever liked someone and never told them? YeahWhat are your favorite stores to shop in? Uh, alternative places, every city has one, Afflecks, Camden etc. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? NahDo you smile at strangers? YeahHave you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about? NahEver wished you were someone else? YeahFavourite makeup brand? IdkLast thing you ate? Lasagne Ever won a competition? For what? I won a few art competitions as a kid Ever been in love? YesFacebook or Twitter? Facebook Twitter or Tumblr? Tumblr Are you watching tv right now? Nah What colour are your towels? Red Favourite ice cream flavour? Cookie dough or salted caramel First person you talked to today? IdkLast person you talked to today? ??? Gee ??Name a person you hate? Theresa fucking MayName a person you love? Jeremy fucking Corbyn Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? Oh god, so many people Do you tan a lot? NahHave any pets? My baby boy ! !! ! My gorgeous little lion, my Corbyn, orange boy, fav boy Do you type fast? Sort of Do you regret anything from your past? Abel lmao Ever broken someone’s heart? NahHave you ever liked someone so much it hurt? YeaIs cheating ever okay? NahDo you believe in true love? SureWhat your zodiac sign? Virgo Do you believe in ghosts? Idk Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? "Annika shrugged. She was worried about the goldfish"

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labourpress · 7 years

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Jeremy Corbyn speech at Labour’s campaign launch

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, speaking at the party’s campaign launch in Manchester, will say:

***Check against delivery***

It’s great to be launching our campaign in Greater Manchester where you showed the way for the rest of the country by electing a Labour mayor, Andy Burnham.

Andy will be a great mayor – but just think how much more he will be able to achieve if he is working with a Labour Government committed to the many not the few.

We have four weeks. Four weeks to take our message to voters to convince them Britain can be better. It can be transformed. It doesn’t have to be like this.

We can transform Britain into a country that - instead of being run for the rich - is a one where everyone can lead richer lives.

And I mean richer in every sense.

Richer because all of us have potential to fulfil, family to support, interests to pursue, richer when that potential is not held back.

Because there is no doubt; Britain is being held back.

If your children aren’t getting the education they deserve because class sizes are too high.

Then your children are being held back.

If you’re a young couple, or anyone trying to get a home and can’t make a home because rent and house prices are too high.

Then you’re being held back.

And if you’ve worked hard all your life, but can’t pursue your dreams in retirement because you’re supporting your family well into adulthood.

Then you too are being held back.

But Britain is a rich country – the sixth richest in the world.

We caught a glimpse of that wealth only two days ago when Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times published its Rich List.

In the last year, Britain’s 1,000 richest people have seen their wealth rise by 14 per cent to £658 billion – that’s nearly six times the budget of our NHS.

Imagine the outcry if public sector workers put in for a 14 per cent pay rise.

But it’s no surprise that the richest have got even richer after the tens of billions the Tories have handed them in tax cuts.

That’s what we mean when we say the system is rigged for the rich.

So thanks for making that clear, Mr Murdoch – though I imagine it’s the only help you will give us in this campaign.

In fact, we expect hostility. Our challenge to a rigged system is bound to meet hostility.

Change always involves taking on vested interests.

And there is a real danger that the Tories’ fearmongering and spin machine will make some people settle for less than they should. Resign themselves to things the way they are - underestimating just how many more burdens the Tories could impose if their mission to rig the system for the rich isn’t halted.

The stakes are high. We know from last week’s local elections how big the challenge is.

We have to convince the sceptical and undecided. They are not sure which way to turn.

And who can blame them?

People are alienated from politics and politicians.

Our Westminster system is broken and our economy is rigged. Both are run in the interests of the few.

Labour is under attack because we are standing up to the elites who are determined to hijack Brexit to pay even less tax and take even more of the wealth we all create.

Labour is under attack because we are standing up to the corporate interests plundering our NHS. How much more will be privatised if the Tories get another five years?

We’re drawing a line. Three decades of privatisation – from energy and rail to health and social care – has made some people very rich but it has not delivered richer lives for the majority.

In the coming days, we will be setting out our plan to transform Britain – with an upgraded economy run for the many not the few.

Theresa May thinks she can dodge the Tory record by claiming she wants to build a fairer Britain, that she cares about working people.

But does she think people will forget how the Tories have actually treated working people?

It was this Tory leader who sat alongside David Cameron in government for six years.

She was with him when they introduced the bedroom tax.

What’s remotely fair about the bedroom tax? What was fair about racking up tuition fees? Or about taking benefits away from people with disabilities?

Or about closing Sure Start Centres. Or starving schools of cash. Or opening up the NHS to be feasted on by profiteers.

In case their talk of fairness doesn’t wash, they have another card to play. That this election is all about Brexit and who can play at being toughest with Brussels.

Labour will not allow the Tories to put their party interests ahead of the real national interest; the interests of the British people.

This election isn’t about Brexit itself. That issue has been settled. The question now is what sort of Brexit do we want – and what sort of country do we want Britain to be after Brexit?

Labour wants a jobs-first Brexit. A Brexit that safeguards the future of Britain’s vital industries, a Brexit that paves the way to a genuinely fairer society, protecting human rights, and an upgraded economy.

Labour’s plan to transform Britain will mean:

A big deal to upgrade the economy: new infrastructure to support the industries of the future. And an investment in training and skills to equip our workforce to compete globally.

It means rebuilding our NHS and social care services with the funding they need.

It means building a million homes to rent and buy.

And it means tackling the scandal of air pollution which contributes to 40,000 deaths per year.

We won’t be paying lip-service to working people.

We will introduce a comprehensive programme to strengthen rights at work, make sure new jobs are good jobs, and end the race to the bottom in pay, conditions and job security.

Low pay and insecurity have spread like an epidemic under the Tories.

Labour will invest in skills and jobs, and take action to enforce a floor under employment standards across the board – so that all jobs are decent jobs, so that all workers – the true wealth creators - can play their part in transforming Britain and benefit fully from it.

That’s why we are fighting to win this election.

So we can transform Britain for the many not the few.

When we win, the British people win. The nurse, the teacher, the small trader, the carer, the builder, the office worker win.

Labour is offering a real choice, a real alternative to the rigged system holding us back and to the Conservatives who are running our country down.

The economy is still rigged in favour of the rich and powerful.

When Labour wins there will be a reckoning for those who thought they could get away with asset stripping our industry, crashing our economy through their greed and ripping off workers and consumers.

When did the Conservatives – David Cameron, George Osborne, Theresa May, Boris Johnson - ever stand up to their financial backers and demand our money back?

Never and they never will.

Instead, they make others foot the bill – they make our nurses, our carers, our soldiers, our disabled, our young people trying to get a home of their own, our elderly looking for dignity in retirement and those working hard to get on, foot the bill.

It makes me angry. And I know it makes the people of Britain angry too.

So today, I say to tax cheats, the rip off bosses, the greedy bankers; enough is enough.

In this election, Labour is standing for decent jobs, investment for the future, shared wealth creation, security at work, affordable homes for all, a fully funded NHS and schools, training and skills, an end to rip-off privatisation, fair taxation and a fairer, more equal country.

As we set out our detailed plans for Britain, the scale of the change we are offering will become clear.

So let’s turn our country around. Let’s come together to transform Britain. Together, we can win for the many not the few.

Don’t wake up on 9 June to see celebrations from the tax cheats, the press barons, the greedy bankers, Philip Green, the Southern Rail directors and crooked financiers that take our wealth, who have got away with it because the party they own, the Conservative Party, has won.

We have four weeks to ruin their party. We have four weeks to have a chance to take our wealth back.

We have four weeks to show what kind of country we are. We know that the people of Britain don’t pass by on the other side. That is the principle we will take into government so that we can unlock every person’s potential and everyone can make their best contribution to our society.

We have four weeks to win and transform Britain for the many not the few.

We must seize that chance.

Thank you.

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connorzaft · 7 years

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Night Strolls

I wrote out something real nice and then my computer died. (Thanks Apple...)

It’s too late. I have to go to bed. But I need to talk about Jeremy Corbyn. This is a first draft at what I’ll attack tomorrow night.

But tomorrow night I won’t get to say this:

Jeremy Corbyn won last night. No, Labour doesn’t have power yet, but in the face of the constant opposition, gain was made, The Conservative credibility was wrecked, and we could very well see a true socialist in 10 Downing Street come Fall.

I want to talk about Corbyn, about the left in its contemporary context, and about the future.

I want to talk about cynicism and holding people to their promises.

I want to talk about the clashes not just against conservatives and neoliberals, but within the far left itself. I want to talk about growing up in the anti-war movement in the mid-2000′s.

I want to talk about the future: about where we go from here. About what to do with this win, and about how waking up at 7am for me is god awful and for many of my friends it constituets sleeping in. I want to talk about how to get the world to sleep in.

But now I have to go to sleep.

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drifter-off-to-see-the-worl-blog · 7 years

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So the election happened...

I no it's faux pas to discuss 'old news' on instant social media, however, it's took me a while to get my head around all of this, so forgive me.

Firstly, I want to state how fortunate I feel to live in a country where I have the right to vote. People who can but don't vote enrage me more than people who vote for parties who I don't agree with. I literally want to shout a list of countries around the world that don't have this same privilege at them whilst imagining Emily Davison's ghost haunting them until they pull their finger out and vote!

Secondly, this is not sour grapes, I fully appreciate that not everyone will vote the same way as me and there may be more of them. I would describe myself as relating more to left-wing, liberal politics, so I'm more than familiar with feeling disappointed on election results days!!

However, I'm not entirely sure I feel disappointed this time around, despite the party who I voted for not getting in to power...as always...

Let's get the rubbish stuff out of the way first:

(at the time of writing)

1.) The Conservatives are still in power (boo! hiss!)

2.) Theresa May is still Prime Minister (bigger boo!! bigger hiss!!)

3.) The Democratic Unionist Party suddenly have more political standing (I'm gonna be honest, I don't know a whole lot about them, but from what I do know, I don't like them!!!)

4.) I'm still in fear for the environment; human rights; the NHS; education; housing; the arts; Brexit etc. etc. etc.

Yet:

1.) More people got out and voted, especially young people (woohoo, let's keep this up people!)

2.) There are now more female, BME, LGBT and disabled MPs than ever before (there's still a long way to go here, but at least it's a step in the right direction!!)

3.) Jeremy Corbyn convinced a lot of people, including me, that he is a (dare I say it) 'strong and stable' leader of a major political party that stands for liberal, socialist views (get on board people, this is a good thing!!!)

4.) All of the above meant I didn't wake up Friday morning feeling utterly hopeless (which I have done every other single results day!!!!)

Everyone I know has felt passionate about this election, the way it has been fought and the way it has been lost and won. The hope I am currently clinging on to in order to get me through the next five years is that this enthusiasm continues. People have voted in their thousands and expressed their disdain for austerity and inequality and that stance should only be the beginning, not the end.

For once I woke up the morning after polling day and felt part of a powerful force of people who wished to see their country head in a different direction, a country that recognises it has a part to play in looking after the planet and looking after people both at home and abroad, regardless of their gender, ethnicity and beliefs. Who knows what will happen in the next five years, maybe I'll feel very differently about things, but for now, I pledge to keep motivated and take a more active role in pushing for politics I believe in as I hope many others will do also.

#general election #labour #conservative #jeremy corbyn #theresa may #politics #voting #hope for the future

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newsfundastuff · 5 years

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(Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson issued a strong message that his government will remain focused on Brexit by banning his ministers from attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next month. The prime minister, who will also not attend, said he wants to “get on with delivering the priorities of the British people.”Key Developments:U.K. official says no ministers will go to World Economic Forum in DavosJohnson says Parliament should resist SNP calls for Scottish independencePrime minister plans to change the law to prevent extension of the Brexit transition period; pound fell as much as 1.5%EU warns ruling out an extension risks a new Brexit cliff-edgeMembers of Parliament being sworn in from todayParliamentary Labour Party meets this evening for the first time since its comprehensive election defeat, with candidates to replace leader Jeremy Corbyn already jostling for positionCity Warns Over Rush to Deal (3:45 p.m.)The City of London warned against a hasty Brexit agreement that could damage services -- which make up about 80% of the U.K. economy.“The December 2020 deadline is ambitious and it is critical the services sector is not sacrificed in the rush to get a deal” said Catherine McGuinness, policy chief at the City of London Corporation, which administers the financial district. “This is just the beginning of the Brexit process.”The future framework deal with the EU must focus on “securing maximum market access and developing a structure for the U.K. economy to prosper in the years ahead,” she said.Johnson Calls for Divisions to be Healed (3:15 p.m.)Boris Johnson said he wants a “new and generous” spirit of cross-party cooperation as he pledged to get Brexit out of the way and concentrate on the U.K.’s domestic priorities.“We are going to be able to get on with delivering the priorities of the British people,” the premier told the House of Commons. “After three-and-a-half years of wrangling and division, we in this government will do whatever we can to reach out across this House to find common ground, to heal the divisions of our country and to find a new and generous spirit in which we conduct all our political dealings.”Johnson also said Parliament “should resist the calls of those who would break up the United Kingdom,” a reference to calls (see 2:45 p.m.) from the Scottish National Party for a second referendum on Scottish independence.Sturgeon Calls for Scottish Referendum (2:45 p.m.)Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reiterated her plan to demand the right to hold another independence referendum.“This is a watershed moment for Scotland,” Sturgeon told lawmakers in Edinburgh on Tuesday. “So this week I will take the next steps to secure Scotland’s right to choose.”Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament she will submit a so-called Section 30 request for the transfer of power with the aim of holding a referendum in 2020. After her Scottish National Party won 48 of the 59 seats in Scotland in last week’s election, Sturgeon has said she has the mandate for another vote on breaking away from the rest of the U.K. in the wake of Brexit.Business Lobby Supports Ban on Brexit Extension (2 p.m.)There’s support from business for Boris Johnson’s decision to explicitly rule out in legislation any chance of an extension to the Brexit transition phase beyond the end of 2020.“Business has had enough of uncertainty and shares the prime minister’s ambition for a fast EU trade deal,” Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General of the country’s biggest business lobby, the Confederation of British Industry, said in a statement. “Speed and ambition can go hand in hand if the right approach is taken. There’s no time to lose, with a top priority being to build a best-in-class trade architecture, with business round the table, enabling EU trade talks to begin early in the new year.”Gardiner: Next Labour Leader Should Be Woman (1:25 p.m.)Barry Gardiner, Labour’s trade spokesman, told Bloomberg Radio he thinks the party’s next leader should be a woman and suggested she should be from the Midlands or Northern England -- a verdict that would rule out two potential candidates, the party’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer, who’s one of the favorites, and its foreign affairs spokeswoman Emily Thornberry, whose constituency is in London.“I think it is natural that it should be a woman,” Gardiner said, before adding it’s important that it should be someone from “those northern towns, the midlands, the industrial heartlands” that have traditionally voted Labour. “There are many, many women in our party from those areas where we can see leadership potential,” he said.Gardiner, who was born in Scotland though represents a London constituency in Parliament, said he’s “not made any decision whatsoever” as to whether he will stand for leader or deputy leader.EU Warns of Brexit Cliff-Edge (1 p.m.)While U.K. officials have expressed their intention to wrap up the future partnership with the European Union by the end of the Brexit transition period on Dec. 31, 2020, the bloc’s officials are sounding less convinced.Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the EU will find Johnson’s move “strange,” adding that it will limit the U.K.’s options in negotiations.Earlier Sabine Weyand, director general for trade in the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, cautioned that Johnson’s intention to prevent any prolongation would require the bloc to plan accordingly. “That means that, in the negotiations, we have to look at those issues where failing to reach an agreement by the end of 2020 would lead to another cliff-edge situation,” she told a European Policy Centre conference in Brussels.Johnson, Von der Leyen Agree to Get to Work (12:45 p.m.)Boris Johnson spoke with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by phone on Tuesday and they will start Brexit talks as soon as possible, the prime minister’s spokesman James Slack told reporters in London.“They agreed to work together with great energy to agree a future partnership by the end of 2020,” Slack said. The “greater clarity” of passing a law to stop an extension to the transition period means “the U.K. and EU will be able to get on with it and have a great future relationship wrapped up” by the end of the year, he said.Businesses will need to prepare for the U.K. to be outside the bloc’s single market and customs union, Slack said. “In all circumstances we will be leaving the single market and customs union and the EU regime associated with that,” he said.Tory Voters Get Younger (11:25 a.m.)Conservative voters got younger on average in Thursday’s election compared with 2017, according to pollster YouGov. Two years ago, the age at which a voter was more likely to vote Tory than Labour was 47. This time around it was 39, according to YouGov’s survey of 42,000 people.The survey also found that class is no longer a key indicator of how people vote, with the Tories beating Labour in every social grade group.Tuesday’s Ceremonial Proceedings (11 a.m.)Tuesday’s proceedings in the House of Commons are largely ceremonial and start at 2:30 p.m. Initially, they’ll be presided over by the longest-standing Member of Parliament, Father of the House Peter Bottomley. Then, through a process that involves Sarah Clarke, a senior Commons official known as “Black Rod” and MPs processing to the House of Lords and back, Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle is set to be re-elected.Shortly afterward, MPs will be sworn in one-by-one, taking an oath of allegiance to the crown -- or making a solemn affirmation that doesn’t make reference to God. They must do so in English and can follow it with an oath or affirmation in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic or Cornish.Johnson: Voters Have High Expectations (10:45 a.m.)Boris Johnson hosted the first meeting of his cabinet since the election and invited the TV cameras in as he addressed his top team, repeating lines from his stump speech during the campaign.“People have a high level of expectation and we have to deliver for them,” he said. “There’s a huge, huge agenda of delivering social justice and addressing every problem from social care to homelessness.”The prime minister also emphasized the importance of swift action to seal the support of people in traditionally Labour voting areas who backed him in last week’s vote. “We must recognize that people lent us their votes at this election, It was quite a seismic election but we need to repay their trust and work 24 hours a day, work flat out, to deliver on this.”Gove: U.K. Can Get EU Trade Deal in Time (Earlier)Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the next phase of Brexit negotiations on a free-trade deal will be concluded by the end of the transition period which expires on Dec. 31, 2020, meaning the U.K. will avoid a no-deal divorce from the European Union.“We’re going to make sure we get this deal done in time,” Gove told the BBC on Tuesday, adding that the bloc has promised to conclude negotiations by the end of 2020. “We’ve seen before how deadlines can concentrate minds.”But EU leaders have warned it’s highly unlikely negotiators can complete the kind of deal Johnson wants in time, pointing out that Canada’s agreement with the EU -- the model he refers to -- took seven years to finalize. Sabine Weyand, director general for trade at the European Commission, said Johnson’s move meant the bloc should prepare for a potential “cliff-edge situation.”Rayner, Long-Bailey in Leadership Pact: Guardian (Earlier)Angela Rayner is ready to stand aside in favor of her friend and shadow cabinet colleague Rebecca Long-Bailey in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party, the Guardian reported.Rayner will instead concentrating on running for the deputy leadership of the party, which was comprehensively beaten in last week’s general election, the Guardian said, citing unidentified allies of the two women.Read more: Life After Corbyn? The Politicians Vying to Become Labour LeaderEarlier:Boris Johnson Revives No-Deal Brexit Threat With Change to LawPound Election Rally Erased by Johnson’s 2020 Brexit PledgeLife After Corbyn? The Politicians Vying to Become Labour Leader\--With assistance from Greg Ritchie, Thomas Penny, Roger Hearing, Caroline Hepker, Alastair Reed and Silla Brush.To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Morales in London at [email protected];Kitty Donaldson in London at [email protected] contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at [email protected], Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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attredd · 5 years

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The expected interim president of Bolivia on Monday made an emotional call for an end to violence gripping the capital, as confrontations between police and groups loyal to outgoing president Evo Morales continued to flare up. Following attacks on the properties of prominent anti-Morales figures over the weekend, Monday saw further violent confrontations between protest groups linked to Mr Morales’ MAS party and the police, amid accusations that Mr Morales had been forced out in a coup. While the United States has expressed support for Mr Morales' resignation, which he announced on Sunday, Venezuela has joined with some of his Leftist allies decrying the turn of events as a "coup." In La Paz, 64 buses were burned, the cable car system was suspended and there were reports of widespread looting. Speaking on the steps of the Legislative Assembly, a tearful Jeanine Añez promised to oversee a peaceful handover of power by 22 January. People celebrating Bolivian President Evo Morales' resignation, in Buenos Aires Credit: JOSE LUIS PERRINO/AFP "We are going to call elections," Ms Añez told reporters in La Paz, saying that there will be "an electoral process that reflects the wants of all Bolivians." On Saturday a preliminary report from the Organization of American States said that the 20 October elections, in which Mr Morales had won a first round victory by the slimmest of margins, had been subject of “clear manipulation” and called for a new round of voting. Mr Morales accepted this demand but in the wake of two weeks of increasingly violent protests across the country, it was too little too late. With the country’s police force in a state of mutiny, the trade union federation – traditionally loyal to Mr Morales – and then the armed forces called for his resignation, “for the good of Bolivia”. On Sunday night Mr Morales went on television to resign, saying that “dark forces have destroyed democracy.” Senate second Vice President Jeanine Anez pleaded for calm Credit: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko Dominic Raab, the British Foreign Secretary, registered his scorn as Jeremy Corbyn tweeted his support for Mr Morales, claiming the Labour leader put Marxist ideology ahead of democracy. Mr Corbyn wrote: "I condemn the coup against the Bolivian people and stand with them for democracy, social justice and independence.” The Foreign Secretary replied: “Unbelievable. The Organisation of American States refused to certify the Bolivian election because of systemic flaws. The people are protesting and striking on an unprecedented scale. But Jeremy Corbyn puts Marxist solidarity ahead of democracy.” The exact whereabouts of Mr Morales are unknown, but he is believed to be in Chapare, the central region where he rose to prominence as a firebrand trade unionist for coca growers in the 1980s. Late Sunday, Mr Morales went on Twitter to claim authorities were seeking to arrest him. Some areas were blocked in the capital, La Paz, as police struggled to take control of the streets from protesters Credit: Martin Alipaz/EPA-EFE/REX "I report to the world and Bolivian people that a police officer publicly announced that he has instructions to execute an unlawful apprehension order against me; in addition, violent groups also stormed my home," Mr Morales said. Armed intruders did break into Mr Morales' home in Cochabamba, but the police denied any arrest order had been issued. Following Mr Morales’ resignation the vice-president and the president of the senate also resigned, leaving opposition senator Ms Añez as the likely interim president to be voted in when congress eventually returns to session. New elections are expected to be called within 90 days, with Mr Morales excluded from running. Carlos Mesa, the runner up in October’s elections, took to Twitter to deny that a coup had taken place, saying that it was an “authentic, democratic Bolivian Spring” and to call for calm in the run-up to new elections.

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#Calls for calm as Bolivian police and protesters clash in wake of Evo Morales' resignation

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jk144 · 5 years

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todaynewsstories · 6 years

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Opinion: What happened to Brexit architect David Cameron? | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW

Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Davis. Even to the casual observer, those names are indelibly linked with the shambles that is threatening to tear the UK, and possibly the Conservatives, apart.

And even the most neutral of those observers would concede that they deserve the bashing they’re receiving. However, we wouldn’t even be discussing Boris’ latest antics (at least not in this context) if it weren’t for the, er, brains behind Brexit — the man who decided to put party politics above his country.

So what exactly is former Prime Minister David Cameron up to these days? “Working on his memoirs, that’s what I understand,” Kevin Theakston, professor of British government at the University of Leeds, told DW. “And I think he was supposed to have finished them about now. But they’ve been put back and the line is that he thinks that because of Brexit he wants them out after we’ve left because the dust will have settled a bit.”

Read more: Opinion: Brexit — #Brexcrement horrors and howlers

Cameron has hinted that he has ‘one big job’ left in him

The ill-fated referendum

Right, just to recap. In 2013, Cameron made his fateful in/out referendum pledge if the Tories won the 2015 election. Essentially that was done to appease the hardliners in his party who were worried that the United Kingdom Independence Party led by Nigel Farage would bite into the Conservative voter base and hand victory to Labour. To fight off that challenge, the Tories demanded that Cameron give them the prospect of a European Union referendum which would allow them to persuade their own anti-EU supporters that only a vote for the Tories would give them a definitive say over Britain’s future in the bloc.

Cameron did so in the belief that the electorate would vote to remain. Obviously that didn’t go according to plan. “I think he still feels the humiliation of calling and losing the referendum,” said Theakston. “And he fears going down in history as the person who accidentally took us out of the EU and maybe triggered knock-on consequences for the future of the UK itself — and doing it for reasons of party management and taking a gamble and it all came off badly.”

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s embattled skipper: Theresa May

May became prime minister after David Cameron resigned from the post in the wake of the Brexit referendum vote in June 2016. Despite her position, she has struggled to define what kind of Brexit her government wants. Hardliners within her Conservative party want her to push for a clean break. Others want Britain to stay close to the bloc. The EU itself has rejected many of May’s Brexit demands.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s reluctant rebel: Jeremy Corbyn

The leader of the British Labour Party has no formal role in the Brexit talks, but he is influential as the head of the main opposition party. Labour has tried to pressure the Conservative government, which has a thin majority in Parliament, to seek a “softer” Brexit. But Corbyn’s own advocacy has been lukewarm. The long-time leftist voted for the UK to leave the European Community (EC) in 1975.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s boisterous Brexiteer: Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson’s turbulent two years as UK foreign secretary came to an abrupt end with his resignation on July 9. The conservative had been a key face for the Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum campaign. Johnson disapproves of the “soft Brexit” sought by PM May, arguing that a complete break from the EU might be preferable. He became the second Cabinet member within 24 hours to quit…

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s cheery ex-delegate: David Davis

David Davis headed Britain’s Department for Exiting the EU and was the country’s chief negotiator in the talks before he quit on July 8, less than 24 hours before Downing Street announced Boris Johnson’s departure. Davis had long opposed Britain’s EU membership and was picked for the role for this reason. Davis was involved in several negotiating rounds with his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s legal envoy: Dominic Raab

Theresa May appointed euroskeptic Dominic Raab the morning after Brexit Secretary David Davis resigned. Raab, a staunchly pro-Brexit lawmaker, was formerly Davis’ chief of staff. He previously worked for a Palestinian negotiator in the Oslo peace process and as an international lawyer in Brussels advising on European Union and World Trade Organization law.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s turnabout diplomat: Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt was Britain’s Health Secretary until he replaced Boris Johnson as foreign secretary in early July 2018. The 51-year-old supported Britain remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum, but said in late 2017 that he had changed his mind in response to the “the arrogance of the EU Commission” during Brexit talks. He has vowed to help get Britain a “great Brexit deal.”

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s firebrand: Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage was the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) until July 2016. Under his stewardship, the party helped pressure former Prime Minister David Cameron into calling the EU referendum. He was also a prominent activist in the Leave campaign in the lead-up to the vote. Farage still has some influence over Brexit talks due to his popularity with pro-Leave voters.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Europe’s honchos: Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk

EU Commission President Juncker (left) and EU Council President Tusk (right) share two of the bloc’s highest posts. Juncker heads the EU’s executive. Tusk represents the governments of the 27 EU countries — the “EU 27.” Both help formulate the EU’s position in Brexit negotiations. What Tusk says is particularly noteworthy: His EU 27 masters — not the EU commission — must agree to any Brexit deal.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Europe’s steely diplomat: Michel Barnier

The former French foreign minister and European commissioner has become a household name across the EU since his appointment as the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator in October 2016. Despite his prominence, Barnier has limited room to maneuver. He is tasked with following the EU 27’s strict guidelines and must regularly report back to them during the negotiations.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Ireland’s uneasy watchman: Leo Varadkar

The Irish PM has been one of the most important EU 27 leaders in Brexit talks. Britain has said it will leave the EU’s customs union and single market. That could force the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, to put up customs checks along the border with Northern Ireland, a British province. But Varadkar’s government has repeatedly said the return of a “hard” border is unacceptable.

Who’s who in Brexit?

Europe’s power-brokers: the EU 27

The leaders of the EU 27 governments have primarily set the EU’s negotiating position. They have agreed to the negotiating guidelines for chief negotiator Barnier and have helped craft the common EU position for Tusk and Juncker to stick to. The individual EU 27 governments can also influence the shape of any Brexit outcome because they must unanimously agree to a final deal.

Author: Alexander Pearson

China, charity and Chequers

So while he sits on his memoirs, he’s doing what other former heads of state and government are doing: Giving speeches and focusing on charity work such as the National Citizen Service, a social development program for 15-17 year olds that was part of his “big society” initiative as prime minister. He’s also set up and heads a $1 billion (��866 million) China-UK investment fund, designed to improve roads, ports and rail networks between China and the countries it trades with. This line of his work could come in handy in terms of helping current Prime Minister Theresa May, who is scrambling to secure trade deals for the UK in a post-Brexit world.

Talking of which, has there been any meaningful contact between May and her predecessor? “I don’t think they’ve had serious contact on Brexit or on policy strategy for the government. Relations between May and Cameron and [former Finance Minister] George Osborne and what what some call the ‘Cameroons’ were always pretty frosty between 2010 and 2016 when she was home secretary,” said Theakston. “Cameron, I think, is completely politically irrelevant now and Theresa May is quite happy with that.”

Boris and the man who was prime minister: ‘It’s his fault’

While May has given him the cold shoulder, Cameron seems to be back on speaking terms with another of his nemeses, Boris Johnson, with whom he had a very public falling out over Brexit. They’ve been spotted having dinner together and also met for talks ahead of the Chequers summit in August where May presented her controversial customs arrangements to her ministers. One source said that Johnson and Cameron agreed the prime minister’s plans were “the worst of all worlds.”

However, as Theakston points out, this doesn’t mean they’re plotting the prime minister’s downfall. “I don’t see Cameron and Boris meeting up or playing tennis or anything like that as the start of a political alliance,” he said. “Boris might like to fool himself into thinking it is but I don’t think Cameron would view it as anything more than a limited social encounter.”

NATO on his mind?

By all accounts, it sounds as if Cameron is seriously underemployed. That must be weighing on his mind because he has hinted that he has “one big job” left in him. No, I don’t know either.

“It’s hard to see what that could be. There was speculation about the NATO [secretary-general] job,” said Theakston. “But it’s hard to see Cameron being acceptable to other European powers. Would other Europeans really want the person responsible for triggering this mayhem in British-European relations in that job?”

That legacy is hanging around his neck like a millstone. Every couple of years Theakston organizes a survey of other academics and gets them to score prime ministers, with 1 for, er, rubbish, and 10 for excellent.

“In the poll we did just after the Brexit referendum and Cameron’s resignation, he was voted by about 100 other academics the third worst since 1945 and worse even than Gordon Brown,” said Theakston. “And almost invariably when we dug beneath the headline figure and looked at what people were saying it was all down to the huge policy disaster of Brexit and its ramifications.”

The post Opinion: What happened to Brexit architect David Cameron? | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW appeared first on Today News Stories.

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todaynewsstories · 6 years

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The Brexit architect: What is David Cameron up to these days? | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW

Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Davis. Even to the casual observer, those names are indelibly linked with the shambles that is threatening to tear the UK, and possibly the Conservatives, apart.

Read more: Opinion: Brexit — #Brexcrement horrors and howlers

Cameron has hinted that he has ‘one big job’ left in him

The ill-fated referendum

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s embattled skipper: Theresa May

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s reluctant rebel: Jeremy Corbyn

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s boisterous Brexiteer: Boris Johnson

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s cheery ex-delegate: David Davis

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s legal envoy: Dominic Raab

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s turnabout diplomat: Jeremy Hunt

Who’s who in Brexit?

Britain’s firebrand: Nigel Farage

Who’s who in Brexit?

Europe’s honchos: Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk

Who’s who in Brexit?

Europe’s steely diplomat: Michel Barnier

Who’s who in Brexit?

Ireland’s uneasy watchman: Leo Varadkar

Who’s who in Brexit?

Europe’s power-brokers: the EU 27

Author: Alexander Pearson

China, charity and Chequers

So while he sits on his memoirs, he’s doing what other former heads of state and government are doing: Giving speeches and focusing on charity work such as the National Citizen Service, a social development program for 15-17 year olds which was part of his “big society” initiative as prime minister. He’s also set up and heads a $1 billion (€866 million) China-UK investment fund, designed to improve roads, ports and rail networks between China and the countries it trades with. This line of his work could come in handy in terms of helping current Prime Minister Theresa May, who is scrambling to secure trade deals for the UK in a post-Brexit world.

Boris and the man who was prime minister: ‘It’s his fault’

NATO on his mind?

By all accounts, it sounds as if Cameron is seriously underemployed. That must be weighing on his mind because he has hinted that he has “one big job” left in him. No, I don’t know either.

The post The Brexit architect: What is David Cameron up to these days? | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW appeared first on Today News Stories.

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