Gransnet forums

News & politics

Theresa May 3

(1001 Posts)
MaizieD Mon 31-Oct-16 11:17:50

Very interesting article about T May. Forgive me if it's been posted before.

I think that the author is proposing that the Murdoch media have been superseded by the Daily Mail in setting the agenda for 'British' and that Theresa May is a product and perpetrator of its agenda.

www.opendemocracy.net/uk/anthony-barnett/daily-mail-takes-power-0

The Daily Mail takes power
Anthony Barnett 5 October 2016

After 25 years in politics Theresa May has no obvious connections to any think tank. She shows no interest in ideas. Asked by Conservative Home in a Quick Quiz session to choose between Burke’s “Reflections on the Revolution in France” or Louise Bagshawe’s “Desire”, she replied, “I wouldn’t read either of them, sorry.” The prime minister who faces arguably the Kingdom’s deepest constitutional predicament since George III was driven from the Cabinet by the loss of the American colonies dismissed out of hand the idea that she might ever turn to the pages of Burke, even though as a student she had chaired a society named after him.

As the country faces an unprecedented concatenation of economic, strategic, diplomatic and constitutional uncertainty, the woman at the helm seems devoid of intellectual resources. The one decision she has definitely taken is to give the go ahead to Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, a boondoggle incapable of justification by any criteria of integrity. The Pharaohs built their own pyramids, Theodoric built his own mausoleum. But these were designed as monuments to generate the admiration of posterity. Surely only an idiot would make their first decision the go-ahead for a colossal radioactive tombstone to her regime.

But Theresa May should not be dismissed as an idiot. There is a striking and potentially formidable coherence to the general direction she has set for her new government, evidenced by the self-confidence of her ministers who remarkably quickly are singing from the same song-sheet. She does seem to have a clear ideology refreshingly different from her predecessors. Where has it come from?

The answer is The Daily Mail. On Sunday in her first speech to her party as its leader, she set out her view of Brexit and announced that she intends to trigger Article 50 to start the UK’s withdrawal from the EU before March. This was a moment of upmost gravity, to recognise and measure the immense divisions that have been opened up within the country, and consider the implications for the entire continent that Britain once helped liberate from fascism. Instead, her tone, brevity and apparent practicality were drawn as if directly from a Daily Mail editorial.

Intelligent comments section, too.

daphnedill Tue 17-Jan-17 23:29:42

Are you suggesting my ancestors had rumpy pumpy out of wedlock? shock Go and wash your mouth out!

No, I haven't. It has occurred to me the marriage certificates might be a cover, but I do look very English and it would be great fun deciding who is destined for my international Room 101.

The teaching unions have written to Amber Rudd about the situation with MFL teachers. About a third of them are EU nationals and they're not on the shortage list for Tier 2 visas.

durhamjen Tue 17-Jan-17 23:41:46

Didn't even think about that! Lots of people who have had tests have found out that they have a certain percentage of other blood in them.
Most of the MFL teachers I know are EU nationals. It will be interesting to see what Amber Rudd says. My other daughter in law does not teach languages, as not many students want to learn Danish.

durhamjen Tue 17-Jan-17 23:42:36

Sounds like Harry Potter, doesn't it, purebloods and mudbloods.

trisher Wed 18-Jan-17 10:20:43

Mair have you ever actually set foot in a Polish shop? Perhaps if you did you would find the owners and staff very welcoming and prepared to help you, explaining what things are if you ask. One of the reasons for the paper at the window is that they tend to use every spare space for stock, so there are very likely shelves inside. Try stepping in and if they throw you out you can then call them 'unwelcoming'. Personally I am always pleased to see new stores opening regardless of the owners country of origin, we have heaps of different ones now everything from Polish to Japanese, it's the world on your doorstep!

MaizieD Wed 18-Jan-17 10:48:26

For as assessment of May's speech this is a really interesting blog from a dedicated Leaver who has been campaigning against the EU for many years:

There has been much speculation as to whether we would be exposed to a car-crash or a train-wreck Brexit. But what Theresa May appears to be giving us with yesterday's speech is a Jumbo-jet crash (perhaps an Airbus A-380) on top of Whitehall.

www.eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86348

His profile:

www.eureferendum.com/profile.aspx?username=richard

Mair Wed 18-Jan-17 12:20:18

Trisher
Yes I have and more than one, on both occasions I was the only native British customer in there, in both cases they didnt have what I wanted!

Nor is your explanation of the papered over windows accurate. IMO its just an old fashioned thing. They used to do it in horrible little British corner shops back in the sixties you may recall. I think it was an idea that if people couldnt look in theyd be more likely to come in and then more likely to buy.

MaizieD Wed 18-Jan-17 13:06:56

They used to do it in horrible little British corner shops back in the sixties you may recall.

Not where I lived, they didn't.

daphnedill Wed 18-Jan-17 13:12:38

My local Tesco Express has all its windows papered over. As far as I know, Tesco is still British-owned.

Just because you were the only 'native' in the shop and they didn't have what you wanted doesn't mean that you weren't welcome.

Mair Wed 18-Jan-17 13:36:32

"Just because you were the only 'native' native in the shop and they didn't have what you wanted doesn't mean that you weren't welcome."

No DD it doesn't but papered windows do not present a friendly face to the high street, and nor is two assistants speaking to each other in Polish while watching suspiciously as if they suspect you may be a thief likely to encourage people who are not Eastern Europeans to shop there. Their loss, but perhaps they are doing well enough from Eastern Europeans alone and prefer to keep it ethnically exclusive.

Maizie, I am surprised you didnt see British shops presented this way in the sixties as it was still commonplace, although even then a relic of an earlier era, and a feature of low quality 'corner' shops rather than the more go ahead or high quality purveyors who would lay out a window display or have open windows to show off whats inside.

whitewave Wed 18-Jan-17 13:40:19

Good grief mair just re-read your post!! You little world seems so grim.

Mair Wed 18-Jan-17 13:44:35

What precisely are you referring to? The Polish shop? Fortunately I am not obliged to rely on it. grin

whitewave Wed 18-Jan-17 13:46:20

Didn't expect nor want you to - the question was retorical.

rosesarered Wed 18-Jan-17 13:50:37

The 'question' was simply a veiled insult ww as has sadly become typical on these threads.

daphnedill Wed 18-Jan-17 13:53:23

The people in my Tesco Express are very friendly, despite the papered windows.

Maybe you look like a thief! hmm

You don't wear a 'xenophobes'r'us' T shirt, do you?

rosesarered Wed 18-Jan-17 13:53:28

I have never seen a Tesco Express with papered over windows....do you mean perhaps frosted glass dd or similar, not actual paper?

rosesarered Wed 18-Jan-17 13:54:34

Ooh, more insults now, and not even veiled ones!Some people just cannot help themselves.

whitewave Wed 18-Jan-17 13:56:24

ddgrin almost certainly

MaizieD Wed 18-Jan-17 13:58:42

Perhaps I come from a less grim part of the UK than you appear to have done, Mair.

has become typical roses? You've been here much longer than me, of course, but in the year or so I've been lurking and posting here there seemed to have been plenty of sniping and backbiting going on.

rosesarered Wed 18-Jan-17 13:59:19

ww and dd you would both get more respect from other posters if you didn't just resort to insults when you don't get your way ie. either dropping a subject or continuing to debate it.This happens on thread after thread with you both.

whitewave Wed 18-Jan-17 14:00:45

Which posters are those rose?

daphnedill Wed 18-Jan-17 14:02:03

I don't think I want respect from the kind of posters you mean! grin

daphnedill Wed 18-Jan-17 14:03:31

Well, go and find a thread more to your liking, roses. I can't say I'm unduly bothered.

daphnedill Wed 18-Jan-17 14:04:27

Nope, I mean paper - I can tell the difference.

rosesarered Wed 18-Jan-17 14:05:20

It is ever since the vote to leave the EU, a few posters have become so incensed about it that they have lost all objectivity and reason, resulting in trying to make fun of any poster who disagrees with their ethos, now, other posters may agree with Mair or agree with them or are somewhere in the middle about it ( most of us I should think)
But simply being insulting is daft and loses you the moral high ground.

rosesarered Wed 18-Jan-17 14:08:34

All posters and lurkers on these threads actually, since you ask ww remember that a lot of Gransnetters read threads without leaving a comment.
DD 'go and find a thread to your liking' what a silly childish comment.

This discussion thread has reached a 1000 message limit, and so cannot accept new messages.
Start a new discussion