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I think that the author is proposing that the Murdoch media have been superseded by the Daily Mail in setting the agenda for 'British' and that Theresa May is a product and perpetrator of its agenda.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

JessM Wed 25-Jan-17 18:40:49

Another crappy day at the office for Teresa. After many months of saying she's not going to reveal anything about her exit strategy, she's now having to back down and publish a White Paper.
And I bet she's trembling about the Trump spokesman saying they could agree a trade deal very quickly after a final exit. Don't have to have much of an imagination to think what that might look like. It's a bit like Bluebeard offering to show you his etchings.
Oh and now she has to get on a BA plane and go and meet the creature from the volcanic vent for a photo shoot. At least she will be able to finally satisfy her curiosity about 1/ does he wear foundation makeup or is it spray tan 2/ do his roots show and 3/ how many minutes is his attention span?

rosesarered Wed 25-Jan-17 18:42:42

Don't be naive Djen other posters don't need to know all your personal family history before they comment.
Of course we can't guarantee all the EU nationals here until the EU also guarantee any British living/working abroad.I thought ( so did T May) that it was one thing that could have been agreed quickly, but some EU countries would not agree it, as we all know full well.
We must care first for all our own countrymen abroad, they must have the same rights as EU people here.....why does this even need saying!

rosesarered Wed 25-Jan-17 18:44:09

What an imaginative and rather daft post Jess M

whitewave Wed 25-Jan-17 18:45:03

Oh I thought it was rather good

Jalima Wed 25-Jan-17 18:48:56

Oh I thought it was rather good

It could be the beginning of an imaginative novel about the corridors of power! Everyone has a book in them apparently.

GracesGranMK2 Wed 25-Jan-17 18:51:23

Well written Jess. It nicely made the point and made me smilegrin

durhamjen Wed 25-Jan-17 18:52:01

Mair knows, roses. If she doesn't know about my family, then maybe she should know that people can be hurt by putting such divisive comments on as she does. Mair doesn't care how many of other people's family members she hurts by saying such things.
She says similar things about all migrants, not just EU migrants.

And you don't care either. So what's new!
I am not that naive as to not realise that.

They are all people, not bargaining chips or numbers. Real people, my descendants. Descendants of many people on GN.

whitewave Wed 25-Jan-17 18:52:54

jalima made the point though just as novels so often do.

JessM Wed 25-Jan-17 18:53:00

Oh well we are rather serious on GN aren't we. Way back at the beginning the staff used to pick up on funny bits to put in the weekly bulletins.
And one of the funniest afternoons ever had was when one famous member, now no longer around, said she was going to give a vaginal toning device to her daughter for Christmas, and did we think it was Ok to wrap this up and put it under the tree for opening on Xmas morning?

rosesarered Wed 25-Jan-17 18:55:54

As are the British working and living abroad djen let us not forget that please.

rosesarered Wed 25-Jan-17 18:57:15

You also know that T May ( a dreaded Tory!) wanted a deal on this very subject and yet some countries blocked it.

Welshwife Wed 25-Jan-17 19:44:47

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-theresa-may-donald-trump-talks-unwitting-tool-hardline-nationalists-destroying-european-union-a7542676.html

MaizieD Wed 25-Jan-17 19:46:19

She could have just done it. Taken the moral high ground. Earned a bit of respect.

People should not be bargaining chips.

Elegran Wed 25-Jan-17 19:55:30

No, they shouldn't, but when you are negotiating, you don't give away a point without getting a point too - it is always possible that those with whom you are dealing will take what you have given them and give you nothing back. It has to be Quid Pro Quo, this for that, tit for tat, balancing one move against another. That is why it is called negotiating.

Welshwife Wed 25-Jan-17 19:57:52

The EU ministers etc are the ones talking about not forgetting the 48% in the EU Parliament - TM and the Stooges never mention them.
The British citizens in EU have not yet started getting any letters suggesting they make arrangements to leave.
This is particularly disgusting thing for the UK Govt to do when criminals guilty of a crime and sentenced to prison are not allowed, on their release, to be deported because of their rights to a family life!

No people are bargaining chips and for anyone to suggest they should be is at the very least an 'unkind' thing to do - - -

Ana Wed 25-Jan-17 19:58:05

Exactly, Elegran.

Elegran Wed 25-Jan-17 20:34:56

The Brits living in the EU are also part of the equation. How would they feel if she conceded something for the people from the EU living here without securing the same treatment for them in return?

Elegran Wed 25-Jan-17 20:35:44

The letters are a separate issue.

Mair Wed 25-Jan-17 20:36:26

*Mair knows, roses. If she doesn't know about my family, then maybe she should know that people can be hurt by putting such divisive comments on as she does. Mair doesn't care how many of other people's family members she hurts by saying such things.
She says similar things about all migrants, not just EU migrants.*

Are you aware that I have an elderly aunt and uncle who retired to live in France and who you would be happy to throw to the lions of the EU with your irresponsible demands that Theresa May puts the interests of EU citizens before those of British emigrants?

Personal involvement however has nothing to do with political debate (except in so far as it can shed a little light upon it sometimes) and if you are really so sensitive that it upsets you to hear that there are differing views to your own on this controversial topic then you would be well advised to avoid threads such as this one. I notice that far from doing that, you seem to seek them out, and are no shrinking violet when it comes to making provocative divisive postings yourself. I have several times suggested you be more polite.

Mair Wed 25-Jan-17 20:41:39

Elegran said
The Brits living in the EU are also part of the equation. How would they feel if she conceded something for the people from the EU living here without securing the same treatment for them in return?

Justifiably angry is surely the answer!

But Theresa May is a sensible, reasonable woman, with high moral principles and I have every confidence she will not be so foolish as to throw away our 'bargaining chips' in the way those who only wish to derail Brexit are urging her to do.

Mair Wed 25-Jan-17 20:57:49

The British citizens in EU have not yet started getting any letters suggesting they make arrangements to leave

Nor to my knowledge are EU immigrants here, unless youre talking about the letter referred to below, which certainly was not as you seem to imply.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jan/09/uk-eu-citizens-right-remain-brexit-negotiating-capital-home-office-letter

Welshwife Wed 25-Jan-17 21:13:53

That is old news Mair
I belong to a group of Brits living in the EU and the consensus is that we are happy to have the UK Govt give assurances to the EU citizens in UK.
There have been a couple of EU people reported in the papers having citizenship refused despite living and working in the UK for twenty or more years and being married to a Britiah person and with a family.
If you do a search you should find a couple of reports.

rosesarered Wed 25-Jan-17 21:19:33

You can't possibly speak for many people though welshwife however noble a few of you are being.

rosesarered Wed 25-Jan-17 21:20:57

...and if that happened, how would you feel about the EU if you were told to leave?

Mair Wed 25-Jan-17 21:22:18

I belong to a group of Brits living in the EU and the consensus is that we are happy to have the UK Govt give assurances to the EU citizens in UK.

You and a small group of British pals are not in a position to represent the views of every British emigrant. hmm
Mays job is to ensure the best deal for ALL British citizens, and as you know it goes beyond just 'remaining' but access to services as well and for some rights of their children to citizenship. Not every EU country operates that on a jus soli basis as Britain and France do.

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