Theresa May 4

Just for you, roses.

politicalscrapbook.net/2017/02/may-says-she-wants-to-heal-divisions-after-brexit-vote-then-calls-remainers-losers/

Oh is that treason?!!

The thing is that whether she does or doesn't we will never know for at least 30 years after her death.

I read somewhere that her father comissioned or suggested that thousanda of council houses should be built. Obviously the monarch can say something so why doesn't she say something? Charles will definitely not remain silent.

I can remember visiting Sandringham years ago and it must have been some time in the winter. There were staff everywhere but no heating!! Duke apparently didn't think it necessary when family not in residence.

I dunno. It would cost a fortune wouldn't it to heat something that big... Anyone ever been to the Palace and checked it out? (I went to the House of Commons recently and checked out the heating. An empty committee room with blasting heating and leaky windows!) This is one of the reasons why the H of C needs a major refurb maybe?

Wot....no central heating!

When your cosy lounge is a high-ceilinged barn sized room in a Grade 1 listed building it is the time to be grateful that one is a resilient member of the aristocracy who is hardened to such privations.
My source is books by Nancy Mitford etc

Doesn't the Palace run to gas? Much cheaper than electricity - someone should tell her.

In front of the vintage 2 bar electric fire.

...curled up on the sofa, wearing a onesie!

At least the corgis will keep her safe from wandering hands.

The Queen's life isn't all wonderful is it, those long State dinners ( when one only longs for a poached egg on toast on a tray!)

The queen's role in our unwritten constitution is to rubber stamp acts of parliament and play her part in things like state visits. She can advise prime ministers and give her opinion but she won't say NO. Because she doesn't run the UK.
So she may well have said to the PM "Are you sure this is a good idea my dear?"

I wonder what she makes of them all - all those PMs over the last 60 years - wouldn't we love to know.
She definitely made her views known though after the Chinese visit (do I need to post the garden party link again?) .

Mays pledge to care for the "just managing" seems to be under a good deal of pressure, as the government is being warned that those less well offs are likely to experience a decline in their living standards by 2% over the next couple of years. Whilst those of the wealthiest are set to rise by 5%. This is because of the governments unequal policies on tax and benefits.

The reason is slow wage growth, rise in oil prices, and of course the fall in the value of the pound. This together with the rollout of more than £12bn welfare cuts.

This represents the sharpest decline in the poor income since records began in the 1960s.

May is going to have to work hard to fulfil her pledge. Brexit of course has ended the period of ultra low inflation -something that always benefits the poor more than the wealthy. This inequality can be measured 3 different ways.
90:10 income ratio
80:20 ratio
Palma ratio

All these show large increases in inequality which will reach record highs by 2020.

This is stark contrast to the trend over the past 20 years which saw inequality flat or declining.

This is seen as a huge challenge.

Yes Ana I read that although the government suggests people for State Visits the Queen agrees it ( although she would never say no, one supposes.)

Then you had better watch out Maizie I have my eye on you! Plenty of cell room down at the nick.

The Queen will never say - I admire her for the way she conducts herself.

Yes, patrolling...and twirling my nightstick presumably.

Got it in one, roses

That was my understanding, too, Ana, but a) people in general (notably journalists) seem to know very little about this Foreign Office committee; they seem to have been surprised to find it even exists, let alone know anything about its procedures.

b) We don't know if the Queen actually had signed off this invite or whether T May knew it was 'in committee' and just pre-empted their decision and the Queen's approval. (I wonder what the atmosphere maight be like at the Queen & the PM's next weekly meeting...)

the Queen is in a difficult position because if it was done without her approval she can't publicly say anything.

The Queen has to sign off all state visit suggestions (I have googled).

Don't know where I read that. May have been on television. There's so much out there at the moment

Has it? Who said so? Last night there was definitely agreement that the Queen had to agree to state visits - god knows what thread it's on though...

I'm not sure about that ana but I think it's been established that she didn't in this case

I thought it had already been established (one on of these many political threads) that the Queen has to agree to all State visits beforehand - so perhaps blame her instead?

I think the awful week is being followed by another one. Downing St are trying to blame the Foreign Office for the premature State Visit idea. May is looking very weak and feeble in her criticism of the travel ban and very ill-advised for being the first to dash to Washington and for inviting him here before he's even had a full week in the White House.