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UK ‘dangerously close to elected dictatorship’ under Boris Johnson, Ken Clarke warns

(139 Posts)
GagaJo Thu 18-Nov-21 14:39:01

I couldn't agree more with this. It's exactly what I said on here (and elsewhere as I'm sure you can imagine!) two years ago.

The UK is “dangerously close” to becoming an “elected dictatorship” under Boris Johnson, veteran Tory Ken Clarke is warning – as he branded his handling of Brexit clashes “laughable”.

The former cabinet heavyweight lashed out at the prime minister’s disregard for “constitutional constraints”, calling his party “more nationalist than at any time in my lifetime”.

“He gets angry if the courts or parliament try to interfere. As the elected prime minister, he thinks he should not be impeded in these ways,” Lord Clarke said.

“We are now getting dangerously close to the “elected dictatorship” that Lord Hailsham, the former Lord Chancellor, warned us about half a century ago.”

uk.yahoo.com/news/uk-dangerously-close-elected-dictatorship-114826974.html

flump Fri 19-Nov-21 15:49:43

Did anyone see Channel 4's Dispatches programme this week. Also, and there will be varied opinions on this, of course, but are we living in a kakistocracy?

JaneJudge Fri 19-Nov-21 15:53:08

Yes, I think we are.

Urmstongran Fri 19-Nov-21 15:59:36

Sovereignty ladies. ?
Similar now to what Barnier says he would like for France! Cherry picking, no?

Seriously, good things post Brexit.
A nimble response to Covid vaccinations - how admiring we all were after being so scared and Boris tasked Kate Bingham to come up with the methodology.
Unilever anyone?
Shell too?
The City of London STILL the financial bestest in Europe.
More jobs available than ever before!
Workers here are now better valued - the hospitality industry is crying out for them. Loads of ‘Staff Wanted’ stickers in the bars and restaurants in my town for starters. I’m sure Urmston isn’t the only spot either!
Anything else Post Brexit?
Well sterling didn’t crash (as per Project Fear) in fact it’s quite healthy! €1.18 against the pound so not shabby at all.

C’mon glum buckets. Cheer up. The UK is doing well.

GrannyGravy13 Fri 19-Nov-21 16:05:35

It’s definitely good news that Shell and Unilever have relocated to U.K. post Brexit.

Not sure if we will see the benefits/losses of Brexit until the pandemic is over.

Kali2 Fri 19-Nov-21 16:09:24

Glum buckets hey! But thanks, for confirming my theory.

And I shall at least be 100% honest- and say it straight- I just can't be a--r--sked at this stage!

Urmstongran Fri 19-Nov-21 16:18:17

Kali2 ‼️
You disappoint me. You asked for positives. I give you some and then you say you can’t be (polite version) bothered!

On another note, it was not a populist eurosceptic from Britain or France who first compared the EU to the USSR, it was Mikhail Gorbachev.

He said he couldn't understand why having seen the USSR collapse, western Europeans wanted to build a Mark II version of it through the European Union! ?

Urmstongran Fri 19-Nov-21 16:23:29

And fresh bluster from over the Channel today!

There is no question of 'nerves' President Macron - it’s just about those French vessels that are eligible to fish in UK waters and those who are not.

A disregard for very clear rules might be normal in France but in British waters the rule of law applies.

Urmstongran Fri 19-Nov-21 16:27:17

A little lighthearted humour for a Friday teatime:

There is a saying which totally sums up the French. It goes like this:

The British invent it
The Americans finance it
The Germans build it
The Japanese copy it

And the French resent it.

growstuff Fri 19-Nov-21 16:28:34

C’mon glum buckets. Cheer up. The UK is doing well.

No thanks! Being a myopic and lightweight twister of the truth isn't my cup of tea! grin

growstuff Fri 19-Nov-21 16:29:14

Urmstongran

A little lighthearted humour for a Friday teatime:

There is a saying which totally sums up the French. It goes like this:

The British invent it
The Americans finance it
The Germans build it
The Japanese copy it

And the French resent it.

It's a bit early for pathetic xenophobic Christmas cracker jokes.

Alegrias1 Fri 19-Nov-21 16:29:18

JaneJudge

Yes, I think we are.

Undoubtedly, flump. It seems to me we have a perfect storm of people who are only in it for themselves and don't have the intellectual power, or the desire, to know what they should be doing.

I haven't seen Dispatches but I think I'll go and look for it.

Urmstongran Fri 19-Nov-21 16:38:41

It’s never too early for the Christmas cracker jokes! Some Christmas trees are already up!
?

Jabberwok Fri 19-Nov-21 17:22:42

Thank you Urmstongran, you've put it so much better than I could and I love the Christmas cracker joke!????