Has our country ever been in such a state?

If you watch the TV broadcasts all you hear is how bad this Government is and there has been a constructive witch hunt to bring down our Prime Minister amounting to bullying. I think people should consider whether those parties (if they were parties) were that serious in the scheme of things bearing in mind the apology. We shall see. I would say that taking this country into an illegal war resulting in many deaths by Tony Blair, and the signing out of the Treasury by Labour leaving a note saying There Is No Money Left and Gordon Brown selling off our gold assets at the bottom of the market are much more serious. I really think people should be careful what they wish for.

As someone-else has said (sorry can't find the post) - at least in the past there was the veneer of decency and if someone was found out, they would resign. But now, it's Trump politics - he got away with so much in the USA that it's given politicians elsewhere the gall to brazen things out. Words like honour and decency seem to have been conveniently forgotten. But with Johnson's past record of lying,, what did we expect? Full list of allegations here: www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/10/lies-accusations-boris-johnson-full-list-dishonesty-christmas-party

Remember the outrage over John Major?

Quite a ridiculous statement considering we are still in the grip of a pandemic not seen in any of our lifetimes, Russia and China causing problems, not the first time, world energy prices going up, inflation, which is worse on most of Europe and the USA but media won’t mention that, hardly the fault of any political party and too many seem to believe all the media crap , a party in May 2020, is not exactly earth shattering news when other things are happening, hardly compares to selling all our gold at a loss and taking us into an illegal war

Very confidential investigation then, Robert Peston is a biased lying toad

My Gransnet arrives in my inbox 24 hours after the first posting of each topic. This means that any comment I make fall onto the final page by which time I’m guessing hardly anyone reads as they’ll be reading the next day’s topic. I’m in the UK do other members receive their’s a day late?

Coastpath

Good post, interesting comments.

If we think we are in a state now I have no idea how things will look when inflation and tax rises hit in the spring. As for more austerity - I ask myself how that will even be possible and I know who will suffer most.

The burden of Austerity is always borne by those least able to shoulder / cope with it. Yet some of them will still vote Tory. Probably enough of them - and others - to ensure the party remains in power. It is what it is, and that's where we're at. Possibly the majority of the electorate don't want this but with our FPTP system, it's what we'll get. Taking to the streets and protesting could, if the bill goes through (which I think it will), mean a 10 year maximum prison sentence.

And, as for "levelling-up" - I await a convincing plan from the White Paper at the end of January to see how the prospects of those neglected areas in the north and Midlands (these areas have been neglected for decades) will benefit (tho' I don't live there, I'm 'darn sarf') because Sunak has made it clear there is no new money on offer, and the little pots of money distributed piecemeal so far from the levelling-up funds have been a mere drop in the ocean.

Ho hum!

Boris is a dictator he is power mad he is the worse sort of person I have ever known in Government

Over the past ten years I've lived within two council districts Down South. Both are safe Tory seats held by famously lacklustre MPs.

Repeated cuts to council funding impact both districts visibly and tangibly with a worsening of services, streets getting shabbier, grass areas unmown and untended, street signs falling down and not being replaced, well used services are withdrawn - often those beloved of people with greatest need. It is the fault of funding, not of the local Council, yet people keep voting for this.

Things constantly and gradually worsen and whilst we have this Conservative government with their policy of underfunding councils there is no hope of things improving.

If we think we are in a state now I have no idea how things will look when inflation and tax rises hit in the spring. As for more austerity - I ask myself how that will even be possible and I know who will suffer most.

I doubt that much has really changed - but, at least, there was always a thin veneer of decency, values and fair play attempted - yet now, it's all laid bare. The lunatics are running the asylum.

Lincslass

Dickens

Lincslass

MayBee70

At least we no longer have the embarrassment of Farage and Widdecombe representing us in the EU Parliament I suppose (trying to look on the bright side here….).

Seeing as we are not in the EU anymore, doesn’t matter.

Their behaviour was an embarrassment - behaving like adolescents in the classroom - and it does matter that we might be judged by the childish manners of those representing our nation, regardless of the fact that we've left the EU.

OK - it matters to some of us.

We still need to trade with Europe until - or if ever - we replace every commodity outside of it, and those of us who run a business - and I do - dealing with Europe, care about our reputation.

Think the yellow tee shirted idiots embarrassed us more.

... equally 'adolescent' behaviour.

The difference is - they were not attempting to insult the EU or Europe. They were Remainers who chose a rather juvenile way of demonstrating the fact.

Certainly tory run councils in the south are cash-strapped.

Cutting local government funding is the easiest way for central govt to make 'savings' as it can, and do, just cut back the cash year after year and often savagely. A double bonus for them is that they can, and do, respond to complaints about reduced services by saying that the local council receives £x mm and it's up to them how to spend it. Not our fault if the roads are in disrepair, care services are non-existent, children's centres have closed, subsidised public transport has gone - your council, decides how to spend the money it's given - nothing to do with us.

I guess the name Whips Office gives a clue, they are there to knock their MPs into following the party line, so no surprise really. Think House of Cards, I am sure it has always gone on and probably worked well when they all came from the same school and were used to it, now they have a very different set of MPs it is obviously not going to work. We have a Labour Council here in the deep South and they are struggling.

Perhaps we should have considered Johnson's past history more carefully. Remember the involvement with Darius Guppy and the beating up of a journalist .

MerylStreep

^think the yellow tee shirted idiots embarrassed us more^
If that refers to the liberals, I couldn’t agree more.
But I could be wrong ?

Oh yes. 'Bollocks to Brexit'

And how right they have turned out to be! ???

think the yellow tee shirted idiots embarrassed us more
If that refers to the liberals, I couldn’t agree more.
But I could be wrong ?

I remember them!

What yellow tee shirted idiots are you talking about. Ll?

Dickens

Lincslass

MayBee70

At least we no longer have the embarrassment of Farage and Widdecombe representing us in the EU Parliament I suppose (trying to look on the bright side here….).

Seeing as we are not in the EU anymore, doesn’t matter.

Their behaviour was an embarrassment - behaving like adolescents in the classroom - and it does matter that we might be judged by the childish manners of those representing our nation, regardless of the fact that we've left the EU.

OK - it matters to some of us.

We still need to trade with Europe until - or if ever - we replace every commodity outside of it, and those of us who run a business - and I do - dealing with Europe, care about our reputation.

Think the yellow tee shirted idiots embarrassed us more.

vegansrock

I don’t think any councils “down south” are well off - most councils are cash strapped.

Cutting funding to councils has been a stealthy way of imposing "austerity" by central government while not being seen to be responsible. Some councils have suffered more than others - often for political manipulation.

Lincslass

Dinahmo

Growstuff If only people, like some of the posters on here, took more notice of the news from a number of different sources perhaps, the country might be in a better position. I despair sometimes at their lack of knowledge and/or interest.

There's plenty of money available for Tory councils I think.

No you are wrong. Our Tory council just as money poor. It’s the ones down South that benefit. As for your condescending comment about other commenters, well I’m lost for words.

That's not true. My council pays more to the Treasury than it receives in grants. There are some councils in all areas of the country in a similar position. That's the way the system works. However, this is a wealthy area and can afford to pay more to the central "pot". What has happened over the last few years is that the funding formula has changed and councils like mine are receiving more, while deprived councils receive less. Some councils have been able to benefit from government grants to build more housing, especially those in high price areas where the incentive to build is higher.

Councils retain very little of the money they collect in council tax, despite being blamed for cuts. The money is collected and paid to central government and is then redistributed. It's a way of deflecting blame. It is extremely concerning if the criteria for redistribution is based on a local MP's "loyalty" to his/her party.

Any idiot could have taken us through the pandemic!

Really?

What a silly, sweeping statement.

Lincslass

MayBee70

At least we no longer have the embarrassment of Farage and Widdecombe representing us in the EU Parliament I suppose (trying to look on the bright side here….).

Seeing as we are not in the EU anymore, doesn’t matter.

Their behaviour was an embarrassment - behaving like adolescents in the classroom - and it does matter that we might be judged by the childish manners of those representing our nation, regardless of the fact that we've left the EU.

OK - it matters to some of us.

We still need to trade with Europe until - or if ever - we replace every commodity outside of it, and those of us who run a business - and I do - dealing with Europe, care about our reputation.

growstuff is correct regarding funding Lincslass. Here is some of the evidence, and it’s not just Southern councils that are benefitting.
www.ft.com/content/d485da2a-5778-45ae-9fa8-ca024bc8bbcf

I don’t think any councils “down south” are well off - most councils are cash strapped.