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I think that the author is proposing that the Murdoch media have been superseded by the Daily Mail in setting the agenda for 'British' and that Theresa May is a product and perpetrator of its agenda.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

durhamjen Fri 18-Nov-16 12:50:59

According to the German Finance Minister, the UK is going to be paying into EU coffers for ten years after Brexit.
TM hasn't told us that, of course.
2020 is going to be a really big upheaval in the West, both UK and US having elections in the same year. What an exciting year!

durhamjen Fri 18-Nov-16 15:05:06

Here's something else that Theresa May has gained. Careful what you watch on the internet.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/snoopers-charter-2-investigatory-powers-bill-parliament-lords-what-does-it-mean-a7423866.html

petra Fri 18-Nov-16 16:27:50

There might be a change in the US, but here, nothing will change. I'm more interested in what's going to happen in France and Germany.

Anniebach Fri 18-Nov-16 16:56:20

I too am interested in the Germany and France elections

durhamjen Mon 21-Nov-16 20:12:19

Another of Theresa May's promises bites the dust. She promised workers on boards. She's changed her mind. She seems to be getting more like Trump day by day.

touchstoneblog.org.uk/2016/11/workers-boards/

whitewave Thu 24-Nov-16 16:14:46

So I wonder when Mays Tory government will apologise for getting it so wrong in the last election, when they gleefully talked about a surplus but now can't see any surplus any time soon, indeed JMK suddenly seems flavour of the month. Many Tories will need to do a lot of reading to get up to speed!

whitewave Thu 24-Nov-16 16:19:40

So all the jams have suffered needlessly, none of the sacrifices they have made have achieved a single thing. Of course what the Tories will have us believe that the wealthy have suffered for more than the poor!!!! What planet are they on??

durhamjen Thu 24-Nov-16 18:05:08

Tony Blair says Thereas May is a sensible politician.
Proves what I've said all along; he's not a socialist.

durhamjen Fri 25-Nov-16 18:52:06

Theresa May could try and do something about this.

act.thesyriacampaign.org/go/433?t=2&akid=405.124249.VGgD-v

durhamjen Sat 26-Nov-16 22:46:36

This is interesting. Theresa May might have suggested that the government intends to spend less on the NHS.

skwawkbox.org/2016/11/26/did-theresa-may-let-slip-an-nhs-budget-cut-plan-and-everyone-missed-it/

durhamjen Mon 05-Dec-16 14:43:33

Theresa May and leaks. She really has problems. I wonder if it's the same person doing it.

'According to a source on Twitter, the Cabinet Office has launched a “leak inquiry into how memo banning leaks was leaked, which has now been itself leaked”. '

whitewave Thu 08-Dec-16 12:33:32

Johnson is beginning to look more and more incompetent. I read a piece in my paper about his speech given somewhere abroad about Saudi Arabia. It did read like a journalists opinion I must say, but that may have been the reporting to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt. But now there has been a clear slap down from number 10. Does anyone know what they are doing in the shambolic government?

Day6 Thu 08-Dec-16 12:46:38

A voice in the wilderness on this thread I dare say, but given the state of flux of the EU right now - Hollande won't stand again, Merkel wants the burkha banned,the people of Italy rejected reforms...I think having Theresa May in charge is our bloody good fortune.

Her straightforward nature - no showmanship from her - has me admiring her more as time goes by. I feel we have a safe pair of hands at the helm in Theresa May, who has taken charge at such a turbulent time in history. She has so many difficult decisions to make and I don't envy her, but do have confidence in her leadership. I tend to be a floating voter. I'll have no truck with 'one party all my life' mentality.

I appreciate this anti-Tory thread isn't really the one for those sort of sentiments. grin

Ana Thu 08-Dec-16 12:53:48

I for one agree with you wholeheartedly, Day6.

Elegran Thu 08-Dec-16 13:01:37

I don't see or hear her critics making any suggestions of a better replacement. It will be a difficult exercise,I can't imagine there will be a long queue of hopefuls to take over.

rosesarered Thu 08-Dec-16 13:27:46

I agree with you as well Day6 I think May will be a good PM.
Boris Johnson, on the other hand is proving not to be a good choice for Foreign Secretary. I think that a lot of people were surprised by his elevation to that post.

Anniebach Thu 08-Dec-16 13:30:53

Day6, I have no truck with the 'I vote for the party which will benefit me' mentality

Elegran Thu 08-Dec-16 13:38:40

There is a choice that doesn't have any truck with either. It is the "I vote for the party/individual best overall in the current situation and the foreseeable future," mentality. It doesn't follow either one-party-whatever or best-for-me-and-stuff-the-rest.

Elegran Thu 08-Dec-16 13:41:06

rose I think there was an element of "Ok, show us whether you are any good, then your file will be updated for the future"

Anya Thu 08-Dec-16 14:06:33

But AB I have no truck with the 'I'd vote for a pig if it was standing as a Tory/Labour/UKIP' mentality either though.

JessM Thu 08-Dec-16 15:09:29

Johnson's lack of diplomacy re Saudi and iran, and PM's public slap down is big news today. How can he go on doing that job? Will she ask him to resign? And how long did she think he could manage to be diplomatic when she appointed him?
PM risks getting egg all over her face with this one methinks. Damned if you sack him, damned if you don't.

whitewave Thu 08-Dec-16 16:23:17

Poor judgement on Mays part. Johnson was never going to be a diplomat you only have to look at his history.

durhamjen Thu 08-Dec-16 16:51:00

I hope there's a question about this on QT tonight, particularly as Farage is on.

www.theguardian.com/business/2016/dec/08/national-grid-stake-gas-macquarie-bank

How is this bringing back any control, selling the majority share in the National Grid gas pipeline to shareholders in Australia, Qatar and China.

durhamjen Thu 08-Dec-16 17:45:10

Strangely enough, half the time I agree with Boris, but that's because he disagrees with himself and the government half the time.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/08/saudi-arabia-boris-johnson-yemen-arms-sales-riyadh

Good luck to him in Saudi. Will he disappear?

durhamjen Thu 08-Dec-16 17:49:17

Actually, Jess, I'll quite enjoy seeing May get egg all over her face over it, as she's over there selling arms.

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