Forum Topic

Mike Greene

The Brexit candidate for the Peterborough by-election on June 6th is odds on favourite to win the seat with the bookmakers, after the disgraced Labour MP Fiona Onasanya was forced out.Mike Greene has lived in the local area most of his life and is heavily involved in local charity fundraising etc so he has a great chance of winning and giving the Brexit party their first MP.

Paul Game ● 2724d40 Comments

I've watched him on Instagram and FB and he seems a good bloke Paul. Local businessman who is very popular in the town and very likely to be the Party's first MP. Hopefully more will follow him after the next GE.

Sue Hammond ● 2724d

Unfortunately for a candidate concerned with the EU, Greene seems to be completely clueless about its influence on British law: Speaking on the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme, Mike Greene in full flow claiming that if Britain leaves the EU, "We'll have more control about what we do in education, what we do for child poverty, how we spend the money that's going to the EU at the moment." Radio 4's interviewer Ross Hawkins asked: "So which bit of European law or administration or bureaucracy is stopping us from doing something you specifically would like to do to address problems in education and child poverty?" There was a long pause after that. "I haven't gone into the detail of legal, specific laws but what I do know is that we're more hampered by laws that are being put in place by people who aren't elected," said Greene. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit-party-peterborough-candidate-mike-greene-interview-1-6048868
Not the brightest of sparks, evidently.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

Refreshing that he isn't a corrupt left wing MP like the one who has been booted out!

Paul Game ● 2724d

@RC"Not the brightest of sparks, evidently."You may not think so. However, I would say that he's not a cynical political careerist who fiddles expenses and lies for a living. Greene only became a Brexit candidate a few weeks ago so why do you expect him to know all the ins and outs of British and European law?  Not everybody is blessed with your superior intellect and knows everything about everything.🙄 For me the traits of honesty and integrity are far more important for MPs to have, the parliamentary lawyers and civil servants can take care of the legal stuff.

Sue Hammond ● 2724d

So ... the important thing is to have honesty and integrity and it doesn't matter if you're ignorant of the subject you're mainly asking to be voted in on?On that basis, Larry the Downing Street Cat would make a good parliamentary candidate. Mind you, he might very well do better than some of the present incumbents, Christopher Chope and Nadine Dorries being two that immediately spring to mind.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

In any case, it was he who brought the subject up. If he doesn't know anything about it, that makes him not just ignorant but stupid to venture forth on something he knows nothing about.As I said, not the brightest of sparks, though no doubt honest and full of integrity lol.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

I’d vote for him.  I prefer to listen to someone who doesn’t speak in quotes and has run a business.

Martine Guy ● 2724d

"On that basis, Larry the Downing Street Cat would make a good parliamentary candidate."That 'joke' is wearing a bit thin now, and it wasn't even funny the first time.

Sue Hammond ● 2724d

Sue, I think it came out of the Guardian joke book.

Martine Guy ● 2724d

That 'joke' is wearing a bit thin nowNot half as thin as endless silly references to the Guardian. Change the record, it just makes you look silly.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

Personally, I'd rather listen to someone who doesn’t speak in quotes and actually knows what he is talking about.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

He may a 'good bloke' but I'd prefer to vote for someone who knows what they're talking about, isn't learning on the job and doesn't just spout the usual rhetoric that you hear. If I was a politician facing an interview like this I'd make sure I had an answer to quite a basic and very reasonable counter-question like the one he received. Not the first time I've seen talking heads in the media come out with a statement of 'fact' which they cannot back up evidentially on when asked.I run a business but wouldn't dare present myself as having an in depth grasp of which bits of European legislation is good and which is bad. Certainly not on Radio 4!  God help us if the country ends up being run by well intentioned, but woolly-minded politics.

Freddie Francis ● 2724d

No-one can deny that The Brexit Party have done phenomenally well in just six weeks, however the test will come when they have to start saying what they're for (in terms of policies) rather than what they're against (the EU.) Ultimately this proved the undoing of UKIP, so will be interesting to see what Farage has learned

Craig Fordham ● 2724d

Richard, it is you who keeps on quoting the Guardian.  You are the one who brings it up, what seems like most of the time.

Martine Guy ● 2724d

I agree Freddie.Amateur politicians are fine, provided they have a very good understanding and grasp of legislation, the law and economics.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2724d

But that's exactly where you're wrong. Because the antis here seem so upset by reference to it, I haven't quoted it for ages - but no, you've got that particular idée fixe jammed into your head and nothing, it seems, will remove it.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

Richard wouldn't have anything to say otherwise Martine.

Sue Hammond ● 2724d

Maybe because we have had, what seems like years and years of tedious Guardian quotes, I link you all the time to that newspaper.  I think you have brainwashed me!

Martine Guy ● 2724d

So you're admitting, you've got it wrong. I suppose that's a start, now perhaps some others here could grasp the truth.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

I always find it useful to have sources quoted, Richard.  At least then we can make our minds up on how we evaluate it.

Craig Fordham ● 2724d

What about all the many 'project fear' C&P quotes from the Guardian that Richard had previously quoted the last few years?They have turned out to be wrong to the tune of 100 plus billion!

Paul Game ● 2724d

Thanks, Craig: something that the whingers here consistently fall down on, preferring to make wild, unsupported generalisations precisely because they're difficult to challenge.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

Thanks for your honesty about the Brexit party Craig.It's a shame Richard can't see the obvious too.

Paul Game ● 2724d

Richard, I have to take your word for it, life is too short to go back through your posts on this Forum.

Martine Guy ● 2724d

Yes, it's so much easier to make unfounded accusations than actually try to justify them, I can see that. But it doesn't do much for your case, does it?

Richard Carter ● 2724d

What case is that Richard, what is it you are accusing me of?

Martine Guy ● 2724d

Oh dear, this is getting very silly, as well as tedious. Your case is the accusation (in your post of 17:43:00 today) that I keep on quoting the Guardian. I don't, and you seemed to have accepted this, though you claimed, ludicrously (at 17:51:00), to have been brainwashed.

Richard Carter ● 2724d

Sue and Paul.As you sound like Brexit Party voters/supporters, some questions. Should they win a GE:a. What are their 'other' policies? Any that you know of?b. If they win a general election, how will they run the NHS, fund social care, support industry, approach foreign policy, build trade, etc, etc? The obvious but important stuff. A rough outline of their plans will do. or just your impression of what you 'believe their policies to be, based on your knowledge of the party that's led you to carry their torch.You can't be daft enough to spend your vote on them if you don't have any answers, which is why I ask.Sell them to me.

Freddie Francis ● 2724d

Richard, I have followed this Forum and posted on it for years  and as far as I am concerned you have very frequently quoted from The Guardian?  Am I wrong on this?  You really believe I should remember when the last time it was you mentioned the name of this newspaper?  Come off it you are not that important.Do you really believe I was serious that you have brainwashed me?  I am lost for words, for once.

Martine Guy ● 2724d

Freddie, At this point im only interesting in voting for a party that is prepared to stand for and carry through the democratic vote of 2016.As Farage said, it's pointless having a manifesto anyway as the other parties don't stick to them.85% of the public voted for the 2 main parties at the last GE whose manifestos said they would deliver Brexit, so 85% of the public have been lied to.Once Brexit is over the line I would then at the next GE consider what party I support based on policy at the time.It seems to me the general public voted on the EU elections last week based on whether they supported Brexit or Remain and nothing else.

Paul Game ● 2724d

I didn’t hear what Mike Greene had to say but if he can’t substantiate his allegations that the EU and its all pervasive regulations are preventing us from doing x, y and z then he wouldn’t be the first pro Brexit supporter to be in that position. I recall one from before the referendum (not well enough to remember his name) who insisted that his business (fruit grower in East Anglia) was completely hamstrung by EU red tape, none of which he could specify. Ironically later in the same interview he expressed worry that Brexit would affect his business because he might not be able to bring in Eastern Europeans to work in his fields.  No Brit would do the work he insisted.  That bit I did believe.

Jonathan Callaway ● 2724d

If Greene gets in next Wednesday and the Brexit party gets it's first seat in parliament then I will offer Dickie a pint of his favourite ale, and if she wishes Ivonne can tag along too for a G&T!I'm sure the 3 of us would have a lot of fun talking Brexit!

Paul Game ● 2723d

Dickie!! 😸 I've often wondered if Richard has ever been called Dick.😸

Sue Hammond ● 2723d

Lol Sue, although best stick to Dickie as we don't want them accusing us of being rude.I think Dickie suits his cheeky chappy image and after revealing his SOH with the photo of the Brexit party candidates and Ivonne has proved her sense of humour with her joke about being democratic, im sure we will have a lot of fun with their one liner jokes.We could go for a drink to Wetherspoons where it will be full of Brexit voting village idiots like myself or we can go somewhere of Ivonnne or Dickies choice.

Paul Game ● 2723d

Good thinking Paul, I would never want to be thought rude!I think Dickie and Ivonne would probably want veggie or vegan fodder, washed down with a nice glass of filtered water. Not such a fun evening after all ...😐

Sue Hammond ● 2723d

Let's hope there's no confusion between Greene the candidate and Green the party, could go either way, but might lead to an interesting result 🙂 so, perhaps after recent results we shouldn't rule out a victory for the LibDems? However,  the previous Labour party MP's stupidity has almost certainly lost that seat for them. I see their margin over the Conservatives in the GE was very slim; wonder if a headless party can recover anything after last Thursday? Who would have thought a speeding offence could set off such a chain of events? How times change.

Michael Ixer ● 2723d

Sue, In the same way as anyone who says "I don't mean to offend, but" is in reality going to do precisely that, your remark about Richard's name WAS intentionally rude. To plead otherwise would make you look a fool. I would encourage Richard to make a complaint.And BTW you I received a decent reply from Paul earlier regarding a Brexit Party policies but as per usual you've ducked out of replying yourself.

Freddie Francis ● 2723d

What a surprise.The new Labour candidate for the Peterborough by-election Lisa Forbes who replaced the disgraced MP Fiona Onasanya, has had to apologise for liking some anti-Semite comments online.Looks likes she is going to get smashed in the by-election by the Brexit candidate this week so hopefully the public will show there is no room for this antisemitism in the Labour party.

Paul Game ● 2719d

Judging by this story the Brexit Party also has its own ignorant individuals and bigots. Good to see Justine has been quick off the mark to correct Ms Widecombe. (Obviously, that's no excuse for the Labour party candidate's actions in Peterborough.)https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48491731

Michael Ixer ● 2719d

Here you go Paul, independent analysis showing how much it's cost the UK economy so far"According to a new report by S&P Global Ratings, Brexit has cost the British economy £66bn in just under three years - equivalent to around £1,000 per person in the country. "https://www.allnews.ch/sites/default/files/files/Countdown%20To%20Brexit_What%20Might%20Have%20Been%20For%20The%20U_K_%20Economy_04%20April%202019.pdf

Matt Palmer ● 2719d