Forum Topic

Johnson rejects pact with Nigel Farage

I may be very cynical these days, but:...https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50264395£350m a week to the NHS again?

Ivonne Holliday ● 2567d19 Comments

I'm starting to love Farage. He could conceivably cause Brexit to fail, all by himself  🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Sean Hodges ● 2567d

It’s such a joke. ‘Brexit means Brexit’. ‘Leave means leave’. ‘Deliver on the will of the people’. ‘’Just get it done’. And all the other vacuous slogans repeated endlessly to shut down any debate, when Boris and Farage can’t even decide what Brexit means, let alone the gross impression of an orangutan currently occupying the White House. It should go back to the people to decide on whatever deal is finally passed, Boris’ deal isn’t, by the way, it’s only through an intermediate stage, still plenty to discuss, but he pulled the plug.! (Yes, I’ve no idea why, either). Anyway I’m in favour of a second referendum with whatever deal is agreed or remain.Sounds like the only sensible way forward to me.

Paul Doorly ● 2567d

Labour do seem to have realised that a second referendum is the only way to resolve it. However, I suspects we're heading for another hung parliament with these two Brexiters not agree what Brexit and leave mean ... I see the vote leave overspending file has now been handed over to the CPS as well. If this was a soap opera it would go into the unbelievable category like Dallas and Bobby Ewing coming back from the dead ... or perhaps I am dreaming and I'm going to wake up and find remain won and the leave campaigners are all in prison for fidling their election donations 👻 - and the UK won the last Eurovision song contest with Brian May singing "Badger, Badger" ... no, probably not 😺

Michael Ixer ● 2567d

I hope the election result clears things up, I still have hope, eternal optimist that I am. However, there’s probably more chance of Brian May winning Eurovision with Badger Badger, he could celebrate with a guitar solo on top of Buckingham Palace.

Paul Doorly ● 2567d

Farage not standing in the election, what a coward. ‘Frit’ is that the expression? We have another name for that in Ireland, but I wouldn’t want to lower the tone.

Paul Doorly ● 2565d

Farage will be touring the country, holding rallies and supporting TBP candidates who are all new to political campaigning. I suspect he will concentrate on the constituencies that voted Leave but have Remainer MPs who have wilfully ignored the voters they are supposed to represent. He will be spreading his clean-break Brexit message in many constituencies all over the country, instead of just one.  Nothing cowardly about it. Makes perfect sense to me.

Sue Hammond ● 2565d

Yes, so he says, but he has stood unsuccessfully for Parliament seven times, and yesterday’s Brexit demonstration in Doncaster attracted not one person. I suspect he sees the writing on the wall.Let’s see.

Paul Doorly ● 2565d

I agree Paul. Chicken comes to mind. If he's so sure of his Brexit Party he should be standing  for Parliament himself.

Lucille Grant ● 2565d

If he stood for Parliament, then he cannot be an MEP too.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2565d

"Remainer MPs who have wilfully ignored the voters they are supposed to represent."For which definition of wilfully are you going?1.with the intention of causing harm; deliberately."she denies four charges of wilfully neglecting a patient" or2.with a stubborn and determined intention to do as one wants, regardless of the consequences."he had wilfully ignored the evidence"

David Ainsworth ● 2565d

If that was the reason then I am sure he would have said so. What leader of a party doesn’t stand in a general election? None. I don’t buy his excuses at all. Also, his party has one policy, And whilst Brexit May be the central issue, it certainly isn’t the only one: NHS, climate change, schooling, housing, division of wealth, tax avoidance etc etc. There’s plenty of other issues of vital importance to consider. I would imagine that for many, many voters, the Brexit Party, are a one-liner, with little real substance. At best, they’re no more than a pressure group.Time will tell.

Paul Doorly ● 2565d

Paul, there was a referendum and the outcome was leave.  There is no getting away from it.  Unless the "People's vote" means absolutely f*** all.  What's the point?

Bunny Payne ● 2565d

I agree with you.As things are panning out, this will be a GE that will be centered on one issue only - the rest will be mentioned and many promises made.  The latter will be just promises that dulcet tones and no substance - regrettably.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2565d

I hope not, but you may well be right about the scope and extent of this election.Also, how can number 10 refuse to publish a report into Russian interference in the democratic process in this country that former attorney general Dominic Grieve says is essential for voters to see?I would also add that the police report on overspending by the Leave campaign, which Cummings confirms Johnson knew about, and which the police have passed to the Crown Prosecution, should be a cause for serious concern to anyone who cares about this country.

Paul Doorly ● 2565d

@Paul 14.13Yes Paul it's true, Farage has previously been unsuccessful, but those attempts were in different times when relatively few were switched on to his anti-EU stance. But times have changed and (what is now) Brexit has gained momentum and traction.  Don't forget that in the 2015 GE when NF was the leader of UKIP the party got almost 4 million votes, but not one MP due to our unfair fptp political system.  Unfortunately the same odds are stacked again against TBP, but as you say, let's see.

Sue Hammond ● 2565d

@Paul D. Yes, I can see no reason for hiding the report regarding Russian interference. One has to assume its being withheld because the current government considers it detrimental to them or the leave vote in the referendum. From a limited view I've had of social media anaysis attributed to Russia that would seem likely. I've also seen (but not looked at detail) reports that because of time he spent in Russia Dominic Cummings, although he technically has DV clearance, is restricted in what sensitive information he can have access to. I guess the case regarding the leave campaign overspending has to go through CPS's formal processes, they could well come to a convenient conclusion it was incompetence ... given the individuals involved that would be plausible but that would make me consider them as unsuitable for public service as if they'd acted maliciously.

Michael Ixer ● 2565d

I fully agree with you Sue, regarding reforming the voting system. A proportional representation system would enable much more democratic and representative parliaments to be formed. First past the post disadvantages small parties and independents.I would miss the drama of the election night results, but one night of fun is a price worth paying.Cheers.

Paul Doorly ● 2565d

"Nothing cowardly about it. Makes perfect sense to me".Ms HammondNotwithstanding what I said on another thread about Farage's decision not to stand, I have to say I thoroughly agree with you.Let's face it the Brexit Party IS Farage.No one else has any public profile or prominence.And again let's face it, his Party has only one policy - Brexit.And so for him to be confined to fighting in one constituency, having to go head to head with other candidates on other issues and getting limited exposure, he is much better off going around the country getting on the telly and pushing a hard Brexit.Thus I can't understand that as he believes in it so passionately, he has reacted as he has to Johnson's snub towards an offer of an electoral pact and is insisting they fight every seat.Says something about him that he has taken this snub so personally.One would have thought that for the sake of the cause he would have unilaterally decided which seats he could fight and win on a hard Brexit ticket and let the Conservatives get on with the rest.

John Hawkes ● 2564d

The reason PR is such a good idea is that it gives the smaller parties a more representative presence in parliament. That is also the reason why the major parties refuse to support it.

Jonathan Callaway ● 2564d