Politics.........

[chas]

I look at Partygate this way. No one in the Country believes Johnson anyway. He was holed up with the same people for the duration so what actual harm was done? None. It's all optics and most know it. A hypocritical politician? Wowser! Who's a thunk it?

Why is Starmer flogging this and no one calling for his head or Sturgeo's or Drakeford' (all equally guilty)? Brexit. This is their last chance to dethrone Johnson and reverse Brexit before the concrete hardens. They hope to get a Remainer at the helm like Hunt.

They hope to be aided in that by Remainer Tories and a genuinely principled few like Baker and Harper who have had enough of Johnson's shenanigans and Green wokery. I very much doubt it will work.

They key thing is 'knowingly' misleading Parliament. The apology already says 'I got it wrong' but there's a 101 excuses about saying why taking time out with the home team during working time and premises didn't amount to a 'party' in anyone's mind. Hell, it was team building! That's probably what the investigating committee with a Tory bias will conclude.

I really don't smell a 'remainer' agenda. I think it's been pounced on as it's hoped it'll resonate with the swingvote. The real scandal is PPE contracts but that's too bloody complicated to form into easy soundbites for that weird swathe of voters that actually decide elections.
It's all depressingly basic. I've been engaged with politics since a teenager but now....
I find very little to engage with. A plague on both, etc.

 

[Scrappy]

 

[DD67]

Why hasn't this been widely reported in the MSM? ...

And this, WTF is Boris thinking?
Where does he expect these people are going to live?

 

[DD67]

Will this be a fair fight?
Or will Le Biro feel the cheating wrath of the CESM lefties?

BBC News - French vote as Macron aims to beat far-right Le Pen

French vote as Macron aims to beat far-right Le Pen

After a divisive campaign, Marine Le Pen faces an uphill battle to defeat sitting President Macron.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Scrappy
Yet another BBC title using the term "far-right" to describe anyone who isn't a leftie

 

[MartytheMartian]

To be absolutely honest I rather hope that Le Pen doesn't win. Yes there is no doubt that Macron is a shit but I think Le Pen is possibly an even bigger and far more dangerous shit who is willing to throw her lot in with Putin and Russia. Sort of a Frog Sturgeon and she is certainly no friend of the UK. Online a lot of Le Pen followers seem to have swallowed Putin's bullshit by the bucketful and truly believe that all Ukrainians are evil Jewish moneylenders and that Russia is simply standing calmly by while Ukrainians murder other Ukrainians and blame it on the peace loving friendly Russians.

 

[DD67]

she is certainly no friend of the UK.

We are unlikely to notice any change from Macron then Marty.
I hope she does win. She may not be perfect, but show me any politician who is. Undoubtedly she'll be a self serving tw@t, they all are.
But the dozens of Macron clones around the world have had it their own way for far too long.
A Le Pen win would make the worlds lefties sit up & take notice.

 

[Old Nick]

We are unlikely to notice any change from Macron then Marty.
I hope she does win. She may not be perfect, but show me any politician who is. Undoubtedly she'll be a self serving tw@t, they all are.
But the dozens of Macron clones around the world have had it their own way for far too long.
A Le Pen win would make the worlds lefties sit up & take notice.

I’d be far more worried about her Russia links - haven’t they been bankrolling her

 

[DD67]

I’d be far more worried about her Russia links - haven’t they been bankrolling her

Have they though Nick?
Or is it the usual smear campaign directed at anyone who's rocking the boat & gaining supporters?

 

[Old Nick]

Have they though Nick?
Or is it the usual smear campaign directed at anyone who's rocking the boat & gaining supporters?

That is the question Jez, is it a smear? there was a loan from a Russian bank that has gone bust, the Le Pen party are involved with some shady characters in Russia to repay it - there’s a story there but whether it’s a smear I have no idea

She is on record though supporting Russian annexation of Crimea and has been a supporter of Putin

Whatever the truth turns out to be I’d very dubious having her and her party in charge 26 miles across the channel

 

[Scrappy]

I’d be far more worried about her Russia links - haven’t they been bankrolling her

She had loans years ago from a Russian bank now owned by another private company. I would imagine there is plenty of other Russian money, along with Chinese and Arab money in France the same as there is in the UK. Just because her party has a visible loan with a Russian company doesn't mean she has been brought, I'd be far more worried about all the invisible money from other unsavoury sources that infests most of Europe (inc the UK) these days.

 

[Scrappy]

That is the question Jez, is it a smear? there was a loan from a Russian bank that has gone bust, the Le Pen party are involved with some shady characters in Russia to repay it - there’s a story there but whether it’s a smear I have no idea

She is on record though supporting Russian annexation of Crimea and has been a supporter of Putin

Whatever the truth turns out to be I’d very dubious having her and her party in charge 26 miles across the channel

Until just over 2 weeks ago the EU were apparently still selling Russia weapons, and they are still buying Russian gas and oil. I suspect the governments of France and Germany are quietly hoping that Ukraine quickly succumbs to Russia so that a peace deal can be signed, and then France and Germany can go on buying Russian energy.

 

[Old Nick]

She had loans years ago from a Russian bank now owned by another private company. I would imagine there is plenty of other Russian money, along with Chinese and Arab money in France the same as there is in the UK. Just because her party has a visible loan with a Russian company doesn't mean she has been brought, I'd be far more worried about all the invisible money from other unsavoury sources that infests most of Europe (inc the UK) these days.

Russian dirty money is definitely awash in Europe and no more so than London for sure, but I don’t see it directly linked to our political parties (I’m sure there’s loads of backhanders and junkits but no debt as such)

Ms Le Pen’s party does have debt that can/could be used as leverage by unscrupulous Russkis to improve their position

She also travelled to Russia 4 or 5 times and each occasion was given the red carpet treatment finally meeting Putin in a a face to face meeting, this was at a time when Russia was refusing visas for other European politicians to visit because they were pro Ukraine after the annexation of Crimea

She certainly seems to be a friend of Russia and has financial ties with them, I would have thought the French intelligence service would have her marked as a huge security risk…

 

[Old Nick]

For Ukraine to lose Russia just needs to get France and Germany nudged to their side EU solidarity will waver as everyone starts looking after themselves and running away scared

And then God help the rest of us…..

 

[MartytheMartian]

I must admit that Le Pen worries me. It seems to me that there are a lot of people who are blindly supporting her just because she appears to be on the Trump, anti-Immigrant, anti-Homosexual, Jews are corrupt, anti-deviant, anti-Marxist side but it's very dangerous to decide your political allegiances on a black and white 'Four legs good, two legs bad' basis. LePen greatly admires Putin's 'Christian Values' and his 'no bullshit' determination to crush all who disagree with him just as Trump does but that is no less noxious than those who support the opposite extreme view.

 

[Don the Don]

right or wrong in one way I hope she does win even though the odds say she has little chance if only to fook France up good and proper, believe it or not I am not a fan of the slug munching turds and would love to see them tear themselves apart

 

[MartytheMartian]

Ordinarily I would agree but I would rather we didn't have to also deal with the cheese eating surrender monkeys waving their feckin' white flags at us while we are busy molocating the Russki's.

 

[DD67]

believe it or not I am not a fan of the slug munching turds

Seriously?
You kept that very well hidden Don.

With that kinda stealth, you might want to consider a career in politics?

 

[Sarky B’stard]

Will this be a fair fight?
Or will Le Biro feel the cheating wrath of the CESM lefties?

BBC News - French vote as Macron aims to beat far-right Le Pen

French vote as Macron aims to beat far-right Le Pen

After a divisive campaign, Marine Le Pen faces an uphill battle to defeat sitting President Macron.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Scrappy
Yet another BBC title using the term "far-right" to describe anyone who isn't a leftie

They will demand a recount! The French for biro is Bic. The ballot papers will be loaded against Mlle Le Pen.

 

[Scrappy]

I think many people are underestimating just what a threat to the UK and our way of life, that Macron and his like are.

And how many times has Macron gone over to see his mate Putin recently, he gave the impression that he had some sway with Putin and then shortly after returning back to France each time was made to look like a prize prat by Putin

They are all politicians, and so by definition untrustworthy scumbags. But people like Macron have been destroying Europe and European identity for decades and getting away with it, with seemingly a lot of people not seeing the inevitable horror that awaits us or our children/grandchildren in the not too distant future.

 

[MartytheMartian]

Well I would hope that the fact that Putin made Macron look such a knob so many times would set Macron against him and I'd rather have him in France than someone who not only is a friend of Putin but is also even more of an enemy to us. It's all academic as we have no control over how the Frogs vote but I, personally do not trust Le Pen at all.