I apologise for yet another comment on last night's television debate. But let me concentrate on just one aspect, and that is why Theresa May really is not up to the job of being prime minister.
Ignore all Paxman had to say about being a blow hard and about her numerous, well documented, U turns. The questions from the public were what mattered. And there May stumbled really badly.
The reason is clear. May really has not got a clue what to say on most issues. As a result she turns out sentence after sentence of riddles and nonsense, most unseasoned with facts, all of which are designed to obfuscate. You end up with three sentiments.
The first is that she is boring.
The second is she is simply playing for time (as she certainly was last night).
The third is that she really does not have a clue what She is doing.
There is no core to what May says. No beleif. No substance. No drive. No message. Nothing. Just riddles and nonsense.
And that is disastrous for a negotiator, which is what she is setting herself out to be. They have to know what they want, and really want it. I came away with the clearest possible impression that May possessed neither quality. And that really worried me because she probably will be prime minister.
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Odd election this. The Tories supposed trump card, May, is proving a less than stellar performer, while her opponent is proving a good deal better then most (including me) thought likely. May has simply confirmed what many thought when she took over: she really isn’t up to much. Corbyn has done pretty well. He is vulnerable over defence, security and foreign affairs but on domestic issues he’s on much surer ground. Labour has won the manifesto battle hands down and are saying things that resonate with a large section of the electorate.
Still think the Tories will win, but a May led Govt fills me with considerable unease.
Agree with all that
“May has simply confirmed what many thought when she took over: she really isn’t up to much”.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record: one does not need “thoughts” or “impressions” or “feelings” with respect to Mrs May. Her time as home sec’ and the facts (yes I know – boring) provide all the evidence one needs with respect to her capabilities to manage complex governmental systems & deliver results….or in this case: NOT
http://outsidethebubble.net/2016/12/06/massive-negligence-by-theresa-may-when-home-secretary/
Mrs May: the most incompetent home sec of the last 40 years – abjectly failed to meet any of Camoron’s targets. Prediction: Mrs May, if she wins, the most incompetent PM of all time.
Boring, duplicitous and untrustworthy yet cheered to the rafters by an organised clique in the audience.
Prepared to walk away from the Brexit negotiations without discharging the UK’s legal obligations and, again, received a standing ovation for saying so from the Maybots.
A bloke objecting to paying VAT on private schhol fees even though his children will be relieved of £40,000 debt each in respect of university tuition fees.
Private household debt at staggering levels, debt created by a market that reacts adversely to the prospect of a labour victory,yet the Tory mantra for an increase in public debt is – everything has to be paid for.
You cannot make this stuff up. Our press is reducing us to infantilism.
Agreed BUT the audience applauded with the new new meme: ‘No deal is better than a bad deal.’ It sounds like the title of a 1950’s American TV show and the Tories will be repeating that ad nauseam to replace the failed ‘strong and stable.’
Let’s hope the man that mouthed ‘total bollocks’ get’s some air play because that’s what she was.
it’s now a question of the youth and apathetic non-voter to come out in numbers. The Tories will still be running through stacks of Andrex over the next few days so let’s hope their ghastly hubris has gone by the time they have filled themselves with treble strength.
Immodium.
They have a vacuous, hollow, dalek of a leader and that is now visible to many. But I suspect that the fear of change might still dominate in the booth.
Tories are now left playing the “don’t vote for the others it would be a disaster” card. It didn’t work for Cameron and the remain campaign, it didn’t work for Hilary against Trump. I can’t think of a single positive the Tories are offering in their campaign. Even on Brexit their key claim is very negative “no deal is better than a bad deal”. This is project fear mark 2.
I agree
Dammit, even the Times agrees this morning – saying, as you do, that fear is all the Tories have left
I admit that I turned it off after 2-3 minutes. I couldn’t bear to watch it.
Paxman was very unfair with Corbyn whom he constantly interrupted. It was bad enough seeing the human wreck that is Robert Peston do that on the Sunday before.
Why do we bother with Paxman?
That is, Paxman, Peston, Kunisberg and Robinson – here for themselves only. These people should be conduits to enable the public to understand the issues.
Instead their work is about self promotion.
Awful – and what a disservice to democracy.
Paxman, Peston, Kunisberg (sic) and Robinson illiterates all!
Worse, today on Woman’s hour Corbyn had a senior moment with the Childcare figure and went to his I pad with the interviewer pouncing on this like a wolf as she ‘Asked whether this indicated that voters should not trust Labour with their money.’
Well it’s not ‘their money’ that pays for this, so the interviewer (Emma Barnet) was also economically illiterate.
Oh dear, the bullshit rolls on and on.
I’ve had senior moments since I was doing exams
And that’s a long time ago
By the way, Richard, I’ve e mailed Woman’s Hour suggesting that Emma Barnett (the interviewer) should research her own facts before slamming Corbyn for for forgetting figures. Repeating the trope about ‘voter’s money’ perpetuates myths about our monetary system and I also supplied the relevant quote about ‘taxpayers’ money myths from your book.
These interviewers who wield power to destroy people often frame their questions based on utter ignorance.
Corbyn could have done what many politicians, and most tories I daresay, would have done. Try to wing it and hope to get away with it, as a lot of them do.
Er…wait a minute, i think I spot a flaw in that!
Barnett asked a reasonable question that Corbyn should have been able to answer. Has he and other Labour politicians not learnt anything during the election? If you are going to appear in the media promoting a policy (a darn good one in this case) then you have to prepare properly and know your facts.
The midday news had good pictures of Corbyn looking very relaxed with a bunch of kids laying out what Labour are proposing. This really positive message was undermined when the story turned to his fumbling live on air.
Labour has a good policy offering here with wide appeal, but you have to get your presentation right.
Steve H, the interviewer had the figure in front of here and humiliated him (or tried to) by reading it out. If she had the figure anyway, why did she ask him? It was a cynical attempt to get him to slip up, it was unprofessional. The interviewer , Emma Barnett, has a history of writing for the Mail and Telegraph, I’m afraid it is yet another case of BBC bias and unprofessional interviewing. The gaffes of Hammond/Fallon and May have been far worse yet not played on for as long. Disgustingly aggressive interview, biased and manipulative. I have telephoned in a complaint and will be posting a detailed letter about it .
Craig Murray’s critique of ‘One Nation Tory’ Paxman’s subtly biased interview strategy:
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/05/paxman-pushes-100-tory-agenda/
Nick Robinson captured it well with his comment that Corbyn’s problem is with his past, but that May’s problem is with the future that she seems to have no vision of.
Like others, I’d agree that the more one sees of Corbyn the better he comes across whereas its the complete opposite with May. Unless you think being inflexible and rude is a sign of strength (yet another weird parallel with Trump). As a negotiating style, it will be disastrous, in particular when the other side has a stronger hand than you do, as is the case with the EU. In their arrogance and ignorance, the Tories seem incapable of grasping this
What also came through for me, deliberately or not, was that Corbyn saw himself as the leader of a team, the diametric opposite of May. It was very much a consensual style as opposed to authoritarian and dictatorial. One might question the quality of his team but they are certainly no worse than May’s team. I’d far rather have Starmer leading EU negotiations than any of the current mob
Fair play to Corbyn – he has gone up considerably in my estimation, as I suspect he has with many others
I have to admit that Jeremy has grown into the job. Dammit, he even corrects other people’s ties these days…. 🙂
“Riddles and nonsense” – you should change the name of your blog site to this as your excellent posts often point out such!
Good to see you getting closer to Jez again, wi’ll get you that Lordship yet!
I can say three things
First, I have spoken to no one in Labour
Second, I am open to do so
Third, I am not looking for a job
I never doubted he would!
Jeremy’s been my MP for 20 years, he comes to our Latin music event every year, the year before last (before his leadership election) he gave a speech so rousing so powerful and so well ordered it’s completely changed my view of him – I’d believed him to be a good campaigning MP and kindly chap. But he had fire in his belly. I thought then god it’s such a shame he’ll never be allowed near the leadship… how wrong was I? How wrong we all have been every step of the way. Whilst things are bleak they are never entirely predictable.
Agree with all that you say, Robin. And you’re certainly not the only one whose views of Corbyn have gone up since the campaign began. I haven’t spoken to a single person who says otherwise – even if they don’t support Labour.
But I’m afraid I still think May will get this – the polls showing a narrowing are out again, not least because I know from my own conversations that a fair few people who profess to not knowing who they are going to vote will vote Tory on the day. I suspect that’s common across other parts of the country.
That said, unless Corbyn and Labour have the balls to take evasive action once the EU negotiations turn out to be near impossible to complete in anything less than five years, and that any deal is going to be bad, I think it best to let May and the Tories sink the country given they’ve got us to where we are. They won’t be forgiven in a hurry and from what I’ve read of a speech she’s due to give today about making things good for ordinary working people, that’ll turn out to be so much shite that what reputation she has – and with the Tory faithful it still seems to be very good – will be utterly trashed.
Unfortunately Ivan, it may well take another 5 years of Tory crap before the populace wake up to the false idol that they have been worshipping cannot deliver. But with a media repeating illiteracy after illiteracy and fake economics being projected as reality we can’t even blame the populace.
Agree with pretty much all of the above.
I absolutely dread the thought of another 5 years of May-hem and ‘her’ team specifically due to the Naylor Report. The Youtube video below explains it nicely. This document has sat quietly unnoticed on the Govt website but shows how they plan to sell all NHS assets, or risk zero funding if they refuse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx3hrpDCct8
I also noticed at an earlier stump meeting (invite only again) that the posters have changed and her name is no longer on them. In fact there didn’t really appear to be any kind of brand on them. A clear mark that they have no confidence in May who I suspect will be ousted ASAP, but I dread to think who with. There are already rumours to that effect. John Prescott posted on twitter that Tory grandee’s think she, and her manifesto are a disaster, and there’s hardly anyone in cabinet who actually like her.
I am absolutely sure the last is true
Mind you, that’s also probably been true of most PMs
You have to not care about being unloved to do the job and yet care nonetheless
Few manage the dichotomy
and in a terrible irony the legal team hoping to help with the NHS fire sale are called Bevan Brittan.
https://www.bevanbrittan.com/insights/news/2017/the-naylor-review/
Not the Bevan Britain that the people want!
The Naylor review recommendations are another step towards rentier Britain and it will bring down the country.
The graph here
http://www.progressivepulse.org/economics/economics-101/follow-the-money/
shows how most of our money is already flowing into the hands of private companies. The people (now in the red again) cannot run a deficit for long.
I watched the youtube clip with horror I work for the nhs and I can’t believe the Tories are willing to waste £10 billion on selling its assets. And I thought the Tories were all about being efficient with taxpayers money,shouldn’t that money be spent on providing health care. Apparently this plan is all explained in the Naylor report which May is committed to and if nhs trusts don’t agree to sell off their assets they will be penalized which means they will be denied funds to invest with. So if your wondering why your local nhs trust is not investing in new facilities or equipment it’s not because the government haven’t the money it’s because the Tories believe selling off the nhs is more important than providing health care.
Derek
I’ve noticed the fevered response to a slight stumble by Corbyn in an interview with Emma Barnett, a journalist which Wikipaedia describes as right-wing. The bias is getting more and more blatant and disgusting. I suspect that if the Conservatives get a reasonable majority things might start to turn nasty.
The problem with May being boring is that boring people are nearly always unaware of just how boring they are. Give them a platform and off they go, droning on and on, usually the same old topics only listened to by the same old people.
Dreadful.
I think that the Labour manifesto is a step in the right direction towards a more ‘courageous state’ but there is still a lot to do.
I am still worried that Labour are relying too much on re-distribution of money in circulation and not saying enough about printing new money as investment. As long as they keep doing this, they are open to accusations of stealth taxation and not doing their sums properly. They also will not move the debate about state intervention in the economy forward into reality.
Recent reports of Corbyn ruling out working with other parties are also not to be encouraged. In fact they are premature.
Having said that there is no doubt that the current Labour party direction has caused a response of some kind. I just hope that they can build on it no matter what happens on June 8th.
“There is no core to what May says. No beleif. No substance. No drive. No message. Nothing. Just riddles and nonsense.”
With respect to last night – probably. But moving back to 2015 (yeah – feels like a long time ago) – lets try this article by the Tories house newspaper – The Daily Torygraph – jaw dropping stuff – & thus we see the real Mrs T May:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11913927/Theresa-Mays-immigration-speech-is-dangerous-and-factually-wrong.html
It does of course raise the question: if it is all so very bad – why did she do nothing, zero, nada for…. 5 years. Strong, stable & …totally incompetent – or was 5 years of inaction designed? Clever woman if it was.
I’ve been reflecting on May for some time because she puzzles me to be honest. I’ve tried to be nice especially as she is a woman but only because I am worried about me coming across as a misogynist.
I’ve decided that with her slightly stooped upper body and her nose (especially seen from the side) and that glare she gave the police from the lectern at that now infamous police conference, she reminds me of a vulture.
She has in fact been out on limb for some time , waiting and watching as vultures do for an opportunity.
Imagine having to negotiate with THAT. We don’t stand a chance.
Note: Apologies to vultures – unfairly maligned as they are – they are actually natures’ hoovers – they eat dead things and in doing so apparently help to prevent the spread of disease in the areas they inhabit.
All I see from May is a possible contagion from BREXIT as she takes a hard line and glares at Europe from her hunched shoulders.
Pilgrim – a great piece of imagery. Though you’ve rather spoiled Jungle Book for me, in which the vultures were rather friendly characters!
Her utter lack of self-awareness and lack of empathy dooms her to be an appalling negotiator. That and the lack of preparedness of her ‘team’ makes failure pretty inevitable. No deal it is, which is what she has been saying all along, Well, at least, since she changed her mind and became a Brexiter
Dear Richard, one of the Labour flagship tax increases in its manifesto is some £20 billion corporation tax revenue to be accrued by raising the headline rate. What is your opinion of this projection?
I am on record as saying I wholeheartedly approve, think that this will boost investment and could raise the suggested revenue noted
I see no down side
Businesses will not leave and we have the tools to tackle profit shifting
The reaction to proposed corporation tax rises is always that companies will leave or stop investing. Similarly, proposals to cut corporation tax are always accompanied by promises of increased investment and job creation. In practice, neither the threats or promises are realised in practice because as I understand it, there are many other far more important factors that shape where companies choose to locate themselves and the jobs they create.
That’s not to ignore the practices of transfer pricing and profit shifting to low tax regimes, but I suspect that as often as not, is about where the brass plate is the located rather than real jobs
Happy to be corrected if m wrong
Companies do not leave
Profits used to
We have better techniques for tracking that now – mainly country-by-country reporting