Mr Johnson’s conservatives have had a busy couple of weeks, which ended in an immigration related crescendo. The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, introduced the government’s plans to enact a points-based immigration system following the end of the Brexit transition period. The system proposes that a potential immigrant must first obtain 70 points before being able … Continue reading Patel’s points-based illusion
Category: Politics
Government by liberal tears
Mr Johnson’s newly formulated war narrative appears to be one that depicts the legal system as an untamed authoritarian system, saturated with a cabal of elites who hate the idea of democracy. Put bluntly, Johnson wants us to believe the Judge's are the "enemies of the people". This past week has seen Suella Braverman … Continue reading Government by liberal tears
A refusal to accept
Boris Johnson took on a case of self-harm in his first cabinet reshuffle as prime minister, when he offered the then Chancellor, Sajid Javid, conditions to the job that he could not commandeer. Mr Javid, to keep his job, would have had to replace all of his political advisors. Mr Javid aptly resigned, with … Continue reading A refusal to accept
The peace of Brexit
By Hobhouse The hangover of ‘Brexit Day’ will be followed by a yearlong detox, in which the UK will tag along with the EU for an extension of its damaged friendship. Although, this promises to be less a detox and more like the hare of dog remedy: keep drinking and the headache will never become … Continue reading The peace of Brexit
Dominic’s weirdos
Dominic Cummings's, the prime minister’s special adviser, call for weirdos, scientists and programmers is a breath of fresh air and could, perhaps, really spark a flame of diversity in a place known for its drab intake of talent. Although his blog posted job advert has been mocked and forensically criticised – perhaps correctly, as, for … Continue reading Dominic’s weirdos
The genetic NHS
Back in February of 2019, Matt Hancock, health secretary, strongly advocated for the idea of the NHS providing predictive genetic tests for common cancers and heart disease. A sense of threat, however, ensued after his comments and, since then, there has been no mention of such an undertaking by the NHS. Genotyping, for instance, is … Continue reading The genetic NHS
There will be no rescue
The Guardian last week revealed that the Home Secretary, Mrs Patel, personally intervened to prevent the extraction of orphans and unaccompanied minors from Syria. More than 60 British minors, then, have just been consigned to their fate of fending for their survival in a country steeped in a civil war. These children’s minds’ will be … Continue reading There will be no rescue
The pollsters attempt to shift methods
The initiation of a nation-wide election is like the sunrise to statisticians and pollsters. Instead of the quintessential morning coffee, this most peculiar of creatures brews tea and, as a morning exercise, attempts to predict the ways in which the tea leaves will move. Pollsters attempt to use statistics in an effort to model voting … Continue reading The pollsters attempt to shift methods
Austerity is now a pejorative
By Hobhouse. Almost as an aside to this week’s tense parliamentary antics – which included Mr Johnson losing his majority and a vote that would mean a no-deal exit from the EU become less likely – Sajid Javid, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced his party were ‘turning the page on austerity.’ This page should … Continue reading Austerity is now a pejorative
Brexit expectation management
By Hobhouse. The Brexiteers have become exceptional at the process of expectation management. Think back to the Brexit campaign when various proponents of Vote Leave would take it in turns to shout about how much better Britain would be after Brexit and how easy it would all be. ‘There will be no downside to Brexit, … Continue reading Brexit expectation management