Cont: General UK politics [2]

[Andy_Ross]

Culture Secretary won’t shut down Russian propaganda station RT News because ‘fweeeee speech’ but would love to see the back of Channel 4 and BBC

 

[P.J. Denyer]

Culture Secretary won’t shut down Russian propaganda station RT News because ‘fweeeee speech’ but would love to see the back of Channel 4 and BBC

Not to mention the hypocrisy of

Starmer: "Review RT's license"
Johnson: "I've already instructed the Culture Secretary to do so"
Also Johnson: "Kier Starmer wants to ban RT"

 

[Andy_Ross]

I can remember in the 80's the Tories claimed that Labour, trade unions, CND and environmental groups were funded by Russia.
It turns out that the Tories were the main beneficiaries of Russian cash.

 

[Mojo]

Russian TV broadcasts in UK a ‘disinformation campaign’, says Dorries

 

[Mojo]

It turns out that the Tories were the main beneficiaries of Russian cash.

At least the idiots are useful to someone.

 

[Vixen]

The UK, having been lumbered with one of the weakest Prime Ministers in history during a catastrophic and chaotic pandemic is now the UK figurehead against the Russia-Ukraine attack. With Boris Johnson's long history of enabling Russian oligarchs - one is in the House of Lords, thanks to his close friendship with Johnson (Johnson even travelled to Italy to visit him, shaking off his Personal Protection security) - his claims to be taking a really tough stance against Russia sounds hollow and insincere.

Add to that the juvenile school boy language: he's going to introduce a 'massive' package of sanctions that will 'hobble' the Russian economy (jipes! crikey!) one wonders whether James O'Brien of LBC TalkRadio wouldn't make a far better Prime Minister than the current incumbent.

Whether you think his commentary is 'A Taxi Driver Rants' or 'Great Philosophers of Our Day', O'Brien always seems to hammer the current issues home, bang on the nail.

Here's what James O'Brien has to say about Prime Minister Boris Johnson as figurehead for the UK in respect of the Ukraine crisis:

 

[Andy_Ross]

wrong thread

 

[GlennB]

In other news, from yesterday ...

"Rishi Sunak has been sent a questionnaire by the Metropolitan police over his attendance at a birthday party held for Boris Johnson while tough Covid restrictions were in force."

ytf has it taken so long?

story

 

[zooterkin]

Jonathan Pie on Twitter:

This is the man who calls his opposition: ‘Captain Hindsight’.

Adam Bienkov

"The old concepts of fighting big tank battles on European land mass are over," said Boris Johnson last November, as he mocked the idea of armed conflict returning to Europe.

 

[Vixen]

Oh-oh.

Joel Baccas @JoelBaccas·1hCan you imagine how pink with rage the faces of #Brexit hams would get if #Refugees came to the UK from #Ukraine?

#Europe #PutinIsaWarCriminal

https://twitter.com/JoelBaccas/status/1497501171602317312?s=20&t=86s7DiGKaBXjQamy8tPKzA

 

[Andy_Ross]

Jonathan Pie on Twitter:

Boris and his cronies wanted rid of the tanks and the money spent on sexy 'Cyber' and Drones. They are modern and glamorous and more importantly cheaper.
Plus there is more opportunity to funnel public money to their friends to research and develop the 'cyber' stuff. It's a lot harder to gauge value for money developing computer systems compared to tanks.

 

[Vixen]

Whilst other countries have waived visa rules*, the UK Home Office an hour ago has put up directions on how UK citizens or residents with Ukrainian dependents can apply for a visa.

Home Office@ukhomeoffice UPDATE on our Visa Application Centres in the region:

The UK Government has an extensive visa application centre network in neighbouring countries. Ukrainians in these countries can access these services & apply for visas under existing immigration routes.

A THREAD

<snip>

Home Office@ukhomeoffice·1hMore staff have been surged to Visa Application Centres.

Dependants of Nationals resident in needing a UK visa can apply through the new, temporary Lviv location or through a Visa Application Centre in nearby countries including Poland, Moldova, Romania & Hungary.

(3/4)

https://twitter.com/ukhomeoffice/status/1497507314965774337?s=20&t=7G2t0J9j3rgE2ZPGlzBK5Q


*Although Ukraine is in the Schengen zone normally Ukrainians (or other EU citizens or third country persons) would still need to apply for residence or citizenship in the normal way, so it is not to do with the UK being outwith the EU.

Over 3 million people are expected to flee from Ukraine. Perhaps the rabid Brexiteer government is more worried about letting in East Europeans - whom they thought they had got rid of - than the unfolding great humanitarian crisis? Young children, mothers, elderly relatives, etc., who have had to leave their conscripted menfolk behind and their homes.

Why is the UK demanding 'applications from UK citizens/residents' only? Why haven't they opened the doors, albeit on a temporary emergency basis, to these poor displaced frightened people?

 

[Andy_Ross]

Literally today the Home Office has released a short briefing explaining how its new anti-refugee law will enable deportation of a Ukrainian (or other) refugee who passes through a third country on the way to the UK for “overseas asylum processing”.

 

[llwyd]

This not over the top at all, sadly: https://www.theguardian.com/comment...s-oligarchs-london-government-putin-donations

 

[jimbob]

Boris and his cronies wanted rid of the tanks and the money spent on sexy 'Cyber' and Drones. They are modern and glamorous and more importantly cheaper.
Plus there is more opportunity to funnel public money to their friends to research and develop the 'cyber' stuff. It's a lot harder to gauge value for money developing computer systems compared to tanks.

From 2019 - a different thread but showing how dim that idea was

Mmm, modern warfare is bifurcating into two distinctive scenarios:

1) All out superpower war. Here nothing matters, because tanks and indeed any kind of armor is outdated.

2) Interfering in local wars. Here, you are typically up against non-sophisticated adversaries, with fairly light weapons. However, even light losses are hard to accept (because the home country is in peace condition). Here moderate armor is useful, and hi-tech weapons make the day.

Stuff like heavy tanks are museum exhibits.

Hans

I think Ukraine might beg to differ.

Israel, too. They have some of the heaviest main battle tanks in current service, and their doctrine seems to be based on the assumption that they're surrounded by regimes that would happily roll tank treads from the Jordan to the sea, if there weren't heavy tanks in the force arrayed against them.

 

[Mojo]

This not over the top at all, sadly: https://www.theguardian.com/comment...s-oligarchs-london-government-putin-donations

Boris claims that the Tories are rooting out corrupt Russian money, but I suspect that, if true, it may be in the sense of seeking donations.

 

[Darat]

Boris claims that the Tories are rooting out corrupt Russian money, but I suspect that, if true, it may be in the sense of seeking donations.

And of course if Labour try to raise the issue of Russia and the Tories it will be them in the wrong for "playing politics" when our friends are in such dire need, when we all need to pull together*.


*the Tories need to pull together to try and hide any evidence of their links to Russia and Russian money

 

[Lothian]

It is hard to know how to help with the current situation. I am however boycotting Russian owned corporations
Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft, Sberbank, British Conservative Party, Russian Railways, Rostec.

 

[Darat]

Boris claims that the Tories are rooting out corrupt Russian money, but I suspect that, if true, it may be in the sense of seeking donations.

To be fair it should be quite easy for them to find Russian money....

 

[Wudang]

Was it here or twitter someone said that when Liz Truss summoned the Russian ambassador she reminded him to bring his chequebook.