Rolling Brexit Links/UK politics in the neo-Weimar era

I think Mason has recently written that post-Brexit UK should have restricted / managed immigration, coupled with total openness and generosity to refugees.

I imagine that JC's proposed policy may be similar to that?

good migrants and bad migrants, I like it, it's catchy

I fear JC tumbling into "British jobs for British workers" if not more careful but meanwhile the PM has just branded the British Red Cross...irresponsible

the Red Cross is an international organization like the EU, FIFA and the Catholic Church, and as such has no place in British life

Mars, Inc. That's another one.

helps u work, work and work some more

http://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/586e69931200002d00ad5bd2.png

I think Mason has recently written that post-Brexit UK should have restricted / managed immigration, coupled with total openness and generosity to refugees.

I imagine that JC's proposed policy may be similar to that?

― the pinefox, Wednesday, January 11, 2017 3:32 AM (eight hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

trying to imagine how small the infinitisemal portion of the electorate who care about restricting immigration - except for for refugees - is

also tbqfh british immigration is already very controlled if you exclude the freedom of movement that exists in the eu. e.g. i can't live in britain because I'm married to a canadian and the process of getting my wife residency would be too onerous (i have to move to britain and get a higher than average paid job before i can apply to sponsor her).

yeah i have a friend who's had to give up his business and take on a paid job just to begin the process to allow his non-British wife to live here

if you exclude the freedom of movement that exists in the eu

There's the rub.

Of course, once we start keep the Europeans out we will be able to loosen the rules for our chums on the Commonwealth and the Anglosphere - errr, except the Muslim ones... and Africans, of course... Indians are fine as long as they are not Muslims and are brain surgeons, nuclear physicists etc.

And don't mind getting the passport out for a trip to the continent.

The shadow defence secretary, Nia Griffith, was said by sources to be “absolutely furious” on Wednesday night after a spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn appeared to question the recent decision to send British troops to Estonia.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/11/labour-in-turmoil-as-corbyn-briefing-clashes-with-defence-position

("a spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn" = Seumus Milne, yes?

this seems bad? but is apparently a deliberate strategy?

Senior Labour officials are said to have become more relaxed about message discipline and now favour a “let Corbyn be Corbyn” strategy, in which the leader will be free to speak his mind – even if it results in negative publicity. After the Labour leader was criticised for not being visible over Christmas, his team have reached a stage where they believe bad publicity is better than no publicity.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-copy-donald-trump-labour-leader-new-strategy-aggressive-populist-poll-ratings-a7517351.html

the theory is supposedly that voters don't follow the policy details all that closely and the important thing is the general broad message that is being communicated, which seems correct, but surely the message that's coming across is less "Corbyn is a populist who is taking on vested interests" and more "Corbyn is incompetent, Labour are a mess who can't agree on anything and aren't fit to govern"?

Nothing is true, grasshopper, and everything is permitted

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/12/diane-abbotts-late-phone-call-forced-jeremy-corbyn-make-migration/

thank god for diane abbott

'Britain Does Not Have Too Many Migrants. Britain Has Too Many Bigots'
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/john-wight/the-lefts-capitulation-to_b_13981888.html

^^^ let's have referendum on this, losing side gtfo

Either we don't have too many bigots or the bigot majority are happy with the current bigot levels so... where should we gtfo to?

Ayrshire.

... oops, that's where the bigots should go.

was thinking of a taking sides: bigots vs immigrants vote, jeez

This is pretty interesting (if a bit long)

https://dominiccummings.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/on-the-referendum-21-branching-histories-of-the-2016-referendum-and-the-frogs-before-the-storm-2/

Agreed (on both parts)

Are we allowed to admit that Paul Mason is terrible now?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C2CTdp4XgAASAAF.jpg

Treating lower-income migrant workers as if they were just a source of cheap labour for employers is just mirroring the right. Starting from a base argument that immigration is a problem just feeds the far-right narrative even it intends to do the absolute opposite.

the problem with old school Marxists is that the racism and homophobia always leaks out eventually

but otoh fuck giving succour to capitalist running dogs

I'm glad he can distinguish between socialism and trade unionism tho. necessary as the unions are they've been forces of reaction for 95 percent of their existence.

proud tradition of fighting for lower pay for women and immigrants

That sort of thing is not absent from the history of the trade unions, but it's outweighed by the contribution union struggles have made to fight pay inequality and discrimination in the workplace. '95 percent of their existence' is lunatic hyperbole.

You're fake news, Noodle Vague.

Anyway, 'you can come in if you're a high earner' isn't mirroring, but exactly mimicking the right.

there's yer tristram hunt away to pursue his idea of patriotism as director of the v&a

lunatic hyperbole is my life. and you're not wrong, but let's not look too rosy at the differential-clinging bastards

I was about to say that Tristram was going somewhere where he couldn't possibly do too much damage but then immediately saw a link to him calling for the reintroduction of museum entry fees.

Hunt's off https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/13/tristram-hunt-to-quit-as-mp-to-become-va-director. Wrong one unfortunately as it looks like a nasty by-election for labour.

“I am disappointed to see a talented MP like Tristram step down. His departure will be keenly felt by parliament and by the Labour party"

scumbag recognize scumbag

https://twitter.com/Sean__Clare/status/819847809780383744

Normally with these guys I assume that they joined Labour because they were never posh or connected enough to form a decent career in the Conservative Party but Hunt was pretty much landed gentry so god knows what his deal was.

his dad was a Labour councillor, god knows where he got it from tho

further digging suggests there might have been Quakerism in the family, always a hotbed of leftiness that

conviction and principles presumably bred out of the family line before they reached Tristram

Don't get me wrong I'd also take running the V&A over another three years in a constituency that the Tories are about to make disappear. He should never have been representing the people of Stoke in the first place.

as someone who crossed a picket line to teach his class on socialism he's a confusing bundle of tendencies all round

Don't get me wrong I'd also take running the V&A over another three years in a constituency that the Tories are about to make disappear. He should never have been representing the people of Stoke in the first place.

I like how the most obviously Tory types in Labour are invariably described as "talented", in Tristam's case he inherited most of his talent.

Lovely looking bit of Stoke, perhaps even on a wet Wednesday night.

https://www.europcar.com/location/united-kingdom/stoke-on-trent/stoke-on-trent

i grew up 20-odd miles from Stoke and have been there maybe half a dozen times in my entire life. not in any hurry to visit again.

@paulmasonnews 18s19 seconds ago
I was just on @BBCWorldatOne about @TristramHuntMP - good MP for Stoke, bad decision.

https://m.popkey.co/f0e5c0/eLE7K.gif

well, they both agree on the urgent need to cut immigration