am suspicious of foreign aid as a political activity in the first place, but that said this is effectively taking funding away from some of the world's poorest regions just at a time when the impacts of climate change on those communities are becoming ever more palpable. climate change that we and our partners are largely responsible for. sickening tbh
― Boris the Spreader (NickB), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:26 (three years ago) link
Replying to a question from the Tory MP Steve Double, Johnson said:"What is actually happening, of course, is that Dfid and the FCO are now joining together to become a new Whitehall super-department for international affairs which will be of huge benefit to our ability to project Britain’s sense of mission about overseas aid.For too long, frankly, UK overseas aid has been treated as some giant cashpoint in the sky that arrives without any reference to UK interests or to the values that the UK wishes to express or the priorities diplomatic, political or commercial of the government of the UK."
"What is actually happening, of course, is that Dfid and the FCO are now joining together to become a new Whitehall super-department for international affairs which will be of huge benefit to our ability to project Britain’s sense of mission about overseas aid.
For too long, frankly, UK overseas aid has been treated as some giant cashpoint in the sky that arrives without any reference to UK interests or to the values that the UK wishes to express or the priorities diplomatic, political or commercial of the government of the UK."
no moral responsibilty here at all
― Boris the Spreader (NickB), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:29 (three years ago) link
also i'm pretty sure that's absolutely untrue
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:30 (three years ago) link
mmmmm britain's sense of mission
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:31 (three years ago) link
I'm agreeing with everything people are posting today, but just saying the deeply horrible phrase "smell of Cummings" needs to be thread-banned lads!
― calzino, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:31 (three years ago) link
How about 'Cummings all over' as an alternative?
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:33 (three years ago) link
was going with "a taste of Cummings" but Matt ftw
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:33 (three years ago) link
the very essence of Cummings.
― Andrew Farrell, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:35 (three years ago) link
a residue of Cummings, if you will
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:36 (three years ago) link
Cummings leaving his mark
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:38 (three years ago) link
"Taste of Cummings" playing to the tune of "Taste of Cindy" in my head
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:41 (three years ago) link
the idea that britain has been acting too selflessly overseas is a real corker. reminds me of big supermarkets starting to ditch fair trade and come up with myriad weird own-brand versions so they can scrutinise the supply chain more intensely and ensure they're getting #valueformoney. the differences between how countries invest overseas and bid with each other are ofc grimly fascinating. in cameroon they joke that a chinese-run mining operation will build a railway to the mine, an american-run one will build a road there, and a french-run one will fly the ore out by helicopter.
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:43 (three years ago) link
A military aircraft is receiving a secret makeover to give Boris Johnson and senior cabinet ministers a Union Jack-coloured jet for official travel, defence sources said https://t.co/V8WRngQIUm— SkyNews (@SkyNews) June 16, 2020
― stet, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:52 (three years ago) link
meanwhile we're back to 200+ deaths in 24 hrs again, thank goodness we can join the Sports Direct Death Queues though!
― boxedjoy, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:53 (three years ago) link
We've been sitting around 200 on weekdays for awhile now, right?
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:55 (three years ago) link
Private Eye has been good in the past on the relationship between DFID and the commercial / military objectives of the government.
― ShariVari, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:56 (three years ago) link
Imagine being a country vulnerable to Russian meddling.
― nashwan, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:56 (three years ago) link
have always assumed that Foreign Aid is predicated on backdoor subsidy of UK industry, especially the arms industry. no way it has ever been apolitical
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:57 (three years ago) link
The timing of this announcement feels so calculated to appeal to the "why are we sending all that money there for, why can't we feed our own kids?" crew that I wonder if they rushed it forward by a few days/weeks.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 15:58 (three years ago) link
Does anyone particularly know what the UK's objectives / policies for Ukraine and the Western Balkans are? Do we even have any?
― ShariVari, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:04 (three years ago) link
Foreign policy other than China / the EU / the US seems like a relic from another era.
France is v busy running things in a lot of Africa too ofc
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:11 (three years ago) link
In our bio we previously referred to Blue Labour’s tenets as “Work, Family and Tradition”. We were told that this is actually the slogan of Vichy France. We have updated it to the real Blue Labour slogan of “Work, Family and Community”. Apologies for any offence caused.— Young Blue Labour (@BlueYoungLabour) June 16, 2020
― glumdalclitch, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:13 (three years ago) link
Does anyone particularly know what the UK's objectives / policies for Ukraine and the Western Balkans are?
*does Tarzan howl/chest bump*
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:13 (three years ago) link
lol glum is that a spoof? it looks real
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:14 (three years ago) link
resultant cummings
― ||||||||, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:14 (three years ago) link
hahahahahahahahahahaha omg
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:15 (three years ago) link
can’t be real??!
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:16 (three years ago) link
"Mr Johnson, as foreign secretary in 2018, said he would like a "Brexit plane" to help him travel the world."
should paint the £350M slogan on it
― koogs, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:17 (three years ago) link
xxpEither they are very confused or they've crafted something that's flown under many people's radar, including mine
― glumdalclitch, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:17 (three years ago) link
i think the most obvious explanation is that Blue Labour share a world view with collaborative Nazis and it's real
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:18 (three years ago) link
psy op imo
― rumpy riser (ogmor), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:20 (three years ago) link
it does feel we’re headed towards a world without a lot of subtext
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:21 (three years ago) link
The Scottish Covid Deaths over the past week were Wednesday 1, Thursday 5, Friday 3, Sat 4, Sun 5, Mon 0, Tuesday 5
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:22 (three years ago) link
wow
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:23 (three years ago) link
Still a high total figure overall though.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:24 (three years ago) link
@BlueYoungLabour44mWhere do you think the Corbyn era went wrong? It’s something I’ve been thinking about in recent weeks...
Lonley guy thinkin bout things
― nashwan, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:27 (three years ago) link
think we need a "take off and nuke the Labour Party from orbit" thread
well, maybe we've already got enough
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:28 (three years ago) link
in what sense is painting a plane a "secret" makeover?
― mark s, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:23 (three years ago) link
apparently this is the one thing that's annoyed me today
― mark s, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:24 (three years ago) link
Beijing: 106 infections is described as "severe". UK: 200+ deaths - it'll be reet.
― calzino, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:24 (three years ago) link
Maybe it's for a reality TV show and Boris isn't supposed to know, Pimp My Plane or something.
― Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:25 (three years ago) link
cd changer in the tail, sub-woofers in the wings, Xzibit in the pilot's seat
― Ivan Scampo (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:26 (three years ago) link
put some sick spoilers on it!
― calzino, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:28 (three years ago) link
doing handrake turns in the middle of some clouds... woooy!
― calzino, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:29 (three years ago) link
pimp my plane is clearly some ‘i like to make cardboard buses’ domcum scam to make jeffrey epstein-adjacent google results go away
― scampo, foggy and clegg (bizarro gazzara), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 17:38 (three years ago) link
Jerembly Crobryn, you have made it impossible for me to oppose plunging millions into poverty https://t.co/8v9E0bJXfs pic.twitter.com/eK669cUI3o— tom (@malaiseforever) June 16, 2020
― nashwan, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 21:07 (three years ago) link
Oh the cuddly nicey nicey tories are blaming Jez for toryism rn. Oh hang on a minute the DWP was his brief whilst the biggest UC unrolling happened but nothing to do with him!
― calzino, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 21:19 (three years ago) link
Pretty sure Gauke is behind that "Young" Blue Labour account now.
― nashwan, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 21:24 (three years ago) link
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:22 (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:23 (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 16:24 (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
it's worth adding here that we were slightly below the rate for the rest of GB (above NI) until we diverged strategies) (and I also know there's an additional caveat that Scotland were being more honest in declaring figures, which makes it harder to draw out) but I adjusted the figures roughly per capita (England + Wales combined having about 12x the population of Scotland and the figures being given at the westminster briefings are for E+W) but since the divergance our figures are about 1/5th to 1/4 of those in E+W.
There were the 6,000 person (combined) raves in Manchester last weekend. On the other hand I saw footage of youngsters doing conga lines in Glasgow parks over the weekend and I'm sure illegal raves will happen up here too.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 22:16 (three years ago) link