the day after the deadline: can the union survive brexit and other deep questions

The Conservatives appear* to be mortally afraid of Corbs & Co not because they have more attractive policies (the youth possibly vote by rolling dice, or comparing Klout scores, or something else who knows who knows) but because they view him as an existential threat to the country.

"The 70s was a lake of fire from which Maggie rescued us" is not even a matter of faith, as faith is still a personal attribute - it's the water that they swim in (partly because it's the water all governments have swum in for nearly 4 decades).

So the youth are to blame, but largley because they don't remember the 70s and won't listen to their elders.

* Or want to appear, but to be honest I'm not sure what would convince me that second-level strategy is happening over there.

How are Labour's policies not more attractive (speaking around worries) to the young? End of tuition, house building program, end to austerity, etc.

a good way for getting someone to listen to you is to repeatedly tell them that you think they're all hateful weirdo idiots who don't grasp how great you're making their lives

he's saying that's what the tories think, julio

Sorry just read that post again..

Tracey Crouch is a new Minister For (the) Loneliness (of Britain).

I would v much like to see that Sarkar vs Morgan clip

They aren't worried that he'll be a disaster for the country, they'd fucking love that eventuality. They ARE terrified that he'll succeed, or at least do well enough that the country doesn't collapse in flames. In that case, he's an existential threat to the entire narrative the Tories have presented since the 70s, as Andrew mentions. As things stand, the Tories don't appear to have the self-reflection necessary to understand what's happening and why they need to change course if they're not to go over the electoral cliff. I'm not convinced that 'sound a bit more socially liberal' is going to cut it any more.

not gonna watch because morgan but here it is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0H-BykoktI

I predict that Tracey Crouch will deduce that housebound disabled people who have had their benefits cut, their mobility cars taken, their home help stopped. What they need is more platitudes about us all in it together, we are all the same etc blah blah ..

i realise calling a particular type of person a ham or a gammon is kind of bad not good -- body-shaming if you will -- but come on xp

I think you're describing what they should think, Matt - what I'm saying is that they've internalised that narrative, they see it as saving the country rather than defending the narrative.

As you say, as a party they're a little short on self-reflection (which is infuriating some of them because "biggest electoral upset in decades" is kind of a good time for that, but "Why would people vote for Corbyn?" is a question that their mind slides off).

Again I may be thinking what they _want_ me to think..

i think ascribing any 3d chess motives to this obviously flailing and incompetent government is probably giving them a bit too much credit

thanks for the clip BG, sadly it features too much Piers and doesn't get to the Wiley stuff which is what I'm assuming got him really nice and steamed

xp
more like Chess on a ZX80, innit?

anybody remember Scrabble on the Spectrum where you had to tell the computer if a word was legit or not using an irl dictionary?

presumably the powers that be at good morning britain cut the clip short before piers' most damaging self-owns

in that case why broadcast a show?

fair

just imagined a show a bit like The Prisoner where the likes of Moran and Kyle struggle session themselves unto madness/death

sounds good but i'd prefer more of a running man / hunger games vibe

The Tories game is written in Basic, you can just press Break and type List, and it's just 1. Be a Cunt 2. Goto 1.

what the fuck would you term that nine gammon-men matrix from the pre-election TV debate, if you wanted to track down a specific evolution of the meme that you'd seen recently (i realise i'm spoiling the surprise somewhat)

Tic-Tac-NO ?
Noughts and Tossers?

very good but they don't help me search for it

Fellowship of the Rong?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=angry+yorkshiremen+question+time&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjogM_fod_YAhXiJsAKHbCtDHQQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1024&bih=609

here they are

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a8/f1/77/a8f1779a362f1be307af95749bc21367--john-fiedler-jack-warden.jpg

really misses the deli-counter-colours aspect of in the original tho

In so far as there's changes with the new Conservative Party Chairman / Deputy Chairman / Vice Chairmen, they may well be entirely procedural - three former MPs have spoken up in the last week saying that they won't be standing again, which means that someone's asking them, which might indicate that the tories are actually thinking about sorting out candidates early - the last minute centrally-imposed candidates at the last election not only didn't do them any good but pissed off a lot of local activists.

Which might make a difference - they did win the election after all, and their Vice Chairman for Candidates is a 37-year-old daughter of Nigerian immigrants. But there's probably only so much magic she can make, as young relevant tories are in fact complete cunts.

thank you: that is the correct term but clicking on that link i have somehow lost the will to pursue my quest to its terrible next stage

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article10672838.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Screenshot-2017-06-22-235123.jpg

Pretty much ready to set off for Downing Street now tbh if anyone’s up for it

Armagammon It

Well this is timely: https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/01/a-digital-toolkit-for-young-tories/

that's a deliberate spoof, yes? not joking

confused by seeing humour in the Spectator

nope, all too real

if young tories use this toolkit to build on the astonishing success of activate uk then we might as well admit we're fucked and pack it all in

Mr Lewis told the Sunday Telegraph young Tory activists would be given a digital "toolkit" of graphics, Gifs and videos to help them.

The Great Yarmouth MP said the party needed to be "very positive and proactive about outlining what we're doing in government... so we can enthuse them about being Conservative and... not just vote for us but get involved".

Mr Lewis said his focus would be on getting the party "battle ready" for the next general election and prepared for some "really difficult local elections" in May.

He added: "It's not just young people, older people are accessing their information through the digital world as well... It's important that we've got to engage through that medium."

yeah but the specific examples...Charlie bit my finger was the first one on the list, there is NO WAY that's not a joke

Daisley is a) taking the piss out of his own, and b) illustrating the earlier point about old Tories giving up on The Youth

i'm perhaps 65% sure the examples are jokes?

of course secretly I'm hoping they're not but there's no way

the tone of his intro is the giveaway

daisley's an arsehole (obviously) but he's quite Online

jesus christ the comments section

the goggles, they do nothing

The examples are a spoof but the digital toolkit appears to be something delivered in deadly earnest.

luv2live in 2018 where tories are convinced that the eldritch power of memes will entrance the malleable minds of young voters, as if a picture of squidward with some text about trickle-down economics on top can magically convince the kids that their futures are not gonna be an endless grind of precarious jobs and dwindling opportunities so that chief execs can afford to build ever-higher flood defences around their country mansions

As I think I said at the Brighton conference upthread, the Tories are behind with under 47s, not sure if this digital toolkit will appeal across the board, from 18 to 47.

http://s2.b3ta.com/host/creative/46786/1516031093/WallofGammon.jpg

Never knew there were so many varieties of Billy sausage