BREXIT! BREXIT! BREXIT!

[Brian Peacock]

Barring something unforeseen the stars have configured themselves in such an extraordinarily bizarre fashion that it now looks highly likely that Boris Johnston will be our next prime minister.

At some point a few years ago i’m sure I slipped into some weird alternative parallel version of what was a more or less coherent reality and into some Alice in Wonderland version.

I see no other explanation for the way things seem to be going.

He was very canny in remaining silent until he launched his bid, a mere 18 hours before the voting started. Any longer than that and he would definitely have popped his clog in his gob - as he does.

[Cunt]

I don't know who he is, but if he has taken on the job of 'Brexit', he will be failing hard.

As I said earlier, it is like the opposite of the Excalibur legend. Whosoever takes up this cause, shows they cannot rule England...

[Scot Dutchy]

Barring something unforeseen the stars have configured themselves in such an extraordinarily bizarre fashion that it now looks highly likely that Boris Johnston will be our next prime minister.

At some point a few years ago i’m sure I slipped into some weird alternative parallel version of what was a more or less coherent reality and into some Alice in Wonderland version.

I see no other explanation for the way things seem to be going.

The way these tory idiots have been speaking. I turned on the kitchen radio (a retro Philips job but it has long wave) to listen to PM at 6 o' clock and heard three tory gits discussing the first results. You would think it was world shattering news of the utmost importance that Johnson won the first round. One actually mention his aims of achieving a new deal on Brexit. Does nobody listen in the UK? There are no renegotiations. This arrogance that the UK will achieve a better deal it makes you puke.
JFCOAPS

[Svartalf]

stick the pogo stick into BoJo's arse instead of having Jesus wank on it

[Scot Dutchy]

A nice thought.

[Brian Peacock]

[pErvinalia]

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[rainbow]

What line is that Rumm? Why do you in the name o' the man go on about the country abandoned? That goes for the billions of migrants through out the world.
I cant help you get rid of the tories. That is your problem. The fact the country is in the shit mess it is is thanks to its own people. The gullibility of the UK people has been amazing and they still dont see it. There is fuck all to do about the deal. You accept May's deal, cancel Art 50 or have no deal. That's it. You are fucked and whatever the tories say there is no other way. Roll on the 51st/52nd state.

I was referring to Cunty’s meme of yesterday (or maybe the day before) that Brian only posted stuff that he knows you agree with.

Cunty’s moved in now, his latest meme is that everyone here is afraid.

I'm afraid he's gravely mistaken.

[Hermit]

That was the whole purpose of the British political system; allowing the rich and titled to keep control. Why was the House of Lords never scrapped? Harold Wilson when he came to power complained bitterly about the Civil Service because it was so dominated by the "old boy" network. (the basis of "Yes Minister").

Yes Minister was co-authored by Sir Antony Rupert Jay, CVO, CBE, an arch-conservative libertarian, who criticised the anti-establishment thinking of the BBC and similar media outlets such as The Guardian, claiming that the opinions of BBC staff "were at odds with the majority of the audience and the electorate". Yes, Sir Antony tore a new one into the old boys network, but his thesis was not so much that there should be none of that as that there should be as little government as conceivably possible. That's why he tore a new one into the honourable Labour Minister (later Labour Prime Minister) James George Hacker with equal gusto in every episode of all three series.

Jay died in August 2016. Just before he did, he and his writing partner wrote one last Yes Minister episode. It was about Brexit and you can read it here. Their utter contempt for government is encapsulated in this excerpt from it:

Sir Humphrey So you’re one of the junior ministers.
Minister In charge of all legal matters.
Sir Humphrey Are you a lawyer?
Minister Unfortunately not.
Sir Humphrey On the contrary, that is most fortunate. The civil service has always opposed the appointment of anyone with specialised knowledge.
Minister Why?
Sir Humphrey Their preconceived ideas may not be compatible with government policy.
Minister What if the ideas are good?
Sir Humphrey Most good ideas are incompatible with government policy.

What's the bet Sir Antony would be supporting the Tories in the UK, President Trump in the US and Brexit if he were alive today?

[Rum]

Jim Hacker’s party affiliation was never made explicit- a good ploy by the writers I think, as their targets were bureaucracy, self seeking politicians and stupidity rather than a particular party.

[Brian Peacock]

I always read Yes Minister as pointing out how the establishment, in the guise of the old boy network of the Civil Service, were really in charge of things and resistant to change. You couldn't have had The Thick Of It without Yes Minister - The Thick Of It was probably more accuate in both detail and tone than Yes Minister ever could have been.

[Rum]

I got to dip my toes in government workings in a tiny way in my last job, having to go to London and meet (mostly) consultants and then bring back ‘orders’ regarding education and children’s services to my county. The Thick if It certainly reflected the confused heart at the centre of every government.

[Brian Peacock]

My ex's brother works for one of the education quangos and has to attend a meeting with a junior minister every month. He basically goes down to London to be lectured about education by someone with absolutely no interest in the subject beyond it being a stepping stone to a better ministerial job. The ex's brother reports that the only thing government seem really interested in are costs and outlays, but then again most of the current crop are from (and still in) finance - they only know what they already knew. He says there's a lot of bright people with interesting ideas in and around the civil service trying to do good work and their political bosses are just kind of deaf to their input, including the quangos the government outsource their thinking to.

So it goes with the elected I guess...

[laklak]

Wanting to get elected should disqualify you for office. All government positions should be filled by a random draw, like jury duty.

[Hermit]

Jim Hacker’s party affiliation was never made explicit- a good ploy by the writers I think, as their targets were bureaucracy, self seeking politicians and stupidity rather than a particular party.

Ah, yes, you're right. I always saw Hacker as a "third way" type labourite, but he could have equally been a somewhat wettish conservative. I still think Antony Jay's argument was for less government generally, that is less power for politicians and the public service alike. From memory he said as much, but I can't find the link to the relevant quote now.