Theresa May - Not up to the Job of PM?

[Doon frae Troon]

Ian Blackford and Nicola Sturgeon giving full support to May after Westminster briefing.
I am OK with that as I trust them, totally different story with May and her cohorts though.

 

[Old Skier]

Ian Blackford and Nicola Sturgeon giving full support to May after Westminster briefing.
I am OK with that as I trust them, totally different story with May and her cohorts though.

May had said something and you don't trust her.
Two minor politicians back her on something you don't trust now it's all ok

Are you trusting May on what she said or not?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Lets put Brexit to one side, if possible. When we face a situation of National threat then point scoring party politics is not appropriate. Holding the Government to account is a different issue and Blair's policy on Iraq was not a parallel. The USA, France and Germany can stand by us against Putin but Corbyn cant. He is a nasty piece of work.

Whatever you or I think of him - I think what he said and asked was absolutely appropriate. At the start of the week May set down two scenarios for the attack - State-sponsored or 'Rogue' attack - with state loss of control of nerve agent.. Nothing has changed. Both scenarios remain. May has plumped for the former. Why? What has happened to exclude the latter?

May is basically derided by very many - even Tories - as being ineffectual, indecisive and weak. By many accounts she was useless as Home Secretary - could get nothing done. So why on earth would we suddenly and uncritically go along with her assessment now? We don't or shouldn't - we should expect our representatives to quiz the PM on the decision.

It is I suggest not unreasonable to be thinking that May is playing the 'State-sponsored attack' card as it is something that she can appear strong and decisive in response to - partly in hope of bolstering her general standing and appearance of being in control and strong.

And in this we cannot just ignore Brexit - and her role in it - especially on her setting down the red lines at the outset that are causing so many issues. She decided to act strong - adopting the EU-bad - Brexit means Brexit - a Red White and Blue Brexit - to appeal to those who demanded that and that she felt she had to appease. And look where that hard line is getting us in the negotiations.

So when it comes to her taking a hardline against Russia we are absolutely entitled to question her rationale closely.

 

[Hobbit]

"Rogue attack;" the state still has responsibility for the holding of said nerve agents. Has Russia said someone nicked it? No. May's rationale is based on the security briefings she receives. Its not a finger in the wind exercise, and after the Iraq dodgy dossiers she'd be stupid not to be 110% on this before choosing a course of action. Those briefings were shared with Corbyn prior to her speaking in the House. I would fully expect him to question them during the security briefings but when it comes to something as serious as an attack on Britain, don't forget 21 people ended up in hospital, then I expect him to show a uniform front.

I much prefer Yvette Cooper's take on it all. And if you want to see someone take May to task, watch some of Cooper's questioning of May in recent times. Cooper hasn't sided with May on this, she has recognised the need for unity in the face of an act of war.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What May needs to do is get hold of her cabinet and decide on message. With the Defence Secretary telling Russia to 'shut up and go away' - as Private Pike might have said to nasty Germans - and our Foreign Secretary (already a serious world player - yeh!) telling us that it is 'overwhelmingly likely that Putin ordered this nerve agent attack'. Well don't we have serious players on the world stage. This is ludicrous. The Russia's will just simply laugh at this language and nonsense.

It was most likely the Russian state - and sure - we might never get evidence to prove the Russian state was behind the attack - but to simply throw in a 'Putin ordered it' at this point when we actually have no evidence whatsoever (that has been provided) to back that up - is surely seriously kicking the hornets nest - and makes Corbyn's words cautioning against speaking and acting in haste seem rather apt.

Get a grip of your cabinet PM - this isn't Argentina invading the Falklands!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

"Rogue attack;" the state still has responsibility for the holding of said nerve agents. Has Russia said someone nicked it? No. May's rationale is based on the security briefings she receives. Its not a finger in the wind exercise, and after the Iraq dodgy dossiers she'd be stupid not to be 110% on this before choosing a course of action. Those briefings were shared with Corbyn prior to her speaking in the House. I would fully expect him to question them during the security briefings but when it comes to something as serious as an attack on Britain, don't forget 21 people ended up in hospital, then I expect him to show a uniform front.

I much prefer Yvette Cooper's take on it all. And if you want to see someone take May to task, watch some of Cooper's questioning of May in recent times. Cooper hasn't sided with May on this, she has recognised the need for unity in the face of an act of war.

Corbyn seemed generally supportive of May's actions - he simply questioned the rationale behind blaming the Russian state and ruling out a 'rogue' group.

Was not the aligning of the whole HoC behind Blair on the evidence of the dossier from Colin Powell based upon such a call for unity in the face of a threat? Where are those who now vehemently chastise Blair and call him a war criminal for acting on what is now referred to as a 'dodgy dossier' now on this?

 

[Hobbit]

Corbyn seemed generally supportive of May's actions - he simply questioned the rationale behind blaming the Russian state and ruling out a 'rogue' group.

Was not the aligning of the whole HoC behind Blair on the evidence of the dossier from Colin Powell based upon such a call for unity in the face of a threat? Where are those who now vehemently chastise Blair and call him a war criminal for acting on what is now referred to as a 'dodgy dossier' now on this?

There was a question on Question Time last night from a member of the audience which, for me, nails the blame for the nerve agent attack firmly on Russia's door. Who wanted Skripal dead? Let's take out what was used and look at who the target was and who wanted him dead?

Would a rogue nation target Skripal?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

There was a question on Question Time last night from a member of the audience which, for me, nails the blame for the nerve agent attack firmly on Russia's door. Who wanted Skripal dead? Let's take out what was used and look at who the target was and who wanted him dead?

Would a rogue nation target Skripal?

I don't think anyone has been mentioning another a rogue nation - certainly May didn't on Monday when she challenged Russia and neither did Corbyn. There are plenty of rogue elements and groups in Russia and the wider world - including Russian mafia sorts in the UK - who might well have reason to get rid of Skripal - who knows what business he was involved in.

 

[Hobbit]

I don't think anyone has been mentioning another a rogue nation - certainly May didn't on Monday when she challenged Russia and neither did Corbyn. There are plenty of rogue elements and groups in Russia and the wider world - including Russian mafia sorts in the UK - who might well have reason to get rid of Skripal - who knows what business he was involved in.

Skripal is retired. Why would a retiree be of interest to the Russian mafia? In a country that has such a straight jacketed lifestyle the mafia can walk in to a heavily guarded facility and help themselves to nerve agents? Putin has rogue groups? The most powerful man in the world has anarchy around him? Really, seriously really?

 

[Old Skier]

Pray tell then where did the Russian mafia get hold of military grade chemical weapons from without the authorities knowing it's gone missing. If Russia had held their hands up and admitted it went missing in the 90s like many of their small weapon systems the outcome might have been different.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

There was a question on Question Time last night from a member of the audience which, for me, nails the blame for the nerve agent attack firmly on Russia's door. Who wanted Skripal dead? Let's take out what was used and look at who the target was and who wanted him dead?

Would a rogue nation target Skripal?

He was a double, perhaps triple, agent responsible for the death of many spies on all sides of the divide.
Not a difficult thing to understand that he would have had many enemies from many states.

Why did the Russians just not make him 'vanish' when he was in one of their jails for eight years.

 

[Old Skier]

Why did the Russians just not make him 'vanish' when he was in one of their jails for eight years.

Perhaps somone had a thought he may be useful as a bargaining chip to get started me of their own boys home.

Perhaps !

 

[SocketRocket]

Whatever you or I think of him - I think what he said and asked was absolutely appropriate. At the start of the week May set down two scenarios for the attack - State-sponsored or 'Rogue' attack - with state loss of control of nerve agent.. Nothing has changed. Both scenarios remain. May has plumped for the former. Why? What has happened to exclude the latter?

May is basically derided by very many - even Tories - as being ineffectual, indecisive and weak. By many accounts she was useless as Home Secretary - could get nothing done. So why on earth would we suddenly and uncritically go along with her assessment now? We don't or shouldn't - we should expect our representatives to quiz the PM on the decision.

It is I suggest not unreasonable to be thinking that May is playing the 'State-sponsored attack' card as it is something that she can appear strong and decisive in response to - partly in hope of bolstering her general standing and appearance of being in control and strong.

And in this we cannot just ignore Brexit - and her role in it - especially on her setting down the red lines at the outset that are causing so many issues. She decided to act strong - adopting the EU-bad - Brexit means Brexit - a Red White and Blue Brexit - to appeal to those who demanded that and that she felt she had to appease. And look where that hard line is getting us in the negotiations.

So when it comes to her taking a hardline against Russia we are absolutely entitled to question her rationale closely.

You just cant help yourself! You cant discuss anything much without suggesting it has a connection to Brexit.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43486054

Ian Blackford doing Corbyn's job once again.

This is a big can of worms that I cannot see ending well for the UK.

 

[IanM]

Facebook made me vote for x, y or z??? :rofl:

There are plenty of actual "foreign" and domestic influences meddling directly in democracy.....

 

[Old Skier]

Facebook made me vote for x, y or z??? :rofl:

There are plenty of actual "foreign" and domestic influences meddling directly in democracy.....

Quite strange how some need the media and seem so strongly influenced by it to make up their mind.

 

[Mudball]

So mophead Boris throws down another gauntlet.. Putin-World Cup = Hitler Olympics... will she sack him now??

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So mophead Boris throws down another gauntlet.. Putin-World Cup = Hitler Olympics... will she sack him now??

He's a genius - top man - and he should have been Prime Minister.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Facebook made me vote for x, y or z??? :rofl:

There are plenty of actual "foreign" and domestic influences meddling directly in democracy.....

Whilst in an earlier non digital world the Tory's only had the Sun, Mail and Express.

 

[Old Skier]

He's a genius - top man - and he should have been Prime Minister.

You really should stop reading the mail, he would be a disaster.