Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts

Monday 22 May 2017

Alex Salmond criticised for saying that the SNP will ignore the opinion of the Scottish people concerning another independence referendum

Alex Salmond criticised

Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond has told the public that his successor Nicola Sturgeon will ignore the people of Scotland on their view about another independence referendum. Saying that it "did not matter" what opinion polls say concerning the party’s independence moves.

Such a shocking revelation indicates that the SNP will put into any consideration what the Scottish people want.

The former First Minister told John Pienaar on BBC Radio 5 Live that Mrs Sturgeon will "not listen to the voters, even if they don't want it."

In the meantime, the SNP has criticised for putting more efforts independence referendum during this election campaign and not on Scotland's failing health and education standards.

John Pienaar asked the veteran SNP figure if the referendum will go ahead regardless of the voters' wishes.

Pienaar said: "Support for independence is not far from when you had your referendum.

"Are you saying you will target a referendum in the spring of 2019 whatever happens come what may?"

Mr Salmond said: "Sturgeon sees Scotland having a choice when the decision on Brexit is set forward.

"Scotland needs to have a choice on whether to be a European nation, and that would need independence.

"We already have the mandate to call for a referendum, so this election does not matter in that regard."

Pienaar challenged the Scottish politician: "Are you saying you will launch Scotland into a referendum frenzy even if you are still behind in the polls on independence? Even if people don't want it?"

Mr Salmond defiantly said: "Yes, of course. When I call the referendum back in 2012, support for independence was back in the low 30s, so I don’t think that will be a reservation on Sturgeon’s part."

He added the election battle in Scotland was now a battle between his party and the Tories.


The politician criticised the Tory manifesto as a "whole range of poison pills" that will steal breakfast meals from English schoolchildren.

Jeremy Corbyn declines to give direct answer questions about net migration if voted into power

Corbyn answers question on immigration

With all the various attack made against the Tory led government on the issue of immigration, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has tactically avoided given any straight on whether if his party gets into power, he will be able to reduce net migration to the lowest power number or an increase.

Instead Corby stated that his party immigration drive would reflect "fair immigration based on the needs of our society".

Giving no critical response, Mr Corbyn stated that: "Freedom of movement obviously ends when you leave the European Union because it's a condition of the membership."

He also said Labour would make sure that EU nationals would be able to remain in Britain and "recognise the enormous contribution made by those who have come to this country in our NHS, education and transport industries".

The Labour Party leader also repeated his party's pledge to ensuring the pension triple lock, ending the freeze on working age benefits, free school meals, improving public housing and ending tuition fees.

Answering the on question on whether his party is set to win said: "It's going very well, large numbers of people are flocking to join the Labour Party and join in our campaigns."

While the Conservative Party is making effort to bring about a drastic changes to benefit system, which would likely make the elderly to pay for the care cost they get at home, the Labour Party on the other hand is seemingly having positive response to many of their proposed domestic policies which are in blunt contrast to the mounting criticism of Theresa May's proposed overhaul of social care funding.

Latest opinion poll in the Mail on Sunday suggested 47% of respondents are against the proposals, and 28% said it made them less likely to vote Conservative.

Conservative think-tank, The Bow Group, labelled Mrs May’s proposals as a "stealth tax", and Sarah Wollaston who was the Conservative Chair of the Health Select Committee in the last parliament said a policy could make people to stay in hospitals, in order to avoid any cost special care at home.


Sunday 21 May 2017

Theresa May's immigration policy ridiculed by former Chancellor George Osborn

George Osborn makes mockery of Mrs May's immigration policy

The direct attacks made by George Osborne against Theresa May since former Chancellor became a newspaper editor takes a new twist as he ridicules her plans to bring net migration to the tens of thousands.

Theresa May during her election campaign stressed that her party’s manifesto will make every possible effort to reduce migration to less than 100,000 annually.

Nonetheless in a mocking editorial, the Standard declared: "It remains a mystery why the Prime Minister has recommitted her party to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands a year.

"She didn't need to make this politically rash and economically illiterate move. She was not the author of the pledge; David Cameron made it in Opposition."

It was also put forward by the editorial that the Government could not totally control migration due to the fact the number of people arriving and leaving is subject to the "vagaries of the world economy".

And the paper, which Mr Osborne began editing after he was sacked by Mrs May in her first act as PM, also claimed that no senior member of Mrs May's Cabinet backed the pledge in public.

The editorial said: "So you would assume that Mrs May would jump at the chance to bury the pledge.

"That's what her Cabinet assumed; none of its senior members supports the pledge in private and all would be glad to see the back of something that has caused the Conservative Party such public grief.

"But no. Mrs May has kept digging."

It said: "She (Mrs May) knows that a sensible immigration policy is driven by clear principles not arbitrary numbers.

"If one of those principles is no longer to be the freedom to move to work between Britain and Europe, we need to hear what its replacement will be.

"Recommitting to a failed immigration pledge, without knowing how to achieve it, is merely wishful thinking. She still wants to be a new broom.

Accordingly, UKIP reacted angrily to the suggestion that the Conservative Cabinet does not back the net migration pledge.

John Bickley, the party's immigration spokesman, said: "Under Cameron and Osborne's government, which pledged to bring net immigration down to the 'tens of thousands', with the explicit support of Mrs May, then Home Secretary, gross immigration ran at just under 600,000 a year.


"Why did Osborne's Tories make this promise and then so disastrously fail to deliver it? Were they incompetent or misleading the British people, most likely both."

Theresa May set to build a fairer future for the United Kingdom

Theresa May promises a fairer future

Plan to bring an end to the crisis facing social care is being put in place by the PM as she look forward to building a fairer Britain.

Theresa May is perfecting plans to bring a stop to selling of houses by the elderly in order to afford the cost of social care if elected. The PM’s plan is to ensure the protection of £100,000 of their assets irrespective of their care costs, right to defer payment till after death, and to ensure that the NHS deliver the right support for all older British citizens.

Tory sources say today’s manifesto will address the concerns of hard-working families beyond the Westminster bubble. The document will identify five major challenges facing the UK including the growing elderly population, reducing immigration and delivering Brexit.

In a foreword to the Tory manifesto, called “Forward, Together”, it is stated that: “This manifesto sets out a vision for Britain’s future – not just for the next five years, but beyond.

“The next five years are the most challenging that Britain has faced in my lifetime. Brexit will define us: our place in the world, our economic security and our future prosperity.

“Now more than ever, Britain needs a strong and stable leadership to make the most of the opportunities that Brexit brings. This is my plan for a stronger Britain and a prosperous future.

"It is a declaration of intent: a commitment to get to grips with the great challenges of our time and to take the big, difficult decisions that are right for Britain in the long term.”

According to a Tory spokesman: “We have protected and increased school funding to the highest level on record but we accept there is more we can do. This extra money means no child will lose out.”

Mrs May said that the Tory manifesto will “set out in detail the five great challenges our country faces over the next few years and lay out how we will tackle them”, compared with the “fantasy wish list of easy promises paid for with imaginary money” offered by Labour.

“While Jeremy Corbyn and Labour retreat into an ideological comfort zone, ducking the difficult challenges which lay ahead, I will be straight with people, I won’t shy away from the challenges of our time, I will set out how we will tackle them head-on,” she said.

“Because that is what leadership is about and on this key test, Jeremy Corbyn has failed once again.

“If he can’t show real leadership in his party, how could he lead our country through Brexit?”

Mrs May also tore into Labour’s manifesto, launched last week by Mr Corbyn. warning that the tax-and-spend socialist blueprint would lead to “economic chaos” for families across the country if implemented.

In a news conference with Chancellor Philip Hammond in London, the Prime Minister said ordinary people would “pay the price of Labour” in soaring taxes, mortgage rates and unemployment at a time when the country was going through Brexit negotiations.

Mrs May repeated the Tory charge that Labour’s plans would lead to a shattering £58billion shortfall in public finances by 2022 if Mr Corbyn ever reached Downing Street.

She said seven years of Tory-led government had seen rising employment and economic growth while the state deficit was reduced by threequarters.

“None of this happened by accident,” said Mrs May. “Our economic progress has been dearly won and could easily be lost if the wrong policies are pursued in the years ahead. It is frankly all at risk.

“Any party which asks the British people to entrust to them the responsibility of forming the next government through the crucial years of our Brexit negotiations and beyond must demonstrate that it has the credible economic plan and the capable team to safeguard our economic security.


“No one could look at what Jeremy Corbyn and his Labour Party offered yesterday and conclude that it passed that test. The risk that a Jeremy Corbyn government would pose to our economy has been laid bare.”

Brussels would treat Britain fairly – Angela Merkel

Angel Merkel assures Britain

Good news for the Brexit Britain as German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised to treat Britain in a friendly manner irrespective of the fact exit the bloc has its dare consequences.

According to the German Chancellor, some of the negative impact of the UK’s exit would hit the automobile industry, to the travel of cats and dogs.

She also stated the should Britain refused to allow free movement of EU nationals after, "we will have to see how we balance that out".

For the time being, Brexit Secretary David Davis has said the Prime Minister put EU leaders "back in their box" after reports of a stormy dinner attended by Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at Downing Street.

"We've shown we mean business. We won't engage in silly games but neither will we put up with silly games," he told the the Express newspaper.

The Brexit Secretary also hinted that he spends half of his time getting ready for the likely event that the UK will have to walk away without a deal.

"I don't expect it will ever be used but it has got to be there as an available option if we absolutely need it."

Negotiations on the Brexit deal are expected to begin in earnest after the General Election on 8 June.

Speaking on Wednesday, at a G20 trade union event in Berlin, Mrs Merkel said Britain was free to change rules to its own advantage after leaving the bloc, but had to expect there would be repercussions.

"If the British government ends the free movement of people, that will have its price," she said.

Mrs Merkel added that the disruption could be widespread because of the breadth of EU legislation.

"Currently, the 250,000 pets, cats and dogs that travel from Britain to the continent or the other way around each year are managed within an EU framework," she said.

"Now they'll need hygiene certificates - things we don't even remember."


Thursday 18 May 2017

Call for another election in the Netherlands, after talks on coalition government failed

Coalition talks fails in the Netherlands

Dilemma in the Netherlands as negotiations for a coalition government fails after the four (4) political parties involved could not reach any deal about migration few months after its general election.

Thus, the Dutch parliament will now decide how to press ahead with forming a new coalition government after the collapse of negotiations between Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the Christian Democrats, the centrist D66 party and the Greens.

Edith Schippers, the Liberal health minister, while speaking about the situation said: “Dear friends, it did not work.

“The substantive differences proved too great.

Green Left leader Jesse Klaver also said: “I’m not going to work out who was on which side of the gap in migration. I’d love to form a government, unfortunately it did not work.

“This round is over, we will now see how we go.

The coalition talks had been going on between the VVD and another conservative party, the Christian Democrats, had been in talks with the centrist D-66 party and the Green Left party, which had never before participated in a government however retained strong gains in the election.

Mr Rutte's party will now be forced to investigate alternatives following the Dutch election 2017.

The coalition breakdown coming barely two months after the election has provoked concerns that the nation will have to call another election, which would be seen as a welcomed idea by Geert Wilders who said the failure of the talks was “good news,” and that his Party for Freedom (PVV) was available for coalition negotiations.


On the other hand, almost all of the other parties have ruled out working with the anti-Islam and anti-EU party.