[Politics] Tory meltdown finally arrived [was: incoming]...

[The Clamp]

Nothing on the economy
Nothing on the cost of living
Nothing on the collapsing NHS

But cigarettes, every kid in school is on the B&H these days

Well quite.

Would have been more relevant to tackle vaping. That’s what young people are doing, not smoking.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Well quite.

Would have been more relevant to tackle vaping. That’s what young people are doing, not smoking.

Young people have not been smoking cigarettes for a fair few years now but how are Tory voters to know?

The annoying bit is that Rishi would have announced this after consultation with tobacco company lobbyists - they’ll be happy with it. Why? Because they own most of the big vaping companies. Rishi has obviously promised them that he’ll go easy on vaping. He shouldn’t though, nicotine addiction in the young is probably more than it’s ever been.

 

[The Clamp]

Young people have not been smoking cigarettes for a fair few years now but how are Tory voters to know?

Indeed.

His big reveals at the conference before an election?

Smoking
and
Scrapping a train line.

They’re like announcements from 1976.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Indeed.

His big reveals at the conference before an election?

Smoking
and
Scrapping a train line.

They’re like announcements from 1976.

He is like a slimy 2nd hand car salesman, the type you really want to “punch” because they just lie into your face. I speak for most NSCers when I say it’d only take one.

 

[Peteinblack]

I actually agree with eradicating smoking among young people, but can also imagine the Tory outrage if a Labour government proposed this; they'd be allegations of 'a nanny state', curbs on individual liberty, and a Woke health agenda.

 

[Peteinblack]

Indeed.

His big reveals at the conference before an election?

Smoking
and
Scrapping a train line.

They’re like announcements from 1976.

Yet the Tories often warn us that "Labour will take us back to the 1970s."

 

[Bodian]

I actually agree with eradicating smoking among young people, but can also imagine the Tory outrage if a Labour government proposed this; they'd be allegations of 'a nanny state', curbs on individual liberty, and a Woke health agenda.

Indeed. The Khan review on smoking (recommending phasing out by rasing the age) was published last year. The Labour Party considered it a good idea.

This was the reaction on Politics Home - bascially the Tory website, from a Tory MP. (extracts from the article below)

Now, by no means do I expect this to be a leading policy priority within any party’s election manifesto, but this return of nanny state thinking concerned me greatly.......Even with the best will in the world, banning the sale of cigarettes to future generations just won’t work, it’s a complete non-starter. If anything, it would simply force the sale of tobacco underground, falling into the lap of criminal gangs across the United Kingdom. Our NHS is undoubtedly in need of reform and support, the fact Labour party are even looking at bans on our freedom of choice as a priority is frankly ridiculous......We know that millions of people in the UK smoke. I believe that rather than the condescending kneejerk reaction to tell smokers what they can and can’t do, we should instead let them know about all the alternatives that are now available. ......The Labour party simply did not think this through, and I wouldn’t be surprised if in the months to come we see a steady climb down before their latest London-centric policy falls into the wastepaper bin.

Labour's plan to ban the sale of cigarettes is a condescending kneejerk reaction

Last week we learnt that The Labour Party will look at banning the sale of cigarettes if Sir Keir Starmer secures the keys to No 10 at the next gen...

www.politicshome.com

 

[Peteinblack]

The 'trickle down' effect?

 

[Peteinblack]

I don't see the remaining Corbyn lot who would rather see the tories win again than vote for Starmer having the numbers to make any difference.

The young are overwhelmingly backing Starmer and huge efforts will need to be put in to getting them registered and out to vote, but I think the tories are riling them so much this will happen. The election date is likely to take into account the dates when youngsters might be at university

Yes, in the sense that it would be better for the Tories when students are back at home, so that their vote is spread through (mainly) the Tory Home Counties. In some constituencies, the large numbers of students would boost the Labour vote during term time.

Of course, this feeds into the Right's narrative that young people are indoctrinated by Leftie lecturers and Profs like me!

 

[keaton]

BBC News - Rishi Sunak unleashes reset of his premiership

Rishi Sunak unleashes reset of his premiership

The prime minister is trying to grab the political initiative and redefine his message to the electorate.

www.bbc.co.uk

The end bit about the HS2 sums up what a farce it all is

 

[Machiavelli]

There are a multitude of fucktards in this country.

I blame concrete.

Beeching started it.

Yes, Beeching is both one of the most consequential and unacknowledged figures in 20C British politics.

 

[Machiavelli]

Young people have not been smoking cigarettes for a fair few years now but how are Tory voters to know?

The annoying bit is that Rishi would have announced this after consultation with tobacco company lobbyists - they’ll be happy with it. Why? Because they own most of the big vaping companies. Rishi has obviously promised them that he’ll go easy on vaping. He shouldn’t though, nicotine addiction in the young is probably more than it’s ever been.

And note they're collectively in the process of a re-brand where their shtick is 'respiratory product services'.

If Rishi really wanted to take the long-term and hard decisions -- that he claims he's doing -- then he'd tackle ultra-processed foods. My hunch is that the smoking manoeuvre is merely a distraction from tackling this.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I try my best to be politically agnostic, but some of the clips from this conference are just off the scale bonkers (Jonathan Pie summed it all up perfectly in a tweet yesterday). So many bizarre things going on and being said.

Penny MorDUNCE takes the top prize though, I think. In a country that is MASSIVELY dividing, with huge numbers of people having a load of resentment towards the government, what we really, desperately, IMMEDIATELY need, is for people to "stand up and fight". Yep, that's the one.

Fack me, what a numpty.

Edit: As for stopping youngsters smoking (many of whom don't anyway – it's all about vaping), that's clearly not going to work, is it? They'll either just get other people to buy fags for them or retailers won't be arsed to check/ask for ID. If anything, being told what they CAN'T do, will mean they are more likely TO do it...

As @Peteinblack said, I agree with the idea, but the only way to really stop it is to ban cigarattes in the first place. Which is never going to happen.

 

[nicko31]

I try my best to be politically agnostic, but some of the clips from this conference are just off the scale bonkers (Jonathan Pie summed it all up perfectly in a tweet yesterday). So many bizarre things going on and being said.

Penny MorDUNCE takes the top prize though, I think. In a country that is MASSIVELY dividing, with huge numbers of people having a load of resentment towards the government, what we really, desperately, IMMEDIATELY need, is for people to "stand up and fight". Yep, that's the one.

Fack me, what a numpty.

Edit: As for stopping youngsters smoking (many of whom don't anyway – it's all about vaping), that's clearly not going to work, is it? They'll either just get other people to buy fags for them or retailers won't be arsed to check/ask for ID. If anything, being told what they CAN'T do, will mean they are more likely TO do it...

As @Peteinblack said, I agree with the idea, but the only way to really stop it is to ban cigarattes in the first place. Which is never going to happen.

Reminds of the Evangelical Christian right in the USA, weird....

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I am no fan of Owen Jones but several people have picked up on this interview and the truest way to post the hideous Lord Pickles opinion is to post the original interview (with explainers) Not only won't he admit he's wrong, but also doubles down on it.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

As an aside, the best thing about the conference is the venue. I've been to a couple of exhibitions at Manchester Central and it's a stunning building.

 

[Stato]

Yet the Tories often warn us that "Labour will take us back to the 1970s."

If it's the 1970s of punk, disco, hip hop, Fawlty Towers, Bagpuss, endless glasses of luminous orange squash, all of those crisps that were in that thread the other day, Brighton getting promoted and actually giving a s**t about other people, then I'm in. Can we give the eighties a miss this time though? I loved the music and the comedy but that was when the people who think that everything in the world has to be boiled down to it's monetary value started taking over.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I am more interested in the way he points his microphone. Is it some kind of phallic thing? Is he trying to find his brain? Is he filming an "up-nose" video secretly?

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

If it's the 1970s of punk, disco, hip hop, Fawlty Towers, Bagpuss, endless glasses of luminous orange squash, all of those crisps that were in that thread the other day, Brighton getting promoted and actually giving a s**t about other people, then I'm in. Can we give the eighties a miss this time though? I loved the music and the comedy but that was when the people who think that everything in the world has to be boiled down to it's monetary value started taking over.

And I wonder which individual did the most to usher that era in?

 

[Baldseagull]

It feels

I try my best to be politically agnostic, but some of the clips from this conference are just off the scale bonkers (Jonathan Pie summed it all up perfectly in a tweet yesterday). So many bizarre things going on and being said.

Penny MorDUNCE takes the top prize though, I think. In a country that is MASSIVELY dividing, with huge numbers of people having a load of resentment towards the government, what we really, desperately, IMMEDIATELY need, is for people to "stand up and fight". Yep, that's the one.

Fack me, what a numpty.

Edit: As for stopping youngsters smoking (many of whom don't anyway – it's all about vaping), that's clearly not going to work, is it? They'll either just get other people to buy fags for them or retailers won't be arsed to check/ask for ID. If anything, being told what they CAN'T do, will mean they are more likely TO do it...

As @Peteinblack said, I agree with the idea, but the only way to really stop it is to ban cigarattes in the first place. Which is never going to happen.

Jonathan Pie said 3 words that succinctly summed up the Tory Conference "Festival of Bullshit."