Sunday, June 26, 2016

The Guardian — Boris Johnson breaks silence to set out leadership platform

Boris Johnson has broken cover for the first time since reacting to the vote for Brexit to set out how the country may look if he wins the race to succeed David Cameron as prime minister.
Amid clamour for the leave campaign’s leaders to set out what happens next, Johnson claimed Britain will be able to introduce a points-based immigration system while maintaining access to the European single market.
Johnson sought to reassure remain voters the UK will continue to intensify cooperation with the EU and told his fellow leave supporters they must accept the 52-48 referendum win was “not entirely overwhelming”.…
The Guardian
Boris Johnson breaks silence to set out leadership platform

23 comments:

lastgreek said...

Tom, a very insightful observation in the comment section of the Guardian on Brexit:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cl1BZC-WYAAY9Vv.jpg

(via Glenn Greenwald@Greenwald)

Dan Lynch said...

Moon of Alabama seems confident that the elites will never go through with Brexit. The referendum was non-binding and no move has been made to follow through with Article 50.

John said...

Dan, it wouldn't matter if it was non-binding or not. The UK's elites are fanatically pro-EU. There is no chance of them abandoning a project that they have been erecting for over forty years simply because the people have spoken. This clash has been put off for a very long time, and it has now come in the shape of the EU. The clash is between the people and the political elites who have nothing but scorn for them. The elites almost certainly will ignore the people and find a compromise with the EU that is no different to full EU membership. The vast wastelands of the UK are being goaded to vote UKIP - the elites don't think the people will be so stupid. But they will, and it won't be out of stupidity: they're the only ones who are listening to their concerns, not that they give a fuck about them or their concerns.

UKIP's leadership are sharp-suited smooth-talking dog-whistling neo-fascists, and feed off the despair, stoked by the mainstream parties, of a public that has reached boiling point: unemployment, job insecurity, zero hours contracts, stagnant wages, life on meagre state benefits, bad housing or no housing, terrible pensions to look forward to, awful schools for their children, frighteningly expensive higher education, privatization of the services that mean most to these now underclasses and keep them barely alive, a regressive tax system, shocking socioeconomic disparities and poorer health. The justified anger is met by liberal condescension that these people are nothing but bigots and envious layabouts who should aspire to be "entrepreneurs" like their betters. All in all, it's a mini me version of the USA.

Goading the people to vote UKIP will only end one way - the people will vote UKIP. And then heaven help us, because UKIP is led by the worst of the worst: "racists" and "fruitcakes", the founder of the party has called them, saddened by the "Frankenstein's monster" he created. You have to ask yourself why it is UKIP is staffed by former members of violent neo-fascist organisations, and why it is the leader of UKIP has as his agent a former member of a violent neo-fascist organisation? Perhaps UKIP are an organisation where sinners come to sin no more? Or perhaps neo-fascists have come to the realisation that the skinhead look doesn't go down well? So slip on a good suit, grow out your hair and speak about "the crisis in public services" as a euphemism for non-white British freeloaders taking the fair-minded but naive Brits for a ride.

As a great man once sang, "When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose".

Magpie said...

I totally agree with John. The best analysis of this issue.

There is a lot of sanctimonious posturing going around by self-satisfied petit bourgeois two-bit "intellectuals".

Ignacio said...

I've a question for the Brits here, what is the chance or Corbyn doing a purge on Labour? Is probably the only chance of a good outcome out of all this...

IDK how the internal politics of the party works, but it looks like the party is fully infiltrated by Blairites in the middle ranks.

Matt Franko said...

Seems like Bill took a lot of shit from the petit B over the weekend...

Also seen reports Corbyn is admitting left is wrong wrt the "xenophobia!" conspiracy theory...

Andrew Anderson said...

The justified anger is met by liberal condescension that these people are nothing but bigots and envious layabouts who should aspire to be "entrepreneurs" like their betters. John

Better or simply more so-called worthy of government subsidized private credit? And thus better at stealing purchasing power and/or investment opportunity from their neighbors?

How can we know who's better with a system rigged for the banks and the rich, the most so-called credit-worthy? Unless better at legalized theft is the criteria?

The Brits are famous for their sense of fair play. Perhaps they'll be the first to genuinely reform their money and credit system.

Matt Franko said...

Looks like they are deserting Corbyn:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-27/u-k-labour-crisis-intensifies-as-more-lawmakers-desert-corbyn

Matt Franko said...

Andrew all you need to borrow for is for a purchase of a primary residence and a car...

You act like people need to go to a bank for everything.... you can rent and take uber/pub xportation....

90%+ of home loans are govt loans... not bank loans... Student loans are govt loans...

Peter Pan said...

Corbyn campaigned for the "Remain" side, and is now vowing to "Stay" leader of the Labour Party. He doesn't inspire much confidence in this Canadian.

With the Left seemingly forfeiting the game, UKIP it shall be. A similar process is playing out in other EU member states.

Peter Pan said...

Boris Yeltsin, Boris Becker, Boris Johnson. Perhaps the man will rise to the occasion, one way or the other?

Peter Pan said...

He went on: “The only change – and it will not come in any great rush – is that the UK will extricate itself from the EU’s extraordinary and opaque system of legislation: the vast and growing corpus of law enacted by a European Court of Justice from which there can be no appeal.

“This will bring not threats, but golden opportunities for this country – to pass laws and set taxes according to the needs of the UK.

“Yes, the Government will be able to take back democratic control of immigration policy, with a balanced and humane points-based system to suit the needs of business and industry.


These points sound reasonable to me. And it was a 52-48 vote, not a landslide...

Greg said...

@Matt

"90%+ of home loans are govt loans... not bank loans... Student loans are govt loans.."

90% of home loans are not originated with the govt and until recently it certainly wasn't the case that 90% were backed by the govt. That only came true when the private secondary mortgage markets collapsed in 2007/8. So banks still originate and make huge profits off home financing. In fact it is the primary lever for monetary policy.

Student loans are the biggest ripoff. Interest rates at over 6%. Wells Fargo makes huge profits off student loans.

You make it sound as if both mortgages and stud. loans have been completely federalized, not true.

In fact I think the way we do those things is evidence in favor of Mr Andersons rants. The feds take something which they have the capacity to federalize and make completely affordable for people and instead they let a private party step in and drive up overall costs. Why do overall costs rise? Because the private party needs their federally protected tidy profit.

Dan Lynch said...

@Ignacio, I'm not convinced that Corbyn will survive. The Labour party is sharply divided and Corbyn screwed up by supporting Remain. The so-called "left" has become little more than kinder, gentler neoliberalism. They're not going to lead the way forward.

As others have noted, it's striking how few people seem to mind being ruled by unelected EU bureaucrats. It's as if Americans were to say "hey, we don't like being governed by the dopes we elected so we'd rather let Germany tell us how to run our country." WTF?

Greg said...

"As others have noted, it's striking how few people seem to mind being ruled by unelected EU bureaucrats. It's as if Americans were to say "hey, we don't like being governed by the dopes we elected so we'd rather let Germany tell us how to run our country." WTF?"

Very true Dan, very true.

I think this all comes down to the Reagan era very effective destruction of govt. People would rather let a banker say "no we cant afford those bridges, public transportation, schools and hospitals" and go on about our govt debt levels in support of their position. When they hear a smart person who is in charge of finances say "we cant afford it" they accept that lots of nice things you may want cant be afforded so they sigh and move on. Hoping for a day when the money fairies allow us to afford it. They never ask the next question...... what do you mean by afford?

Matt Franko said...

Greg, origination is not lending.... somebody has to originate/service... govt holds/guarantees the loans....

Bank balance sheets are too small to do it... all they do is originate/service...

SBA loans too....

Matt Franko said...

Ha lol WaPo/Beazos: "Brexit is a reminder some things just shouldn’t be decided by the people"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/27/brexit-is-a-reminder-some-things-just-shouldnt-be-decided-by-the-people/

Greg said...

@ Matt

But origination is the source of the loan, yes the govt backstops the banks and makes the MBS possible and the private banks get the profits.....no? Isn't this the argument Mr Anderson is making? A govt sponsored usury cartel.

I dont get your comment about the size of bank balance sheets. Collectively bank balance sheets are a mirror of the Feds are they not?

Peter Pan said...

Why let the people decide when the elites are doing a splendid job of undermining their entire project.

Schofield said...

Successfully operating your body's immune system requires "intel" and the same applies to a social body's (nation's) immune system. It's not at all obvious the "intel" has arrived and become a mainstream embeddment yet for either the UK or US. From the Brits I talked to (of ordinary working class background) the main driving force for a Leave vote was the EU's immigration policy which is easily understood as opposed to the re-impostion of a Pseudo Gold Standard which justifies Austerianism and currency rigging by certain nation's determined to grab an unfair share of the world's volume manufacturing. Here's Bill Mitchell on the Gold Standard:-

http://hir.harvard.edu/debt-deficits-and-modern-monetary-theory/

Ignacio said...

This all is kafkian, both the people and the elites are in a state of chaos and disarray.

They always say "uncertainty" this, "uncertainty" that. Well, you finally got uncertainty and no one knows wtf is going on because group thinking has created a self-fulfilling prophecy re. uncertainty because no one can do jackshit! We can now all blame the weather, the "markets" or the "guvmint" while slowly slide into shit.

Apparently we can't collect our shit together and do something. Insane.

I just hope LePen wins and blows the EU for good the next year, too many idiots around.

Peter Pan said...

I just hope LePen wins and blows the EU for good the next year, too many idiots around.

Francois Hollande et al. are doing their best to make that hope come true.

John said...

Ignacio: "I've a question for the Brits here, what is the chance or Corbyn doing a purge on Labour?"

None, unless the man is a Machiavellian genius luring everyone into a trap so intricate nobody can grasp it. The man is just too nice. He thinks all he has to do is invite his assassins to some tea and biscuits and explain that he's been elected by a landslide and that they'll turn to each other say, "By Jove! He's right, don't you know! Sheath your daggers! Time to go home and behave, boys and girls."

If there is an attempted purge by the constituencies rather than the executive, Corbyn is so "fair-minded", he'd move to stop it. If the Blairites came bearing daggers and swords, rather than grabbing something to defend himself with, Corbyn would politely ask if they'd like some tea first. It's embarrassing.

Labour is a horribly neoliberal and rightwing party. Under Blair and Brown it was to the right of the Tories, doing things that made the Tories blush. Corbyn has tried to move the party to its social democratic roots. If he fails, which seems likely, the party will swing back to the neoliberal fanatics who are so deluded that they claim only the neoliberals can serve the interests of the poorest, the most vulnerable and create a more decent and prosperous society.

If there isn't a total purge - MPs serve at the pleasure of their constituency parties and have no recourse or complaint if they are deselected - Labour will rightly go the way of the British Liberal Party. As one Corbyn loyalist said yesterday, the Blairites genuinely believe that Corbyn, and indeed the million Labour members, serve at the pleasure of the Blairites.

Ordinarily I wouldn't care less if the Labour Party imploded - it deserves to implode. It deserves to die and die painfully, while its neoliberal EUphile warmongering devotees are dropped from a helicopter over Baghdad. However, the only party that is now capable of stopping the advance of UKIP is a leftwing Labour Party promising a job guarantee, raise wages, build millions of homes and stop privatization. It's almost certainly too late to stop the breakup of the UK, but it's not too late to stop UKIP's advance. We have sowed the wind, but we do not have to reap the whirlwind.