2015 UK General Election

I wonder: is there a Republican party in the UK?
By "Republican", I mean a party planning to change the UK political system to a Republic, not the fan-club of Ronald Reagan.
Being French, the matter shouldn't bother me, but I always feel a bit sorry for the Scots, the Welsh, the English and the Northern Irish when I see the Queen's hats or Harry's shenanigans...

CPicard wrote: I wonder: is there a Republican party in the UK? By "Republican", I mean a party planning to change the UK political system to a Republic, not the fan-club of Ronald Reagan. Being French, the matter shouldn't bother me, but I always feel a bit sorry for the Scots, the Welsh, the English and the Northern Irish when I see the Queen's hats or Harry's shenanigans...

The only political "parties" committed to a republic in the UK are the ragbag Trots, such as TUSC. They take themselves far too seriously, and nobody else takes any notice of them whatsoever.

Your comments re the other countries in the UK are misplaced. Even the Nationalist parties, such as Plaid and SNP, upon independence, want Queen to stay as Head of State. Why? Because she is a very popular figure across the country.

lazland wrote: CPicard wrote: I wonder: is there a Republican party in the UK? By "Republican", I mean a party planning to change the UK political system to a Republic, not the fan-club of Ronald Reagan. Being French, the matter shouldn't bother me, but I always feel a bit sorry for the Scots, the Welsh, the English and the Northern Irish when I see the Queen's hats or Harry's shenanigans... The only political "parties" committed to a republic in the UK are the ragbag Trots, such as TUSC. They take themselves far too seriously, and nobody else takes any notice of them whatsoever. Your comments re the other countries in the UK are misplaced. Even the Nationalist parties, such as Plaid and SNP, upon independence, want Queen to stay as Head of State. Why? Because she is a very popular figure across the country.

Yes, Liz is considered a very popular and well intentioned aged pensioner across the country but you seem to be trumping issues with personalities e.g. despite the official SNP policy being to retain the monarchy in the event of Scottish Independence (perhaps a moot point as the No vote prevailed), a Scottish Express newspaper poll revealed that 63% of Scottish readers called for a ballot to decide on Scotland's next head of state. Only 22% of those polled stated the royals should be retained without question. This majority view was shared by those who intended to vote against independence.

Nope, I don't know how many people voted but presumably this would be a ball park figure in the region of their daily circulation of 60,000. The population of Scotland is circa 5 million so I'm not pretending the survey is far reaching but it's a good sample size and given that the Express is a traditionally conservative 'pro royal family' publication, the results are so unsupportive of their habitual agenda I'm surprised they were published at all.

In short: The only people waving flags from the roadside at any royal visit to the west of Scotland, would be German tourists and their Greek boyfriends, unionist bigots or Tory canvassers just released from intensive care. You're not Welsh are you?


Edited by ExittheLemming - April 25 2015 at 07:13

^ Yes, I agree that the SNP were being expedient re the head of state position but as for Scots embracing a Scottish monarchy? practically none I suspect. Scotland is predominantly a staunchly 'blue collar' left of centre demographic that has never been in thrall to pomp and circumstance or the privilege afforded to lineage.

I can't believe I'm just about the quote the otherwise reptilian Julie Burchill
(but she's right on the money correct here):

Being a monarchist – saying that one small group is born more worthy of respect than another – is just as warped and strange as being a racist.

Julie Burchill

Most Scots (myself included) have no idea or little interest in who the current Stuart heir is, as 'birthright' and the 'infallibility of kings' are alien concepts deserving of contempt from most working class people. (but a German Catholic monarch would certainly polarise an already sectarian West of Scotland)


Edited by ExittheLemming - April 25 2015 at 09:15

Matthew _Gill wrote: Very leftist forum!

Liberal is probably a more accurate description.

lazland wrote: Blacksword wrote: Matthew _Gill wrote: Very leftist forum!  Liberal is probably a more accurate description. Well, the Hampstead Liberals are most certainly ahead at this juncture!

Not certain what 'Hampstead liberals' are, but I'm guessing they are the shady liberalista who support the Islamification of Europe, as part of some dodgy mind control psy-op?

I'm being a little sarcastic here, of course, but sometimes liberals are as nauseating and purposely blind as their swivel eyed counterparts on the right. Everyday, the Indepedent spams my FB newsfeed with insipid arse about face stories like "Treating women with respect is actually sexist" and other such tosh..

Give me the Guardian anyday. The Guardian is investigative and truly liberal. The Independent is the Daily Mail of the faux left.

ExittheLemming wrote: Blacksword wrote: lazland wrote: Blacksword wrote: Matthew _Gill wrote: Very leftist forum!  Liberal is probably a more accurate description. Well, the Hampstead Liberals are most certainly ahead at this juncture! Not certain what 'Hampstead liberals' are, but I'm guessing they are the shady liberalista who support the Islamification of Europe, as part of some dodgy mind control psy-op? I'm being a little sarcastic here, of course, but sometimes liberals are as nauseating and purposely blind as their swivel eyed counterparts on the right. Everyday, the Indepedent spams my FB newsfeed with insipid arse about face stories like "Treating women with respect is actually sexist" and other such tosh.. Give me the Guardian anyday. The Guardian is investigative and truly liberal. The Independent is the Daily Mail of the faux left. Yes, the Independant has certainly gone downhill from the very high standards it set at the outset but I think you're being a bit harsh on it and extending way too much largesse to the Guardian. We're all guilty of entering the realm of caricatures when it comes to confirmation bias about who reads what periodical e.g. many people portray Guardian readers as terminally 'right on' mockney hipsters, denim shirted schoolteachers, civil servants, 'king students and recycling fetishists with SUVs (the list goes on) There isn't even a vrai left in the UK never mind a faux one. Socialism in Europe (and probably the rest of the 1st world) is no more than a quaint anachronism in 2015. Choose what cliches, propaganda and lies you buy into carefully

Yeah, no newspaper is perfect and without bias. I tend to apply the basic measure of how many pathetic articles come through on my newsfeed. I read the weekend Guardian and gave up on the Indie about six years ago, the main reason being they claimed at the outset to not really have any kind of bias, but that they were straight reporting facts. I've come to learn in politics there are no facts, there are only perspectives.

My problem with the Indie is that they work in a race/sexism slant into almost every article I read online, even when it's arguably not warrented and I think this does a diservice to those who genuinely fight against racism and sexism, and brings the arguments down to tabloid level baiting with little substance. Which is what the Daily Mail does, but from the other side of the same coin.

I would agree socialism is effectively dead. Neo-liberalism is the order of the day it seems, and to a large extent private corporations are the new governments. The TTP and the TTIP confirm private corporate power now supercedes sovereign governments.

There is a lot of propoganda out there, and sometimes you have to look at what is actually happening as opposed to what you're being told is happening. If you see a house on fire, it's not an opinion the house is on fire. It just is, even if a smooth talking guy in a suit is telling you it isn't.

^^^ That'll go down like a turd in a bath around here..

Moderate Muslims do protest radical Islam. The whole ethos of the Quilliam foundation is to tackle extremism.

We're not likely to see the "Islamification of Europe" Even the most 'right on' lazy minded liberals are not going to stand for their governments actually legislating to allow to archaic practices like stoning and the incarceration of rape victims in Europe..

The biggest threat comes from terrorism, and this comes from a combination of foreign policy catalysing such behaviour in young Muslims and yes, lax immigration controls to some degree.

^^^ Are you Russell Brand?

Farage was quality on BBC1 tonight, really won over a partisan crowd.