May secures deal to prop up government, loses key aides

Their voters are a lot smarter there than here, even though Hillary won by 3 million votes: that we know of.  

The Conservatives have a long history of unsentimentally sacking their leaders — Margaret Thatcher among them — when they have become more liability than asset.  

Can we send this information to McConnell and Ryan? They don't care if Trump is a Russian plant as long as they can push their agenda.

In a parliamentary system, you can replace the PM everyday if you wanted to because they are just the leader of a party. It's the party that holds the numbers in the House to govern and pass laws.

This is a great result for Labour as it shows that they are close to governing and will appeal even more in a year or two when May's coalition falls and a new vote occurs

The media establishment got it wrong, again.

Just read this in the Independent: "63 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds voted Labour and 27 per cent Conservative."

Coupled with the overwhelming support Sanders got from younger Americans last year, the future looks good. If we can just survive the present.

Sinn Féin's leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill said the DUP had "betrayed the interests of the people" there. She said: "They have achieved little propping up Tory governments in the past and put their own interests before those of the people.

http://www.bbc.com/news/election-2017-40236152

Indeed. Where was the mandate to bring these dinosaurs on board? Reeks of desperation on May's part, at the very least.

I see this as a result of the "Trump Effect"! European countries who were thinking about leaning more to the right are seeing what is happening in the US, and they don't want to also become a laughing stock.

Yeah, that's just what I think about when my absentee ballot arrives. I want to vote for the most progressive candidate but only after I consider if any other liberals the world over are doing badly, caught up in an embarrassing scandal etc? If so, I may be forced to throw my support to the right, despite being a functioning adult and having a clearly defined ideology my entire life.

it sounds like this DUP coalition could rekindle the troubles in N Ireland. perfect for her as it will take the media attention away from her big #up.

Tbh; the DUP have been a thorn in the side of progressive politics in NI/6 counties for decades. But they've sold out their supporters, their eyes will be on getting as much from May as possible. And what compromises will she make to keep them sweet? Nobody's a winner in this.

One thing I'll say for a Westminster-style parliamentary government - accountability arrives like a sharp kick in the a$s - strong, swift, and on-time.  

I only wish we had some of the same here.

I'm surprised. Even as a Labour voter, I thought I saw some trace of integrity, even honour, in her. More fool me. She's just another swivel-eyed Tory fanatic, quite prepared to sacrifice the fragile Ulster peace on the altar of her self-regard and inability to recognise rejection.

@jcJapan

Yeah, that's just what I think about when my absentee ballot arrives. I want to vote for the most progressive candidate but only after I consider if any other liberals the world over are doing badly, caught up in an embarrassing scandal etc? If so, I may be forced to throw my support to the right, despite being a functioning adult and having a clearly defined ideology my entire life.

Your sarcasm only shows your ignorance on the matter. Anger is one of the the strongest motivators for people to go out and vote. In doesn't matter what your political affiliation. This is why politics is always swinging right and left. The folks who voted for Trump were angrier than those who supported Clinton and came out in droves in key States. The same right leaning ideological political parties in Europe have been riding that same wave to gain power again in Europe. Those same parties tried to align themselves with Trump and hoped for the same success. Unfortunately, Trump has shown to be quite a screw-up by showing his own ignorance about international relations, making stupid decisions and being morally corrupt.

Angered by the possibility of similar situation in their own countries like May with Brexit and LePen with immigration. more left leaning voters are coming out to vote.

So yeah, it is the "Trump Effect"!

http://home.isr.umich.edu/sampler/anger-motivates-people-to-vote-u-m-study-shows/

Said like someone who shares Trump's narcissistic personality disorder. The British can't think for themselves or come to terms with their complicated electoral choices without thinking about Americans and cheeto jesus.

This is a great result for Labour as it shows that they are close to governing and will appeal even more in a year or two when May's coalition falls and a new vote occurs

I can't see this government lasting a year, even if May is replaced. This situation is being ridiculed and shot down from all sides.

My money is on yet another election before the year is out with the Tories heading for further punishment. The very fact the public will be asked to vote again will be blamed on the Tories.

jcapan: 'Just read this in the Independent: "63 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds voted Labour and 27 per cent Conservative." Coupled with the overwhelming support Sanders got from younger Americans last year, the future looks good. If we can just survive the present.'

One thing to keep in mind is that, as people get older, they also tend to become more conservative. Research has shown that as people settle down, get married, have children and find themselves with assets, a home, and kids, they are less likely to want change and are more likely to vote conservative. Trends in how young people vote don't always carry through to the trends in how they vote when they are older.

On saying that, I also read that half a decade ago, only about 10% of voters would change which party they voted for at an election. The recent British election saw 40% of people change the party that they voted for. Personally, I see this as a good thing. People are sick of both sides of politics promising whatever they have to to get elected, and then going back to the same old same old. It dismays me sometimes that political parties are so caught up in their own ideologies that they are almost incapable of actually seeing what a country really needs.

@jcjapan

Said like someone who shares Trump's narcissistic personality disorder. The British can't think for themselves or come to terms with their complicated electoral choices without thinking about Americans and cheeto jesus.

Apparently, they can when they realize that their British leaders are trying to make the same mistakes as the current American leadership.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/25/theresa-may-america-britain-will-lead-together-brexit-election/

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/world/europe/dutch-election-geert-wilders-europe.html?_r=0

http://time.com/4752762/europe-populism-nationalism-le-pen-france-election/

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/15/trump-effect-populism-leaves-its-mark-on-european-allies-elections.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/world/europe/dutch-election-geert-wilders-europe.html?_r=0

https://research.hks.harvard.edu/publications/getFile.aspx?Id=1401

meija,

The difference between baby boomers and millennials is pretty simple. The boomers had a chance to sell out. Today's young people, saddled with enormous debt and gigs in lieu of stable jobs, rarely do. It's easier to stay radical when your material conditions are so precarious, when you look at your parents and think I'll never have it that good.

I had no idea how evil the DUP were (although I knew they were against equality for the LGBT community), but anti-abortion (you'd think the Catholics were bad enough), but climate-change deniers???!!!! Past Tory cabinets have never done deals with the DUP.

Another election soon??!!!!

@jcapan

I agree with your idea but I'm not sure about the use of the word 'radical'. Corbyn is simply offering left wing policies and many of them are popular even with Tories - 4 out of 10 Tory voters support renationalising the railways. I don't see these as a radical idea.

Thatcher once said that her greatest achievement was Tony Blair - she dragged politics so far right that the Labour Party felt forced to follow her.

I don't see Corbyn as particularly radical - he's offering ideas which were common in his party before Labour shifted right. They were still common among Labour voters in the Blair years.

Tories on the right, Labour on the left. Good. We are back to something like a choice.

Jimizo, I said that millenials are radical. According to a Harvard study released last year, a majority of young Americans does not support capitalism. I don't know about your side of the pond, but that's pretty radical for the Yanks. Corbyn, I dunno. Owen Jones called his manifesto radical the other day, whatever that's worth. I do agree that progressive policies are widely popular. They're only considered extreme b/c they're not been talked about for a generation or more, or when they are discussed, they're savaged by corporate media. Instead of simple, effective policies--Medicare for All, we hear garbled neoliberal wonkery--we should partner with predatory health insurance companies, one of the nation's most reviled industries, demand that you pay for coverage despite no effective cost controls and oh yeah good luck navigating our Inception-level website.

The red tops and middle England papers are pushing for Boris Johnson. Again. It's bad enough he's the foreign minister but as PM? It'd be like the US voting for Ronald McDonald!

The red tops and middle England papers are pushing for Boris Johnson.

Understandable if you look at it from the perspective of how many papers they'll sell printing stories about his antics on and off the pitch.

This posturing, cynical show pony would be up there with likes of Diana, the Middletons and Posh and Becks for the tabloids.

An understanding with the DUP made in haste. “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here!" First priory must be to wipe the slate clean.

jcapan: The difference between baby boomers and millennials is pretty simple. The boomers had a chance to sell out.

Every generation has the chance to sell out, though what they sell out to is never quite the same. And every generation blames the previous for selling out. Weren't the baby boomers the generation of the hippies in the 60's with their anti-war slogans and free love? Personally, I think the millennials will sell out to online fads and trends and fake outrage over concocted scandals... it's already happening. Selling out is nothing new, and every generation blames the previous generations and swear that they are different, that they have integrity and that they'd never sell out. This argument is self defeating and offers no path for actual progress. People across the political spectrum are losing faith in democracy because we don't really have much of a democracy these days. Too many people arguing "right" and "left" instead of right and wrong. Sometimes the right thing to do leans "left", and sometimes it leans "right". Most politicians these days represent their parties instead of representing society. To me, that's the real problem.

For the record I’m not one to wage generational war—it’s yet another tool to divide us. However, that doesn’t mean that eras aren’t dramatically different. The boomers, when their youthful idealism had reached its zenith, had actual jobs waiting for them if they chose. Decent wages, good benefits, with which they could afford good homes, health care, a college education for their children, and a secure retirement after decades of hard work. Dreams were achievable. Comparing that to “sell[ing] out to online fads and trends and fake outrage over concocted scandals” makes absolutely no sense to me. I’m talking about the economy in the 60s and 70s vs. right now and I know the difference b/c I grew up during that former era. And it’s my contention that the opportunity and affluence the baby boomers experienced is due to the New Deal, i.e. common sense public policy for the benefit of the many over the few. Such ideas have miraculously morphed into something left-wing today.

You’re right that we don’t have much of a democracy these days but you’re deeply confused if you think this is both a right & left problem. Had you said Republican and Democratic problem or something Cameron and Blair have both contributed too, fair enough. Both parties have been deeply corrupted by all that corporate cash. Had you said that partisan identity is more important than crafting effective policies that might counteract class warfare waged successfully against working people since the 1980s, sure. But the left has absolutely nothing to do with our current problems b/c they haven’t held actual power since the 1970s.