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Britain's political turmoil shatters its standing in the world

59 Comments
By BARRY HATTON

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59 Comments
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Sadly the UK has not been Cool Brittania for a long while.

The world needs a strong and stable UK to help stand up for democracy and freedom vs the prevailing wind of authoritarianism and fascism in the world. I hope they get some stability back. IMO, Rishi Sunak seems the best hope to try and get things back on track for the UK. And even that is looking a long shot.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

More like a third world Republic,they outdid Japan

-18 ( +3 / -21 )

The UK is now like Italy, minus the sunshine, good food, and well-dressed people.

4 ( +15 / -11 )

So many countries based their political and justice systems on the mother of democracy. Are they starting to wonder if they made the right decision.

The Tory politicians put forward two names for leadership. About 150,000 conservative members decide the winner from those two.

The most important job is decided by so few.

There has to be a better way.

They have lost the support of the country and boosted the Labour Party to a 50% lead over them.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Chatham house opinion!!!

This was a soft coup d'etat by globalists!

Similar to what happened to Berlusconi in Italy and the Greek PM prior to that.

Truss' policies were good for the long-term economic health of GB, but the 'money markets' were in trouble due to the policies of the last 2 decades. The old EU policy of forcing pension funds to keep 70% of their assets in government bonds is a massive millstone as interest rates rise.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

@KniknaknokkaerToday  02:16 pm JST

I don't think anything has been done in the interests of the people since 1948, the creation of the NHS...... and from all accounts (of my personal contacts), even that's pretty-much gone down the tubes.....

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

I don't think anything has been done in the interests of the people since 1948, the creation of the NHS

An exaggeration, but certainly since the 1980s we’ve seen wealth redistributed to the already better off and a very nasty I’m all right Jack mentality.

The last 2 PMs of the UK are absurd people who shouldn’t have been anywhere near high office. You can argue that a majority of Brits didn’t want them but no wonder the country is being ridiculed.

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss? Just ridiculous.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Truss' policies were good for the long-term economic health of GB, but the 'money markets' were in trouble due to the policies of the last 2 decades. 

Hard to know where to start with this nonsense.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

Ahhh conservative Party, never an easy ride.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

This political turmoil, economy in the toilet, along with the Queen's passing, well, I'd say a dark era has begun in the UK. Winter is coming...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Lol Boris is planning a comeback. He afterall is the only one that can sort out the mess he made.

General election now !!

3 ( +7 / -4 )

This is how a punch start ends..... She ended up deep inside a vicious circle.

I wonder if King Charles would start ruling with none to replace as a leader

2 ( +3 / -1 )

at least they aren't Russia...

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Hard to know where to start with this nonsense.

Well do at least try, for my amusement.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Congratulation BREXITERS!!! You deserve everything you are getting!!! You wanted it, now you got it! Entire world is laughing at your "Take back control" slogan!!!! LMAO!!! It has been nothing more than a complete disastrous incompetence at attempts of taking control, everything you touch turns to crap. It's unbelievable!!!

UK is turning in to a Banana Republic and even that is an overestimation because other Banana Republics can actually manage some control!!!

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Let’s go with: her economic plans were not good for the long term health of the UK. It was pure ideologically driven trickledown BS that has never and will never work.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

There is no political union without the peoples mandate to government, and the people’s democratic right to remove those leaders from office.   

The Truss’s of this world never gained office as a result of Brexit and to suggest so is disingenuous and false.

The next British leader’s in-tray includes mending strained diplomatic and economic ties with the EU, its biggest trading partner, as part of a wider effort at restoring government credibility and reliability.

The post-divorce antagonism and quarrelling, especially over trade rules and the status of the Northern Ireland border, made the EU deeply wary of Britain.

The EU, its commission have to accept and understand that UK democratically choose to withdraw from a political union.

For better or for worse, a union that is hell bent on federalization, not remotely in the UK people’s interests.

The people need to be closer to their politicians not further away, to be able to hold them directly accountable.

Is anyone seriously suggesting, USA, Japan, China, India, would ever join such a union?

Look Truss is a product of a society that has turned its back on politics and politicians so much so the quality of candidate is a mirror image a lack of the creative skills necessary to lead and govern.   

Scotland is another example, and rightly question the need to be government from Westminster.

If the EU reformed, restructured, understood the rich diversity of cultures, people need to be forced fed treaties that favour the few over the many, Then its must be expected that some will rebel and fight back.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Many interesting protesters in Parliament Sq photobombing the live TV media.

The next Italian government will be a coalition of fascist parties. Hopefully, it will be short-lived.

The economic downturn started with the policies of Thatcher.

The NHS is in a bad way. Johnson promised £300 million per week saved from the Brexit.

Greater division of the rich and poor under the Tories.

Under Tory rules Boris cannot run for leadership because he resigned and is under investigation.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

 It was pure ideologically driven trickledown BS that has never and will never work.

Thanks for the ideological cliche.

Or it might be seen as tax cutting to stimulate growth ala Thatcher, Reagan, JFK.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Or it might be seen as tax cutting to stimulate growth ala Thatcher, Reagan, JFK.

Growth for who?

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Always wild that the tinfoil hat "aaarrrrggghhh globalist elites are trying to stamp on the common man" are the first to say "yes the wealthy and corporations should pay much less tax, this is a good idea that has been going for forty years and the fact that the economies of the nations that have embraced this the hardest are in constant states of crisis is probably because a college student with blue hair said racism is bad".

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Boris never really emerged from his bus, only opened a window from time to time to wave a Cornish pasty.

Farage was the force, the instigator, the provocateur, the leaver in chief.

Farage spent his enter political career, from his pram waving his euro skeptic rattle.

David Cameron under estimated Farage, the televised debate was an proof an example.

Please review, if JT will allow, lets take a step back to a wonderful and balanced BBC stage by stage Brexit.

Brexit: A Very British Coup?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or-tzhDLUqo&t=1885s

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Cats at No 10 have always stayed longer than Britain's prime ministers. As Liz Truss turned around the lectern after her final goodbye to the nation, I noticed No 10's cat in the picture: miao smiling her a feline auf wieder sehen.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

David Cameron under estimated Farage, the televised debate was an proof an example.

They never had a debate. A debate is when two people discuss their issues between one another. They never debated Brexit one on one. Are you thinking of Nick Clegg?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Never been fearful of atomic weapons since the 1960s but with the recent Russian war against Ukraine and Moscow Midget’s threat to use them has increased my fear levels, especially for my London family.

The UK defence forces are not in a good state. Naval ships broken in ports. The failure of a new tank for the army.

The new carrier Prince Charles breaking down leaving its port for exercises in the US. Will it now be renamed to King Charles III?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Truss' policies were good for the long-term economic health of GB

Sorry but is there a big round rock blocking the exit out of your cave? Thatcher foisted the same ideology on GB, count the number of industries that went offshore. She said it had to be done, but watch how Germany and Scandies countries maintain what she was willing to ditch from GB's economy.

She, like Truss is controlled by old moneys who wants to work less, but make more from their capital. Labour (human labour) is nothing to her.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Britain's political turmoil shatters its standing in the world

That happened when UK's citizen were convinced by Putin's propaganda to elect trump wannabe fanboy "BJ." Then they let that same Russian propaganda convince them that BREXIT was good idea.

How has both of those decisions worked out for the UK?

Regardless of the answer, Ireland and European Union is laughing at BJ, Truss and the Torries!

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Dango bongToday 03:19 pm JST

at least they aren't Russia

ugh Russia has bigger land and more resources than any country in the world, no amount of western smearings can change that.

UK need to bring the Russian oilgarchs back to save their economy

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

June 7, 2016,

Express sister, although not really one on one, face to face. However they were in the same studio.

U.K. Membership in the European Union...C SPAN

British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.K. Independence Party Leader Nigel Farage responded to audience questions on the future of British membership in the European Union ahead of the June 23, 2016, referendum vote on the topic.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?410726-1/prime-minister-david-cameron-ukip-leader-nigel-farage-debate-eu-membership

I enjoyed the Farage v Nick Clegg, it was a genuine debate.

If you have seen this ok, if not I would be interested to hear your opinion. .

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I've seen it. But it wasn't a debate. They were in the same studio as the audience, but they weren't "debating" the audience.

I didn't enjoy the Clegg vs Farage debate. Clegg is an idiot, who thought he could use centrism to talk his way out of his own failures as a minority party in government. Farage is a vile creature, but he is (or at least was) talented at somehow refocusing everything on the EU, even things that had nothing to do with it. Are you frightened of Indian people in your town? "The EU did it," said Farage. Never mind that India by definition is not and cannot be part of the EU. Clegg got run over, like the weakling he is, and his entertaining Farage as an opponent did a huge amount to promote Farage even further, by legitimizing him as someone who could go toe-to-toe with the deputy prime minister, rather than the drunk huckster that he is. Clegg bears no small responsibility for the Brexit-caused destruction of the UK.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Express sisterToday  03:27 pm JST

Let’s go with: her economic plans were not good for the long term health of the UK. It was pure ideologically driven trickledown BS that has never and will never work.

Given that this comment is coming from a hardcore socialist, this is the funniest thing I've read all day.

Pray tell, dear, what do you propose?

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Very embarrassing, but nothing like on a scale like the bizarre political pantomime of the USA since 2017

2 ( +4 / -2 )

What is this?

Are you frightened of Indian people in your town? "The EU did it," said Farage.

Please source that quote.

There has been a long trend of people of a certain political mindset that likes to demonise people they disagree with.

It is both unfair and dangerous.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

If you don't do a job well, you get fired even if you are a coutry's top political leader; that is, Democracy is working - unlike a country on the other side of Atlantic, where it's political leader tries to remain in power by denying people's votes.

Great Britain, you are good.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

without the peoples mandate to government, and the people’s democratic right to remove those leaders from office.  

The Truss’s of this world never gained office as a result of Brexit

Not sure what you're smoking, but Truss had no democratic mandate, and even though many in the UK believe there should be a general election immediately for this very reason, the Tories have fixed the system so that they can keep up this farce, with as many unelected PMs as they can get through, for another two years, without the people having any democratic right to challenge them.

Not sure what the second bit is supposed to be saying, only that an empty vessel like Truss has no position on Brexit, she has just worn whatever colours fit her personal ambition in that moment. She was probably no more pro-Europe than she makes out to be anti-Europe now. It's all just a power play for the likes of her and Boris.

But at least he's probably bestirring himself off of his sun lounger somewhere in the Caribbean, drooling at the prospect of a re-run to see if a few thousand Tory voters found him entertaining enough to give him another shot. The smashing of the economy over the past few weeks is just another jolly jape for Bullingdon Boyo.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So, maybe Johnson the overweight bounder and cad will return. He is a disgusting example for the children, he is fat, he looks scruffy, he cheats on women and much more.

This is like an episode of Brass Eye, it’s incredibly queer and makes the country a laughing stock

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

The Farage - Cameron ITV, let call it a presentation or an exchange of views, was the closest David Cameron came to diverging away from his orchestrated Q & A with likeminded hand picked remain party members.

The remain campaign was one the most incompetent, poorly managed electoral catastrophe on record.

A failure to fully comprehend the long standing, deeply entrenched inequality that drove differences in vote modelling, was coupled with completely ignorant strategy to win people over, falling back on personal attacks suggest the Brexit voters are racist.

Remain leaders were unconvincing from the off, the inability to persuade the voter that remaining a member would not mean handing more sovereignty over to the EU commission would be advantageous to UK was another factor.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If you were a Japanese company thinking of investing in Europe and want to invest in a English speaking country which would you choose.

Ireland with a stable government, a highly educated workforce and with access to the EU or would you go with the mess that is the UK.

Quite easy to answer that one.

The Tory's say they desperately need growth and investment while simultaneously thrashing the county's reputation.

Soon the only investment will be vulture funds hoovering up British broken economy and services

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Amazing anyone serious could consider promoting trickle down voo-doo economics once again. Talk about zombie economics, wow. Who wants to relive the massive failures of the Reagan/Thatcher era. That is when the middle class began to be raped by the fanboys and girls of the rich. Same is true here when Koizumi ran the same policies and decimated the middle class in Japan. Good that she is gone and viewed as a massive and total failure. But of course whoever comes next will probably be worse but at least not living in an 80s time warp.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

If you were a Japanese company thinking of investing in Europe and want to invest in a English speaking country which would you choose.

Probably The Netherlands. In the EU, great road/rail/shipping links, next to giant markets Germany and France, stable - and most citizens have an excellent mastery of clearly spoken English.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Ireland is a little too far away from the continent and the weather is even worse than the UK’s.

At least Truss had a plan to put money into the economy and to help the less well off with their fuel bills.

Her plan might have worked out but now the debt has shifted squarely back onto the less well off.

People are facing a mortgage crisis, high interest rates with less money in their pockets.

Uncontrolled immigration led by T Blair was one of the major causes of Brexit along with the obtuse, secretive, wasteful and overly corporate dominated EU.

Truss for all her woodenness seemed generally for the people but the banking corporations obviously saw that they would lose a grand opportunity to prey on the poverty stricken later on when debt defaults skyrocket.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

kurisupisu

the weather in Ireland is wonderful. It rains a lot from the Atlantic and the winds blow but that creates so many different greens in the landscape. There is no shortage of water for the crops or drinking.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Probably The Netherlands. In the EU, great road/rail/shipping links, next to giant markets Germany and France, stable - and most citizens have an excellent mastery of clearly spoken.

Typical English

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

“There is no question that the UK’s standing in the world has been severely battered by Truss’s resignation and by the revolving door of prime ministers,” said Bronwen Maddox, director of the international affairs think tank Chatham House.

I would'nt say that the UK's standing in the world has been severely battered. The UK has had many crisis's in it's long history and always weathers them. Dropouts, failures, Japanaphiles who armchair are spectators of the worlds problems from Japan (which seems to have similar turmoil amongst it's politicians) for some odd reason seem to enjoy a crisis in the UK. It always solves itself.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The EU needs to forget about the UK for a bit. We are out of the game for a generation. Just ignore the messy neighbours next door. Feel free to cherry pick what you want from the carcass.

Even if Labour won by a landslide, few would be voting for their policies - just to get rid of the Tories. Once Labour try to manipulate British society into their own fantasy nation, it will go as well as it did for the Tories with Brexit. Labour support will vanish as rapidly as support for Boris did, when their crazy schemes wreck peoples' lives and the economy.

The UK has been broken by its own political parties, more comprehensively than Hitler managed to do. The BBC, obeying their masters, are still avoiding mention of Brexit and the decline of Sterling, and blaming everything on Russia, which is so untenable that it is laughable. That must be down to the creepy 'Nudge Unit' that works behind the scenes to manipulate the British people. Google it, it is real. It even has a website. They may be doing it in your country too.

No UK political party is planning to take what they find and simply try to fix it. They all want to manipulate society to match whatever ideological fantasy they have been cooking up since their student activist days. A recipe for disaster.

The UK was one of the best places to live, work and run a business. Now it is one of the worst. Like Hong Kong, a good place to escape from.

All downhill from here.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Scotlexit,the Scottish will soon be leaving,this dysfunctional union

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

The most important issue here is not the view of the rest of the world, but the views of the people in Scotland. I am fearful that the Britain will cease to be Great, and that the UK is about to disappear in the not so distant future.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Brexit did not cause all the turmoil that has go on in the UK. The leftist policies have caused all the chaos and turmoil in the UK and the world.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Brexit is a part of the UK's downfall.

The leftist policies have caused all the chaos and turmoil in the UK and the world.

Guess you didn't get the memo. The Tories have been in power for 10 years.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

JimizoOct. 21  02:46 pm JST

I don't think anything has been done in the interests of the people since 1948, the creation of the NHS

An exaggeration, but certainly since the 1980s we’ve seen wealth redistributed to the already better off and a very nasty I’m all right Jack mentality.

The last 2 PMs of the UK are absurd people who shouldn’t have been anywhere near high office. You can argue that a majority of Brits didn’t want them but no wonder the country is being ridiculed.

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss? Just ridiculous.

What about Maggie and Tony B. Liar? I've heard plenty about them, esp. how Maggie screwed the middle class rotten.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

My one hope is that Scotland and Wales will vote to be independent Countries and separate from UK, then England will be left as a good for nothing pile of crap that it has always been full of national front A holes...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Paul

A bit unfair on those of us in the north of England who prefer not to be associated with the Little Englanders down south….

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@wallace

Guess you didn't get the memo. The Tories have been in power for 10 years.

Look at all the major problems in the world right now. All caused by leftist policies. Cutting fossil fuels, cutting fertilizers, COVID lockdowns, blocking supply chains, mass migrations, etc. UK energy costs going through the roof, inflation really bad, crime is really bad, etc. The same things happening in many European countries and the US. Sri Lanka's economy collapsed because of leftist policies of extreme rise in energy costs, banning fertilizers, etc. Japan and S. Korea actually has protected its economy better than most with far less inflation and keeping a more stable economic environment.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

wallaceOct. 21  08:45 pm JST

the weather in Ireland is wonderful. It rains a lot from the Atlantic and the winds blow but that creates so many different greens in the landscape. There is no shortage of water for the crops or drinking.

Green and rainy Ireland is short of water, no joke

https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/ireland-shortage-water

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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