UKMT September 2019 - A Fish-Abandoning Government

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > UKMT September 2019 - A Fish-Abandoning Government

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Jaeluni Asjil posted:

https://twitter.com/mojos55/status/1167856496153153537

Unless they've changed the rules lately I don't think he has the power to follow through on that - the Tories still leave selection entirely in the hands of the local parties.

Even if he did, the main reason that the Tories haven't rebelled (beyond the usual reason) is that almost all of them have constituency parties that are *way* to their right (which is why we have Johnson as PM of course) and they're going to get deselected anyway if they rebel (e.g. Grieve and Boles already have no-confidence votes from their local parties) so it's the emptiest of threats.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2019 08:51

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 13:01

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

RPZip posted:

Is there a good summary anywhere of developments since the Brexit extension? I stopped following UK news so closely after that and I'm trying to catch up but I have no idea what is happening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7pz7CqWTMs

# ¿ Sep 1, 2019 08:54

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Comrade Fakename posted:

This also means the Tories are basically abandoning all of their seats in Remain areas.

That's 80 seats most of which were very, very close (and the Tory voters in them are likely to have been strongly Leave). They only Tory seats where Remain is likely to be an issue are Con/Lib marginals in the London suburbs.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2019 09:01

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Taear posted:

Is there a breakdown of how many MPs actually represent leave areas compared to remain areas?
It kinda felt like the cities had massive remain majorities outside of Birmingham but the actual spread of constituencies didn't really match that.

That was the problem, the cities ran the score up but the actual constituency count is something like 400 leave. It's difficult to be exact because the results are by local authority area rather than by constituency.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2019 09:43

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

ronya posted:

There are only two more City Watch books after Night Watch - Thud! and Snuff. Snuff is... not great. Thud! is passable but of course ymmv...

Some of it was Pratchett's gradual decline - Unseen Academicals was not a great Wizards book, Raising Steam was not a great Moist book - but the City Watch cast becoming problematic to plot around was probably a factor too. Vimes is an actual superhuman, Carrot effortlessly charismatic, the bumbling but distinctive Fred and Nobby displaced by a cast of super-effective secondary characters (Wilkins, Angua, Cheery, Detritus...). The secondary cast starts to blend together, and it shows - in the closing scenes of Thud! there's a passage where Pratchett has Vimes dispatch Cheery to go offstage to protect Sibyl. Three pages later Cheery is still there to translate dwarfish to him (i.e. the reader). In later print editions the latter is changed to Angua, which doesn't really make sense either.

The writing leaning towards meandering can be perhaps pinned on Pratchett switching from typing to dictation, and from numerous rewrites to hastily closing themes and plots, but I guess it's the sprawling cast and complexity of plots that hampered the stories the most as the Alzheimer's set in - the New Witches YA books set around Tiffany Aching, with a much smaller cast with no protracted history or series-within-series arc, didn't seem as hampered

Unseen Academicals gets better on second reading, IMO - it's really not a Wizards book, it's Romeo and Juliet mashed up with Escape To Victory. The wizards are really just background characters, like Vimes in Monstrous Regiment (another one that got better with re-reading).

Totally agree that Thud should have been where he ended the Vimes story - like you say Vimes is basically a superhero at that point. Also him retiring/dying would have finally set up the resolution of Carrot's aborted [spoiler]is the actual King of Ankh Morpork[/url] arc, which would have been a much more interesting conclusion especially after a few years of exposure to and hero-worship of Old Stoneface. Might even have made a better conclusion to Night Watch - Vimes realising that he also had to be Keel to Carrot, which is sort of played with but never really goes anywhere.

Or actually, given the way we know belief works on the Discworld and the mostly throwaway lines about how A-M's criminals see Vimes, you could make a case that The Watchman/Summoning Dark is actually a new god of policing, and seeing arch-atheist Vimes dealing with being an actual god would have gone in some interesting directions.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2019 17:50

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Jedit posted:

Only Tories and Londoners think Birmingham is in the North.

For the majority of the population of the UK it's to their north.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2019 13:49

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

chestnut santabag posted:

The cynic in me wonders if them getting the dog was purely a publicity stunt...

It absolutely was, lol. This is one of those Epstein things where the official story is the out-there conspiracy theory.

e:

I can't help but feel that my cat (who is much better now, thanks) is deliberately attacking me when he does this - "Hurr durr I'm a stupid human this is how I lie down and watch the telly"

goddamnedtwisto fucked around with this message at 18:09 on Sep 2, 2019

# ¿ Sep 2, 2019 18:07

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

serious gaylord posted:

He hasn;t got the numbers. He was meant to be bullish, but this speech is a dead man walking. Hes lost the tories.

The way he slid from blustery HULLO BORIS HERE at the start of the speech to mumbling at the end was... informative

# ¿ Sep 2, 2019 18:12

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Darth Walrus posted:

That should be a 3 rather than a 6, right?

I mean 620 seats *would* be a majority (and probably the kind of majority Corbyn would need to even begin to enact socialism, what with all the flinching cowards and sneering traitors in the PLP...)

# ¿ Sep 2, 2019 18:45

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Jose posted:

https://twitter.com/chakrabortty/status/1168593619722391553?s=19

Quoting Sun Tzu is such a reliable indicator of a loving idiot, lol

# ¿ Sep 2, 2019 19:55

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Apropos of nothing an old edition of Top Flight Time Machine reminded me what an absolute loving banger the old Weekend World theme tune was:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuLHwF5x8ZM

I suspect this more than anything else is what made me start paying attention to politics.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2019 23:29

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

ShaneMacGowansTeeth posted:

Have the full version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBysEkQHr2Y

it also took me years to find out that the middle 8 solo section was 'The Parting Glass', and also that this was what was played when my dad's coffin was brought into the church for his funeral because he loving loved this tune

What was it with current affairs shows and prog rock in the 80s anyway? World In Action had it's weirdly ominous Hammond Organ thing, Panorama had some weird synth remake of it's normal orchestral theme... I'm going to assume that it has something to do with easier availability of cocaine.

IrvingWashington posted:

I'M TAKING THE RAD TRAIN TO INFORMATION OVERLOAD

that owns

e: but wow the draw distance was so much shorter in those days

This version of the opening titles is somehow even more fitting to that description, with a hint of CYBERPUNK 1986 mixed in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGUu-t7peWg&t=126s

As a bonus you get a couple of minutes of 80s adverts at the start and a few minutes of the show itself - look how loving spartan that set is compared to the "Inside The Alien Sex Toy Factory" look most news shows have nowadays.

e: Holy poo poo the promo for coverage of Mexico 86 at the end too.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2019 23:42

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Tsaedje posted:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49561792

Astonishing antisemitism by Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party

Have they not heard of postal votes or voting by proxy?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finchley_and_Golders_Green_(UK_Parliament_constituency) - 1,600 Tory majority
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendon_(UK_Parliament_constituency) - 1,000 Tory majority
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipping_Barnet_(UK_Parliament_constituency) - 300 Tory majority

If this ends up being enough to flip the election I'm going to go live in a cave because there's no possible way of topping it.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 15:06

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

lol that they've given headset mics to the presenters and guests on Sky News so you can't hear what people are shouting under them. So the sequence of events has been:

"We need a place to do interviews of politicians with the Palace of Westminster in the background so people know where we are" > use College Green for interviews
"People keep shouting WANKER at us" > buy 11 Millbank because it has windows overlooking College Green you can do interviews in front of
"There's no difference between 11 Millbank and just using a green screen">Let's build a patio and make our guests climb out of the windows so they know it's not green screen
"People keep holding rude signs up">MAKE THE PATIO TALLER (repeated several times)
"People are shouting WANKER even louder">iunno, special microphones?

All for interviews which add literally nothing to anybody's knowledge of the situation.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 15:23

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Junior G-man posted:

No. You need to pass a Vote of No Confidence by 2/3rd majority first and then another bunch of poo poo has to happen. Some of which isn't really real, but a gentlemen's agreement sealed by handshake in the late 19th century.

No, a VoNC only requires a simple majority (and the Government not to pass a confidence vote within two weeks), it's 2/3rds for an early election under FTPA.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 16:52

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

freeasinbeer posted:

Man is the Jam man really looking down the barrel of losing 45 seats if a GE was held?

That�s uhhhhh, not great.

Uniform-swing models are bollocks at the best of times, in this election of all elections they're basically pointless.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 17:45

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Doctor_Fruitbat posted:

So, if the bill tonight passes but Johnson's subsequent call for an election fails, doesn't that mean that Parliament can potentially block no deal (however they go about it) and not let Johnson try to force us out through an election and/or prorogation?

Cos that would be a pretty hilarious outcome, even if it means a bit longer in tory hellworld.

Edit: what Jabby said.

I suspect what they're trying to do - after Johnson made such a big thing about how he would never "go begging" for an extension- is to make him do exactly that, or force a constitutional crisis.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 19:03

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

https://twitter.com/vizcomic/status/1168961436825083905

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 20:11

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Junior G-man posted:

https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1168978694846713858?s=20

Oh look Jim Fitzpatrick is there. Fucks sake.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 21:40

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

DIVISSSIIIIOOOOONNNN

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 21:50

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

StarkingBarfish posted:

is it just me or do the tory benches look a lot emptier than the opposition?

They're all lurking around in the lobbies.

Sky reckon 16 Tory rebels, but 4-5 Labour rebels - that's closer than I like the sound of.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 21:52

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Henry Black posted:

When Parliament moves out for the refurb, are they gonna carry on these weird old procedures?

They straight-up rejected the first proposed venue (and instead went for a much more expensive option) because it didn't have room for division lobbies and talk of electronic voting is like loving kryptonite for them.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 21:54

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Looke posted:

although the speaker normally stands uncontested, does he not stand as a tory candidate? are they going to deselect him? lol

He's officially independent once he becomes Speaker.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 22:05

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Sky claiming 10 Tory rebels, which is theoretically enough, but...

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 22:06

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Tellers still not back, which suggests it's *very* close.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 22:07

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

bump_fn posted:

dumb q this is the vote on???

Yes it is.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 22:10

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

328-301 - loving hell

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 22:10

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

This is a literal tantrum, not a speech.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 22:12

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Bercow going in two-footed on Gove, lol

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 22:15

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

https://twitter.com/BillCorbett/status/1169007441662685184

Crow T Robot is a comrade, btw.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 23:09

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Nuclear Spoon posted:

https://twitter.com/peterwalker99/status/1168973984836268034 hmmm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rid8SY9-Cp4&t=57s

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 23:18

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

https://twitter.com/wariotifo/status/1169014401459982338

# ¿ Sep 3, 2019 23:39

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Total Meatlove posted:

Lol England reached a World Cup semi final and play really well with some of Europe�s best players, which makes the analogy more apt because like Labour, the media hates them for *reasons* and repeats those reasons enough until the idea seeps into culture and accepted memory.

Jeremy Corbyn is Raheem Sterling.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 00:01

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

https://twitter.com/iresimpsonsfans/status/1169027184696184832

ISF once again knocking it out the park.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 07:43

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Nuclear Spoon posted:

what's the likelihood of the lib dems facing a crisis after welcoming in a bunch of ex-tories. obviously that LGBT chair resigning was one thing but surely most of them don't actually care right

They've had a decade that has tended to select against any members who care more about principles than power, so...

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 10:02

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

https://twitter.com/OdysseanProject - apparently this is Cummings' Twitter account if anyone happens to have some thoughts they want to share with him.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 10:24

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Chuka Umana posted:

Keir Starmer is saying labour wont vote for an election

They won't vote for an election on Johnson's timetable, because that would allow him to sneak around the no-no-deal bill coming forward this afternoon.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 12:42

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Alistair Burt (purged Tory) is swinging some loving haymakers here. Just as well there's not twenty other MPs with nothing to lose any more, innit?

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 15:52

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Jose posted:

whats he saying? someone should slap his head though

What's Patrick Marber up to now? How much can we as a thread get together to get him to follow Kinnock around dressed as Lieutenant Colonel Kojak Slaphead III and interrupt every single thing Kinnock says?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR1mdQrG26o

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 17:58

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 13:01

goddamnedtwisto: Dec 31, 2004; If you ask me about the mole people in the London Underground, I WILL be forced to kill you; Fun Shoe

Pochoclo posted:

So what now? How many more votes does the no-deal block need before it becomes True Law(tm)?

One more tonight, then the Lords at some point overnight, then Boris runs round the palace to hide all the pens or something to try and stop Royal Assent.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2019 18:01

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