People see shit like this and think "haha, yeah! That's the way!"
https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/15E3B/production/_95695698_dmfrontpage19april.jpg

And not "jesus fucking christ I live in a real proper dystopia now don't I?"

I don't quite know what to make of Corbyn. On the one hand I admire his tenacity and apparent integrity, on the other he is undeniably a huge liability just when the UK desperately needs a credible opposition. He hasn't really addressed the Brexit conundrum, but he seems to be anti-EU so in effect he has neutralized the defining national issue for Labour in this election. There's this odd, "what-me-worry", drifting quality about him (perhaps he is miscast by hostile news media?). The whole party is a vicious, back-stabbing mess, and it's hard to see who they could put forward in his place right now, because they would still lose, but possibly with more seats.

I'm unaware of any definition of genius that includes doing something so obvious it has been openly predicted and discussed for the past year.

Hyperbole? Sarcasm? Oh the possibilities!

He certainly is miscast by hostile news media but it seems it probably doesn't matter. They define the world and that's the end of it. He doesn't help himself a lot of the time (partly I think through an admirable but perhaps self-defeating refusal to lower himself to their level) and it doesn't matter. Labour hasn't got any credible alternative leader candidates and can't unite behind the one they've got so they're a failure. Sigh.

In teh hive such usage demands a particular hue; neither milkface nor camperman were the slightest bit blue.

>>Labour hasn't got any credible alternative leader candidates


This. They're all so shite and unlikeable. About the only one that could have made serious ground, and perhaps even taken the 2015 election, is off in New York playing thunderbirds. Not that I like him or agree with the majority of his (historic) stances on things, but he's got appeal to a lot of people.

I have three main issues with Corbyn:

First, he was useless during the EU referendum. Sat just about on the Remain side, then did pretty much nothing.

Second, really did not like him using the party whips to push through a vote in favour of triggering Article 50, with no real attempt to challenge any bits of it. The HOL were far more use than he was at challenging some of the dodgier bits of it. Supporting it is fine, but he's supposed to be the opposition leader and is supposed to hold the government to account.

Thirdly, he doesn't come across as a strong leader. Decent enough chap with principles maybe, but a weak leader. And what Labour needs is a strong leader. Ergo, many people simply do not see him as viable PM material and Labour look pretty much unelectable whilst he's there.

Whelp...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/20/european-parliament-will-welcome-britain-back-if-voters-veto-brexit

 

Of course we would, since we haven't actually left yet. Realistically negotiations haven't been started, and won't until after the election. Which reminds me, I need to register for a postal vote because I'll be on holiday.

That's all fine, I don't agree with all of it but fair enough. What next? If your answer is to vote Tory, that's bad. If it's to vote someone else, that might be bad if it's in an area where the only winner will be Labour or Conservative, thanks to our wonderful FPTP election. Otherwise, go for it! I'd probably vote Green if I could. Anyway, I'm interested.

edit - wait, did you say you're in Scotland these days. You also get to choose the SNP you lucky blighter.

That would only cover sarcasm, Peter!

Tend to agree with Milko on these points.

Specifically 1 and 3: he was everywhere. I visited a couple of his events. They were well attended and had news and camera teams. Nothing they filmed ever appeared on National TV or radio or in the papers. Odd. It was as though they hadn't happened. Try to say that to anybody and you get, 'Yeah but, even so, surely....' 

I think it's easy to assume that this can't happen, that he must be as bad a leader and communicator as they say. But it does. It's not planned; there's no great conspiracy. There doesn't have to be.

Yes, I agree on point 2. But I suspect he's always had serious doubts about the EU. Him and me differ on this. I loath nationalism and it hits me in the heart that article 50 was signed. But there you go.


 

Exactly, we do have SNP here. I don't agree with their nationalism, but they do actually seem to give a crap about the common person here, which is refreshing. Hence I can vote in a way that counts (to some degree) and which isn't Labour or Tory.

I'm considering Scotland as an emigration possibility if the independence vote looks likely. 
My main trouble is the same as going anywhere though, I haven't really sussed out what I'd do for work yet.

Become a tour guide along the English/Scottish border.

Yeah, it's always a tough one. I was forced to move here several years back as my girlfriend (now wife) got a job at Aberdeen University. Thankfully, the oil industry was still going well, so I managed to get an IT job at an oil services company. This then led to another (sub-contracted) job at GE.

Now, I work more generally for my company - still focusing exclusively on the GE side of things, but covering all of GE's operations in EMEA. It does at least mean that I'm pretty protected from the decline of the O&G industry as it's just a small part of my role, which is good. Unfortunately, the O&G decline does mean that job openings are a lot more sparse than they were 4 1/2 years ago when I moved up.

What's the feeling up your way as to the future of o&g? A few people I've been speaking to are hopeful the deep water stuff will become more viable soon is, but no one seems too positive.

Honestly, it's mixed. The O&G industry has had to do a lot of cost cutting, but there's still money in it, and GE's business is still running OK up here, albeit with a lot of cutbacks, cost-cutting and unfortunately job losses. The problem is that as long as the money in Oil remains low, the viability of a lot of the more difficult sources is limited due to the costs involved. Of course, people more closely involved in these matters will know a lot more than me! I just make sure their IT infrastructure works properly.

The place I'm at laid loads of folk off last year, but a new contract outwith o&g means things are starting to pick up again. Sadly they're now relying on volume of work to make up for the terrible money they're getting from non o&g :(