Quote: micky v @ May 8 2010, 11:44 PM BSTthe country really is run by the civil service
The civil service administer the country, according to Parliament's will.
General Election 2010 Page 115
Quote: Aaron @ May 9 2010, 12:37 AM BSTThe civil service administer the country, according to Parliament's will.
Don't tell me you haven't seen Yes Prime/Minister ?
On Facebook during the early hours of Friday morning a friend of mine posted the line...
If Martians arrived today and asked 'take me to your leader'...?
I thought that was funny so I reproduced it on my Twitter account. Look what happened...
Quote: Oldrocker @ May 9 2010, 12:40 AM BSTDon't tell me you haven't seen Yes Prime/Minister ?
Yes Minister was, as Antony Jay has admitted, Thatcherite propaganda, albeit very funny. The problem was New Labour, never having been in power (and being humourless), took it seriously. Do you recall Tony Blair's "scars on my back" speech? The careers of dozens of senior civil servants effectively ended within weeks of New Labour taking power. The survivors pretty soon worked out that the way to get on was to carry out ministerial whims, regardless of their own misgivings, and to tell them what they want to hear, which is that your brilliant idea is working perfectly, minister.
Not that the civil service is any longer capable of running the country. Under New Labour it has become policiticised with a mindless belief in public choice theory and free market principles, not a problem for the Tories, but more damagingly, the senior echelons have become populated with bullies, bullshitters and bumlickers.
But a Government hamstrung into inaction by a hung parliament might at least result in schools and hospitals and the like not being swamped with ill-thought out, kneejerk initiatives.
Anyway, 80% of our laws are initiated in Brussels, so do we really need a Parliament other than to rubber stamp them?
I wish people would stop bleating on about how Gordon Brown should resign. It's his constitutional responsibility to stay on until a new goverment is sorted out, for the sake of stability. Get off the poor blokes back.
Quote: Timbo @ May 9 2010, 9:59 AM BSTmore damagingly, the senior echelons have become populated with bullies, bullshitters and bumlickers.
Lif is populated with bullies, bullshitters and bumlickers. Why should the civil service be exampt?
Quote: chipolata @ May 9 2010, 11:39 AM BSTLif is populated with bullies, bullshitters and bumlickers. Why should the civil service be exampt?
Yes, it is what is known as "learning from the private sector".
We in the 3rd sector look on you thugs with pious pity.
Quote: Timbo @ May 9 2010, 11:48 AM BSTYes, it is what is known as "learning from the private sector".
Which is surely a central plank of Conservatism, which values the private sector amongst all else?
Quote: chipolata @ May 9 2010, 11:39 AM BSTI wish people would stop bleating on about how Gordon Brown should resign. It's his constitutional responsibility to stay on until a new goverment is sorted out, for the sake of stability. Get off the poor blokes back.
I agree.
This "crisis" is likely to get sorted out in a matter of a few days. In 2000, it took the yanks months to figure out who'd won their election. This is nothing.
Quote: chipolata @ May 9 2010, 11:39 AM BSTI wish people would stop bleating on about how Gordon Brown should resign. It's his constitutional responsibility to stay on until a new goverment is sorted out, for the sake of stability. Get off the poor blokes back.
Agreed.
Gordon seems to be behaving with great dignity - despite people briefing against him.
Quote: chipolata @ May 9 2010, 11:39 AM BSTI wish people would stop bleating on about how Gordon Brown should resign. It's his constitutional responsibility to stay on until a new goverment is sorted out, for the sake of stability. Get off the poor blokes back.
Yes rather astonishing how may people are missing that. Though he would have done well not to have made the public overture the LibDems.
If a Tory minority government was to collapse, possibly after losing a few by-elections, presumably the Queen would not be obliged to dissolve Parliament, and could ask Labour, by then with a new leader, to attempt to form a Government. It is messy, and does not offer much in the way of stability, but it would be more acceptable than the LibDems leaping straight into a rainbow coalition headed up by Gordon.
Quote: Timbo @ May 9 2010, 12:20 PM BSTYes rather astonishing how may people are missing that.
Unfortunately we seem so entrenched in a party-political point-scoring culture that people just can't stop themselves. It's like a form of Tourettes.
As for the overtures he made to the Lib Dems, I think he had to say something on the subject, otherwise he'd have been pestered about it endlessly. He just have to make sure the option was out there. Personally if I was Gordon Brown, I'd be relieved I was out of it.
Quote: chipolata @ May 9 2010, 12:27 PM BST. Personally if I was Gordon Brown, I'd be relieved I was out of it.
He may well (at last) be thinking that.
He achieved the top job in Politics.
He fought an election and, against the odds, thwarted a Tory majority and left his Party in array.
He can leave Number 10 with his head held high.
The other thing people are missing is that so many Tories won't abide a coalition. They don't like anything with coal in it.
Quote: Badge @ May 9 2010, 12:55 PM BSTThe other thing people are missing is that so many Tories won't abide a coalition. They don't like anything with coal in it.
The solution is CCS - Cameron Capture and Storage.