Will politicians ever?

[Stagger]

STOP LYING?

"I mean what I say and say what I mean.
There won't be an early election.
There should be NO general election until 2020"

By

Theresa May, June 30th 2016.

Will you vote for this liar?

[bigfella]

Quite possibly. To be fair, and in general I don't like or trust politicians' I think she is doing the right thing. The whole Brexit thing is not something she wanted and I really think she is trying to do the best for Britain given where we are now. I suppose she could have said nothing or said 'I don't know, there might be an election, but neither of these would wash so stating what she hoped would happen as a certainty was probably not so bad.

Cards on the table, I voted for Brexit which may colour my opinion but I don't think so.

[Witton Park]

Quite possibly. To be fair, and in general I don't like or trust politicians' I think she is doing the right thing. The whole Brexit thing is not something she wanted and I really think she is trying to do the best for Britain given where we are now. I suppose she could have said nothing or said 'I don't know, there might be an election, but neither of these would wash so stating what she hoped would happen as a certainty was probably not so bad.

Cards on the table, I voted for Brexit which may colour my opinion but I don't think so.

I agree.

Brexit aside there are other issues.

Whether you like the policy or not, just go back a few weeks to the uproar over the NI changes at the budget as they were deemed against the Tory manifesto.

The Tory manifesto had assumed we would stay in the EU - it did not have a second version for if we voted leave, so there are lots of issues that would have to be dealt with that would be against the manifesto from 2015.

Situations change, politicians have to change to adapt with them. I actually appreciate that.

What I don't appreciate is a politician that reacts to focus groups such as Cameron and Blair.

[noel]

We all say we like principled politicians rather than pragmatic ones. But the pragmatic ones have tended to do better in recent years. Cameron and Blair were both good at avoiding politically unpopular decisions by changing their course to steer round obstacles.

In contrast, Corbin is a very principled politician and no-one wants to vote for him (but that could be due to a number of other factors - left-wing views, poor media style...)

[Muddy Retriever]

There seem to be many in Labour and the LibDems who are saying this is an opportunistic move by May and of course it is. However before the Fixed Terms Parliament Act it was commonplace for Governments of both persuasions to go to the country at times of perceived electoral advantage. Gordon Brown was contemplating doing so in 2007 but chickened out.

What I can't understand is why both Labour and LibDems are apparently going to vote in favour of the dissolution of parliament. It seems rather odd to criticise something and then effectively go ahead and agree with it. If the opposition parties all voted against then May wouldn't get the two thirds majority required and there would be no election.

[Witton Park]

We all say we like principled politicians rather than pragmatic ones. But the pragmatic ones have tended to do better in recent years. Cameron and Blair were both good at avoiding politically unpopular decisions by changing their course to steer round obstacles.

In contrast, Corbin is a very principled politician and no-one wants to vote for him (but that could be due to a number of other factors - left-wing views, poor media style...)

I'm not sure Corbyn is viewed as principled. If he is, it is then perhaps the low calibre of his principles that people have an issue with, particularly his support for terrorists.

[noel]

Well that's a good case in point isn't it. His reasons for supporting Hamas aren't because he thinks it will help him in the polls. Whatever his reasons, a less principled politician would be swayed by popular opinion.

BTW. There are those who say that Blair and Cameron shouldn't have dealt with McGuinness. Mind you, there are those who still regard Nelson Mandella as a terrorist.

[bigfella]

DIdn't Mo Mowlem do all the hard work in the peace process, Blair just stepped in to take the credit.

[wheezing donkey]

With respect to Trev's original question:-
In any situation people have to react to changing circumstances. Any plan that can't be changed is a bad plan. Just something that everyone has to live with.
There's been several occasions in my own life where I've set forth determined to stick to a certain plan of action; only to have to literally break my heart by modifying my plan in response to unforeseen circumstances that were beyond my control.

With respect to McGuinness, he was a murderous terrorist but he did eventually listen to reason and look to the ballot box and politics, as the vast majority of people said he should.
You don't continue beating a dog once it starts to take heed of your commands.

[Muddy Retriever]

Well that's a good case in point isn't it. His reasons for supporting Hamas aren't because he thinks it will help him in the polls. Whatever his reasons, a less principled politician would be swayed by popular opinion.

Perhaps because at the time he was sharing platforms with Hamas and supporting the IRA he didn't expect ever to be Labour leader.

BTW. There are those who say that Blair and Cameron shouldn't have dealt with McGuinness. Mind you, there are those who still regard Nelson Mandella as a terrorist.

John McDonnell has tried to subsequently spin that when he and Corbyn were forging links with the IRA that they were engaged in furthering peace. They were doing nothing of the sort. In 2003 McDonnell said “It’s about time we started honouring those people involved in the armed struggle" and “It was the bombs and bullets and sacrifice made by the likes of Bobby Sands that brought Britain to the negotiating table." Corbyn was member of the editorial Board of Labour London Briefing. At the time of the Brighton bombing it said “the British only sit up and take notice [of Ireland] when they are bombed into it.”

In fairness to Blair (much as I hate to be) he spoke to both sides in a genuine attempt to bring peace. When did Corbyn and McDonnell ever meet/share a platform with Ulster Unionists or for that matter Israeli's?

People have compared Corbyn to Michael Foot but that is unfair to the latter, at least he was a patriot. I imagine the Tory strategists are going to have great fun in the next seven weeks merely providing quotes of what Corbyn and McDonnell have previously said.