Lion in Winter

I have no idea how that happened. I think it was just a bit of fun that got out of hand, like Boaty McBoatface.

Red Ken, the mad newt handler, actually did do a pretty good job of looking after London after the Thatcher years whatever else you might think of him. I do also quite like Kahn, at least as far as I can tell from all the way over here.

I also loved Ken's opening line from his speech when he became Mayor, the first speech since Thatcher dissolved the GLC and ousted him:

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted 14 years ago..."

You have to admit, that was pretty good

Lion in Winter

That is also a good point.

Garbatellamike

That was cleverly done - I did laugh out loud when he said that

Novocastrian

Have a read here https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...es-hard-brexit

Garbatellamike

Jezza isn't exactly popular with his MPs either and he could be our next PM

Shard

Very good piece. The problem with Brexit is that it's dire consequences are wholly unintended.

Garbatellamike

And while we are squaring Eric's circles.... how does he reconcile his previous position that the Commission was part of a capitalist plot by genocidal maniacs to fiscally water board the Greek people to extinction with his current blind faith in them looking after his rights better than the British government - just asking ;-)

Lion in Winter

There are more straw men out here than on bonfire night.

Garbatellamike

just my ongoing search for consistency

iano

Neither do I, and that's why he was asked.

The reasoning behind the question is that I used to be a Tory voter, but the course the party is taking re hard Brexit and its lurch into UKIP territory means I shall no longer vote for the Tory party in its current guise. My red line.

Just curious as to where Red Eric's red line is regards Corbyn and Brexit. Maybe it is as you suggest, that Corbyn's left wing domestic agenda overrides any external Eurosceptic policy even if it dovetails nicely with UKIP's.

Shard

Iano, I can never quite guess from your avatar, but what is your stance on Brexit?

Garbatellamike

but surely Jezza is also aiming for a hard Brexit as the Single Market is insufficiently socialist for him so you'll probably have to vote for Vince next election - no?

jimenato

I too am an ex Tory voter who cannot contemplate doing so at the moment.

I seem to remember that Eric reconciles his positions by imagining that Corbyn isn't really a Hard Brexiteer. A recipe for cognitive dissonance for the poor fella I should think.

I can only see myself voting LibDem for the foreseeable.

Or moving to Scotland.

Novocastrian

Eric can speak for himself, but for me Corbyn isn't left wing compared to where the Labour party used to be before Blair's NuLabour made it indistinguishable from the Conservative party in the post-Thatcher years.

I would happily and proudly describe Corbyn as old Labour, i.e. a progressive social democrat party. God knows we need one.

iano

Shard, it's supposed to be a very pro-EU avatar.