An amusing story in The Mail today reporting that several unions are planning to co-ordinate their strike activities in the Autumn in an effort to force a general election. One is left wondering on which planet these people exist? You would expect such 'stoopidity' from the train drivers' union - surely driving a train requires minimal intelligence - but you might expect better thinking from the junior doctors and the teachers. On second thoughts perhaps not because I have been constantly underwhelmed with what passes for thinking from those two, er, 'professions'. Here is a picture of the "swivel-eyed loon" who represents junior doctors:
As an indication of this man's intelligence, The Mail tells us that he is a Corbyn supporter who said, "Building links between our unions is vital. Now is the time to ramp things up. We need to defend Corbyn and show the Government the door." As a doctor would you trust this man to diagnose a head cold? Does he seriously suppose that the country, having just voted the Tories in with a majority, is itching to defeat them, rid themselves of Mrs. May and install 'Jezza'? Even most Labour voters don't want 'Jezza'. I don't think he inhabits a different planet, I think he is in a parallel universe!
Mind you, it could provide the Blessed St. Theresa with a chance to install a new Tory government with a majority in treble figures.
Like old George said, some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.
Posted by: ortega | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 11:48
In his parallel universe, he feels uniquely qualified to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Posted by: Whitewall | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 12:24
To make this happen Mrs May has three options.
1 She could put a three line whip on a vote of no confidence in the government- a very poor way of starting a general election campaign, so it won't happen.
2 She can get a 2/3 majority of the commons to vote for a dissolution. That would require a lot of opposition votes- do they feel lucky?
3 She could repeal or amend the fixed term Parliament Act which brings about 1&2. This would take time and may not pass the Lords.
Industrial "action" overtly directed towards the government has always brought forth support for the government, I don't see things being any different this time. Add this to the current state of the polls, and Mrs May, even if forced to hold an election would win handily.
Personally I can't see an election happening before 2020 when the new electoral boundaries are in place. And any action by the brothers will give Mrs May the excuse to reintroduce legislation to limit unions political donations.
Posted by: Pat | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 13:19
Dear oh dear, the penny hasn't dropped yet, has it!
The majority of the United Kingdom is made up of swivel-eyed loons! : -
Public sector
Manufacturing sector
Northerners
Sweaties
Taffies
Paddies
Unions
Students
Londoners
Greens
Corporate workforce (feeding off HMG contracts)
Hairies (of both persuasions)
Media and metro class
If they're under the age of 40 they never lived through the cold war and Ostblok socialism at a cognisant age. And if they're under 50 they never lived through the 1970's in socialist Blighty at a cognisant age.
And they've all accepted the demonization of Thatcher and neo-Liberalism espoused by Blair.
And with Brexit you've just given them carte-blanche to "Go do that voodoo that they do so well".
They're smelling blood. And I don't blame them.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 13:28
SoD, you really must try and drop this habit of allocating people into neat little blocs, it smacks of Marxism, or even worse, social security departments.
Scargil et al, tried all that stuff yonks ago and look what it got them - Maggie Thatcher. Perhaps, the Blessed Theresa is an incarnation. Yes, we do have our fair share of 'stoopids' but eventually the penny drops.
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 13:51
"The penny drops"? Ahso. Google to the rescue.
Thanks, D&N. I learn something new here almost every day.
Posted by: TheBigHenry | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 17:51
Fear not David, the guy representing junior doctors is not the type to waste his time diagnosing patients, let alone carving them up with a scalpel. No, his future is in the Doctor's trade union, the BMA.
This is the way in which the professional associations in this country have come to resemble something out of the old East Germany. Chaps like this who are no good at actual doctoring but who are competent shouty troublemakers take them over.
Posted by: Kevin B | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 18:06
The panic starts to set-in at the DT ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/22/trade-unions-are-undergoing-corbynisation--but-their-golden-age/
Declarations like "But that golden age of trade union activism is never coming back: the British public will never allow it." - when you put your trust in the British public you know you're getting desperate.
Besides, has the author contemplated my list above? And the fact that if you're under 50 you will never have known what Corbynite Britain was like, and you despise Thatcher, the free market, globalization, and neo-Liberalism? And the fact that the country bumpkins and dribbly-wrinklies have either forgotten, or actually yearn for a return to, 1975?
The DT is complicit in this calamity.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 18:45
Well, I have.contemplated your list and you have omitted one rather large group. These are the brain dead who think that clinging to a French racket is a good idea.
Posted by: Backofanenvelope | Monday, 22 August 2016 at 21:25
Thank god for brexit.
The same swivel eyed loons whom SoD is always so quick to ennumerate are the descendents of the people who invented parliamentary democracy, free markets and created the most beneficial empire the world has ever seen under which about a quarter of the world's population were lifted from barbarism and allowed to enjoy the benefits of these freedoms, the fact that some of them hae sunk back into barbarism when left to their own devices merely serves to underline he original achievement...
THerefore we don't need drunken, petty dictators in brussles, and we'll deal with junior doctors by smacking their naughty bottoms, just like Reagan or Thatcher (PBUH) wuld have.
Posted by: Cuffleyburgers | Tuesday, 23 August 2016 at 07:54
Well said, Cuffers!
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 23 August 2016 at 08:05
BOE,
Good point. It's always been a curiosity that the soft left Remainers are so enthusiastic about the EU's single market rules and regs, being, as they are, the vestiges of Thatcherism.
Their hard left comrades weren't so deluded. They always chastised the EU as a neo-Liberal, capitalist, etc. thing to be despised.
But now we've Brexited, the soft left will soon cosy up to their hard left comrades and the new order.
So yes, you can add the left Remainers to the list.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Tuesday, 23 August 2016 at 09:34
Cuffers,
I agree with most of that.
By exporting our domestic bossy boots and pols to the colonies we achieved two things: -
(1) A "vacuum Liberty", a special form of "accidental Liberty", at home, that flattered to deceive we fully understood and constitutionalized Liberty, when we hadn't.
(2) A successful empire because even the barrel scrapings of modern humanity, aka the pols, are able to exploit at least something more from a bunch of savages who were previously scratching around in the jungle / desert.
The problem is that when the empire ended, it was pay back time: -
(1) The bossy boots, their culture, offspring, came home to roost upon us, vaporizing our "vacuum Liberty" and showing us up for the poor understanding and constitutiolisation of Liberty we actually - 1945-75.
(2) We were left with a deluded opinion of ourselves, magna carta, common law, great, etc.
And roost we are, and will.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Tuesday, 23 August 2016 at 09:54
The NHS: The nation's "family silver", envy of the world - errr, not ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/23/bosses-of-unions-defending-doctors-accused-of-negligence-paid-al/
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Wednesday, 24 August 2016 at 08:32