Opinion: Truss’s wobbly PMQ

I do not think the right hon. Gentleman can take yes for an answer. I have been clear that we are protecting the triple lock on pensions. If he is concerned about the economy, why does he continue to advocate for separatism, which would plunge the Scottish economy into chaos?” – Prime Minister Liz Truss (19.10.2022).

The current Prime Minister in United Kingdom isn’t able to raise any confidence in her cause. Prime Minister Liz Truss who haven’t been the PM for longer than 43 days at this point. She has already sacked and appointed her second Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

PM Truss certainly met hostile PMQ. Truss was already under fire not only for her methods of keeping financial stability and sound policies that her cabinet has unleashed. The “Mini-Budget” has caused affects or issues that will last long. The PM should know this and her changing Chancellor isn’t mending this. Especially, when she’s U-Turning all the time. That’s what she did during her campaign for the office too and everyone just laughed. Now it is happening with vital financial implications and she isn’t creating any stability.

One minute the PM is against something and another minute she’s supporting it. In the morning she will freeze pensions and in the afternoon she will triple lock pensions. Therefore… Truss is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. You cannot keep up and her twisting tongue isn’t doing anyone any good. Secondly, she’s not even a trustworthy or a good liar. Boris could at least lie with a straight face, but Truss has blinking eyes. There is obvious mismatch between what she says and what she wants to do…

Just read these answers to legit questions today…

My hon. Friend is absolutely right; we will abolish the top-down housing targets. We want decisions about homes and infrastructure to be driven by local people, not by Whitehall, and that is why we are setting up new, locally driven investment zones” (Truss, 19.10.2022).

We do face very difficult economic times. I have been honest about the mistakes I have made, but what I do not apologise for is the fact that we have helped households through this winter with the energy price guarantee, the fact that we have reversed the national insurance rise and the fact that we are taking action to get our railways running rather than being disrupted by the militant trade unions that the hon. Lady supports” (Truss, 19.10.2022).

We are facing very, very difficult economic times. I took the decision I had to in the interests of economic stability. What is important is that we work together, including with the SNP, to get through this winter and grow the economy” (Truss, 19.10.2022).

The PM clearly goes back and fourth on policies. It is like she’s winging it at any given time and hoping no one follows up on. The pensions are the latest here. Neither has the prices on mortgages gone down. The promise of the gilt market hasn’t ceased either. The uncertainty in the leadership and how it operates isn’t building trust between the government and the financial markets. That’s why the Chancellor should be stressed. However, his term might be short and his maybe ending up elsewhere later. So, his maybe just awaiting the next Prime Minister and hoping for a new plum-job.

This PMQ was defensive and deafening. The definition of failure and last resort attempt to look genuine. She must surely fear the 1922 Committee and Sir Graham Brady MP. His shadow must linger over her and haunt her in her sleep. Truss MP and PM is failing and not helping her cause.

Today wasn’t anything better and sooner or later this is finally imploding. Peace.

United Kingdom: Suella Braverman MP resignation letter to the Prime Minister Liz Truss (19.10.2022)

Opinion: Braverman MP will meet the tofu-eating wokerati very soon…

I am afraid to say—and I will come to a close soon—that that is why it was a central purpose of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, now an Act, to properly empower the police in face of the protests, yet Opposition Members voted against it. Had Opposition Members in the other place not blocked these measures when they were in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, the police would have already had many of the powers in this Bill and the British people would not have been put through this grief. Yes, I am afraid that it is the Labour party, the Lib Dems, the coalition of chaos, the Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati and, dare I say, the anti-growth coalition that we have to thank for the disruption we are seeing on our roads today. I urge Opposition MPs and Members of the other place to take this second chance, do the right thing, respect the rights of the law-abiding majority and support this Bill” – Suella Braverman MP (18.10.2022).

The one to take over the Office of Priti Patel MP is Suella Braveman MP, the newest edition of the Home Secretary. Just like the predecessor, there is a little flinch of arrogance and entitlement over her stay. She hasn’t even been in office long or been able to make a difference yet. However, she acts like her boss and continues the pledge of a “coalition of chaos” and says the opposition is disruptive.

Braverman MP is forgetting one vital factor here. The “coalition of chaos” is currently the government, which she resides. It isn’t the opposition or anyone else who is causing damage, plights or financial instability. That’s all done by her fellow peers and the ones the Prime Minister has appointed since September.

For a short stint and within no time. It’s the Tories who has damaged and created a mayhem. The Labour party or the Liberal Democrats haven’t done jack. They have only called out the Tories for the damage they have caused. The affects of their policies and the “mini-budget”. It isn’t like the Home Office, or the Home Secretary has any remedies. Only wants to stifle the rights to demonstrate and be vigilant to a proposed bill, which will only limit the rights of anyone opposing the government. That’s what it is and who wouldn’t?

I don’t know what Tofu, the Guardian and Woke thinking has about this. They are just sloganeering, which could have been made by political student. It just reflects how badly the MP is defending the cause or the bill itself. When she is using arguments like this and cannot even try to find well established reasons or proof to begin with.

What does it matter what people eat? Is everyone just supposed to eat beef or meat? Tofu isn’t “food” or is that only food for thought. Well, we can also wonder, if she reads only The Telegraph or Daily Mail. Since, she has such a hatred for The Guardian. However, that shouldn’t matter too. She can enjoy the gutter-press, if she wants too. That’s her business, but she surely should find better arguments than this.

Lastely, what is the “wokerati”? We know what she trying to do with people who are “woke”? But the way she defends herself, isn’t she a “snow-flake”? Just by the way she is addressing things. It isn’t wise or calculated, more out of desperation and trying to malign the opposition. Which isn’t even done cleverly, but without any sort of reason. It is amazing how foolish this is.

Braverman MP is officially in a league of her own. Peace.

Opinion: Borrell cannot twist himself out of this one…

The metaphor of “the garden” and “the jungle” is not my invention. Some truly dislike it because, among others, it has been used by US neo-conservatives, but I am far from this school of political thought. In fact, the concept has been present in academic and political debates for decades, because it refers to a simple question that we face every day: should the international order be based on principles accepted by all, regardless of the strength of its actors, or should it be based on the will of the strongest, which is commonly called “the law of the jungle”? Regrettably, the world in which we live today looks more and more like a “jungle” and less and less like a “garden”, because in many parts of the world, the law of the strongest is eroding agreed international norms” (Josep Borrell – ‘On metaphors and geo-politics’ 18.10.2022).

The highest diplomat of the European Union was disgraceful lately and in his latest piece, which is made to apologize or to explain the sentiment. He is surely not able to backtrack or sound like his sincere about it. The European Exceptionalism is persistent with this man.

The Spanish seasoned politician and diplomat of the European Union, Josep Borrell has cornered himself and for a reason. He is diminishing and distorting his words. While we know very well why he said it and it doesn’t change the fact.

I don’t care if he evented the idea or not. You don’t need to be the first one to make it wrong. You’re just continuing a legacy of colonialism, European hegemony and the belief of a supreme continent. Because Europe is the “Garden of Eden” where people lived in harmony before God kicked them out for sinning. That’s how you’re sounding like and it’s off no good.

He continues: “Some have misinterpreted the metaphor as “colonial Euro-centrism”.  I am sorry if some have felt offended. I believe and have said, for instance to the EU Ambassadors last week, that we are often too Euro-centric and need to be humble and get to know better the rest of the world including the Global South. I have always spoken out against a “Fortress Europe” approach and been strongly engaged in advancing relations with other parts of the world. I also have enough experience to know that neither Europe nor “the West” is perfect and that some countries of “the West” have at times violated international legality” (Borrell, 18.10.2022).

You are the one saying it is and speaking it out. You even started again with the legalities and the modalities of the allegory. The metaphor is clear and for a reason. One is a organized unit and “clean”. The jungle is lawlessness and “dirty”. We can all get the gist of the outrageous attempt of neo-colonialism that was spewed out your mouth recently. It was so easy to see the European Exceptionalism, which you referred too and still does. You even did so in the beginning of this text, which is supposed to be an apology for what you did.

It doesn’t help that you speak out against “Fortress Europe” and says “the West” isn’t perfect. We all know that and see that on the regular too. “The West” and Europe is filled with misgivings and wrongs, which should be called out too. That’s why everything isn’t perfect in Europe either. So, why speak of the fear of “invaders” from the “jungle” in the first place? Isn’t that a sign of what you’re saying the metaphor doesn’t stand for?

Well, you cannot have it both ways. That’s not how this works. You brought up the “heart of darkness” and place of “wild animals”. You even speak of lawlessness, by defining such broad statement about the “global south”. That’s really infuriating, and you are doubling down on it too. How will this fit your mission statement? How is this fitting the standard of operation or how your will coordinate to bring better relations outside of Europe?

As a diplomat and a seasoned politician, you should know better, but clearly that’s too much to ask. He returns and deflects, instead of apologizing for what he did. Showing that somehow, this is who he is and what he believes in. He doesn’t believe in the multilateralism and only in European exceptionalism. That’s proven by now, because he wouldn’t have written an explanation like this, if not… Peace.

Estonia: Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu) – Statement of Riigikogu – On condemning the annexation of the territory of Ukraine and declaring Russian regime a terrorist regime (18.10.2022)

Opinion: Mordaunt couldn’t save Truss…

The Prime Minister is not under a desk, as the hon. Lady suggests. I can assure the House that, with regret, she is not here for a very good reason. Neither has she taken this decision to win the hon. Lady’s gratitude; she has done it out of a sense of duty, because she knows what is in the national interest” – Penny Mordaunt (17.10.2022).

Another shocker in the short time-span of the reign of Prime Minister Liz Truss. She suddenly without a forewarning, appointed or gave the reigns in the House of Commons to Penny Mordaunt MP to answer the Urgent Questions after appointing Jeremy Hunt to be the Chancellor on Friday. Therefore, it wasn’t a great sign to see some other Tories MP answer in her stead. That’s just a bad choice and not reflecting trust in her leadership.

Penny Mordaunt was a total hack in the House of Commons. Not that this is shocking, but her retort to Keir Stramer sounds of desperation and not of a sound reflection. However, we know the Tories these days don’t have the time or the ability to plan ahead. The Tories are steady lightening up fires and hoping someone gives them credit for putting it down. They were the ones with the gasoline and lit the place up. After the fact, they want credit for stopping. When they were the ones who did it in the first place. That’s the magic of the Tories lately and after 12 years in power too.

That’s why the arrogance of Mordaunt is really tragic-comical.

Read these quotes from the Hansard today:

In terms of the Opposition’s performance, I think Larry the cat would give them a run for their money” (Mordaunt, 17.10.2022).

I know that the Chancellor wants to work with all Members of this House in the interests of all our constituents. I hope that there will also be opportunities to talk about our record in government and how we have transformed this country for the better since 2010” (Mordaunt, 17.10.2022).

First, I fully appreciate the optics of my appearing at the Dispatch Box, but there is a very genuine reason why the Prime Minister is not here. I understand that people will wish to make political hay out of it. She would wish to be here, but she is unable to be here at the moment. The Chancellor will be along shortly to answer these questions” (Mordaunt, 17.10.2022).

We know the running excuse was the Prime Minister was busy meeting with Sir Graham Brady MP, the leader of the 1922 Committee. However, he was parts of the Urgent Questions and only left closer to 16:00 when the PM actually arrived at the Parliament. So, the lie is that the PM was elsewhere and not busy with the Urgent Questions ahead of the new Chancellors statement on Financial Policies.

Certainly this should have run better and been more welcoming. It is really rare that the PM is avoiding the Urgent Questions. That just shows that she don’t have the possible answers and used the 1922 Committee as an excuse. Especially when there is pictures of Sir Graham Brady MP taking part of the proceedings earlier today.

Prime Minister Truss maybe had something important to do or of National Interests. However, shouldn’t she defend her actions and her new Chancellor today?

That seems like the perfect thing to do. Also, supporting Hunt who was just appointed before the weekend. We cannot expect much from him… when his boss doesn’t even show up to answer questions and comes with reasons to trust him. Truss is failing the nation and cannot even stand up for her choices. She can just burn things and pin blame on others. Being inept and irresponsible at it.

The excuse for why she didn’t show has been debunked as well. So, we can wonder why she skipped the Urgent Questions and if she wasn’t mentally prepared for it. That’s really a disappointing action from her part. As the PM she should have been there and answered it directly.

Mordaunt MP shouldn’t have done this, but she did it out of loyalty. The MP didn’t win many hearts. The Tories themselves will say she did a good job, but she only did the bare minimum and was arrogant towards the opposition. That’s not shocking, but the Tories are the ones that are burning down the place. They cannot point fingers elsewhere. Not as long as they are creating the problems and not able to create stability. The latest actions of Truss doesn’t make it seem likely that they will change it.

Rather this sort of U-Turn and wicked ways will continue. The persistence of uncertainty and lack of “who is in-charge” … PM Truss is actually able to be worse than Boris Johnson. Know that the bar was really low and she shattered it. That’s a compelling level of epic failure on her part. Mordaunt MP could salvage that or the questions either.

The only thing she has given us is a few funny quotes, but not helped the current situation the slightest. Peace.

United Kingdom: Dr. Jamie Wallis MP letter to Prime Minister Liz Truss (16.10.2022)

Vatican: Secretaria Generalis Synodi – Press Communique from the General Secretariat of the Synod (16.10.2022)

Opinion: Borrell preaches European Exceptionalism…

Oh gosh… this is going to be brutal… that a grown man said this and didn’t think better about his analogy is obvious. The Josep Borrell is the Vice-President in charge of coordinating the external action of the European Union. This is a role his had since December 2019 and his a seasoned Spanish politician.

So, in the mission letter it was even stated this:

Cooperating and working with others is what our Union is all about. We believe in multilateralism because it works. It makes us safer, more prosperous and better able to make the most of the major transitions of our times. This is why Europe will always lead the way when it comes to upholding and, where necessary, updating the rules based global order.” (Mission letter, 01.12.2019).

Certainly, Borrell haven’t taken the multilateralism to heart, which can be defined as: “Multilateralism is often defined in opposition to bilateralism and unilateralism. Strictly speaking, it indicates a form of cooperation between at least three States. Nevertheless, this “quantitative” definition is not sufficient to capture the nature of multilateralism. Indeed, it is not simply a practice or a question of the number of actors involved. It involves adherence to a common political project based on the respect of a shared system of norms and values. In particular, multilateralism is based on founding principles such as consultation, inclusion and solidarity. Its operation is determined by collectively developed rules that ensure sustainable and effective cooperation. In particular, they guarantee all actors the same rights and obligations by applying themselves continuously (and not on a case-by-case basis, depending on the issue handled)” (https://multilateralism100.unog.ch/about, 2020).

So with that in mind, we just have to read the regressive and partly astonishing speech from Borrell, which he should have considered never to say or even speak at a function. This is just pure European Exceptionalism. There is no denying in that and his mission is to believe in multilateralism, which is a stark contrast to that.

Here we go:

Here, Bruges is a good example of the European garden. Yes, Europe is a garden. We have built a garden. Everything works. It is the best combination of political freedom, economic prosperity and social cohesion that the humankind has been able to build – the three things together. And here, Bruges is maybe a good representation of beautiful things, intellectual life, wellbeing. The rest of the world – and you know this very well, Federica – is not exactly a garden. Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden. The gardeners should take care of it, but they will not protect the garden by building walls. A nice small garden surrounded by high walls in order to prevent the jungle from coming in is not going to be a solution. Because the jungle has a strong growth capacity, and the wall will never be high enough in order to protect the garden. The gardeners have to go to the jungle. Europeans have to be much more engaged with the rest of the world. Otherwise, the rest of the world will invade us, by different ways and means. Yes, this is my most important message: we have to be much more engaged with the rest of the world. We are privileged people. We built a combination of these three things – political freedom, economic prosperity, social cohesion – and we cannot pretend to survive as an exception. It has to be a way of supporting the others facing the big challenges of our time” – Joseph Borrell (European Diplomatic Academy: Opening remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell at the inauguration of the pilot programme, 13.10.2022).

He clearly didn’t get the memo or in the hour of need had to make an analogy that is just infuriating and insulting. The sort of tenacity and hubris. His a supposed diplomat, who has a mission that is deemed into multilateralism. This speech is the opposite and is pure European Exceptionalism. It is disrespectful for the rest of world. In addition to the mentioned paragraph earlier in the Mission letter, I just feel like adding this as well:

To be a global leader, the Union needs to take decisions in a faster and more efficient way. We must overcome unanimity constraints that hamper our foreign policy. When putting forward proposals, you should seek to use the clauses in the Treaties that allow certain decisions on the common foreign and security policy to be adopted by qualified majority voting” (Mission Letter, 01.12.2019).

He was told to “overcome unanimity constraints that hamper our foreign policy” which this sort of speech isn’t doing. This speech is causing harm and showing an arrogance, which will not be welcomed in the “global south” or outside the continent. The ideals and the analogy is only showing a sentiment, which could resemble the reasoning for colonization in the past. Because, we in Europe are the best and we should be afraid of the ones outside the European continent. That’s deeply disrespectful and could be mentioned as racist.

Because, this is like the biblical “Garden of Eden” and someone coming in to destroy it. That’s not a good look and the European Union diplomat should reconsider his stance. This is not the story he wants to be on his name. Especially, if his supposed to follow the Mission Letter that was written to him in the first place. The European Commission should be shell-shocked by this, because this is doing them no good.

Borrell should consider himself here. It has been causing a stir online and rightfully so. It is distasteful and I thought European Union had come further. This is backtracking and into territories, which the EU don’t want to associated with. Peace.

Opinion: Truss is Hunt(ing) for stability…

I want to deliver a low tax, high wage, high growth economy. It’s what I was elected by my party to do. That mission remains” – Prime Minister Liz Truss (14.10.2022)

Today the Prime Minister sacked her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt. If you think things will be smoother from now on. Well, I hate to tell you, but things are not getting turned around that quickly.

This U-Turn doesn’t change the financial forecasts or the distress that the financial markets has had of late. We are hearing talks of low tax and “growth” from the Prime Minister. That means Truss isn’t over the biscotti “mini-budget” that broke the financial markets … which has destroyed the gilt and the mortgage market.

Now Chancellor Hunt has to change things, but just reading here statement from the Press Conference today. She seems fixed to continue where Kwarteng left off.

Just read here:

We owe it to the next generation to improve our economic performance to deliver higher wages, new jobs and better public services, and to ease the burden of debt. I have acted decisively today because my priority is ensuring our country’s economic stability. As Prime Minister, I will always act in the national interest. This is always my first consideration. I want to be honest, this is difficult. But we will get through this storm. And we will deliver the strong and sustained growth that can transform the prosperity of our country for generations to come” (Truss, 14.10.2022).

Truss can say all the words she wants, but they are meaningless when there is no sincere action. The financial markets needs stability and well rounded choices of policy. The latest moves has created more hectic mess, which is adding costs on the citizens and their lives. It isn’t like the Prime Minister and her previous Chancellor has done due diligence.

Prime Minister Truss really needs to re-consider her ways. The sacking now of Kwarteng seems more like hackwork. Only done to appease, but her Press Conference only shows her true intentions. The “mini-budget” is in her mind and spirit. Why else speak of “lower taxes”?

When you are firing someone over the tax-cuts for the wealthy and big-businesses. That is the reason for the distress and issues in the first place. It is clear that Truss haven’t learned anything or seen the ramifications of the recent actions.

You would think the actions of Bank of England was the warning sign that got the duo to act sooner. However, they just thought it was within it’s right and not a red flag. That’s why Truss should have done more and been more concerned. Nevertheless, that wasn’t her vibe and this is why she has waited this long…

Hunt has a mountain to climb to fix the mortgages, gilts, pensions and the building confidence in the Pound Stirling. The cost of living crisis is just growing and Truss own government haven’t made this any better.

Crikey… I wouldn’t like to be in Hunt’s shoes right now. No matter where he steps there will be crocodiles or pirates to capture him. There is very few steps that can keep on land and in safety. However, if he continues to raise the sails and try to go fast. We will most likely see further damage to the economy. Peace.