With a 'stonking performance', Britain's May wins stay of execution

[webfact]

With a 'stonking performance', Britain's May wins stay of execution

By Elizabeth Piper, William James and Kylie MacLellan

 

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street in London, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Giving a "stonking" performance, Britain's Theresa May won a stay of execution from her Conservative Party on Monday, winning support from disillusioned lawmakers after losing a parliamentary majority at last week's national election.

 

The prime minister was described as "contrite" at a meeting of Conservative members called the 1922 Committee, apologising to those politicians who lost their seats in an election she did not need to hold and promising to clear up "the mess" she made on Thursday by working more widely with her party.

 

For some who attended, it was a performance strong enough to convince doubters over her future.

 

Her foreign minister, Boris Johnson, described it on Twitter as a: "Stonking performance by the PM at 1922. One team going forward together for the UK."

 

But it was also one they wished she had deployed more during the seven-week election campaign, when her double-digit lead in the polls collapsed as she was widely mocked as a "Maybot" for sticking doggedly to an agreed script.

 

Several Conservative lawmakers, who all spoke on condition of anonymity because it was a private meeting, said she started off at the meeting by saying she had got the party into "this mess and I'm the one who is going to get us out of it.'"

 

"Once she'd made that confession - that mea culpa 'I'm taking responsibility' - the room really warmed up," said another lawmaker who attended the meeting of the committee, named after a meeting in 1922 when the Conservatives withdrew from a coalition government.

 

"We're all hugely proud, fond and respectful of her as a person."

 

With cheers, laughter and the sound of fists thumping tables heard in the corridor outside the Gladstone Room in parliament overlooking the Thames, her pledge to "serve us as long as we want her" was met with a 'yes', at least for now.

 

The more than hour-long meeting was the latest test for the 60-year-old prime minister whose uncharacteristic gamble to strengthen her leadership by calling an early election left her authority in tatters and weakened her hand in Brexit talks.

 

Her two closest aides have resigned, any plans for a wide reshuffle of her top ministers were put firmly aside and she will most probably have to rein in her reform programme, now dependent on a small Northern Irish party for support.

 

And while at least one Conservative lawmaker left the meeting suggesting that not all was well by shouting "what do you expect, some kind of communal love in?" when asked how the meeting was going, others seemed satisfied that May had bought herself more time at the helm of the party, and country.

 

She seemed to settle nerves among eurosceptics and pro-EU lawmakers about her strategy for Britain's departure from the European Union and eased concerns about a tie-up with the Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which some feared could press on social issues such as abortion and gay rights.

 

But it was her words about the party which won many over.

 

She spoke about being "a servant of the party since she was 12-years-old" when she started stuffing envelopes with Conservative Party promotional material, a lawmaker said.

 

Another said: "I just wished we had seen more of it during the campaign."

 

(Writing by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-13

[nausea]

The new message seems to be that the concerns of the whole country need to be taken into account, not just those of Brexit hardliners. 

[darksidedog]

Boris described her performance as "stonking." I wonder if he really meant stinking.

[canuckamuck]

She stonked the whole room

[NanLaew]

Simply a stay of execution.

 

Let's face it, she very quickly brought BoJo's nemesis Gove back into the cabinet... just as the latter was apparently 'reaching out' to the former to support any Tory leadership bid that the Foreign Secretary may be considering.

 

As succinctly put in the Telegraph almost a year ago, "The history of the Conservative Party is, after all, littered with the shattered careers of leadership front-runners who were knifed by their colleagues: Maudling, Heath, Heseltine, Clarke, Portillo, Davis."

 

I honestly can't see this ending well for May but if she does turn it around, remains in Number 10 and avoids the need for an Autumn election, then maybe she has (finally made) some formidable allies.

[stephenterry]

Now she has won over the back benchers, her next test is the Queen's speech, where no doubt she'll be pounded by the opposition if she doesn't show some concessions to a more consensual approach towards Brexit, and I hope her initial negotiations with the EU begin that way. 

[stephenterry]

'I got us into this mess and I'm going to get us out'  is all about her, isn't it? Sheer arrogance. Had she said, I got us into this mess and I hope we can all work together to get us out, is a far more consensual approach. I doubt she's learnt any lessons in man/women management , but just goes her own way. And that approach would sink Brexit. 

[Jonmarleesco]

'She spoke about being "a servant of the party since she was 12-years-old" ...'

 

She, and they, need to realise that they are all servants of the people. 

[Irishrogue]

Politicians are like diapers and need to be changed on a regular basis and for exactly the same reason.

 

Mark Twain.

[ResandePohm]

Teresa May is now IMHO finished as a Prime Minister. Just mistake after mistake 
First accept the office of PM to lead Britain out of the EU when she herself had voted for the opposite 
Second she calls a quick election which was totally unnecessary. Resulting in that she no longer has a majority for government and worse for her majority of MPs in Parliament are anti Brexit. It will be hard if not impossible to get any Brexit deal approved in Parliament. 
Thirdly she Is negotiating with the DUP to gain a majority to enable her to govern. The DUP is not exactly a party to have in the Government with their history and background during the NI troubles.

It will be interesting to follow if she can get a Brexit deal at all or is Brexit dead in the water now?

She really is in a fine pickle. Her exit from Parliament is already counting down. I just hope she does not ruin Britain before she leaves.

[Grouse]

CONs are now speaking with LABs to force soft Brexit.

 

Immigration targets to go

 

Austerity to go

 

Foreign students will not be counted as immigrants.

 

Getting better all the tiiime, getting so much better!

[ilostmypassword]

3 minutes ago, Grouse said:

CONs are now speaking with LABs to force soft Brexit.

 

Immigration targets to go

 

Austerity to go

 

Foreign students will not be counted as immigrants.

 

Getting better all the tiiime, getting so much better!

I'm not sure what source(s) you are referring to. I did find this:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-conservatives-cross-party-talks-soft-brexit-hung-parliament-theresa-may-a7786946.html

At any rate, I still don't see how anything short of full Freedom of Movement will meet with the approval of the EU.  

[Grouse]

3 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

I'm not sure what source(s) you are referring to. I did find this:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-conservatives-cross-party-talks-soft-brexit-hung-parliament-theresa-may-a7786946.html

At any rate, I still don't see how anything short of full Freedom of Movement will meet with the approval of the EU.  

Radio 4 Today.

 

Just raise legal barriers as previously discussed. Get students off the immigration stats. Bear down on non EU immigration. Basta!

[ilostmypassword]

Just now, Grouse said:

Radio 4 Today.

 

Just raise legal barriers as previously discussed. Get students off the immigration stats. Bear down on non EU immigration. Basta!

Well, that does sound politically feasible.

[ilostmypassword]

9 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Radio 4 Today.

 

Just raise legal barriers as previously discussed. Get students off the immigration stats. Bear down on non EU immigration. Basta!

If only a very soft Brexit depended on the British being reasonable.

Macron may not be:

https://www.ft.com/content/1eae532c-4f49-11e7-bfb8-997009366969?mhq5j=e3&wpisrc=nl_todayworld&wpmm=1

[Grouse]

8 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

If only a very soft Brexit depended on the British being reasonable.

Macron may not be:

https://www.ft.com/content/1eae532c-4f49-11e7-bfb8-997009366969?mhq5j=e3&wpisrc=nl_todayworld&wpmm=1

Pragmatique?

[chilli42]

I really know nothing about politics in te UK.  As a distant observer, the bench must be very weak or the party very fractionated.

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Pragmatique?

I think Macron recognizes that the Euro system as it is presently constituted is working very poorly. A currrency union without a fiscal union is a guaranteed program for disaster.  So  establishing a central bank for the Eurozone  is a step in that direction. Better, of course, to get rid of the Euro, but that seems unlikely in the face of France and Germany's attachment to it.

[Laughing Gravy]

1 hour ago, Grouse said:

Foreign students will not be counted as immigrants

I am going to disagree with you on this. Some foreign students are good but not all. Those who get student loans from the UK and don't pay it back, like so many, are not the type needed or from the article below.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/12/university-students-staff-admonished-unhygienic-toilet-habits/

 

 

1 hour ago, Grouse said:

Getting better all the tiiime, getting so much better!

It is getting better if you are happy to see your country taken over within, being ruled by the EU (Germany) and the identities of Countries in Europe eroded, in a so called super state of the EU. It's sad.

 

I always was pessimistic of the EU referendum and Brexit actually taking place. The EU and elite are happy to let the UK carry on dividing itself and playing the 'integration card at all costs', as the only way forward. Ironic as here in Thailand Immigration is the opposite and we know we are aliens and have to prove our worth, to stay here.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, Grouse said:

CONs are now speaking with LABs to force soft Brexit.

 

Immigration targets to go

 

Austerity to go

 

Foreign students will not be counted as immigrants.

 

Getting better all the tiiime, getting so much better!

Any more of that and Blair can retake command and control.

[ilostmypassword]

11 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I am going to disagree with you on this. Some foreign students are good but not all. Those who get student loans from the UK and don't pay it back, like so many, are not the type needed or from the article below.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/12/university-students-staff-admonished-unhygienic-toilet-habits/

 

 

I'm a little puzzled by the article you link to. It contains no references at all to loans to foreign students.

There is an article here about how much foreign students who have defaulted on their loans owe to the UK. It's a total 89 million pounds.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/672898/eu-students-uk-taxpayers-89-million-fee-fleeing-tuition-fees

On the other hand, in 2014 alone they generated a total of 25 billion pounds for the UK economy.

http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/International-students-now-worth-25-billion-to-UK-economy---new-research.aspx

Edited June 13, 2017 by ilostmypassword

[Laughing Gravy]

14 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

I'm a little puzzled by the article you link to. It contains no references at all to loans to foreign students.

There is an article here about how much foreign students who have defaulted on their loans owe to the UK. It's a total 89 million pounds.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/672898/eu-students-uk-taxpayers-89-million-fee-fleeing-tuition-fees

On the other hand, in 2014 alone they generated a total of 25 billion pounds for the UK economy.

http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/news/Pages/International-students-now-worth-25-billion-to-UK-economy---new-research.aspx

I didn't put a link, as I knew that it was in the 80 million pounds range. It is not foreign students owing the money but those from the EU. Chinese, USA  etc don't get loans from the UK student loan body, they are not in the EU as you know.  As the amount of money to your link owing loans, Students outside of the EU contribute a lot, if not more than the EU students. That is my point

 

I put a link to the behavior of foreign students at a university. I am sure you can work it out if your puzzled.

 

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I didn't put a link, as I knew that it was in the 80 million pounds range. It is not foreign students owing the money but those from the EU. Chinese, USA  etc don't get loans from the UK student loan body, they are not in the EU as you know.  As the amount of money to your link owing loans, Students outside of the EU contribute a lot, if not more than the EU students. That is my point

 

I put a link to the behavior of foreign students at a university. I am sure you can work it out if your puzzled.

 

You're right about non EU students contributing much more than EU students. For EU students the total was 3.7 billion for the academic year 2011-2012. That's still a huge number compared to a total of whatever it was back then. Anyway less than 89 million.

[Laughing Gravy]

3 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You're right about non EU students contributing much more than EU students. For EU students the total was 3.7 billion for the academic year 2011-2012. That's still a huge number compared to a total of whatever it was back then. Anyway less than 89 million.

My whole argument about this situation is why can't the EU country provide the loan to its citizens, for the education, then there would be no problem and no 89 million to collect. Also that is just on loans defaulted not on the total figure.

[ilostmypassword]

3 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

My whole argument about this situation is why can't the EU country provide the loan to its citizens, for the education, then there would be no problem and no 89 million to collect. Also that is just on loans defaulted not on the total figure.

I don't know much about those loans. Are the interest rates so low that the lenders are losing money?

[Laughing Gravy]

1 minute ago, ilostmypassword said:

I don't know much about those loans. Are the interest rates so low that the lenders are losing money?

It is a loan and they generally for university feeds which pay a multitude of things. If I wanted to do a Phd or degree here in Thailand not that I ever would), is it fair that I can get the loan to pay for it here and then abscond?

 

It would seem we differ in opinion and lately I have decided to differ less and less on here, keeping my differences to myself.

[ilostmypassword]

Just now, Laughing Gravy said:

It is a loan and they generally for university feeds which pay a multitude of things. If I wanted to do a Phd or degree here in Thailand not that I ever would), is it fair that I can get the loan to pay for it here and then abscond?

 

It would seem we differ in opinion and lately I have decided to differ less and less on here, keeping my differences to myself.

Well, if the loans are, on the whole, profitable for UK lenders, then why would you want to deny UK lenders the opportunity to make them?

[Laughing Gravy]

2 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Well, if the loans are, on the whole, profitable for UK lenders, then why would you want to deny UK lenders the opportunity to make them?

My last say on it.

 

The Student Loans Company (SLC) is a non-profit making Government-owned organisation set up in 1989 to provide loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK.

 

http://www.slc.co.uk/about-us.aspx

[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, Laughing Gravy said:

My last say on it.

 

The Student Loans Company (SLC) is a non-profit making Government-owned organisation set up in 1989 to provide loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK.

 

http://www.slc.co.uk/about-us.aspx

Non profit doesn't mean that they are a charitable organization. They may be generating a surplus of cash for the government. 

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I am going to disagree with you on this. Some foreign students are good but not all. Those who get student loans from the UK and don't pay it back, like so many, are not the type needed or from the article below.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/12/university-students-staff-admonished-unhygienic-toilet-habits/

 

 

It is getting better if you are happy to see your country taken over within, being ruled by the EU (Germany) and the identities of Countries in Europe eroded, in a so called super state of the EU. It's sad.

 

I always was pessimistic of the EU referendum and Brexit actually taking place. The EU and elite are happy to let the UK carry on dividing itself and playing the 'integration card at all costs', as the only way forward. Ironic as here in Thailand Immigration is the opposite and we know we are aliens and have to prove our worth, to stay here.

Well yes, students who can not use a WC properly should be kicked out immediately.

 

Didn't know foreign students could get U.K. Student loans!