# The UK Prime Minister thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 9, 2017, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503 "2017-06-09T10:19:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/81 "2017-06-12T13:38:51Z")
> [@MarcusF](#): > > … > it’s because the Queen’s Speech has to be written on goat’s skin parchment > … > [@Gyrate](#): > > We could offer to lend her our goat… I don’t think “parchment” and “lend” go together. 🙂 I’m reminded of the joke about breakfast: “The chicken has an interest; the pig is _committed_.” ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/82 "2017-06-12T13:47:48Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > In 2001 she just managed to do [both in one day](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1309412/The-Queen-wins-Ascot-handicap.html), and that was with all of the ceremonial stuff taking up time (this year she’s going to Westminster by car and wearing day clothes). She was also a decade and a half younger in 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/83 "2017-06-12T15:06:12Z")
This is your reminder that the Greek word tragedy literally means “goat song”. Although this is a little nearer to farce. Apparently they write the speech after it’s been delivered. Of course they do - this sort of shit is liable to be revised on morning of the speech _especially now_, so you’d wait till it’s been read out and then inscribe it for posterity. As excuses go, this is paper thin. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/84 "2017-06-12T15:10:49Z")
The PM must be skinning her aides hides right now. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/85 "2017-06-12T16:15:59Z")
I think you may have the doer and the doee backwards there **AK**. Yes, her flunkies are getting flayed. Meanwhile the “big beasts”, such as they are in present Tory ranks, are preparing a heaping dish of scapegoat stew. With Mrs. May as the main ingredient. Or so it seems from my great remove. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/86 "2017-06-19T15:44:27Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Yes, her flunkies are getting flayed. Meanwhile the “big beasts”, such as they are in present Tory ranks, are preparing a heaping dish of scapegoat stew. With Mrs. May as the main ingredient. And quite rightly so. The Tories’ election branding was all her, with the party name down in the (relative) small print. This was pointed out in the election thread. Anyway, I learned yesterday that my mother has met one of the main contenders, Boris Johnson. Her evaluation of him was that he is very intelligent indeed, but has absolutely no common sense. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/87 "2017-06-19T15:51:43Z")
Oh, Boris is clearly extremely bright. I can’t speak to his common sense but he certainly is lacking in scruples, even using his peers as a benchmark. It’s not a good combination. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/88 "2017-06-19T22:01:40Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > And quite rightly so. The Tories’ election branding was all her, with the party name down in the (relative) small print. This was pointed out in the election thread. The Tory candidate’s flyer for where I live had a photo of him with Mrs. May. I don’t know why they bother campaigning here. **[South Suffolk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Suffolk_(UK_Parliament_constituency))**, True Blue Through and Through. Although to be fair, the UKIP contender was a barmpot… \*So much for the idea that Ukip only cares about slashing immigration and international aid. Among the Ukip candidates standing in this election are Aidan Powlesland, who has pledged to invest huge sums in the asteroid mining industry if he wins in South Suffolk. His election literature states that Powlesland wants to set aside £100 million for “an interstellar colony ship design” and to award a £1 billion prize to any private company that can mine the asteroid belt by 2026”. \* **[Total Politics](https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/features/introducing-general-elections-most-unconventional-candidates)** Actually that was one of the more reasonable parts of his manifesto… Slashing pensions, capping Welfare, losing rent controls ( he _inter_ _alia_ is a landlord ), repealing planning controls, getting rid of social housing, getting rid of employment regulation, and my very favourite: **for interest rates to rise**. As if in the hallowed halls of the Treasury, they are saying “_Damn it Carruthers: the man’s a genius, why did we never think of raising the Interest Rates ! Let it be so._” A Trump of our own. > [@](#): > > Anyway, I learned yesterday that my mother has met one of the main contenders, Boris Johnson. Her evaluation of him was that he is very intelligent indeed, but has absolutely no common sense. Urk. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/89 "2017-06-20T00:51:21Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > . . . Anyway, I learned yesterday that my mother has met one of the main contenders, Boris Johnson. Her evaluation of him was that he is very intelligent indeed, but has absolutely no common sense. She had to _meet_ him to realise this? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/90 "2017-06-20T08:32:35Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > She had to _meet_ him to realise this? Reports can be biased. There’s nothing like actual first-hand experience. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/91 "2017-06-20T12:43:58Z")
Is his hair as bad in real life as it looks on TV? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/92 "2017-06-20T12:51:49Z")
She didn’t say. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/93 "2017-06-21T12:51:00Z")
A modest Queen’s Speech that still might never become policy: [http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/21/europe/queens-speech-theresa-may/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/21/europe/queens-speech-theresa-may/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/94 "2017-06-21T15:28:10Z")
There will be a debate on the speech and then a vote. The vote is one of confidence. If the vote isn’t passed, then May’s had it. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/95 "2017-06-26T23:58:36Z")
The price of being able to run Parliament? £1B. Now we know. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/96 "2017-06-27T07:45:50Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > The price of being able to run Parliament? £1B. Now we know. Nah, the amount involved is very much open to change. If Labour had to form a minority government they would have to cut similar deals as well. Any major party would and only the names, details and and specific amounts would change. Just imagine what the SNP or Plaid Cymru would extract from Mr. Corbyn as a price for backing a minority government. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/97 "2017-06-27T08:03:58Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > The price of being able to run Parliament? £1B. Now we know. To be fair, Mrs May worked very hard to get that money. It takes a lot of vigorous shaking to get £1 billion out of the Magic Money Tree. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/98 "2017-06-27T08:43:32Z")
This is only the first payment, of course. £1Bn is what it cost to get the DUP to back the Queen’s Speech. There’ll be a budget to pass at some point, which is a de facto confidence vote. Expect to see more goodies for NI in that. Any and all must-win legislation now comes with a price-tag, be it in cash or political favours. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/99 "2017-06-28T16:15:33Z")
Well, Momentum are out campaigning in significant numbers this weekend; in particular in Iain Duncan Smith’s constituency in Chingford. The election can come at literally any time, or not. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503/100 "2017-06-28T16:33:04Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > The price of being able to run Parliament? £1B. Now we know. That’s £1 billion - and significantly more - of public money. Someone said yesterday ts equal to 25, 000 extra nurses for the NHS. tbf, I can’t do the maths. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-prime-minister-thread/788503.md?page=6)