Forum Topic

visa scheme proposal

I propose a new scheme.Any competent foreign politicians would be given work visa, no questions asked. They have to agree to run the country, though. They'll be kicked back out if they don't do a better job than now, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Simon Pedley ● 1854d18 Comments

I believe Angela Merkel may have time on her hands soon; or perhaps we should wait and see how she manages the transition before we offer her a visa. Who else could we invite ? Barack Obama possibly, but not either of his successors. Nicholas Sarkozy (at least his better half would help our fashion industry) ? SuperKiwiSocialisticExtraNiceJacinda seems to have messed up the vaccination programme. Margaret Sinclair's son comes with Blackface baggage. Viktor Orban ? I don't think so. Likewise Silvio Berlusconi. A shortlist of competent foreign politicians could be VERY short !

Richard Greenhough ● 1854d

Anyone is better than our current incumbent, a proven liar, charlatan, homophobe, , racist, misogynist. In no particular order.

Stewart Jones ● 1854d

Definitely a dishonest man and a scoundrel and bounder. Not sure about the rest.

Simon Temple ● 1854d

Either Merkel or Obama would be awesome. Not sure how we'd persuade them though.

Simon Pedley ● 1853d

“…no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So far as I am concerned, they are lower than vermin.”Aneurin (Nye) Bevan, 1948Perhaps Angela Rayner should channel this to her critics about calling Johnson 'scum'? To be fair that was really polite when considering what he gets called in our house.

Vanessa Smith ● 1853d

Liar and charlatan he certainly is but Stewart Jones and others should be cautious about calling him a racist and a homophobe. Accusing people of being these things should be a very serious matter and the effect is diminished if they are used to describe people at the slightest pretext.Without a doubt Johnson said things that were racist and homophobic in the past but he labours under the misapprehension that his juvenile sense of humour passes for wit. He was trying to entertain not insult people. He  does not discriminate on the basis of race or sexual orientation, he holds all people equally in contempt who didn't go to the right school or aren't prepared to give him money.

Francis Rowe ● 1853d

I thought Sarkozy is in jail?  Anyway, I suspect all of them would give the same response that apparently overseas HGV drivers are to the inviation to come here for three months.

Claire Moran ● 1853d

I would imagine you'd get a (marginally) more diplomatic response than this:“Why would you want to go to Britain, jump all these hoops, face all this hostile environment, if you could go to Ireland or Holland and earn more, be respected, drive on nicer motorways with nice truck stops, and be a free European citizen not a second-class citizen?”Tomasz Oryński, a Polish truck driver and journalist quoted in the FT today.

Huw Burford-Taylor ● 1853d

I wonder why Northern Ireland is the one part of the UK where there are no queues at petrol stations?

Francis Rowe ● 1853d

Good point Francis

Simon Temple ● 1853d

No CO2 shortages there either. Riddle me that one.

Huw Burford-Taylor ● 1853d

They're too busy killing each other.

Simon Temple ● 1853d

Fair comment. But he has never apologised for his comments.

Stewart Jones ● 1853d

Nor will he, it's all grist to the mill for the Tory base, the never ending culture war. And I see that Labour are pandering to their base by kicking off a class war (again) this afternoon. Both seem determined to pander to the worst instincts of their core support rather than attempting to reach out to the floating voter. What a time to be alive.

Huw Burford-Taylor ● 1853d

It's no good trying to start an amusing political thread here, Simon - all the po-faced Boris-bashers feel a need to jump in and spread their bile. Shame really - I thought your original idea had plenty of comic potential.

Richard Greenhough ● 1851d

"I thought Sarkozy is in jail?"Nope - according to the BBC :"Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to a year in prison for illegally funding his unsuccessful 2012 re-election campaign.The 66-year-old was found guilty in a Paris court of spending tens of millions of euros more on his campaign than was permitted under the law.He will not be jailed, however, and can serve his sentence at home with an electronic bracelet, the court ruled.Mr Sarkozy denies any wrongdoing and is expected to appeal against the ruling.It is his second one-year prison term. In March, he became the first former president of France to receive a custodial sentence - for corruption and influence peddling - but remains free pending an appeal of that sentence."

Richard Greenhough ● 1851d

That is like excusing a drunk from insulting your wife simply because they were drunk!  Sorry, there are no excuses for Boris’s behaviour with the mitigation of ‘wit’.

Steve Taylor ● 1851d

I'll take it that the comment was meant as a jest but just in case you believe it there were 19 murders in Northern Ireland last year compared to 126 in London. The latter figure may double this year due to people being killed for jumping the queue at petrol stations.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1850d