Thought I'd start a new thread as this is going to be a major talking point this year...have not made up my mind yet...(unlike bucksfizz)....but thinking of voting for an exit as Europe is not doing Britain any good at all it seems....

What's his opinion on gay rights, same-sex marriage, tuition fees, fox hunting and smoking in public places, Doc?

I'd need to take a look on t'Internet to find out, Hils.

Importantly, whatever they are, they are his own views. I'm quite happy knowing that he has no wish to force them on to me.

He believes in 'nannies' too but he doesn't believe in us having a 'nanny government'. He believes very strongly in freedom of choice.

I cannot see what on earth can be wrong with any of that.

I find his clarity of communication and his explanations on his views to be utterly fascinating.

Hils, do please tell me what you have against him.

I haven't looked to confirm this but, being a man with strong religious principles, I would guess he holds marriage to be a sacramental relationship between a heterosexual couple and God and primarily to involve the creation of children under Christian family circumstances.

As such, this is why he cannot believe a gay marriage has true religious sacramental values.

But importantly, he has no wish to force his views on this on others.

I seem to remember, that when I read what they were, I thought his views on tuition fees to be utterly fantastic. Accordingly, I'll check them out accurately again and come back to you with what they are. I gave you a link up the page a few posts ago. It was a talk of his to University students. In it he clearly explains his views on lots of things including tuition fees and who should pay for them. They are totally un-knockable, IMHO.

I remember you said you didn't want to waste any of your time watching it. I think, that if you were to watch it, you'd actually become a convert. :-)

In March last year Jacob Rees-Mogg stood alone in being the only MP to vote not to work closer with Greece and Italy to support the reunification of unaccompanied refugee children with their families. He really was the only one to say no to the proposal.

I find this a bit strange because it does seem to contradict Christian/altruistic/family values. I'd like to do some research on why he holds and substantiates this view.

Here's most of his voting record:

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday (not sure which Wednesday), Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg spoke about his opposition to abortion under all circumstances, including cases where a woman has been raped or incest has been committed.

Rees-Mogg pointed out that the right to abortion is in UK law and 'that law is not going to change'.

The west country MP has been touted as possible successor to Prime Minister Theresa May, both as leader of the Tory party and the country.

This idea, which gained traction over the summer when Parliament was in recess, is now suffering under the scrutiny of people finding out who Jacob Rees-Mogg is - beyond these memes about his being a 'loveable eccentric'.

Rees-Mogg has been an MP since 2010, and in that time has voted on a number of social issues.

Decriminalising abortion
13 March 2017: The government sought to decriminalise abortion and make changes to access to termination of pregnancies by medical practitioners.
Ress-Mogg voted against.

Reuniting unaccompanied refugee children with their families
1 March 2017: The government bill called for working with Greece and Italy to reunite unaccompanied refugee children with their families, and also for local authorities in the UK to monitor their own capacity to support unaccompanied refugee children.
Rees-Mogg voted against.

Repealing the Human Rights Act
26 May 2016: During the Queen's Speech debate in May 2016, the last to be held under David Cameron's premiership, MPs voted on repealing the Human Rights Act 1998, which allowed UK citizens to have their human rights defended in UK courts.
Rees-Mogg voted to repeal. He also supported a similar repeal bill in 2012.

Spending at least 0.7 per cent of national income each year on international aid
5 December 2014: Third reading of the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill. According to Public Whip The UK's Gross National Income was $2.521 trillion USD in 2013, 0.7% of which equals 17 billion dollars or around 10 billion pounds.
Rees-Mogg voted against.

Same-sex marriage
21 May 2013: David Cameron's same-sex marriage bill, which became law, allowed same-sex couples to marry, whereas previously they had only been allowed to enter into 'civil partnerships' since 2004.
Rees-Mogg voted no.

He also voted no on votes to extend divorce rights to same-sex couples, and to extend the right to gay marriage to armed forces personnel serving overseas.

Abolishing public subsidies for electricity generating wind farms
6 March 2015: A bill to abolish public money going to set up new wind farms was presented by the backbench MP Peter Bone.
Rees-Mogg voted in favour.

Mass surveillance and the bulk interception of communications
7 June 2015: The government's latest Investigatory Powers Bill gave authorities the power to engage in equipment interference, the retention and examination of bulk personal datasets subject to some safeguards.
Public Whip summed up the bill:
Provisions supported by the majority of MPs could allow the mass interception of people's communications as well as the retention and use by the state of datasets which could include personal banking, travel, and health data.
Rees-Mogg voted in favour.
Mr Rees-Mogg spoke to indy100 shortly after publication to clarify why he voted in favour of the Investigatory Powers Bill - arguing that "most votes are whipped votes" and recommending that the people treat the They Work For You website with caution.
"The key thing is, most votes are whipped votes," explained Mr Rees-Mogg, "and I've voted with the government since 2010."
I wouldn't read into that that I'm in favour of mass surveillance.
He explained that the bill was "so widely supported, there was not a reason to vote against it," adding "the Labour party weren't going to oppose it."
But, just because he voted in favour does not mean that he takes the matter of mass surveillance lightly.
Freedom from unnecessary surveillance is an important constitutional protection - when we face a terrorist threat - it's easy to throw the baby out with the bath water.
The government in their nature ask for more powers, and we must be exceedingly careful to treat those laws with the greatest of caution.
Speaking on They Work for You, Mr Rees-Mogg told indy100 that the press and public should treat the site with caution, adding that certain aspects or votes can on occasion be misleading and certain "nuances can be missed".

A poll published by YouGov on Wednesday found that more than half responded 'don't know' when asked if they hold a favourable opinion of Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The same was true of 44 per cent of Conservative voters.
For context, only 12 per cent of voters held no opinion either way regarding Theresa May, and only 14 per cent about Boris Johnson.
On the subject of the increased scrutiny from the public and the press following his Good Morning Britain interview on Wednesday, Mr Rees-Mogg told indy100 that people are "completely entitled to ask my views - that's what democracy is about."

"It's important to bear in mind that there are views that may affect legislation, and views that do not."

"I believe in scrutiny and strongly in the free press - I was one of 13 to vote against some of the Leveson stuff - against 530 who wanted to clamp down and muzzle the free press."

"If you enter into political life, you are of course going to be placed under scrutiny."

Doc,

Moggy is perfectly entitled to his views, and I don't have any issue with him personally. That said, I am a bit confused that he's quite happy for parents to harm their childrens' health through smoking in cars, when he also believes those same children have had a right to live a healthy life since before they were born.

Where I have an issue, however, is that, if he were to go on and lead the Conservative party, those views from a bygone age would cost the party votes. When the public vote at elections, they don't always vote for what their local candidate is going to do for the community in terms of representing the community's needs in parliament. Many people vote for the party at large for their policies, and the party leader acts as a mouthpiece for those policies. A party leader with strange personal beliefs can easily confuse people into thinking that the whole party stands for those beliefs.

So, do you think that the gay community are more or less likely to vote Conservative with Moggy at the helm? And ditto those who don't like cruelty to animals? And ditto those with teenage children about to go to university? And ditto those who have lost relatives through smoking related diseases?

If you note, Blair and Cameron both got elected by aligning their parties with the centre ground, and by trying to sell themselves as normal folks. The public rejected the likes of Kinnock, Brown and Milliband as nutjobs. What do you think they'd do with Moggy?

They'd probably vote for Corbyn or whoever happens to be leader of the Libdems at the time. They clearly have control of the centre ground. Just as long as they can manage to lower the voting age to 15.

I do take your points, Hils, and which are very good ones. But they don't necessarily lead to the conclusions you make.

eg. Better not make any movies with sophisticated plots then, eh? Because nobody is ever going to be able to understand them. That is so 'not so'.

If you regard JRM's personal views in a way which makes him a quite 'quirky' kind of a guy, then you begin to find out from what he has to say, that what he does have and in spades, is a very charismatic and likeable personality. He is also very brave and strong in his personal beliefs and that's what we want our political leaders to have. Most people will allow him the pleasure to have whatever personal beliefs he wants - so long as he doesn't want to ram them down the throats of others. He is a political giant par excellence, too.

The biggest question to ask, is, "Does he have the brain power, oratory skill and political strength to lead the government?"

A growing section of the whole political and domestic community are definitely being won over as fans, and in droves, and they would reply to that question with a resounding, "Yes."

He is a very, very 'with it' guy. And he relishes political debate and usually wins you, the observer, over with his simple take on things.

With his usual political skill and charismatic wit, here he is hosting a spot on LBC radio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpnt-Qu1fns

"We shall have to take our business elsewhere."

Notice the jacket is NOT double breasted.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/20/tory-mps-sign-letter-to-theresa-may-outlining-hard-brexit-goals

Hang them all!

TM must feel like a fly-half after a scrum has collapsed on her.

A bit like the UK will feel after 27 other members falling on it with the well quoted "NO".

Corbyn's getting tetchy, threatening the media now or rather some of them

Theresa May accused of 'Brexit betrayal' as she asks EU to consider longer transition period



By James Crisp, Brussels correspondent
21 February 2018 • 1:05pm




Theresa May was accused of "Brexit betrayal" by Ukip on Wendnesday after she asked the European Union to consider a longer transition period.

EU freedom of movement and the supremacy of European judges over British courts could drag on even longer after Brexit, following the UK's request.

But Gerard Batten, a Ukip MEP and the party's interim leader, said: “This is Brexit betrayal at its contemptible worst. It’s time for May to go and for a genuine Brexiteer to step up for role of Prime Minister.

"I’ve warned that closet Remainers such as May will delay and impede Brexit in the hope of later overturning the democratic wishes of the people later. This is barefaced treachery and cannot be allowed...


More is you sign up: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/02/21/theresa-may-accused-brexit-betrayal-asks-eu-make-transition/

More chance of UK adopting the Euro than leaving EU with the current bunch in tow.

They should have put that letter on the internet before they sent it then another 17 million plus would have signed it.

What's Corby Grizzlies about now George ?

He likes the concept of a free press, Dil, so long as The Currant Bun only say nice things about him and don't call for him to be executed for treason. He sent four papers a nice video of himself, in which he said something like 'Come the Day of the Revolution...'

:o)

Lol , so come the day of the revolution everything else is going to be free according to the loony except the press.

That guy is comedy gold.

Dil, in addition to the Currant Bun he also sent the video along with his threats to The Mail; Telegraph and The Express