[bluebellnutter]

[KevS]

Let me get this straight.

NIC increase for self employed. Not good. Sun and Mail throw strop. Increase scrapped within a week.

Disability benefits cut to the bone over last few years. Not good. Thousands protest and March on Parliament. Sun and Mail not interested, cuts still going through.

I must find out what the immigration policies of an independent Scotland are....

[The Rationalist]

Government for the tabloids by the tabloids.

Piss Poor

[KevS]

I expect both the Sun and Mail to be crowing tomorrow that the change was all down to their pressure.

And the most galling thing is, for once, they're probably right.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Hammond - used to be referred to as the brains of the Tory party...

Shows how shallow their gene pool is.

[youngian]

The NI pledge was put in the Tory manifesto by Osborne to wrong foot Labour. Now they've Corbyned themselves.

[AOB]

Let me get this straight.

NIC increase for self employed. Not good. Sun and Mail throw strop. Increase scrapped within a week.

Disability benefits cut to the bone over last few years. Not good. Thousands protest and March on Parliament. Sun and Mail not interested, cuts still going through.

I must find out what the immigration policies of an independent Scotland are....

+1

Shows how weak the Government have made themselves look, although they would spin that and say they are listening to the people and also that they "don't want to break a manifesto pledge" (yeah like Tory Governments have NEVER done that). 4m self-employed people affected warrants outrage from the tabloids whereas 15m+ Remainers are "Remoaners" whose concerns aren't worth a tuppence.

[Kreuzberger]

Let's just pause for a moment. David Davis admitted yesterday to the Brexit select committee that the Government has undertaken no economic assessment of the UK crashing out of EU without a deal.

Two hours later and we have NI and Hammond. Look over there!

[Tubby Isaacs]

He got away with it anyway. Not enough people think you should do analysis of what the people decided in their wisdom.

It's easier than admitting it exists and having a fuss over FOIA.

[youngian]

Let's just pause for a moment. David Davis admitted yesterday to the Brexit select committee that the Government has undertaken no economic assessment of the UK crashing out of EU without a deal.

Two hours later and we have NI and Hammond. Look over there!

I strongly suspect that too. I watched Davis's performance and the rest was, even more, gob smackingly clueless (I'm not saying that for effect to strengthen my prejudices it was really dire). Davis also said there wouldn't be immigration cuts if it damaged the economy. And a similar niggle is that Benn was very forensic and had Davis bang to rights as knowing fuck all but has not milked it. Its as if is happy to open the door and send Davis on his way without a clue. I do hope so.

[youngian]

As someone pointed out on Twitter Hammond couldn't even fight the Daily Mail on National Insurance. I suppose he's a poor man's Keir Starmer trying to appear like the sanest person in the asylum.

Brexit: Phillip Hammond says he will fight an EU swoop on City of London trade

The Chancellor has opened up a new front in the Brexit war with Brussels by warning Britain will fight a swoop on a lucrative trade in the City of London.

Philip Hammond claimed a plan to curb London’s dominance in clearing euro-denominated transactions risked economic growth and stability across the entire continent.

“London is the world’s number one financial centre with high standards of financial supervision, including longstanding cooperation with EU institutions,” he said.

“This benefits the entire continent. We trust everyone in the negotiations will see the value in not undermining that.”

The EU’s proposals – in documents seen by The Independent yesterday – are widely seen as an attempt to force UK clearing houses to move across the Channel or submit to regulation from Brussels.

If successfully, they would deal a sharp blow to the City’s status as a global financial hub, as Brexit gets underway. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 18226.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bluebellnutter]

I think he's a half-decent politician, just out of his depth and having to fight off a shitstorm all at the same time.

[bluebellnutter]

May basically throwing Hammond under a bus in her press conference. Twice she's been asked if he'll stay on after the election as Chancellor, twice she's refused to confirm it. Which is made many magnitudes more awkward by the fact it's a joint press conference with the two of them.

[youngian]

If Hammond is getting the boot I don't see May planning to use her increased majority for a soft Brexit. Who will be there to speak truth onto power?

[bluebellnutter]

Nobody. And that's been the plan all along.