Many of my middle aged and older readers who watched Wimbledon during the time that Jimmy Connors was one of it’s stars who when the ball landed and he and the referee disagreed with where it had landed would often loudly exclaim, “You cannot be serious!” repeatedly.
That the Rt. Hon. Angela Rayner the Labour and Co-operative Member for Ashton-under-Lyne, former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government seeks the top job in these present troubled times is predictable, not surprising but at the same time puzzling to one (Moi) who, first and foremost, is always looking out for his own interests!
You see, I would have thought that most politicians in the established parties would have realised that “Two Tier Keir” is in possession of a poison chalice!
The UK appears to be looking forward to “difficult times” in the immediate future. “Two Tier Keir” leads a party with an enormous majority. By law, the next United Kingdom general election has not got to be held until 15 August 2029. Since this is a Wednesday, the actual date will be Thursday 9 August 2029.
Ms Rayner should be taking advantage of her position on Labour’s back benches, for she is now free from the direct responsibilities that will befall the unfortunates on Labour’s front bench as the terrible trio that is Tempestuous Trump, Vainglorious Vance and Recidivist Rubio trample down all previous diplomatic norms and conventions.
This troublesome trio will have a meeting with the voters on 3 November.
Today, the Democrats have 45 Senators, the Republicans have 53. There are 2 independent Senators. For the Democrats, 13 seats are to be contested. For the Republicans 22 seats are to be contested. It is therefore theoretically possible that if all the Democrats hold all 13 of their seats and the Republicans loose all 22 of their seats the Senate will see the Democrats with 67 seats and the Republicans with 31 seats. The two independent Senators will then become extremely influential. This because although the Democrats would have enough votes (on their own) to remove the President and Vice President to have one or two of the independents would enhance this.
It must be stressed that at present based on the polls such a landslide victory for the Democrats is unlikely; but as Trump deteriorates and Gulf War 3.0 could become very serious indeed, such a landslide cannot be ruled out.
Were the President and the Vice President both impeached and removed from office the President would be the Speaker of the House [of Representatives]. Assuming voting conditions that would see a landslide in the Senate, one can assume a similar landslide in the House – where all 435 seats are to be contested.
Given that the Republicans did obtain a majority of the popular vote in November 2024, there might be an agreement to elect a Republican member as Speaker to allow them to become President following a double impeachment.
From a Western Allies viewpoint the above would be the best outcome. However, the level of political turmoil with the US political scene would be “off the charts”!
We can but hope.
In the meantime, my advice to Ms Rayner is this: Remain a back bencher Dear Lady!
In the meantime; everybody has to endure the obnoxious spectacle that is “le théâtre de l’absurde”, the latest victim being Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin who had to take the adjacent armchair to Tempestuous Trump in the Oval Office (that now resembles an ante room in a 19th Century Parisian bawdy house) broadcast for all the World (at least, those who cared to watch it) to see.