Best Of

Our distaste, bordering on contempt, for Donald Trump is a remarkably unifying factor across our political spectrum. Surely an organised two minute hate would be appropriate and bring together society's disparate factions?

I find it hard to understand why so many Trump supporters on the UK right - such as Jenrick - now criticise him when it was absolutely clear what he was going to do on Ukraine and tariffs well before November. Were they being opportunistic then or is it now?

We have friends in California who are (or were) Trump voters. He voted Trump because (a) concerns about illegal immigration / crime, and (b) because he thought Trump (as a businessman() would manage the economy better than Harris.

Said friend has a clothing business: he basically supplies big chains with own label clothing that bears a remarkable physical resemblance to that made by more expensive brands.

Before the election, he saw the way the wind was blowing and moved a lot of production out of China, and into Mexico. He's been absolutely poll-axed by the Mexican tariffs: he's genuinely worried he is going to lose his business because his contracts are in the US and his cost of importation just rose 25%, and his customers don't care.

He's still clinging on to the hope that this will all blow over, but he's in wide eyed shock right now that things have gone the way they've gone.

Please find me the smallest violin . Sorry if this sounds a bit flippant and you said they’re friends of yours but I have zero sympathy for anyone who voted for Trump and if they get screwed now I could care less.

He's a human being.

I didn't agree with his vote, but he's just another human being.

He's a tosser. We are all paying a price because of him and tossers like him. Some are paying with their lives.

Why should we care about him?

Food Standards Authority failed to act (what a shock !!) against non stun halal slaughterhouse where animals were subjected to cruelty and abuse before being despatched.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/slaughterhouse-abattoir-sheep-meat-halal-warwickshire-b2705241.html

Mm. I've mentioned this before, but I'm greatly troubled by the creeping normalisation of halal.

There are many former religious practices that have been outlawed. Not sure why the same can’t happen again.

Dare you to have a bash at banning infant circumcision. You'd need a century of campaigning.

How many people would have any skin in the game?

I'll get my coat.

I once had a job as a circumcisors assistant. The guy that held the scissors and mopped the circumcisors brow, basic stuff really.

I did it before I went into engineering. Interesting job. Basic pay was poor but he gave me half the tips.

In fact, I cannot remember the last time I met an actual right wing lawyer. As in: a full-on Brexity Tory gin-swilling hang-em-high justice of the peace

I wonder if they even exist any more

On the other hand, I have met many many many left wing lawyers and judges, some very left, nearly always Remainery

There are a whole host of reasons why the poor black man ends up in prison and the rich white women doesn’t.

Poor people are much more likely to go to prison, whatever their colour. Their propensity to steal, for example, is driven by their situation and lack of options.

They are less likely to be in employment so less able to pay compensation.

They are more likely to live in criminal environs making recidivism more likely.

They are less likely to have a secure address or a stable family relationship.

They are likely to be less well represented.

They are more likely to have a problematic relationship with drugs and alcohol, not least because their life is shit.

I could go on but if the courts are going to find ways of not sending a disproportionate number of poor black men to prison they need to think outside the box a bit more and a pre-sentencing report can help with that.

These guidelines are based on real evidence and real experiences of those at the sharp end. Having given it some thought I back them and regret that Labour ran away because they thought it looked “woke”.

And a bleeding heart liberal I ain’t.

Andrew Neil not mincing his words on the US administration

https://x.com/afneil/status/1897683496753066033?s=61

Elon Musk proving himself to be a massive bellend and enemy of Ukraine.

***SHOCKED***

But he's also completely wrong, unless of course the US helps Russia stuff the ballot boxes in Ukraine to oust Zelenskyy, which I guess isn't beyond the realms of possibility now, in fact it's verging on probable.

Why should another state force an election on a different sovereign state, out of a wartime victor scenario?

Musk has been very pi**ed off with Starmer, and encouraged the petition calling for another UK election. If Trump said he was going to enact tough sanctions against the UK unless we held elections to get rid of Starmer, would you approve?

Zelenskyy is the elected president of Ukraine, and Ukrainian law says there should be no elections during war - for obvious reasons.