Best Of

It's like they WANT a civil war


"New guidelines released by the Sentencing Council today would make prison sentences less likely for ethnic and religious minorities.

Two-tier justice isn't just a talking point - it's the reality in modern Britain..

This policy is, effectively, already in place, with certain offenders receiving lenient sentences for horrific crimes while others receive strict sentences for speech violations...."

Details in the tweet


https://x.com/sam_bidwell/status/1897299597610938846

Jenrick is on this, vehemently and loudly, but where is Badenoch? She is useless

It really is deeply shocking.

Authorities must *explain* why they want to put an ethnic minority person in gaol.

It's not shocking, it's a social media dog whistle.

It's a guy Sam Bidwell from the Adam Smith Institute quoting a tweet from Jenrick, which includes himself making a point in the Commons.

Both the tweet and the video clip of Bobby G, including the allegation of "two tier justice" are full of quite a lot of garbage afaics - such as Jenrick featuring himself asking his finger-jabby question with a very questionable allegation about Sentencing Guidelines, and not featuring the verbal answer given by the Minister.

The research quoted in the consultation on the proposal does not afaics support the claim.

Sam Bidwell's tweet compares Muslim defendants to a case of a woman posting on facebook and calls the sentences "similar".

He quotes the Muslim defendants as receiving 32 months each, and says "Julie Sweeney, 53, from Cheshire, received a similar sentence last year for an inflammatory Facebook post. "

Her crime was not "posting on Facebook"; she published a call for a Mosque to be burnt down with the people inside it, in the midst of a period of street rioting.

Actually her sentence was 15 months, so she would be out in 7 or 8 months. That's hardly "similar".
https://www.cheshire.police.uk/news/cheshire/news/articles/2024/8/woman-jailed-for-hate-related-communications/

Leon is an intelligent man; I don't know why he snuffles up this horse shit.

https://x.com/trump_repost/status/1897348645588230246

Justin Trudeau, of Canada, called me to ask what could be done about Tariffs. I told him that many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico, and nothing has convinced me that it has stopped. He said that it's gotten better, but I said, "That's not good enough." The call ended in a "somewhat" friendly manner! He was unable to tell me when the Canadian Election is taking place, which made me curious, like, what's going on here? I then realized he is trying to use this issue to stay in power. Good luck Justin!

https://x.com/trump_repost/status/1897349263430168706

For anyone who is interested, I also told Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada that he largely caused the problems we have with them because of his Weak Border Policies, which allowed tremendous amounts of Fentanyl, and Illegal Aliens, to pour into the United States. These Policies are responsible for the death of many people!

I wonder if he is displaying standard american confusion at the idea a GE date is not fixed (other than a maximum end period for the parliament), or if the implication skullduggery is going on was done despite knowing why a clear date was not given.

Ignorance or maliciousness?

I'm curious as to how long this is going to go on. When will the penny drop that he gives zero fucks and he's toying with everyone?

Ignore him. No calls, no visits, no mentions - and no TV ratings. Put together a seperate set of deals and guarantees.

This is very much my view: I don't think there's any benefit from engaging with the US adminstration beyond the absolute minimum.

Nations are too afraid of immediate punitive reaction, I don't think many will risk just ignoring him as much as possible.

Trump knows being a loud bully usually works, it's a life lesson we are all typically aware of (though we sometimes pretend otherwise otherwise) it just doesn't usually apply to national level where diplomatic language soothes things over.

We are utterly dependent on this guy for our military right now. So we need to smile and tell him how great he is while we de-integrate our military from the US as fast as possible. I hope to God we never put the UK in this situation again.

“de-integrate our military from the US as fast as possible”.

Question is, how quick is fast as possible? considering it’s vital intelligence you don’t want to throw out with the bathwater, shared interlocking technology on long term contracts, and UK nuclear deterrent.

Perhaps a smarter post than yours suggests diplomatically steering it for 4 years, where it’s a very different US administration, perhaps never again one as disruptive as this?

I'm sorry, but it is not about this guy. Leaders change, alliances change and interests change. we must never be in a position where our military is so heavily reliant on another nation. As for how long it takes yeah many years sadly, we we still need to start today.

I completely agree. The post war consensus on international matters between the main parties has completely disintegrated. Even when Trump is just a (very) bad memory we cannot rule out that the loons in charge of the GOP party may not seize control again and the roller coaster starts again. We cannot rely on a country that voted for Trump. It is really that simple I am afraid.

.

...

Jenrick has played a blinder

Questions are coming from all sides:

"I don’t quite understand how Shabana Mahmood can simultaneously claim the Sentencing Council is independent but then pledge there will be no two-tier sentencing on her watch. Has this happened on her watch or hasn’t it."


https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1897352446596542844

As Starmer has floundered, Jenrick has had a very good war too.

Shame Jenrick is such a repulsive barsteward.

Starmer has played a weak hand weakly.

Not sure anyone of any other party would have been any better.

Maybe Boris could have made us feel that we were consequential.

Yes, Starmer has been an unmitigated disaster. But Johnson? It speaks volumes that Johnson hasn't, as far as I am aware, given his .unequivocal support to Ukraine and castigated Trump since it all kicked off last week.

Come off it. Just take a look at his twitter feed. Full of things about supporting Ukraine.

In the last week? Perhaps you could help me out. If you can I will apologise unreservedly to you.

Yes, he commented after the White House meeting. I’m not sure what you are trying to insinuate, that he has now become a Putin backer or something?

Some people, once they have chosen a baddie, will not allow that that person might have views they agree on about anything at all.

Toppers said in the light of Starmer's abject diplomatic failure Johnson should be given a ride out. I am just saying he would be worse, and I referenced that by his inability to condemn Trump.

It's simply nonsense. Starmer has had a suffuciently goid week for his party's polling to be approving, and to be attracting praise from Tories, and Johnson is the last person to either bring Europe and America together, or lead Europe, as a person with a very low prestige in Europe.

Starmer has been poor. It's not entirely his doing. Managing Trump and Vance has been like herding cats. His simpering hand-wringing performance on Thursday could have gone worse. Indeed by the following day it had.

Many of us are disappointed he can't bring himself to say Trump and Vance are a pair of ****s, and Trump can shove the invite from the King up his diapered ar**. To be fair that is exactly what Jenrick and today Kemi have said. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult for Johnson to declare the same.

But that seems to achieve nothing with Trump.

We would probably be looking at the same 25% tariffs as the E.U, and no input into the Zelensky-Trump relationship that he is having.

I was hearing today we are likely to get the tariffs anyway. Vance hates Starmer and Britain. Musk despises Starmer. Starmer is whoring the nation for nothing.

As has been remarked elsewhere, that's a hostage that can only be shot once.

It's pretty clear that Starmer has been buttering up Trump for economic as much as for security reasons.
If that's another rug that gets pulled, then there's absolutely no point in pretending to like the mad narcissist any longer.

The US might be uniquely powerful in the west, but Trump is burning every bridge with those who were its allies.
That has consequences, and would give us a freedom of action we're not now exercising.

It wouldn't be pleasant, but we might not be left with a choice in the matter.

I think we are past that point aleady. Jenrick realised that a couple of days ago, and the penny dropped for Kemi at lunchtime (well not hers of course- she doesn't do lunch) today.

Then what’s our PM doing ?

The PM is playing the worst hand dealt to a PM since 1940 very well. He, along with others, all holding probably losing hands, are attempting three things (and some more but this will do):

Buying as much time as possible, willing to get along with USA but prepared for the worst - which looks certain.

Under the cover of Trump's instruction to Europe to rearm, they are doing exactly that - this both flatters Trump and gives cover for creating structures which are distanced from him, including renewed nuclear ones.

Doing their best for Ukraine, with the hope they can get a deal which will be awful but defer and delay further attacks from Russia in Europe.

All I can add is that Macron and Starmer in particular should have our united support. They are trying.

Good speech from Macron and not pulling any punches

Demands all countries address their defence spending and that Europe [with UK] accepts the peace dividend is over and Europe has to stand with Ukraine

He went on to say that across the political divide and all parts of government, thinking has to urgently change to address the new order and many departments of government will have to change and redirect their efforts to the defence of their county and Europe

He certainly seems to have given up on the US and clearly many extra billions will have to be found to create a force capable of standing up to Russia without US assistance

There is no way to return to the pre Trump Era, and ultimately, maybe in a decade or so, Russia may face a far superior military that will contain its warmongering but in the meantime ???

Let's all hope so anyway

If the US has stopped intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but is obliged to share intelligence with Britain under five eyes, can we share with Ukraine (informally) as a kind of middleman? There must be a few moral people left in the CIA.

No, that was already ruled out yesterday by the United States.

Washington BANS Britain from sharing any US military intelligence with Ukraine
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14461597/Washington-BANS-Britain-sharing-US-military-intelligence-Ukraine.html

We should call their bluff and share any intelligence we like with the Ukrainians. If the US don't like it they can leave Five Eyes. Indeed the King's Government should stop sharing any intelligence with the country that is threatening one of the King's realms.

If the US has stopped intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but is obliged to share intelligence with Britain under five eyes, can we share with Ukraine (informally) as a kind of middleman? There must be a few moral people left in the CIA.

No, that was already ruled out yesterday by the United States.

Washington BANS Britain from sharing any US military intelligence with Ukraine
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14461597/Washington-BANS-Britain-sharing-US-military-intelligence-Ukraine.html

We should just leak it anyway, since our intelligence is being leaked to Moscow.

There is nothing to gain by trying to appease a hostile government, which is unappeasable.

Very good analysis segment of TRIP on JD Vance's contempt for British and French soldiers who served alongside USA forces, and the blowback. I hadn't realised that the total numbers rotating in and out of Afghanistan were 100k+ in toto. His "I didn't mean them" is a bit tricky when 52 countries served in Iraq in the noughties, including 1600 from Ukr. Deep link.

https://youtu.be/7GQZqPo_Ke4?t=725

Centrist Dads' supply perspicacious analysis, and context, as ever. JDV's real problem is that he does not look beyond the echo chamber in his own head.

Useful idiots for Trump continue to reverse ferret, except afaics for Nonny-Nonny-Nigel. And I bet the Leeanderthal Man too, but I haven't checked.

Feeble centrist dad likes feeble centrist dad content. Startling

Your Trump projection is a bit of a giveaway though. The only enemies inside our democracy are those that express such contempt for our democracy,

However I think we are already seeing the first breath of a storm that within the year could see the US bond and equity markets come crashing down, and quite possibly the USD as a reserve currency with it.

The level of failure will be so extraordinary that the US may well be unrecognisable, and the name Trump will be down with Quisling, Mussolini or Goebbels in the annals of crime.

So choose wisely: after this anyone who expressed approval for Trump in the way that you have done will either have to account for that mistake or be derided and shunned.

Ironically this kind of wishcasting about America collapsing in a similar way to Russia in the 1990s is a staple of Kremlin propaganda.

America isn't collapsing: it's changing. The West is collapsing. Starmer is trying to build a bridge across a chasm that is getting wider.

I agree the chasm is getting wider.

There's always been a disconnect, though. The US is more religious society than Europe, and it has a legacy of slavery that Europe lacks.

Nevertheless, it is hard to see what -in the abstract- the US gets from abandoning Europe, and cosying up to Russia.

Russia is a middle income country, with terrible demographics, that is dependent on the sale of fossil fuels at a time when fossil fuels share of the energy mix is only going in one direction.

It's never going to be a big market for American exports. It's *possible* that American mining companies get contracts in Russia... But it's hard to see how that could make more than chump change for the US.

By contrast, trashing the US brand name in Europe has the potential to do long-term damage to American exports.

I think you are looking at this in the wrong way. This isn't about what the USA gets, it is about what Trump and his cabal get. They don't care about the medium to long term effect on the USA. All they care about is their own self serving agenda.