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Anyone hear much today from Kier Starmer, Lisa Nandy et al on the Maccabib Tel Aviv match ? Feels like it’s all gone quiet over there

Turns out the ban on fans wasn't because of rampant anti-Semitism in Birmingham, as anyone with a sliver of knowledge of football could have told you: https://news.sky.com/story/significant-hooliganism-within-maccabi-tel-aviv-fan-base-is-reason-for-aston-villa-match-ban-13465257

A lot of ill-informed hyperventilating on PB a few weeks ago.

I reckon there is a fair bit of anti-semitism in Birmingham though. More than a sliver. And if it hadn't been a place with so many muslims living there, the away fans would have been allowed

From that police statement it looks like they were worried about the Maccabi fans targeting Brummies.

The police are talking shite.

Jews were being threatened by anti-Semites, and the response by the police was to tell the Jews not to come.

I'm not sure the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are entirely innocent victims:

"The evening before the match, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were filmed pulling Palestinian flags from houses, making racist anti-Arab chants such as "death to Arabs", assaulting people, and vandalising local property"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2024_Amsterdam_riots

The British police have never had to deal with football hooligans before?

Funnily enough, there's no problem with Ajax fans coming over here.

Or fans of plenty of other teams with notorious Ultras.

Just the Jews.

Anyone hear much today from Kier Starmer, Lisa Nandy et al on the Maccabib Tel Aviv match ? Feels like it’s all gone quiet over there

Turns out the ban on fans wasn't because of rampant anti-Semitism in Birmingham, as anyone with a sliver of knowledge of football could have told you: https://news.sky.com/story/significant-hooliganism-within-maccabi-tel-aviv-fan-base-is-reason-for-aston-villa-match-ban-13465257

A lot of ill-informed hyperventilating on PB a few weeks ago.

I reckon there is a fair bit of anti-semitism in Birmingham though. More than a sliver. And if it hadn't been a place with so many muslims living there, the away fans would have been allowed

From that police statement it looks like they were worried about the Maccabi fans targeting Brummies.

The police are talking shite.

Jews were being threatened by anti-Semites, and the response by the police was to tell the Jews not to come.

I'm not sure the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are entirely innocent victims:

"The evening before the match, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were filmed pulling Palestinian flags from houses, making racist anti-Arab chants such as "death to Arabs", assaulting people, and vandalising local property"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2024_Amsterdam_riots

I don’t think anyone is claiming that they were. The issue is that lots of clubs have shitty, violent and in some cases racist fans, but only one club has had their fans banned in this way in England. And we ALL know the real reason. It’s classic anti-semitism largely driven by those with skin in the game over Palestine.

I can well see a route to be honest.

Starmer and Reeves remain tremendously unpopular. Their authority is already at Sunakian levels.

A good proportion of the governing party in the commons are careerists - as by election defeats pile up, some may defect to Reform, others to LDs.

A good proportion of the governing party in the commons are dyed in the wool leftists - as cuts to public services pile up, some could defect to Greens and Your Party.

Add in to the mix a weak economy, several budgets for the Treasury to concoct ways to hurt the taxpayer, and our BALLOONING deficit that could result in sovereign debt uneasiness - and perhaps even the need for IMF involvement - and I could see Starmer having to call an election out of inability to pass a budget in 2027.

That BALLOONING deficit in full:

I suspect we end up pretty close to 5% again this financial year. Maybe fiscal tightening will mean it drops a bit next year.

The whole sovereign debt crisis and IMF involvement is pure wishcasting.

Labour's majority is huge. I see no reason for them to do anything but wait until 2029 and govern as they see fit. They may not have another chance for a decade or two, as is tradition.

Reform just want people to remain interested in them and nearly 4 years is a long time to wait.

Another reason to hate Sir Keir

Selling my house and need somewhere to rent. As I earn my living trading on Betfair, I don't really have much of a PAYE salary. Usually I get round it by offering a years rent in advance, but the Renter Rights Act has given this the kibosh, meaning I could be on my Mum & Dad's sofa for Christmas, with my kids living 20 miles away. Super duper

Landlords are turning down a year’s rent up front, from someone selling property in an unfortunate situation getting divorced who clearly doesn’t have financial issues? What’s the regulatory issue at play, that someone is insisting on a salary certificate?

Renter's Act is not in force yet if i have understood. It has Royal Assent but actual stuff is being done in stages.

So the ban of upfront rent, which may be in the Act, I can't recall, may not be actually live yet so @isam will be ok.

Why are they banning upfront rent?

This is supposition, but I suspect that MPs were swayed by stories of constituents borrowing money at usurious rates in order to outbid other renters for rental properties.

It’s pretty obvious that, in a world of severe property shortages, once landlords start taking large deposits it becomes incumbent on renters to acquire those deposits by any means necessary in order to secure somewhere to live. This turns every rental negotiation into a all-vs-all PvP arena where the landlord bestows their property on the last renter standing who then gets to suffer the maximal possible levels of buyers remorse.

If you want to cut off bidding wars that end up with renters worse-off on net & in hock to who knows what entities who they’ve borrowed £ from, then you have to a) ban bidding wars and b) ban large deposits.

Of course, all this is putting sticking plasters on the gaping wound that is the UK housing market that has a good chance of ending up making things worse, not better by reducing rental supply. Be careful what you wish for!

Solve the housing shortage is the only way to fix the housing market.

Anything else is just fiddling while Rome burns.

Another reason to hate Sir Keir

Selling my house and need somewhere to rent. As I earn my living trading on Betfair, I don't really have much of a PAYE salary. Usually I get round it by offering a years rent in advance, but the Renter Rights Act has given this the kibosh, meaning I could be on my Mum & Dad's sofa for Christmas, with my kids living 20 miles away. Super duper

Landlords are turning down a year’s rent up front, from someone selling property in an unfortunate situation getting divorced who clearly doesn’t have financial issues? What’s the regulatory issue at play, that someone is insisting on a salary certificate?

The Renter’s Rights Bill bans taking large “deposits” like this.

It’s not actually being enforced yet - IIRC the rules require the sign off of the relevant secretary of state before they are enforceable. Hence ISAM needs to get a move on & get moved in if he wants to rent somewhere for the next year.

The previous act (2023?) limited deposits to 5 weeks iirc, which amongst other things made management of pet rentals more complex.

I'm not surprised. Very few pets have enough cash to provide 5 weeks deposit.

My emotional support salt-water crocodile, Bubbles, has no problem renting. Anyone questions *anything* - he just smiles.