Best Of

Anyway, Happy Russia Day to all those that celebrate. Just having a quiet one at home at home this year.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTJbHvxDWIc/?hl=en

Cheers!

I had a great time in Russia when I was there for the World Cup and would love to go back to see some more of the sights. Being a Russophile doesn't mean being a Putinophile!

Russia's flaw is to be a country obsessed with the decline of its empire and also with its moment of glory in WW2. Very much a mirror to a certain country on the opposite end of Europe.

My wife and I have the Trans-Siberian Express on our lifetime bucket list. The hope is that Russia becomes a friendly country by the time we retire.

Sadly this looks some way off at the moment.

A former boss did the trans-Siberian railway. From his account, I'd recommend changing your bucket list. It's a day's entertainment spread over a week. Russia is a big place and there is an awful lot of nothing in between the interesting parts.

Something to be said for living on a small island.

Not a surprise.

The defence investment plan will no longer be published on Monday as planned, raising questions about where Dan Jarvis stands on the plan. Will be very awkward for Jarvis heading to NATO defence ministerials next week
https://x.com/larisamlbrown/status/2065382271658451104

For the love of God man, go!

Starmer has reached Johnsonian levels of Prime Ministerial comedy. OK, not the venal corruption but the incalculable incompetence.

It's way, way overdue, but the defence review whose recommendations it is supposed to fund is now pretty clearly obsolete and/or unfundable under the current Chancellor.

So there's very little that can be done about it until Starmer is gone.

In the meantime, Dan can collect his salary, and accrue pension increments.

Should we tell Japan and Italy that GCAP is dead, or ought we to string them along until we have a replacement PM ?
And who is likely to make that decision, as if it's left to Starmer, it won't be made this year.

From the VoteUK forum.

"Copied from this afternoon's article in The Times:-

I spoke to, or tried to speak to, 20 voters across the constituency. Of those, seven did not know an election was taking place. That figure includes two people, aged 18 and 21, who did not know what an election was. The 18-year-old, a support worker in an assisted living facility, at the wheel of a Skoda which had swerved dangerously across the street to ask me what I was up to, writing in a notebook and all, asked me in all seriousness whether he was allowed to vote. He asked: “I haven’t got a credit rating or anything, y’know?” I told him that didn’t matter. He was delighted. “I pay £400 a month for this car,” he confided, gesturing at a fixed penalty notice on the dashboard, “I’ll vote for anyone who lets me park where I want.”"

https://vote-2012.proboards.com/thread/19953/makerfield?page=93

First. I note that Reform’s odds for Makerfield have come in overnight.

A reaction to the private poll which I am told is a kosher poll.

Showing a Reform win?

No, this poll.

https://www.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2026/06/11/private-polling-klaxon/

That will be the poll that Restore will point to when they get more like 2% rather than the 12% indicated?

I did hear from a very deflated Tory canvasser that they comfortably found more Restore voters than Tory voters.

Their view is the Tories ain't ever winning again until GB News and social media are banned in the UK.

The Kemi paradox.

The things that give her most life as a politician are the ones that are killing her chances of being PM.

Britain Elects

✅ Conservative HOLD

Christleton and Huntington (Cheshire West and Chester) council by-election result:

CON: 32.9% (+8.1)
GRN: 30.4% (+8.2)
REF: 17.2% (+17.2)
LAB: 10.5% (-8.1)
LDEM: 9.0% (-8.0)

No Ind (-17.4) as prev.

+/- 2023

Estimated turnout: ~44% (-3)

And?

The obvious counterpoint is No Ind compared to last time.

Local factors, there are always local factors.

Yes, we should focus on this one single result and ignore the the results of the May locals.

You and I campaigned for David Cameron, and I campaigned for the conservatives from the 1964 GE so I do not understand your animosity towards the conservative party of today so maybe it is fair to ask what do you want the conservative party to represent other than pro EU which is not on their agenda ?

I would suggest being liberal on social and cultural issues.

Social conservatism is almost always a euphemism for bigotry.

Then that is the liberal party

Yes, if voters want a socially liberal party they will vote LD, if voters want a socially conservative, anti immigration party they will vote Reform or Restore. If voters want a statist, big government party, they will vote Labour or Green.

If voters want to rejoin the EU they will vote LD or Green, if they are staunch Leavers they will vote Reform or Restore.

The Tories need to be a distinct centre right party, low tax and small state without being pure laissez-faire, backing choice in public services, socially moderate but not uber liberal or uber socially conservative and white nationalist either. Accepting of Brexit but with the trade deal with the EU and for controlled immigration but not being for deportation of migrants like Restore or removing even those with indefinite leave to Remain like Reform

Good we are on the same page