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Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

Ah come on. A swift arrest is not going to give this man his eyes back.

Obviously the violence is disgraceful (and obviously terrorism, if we’re being consistent with PA), but there is a serious underlying issue here where we our system is regularly importing violent maniacs and rapists, and then is apparent unable to deport them.

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

Government policy is to put more people like the person who maimed Stephen Ogilvie or the person who murdered Rhiannon Whyte into our communities. They're not just unfortunate random incidents but the predictable consequence of choices made by the state.

The state made Wayne Cousins a law enforcement officer, not once but twice. Bad people are bad people irrespective of ethnicity or occupation.

That's true. Nevertheless the noble far-right aspiration that 100% of violent crime in Britain be committed by proper British born and bred thugs, rapists and murderers cannot be achieved without mass deportations and closing the borders.

More In Common

Reform extend their voting intention lead to 10pts this week, with Labour and the Tories tied for second place. 

➡️ REF UK 30% (+1)
🌹 LAB 20% (-2)
🌳 CON 20% (-1)
🔶 LIB DEM 12% (nc)
🌍 GREEN 11% (+1)
❓OTH 3% (+1)
🟡 SNP 3% (+1)

N = 2,087 | Fieldwork 5-9/6 | Changes w/ 1/6

Looks like Labour will need that Burnham bounce, assuming he wins Makerfield and becomes their leader

The news has all been very Reform friendly over the last week. Harry Nowak, Northern Ireland (a bit late, I guess) and terrible immigration figures of net 100,000 p a if immigration is your thang.

Net immigration is falling

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp1ekd584o

Yes but as Nigel has pointed out it is the wrong kind of net immigration. And anyway the voters think under Labour net immigration has gone through the roof.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/21/falling-migration-is-still-a-winning-issue-for-nigel-farage/

I think the voters are very aware that many Labour MPs are very much in the pro immigration camp, anti welfare cuts of any kind, etc etc. Perception is all. I mean for the Tories Kemi has grown into the role but still feels the weight of voter scepticism about the Tories. The PB collective wisdom is far to the left on the big issues. Finally, supporters of Reform see no big problem with Farage and his lifestyle - his big advantage is the lo ack of hypocrisy.

What can the UK do to grow at 2-3% annually again?

The Tories weren’t able to achieve it and seemingly neither are Labour.

Sustainable growth in the long term relies on increasing business investment, so there are several things that are obvious.

1. Speed up planning. Companies that want to invest money in Britain are, at best, delayed in doing so by a planning process that takes too long.
2. Improve infrastructure - transport, energy, water.
3. Create a stable tax regime - since at least Brown Chancellors have endlessly tinkered with the tax system and a lack of predictability makes it hard for businesses to plan and reduces confidence to invest.
4. Improve education - one of the features of the Irish success in attracting foreign investment is that they orient local education institutions to support employers will the skills that they require. So in an area with lots of pharmaceutical investment the university will have lots of courses to create graduates with the laboratory and process engineering skills the pharmaceutical companies need. Ireland has done a lot more than have a low corporation tax rate to attract foreign investment.
5. Talk to individual businesses and then act on what they tell you. The IDA (Irish Development Agency?) is the single most successful institution in the history of the Irish state (the competition is not great, to be fair). Learn from what they have done.

There are then other things that would also help. I think going after rentier capitalism, so the British economy rewards productive investment over asset-stripping and monopoly rents, would be a net benefit. Improving access to overseas markets, whether the EU single market, or elsewhere, would be good, once other changes have been made so that the British economy could take advantage of that access. I have the impression that capital markets in Britain operate badly for productive businesses, as opposed to financial engineering, but I don't know what would help to change that.

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

Ah come on. A swift arrest is not going to give this man his eyes back.

No arrest ever would, whether it is this man or one of the Shankhill Butchers of the past.

The question is: do we support the rule of law? Or mob violence?

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

‘Pogrom’ 🙄

Pogrom.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/pogrom

"Authorities" being our next, after next Prime Minister and his followers.

Him and the techbro psychos. And it's galling and humiliating to acknowledge that those who control social media platforms control the world... but there's at least some truth in it.

And over the last couple of decades, we kind of let it happen to us.

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

More In Common

Reform extend their voting intention lead to 10pts this week, with Labour and the Tories tied for second place. 

➡️ REF UK 30% (+1)
🌹 LAB 20% (-2)
🌳 CON 20% (-1)
🔶 LIB DEM 12% (nc)
🌍 GREEN 11% (+1)
❓OTH 3% (+1)
🟡 SNP 3% (+1)

N = 2,087 | Fieldwork 5-9/6 | Changes w/ 1/6

Looks like Labour will need that Burnham bounce, assuming he wins Makerfield and becomes their leader

The news has all been very Reform friendly over the last week. Harry Nowak, Northern Ireland (a bit late, I guess) and terrible immigration figures of net 100,000 p a if immigration is your thang.

Net immigration is falling

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp1ekd584o

In real world terms the number of immigrants in the UK is still increasing.

Until the number of immigrants in the UK starts to decrease (which requires negative net migration) then this will continue to be an electoral problem for any government.

In particular until the number of the 'wrong type' of immigrants starts to decrease this will continue to be an electoral problem for the government.

Although I am centre-left I am conflicted on the immigration issue and have been pondering what I would like to see happen and for me it comes down to 2 things:-
1. Anyone found to be in the country illegally should be removed, no ifs, and or buts.
2. Asylum and legal immigration should be like probation. Conviction of a serious crime and your asylum/immigrant status is revoked and you
out of the county. Again no ifs, ands or buts. I know this treats this category of person differently to UK born citizens but, to me, if someone
is granted the privilege to settle in another country that comes with obligations. Fail to meet those obligations and you are out.

I just wish Labour would adopt that stance!