Best Of

This from the header is questionable.
..On the plus side the near collapse of the Greens and Lib Dems in Makerfield does give confidence that centre-left voters will vote tactically en masse to stop Reform...

The choice in the by-election was extremely clear on a number of levels - not least that a vote for Burnham was a vote to get rid of Starmer.
Choices in a general election are far less clear for any given constituency, and also the anti-incumbent effect would be working against a PM Burnham rather than in his favour.

The question remains central, both politically and betting wise. I think it is inevitable, if Reform remain a thing, that the next GE will have a substantial tactical element because about 60% of voters really really don't want Reform to the extent that a Reform government, like Trumpism, puts in question 'losers' consent'.

The issue will be how this is achieved, and to what extent successfully. Much depends on how the Tories can play out the slight strengthening of their position from Reform's by election fails; and how a new PM gets on.

The succession of Reform by election fails matters a lot; much more than the local election triumphs.

How determined do we think Israel are in Lebanon?

The Israelis have announced four dead and five wounded following a Hezbollah drone strike on an Israeli tank. Hezbollah are starting to use fibre-optic drones, while the Israelis deploy Russian-style aerial bombardment of urban areas.

If the Israelis don't have any effective drone countermeasures they might be facing a bit of trouble soon.

Israel is starting to annoy the Americans with both the President and Vice-President having recently spoken against Israel's salt the earth strategy.

The trouble is, as often stated, that anyone, any lone extremist (who does not have to be in government) can collapse the peace by provoking or being provoked by the other side. Both value victory above peace, and until America can persuade them otherwise, a series of short-lived ceasefires is all we can expect.

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Did HEZBOLLAH attack

Or was it friendly fire and all made up.

You can't trust that cnut as far as you can throw him

It's all too bloody convenient

It's interesting reading some of the reactions from the mostly male PB commentators about Aberdeen south and above all Kemi Badenoch. There is much to criticize in the Tory party but I feel that some on the left remain affronted that the Tories have another woman in charge and moreover, a black woman. I think it gets to them, as the long wait continues in the Labour party for anything remotely similar. Sure she's made errors, but she works and last night she won. Give her and the party a break!

Utter made up right wing nonsense.

Her gender, race, colour is immaterial.

She's useless

Thats a political judgement nothing elss

These are difficult days for you

Nice chutzpah from you there Big_G, given the Tories are averaging less than 20% in the polls with no obvious path up.

So you haven't noticed Kemi leads in approval rates, she won Aberdeen South last night together with 2 locals defeating reform

Time will tell but the Andy - Kemi show is about to come to town

Kemi like all politicians has faults but she will lead into GE29 and even on here her improvement has been recognised

Any markets on the next GM mayor yet? I have a view but nowhere to put it...

I'm still wondering why the school thought it necessary to collect a quiche?

Dull reasons, none of which make the situation any less ridiculous.
Daughter made a quiche in cookery lesson yesterday but had to leave it (and school) early for a (disastrous) piano exam, from which she came straight home. Cookery teacher said she would remove quiche from oven and daughter could take it home today. But today is Sports Day, which is off-site at the athletics club in the local park. Daughter collected quiche first thing and apparently left it at the office for wife to collect so she wasn't having to take a quiche to Sports Day for it to sit in the Greater Manchester sun all day.
But when wife got to school, the office denied the existence of any sort of quiche.
So a mystery. Albeit a very boring, middle class one.