Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings – politicalbetting.com
Today is the second anniversary of Keir Starmer’s election to the LAB leadership and the polls have him with positive approval ratings with his party a small but robust voting intention lead over the Tories.
On Russian TV - talk show says Bucha is part of an Anglosaxon campaign to discredit Russia. Macron also gets mentioned for his comments earlier about war crimes. Footage shown on a loop tagged “FAKE” in English.
Russian propaganda experts, and they are experts, probably understand that they need to have these images De-credibalised in the eyes of Russians, or they would seep in anyway people would be shocked, so its a case of getting ahead of events. will it work? Sadly probably yes.
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
On Russian TV - talk show says Bucha is part of an Anglosaxon campaign to discredit Russia. Macron also gets mentioned for his comments earlier about war crimes. Footage shown on a loop tagged “FAKE” in English.
Russian propaganda experts, and they are experts, probably understand that they need to have these images De-credibalised in the eyes of Russians, or they would seep in anyway people would be shocked, so its a case of getting ahead of events. will it work? Sadly probably yes.
We should be very proud of the fact that it isn't simply American propaganda that they are blaming but Anglo Saxon. Maybe they include the ANZACs too?
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
- ”A key part of Starmer’s PM potential comes from the SNP reducing the Tory total seats north of the border and for the LDs to flourish in those places where Davey’s party is the only one with a real chance of beating the Tory. There are no deals but it is in the interest of both LAB and the LDs to only run token campaigns in seats where the other is in with a shout.”
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
I think serious allegations require serious evidence, and then a serious investigation.
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
Sue Gray will investigate I want to be trans I am in a psychiatric hospital MI6 will investigate
Indeed. A shadowy foreign power forced me to allegedly snort coke and commit assault shows it isn't just Putin who's disinformation requires some contortions of logic.
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less or no better than Corbyn got in 2017 on average even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
I think serious allegations require serious evidence, and then a serious investigation.
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
His gerrymandering and authoritarian tendencies have been exposed for years. I'd put the burden of proof on him to show the election was free and fair.
Especially given how bleak things looked for SKS ten months ago, it's remarkable how far he's got by just buggering on. Helps that he's up against Johnson.
Remember that episode of Yes, Minister where Hacker was driven mad by everyone telling him that he was doing all right? That. It may not be enough, but Starmer is doing all right. Or not all wrong, anyway.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
- ”A key part of Starmer’s PM potential comes from the SNP reducing the Tory total seats north of the border and for the LDs to flourish in those places where Davey’s party is the only one with a real chance of beating the Tory. There are no deals but it is in the interest of both LAB and the LDs to only run token campaigns in seats where the other is in with a shout.”
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
I don't see that much change in Scotland next time on the SNP-Tory front TBH, I can still see the Tories holding 4 seats even if Johnson is still in charge (Alister Jack, David Mundell, John Lamont and David Duguid I think will hold on) and also an outside chance of regaining Gordon. Only Andrew Bowie possibly looks toast in the context of a GE.
I think Lab-SNP tactical voting was probably maxed out in 2019.
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less still than Corbyn got in 2017 even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
The people who love Starmer the most are wealthy LibDems. That might well be enough for him to remove the Tory majority in GE 2024 ... if he is fighting Boris.
But, I am unconvinced that Boris will fight. Boris doesn't like to lose, and he must surely already be looking enviously at his lucrative post-PM opportunities.
I mean, furfucksake, even a completely talentless nonentity like Nick Clegg is now earning 2.7 million dollars a year.
Serbia & Hungary both returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections. Hungary no longer allowing weapons via Hungary to Ukraine so makes sense if what you say is correct
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
I think serious allegations require serious evidence, and then a serious investigation.
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
His gerrymandering and authoritarian tendencies have been exposed for years. I'd put the burden of proof on him to show the election was free and fair.
You seem not to understand some very basic principles.
Let's hope you are never accused of anything serious ... but if you are, I will still be arguing that the burden of proof is on your accusers.
Still don't understand why the Germans and Italians thought making themselves reliant on Russian gas was a good idea.
I forget who it was, but someone on here did provide a [link to a?] good explanation.
After WWII the object of economic integration between France and Germany was to make a war between the two countries impossible. After more than 75 years there has been no war between the two countries, and one is now unthinkable. In the previous 75 years there had been three major wars between the two countries.
So the intent was to create such a level of mutual economic dependence that war between Germany [and Europe more generally] and Russia would become impossible. This didn't work, and they should have realised earlier that it wasn't working, but put in those terms it doesn't seem like an entirely ridiculous idea.
When did it become unambiguous that Putin was unambiguously evil, rather than a strongman leader who we didn't like but could understand and do business with? My vague recollection of when he first came to power is it was a bit of a relief after the shambles of the Yeltsin years.
A bit like 1930's comments like "Hurrah for the Blackshirts" or "Dictators are very popular these days. We might want one in England before long"
Grozny and when Blair said he was "comfortable" with him. Which I have just checked was as far back as 2000
I've read Satter's "Darkness at Dawn" and the book "Blowing up Russia" by Felshtinsky and Litvinenko, as well as a few other books that repeat the allegations. One major problem with this false flag scenario is that there is very little hard evidence, particularly in English, and a lot of allegations, often second-hand. So whilst the scenario presented about the Ryazan attempted bombing is extremely fishy, I really don't think they is anything conclusive that can be said about it.
That said if you take the official narrative seriously you have to believe that during a bombing campaign the Moscow FSB staged an essentially identical drill/test without informing any of the authorities in Ryazan, and when this "test" was passed the Russian government initially praised the Ryazan authorities for foiling a real terrorist attack, only to change positions the next day, to it being merely a drill, when some members of the FSB were arrested.
It would be like a few days after the 7/7 bombings if the Met Police had staged a very similar attack in Manchester, the GMP had foiled it, and the Home Secretary had congratulated Manchester. The next day the GMP arrest some Met officers and the Home Secretary then says "ha ha, it was just a test".
Even if you buy the official narrative, it it still completely nuts, the disregard for public safety is extraordinary.
I hope that one day when Putin is dead a future Russian government will properly investigate the origins of the Second Chechen War.
- ”A key part of Starmer’s PM potential comes from the SNP reducing the Tory total seats north of the border and for the LDs to flourish in those places where Davey’s party is the only one with a real chance of beating the Tory. There are no deals but it is in the interest of both LAB and the LDs to only run token campaigns in seats where the other is in with a shout.”
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
I don't see that much change in Scotland next time on the SNP-Tory front TBH, I can still see the Tories holding 4 seats even if Johnson is still in charge (Alister Jack, David Mundell, John Lamont and David Duguid I think will hold on) and also an outside chance of regaining Gordon. Only Andrew Bowie possibly looks toast in the context of a GE.
I think Lab-SNP tactical voting was probably maxed out in 2019.
If I was a SCon strategist it is not the SNP and Labour sympathisers I would be worried about, but the SLD ones. The biggest threat to the 6 SCon MPs (5 if you omit the retiring Ross) is tactical unwind. Without the lent support of vast chunks of the SLD base there would still be no Tory MPs in Scotland. Johnson & his circus have managed to not only disillusion, but to totally trample on the aspirations of natural SLD supporters. Hence Ross’s desperation to ditch The Clown.
When did it become unambiguous that Putin was unambiguously evil, rather than a strongman leader who we didn't like but could understand and do business with? My vague recollection of when he first came to power is it was a bit of a relief after the shambles of the Yeltsin years.
A bit like 1930's comments like "Hurrah for the Blackshirts" or "Dictators are very popular these days. We might want one in England before long"
I keep thinking back to the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000. That public narrative up to then had been that if we weren't allies of Russia there was at least a degree of friendship between Russia and the West. When Russia rebuffed the intial offers of help from Britain and Norway, and blamed a US submarine at first, it was clear that the relations were a lot frostier than generally realised.
Putin was hugely supportive of the US over 9/11. That bought him lots of time and kudos with the West. That it was because it was in his interests, not because he was a supporter of democracy and opponent of terror, doesn't appear to have been much considered.
Oh the US and the West in general misread a lot of the support and apparent realignment after 9/11. A lot of countries were simply happy to get the US off their backs and aimed at their enemies.
Indeed. Putin was simply happy that US attention was turned elsewhere for a few years, towards a different enemy.
It was of course turned towards an enemy that "we" thought we could beat easily. That is the defining difference between previous incursions and this one. Hand wringing aside there is simply nothing we can do short of actually calling the nuclear bluff that is likely to arrest the activities we are seeing.
Do I like it? Of course not. Should Putin face sanction, well yes. But we are seeing from the wrong side how the doctrine of might is right plays out.
You've repeatedly overestimated Russian capability in this war. Time for a re-think? Kiev is okay, Odessa is okay, the west of the country is okay. They are being pushed away from Kharkiv. The entirety of Ukraine is hardly at Russia's mercy. Thank goodness we provided the weapons we did or it would have been truly hideous. Thank goodness the Ukrainian forces have been as impressive as they have been. Imagine if Russian troops had got into Kiev proper. It doesn't bear thinking about.
I haven't overestimated anything; I have counselled against jumping to conclusions based upon twitter feeds.
I have no idea how this will play out, what is Putin's endgame or plan such as it was or is, or anything much else.
I do note a couple of things, that said. First that vituperation heaped upon those who do not tow, or perhaps worse still question the PB Russa-Ukraine line. Secondly, the latching onto particular twitter feeds as if they give the gospel truth.
Whether these latter do or not it is not imo a good habit to get into to so slavishly and without question treat them as the only true source of information. It smacks to me more of hope over experience (perfectly understandable but not necessarily a good analytic framework).
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less or no better than Corbyn got in 2017 on average even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
I don't think Starmer led Labour is likely to get more than 38% in a GE and won't quite manage to beat the Tories in terms of votes and seats but something like Con 40% Lab 38% would still be the same 5% swing Cameron got in 2010 and result in Labour gaining up to 60-80 seats.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as always, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
The press, insofar as they take an interest in foreign elections at all, always report a "tight race", because it's just more interesting than "X is strolling to victory". Same thing in France. Orban has attracted attention where the Serbian leadership has not because of the "defies EU" theme, and because he relishes the bad-guy anti-liberal image, rather like Trump. But the polls unfortunately pretty consistently showed Orban cruising to victory.
Generally we do collectively underestimate the "strong ethnic nationalist leader" theme in countries in difficulty, despite the ample evidence that it nearly always ends badly.
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
I think serious allegations require serious evidence, and then a serious investigation.
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
His gerrymandering and authoritarian tendencies have been exposed for years. I'd put the burden of proof on him to show the election was free and fair.
You seem not to understand some very basic principles.
Let's hope you are never accused of anything serious ... but if you are, I will still be arguing that the burden of proof is on your accusers.
What is the justification from transposing the rules of evidence which apply to English criminal court proceedings to questions arising elsewhere? There is no evidence remotely admissible in an English court that Caligula was a bastard, it's all nth hand hearsay. Does that stop me saying he was a bastard?
If Victor Orban is preventing arms shipments to Ukraine via Hungary (which is a vital strategic route), then it is a far more serious matter in my mind to his failure to respect various minority rights, alleged gerrymandering and control of the media through 'oligarchs'. One problem with reporting on Hungary is that these things are often combined in such a way that they are all presented as the same thing. They aren't. His apparent support for Putin (if that is what it actually is) should be a massive red line.
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less or no better than Corbyn got in 2017 on average even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
I don't think Starmer led Labour is likely to get more than 38% in a GE and won't quite manage to beat the Tories in terms of votes and seats but something like Con 40% Lab 38% would still be the same 5% swing Cameron got in 2010 and result in Labour gaining up to 60-80 seats.
Agreed and likely result in a Starmer premiership propped up by the SNP and LDs.
The DUP won't support the Tories either unless they invoke Art 16
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
I think serious allegations require serious evidence, and then a serious investigation.
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
His gerrymandering and authoritarian tendencies have been exposed for years. I'd put the burden of proof on him to show the election was free and fair.
You seem not to understand some very basic principles.
Let's hope you are never accused of anything serious ... but if you are, I will still be arguing that the burden of proof is on your accusers.
Russia has shown very clearly what a wholly state dominated media can do. Hungary is some way down that road, and the election result wasn't a massive surprise.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as always, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
The press, insofar as they take an interest in foreign elections at all, always report a "tight race", because it's just more interesting than "X is strolling to victory". Same thing in France. Orban has attracted attention where the Serbian leadership has not because of the "defies EU" theme, and because he relishes the bad-guy anti-liberal image, rather like Trump. But the polls unfortunately pretty consistently showed Orban cruising to victory.
Generally we do collectively underestimate the "strong ethnic nationalist leader" theme in countries in difficulty, despite the ample evidence that it nearly always ends badly.
It was a "tight race" only if you added up the totals of the opposition parties from the last election, and assumed that their recent electoral alliance would hold onto all those votes. That was always something of an unlikely prospect.
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less still than Corbyn got in 2017 even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
The people who love Starmer the most are wealthy LibDems. That might well be enough for him to remove the Tory majority in GE 2024 ... if he is fighting Boris.
But, I am unconvinced that Boris will fight. Boris doesn't like to lose, and he must surely already be looking enviously at his lucrative post-PM opportunities.
I mean, furfucksake, even a completely talentless nonentity like Nick Clegg is now earning 2.7 million dollars a year.
He will certainly get more tactical votes from the LDs in Labour v Tory marginals than Corbyn.
Boris does not have the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board, his skills are in oratory and the lecture circuit.
To maximise his earnings there he needs to stay in No 10 as long as possible to get near Thatcher and Blair fees on the circuit and ideally raise his profile in the US further too at the same time
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
I think serious allegations require serious evidence, and then a serious investigation.
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
His gerrymandering and authoritarian tendencies have been exposed for years. I'd put the burden of proof on him to show the election was free and fair.
You seem not to understand some very basic principles.
Let's hope you are never accused of anything serious ... but if you are, I will still be arguing that the burden of proof is on your accusers.
Russia has shown very clearly what a wholly state dominated media can do. Hungary is some way down that road, and the election result wasn't a massive surprise.
So is Poland.
If you predicted the election in Hungary correctly, well done. I am only pointing out that the UK press -- from the Daily Mail to the Guardian -- did not.
And of course, I am standing up for the principle that serious allegations deserve serious evidence and then a serious investigation
How have we got from that tweet to Hungary wants to invade the Ukraine?
The EU is going to have to take some further action against Hungary at some point. I see that today, and even despite everything and the current situation, the Polish government is still attempting to somewhat defend Hungary. "Germany is the main roadblock to sanctions, not Hungary", according to the Polish government today, which is generally propaganda.
- ”A key part of Starmer’s PM potential comes from the SNP reducing the Tory total seats north of the border and for the LDs to flourish in those places where Davey’s party is the only one with a real chance of beating the Tory. There are no deals but it is in the interest of both LAB and the LDs to only run token campaigns in seats where the other is in with a shout.”
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
I don't see that much change in Scotland next time on the SNP-Tory front TBH, I can still see the Tories holding 4 seats even if Johnson is still in charge (Alister Jack, David Mundell, John Lamont and David Duguid I think will hold on) and also an outside chance of regaining Gordon. Only Andrew Bowie possibly looks toast in the context of a GE.
I think Lab-SNP tactical voting was probably maxed out in 2019.
If I was a SCon strategist it is not the SNP and Labour sympathisers I would be worried about, but the SLD ones. The biggest threat to the 6 SCon MPs (5 if you omit the retiring Ross) is tactical unwind. Without the lent support of vast chunks of the SLD base there would still be no Tory MPs in Scotland. Johnson & his circus have managed to not only disillusion, but to totally trample on the aspirations of natural SLD supporters. Hence Ross’s desperation to ditch The Clown.
I agree but there is only a substantial residual LD vote (above 10%) in Bowie's seat and Gordon. I expect a major Con-LD shift in Edinburgh in May but not so much elsewhere. The trend is still overall towards the Tories in Aberdeenshire even if they didn't quite manage to gain Aberdeenshire East and Banffshire and Buchan coast last year and still topped the list vote in those seats.
I see Serbia & Hungary returned pro-Russian leaders in this weekend’s elections.
Hungary now not letting re supply of weaponry to Ukraine only food and Medicines via Hungary
It was interesting to see the British press entirely wrong-footed on Hungary.
Prior to the election, the press was reporting a stern test, close election, on a knife-edge, blah, blah. "Putinist" Orban would be punished and he would pay the price for not supporting Ukraine. It was all eagerly regurgitated on pb.com.
In fact, the result was a fourth consecutive landslide for Orban.
The proper conclusion is that few, if any, articles in the UK media on Eastern Europe are to be trusted.
I take no pleasure on the return of Orban -- but the biggest mistake, as aways, is to believe the bullshit in the UK press.
Well we don't know at this stage whether there was any fraud in the vote. Give it some time for a bit of analysis to be done.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
I think serious allegations require serious evidence, and then a serious investigation.
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
His gerrymandering and authoritarian tendencies have been exposed for years. I'd put the burden of proof on him to show the election was free and fair.
You seem not to understand some very basic principles.
Let's hope you are never accused of anything serious ... but if you are, I will still be arguing that the burden of proof is on your accusers.
Russia has shown very clearly what a wholly state dominated media can do. Hungary is some way down that road, and the election result wasn't a massive surprise.
So is Poland.
If you predicted the election in Hungary correctly, well done. I am only pointing out that the UK press -- from the Daily Mail to the Guardian -- did not.
And of course, I am standing up for the principle that serious allegations deserve serious evidence and then a serious investigation
Fair points. Though quite how one might go about an independent investigation of such things in Hungary is an interesting question.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less still than Corbyn got in 2017 even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
The people who love Starmer the most are wealthy LibDems. That might well be enough for him to remove the Tory majority in GE 2024 ... if he is fighting Boris.
But, I am unconvinced that Boris will fight. Boris doesn't like to lose, and he must surely already be looking enviously at his lucrative post-PM opportunities.
I mean, furfucksake, even a completely talentless nonentity like Nick Clegg is now earning 2.7 million dollars a year.
He will certainly get more tactical votes from the LDs in Labour v Tory marginals than Corbyn.
Boris does not have the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board, his skills are in oratory and the lecture circuit.
To maximise his earnings there he needs to stay in No 10 as long as possible to get near Thatcher and Blair fees on the circuit and ideally raise his profile in the US further too at the same time
Well, HYUFD, you have posted a number of outrageous things in your time.
"... the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board".
If Victor Orban is preventing arms shipments to Ukraine via Hungary (which is a vital strategic route), then it is a far more serious matter in my mind to his failure to respect various minority rights, alleged gerrymandering and control of the media through 'oligarchs'. One problem with reporting on Hungary is that these things are often combined in such a way that they are all presented as the same thing. They aren't. His apparent support for Putin (if that is what it actually is) should be a massive red line.
On what basis is Hungary a 'vital strategic route' into Ukraine?
Hungary is one of Ukraine's shortest borders - Poland, Slovakia, and Romania all provide better access.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
Are you saying Putin is an influential UK political figure to be rated as such?! Quite an aspersions to cast even taking Lord Beard Dye of the Gulags and the millions of party funding into account.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
If Victor Orban is preventing arms shipments to Ukraine via Hungary (which is a vital strategic route), then it is a far more serious matter in my mind to his failure to respect various minority rights, alleged gerrymandering and control of the media through 'oligarchs'. One problem with reporting on Hungary is that these things are often combined in such a way that they are all presented as the same thing. They aren't. His apparent support for Putin (if that is what it actually is) should be a massive red line.
On what basis is Hungary a 'vital strategic route' into Ukraine?
Hungary is one of Ukraine's shortest borders - Poland, Slovakia, and Romania all provide better access.
Transcarpathia is topographically the most secure part of the country.
- ”A key part of Starmer’s PM potential comes from the SNP reducing the Tory total seats north of the border and for the LDs to flourish in those places where Davey’s party is the only one with a real chance of beating the Tory. There are no deals but it is in the interest of both LAB and the LDs to only run token campaigns in seats where the other is in with a shout.”
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
I don't see that much change in Scotland next time on the SNP-Tory front TBH, I can still see the Tories holding 4 seats even if Johnson is still in charge (Alister Jack, David Mundell, John Lamont and David Duguid I think will hold on) and also an outside chance of regaining Gordon. Only Andrew Bowie possibly looks toast in the context of a GE.
I think Lab-SNP tactical voting was probably maxed out in 2019.
If I was a SCon strategist it is not the SNP and Labour sympathisers I would be worried about, but the SLD ones. The biggest threat to the 6 SCon MPs (5 if you omit the retiring Ross) is tactical unwind. Without the lent support of vast chunks of the SLD base there would still be no Tory MPs in Scotland. Johnson & his circus have managed to not only disillusion, but to totally trample on the aspirations of natural SLD supporters. Hence Ross’s desperation to ditch The Clown.
I agree but there is only a substantial residual LD vote (above 10%) in Bowie's seat and Gordon. I expect a major Con-LD shift in Edinburgh in May but not so much elsewhere. The trend is still overall towards the Tories in Aberdeenshire even if they didn't quite manage to gain Aberdeenshire East and Banffshire and Buchan coast last year and still topped the list vote in those seats.
A fascinating assertion!
Evidence in the public domain for such a statement is scant, but I’m all ears.
Jack Dorsey is a Bitcoin maxi and plans to integrate Jack Mallers Strike payment system through Twitter. Musk also owns billions of dollars of Bitcoin.
The annual Bitcoin conference is happening in Miami this week, last year the surprise announcement was the first country (El Salvador) to announce Bitcoin as legal tender.
Other countries, possibly Honduras, are expected to make a similar announcement this week, there are also rumours of Apple Pay integration with the Lightning network.
Twitter will eventually have venmo-style payment integration via the Bitcoin lightning network and there are eyes on it eventually becoming a competitor to the likes of Western Union for immigrants sending money to the folks back home.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less still than Corbyn got in 2017 even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
The people who love Starmer the most are wealthy LibDems. That might well be enough for him to remove the Tory majority in GE 2024 ... if he is fighting Boris.
But, I am unconvinced that Boris will fight. Boris doesn't like to lose, and he must surely already be looking enviously at his lucrative post-PM opportunities.
I mean, furfucksake, even a completely talentless nonentity like Nick Clegg is now earning 2.7 million dollars a year.
He will certainly get more tactical votes from the LDs in Labour v Tory marginals than Corbyn.
Boris does not have the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board, his skills are in oratory and the lecture circuit.
To maximise his earnings there he needs to stay in No 10 as long as possible to get near Thatcher and Blair fees on the circuit and ideally raise his profile in the US further too at the same time
Well, HYUFD, you have posted a number of outrageous things in your time.
"... the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board".
Jack Dorsey is a Bitcoin maxi and plans to integrate Jack Mallers Strike payment system through Twitter. Musk also owns billions of dollars of Bitcoin.
The annual Bitcoin conference is happening in Miami this week, last year the surprise announcement was the first country (El Salvador) to announce Bitcoin as legal tender.
Other countries, possibly Honduras, are expected to make a similar announcement this week, there are also rumours of Apple Pay integration with the Lightning network.
Twitter will eventually have venmo-style payment integration via the Bitcoin lightning network and there are eyes on it eventually becoming a competitor to the likes of Western Union for immigrants sending money to the folks back home.
Bitcoin is worse than a pyramid scheme.
That Musk is involved with it is the one thing that makes me lose respect for him. I don't have much respect for Dorsey to lose in the first place.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
- ”A key part of Starmer’s PM potential comes from the SNP reducing the Tory total seats north of the border and for the LDs to flourish in those places where Davey’s party is the only one with a real chance of beating the Tory. There are no deals but it is in the interest of both LAB and the LDs to only run token campaigns in seats where the other is in with a shout.”
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
I don't see that much change in Scotland next time on the SNP-Tory front TBH, I can still see the Tories holding 4 seats even if Johnson is still in charge (Alister Jack, David Mundell, John Lamont and David Duguid I think will hold on) and also an outside chance of regaining Gordon. Only Andrew Bowie possibly looks toast in the context of a GE.
I think Lab-SNP tactical voting was probably maxed out in 2019.
If I was a SCon strategist it is not the SNP and Labour sympathisers I would be worried about, but the SLD ones. The biggest threat to the 6 SCon MPs (5 if you omit the retiring Ross) is tactical unwind. Without the lent support of vast chunks of the SLD base there would still be no Tory MPs in Scotland. Johnson & his circus have managed to not only disillusion, but to totally trample on the aspirations of natural SLD supporters. Hence Ross’s desperation to ditch The Clown.
I agree but there is only a substantial residual LD vote (above 10%) in Bowie's seat and Gordon. I expect a major Con-LD shift in Edinburgh in May but not so much elsewhere. The trend is still overall towards the Tories in Aberdeenshire even if they didn't quite manage to gain Aberdeenshire East and Banffshire and Buchan coast last year and still topped the list vote in those seats.
A fascinating assertion!
Evidence in the public domain for such a statement is scant, but I’m all ears.
The last Scottish by election in January in East Lothian still had the Tories increasing their vote share slightly in what was supposed to be a straight Lab-SNP fight. I can still see the Tories making a modest gain of 10-20 seats overall in Scotland in May. They will almost certainly lose seats on a few councils such as Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire Aberdeen City, Stirling and Glasgow but make gains on plenty of other councils particularly ones like Aberdeenshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway where they are standing a lot more candidates this time.
SLab could also gain up to 30-40 council seats on a good day although I am less confident of that.
Starmer's approval ratings are certainly better than Corbyn's. However Labour's voteshare is, if anything, slightly less still than Corbyn got in 2017 even if still much better than Corbyn got in 2019.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
The people who love Starmer the most are wealthy LibDems. That might well be enough for him to remove the Tory majority in GE 2024 ... if he is fighting Boris.
But, I am unconvinced that Boris will fight. Boris doesn't like to lose, and he must surely already be looking enviously at his lucrative post-PM opportunities.
I mean, furfucksake, even a completely talentless nonentity like Nick Clegg is now earning 2.7 million dollars a year.
He will certainly get more tactical votes from the LDs in Labour v Tory marginals than Corbyn.
Boris does not have the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board, his skills are in oratory and the lecture circuit.
To maximise his earnings there he needs to stay in No 10 as long as possible to get near Thatcher and Blair fees on the circuit and ideally raise his profile in the US further too at the same time
Why should we care about Boris maximising his earnings, rather than how he is governing the country
I see Chris Mason is now favorite for the BBC Pol Editor gig after the all women shortlist was deemed too weak.
Who would have thought there could be any weaker Candidates than Laura K
"Weaker" = not telling me the things I want to hear.
Amiright?
If the Times is to be believed the whole process has been a fiasco that would fit in well with the sitcom W1A.
The first time around they wanted someone who would break news and get scoops. Then it seems having interviewed a load of people the powers-that-be decided that was unrealistic so they then wanted someone who had the heft to do the analysis and explaining part of the role. And round they went again. At some point Mason, having ruled himself out, was asked to rule himself back in.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
That British Nationalists consistently contend this says more about them than it does about Scots and their chosen government.
If Victor Orban is preventing arms shipments to Ukraine via Hungary (which is a vital strategic route), then it is a far more serious matter in my mind to his failure to respect various minority rights, alleged gerrymandering and control of the media through 'oligarchs'. One problem with reporting on Hungary is that these things are often combined in such a way that they are all presented as the same thing. They aren't. His apparent support for Putin (if that is what it actually is) should be a massive red line.
On what basis is Hungary a 'vital strategic route' into Ukraine?
Hungary is one of Ukraine's shortest borders - Poland, Slovakia, and Romania all provide better access.
Fair point, I accept that the border is quite small. But the broader point stands: it is unhelpful and concerning.
You know how it is. Few too many drinks on a Friday night and wake up on Saturday morning to find in your drunken state you have brought some worthless crap off amazon....is this the billionaire equivalent?
I see Chris Mason is now favorite for the BBC Pol Editor gig after the all women shortlist was deemed too weak.
Who would have thought there could be any weaker Candidates than Laura K
"Weaker" = not telling me the things I want to hear.
Amiright?
If the Times is to be believed the whole process has been a fiasco that would fit in well with the sitcom W1A.
The first time around they wanted someone who would break news and get scoops. Then it seems having interviewed a load of people the powers-that-be decided that was unrealistic so they then wanted someone who had the heft to do the analysis and explaining part of the role. And round they went again. At some point Mason, having ruled himself out, was asked to rule himself back in.
I never understood the vitriol that people directed towards Laura K. She seemed to do a perfectly good job. I didn't get the key issue as to why so many people (on PB at least) thought she was awful. Unless it was a "shoot the messenger" thing.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
That British Nationalists consistently contend this says more about them than it does about Scots and their chosen government.
LOL. It was you who implied the SNP and BNP are equivalent, not me. I merely find the BNP odious. So if you, a proud Scottish Nationalist (albeit Swedish-resident) imply that the SNP and BNP are equivalent, then the SNP must also be odious! QED!
This article is worth a read. What was the German busines-as-usual approach to Putin's Russia is not entirely dissimilar to their relations with Orban's Hungary. Interesting question as to what happens next.
- ”A key part of Starmer’s PM potential comes from the SNP reducing the Tory total seats north of the border and for the LDs to flourish in those places where Davey’s party is the only one with a real chance of beating the Tory. There are no deals but it is in the interest of both LAB and the LDs to only run token campaigns in seats where the other is in with a shout.”
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
I don't see that much change in Scotland next time on the SNP-Tory front TBH, I can still see the Tories holding 4 seats even if Johnson is still in charge (Alister Jack, David Mundell, John Lamont and David Duguid I think will hold on) and also an outside chance of regaining Gordon. Only Andrew Bowie possibly looks toast in the context of a GE.
I think Lab-SNP tactical voting was probably maxed out in 2019.
If I was a SCon strategist it is not the SNP and Labour sympathisers I would be worried about, but the SLD ones. The biggest threat to the 6 SCon MPs (5 if you omit the retiring Ross) is tactical unwind. Without the lent support of vast chunks of the SLD base there would still be no Tory MPs in Scotland. Johnson & his circus have managed to not only disillusion, but to totally trample on the aspirations of natural SLD supporters. Hence Ross’s desperation to ditch The Clown.
I agree but there is only a substantial residual LD vote (above 10%) in Bowie's seat and Gordon. I expect a major Con-LD shift in Edinburgh in May but not so much elsewhere. The trend is still overall towards the Tories in Aberdeenshire even if they didn't quite manage to gain Aberdeenshire East and Banffshire and Buchan coast last year and still topped the list vote in those seats.
A fascinating assertion!
Evidence in the public domain for such a statement is scant, but I’m all ears.
The last Scottish by election in January in East Lothian still had the Tories increasing their vote share slightly in what was supposed to be a straight Lab-SNP fight. I can still see the Tories making a modest gain of 10-20 seats overall in Scotland in May. They will almost certainly lose seats on a few councils such as Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire Aberdeen City, Stirling and Glasgow but make gains on plenty of other councils particularly ones like Aberdeenshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway where they are standing a lot more candidates this time.
SLab could also gain up to 30-40 council seats on a good day although I am less confident of that.
That the only empiric evidence you provide is from a lone STV council by-election in a non-Con area is telling. The differential turnout alone makes a mockery of any attempt to us it to predict Aberdeen, Stirling et al.
I will however retain your post. I could do with a good laugh in May, just before we’re all evaporated.
I see Chris Mason is now favorite for the BBC Pol Editor gig after the all women shortlist was deemed too weak.
Who would have thought there could be any weaker Candidates than Laura K
"Weaker" = not telling me the things I want to hear.
Amiright?
If the Times is to be believed the whole process has been a fiasco that would fit in well with the sitcom W1A.
The first time around they wanted someone who would break news and get scoops. Then it seems having interviewed a load of people the powers-that-be decided that was unrealistic so they then wanted someone who had the heft to do the analysis and explaining part of the role. And round they went again. At some point Mason, having ruled himself out, was asked to rule himself back in.
Standard for BBC these days....e.g. BBC Three linear tv reboot with tractor racing strangely not pulling in da yuff. Some Craig Olvier Beats by Dre headphone wearing type thinks they are down with the kids and knows exactly what they want to watch.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
That British Nationalists consistently contend this says more about them than it does about Scots and their chosen government.
"Civic and joyous". Do you get this sort of thing south of the border?
"The papers this morning report that the SNP member who posted about me being hung from a lamp post has been suspended. Good. Now that they've set the precedent that it's wrong to talk about the execution of your opponents (a low bar, I know) let's test if they mean it"
Jack Dorsey is a Bitcoin maxi and plans to integrate Jack Mallers Strike payment system through Twitter. Musk also owns billions of dollars of Bitcoin.
The annual Bitcoin conference is happening in Miami this week, last year the surprise announcement was the first country (El Salvador) to announce Bitcoin as legal tender.
Other countries, possibly Honduras, are expected to make a similar announcement this week, there are also rumours of Apple Pay integration with the Lightning network.
Twitter will eventually have venmo-style payment integration via the Bitcoin lightning network and there are eyes on it eventually becoming a competitor to the likes of Western Union for immigrants sending money to the folks back home.
Bitcoin is worse than a pyramid scheme.
That Musk is involved with it is the one thing that makes me lose respect for him. I don't have much respect for Dorsey to lose in the first place.
That's far from the only thing about Musk that ought to make you pause and edge on past without making eye contact. The man is loon. Remember when he called that cave rescue guy a "pedo"? Totally mad.
The thing to understand with Elon Musk is that he treats Twitter the way some treat PB. After the lagershed, some crazy stuff gets said...
An op-ed for state news agency RIA Novosti titled "What Russia should do with Ukraine" by pundit Timofei Sergeitsev has created quite a stir today
The rhetoric is truly horrific, even by the standards of what I'm used to seeing from pro-Kremlin media
Below are a few quotes:
"Denazification is a set of measures aimed at the nazified mass of the population, which technically cannot be subjected to direct punishment as war criminals"
"However, besides the elite, a significant part of the masses of the people, who are passive nazis, are accomplices to Nazism. They have supported the Nazi authorities and indulged them..."
"...The just punishment for this part of the population is possible only as the bearing of the inevitable hardships of a just war against the Nazi system"
"The name Ukraine can seemingly not be retained as the title of any fully denazified state formation on the territory liberated from the Nazi regime"
"Denazification is inevitably also deukrainisation – a rejection of the large-scale artificial inflation of the ethnic element of self-identification of the population of the territories of the historical Malorossiya and Novorossiya begun by the Soviet authorities"
"Unlike, let’s say, Georgia or the Baltics, Ukraine, as history has shown, is unviable as a national state, and attempts to 'build' one logically lead to Nazism"
"The Banderite elite must be liquidated, its reeducation is impossible. The social 'swamp' which actively and passively supports it must undergo the hardships of war and digest the experience as a historical lesson and atonement"
Jack Dorsey is a Bitcoin maxi and plans to integrate Jack Mallers Strike payment system through Twitter. Musk also owns billions of dollars of Bitcoin.
The annual Bitcoin conference is happening in Miami this week, last year the surprise announcement was the first country (El Salvador) to announce Bitcoin as legal tender.
Other countries, possibly Honduras, are expected to make a similar announcement this week, there are also rumours of Apple Pay integration with the Lightning network.
Twitter will eventually have venmo-style payment integration via the Bitcoin lightning network and there are eyes on it eventually becoming a competitor to the likes of Western Union for immigrants sending money to the folks back home.
Bitcoin is worse than a pyramid scheme.
That Musk is involved with it is the one thing that makes me lose respect for him. I don't have much respect for Dorsey to lose in the first place.
That's far from the only thing about Musk that ought to make you pause and edge on past without making eye contact. The man is loon. Remember when he called that cave rescue guy a "pedo"? Totally mad.
The thing to understand with Elon Musk is that he treats Twitter the way some treat PB. After the lagershed, some crazy stuff gets said...
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
That British Nationalists consistently contend this says more about them than it does about Scots and their chosen government.
LOL. It was you who implied the SNP and BNP are equivalent, not me. I merely find the BNP odious. So if you, a proud Scottish Nationalist (albeit Swedish-resident) imply that the SNP and BNP are equivalent, then the SNP must also be odious! QED!
I think the problem lies elsewhere: that
(a) it is actually the PBTories who make that equation because ... (b) they deny that their 'patriotism' under the UJ is actually nationalism (whether UK, 'British' or English depending on the individual)
Outside the likes of UKIP, the purest and most blood and soil political discourse I can remember is David Cameron's major Glasgow [edit] speech in advance of the 2014 referendum, and it was British nationalist from start to end by any objective analysis.
Jack Dorsey is a Bitcoin maxi and plans to integrate Jack Mallers Strike payment system through Twitter. Musk also owns billions of dollars of Bitcoin.
The annual Bitcoin conference is happening in Miami this week, last year the surprise announcement was the first country (El Salvador) to announce Bitcoin as legal tender.
Other countries, possibly Honduras, are expected to make a similar announcement this week, there are also rumours of Apple Pay integration with the Lightning network.
Twitter will eventually have venmo-style payment integration via the Bitcoin lightning network and there are eyes on it eventually becoming a competitor to the likes of Western Union for immigrants sending money to the folks back home.
Bitcoin is worse than a pyramid scheme.
That Musk is involved with it is the one thing that makes me lose respect for him. I don't have much respect for Dorsey to lose in the first place.
A fair argument in, say, 2013. But it's 2022 and bitcoin has been around for 12 years now.
If I wanted to send $100 to El Salvador, Western Union would charge me $7.99. The idea of the lightning network is that you can convert dollar > bitcoin and back to dollar again and the transaction is instant and costs less than a cent.
Jack wants to enable that kind of remittance to happen via Twitter and I dare say that is why Musk has invested.
Is it a good investment? I don't know. Despite being around for a year in El Salvador bitcoin hasn't exactly caught on with a largely suspicious population who prefer to hoard physical dollars. However, that's the play.
It's estimated that about 1.7bn people are unbanked globally, which is a heck of an untapped market if this thing catches on.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
Most British nationalists wouldn't touch the BNP with a bargepole. Nationalist is not a dirty word.
"British nationalist" isn't a political term in any significant use, other than by Scot Nats trying to smear unionists as BNP supporters.
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
Most British nationalists wouldn't touch the BNP with a bargepole. Nationalist is not a dirty word.
"British nationalist" isn't a political term in any significant use, other than by Scot Nats trying to smear unionists as BNP supporters.
We don't do it for that reason - we don't think Tories are BNP members. It is just to remind Tories that they are also nationalists, and to make them think about why they are using 'nationalist' as a dirty word. I actually prefer the Spanish usage of left wing independistas (UK example being the SNP) and right wing nacionalistas (Tories).
Sturgeon 13% Scottish Government 7% Anas Sarwar 1% Keir Starmer -10 Patrick Harvie -15 Alex Cole-Hamilton -15 Lorna Slater -15 Rishi Sunak -19 Douglas Ross -21 UK Government -50 Alex Salmond -62 Boris Johnson -62
But Starmer is a net 52% better than Johnson on these figures
But that is not what your headline is contending: “Starmer starts his third year as LOTO with positive approval ratings”
He has negative ratings north of the border.
The headline referred to the whole country, not just a small part of it.
The “Scotland is not a country” gambit. How original.
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
Ah, I see you're throwing the BNP slur around again. Do be a good chap and fuck off, won't you?
Calling patriotic Scottish posters ScotNats is perfectly fine.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
So the SNP are as odious as the BNP? Thanks for clarifying that.
Most British nationalists wouldn't touch the BNP with a bargepole. Nationalist is not a dirty word.
"British nationalist" isn't a political term in any significant use, other than by Scot Nats trying to smear unionists as BNP supporters.
Yea, Scots Nats engaging in psychological projection as ever. What they want the world to believe is that their type of bigotry, division and hatred is OK.
Comments
The elusive Tory lead could finally occur today although it could also be the last be the last one for a while.
There is something rather indicative in how the one central or eastern European leader who until recently was getting any attention in the UK was Orban. All the impressive Harvard educated types are ignored as Zelensky was too.
Net favourability
Sturgeon 13%
Scottish Government 7%
Anas Sarwar 1%
Keir Starmer -10
Patrick Harvie -15
Alex Cole-Hamilton -15
Lorna Slater -15
Rishi Sunak -19
Douglas Ross -21
UK Government -50
Alex Salmond -62
Boris Johnson -62
(Savanta ComRes/The Scotsman; 14-18 January; 1,004)
The reason the Lib-Labs run token candidates in Scottish Conservative seats is not to encourage their sympathisers to vote SNP, but exactly the opposite.
I want to be trans
I am in a psychiatric hospital
MI6 will investigate
If you are alleging electoral fraud, it is beholden on you to provide the serious evidence.
Otherwise you really are no better than Donald Trump.
A shadowy foreign power forced me to allegedly snort coke and commit assault shows it isn't just Putin who's disinformation requires some contortions of logic.
SKS is a dud
No policies Blair had plebty of radical policies
No Charisma Blair had plenty
No Political Nouse Blair had it in spades
No hope Blair offered some
This is my favourite bleak photo this morning.
Del Boy watches an aircraft carrier from his amphibious Transit van.
Starmer's main success therefore has been in winning over voters who voted Labour in 2017 but LD or Conservative in 2019.
In terms of winning voters who voted Conservative in 2017 and 2019 he has been less successful and he has also lost a few voters who voted for Corbyn Labour to the Greens. That means it will likely still be a close election
He has negative ratings north of the border.
@zoltanspox
A special greeting to the Hungarians of Transcarpathia - I tell them not to grieve, to hold on - the Mother country is with them.
https://twitter.com/zoltanspox/status/1510721699528032262
Remember that episode of Yes, Minister where Hacker was driven mad by everyone telling him that he was doing all right? That. It may not be enough, but Starmer is doing all right. Or not all wrong, anyway.
Jury out.
Charisma does not equal competent governance.
Political νοῦς like Chilcot/Iraq?
Blair’s “hope” led directly to Brexit and dissolution of the Union.
I think Lab-SNP tactical voting was probably maxed out in 2019.
But, I am unconvinced that Boris will fight. Boris doesn't like to lose, and he must surely already be looking enviously at his lucrative post-PM opportunities.
I mean, furfucksake, even a completely talentless nonentity like Nick Clegg is now earning 2.7 million dollars a year.
Let's hope you are never accused of anything serious ... but if you are, I will still be arguing that the burden of proof is on your accusers.
Shows why bookies make money and I don't. Hey ho.
That said if you take the official narrative seriously you have to believe that during a bombing campaign the Moscow FSB staged an essentially identical drill/test without informing any of the authorities in Ryazan, and when this "test" was passed the Russian government initially praised the Ryazan authorities for foiling a real terrorist attack, only to change positions the next day, to it being merely a drill, when some members of the FSB were arrested.
It would be like a few days after the 7/7 bombings if the Met Police had staged a very similar attack in Manchester, the GMP had foiled it, and the Home Secretary had congratulated Manchester. The next day the GMP arrest some Met officers and the Home Secretary then says "ha ha, it was just a test".
Even if you buy the official narrative, it it still completely nuts, the disregard for public safety is extraordinary.
I hope that one day when Putin is dead a future Russian government will properly investigate the origins of the Second Chechen War.
I have no idea how this will play out, what is Putin's endgame or plan such as it was or is, or anything much else.
I do note a couple of things, that said. First that vituperation heaped upon those who do not tow, or perhaps worse still question the PB Russa-Ukraine line. Secondly, the latching onto particular twitter feeds as if they give the gospel truth.
Whether these latter do or not it is not imo a good habit to get into to so slavishly and without question treat them as the only true source of information. It smacks to me more of hope over experience (perfectly understandable but not necessarily a good analytic framework).
Election Maps says "One party has seen a pretty significant increase in their support compared to last week"...
Cabt think its the Tories so i reckon Labour up 4 or 5% to a 6 or 7% lead
Just a guess
Generally we do collectively underestimate the "strong ethnic nationalist leader" theme in countries in difficulty, despite the ample evidence that it nearly always ends badly.
The DUP won't support the Tories either unless they invoke Art 16
Hungary is some way down that road, and the election result wasn't a massive surprise.
Pre-genocide Putin would be in Boris’s ballpark.
Post-genocide Putin would likely be the perfect -100.
This week, he spends $2.9bn on buying a 9.2% stake in the company.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/04/04/twitter-shares-soar-elon-musk-takes-29bn-stake/
That was always something of an unlikely prospect.
Boris does not have the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board, his skills are in oratory and the lecture circuit.
To maximise his earnings there he needs to stay in No 10 as long as possible to get near Thatcher and Blair fees on the circuit and ideally raise his profile in the US further too at the same time
Yesterday it was the “England is not a country” gambit.
I wish you BritNats would learn some more tunes.
If you predicted the election in Hungary correctly, well done. I am only pointing out that the UK press -- from the Daily Mail to the Guardian -- did not.
And of course, I am standing up for the principle that serious allegations deserve serious evidence and then a serious investigation
Though quite how one might go about an independent investigation of such things in Hungary is an interesting question.
"... the technical skills of Clegg for a big corporate board".
But that wins the prize.
Hungary is one of Ukraine's shortest borders - Poland, Slovakia, and Romania all provide better access.
Shame.
Who would have thought there could be any weaker Candidates than Laura K
Evidence in the public domain for such a statement is scant, but I’m all ears.
Jack Dorsey is a Bitcoin maxi and plans to integrate Jack Mallers Strike payment system through Twitter. Musk also owns billions of dollars of Bitcoin.
The annual Bitcoin conference is happening in Miami this week, last year the surprise announcement was the first country (El Salvador) to announce Bitcoin as legal tender.
Other countries, possibly Honduras, are expected to make a similar announcement this week, there are also rumours of Apple Pay integration with the Lightning network.
Twitter will eventually have venmo-style payment integration via the Bitcoin lightning network and there are eyes on it eventually becoming a competitor to the likes of Western Union for immigrants sending money to the folks back home.
Amiright?
That Musk is involved with it is the one thing that makes me lose respect for him. I don't have much respect for Dorsey to lose in the first place.
Calling patriotic British posters BritNats is a foul slur.
Who’d’ve thunk that ‘Muscular Unionism’ would breed intolerance and double-standards? We’ll all have to learn to doff our caps to the British Übermenschen.
SLab could also gain up to 30-40 council seats on a good day although I am less confident of that.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or something.
Bizarre
The first time around they wanted someone who would break news and get scoops. Then it seems having interviewed a load of people the powers-that-be decided that was unrealistic so they then wanted someone who had the heft to do the analysis and explaining part of the role. And round they went again. At some point Mason, having ruled himself out, was asked to rule himself back in.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1510938199178285061
Gets lots of attention though.
What was the German busines-as-usual approach to Putin's Russia is not entirely dissimilar to their relations with Orban's Hungary.
Interesting question as to what happens next.
How Orbán played Germany, Europe’s great power
https://www.direkt36.hu/en/a-magyar-nemet-kapcsolatok-rejtett-tortenete/
I will however retain your post. I could do with a good laugh in May, just before we’re all evaporated.
https://twitter.com/blairmcdougall/status/1510866153819750400
"The papers this morning report that the SNP member who posted about me being hung from a lamp post has been suspended. Good. Now that they've set the precedent that it's wrong to talk about the execution of your opponents (a low bar, I know) let's test if they mean it"
The rhetoric is truly horrific, even by the standards of what I'm used to seeing from pro-Kremlin media
Below are a few quotes:
"Denazification is a set of measures aimed at the nazified mass of the population, which technically cannot be subjected to direct punishment as war criminals"
"However, besides the elite, a significant part of the masses of the people, who are passive nazis, are accomplices to Nazism. They have supported the Nazi authorities and indulged them..."
"...The just punishment for this part of the population is possible only as the bearing of the inevitable hardships of a just war against the Nazi system"
"The name Ukraine can seemingly not be retained as the title of any fully denazified state formation on the territory liberated from the Nazi regime"
"Denazification is inevitably also deukrainisation – a rejection of the large-scale artificial inflation of the ethnic element of self-identification of the population of the territories of the historical Malorossiya and Novorossiya begun by the Soviet authorities"
"Unlike, let’s say, Georgia or the Baltics, Ukraine, as history has shown, is unviable as a national state, and attempts to 'build' one logically lead to Nazism"
"The Banderite elite must be liquidated, its reeducation is impossible. The social 'swamp' which actively and passively supports it must undergo the hardships of war and digest the experience as a historical lesson and atonement"
https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1510898134481788930
(a) it is actually the PBTories who make that equation because ...
(b) they deny that their 'patriotism' under the UJ is actually nationalism (whether UK, 'British' or English depending on the individual)
Outside the likes of UKIP, the purest and most blood and soil political discourse I can remember is David Cameron's major Glasgow [edit] speech in advance of the 2014 referendum, and it was British nationalist from start to end by any objective analysis.
If I wanted to send $100 to El Salvador, Western Union would charge me $7.99. The idea of the lightning network is that you can convert dollar > bitcoin and back to dollar again and the transaction is instant and costs less than a cent.
Jack wants to enable that kind of remittance to happen via Twitter and I dare say that is why Musk has invested.
Is it a good investment? I don't know. Despite being around for a year in El Salvador bitcoin hasn't exactly caught on with a largely suspicious population who prefer to hoard physical dollars. However, that's the play.
It's estimated that about 1.7bn people are unbanked globally, which is a heck of an untapped market if this thing catches on.
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/trackers/keir-starmer-approval-rating