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Where do we even start? – politicalbetting.com

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  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 42,168
    ..
    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    Still not convinced that some of it isn’t a home grown effort, a creative exercise as it were. Fair play to them for giving the auld lads a bit of excitement mind..
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,424

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    Twelve posts, 19 minutes.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,303

    Sean_F said:

    https://acoup.blog/2023/06/09/fireside-friday-june-9-2023/

    @Cicero and others. I enjoyed this piece from Brett Devereaux, analysing why Russian military performance has been so poor (and the same may turn out to be true of other vaunted militaries). I also take his point that (counter-intuitively, WMD, especially nukes, save lives.)

    As a counterbalance read this from foreignaffairs.com an unwinnable war.

    https://twitter.com/Chooselife63/status/1667165236518895616?s=20
    If you’d read that piece properly you would note that it says it is also unwinnable for Russia.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,468
    carnforth said:

    Farooq said:

    viewcode said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:

    @guyverhofstadt
    Trump indicted, Johnson resigns…

    Right wing populism has failed. Fuelling anger and lies but no solutions for people.

    Time to get rid of their mouthpieces in Europe too: Le Pen, Salvini, Orbán, Wilders, AFD, VB and many others !
    https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/1667434157654327297?s=20

    If there's one thing that could make me sympathetic to Boris Johnson it's Guy Vertwatstadt sounding his mouth off.
    I have a soft spot for him. He's a complete basketcase but he sure doesn't hold back, including when he thinks his beloved EU is not living up to what he wants it to be.
    He came to our house in Uccle for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq's passepartout though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir or playing with my Scalextric. According to my late mother, he disappeared into the scullery and spontaneously started washing the dishes at about 11pm.
    For all those of you who don't speak @Dura_Ace, here is an annotation

    He (Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian liberal politician) came to our house in Uccle (a town in Belgium) for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq (another Belgian liberal politician)'s passepartout (bagman, general assistant) though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir (stuck on this one: could be anything from homework to wanking) or playing with my Scalextric (a popular toy for boys in the pre-computer days, involving toy cars and an electrified track)
    fuck is a scullery though?
    A quick look at the Wikipedia page for Uccle suggests it's easily posh enough to have houses with sculleries.

    Also, under the "Notable Inhabitants" section, one B. Johnson and family.
    Space missing there. "Not able" should be two words.
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,929
    edited June 2023
    Nick Palmer - we will have to see what happens on the battlefront and yes we need to be thinking about what comes next depending on where battlelines are. However we shouldn't ignore the economic aspect. The sanctions will in my view have a devastating effect on the Russian economy. The Saudis have tried to boost the oil price without any luck. It's not clear that Russia is making any profit on its current oil exports and it can't re-orient its gas supplies.

    So the sanctions stay (possily tightened) so long as the current leader is in power and Russia maintains its claim on Ukrainian sovereign territory. Russians tolerated Putin because he brought economic prosperity. I expect the vast majority would quite happily give up Crimea to rescue them from penury. The other territories are ones they couldn't really care less about.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198

    ..

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    Still not convinced that some of it isn’t a home grown effort, a creative exercise as it were. Fair play to them for giving the auld lads a bit of excitement mind..
    I can see the fun in taking up a contrarian, pro-Russia position. But they never seem to do it very well.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,981
    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,424

    viewcode said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:

    @guyverhofstadt
    Trump indicted, Johnson resigns…

    Right wing populism has failed. Fuelling anger and lies but no solutions for people.

    Time to get rid of their mouthpieces in Europe too: Le Pen, Salvini, Orbán, Wilders, AFD, VB and many others !
    https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/1667434157654327297?s=20

    If there's one thing that could make me sympathetic to Boris Johnson it's Guy Vertwatstadt sounding his mouth off.
    I have a soft spot for him. He's a complete basketcase but he sure doesn't hold back, including when he thinks his beloved EU is not living up to what he wants it to be.
    He came to our house in Uccle for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq's passepartout though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir or playing with my Scalextric. According to my late mother, he disappeared into the scullery and spontaneously started washing the dishes at about 11pm.
    For all those of you who don't speak @Dura_Ace, here is an annotation

    He (Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian liberal politician) came to our house in Uccle (a town in Belgium) for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq (another Belgian liberal politician)'s passepartout (bagman, general assistant) though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir (stuck on this one: could be anything from homework to wanking) or playing with my Scalextric (a popular toy for boys in the pre-computer days, involving toy cars and an electrified track)
    Devoir is homework...
    I did not know that. Now I do. So today wasn't a total waste of time. :)

  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,657
    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    Brexit ?
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,481

    Farooq said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    And that's it, that's the truth.
    It's not about whether Tories are racist and other voters aren't. You'll find racists in all walks of life. The only reason I mentioned Conservative voters is because I'm seeking the potential of negative effects that might balance the supposed positive effects HYUFD mentions. Racist Labour voters aren't the issue in this particular case because they are already not going to vote Tory, doubly so.

    I've no idea whether your 1-2% is a fair estimate or not. But it's there, it exists, and it's fiercely naive for Casino to assert otherwise.
    The Labour candidate is v ginger.
    What about the anti-ginger vote?
    I totally agree. Labour have parachuted a Starmerite duffer in from Camben, Ginger, looks more like Prince Harry than the one Sky hired this week (though that’s not saying much) Labour have already blown this election.

    However, they have been canny enough in their algorithm to put their “B Ark” campaigners onto the coach to Mid Beds, so they got that bit right.
    I'm sure your "Labour has blown it" prediction will be heartily cheering up Party headquarters.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,778

    viewcode said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:

    @guyverhofstadt
    Trump indicted, Johnson resigns…

    Right wing populism has failed. Fuelling anger and lies but no solutions for people.

    Time to get rid of their mouthpieces in Europe too: Le Pen, Salvini, Orbán, Wilders, AFD, VB and many others !
    https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/1667434157654327297?s=20

    If there's one thing that could make me sympathetic to Boris Johnson it's Guy Vertwatstadt sounding his mouth off.
    I have a soft spot for him. He's a complete basketcase but he sure doesn't hold back, including when he thinks his beloved EU is not living up to what he wants it to be.
    He came to our house in Uccle for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq's passepartout though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir or playing with my Scalextric. According to my late mother, he disappeared into the scullery and spontaneously started washing the dishes at about 11pm.
    For all those of you who don't speak @Dura_Ace, here is an annotation

    He (Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian liberal politician) came to our house in Uccle (a town in Belgium) for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq (another Belgian liberal politician)'s passepartout (bagman, general assistant) though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir (stuck on this one: could be anything from homework to wanking) or playing with my Scalextric (a popular toy for boys in the pre-computer days, involving toy cars and an electrified track)
    Devoir is homework.
    There’s no code here, although I didn’t know who Le Clercq was.

    Also, Uccle is a (prosperous) suburb of Brussels, not “a town”.
    There was quite a procession of European politicians and technocrats through that house eating my mother's roast lamb over the years. I can't really remember any of them although I am eagerly anticipating the death of a famous British one so I can tell you what my mother said about him.
  • MiklosvarMiklosvar Posts: 1,855
    Farooq said:

    viewcode said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:

    @guyverhofstadt
    Trump indicted, Johnson resigns…

    Right wing populism has failed. Fuelling anger and lies but no solutions for people.

    Time to get rid of their mouthpieces in Europe too: Le Pen, Salvini, Orbán, Wilders, AFD, VB and many others !
    https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/1667434157654327297?s=20

    If there's one thing that could make me sympathetic to Boris Johnson it's Guy Vertwatstadt sounding his mouth off.
    I have a soft spot for him. He's a complete basketcase but he sure doesn't hold back, including when he thinks his beloved EU is not living up to what he wants it to be.
    He came to our house in Uccle for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq's passepartout though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir or playing with my Scalextric. According to my late mother, he disappeared into the scullery and spontaneously started washing the dishes at about 11pm.
    For all those of you who don't speak @Dura_Ace, here is an annotation

    He (Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian liberal politician) came to our house in Uccle (a town in Belgium) for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq (another Belgian liberal politician)'s passepartout (bagman, general assistant) though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir (stuck on this one: could be anything from homework to wanking) or playing with my Scalextric (a popular toy for boys in the pre-computer days, involving toy cars and an electrified track)
    fuck is a scullery though?
    Separate room for washing the dishes in. Posh.
  • CorrectHorseBatCorrectHorseBat Posts: 1,761
    28 in SW London now
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,424
    Farooq said:

    viewcode said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:

    @guyverhofstadt
    Trump indicted, Johnson resigns…

    Right wing populism has failed. Fuelling anger and lies but no solutions for people.

    Time to get rid of their mouthpieces in Europe too: Le Pen, Salvini, Orbán, Wilders, AFD, VB and many others !
    https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/1667434157654327297?s=20

    If there's one thing that could make me sympathetic to Boris Johnson it's Guy Vertwatstadt sounding his mouth off.
    I have a soft spot for him. He's a complete basketcase but he sure doesn't hold back, including when he thinks his beloved EU is not living up to what he wants it to be.
    He came to our house in Uccle for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq's passepartout though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir or playing with my Scalextric. According to my late mother, he disappeared into the scullery and spontaneously started washing the dishes at about 11pm.
    For all those of you who don't speak @Dura_Ace, here is an annotation

    He (Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian liberal politician) came to our house in Uccle (a town in Belgium) for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq (another Belgian liberal politician)'s passepartout (bagman, general assistant) though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir (stuck on this one: could be anything from homework to wanking) or playing with my Scalextric (a popular toy for boys in the pre-computer days, involving toy cars and an electrified track)
    fuck is a scullery though?
    A room where the servants used to wash dishes and clothes. Uccle does not house the poors... :)
  • eristdooferistdoof Posts: 5,065

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    There will always 1 to 2 % of population who will find a reason not to vote for a candidate.

    Apparently you hear every so often in focus
    groups men saying we shouldn’t have women PMs simply because they might get emotional at that time of the month and make bad decisions.
    Which shows how stupid that kind of man is. Of the three female prime ministers in the UK, two were past the age in which women have monthly hormonal swings. The one who was young enough was only there for one month anyway, and I'm sure you cant put her bad decisions down to the time of the month!
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,424
    edited June 2023
    [deleted: subject is already dead]
  • boulayboulay Posts: 5,558

    GIN1138 said:

    I take it with all these threads by TSE that OGH is holiday?

    We should have known the shit was going to his the fan big time... 😂

    It’s going to be a nice quiet weekend topping up the tan. Everything will be nice and quiet. Cocktails in the sun. No need for PB. No need for Malmesbury to get his Davey Crocket out. Not that there is any kind of day that actually needs Malmesbury to get his Davey Crocket out.
    Reminds me of a joke I loved when I was little.

    How many ears did Davey Crocket have?

    3, his left ear, his right ear and his wild front ear.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,679
    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,401
    MattW said:

    Eabhal said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    Do you have any recommendations for a small corded vaccuum cleaner? I don't have the budget for a fancy dyson cordless one.
    I got a Black and Decker as my flatmate refused to countenance a Brexit-supporting Dyson. It’s OK. It’s not as good as a Dyson.
    Dyson have an Outlet site, which includes older models too, which might help.
    https://www.dyson.co.uk/outlet
    Finding this bizarre in view of TUD;s earlier, and presumably unconnected, comments on what Brexiters do with their vacuum-cleaners.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 43,504

    28 in SW London now

    I just went for a six-mile stroll around the village, and it was just about at the level where walking was still comfortable. A few degrees warmer and it would be in the uncomfortable realm.

    Incidentally, one of the things they got right when building this village/town was creating a five-mile off-road boundary path, which crosses just two significant roads. All new developments should have similar.
  • FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,929

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
    There are rumours of Wagner mercenaries raping Russian troops. Have they been corrupted by western LGBTQI ideology?
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,319
    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    He is smarter than them, which doesn’t help as well.
  • Alphabet_SoupAlphabet_Soup Posts: 3,325

    viewcode said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:

    @guyverhofstadt
    Trump indicted, Johnson resigns…

    Right wing populism has failed. Fuelling anger and lies but no solutions for people.

    Time to get rid of their mouthpieces in Europe too: Le Pen, Salvini, Orbán, Wilders, AFD, VB and many others !
    https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/1667434157654327297?s=20

    If there's one thing that could make me sympathetic to Boris Johnson it's Guy Vertwatstadt sounding his mouth off.
    I have a soft spot for him. He's a complete basketcase but he sure doesn't hold back, including when he thinks his beloved EU is not living up to what he wants it to be.
    He came to our house in Uccle for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq's passepartout though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir or playing with my Scalextric. According to my late mother, he disappeared into the scullery and spontaneously started washing the dishes at about 11pm.
    For all those of you who don't speak @Dura_Ace, here is an annotation

    He (Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian liberal politician) came to our house in Uccle (a town in Belgium) for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq (another Belgian liberal politician)'s passepartout (bagman, general assistant) though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir (stuck on this one: could be anything from homework to wanking) or playing with my Scalextric (a popular toy for boys in the pre-computer days, involving toy cars and an electrified track)
    Devoir is homework.
    There’s no code here, although I didn’t know who Le Clercq was.

    Also, Uccle is a (prosperous) suburb of Brussels, not “a town”.
    So @Dura_Ace is The Man From Uccle. No wonder he's given to feats of derring-do.
  • mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,671
    boulay said:

    GIN1138 said:

    I take it with all these threads by TSE that OGH is holiday?

    We should have known the shit was going to his the fan big time... 😂

    It’s going to be a nice quiet weekend topping up the tan. Everything will be nice and quiet. Cocktails in the sun. No need for PB. No need for Malmesbury to get his Davey Crocket out. Not that there is any kind of day that actually needs Malmesbury to get his Davey Crocket out.
    Reminds me of a joke I loved when I was little.

    How many ears did Davey Crocket have?

    3, his left ear, his right ear and his wild front ear.
    I'm fairly certain that one made it into the Crack a Joke Book (or one of the other 2 in that series.) The bible of humour for 6yos in the late 70s.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,319
    edited June 2023
    Although not that smart.

    Tim Bale on Twitter has noted that if Sunak had any sense, he would have waited until after the Privileges Committee report to agree Johnson’s honours list.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,401
    carnforth said:

    Farooq said:

    viewcode said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    kle4 said:

    HYUFD said:

    @guyverhofstadt
    Trump indicted, Johnson resigns…

    Right wing populism has failed. Fuelling anger and lies but no solutions for people.

    Time to get rid of their mouthpieces in Europe too: Le Pen, Salvini, Orbán, Wilders, AFD, VB and many others !
    https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/1667434157654327297?s=20

    If there's one thing that could make me sympathetic to Boris Johnson it's Guy Vertwatstadt sounding his mouth off.
    I have a soft spot for him. He's a complete basketcase but he sure doesn't hold back, including when he thinks his beloved EU is not living up to what he wants it to be.
    He came to our house in Uccle for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq's passepartout though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir or playing with my Scalextric. According to my late mother, he disappeared into the scullery and spontaneously started washing the dishes at about 11pm.
    For all those of you who don't speak @Dura_Ace, here is an annotation

    He (Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian liberal politician) came to our house in Uccle (a town in Belgium) for a dinner party when he was Willy De Clercq (another Belgian liberal politician)'s passepartout (bagman, general assistant) though I have no recollection of it as I was 10 and was probably doing my devoir (stuck on this one: could be anything from homework to wanking) or playing with my Scalextric (a popular toy for boys in the pre-computer days, involving toy cars and an electrified track)
    fuck is a scullery though?
    A quick look at the Wikipedia page for Uccle suggests it's easily posh enough to have houses with sculleries.

    Also, under the "Notable Inhabitants" section, one B. Johnson and family.
    Depends how old you are. My grandma lived above the shop (admittedly a fairly solid sort of shop) and had a scullery for the washing up and mucky kitchen work such as potato peeling, but then much of the kitchen proper was taken up by a coal-fired cast iron range anyway for the cooking and hot water.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,955
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Eabhal said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    Do you have any recommendations for a small corded vaccuum cleaner? I don't have the budget for a fancy dyson cordless one.
    I got a Black and Decker as my flatmate refused to countenance a Brexit-supporting Dyson. It’s OK. It’s not as good as a Dyson.
    Dyson have an Outlet site, which includes older models too, which might help.
    https://www.dyson.co.uk/outlet
    Finding this bizarre in view of TUD;s earlier, and presumably unconnected, comments on what Brexiters do with their vacuum-cleaners.
    ...
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,424

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
    There are rumours of Wagner mercenaries raping Russian troops. Have they been corrupted by western LGBTQI ideology?
    The use of male-on-male rape to establish a hierarchy in Russian or Russian-aligned armies is unfortunately very well established. You don't want the details.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,871
    edited June 2023
    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    On topic I think Chris Bryant is indulging in wishful thinking. As I posted last night, the HoC library is explict that an MP, even one who is expelled from Parliament, can immediately stand again. One MP was expelled 3 times (for different offences) and stood and won again on each occasion.

    I would like to see Johnson simply disappear but that isn't going to happen and I can easily see him making a comeback some time in the future as the supposed 'saviour' of the Tory party.

    Isn't the point that is being made that if he stood again and was elected as an MP he'd immediately be suspended for 10 days and liable to a local petition for a recall which would immediately lead to another election.
    I suspect he would be able to claim that, having been outside of Parliament for much longer than the 10 day suspension he had already effectively been through the recall process. The electors would have chosen him in full knowledge of his verdict. I don't want to see him back but I think he would win any argument on that basis. All the more so if it is a couple of years down the line.

    Remember he sees himself as Churchill so I do think he is playing the long game here. He will disassociate himself from the forthcoming Tory GE defeat and then watch Starmer struggle to make any real impact on the problems the country is facing. Then a nice safe seat for the King over the Water to slip into.

    Except Boris will be 64 by the election after next, and probably not a fit sprightly 64 at that. He'll also be bald as a coot, which matters for Boris. The hair is his brand.

    I'm sure returning from the wilderness is the story he will tell himself. I'm sure he will collect some deluded followers that way. But it is a delusion, and one that will harm the Conservatives until it finally dies.

    Parliament and the public had better blooming well see that report, though.
    When you get older losing your hair
    Many years from now
    Will you still impregnate other people's wives?
    Spreading Covid ruining lives?

    If your barbecue got out of hand
    Sick upon the floor
    Will we still need you, will we still feed you
    When you're sixty-four
    I read the news today, oh boy
    About a thicko man who quit his job
    And though the news was rather fab
    Well, I just had to laugh
    I saw the photograph
    He blew his beans in Princess Nut
    He didn't notice she's a lunatic
    A crowd of people stood and stared
    They'd seen his face before
    Nobody was really sure if he was selling Channel Four

    I saw a film today, oh boy
    The English voters chose the Brexit path
    A crowd of people believed me
    But I just had to cough
    I lied my head off

    Woke up, fell out of bed
    Dragged a broom across my head
    Found my way downstairs and drank a rum
    And looking dumb, I noticed I was late
    Found my coat and grabbed my hat
    Made cabinet in seconds flat
    Found my way upstairs and had a wank
    And somebody spoke and I went into a dream

    I read the news today, oh boy
    Four thousand dead in some old people's home
    And though the dead were rather old
    They had to count them all
    Now they know how many dead it takes to fill the Albert Hall
    I'm not sure I'd be rolling around laughing even if I were familiar with the source material.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,147
    .

    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    Yes, there are some unusual aspects though concerning the Hindu vote in Leicester. There was a major purge of sitting councillors who tried to vote to end the directly elected mayor role, and it is a bit opaque what all that was about. I think that the dislike of Mayor Soulsby is partly that he is fairly classically Old Labour, but also because of his reaction to the Hindutva street disturbances last September.

    There was also the fracas when Corbyn parachuted Webbe into Keith Vaz's old seat. A lot of locals objected quite strongly and went over to the Conservatives.

    There is a lot of support for Modi amongst Leicester Hindus, who quite like his Hindu nationalist policies, but to offset that there is a particular dislike of it from Leicester's secular Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, who are also numerous.

    Overall, I would expect the small number of racists in the country who moved to REFUK and similar when Sunak was coronation to offset the pro-Hindutva vote for Sunak, to net out nationally, though there may be some constituencies where one side is more prominent.
    An interesting seat to me is Harrow East, which I suspect the Conservatives will hold, on the basis of what is now a huge Indian Conservative vote. Bob Blackman was ahead of the curve, by cultivating that community, over the course of thirty years. Brent North might also move back into play, at some point.

    There always was an Indian Conservative vote in both seats, but in the 90's and 00's, demographic change outpaced the growth of that vote. Now, that vote seems to have grown sufficiently to outpace demographic change.
    Professional Indians that I've worked with can be very right-wing.
    Thankfully their children less so.
    Takes a generation to assimilate properly.
    Yes, I think that fair comment too. The fanatical Hindutvas tend to be first and to a lesser degree second generation migrants.

  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,481

    28 in SW London now

    Only a couple of decades since reaching 30°C anywhere in the UK during the entire year was less common than not doing.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,647
    A psephological interjection. June polling so far mixed for the Tories, several polls showing them down on previous. The Deltapoll with Tories slashing the Labour lead by three (I can explain BJO) is pure Dutch Salute, as Tory share went backward.

    Based on this trend I only have the Tories improving by 1 in next Opinium, to 29% and deficit of 13.

    My theory of Opinium is that they are unfavourable to Tories. If they didn’t have swingback built in they would probably average about 26 same as yougov and Omnisis give Tories. Then again unfavourable might be the wrong word, and accurate the right one, in what Mike Smithson calls battle between proven pollsters and newbies, perhaps the Tories would poll mid twenties if there was an election today - perhaps that’s the level they are currently stuck on with Sunak.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,401
    Eabhal said:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Eabhal said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    Do you have any recommendations for a small corded vaccuum cleaner? I don't have the budget for a fancy dyson cordless one.
    I got a Black and Decker as my flatmate refused to countenance a Brexit-supporting Dyson. It’s OK. It’s not as good as a Dyson.
    Dyson have an Outlet site, which includes older models too, which might help.
    https://www.dyson.co.uk/outlet
    Finding this bizarre in view of TUD;s earlier, and presumably unconnected, comments on what Brexiters do with their vacuum-cleaners.
    ...
    BTW were you after one of the little ones, or the kind which looks like a warlock's broomstick? Which has just done a piece on vacs, the latter I think.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,871
    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    Clearly it plays into it with you, or you wouldn't have mentioned it.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,147
    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    edited June 2023
    viewcode said:

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
    There are rumours of Wagner mercenaries raping Russian troops. Have they been corrupted by western LGBTQI ideology?
    The use of male-on-male rape to establish a hierarchy in Russian or Russian-aligned armies is unfortunately very well established. You don't want the details.
    Sounds like Eton.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,871
    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Subsequent events have proved them extremely wise.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,319
    I think qualifying PB contributors should be tagged with “I supported Boris”.

    Only BartyBobbins is open about it, so far as I can tell.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,401
    edited June 2023
    biggles said:

    viewcode said:

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
    There are rumours of Wagner mercenaries raping Russian troops. Have they been corrupted by western LGBTQI ideology?
    The use of male-on-male rape to establish a hierarchy in Russian or Russian-aligned armies is unfortunately very well established. You don't want the details.
    Sounds like Eton.
    ... [alas, corrected in time]
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,647

    Although not that smart.

    Tim Bale on Twitter has noted that if Sunak had any sense, he would have waited until after the Privileges Committee report to agree Johnson’s honours list.

    As the smoke clears, Sunak and his team will look like a lemon for the mess they have made of this. They have put themselves too much on the side of the Nad Blocking Johnson Ousting for many Tories.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,713
    Farooq said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    And that's it, that's the truth.
    It's not about whether Tories are racist and other voters aren't. You'll find racists in all walks of life. The only reason I mentioned Conservative voters is because I'm seeking the potential of negative effects that might balance the supposed positive effects HYUFD mentions. Racist Labour voters aren't the issue in this particular case because they are already not going to vote Tory, doubly so.

    I've no idea whether your 1-2% is a fair estimate or not. But it's there, it exists, and it's fiercely naive for Casino to assert otherwise.
    Your contention was that this would be material in Uxbridge because Christians, atheists and Muslim Conservatives would change their vote because the PM was a brown-skinned Hindu.

    This was shown up to be the utter nonsense it is.

    Now, you're changing the goalposts with a bit of deflection tactics in a desperate attempt not to lose face.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,303
    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541

    Leeds United is another national asset sold to America.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65863200

    As a fan of both the 49ers and Ipswich Town I see conflicted loyalties in the second tier next season. Still, it means I can't lose.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,955
    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    edited June 2023
    Carnyx said:

    biggles said:

    viewcode said:

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
    There are rumours of Wagner mercenaries raping Russian troops. Have they been corrupted by western LGBTQI ideology?
    The use of male-on-male rape to establish a hierarchy in Russian or Russian-aligned armies is unfortunately very well established. You don't want the details.
    Sounds like Eton.
    Water Eaton or Woodeaton? Dangerous folk, those Oxford rustics.
    Shhhh - you’re drawing attention to my earlier typo. I don’t want anyone to know I initially wrote “Eaton” because it will make me look common.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,319
    biggles said:

    Carnyx said:

    biggles said:

    viewcode said:

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
    There are rumours of Wagner mercenaries raping Russian troops. Have they been corrupted by western LGBTQI ideology?
    The use of male-on-male rape to establish a hierarchy in Russian or Russian-aligned armies is unfortunately very well established. You don't want the details.
    Sounds like Eton.
    Water Eaton or Woodeaton? Dangerous folk, those Oxford rustics.
    Shhhh - you’re drawing attention to my earlier typo. I don’t want anyone to know I initially wrote “Eaton” because it will make me look common.
    I had a geography teacher called Mrs Eaton.
    I doubt she was into male-on-male rape, but you never know.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198

    I think qualifying PB contributors should be tagged with “I supported Boris”.

    Only BartyBobbins is open about it, so far as I can tell.

    Oh I’m very happy to tell you I was then, and remain now, incredibly grateful for him forcing Brexit through. I take the long view on anything else he did or didn’t do, as anything can be tweaked by future Governments now. I also think he was useful when Ukraine happened in stopping us hesitating.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    Eabhal said:

    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?

    What makes you say it worked against the Taliban outside of immediate close air support….?
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,147
    edited June 2023
    Eabhal said:

    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?

    It does look that airpower is used sparingly in this war, with neither side doing much in the way of sorties over enemy held territory.

    Notable too that the larger drones like the Bayrakhtar are also not being used much now either. It seems land based air defences have become quite dominant.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198

    biggles said:

    Carnyx said:

    biggles said:

    viewcode said:

    biggles said:

    What do those trolls think they are achieving? I thought the GRU was better than this. You have to play the long game chaps. Infiltrate this site with quality material on eating out, cricket, steam trains, and obscure political trivia from the 50s; and then spend 30% of your time arguing over trans issues. Get those things right and you can then say any old #### and be listened to. You might even get a thread header.

    I read that it is so they can say in Russia that on Western message boards Western posters are hating aggression from Ukraine and the support for Ukraine is only from the leaders.

    Throw in gay rights etc
    There are rumours of Wagner mercenaries raping Russian troops. Have they been corrupted by western LGBTQI ideology?
    The use of male-on-male rape to establish a hierarchy in Russian or Russian-aligned armies is unfortunately very well established. You don't want the details.
    Sounds like Eton.
    Water Eaton or Woodeaton? Dangerous folk, those Oxford rustics.
    Shhhh - you’re drawing attention to my earlier typo. I don’t want anyone to know I initially wrote “Eaton” because it will make me look common.
    I had a geography teacher called Mrs Eaton.
    I doubt she was into male-on-male rape, but you never know.
    There’s enough her for a low rent podcast.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,647
    Eabhal said:

    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?

    I think it’s a mystery to some commentators Russia not using AirPower more. Maybe just internal politics where airforce leader is just very forceful around the decision table?

    So we could use it as sign Russia struggling and in trouble if suddenly start to use AirPower more?
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,319
    biggles said:

    I think qualifying PB contributors should be tagged with “I supported Boris”.

    Only BartyBobbins is open about it, so far as I can tell.

    Oh I’m very happy to tell you I was then, and remain now, incredibly grateful for him forcing Brexit through. I take the long view on anything else he did or didn’t do, as anything can be tweaked by future Governments now. I also think he was useful when Ukraine happened in stopping us hesitating.
    I guess “Biggles” (like “CasinoRoyale”) was a tell.
  • CorrectHorseBatCorrectHorseBat Posts: 1,761
    It's okay to admit you made a mistake in backing Johnson, we did with Corbyn.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt him uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non
    Eabhal said:

    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?

    It does look that airpower is used sparingly in this war, with neither side doing much in the way of sorties over enemy held territory.

    Notable too that the larger drones like the Bayrakhtar are also not being used much now either. It seems land based air defences have become quite dominant.
    Neither side has air supremacy though, or even evident air superiority. Which goes back to poor Russian training and maintenance it would seem, given the numbers.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,694
    DougSeal said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If I were Davey, I’d be wary of what happened in 1997.
    1997? When the GE more than doubled the Lib Dems’ seat total?
    Thinking more of the alliance idea when Blair wasnt sure of winning.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,319

    It's okay to admit you made a mistake in backing Johnson, we did with Corbyn.

    Both were obviously dangerous frauds, though.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    edited June 2023

    biggles said:

    I think qualifying PB contributors should be tagged with “I supported Boris”.

    Only BartyBobbins is open about it, so far as I can tell.

    Oh I’m very happy to tell you I was then, and remain now, incredibly grateful for him forcing Brexit through. I take the long view on anything else he did or didn’t do, as anything can be tweaked by future Governments now. I also think he was useful when Ukraine happened in stopping us hesitating.
    I guess “Biggles” (like “CasinoRoyale”) was a tell.
    Worth noting I am not, have never been, and never would be a Tory Party member or member of any other party, so my “support” is pretty irrelevant.
  • MiklosvarMiklosvar Posts: 1,855
    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    And a double stab in the back myth.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,955
    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?

    What makes you say it worked against the Taliban outside of immediate close air support….?
    Heh. But at least you could fly a plane over Afghanistan - Ukraine is basically a NFZ for everyone now. Would that be the same for a 2nd Falklands conflict? Iran, North Korea? What has changed since the Gulf War?
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,871
    edited June 2023
    ...

    It's okay to admit you made a mistake in backing Johnson, we did with Corbyn.

    Both were obviously dangerous frauds, though.
    Dangerous could be applied to both (from a certain perspective) and Johnson certainly has an element of fraud to his public persona, but I wouldn't apply the charge of being a fraud to Corbyn.
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,714

    Firstly, are you OK?


    Er, what on earth is that? Is it satire?
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,714

    Firstly, are you OK?


    Er, what on earth is that? Is it satire?
    Oh got it. The Phillip Schofield thing.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?

    What makes you say it worked against the Taliban outside of immediate close air support….?
    Heh. But at least you could fly a plane over Afghanistan - Ukraine is basically a NFZ for everyone now. Would that be the same for a 2nd Falklands conflict? Iran, North Korea? What has changed since the Gulf War?
    In this case, Ukrainian access to Patriot (backed with western intelligence and possibly radar data?) is a game changer that few countries could rely on. I doubt any airforce could fly over it reliably at high altitude in the way we often do elsewhere.
  • glwglw Posts: 9,956

    Interesting contrast:

    Boris brought down over the party stupidity.

    Trump still going strong despite endless criminality and attempting to overthrown democracy.

    One of the reasons I dislike the Britain Trump or "he's just like Trump" rubbish is not because Boris deserves any credit, but because Trump is far worse than Boris and we shouldn't ever downplay it by comparing Trump with a more run-of-the-mill fool. If only Trump was merely a philandering, dishonest, lazy idiot, unfortunately he is far worse than that with a very dark authoritarian streak that is nothing like Boris.
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,714
    Farooq said:

    Firstly, are you OK?


    Er, what on earth is that? Is it satire?
    Googled it: it's satire based on Holly Willoughby's first day back after Schofield left.
    EDIT: you got it before me
    It's a terrible sign of the times that I actually entertained the possibility of it being a genuine Rishi press release.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    glw said:

    Interesting contrast:

    Boris brought down over the party stupidity.

    Trump still going strong despite endless criminality and attempting to overthrown democracy.

    One of the reasons I dislike the Britain Trump or "he's just like Trump" rubbish is not because Boris deserves any credit, but because Trump is far worse than Boris and we shouldn't ever downplay it by comparing Trump with a more run-of-the-mill fool. If only Trump was merely a philandering, dishonest, lazy idiot, unfortunately he is far worse than that with a very dark authoritarian streak that is nothing like Boris.
    Yup. Like him or loath him, Boris is (well) within the bounds of normal democratic politics. Trump is not.
  • glwglw Posts: 9,956
    edited June 2023

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    No of course not. We want all the fighting age men of Russia to be slaughtered.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    glw said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    No of course not. We want all the fighting age men of Russia to be slaughtered.
    Except for the ones fighting for the independent Russian republics emerging on the border, which have nothing whatever to do with Ukraine.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,424

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
    There's a challenge. Here y'go, PB: which politician from another country would you draft in to be PM? Double points if not American. Stephen Harper? Sanna Marin? Leo Varadkar?
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 11,491
    biggles said:

    glw said:

    Interesting contrast:

    Boris brought down over the party stupidity.

    Trump still going strong despite endless criminality and attempting to overthrown democracy.

    One of the reasons I dislike the Britain Trump or "he's just like Trump" rubbish is not because Boris deserves any credit, but because Trump is far worse than Boris and we shouldn't ever downplay it by comparing Trump with a more run-of-the-mill fool. If only Trump was merely a philandering, dishonest, lazy idiot, unfortunately he is far worse than that with a very dark authoritarian streak that is nothing like Boris.
    Yup. Like him or loath him, Boris is (well) within the bounds of normal democratic politics. Trump is not.
    Can the truth be in between? Johnson isn't as bad as Trump, but he is beyond democratic norms. His resignation statement goes beyond familiar democratic politics in its degree of mendacity and conspiratorial thinking.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,778
    Eabhal said:

    DA, if you are still about:

    Is the lesson from Ukraine that an air force is largely redundant unless you're bombing insurgents like the Taliban?

    I wouldn’t say redundant but the ability to exploit air power (particularly tactical and CAS) in the SMO is limited by the sheer panoply of AD systems now in theatre and the fact that the AFU and RF (And UK. LOL. Thanks, tories) have very little capacity to supress or destroy enemy AD systems. There is also the ever present danger of being shot down by your own side (which the AFU and RF have done multiple times) because both sides are operating the same types.
  • glwglw Posts: 9,956
    biggles said:

    glw said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    No of course not. We want all the fighting age men of Russia to be slaughtered.
    Except for the ones fighting for the independent Russian republics emerging on the border, which have nothing whatever to do with Ukraine.
    Good point, spare them. But otherwise we want the Russian ability to wage war reduced as much as possible, and that does mean killing a hell of a lot of Russians.
  • CorrectHorseBatCorrectHorseBat Posts: 1,761
    glw said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    No of course not. We want all the fighting age men of Russia to be slaughtered.
    I don't wish for anyone to be slaughtered, personally.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,319
    Sunak’s government is now the lamest of ducks.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,694

    glw said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    No of course not. We want all the fighting age men of Russia to be slaughtered.
    I don't wish for anyone to be slaughtered, personally.
    Quite. The challenge is how to achieve that. It’s the eternal problem in wars. Pretty sure most Brits in WW2 didn’t want people slaughtered but there comes a point where you have to fight. And sometimes some people end up dead to save the lives of many more.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198

    biggles said:

    glw said:

    Interesting contrast:

    Boris brought down over the party stupidity.

    Trump still going strong despite endless criminality and attempting to overthrown democracy.

    One of the reasons I dislike the Britain Trump or "he's just like Trump" rubbish is not because Boris deserves any credit, but because Trump is far worse than Boris and we shouldn't ever downplay it by comparing Trump with a more run-of-the-mill fool. If only Trump was merely a philandering, dishonest, lazy idiot, unfortunately he is far worse than that with a very dark authoritarian streak that is nothing like Boris.
    Yup. Like him or loath him, Boris is (well) within the bounds of normal democratic politics. Trump is not.
    Can the truth be in between? Johnson isn't as bad as Trump, but he is beyond democratic norms. His resignation statement goes beyond familiar democratic politics in its degree of mendacity and conspiratorial thinking.
    Can I introduce you to David Lloyd-George and Jeremy Thorpe?
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,591
    Scott_xP said:

    @PickardJE

    according to @YouGov snap poll

    46% of 2019 Conservative voters say Johnson was right to quit while only 33% say he was wrong

    Ouch - that one will sting.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 28,443
    Miklosvar said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    And a double stab in the back myth.
    Also, Rishi is not very tall which seems to trigger some people. And he wears American ties.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,981
    viewcode said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
    There's a challenge. Here y'go, PB: which politician from another country would you draft in to be PM? Double points if not American. Stephen Harper? Sanna Marin? Leo Varadkar?
    Emmanuel Macron or Michel Barnier.
  • Another one bits the dust, it's by-election fever...
  • CorrectHorseBatCorrectHorseBat Posts: 1,761

    glw said:

    Do people on this site really want all the fighting age men of ukraine to be slaughtered.

    No of course not. We want all the fighting age men of Russia to be slaughtered.
    I don't wish for anyone to be slaughtered, personally.
    Quite. The challenge is how to achieve that. It’s the eternal problem in wars. Pretty sure most Brits in WW2 didn’t want people slaughtered but there comes a point where you have to fight. And sometimes some people end up dead to save the lives of many more.
    I agree with the principle. But the language used in the initial post I didn't, we should not be aiming to slaughter anyone, the point should be as few casualties as possible. It was a very American-feeling post, "slaughter the bastards", I strongly oppose that kind of thing.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,156

    I think qualifying PB contributors should be tagged with “I supported Boris”.

    Only BartyBobbins is open about it, so far as I can tell.

    [Sunil nervously puts his hand up] I voted Boris for London Mayor in 2008 and 2012. In fact, 2008 was the first time I voted Tory.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,981
    Nigel Adams stands down with immediate effect.
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,478
    edited June 2023
    I've never thought Boris was remotely like Trump. Until last night. His lengthy, hyperbolic statement on his resignation was pure conspiracist nonsense, taking a swipe at a range of targets and evading any personal responsibility for his downfall. This included seeking to blame Parliament, Harman and the Privileges Committee, some Tory backbenchers, Sue Gray, Sunak, and, of course 'remainers' seeking to overturn Brexit. Utter nonsense.

    All that was missing was the capital letters.
  • CorrectHorseBatCorrectHorseBat Posts: 1,761
    What on Earth is going on in the Tories? Even under Corbyn people were not resigning as MPs like this
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198
    viewcode said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
    There's a challenge. Here y'go, PB: which politician from another country would you draft in to be PM? Double points if not American. Stephen Harper? Sanna Marin? Leo Varadkar?
    Current? Mark Rutte.
  • Are we seriously getting minimum four by-elections this summer? Let joy be unconfined.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,981
    Last result
  • What on Earth is going on in the Tories? Even under Corbyn people were not resigning as MPs like this

    Adams was standing down at the next GE anyway, so I assume he's just being a drama queen.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,778
    viewcode said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
    There's a challenge. Here y'go, PB: which politician from another country would you draft in to be PM? Double points if not American. Stephen Harper? Sanna Marin? Leo Varadkar?
    Julius Malema
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,156

    Nigel Adams stands down with immediate effect.

    Who?
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198

    Miklosvar said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    And a double stab in the back myth.
    Also, Rishi is not very tall which seems to trigger some people. And he wears American ties.
    The latter is, of course, unforgivable. I hadn’t noticed it but shall now amend my voting intentions accordingly.
  • viewcode said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
    There's a challenge. Here y'go, PB: which politician from another country would you draft in to be PM? Double points if not American. Stephen Harper? Sanna Marin? Leo Varadkar?
    Gustavo Petro
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198

    Are we seriously getting minimum four by-elections this summer? Let joy be unconfined.

    We’re very close to Recess. I think they can be delayed well into the Autumn now if so desired. Depends what Rishi thinks. Lose some now and hope they get forgotten, or hope to have recovered some more my October and use some wins to boost the troops?
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,478

    Nigel Adams stands down with immediate effect.

    That's a huge loss.
    Who is he?
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 6,198

    viewcode said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
    There's a challenge. Here y'go, PB: which politician from another country would you draft in to be PM? Double points if not American. Stephen Harper? Sanna Marin? Leo Varadkar?
    Emmanuel Macron or Michel Barnier.
    I know you’re just trying to wind us up, but is there a vomit emoji on here?
  • A minimum of 4 by-elections this summer. At what point do you say “sod it” and call a General Election instead?
  • AramintaMoonbeamQCAramintaMoonbeamQC Posts: 3,855
    edited June 2023
    biggles said:

    Are we seriously getting minimum four by-elections this summer? Let joy be unconfined.

    We’re very close to Recess. I think they can be delayed well into the Autumn now if so desired. Depends what Rishi thinks. Lose some now and hope they get forgotten, or hope to have recovered some more my October and use some wins to boost the troops?
    I was hoping we'd get the Rutherglen one at least. I need the entertainment.

    Apparently Boris nommed him for a peerage, but HOLAC knocked it back, so he's flouncing.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,981
    biggles said:

    viewcode said:

    Foxy said:

    kinabalu said:

    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    ping said:

    HYUFD said:

    That Starmer email. No mention of Mid Beds ...

    https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1667448668360695808

    As I said:
    Its been reported quite widely that Starmer and Davey get on very well and have conversations. So I assume that they have already Tehran Conferenced the coming byelections:
    Rutherglen: Labour
    Mid Beds: LibDems
    Uxbridge: Labour
    If the Tories pick a local councillor in nearly 10% Hindu Uxbridge they could even win it under Rishi.

    Would be amusing if Labour lost Uxbridge but the LDs won Mid Beds which I think is possible.

    Leaving Labour's only gain from the SNP not the Tories in Rutherglen
    I don’t know what is more sad.

    Your assumption that Hindus will vote, as a block, for a Hindu, or the fact that your assumption is probably correct.

    Our politics shouldn’t work like this.
    Leicester has the highest Hindu percentage of voters in the UK and the Tories had their best result in the local elections in the UK by far in Leicester in May gaining 17 seats from Labour. Hindus may only be less than 2% of the UK population but for them having one of their own as UK PM is as big as Obama being US President was for African Americans. Where the Hindu population is well above average there may even be a swing to the Conservatives while Rishi is PM

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2023/england/councils/E06000016
    And do you think the opposite could be true? Voters who see brown-skinned Hindu and change their vote from Conservative to something else? Given that Hindus are outnumbered in Uxbridge by Christians, atheists, and Muslims, do you think the PM's ethnicity and religion could count more against than for him?
    No.
    You've never met a racist? Lucky you.
    You desperately want all Conservatives or Conservative-inclined voters to be racist because this would conveniently fit your world view.

    Unfortunately for you, it's not true; your prejudices are just that.
    Not all, but do you think there might be a minority, perhaps 1-2% of the country, who won't vote for a non-white PM?
    The visceral dislike of Rishi Sunak on the right of the Tory Party is quite something. Does his ethnicity play into this in some way? I'd hope not but I think it probably does.
    My parents voted for Truss in the leadership contest because they felt Sunak uncommitted to this country. I don't think this so much racism as his Green card and Non-Dom wife, properties in California, and his comment that if it hadn't been for his political career he would have stayed in California.
    Perhaps we should double-down on not being committed to this country and draft in a political equivalent of Sven-Göran Eriksson to run the government?
    There's a challenge. Here y'go, PB: which politician from another country would you draft in to be PM? Double points if not American. Stephen Harper? Sanna Marin? Leo Varadkar?
    Emmanuel Macron or Michel Barnier.
    I know you’re just trying to wind us up, but is there a vomit emoji on here?
    I admire both.

    I really do,
This discussion has been closed.