The cost of employing someone on the minimum wage rises by £2,367 this year
All thanks to Reeves disastrous budget.
This will have a dramatic impact on the jobs market and wages. The money has to come from somewhere. Corbynites just cry ‘take it from profits’. Why should they ?
That "The King should dissolve parliament" post from Musk.
"Who also thinks the KING should Dissolve Parliament and order a General Election be called for the sake and security of the country?
The King must ACT before it is too late!"
"Yes", agrees Musk. The King should set aside the recent clear election win for the government because reasons.
Flip it over.
Who also thinks that PRESIDENT BIDEN should throw out the 2024 Presidential Election and order a fresh election be called for the sake and security of the country.
The President must ACT before it is too late!
Musk: That would be an outrageous undemocratic abuse of power.
The rouble is having fun again this morning! What a funny-looking graph, would love to see the actual size of the market so we could guesstimate just how many Greenbacks the RCB is having to throw at it, Greenbacks that are in somewhat short supply in Moscow. When someone makes the call to stop propping up the rouble, the crash will be quite spectacular.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
It quite surprising that Farage, alongside other well-known-in-America British commentators on the child abuse issue such as Konstantin Kisin and JK Rowling, haven’t been all over Twitter in the last 48 hours saying they want nothing to do with “Tommy” and that he belongs in prison.
“Tommy” appears to have something of an American fan club, his supporters have done an apparently good job of getting his name known over there as someone who stands up for free speech, as opposed to someone who has nearly caused a number of trials to be abandoned and is in prison for disobeying a court order to stop libelling people.
When the Civil Disobedience that Musk and Robinson clearly want to reoccur occurs, Farage (as before with his deliberate and calculted intervention) and now Badenoch with her fatal error of judgement in going against not only her recently departed Government policy, which Labout is only enacting) will be tainted with the fact that they are complicit in stoking up the tension.
If it turns in to a "civil war" of kind on the streets of our Towns and Cities and our Properties; Cultures , Emergency Services and actual fabric of our democracy is put under threat, where does she think (I discount Farage as he is 100% a political opportunist that is his sole policy) that is going to leave her in the eyes of the vast majority of Public Opinion.
THE UK at WAR, and this will be a war, have absolutly no doubt has an inbuilt tendency to support the DEMOCRATICALLY elected Government - whether they are popular or NOT....All she will do is to turn the Tory Party in to Reform / Fascist Light!
The moderate One Nation wing of the Tory Party will 100% no doubt split and seek to take her and her zealots down!
The Mail / Telegraph / Express will revert to type and support the Fascists and we are potentially looking at this Country being targetted and attacked as never before from MAGA / MUSK and trojan horses and Traitors within....
Starmer showed real leadership and balls in August and can do so again.
His first move should be to speak to the Germans and French - equally threatened by Musk and to formulate a plan to neuter him!
The way to neuter Musk is to be a competent government and unfortunately this government is falling a long way short
(Snip)
That would help, but Musky Baby is perfectly willing to lie or dissemble to achieve what he wants - as we see with his ramping of Tommy Robinson. Virtually every time I go on the 'For You' tab on Twitter now, I get the latest 'musings' from Musk or Trump at, or near, the top. There seems to be very little 'truth' or 'fact' involved.
His usage of Twix in this manner is hurting Britain. Sadly, some so-called patriots on here seem to quite like the country being hurt - as long as the 'right' people are targeted.
It’s hurting Britain in the same sense that someone pointing out the failures of communism was hurting the Soviet Union.
Can I help you out of that rabbit hole? I think we'll need a long rope.
13 years after the Dilnot report (2011) this government, instead of acting quickly, has pushed the matter back to reporting in 2028.
Not to be prepared for decision and action on coming into government feels like a major fail for Labour.
To say I'm disappointed with this Government would be the understatement of the century.
The last government had to go.
I think many expected a short period of honest and competent government from this one, but it seems they expected too much.
WRT the header, I expect plenty in authority see nothing problematic with paying teenagers for sex.
I'd say it's more that Diversity is a religion they see as essential to be preached and its lessons to be imbibed throughout every single aspect of the curriculum. The unwritten hope is that future generations of children back their politics as a result.
Of course, this isn't true, and actually risks a backlash that could set liberalism backwards, but they're either too far gone to see that or don't care because this is really about ingratiating themselves with their peers.
How many million young men just voted for Trump in the US? There’s your backlash right there.
When ‘diversity’ moves from ‘treat everyone equally’, to ‘no white men allowed’ and ‘there are 45 genders our drag queens want to talk about with your toddler’, it’s not really surprising.
In the last thread, @MaxPB said he didn't care about Tommy Robinson's crimes, he would support him because he's against the establishment. He then later complained about a popular new Netflix show ("Black Doves") because one of the leads is a gay character and the other is a woman. It's that that I see as the problem with your suggested analysis here. People with comfortable existences are caught up in ridiculous outrage bubbles. They are not being oppressed by over-the-top "diversity". They have fallen into an alt-right social media rabbit hole that condones their temper tantrums.
Actually I think you'll find I said I'd still support Elon Musk trolling the Labour party despite him backing Tommy Robinson.
Also, the main criticism of Black Doves is that it's laughably unrealistic to the point it could be satire. There's literally a scene where our heroine faces off against an army of opponents, not a single person can shoot her but she's a perfect marksman and gets them all. I really thought that scene was a send up of those 80s action movies but no, it's meant to be serious. There's also stuff like her being able to as a waif thin woman disarm a much bigger and stronger black ops soldier/agent. It's just completely unrealistic and makes the whole thing just seem ridiculous. It's the kind of slop intended to get a high critic rating but probably doesn't do well with audiences. I'll be willing to bet that the audience ratings of the show are substantially lower than critic consensus.
Isn't that the case for just about every popular action film? The hero is a crack shot, has lightning reflexes and always outsmarts his/her enemies, while the baddies are gormless idiots who coulndn't hit a barn door with a shotgun?
Does the media influence elections? Err, of course. Influence or manipulate, whatever. On their own meta are not substantial but aligned with other media of course the answer is yes.
Manipulation, influence, persuasion, propaganda, information, argument are all words to describe processes of getting people to vote X or Y or Z. They all function as irregular verbs such as: I inform You persuade He manipulates etc.
So what? The answer to bad stuff is good stuff. And that begins with a culture of deep trust in the integrity and honesty of all the big political parties, and a history of government which is competent, truthful and effective.
So, for example, when it is responsible for aspects of the funding and provision of social care it does well and effectively what it has taken responsibility for.
Start there.
Labour, who many voted for to be a new start in good government, has just put back a major reform due in 2011 to after the next election.
is it any wonder that people pay attention to populists?
It should be no surprise that people pay attention to the populists but I am not sure it is realistic to simply blame the parties. They are responding to the voters preferences and media environment. Both hate any tax rises or public service cuts and failures.
Of course if we could deliver wonderful public services on low taxes that would be great, but we can't. And it is made worse by our demographics that mean our ability to balance low taxes and good public services is significantly less than the country has become accustomed to.
Political parties are responding logically to outside events. The bad news is it ends up, inevitably from here, in some form of harmful populism, it is just a matter of when.
The cost of employing someone on the minimum wage rises by £2,367 this year
All thanks to Reeves disastrous budget.
This will have a dramatic impact on the jobs market and wages. The money has to come from somewhere. Corbynites just cry ‘take it from profits’. Why should they ?
Sterling in the toilet against the greenback today.
Posts like that make me question everything you say.
This week the dollar has risen against both the Euro and GBP by 1%.
That’s a general concern about Europe as a whole not just the UK.
Oh I know that one all too well. Our dividend (We're holding € and are due a $ payment) is increasing by the day. I think sterling should probably be rising against the € though tbh given the gas changes there and the fact we're a services economy.
The cost of employing someone on the minimum wage rises by £2,367 this year
All thanks to Reeves disastrous budget.
This will have a dramatic impact on the jobs market and wages. The money has to come from somewhere. Corbynites just cry ‘take it from profits’. Why should they ?
Or, without the hyperbole: wages, unemployment and prices will all go up a bit.
Though given that one of the current issues is the need to import so many workers, maybe reducing the demand for workers is a necessary thing.
We really do need to find the sweet spot where companies (and the civil service) are happy to invest in productivity improvements instead of throwing more people at an issue
Are airlines the only industry that makes extensive use of training bonds?
The company pays your training bill on condition that you stay for x period afterwards. If you leave early of your own accord then you owe them a pro-rata outstanding based on the agreed time period remaining.
13 years after the Dilnot report (2011) this government, instead of acting quickly, has pushed the matter back to reporting in 2028.
Not to be prepared for decision and action on coming into government feels like a major fail for Labour.
To say I'm disappointed with this Government would be the understatement of the century.
The last government had to go.
I think many expected a short period of honest and competent government from this one, but it seems they expected too much.
WRT the header, I expect plenty in authority see nothing problematic with paying teenagers for sex.
I'd say it's more that Diversity is a religion they see as essential to be preached and its lessons to be imbibed throughout every single aspect of the curriculum. The unwritten hope is that future generations of children back their politics as a result.
Of course, this isn't true, and actually risks a backlash that could set liberalism backwards, but they're either too far gone to see that or don't care because this is really about ingratiating themselves with their peers.
How many million young men just voted for Trump in the US? There’s your backlash right there.
When ‘diversity’ moves from ‘treat everyone equally’, to ‘no white men allowed’ and ‘there are 45 genders our drag queens want to talk about with your toddler’, it’s not really surprising.
In the last thread, @MaxPB said he didn't care about Tommy Robinson's crimes, he would support him because he's against the establishment. He then later complained about a popular new Netflix show ("Black Doves") because one of the leads is a gay character and the other is a woman. It's that that I see as the problem with your suggested analysis here. People with comfortable existences are caught up in ridiculous outrage bubbles. They are not being oppressed by over-the-top "diversity". They have fallen into an alt-right social media rabbit hole that condones their temper tantrums.
I have to say that the script for Black Doves is really excellent, genuinely witty. Kiera Knightly is also superb. I have 3 episodes to go which will hopefully be covered this weekend.
I am halfway through and enjoying it. It is ridiculous in places, but in the way spy/thriller things often are. Knightley is great. Without the acting talent of the two leads, the silliness of the plot would show more!
The scene where she was hired by Mrs Reed to be a Black Dove was absolutely superb. Other parts are indeed more than a little bit silly but its good fun.
To the point that it feels like a piss take. Slow Horses is easily the best spy show on TV atm, closely followed by The Day of the Jackal. This doesn't even get close to either of those.
I enjoyed the first few episodes of Day of the Jackal but the ending was so absurd that it cast a negative, retrospective pall on it for me.
Great though to see that a youngish black woman can be a crack in-the-field agent for 6, that bit really rang true.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
When has Farage ever advocated abolishing the NHS ?
13 years after the Dilnot report (2011) this government, instead of acting quickly, has pushed the matter back to reporting in 2028.
Not to be prepared for decision and action on coming into government feels like a major fail for Labour.
To say I'm disappointed with this Government would be the understatement of the century.
The last government had to go.
I think many expected a short period of honest and competent government from this one, but it seems they expected too much.
WRT the header, I expect plenty in authority see nothing problematic with paying teenagers for sex.
I'd say it's more that Diversity is a religion they see as essential to be preached and its lessons to be imbibed throughout every single aspect of the curriculum. The unwritten hope is that future generations of children back their politics as a result.
Of course, this isn't true, and actually risks a backlash that could set liberalism backwards, but they're either too far gone to see that or don't care because this is really about ingratiating themselves with their peers.
How many million young men just voted for Trump in the US? There’s your backlash right there.
When ‘diversity’ moves from ‘treat everyone equally’, to ‘no white men allowed’ and ‘there are 45 genders our drag queens want to talk about with your toddler’, it’s not really surprising.
In the last thread, @MaxPB said he didn't care about Tommy Robinson's crimes, he would support him because he's against the establishment. He then later complained about a popular new Netflix show ("Black Doves") because one of the leads is a gay character and the other is a woman. It's that that I see as the problem with your suggested analysis here. People with comfortable existences are caught up in ridiculous outrage bubbles. They are not being oppressed by over-the-top "diversity". They have fallen into an alt-right social media rabbit hole that condones their temper tantrums.
Actually I think you'll find I said I'd still support Elon Musk trolling the Labour party despite him backing Tommy Robinson.
Also, the main criticism of Black Doves is that it's laughably unrealistic to the point it could be satire. There's literally a scene where our heroine faces off against an army of opponents, not a single person can shoot her but she's a perfect marksman and gets them all. I really thought that scene was a send up of those 80s action movies but no, it's meant to be serious. There's also stuff like her being able to as a waif thin woman disarm a much bigger and stronger black ops soldier/agent. It's just completely unrealistic and makes the whole thing just seem ridiculous. It's the kind of slop intended to get a high critic rating but probably doesn't do well with audiences. I'll be willing to bet that the audience ratings of the show are substantially lower than critic consensus.
Isn't that the case for just about every popular action film? The hero is a crack shot, has lightning reflexes and always outsmarts his/her enemies, while the baddies are gormless idiots who coulndn't hit a barn door with a shotgun?
There is a potential good business in opening up a training school for henchmen to learn to shoot as they aren’t usually very competent in tv world.
The best example of this ever was Blakes 7 when none of the baddies could hit a barn door at 5 paces for entire series until the final episode when they suddenly could. It was definitely a joke.
The cost of employing someone on the minimum wage rises by £2,367 this year
All thanks to Reeves disastrous budget.
This will have a dramatic impact on the jobs market and wages. The money has to come from somewhere. Corbynites just cry ‘take it from profits’. Why should they ?
Sterling in the toilet against the greenback today.
Posts like that make me question everything you say.
This week the dollar has risen against both the Euro and GBP by 1%.
That’s a general concern about Europe as a whole not just the UK.
Oh I know that one all too well. Our dividend (We're holding € and are due a $ payment) is increasing by the day. I think sterling should probably be rising against the € though tbh given the gas changes there and the fact we're a services economy.
I’m expecting the Euro and Dollar to be back at parity pretty soon.
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
When has Farage ever advocated abolishing the NHS ?
The Brexit vote is a year younger and we are not allowed to change our mind on that folly, so you can't give Nigel a free pass based on the date of his policy promotion.
The cost of employing someone on the minimum wage rises by £2,367 this year
All thanks to Reeves disastrous budget.
This will have a dramatic impact on the jobs market and wages. The money has to come from somewhere. Corbynites just cry ‘take it from profits’. Why should they ?
Or, without the hyperbole: wages, unemployment and prices will all go up a bit.
Though given that one of the current issues is the need to import so many workers, maybe reducing the demand for workers is a necessary thing.
We really do need to find the sweet spot where companies (and the civil service) are happy to invest in productivity improvements instead of throwing more people at an issue
We had planned to invest in automating some processes in our current FY but due to the current downturn in business which has continued for far longer than anticipated, across both Tory and labour, those plans are shelved as corporate won’t make the capital available due to wanting to keep cash in the business.
When the business cycle improves I expect businesses to invest more in automation. As labour costs increase the case for automation becomes more compelling
Does the media influence elections? Err, of course. Influence or manipulate, whatever. On their own meta are not substantial but aligned with other media of course the answer is yes.
Manipulation, influence, persuasion, propaganda, information, argument are all words to describe processes of getting people to vote X or Y or Z. They all function as irregular verbs such as: I inform You persuade He manipulates etc.
So what? The answer to bad stuff is good stuff. And that begins with a culture of deep trust in the integrity and honesty of all the big political parties, and a history of government which is competent, truthful and effective.
So, for example, when it is responsible for aspects of the funding and provision of social care it does well and effectively what it has taken responsibility for.
Start there.
Labour, who many voted for to be a new start in good government, has just put back a major reform due in 2011 to after the next election.
is it any wonder that people pay attention to populists?
It should be no surprise that people pay attention to the populists but I am not sure it is realistic to simply blame the parties. They are responding to the voters preferences and media environment. Both hate any tax rises or public service cuts and failures.
Of course if we could deliver wonderful public services on low taxes that would be great, but we can't. And it is made worse by our demographics that mean our ability to balance low taxes and good public services is significantly less than the country has become accustomed to.
Political parties are responding logically to outside events. The bad news is it ends up, inevitably from here, in some form of harmful populism, it is just a matter of when.
I yearn for when populists merely (and impossibly) promised lower taxes and better services. These days, the populists offer: "Free Tommy Robinson!", "this TV show has a female lead - woke!", "drag queens!!!". It is an incessant bubble of confected outrage, and the solutions that are offered are making Matt Gaetz Attorney General.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
When has Farage ever advocated abolishing the NHS ?
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
Dipping into PB and politics rarely at the moment provides all sorts of fresh perspectives. The intensity of the right wing online digital debate is mind boggling. It’s a bubbling cauldron. Feels quite dangerous, potentially all consuming and cult like . The astute politician and punter needs to be careful about how deep into it they go.
I think the key thing that sets Britain apart from many countries on the continent is that it's Farage leading a socially conservative insurgent party and not SYL leading a far-right racist one.
Sometimes the two are conflated, but it's not true. Farage is a pub bore but not a fascist - he's terribly indisciplined, ranty, prickly, and disorganised - but he's not a fascist.
It should be noted he doesn't agree with zero asylum claims or no immigration whatsoever, and he's ejected EDL and BNP people before.
Exactly, when UKIP and then Reform ended up with a lot of unexpected councillors at various times, he was very quick to get rid of anyone with a history of EDL and BNP membership, or who didn’t know where to draw the line and said something hideously racist.
He can tread the line on the ‘grooming’ story in a way that the likes of Nick Griffin* or “Tommy” can’t.
*Incidentally, the first time I heard about this story, in common with many of the public, was when Griffin famously appeared on Question Time back in 2009. The subsequent confirmation of the story by more serious journalists at The Times some years later taught me that there are no bad people, and that even people with terrible opinions can be right sometimes. There were hundreds of thousands of young girls being raped, and he was the only person prepared to talk about it. If we’d all taken it much more seriously at the time, perhaps hundreds of thousands fewer children would have been assaulted.
That's not really true.
Griffin's involvement actually goes back to 2005, when he stood against Ann Cryer. The Times journalist Andrew Norfolk first came across the germ of the story in 2003, when he moved to Leeds, and reported on Ann Cryer's concern about Asian men targeting young girls. It's certainly the case that the Times didn't start their systematic investigation until 2010: https://www.thetimes.com/article/rotherham-child-sex-abuse-how-the-truth-finally-came-out-c2d9wgmwtd6
A detail: ..Ironically, the only two death threats that I received in connection with the story both came in anonymous letters from supporters of the far right, seemingly outraged that The Times was seeking to discredit Griffin’s pet theory that sex-grooming crimes were part of an Islamic plot to spread the caliphate by impregnating every white teenager in Britain...
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
The cost of employing someone on the minimum wage rises by £2,367 this year
All thanks to Reeves disastrous budget.
This will have a dramatic impact on the jobs market and wages. The money has to come from somewhere. Corbynites just cry ‘take it from profits’. Why should they ?
Or, without the hyperbole: wages, unemployment and prices will all go up a bit.
Though given that one of the current issues is the need to import so many workers, maybe reducing the demand for workers is a necessary thing.
We really do need to find the sweet spot where companies (and the civil service) are happy to invest in productivity improvements instead of throwing more people at an issue
Are airlines the only industry that makes extensive use of training bonds?
The company pays your training bill on condition that you stay for x period afterwards. If you leave early of your own accord then you owe them a pro-rata outstanding based on the agreed time period remaining.
No,
Engineering companies do. I had one when I was younger and I know others who have been sponsored to study and had to,sign to,that effect
Good article. While the National Curriculum should ensure all schools are studying the core subjects it should not be too prescriptive and should ensure teachers can cover all sides of the subject
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Very awkward for Badenoch, calling for an inquiry when those who ran the previous inquiries your government commissioned into the same thing are accusing your government of failing to act on their recommendations.
Surely all she has to do is to call an enquiry into why the recommendations from the previous enquiry were not followed.
It's a test case for her, as to whether she is a serious politician or not.
Will she double down on oppositionalism, or we she work across party to address questions which she and her fellow ministers, and others from her party before her, failed to address.
Imo it probably *requires* a cross-party response.
If Kemi and the Conservatives are the party of the pensioners, as they seem to think, then she needs to address the issue of social care.
If Kemi wants a more rapid response, then let her put forward her proposals - she already has multiple lots of ideas that he party proposed then ran away from. Imo shit-slinging won't cut it.
Kemi does not need to address it this far out
Labour are in government for another 4+ years and they have kicked it into the long grass
It does need party concensus but in the present climate that is not an option
IMO Kemi needs to address whether she is a serious politician with principles who is capable of putting country before party, or not.
The situation she is in is that her generation of conservative politicians have exposed themselves as a cynical crowd of self-serving opportunists who were willing to do almost anything to try and save their political backsides, extending to a willingness to burn down their own administration's achievements such as increasing housebuilding.
If she wants my vote, as an until-recent (2022) party member, she has to demonstrate that she has changed the party from a collection of headless chickens into something more useful.
If she can't do that, I am unlikely to consider voting conservative until that generation have left politics.
Dealing with really long term issues on a cross-party basis will be one red or green flag. You don't get to ignore the important things because for the time being you want a Punch and Judy show.
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Which is what they are so vulnerable to with Reform and Farage
The problem for Labour, especially Jess Phillips in this case, is saying one thing in opposition and doing another in office. Same with the WASPI women. In both cases the right decision but doesn’t look good.
Very awkward for Badenoch, calling for an inquiry when those who ran the previous inquiries your government commissioned into the same thing are accusing your government of failing to act on their recommendations.
Well, just because the Tories did the wrong thing for 14 years doesn't mean they can't do the right thing now.
An inquiry into what has gone on with these grooming gangs should be beyond party and I'm very surprised that Labour is so adamant there shouldn't be one....
It's not that there 'shouldn't be one' - it's that we've already had several, whose recommendations are yet to be fully implemented. And inquiries, done properly can take an absolute age and cost tens, in one case hundreds of millions of pounds.
This would very much be at the more complex end given if we just count the police forces and councils already criticised in previous inquiries or reports, that's already several. Before we get to other allegations that might be made about failures to tackle abuse to see their merit. It would have to hear from thousands of individuals, and the Maxwellisation process would be something to behold.
If we're doing that then we could be waiting another decade for its conclusions, which may well end up saying the same thing as the ones we've conducted already. And of course like most inquiries, if it doesn't say the explicit thing those loudly calling for it want it to say (and these things usually don't as even when scathing are careful with their words) - it'll be rejected by them as a whitewash.
So if you've already had previous (damning) inquiries and reports which the previous government didn't act on. Then it's on those to explain why the previous policy of local inquiries should be changed, past reports should be thrown in the bin and start up a process that's going to be very long, gruelling with no guarantee it'll give you the answers you want.
If it's because one can point to real flaws in the methodology and conclusions of the past inquiries and reports, fine. If it's "because Elon Musk is mouthing off about it online", it's a chance to bash the government, and you're worried by being outflanked by the far right's ability to say things without having to follow through on consequences, then that's not really serious or useful.
I don't think I've heard Badenoch make the former case, and if so why her views have suddenly changed from previous policy.
So in simple PLAIN ENGLISH that even the Reform boneheads and Kemi can understand the situation is this.
These issues were disgusting and widespread but not restricted to Muslim Communities
That various Enquiries were set up, reported, recommendations made and implemented and significant progress in some cases made, but also not fully implemented and loose ends in others.
The Conservative Government 2010 - 2024 (with LD's to 2015) decided in 2022 that REGIONAL investigations and reporting was the way to go. Kemi Badenoch and all then Tory MP's backed this.
SKS as DoPP was respected by the then Tory Government on his departure from DoPP as having made significant progress in dealing with the issue and raising it's profile and implementing change.
In October 2024 the new Junior Minister Jess Phillips routinely decided in answer to a quetion in the HoC and also in terms on Labour Government POlicy to IMPLEMENT and CONTINUE Tory Governments Guidelines as voted on in the HoC
There are / were NO MANIFESTO commitments on this on either side to change the status quo.
EARLIER THIS WEEK GB News attacked the Phillips decision retrospectively!!!!!!
MUSK decided to attack Starmer for his role as DoPP , called for Jess Phillips to be imprisoned and Tommy Robinson to be released.
Kemi Badenoch decided to jump on the bandwagon
MUSK who has associations to Jeffrey Epstein and Gisela Maxwell turns it in to a further attack on our democratically elected Government and it's policies and by definition and fact the policies of the previous Conservative Government of which Badenoch, Philip and others were Members
----
So it you support Musk, Farage , Trump and Tommy Robinson and want to instigate Riots again and Civil Disobedience that aim is clear - an unadulterated attempt to destroy the elected UK Govenment
If like Badenoch you completely go against your Governments Policy on this, you are complicit in supporting Musk, Farage , Trump and Tommy Robinson
If like Starmer and Labour you stand up to Musk, Farage , Trump and Tommy Robinson - I suspect that you will be backed and supported to the vast majority of the UK population who wish to deal with THE ISSUE and not the politics and to actually DEFEND UK democracy.
It strikes me sadly that MUSK wants Civil War and Mass disobedience on the streets of the major European and American Cities to foster his own sick and depraived mind.
MUSK must be stopped and those complicit in supporting him must be STOPPED and every Legal means by Police and Judiciary should be mobilised NOW to start that process around the Globe.
He is a massive danger to democratically elected longstanding Western democracies.
Good morning
The problem is no.matter how much you 'shout' about Musk he is not going away and it is likely to accelerate post Trump's inauguration
The big question in politics today is just how public opinion views Musks interventions, and how much it affects Farage and Reform
As far as Kemi is concerned she has to distance herself from Farage, but also focus on attacking this highly unpopular Labour government that saw 20 of its councillors defect yesterday in disgust at the leadership of Labour
FPT, we more or less know the answer to this big question. It isn't, therefore much of a question. Musk is spectacularly unpopular.
Now you might argue his interventions would improve his standing but it seems vanishingly unlikely given the ham-fisted, moronic nature of them. Popular with Robinson and his goons maybe, who themselves are among the most hated people in Britain. I think it unlikely them having a cringeworthy billionaire fanboy going through some kind of mental meltdown and getting dangerously close to going full neo-Nazi is changing these things.
As for 20 Labour councillors defecting, you'd rather they didn't - but isn't it a typical internal Labour row about who gets to stand? Not a happy party, but not the disaster you're making out.
The thing about Musk is he is an individual. He has no Party or infrastructure being him. He's latched on to MAGA for now.
He's latching on the extreme Right Political and non political Groups across Europe.
He can therefore as a cult be made to go away.
Simple economic sanctioning of all of his businesses and social media
Banning him from EU and UK
If he continues to be a threat then add him to the sort of list Bin Laden was on.
I'd argue he increasingly poses a greater threat to Western Democracy than Bin Laden
He is a like a rampant cancer, western democracy is the body and have no doubt he can ravage it.
Don't define him by nationality, religion, political extremity. Classify him by what he is... A one man global threat poisoning minds
I am not finding this Leon incarnation particularly amusing.
This is going to be a long-term story - static caravan owners being fleeced by site operators operating rules which are questionable.
I don't know if we have any static van owners on PB; the sector is a bit of a wild west. I had one friend who had one that she rented out; she came through intact but it took a lot of careful navigation of site owner demands.
13 years after the Dilnot report (2011) this government, instead of acting quickly, has pushed the matter back to reporting in 2028.
Not to be prepared for decision and action on coming into government feels like a major fail for Labour.
To say I'm disappointed with this Government would be the understatement of the century.
The last government had to go.
I think many expected a short period of honest and competent government from this one, but it seems they expected too much.
WRT the header, I expect plenty in authority see nothing problematic with paying teenagers for sex.
I'd say it's more that Diversity is a religion they see as essential to be preached and its lessons to be imbibed throughout every single aspect of the curriculum. The unwritten hope is that future generations of children back their politics as a result.
Of course, this isn't true, and actually risks a backlash that could set liberalism backwards, but they're either too far gone to see that or don't care because this is really about ingratiating themselves with their peers.
How many million young men just voted for Trump in the US? There’s your backlash right there.
When ‘diversity’ moves from ‘treat everyone equally’, to ‘no white men allowed’ and ‘there are 45 genders our drag queens want to talk about with your toddler’, it’s not really surprising.
In the last thread, @MaxPB said he didn't care about Tommy Robinson's crimes, he would support him because he's against the establishment. He then later complained about a popular new Netflix show ("Black Doves") because one of the leads is a gay character and the other is a woman. It's that that I see as the problem with your suggested analysis here. People with comfortable existences are caught up in ridiculous outrage bubbles. They are not being oppressed by over-the-top "diversity". They have fallen into an alt-right social media rabbit hole that condones their temper tantrums.
Actually I think you'll find I said I'd still support Elon Musk trolling the Labour party despite him backing Tommy Robinson.
Also, the main criticism of Black Doves is that it's laughably unrealistic to the point it could be satire..
You don't actually believe it was intended as serious drama ?
As I noted before Christmas, "absurd, but enjoyable".
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
Dipping into PB and politics rarely at the moment provides all sorts of fresh perspectives. The intensity of the right wing online digital debate is mind boggling. It’s a bubbling cauldron. Feels quite dangerous, potentially all consuming and cult like . The astute politician and punter needs to be careful about how deep into it they go.
I think the key thing that sets Britain apart from many countries on the continent is that it's Farage leading a socially conservative insurgent party and not SYL leading a far-right racist one.
Sometimes the two are conflated, but it's not true. Farage is a pub bore but not a fascist - he's terribly indisciplined, ranty, prickly, and disorganised - but he's not a fascist.
It should be noted he doesn't agree with zero asylum claims or no immigration whatsoever, and he's ejected EDL and BNP people before.
At the general election he chose not to address the large majority of candidates over whom questions had been raised.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything...
Great typo, containing much truth...
Perhaps we should look at which posters have done the most breathless commentary on Mr. Yaxley Lennon recently. Not many 'solid right wingers' amongst them.
@ydoethur thanks for the interesting articles. Have you considered getting out of education and doing something completely different?
When I read your stuff you reminded me of my father who taught too long, fought the good fight too long and late in life discovered new joy and energy outside of teaching, exams etc.
Just a thought. Life’s too short.
Well, in effect I have. I now work for myself which gives me much more freedom, the chance to pick and choose what and when I teach (and from where) and actually pays rather better, although when you factor in pension that probably balances out (as whatever the unions say, the TPS is still a very good pension compared to most).
That doesn't mean the stupidity and incompetence of what I see left behind me doesn't still exasperate me. What is especially frustrating is that we could have a much better education system if only the centre would stop doing so much damn meddling, which wouldn't even cost us any more money, and we never get it (part 3 is on this).
I may, in a few years, go into a different sector entirely, and I've done some exploring of a couple of options. But the truth is as an intellectual exercise I actually really enjoy teaching and I am very good at it. My results consistently suggest I was among the top 1% of teachers in the country for value added, which tells me I was doing something right.
But at the moment I'm pretty happy with where I am.
And of course, I have complete freedom to snipe from the sidelines now.
"Value added" should be the key measurement for educational success, but don't tell HY, only passing the 11 plus and A*s count..
The flip side to that is - and I'd be interested in @ydoethur 's view on this - I'd imagine there's more scope for adding value in the middle of the pack.
Comps focus on the percentage getting 5 A to Cs (or whatever it is now). And then we complain when the top jobs are dominated by the privately educated.
Yes, that is true to an extent, although even at the top end there is scope for some. I used to teach in a girls' grammar where logically it should have been impossible to have high value added given their innate ability, but it actually had the highest value added of any school in the country.
There are a few issues:
1) There's a lazy belief (including among too many teachers, incidentally) that the top end don't need as much teaching as the lower end. Actually, my experience is the ablest need more, because they go much faster than everyone else. What they don't need is quite so much personal attention, which isn't the same thing at all.
2) There is a lot of focus on the bottom end - which again is not illogical, as they need additional support - but a lot of it (and here I think is where your point comes in) is about getting them past exams rather than actual helping them become good at something.
That is a function of our system and the way it's set up to pass exams and be defined by various league tables, which comes with major drawbacks.
If I could think of an easy way of introducing a better system I would put it forward. But unfortunately there's no such thing as a perfect system. While our exams are poor (and reforms were horrendously botched) now they've bedded in a bit they are at least a consistent measure of what's happening.
Thanks for that reply, makes a lot of sense.
For me, my comp and sixth form college turned me into an exam killing machine (shouldn’t complain about that!) but failed me badly in terms of what to do with that after 18.
It doesn't set you especially well up for life.
I learned that success was purely academic, and based on passing exams, only to learn- to my horror- it was actually about people skills, which nobody ever taught me.
And they still don't.
Depends what you want to be, if you want to be an academic or surgeon or commercial barrister academics is still probably most important.
If you want to work in business, be PM or be a TV presenter or teacher people schools is probably more important
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
When has Farage ever advocated abolishing the NHS ?
I think if there is any gap in Reform’s armour developing, it is its developing relationship with Musk.
I think Farage is a smart cookie, but if Musk writes him a cheque he won’t say no to it. And that immediately links him with the crazier stuff that Musk posts all over X. It leaves him as a rather large hostage to fortune. Will core Reform voters care? Probably not. But the voters who he needs to deliver him 150+ seats might.
As others have noted on here, plenty of voters are capable of backing Reform. But plenty could be turned away if they feel Reform is becoming more closely connected with characters like Tommy Robinson and, increasingly, Elon Musk.
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Which is what they are so vulnerable to with Reform and Farage
The problem for Labour, especially Jess Phillips in this case, is saying one thing in opposition and doing another in office. Same with the WASPI women. In both cases the right decision but doesn’t look good.
Well, to be fair, actually do something isn't what politics is for, these days.
13 years after the Dilnot report (2011) this government, instead of acting quickly, has pushed the matter back to reporting in 2028.
Not to be prepared for decision and action on coming into government feels like a major fail for Labour.
It's becoming their dna
It's in their DNA, but it's thoroughly unbecoming.
There's an interim report in 2026 so possible something will happen but I very much doubt it.
I far more involved in the social care system than I would like to be, to say the least.
This will be an exercise in spending three or four years gathering evidence of what everyone already knows i.e. social care is on its knees, and then any attempt at finding a way to fund it going forward will be conveniently kicked until past the 2029 GE when it will now likely be Farage's problem.
Streeting confirmed this morning the final report will be in 2028, and he wants to find a concensus which seems sensible if maybe difficult just before a GE
So he pushed the report probably back past the next GE as he knows whatever is proposed on social care will not be very popular
Does the media influence elections? Err, of course. Influence or manipulate, whatever. On their own meta are not substantial but aligned with other media of course the answer is yes.
Manipulation, influence, persuasion, propaganda, information, argument are all words to describe processes of getting people to vote X or Y or Z. They all function as irregular verbs such as: I inform You persuade He manipulates etc.
So what? The answer to bad stuff is good stuff. And that begins with a culture of deep trust in the integrity and honesty of all the big political parties, and a history of government which is competent, truthful and effective.
So, for example, when it is responsible for aspects of the funding and provision of social care it does well and effectively what it has taken responsibility for.
Start there.
Labour, who many voted for to be a new start in good government, has just put back a major reform due in 2011 to after the next election.
is it any wonder that people pay attention to populists?
It should be no surprise that people pay attention to the populists but I am not sure it is realistic to simply blame the parties. They are responding to the voters preferences and media environment. Both hate any tax rises or public service cuts and failures.
Of course if we could deliver wonderful public services on low taxes that would be great, but we can't. And it is made worse by our demographics that mean our ability to balance low taxes and good public services is significantly less than the country has become accustomed to.
Political parties are responding logically to outside events. The bad news is it ends up, inevitably from here, in some form of harmful populism, it is just a matter of when.
I largely agree, but that is the reason why it is an essential consensus that serious parties agree with each other and the public that the responsibilities government takes on are paid for from taxes, which sometimes rise, and over time rise inexorably if the public want anything like the post 1945 social democratis deal to continue.
What is not really forgivable with parties aiming at serious government is their dishonest argument with each other.
Otherwise the utterly futuile and meaningless election campaigns - better services, taxes won't rise - go on for ever. This is not tolerable.
I think if there is any gap in Reform’s armour developing, it is its developing relationship with Musk.
I think Farage is a smart cookie, but if Musk writes him a cheque he won’t say no to it. And that immediately links him with the crazier stuff that Musk posts all over X. It leaves him as a rather large hostage to fortune. Will core Reform voters care? Probably not. But the voters who he needs to deliver him 150+ seats might.
As others have noted on here, plenty of voters are capable of backing Reform. But plenty could be turned away if they feel Reform is becoming more closely connected with characters like Tommy Robinson and, increasingly, Elon Musk.
I agree, though it's not really the crazy Twitter stuff that's an issue, it's the Net Zero policy.
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Badenoch: "an enquiry is long overdue". Declines to explain what "joining the dots" might mean.
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
How many inquiries and so on have we got going right now. I note Streeting has launched another one regarding care. Didn't Dilnot cover that ages ago ?
Clegg being replaced by a Trump friendly Republican at Facebook pretty much ensures a Farage win sooner or later. Twitter, Facebook, GBNews, Mail, Express, Telegraph et al will all double down on the Labour hate and Conservative pity for the next four years.
The man who replaces Clegg worked for President George W Bush not Trump, he obviously has more connections to the new GOP administration and Congress than Clegg did but is not really MAGA
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Yes, no, maybe. That might not be an easy line to hold if it gains traction, although I doubt there is much overlap between TwiX addicts and Telegraph readers.
Ironically, given what these people claim to want, it might be simplest to punt grooming gangs into the long grass of a national inquiry.
Does the media influence elections? Err, of course. Influence or manipulate, whatever. On their own meta are not substantial but aligned with other media of course the answer is yes.
Manipulation, influence, persuasion, propaganda, information, argument are all words to describe processes of getting people to vote X or Y or Z. They all function as irregular verbs such as: I inform You persuade He manipulates etc.
So what? The answer to bad stuff is good stuff. And that begins with a culture of deep trust in the integrity and honesty of all the big political parties, and a history of government which is competent, truthful and effective.
So, for example, when it is responsible for aspects of the funding and provision of social care it does well and effectively what it has taken responsibility for.
Start there.
Labour, who many voted for to be a new start in good government, has just put back a major reform due in 2011 to after the next election.
is it any wonder that people pay attention to populists?
It should be no surprise that people pay attention to the populists but I am not sure it is realistic to simply blame the parties. They are responding to the voters preferences and media environment. Both hate any tax rises or public service cuts and failures.
Of course if we could deliver wonderful public services on low taxes that would be great, but we can't. And it is made worse by our demographics that mean our ability to balance low taxes and good public services is significantly less than the country has become accustomed to.
Political parties are responding logically to outside events. The bad news is it ends up, inevitably from here, in some form of harmful populism, it is just a matter of when.
I largely agree, but that is the reason why it is an essential consensus that serious parties agree with each other and the public that the responsibilities government takes on are paid for from taxes, which sometimes rise, and over time rise inexorably if the public want anything like the post 1945 social democratis deal to continue.
What is not really forgivable with parties aiming at serious government is their dishonest argument with each other.
Otherwise the utterly futuile and meaningless election campaigns - better services, taxes won't rise - go on for ever. This is not tolerable.
It is just simple game theory. There is no electoral incentive to co-operate - see the LDs after coalition. So they try to attack each other and all the main parties slowly get destroyed leaving the space for Farage.
The cost of employing someone on the minimum wage rises by £2,367 this year
All thanks to Reeves disastrous budget.
This will have a dramatic impact on the jobs market and wages. The money has to come from somewhere. Corbynites just cry ‘take it from profits’. Why should they ?
Or, without the hyperbole: wages, unemployment and prices will all go up a bit.
Though given that one of the current issues is the need to import so many workers, maybe reducing the demand for workers is a necessary thing.
We really do need to find the sweet spot where companies (and the civil service) are happy to invest in productivity improvements instead of throwing more people at an issue
Are airlines the only industry that makes extensive use of training bonds?
The company pays your training bill on condition that you stay for x period afterwards. If you leave early of your own accord then you owe them a pro-rata outstanding based on the agreed time period remaining.
No,
Engineering companies do. I had one when I was younger and I know others who have been sponsored to study and had to,sign to,that effect
Hmm. I was sponsored through University by an Engineering Company, on a thin sandwich course.
The word from the company was that they had more than made their investment back just from the work done by the sponsored students in the industrial periods. Plus they got the chance to keep a dozen students per year on our site who would not need the traditional 12 month run-in period to become a positive, since we had all already been in about 15 departments and were ingrained with the culture and practice.
It's circumstances and cases I think. I can see that an airline pilot would be substantially greater for both risk and return.
This is going to be a long-term story - static caravan owners being fleeced by site operators operating rules which are questionable.
I don't know if we have any static van owners on PB; the sector is a bit of a wild west. I had one friend who had one that she rented out; she came through intact but it took a lot of careful navigation of site owner demands.
Been ongoing for some time, not necessarily this specific story but certainly in terms of the sector being a snakepit, and various rogue site operators, so it is already a long-running story. In the Guardian, Which, and so on. But that only reinforces your point.
13 years after the Dilnot report (2011) this government, instead of acting quickly, has pushed the matter back to reporting in 2028.
Not to be prepared for decision and action on coming into government feels like a major fail for Labour.
To say I'm disappointed with this Government would be the understatement of the century.
The last government had to go.
I think many expected a short period of honest and competent government from this one, but it seems they expected too much.
WRT the header, I expect plenty in authority see nothing problematic with paying teenagers for sex.
I'd say it's more that Diversity is a religion they see as essential to be preached and its lessons to be imbibed throughout every single aspect of the curriculum. The unwritten hope is that future generations of children back their politics as a result.
Of course, this isn't true, and actually risks a backlash that could set liberalism backwards, but they're either too far gone to see that or don't care because this is really about ingratiating themselves with their peers.
How many million young men just voted for Trump in the US? There’s your backlash right there.
When ‘diversity’ moves from ‘treat everyone equally’, to ‘no white men allowed’ and ‘there are 45 genders our drag queens want to talk about with your toddler’, it’s not really surprising.
Yes, there was a huge gender divide amongst under 30s in the US election.
Trump won 49% of men aged 18-29 but only 38% of women aged 18-29.
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Which is what they are so vulnerable to with Reform and Farage
The problem for Labour, especially Jess Phillips in this case, is saying one thing in opposition and doing another in office. Same with the WASPI women. In both cases the right decision but doesn’t look good.
Well, to be fair, actually do something isn't what politics is for, these days.
I was listening to Youtube earlier which suggested that we might get Interim President Chuck Grassley (oldest Senator) for a period whilst MAGA sort out their civil war.
Clegg being replaced by a Trump friendly Republican at Facebook pretty much ensures a Farage win sooner or later. Twitter, Facebook, GBNews, Mail, Express, Telegraph et al will all double down on the Labour hate and Conservative pity for the next four years.
The man who replaces Clegg worked for President George W Bush not Trump, he obviously has more connections to the new GOP administration and Congress than Clegg did but is not really MAGA
Best mates with Kavanaugh, advocated for Breitbart and Daily Caller.
That "The King should dissolve parliament" post from Musk.
"Who also thinks the KING should Dissolve Parliament and order a General Election be called for the sake and security of the country?
The King must ACT before it is too late!"
"Yes", agrees Musk. The King should set aside the recent clear election win for the government because reasons.
Flip it over.
Who also thinks that PRESIDENT BIDEN should throw out the 2024 Presidential Election and order a fresh election be called for the sake and security of the country.
The President must ACT before it is too late!
Musk: That would be an outrageous undemocratic abuse of power.
It is a somewhat strange post from Musk considering even Republicans had to wait 4 years after the 2020 election to get Trump back in the White House and a fully GOP Congress again (ignoring the Capitol riots of Jan 2021 which only a tiny minority of Trump diehards took part in)
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Which is what they are so vulnerable to with Reform and Farage
The problem for Labour, especially Jess Phillips in this case, is saying one thing in opposition and doing another in office. Same with the WASPI women. In both cases the right decision but doesn’t look good.
Well, to be fair, actually do something isn't what politics is for, these days.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
I think if there is any gap in Reform’s armour developing, it is its developing relationship with Musk.
I think Farage is a smart cookie, but if Musk writes him a cheque he won’t say no to it. And that immediately links him with the crazier stuff that Musk posts all over X. It leaves him as a rather large hostage to fortune. Will core Reform voters care? Probably not. But the voters who he needs to deliver him 150+ seats might.
As others have noted on here, plenty of voters are capable of backing Reform. But plenty could be turned away if they feel Reform is becoming more closely connected with characters like Tommy Robinson and, increasingly, Elon Musk.
Indeed, as the poll I posted last night showed about 11% of UK voters like Robinson ie about UKIP 2015 levels.
However UKIP 2015 levels got Farage just 1 seat. To get to 150 seats+ and hold the balance of power in a hung parliament or even get most seats Reform need to get to 25-30%+. They won't do that with too close links to Robinson via Musk which would send many Thatcherite former Conservative voters back to the Tories
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Which is what they are so vulnerable to with Reform and Farage
The problem for Labour, especially Jess Phillips in this case, is saying one thing in opposition and doing another in office. Same with the WASPI women. In both cases the right decision but doesn’t look good.
Well, to be fair, actually do something isn't what politics is for, these days.
I think, or maybe hope, that Musk is overplaying his hand somewhat in respect of UK politics. His increasingly deranged commentary is based largely on gossip, hearsay, and half-baked conspiracy theories rather than facts or evidence. His sources are utterly unreliable. I rather hope that the British public will, over the course of time, recognise that he's painting an excessively gloomy, doom-laden picture of the UK that is far from reality.
Meanwhile, Starmer would be wise to ignore him, as he seems to be doing. Badenoch would be wise to do the same, but doesn't seem to have the sense to do so.
Starmer has little choice but to ignore him and hope that is enough to hang on to 30%ish and the economy turns out well.
Badenoch is in a very different position. The Tory vote is a mix of those repelled by Musk and those cheerleading him. She can't win, even if she was any good, which she isn't.
Farage will be laughing at his fortune.
Badenoch has another problem closer to home than Musk and Farage. Erstwhile leadership rival Big Bad Bob has also stuck his oar in.
These were the people in charge for the last 14 years. Anyone not understanding they are just using the issue as a political football is incredibly naive or wilfully blind.
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
Badenoch: "an enquiry is long overdue". Declines to explain what "joining the dots" might mean.
I think in this instance "long overdue" refers only to some time in the last six months.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
An amusing thing in this is the inability to message comes, often from people who want to reframe the language. In order to signal virtue to various groups.
So you get the LatinX enthusiasts who can't understand why creating outgroups causes said outgroups to enter a spiral of hostility.
This is going to be a long-term story - static caravan owners being fleeced by site operators operating rules which are questionable.
I don't know if we have any static van owners on PB; the sector is a bit of a wild west. I had one friend who had one that she rented out; she came through intact but it took a lot of careful navigation of site owner demands.
Been ongoing for some time, not necessarily this specific story but certainly in terms of the sector being a snakepit, and various rogue site operators, so it is already a long-running story. In the Guardian, Which, and so on. But that only reinforces your point.
Since this is a group legal action, it might get some traction.
One rule is the arbitary "Caravans over 10 years old are not allowed on here", and limitation on who can do removals and moves (ie the site operator). That maximises depreciation - so a static that cost £20-40k may suddenly only be worth a few thousand.
The first rule of not being fleeced is to minimise exposure by buying a second hand static that is already there and in good condition, for £5k or so.
There's a parallel as to how developers operate. If a landowner has Planning Permission, it has a 3 year life then turns into a pumpkin if a certified start has not been made - which engages another £100k or whatever of costs to get it renewed. So selling is a very high risk process. The developer plays out the purchasing process, perhaps trying for an exclusive option agreement, until no one else has the time to do the 6 or 12 months for due diligence, and then makes derisory offers as the deadline approaches. It's very much a big boys' game.
I would like to point out that economic and social liberalism doesnt really satisfy human needs which is why people are looking to the far right. People thirst for a deeper meaning in life and if the far right provies it so be it.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Probably because it isn’t news - and it’s up to the seller to tell people making such an offer where to go.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
They never told you about the secret tunnels from Bradford to Kyiv?
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
It’s a different starting point to other trolls but it’s still not a story or anything beyond racist tripe. And that post tells me you are a racist with a very short posting lifecycle
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
This feeds conspiracies western establishments are actively working against their populations. This also feeds the tremendous amount of anti semotism i now see on x.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
Not another Richard!
Please, this is a thread on education failure. Adding to that theme, proper nouns like "Ukraine" are always capitalised. Don't they teach grammar in Vladivostok Grammar School?
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
It’s a different starting point to other trolls but it’s still not a story or anything beyond racist tripe. And that post tells me you are a racist with a very short posting lifecycle
Its actually true. I have friends in bradford who can confirm. The fact you dismiss it shows you know nothing of this country.
I would like to point out that economic and social liberalism doesnt really satisfy human needs which is why people are looking to the far right. People thirst for a deeper meaning in life and if the far right provies it so be it.
Nobody looks to the far right for a 'deeper meaning in life'. They look to them so as to be able to blame others.
The far right does many things; 'deep' is not among them.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
This feeds conspiracies western establishments are actively working against their populations. This also feeds the tremendous amount of anti semotism i now see on x.
There is an uptick in people against the Irish Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO), on Twatter?
An excellent thread header and much food for thought.
I am tempted to suggest that in education, there ought to be an objectively “correct” answer to getting the system right that delivers the best outcomes (if we accept that one of those outcomes is critical thinking and exposure to a range of views, and not culture war style indoctrination into only one).
It is just possible that teachers are better placed to find that solution than politicians or civil servants miles away from the job.
I would like to point out that economic and social liberalism doesnt really satisfy human needs which is why people are looking to the far right. People thirst for a deeper meaning in life and if the far right provies it so be it.
Nobody looks to the far right for a 'deeper meaning in life'. They look to them so as to be able to blame others.
The far right does many things; 'deep' is not among them.
Well sure. Hitler appeared as a reaction to weimar decadence. But do you think Keir Starmer is deep lol.
An excellent thread header and much food for thought.
I am tempted to suggest that in education, there ought to be an objectively “correct” answer to getting the system right that delivers the best outcomes (if we accept that one of those outcomes is critical thinking and exposure to a range of views, and not culture war style indoctrination into only one).
It is just possible that teachers are better placed to find that solution than politicians or civil servants miles away from the job.
But, with that kind of thinking, how will people with no knowledge or expertise in Education make a six figure salary In Education?
“I think the people of this country have had enough of experts with organisations with acronyms saying that they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong."
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
It’s a different starting point to other trolls but it’s still not a story or anything beyond racist tripe. And that post tells me you are a racist with a very short posting lifecycle
Its actually true. I have friends in bradford who can confirm. The fact you dismiss it shows you know nothing of this country.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
It’s a different starting point to other trolls but it’s still not a story or anything beyond racist tripe. And that post tells me you are a racist with a very short posting lifecycle
Its actually true. I have friends in bradford who can confirm. The fact you dismiss it shows you know nothing of this country.
I don’t dismiss it - I basically said you would be mad to do anything beyond telling them to f*** off and called you out as the racist Dick that post told me you are
This is going to be a long-term story - static caravan owners being fleeced by site operators operating rules which are questionable.
I don't know if we have any static van owners on PB; the sector is a bit of a wild west. I had one friend who had one that she rented out; she came through intact but it took a lot of careful navigation of site owner demands.
Been ongoing for some time, not necessarily this specific story but certainly in terms of the sector being a snakepit, and various rogue site operators, so it is already a long-running story. In the Guardian, Which, and so on. But that only reinforces your point.
Since this is a group legal action, it might get some traction.
One rule is the arbitary "Caravans over 10 years old are not allowed on here", and limitation on who can do removals and moves (ie the site operator). That maximises depreciation - so a static that cost £20-40k may suddenly only be worth a few thousand.
The first rule of not being fleeced is to minimise exposure by buying a second hand static that is already there and in good condition, for £5k or so.
There's a parallel as to how developers operate. If a landowner has Planning Permission, it has a 3 year life then turns into a pumpkin if a certified start has not been made - which engages another £100k or whatever of costs to get it renewed. So selling is a very high risk process. The developer plays out the purchasing process, perhaps trying for an exclusive option agreement, until no one else has the time to do the 6 or 12 months for due diligence, and then makes derisory offers as the deadline approaches. It's very much a big boys' game.
I had one for a bit. Site owner was a proper little Napoleon and fleeced everyone for what she could take. I went in with my eyes open and got what I wanted from it, but nothing would please me more than to see her bankrupted, paying our compensation.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
It’s a different starting point to other trolls but it’s still not a story or anything beyond racist tripe. And that post tells me you are a racist with a very short posting lifecycle
Its actually true. I have friends in bradford who can confirm. The fact you dismiss it shows you know nothing of this country.
Talking of the Telegraph this headline poses the real question
Why Musks love in with Tommy Robinson presents a problem for Farage
Yup. I've thought that as well. All of the LABOUR ARE EVIL posts on there, WE NEED REFORM. And then a rapid pivot to FREE TOMMY ROBINSON complete with SYL looking less thuggish with a Lion and a smart suit superimposed over a flag and the white cliffs of Dover.
Why does SYL hold such a thrall over some people? Because (a) there is a kernel of truth in his analysis before he pivoting off into "and the solution is deport the muslims", and (b) his presentation is just slick enough to enthral morons.
Farage knows that offering up kernels of truth and then pivoting off into "lets abolish the NHS" will win a lot of votes. But he also knows that SYL and the other hardcore racists will lose him votes. And yet his boss President Musk just wants to agitate. How do you tell the new boss that he needs to be nuanced, when his movement is about rile up the mob and watch them tear it all down?
It wouldn't be surprised if Musk continues to pick out individual MPs he hates some Thomas Mair character might act on it. It has happened before. This is one of the reasons I believe Badenoch is unwise to jump onto every passing Musk bandwagon. How long before she starts demanding to "free the Yaxley-Lennon one"?
Even on here, as I have previously noted, people I thought of as fairly sober but solidly right wrong posters, those who now go on every single day about how crap Labour are in every tiniest respect, jumped in very willingly during the riots with two tier Keir and more than that direct echoing of the lies of actual neo-Nazis to politically point score. After the first 5 weeks of going on about how crap Labour were in every tiniest respect before they'd actually done anything.
Now PB Tories are a rump of what they once were, but as a grouping most of them now mirror the Corbynites - their hatred of Labour is so blind, so total, that they deserve to be on Prevent's Brownshirt watch - not active neo-Nazis or anything like today but, come the brownshirt revolution, quite susceptible to falling into line.
So, perhaps with these analytics, Musk is right and Farage is wrong -the basic rump right are already so far down the rabbit hole that his message will hit home.
Terrible though Muslim bombers and this generation of care home abusers are, the Momentum of Labour haters led by Republican expulsionists is the clearest, most present danger to ripping asunder the fabric of British society and to my own and my family's life because they seek to become once more the establishment. They seek damage in a way that no dodgy Labour tax rise can hope to replicate.
Yes, the greatest threat to British society now is not Muslim suicide bombers but PB Tories.
I try not to be a Tory hater, I have little trick with the Fatchtarati, and I am massively saddened to come to the point where I'm concluding this.
That's a bizarre view to take - the democratic Opposition is the problem.
That is, by the way, exactly how the MAGA crowd get to "We must nullify elections to protect Democracy".
It's a strong view for sure.
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Your argument seems to be that it's an either/or: that the current world of periodic atrocities across the western world perpetuated by Islamic terrorists, peppered by background grimness exemplified by Rochdale and rape parties in Cologne and the like, is the price we must pay because the alternative is that someone like Trump or worse takes over. Is that right?
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
Indeed. For example in cities like bradford once muslims have bought up most of the housing stock in an area they will give lowball cash offers to the remaining white residents saying take it or leave it. You dont see that on the news.
Hello.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Ive never seen anyone link bradford to ukraine before but hey ho.
It’s a different starting point to other trolls but it’s still not a story or anything beyond racist tripe. And that post tells me you are a racist with a very short posting lifecycle
Its actually true. I have friends in bradford who can confirm. The fact you dismiss it shows you know nothing of this country.
I would like to point out that economic and social liberalism doesnt really satisfy human needs which is why people are looking to the far right. People thirst for a deeper meaning in life and if the far right provies it so be it.
Nobody looks to the far right for a 'deeper meaning in life'. They look to them so as to be able to blame others.
The far right does many things; 'deep' is not among them.
Well sure. Hitler appeared as a reaction to weimar decadence. But do you think Keir Starmer is deep lol.
Nobody sensible looks to political leaders to give their life deeper meaning. That's not what they're there for.
It's when people become fans of politicians, when they treat ultimately here-today-gone-tomorrow politicians as celebrities, prophets or gods, that the trouble tends to start.
That "The King should dissolve parliament" post from Musk.
"Who also thinks the KING should Dissolve Parliament and order a General Election be called for the sake and security of the country?
The King must ACT before it is too late!"
"Yes", agrees Musk. The King should set aside the recent clear election win for the government because reasons.
Flip it over.
Who also thinks that PRESIDENT BIDEN should throw out the 2024 Presidential Election and order a fresh election be called for the sake and security of the country.
The President must ACT before it is too late!
Musk: That would be an outrageous undemocratic abuse of power.
It is a somewhat strange post from Musk considering even Republicans had to wait 4 years after the 2020 election to get Trump back in the White House and a fully GOP Congress again (ignoring the Capitol riots of Jan 2021 which only a tiny minority of Trump diehards took part in)
That's an overly generous take on their commitment to logic or democracy.
Trump had to wait 4 years because there was no legal or constitutional (or other) means of doing otherwise. There is such a technical means - albeit an outrageous, unconstitutional and unviable one - to a new election in the UK.
This is going to be a long-term story - static caravan owners being fleeced by site operators operating rules which are questionable.
I don't know if we have any static van owners on PB; the sector is a bit of a wild west. I had one friend who had one that she rented out; she came through intact but it took a lot of careful navigation of site owner demands.
Been ongoing for some time, not necessarily this specific story but certainly in terms of the sector being a snakepit, and various rogue site operators, so it is already a long-running story. In the Guardian, Which, and so on. But that only reinforces your point.
Since this is a group legal action, it might get some traction.
One rule is the arbitary "Caravans over 10 years old are not allowed on here", and limitation on who can do removals and moves (ie the site operator). That maximises depreciation - so a static that cost £20-40k may suddenly only be worth a few thousand.
The first rule of not being fleeced is to minimise exposure by buying a second hand static that is already there and in good condition, for £5k or so.
There's a parallel as to how developers operate. If a landowner has Planning Permission, it has a 3 year life then turns into a pumpkin if a certified start has not been made - which engages another £100k or whatever of costs to get it renewed. So selling is a very high risk process. The developer plays out the purchasing process, perhaps trying for an exclusive option agreement, until no one else has the time to do the 6 or 12 months for due diligence, and then makes derisory offers as the deadline approaches. It's very much a big boys' game.
I had one for a bit. Site owner was a proper little Napoleon and fleeced everyone for what she could take. I went in with my eyes open and got what I wanted from it, but nothing would please me more than to see her bankrupted, paying our compensation.
The sad bit, is the above restrictions are a reaction to bad/problematic behaviour. Abandoned/unfixed caravans falling apart drag the whole place down - so caravan age restrictions. Cowboy/novice movers damaging stuff - so only allow approved...
I would like to point out that economic and social liberalism doesnt really satisfy human needs which is why people are looking to the far right. People thirst for a deeper meaning in life and if the far right provies it so be it.
Mm. Bit of a repeated trope, this one. Certainly true that economic and social liberalism doesn't satisfy all human needs - but I don't think there has ever been a political, economic or cultural system which satsifies all human needs. I'm guessing what you're getting at is the lack of a feeling of belonging and/or group identity. I'd certainly like a greater level of this - but it's not something which can be put in place top-down (though it can be damaged top-down). Think of any decade or any government and there were countless people left dissatisfied and/or not belonging.
Most human needs are things which humans need to satisfy themselves, rather than rely on governments to do for them.
Actually, thinking this through a bit, I take it back: look back in history and there have been successful examples of nation-building: think for example of the French enforcement of the French language in the 19th century, which took it from being a minority language of the north to the language of the country. Or various attempts throughout the world at enforcing religious conformity. They worked, albeit their effect weren't necessarily felt for generations. But is this doable in the modern world, even if it were acceptable? I suspect not. And we wouldn't really recognise it if it was - a group feeling is hard to manufacture in the timespans of human lifetimes.
EDIT: Bloody hell. You spend some time crafting a balanced an nuanced reply, only to find the other party has already been banned.
An excellent thread header and much food for thought.
I am tempted to suggest that in education, there ought to be an objectively “correct” answer to getting the system right that delivers the best outcomes (if we accept that one of those outcomes is critical thinking and exposure to a range of views, and not culture war style indoctrination into only one).
It is just possible that teachers are better placed to find that solution than politicians or civil servants miles away from the job.
But, with that kind of thinking, how will people with no knowledge or expertise in Education make a six figure salary In Education?
“I think the people of this country have had enough of experts with organisations with acronyms saying that they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong."
It’s ok, there’s a rich seam of work to be done for Streeting on social care. Millions to be made in consultancy fees. Far better than spending the cash on patients.
I would like to point out that economic and social liberalism doesnt really satisfy human needs which is why people are looking to the far right. People thirst for a deeper meaning in life and if the far right provies it so be it.
Mm. Bit of a repeated trope, this one. Certainly true that economic and social liberalism doesn't satisfy all human needs - but I don't think there has ever been a political, economic or cultural system which satsifies all human needs. I'm guessing what you're getting at is the lack of a feeling of belonging and/or group identity. I'd certainly like a greater level of this - but it's not something which can be put in place top-down (though it can be damaged top-down). Think of any decade or any government and there were countless people left dissatisfied and/or not belonging.
Most human needs are things which humans need to satisfy themselves, rather than rely on governments to do for them.
Actually, thinking this through a bit, I take it back: look back in history and there have been successful examples of nation-building: think for example of the French enforcement of the French language in the 19th century, which took it from being a minority language of the north to the language of the country. Or various attempts throughout the world at enforcing religious conformity. They worked, albeit their effect weren't necessarily felt for generations. But is this doable in the modern world, even if it were acceptable? I suspect not. And we wouldn't really recognise it if it was - a group feeling is hard to manufacture in the timespans of human lifetimes.
We do pretty well at manufacturing a national group feeling every other June for about three or four weeks until someone misses a penalty.
Please, this is a thread on education failure. Adding to that theme, proper nouns like "Ukraine" are always capitalised. Don't they teach grammar in Vladivostok Grammar School?
An excellent thread header and much food for thought.
I am tempted to suggest that in education, there ought to be an objectively “correct” answer to getting the system right that delivers the best outcomes (if we accept that one of those outcomes is critical thinking and exposure to a range of views, and not culture war style indoctrination into only one).
It is just possible that teachers are better placed to find that solution than politicians or civil servants miles away from the job.
One thing that would make everything much easier is if we could, as a nation, take time to decide what we wanted from our education system rather than endlessly meddling with it.
That may or may not lead to what you suggest, but at least it would eliminate much of the one-size-doesn’t-quite-do-anything right muddle we have now.
Please, this is a thread on education failure. Adding to that theme, proper nouns like "Ukraine" are always capitalised. Don't they teach grammar in Vladivostok Grammar School?
I think if there is any gap in Reform’s armour developing, it is its developing relationship with Musk.
I think Farage is a smart cookie, but if Musk writes him a cheque he won’t say no to it. And that immediately links him with the crazier stuff that Musk posts all over X. It leaves him as a rather large hostage to fortune. Will core Reform voters care? Probably not. But the voters who he needs to deliver him 150+ seats might.
As others have noted on here, plenty of voters are capable of backing Reform. But plenty could be turned away if they feel Reform is becoming more closely connected with characters like Tommy Robinson and, increasingly, Elon Musk.
I would have thought that even Farage is smart enough to know that if Musk becomes the leviathan donor to Reform that every time Musk posts some racist conspiracy, libellous comment, or simply demonstrates his incredible ignorance about the UK then Farage will be asked to defend it. And Musk is already way off the deep end and getting crazier by the day.
The objections to Kemi calling for a public enquiry are ludicrous. 1. It may highlight her own incompetence - OK, that's an objection how? 2. She should have called for it long ago - OK, is it too late now and she should just shut her face? Ridiculous argument - the ramifications of what happened still need to be recognised nationally and acted upon. The victims (for the most part) are very much still with us and deserve justice. 3. She's jumping on the Reform/Musk bandwagon - actually she seems slightly to have beaten Nigel to the punch, fair play. She has also made a lot of noise about culture, and reform of public institutions, so I don’t see that this is in any from the left field.
Well done Kemi. GO FOR HIM at PMQs.*
*But do your research and have an answer when he blames the Tories - fairly simple 'If we're to blame, have the enquiry'.
I would like to point out that economic and social liberalism doesnt really satisfy human needs which is why people are looking to the far right. People thirst for a deeper meaning in life and if the far right provies it so be it.
Mm. Bit of a repeated trope, this one. Certainly true that economic and social liberalism doesn't satisfy all human needs - but I don't think there has ever been a political, economic or cultural system which satsifies all human needs. I'm guessing what you're getting at is the lack of a feeling of belonging and/or group identity. I'd certainly like a greater level of this - but it's not something which can be put in place top-down (though it can be damaged top-down). Think of any decade or any government and there were countless people left dissatisfied and/or not belonging.
Most human needs are things which humans need to satisfy themselves, rather than rely on governments to do for them.
Actually, thinking this through a bit, I take it back: look back in history and there have been successful examples of nation-building: think for example of the French enforcement of the French language in the 19th century, which took it from being a minority language of the north to the language of the country. Or various attempts throughout the world at enforcing religious conformity. They worked, albeit their effect weren't necessarily felt for generations. But is this doable in the modern world, even if it were acceptable? I suspect not. And we wouldn't really recognise it if it was - a group feeling is hard to manufacture in the timespans of human lifetimes.
Totalitarian creeds satisfy all human needs. Because if you aren't satisfied, you... aren't. Existing, that is.
The chaos* of reality frightens some. Mostly the untutored.
Please, this is a thread on education failure. Adding to that theme, proper nouns like "Ukraine" are always capitalised. Don't they teach grammar in Vladivostok Grammar School?
Please, this is a thread on education failure. Adding to that theme, proper nouns like "Ukraine" are always capitalised. Don't they teach grammar in Vladivostok Grammar School?
They are not Russian.
Are there large differences between Russian and Ukranian - so far as I can see
О becomes И (Kharkiv/Kharkov)
&
Г transliterated as "h" rather than "g" in Ukranian ?
An excellent thread header and much food for thought.
I am tempted to suggest that in education, there ought to be an objectively “correct” answer to getting the system right that delivers the best outcomes (if we accept that one of those outcomes is critical thinking and exposure to a range of views, and not culture war style indoctrination into only one).
It is just possible that teachers are better placed to find that solution than politicians or civil servants miles away from the job.
One thing that would make everything much easier is if we could, as a nation, take time to decide what we wanted from our education system rather than endlessly meddling with it.
That may or may not lead to what you suggest, but at least it would eliminate much of the one-size-doesn’t-quite-do-anything right muddle we have now.
But that would mean that vast numbers of Proper Generalist Managers and Consultants would have nothing to do. Without 600 page reports full of bullshit, their lives would have no meaning.
Please, this is a thread on education failure. Adding to that theme, proper nouns like "Ukraine" are always capitalised. Don't they teach grammar in Vladivostok Grammar School?
Comments
"Who also thinks the KING should Dissolve Parliament and order a General Election be called for the sake and security of the country?
The King must ACT before it is too late!"
"Yes", agrees Musk. The King should set aside the recent clear election win for the government because reasons.
Flip it over.
Who also thinks that PRESIDENT BIDEN should throw out the 2024 Presidential Election and order a fresh election be called for the sake and security of the country.
The President must ACT before it is too late!
Musk: That would be an outrageous undemocratic abuse of power.
Of course if we could deliver wonderful public services on low taxes that would be great, but we can't. And it is made worse by our demographics that mean our ability to balance low taxes and good public services is significantly less than the country has become accustomed to.
Political parties are responding logically to outside events. The bad news is it ends up, inevitably from here, in some form of harmful populism, it is just a matter of when.
I'm afraid there are no ideas.
Kind regards and good luck!
Liam"
The company pays your training bill on condition that you stay for x period afterwards. If you leave early of your own accord then you owe them a pro-rata outstanding based on the agreed time period remaining.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/16131916
Robert Jenrick
The truth about ‘grooming gangs’ is finally coming out
Are we sure the depraved abuse of vulnerable white girls is over? The victims of rape gangs deserve justice
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/02/truth-about-grooming-gangs-finally-coming-out-abuse-uk/ (£££)
When the business cycle improves I expect businesses to invest more in automation. As labour costs increase the case for automation becomes more compelling
Griffin's involvement actually goes back to 2005, when he stood against Ann Cryer.
The Times journalist Andrew Norfolk first came across the germ of the story in 2003, when he moved to Leeds, and reported on Ann Cryer's concern about Asian men targeting young girls.
It's certainly the case that the Times didn't start their systematic investigation until 2010:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/rotherham-child-sex-abuse-how-the-truth-finally-came-out-c2d9wgmwtd6
A detail:
..Ironically, the only two death threats that I received in connection with the story both came in anonymous letters from supporters of the far right, seemingly outraged that The Times was seeking to discredit Griffin’s pet theory that sex-grooming crimes were part of an Islamic plot to spread the caliphate by impregnating every white teenager in Britain...
But the general principle that the in group going off the rails is far, far more dangerous than a small proportion of minority random extremists trying to cause havoc
is one to which I hold. The world invited in by Leon and more illustrious writers terrifies me far more than taking my chances in a city centre Christmas market. And seeing even passing signs of it getting currency in supporters not of SYL or even Farage, but in the mainstream opposition is slightly chilling, especially with the prospect of 4 years of shit stirring to come from the US.
I did seriously consider the Leon challenge of, if you think Trump is that bad why not support nobbling / assassinating him. I've come to a fatalist conclusion, no precognition, by the time you know that he is bad enough to justify that it will inevitably be too late. You just have to trust that the collective memory of liberal democracy is enough to pull back after bad things happen. In democracy, there are rules to be followed, but the efforts to disqualify him as an insurrectionist failed because the institutional and democratic will to disqualify him wasn't strong enough. So, no MAGA style "protection of democracy" from me, we must go where we must go, whether in the US or the UK.
Engineering companies do. I had one when I was younger and I know others who have been sponsored to study and had to,sign to,that effect
If a particular form of inquiry is so important why the f*** didn't they do it themselves?
The situation she is in is that her generation of conservative politicians have exposed themselves as a cynical crowd of self-serving opportunists who were willing to do almost anything to try and save their political backsides, extending to a willingness to burn down their own administration's achievements such as increasing housebuilding.
If she wants my vote, as an until-recent (2022) party member, she has to demonstrate that she has changed the party from a collection of headless chickens into something more useful.
If she can't do that, I am unlikely to consider voting conservative until that generation have left politics.
Dealing with really long term issues on a cross-party basis will be one red or green flag. You don't get to ignore the important things because for the time being you want a Punch and Judy show.
The problem for Labour, especially Jess Phillips in this case, is saying one thing in opposition and doing another in office. Same with the WASPI women. In both cases the right decision but doesn’t look good.
I don't know if we have any static van owners on PB; the sector is a bit of a wild west. I had one friend who had one that she rented out; she came through intact but it took a lot of careful navigation of site owner demands.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gmy7xjewko
As I noted before Christmas, "absurd, but enjoyable".
If you want to work in business, be PM or be a TV presenter or teacher people schools is probably more important
Which quite frankly it needs. Even Labour are on board with reforming it.
Also
https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/01/20/no-one-not-even-nigel-farage-or-ukip-is-advocating-replacing-the-nhs-with-the-us-health-care-system/
I think Farage is a smart cookie, but if Musk writes him a cheque he won’t say no to it. And that immediately links him with the crazier stuff that Musk posts all over X. It leaves him as a rather large hostage to fortune. Will core Reform voters care? Probably not. But the voters who he needs to deliver him 150+ seats might.
As others have noted on here, plenty of voters are capable of backing Reform. But plenty could be turned away if they feel Reform is becoming more closely connected with characters like Tommy Robinson and, increasingly, Elon Musk.
What is not really forgivable with parties aiming at serious government is their dishonest argument with each other.
Otherwise the utterly futuile and meaningless election campaigns - better services, taxes won't rise - go on for ever. This is not tolerable.
Declines to explain what "joining the dots" might mean.
Labour isn't averse to inquiries !
Ironically, given what these people claim to want, it might be simplest to punt grooming gangs into the long grass of a national inquiry.
Safe to say Speaker Johnson has one hard no.
“You can pull all my fingernails out. You can shove bamboo up in them. You can start cutting off my fingers. I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow, and you can take that to the bank. @RepThomasMassie
https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1875015234353778776
The word from the company was that they had more than made their investment back just from the work done by the sponsored students in the industrial periods. Plus they got the chance to keep a dozen students per year on our site who would not need the traditional 12 month run-in period to become a positive, since we had all already been in about 15 departments and were ingrained with the culture and practice.
It's circumstances and cases I think. I can see that an airline pilot would be substantially greater for both risk and return.
Trump won 49% of men aged 18-29 but only 38% of women aged 18-29.
Harris won 61% of women aged 18-29 but only 48% of men aged 18-29
https://edition.cnn.com/election/2024/exit-polls/national-results/general/president/0
I'm not aware of any markets on it
If so, my reaction would be that it doesn't have to be either/or. Ideally, the current mainstream parties would try to do something about the current unpleasantness. If we end up with Trumps and mini-Trumps and worse throughout the western world, it will be because the mainstream parties have given up trying to address these issues, and voters see no alternative.
Of course, I do agree with you that I would rather have even this current government which, rubbish though it is, is largely obeying democratic norms, than a Trump-like one. But come on, western establishments - just try to give the impression that you're on your populations' sides.
I don't think the argument made by the side you are arguing against, except in a very few cases, is that "we must have Trumps and mini-Trumps". It's that the level of establishment complacency is so astonishingly large, the denial of the problems we face is so great, that it's unsurprising that the non-establishment parties are attracting more interest.
However UKIP 2015 levels got Farage just 1 seat. To get to 150 seats+ and hold the balance of power in a hung parliament or even get most seats Reform need to get to 25-30%+. They won't do that with too close links to Robinson via Musk which would send many Thatcherite former Conservative voters back to the Tories
So you get the LatinX enthusiasts who can't understand why creating outgroups causes said outgroups to enter a spiral of hostility.
One rule is the arbitary "Caravans over 10 years old are not allowed on here", and limitation on who can do removals and moves (ie the site operator). That maximises depreciation - so a static that cost £20-40k may suddenly only be worth a few thousand.
The first rule of not being fleeced is to minimise exposure by buying a second hand static that is already there and in good condition, for £5k or so.
There's a parallel as to how developers operate. If a landowner has Planning Permission, it has a 3 year life then turns into a pumpkin if a certified start has not been made - which engages another £100k or whatever of costs to get it renewed. So selling is a very high risk process. The developer plays out the purchasing process, perhaps trying for an exclusive option agreement, until no one else has the time to do the 6 or 12 months for due diligence, and then makes derisory offers as the deadline approaches. It's very much a big boys' game.
A plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border. Which side do you bury the survivors?
Strange to see a Russian troll on a Friday though
That's how Zelensky gets the lasers.
Please, this is a thread on education failure. Adding to that theme, proper nouns like "Ukraine" are always capitalised. Don't they teach grammar in Vladivostok Grammar School?
The far right does many things; 'deep' is not among them.
I am tempted to suggest that in education, there ought to be an objectively “correct” answer to getting the system right that delivers the best outcomes (if we accept that one of those outcomes is critical thinking and exposure to a range of views, and not culture war style indoctrination into only one).
It is just possible that teachers are better placed to find that solution than politicians or civil servants miles away from the job.
“I think the people of this country have had enough of experts with organisations with acronyms saying that they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong."
It's when people become fans of politicians, when they treat ultimately here-today-gone-tomorrow politicians as celebrities, prophets or gods, that the trouble tends to start.
Trump had to wait 4 years because there was no legal or constitutional (or other) means of doing otherwise. There is such a technical means - albeit an outrageous, unconstitutional and unviable one - to a new election in the UK.
You see similar stuff with boat moorings/marinas.
Most human needs are things which humans need to satisfy themselves, rather than rely on governments to do for them.
Actually, thinking this through a bit, I take it back: look back in history and there have been successful examples of nation-building: think for example of the French enforcement of the French language in the 19th century, which took it from being a minority language of the north to the language of the country. Or various attempts throughout the world at enforcing religious conformity. They worked, albeit their effect weren't necessarily felt for generations. But is this doable in the modern world, even if it were acceptable? I suspect not. And we wouldn't really recognise it if it was - a group feeling is hard to manufacture in the timespans of human lifetimes.
EDIT: Bloody hell. You spend some time crafting a balanced an nuanced reply, only to find the other party has already been banned.
That may or may not lead to what you suggest, but at least it would eliminate much of the one-size-doesn’t-quite-do-anything right muddle we have now.
1. It may highlight her own incompetence - OK, that's an objection how?
2. She should have called for it long ago - OK, is it too late now and she should just shut her face? Ridiculous argument - the ramifications of what happened still need to be recognised nationally and acted upon. The victims (for the most part) are very much still with us and deserve justice.
3. She's jumping on the Reform/Musk bandwagon - actually she seems slightly to have beaten Nigel to the punch, fair play. She has also made a lot of noise about culture, and reform of public institutions, so I don’t see that this is in any from the left field.
Well done Kemi. GO FOR HIM at PMQs.*
*But do your research and have an answer when he blames the Tories - fairly simple 'If we're to blame, have the enquiry'.
The chaos* of reality frightens some. Mostly the untutored.
This is my banner
*Literal - Chaos Theory and non-linearity
О becomes И (Kharkiv/Kharkov)
&
Г transliterated as "h" rather than "g" in Ukranian ?
They might go all MAGA, or something.