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Like King James VI & I can Farage unite two auld enemies under one crown? – politicalbetting.com
Like King James VI & I can Farage unite two auld enemies under one crown? – politicalbetting.com
In private, informal discussions have taken place with figures in both parties. The argument advanced by those privy to the talks is that the next election will probably be closer than the last. ?? Katy Balls https://t.co/D4Xm0fNMmK
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No problem with planetary intellects like that negotiating.
In the meantime, lower savings rates and cheaper borrowing. What could possibly go wrong?
A pact is a dreadful necessity for both at the next GE so it'll probably happen. Farage did it before with die Brexitpartie and, despite his oft expressed desire to kill the tories off completely, he'd probably rather have the extra 50 seats he'd get from a pact. Nobody gives a fuck what Kemi thinks or wants.
Today's Mirror front page shows why there is an appetite for NOTA parties like Reform but Kemi's problem remains that if Britain is broken, it was her lot that broke it.
It really is as simple as that.
Those are encouraging figures for Farage and suggest pushing up to 35%+ of the vote is feasible for him.
They still appear glorious compared to the last two years of the Conservatives. Not all of that is Sunak's fault - his legacy was poisoned - but they were out of ideas, out of talent and very tired.
But I'm far from convinced that an alliance with Reform will be an improvement. Quite the opposite, from my point of view.
Having said that, I expected more of Labour, even under Starmer. They have squandered a heck of a lot of goodwill already, which could have lasted them at least one parliament. And most of their problems are own goals.
Nissan were under the mistaken apprehension that it was a merger of equals.
Does this mean anything more than "Farage/Tice bumped into Jenrick in a Commons bar"?
Something is afoot. The vibeshift is upon us
Once they're joined then they can no longer drag the Conservative Party further right by backing and promoting Reform and the Conservative Party might drift back towards sanity.
They'd have to start yet another Party.
I also give you an interesting article by cocaine user and political failure Michael Gove on Morgan McSweeney: https://archive.is/dUAQh
* One or other party collapses or gets eaten by the other.
* The relevant portion of the electorate self-segregates or learns to tactically vote.
* Labour does so badly that the Con/Ref split doesn't matter.
* Labour collapse but an alternative centre/left-of-centre/left party arises that benefits from a Con/Ref split.
It is, of course, blindingly obvious that come the next election there will need to be at least a tacit non-aggression pact between the two, as otherwise only Starmer benefits. That's a long way from promoting a merger - unless, of course, your aim is to destabilise the current Tory leader, like at least one person quoted in that article clearly does.
Why can't we be like Oklahoma and stop the Nimbys by simply not telling them their houses will be demolished? (one and a bit minute video)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XbzNWSNrL-Q
The comments compare it to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Isn't that a toll motorway, too? Nice little earner for someone, if privatised.
A former girlfriend of mine was on the German leg of the Uprising Tour as their German interpretor. Statuesque flaxen-haired beauty. Bit of a hit, I think...
It passed by 330-275. Are there enough like-minded MPs who have been put off by the Leadbeater approach?
Buying up the protest domains is 8D chess.
Osborne flatlined the economy and if today's forecasts are any guide (which, to be fair, they are probably not) Reeves might have done the same.
"The average retail egg price increased 37 percent between December 2023 and December 2024, according to consumer price index data. At the wholesale level, the price for a dozen Midwest Large eggs recently hit $7.76, compared with about $1.50 in early January 2022, before the outbreak began, according to the food market research firm Expana. Prices for egg products, such as liquid and dried eggs, also have gone up, said Brian Moscogiuri, vice president of Eggs Unlimited, a large supplier."
source$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/04/waffle-house-egg-surcharge-bird-flu-outbreak/
Ten years or so ago, in my area large eggs typically sold for 2 dollars a dozen, with occasional specials for 1 dollar.
(For the record: I don't blame the Loser, although I do expect his policies will increase inflation, overall. Incidentally, one of the reasons for higher prices -- in some states -- is that those states have required eggs be "cage free" or even "open range". That makes it more likely that avian flu will be transmitted from wild birds. Scientists seem to be worried, rightly, that the flu may become a serious problem for humans, too.)
Milk prices have gone up recently, too: https://www.statista.com/statistics/236854/retail-price-of-milk-in-the-united-states/
Any similar trends in th UK?
Any pact would need them all to be kept in check, and neither party has a reputation for discipline. My guess is that you'd get a number from the Tories who wouldn't go along with anything significant, and possibly a splinter breakaway.
So hoping it happens, just for the fascination of watching it all play out.
Ed Davey can't believe his luck. Has the political ground ever been larger for the Lib Dems now the Tories are vacating the centre?
Where will some of our more delicate flower Tories find themselves if the party is tied into Fash-lite?
I think this is an extremely difficult one for the Conservatives, and historically I've said they must crush Reform and unite the right.
But that may not be possible now. Nigel has the spotlight. Reform is in the lead. How is Kemi to destroy Reform?
So, I can see the attraction of a merger. Of course, such a merger's price will undoubtedly be Nigel Farage running the combined operation. (Albeit presumably, it will be the Conservative organisation - what with it not being a private Limited Company owned by Mr Farage - that will continue.)
The issue with such a merger is that the merged party probably won't have all the votes of Reform + Conservative; it will no doubt lose a meaningful fraction of people on the Left and Internationalist side of the Conservatives.
There may also be some Tommy Robinsoners who see Nigel as selling out.
Therefore, I suspect that Reform + Conservative will end up in the high 30s, with a slightly different geographic focus than the old Conservatives (more Red Wall, less leafy suburbs).
It's also inevitable that during a merger there will be a lot of internal focus and turmoil... who gets what job? Do Reform council candidates stand down? And the fundamental issue is that the taking over Party has a fraction of the Councillors and the MPs.
OK: I now see such a merger as, if not likely, then certainly a good possibility. But it is not without its risks: it could fail, for example, at the Conservative member vote level, in which case, what next?
"Foot stood down in favour of Neil Kinnock, who immediately reversed the party's hard-left turn. This resulted in a dramatic rise in Labour fortunes in the opinion polls"
So the simple answer is for Badenoch to stand down in favour of a centrist Tory, whereupon they recover.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SDP–Liberal_Alliance
It's 4 and 1/2 years away. The time for any pact is not remotely this year, why would either side want to tie itself to someone else, this far away from an election.
It's all excited chatter from people who like to throw mischief and create news.
Life was better when (a) TV actually stopped broadcasting for some of the day and night and (b) people were rather more grown up about stuff. If you went through the second world war I suspect you'd have a lot less truck with the flippancy of modern life.
And lastly our media is terrible. They made fools of themselves during covid, but I don't think they have ever realised let alone apologised for it. Every pathetic attempted 'gotcha' question was another nail in the coffin for serious public office/media relations. Why would MP's engage with twats who just want to lead the news with their stupid question about 'substantive meals' or how many times a day can you exercise...
Meanwhile in the real world, sales of Teslas are 40-60% down across Europe and there is a growing consumer boycott of US goods in Canada. So while the in house mag of the vermin right may be feeling it, I think history will judge both Farage and Trump in quite a different way.
C´mon Leon, whats the odds on Reform? Its a betting site.
Musk is "operating in a completely lawless realm. He is outside of the rule of law..."
Anne Applebaum - Bulwark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvNimQcdVZ8
When the fuck is Congress and the court system going to do something?
Republicans who want Musk and Doge to have ‘a lot’ of influence dropped from 47% post-election to 26%"
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/06/trump-musk-support-poll
I guess a refreshingly different angle from the usual pompous bloviating.
The use of lethal force by SAS soldiers was unjustified when they opened fire killing four IRA men in an ambush at Clonoe in County Tyrone, an inquest has ruled.
Kevin Barry O'Donnell, 21, Sean O'Farrell, 22, Peter Clancy, 21, and Patrick Vincent, 20, died in February 1992, minutes after they had carried out a gun attack on Coalisland police station.
The soldiers opened fire as the men arrived at St Patrick's Church car park in a hijacked lorry which had a heavy machine gun welded to its tailgate.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8kpxgdyyvo
This will not help the narrative.
I cast aspersions on a comment in the last thread and fifteen or more rushed to Like it. As if I am Old Nick passing by and they are god fearing Salem folk rushing loudly to the aid of a stricken goodwife
It’s coz I keep getting shit RIGHT
That’s it? Isn’t it? That’s what freaks you out?!
Ahahahahah
Trump told you what he was and still you voted him as your candidate.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Westminster Voting Intention:
RFM: 29% (+2)
LAB: 25% (+2)
CON: 18% (-3)
LDM: 13% (+2)
GRN: 10% (=)
SNP: 3% (=)
Via
@FindoutnowUK
, 5 Feb.
Changes w/ 29 Jan.
Or did you mean Eastern Standard Time?
I urge you and others to stop it, as you are only going to make things far worse for yourselves as this Chagos thing unfolds in coming weeks.
Because I have this Chagos thing sussed, I know exactly how it plays out and joins up in the history books. 😊
😈
We need a full discussion in parliament, followed by a vote - before the deal is signed. What's wrong with that?