He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
Year or two back we had an ayrshire chap go from ayrshire to IOM on a jetski to meet some bird he had met at a club whilst working there for a few weeks
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
So why has Trump being telling Europe for ten years to spend more on defence ?
He was asking them to buy US weapons, all business as he does not give a toss about Europe.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Europe needs to publicly support Ukraine, backed up with money and weapons. You know that the cowardly, inept, useless fool Starmer won’t, unfortunately.
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
Year or two back we had an ayrshire chap go from ayrshire to IOM on a jetski to meet some bird he had met at a club whilst working there for a few weeks
Should have used an Ayrship.
(Morning Malc !)
Morning Matt, unbelievable he actually made it as well, got arrested and put in the pokey. Believe the releationship eventually broke up.
An unhinged anti Starmer headline the Telegraph would be proud of.
Good on the Robbie Gibb/Tim Davie BBC for reporting facts and not publishing partisan conjecture in its quest for fair truthful stories.. So, it turns out Starmer would have capitulated to the Nazis and lost us World War 2, so says Ambassador Mike Huckerbee.
Thank goodness we had Winston Churchill, Boris Johnson and ARP Warden Farage running the show
The Israeli high command think that occupying the whole of Gaza is a very bad idea. More evidence that this war is being prolonged to keep Netanyahu out of prison.
Huckabee is an 8 year veteran. That is a veteran presenter of Fox News, until January this year.
He also ran as a POTUS candidate - twice, Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007, and a Baptist Minister.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
So why has Trump being telling Europe for ten years to spend more on defence ?
He was asking them to buy US weapons, all business as he does not give a toss about Europe.
Asking them to buy even more US weapons. Has anyone totted up how much Europe has spent on American hardware since 1945? Trump’s much vaunted recent military support for Ukraine consisted of him selling it to the EU to give to the Ukes. No doubt he’ll be expecting Zelensky to grovel gratefully for this next time they meet.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
Year or two back we had an ayrshire chap go from ayrshire to IOM on a jetski to meet some bird he had met at a club whilst working there for a few weeks
Got done for it, too (though not in the way one might now imagine). But TBF he started from Galloway.
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Europe needs to publicly support Ukraine, backed up with money and weapons. You know that the cowardly, inept, useless fool Starmer won’t, unfortunately.
My sense is that Starmer will, but it may be undermined by him being nuanced. Backing with money and weapons will continue, at the current or maybe increased level - which will be less than many of us want but at least the UK will take guidance on that from Ukraine.
The sharpest intervention I note is Germany considering recognition of the Palestinian State, and restricting some arms exports to Israel. That's a big change.
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
So the politician you criticise is Farage.
Farage is not and has not been in government.
The politicians who most deserve criticism are Macron and above all Merkel.
An unhinged anti Starmer headline the Telegraph would be proud of.
Good on the Robbie Gibb/Tim Davie BBC for reporting facts and not publishing partisan conjecture in its quest for fair truthful stories.. So, it turns out Starmer would have capitulated to the Nazis and lost us World War 2, so says Ambassador Mike Huckerbee.
Thank goodness we had Winston Churchill, Boris Johnson and ARP Warden Farage running the show
The Israeli high command think that occupying the whole of Gaza is a very bad idea. More evidence that this war is being prolonged to keep Netanyahu out of prison.
Huckabee is an 8 year veteran. That is a veteran presenter of Fox News, until January this year.
He also ran as a POTUS candidate - twice, Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007, and a Baptist Minister.
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
Good morning
The answer then is for the EU and TPPA to merge as a single trading block, as the US is not a member of either
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
As a matter of interest just what are the Lib Dems solutions ?
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
There are structural problems (there always have been) and there are temporary problems (there always have been).
The problems being that people will disagree what they are and disagree what the solutions are.
Its also possible that there are no solutions to some of the problems.
And we're in a dynamic world with new problems constantly evolving.
So its entirely possible that we create a solution to a temporary problem which itself worsens a structural problem which arises in a few years.
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
Good morning
The answer then is for the EU and TPPA to merge as a single trading block, as the US is not a member of either
Why not? Let's cement the principles of Global Trade even as Trump works hard to demolish it.
The Tim Cook visit to the White House was telling. Cook announces $100bn investment to allow more US made glass for iPhone. Tariffs work! Except that Corning were already making much of the glass in the US, and it then gets shipped out to no America to be made into iPhone and Watch devices which are tariffed when they come back.
And to top off the spectacle of stupid? Here is a Golden Idol!
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
As a matter of interest just what are the Lib Dems solutions ?
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
Good morning
The answer then is for the EU and TPPA to merge as a single trading block, as the US is not a member of either
Why not? Let's cement the principles of Global Trade even as Trump works hard to demolish it.
The Tim Cook visit to the White House was telling. Cook announces $100bn investment to allow more US made glass for iPhone. Tariffs work! Except that Corning were already making much of the glass in the US, and it then gets shipped out to no America to be made into iPhone and Watch devices which are tariffed when they come back.
And to top off the spectacle of stupid? Here is a Golden Idol!
I would be really pleased if that deal could be agreed, as the benefits globally are immense and Trump is not at the table
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
Good morning
The answer then is for the EU and TPPA to merge as a single trading block, as the US is not a member of either
Finland and Sweden have pushed for this and been told to do one by the Commission. UvdL, to her credit, isn't really interested in anything east of the Elbe or west of Lisbon. She is une vraie européenne.
If the new EC President in 2029 is a freetrading Scandi then things might be different.
Europe instead chose to get itself in such a position and to laugh at Trump while doing so.
I'm sure you remember all those pictures of Merkel criticising Trump which were posted on PB during his first term.
The tragedy of course is that Trump is a joke.
No, jokes aren't dangerous.
Trump is dangerous.
Europe thought it could mock Trump without any repercussions.
It couldn't.
So the fallback has been the appeasement of Trump. Ultimately that won't work, particularly if he does any kind of deal with Putin. So Europe is re-arming to make sure that if the US betrays Europe-oncluding UK- we can go it alone. Farage takes the Trump shilling but ot now could not be clearer that British interests are now far more aligned with the EU than the US. Incidentally Australia, New Zealand and Canada are taking the same view.
Good morning
The answer then is for the EU and TPPA to merge as a single trading block, as the US is not a member of either
Finland and Sweden have pushed for this and been told to do one by the Commission. UvdL, to her credit, isn't really interested in anything east of the Elbe or west of Lisbon. She is une vraie européenne.
If the new EC President in 2029 is a freetrading Scandi then things might be different.
And there lies the problem evidenced by UVDL recent surrender to Trump on trade
Cooper is the obvious play if Starmer is stepping down early. Burnam is Boris - the threat over the water parades by the desperate.
No chance. Cooper is drinking from the poisoned chalice at the Home Office.
Assuming that Starmer does retire voluntarily or involuntarily before the GE as I think likely, then there are 2 possibilities, the first being a contested leadership vote, the second being a coronation.
If a contested vote, then it goes to a membership ballot, and Cooper, Streeting etc would not do well there. If a coronation then it is hard to see past the deputy leader, as she would be in temporary charge.
So I think Rayner is the value bet.
She would be Mrs May on steroids during an election campaign too, I suspect
I don't think so. Rayner is a far better campaigner than anyone else in the cabinet.
She will be met by a lot of snobbery from the Tories and MSM, but that may well to be her benefit. It would be a stark contrast to the privileged lives of her opposition.
Sorry, I meant Cooper! Rayner would be a better campaigner. But better than Farage? Probably not
Yes, I agree on Cooper. She isn't a good campaigner.
Farage can rabble-rouse on immigration very effectively, but his other policies are not popular even with Reform voters, so quite a problem when we get a campaign going.
Policies, in an election campaign? Shurely some mistake.
Indeed. I doubt policies will be more than mentioned occasionally during 2029 campaign.
Labour will want to frame the election as 'Stop Farage becoming PM, it will be chaos' vs Farage's 'Britain is broken and only Reform can fix it'.
Of course, it is very likely to be a "stop Farage" campaign, and one that Farage will endlessly bring back to immigration.
So Labour will bang on about Reforms other policies, such as trashing all the British institutions from NHS to BBC, but also point out the "pig in a poke" nature of Reforms front bench. Who are they and what are their agendas?
I don't see Starmer doing well. He is wooden and verbose, completely unsuited to campaigning, and his instincts are all wrong "Farage is right, don't vote for him" is a formula for electoral meltdown.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
I’m very concerned that the small angry racist minority is turning into a large angry racist majority because the country is so depressed that they need an answer, and Faragist racism is an answer. Not the right answer, but, formented by the likes of the Mail, the Express, GB News, and with Farage being the BBC’s favourite politician, it’s the answer being forced onto people.
The Mail supported fascism in the 1930s. Their views haven’t changed.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
As a matter of interest just what are the Lib Dems solutions ?
Nimby and waspi.
A land fit for Waitrose shoppers.
Better that than the land fit for foodbank users we are becoming.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
As a matter of interest just what are the Lib Dems solutions ?
Nimby and waspi.
A land fit for Waitrose shoppers.
Better that than the land fit for foodbank users we are becoming.
How very dare you! Patrons of community pantries if you don’t mind.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
As a matter of interest just what are the Lib Dems solutions ?
It is a simple matter of looking on the Internet, here's the link:
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
As a matter of interest just what are the Lib Dems solutions ?
Nimby and waspi.
A land fit for Waitrose shoppers.
Better that than the land fit for foodbank users we are becoming.
We'd better stop importing more poor people in that case.
And to stop donating to food banks - the more that is donated the more that is given away, whether needed or not.
Housing costs are a far more relevant factor in poverty than the price of beans or bread.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
I’m very concerned that the small angry racist minority is turning into a large angry racist majority because the country is so depressed that they need an answer, and Faragist racism is an answer. Not the right answer, but, formented by the likes of the Mail, the Express, GB News, and with Farage being the BBC’s favourite politician, it’s the answer being forced onto people.
The Mail supported fascism in the 1930s. Their views haven’t changed.
Even the GENERAL ELECTION NOW protests are concerning. When the Tories were in office people like me would occasionally demand an early election, knowing it wasn't going to happen. We even had the Tory Attorney General roaring at the Commons demanding an early election.
This lot? They see their issue as the only issue, their view as the only decent view, and anyone disagreeing wants their daughter raped by a muslim. They are truly bonkers. Point out how democracy works and they literally call for it to be overthrown. they are demanding King Chaz remove the government and install Farage. And if not he's only king for the muslims..
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
You know what? I cry B/S on that; at least, at the idea that there was a glorious age where things were better.
Ans yes, I will tell them that, on the whole, the country isn't broken. Because it isn't. Most of the time, most things work; perhaps even work well.
The interesting things is that residents in many other countries say similar things about their own countries; witness a rant I heard recently from a German about their 'broken' rail system. Perhaps the only places we don't see that from are those where the public are not free to speak about how 'broken' things are.
If you’re feeling cheerful this blithe summer morning, here’s an antidote
Some terrifying data from the noble John Burn-Murdoch at the @FT
People aged 16-40 are now the MOST introverted, the least trusting, the least helpful, the least outgoing, the most argumentative. Also their determination and conscientiousness have collapsed
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
Which leaves the Lib Dems …..
And the Greens and Your Party.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
As a matter of interest just what are the Lib Dems solutions ?
The party has just published a working paper called Leading the Way which sets out the Lib Dem solutions. The aim is to debate it at the party conference in September and make it party policy. Incidentally one of the authors was Mrs B, formerly of this parish.
Picking up the Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson chat from the previous thread, and ignoring Rogan. Just a perambulation of thoughts.
For Peterson I've seen both persuasive and troubling output, and he now keeps some strange company. I first listened to him some time ago (probably pre-2015), and found him interesting philosophically.
But he's been on a journey and now has associations around ARC (Alliance for Responsible Citizenship) alongside Pippa Stroud, Paul Marshall and the Legatum Institute.
And also to my ear Peterson is putting forward thinking with overlaps with some features of a NatCon and perhaps Christian Nationalist agenda. Peterson's journey feels superficially like an intellectual journey paralleling Matt Goodwin's anti-intellectual "look at me" trajectory.
Stroud is interesting in that she is one of a number of people who were formerly with IDS and Tim Montgomerie in the Centre for Social Justice, with their flagship project being Universal Credit, designed to encourage return to work, which aspiration was heavily kneecapped by Osborne.
They have moved in different directions from a socially-interested practical evangelicalism in the John Stott tradition to different emphases.
Montgomerie is into Reform, to something harder edged and more authoritarian, perhaps closer to NatCon. Stroud seems more varied to me, despite ARC and the Marshall association. She will not I think be a "chainsaw benefits reformer".
If I had to buttonhole Stroud, it would be as an emerging version of Baroness Cox with some different emphases, but I'm not very thoroughly informed on any of these people - but more of a mover and shaker.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
If Kemi remains Tory leader or is replaced by Jenrick then both would yes likely give Reform confidence and supply if Farage's party won most seats.
If Kemi was removed and replaced as Tory leader by Cleverly or Stride then neither would give Reform confidence and supply, even if Farage won most seats. Instead they would vote bill by bill and Farage would either have to try and form a minority government (with support from the small number of DUP and TUV MPs from NI) or Labour would try and stay in office again if it was a hung parliament and Labour plus the LDs, Greens and maybe the SNP and Plaid, SDLP, Alliance and Corbyn's party combined had more MPs than Reform and the DUP and TUV
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Europe needs to publicly support Ukraine, backed up with money and weapons. You know that the cowardly, inept, useless fool Starmer won’t, unfortunately.
Up until now, he has. But you're right that it will require more.
An unhinged anti Starmer headline the Telegraph would be proud of.
Good on the Robbie Gibb/Tim Davie BBC for reporting facts and not publishing partisan conjecture in its quest for fair truthful stories.. So, it turns out Starmer would have capitulated to the Nazis and lost us World War 2, so says Ambassador Mike Huckerbee.
Thank goodness we had Winston Churchill, Boris Johnson and ARP Warden Farage running the show
Well, he would. Hitler and he would negotiate a treaty in which Starmer would give away the Channel Islands and pay Hitler a million per year for the next century for the right to visit them. In return the UK would only be bombed a bit. "Starmer: delivering for Britain!"
Cooper is the obvious play if Starmer is stepping down early. Burnam is Boris - the threat over the water parades by the desperate.
If like me you believe Kier Starmer will retire early, like Wilson, then his successor is already sitting round the Cabinet table (or will be when Starmer collects his gold clock).
But if I am wrong, then if Burnham stands at the 2029 election, he will be in the running for next Labour leader along with next PM (if Labour wins) or next LotO (if Labour loses).
Burnham is 33/1 next PM and 11/1 next Labour leader.
Yes Burnham's plan is to stand at the next GE I think not in a by election, Boris of course stood at the 2015 GE towards the end of his Mayoral term and he did achieve his dream of the premiership a few years later
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
Picking up the Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson chat from the previous thread, and ignoring Rogan. Just a perambulation of thoughts.
For Peterson I've seen both persuasive and troubling output, and he now keeps some strange company. I first listened to him some time ago (probably pre-2015), and found him interesting philosophically.
But he's been on a journey and now has associations around ARC (Alliance for Responsible Citizenship) alongside Pippa Stroud, Paul Marshall and the Legatum Institute.
And also to my ear Peterson is putting forward thinking with overlaps with some features of a NatCon and perhaps Christian Nationalist agenda. Peterson's journey feels superficially like an intellectual journey paralleling Matt Goodwin's anti-intellectual "look at me" trajectory.
Stroud is interesting in that she is one of a number of people who were formerly with IDS and Tim Montgomerie in the Centre for Social Justice, with their flagship project being Universal Credit, designed to encourage return to work, which aspiration was heavily kneecapped by Osborne.
They have moved in different directions from a socially-interested practical evangelicalism in the John Stott tradition to different emphases.
Montgomerie is into Reform, to something harder edged and more authoritarian, perhaps closer to NatCon. Stroud seems more varied to me, despite ARC and the Marshall association. She will not I think be a "chainsaw benefits reformer".
If I had to buttonhole Stroud, it would be as an emerging version of Baroness Cox with some different emphases, but I'm not very thoroughly informed on any of these people - but more of a mover and shaker.
Checking the terms might be important too. If Starmer is forced out there is a chance he might be booted from the leadership at once, in which case Rayner might be appointed PM as the new leader of the Labour party. Even if she only lasts two months.
Strange to think Labour haven't had an actual contested leadership election while in power for nearly 50 years.
Rayner the Julia Gillard, a fellow ginger, of UK Labour to Starmer's Kevin Rudd? Rudd was booted out as PM and replaced by his Deputy just 3 years after his landslide victory in 2007 for Australia Labor which saw them boot John Howard's conservative Coalition from office after a decade in power.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
There a lot of people who do including the majority on here !!!!!
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
You know what? I cry B/S on that; at least, at the idea that there was a glorious age where things were better.
Ans yes, I will tell them that, on the whole, the country isn't broken. Because it isn't. Most of the time, most things work; perhaps even work well.
The interesting things is that residents in many other countries say similar things about their own countries; witness a rant I heard recently from a German about their 'broken' rail system. Perhaps the only places we don't see that from are those where the public are not free to speak about how 'broken' things are.
The great thing about all this is that there was always a golden age at some point in the past. It is the pot of gold waiting for you at the end of the rainbow.
Why are things broken so badly? Taxes at a record high and going up again soon Sovereign debt at record levels in peacetime Public services crumbling due to a lack of cash Private sector infrastructure (e.g. national grid) crumbling due to lack of investment Rampant inflation driven by energy prices (specifically gas) Wages trapping millions in poverty no matter how long and hard they work
We can get through this, but we have to do things very differently. One one hand we apparently can't afford to pay for things like criminal justice, on the other hand crime epidemics are threatening the social fabric and crime costs business a lot of money.
So we're going to need to borrow. Invest. Deliver a return on the investment. Which means two things: Smashing the "who will pay for that / we can't afford that" mantra. We can't afford not to invest in things like criminal justice Smashing the system which burns the money. Why tip even more money into an NHS which burns it before delivering it to the front line?
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
A One Nation Tory would, they want to retain a distinctive centre right Conservative Party, they don't want it to be taken over and merged with Reform which would likely happen if we kept FPTP ultimately if Farage won most seats and entered No 10 as PM.
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
There a lot of people who do including the majority on here !!!!!
Yes and if that meant voting Tory for which as you know would be very difficult for me I would do it . People should be under no illusions what Farage and co would be capable of if they had the keys to no 10 .
At the moment my constituency is a straight Lib Dem Tory fight but if I ended up moving to another area where it was Tory v Reform I would do what is needed .
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
Because a Farage government has a high chance of being an economic disaster, pandering to Trump and Putin, failing at everything it tried to implement, discredit right wing policies for over a decade and lead to a Corbynista government as a backlash.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
I can hear you cackling as you press enter, and wait for the replies.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
You know what? I cry B/S on that; at least, at the idea that there was a glorious age where things were better.
Ans yes, I will tell them that, on the whole, the country isn't broken. Because it isn't. Most of the time, most things work; perhaps even work well.
The interesting things is that residents in many other countries say similar things about their own countries; witness a rant I heard recently from a German about their 'broken' rail system. Perhaps the only places we don't see that from are those where the public are not free to speak about how 'broken' things are.
The great thing about all this is that there was always a golden age at some point in the past. It is the pot of gold waiting for you at the end of the rainbow.
Why are things broken so badly? Taxes at a record high and going up again soon Sovereign debt at record levels in peacetime Public services crumbling due to a lack of cash Private sector infrastructure (e.g. national grid) crumbling due to lack of investment Rampant inflation driven by energy prices (specifically gas) Wages trapping millions in poverty no matter how long and hard they work
We can get through this, but we have to do things very differently. One one hand we apparently can't afford to pay for things like criminal justice, on the other hand crime epidemics are threatening the social fabric and crime costs business a lot of money.
So we're going to need to borrow. Invest. Deliver a return on the investment. Which means two things: Smashing the "who will pay for that / we can't afford that" mantra. We can't afford not to invest in things like criminal justice Smashing the system which burns the money. Why tip even more money into an NHS which burns it before delivering it to the front line?
Harold Macmillan, in what I think was his last Lords speech, got it right (at last) . Thatcher was selling off the family silver and the net result has been that profits have gone abroad, costs have stayed here and investment has been by 'other people'. Which accelerated the flight of profits and meant that we, the British, have paid more and more for the betterment of 'other' people. Yet the British Right has consistently accused the Left and Centre of being 'unpatriotic'; I have been on the political Left since I first became aware of politics in my teens, seventy plus years ago, and this has consistently been the case.
Off topic: I can’t be the only person who fears that the Loser will try to give Alaska back to the Russians, when he meets Putin. But the symbolism of the meeting place is suspicious.
(For the humor-impaired: All right, I am joking. Mostly.)
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
Because a Farage government has a high chance of being an economic disaster, pandering to Trump and Putin, failing at everything it tried to implement, discredit right wing policies for over a decade and lead to a Corbynista government as a backlash.
One might argue that that's a reason for a Leftie to vote Reform!
I just sold one that I bought in 2002. It quadrupled in value in that time and it wasn't even a popular/desirable model (Explorer II). The second hand market is red hot at the moment which I presume is partially responsible for the thefts. I've seen a Kermit Sub (a 'Flat Four' like mine) go for $30k+ in LA. Insane.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
Because a Farage government has a high chance of being an economic disaster, pandering to Trump and Putin, failing at everything it tried to implement, discredit right wing policies for over a decade and lead to a Corbynista government as a backlash.
One might argue that that's a reason for a Leftie to vote Reform!
Farage will be attracting many 2017 Labour voters.
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1953837765721719286 5/ The agreement (to give up Donetsk) would also require Ukraine to hand over its heavily fortified defensive lines, much as Neville Chamberlain's Munich Agreement did to Czechoslovakia in 1938. Russia's next invasion of Ukraine would be made far easier...
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
Because a Farage government has a high chance of being an economic disaster, pandering to Trump and Putin, failing at everything it tried to implement, discredit right wing policies for over a decade and lead to a Corbynista government as a backlash.
One might argue that that's a reason for a Leftie to vote Reform!
I'd rather have a Fukker government than a tory one. The tories are acculturated to being in government and have some understanding of how the administrative apparatus of the state works to implement their malevolence. Fukkers are just plain stupid and think anything they don't understand, which is most things, is simple. They may "surprise on the downside" when it comes to actually executing their proto-fascist fever dreams.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
Because a Farage government has a high chance of being an economic disaster, pandering to Trump and Putin, failing at everything it tried to implement, discredit right wing policies for over a decade and lead to a Corbynista government as a backlash.
One might argue that that's a reason for a Leftie to vote Reform!
Farage will be attracting many 2017 Labour voters.
Indeed, the key swing voter at the moment voted Labour or Tory in 2017, Conservative in 2019, Labour in 2024 and is now backing Reform
If you’re feeling cheerful this blithe summer morning, here’s an antidote
Some terrifying data from the noble John Burn-Murdoch at the @FT
People aged 16-40 are now the MOST introverted, the least trusting, the least helpful, the least outgoing, the most argumentative. Also their determination and conscientiousness have collapsed
The evidence certainly seems to be piling up that being on smartphones constantly, social media etc is far more profoundly negative for people (particularly developing children) than imagined. And I don't think anyone thought it was a "good" thing in the first place.
I'm hoping there is some push back by the time my children are that age, but it seems smart phones are near universal by secondary school from the data I can find.
He's so full of shite but anyone who can travel this far in an inflatable dingy deserves British citizenship.
The defence of him on TwiX is quite funny. He knows what he posted and why he posted it. He got absolutely owned, and having a spare grand in his pocket doesn’t get him off.
Lowe seems more than your usual type of businessman cynical bastard. He seems willing to provoke civil unrest for his own political aims. Very trumpian/faragian/ticean.
Forget Lowe. *The Tories* are promoting the idea of civil unrest. The former party of law and order.
Citation required.
You seemed trapped between the Tories being dead as a political force and yet still responsible for all the nation's ills. Make your mind up...
1. The Tories broke the country. Labour aren't fixing it, but the Tories broke it 2. The remaining Tories note that Reform have replaced them. And are trying to our race bait them. 3. In no way are the Tories responsible for the protests. Read the posts by the people protesting. Its largely "fuck off, you broke the country"
The country is not 'broken'. Yes, we have problems, and yes, they may be bigger than they were ten years ago (*). But in general, things still work well. It's just that they could work better.
(*) But far better than they were forty years ago.
Tell the people out there that the country isn't broken. Jobs don't pay people's bills Public services receive record amounts of cash and deliver crisis levels of service The fabric binding society together is fraying
We can't fix things by snipping bits of policy at the edges, we need the Big Picture rebuild. The Tories failed to deliver that, Labour are failing to deliver that, people are looking at Reform who won't deliver that...
You know what? I cry B/S on that; at least, at the idea that there was a glorious age where things were better.
Ans yes, I will tell them that, on the whole, the country isn't broken. Because it isn't. Most of the time, most things work; perhaps even work well.
The interesting things is that residents in many other countries say similar things about their own countries; witness a rant I heard recently from a German about their 'broken' rail system. Perhaps the only places we don't see that from are those where the public are not free to speak about how 'broken' things are.
The great thing about all this is that there was always a golden age at some point in the past. It is the pot of gold waiting for you at the end of the rainbow.
Why are things broken so badly? Taxes at a record high and going up again soon Sovereign debt at record levels in peacetime Public services crumbling due to a lack of cash Private sector infrastructure (e.g. national grid) crumbling due to lack of investment Rampant inflation driven by energy prices (specifically gas) Wages trapping millions in poverty no matter how long and hard they work
(Snip)
I agree with some of the stuff you wrote which I snipped, but I wanted to respond to the above, because you give some of the *causes*, but causal factors very much depend on your perspective. For instance, for the things mentioned below, take your choice from one or more of the following for each category (I don't agree with all of your categories; for instance I don't think private sector infrastructure is crumbling.)
Taxes at a record high and going up again soon --> because of inefficiencies in the public sector --> because services need the money --> because the 'rich' don't pay a fair share --> because of immigrants.
Sovereign debt at record levels in peacetime --> because of Covid. --> because of *insert party's of choice*'s mismanagement. --> because we are not willing to pay enough tax --> because the public sector is inefficient. --> because we are too generous with benefits.
Public services crumbling --> due to a lack of cash --> due to inefficiencies and bloating --> due to inaccurate targeting of funding --> due to the demands of immigration.
Private sector infrastructure (e.g. national grid) crumbling --> due to lack of investment --> due to *insert party's of choice*'s mismanagement. --> due to the demands of immigration.
Rampant inflation --> driven by energy prices (specifically gas) --> driven by the after-effects of Covid --> due to *insert party's of choice*'s mismanagement.
Wages trapping millions in poverty no matter how long and hard they work --> because of too high taxes on working people --> because of the demands of modern life --> because of stupid definitions of 'poverty'
And many more for the above. Take your choice; one or more reasons from each category.
If you’re feeling cheerful this blithe summer morning, here’s an antidote
Some terrifying data from the noble John Burn-Murdoch at the @FT
People aged 16-40 are now the MOST introverted, the least trusting, the least helpful, the least outgoing, the most argumentative. Also their determination and conscientiousness have collapsed
If you’re feeling cheerful this blithe summer morning, here’s an antidote
Some terrifying data from the noble John Burn-Murdoch at the @FT
People aged 16-40 are now the MOST introverted, the least trusting, the least helpful, the least outgoing, the most argumentative. Also their determination and conscientiousness have collapsed
The evidence certainly seems to be piling up that being on smartphones constantly, social media etc is far more profoundly negative for people (particularly developing children) than imagined. And I don't think anyone thought it was a "good" thing in the first place.
I'm hoping there is some push back by the time my children are that age, but it seems smart phones are near universal by secondary school from the data I can find.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
It won't save 'thousands of Ukrainian lives', as Putin will just try again in a few years, when he has rebuilt much of his military. 2014-2022 redux.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
That won't, of course, provide a stable solution. Quite a few residents, although by no means all, of the Donbass region were quite happy, indeed preferred, being Ukrainian. Under Putin, of course, those vocal about might well find themselves being 'rehomed' a great deal nearer Vladivostok than Kyiv.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
It won't save 'thousands of Ukrainian lives', as Putin will just try again in a few years, when he has rebuilt much of his military. 2014-2022 redux.
In which case even the Trump administration would push back as Putin would have broken the Trump brokered ceasefire which Trump would see as a personal slight
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
A One Nation Tory would, they want to retain a distinctive centre right Conservative Party, they don't want it to be taken over and merged with Reform which would likely happen if we kept FPTP ultimately if Farage won most seats and entered No 10 as PM.
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
I don't mind them getting a go. It will be a relief when Farage et al are rightfully viewed in the same regard as the Trusster. Without them getting a go, a continuation of toxic politics looks pretty inevitable.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
It won't save 'thousands of Ukrainian lives', as Putin will just try again in a few years, when he has rebuilt much of his military. 2014-2022 redux.
In which case even the Trump administration would push back as Putin would have broken the Trump brokered ceasefire which Trump would see as a personal slight
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
That won't, of course, provide a stable solution. Quite a few residents, although by no means all, of the Donbass region were quite happy, indeed preferred, being Ukrainian. Under Putin, of course, those vocal about might well find themselves being 'rehomed' a great deal nearer Vladivostok than Kyiv.
Well they can move then, as can residents of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia who want to be Russian
I just sold one that I bought in 2002. It quadrupled in value in that time and it wasn't even a popular/desirable model (Explorer II). The second hand market is red hot at the moment which I presume is partially responsible for the thefts. I've seen a Kermit Sub (a 'Flat Four' like mine) go for $30k+ in LA. Insane.
I had to look this up. More like 10K sterling here. Presumably the Kermit bit comes from the frog-green moveable ring. That it? For a premium price?!
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
A One Nation Tory would, they want to retain a distinctive centre right Conservative Party, they don't want it to be taken over and merged with Reform which would likely happen if we kept FPTP ultimately if Farage won most seats and entered No 10 as PM.
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
I don't mind them getting a go. It will be a relief when Farage et al are rightfully viewed in the same regard as the Trusster. Without them getting a go, a continuation of toxic politics looks pretty inevitable.
If Farage's party gets a go, it is quite possible Corbyn's new party gets a go after, at which point the country may be so damaged economically and internationally it takes decades for the more centrist traditional big 3 UK parties to put it back together again
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
That won't, of course, provide a stable solution. Quite a few residents, although by no means all, of the Donbass region were quite happy, indeed preferred, being Ukrainian. Under Putin, of course, those vocal about might well find themselves being 'rehomed' a great deal nearer Vladivostok than Kyiv.
Well they can move then, as can residents of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia who want to be Russian
That's easy to say when it's not your home, your land, and you're not one of the ones being forced to move.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
That won't, of course, provide a stable solution. Quite a few residents, although by no means all, of the Donbass region were quite happy, indeed preferred, being Ukrainian. Under Putin, of course, those vocal about might well find themselves being 'rehomed' a great deal nearer Vladivostok than Kyiv.
Well they can move then, as can residents of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia who want to be Russian
You have a rose-tinted view of life for other people sometimes.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
A One Nation Tory would, they want to retain a distinctive centre right Conservative Party, they don't want it to be taken over and merged with Reform which would likely happen if we kept FPTP ultimately if Farage won most seats and entered No 10 as PM.
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
I don't mind them getting a go. It will be a relief when Farage et al are rightfully viewed in the same regard as the Trusster. Without them getting a go, a continuation of toxic politics looks pretty inevitable.
If Farage's party gets a go, it is quite possible Corbyn's new party gets a go after, at which point the country may be so damaged economically and internationally it takes decades for the more centrist traditional big 3 UK parties to put it back together again
Corbyn would be about 85 by then. And the electorate are more scared of Corbyn than Farage. Not happening.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
A One Nation Tory would, they want to retain a distinctive centre right Conservative Party, they don't want it to be taken over and merged with Reform which would likely happen if we kept FPTP ultimately if Farage won most seats and entered No 10 as PM.
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
I don't mind them getting a go. It will be a relief when Farage et al are rightfully viewed in the same regard as the Trusster. Without them getting a go, a continuation of toxic politics looks pretty inevitable.
If Farage's party gets a go, it is quite possible Corbyn's new party gets a go after, at which point the country may be so damaged economically and internationally it takes decades for the more centrist traditional big 3 UK parties to put it back together again
Corbyn would be about 85 by then. And the electorate are more scared of Corbyn than Farage. Not happening.
One can be of sound mind and see problems clearly at 85, I can assure you!
I just sold one that I bought in 2002. It quadrupled in value in that time and it wasn't even a popular/desirable model (Explorer II). The second hand market is red hot at the moment which I presume is partially responsible for the thefts. I've seen a Kermit Sub (a 'Flat Four' like mine) go for $30k+ in LA. Insane.
I had to look this up. More like 10K sterling here. Presumably the Kermit bit comes from the frog-green moveable ring. That it? For a premium price?!
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
It won't save 'thousands of Ukrainian lives', as Putin will just try again in a few years, when he has rebuilt much of his military. 2014-2022 redux.
In which case even the Trump administration would push back as Putin would have broken the Trump brokered ceasefire which Trump would see as a personal slight
I think you have rather rose-tinted glasses on over what Trump would do. Trump does not care one bit about Ukraine or Ukrainians, and Putin's not dumb. Putin would give Trump an excuse to do no tangible actions, e.g. by making out that Ukraine broke the ceasefire first.
Picking up the Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson chat from the previous thread, and ignoring Rogan. Just a perambulation of thoughts.
For Peterson I've seen both persuasive and troubling output, and he now keeps some strange company. I first listened to him some time ago (probably pre-2015), and found him interesting philosophically.
But he's been on a journey and now has associations around ARC (Alliance for Responsible Citizenship) alongside Pippa Stroud, Paul Marshall and the Legatum Institute.
And also to my ear Peterson is putting forward thinking with overlaps with some features of a NatCon and perhaps Christian Nationalist agenda. Peterson's journey feels superficially like an intellectual journey paralleling Matt Goodwin's anti-intellectual "look at me" trajectory.
Stroud is interesting in that she is one of a number of people who were formerly with IDS and Tim Montgomerie in the Centre for Social Justice, with their flagship project being Universal Credit, designed to encourage return to work, which aspiration was heavily kneecapped by Osborne.
They have moved in different directions from a socially-interested practical evangelicalism in the John Stott tradition to different emphases.
Montgomerie is into Reform, to something harder edged and more authoritarian, perhaps closer to NatCon. Stroud seems more varied to me, despite ARC and the Marshall association. She will not I think be a "chainsaw benefits reformer".
If I had to buttonhole Stroud, it would be as an emerging version of Baroness Cox with some different emphases, but I'm not very thoroughly informed on any of these people - but more of a mover and shaker.
WRITE AN ARTICLE 😀
Just for you. A long interview with Baroness Stroud, during the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference. For non subs, it would need archiving.
Instructive comments - quite conspiraloony even back in 2023.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
It won't save 'thousands of Ukrainian lives', as Putin will just try again in a few years, when he has rebuilt much of his military. 2014-2022 redux.
In which case even the Trump administration would push back as Putin would have broken the Trump brokered ceasefire which Trump would see as a personal slight
Nah TACO. Nobody trusts Trump
Banks did repeatedly, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They were ripped off, of course.
In 2016 the GOP had a House majority of 47, in 2024 a House majority of only 5.
So in which states has this change happened ?
Dem gain relative to GOP - note a gain of one district gives a +2 reading and a change in the number of districts will give a non-even number
Alabama +2 California +9 Colorado +1 Georgia +2 Illinois +7 Kansas +2 Louisiana +2 Maine +2 Michigan +3 New Jersey +4 New Mexico +2 New York +3 North Carolina +1 Ohio +3 Oregon +1 Pennsylvania +5 Texas +2 Virginia +4 Washington +4 West Virginia +1
I'll guess that under fair/natural boundaries the GOP has a structural advantage over the Dems as left wing voters tend to be more concentrated in their strongholds.
So the very act of the gerrymandering wars allows the Dems to gain relative to the GOP by making the result more proportional to overall votes.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
It won't save 'thousands of Ukrainian lives', as Putin will just try again in a few years, when he has rebuilt much of his military. 2014-2022 redux.
In which case even the Trump administration would push back as Putin would have broken the Trump brokered ceasefire which Trump would see as a personal slight
I think you have rather rose-tinted glasses on over what Trump would do. Trump does not care one bit about Ukraine or Ukrainians, and Putin's not dumb. Putin would give Trump an excuse to do no tangible actions, e.g. by making out that Ukraine broke the ceasefire first.
I think that is presumptious, after all Trump has just imposed sanctions on India for buying Russian oil.
The alternative is for Zelensky to reject the Trump proposed ceasefire, Trump to remove US sanctions on Russia in response, thousands more Ukranians to die and at best Ukraine holding onto the land it currently still has with European and Canadian support which it would still keep under the proposed ceasefire anyway.
I just sold one that I bought in 2002. It quadrupled in value in that time and it wasn't even a popular/desirable model (Explorer II). The second hand market is red hot at the moment which I presume is partially responsible for the thefts. I've seen a Kermit Sub (a 'Flat Four' like mine) go for $30k+ in LA. Insane.
I had to look this up. More like 10K sterling here. Presumably the Kermit bit comes from the frog-green moveable ring. That it? For a premium price?!
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
A One Nation Tory would, they want to retain a distinctive centre right Conservative Party, they don't want it to be taken over and merged with Reform which would likely happen if we kept FPTP ultimately if Farage won most seats and entered No 10 as PM.
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
I don't mind them getting a go. It will be a relief when Farage et al are rightfully viewed in the same regard as the Trusster. Without them getting a go, a continuation of toxic politics looks pretty inevitable.
If Farage's party gets a go, it is quite possible Corbyn's new party gets a go after, at which point the country may be so damaged economically and internationally it takes decades for the more centrist traditional big 3 UK parties to put it back together again
Corbyn would be about 85 by then. And the electorate are more scared of Corbyn than Farage. Not happening.
Even if not Corbyn, his party. If Farage can become PM with a new populist right party and overtake the Tories, no reason at a subsequent election a new populist left Corbyn founded party cannot in turn overtake Labour
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
It won't save 'thousands of Ukrainian lives', as Putin will just try again in a few years, when he has rebuilt much of his military. 2014-2022 redux.
In which case even the Trump administration would push back as Putin would have broken the Trump brokered ceasefire which Trump would see as a personal slight
I think you have rather rose-tinted glasses on over what Trump would do. Trump does not care one bit about Ukraine or Ukrainians, and Putin's not dumb. Putin would give Trump an excuse to do no tangible actions, e.g. by making out that Ukraine broke the ceasefire first.
I think that is presumptious, after all Trump has just imposed sanctions on India for buying Russian oil.
The alternative is for Zelensky to reject the ceasefire, Trump to remove sanctions on Russia too, thousands more Ukranians to die and at best Ukraine holding onto the land it currently still has with European and Canadian support which it would still keep under the proposed ceasefire anyway.
And your view is all presumptions as well.
Trump rally wants a ceasefire. I doubt he wants this because he wants to help Ukraine, or even wants peace; he has other reasons. Perhaps the Nobel peace prize, perhaps something else. The increase in sanctions is a weapon to get that. Once he gets what he wants, why do you think he'd care?
Do you agree it is right for the agreement to be agreed between the USA and Russia without (at least) Ukrainian involvement?
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
That won't, of course, provide a stable solution. Quite a few residents, although by no means all, of the Donbass region were quite happy, indeed preferred, being Ukrainian. Under Putin, of course, those vocal about might well find themselves being 'rehomed' a great deal nearer Vladivostok than Kyiv.
Well they can move then, as can residents of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia who want to be Russian
There are not many maniacally hopak dancing Ukranian hyper-nationalists left in those oblasts. They have either already left or are dead. Although people in those areas were able to default on all debt including mortgages without consequence so they might think twice about moving back into the clutches of the Ukrainian legal system, despite any patriotic attachment.
If you’re feeling cheerful this blithe summer morning, here’s an antidote
Some terrifying data from the noble John Burn-Murdoch at the @FT
People aged 16-40 are now the MOST introverted, the least trusting, the least helpful, the least outgoing, the most argumentative. Also their determination and conscientiousness have collapsed
The evidence certainly seems to be piling up that being on smartphones constantly, social media etc is far more profoundly negative for people (particularly developing children) than imagined. And I don't think anyone thought it was a "good" thing in the first place.
I'm hoping there is some push back by the time my children are that age, but it seems smart phones are near universal by secondary school from the data I can find.
Off topic: I can’t be the only person who fears that the Loser will try to give Alaska back to the Russians, when he meets Putin. But the symbolism of the meeting place is suspicious.
(For the humor-impaired: All right, I am joking. Mostly.)
Trump will want to keep Alaska. He would prefer to give the Russians California.
If you’re feeling cheerful this blithe summer morning, here’s an antidote
Some terrifying data from the noble John Burn-Murdoch at the @FT
People aged 16-40 are now the MOST introverted, the least trusting, the least helpful, the least outgoing, the most argumentative. Also their determination and conscientiousness have collapsed
The evidence certainly seems to be piling up that being on smartphones constantly, social media etc is far more profoundly negative for people (particularly developing children) than imagined. And I don't think anyone thought it was a "good" thing in the first place.
I'm hoping there is some push back by the time my children are that age, but it seems smart phones are near universal by secondary school from the data I can find.
It's something that probably needs support from both parents and the government.
Ironically, a social media trend towards giving children 'dumb' phones (calls and texts only) first is probably a good first step.
Always makes me chuckle how popular voice notes are with younger people. That's what we used to call leaving a message on an answer phone. To which you get a blank luck.
Off topic: I can’t be the only person who fears that the Loser will try to give Alaska back to the Russians, when he meets Putin. But the symbolism of the meeting place is suspicious.
(For the humor-impaired: All right, I am joking. Mostly.)
Trump will want to keep Alaska. He would prefer to give the Russians California.
Western media have been useless and fell for the Trump being tougher on Russia narrative .
The whole thing has been a charade arranged between the Kremlin and the WH .
All Putin needs for Trump to fold is a reminder of the video footage from that Moscow hotel room circa 2003. In the light of Epstein, how old was young Svetlana by the way? Kyiv will be a Russian city by elevensies.
This is the sort of absurdity world affairs hinge upon in the Trump era.
In a sense we are back to the possibility of Trump selling Ukraine down the river, as he attempted when he was trying to get his minerals deal and talking over Europe's head.
That one was headed off at the pass. How to do that again?
Trump wants a ceasefire along current Russian lines of occupation in Ukraine, which to be fair to the author of the Art of the Deal is the minimum Putin would accept and the maximum Zelensky would accept
I think the issue is what other strings are attached . So in terms of the Ukraine military, peace keeping forces ,EU , NATO membership . Looking at the leak today . I don’t think it’s just about what territory might have to be ceded .
Reported in the US, the Trump (ie Putin) proposal consists of a ceasefire first stage which has Ukraine withdrawing troops from the entire Donetsk region, and freezing the front lines.
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Not a full report, 'the White House is trying to sway European leaders towards accepting an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and keeping Crimea.
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
That won't, of course, provide a stable solution. Quite a few residents, although by no means all, of the Donbass region were quite happy, indeed preferred, being Ukrainian. Under Putin, of course, those vocal about might well find themselves being 'rehomed' a great deal nearer Vladivostok than Kyiv.
Well they can move then, as can residents of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia who want to be Russian
There are not many maniacally hopak dancing Ukranian hyper-nationalists left in those oblasts. They have either already left or are dead. Although people in those areas were able to default on all debt including mortgages without consequence so they might think twice about moving back into the clutches of the Ukrainian legal system, despite any patriotic attachment.
What about those Ukrainians in territory still in Ukrainian hands, which will now be handed straight over to Russia?
I find your attitude towards Ukrainians very odd - you seem to make them out to be untermensch. I see f-all criticism of Russia, Russians and Putin, but lots of Ukraine, Ukrainians and Zelenskyy.
If Starmer resigns or loses a leadership challenge, his most likely replacement as PM is Rayner so she should be higher. Streeting, Cooper and Burnham if back as an MP should also be higher in the event Starmer resigned.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Why wouldn't he get C&S from the tories? They like Fukker policies (ethnic cleansing, environmental vandalism, etc.) better than they like their own.
Policies that are remarkably similar to Putin and Trump, they have a lot in common.
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
If Cleverly or Stride were Tory leader at the next GE there is a lot of tactical sense in voting Tory in Tory held seats targeted by Reform if you want to keep Farage from No 10
Why on earth would anyone want to “keep Farage from Number 10”?
A One Nation Tory would, they want to retain a distinctive centre right Conservative Party, they don't want it to be taken over and merged with Reform which would likely happen if we kept FPTP ultimately if Farage won most seats and entered No 10 as PM.
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
I don't mind them getting a go. It will be a relief when Farage et al are rightfully viewed in the same regard as the Trusster. Without them getting a go, a continuation of toxic politics looks pretty inevitable.
If Farage's party gets a go, it is quite possible Corbyn's new party gets a go after, at which point the country may be so damaged economically and internationally it takes decades for the more centrist traditional big 3 UK parties to put it back together again
Corbyn would be about 85 by then. And the electorate are more scared of Corbyn than Farage. Not happening.
One can be of sound mind and see problems clearly at 85, I can assure you!
Many of those who gleefully look forward to the end of days claim to be patriots. But it is a strange form of patriotism that declares the country essentially finished. This is still a long way from being true.
Off topic: I can’t be the only person who fears that the Loser will try to give Alaska back to the Russians, when he meets Putin. But the symbolism of the meeting place is suspicious.
(For the humor-impaired: All right, I am joking. Mostly.)
Trump will want to keep Alaska. He would prefer to give the Russians California.
Comments
(Morning Malc !)
He also ran as a POTUS candidate - twice, Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007, and a Baptist Minister.
So some career.
Trump’s much vaunted recent military support for Ukraine consisted of him selling it to the EU to give to the Ukes. No doubt he’ll be expecting Zelensky to grovel gratefully for this next time they meet.
C’est magnifique!
Don't you mean 'when'
And Good Morning one and all.
There are a small angry racist minority, but millions and millions more who are completely fed up. The reason why Farage connects is because he actually calls out everything that is wrong. His answers are also wrong, but he is holding the mirror up to see the things reflected back the Tories, Labour and SNP deny exists.
Farage is right. Liz Truss is right. Jeremy sodding Corbyn is right. There is a structural problem in our country which is getting rapidly worse. I disagree with their proposed solutions, but at least they are talking about it.
The sharpest intervention I note is Germany considering recognition of the Palestinian State, and restricting some arms exports to Israel. That's a big change.
Farage is not and has not been in government.
The politicians who most deserve criticism are Macron and above all Merkel.
The answer then is for the EU and TPPA to merge as a single trading block, as the US is not a member of either
The problems being that people will disagree what they are and disagree what the solutions are.
Its also possible that there are no solutions to some of the problems.
And we're in a dynamic world with new problems constantly evolving.
So its entirely possible that we create a solution to a temporary problem which itself worsens a structural problem which arises in a few years.
The Tim Cook visit to the White House was telling. Cook announces $100bn investment to allow more US made glass for iPhone. Tariffs work! Except that Corning were already making much of the glass in the US, and it then gets shipped out to no America to be made into iPhone and Watch devices which are tariffed when they come back.
And to top off the spectacle of stupid? Here is a Golden Idol!
A land fit for Waitrose shoppers.
If the new EC President in 2029 is a freetrading Scandi then things might be different.
So Labour will bang on about Reforms other policies, such as trashing all the British institutions from NHS to BBC, but also point out the "pig in a poke" nature of Reforms front bench. Who are they and what are their agendas?
I don't see Starmer doing well. He is wooden and verbose, completely unsuited to campaigning, and his instincts are all wrong "Farage is right, don't vote for him" is a formula for electoral meltdown.
The Mail supported fascism in the 1930s. Their views haven’t changed.
Farage is clearly most likely opposition leader to be next PM on current polls but if Reform failed to win a majority but most seats it is not certain he would get Tory confidence and supply so he is too high
Patrons of community pantries if you don’t mind.
https://www.libdems.org.uk/
The manifesto from last year and lots of news updates on more recent issues.
And to stop donating to food banks - the more that is donated the more that is given away, whether needed or not.
Housing costs are a far more relevant factor in poverty than the price of beans or bread.
This lot? They see their issue as the only issue, their view as the only decent view, and anyone disagreeing wants their daughter raped by a muslim. They are truly bonkers. Point out how democracy works and they literally call for it to be overthrown. they are demanding King Chaz remove the government and install Farage. And if not he's only king for the muslims..
If a hung Parliament then the Tories have a dilemma. C and S means their extinction, refusing C and S keeps Labour in power, so also their extinction. They are zugswang.
There is no point in tactically voting Tory to keep out Reform, as more than likely the two will merge after the GE.
Ans yes, I will tell them that, on the whole, the country isn't broken. Because it isn't. Most of the time, most things work; perhaps even work well.
The interesting things is that residents in many other countries say similar things about their own countries; witness a rant I heard recently from a German about their 'broken' rail system. Perhaps the only places we don't see that from are those where the public are not free to speak about how 'broken' things are.
For Peterson I've seen both persuasive and troubling output, and he now keeps some strange company. I first listened to him some time ago (probably pre-2015), and found him interesting philosophically.
But he's been on a journey and now has associations around ARC (Alliance for Responsible Citizenship) alongside Pippa Stroud, Paul Marshall and the Legatum Institute.
And also to my ear Peterson is putting forward thinking with overlaps with some features of a NatCon and perhaps Christian Nationalist agenda. Peterson's journey feels superficially like an intellectual journey paralleling Matt Goodwin's anti-intellectual "look at me" trajectory.
Stroud is interesting in that she is one of a number of people who were formerly with IDS and Tim Montgomerie in the Centre for Social Justice, with their flagship project being Universal Credit, designed to encourage return to work, which aspiration was heavily kneecapped by Osborne.
They have moved in different directions from a socially-interested practical evangelicalism in the John Stott tradition to different emphases.
Montgomerie is into Reform, to something harder edged and more authoritarian, perhaps closer to NatCon. Stroud seems more varied to me, despite ARC and the Marshall association. She will not I think be a "chainsaw benefits reformer".
If I had to buttonhole Stroud, it would be as an emerging version of Baroness Cox with some different emphases, but I'm not very thoroughly informed on any of these people - but more of a mover and shaker.
If Kemi was removed and replaced as Tory leader by Cleverly or Stride then neither would give Reform confidence and supply, even if Farage won most seats. Instead they would vote bill by bill and Farage would either have to try and form a minority government (with support from the small number of DUP and TUV MPs from NI) or Labour would try and stay in office again if it was a hung parliament and Labour plus the LDs, Greens and maybe the SNP and Plaid, SDLP, Alliance and Corbyn's party combined had more MPs than Reform and the DUP and TUV
But you're right that it will require more.
So some parallels, there was even a populist rightwing opposition leader in Tony Abbott who is a mate of Farage's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9MUq9EsvpA
Why are things broken so badly?
Taxes at a record high and going up again soon
Sovereign debt at record levels in peacetime
Public services crumbling due to a lack of cash
Private sector infrastructure (e.g. national grid) crumbling due to lack of investment
Rampant inflation driven by energy prices (specifically gas)
Wages trapping millions in poverty no matter how long and hard they work
We can get through this, but we have to do things very differently. One one hand we apparently can't afford to pay for things like criminal justice, on the other hand crime epidemics are threatening the social fabric and crime costs business a lot of money.
So we're going to need to borrow. Invest. Deliver a return on the investment. Which means two things:
Smashing the "who will pay for that / we can't afford that" mantra. We can't afford not to invest in things like criminal justice
Smashing the system which burns the money. Why tip even more money into an NHS which burns it before delivering it to the front line?
Leftists and Liberals obviously want to keep Farage out
At the moment my constituency is a straight Lib Dem Tory fight but if I ended up moving to another area where it was Tory v Reform I would do what is needed .
The second stage consists of Putin and Trump agreeing on a final 'peace plan', which only then be put to Zelensky.
So effectively Ukraine is required to put itself at a further disadvantage before anything is agreed. And they are to be shut out of the subsequent negotiation.
That's plainly absurd, but it could have the full weight of the US behind it.
Rolex founder was suspected Nazi spy
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/09/rolex-founder-was-suspected-nazi-spy/
Yet the British Right has consistently accused the Left and Centre of being 'unpatriotic'; I have been on the political Left since I first became aware of politics in my teens, seventy plus years ago, and this has consistently been the case.
(For the humor-impaired: All right, I am joking. Mostly.)
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1953837765721719286
5/ The agreement (to give up Donetsk) would also require Ukraine to hand over its heavily fortified defensive lines, much as Neville Chamberlain's Munich Agreement did to Czechoslovakia in 1938. Russia's next invasion of Ukraine would be made far easier...
It would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it partially occupies, as part of the proposed agreement, CBS reports.'
So Russia wouldn't even keep all the land it currently occupies. Realistically if Zelensky couldn't retake all the above in the last 3 years despite lots of military supplies from the US Biden regime as well as Europe, Canada and the rest of NATO plus sanctions on Moscow he certainly won't with less military aid from the Trump regime and relying only on European and Canadian support.
So he may as well accept a ceasefire on the above lines while Trump remains in office, save thousands of Ukranian lives and hope the next US President is a Democrat who might resume increased US military aid to Kyiv again
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgnpv1x3ygt
I'm hoping there is some push back by the time my children are that age, but it seems smart phones are near universal by secondary school from the data I can find.
Taxes at a record high and going up again soon
--> because of inefficiencies in the public sector
--> because services need the money
--> because the 'rich' don't pay a fair share
--> because of immigrants.
Sovereign debt at record levels in peacetime
--> because of Covid.
--> because of *insert party's of choice*'s mismanagement.
--> because we are not willing to pay enough tax
--> because the public sector is inefficient.
--> because we are too generous with benefits.
Public services crumbling
--> due to a lack of cash
--> due to inefficiencies and bloating
--> due to inaccurate targeting of funding
--> due to the demands of immigration.
Private sector infrastructure (e.g. national grid) crumbling
--> due to lack of investment
--> due to *insert party's of choice*'s mismanagement.
--> due to the demands of immigration.
Rampant inflation
--> driven by energy prices (specifically gas)
--> driven by the after-effects of Covid
--> due to *insert party's of choice*'s mismanagement.
Wages trapping millions in poverty no matter how long and hard they work
--> because of too high taxes on working people
--> because of the demands of modern life
--> because of stupid definitions of 'poverty'
And many more for the above. Take your choice; one or more reasons from each category.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/feb/22/social-media-bans-for-teens-australia-has-passed-one-should-other-countries-follow-suit
https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/kermit--imod2899.htm
The Hundred is just influencer sport and is the worst cricket thing ever invented
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/aug/08/the-hundred-is-influencer-sport-could-be-worst-cricket-thing-ever-invented
Yes, green bezel = kermit.
Instructive comments - quite conspiraloony even back in 2023.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/11/05/baroness-stroud-jordan-peterson-arc-alliance-citizenship/
In 2016 the GOP had a House majority of 47, in 2024 a House majority of only 5.
So in which states has this change happened ?
Dem gain relative to GOP - note a gain of one district gives a +2 reading and a change in the number of districts will give a non-even number
Alabama +2
California +9
Colorado +1
Georgia +2
Illinois +7
Kansas +2
Louisiana +2
Maine +2
Michigan +3
New Jersey +4
New Mexico +2
New York +3
North Carolina +1
Ohio +3
Oregon +1
Pennsylvania +5
Texas +2
Virginia +4
Washington +4
West Virginia +1
GOP gain relative to Dem
Arizona +2
Florida +7
Iowa +2
Minnesota +2
Montana +1
Tennessee +2
Wisconsin +2
I'll guess that under fair/natural boundaries the GOP has a structural advantage over the Dems as left wing voters tend to be more concentrated in their strongholds.
So the very act of the gerrymandering wars allows the Dems to gain relative to the GOP by making the result more proportional to overall votes.
The alternative is for Zelensky to reject the Trump proposed ceasefire, Trump to remove US sanctions on Russia in response, thousands more Ukranians to die and at best Ukraine holding onto the land it currently still has with European and Canadian support which it would still keep under the proposed ceasefire anyway.
Trump rally wants a ceasefire. I doubt he wants this because he wants to help Ukraine, or even wants peace; he has other reasons. Perhaps the Nobel peace prize, perhaps something else. The increase in sanctions is a weapon to get that. Once he gets what he wants, why do you think he'd care?
Do you agree it is right for the agreement to be agreed between the USA and Russia without (at least) Ukrainian involvement?
Ironically, a social media trend towards giving children 'dumb' phones (calls and texts only) first is probably a good first step.
Needs to hit critical mass to avoid peer pressure making it unbearable for individual parents to resist.
I find your attitude towards Ukrainians very odd - you seem to make them out to be untermensch. I see f-all criticism of Russia, Russians and Putin, but lots of Ukraine, Ukrainians and Zelenskyy.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/08/09/farage-and-the-prophets-of-doom-have-got-britain-wrong