Grim stuff coming out about the 17-year old Farage. Waiting to find black and Asian pupils alone to intimidate them, regular antisemitic bullying, and Nazi salutes. Not a mild issue, whether 17 years old or not.
17 is legally a child and is also considered one under the UNHRC.
Unpleasant for sure. Reprehensible certainly. We do not know if it is true or not, of course, it is just an allegation.
Most of us do stupid things when young.
Many of us (most ?) acknowledge the stupid things, and change.
Clearly we can't know for sure who is telling the truth - but denial to the extent you're accusing half a dozen contemporaries of lying about their recollections of you, is rather more unusual.
If Farage was a horrible kid it would be no surprise and not especially relevant. The fact he can't own up to it, express remorse, show growth, absolutely is relevant because it tells us something about his current views and his character. When I was at primary school racism was everywhere and there were real racial tensions. To my shame I once racially abused an Asian kid. I was about 9, the word just came out of my mouth without thinking. It's probably the thing I'm most ashamed of. Not least as I'm married to an Asian woman and have three mixed race children. If Farage was a card carrying racist at secondary school and can't admit to it now or show any remorse it is a massive red flag.
It is. Although denial is possibly preferable to smirk/shrug and "well I'm not a PC automaton like all the others". Presenting rancid bigotry as free-rolling robustness of thought and personality in contrast to stale timid consensus-mongers. There are many things I dislike about the new Right but that is probably top of the list. It's the pits.
Not half of young people but a very significant proportion of young women. Women - the word which no-one wants to use in case it makes men feel bad even though its use would be factually accurate.
And what's with the WTF anyway.
If men had listened to what women, including those pesky feminists, have been saying for some time they would know that - (a) this has been going on for a while (b) it is largely fuelled by porn (c) some sex education in schools has emphasised the importance of getting consent before seeking to choke someone during sex, which rather misses the point I feel. There is no safe way of choking someone. It is associated with a range of health risks. A lot of women do not like it but feel they ought to go along with it. (d) Non-fatal strangulation or choking has been a criminal offence since 2022. (e) Strangulation is the second most common method of killing women by men. (f) It has been announced this month that pornography showing strangulation is to become a criminal offence with tech companies placed under an obligation to prevent users accessing such material.
I was aware of the practice, as it's been reported (fairly regularly) before. It was the sheer numbers which surprised me.
Indeed. One couldn't miss it in the Graun (which might, in seriousness, possibly have something to do with why some of us haven't come across it). Though after the first read or two I shuddered at the headline and moved quickly on.
Never forgotten a colleague of mine making a joke about oranges back in the post-glacial era and having to have it explained to me, either.
Grim stuff coming out about the 17-year old Farage. Waiting to find black and Asian pupils alone to intimidate them, regular antisemitic bullying, and Nazi salutes. Not a mild issue, whether 17 years old or not.
I don't think sins of adolescence should be visited on the same people when adults. The problem for Farage, it's not clear he's changed his true nature.
I agree the sins of the adolescence may not be relevant, but the tendencies learned are certainly worth challenging.
Farage is careful about what he says as an adult. He knows what he can get away with. But he seemed to get away with making jokes about gas chambers in the presence of Jewish classmates when he was a teenager. Maybe nothing's changed.
Grim stuff coming out about the 17-year old Farage. Waiting to find black and Asian pupils alone to intimidate them, regular antisemitic bullying, and Nazi salutes. Not a mild issue, whether 17 years old or not.
I don't think sins of adolescence should be visited on the same people when adults. The problem for Farage, it's not clear he's changed his true nature.
I agree the sins of the adolescence may not be relevant, but the tendencies learned are certainly worth challenging.
Farage is careful about what he says as an adult. He knows what he can get away with. But he seemed to get away with making jokes about gas chambers in the presence of Jewish classmates when he was a teenager. Maybe nothing's changed.
That was Theresa May.
Er, the nothing has changed bit, not the jokes about genocide.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1990818892491395549
The most dangerous thing Europe has done over the last decade is let Russia do stuff like this without a response. Now we have no idea where the line will be drawn, and so the risk of miscalculation and escalation is much higher.
I'm fed up with our timorous leaders. This sabotage is a direct result of us doing nothing about the repeated intrusions into NATO airspace. Next it will be a few metres of Estonia.
I don't recollect that we did much about the Salisbury 'tourists'.
Wasn't much, IIRC, we could have done. Those responsible had b******d off out of the country well before anything was found. All we could do was fume impotently and, IIRC blame Jeremy Corbyn for not fuming similarly.
It wasn't 'not fuming,' it was denying Russian involvement while hinting the British government had carried out the operation itself.
Which was a totally insane position to adopt, and along with the increasingly damaging revelations about his long history of antisemitic behaviour did a great deal to explode the nice guy image he had been carefully building up.
Your memory is better than mine. Must be my age!
I still got a soft 'political' for Corbyn, though, I don't think he's seriously anti-semitic. Remember, Arabs are Semitic.
Corbyn's problem, I think, was that he never paused and asked himself at the time - 'hang on, is it wise to associate with these rather revolting people just because I dislike their enemies?'
(This could also apply to his associating with the IRA, for example.)
I think he might still have got away with that - albeit it's not a great look for a political leader to admit poor judgement - if it hadn't been for his extraordinary and cack-handed attempts to cover it up. For example, when that photograph of him emerged laying a wreath to the perpetrators of the Munich massacre, his bizarre explanation that he was 'present, but not involved' made him look not only like an idiot (which was past praying for) but a liar and a coward as well.
Corbyn had precisely the same problem as Farage: his recent behaviour made you sceptical that he’d really changed his views since his youth.
Or there’s Shamima Begum of course, who was a child when she got into bed with ISIS, but showed little or no remorse after her capture.
On the subject of being 17 or 18, I can see that the article also alleges that aged 18 he was teaching other pupils "Gas them" chants in the school bus, and essentially intimidating them into singing along too. What a dreadful teenager.
This was 45 years ago? So late 70s/early 80s (don’t recall how old he is precisely)
Important to remember that the Holocaust was in living memory then - that behaviour would be bad today but I suspect much more traumatic then as the target kids’ parents / grandparents could have been personally affected
Grim stuff coming out about the 17-year old Farage. Waiting to find black and Asian pupils alone to intimidate them, regular antisemitic bullying, and Nazi salutes. Not a mild issue, whether 17 years old or not.
17 is legally a child and is also considered one under the UNHRC.
Unpleasant for sure. Reprehensible certainly. We do not know if it is true or not, of course, it is just an allegation.
Most of us do stupid things when young.
Many of us (most ?) acknowledge the stupid things, and change.
Clearly we can't know for sure who is telling the truth - but denial to the extent you're accusing half a dozen contemporaries of lying about their recollections of you, is rather more unusual.
If Farage was a horrible kid it would be no surprise and not especially relevant. The fact he can't own up to it, express remorse, show growth, absolutely is relevant because it tells us something about his current views and his character. When I was at primary school racism was everywhere and there were real racial tensions. To my shame I once racially abused an Asian kid. I was about 9, the word just came out of my mouth without thinking. It's probably the thing I'm most ashamed of. Not least as I'm married to an Asian woman and have three mixed race children. If Farage was a card carrying racist at secondary school and can't admit to it now or show any remorse it is a massive red flag.
It is. Although denial is possibly preferable to smirk/shrug and "well I'm not a PC automaton like all the others". Presenting rancid bigotry as free-rolling robustness of thought and personality in contrast to stale timid consensus-mongers. There are many things I dislike about the new Right but that is probably top of the list. It's the pits.
I think that may partly be projection on their part, if that’s the right word. I get the sense some of them - particularly when it comes to sex and male power - just assume everyone who looks like them thinks like them, and those who don’t agree in public are just cowards toeing the line.
He will raise the money from under-taxed billionaires
Britain’s billionaires have a combined (high-) estimated wealth of about £800bn
I’m pretty sure that’s less than a decade of our current overspend, if you can turn all of their wealth into tax money
This isn’t serious policy; it’s a story for believers
Populism needs simplistic messages and enemies who will be targeted for the common good of those it's trying to win votes from. I'd personally rather hear "billionaires" than "immigrants" but it is the same playbook.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1990818892491395549
The most dangerous thing Europe has done over the last decade is let Russia do stuff like this without a response. Now we have no idea where the line will be drawn, and so the risk of miscalculation and escalation is much higher.
I'm fed up with our timorous leaders. This sabotage is a direct result of us doing nothing about the repeated intrusions into NATO airspace. Next it will be a few metres of Estonia.
I don't recollect that we did much about the Salisbury 'tourists'.
Wasn't much, IIRC, we could have done. Those responsible had b******d off out of the country well before anything was found. All we could do was fume impotently and, IIRC blame Jeremy Corbyn for not fuming similarly.
It wasn't 'not fuming,' it was denying Russian involvement while hinting the British government had carried out the operation itself.
Which was a totally insane position to adopt, and along with the increasingly damaging revelations about his long history of antisemitic behaviour did a great deal to explode the nice guy image he had been carefully building up.
Your memory is better than mine. Must be my age!
I've still got a soft 'political' spot for Corbyn, though, I don't think he's seriously anti-semitic. Remember, Arabs are Semitic.
I remember that Jeremy Corbyn's comments that caused significant trouble were his initial refusal to unequivocally and immediately blame the Russian state. He wanted evidence first.
Grim stuff coming out about the 17-year old Farage. Waiting to find black and Asian pupils alone to intimidate them, regular antisemitic bullying, and Nazi salutes. Not a mild issue, whether 17 years old or not.
17 is legally a child and is also considered one under the UNHRC.
Unpleasant for sure. Reprehensible certainly. We do not know if it is true or not, of course, it is just an allegation.
Most of us do stupid things when young.
Many of us (most ?) acknowledge the stupid things, and change.
Clearly we can't know for sure who is telling the truth - but denial to the extent you're accusing half a dozen contemporaries of lying about their recollections of you, is rather more unusual.
If Farage was a horrible kid it would be no surprise and not especially relevant. The fact he can't own up to it, express remorse, show growth, absolutely is relevant because it tells us something about his current views and his character. When I was at primary school racism was everywhere and there were real racial tensions. To my shame I once racially abused an Asian kid. I was about 9, the word just came out of my mouth without thinking. It's probably the thing I'm most ashamed of. Not least as I'm married to an Asian woman and have three mixed race children. If Farage was a card carrying racist at secondary school and can't admit to it now or show any remorse it is a massive red flag.
It is. Although denial is possibly preferable to smirk/shrug and "well I'm not a PC automaton like all the others". Presenting rancid bigotry as free-rolling robustness of thought and personality in contrast to stale timid consensus-mongers. There are many things I dislike about the new Right but that is probably top of the list. It's the pits.
I think that may partly be projection on their part, if that’s the right word. I get the sense some of them - particularly when it comes to sex and male power - just assume everyone who looks like them thinks like them, and those who don’t agree in public are just cowards toeing the line.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1990818892491395549
The most dangerous thing Europe has done over the last decade is let Russia do stuff like this without a response. Now we have no idea where the line will be drawn, and so the risk of miscalculation and escalation is much higher.
I'm fed up with our timorous leaders. This sabotage is a direct result of us doing nothing about the repeated intrusions into NATO airspace. Next it will be a few metres of Estonia.
I don't recollect that we did much about the Salisbury 'tourists'.
Wasn't much, IIRC, we could have done. Those responsible had b******d off out of the country well before anything was found. All we could do was fume impotently and, IIRC blame Jeremy Corbyn for not fuming similarly.
It wasn't 'not fuming,' it was denying Russian involvement while hinting the British government had carried out the operation itself.
Which was a totally insane position to adopt, and along with the increasingly damaging revelations about his long history of antisemitic behaviour did a great deal to explode the nice guy image he had been carefully building up.
Your memory is better than mine. Must be my age!
I've still got a soft 'political' spot for Corbyn, though, I don't think he's seriously anti-semitic. Remember, Arabs are Semitic.
I remember that Jeremy Corbyn's comments that caused significant trouble were his initial refusal to unequivocally and immediately blame the Russian state. He wanted evidence first.
He wanted to send the samples to Russia for testing.
I saw Dan Jarvis speaking about this in the HoC and I thought it’s just as well we don’t try to interfere with or influence other nations, and never have.
The speaker went on to announce that MI6 has recently determined the the potentate of a small Italian microstate is a Catholic.
Is this not about some MPs being asleep or having blind spots, so MI6 has repeatedly to explain that one plus one equals two, and that yes that is an elephant sitting in the corner of the room?
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1990818892491395549
The most dangerous thing Europe has done over the last decade is let Russia do stuff like this without a response. Now we have no idea where the line will be drawn, and so the risk of miscalculation and escalation is much higher.
I'm fed up with our timorous leaders. This sabotage is a direct result of us doing nothing about the repeated intrusions into NATO airspace. Next it will be a few metres of Estonia.
I don't recollect that we did much about the Salisbury 'tourists'.
Wasn't much, IIRC, we could have done. Those responsible had b******d off out of the country well before anything was found. All we could do was fume impotently and, IIRC blame Jeremy Corbyn for not fuming similarly.
It wasn't 'not fuming,' it was denying Russian involvement while hinting the British government had carried out the operation itself.
Which was a totally insane position to adopt, and along with the increasingly damaging revelations about his long history of antisemitic behaviour did a great deal to explode the nice guy image he had been carefully building up.
Your memory is better than mine. Must be my age!
I've still got a soft 'political' spot for Corbyn, though, I don't think he's seriously anti-semitic. Remember, Arabs are Semitic.
I remember that Jeremy Corbyn's comments that caused significant trouble were his initial refusal to unequivocally and immediately blame the Russian state. He wanted evidence first.
He wanted to send the samples to Russia for testing.
That's true. I remember. A bit bizarre. I think the Russians asked for samples. I don't know what their game was.
On the subject of being 17 or 18, I can see that the article also alleges that aged 18 he was teaching other pupils "Gas them" chants in the school bus, and essentially intimidating them into singing along too. What a dreadful teenager.
This was 45 years ago? So late 70s/early 80s (don’t recall how old he is precisely)
Important to remember that the Holocaust was in living memory then - that behaviour would be bad today but I suspect much more traumatic then as the target kids’ parents / grandparents could have been personally affected
Yes, it's horrible stuff, even for those times.
It'll be interesting to see how or if he responds.
The speaker went on to announce that MI6 has recently determined the the potentate of a small Italian microstate is a Catholic.
Is this not about some MPs being asleep or having blind spots, so MI6 has repeatedly to explain that one plus one equals two, and that yes that is an elephant sitting in the corner of the room?
Some people snuck phones in that played the sounds of women orgasming into the HOC. Talk about blind spots.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1990818892491395549
The most dangerous thing Europe has done over the last decade is let Russia do stuff like this without a response. Now we have no idea where the line will be drawn, and so the risk of miscalculation and escalation is much higher.
I'm fed up with our timorous leaders. This sabotage is a direct result of us doing nothing about the repeated intrusions into NATO airspace. Next it will be a few metres of Estonia.
I don't recollect that we did much about the Salisbury 'tourists'.
We expelled 23 Russian diplomats in 2018, for one thing. Across the West, 150 were expelled.
Which would have had an impact on spying for some time, and perhaps to the time of the new Ukraine invasion.
There were others measures.
I'm not saying it was enough, but there was a response.
I saw Dan Jarvis speaking about this in the HoC and I thought it’s just as well we don’t try to interfere with or influence other nations, and never have.
False equivalence. We are not an autocratic or malicious state, are a force for good, and we have democratic accountability.
If it is true, as Polly Toynbee in Guardian asserts, that Reeves backed out of her 2p income tax rise at the "command" of Downing Street, why didn't save some dignity and resign?
If it is true, as Polly Toynbee in Guardian asserts, that Reeves backed out of her 2p income tax rise at the "command" of Downing Street, why didn't save some dignity and resign?
Why? I have always found it was bizarre that the budget isn't a collective government thing, apparently the Cabinet finds out on the morning. This strikes me as a stupid way of working.
I saw Dan Jarvis speaking about this in the HoC and I thought it’s just as well we don’t try to interfere with or influence other nations, and never have.
False equivalence. We are not an autocratic or malicious state, are a force for good, and we have democratic accountability.
China is not.
Yes, when I look at the state of the Middle East and our legacy there I feel we are a force for good.
Some have said we live in an elective dictatorship. One vote every five years and the govt does what it wants.
If it is true, as Polly Toynbee in Guardian asserts, that Reeves backed out of her 2p income tax rise at the "command" of Downing Street, why didn't save some dignity and resign?
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1990818892491395549
The most dangerous thing Europe has done over the last decade is let Russia do stuff like this without a response. Now we have no idea where the line will be drawn, and so the risk of miscalculation and escalation is much higher.
I'm fed up with our timorous leaders. This sabotage is a direct result of us doing nothing about the repeated intrusions into NATO airspace. Next it will be a few metres of Estonia.
I don't recollect that we did much about the Salisbury 'tourists'.
Wasn't much, IIRC, we could have done. Those responsible had b******d off out of the country well before anything was found. All we could do was fume impotently and, IIRC blame Jeremy Corbyn for not fuming similarly.
It wasn't 'not fuming,' it was denying Russian involvement while hinting the British government had carried out the operation itself.
Which was a totally insane position to adopt, and along with the increasingly damaging revelations about his long history of antisemitic behaviour did a great deal to explode the nice guy image he had been carefully building up.
Your memory is better than mine. Must be my age!
I've still got a soft 'political' spot for Corbyn, though, I don't think he's seriously anti-semitic. Remember, Arabs are Semitic.
I remember that Jeremy Corbyn's comments that caused significant trouble were his initial refusal to unequivocally and immediately blame the Russian state. He wanted evidence first.
He wanted to send the samples to Russia for testing.
Well they would have had access to the source materials for comparison.
Government lost five votes in House of Lords last night on Employment Rights Bill.
Lords insisting on its original amendments, overturning the Commons overturn.
One of amendments is to not introduce unfair dismissal rights on Day 1.
Huge majorities on all votes - LDs supporting Conservatives - Government losing every vote by over 140 votes.
Will Con/LD back down on this - if not looks like they can block it for at least a year and Government will be forced to use Parliament Act in next session.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
There's a reason mob bosses don't have the press in when they meet up.
There might have been some sort of email mix-up at Goalhanger. TRiP had the footballer and now TRiE has MPs.
Richard & Marina name the MP who ITV wanted in the jungle this series but whose party pressured her (spoiler!) into dropping out, and which party leader wanted to do it but was turned down by ITV. And how much Matt Hancock trousered a couple of years ago.
If it is true, as Polly Toynbee in Guardian asserts, that Reeves backed out of her 2p income tax rise at the "command" of Downing Street, why didn't save some dignity and resign?
Integrity has disappeared from politics
That is as may be, but remember however that Boris Johnson got all the big calls right.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/1990818892491395549
The most dangerous thing Europe has done over the last decade is let Russia do stuff like this without a response. Now we have no idea where the line will be drawn, and so the risk of miscalculation and escalation is much higher.
I'm fed up with our timorous leaders. This sabotage is a direct result of us doing nothing about the repeated intrusions into NATO airspace. Next it will be a few metres of Estonia.
I don't recollect that we did much about the Salisbury 'tourists'.
We expelled 23 Russian diplomats in 2018, for one thing. Across the West, 150 were expelled.
Which would have had an impact on spying for some time, and perhaps to the time of the new Ukraine invasion.
There were others measures.
I'm not saying it was enough, but there was a response.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
Just about the most despicable thing he's said amid a lorryload of deplorable rubbish
Government lost five votes in House of Lords last night on Employment Rights Bill.
Lords insisting on its original amendments, overturning the Commons overturn.
One of amendments is to not introduce unfair dismissal rights on Day 1.
Huge majorities on all votes - LDs supporting Conservatives - Government losing every vote by over 140 votes.
Will Con/LD back down on this - if not looks like they can block it for at least a year and Government will be forced to use Parliament Act in next session.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
Just about the most despicable thing he's said amid a lorryload of deplorable rubbish
Trump's deportations have turned some Hispanics against him, that was certainly the case in New Jersey in the mini midterms
Actually, I think it's a little more complex than that.
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of "the wall".
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of deporting undocumented migrants who have committed criminal offences.
Many Hispanic voters are more ... nuanced when it comes to deporting Hispanic voters who are otherwise law abiding citizens in the US.
Most Histpanic voters oppose the deportation of those who have strong ties to the US, and perhaps came here via DACA and who are married to US spouses, and have US childtrn.
And almost all Hispanic voters oppose them getting accosted by ICE outside Walmart and being made to prove they are American.
The second to last one is a surprisingly big category. There are many, many millions of people who are in the US with ambigious status. Let me give you an example: a property developer friend of mine in LA is a British citizen on a Green Card, with an American wife. But here's the thing. He came on a tourist visa. Fell in love. Married a woman. And applied for a Green Card. But there was a period of about four or five months when he was in the US on an expired tourist visa, married to an American and before his Green Card was granted. He could definitely be deported, because - under current US immigration rules - that prior breach means that his Green Card may be invalid. Now, he's a wealthy guy with great lawyers, and he's racing to get his US citizenship. But there are a lot of people like that who are being deported so as to get the numbers up. And a lot of them are Hispanic.
Also worth emphasizing that a lot of Gerrymandering has been done on the basis that Hispanic voters tend Republican. That Gerrymandering is problematic if that logic falls apart
That would be so funny.
GOP deserve to be out of office for two generations at least.
Whilst that would be just, I'm not sure the current Republican leadership are in a position to say "hey ho, we had a good run and probably deserve what's coming".
That trying to avoid the inevitable will just make the retribution worse is only partially relevant, because the retribution will be on a different generation of red-rosetted politicians.
(Why did the Latino vote swing so hard towards Trump last time? Long term factors, or did they just not like Harris?)
It didn't swing hard towards Trump last time. It swung a bit towards Trump, with the result that they still went for Harris but only narrowly. However, that was in a group that had previously been more pro-Democrat.
Why? Some suggestion that Hispanic voters, particularly men, were more socially conservative and believed the Republican characterisation of Harris as being too woke. But it may just have been bread and butter issues, with a group hit hard by inflation.
Also worth emphasizing that a lot of Gerrymandering has been done on the basis that Hispanic voters tend Republican. That Gerrymandering is problematic if that logic falls apart
That would be so funny.
GOP deserve to be out of office for two generations at least.
Whilst that would be just, I'm not sure the current Republican leadership are in a position to say "hey ho, we had a good run and probably deserve what's coming".
That trying to avoid the inevitable will just make the retribution worse is only partially relevant, because the retribution will be on a different generation of red-rosetted politicians.
(Why did the Latino vote swing so hard towards Trump last time? Long term factors, or did they just not like Harris?)
It didn't swing hard towards Trump last time. It swung a bit towards Trump, with the result that they still went for Harris but only narrowly. However, that was in a group that had previously been more pro-Democrat.
Why? Some suggestion that Hispanic voters, particularly men, were more socially conservative and believed the Republican characterisation of Harris as being too woke. But it may just have been bread and butter issues, with a group hit hard by inflation.
It was a 12 point swing: that's a pretty massive shift.
If it is true, as Polly Toynbee in Guardian asserts, that Reeves backed out of her 2p income tax rise at the "command" of Downing Street, why didn't save some dignity and resign?
Integrity has disappeared from politics
That is as may be, but remember however that Boris Johnson got all the big calls right.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
Just about the most despicable thing he's said amid a lorryload of deplorable rubbish
Its a new low, even for Trump.
"Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen"
That's big powerful strongman talk and no mistake. Doesn't even bother making sense.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
Just about the most despicable thing he's said amid a lorryload of deplorable rubbish
It's a good example for journalists too. You don't need to edit Trump's words to make him look bad, nor should you sanewash what he says. Just quote him correctly, and let the public judge him.
Grim stuff coming out about the 17-year old Farage. Waiting to find black and Asian pupils alone to intimidate them, regular antisemitic bullying, and Nazi salutes. Not a mild issue, whether 17 years old or not.
17 is legally a child and is also considered one under the UNHRC.
Unpleasant for sure. Reprehensible certainly. We do not know if it is true or not, of course, it is just an allegation.
Most of us do stupid things when young.
I don't think it about "most of us do stupid things". It is about the persistence of extremism and poisonous/abusive values of whatever type.
Whole generations can be conditioned ('brainwashed'?) into extremism, and not all will escape or grow out of it. We know that from many countries in our European history. And then we have to handle the consequences.
It's instructive to look at the political development of some of the extremists in various traditions - far right, far left, Islamist and so on. If you take Stuart Yaxley-Lennon for example, he came up through an admiration of football hooligans, then the Youth Wing of the BNP, the promotion in the BNP, then starting his own extremist organisations, and now using social media to convince significant numbers that he is a journalist, a civic activist and a victim, and to groom them into following him.
I think there's some truth for growing up in the middle 2 lines of the famous epitaph:
As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so you will be
There's a reason all groups, of whatever aim or tradition or politics, target schools and universities. Get them at that time, and they are more likely to stay.
I think this relates to @Cyclefree 's comments earlier on porn and what amounts to abusive sexuality through never learning - sometimes through lack of opportunity - that that is what abusive means. For example Andrew Tate is on record as "liking women young" (which means before they have fully formed their own beliefs and values, not whilst underage) because he can 'imprint' them to his liking.
I think one important development of the social media age is loss of reflection and thinking, which sounds a little pompous but which I think is true.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
There's a reason mob bosses don't have the press in when they meet up.
Not sure if this has been discussed but Sky Bet is moving its head office to Malta to avoid Reeves betting tax
It looks as though General Betting Duty (the tax on horse and greyhound racing profits) will remain unchanged after strong lobbying from both codes.
Remote Gaming Duty (the tax paid on the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs)) in betting shops may well rise and it's indicative of the significance of the latter the bookies are still threatening to close shops, make redundancies, move HQ locations, etc, etc.
We'll see whehter bark and bite applies here and whether there will be any significant reductions in the betting shop estate - Sky Bet have no physical presence and operate purely online so the impact of moving the HQ will be limited but it's clearly a tax avoidance tactic.
I suspect far more of Sky Bet's income is derived from gaming than from betting on dogs and horses.
Also worth emphasizing that a lot of Gerrymandering has been done on the basis that Hispanic voters tend Republican. That Gerrymandering is problematic if that logic falls apart
That would be so funny.
GOP deserve to be out of office for two generations at least.
Whilst that would be just, I'm not sure the current Republican leadership are in a position to say "hey ho, we had a good run and probably deserve what's coming".
That trying to avoid the inevitable will just make the retribution worse is only partially relevant, because the retribution will be on a different generation of red-rosetted politicians.
(Why did the Latino vote swing so hard towards Trump last time? Long term factors, or did they just not like Harris?)
It didn't swing hard towards Trump last time. It swung a bit towards Trump, with the result that they still went for Harris but only narrowly. However, that was in a group that had previously been more pro-Democrat.
Why? Some suggestion that Hispanic voters, particularly men, were more socially conservative and believed the Republican characterisation of Harris as being too woke. But it may just have been bread and butter issues, with a group hit hard by inflation.
It was a 12 point swing: that's a pretty massive shift.
If it is true, as Polly Toynbee in Guardian asserts, that Reeves backed out of her 2p income tax rise at the "command" of Downing Street, why didn't save some dignity and resign?
Integrity has disappeared from politics
That is as may be, but remember however that Boris Johnson got all the big calls right.
I got a £16 No1 Dry Aged Ribeye Steak from Waitrose for £9 this evening
It feels like a win, but it also feels like it's still quite a lot for a steak from the supermarket
I could walk a mile to Tesco, or get to the butcher in time, but the convenience of a decent Waitrose a few hundred yards away is seemingly irresistible
Trump's deportations have turned some Hispanics against him, that was certainly the case in New Jersey in the mini midterms
Actually, I think it's a little more complex than that.
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of "the wall".
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of deporting undocumented migrants who have committed criminal offences.
Many Hispanic voters are more ... nuanced when it comes to deporting Hispanic voters who are otherwise law abiding citizens in the US.
Most Histpanic voters oppose the deportation of those who have strong ties to the US, and perhaps came here via DACA and who are married to US spouses, and have US childtrn.
And almost all Hispanic voters oppose them getting accosted by ICE outside Walmart and being made to prove they are American.
The second to last one is a surprisingly big category. There are many, many millions of people who are in the US with ambigious status. Let me give you an example: a property developer friend of mine in LA is a British citizen on a Green Card, with an American wife. But here's the thing. He came on a tourist visa. Fell in love. Married a woman. And applied for a Green Card. But there was a period of about four or five months when he was in the US on an expired tourist visa, married to an American and before his Green Card was granted. He could definitely be deported, because - under current US immigration rules - that prior breach means that his Green Card may be invalid. Now, he's a wealthy guy with great lawyers, and he's racing to get his US citizenship. But there are a lot of people like that who are being deported so as to get the numbers up. And a lot of them are Hispanic.
I think a further one is that the authorities have been targeting Hispanics for random detention and deportation, since they are detectible by skin colour.
A lot of Hispanics have relatives, friends or acquaintances who have been impacted m, or at least have seen conmvincing media reports.
Also worth emphasizing that a lot of Gerrymandering has been done on the basis that Hispanic voters tend Republican. That Gerrymandering is problematic if that logic falls apart
That would be so funny.
GOP deserve to be out of office for two generations at least.
Whilst that would be just, I'm not sure the current Republican leadership are in a position to say "hey ho, we had a good run and probably deserve what's coming".
That trying to avoid the inevitable will just make the retribution worse is only partially relevant, because the retribution will be on a different generation of red-rosetted politicians.
(Why did the Latino vote swing so hard towards Trump last time? Long term factors, or did they just not like Harris?)
It didn't swing hard towards Trump last time. It swung a bit towards Trump, with the result that they still went for Harris but only narrowly. However, that was in a group that had previously been more pro-Democrat.
Why? Some suggestion that Hispanic voters, particularly men, were more socially conservative and believed the Republican characterisation of Harris as being too woke. But it may just have been bread and butter issues, with a group hit hard by inflation.
Or it could be they are low-information voters who were easily conned.
This morning I came up with a very rude political Spoonerism: stunt karma
I then made up a phrase including it: political stunt karma (a phrase appreciated by @Benpointer )
I then found a very recent and topical example of k*** Starma’s political stunts leading to karma
And nobody replied with any sort of acknowledgment of the Spoonerism
PBers are a tough crowd, the amount of times they’ve all missed my subtle puns/musical references is astonishing.
Have we had Keir-less Whisper?
Re Farage: he was in the same class at school as my local Rector. The Rector hasn't mentioned any racism from Farage but says Farage was a loner and unpopular, an academic low flyer, only good at debating.
Trump's deportations have turned some Hispanics against him, that was certainly the case in New Jersey in the mini midterms
Actually, I think it's a little more complex than that.
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of "the wall".
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of deporting undocumented migrants who have committed criminal offences.
Many Hispanic voters are more ... nuanced when it comes to deporting Hispanic voters who are otherwise law abiding citizens in the US.
Most Histpanic voters oppose the deportation of those who have strong ties to the US, and perhaps came here via DACA and who are married to US spouses, and have US childtrn.
And almost all Hispanic voters oppose them getting accosted by ICE outside Walmart and being made to prove they are American.
The second to last one is a surprisingly big category. There are many, many millions of people who are in the US with ambigious status. Let me give you an example: a property developer friend of mine in LA is a British citizen on a Green Card, with an American wife. But here's the thing. He came on a tourist visa. Fell in love. Married a woman. And applied for a Green Card. But there was a period of about four or five months when he was in the US on an expired tourist visa, married to an American and before his Green Card was granted. He could definitely be deported, because - under current US immigration rules - that prior breach means that his Green Card may be invalid. Now, he's a wealthy guy with great lawyers, and he's racing to get his US citizenship. But there are a lot of people like that who are being deported so as to get the numbers up. And a lot of them are Hispanic.
I think a further one is that the authorities have been targeting Hispanics for random detention and deportation, since they are detectible by skin colour.
A lot of Hispanics have relatives, friends or acquaintances who have been impacted m, or at least have seen conmvincing media reports.
That's the "Who? ME?" factor.
I agree: I think it's the one thing that really grates - the possibility you could be detained essentially based only on your skin colour
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
Just about the most despicable thing he's said amid a lorryload of deplorable rubbish
Its a new low, even for Trump.
The clock though finally seems to be clicking on his baleful time in public life.
Maybe I am an idiot but I'm starting to think the corner has been turned.
The [Epstein] vote was almost unanimous. With Democrats united in voting to release the files, and Trump caving and instructing Republicans to follow suit, there was just one holdout, Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana, in the House of Representatives. The action now turns to the Senate.
Just when they thought they had Nige on the ropes.
What are the payment made by other countries for similar deals?
This one looks a bit steep, for example, given that a "fair" payment might be something like part of the gross margin on the benefit we gain, and €6bn is a big chunk of even our level share of €150bn, or recast our relationship more towards the customs union:
If eventually agreed, it would be the first time the UK has paid into the EU budget since Brexit, although Britain pays EU membership legacy costs. The two sides are also deadlocked over the EU’s demand for an entry fee of up to €6bn (£5.3bn) to allow British companies to maximise benefits from a €150bn (£132.1bn) EU defence programme.
I wonder what California will do now ? Their change was in retaliation for the Texas change . Of course there might be appeals by Texas so there’s still a chance the new maps go into effect .
Not sure if this has been discussed but Sky Bet is moving its head office to Malta to avoid Reeves betting tax
It looks as though General Betting Duty (the tax on horse and greyhound racing profits) will remain unchanged after strong lobbying from both codes.
Remote Gaming Duty (the tax paid on the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs)) in betting shops may well rise and it's indicative of the significance of the latter the bookies are still threatening to close shops, make redundancies, move HQ locations, etc, etc.
We'll see whehter bark and bite applies here and whether there will be any significant reductions in the betting shop estate - Sky Bet have no physical presence and operate purely online so the impact of moving the HQ will be limited but it's clearly a tax avoidance tactic.
I suspect far more of Sky Bet's income is derived from gaming than from betting on dogs and horses.
Sky Bet is now owned by Flutter, along with Betfair and Paddy Power.
I don't know why we should be surprised at Home Secretary Mahmood's statement today. There's a widely held but false assumption Labour is all metropolitan, London-elite, "soft" liberals who are pro-migrant and anti-victim.
Recent history should tell us Labour are an authoritarian and socially conservative party when it suits them - both Jack Straw and David Blunkett were "hard" Home Secretaries often outdoing the Conservatives in restriction, regulation and compulsion.
Indeed, Labour has always had an authoritarian streak in its DNA and used to compete with the Conservatives on the battleground of social conservatism but they now compete with Reform for the WWC vote.
There are plenty of votes currently in being "firm" on asylum seekers and migrants in general and had Chris Philp come up with this I doubt there'd have been as strong a reaction but opposition has to oppose everything (apparently).
Mahmood will be far less worried about what Reform and the Conservatives are saying than the reaction internally within Labour - after all, they will be her constituency IF she sees herself as a future leader.
A populist will say whatever they think the person they are talking to wants to hear - the politician will forget the person in front of them and remember the wider audience at home, nationally or even internationally. They are the ones who matter.
I got a £16 No1 Dry Aged Ribeye Steak from Waitrose for £9 this evening
It feels like a win, but it also feels like it's still quite a lot for a steak from the supermarket
I could walk a mile to Tesco, or get to the butcher in time, but the convenience of a decent Waitrose a few hundred yards away is seemingly irresistible
And dry aged ribeye does sound better than ribeye
If you dried it out even more and it became biltong that would be even more expensive.
If Hispanics really have swung against him, that's a remarkable example of Trump being saved from himself.
Oh, the Judges keep accidentally doing massive favours to Trump.
Like in the Comey case. He is obviously not guilty of the offence as charged. (He is - I would note - guilty of misleading Congress by not answering the question asked. But that's not illegal.)
If the Judges block the case, then he can rail about how Comey escaped Justice due to the courts blocking the case. And the Judiciary get that bit more cowed.
I wonder what California will do now ? Their change was in retaliation for the Texas change . Of course there might be appeals by Texas so there’s still a chance the new maps go into effect .
if i have understood it the California stuff still stands and will be used for 2026 and 2028.
Newsom just got an added bonus to an already massive win.
Comments
Er, the nothing has changed bit, not the jokes about genocide.
Or there’s Shamima Begum of course, who was a child when she got into bed with ISIS, but showed little or no remorse after her capture.
Trump: I’m very proud of the job he’s done. What he’s done is incredible in terms of human rights.
https://x.com/Acyn/status/1990835358658179359
Important to remember that the Holocaust was in living memory then - that behaviour would be bad today but I suspect much more traumatic then as the target kids’ parents / grandparents could have been personally affected
“I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking”.
This morning I came up with a very rude political Spoonerism: stunt karma
I then made up a phrase including it: political stunt karma (a phrase appreciated by @Benpointer )
I then found a very recent and topical example of k*** Starma’s political stunts leading to karma
And nobody replied with any sort of acknowledgment of the Spoonerism
https://www.thetimes.com
It'll be interesting to see how or if he responds.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5611065-texas-republican-redistricting-challenge/
Which would have had an impact on spying for some time, and perhaps to the time of the new Ukraine invasion.
There were others measures.
I'm not saying it was enough, but there was a response.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Sergei_and_Yulia_Skripal
The etymology of Arctic and Antarctic is from words meaning “of the bear” and “not of the bear”
The fact that this coincides with the location of polar bears is purely chance
They’re so named because of a constellation visible in the northern hemisphere
China is not.
Not sure if this has been discussed but Sky Bet is moving its head office to Malta to avoid Reeves betting tax
Some have said we live in an elective dictatorship. One vote every five years and the govt does what it wants.
Government lost five votes in House of Lords last night on Employment Rights Bill.
Lords insisting on its original amendments, overturning the Commons overturn.
One of amendments is to not introduce unfair dismissal rights on Day 1.
Huge majorities on all votes - LDs supporting Conservatives - Government losing every vote by over 140 votes.
Will Con/LD back down on this - if not looks like they can block it for at least a year and Government will be forced to use Parliament Act in next session.
https://votes.parliament.uk/votes/lords
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/18/eu-uk-pay-into-budget-closer-ties
Just when they thought they had Nige on the ropes.
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of "the wall".
Most Hispanic voters are in favour of deporting undocumented migrants who have committed criminal offences.
Many Hispanic voters are more ... nuanced when it comes to deporting Hispanic voters who are otherwise law abiding citizens in the US.
Most Histpanic voters oppose the deportation of those who have strong ties to the US, and perhaps came here via DACA and who are married to US spouses, and have US childtrn.
And almost all Hispanic voters oppose them getting accosted by ICE outside Walmart and being made to prove they are American.
The second to last one is a surprisingly big category. There are many, many millions of people who are in the US with ambigious status. Let me give you an example: a property developer friend of mine in LA is a British citizen on a Green Card, with an American wife. But here's the thing. He came on a tourist visa. Fell in love. Married a woman. And applied for a Green Card. But there was a period of about four or five months when he was in the US on an expired tourist visa, married to an American and before his Green Card was granted. He could definitely be deported, because - under current US immigration rules - that prior breach means that his Green Card may be invalid. Now, he's a wealthy guy with great lawyers, and he's racing to get his US citizenship. But there are a lot of people like that who are being deported so as to get the numbers up. And a lot of them are Hispanic.
Why? Some suggestion that Hispanic voters, particularly men, were more socially conservative and believed the Republican characterisation of Harris as being too woke. But it may just have been bread and butter issues, with a group hit hard by inflation.
Silly remark
That's big powerful strongman talk and no mistake. Doesn't even bother making sense.
Whole generations can be conditioned ('brainwashed'?) into extremism, and not all will escape or grow out of it. We know that from many countries in our European history. And then we have to handle the consequences.
It's instructive to look at the political development of some of the extremists in various traditions - far right, far left, Islamist and so on. If you take Stuart Yaxley-Lennon for example, he came up through an admiration of football hooligans, then the Youth Wing of the BNP, the promotion in the BNP, then starting his own extremist organisations, and now using social media to convince significant numbers that he is a journalist, a civic activist and a victim, and to groom them into following him.
I think there's some truth for growing up in the middle 2 lines of the famous epitaph:
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so you will be
There's a reason all groups, of whatever aim or tradition or politics, target schools and universities. Get them at that time, and they are more likely to stay.
I think this relates to @Cyclefree 's comments earlier on porn and what amounts to abusive sexuality through never learning - sometimes through lack of opportunity - that that is what abusive means. For example Andrew Tate is on record as "liking women young" (which means before they have fully formed their own beliefs and values, not whilst underage) because he can 'imprint' them to his liking.
I think one important development of the social media age is loss of reflection and thinking, which sounds a little pompous but which I think is true.
NY Times blog
They are very upset at what you have just said.
Remote Gaming Duty (the tax paid on the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs)) in betting shops may well rise and it's indicative of the significance of the latter the bookies are still threatening to close shops, make redundancies, move HQ locations, etc, etc.
We'll see whehter bark and bite applies here and whether there will be any significant reductions in the betting shop estate - Sky Bet have no physical presence and operate purely online so the impact of moving the HQ will be limited but it's clearly a tax avoidance tactic.
I suspect far more of Sky Bet's income is derived from gaming than from betting on dogs and horses.
It feels like a win, but it also feels like it's still quite a lot for a steak from the supermarket
I could walk a mile to Tesco, or get to the butcher in time, but the convenience of a decent Waitrose a few hundred yards away is seemingly irresistible
And dry aged ribeye does sound better than ribeye
A lot of Hispanics have relatives, friends or acquaintances who have been impacted m, or at least have seen conmvincing media reports.
That's the "Who? ME?" factor.
Happens here too, you know.
Re Farage: he was in the same class at school as my local Rector. The Rector hasn't mentioned any racism from Farage but says Farage was a loner and unpopular, an academic low flyer, only good at debating.
Yes: 427
No: 1
Not a typo - ONE vote against!
Who is the person who didn't want the files released?
Dare I guess it is an older man...
Maybe I am an idiot but I'm starting to think the corner has been turned.
In blow to Trump, federal judges block new Texas congressional map
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/18/federal-judges-block-new-texas-congressional-map-00656680
NY Times blog
This one looks a bit steep, for example, given that a "fair" payment might be something like part of the gross margin on the benefit we gain, and €6bn is a big chunk of even our level share of €150bn, or recast our relationship more towards the customs union:
If eventually agreed, it would be the first time the UK has paid into the EU budget since Brexit, although Britain pays EU membership legacy costs. The two sides are also deadlocked over the EU’s demand for an entry fee of up to €6bn (£5.3bn) to allow British companies to maximise benefits from a €150bn (£132.1bn) EU defence programme.
So rejecting the latest Gerrymandering plan for Texas may be a blessing to the party..
I don't know why we should be surprised at Home Secretary Mahmood's statement today. There's a widely held but false assumption Labour is all metropolitan, London-elite, "soft" liberals who are pro-migrant and anti-victim.
Recent history should tell us Labour are an authoritarian and socially conservative party when it suits them - both Jack Straw and David Blunkett were "hard" Home Secretaries often outdoing the Conservatives in restriction, regulation and compulsion.
Indeed, Labour has always had an authoritarian streak in its DNA and used to compete with the Conservatives on the battleground of social conservatism but they now compete with Reform for the WWC vote.
There are plenty of votes currently in being "firm" on asylum seekers and migrants in general and had Chris Philp come up with this I doubt there'd have been as strong a reaction but opposition has to oppose everything (apparently).
Mahmood will be far less worried about what Reform and the Conservatives are saying than the reaction internally within Labour - after all, they will be her constituency IF she sees herself as a future leader.
A populist will say whatever they think the person they are talking to wants to hear - the politician will forget the person in front of them and remember the wider audience at home, nationally or even internationally. They are the ones who matter.
Like in the Comey case. He is obviously not guilty of the offence as charged. (He is - I would note - guilty of misleading Congress by not answering the question asked. But that's not illegal.)
If the Judges block the case, then he can rail about how Comey escaped Justice due to the courts blocking the case. And the Judiciary get that bit more cowed.
Newsom just got an added bonus to an already massive win.