Meanwhile, I suppose I'd best throw my hat into the #competition ring;
Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the House? +7 Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the Senate? +1 Number of MSPs won by the SNP at the Holyrood election? 54 Number of AMs won by Plaid Cymru at the Senedd election? 45 UK Party recording the largest poll lead during 2026 and by what percentage (British Polling Council registered pollsters only)? Reform +16 Labour’s Projected National Share of the vote based on the 2026 local elections according to the BBC? 18 Number of Reform MPs on the 31st December 2026? 10 The name of the UK Prime Minister on 31st December 2026? Boring Old Starmer Will Andy Burnham will be an MP on 31st December 2026? no UK borrowing in the financial year to November 2026 (£132.3bn to November 2025)? £146 bn UK GDP growth in the 12 months to October 2026 (1.1% to October 2025)? +1.6% Winners of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup? Argentina
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement that was anti-Islamist, until Free Iran?
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement less supported by the Left since the Soviet Union?
Square me this circle. Why do British borderline fascists demanding the removal of Muslims from the UK find the Emirates such an attractive lifestyle destination? I'd take Monaco or Porto Fino any day of the week.
Making gains with women has been vital for Reform's rise in the polls, they actually have a more even gender balance among their voters than the Labour Party now whose support is now very male.
Matthew Goodwin was once a really interesting academic.
Anyway, he’s a good debater however he’s said some pretty bad things like black British people aren’t English.
He doesn't think a white person with one foreign grandparent can be British, so Prince William isn't British to him, let alone the King.
I am no fan of Prof Goodwin in his recent incarnation, but that assertion rather demands a reference and a footnote as he would have called it, or as we call it, a link.
A kind of odd and creepy supremacist thinking is certainly swilling around in the USA (obvs) and the outer fringes of UK fascism. But I would need to be sure Goodwin really shares that sort of thinking. So I do wonder if he really knows exactly what sort of company he may be keeping.
Later Edit: I see the Guardian is taking an interest in this issue
Goodwin has made these predictions about how few people will be White British by a certain time in certain areas, e.g. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/03/white-british-minority-in-40-years-report-claims/ Those calculations only work if every child and grandchild of someone identifying as White Other is not counted as White British. In practice, someone like, say, Michael Howard, with two immigrant parents, is seen as White British by most people and identifies as White British. The implication of Goodwin's maths is that foreign blood leaves the descendants forever foreign.
I believe for the Hitlerians you were Jewish if you had one Jewish grandparent (so I would have qualified as Jewish), but my daughter who only had one Jewish great-grandparent would not have been classified as Jewish.
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party have been hard at work today seeking to persuade us to stand down for the pro- NATO Green Party led by the man who said he couldn’t vote for @jeremycorbyn as “a European and a Jew”. They are howling at the moon. Firstly Polanski said on TV he would never have anything to do with us because of my positions on his LGBTQ++ infatuations. That must include electoral co-operation right? Second the current international situation means co-operation with a pro-NATO party is out of the question Third we defeated the Deputy Leader of the Manchester City Council in this very constituency not two years ago. Our Councillor @ShahbazSarwar is the most popular in the city. It is WE who should be asking others to stand down to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote. My erstwhile friends should take their toy tanks off our lawn. #WorkersParty #ByElection' https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2016138249337762246?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
Well Jews don't believe Jesus was the son of God
Not even in a roundabout way ?
Did they have roundabouts in the holy land?
They did when we drove from Jerusalem to Jericho !!!!
If they’d stopped at the stop line, instead of driving round the roundabout 7 times…
Don't go there please
Defintely don't drive round a roundabout 7 times.
You'll get dizzy.
First time I ever got pulled over for suspected drink driving was when I drove round a roundabout three times.
I wasn’t sure what exit to take…
How did ever drive in unknown places before SatNav.
Three or four years ago I took my wife to her dad's second wife's funeral at the crem in Sheffield. At the time my wife had a (by my modest standards) very expensive Mercedes Benz cabriolet with an all singing, all dancing Mercedes-NavTeq SatNav. This SatNav took us along Leppings Lane to our destination, but at Leppings Lane it got confused and took us all the way around Hillsborough twice, until I decided to go rogue.
US Consumer Confidence plunged in January to the lowest level since May 2014.
You read that correctly. Confidence is now *worse* than during the Covid pandemic. All political affiliations, ages and income levels saw a decline in January (esp. in their 6-month outlook), the @Conferenceboard said.
The Greens will bankrupt the country and Reform will turn it into a raging cesspit of hate and division .
And these are apparently the two front runners in the by-election . Jeez what a choice .
Mr Putin, were he a Denton and Gorton elector, would be hard-pressed to choose between Zack and Nige. A NATO withdrawer or a Kremlin apologist. As you say, what a choice.
According to Galloway the Greens are now pro-NATO. Sure, he isn't the most reliable person, but polling for the Greens has been mostly strongly in support of defending Ukraine - they don't seem to have the pro-Putin support of the Corbynite left or the Faragist right.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
I’m personally opposed to the whole “you must forgive people who’ve shown no contrition” thing.
It's horrible, difficult, and creates all sorts of problems when you try and run an organisation or country that way ("trespassers will be forgiven", as the Franciscan farm sign says)...
... but it's also the only thing that works, both internally and as a way to stop the eternal back-and-forth of resentment. It's the way that Northern Ireland and South Africa eventually got lucky and Israel/Palestine haven't yet.
Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine are about “I must kill my enemies before they kill me, round 3,767.”
I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.
The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party have been hard at work today seeking to persuade us to stand down for the pro- NATO Green Party led by the man who said he couldn’t vote for @jeremycorbyn as “a European and a Jew”. They are howling at the moon. Firstly Polanski said on TV he would never have anything to do with us because of my positions on his LGBTQ++ infatuations. That must include electoral co-operation right? Second the current international situation means co-operation with a pro-NATO party is out of the question Third we defeated the Deputy Leader of the Manchester City Council in this very constituency not two years ago. Our Councillor @ShahbazSarwar is the most popular in the city. It is WE who should be asking others to stand down to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote. My erstwhile friends should take their toy tanks off our lawn. #WorkersParty #ByElection' https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2016138249337762246?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party...' funniest thing I have read all year!!!
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement that was anti-Islamist, until Free Iran?
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement less supported by the Left since the Soviet Union?
Square me this circle. Why do British borderline fascists demanding the removal of Muslims from the UK find the Emirates such an attractive lifestyle destination? I'd take Monaco or Porto Fino any day of the week.
The Greens will bankrupt the country and Reform will turn it into a raging cesspit of hate and division .
And these are apparently the two front runners in the by-election . Jeez what a choice .
Mr Putin, were he a Denton and Gorton elector, would be hard-pressed to choose between Zack and Nige. A NATO withdrawer or a Kremlin apologist. As you say, what a choice.
According to Galloway the Greens are now pro-NATO. Sure, he isn't the most reliable person, but polling for the Greens has been mostly strongly in support of defending Ukraine - they don't seem to have the pro-Putin support of the Corbynite left or the Faragist right.
Green Party manifesto The Green Party recognises that NATO has an important role in ensuring the ability of its member states to respond to threats to their security. We support the principle of international solidarity, whereby nations support one another through mutual defence alliances and multilateral security frameworks.
There's a bit more in there than that in fairness, but it is probably too much for a Galloway.
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement that was anti-Islamist, until Free Iran?
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement less supported by the Left since the Soviet Union?
Square me this circle. Why do British borderline fascists demanding the removal of Muslims from the UK find the Emirates such an attractive lifestyle destination? I'd take Monaco or Porto Fino any day of the week.
How would I know? I've never been there
Tice and Oakeshott are fans.
I have no answers for UKIP. I have never supported them
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
I’m personally opposed to the whole “you must forgive people who’ve shown no contrition” thing.
It's horrible, difficult, and creates all sorts of problems when you try and run an organisation or country that way ("trespassers will be forgiven", as the Franciscan farm sign says)...
... but it's also the only thing that works, both internally and as a way to stop the eternal back-and-forth of resentment. It's the way that Northern Ireland and South Africa eventually got lucky and Israel/Palestine haven't yet.
Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine are about “I must kill my enemies before they kill me, round 3,767.”
I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.
The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.
Well, a longer history, more rounds, in Northern Ireland than Israel/Palestine.
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement that was anti-Islamist, until Free Iran?
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement less supported by the Left since the Soviet Union?
Square me this circle. Why do British borderline fascists demanding the removal of Muslims from the UK find the Emirates such an attractive lifestyle destination? I'd take Monaco or Porto Fino any day of the week.
How would I know? I've never been there
Tice and Oakeshott are fans.
I have no answers for UKIP. I have never supported them
But I do believe that supporting Islamism is worse than supporting UKIP
@montie There really is something sulphurous about Matt Goodwin. Incendiary views. Suspect opinion polls. Massive self-obsession. British public life would be so much better without him. https://x.com/montie/status/1820201530256990453?s=20
What I really dislike about Tim Montgomerie is how he always makes things personal.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
I’m personally opposed to the whole “you must forgive people who’ve shown no contrition” thing.
It's horrible, difficult, and creates all sorts of problems when you try and run an organisation or country that way ("trespassers will be forgiven", as the Franciscan farm sign says)...
... but it's also the only thing that works, both internally and as a way to stop the eternal back-and-forth of resentment. It's the way that Northern Ireland and South Africa eventually got lucky and Israel/Palestine haven't yet.
Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine are about “I must kill my enemies before they kill me, round 3,767.”
I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.
The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.
Well, a longer history, more rounds, in Northern Ireland than Israel/Palestine.
There are those who argue (with justice) the Romans started the whole problem in Israel/Palestine.
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party have been hard at work today seeking to persuade us to stand down for the pro- NATO Green Party led by the man who said he couldn’t vote for @jeremycorbyn as “a European and a Jew”. They are howling at the moon. Firstly Polanski said on TV he would never have anything to do with us because of my positions on his LGBTQ++ infatuations. That must include electoral co-operation right? Second the current international situation means co-operation with a pro-NATO party is out of the question Third we defeated the Deputy Leader of the Manchester City Council in this very constituency not two years ago. Our Councillor @ShahbazSarwar is the most popular in the city. It is WE who should be asking others to stand down to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote. My erstwhile friends should take their toy tanks off our lawn. #WorkersParty #ByElection' https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2016138249337762246?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party...' funniest thing I have read all year!!!
Sultana's faction is called 'Grassroots Left' apparently. Corbyn's is called 'The Many' it seems, and he talks about getting YP 'back on track'.
Sienna Rodgers @siennamarla NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign — They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump — Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan) — Your Party could back the Greens
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
I’m personally opposed to the whole “you must forgive people who’ve shown no contrition” thing.
It's horrible, difficult, and creates all sorts of problems when you try and run an organisation or country that way ("trespassers will be forgiven", as the Franciscan farm sign says)...
... but it's also the only thing that works, both internally and as a way to stop the eternal back-and-forth of resentment. It's the way that Northern Ireland and South Africa eventually got lucky and Israel/Palestine haven't yet.
Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine are about “I must kill my enemies before they kill me, round 3,767.”
I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.
The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.
Well, a longer history, more rounds, in Northern Ireland than Israel/Palestine.
There are those who argue (with justice) the Romans started the whole problem in Israel/Palestine.
@montie There really is something sulphurous about Matt Goodwin. Incendiary views. Suspect opinion polls. Massive self-obsession. British public life would be so much better without him. https://x.com/montie/status/1820201530256990453?s=20
What I really dislike about Tim Montgomerie is how he always makes things personal.
I am not sure when, and it might be a while, but I guarantee Monty returns home to the Tories.
Sienna Rodgers @siennamarla NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign — They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump — Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan) — Your Party could back the Greens
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party have been hard at work today seeking to persuade us to stand down for the pro- NATO Green Party led by the man who said he couldn’t vote for @jeremycorbyn as “a European and a Jew”. They are howling at the moon. Firstly Polanski said on TV he would never have anything to do with us because of my positions on his LGBTQ++ infatuations. That must include electoral co-operation right? Second the current international situation means co-operation with a pro-NATO party is out of the question Third we defeated the Deputy Leader of the Manchester City Council in this very constituency not two years ago. Our Councillor @ShahbazSarwar is the most popular in the city. It is WE who should be asking others to stand down to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote. My erstwhile friends should take their toy tanks off our lawn. #WorkersParty #ByElection' https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2016138249337762246?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party...' funniest thing I have read all year!!!
Sultana's faction is called 'Grassroots Left' apparently. Corbyn's is called 'The Many' it seems, and he talks about getting YP 'back on track'.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Yes, of course.
A few of them are just universal good sense, like do not commit murder. But that is nothing special.
US Consumer Confidence plunged in January to the lowest level since May 2014.
You read that correctly. Confidence is now *worse* than during the Covid pandemic. All political affiliations, ages and income levels saw a decline in January (esp. in their 6-month outlook), the @Conferenceboard said.
The Bloomberg Dollar Index falls after Trump says he isn’t concerned about the dollar’s recent decline. The “dollar is doing great,” the president says. Trump says he could have it go up or down “like a yo-yo,” when asked if he wants to see the dollar decline more.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
Well Jews don't believe Jesus was the son of God
Not even in a roundabout way ?
Did they have roundabouts in the holy land?
They did when we drove from Jerusalem to Jericho !!!!
If they’d stopped at the stop line, instead of driving round the roundabout 7 times…
Don't go there please
Defintely don't drive round a roundabout 7 times.
You'll get dizzy.
First time I ever got pulled over for suspected drink driving was when I drove round a roundabout three times.
I wasn’t sure what exit to take…
How did ever drive in unknown places before SatNav.
The first Satnav I ever had took me off the wrong exit of a roundabout.
Which meant I had to do a full circuit of the ring road to get to where I needed to go.
At rush hour.
In Milton Keynes.
It put me off satnav for years.
Google Maps nowadays is almost brilliant, especially when you’re driving somewhere unfamiliar and have enough to cope with before you get to navigation. I used to rate myself an ace at map reading, but wonder nowadays how I did it, inside large cities (out in the country the decisions come less fast). That said, around Europe in just the last few years Google Maps had me drive into a farmer’s field in Austria, tried to get me to drive into a boating park in Germany, down some steps in Italy, along a bus lane in Norway, on a road that wasn’t there in North Carolina, and offered me the dedicated cycle lane as an alternative route in Finland. Indeed just last week it routed me beneath Westfield shopping centre and almost to the entrance to the John Lewis car park, before turning me around and existing onto the Westway extension, presumably because it thought this was thirty seconds quicker than taking the normal route around Shepherds Bush Green. Not a mistake, but weird to be driving around underground car parks midway through a three hour cross country drive.
“You’d have to be watching the fake news BBC to not know that Britain is going to hell in a handcart,” Truss began, sitting in what appeared to be a cupboard furnished with the sort of books that pubs buy by the metre.
The theme of the monologue was clear: Britain is in desperate trouble. “Small businesses are dying. Big businesses are leaving … people are having to pull their own teeth out,” she groaned.
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party have been hard at work today seeking to persuade us to stand down for the pro- NATO Green Party led by the man who said he couldn’t vote for @jeremycorbyn as “a European and a Jew”. They are howling at the moon. Firstly Polanski said on TV he would never have anything to do with us because of my positions on his LGBTQ++ infatuations. That must include electoral co-operation right? Second the current international situation means co-operation with a pro-NATO party is out of the question Third we defeated the Deputy Leader of the Manchester City Council in this very constituency not two years ago. Our Councillor @ShahbazSarwar is the most popular in the city. It is WE who should be asking others to stand down to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote. My erstwhile friends should take their toy tanks off our lawn. #WorkersParty #ByElection' https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2016138249337762246?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party...' funniest thing I have read all year!!!
Sultana's faction is called 'Grassroots Left' apparently. Corbyn's is called 'The Many' it seems, and he talks about getting YP 'back on track'.
Sultana put Corbyn's name on her slate of candidates, without his permission. She is totally unreliable.
She's hilarious. Seems to be very earnest but never checks with colleagues about things. They may well be closing her out, fairly or not, but she won the day on the lack of a single leader vote.
There’s only one thing I like about Trump: He has an unbelievable capacity to humiliate his most ardent defenders by hanging them out to dry after they’ve defended the indefensible on his behalf.
There’s only one thing I like about Trump: He has an unbelievable capacity to humiliate his most ardent defenders by hanging them out to dry after they’ve defended the indefensible on his behalf.
US Consumer Confidence plunged in January to the lowest level since May 2014.
You read that correctly. Confidence is now *worse* than during the Covid pandemic. All political affiliations, ages and income levels saw a decline in January (esp. in their 6-month outlook), the @Conferenceboard said.
The Bloomberg Dollar Index falls after Trump says he isn’t concerned about the dollar’s recent decline. The “dollar is doing great,” the president says. Trump says he could have it go up or down “like a yo-yo,” when asked if he wants to see the dollar decline more.
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
“You’d have to be watching the fake news BBC to not know that Britain is going to hell in a handcart,” Truss began, sitting in what appeared to be a cupboard furnished with the sort of books that pubs buy by the metre.
The theme of the monologue was clear: Britain is in desperate trouble. “Small businesses are dying. Big businesses are leaving … people are having to pull their own teeth out,” she groaned.
Well, Truss is nuttier than a Cadbury's fruit and nut bar, but I think we can agree that more small businesses have died under Starmer's premiership than did under hers. Ditto Sunak's, Johnson's, May's, Cameron's, Brown's, Blair's...
Sienna Rodgers @siennamarla NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign — They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump — Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan) — Your Party could back the Greens
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party have been hard at work today seeking to persuade us to stand down for the pro- NATO Green Party led by the man who said he couldn’t vote for @jeremycorbyn as “a European and a Jew”. They are howling at the moon. Firstly Polanski said on TV he would never have anything to do with us because of my positions on his LGBTQ++ infatuations. That must include electoral co-operation right? Second the current international situation means co-operation with a pro-NATO party is out of the question Third we defeated the Deputy Leader of the Manchester City Council in this very constituency not two years ago. Our Councillor @ShahbazSarwar is the most popular in the city. It is WE who should be asking others to stand down to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote. My erstwhile friends should take their toy tanks off our lawn. #WorkersParty #ByElection' https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2016138249337762246?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
'Respected figures from the Sultana faction of Your Party...' funniest thing I have read all year!!!
Sultana's faction is called 'Grassroots Left' apparently. Corbyn's is called 'The Many' it seems, and he talks about getting YP 'back on track'.
Sultana put Corbyn's name on her slate of candidates, without his permission. She is totally unreliable.
She's hilarious. Seems to be very earnest but never checks with colleagues about things. They may well be closing her out, fairly or not, but she won the day on the lack of a single leader vote.
and on members being able to be members of another party at same time.
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
There’s only one thing I like about Trump: He has an unbelievable capacity to humiliate his most ardent defenders by hanging them out to dry after they’ve defended the indefensible on his behalf.
They compete for his attention and the right to issue orders on his behalf I assume. He may well have a better sense of the public mood than some of them, hence why on occasion he performs an uncharacteristic about turn.
“You’d have to be watching the fake news BBC to not know that Britain is going to hell in a handcart,” Truss began, sitting in what appeared to be a cupboard furnished with the sort of books that pubs buy by the metre.
The theme of the monologue was clear: Britain is in desperate trouble. “Small businesses are dying. Big businesses are leaving … people are having to pull their own teeth out,” she groaned.
You could argue that the media with their gated residencies are in denial (if it were true) but then the ordinary British people would know it from their own experiences.
But for the media not to say it and the public not to know it, is generally only for one logical explanation . . . It is not true.
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
US Consumer Confidence plunged in January to the lowest level since May 2014.
You read that correctly. Confidence is now *worse* than during the Covid pandemic. All political affiliations, ages and income levels saw a decline in January (esp. in their 6-month outlook), the @Conferenceboard said.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
Well Jews don't believe Jesus was the son of God
Not even in a roundabout way ?
Did they have roundabouts in the holy land?
They did when we drove from Jerusalem to Jericho !!!!
If they’d stopped at the stop line, instead of driving round the roundabout 7 times…
Don't go there please
Defintely don't drive round a roundabout 7 times.
You'll get dizzy.
First time I ever got pulled over for suspected drink driving was when I drove round a roundabout three times.
I wasn’t sure what exit to take…
How did ever drive in unknown places before SatNav.
Back in the 1960s, if my Dad was going on a long journey he wrote to the AA who, about a week later, sent him a detailed set of instructions of what roads to take and when and where to turn. The only drawback was that it required my Mum to read it to him. It looked something like this.
“You’d have to be watching the fake news BBC to not know that Britain is going to hell in a handcart,” Truss began, sitting in what appeared to be a cupboard furnished with the sort of books that pubs buy by the metre.
The theme of the monologue was clear: Britain is in desperate trouble. “Small businesses are dying. Big businesses are leaving … people are having to pull their own teeth out,” she groaned.
You could argue that the media with their gated residencies are in denial (if it were true) but then the ordinary British people would know it from their own experiences.
But for the media not to say it and the public not to know it, is generally only for one logical explanation . . . It is not true.
Unless you believe in the Marxist concept of false consciousness.
“You’d have to be watching the fake news BBC to not know that Britain is going to hell in a handcart,” Truss began, sitting in what appeared to be a cupboard furnished with the sort of books that pubs buy by the metre.
The theme of the monologue was clear: Britain is in desperate trouble. “Small businesses are dying. Big businesses are leaving … people are having to pull their own teeth out,” she groaned.
You could argue that the media with their gated residencies are in denial (if it were true) but then the ordinary British people would know it from their own experiences.
But for the media not to say it and the public not to know it, is generally only for one logical explanation . . . It is not true.
It's bog standard online right whinging. That's the real tragedy of her decline, in that after dealing with the humiliation initially with some dignity, she is just mouthing tired conspiracy tropes like any lazy podcaster, requiring sensationalising everything.
Put her next to Farage and, no joke, he appears a lot more Prime Ministerial, and I don't say that as a fan of his. Nor, indeed, as someone who thought she'd be awful, I assumed she'd be ok and the fears stoked about her winning would be exaggerated.
There’s only one thing I like about Trump: He has an unbelievable capacity to humiliate his most ardent defenders by hanging them out to dry after they’ve defended the indefensible on his behalf.
They compete for his attention and the right to issue orders on his behalf I assume. He may well have a better sense of the public mood than some of them, hence why on occasion he performs an uncharacteristic about turn.
Right now he is sitting in a bar in Iowa being interviewed live repeating all the same bullshit talking points. They are paid agitators. Renee Good's parents were huge Trump fans. He has no clue how this is playing.
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement that was anti-Islamist, until Free Iran?
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement less supported by the Left since the Soviet Union?
Square me this circle. Why do British borderline fascists demanding the removal of Muslims from the UK find the Emirates such an attractive lifestyle destination? I'd take Monaco or Porto Fino any day of the week.
How would I know? I've never been there
Tice and Oakeshott are fans.
I have no answers for UKIP. I have never supported them
I voted UKIP in the 2014 Euros. Just that one time!
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
Salma Yaqoob, formerly of RESPECT and now Your Party, reportedly appearing at a rally with Polanski for the by-election. Your Party officially or unofficially support the Greens helps them, at least a bit.
There’s only one thing I like about Trump: He has an unbelievable capacity to humiliate his most ardent defenders by hanging them out to dry after they’ve defended the indefensible on his behalf.
They compete for his attention and the right to issue orders on his behalf I assume. He may well have a better sense of the public mood than some of them, hence why on occasion he performs an uncharacteristic about turn.
Right now he is sitting in a bar in Iowa being interviewed live repeating all the same bullshit talking points. They are paid agitators. Renee Good's parents were huge Trump fans. He has no clue how this is playing.
That suggests the relatively cautious steps since the weekend have not been driven by him, but he must have consented to it, so it came from someone in the administration with some brains.
Sienna Rodgers @siennamarla NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign — They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump — Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan) — Your Party could back the Greens
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
Well Jews don't believe Jesus was the son of God
You don't say.
Of course, early Christians also famoulsy argued about the precise nature of Christ too, in their own way.
They still do. The modern literature and scholarship on this, historical, philosophical and theological, is immense and forms a continuing cascade including work of outstanding quality.
It seems to me, by the way, that one has to be oddly unimaginative as a member of our culture to have no interest in what Jesus was like, what he did and said, his history and his social and religious context. Regardless of whether one is a critic of its aftermath.
Kyle Broflovski: Think about it. Haven't Luke Skywalker and Santa Claus affected your lives more than most real people in this room? I mean, whether Jesus is real or not, he... he's had a bigger impact on the world than any of us have. And the same could be said of Bugs Bunny and, a-and Superman and Harry Potter. They've changed my life, changed the way I act on the Earth. Doesn't that make them kind of "real."? They might be imaginary, but, but they're more important than most of us here. And they're all gonna be around long after we're dead. So in a way, those things are more realer than any of us.
(I get all my life lessons from TV shows and movies)
Perhaps I can introduce you to this thing called "Star Trek"...
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
She will be the perfect candidate. She will be used to dealing with shit.
Sienna Rodgers @siennamarla NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign — They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump — Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan) — Your Party could back the Greens
I remember the days when the Green Party used to put the environment at the forefront of campaigns.
I criticise them for that sometimes, but that's sufficiently part of their brand that it is presumed by most people (indeed, may be overpresumed), and they can focus on more populist campaign strategies.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
I’m personally opposed to the whole “you must forgive people who’ve shown no contrition” thing.
It's horrible, difficult, and creates all sorts of problems when you try and run an organisation or country that way ("trespassers will be forgiven", as the Franciscan farm sign says)...
... but it's also the only thing that works, both internally and as a way to stop the eternal back-and-forth of resentment. It's the way that Northern Ireland and South Africa eventually got lucky and Israel/Palestine haven't yet.
Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine are about “I must kill my enemies before they kill me, round 3,767.”
I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.
The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.
Peace processes also require change from the status quo. In Northern Ireland it was the power sharing agreement. In South Africa it was the end of apartheid. In Israel/Palestine there will have to be some similar sort of agreement that recognises the needs of both sides and makes peace more viable than fighting.
Sienna Rodgers @siennamarla NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign — They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump — Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan) — Your Party could back the Greens
I remember the days when the Green Party used to put the environment at the forefront of campaigns.
I remember the days when we could count on the US as a NATO ally to oppose Moscow's aggression, and when Labour and the Conservatives polled above 30% all the time, and a phone was something you rang people on to talk to them.
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
She will be the perfect candidate. She will be used to dealing with shit.
There are plumbers and there are plumbers. Friend of mine fits out new office buildings and it's effectively a very complicated marble run/physics lesson, by his account. And pays very well.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
Well Jews don't believe Jesus was the son of God
Not even in a roundabout way ?
Did they have roundabouts in the holy land?
They did when we drove from Jerusalem to Jericho !!!!
If they’d stopped at the stop line, instead of driving round the roundabout 7 times…
Don't go there please
Defintely don't drive round a roundabout 7 times.
You'll get dizzy.
First time I ever got pulled over for suspected drink driving was when I drove round a roundabout three times.
I wasn’t sure what exit to take…
How did ever drive in unknown places before SatNav.
Back in the 1960s, if my Dad was going on a long journey he wrote to the AA who, about a week later, sent him a detailed set of instructions of what roads to take and when and where to turn. The only drawback was that it required my Mum to read it to him. It looked something like this.
If I'm ever driving somewhere unfamiliar, I lool at a map before I go. I chiose a route, and go that way. It's rare any route in the UK is so complicated you can't memorise it at least until the last mile. It wasn't hard in tbe 90s and it's not hard now. Sat navs aren't even that goof at avoiding the traffic because it's sending every other fucker by the back roads too. Yet another innivation we didn't really need.
There’s only one thing I like about Trump: He has an unbelievable capacity to humiliate his most ardent defenders by hanging them out to dry after they’ve defended the indefensible on his behalf.
They compete for his attention and the right to issue orders on his behalf I assume. He may well have a better sense of the public mood than some of them, hence why on occasion he performs an uncharacteristic about turn.
Right now he is sitting in a bar in Iowa being interviewed live repeating all the same bullshit talking points. They are paid agitators. Renee Good's parents were huge Trump fans. He has no clue how this is playing.
That suggests the relatively cautious steps since the weekend have not been driven by him, but he must have consented to it, so it came from someone in the administration with some brains.
Noem is leaking today that all the stupid talking points at the weekend were fully agreed by Trump
Sienna Rodgers @siennamarla NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign — They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump — Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan) — Your Party could back the Greens
I remember the days when the Green Party used to put the environment at the forefront of campaigns.
I criticise them for that sometimes, but that's sufficiently part of their brand that it is presumed by most people (indeed, may be overpresumed), and they can focus on more populist campaign strategies.
None of them know the remotest thing about ecology or the environment.
Though not knowing much hasn't been a barrier to election in the past, I suppose.
One thing that struck me, reading Yougov’s combined data for December/January, is that right wing support is now a lot greater among lower earners than higher earners.
That probably means that Gorton will be more fertile ground for Reform than I had first thought.
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
She stood against Burnham for the mayor last time, so a logical choice with local credentials
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement that was anti-Islamist, until Free Iran?
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement less supported by the Left since the Soviet Union?
Square me this circle. Why do British borderline fascists demanding the removal of Muslims from the UK find the Emirates such an attractive lifestyle destination? I'd take Monaco or Porto Fino any day of the week.
How would I know? I've never been there
Tice and Oakeshott are fans.
I have no answers for UKIP. I have never supported them
I voted UKIP in the 2014 Euros. Just that one time!
I hope you went straight home afterwards, like they told you.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
Well Jews don't believe Jesus was the son of God
Not even in a roundabout way ?
Did they have roundabouts in the holy land?
They did when we drove from Jerusalem to Jericho !!!!
If they’d stopped at the stop line, instead of driving round the roundabout 7 times…
Don't go there please
Defintely don't drive round a roundabout 7 times.
You'll get dizzy.
First time I ever got pulled over for suspected drink driving was when I drove round a roundabout three times.
I wasn’t sure what exit to take…
How did ever drive in unknown places before SatNav.
Back in the 1960s, if my Dad was going on a long journey he wrote to the AA who, about a week later, sent him a detailed set of instructions of what roads to take and when and where to turn. The only drawback was that it required my Mum to read it to him. It looked something like this.
If I'm ever driving somewhere unfamiliar, I lool at a map before I go. I chiose a route, and go that way. It's rare any route in the UK is so complicated you can't memorise it at least until the last mile. It wasn't hard in tbe 90s and it's not hard now. Sat navs aren't even that goof at avoiding the traffic because it's sending every other fucker by the back roads too. Yet another innivation we didn't really need.
As someone who used to have to navigate across the country on a motorbike by following a list of towns taped to the petrol tank, I find satnavs (especially Google Maps) a godsend. Though I also slightly mourn a skill lost.
@Tomorrow'sMPs @tomorrowsmps · 2h 🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
She stood against Burnham for the mayor last time, so a logical choice with local credentials
Coming fifth with 6.9%. But politics is too febrile now for that to be much of a prediction for how she will do.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
Well Jews don't believe Jesus was the son of God
Not even in a roundabout way ?
Did they have roundabouts in the holy land?
They did when we drove from Jerusalem to Jericho !!!!
If they’d stopped at the stop line, instead of driving round the roundabout 7 times…
Don't go there please
Defintely don't drive round a roundabout 7 times.
You'll get dizzy.
First time I ever got pulled over for suspected drink driving was when I drove round a roundabout three times.
I wasn’t sure what exit to take…
How did ever drive in unknown places before SatNav.
Back in the 1960s, if my Dad was going on a long journey he wrote to the AA who, about a week later, sent him a detailed set of instructions of what roads to take and when and where to turn. The only drawback was that it required my Mum to read it to him. It looked something like this.
If I'm ever driving somewhere unfamiliar, I lool at a map before I go. I chiose a route, and go that way. It's rare any route in the UK is so complicated you can't memorise it at least until the last mile. It wasn't hard in tbe 90s and it's not hard now. Sat navs aren't even that goof at avoiding the traffic because it's sending every other fucker by the back roads too. Yet another innivation we didn't really need.
Sat Navs are mainly good for avoiding missing the turning. Provided you already agree with the route. I've ignored silly C-roads before.
Except on a roundabout where they are confusing, as they can't update and reorientate fast enough.
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Some of them. But in any case people can support elements of a religious philosophy whilst being opposed to some fundamental tenets of the faith itself.
Someone might find a lot they like about the teachings of Jesus but still oppose the religious institutions promoting it, or just not agree with (and so oppose) fundamental aspects of its beliefs (eg that Jesus was the son of God).
I’m personally opposed to the whole “you must forgive people who’ve shown no contrition” thing.
It's horrible, difficult, and creates all sorts of problems when you try and run an organisation or country that way ("trespassers will be forgiven", as the Franciscan farm sign says)...
... but it's also the only thing that works, both internally and as a way to stop the eternal back-and-forth of resentment. It's the way that Northern Ireland and South Africa eventually got lucky and Israel/Palestine haven't yet.
Northern Ireland and Israel/Palestine are about “I must kill my enemies before they kill me, round 3,767.”
I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.
The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.
Peace processes also require change from the status quo. In Northern Ireland it was the power sharing agreement. In South Africa it was the end of apartheid. In Israel/Palestine there will have to be some similar sort of agreement that recognises the needs of both sides and makes peace more viable than fighting.
Only after Netanyahu is out of the picture, unfortunately.
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement that was anti-Islamist, until Free Iran?
Has there ever been a "Free This Country" movement less supported by the Left since the Soviet Union?
Square me this circle. Why do British borderline fascists demanding the removal of Muslims from the UK find the Emirates such an attractive lifestyle destination? I'd take Monaco or Porto Fino any day of the week.
How would I know? I've never been there
Tice and Oakeshott are fans.
I have no answers for UKIP. I have never supported them
I voted UKIP in the 2014 Euros. Just that one time!
I hope you went straight home afterwards, like they told you.
I did the same.
Back then it was about putting pressure on Cameron not to go full LD over Europe, so lots of us did.
“I understand how this has changed the conversation, but I still think if there are things the Democrats want in the Homeland bill or addressed in the context of the situation, that they ought to make those clear and known and see to what degree the administration may be able to address them. So I would prefer that there be a way that we keep the package together.”
Says it becomes complicated and risky to split DHS bill off
The problem is Senate Dems say they will not accept admin actions & need ICE reforms to go through Congress
Is opposing Judaism antisemitic? I'd say yes to that, so I'd also say yes to your question.
Islamism is different from Islam. Look them up
Being opposed to Islam isn't islamophobic. It's a religion, and therefore a philosophy, a belief system, and may be opposed. Exactly as you may be opposed to a political philosophy.
Similarly, being opposed to Judaism, the religion, isn't antisemitic.
You oppose the 10 commandments?
Yes, of course.
A few of them are just universal good sense, like do not commit murder. But that is nothing special.
One thing that struck me, reading Yougov’s combined data for December/January, is that right wing support is now a lot greater among lower earners than higher earners.
That probably means that Gorton will be more fertile ground for Reform than I had first thought.
I'd imagine it depends on ethnic make-up. Poor WWC will tend towards Reform; poor ethnic minorities will go for Green/Labour/YP.
Comments
Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the House?
+7
Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the Senate?
+1
Number of MSPs won by the SNP at the Holyrood election?
54
Number of AMs won by Plaid Cymru at the Senedd election?
45
UK Party recording the largest poll lead during 2026 and by what percentage (British Polling Council registered pollsters only)?
Reform +16
Labour’s Projected National Share of the vote based on the 2026 local elections according to the BBC?
18
Number of Reform MPs on the 31st December 2026?
10
The name of the UK Prime Minister on 31st December 2026?
Boring Old Starmer
Will Andy Burnham will be an MP on 31st December 2026?
no
UK borrowing in the financial year to November 2026 (£132.3bn to November 2025)?
£146 bn
UK GDP growth in the 12 months to October 2026 (1.1% to October 2025)?
+1.6%
Winners of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup?
Argentina
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dv3x5yep4o
https://x.com/LukeTryl/status/2016129560685732214
Making gains with women has been vital for Reform's rise in the polls, they actually have a more even gender balance among their voters than the Labour Party now whose support is now very male.
Is Goodwin's position even more extreme?
@jeremycorbyn
as “a European and a Jew”. They are howling at the moon.
Firstly Polanski said on TV he would never have anything to do with us because of my positions on his LGBTQ++ infatuations. That must include electoral co-operation right?
Second the current international situation means co-operation with a pro-NATO party is out of the question
Third we defeated the Deputy Leader of the Manchester City Council in this very constituency not two years ago. Our Councillor
@ShahbazSarwar
is the most popular in the city. It is WE who should be asking others to stand down to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote.
My erstwhile friends should take their toy tanks off our lawn. #WorkersParty #ByElection'
https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/2016138249337762246?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
You can't beat an A to Z!
Heather Long
@byHeatherLong
US Consumer Confidence plunged in January to the lowest level since May 2014.
You read that correctly. Confidence is now *worse* than during the Covid pandemic. All political affiliations, ages and income levels saw a decline in January (esp. in their 6-month outlook), the @Conferenceboard said.
https://x.com/byHeatherLong/status/2016170529326071808
Q: Do you agree with the assessment from some of your own officials that Alex Pretti is a domestic terrorist or assassin?
TRUMP: Well, I haven't heard that, but he certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun. I don't like that he had a gun.
I don’t have to forgive anyone, to not kill them. I don’t forgive the PIRA (or the UVF and all the other dreary murdering shits) - I don’t see why I should, either. If they apologised, I might consider it. But they won’t.
The Peace Process is about retiring the Men Of Violence, in place. So they all die of old age, eventually. Then we can piss on their graves.
The Green Party recognises that NATO has an important role in ensuring the ability of its member states to respond to threats to their security. We support the principle of international solidarity, whereby nations support one another through mutual defence alliances and multilateral security frameworks.
There's a bit more in there than that in fairness, but it is probably too much for a Galloway.
https://greenparty.org.uk/app/uploads/2024/06/Green-Party-2024-General-Election-Manifesto-Long-version-with-cover.pdf
(Never mind sticking two fingers up at the 2nd amendment absolutist crowd, they won't give a crap about that after 5 minutes).
Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the House?
25
Number of net gains (or losses -ve) for the Dems in the Senate?
3
Number of MSPs won by the SNP at the Holyrood election?
59
Number of AMs won by Plaid Cymru at the Senedd election?
34
UK Party recording the largest poll lead during 2026 and by what percentage (British Polling Council registered pollsters only)?
Reform +16
Labour’s Projected National Share of the vote based on the 2026 local elections according to the BBC?
16
Number of Reform MPs on the 31st December 2026?
13
The name of the UK Prime Minister on 31st December 2026?
Starmer
Will Andy Burnham will be an MP on 31st December 2026?
No
UK borrowing in the financial year to November 2026 (£132.3bn to November 2025)?
£117bn
UK GDP growth in the 12 months to October 2026 (1.1% to October 2025)?
1.4%
Winners of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup?
Netherlands
And the two candidates up for the nomination seem to be a local councillor and Mothin Ali.
I think it goes further back.
Hers is generic, but it is a better name than 'The Many', which sounds like some kind of hivemind alien species.
https://novaramedia.com/2026/01/16/jeremy-corbyn-and-zarah-sultana-are-on-rival-slates-for-your-party-leadership/
@siennamarla
NEW: Green Party plans for Gorton by-election
— Greens will put Matthew Goodwin’s “record of anti-Muslim bigotry” at the forefront of its campaign
— They will also highlight Farage’s links to Trump
— Hannah Spencer is favourite to be their candidate (other serious contenders are Mothin Ali and Fesl Reza-Khan)
— Your Party could back the Greens
https://x.com/siennamarla/status/2016237368567562655
It is god-fearing Republicans that have the right to bear arms.
https://x.com/trussliz/status/2016060639903412558
Maybe Reform _can_ win this.
A few of them are just universal good sense, like do not commit murder. But that is nothing special.
Others are not positive at all.
Most are not laws.
We should not put the commandments on a pedesral.
https://x.com/annmarie/status/2016256442475438504?s=20
This was a point MTG made and OMG I’m actually agreeing with her as she made that point .!
The theme of the monologue was clear: Britain is in desperate trouble. “Small businesses are dying. Big businesses are leaving … people are having to pull their own teeth out,” she groaned.
We live in a crime-ridden, socialist, Islamist dystopia. If they made Yes Minister today, she said, Humphrey Appleby would be “a radicalised trans activist”. Worse still, the British people don’t realise this because the media, with their “Gail’s bakeries and gated residences”, refuse to tell them the truth.'
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/05/the-liz-truss-show-review-hapless-ravings-from-a-closet
@tomorrowsmps
·
2h
🟢 GORTON & DENTON: it seems Trafford councillor & Green group leader Hannah Spencer favourite to be their candidate for the by-election. Has a plumber ever been an MP, let alone a female plumber?
There’s only one thing I like about Trump: He has an unbelievable capacity to humiliate his most ardent defenders by hanging them out to dry after they’ve defended the indefensible on his behalf.
"Everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the president and Stephen," Noem told a person who relayed her remarks to Axios.""
Anyone paying attentions - it's been President Miler calling the shots.
Now the vipers are going after each other.
https://bsky.app/profile/murshedz.bsky.social/post/3mdgn2q7w722u
(TBF I don't know what makes a good chair, but beholden to the President, as I suspect will be the criteria, probably is not it).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Trickett
i.e. SWP
You could argue that the media with their gated residencies are in denial (if it were true) but then the ordinary British people would know it from their own experiences.
But for the media not to say it and the public not to know it, is generally only for one logical explanation . . . It is not true.
Put her next to Farage and, no joke, he appears a lot more Prime Ministerial, and I don't say that as a fan of his. Nor, indeed, as someone who thought she'd be awful, I assumed she'd be ok and the fears stoked about her winning would be exaggerated.
This says everything about Reform and their strategy in this seat .
Sat navs aren't even that goof at avoiding the traffic because it's sending every other fucker by the back roads too.
Yet another innivation we didn't really need.
EDIT: I said that one yesterday!
Though not knowing much hasn't been a barrier to election in the past, I suppose.
I remember that. About virtually every mail order company - ever. Invariably, it would turn up on the 26th or 27th day.
For all his faults, I do wonder if without Jeff Bezos, and Amazon, that'd have ever changed.
That probably means that Gorton will be more fertile ground for Reform than I had first thought.
Except on a roundabout where they are confusing, as they can't update and reorientate fast enough.
Back then it was about putting pressure on Cameron not to go full LD over Europe, so lots of us did.
THUNE on funding:
“I understand how this has changed the conversation, but I still think if there are things the Democrats want in the Homeland bill or addressed in the context of the situation, that they ought to make those clear and known and see to what degree the administration may be able to address them. So I would prefer that there be a way that we keep the package together.”
Says it becomes complicated and risky to split DHS bill off
The problem is Senate Dems say they will not accept admin actions & need ICE reforms to go through Congress