Why is there so little talk about debt in the economy? We were told that in 2008 we had a credit bubble because interest rates had been too low. Politicians quickly moved the conversation on to public debt and deficits. So where are we now? We have a booming stock market combined with relatively cheap money as the central bank looks for opportunities to reduce rates whenever it can.
There is now quite open pressure on the US federal reserve to keep rates to a minimum for Trump's short term priorities. We know how the Bank of England has a habit of copying the Fed so can we expect us to be making the same errors? That leaves aside the question of whether the economy is currently over indebted. Banks are offering riskier mortgages presumably expecting another bailout if it goes wrong.
Worth bearing in mind the vast majority of the income stream of the FTSE100, around 80%, comes from overseas and is not a reflection of our economy where growth is anaemic.
It also is a case of valuations, relative to other indices, for U.K. listed stocks has been low and this is changing too.
We spend too much, we are doing nothing to reduce the growth in spending either. SKS and Reeves tried but couldn’t get it past their backbenchers.
We have AI looming with what that will do to the job market but a govt that is doing nothing to plan for where the new jobs will come from and they need to as the loss of tax and NI will be large. We could lose about 40% of people who drive for a living when self driving comes in. What do they do, for example ?
Another thing about the economy. So much bandwidth is taken up by political shenanigans that you have to ask how many people have got their eye on the ball.
There’s no industrial strategy or identifying key industries we need to keep or grow.
I think Reeves and Starmer knows what needs doing with the economy. They cannot get any changes past their backbenchers.
UPDATED: Wes Streeting told Lord Mandelson the government had “no growth strategy” and he feared he would lose his seat at the next election, newly released texts between the pair have revealed
I'm sure Sarwar will be along soon enough to say that it all went as he intended and it was his plan all along, and he's helped Keir get his mojo back and strengthen his position by being a backstabbing little so-and-so... I mean giving him a bit of an encouraging kick up the botty.
What is it with the BBC that when one person heckles the King they get featured on the news?. It's not interesting or news. When a streaker runs onto a football pitch the cameras turn away and the commentators talk about something else
Maybe that’s because there’s not a lot to talk about with the streaker ?
Publishing his pally whatsapps with Mandy the paedos pal in which he slags off the government but now is apparenty happy with it. Im not sure what its supposed to achieve but highlight how pally he was with Mandy and how the govt is disunited He will get shuffled out
Wez is an all-so-ran. Labour will be going left from Starmer - Blairites are finished in the Labour Party, probably forever.
Then announces they clapped him in but will be speaking behind his back once they get out.
What about your mate Mandelson Mr Peston
Peston tells Lucrezia he thought he wouldn't last a day, 30 seconds later it's a week, after a minute it's May, in summing up it's by the end of the year.
Priceless
The longer this fiasco runs the worse it is for Labour.
And as to Mandelson being chummy with Preston and Maitlis that isn't the point, they didn't make Mandelson US Ambassador against advice from Kemi and BigG.
Rayner has that tax affair hanging over her . And the rest of the choices are hardly inspiring .
The tax affair probably doesn't prevent her from become leader.
You couldn’t risk that because she’s already struggling to repair the damage from last year . Labour can’t have a new leader who could possibly then get a penalty from the HMRC .
A penalty from HMRC is not a criminal record. Johnson and Sunak both paid fines for criminal breaches -- Sunak twice. Yet they were Primes Ministers.
I really like Angela Rayner but I don’t think she can become leader and then get a penalty .
Angela's future is in the hands of one unnamed individual in HMRC who decides whether her error was understandable, careless or deliberate. It's a judgement call. If it were clear cut it would be declared by now.
Will the political leaning of this unnamed individual colour their judgement? They can decide who is next PM and the future of this country. What a responsibility.
Once again we have people posting about they think HMRC works without knowing how HMRC actually works.
Reality is HMRC are just waiting for the issue to go away which it does the day Angela Rayner’s son turns 18.
Charlie Rayner’s 18th birthday is 9 April 2026 so we'll soon know. I'm not sure it does go away. There are conflicting views on this. On what basis do you think it will go away? With links if possible because this is important.
Had the tax been paid it would be reclaimable on April 9th.
While reaching 18 can change how a trust is taxed or how assets are legally owned, UK tax law does not allow for a retrospective "reclaim" of Stamp Duty that was legally owed at the time of a property purchase.
If you think it does, please point to it.
NB I fully support Angela Rayner in this affair. It was very complex with a trust for a disabled son. I'm not attacking her at all. I'm just trying to understand the law.
I guess the argument is that the situation is analogous to where someone buys a new home and sells the old one within 3 years: you have to pay the higher rate SDLT initially but then claim it back later. But there is no actual disposal of an interest in land here, just the cessation of a deeming provision, beyond that the legislation at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/14/schedule/4ZA is impenetrable to mere mortals, and Google isn't throwing up any informed legal commentary saying she can claim. Dan Neidle doesn't address the point: https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/09/05/angela-rayner-hmrc-penalties/
Thanks. It's certainly not straightforward in the way Eek implied. And, in any just world, it's certainly not grounds for preventing her taking the role of PM.
Another thing about the economy. So much bandwidth is taken up by political shenanigans that you have to ask how many people have got their eye on the ball.
There’s no industrial strategy or identifying key industries we need to keep or grow.
I think Reeves and Starmer knows what needs doing with the economy. They cannot get any changes past their backbenchers.
Sooner or later it will end in tears.
I think I said at the time climbing down on the big changes to benefits etc. has given the backbench way too much power.
Yes, he folded and from that moment on was a hostage to his own backbenchers.
As predicted it looks like the coup has failed miserably probably strengthening Labour and Keir's position. Labour are not good at coups and Keir for all his faults is pretty bright. The only significant losers look like being Sarwar and Chris Mason.
The biggest loser is the country
And this is far from over
You and Leon have been breathlessly telling us about "catastrophic" events that are going to lead to the fall of Starmer and the government on a daily basis.
There are 3.5 years till the next election needs to be held. Labour have a huge majority, they are not going to get pushed out of office.
Things could look very different by 2029. My guess is that starmer will stand down 12-18 months before an election if/when a strong alternative leader comes to the fore. Unless the Tories can put clear blue water between themselves and Reform the right-wing vote is going to be horribly split at the next GE - there is little sign of that happening so far.
Streeting's given Starmer enough reason to sack him by selectively leaking those texts which show him stepping outside his brief to undermine the PM's position on Israel.
So far still only the usual people opposing Starmer. Blair had far more vocal opposition towards the end.
Think unfortunately Starmer is safe.
Yes, Ed Miliband, Cooper, Healey, even Rayner and Powell have openly tweeted support for Starmer today. Burnham is not able to return as an MP and out of contention.
Streeting is also tieing himself closer to Mandelson than Starmer ever was and risks torpedoing his own leadership ambitions in the process. If he was behind any Sarwar coup it has completely failed to launch.
After today I think Starmer is safe until May and beyond if Labour beat the Tories for second after Reform on NEV and seats won
Streeting's given Starmer enough reason to sack him by selectively leaking those texts which show him stepping outside his brief to undermine the PM's position on Israel.
So far still only the usual people opposing Starmer. Blair had far more vocal opposition towards the end.
Think unfortunately Starmer is safe.
Early days. It will be relentless until he falls. Remember when Hain fell? He dragged it out to ten days before he fell.
This is not like Johnson who was supported by Fleet Street scandal after scandal. He was until Pincher was the tiny, tiny straw that broke the camel's back.
Seems like the King is quite prepared to see his brother face criminal charges...
It would be interesting if the Europeans hold their alleged perpetrators to account, but the United States did not.
Meanwhile, if SKS does get through this crisis, there is a reasonable chance that he can bounce back... that would be frankly hilarious simply because it would rather prove the point that the "Westminster bubble" is mostly the media .
As predicted it looks like the coup has failed miserably probably strengthening Labour and Keir's position. Labour are not good at coups and Keir for all his faults is pretty bright. The only significant losers look like being Sarwar and Chris Mason.
The biggest loser is the country
And this is far from over
You and Leon have been breathlessly telling us about "catastrophic" events that are going to lead to the fall of Starmer and the government on a daily basis.
There are 3.5 years till the next election needs to be held. Labour have a huge majority, they are not going to get pushed out of office.
Things could look very different by 2029. My guess is that starmer will stand down 12-18 months before an election if/when a strong alternative leader comes to the fore. Unless the Tories can put clear blue water between themselves and Reform the right-wing vote is going to be horribly split at the next GE - there is little sign of that happening so far.
This far out it is still all to play for
I think you will find most posters on here expect the fall of Starmer, and still do
These are difficult times for labour supporters, but I have not predicted the fall of labour before 2029, just Starmer
As predicted it looks like the coup has failed miserably probably strengthening Labour and Keir's position. Labour are not good at coups and Keir for all his faults is pretty bright. The only significant losers look like being Sarwar and Chris Mason.
The biggest loser is the country
And this is far from over
You and Leon have been breathlessly telling us about "catastrophic" events that are going to lead to the fall of Starmer and the government on a daily basis.
There are 3.5 years till the next election needs to be held. Labour have a huge majority, they are not going to get pushed out of office.
Things could look very different by 2029. My guess is that starmer will stand down 12-18 months before an election if/when a strong alternative leader comes to the fore. Unless the Tories can put clear blue water between themselves and Reform the right-wing vote is going to be horribly split at the next GE - there is little sign of that happening so far.
This far out it is still all to play for
I think you will find most posters on here expect the fall of Starmer, and still do
These are difficult times for labour supporters, but I have not predicted the fall of labour before 2029, just Starmer
Most posters predicted May was going to trounce Corbyn and Remain were going to win the referendum. Doesn't make it so
Even if Starmer is safe for now, he's got a by-election and then the May elections coming and he's probably used up 7 or 8 of his 9 lives at this point. Shoogly peg.
Then announces they clapped him in but will be speaking behind his back once they get out.
What about your mate Mandelson Mr Peston
Peston tells Lucrezia he thought he wouldn't last a day, 30 seconds later it's a week, after a minute it's May, in summing up it's by the end of the year.
Priceless
The longer this fiasco runs the worse it is for Labour.
And as to Mandelson being chummy with Preston and Maitlis that isn't the point, they didn't make Mandelson US Ambassador against advice from Kemi and BigG.
Dan Hodges was also ahead of the curve on that iirc. Said it was an appointment born of the odd mix of naivety and cynicism which seems to characterise Sir Keir Starmer's premiership. I think I quote Dan there.
Another thing about the economy. So much bandwidth is taken up by political shenanigans that you have to ask how many people have got their eye on the ball.
There’s no industrial strategy or identifying key industries we need to keep or grow.
I think Reeves and Starmer knows what needs doing with the economy. They cannot get any changes past their backbenchers.
UPDATED: Wes Streeting told Lord Mandelson the government had “no growth strategy” and he feared he would lose his seat at the next election, newly released texts between the pair have revealed
The nerve. Streeting knows sweet f*** all about economics.
The govt growth strategy is relatively clear (whether it is good is another question).
Increased but funded public investment, increased taxes (largely falling on low value employment sector).
Key sectors are advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, financial services, tech, life science...
Not retail, hospitality, agriculture, traditional manufacturing, tourism...
Streeting appears to have shared just two excerpts of his texts with Mandelson. One from March and one from July. I don't see how this helps him distance himself from Mandelson.
If Streeting's blown himself up then that leaves Ed Miliband with Angela Rayner as the stop Miliband candidate, Shabana Mahmood as the stop both of them candidate, Yvette Cooper as the stop all of them candidate, and Al Carns as the please stop candidate.
The truth remains, a beleaguered Prime Minister is in a much stronger position IF the Cabinet are united behind him/her.
Johnson's resignation was triggered by the collapse of his Government which started with the resignations of Javid and Sunak while Truss was forced to sack Kwarteng and replace him with Hunt which undermined her authority and legitimacy completely. She, unlike Johnson, had not received a personal mandate from the electorate.
The departure of Lammy or Mahmood would be a fatal blow to Starmer - a junior Minister or a PPS much less so. Arguably, Thatcher's greatest moment of trial before 1990 was when Heseltine walked out - there was a real possibility it could have ended her but it didn't.
The test will be Cabinet solidarity - they stay, he stays.
It's a regulated broadcaster and it's not supposed to broadcast utter nonsense without challenge. The founding Director of OFCOM who wrote the broadcasting codes is reported to be astounded they just let it slide. It's to protect credulous idiots, it's what separates the UK from places where they appoint vaccine denying hoaxers to high office.
Curlers fail to get to the final. On target for another 4th place
A gallant loser is a loser.
They'll be gutted, fine margins and all that.
Seen it so often in curling the best team(s) in the group have a bad game in the play offs and they're out. A loss of more than 3 stones in a single end is terminal in a semi final
If Streeting's blown himself up then that leaves Ed Miliband with Angela Rayner as the stop Miliband candidate, Shabana Mahmood as the stop both of them candidate, Yvette Cooper as the stop all of them candidate, and Al Carns as the please stop candidate.
Streetings Whatsapp message release looks like first shots. Not sure they harm him. His comments on Israel help with the Gaza loon element of the Labour coalition and keeping them on board.
The Government that is allegedly doing nothing has today 26,000 Hong Kong citizens with British Passports can come to the UK to meet family
A further £400m has been allocated to the North West for further support for working families and children.
So no more lies about Government doing nothing.
It's working and delivering every day.
Are you?
You are fucking monomaniacal, betraying the misogyny that has kept Labour 50 years behind the Tories in political sexual equality.
Kemi doesn't matter to today's politics. Nobody is really paying attention to her. People won't have to vote on her being PM for over three years. Maybe by then she will have imprinted on the nation's consciousness. Maybe not.
Meanwhile, take a look at the sexist mote in Labour's eye.
The truth remains, a beleaguered Prime Minister is in a much stronger position IF the Cabinet are united behind him/her.
Johnson's resignation was triggered by the collapse of his Government which started with the resignations of Javid and Sunak while Truss was forced to sack Kwarteng and replace him with Hunt which undermined her authority and legitimacy completely. She, unlike Johnson, had not received a personal mandate from the electorate.
The departure of Lammy or Mahmood would be a fatal blow to Starmer - a junior Minister or a PPS much less so. Arguably, Thatcher's greatest moment of trial before 1990 was when Heseltine walked out - there was a real possibility it could have ended her but it didn't.
The test will be Cabinet solidarity - they stay, he stays.
Lindsey Vonn breaks her leg at the Winter Olympics. Donald J. Trump calls Lindsey Vonn a LOSER.
Where did you see this? He called a different US skier who had criticised US politics a loser but I haven’t seen anything like what you claim.
My mistake I read the clickbait headline. He specifically calls Hunter Hess a LOSER. Flag away Boulay.
Why would I flag? I’ve only ever flagged anyone by accident. You’ve acknowledged it was wrong, we can’t criticise Trump and his friends for their bullshit when posting fake news about them too.
Why is there so little talk about debt in the economy? We were told that in 2008 we had a credit bubble because interest rates had been too low. Politicians quickly moved the conversation on to public debt and deficits. So where are we now? We have a booming stock market combined with relatively cheap money as the central bank looks for opportunities to reduce rates whenever it can.
There is now quite open pressure on the US federal reserve to keep rates to a minimum for Trump's short term priorities. We know how the Bank of England has a habit of copying the Fed so can we expect us to be making the same errors? That leaves aside the question of whether the economy is currently over indebted. Banks are offering riskier mortgages presumably expecting another bailout if it goes wrong.
Worth bearing in mind the vast majority of the income stream of the FTSE100, around 80%, comes from overseas and is not a reflection of our economy where growth is anaemic.
It also is a case of valuations, relative to other indices, for U.K. listed stocks has been low and this is changing too.
We spend too much, we are doing nothing to reduce the growth in spending either. SKS and Reeves tried but couldn’t get it past their backbenchers.
We have AI looming with what that will do to the job market but a govt that is doing nothing to plan for where the new jobs will come from and they need to as the loss of tax and NI will be large. We could lose about 40% of people who drive for a living when self driving comes in. What do they do, for example ?
There's debt and there's the deficit. The former informs the latter inasmuch as the interest paid on the debt takes a chunk out of what we have to spend on other things each year.
We are borrowing £150 billion a year just to keep the books balanced which would be a lot less were it not for the debt piled up by previous Government(s).
It's back to the old mantra - on the one side, spending and tax cuts and on the other spending and tax rises. Both are proposed, neither works completely and we end up with the worst of both worlds - spending cuts and tax rises so we pay more and get less and it's little wonder people aren't happy.
In the past, we've used North Sea Oil and Gas and privatisations to raise money to offset the need for tax rises but the options are limited and no one has a coherent plan for economic growth of the 3-5% variety we used to enjoy. The other side of that is the failure of all sides to be honest with the public so the promises of public spending and lower taxes keep being stated - there's always a pot of Golden Waste atthe end of the public sector rainbow (ask Reform County Council groups how that is going).
I did think levels of personal debt had fallen and particularly mortgage debt given the long period of very low interest rates gave plenty of homeowners the chance to pay down or clear mortgages. Thus, you have a stark divide between mortgage-free homeowners who can sell and get a big capital receipt and newer homeowners struggling to keep pace and facing a much slower rise in asset values.
Seems like the King is quite prepared to see his brother face criminal charges...
It would be interesting if the Europeans hold their alleged perpetrators to account, but the United States did not.
Meanwhile, if SKS does get through this crisis, there is a reasonable chance that he can bounce back... that would be frankly hilarious simply because it would rather prove the point that the "Westminster bubble" is mostly the media .
How Howard Lutnick is still Commerce Secretary is beyond me.
The truth remains, a beleaguered Prime Minister is in a much stronger position IF the Cabinet are united behind him/her.
Johnson's resignation was triggered by the collapse of his Government which started with the resignations of Javid and Sunak while Truss was forced to sack Kwarteng and replace him with Hunt which undermined her authority and legitimacy completely. She, unlike Johnson, had not received a personal mandate from the electorate.
The departure of Lammy or Mahmood would be a fatal blow to Starmer - a junior Minister or a PPS much less so. Arguably, Thatcher's greatest moment of trial before 1990 was when Heseltine walked out - there was a real possibility it could have ended her but it didn't.
The test will be Cabinet solidarity - they stay, he stays.
If Streeting's blown himself up then that leaves Ed Miliband with Angela Rayner as the stop Miliband candidate, Shabana Mahmood as the stop both of them candidate, Yvette Cooper as the stop all of them candidate, and Al Carns as the please stop candidate.
Mahmood surely has zero chance of winning a Labour leadership contest. Too socially conservative. Home Secretary is realistically the highest office she'll hold (and is quite well suited to it).
Miliband or Raynor are both likely but both face to the left of the party. Miliband has a credibility gap from his previous failed leadership. Raynor has the issue of having only recently been sacked and didn't inspire confidence as to her governing competence as minister.
Cooper isn't a bad shout for a centrist candidate if Streeting has blown up his chances. I don't think she'd be any worse than Starmer.
Lindsey Vonn breaks her leg at the Winter Olympics. Donald J. Trump calls Lindsey Vonn a LOSER.
Where did you see this? He called a different US skier who had criticised US politics a loser but I haven’t seen anything like what you claim.
My mistake I read the clickbait headline. He specifically calls Hunter Hess a LOSER. Flag away Boulay.
Why would I flag? I’ve only ever flagged anyone by accident. You’ve acknowledged it was wrong, we can’t criticise Trump and his friends for their bullshit when posting fake news about them too.
You are perfectly entitled to flag for fake news even if the poster corrects the error. I must admit I am responsible for all but one of your troll flags.
The quite exciting political upheaval is a useful distraction for me at the moment. I’m trying my best not to think too much about the awful family news I’ve been delivered in the last few weeks
My big sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks ago. Then she found out it was stage 4, and it’s spread to her lymph nodes. She had her first chemo session on Friday
The quite exciting political upheaval is a useful distraction for me at the moment. I’m trying my best not to think too much about the awful family news I’ve been delivered in the last few weeks
My big sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks ago. Then she found out it was stage 4, and it’s spread to her lymph nodes. She had her first chemo session on Friday
I’m so scared for her
I am so sorry to hear that and hope she receives the very best treatment
The quite exciting political upheaval is a useful distraction for me at the moment. I’m trying my best not to think too much about the awful family news I’ve been delivered in the last few weeks
My big sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks ago. Then she found out it was stage 4, and it’s spread to her lymph nodes. She had her first chemo session on Friday
I’m so scared for her
Oh dear, so sorry to hear that!
The good news is that even at Stage 4, breast cancer is one that tends to respond well to the multitude of different treatments on offer, so hopefully everything will be OK though obviously this is a very worrying time for you and your sister!
The truth remains, a beleaguered Prime Minister is in a much stronger position IF the Cabinet are united behind him/her.
Johnson's resignation was triggered by the collapse of his Government which started with the resignations of Javid and Sunak while Truss was forced to sack Kwarteng and replace him with Hunt which undermined her authority and legitimacy completely. She, unlike Johnson, had not received a personal mandate from the electorate.
The departure of Lammy or Mahmood would be a fatal blow to Starmer - a junior Minister or a PPS much less so. Arguably, Thatcher's greatest moment of trial before 1990 was when Heseltine walked out - there was a real possibility it could have ended her but it didn't.
The test will be Cabinet solidarity - they stay, he stays.
The quite exciting political upheaval is a useful distraction for me at the moment. I’m trying my best not to think too much about the awful family news I’ve been delivered in the last few weeks
My big sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks ago. Then she found out it was stage 4, and it’s spread to her lymph nodes. She had her first chemo session on Friday
I’m so scared for her
There have been major advances in treatment. Being there for her if possible is v helpful.
USAF have multiple Stratotankers heading from CONUS eastwards. Plus RAF and USAF aircraft out from Brize, Lossie and Ramstein.
Iran getting hit shortly...
It might be so but I wouldn’t get too excited, we’ve had the green for go about for an attack on Iran imminently about twenty times in the last four weeks on here.
Seems like the King is quite prepared to see his brother face criminal charges...
It would be interesting if the Europeans hold their alleged perpetrators to account, but the United States did not.
Meanwhile, if SKS does get through this crisis, there is a reasonable chance that he can bounce back... that would be frankly hilarious simply because it would rather prove the point that the "Westminster bubble" is mostly the media .
How Howard Lutnick is still Commerce Secretary is beyond me.
Consider who is president. It's not in the least bit surprising.
It’s not in the interest of anybody except him to resign right now, because there are some disastrous by elections and local elections coming. Leadership rivals want those in the rear view mirror and Farage and Badenoch do not want somebody more competent taking over…
Another thing about the economy. So much bandwidth is taken up by political shenanigans that you have to ask how many people have got their eye on the ball.
There’s no industrial strategy or identifying key industries we need to keep or grow.
I think Reeves and Starmer knows what needs doing with the economy. They cannot get any changes past their backbenchers.
UPDATED: Wes Streeting told Lord Mandelson the government had “no growth strategy” and he feared he would lose his seat at the next election, newly released texts between the pair have revealed
That quote is going to end up as the ‘I’m afraid there is no money’ of this parliament.
USAF have multiple Stratotankers heading from CONUS eastwards. Plus RAF and USAF aircraft out from Brize, Lossie and Ramstein.
Iran getting hit shortly...
It might be so but I wouldn’t get too excited, we’ve had the green for go about for an attack on Iran imminently about twenty times in the last four weeks on here.
Venezuela still under the rule of Chavistas. No concessions on Greenland, despite JD Vance saying we wouldn't know about the concessions, they go to another school. Gaza still a mess. I'm beginning to think that maybe Trump isn't a foreign affairs genius...
It’s not in the interest of anybody except him to resign right now, because there are some disastrous by elections and local elections coming. Leadership rivals want those in the rear view mirror and Farage and Badenoch do not want somebody more competent taking over…
The quite exciting political upheaval is a useful distraction for me at the moment. I’m trying my best not to think too much about the awful family news I’ve been delivered in the last few weeks
My big sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks ago. Then she found out it was stage 4, and it’s spread to her lymph nodes. She had her first chemo session on Friday
I’m so scared for her
Sorry to hear.
Sometimes breast cancer is like wildfire, though paradoxically faster growing tumours sometimes are more chemo-sensitive. A cousin of mine was stage 4 almost immediately after diagnosis a decade ago. She had seven good years before it caught up with her, chemo and immunotherapy being pretty well tolerated. She swore by a dairy free diet and that may have helped.
It’s not in the interest of anybody except him to resign right now, because there are some disastrous by elections and local elections coming. Leadership rivals want those in the rear view mirror and Farage and Badenoch do not want somebody more competent taking over…
Snowflake has spoken?
Louise Mensch was not Snowflake. I forget what name she posted under.
Comments
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-withdraw-boycott-of-india-match-at-t20-world-cup-1523168
It also is a case of valuations, relative to other indices, for U.K. listed stocks has been low and this is changing too.
We spend too much, we are doing nothing to reduce the growth in spending either. SKS and Reeves tried but couldn’t get it past their backbenchers.
We have AI looming with what that will do to the job market but a govt that is doing nothing to plan for where the new jobs will come from and they need to as the loss of tax and NI will be large. We could lose about 40% of people who drive for a living when self driving comes in. What do they do, for example ?
https://x.com/thetimes/status/2020932697036841027
UPDATED: Wes Streeting told Lord Mandelson the government had “no growth strategy” and he feared he would lose his seat at the next election, newly released texts between the pair have revealed
Patrick Maguire
@patrickkmaguire
Several sources suggesting chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones could be in line for promotion to chief of staff to the prime minister
https://x.com/patrickkmaguire/status/2020923326630424792
Trump is disgusting
And as to Mandelson being chummy with Preston and Maitlis that isn't the point, they didn't make Mandelson US Ambassador against advice from Kemi and BigG.
And, in any just world, it's certainly not grounds for preventing her taking the role of PM.
There are 3.5 years till the next election needs to be held. Labour have a huge majority, they are not going to get pushed out of office.
Things could look very different by 2029. My guess is that starmer will stand down 12-18 months before an election if/when a strong alternative leader comes to the fore. Unless the Tories can put clear blue water between themselves and Reform the right-wing vote is going to be horribly split at the next GE - there is little sign of that happening so far.
This far out it is still all to play for
The man is a grotesque.
Streeting is also tieing himself closer to Mandelson than Starmer ever was and risks torpedoing his own leadership ambitions in the process. If he was behind any Sarwar coup it has completely failed to launch.
After today I think Starmer is safe until May and beyond if Labour beat the Tories for second after Reform on NEV and seats won
This is not like Johnson who was supported by Fleet Street scandal after scandal. He was until Pincher was the tiny, tiny straw that broke the camel's back.
It would be interesting if the Europeans hold their alleged perpetrators to account, but the United States did not.
Meanwhile, if SKS does get through this crisis, there is a reasonable chance that he can bounce back... that would be frankly hilarious simply because it would rather prove the point that the "Westminster bubble" is mostly the media
.
These are difficult times for labour supporters, but I have not predicted the fall of labour before 2029, just Starmer
Chancellor in Waiting
He should beware though he doesn't become Jack of all trades master of none
BTW
Gavin Barwell and Steve Barclay both filled the role as sitting MPs
Those around are just waiting for the starting pistol.
Q: Will Rayner be a better PM than Starmer?
Yes 7%
No 93%
OK, it's not a representative sample but they do a different poll every day and I've never seen such an overwhelming result.
The govt growth strategy is relatively clear (whether it is good is another question).
Increased but funded public investment, increased taxes (largely falling on low value employment sector).
Key sectors are advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, financial services, tech, life science...
Not retail, hospitality, agriculture, traditional manufacturing, tourism...
God help FIFA
God help any American who loses.
Especially to a Chinese, Canadian, Mexican.
This has all the ingredients to be worse than Berlin 1936.
Utterly Orwellian shite.
https://news.sky.com/story/streeting-shares-his-mandelson-texts-with-sky-news-13505331
The Government that is allegedly doing nothing has today 26,000 Hong Kong citizens with British Passports can come to the UK to meet family
A further £400m has been allocated to the North West for further support for working families and children.
So no more lies about Government doing nothing.
It's working and delivering every day.
Are you?
The truth remains, a beleaguered Prime Minister is in a much stronger position IF the Cabinet are united behind him/her.
Johnson's resignation was triggered by the collapse of his Government which started with the resignations of Javid and Sunak while Truss was forced to sack Kwarteng and replace him with Hunt which undermined her authority and legitimacy completely. She, unlike Johnson, had not received a personal mandate from the electorate.
The departure of Lammy or Mahmood would be a fatal blow to Starmer - a junior Minister or a PPS much less so. Arguably, Thatcher's greatest moment of trial before 1990 was when Heseltine walked out - there was a real possibility it could have ended her but it didn't.
The test will be Cabinet solidarity - they stay, he stays.
It's to protect credulous idiots, it's what separates the UK from places where they appoint vaccine denying hoaxers to high office.
Attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell says the convicted Epstein accomplice can clear President Trump's name in the Epstein probe in exchange for clemency.
Seen it so often in curling the best team(s) in the group have a bad game in the play offs and they're out. A loss of more than 3 stones in a single end is terminal in a semi final
There could be more drip feeding of the Epstein files before then
Kemi doesn't matter to today's politics. Nobody is really paying attention to her. People won't have to vote on her being PM for over three years. Maybe by then she will have imprinted on the nation's consciousness. Maybe not.
Meanwhile, take a look at the sexist mote in Labour's eye.
Takes funding with him too.
Strong rumour Farage has 2 more Tories lined up but waiting for a less cluttered news day.
He may have a fair wait
More jumping the Tory Tug boat
Starmer has had a better day than anyone imagined
https://x.com/i/status/2020940563831456102
We are borrowing £150 billion a year just to keep the books balanced which would be a lot less were it not for the debt piled up by previous Government(s).
It's back to the old mantra - on the one side, spending and tax cuts and on the other spending and tax rises. Both are proposed, neither works completely and we end up with the worst of both worlds - spending cuts and tax rises so we pay more and get less and it's little wonder people aren't happy.
In the past, we've used North Sea Oil and Gas and privatisations to raise money to offset the need for tax rises but the options are limited and no one has a coherent plan for economic growth of the 3-5% variety we used to enjoy. The other side of that is the failure of all sides to be honest with the public so the promises of public spending and lower taxes keep being stated - there's always a pot of Golden Waste atthe end of the public sector rainbow (ask Reform County Council groups how that is going).
I did think levels of personal debt had fallen and particularly mortgage debt given the long period of very low interest rates gave plenty of homeowners the chance to pay down or clear mortgages. Thus, you have a stark divide between mortgage-free homeowners who can sell and get a big capital receipt and newer homeowners struggling to keep pace and facing a much slower rise in asset values.
My bad.
Starmer has face like thunder at 7.26pm
No doubt delivered to deceive
It was actually on his way in to the meeting at 6pm
Miliband or Raynor are both likely but both face to the left of the party. Miliband has a credibility gap from his previous failed leadership. Raynor has the issue of having only recently been sacked and didn't inspire confidence as to her governing competence as minister.
Cooper isn't a bad shout for a centrist candidate if Streeting has blown up his chances. I don't think she'd be any worse than Starmer.
Jon Craig was reporting on the 6.00pm meeting at 7.26pm
I see ICE are allegedly forging signatures on deportation agreements where they've detained someone with legal status for 5 months.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/09/irish-man-seamus-culleton-ice-detention
My big sister was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of weeks ago. Then she found out it was stage 4, and it’s spread to her lymph nodes. She had her first chemo session on Friday
I’m so scared for her
Labour cannot get re elected without them
The good news is that even at Stage 4, breast cancer is one that tends to respond well to the multitude of different treatments on offer, so hopefully everything will be OK though obviously this is a very worrying time for you and your sister!
Starmer doesn't seem to require any assistance from Badenoch to crash and burn his premiership.
She can trade 'evidence' that Trump is innocent for a commutation of her prison sentence. Who'd have thunk it.
🚨 NEW: Keir Starmer received a standing ovation and a 37-second applause as he entered the room to speak to Labour MPs just now'
https://x.com/PolitlcsUK/status/2020921692516745605?s=20
Rigby Sky
Farley BBC
Packed meeting an hour
Farley reports
One usual Starmer critic messaged "if we can bottle this Kier we'll walk the next GE"
Iran getting hit shortly...
Or am I missing something here ?
"Can you tweet something like..."
Rigby reports mps seem happy
Farley BBC reports one usual critic very impressed
https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/comment/5402546/#Comment_5402546
It's not in the least bit surprising.
https://x.com/LouiseMensch/status/2020913066280427825
It’s not in the interest of anybody except him to resign right now, because there are some disastrous by elections and local elections coming. Leadership rivals want those in the rear view mirror and Farage and Badenoch do not want somebody more competent taking over…
Stop reporting fake news
‘A potential U.S. Gov insider has been spotted.
A wallet just placed $100K on the U.S. striking Iran by EOD today at 2% odds.
If it hits, the payout is $4M.
The wallet was inactive for 460 days and has only participated in one other market ever.
Very unusual behavior. Definitely a wallet to watch and see how this plays out‘
https://x.com/jeonghaeju/status/2020893124034232612?s=61
Loss of G&D
Absolute rinsing in the May locals
More Mandy revelations
So 5 months maximum.
Sometimes breast cancer is like wildfire, though paradoxically faster growing tumours sometimes are more chemo-sensitive. A cousin of mine was stage 4 almost immediately after diagnosis a decade ago. She had seven good years before it caught up with her, chemo and immunotherapy being pretty well tolerated. She swore by a dairy free diet and that may have helped.