The lines from PM and Cabinet today essentially labelling the Green Party as extremist is appalling, desperate and frankly embarrassing. It also makes very clear that the leadership has zero understanding of where it has been going wrong.
The party is being destroyed & an urgent change of direction is needed.
I hadn't heard that one. Are they far right or far left?
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Maybe they could co-opt Amy Winehouse as a reference to his energy policies, “Zack to Black”.
Activists target lawyers with book: 'Why Daddy’s Law Firm Works With The Nice Oil Men’
A climate change pressure group has targeted lawyers with a satirical children’s book intended to make them rethink their evil career choices.
Serious People is sending copies of Why Daddy’s Law Firm Works With The Nice Oil Men to "top oil and gas lawyers across London" today, it told RollOnFriday.
ROF’s been treated to a preview copy and can confirm it’s guaranteed to delight every child of a solicitor in the energy sector. Though mums may feel slighted by the insinuation they don’t get instructions from BP as well.
Recipients expecting a valedictory story of a heroic energy lawyer earning the respect of his offspring will be disappointed. As the blurb explains, “On a chilly winter night, a little penguin dared to wonder: if Daddy loves me, why does his law firm facilitate fossil fuel expansion?”
The book depicts a solicitor penguin getting badgered to change his ways by his idealistic brat of a child, who doesn’t appreciate that although their antarctic habitat may get wiped out if dad carries on taking the oily dollar, the family can afford to relocate thanks to his hard work.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Rayner or Cooper would probably be pragmatic enough to steer a vaguely sensible course. EdM very much not so - I think he's a closet megalomaniac. (I don't think he used to be that way, but I'm pretty sure he is now)
The other driftwood is very hard to assess. Lammy for example would just steer the ship with the winds. Nothing good would happen and nothing bad, unless there was an iceberg. And icebergs have a nasty way of arriving, unexpected, at your front door. They turn up like Greens at my address. (Never seen either)
Rayner i have down as all or nothing, shit or bust - possible she is a raging success snd a w/c heroine, equally possible she is Truss on steroids. The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Google "Khorasan" (a putative greater Afghanistan) or "Pashtunistan" (a smaller version) Google "Durand Line" (a border Afghanistan no longer recognises)
Afghanistan has two factions: the Taliban (in charge) and another (even more extreme). The problem is Khorasan/Greater Afghanistan and the relations with Pakistan. Afghanistan wants to be bigger and the tension is how does it do that. This has been building for some years and about two years ago the Taliban was seen as the moderate partner (!), but recently tensions have built again and I think the Durand Line is no longer recognised.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Get him on to do a double act with Reforms chairman. Spooky ghost man and the boob whisperer
Court of Appeal uphold Government decision to levy Vat on Private Schools.
Great news as an extra £1.8bn over 3 years diverted to the 95% who attend State Schools.
Now abolish the fake Charity cons many set up.
Parasites.
You are just jealous. That's Labour 4 u. They want to drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator. Well fuck them My wife and are are going to escape this pernicious Govt and live elsewhere . I won't be any financial loss but we will be happier.
Our weapons procurement budget has actually fallen. Whether or not this particular decision os justified, it is one of the consequences of that.
Thousands of jobs at Leonardo's Yeovil helicopter factory feared to be at risk after Treasury officials this morning refused to sign off £1bn medium helicopters deal.
Source familiar with the discussions says: "It's over."
I was right to be a bit wary of the Telegraph story; according to the Beeb, the Telegraph has it 100% the wrong way round. So order approved by Reeves, overruling the MoD.
If confirmed, that's the last time I repost anything from the Telegraph. It used to be a genuine newspaper.
I think it happened like this:
Treasury: have you finished your defence spending plan?
Mod: no
T: then you can’t have any new toys until you’ve eaten your greens
M: but Rachel!
T: no
Unite: what the bloody hell are you playing at?
T: ok then
Thank f--- for that, but this is no way to run military procurement.
If the UK had any idea how to run military procurement we'd have a very different military right now.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Badenoch got the lowest Tory vote in history last night.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Wondering what has happened to Find Out Now, they should have had a poll on Wednesday
They usually release on Thursday, i think last by election they delayed by a day but nothing out today thus far The Tuesday one was a one off extra poll prompting for Restore and YP
Opinium also did not release on Saturday which was the due date
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Rayner or Cooper would probably be pragmatic enough to steer a vaguely sensible course. EdM very much not so - I think he's a closet megalomaniac. (I don't think he used to be that way, but I'm pretty sure he is now)
The other driftwood is very hard to assess. Lammy for example would just steer the ship with the winds. Nothing good would happen and nothing bad, unless there was an iceberg. And icebergs have a nasty way of arriving, unexpected, at your front door. They turn up like Greens at my address. (Never seen either)
Rayner i have down as all or nothing, shit or bust - possible she is a raging success snd a w/c heroine, equally possible she is Truss on steroids. The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
Also what the hell has Cooper ever done? Can anyone who isn’t a Labour obsessive point to anything she has achieved, stood for, identifies with. She’s the ultimate Grey Ghost who has just floated around the Palace of Westminster for ever.
People list her as a potential leader because people have listed her as a potential leader. She might stand for compulsory watching of GMTV and pixie haircuts for all women as far as I know.
Faisal Islam @faisalislam As a Manc, not enough people listening to @robfordmancs who has been anticipating the Green surge for sometime and pointing to some quite striking potential results in London in May…
The sectariani line could indeed age quite badly. As soon as the Greens start winning by-electioms with low minority populations, in fact, which will surely be again quite soon.
Thanks for the cooking tips from various posters. Perhaps I could integrate sandalwood into tonight's lentils and chicken somehow, to complete the ecological theme.
Will they though? They are not really greens, they are a more successful Your Party, without the Corbyn. Strip out the Gaza vote and they are just hard socialists.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is who not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Badenoch got the lowest Tory vote in history last night.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Real votes Obliterated
The Conservatives got obliterated, and are now dying half-dead in a ditch, because they ignored and abused people who could be persuaded to vote for them (aspirational middle classes) for voters who they wanted (older, more reactionary voters who were buggering off to Reform).
Labour aren't obliterated yet, but are sliding into a similar ditch because they are ignoring and abusing people who could be persuaded to vote for them (aspiational but caring middle classes) for voters they wanted (older, more reactionary voters who are buggering off to Reform.)
That's not a new phenomemon on the red side- remember all the chants of "why don't do f-off and join the Tories?" in the Corbyn years?
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Badenoch got the lowest Tory vote in history last night.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Real votes Obliterated
Labour had three much larger losses of votes including lost deposits in the last parliament and did ok in July 24
The sectariani line could indeed age quite badly. As soon as the Greens start winning by-electioms with low minority populations, in fact, which will surely be again quite soon.
Thanks for the cooking tips from various posters. Perhaps I could integrate sandalwood into tonight's lentils and chicken somehow, to complete the ecological theme.
Will they though? They are not really greens, they are a more successful Your Party, without the Corbyn. Strip out the Gaza vote and they are just hard socialists.
Your Party look slow and flat-footed compared. This latest incarnation of the Greens look like a much more nimble, media and net-savvy for left-wing millennials.
The UK economy, and British society also urgently needs a young people's party.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Rayner or Cooper would probably be pragmatic enough to steer a vaguely sensible course. EdM very much not so - I think he's a closet megalomaniac. (I don't think he used to be that way, but I'm pretty sure he is now)
The other driftwood is very hard to assess. Lammy for example would just steer the ship with the winds. Nothing good would happen and nothing bad, unless there was an iceberg. And icebergs have a nasty way of arriving, unexpected, at your front door. They turn up like Greens at my address. (Never seen either)
Rayner i have down as all or nothing, shit or bust - possible she is a raging success snd a w/c heroine, equally possible she is Truss on steroids. The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
Also what the hell has Cooper ever done? Can anyone who isn’t a Labour obsessive point to anything she has achieved, stood for, identifies with. She’s the ultimate Grey Ghost who has just floated around the Palace of Westminster for ever.
People list her as a potential leader because people have listed her as a potential leader. She might stand for compulsory watching of GMTV and pixie haircuts for all women as far as I know.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Rayner or Cooper would probably be pragmatic enough to steer a vaguely sensible course. EdM very much not so - I think he's a closet megalomaniac. (I don't think he used to be that way, but I'm pretty sure he is now)
The other driftwood is very hard to assess. Lammy for example would just steer the ship with the winds. Nothing good would happen and nothing bad, unless there was an iceberg. And icebergs have a nasty way of arriving, unexpected, at your front door. They turn up like Greens at my address. (Never seen either)
Rayner i have down as all or nothing, shit or bust - possible she is a raging success snd a w/c heroine, equally possible she is Truss on steroids. The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
Also what the hell has Cooper ever done? Can anyone who isn’t a Labour obsessive point to anything she has achieved, stood for, identifies with. She’s the ultimate Grey Ghost who has just floated around the Palace of Westminster for ever.
People list her as a potential leader because people have listed her as a potential leader. She might stand for compulsory watching of GMTV and pixie haircuts for all women as far as I know.
Her HIPS dont lie
Oh god, I’ve now got the image of a small prep school boy doing a Shakira effort at the end of term concert. Not a good image if anyone worried.
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
"Labour’s challenges are deepening and Reform is in “pole position” to become the main opposition in the Scottish Parliament, researchers have said in response to a new opinion poll.
A YouGov poll for the Scottish Election Study (SES) group puts Labour in third place in the constituency vote and fourth in the list vote.
The SES said the SNP’s vote appears to be holding stable despite just 23% of respondents saying the party is doing a “good job” in Government."
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
The Greens are a better choice than Corbyn.
(I'd of course urge you to consider the wisdom that the conservatives offer)
Greens to left of me, fascists to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with no clue.
In France, this is the space that Macron stepped into and couldn't be budged from.
I don't know how you do the same in the UK system.
Starmer is no Macron. There was a time after the election I believe Starmer had the opportunity to shine. If there was a Haynes manual for getting Government all wrong, Starmer followed it to the letter.
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
The Greens are a better choice than Corbyn.
(I'd of course urge you to consider the wisdom that the conservatives offer)
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Rayner or Cooper would probably be pragmatic enough to steer a vaguely sensible course. EdM very much not so - I think he's a closet megalomaniac. (I don't think he used to be that way, but I'm pretty sure he is now)
The other driftwood is very hard to assess. Lammy for example would just steer the ship with the winds. Nothing good would happen and nothing bad, unless there was an iceberg. And icebergs have a nasty way of arriving, unexpected, at your front door. They turn up like Greens at my address. (Never seen either)
Rayner i have down as all or nothing, shit or bust - possible she is a raging success snd a w/c heroine, equally possible she is Truss on steroids. The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
They are more the Roy Hodgson choice, given their age
Greens to left of me, fascists to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with no clue.
In France, this is the space that Macron stepped into and couldn't be budged from.
I don't know how you do the same in the UK system.
Starmer is no Macron. There was a time after the election I believe Starmer had the opportunity to shine. If there was a Haynes manual for getting Government all wrong, Starmer followed it to the letter.
Starmer is Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf.
We need to enter the alternate reality where he is Ace Starmer - what a guy!
Labour also now has the problem that their more leftish alternatives look less millennial and even more recent generations in media style than the Greens, having been marginalised for more than half a decade, now.
Your Party also have a similar problem of looking older., par6cularly in style and machine procedure.
Greens to left of me, fascists to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with no clue.
In France, this is the space that Macron stepped into and couldn't be budged from.
I don't know how you do the same in the UK system.
Starmer is no Macron. There was a time after the election I believe Starmer had the opportunity to shine. If there was a Haynes manual for getting Government all wrong, Starmer followed it to the letter.
Starmer is Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf.
We need to enter the alternate reality where he is Ace Starmer - what a guy!
Greens to left of me, fascists to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with no clue.
In France, this is the space that Macron stepped into and couldn't be budged from.
I don't know how you do the same in the UK system.
Starmer is no Macron. There was a time after the election I believe Starmer had the opportunity to shine. If there was a Haynes manual for getting Government all wrong, Starmer followed it to the letter.
Starmer is Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf.
We need to enter the alternate reality where he is Ace Starmer - what a guy!
Greens to left of me, fascists to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with no clue.
In France, this is the space that Macron stepped into and couldn't be budged from.
I don't know how you do the same in the UK system.
Starmer is no Macron. There was a time after the election I believe Starmer had the opportunity to shine. If there was a Haynes manual for getting Government all wrong, Starmer followed it to the letter.
Starmer is Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf.
We need to enter the alternate reality where he is Ace Starmer - what a guy!
Greens to left of me, fascists to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with no clue.
In France, this is the space that Macron stepped into and couldn't be budged from.
I don't know how you do the same in the UK system.
Starmer is no Macron. There was a time after the election I believe Starmer had the opportunity to shine. If there was a Haynes manual for getting Government all wrong, Starmer followed it to the letter.
Starmer is Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf.
We need to enter the alternate reality where he is Ace Starmer - what a guy!
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Rayner or Cooper would probably be pragmatic enough to steer a vaguely sensible course. EdM very much not so - I think he's a closet megalomaniac. (I don't think he used to be that way, but I'm pretty sure he is now)
The other driftwood is very hard to assess. Lammy for example would just steer the ship with the winds. Nothing good would happen and nothing bad, unless there was an iceberg. And icebergs have a nasty way of arriving, unexpected, at your front door. They turn up like Greens at my address. (Never seen either)
Rayner i have down as all or nothing, shit or bust - possible she is a raging success snd a w/c heroine, equally possible she is Truss on steroids. The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
Roll the dice.
I doubt she is "Truss on steroids ". It might go horribly wrong but it might work. It's got to be better than the grey porridge of Starmer, Streeting, Reeves, Milliband, Burnham and Powell.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Rayner or Cooper would probably be pragmatic enough to steer a vaguely sensible course. EdM very much not so - I think he's a closet megalomaniac. (I don't think he used to be that way, but I'm pretty sure he is now)
The other driftwood is very hard to assess. Lammy for example would just steer the ship with the winds. Nothing good would happen and nothing bad, unless there was an iceberg. And icebergs have a nasty way of arriving, unexpected, at your front door. They turn up like Greens at my address. (Never seen either)
Rayner i have down as all or nothing, shit or bust - possible she is a raging success snd a w/c heroine, equally possible she is Truss on steroids. The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
Also what the hell has Cooper ever done? Can anyone who isn’t a Labour obsessive point to anything she has achieved, stood for, identifies with. She’s the ultimate Grey Ghost who has just floated around the Palace of Westminster for ever.
People list her as a potential leader because people have listed her as a potential leader. She might stand for compulsory watching of GMTV and pixie haircuts for all women as far as I know.
It is why the country is in such a mess, absolute useless nonenties can stay in Westminster for most of their life regardless of being totally useless.
Every European election: The People’s Democrats (center-right) 31 per cent Soviet Worker’s Party (center/center-left) 22 per cent Citizen’s Forum (fascist) 19% Wow! (Center) 11 per cent Friendship is Magic (left) - nine per cent Green Party - eight per cent
Except in Britain, Citizen's (Re)Forum and the People's Democrats have swapped places.
I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn't see.
I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn't do.
I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.
This is the same Third Way bullshit we heard from Clinton and Blair in the 1990s and made everyone so utterly cynical about politics.
He hasn't changed, has he?
He's stolen a march on your mad old boy who despite apparently 38,000 mentions in the truncated, redacted second tranche and allegedly 1,000,000 in the 3,000,000 documents we haven't yet seen, believes he barely knew Epstein.
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
I completely agree with this.
You can't sell something that doesn't exist. Labour need a clearer sense of purpose and strategy. Anything at this stage would be an improvement. Then they can worry about who is best-placed to implement and sell that strategy.
I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn't see.
I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn't do.
I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.
This is the same Third Way bullshit we heard from Clinton and Blair in the 1990s and made everyone so utterly cynical about politics.
He hasn't changed, has he?
He's stolen a march on your mad old boy who despite apparently 38,000 mentions in the truncated, redacted second tranche and allegedly 1,000,000 in the 3,000,000 documents we haven't yet seen, believes he barely knew Epstein.
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn't see.
I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn't do.
I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.
This is the same Third Way bullshit we heard from Clinton and Blair in the 1990s and made everyone so utterly cynical about politics.
He hasn't changed, has he?
He's stolen a march on your mad old boy who despite apparently 38,000 mentions in the truncated, redacted second tranche and allegedly 1,000,000 in the 3,000,000 documents we haven't yet seen, believes he barely knew Epstein.
Not sure Casino is a big Trump fan but whataboutery is fun.
I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn't see.
I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn't do.
I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.
This is the same Third Way bullshit we heard from Clinton and Blair in the 1990s and made everyone so utterly cynical about politics.
He hasn't changed, has he?
Taking the quoted section at face value about what he saw and did not see, an important question was whether he was wilfully blind or not. At the least he cannot pull Mandelson's excuse, but I've yet to see a non-criminal explanation of why Epstein was just so darn appealing to people already super wealthy and powerful who didn't need to go to him for a casual good time, suggesting he offered something they could not get elsewhere even with their millions and powerful connections.
I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn't see.
I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn't do.
I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.
This is the same Third Way bullshit we heard from Clinton and Blair in the 1990s and made everyone so utterly cynical about politics.
He hasn't changed, has he?
He's stolen a march on your mad old boy who despite apparently 38,000 mentions in the truncated, redacted second tranche and allegedly 1,000,000 in the 3,000,000 documents we haven't yet seen, believes he barely knew Epstein.
My "mad old boy"?
WTF are you talking about?
My apologies, for a moment I confused you with Sandpit. I do apologise, all right wingers look the same to me.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Starmer put an end to the vision-light era, by going totally vision-free.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Cooper was not competent. She foisted hips on the electorate. She is of the same stable as the equally useless Ed Miliband.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
I hope they sing that, it’s embarrassing and shit and few of his voters are old enough to know it.
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Cooper was not competent. She foisted hips on the electorate. She is of the same stable as the equally useless Ed Miliband.
Miliband is competent, but Starner and Reeves made his energy growth programme incoherent.
Radiohead is demanding that the Trump administration take down a pro-ICE promotional video featuring a version of its song “Let Down” without permission.
Screams woke alert. Izzy on Antiques Road trip has talked of "womaning" the boats instead of women manning the boats. FFS... that's why so many people loathe the BBC. When I go abroad that's one other thing I won't be forced to.pay for. Fuck the BBC.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
I hope they sing that, it’s embarrassing and shit and few of his voters are old enough to know it.
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
Fair enough and I actually feel some of that too. But I guess I'm not seeing such a clear distinction between strategy and communication. For me you can take broadly the same policy thrust and in different hands the narrative can look stronger and more coherent. I do agree totally about the u-turning. That detracts from the plot.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
I hope they sing that, it’s embarrassing and shit and few of his voters are old enough to know it.
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
I completely agree with this.
You can't sell something that doesn't exist. Labour need a clearer sense of purpose and strategy. Anything at this stage would be an improvement. Then they can worry about who is best-placed to implement and sell that strategy.
Can you give an example of a vote winning strategy for Labour that doesn't employ magical thinking on economic growth and the public finances?
Screams woke alert. Izzy on Antiques Road trip has talked of "womaning" the boats instead of women manning the boats. FFS... that's why so many people loathe the BBC. When I go abroad that's one other thing I won't be forced to.pay for. Fuck the BBC.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
I hope they sing that, it’s embarrassing and shit and few of his voters are old enough to know it.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
I hope they sing that, it’s embarrassing and shit and few of his voters are old enough to know it.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
Let's see some comedy socialism before the headline act in 2029.
#thereisonlyonezackpolanski
#thankgodtheresonlyone
Glastonbury must be relieved they are having a year of as Zack Polanski doesn’t scan with Seven Nation Army like Jeremy Corbyn did so they have a year to find a tune.
Cos we're feeling ... Zack all over Yes we're ... Zack all over Baby we're ... Zack all over And you know it's time time time time time
I hope they sing that, it’s embarrassing and shit and few of his voters are old enough to know it.
They all know it at Selhurst Park...
Exactly! It's massive. A true anthem and perfect for a crowd of vibrant young progressives.
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
I completely agree with this.
You can't sell something that doesn't exist. Labour need a clearer sense of purpose and strategy. Anything at this stage would be an improvement. Then they can worry about who is best-placed to implement and sell that strategy.
Can you give an example of a vote winning strategy for Labour that doesn't employ magical thinking on economic growth and the public finances?
Yup, until a government doesn't have to make miserable choices on tax and spending, any government is going to have a miserable time. And both spending cuts (but only on things and people I don't like) and tax rises (but only on things and people I don't like) are basically fantastical. Which is why we end up with Reevesonomics.
For all that Starmer is doing the job badly, that's in significant part because the job of Prime Minister of the UK is more-or-less impossible right now.
One safe Labour seat goes round the outside, round the outside, round the outside One safe Labour seat goes round the outside, round the outside, round the outside Woo-hoo!
Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach Guess who's Zach, tell a friend Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach Zach’s in town, shaking things again
I created a monster, ‘cause nobody wants Labour no more They want Gorton and Denton, knocking at the door Polanski’s on the rise, bringing votes and vivid scenes Manchester cheered loud, city streets lit up with Greens Starmer’s sweating bullets, pundits all in shock Predictions crumbled, tick-tock, tick-tock The Green wave’s rolling, safe seats under threat Labour didn’t see it, the night they’ll never forget
Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach Guess who's Zach, tell a friend Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach Zach’s in town, shaking things again
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Cooper was not competent. She foisted hips on the electorate. She is of the same stable as the equally useless Ed Miliband.
Miliband is competent, but Starner and Reeves made his energy growth programme incoherent.
Screams woke alert. Izzy on Antiques Road trip has talked of "womaning" the boats instead of women manning the boats. FFS... that's why so many people loathe the BBC. When I go abroad that's one other thing I won't be forced to.pay for. Fuck the BBC.
Watch your blood pressure, calm down..
I HAVE to.pay for something that is as woke as can be. Why should I be forced to.pay for it?
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Badenoch got the lowest Tory vote in history last night.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Real votes Obliterated
Because the only right of centre party that could win was Reform, hence the Tories ran a half hearted campaign a la Labour when they let the Lib Dems win a couple of By Elections in the last parliament
The fact is that VI/votes ebb and flow over the course of a parliament. why should it be any more silly to say that there is a pathway for the Tories to recover than it was to say the Greens could be 6/1 to win most seats when they were 50/1 three months ago, or that Reform would be Even money to win most seats for a long while, having only less than 20% of the vote in 2024?
LOTO Starmer was 7/1 to get a majority at this stage of the last parliament, and almost resigned after Labour lost a By Election in tone of their strongest seats, yet he won a huge majority.
Kemi actually has some underlying metrics that play well; her leader ratings are good, and improving, and she beats every other leader in a head to head as best PM. Leading the Tories after 2024 GE was a thankless task, especially with the emergence of Refrm, and she is doing ok ,with some signs of better times ahead. A bad result in an unwinnable seat is neither here nor there
Re Labour needing to move Left, it would suit me fine but I really don't think so. The single biggest thing they need is the economy to outperform trend and expectations over the next two to three years. Changing political orientation leftwards, or rightwards for that matter, makes this no more likely than it is now. So I'd resist that sort of reaction until they've sorted out the other single biggest thing they need to do - replace Keir Starmer with a better communicator and cannier politician. The 'new' political direction should flow from whoever that is and they do not have to come from any particular wing of the party. From the pov of next GE prospects the vision itself is less important than the ability to sell it.
Unusually, I rather disagree with you, though I agree the near-absence of economic growth makes life difficjult. The reason I'm thinking of switching to the Greens after 55 years with Labour is that I feel Labour has lost any sense of direction - rather, the leadership adopts policies, ticks off people who disagree, then reverses the policies if they think they're not proving popular. It's a kind of stodgy, inconsistent populism with little discernible basis. Communication is not really the issue - the absence of a clear sense of direction is. There's even a case for a more right-wing strategy than I'd like, as at least it would be a strategy with clearer objectives.
I completely agree with this.
You can't sell something that doesn't exist. Labour need a clearer sense of purpose and strategy. Anything at this stage would be an improvement. Then they can worry about who is best-placed to implement and sell that strategy.
Can you give an example of a vote winning strategy for Labour that doesn't employ magical thinking on economic growth and the public finances?
Well, vote-winning rather depends on how well a party and its leaders are able to argue its case to the electorate. I reject the idea that the electorate have fixed views and that a party needs to assemble a winning coalition by appealing to different demographics with specific policies in the way that you might put together a Magic The Gathering card deck. Leadership is in part about the art of persuasion.
And it's possible that the country is in such a state that winning two elections in a row isn't possible, so you might as well simply do as much good as possible without worrying overmuch about the electoral consequences. And then, who knows, the electorate might find such an honest and unflinching approach to be surprisingly refreshing and attractive, compared to the dissembling bollocks that passes for conventional political discourse.
Radiohead is demanding that the Trump administration take down a pro-ICE promotional video featuring a version of its song “Let Down” without permission.
Subscription link to Claude, for anyone so inclined: https://claude.ai/login (now that they have passed the sniff test of pissing off Trump they have become my AI of choice!)
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Cooper was not competent. She foisted hips on the electorate. She is of the same stable as the equally useless Ed Miliband.
Miliband is competent, but Starner and Reeves made his energy growth programme incoherent.
Miliband is a genuine lunatic. It is his own policies that are incoherent. Even many of those in the renewable energy industry believe that.
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Cooper was not competent. She foisted hips on the electorate. She is of the same stable as the equally useless Ed Miliband.
Miliband is competent, but Starner and Reeves made his energy growth programme incoherent.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Badenoch got the lowest Tory vote in history last night.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Real votes Obliterated
Because the only right of centre party that could win was Reform, hence the Tories ran a half hearted campaign a la Labour when they let the Lib Dems win a couple of By Elections in the last parliament
The fact is that VI/votes ebb and flow over the course of a parliament. why should it be any more silly to say that there is a pathway for the Tories to recover than it was to say the Greens could be 6/1 to win most seats when they were 50/1 three months ago, or that Reform would be Even money to win most seats for a long while, having only less than 20% of the vote in 2024?
LOTO Starmer was 7/1 to get a majority at this stage of the last parliament, and almost resigned after Labour lost a By Election in tone of their strongest seats, yet he won a huge majority.
Kemi actually has some underlying metrics that play well; her leader ratings are good, and improving, and she beats every other leader in a head to head as best PM. Leading the Tories after 2024 GE was a thankless task, especially with the emergence of Refrm, and she is doing ok ,with some signs of better times ahead. A bad result in an unwinnable seat is neither here nor there
I actually think what people are missing from last night is that Reform probably picked up close to three quarters of white voters last night. Obviously it's an odd mix of demographics but it does show that Reform do seem able to capture a majority of white working class voters. If they manage to do the same in 2029 there's far more constituencies that have a large majority of white people than are like last night where around half are some kind of minority and a third Muslim.
Reform are still winning the demographic that will push them into winning most seats, it's just that last night the by election didn't have enough of them to get them over the line.
Cooper is from the era of vision-light Blairite managerialism. Competent, certainly, but not a viable candidate for the future leadership. Rayner might be the only option for them.
Cooper was not competent. She foisted hips on the electorate. She is of the same stable as the equally useless Ed Miliband.
Miliband is competent, but Starner and Reeves made his energy growth programme incoherent.
Miliband is a genuine lunatic. It is his own policies that are incoherent. Even many of those in the renewable energy industry believe that.
He had a large cross-section of both economists and renewable energy experts on side until.his green growth plan was hacked to pieces by Starmer and Reeves.
Shahrar Ali @ShahrarAli · 2h Interviewed tonight on Green Party by-election win. Hats off to Hannah Spencer & activists for "stunning" victory. But lacking principled political philosophy to target Muslim vote without honesty on LGBT rights & refusal to address misogynistic culture.
Right now it feels like the UK might be about to have a Trump 2016 moment where white working class voters start voting with their identity rather than on party lines. If Reform are able to capture that energy we could end up with a pretty big reform victory.
Starmer: Reform are too extreme Starmer: Greens are too extreme
What's his next move, tell everyone the Lib Dems are too extreme and that if you want the bland option Labour's your best bet?
I am continually dumbfounded by the depths to which Starmer's political antenna have sunk into the mire.
Labour was elected on a promise of change. They are in the political doldrums at present partly because nothing has changed.
Kier, a friendly piece of advice. Don't spend all your time distancing yourself from the parties who are actually offering change.
A big part of Labour's problem is that a lot of what they are trying to do is predicated on needing two terms to do it. They ought to realise that they won't get two terms if they don't deliver something substantial sooner than the next general election. The number of voters willing to give Labour 10 years to make things better is nowhere near enough to save them.
Comments
The Big Sam/Sunak after Truss choice is probably Healey or Hillary Benn, take them down gently
- Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
- Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
- Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.Spooky ghost man and the boob whisperer
That's Labour 4 u. They want to drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator.
Well fuck them
My wife and are are going to escape this pernicious Govt and live elsewhere . I won't be any financial loss but we will be happier.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Real votes
Obliterated
The Tuesday one was a one off extra poll prompting for Restore and YP
Opinium also did not release on Saturday which was the due date
People list her as a potential leader because people have listed her as a potential leader. She might stand for compulsory watching of GMTV and pixie haircuts for all women as far as I know.
@faisalislam
As a Manc, not enough people listening to
@robfordmancs
who has been anticipating the Green surge for sometime and pointing to some quite striking potential results in London in May…
https://x.com/faisalislam/status/2027439081110565309
8
There might be some merit in lower Grade /Class legal easement.
An grown up conversation may be welcome.
Looking at his teeth it may be that ZP can offer some first hand knowlwdge.
Labour aren't obliterated yet, but are sliding into a similar ditch because they are ignoring and abusing people who could be persuaded to vote for them (aspiational but caring middle classes) for voters they wanted (older, more reactionary voters who are buggering off to Reform.)
That's not a new phenomemon on the red side- remember all the chants of "why don't do f-off and join the Tories?" in the Corbyn years?
"Starmer: Extreme Greens pose a threat to Britain"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/02/27/gorton-and-denton-by-election-results-labour-greens-reform/
The UK economy, and British society also urgently needs a young people's party.
Her HIPS dont lie
PB reader?
I don't know how you do the same in the UK system.
https://news.stv.tv/politics/labour-challenges-deepen-as-poll-predicts-reform-to-be-main-holyrood-opposition
"Labour’s challenges are deepening and Reform is in “pole position” to become the main opposition in the Scottish Parliament, researchers have said in response to a new opinion poll.
A YouGov poll for the Scottish Election Study (SES) group puts Labour in third place in the constituency vote and fourth in the list vote.
The SES said the SNP’s vote appears to be holding stable despite just 23% of respondents saying the party is doing a “good job” in Government."
(I'd of course urge you to consider the wisdom that the conservatives offer)
We need to enter the alternate reality where he is Ace Starmer - what a guy!
*not proven doesn’t count
Your Party also have a similar problem of looking older., par6cularly in style and machine procedure.
I doubt she is "Truss on steroids ". It might go horribly wrong but it might work. It's got to be better than the grey porridge of Starmer, Streeting, Reeves, Milliband, Burnham and Powell.
He hasn't changed, has he?
Every European election:
The People’s Democrats (center-right) 31 per cent
Soviet Worker’s Party (center/center-left) 22 per cent
Citizen’s Forum (fascist) 19%
Wow! (Center) 11 per cent
Friendship is Magic (left) - nine per cent
Green Party - eight per cent
Except in Britain, Citizen's (Re)Forum and the People's Democrats have swapped places.
This is not a good thing.
You can't sell something that doesn't exist. Labour need a clearer sense of purpose and strategy. Anything at this stage would be an improvement. Then they can worry about who is best-placed to implement and sell that strategy.
WTF are you talking about?
Yes we're ... Zack all over
Baby we're ... Zack all over
And you know it's time time time time time
@sahilkapur.bsky.social
Radiohead is demanding that the Trump administration take down a pro-ICE promotional video featuring a version of its song “Let Down” without permission.
Full statement from the band:
https://bsky.app/profile/sahilkapur.bsky.social/post/3mfugpgnki22d
When I go abroad that's one other thing I won't be forced to.pay for.
Fuck the BBC.
For all that Starmer is doing the job badly, that's in significant part because the job of Prime Minister of the UK is more-or-less impossible right now.
Starmer: Greens are too extreme
What's his next move, tell everyone the Lib Dems are too extreme and that if you want the bland option Labour's your best bet?
https://x.com/annmarie/status/2027486362140639625?s=20
One safe Labour seat goes round the outside, round the outside, round the outside
Woo-hoo!
Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach
Guess who's Zach, tell a friend
Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach
Zach’s in town, shaking things again
I created a monster, ‘cause nobody wants Labour no more
They want Gorton and Denton, knocking at the door
Polanski’s on the rise, bringing votes and vivid scenes
Manchester cheered loud, city streets lit up with Greens
Starmer’s sweating bullets, pundits all in shock
Predictions crumbled, tick-tock, tick-tock
The Green wave’s rolling, safe seats under threat
Labour didn’t see it, the night they’ll never forget
Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach
Guess who's Zach, tell a friend
Guess who's Zach, guess who's Zach
Zach’s in town, shaking things again
The fact is that VI/votes ebb and flow over the course of a parliament. why should it be any more silly to say that there is a pathway for the Tories to recover than it was to say the Greens could be 6/1 to win most seats when they were 50/1 three months ago, or that Reform would be Even money to win most seats for a long while, having only less than 20% of the vote in 2024?
LOTO Starmer was 7/1 to get a majority at this stage of the last parliament, and almost resigned after Labour lost a By Election in tone of their strongest seats, yet he won a huge majority.
Kemi actually has some underlying metrics that play well; her leader ratings are good, and improving, and she beats every other leader in a head to head as best PM. Leading the Tories after 2024 GE was a thankless task, especially with the emergence of Refrm, and she is doing ok ,with some signs of better times ahead. A bad result in an unwinnable seat is neither here nor there
And it's possible that the country is in such a state that winning two elections in a row isn't possible, so you might as well simply do as much good as possible without worrying overmuch about the electoral consequences. And then, who knows, the electorate might find such an honest and unflinching approach to be surprisingly refreshing and attractive, compared to the dissembling bollocks that passes for conventional political discourse.
Trump on the Supreme Court's tariffs ruling: "Is a Rehearing or Readjudication of this case possible???"
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mfumeewsdk22
The damage done to the US will take decades to recover from, assuming that is even possible.
Reform are still winning the demographic that will push them into winning most seats, it's just that last night the by election didn't have enough of them to get them over the line.
Shahrar Ali
@ShahrarAli
·
2h
Interviewed tonight on Green Party by-election win. Hats off to Hannah Spencer & activists for "stunning" victory. But lacking principled political philosophy to target Muslim vote without honesty on LGBT rights & refusal to address misogynistic culture.
https://x.com/ShahrarAli/status/2027455394856009748
Labour was elected on a promise of change. They are in the political doldrums at present partly because nothing has changed.
Kier, a friendly piece of advice. Don't spend all your time distancing yourself from the parties who are actually offering change.