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The Great Unknown: A Betting History Of The Great British By-Election

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Comments

  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    RobD said:

    I don't see how they are related. That was catering for a party event.
    Community event.

    This is a distinction people who go out campaigning know about.

    There's a reason the rozzers don't prosecute activists who drive voters to the polling station.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    It really isn't.

    This is the sausage roll precedent.
    Were the sausage rolls in a professional box printed with "Vote UKIP" on it?

    Not really the same thing at all!
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,356
    eek said:

    It's also not going to matter - given that I suspect the number of Cookies is less than 500 and she is going to win be 1000s...
    So it's okay to break the law as long as it doesn't matter in the end? That doesn't make any sense.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 9,257
    kle4 said:

    Found a copy (or something much like it) on a train once.

    Eye opening stuff, to be sure.
    There is (was?) a guy in his forties trying to sell it on campus back when us lefty academic types were allowed on campuses. I never witnessed anyone buying a copy, which begs the question, if lefty academic types (and lefty student types) aren't buying it, who does?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,307
    IanB2 said:

    There’s no reason to believe the party wouldn’t follow the same path toward more moderate respectability, if our political system offered it the same chance to grow that the German Greens, who started with a similar mindset, have had.
    I think the German Greens and British Greens are miles apart.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,502
    Whatever his faults, SKS is no racist.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,735

    I think the German Greens and British Greens are miles apart.
    +1 - the German Greens are centralist Lib Dems with a green agenda. I suspect if we looked at their policies in detail they are probably identical
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,356

    Community event.

    This is a distinction people who go out campaigning know about.

    There's a reason the rozzers don't prosecute activists who drive voters to the polling station.
    Just going by how it was described by the BBC. In any case, it was a net loss as they were charged £2 for the privilege of eating them.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,939

    I think the German Greens and British Greens are miles apart.
    Particularly in the polling.
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840

    MODERATOR: PLEASE CENSURE THIS POSTER
    I didn't realise Nigel would be this upset about Labour becoming an anti racist party in future.

    Would it help if I lied and pretending the young and minorities will morph into the kind of racists you want them to be?

    It isn't going to happen, racism isn't popular among the young and for obvious reasons among minorities either. The longer term future for Labour is a more anti racism one like Corbyn not a pro racism one like Starmer.

    I'm sure Tommy Robinson will stick around for a while for people like youyself.
  • CursingStoneCursingStone Posts: 421
    IanB2 said:

    Being on the radio does little for photo recognition shocker....
    Love the six people who couldnt recognise Boris.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,735
    RobD said:

    So it's okay to break the law as long as it doesn't matter in the end? That doesn't make any sense.
    Because I really don't see the issue.

    The only thing I note is that it seems I could buy your vote with a cream cake.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,307

    Starmer isn't releasing the Forde report because kicking out the racists would kill his support in the party.

    I know to some here racism is only a failure to support the brutal oocupation of Palestine rather than actual racism against minorities but there is a reason Labour are losing votes among minorities and younger people (two groups most against racism)

    We have swapped an anti racist leader for a racist one.

    I realise it is the kind of racism many rich white people who temporarily pretended to care about racism don't actually care about so it doesn't matter.

    In fact many wealthy older white people will be delighted Labour now has a racist leader, even if it means the Conservatives have no opposition and are losing votes and popularity as a result.

    Don't be too happy about it though, in the medium to long term the racists who like Starmer will be mostly dead whilst the anti racists who supported Corbyn will still be alive and kicking.

    So only matter of time before Labour goes back to (greater) electability and anti racism to the dismay of many racists :)
    And, this is the problem the Labour Party have ladies and gentlemen.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Community event.

    This is a distinction people who go out campaigning know about.

    There's a reason the rozzers don't prosecute activists who drive voters to the polling station.
    There is surely a difference between having catering at an event, and literally giving out boxes of treats with "VOTE LABOUR" printed on the box.

    If boxes of treats with "VOTE LABOUR" printed on the box isn't Treating, then what is?
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,938

    I think the German Greens and British Greens are miles apart.
    The European Green movement really started in Germany, and most of its history there is radical and outspoken.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,356
    eek said:

    Because I really don't see the issue.

    The only thing I note is that it seems I could buy your vote with a cream cake.
    So you think the treating law should be repealed?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,307

    MODERATOR: PLEASE CENSURE THIS POSTER
    Why? It's very revealing.

    People often laugh at me for pointing out the madness of Woke: I'm talking about people like @TheJezziah
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,924
    kle4 said:

    Supports the brutal occupation of Palestine apparently. Not that this is about obsessive fixation on Israel.
    I thought the Forde report that some on the left accuse SKS of holding up was looking into allegedly racist posts by party staffers. I think there is some genuine reason for the delay in publication though.

    There is also an accusation that the party treats allegations of islamophobia less seriously than it should and there is currently a court case on that issue.

    Not sure its anything to do with "Supports the brutal occupation of Palestine apparently"
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    RobD said:

    So you think the treating law should be repealed?
    For food under a tenner, yes.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    eek said:

    Because I really don't see the issue.

    The only thing I note is that it seems I could buy your vote with a cream cake.
    You don't see an issue with breaking electoral law?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,782
    Sean_F said:

    Whatever his faults, SKS is no racist.

    I don’t even understand the argument. Is this an attempt to smear Starmer as an anti-Semite because he is trying to tackle anti-Semitism in Labour? Or is it because Starmer is white, male and centrist so he ‘must’ be racist?

    Quite odd. Perhaps the first political opinion on PB that I have failed to comprehend. I’m getting old
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,536

    Rozzers eh?

    A murder-accused PC Tasered an ex-footballer for six times longer than is standard before kicking him twice in the head, a court heard.

    PC Benjamin Monk is charged with the murder of Dalian Atkinson during an altercation in Shropshire, in 2016.

    He appeared at Birmingham Crown Court for the first day of his trial with co-accused PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, who is charged with assault.

    The former Aston Villa star died after he was Tasered for 33 seconds....

    ...While he was unresponsive, the court heard the police officers "set about him".

    Mr Monk kicked him in the head with such force imprints of his boot laces were left in two locations on Mr Atkinson's forehead while Ms Bettley-Smith used her baton to strike him "a number of times" while he lay still in the road, the court was told.


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-56979521

    I didn't realise tasers worked like that.

    Mind you, what's this about?

    Ms Bettley-Smith too, she said, "was not acting in self defence or in defence of her colleague but also taking out her anger on a man who had earlier put her in fear, with the weapon she had been entrusted with to use lawfully".

    I wonder what happened?
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,356

    For food under a tenner, yes.
    So £9.99 hampers for every voter in the land.
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840

    For one thing you sad deluded little man I do not find Starmer to be in any way "up my street" , except he is clearly not an anti-Semite. If your monumentally stupid remark about black people was intended to suggest that I am a racist I would ask that you step out from the protection your rather childish nom de plume, and let us take it from there. I have reported your remark to the moderator and I very much hope it gets you a ban.
    Mate I am a healthy young man who grew up in a poor neighbourhood, lets keep it anonymous for your sake. As for your feelings, I was always told if you aren't big enough to take it then don't give it out.
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,928
    Took the train from Ayrshire to Glasgow to have a wander about the city centre for the first time in 13 or so months.

    Reasonably happy to find a relatively normal looking level of Tuesday footfall. Couple of gaps in the shop fronts of some of the bigger chains we know went kaput but mostly normal looking. A few large shops seem to have downsized their footprint with fewer levels or relocated to smaller stores, presumably to reduce rent or such-like. Not too many things that haven't reopened.

    Masks everywhere and the odd overly-convoluted one-way system aside, normality seemed near. Felt heartened.
  • dr_spyndr_spyn Posts: 11,307
    For students of WW1 battlefronts.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/04/melting-ice-reveals-first-world-war-relics-in-italian-alps

    Melting ice, reveals some parts of the Austo-Hungarian battlegrounds with Italy.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,848

    Starmer isn't releasing the Forde report because kicking out the racists would kill his support in the party.

    I know to some here racism is only a failure to support the brutal oocupation of Palestine rather than actual racism against minorities but there is a reason Labour are losing votes among minorities and younger people (two groups most against racism)

    We have swapped an anti racist leader for a racist one.

    I realise it is the kind of racism many rich white people who temporarily pretended to care about racism don't actually care about so it doesn't matter.

    In fact many wealthy older white people will be delighted Labour now has a racist leader, even if it means the Conservatives have no opposition and are losing votes and popularity as a result.

    Don't be too happy about it though, in the medium to long term the racists who like Starmer will be mostly dead whilst the anti racists who supported Corbyn will still be alive and kicking.

    So only matter of time before Labour goes back to (greater) electability and anti racism to the dismay of many racists :)

    Labour have a major problem with racism and I don't know how they fix it.

    On one hand we have the entryist wall of anti-semites who refuses to recognise their anti-semitism as anti-semitism. "We oppose anti-semitism and all kinds of racism" they reply, Labour's equivalent of "White" or "All Lives Matter".

    There is a simple solution to this part which is expel the racists. Corbyn is - by his own definition of anti-semitism published in Corbyn's forward to the Labour guidance for members on anti-semitism - an anti-semite. BTW, Jewish Exceptionalism - only referring to Israel / Palestine and then demanding that Jewish Brits account for it - is in itself anti-semitism.

    It goes further - parading Sarwar as the "first BAME leader" of a party. Thus ignoring their own Ed Milliband who led the actual Labour party as a BAME man ant just teh Scottish branch.

    And on the other hand we have Labour activists so right-on as to see racism absolutely everywhere from everyone with a white face and poor background. Albeit one where they refuse to see racism against Jews like Luciana Berger as being directly equivalent to racism against people of colour like Diane Abbott.

    Which is great news for the Tories. Who - despite their significant problems of racism and misogyny amongst members are still the party who have had two women leaders and back to back BAME chancellors and a BAME Home Secretary and legalised gay marriage.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 12,509
    eek said:

    Because I really don't see the issue.

    The only thing I note is that it seems I could buy your vote with a cream cake.
    I've always thought Rob was easy.
  • CursingStoneCursingStone Posts: 421

    Before the "revolution" you would have been saying that the Tory opposition was so useless and that Labour would be in power for a long while as a result....
    A bit of insight, the north and west of cumbria has been awarded hundreds of millions of extra funds over the last 12 months. The highways are managed by labour and lib dem controlled county council. Tim Farron is a one man publicity machine, not everyone does what he does in his way.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    @bigjohnowls

    Yes there is a genuine reason for the delay of the Forde report.

    The Information Commissioner's Office is investigating the leaks, by releasing the Forde report before the ICO has fully investigated it would prejudice the ICO investigation.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 54,838
    Leon said:

    I don’t even understand the argument. Is this an attempt to smear Starmer as an anti-Semite because he is trying to tackle anti-Semitism in Labour? Or is it because Starmer is white, male and centrist so he ‘must’ be racist?

    Quite odd. Perhaps the first political opinion on PB that I have failed to comprehend. I’m getting old
    I believe the Jezziah is talking about Keir Starmer adopting the symbols and language of the far right, like this:

    image
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,356

    I believe the Jezziah is talking about Keir Starmer adopting the symbols and language of the far right, like this:

    image
    When you are posting a flag that big there has to be a trigger warning. I almost fainted.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    edited May 2021

    A bit of insight, the north and west of cumbria has been awarded hundreds of millions of extra funds over the last 12 months. The highways are managed by labour and lib dem controlled county council. Tim Farron is a one man publicity machine, not everyone does what he does in his way.
    Tim Farron of course has nothing better to do that further aggrandise the career of Tim Farron..
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207

    I believe the Jezziah is talking about Keir Starmer adopting the symbols and language of the far right, like this:

    image
    Oh the horror
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 55,180
    edited May 2021

    Explain the logic of Labour losing in the groups most opposed to racism (young and minorities)

    If the centrists and right wing fairly tale about Corbyn being racist and Starmer being anti racist were true the opposite would happen.

    Starmer seems most popular (comparatively to Corbyn) among groups most in favour of racism (older white people) the same groups were Corbyn is least popular.

    I know this might be hard to hear but is it possible it is you that is wrong rather than the children Mr Skinner?
    Labour are reeling from their worst defeat since 1935. That was Corbyn's fault. His policies and attitudes were anathema to most thinking people.

    Starmer is trying to recover that position. The disgusting way that Jews in the party were treated is a small part of that. There is more to do but the people of this country are tolerant and will not vote for someone like Corbyn or anyone who holds his disgusting views, even if the alternative is a total incompetent like Theresa May.
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840

    I thought the Forde report that some on the left accuse SKS of holding up was looking into allegedly racist posts by party staffers. I think there is some genuine reason for the delay in publication though.

    There is also an accusation that the party treats allegations of islamophobia less seriously than it should and there is currently a court case on that issue.

    Not sure its anything to do with "Supports the brutal occupation of Palestine apparently"
    It isn't the kind of racism that would bother the right wing press so it isn't going to be seen as racism by people on this forum. This is how you reach the logic of Starmer not being racist and Corbyn being racist, the ultimate opinion on racism is only found by consulting rich old white men...

    A group well known to be the oracles on racism and they have ordained that Starmer support for various kinds of bigotry isn't based on racism whereas Corbyns opposition to the brutal occupation of Palestine is probably some of the only racism that exists on planet earth.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    RobD said:

    So £9.99 hampers for every voter in the land.
    Yeah don't understand campaign limits do you?

    I mean you'd use up all your short and long campaign money on a fraction of voters if you did that.

    Although plenty of voters would prefer a hamper instead of the money spent on leaflets.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 18,350

    Love the six people who couldnt recognise Boris.
    I envy such fortunate people.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664

    I believe the Jezziah is talking about Keir Starmer adopting the symbols and language of the far right, like this:

    image
    Wait until you see my Cross of St. George cufflinks.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,924
    Chameleon said:

    If Labour are 3rd in Scotland, down in Wales, lose Hartlepool, WMids, Teeside, and WYorks then it will be an awful night for Starmer. If you'd have told someone in 2014 that those last 4 were probable results then they'd have looked at you veyr funny indeed.
    Dont even need to go as far back as 2014.

    2017 was the highpoint.

    Since then Labour appear to be in a tail spin and replacing a rubbish pilot with an equally rubbish one has accelerated the plane crash
  • AlistairMAlistairM Posts: 2,005
    edited May 2021

    I believe the Jezziah is talking about Keir Starmer adopting the symbols and language of the far right, like this:

    image
    He wants to say "New Labour" but can't so it is "New Leadership" instead. Perhaps he could try "New New Labour"?

    "New Leadership" also has the issue that it implies only the leader has changed. The rest of them are all the same (which is broadly true).
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,279

    Why? It's very revealing.

    People often laugh at me for pointing out the madness of Woke: I'm talking about people like @TheJezziah
    I've long argued that it is more a psychological state than bona fide political ideology founded on reason. We even had one of them trashing the enlightenment the other day. It's post modernism gone mad. And it was mad to start with.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,356

    Yeah don't understand campaign limits do you?

    I mean you'd use up all your short and long campaign money on a fraction of voters if you did that.

    Although plenty of voters would prefer a hamper instead of the money spent on leaflets.
    I'm against anything that could be viewed as a bribe or enticement to vote like that. A free sausage roll at an event that you paid £2 to get into doesn't really fall into that category, but being given a box of cookies while being canvassed certainly does.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 51,106
    eek said:

    +1 - the German Greens are centralist Lib Dems with a green agenda. I suspect if we looked at their policies in detail they are probably identical
    My point is that they didn’t start out that way.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 55,180
    RobD said:

    When you are posting a flag that big there has to be a trigger warning. I almost fainted.
    Swooned. The word is surely "swooned". 😎
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664

    Mate I am a healthy young man who grew up in a poor neighbourhood, lets keep it anonymous for your sake. As for your feelings, I was always told if you aren't big enough to take it then don't give it out.

    YHWH God, I hate people who bang on that grew up in a poor neighbourhood/working class background as i if somehow makes them better than middle class people.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    RobD said:

    I'm against anything that could be viewed as a bribe or enticement to vote like that. A free sausage roll at an event that you paid £2 to get into doesn't really fall into that category, but being given a box of cookies while being canvassed certainly does.
    Especially if that box of cookies has "VOTE (PARTY X)" and their logo printed on it.

    It's pretty much the definition of Treating right there.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,848

    Explain the logic of Labour losing in the groups most opposed to racism (young and minorities)

    If the centrists and right wing fairly tale about Corbyn being racist and Starmer being anti racist were true the opposite would happen.

    Starmer seems most popular (comparatively to Corbyn) among groups most in favour of racism (older white people) the same groups were Corbyn is least popular.

    I know this might be hard to hear but is it possible it is you that is wrong rather than the children Mr Skinner?

    The better starting point is not to be racist because its wrong. Too many of your fellow Corbynite activists - and Corbyn himself - cannot pass this test due to being usually passive but sometimes active anti-semites.

    Once you've got this "believing in something cos its right" thing down, the next barrier is not ramming your standards down other people's throats. You may be right and the other person wrong, but sneering / shouting won't change their view in your direction. Quite the opposite in fact.

    Finally, don't be a screaming hypocrite. Diane Abbott was on the receiving end of some horrendous racist abuse. She was also on the end of a lot of abuse because she is a shit politician that was willfully miscategorised as racist. At the same time Luciana Berger was also on the end of some horrendous racist abuse - with much of it coming from Labour members who then insisted it wasn't racist.
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840

    Why? It's very revealing.

    People often laugh at me for pointing out the madness of Woke: I'm talking about people like @TheJezziah
    I thought the right wanted to make wokeness about nonsense not to do with racism?

    I don't care too much about 'culture war' type stuff tbh, I don't care about waving flags as long as they are swazstika's. I don't hate transgender people and would call myself generally supportive but trans rights have never really been forefront of my mind.

    I am strongly against racism though, if racism is part of the culture war then I am very much invested.
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207

    And, this is the problem the Labour Party have ladies and gentlemen.
    How do you fix that problem?

    Insanity
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 51,106
    edited May 2021
    Floater said:

    Oh the horror
    That was my thought; it’s the path the bankruptcy! There’s no future in educating people and caring for them in their old age if they spend their working lives elsewhere. Ask Lithuania.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    RobD said:

    I'm against anything that could be viewed as a bribe or enticement to vote like that. A free sausage roll at an event that you paid £2 to get into doesn't really fall into that category, but being given a box of cookies while being canvassed certainly does.
    Look, the country isn't like Glasgow where, like Vegas, you can pay for sex with chips.

    People won't change their vote if you give them some cheap snacks.
  • TimTTimT Posts: 6,468
    To change the subject to something upbeat, this is good news for the prospects of getting to herd immunity - FDA shortly to approve Pfizer for 12-15 year-olds:

    https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/03/health/pfizer-covid-vaccine-teens-fda/index.html
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,620

    I thought the right wanted to make wokeness about nonsense not to do with racism?

    I don't care too much about 'culture war' type stuff tbh, I don't care about waving flags as long as they are swazstika's. I don't hate transgender people and would call myself generally supportive but trans rights have never really been forefront of my mind.

    I am strongly against racism though, if racism is part of the culture war then I am very much invested.
    You might want to change that wording about flags ... I had to read it about 3 or 4 times ...
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 51,106
    Floater said:

    How do you fix that problem?

    Insanity
    I seriously doubt that’s the answer, tbh.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    If you're outraged by the cheap cookies I guess you're shaking with anger with David Amess telling people to vote Tory in the locals because ministers will go the extra mile for Tory councils but not for non Tory councils.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,848

    @bigjohnowls

    Yes there is a genuine reason for the delay of the Forde report.

    The Information Commissioner's Office is investigating the leaks, by releasing the Forde report before the ICO has fully investigated it would prejudice the ICO investigation.

    Yes, that's why they want it released early...
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 34,295
    "Stats for Lefties
    @LeftieStats
    Johnson's favourability in Hartlepool:

    Favourable: 51% (+2)
    Unfavourable: 28% (-2)
    [Net rating: +23]

    Starmer's favourability in Hartlepool:

    Favourable: 22% (-2)
    Unfavourable: 40% (+4)
    [Net rating: -18]

    Via
    @Survation
    , 23-29 April (+/- since 29 Mar-3 Apr)"

    `https://twitter.com/LeftieStats/status/1389479006475595778
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    tlg86 said:

    I didn't realise tasers worked like that.

    Mind you, what's this about?

    Ms Bettley-Smith too, she said, "was not acting in self defence or in defence of her colleague but also taking out her anger on a man who had earlier put her in fear, with the weapon she had been entrusted with to use lawfully".

    I wonder what happened?
    Hopefully we're going to find out.

    If Boris Johnson wants my vote he should pass a law requiring all police officers to wear bodycams.
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840

    YHWH God, I hate people who bang on that grew up in a poor neighbourhood/working class background as i if somehow makes them better than middle class people.
    It doesn't make me better, Corbyn is an example of someone better than me, makes me a bit tougher than him though, which was exactly my point (which even someone from a poor background could have grasped, so much for the advantages of having wealthy parents)
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207

    Wait until you see my Cross of St. George cufflinks.
    Wait - I own a clothing article the same as TSE - must go and re-evaluate my tastes :smiley:
  • CursingStoneCursingStone Posts: 421
    eek said:

    It's also not going to matter - given that I suspect the number of Brownies are way less than 500 and she is going to win be 1000s...
    That is an important point on whether or not the election would be rerun. You would need to show that the actions could have changed the outcome. This is all about scale. Giving out some stuff to helpers as a thank you is different to giving them to voters.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,307

    I didn't realise Nigel would be this upset about Labour becoming an anti racist party in future.

    Would it help if I lied and pretending the young and minorities will morph into the kind of racists you want them to be?

    It isn't going to happen, racism isn't popular among the young and for obvious reasons among minorities either. The longer term future for Labour is a more anti racism one like Corbyn not a pro racism one like Starmer.

    I'm sure Tommy Robinson will stick around for a while for people like youyself.
    Anti-racism (as you describe it) is simply making another form of racism official policy.

    In 100 years historians will look back on people like you with disgust.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664

    It doesn't make me better, Corbyn is an example of someone better than me, makes me a bit tougher than him though, which was exactly my point (which even someone from a poor background could have grasped, so much for the advantages of having wealthy parents)
    But why mention it at all?
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,848

    Yeah don't understand campaign limits do you?

    I mean you'd use up all your short and long campaign money on a fraction of voters if you did that.

    Although plenty of voters would prefer a hamper instead of the money spent on leaflets.
    The Letterbox Party will not be trying to deliver boxes of fondant fancies instead of leaflets through your jammed letterbox guarded by your huge dog behind your two gates both with rusty bolts up uneven steps.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 51,106

    That is an important point on whether or not the election would be rerun. You would need to show that the actions could have changed the outcome. This is all about scale. Giving out some stuff to helpers as a thank you is different to giving them to voters.
    It’s still an offence with a penalty.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    The better starting point is not to be racist because its wrong. Too many of your fellow Corbynite activists - and Corbyn himself - cannot pass this test due to being usually passive but sometimes active anti-semites.

    Once you've got this "believing in something cos its right" thing down, the next barrier is not ramming your standards down other people's throats. You may be right and the other person wrong, but sneering / shouting won't change their view in your direction. Quite the opposite in fact.

    Finally, don't be a screaming hypocrite. Diane Abbott was on the receiving end of some horrendous racist abuse. She was also on the end of a lot of abuse because she is a shit politician that was willfully miscategorised as racist. At the same time Luciana Berger was also on the end of some horrendous racist abuse - with much of it coming from Labour members who then insisted it wasn't racist.
    Diane Abbott is an interesting one to compare with Israel.

    If you're attacking Abbott/Israel alone then that seems to be racism.

    If you're attacking Abbott along with Rebecca Wrong Daily, Laura Pillock, the Jezziah and the rest of them - then that's not racist.
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207
    IanB2 said:

    I seriously doubt that’s the answer, tbh.
    Ha! I walked into that one :smiley:

    Had to give you a like for that
  • stodgestodge Posts: 14,479
    Afternoon all :)

    It's in the nature of political knockabout for the opponents of Labour to deride and snipe at anything the party says or does and of course the same is true for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, PC et al.

    If you took out all the posts which were critical of another party or an individual in that party, this site would shrink 80% and we'd then face the appalling truth the only thing more tedious than posts criticising a party or Government are those supporting it (apart from, obviously, posts wittering on about pizza, Radiohead, other sports and

    In some ways, the fog of extra-party criticism is part of the tactic of preventing the internal debate. Let's put an idea forward - that idea id immediately jumped on and rubbished - doesn't make it a bad idea, doesn't make it a good one either but sometimes parties have to go with policies and ideas which work for them.

    To thine own self, be true - I believe is the saying.

    One of the purposes of cross-party criticism is to weaken confidence, to encourage doubt, to question identity. A party without confidence or "belief" is going to go nowhere slowly.

    It's not for me to suggest to Labour what their path should be - all I would say, despite what some on here seem to think, the country (and I'd argue the Conservative Party) needs a functioning opposition, a viable and credible political and policy alternative. Sooner or later, the Conservatives will become the victims of their own success or failure and at that point people will justifiably want to know what's next.

    The problem is when (and it's when, not if) disillusionment with the Conservative sets in and people start casting around for alternatives, the absence of a reasonably rational alternative opens the door for all manner of irrational options - democracy is or should be the unending struggle between compelling, competing alternatives.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 39,820

    YHWH God, I hate people who bang on that grew up in a poor neighbourhood/working class background as i if somehow makes them better than middle class people.
    Yes, where you've come from is not as important as where you're going.
  • TimTTimT Posts: 6,468
    Floater said:

    Wait - I own a clothing article the same as TSE - must go and re-evaluate my tastes :smiley:
    You two are the reason the Union is collapsing. My cufflinks are Union Flags.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,735

    If you're outraged by the cheap cookies I guess you're shaking with anger with David Amess telling people to vote Tory in the locals because ministers will go the extra mile for Tory councils but not for non Tory councils.

    Wait to he sees the Tory Party campaign in Hartlepool...
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840
    DavidL said:

    Labour are reeling from their worst defeat since 1935. That was Corbyn's fault. His policies and attitudes were anathema to most thinking people.

    Starmer is trying to recover that position. The disgusting way that Jews in the party were treated is a small part of that. There is more to do but the people of this country are tolerant and will not vote for someone like Corbyn or anyone who holds his disgusting views, even if the alternative is a total incompetent like Theresa May.
    His policies and thinking was anathema to the most racist sections of society and most appealing to the least racist sections of society because he wasn't a racist, I notice you just ignore and sidestep this logic because you can't answer it.

    Also Labour is Corbynista in the long term, the most racist groups who oppose him are the ones who will die soonest and leave electoral power to those who are least racist.

    A anti racist Labour in a Corbyn way is the future however much you rant about the children being wrong :)
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,664
    edited May 2021
    TimT said:

    You two are the reason the Union is collapsing. My cufflinks are Union Flags.
    I also have Union Jack cufflinks.

    As a gag gift from a friend I also have some Welsh flag cufflinks. Which I will never wear.

    I'm quite the avid collector of cufflinks, I have about 20 or so, mostly Paul Smith ones.
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,279
    stodge said:

    Afternoon all :)

    It's in the nature of political knockabout for the opponents of Labour to deride and snipe at anything the party says or does and of course the same is true for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, PC et al.

    If you took out all the posts which were critical of another party or an individual in that party, this site would shrink 80% and we'd then face the appalling truth the only thing more tedious than posts criticising a party or Government are those supporting it (apart from, obviously, posts wittering on about pizza, Radiohead, other sports and

    In some ways, the fog of extra-party criticism is part of the tactic of preventing the internal debate. Let's put an idea forward - that idea id immediately jumped on and rubbished - doesn't make it a bad idea, doesn't make it a good one either but sometimes parties have to go with policies and ideas which work for them.

    To thine own self, be true - I believe is the saying.

    One of the purposes of cross-party criticism is to weaken confidence, to encourage doubt, to question identity. A party without confidence or "belief" is going to go nowhere slowly.

    It's not for me to suggest to Labour what their path should be - all I would say, despite what some on here seem to think, the country (and I'd argue the Conservative Party) needs a functioning opposition, a viable and credible political and policy alternative. Sooner or later, the Conservatives will become the victims of their own success or failure and at that point people will justifiably want to know what's next.

    The problem is when (and it's when, not if) disillusionment with the Conservative sets in and people start casting around for alternatives, the absence of a reasonably rational alternative opens the door for all manner of irrational options - democracy is or should be the unending struggle between compelling, competing alternatives.

    "(apart from, obviously, posts wittering on about pizza, Radiohead, other sports and"

    and ... Line of Duty?
  • FloaterFloater Posts: 14,207
    Much, much better look than Starmer

    https://twitter.com/BBCTimDonovan/status/1389528330542665730

    "Sadiq Khan sparring at his brother’s boxing club in Earlsfield as mayoral bout nears end"

    Mind you my arthritic wife would look better than Starmer did.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    Stocky said:

    "(apart from, obviously, posts wittering on about pizza, Radiohead, other sports and"

    and ... Line of Duty?
    and ... flags?
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 10,796
    stodge said:

    Afternoon all :)

    It's in the nature of political knockabout for the opponents of Labour to deride and snipe at anything the party says or does and of course the same is true for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, PC et al.

    If you took out all the posts which were critical of another party or an individual in that party, this site would shrink 80% and we'd then face the appalling truth the only thing more tedious than posts criticising a party or Government are those supporting it (apart from, obviously, posts wittering on about pizza, Radiohead, other sports and

    In some ways, the fog of extra-party criticism is part of the tactic of preventing the internal debate. Let's put an idea forward - that idea id immediately jumped on and rubbished - doesn't make it a bad idea, doesn't make it a good one either but sometimes parties have to go with policies and ideas which work for them.

    To thine own self, be true - I believe is the saying.

    One of the purposes of cross-party criticism is to weaken confidence, to encourage doubt, to question identity. A party without confidence or "belief" is going to go nowhere slowly.

    It's not for me to suggest to Labour what their path should be - all I would say, despite what some on here seem to think, the country (and I'd argue the Conservative Party) needs a functioning opposition, a viable and credible political and policy alternative. Sooner or later, the Conservatives will become the victims of their own success or failure and at that point people will justifiably want to know what's next.

    The problem is when (and it's when, not if) disillusionment with the Conservative sets in and people start casting around for alternatives, the absence of a reasonably rational alternative opens the door for all manner of irrational options - democracy is or should be the unending struggle between compelling, competing alternatives.

    No one really needs to criticise the labour party from outside though we can just add likes to the internecine squabbling posts
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,848
    edited May 2021

    Dont even need to go as far back as 2014.

    2017 was the highpoint.

    Since then Labour appear to be in a tail spin and replacing a rubbish pilot with an equally rubbish one has accelerated the plane crash
    2017 was the outlier election in the same was we have outlier polls. Strip the need for people to vote seriously tactically to try and secure / stop Brexit and there would just have been downward sliding.

    Remember that in 2017 - the year of the Jeremy's big victory, 20% more people voted Tory than in 2015. OK so thats not much more than half of the 38% increase for Labour, but look what happened afterwards. Total vote tallies are irrelevant to the actual FPTP result, but indicative for trends.

    TORY VOTE
    2010 10.704m
    2015 11.334m
    2017 13.637m
    2019 13.966m

    LABOUR VOTE
    2010 8.610m
    2015 9.347m
    2017 12.878m
    2019 10.269m

    The Tory vote has risen every year since 2001. The Labour vote - with the brief exception of the two party polarisation that boosted both parties in 2017 - has been crawling upwards. Labour's problem is not Starmer is not Corbyn is not Milliband. Labour's problem is Labour.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,924
    From the Guardian 12.2.21

    Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, appointed Martin Forde QC last May to investigate the leak of an unredacted report into the party’s complaints process. The report included details of alleged conversations between party officials about black MPs that were condemned as racist and led to a backlash among black Labour supporters.

    Detractors say it is unclear why Forde has waited until now, 10 months after the information commissioner was informed of the data breach and seven months after the report was initially due to be delivered, to warn of the risk of prejudicing the external investigation.

    “The possibility of a racist culture and a hostile environment for black members within the party needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and the Forde inquiry is an important tool for doing just that,” the MPs said.

    The signatories to the statement were Marsha de Cordova, the shadow women and equalities secretary, Chi Onwurah, the shadow science minister, and the MPs Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler, Florence Eshalomi, Kim Johnson, Clive Lewis, Kate Osamor and Bell Ribeiro-Addy.
  • TimTTimT Posts: 6,468

    I also have Union Jack cufflinks.

    As a gag gift from a friend I also have some Welsh flag cufflinks. Which I will never wear.

    I'm quite the avid collector of cufflinks, I have about 20 or so, mostly Paul Smith ones.
    I have a smaller collection. St Pirran's and Mini (the car) are also in their, along with old fashioned taps with 'left' and 'right' instead of 'hot' and 'cold'
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,307
    Stocky said:

    I've long argued that it is more a psychological state than bona fide political ideology founded on reason. We even had one of them trashing the enlightenment the other day. It's post modernism gone mad. And it was mad to start with.
    Indeed, and I'd ignore it were it not for the fact that some of it has crept into mainstream social discourse, and is affecting corporate and institutional policy.

    That is my concern. I'm happy for them to go back to barking at the moon to their hearts content afterwards, so long as it's successfully expunged first.
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840
    Carnyx said:

    You might want to change that wording about flags ... I had to read it about 3 or 4 times ...
    Yeah noticed that a bit late!

    TO CLARIFY

    I don't care about waving flags as long as they are NOT swazstika's
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,307
    MaxPB said:

    Yes, where you've come from is not as important as where you're going.
    For the Woke it is the precise opposite.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,716

    And, this is the problem the Labour Party have ladies and gentlemen.
    Seems to me that he's got past Jeremy, and gone the full Piers...
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,180
    Sean_F said:

    Whatever his faults, SKS is no racist.

    However he stayed in the shadow cabinet throughout the Corbyn years and was remarkably quiet on anti-semitism and the persecution of a njmber of his fellow MPs.
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,279
    stodge said:

    Afternoon all :)

    It's in the nature of political knockabout for the opponents of Labour to deride and snipe at anything the party says or does and of course the same is true for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, PC et al.

    If you took out all the posts which were critical of another party or an individual in that party, this site would shrink 80% and we'd then face the appalling truth the only thing more tedious than posts criticising a party or Government are those supporting it (apart from, obviously, posts wittering on about pizza, Radiohead, other sports and

    In some ways, the fog of extra-party criticism is part of the tactic of preventing the internal debate. Let's put an idea forward - that idea id immediately jumped on and rubbished - doesn't make it a bad idea, doesn't make it a good one either but sometimes parties have to go with policies and ideas which work for them.

    To thine own self, be true - I believe is the saying.

    One of the purposes of cross-party criticism is to weaken confidence, to encourage doubt, to question identity. A party without confidence or "belief" is going to go nowhere slowly.

    It's not for me to suggest to Labour what their path should be - all I would say, despite what some on here seem to think, the country (and I'd argue the Conservative Party) needs a functioning opposition, a viable and credible political and policy alternative. Sooner or later, the Conservatives will become the victims of their own success or failure and at that point people will justifiably want to know what's next.

    The problem is when (and it's when, not if) disillusionment with the Conservative sets in and people start casting around for alternatives, the absence of a reasonably rational alternative opens the door for all manner of irrational options - democracy is or should be the unending struggle between compelling, competing alternatives.

    Good post Stodge.

    Reminds me of my notes from when I studied politics years ago:

    Politics is the creative but messy compromise of differing principles, interests and values; a way of ruling and organising divided societies without resorting to violence.

    Politics is a process which allows us to learn to disagree well. It is difficult and continual.
  • TimTTimT Posts: 6,468
    More good news locally for me: 84% of over-65s in my county are fully vaccinated, along with 67% of all residents having had at least one shot.

    There will be pockets of the US that do very well with vaccination. In WVA, where the initial good efforts are stalling somewhat, they are offering youngsters (the most vaccine hesitant group) $100 gift cards to get vaccinated.
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 10,796

    Yeah noticed that a bit late!

    TO CLARIFY

    I don't care about waving flags as long as they are NOT swazstika's
    What if its hindu's waving it?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,716

    Why? It's very revealing.

    People often laugh at me for pointing out the madness of Woke: I'm talking about people like @TheJezziah
    No, we laugh at you for essentially rendering the term meaningless.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,848

    Diane Abbott is an interesting one to compare with Israel.

    If you're attacking Abbott/Israel alone then that seems to be racism.

    If you're attacking Abbott along with Rebecca Wrong Daily, Laura Pillock, the Jezziah and the rest of them - then that's not racist.
    Wrong-Daily is white. Pillock is white. Berger is BAME. Abbott is BAME. My point was that in large parts of Labour there is a hierarchy of racism where as Baddiel puts it so neatly: Jews Don't Count.

    The party promoted Anas Sarwar as the first BAME leader of a political party. Scottish Labour isn't a political party, but Sarwar isn't even the first BAME Labour leader - Ed Milliband doesn't count apparently.
  • AlistairMAlistairM Posts: 2,005
    Entirely predictable low vaccination numbers for bank holiday Monday. Every previous public holiday has seen very low numbers.

    208,362 new vaccinations registered in 🇬🇧 yesterday

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 59,113 1st doses / 99,785
    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 8,806 / 21,451
    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 9,713 / 2,808
    NI 1,672 / 5,014

    https://twitter.com/HugoGye/status/1389566170588663810

    Vaccine minister has replied to the Tweet saying they will improve this week.
  • TheJezziahTheJezziah Posts: 3,840

    But why mention it at all?
    He went off in a mildly threatening direction and I saw that as a chance to fire a cheap insult off at him. If Nigel was the kind of person you could have a reasonable discussion with I would do that, I know him far too well best I'm getting is tit for tat.
  • HarryFreemanHarryFreeman Posts: 210
    tlg86 said:

    I didn't realise tasers worked like that.

    Mind you, what's this about?

    Ms Bettley-Smith too, she said, "was not acting in self defence or in defence of her colleague but also taking out her anger on a man who had earlier put her in fear, with the weapon she had been entrusted with to use lawfully".

    I wonder what happened?
    I would have thought tasers would be energy limited by battery size - if 33 seconds is too long why have that capability/store of energy ?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,307
    Floater said:

    Much, much better look than Starmer

    https://twitter.com/BBCTimDonovan/status/1389528330542665730

    "Sadiq Khan sparring at his brother’s boxing club in Earlsfield as mayoral bout nears end"

    Mind you my arthritic wife would look better than Starmer did.

    I'm not a fan but there's no doubting Khan is a consummate politician.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,848

    From the Guardian 12.2.21

    Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, appointed Martin Forde QC last May to investigate the leak of an unredacted report into the party’s complaints process. The report included details of alleged conversations between party officials about black MPs that were condemned as racist and led to a backlash among black Labour supporters.

    Detractors say it is unclear why Forde has waited until now, 10 months after the information commissioner was informed of the data breach and seven months after the report was initially due to be delivered, to warn of the risk of prejudicing the external investigation.

    “The possibility of a racist culture and a hostile environment for black members within the party needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and the Forde inquiry is an important tool for doing just that,” the MPs said.

    The signatories to the statement were Marsha de Cordova, the shadow women and equalities secretary, Chi Onwurah, the shadow science minister, and the MPs Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler, Florence Eshalomi, Kim Johnson, Clive Lewis, Kate Osamor and Bell Ribeiro-Addy.

    I might have sympathy for the people complaining about this alleged racism if they were concerned about the open racism against Berger and Smeeth and Ellman and Hodge.
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 10,796

    Wrong-Daily is white. Pillock is white. Berger is BAME. Abbott is BAME. My point was that in large parts of Labour there is a hierarchy of racism where as Baddiel puts it so neatly: Jews Don't Count.

    The party promoted Anas Sarwar as the first BAME leader of a political party. Scottish Labour isn't a political party, but Sarwar isn't even the first BAME Labour leader - Ed Milliband doesn't count apparently.
    Because to recognise millibrand as bame they wouldn't be able to claim that even for him as Disraeli would be the first Bame leader of a political party and incidentally prime minister
  • TimTTimT Posts: 6,468

    Wrong-Daily is white. Pillock is white. Berger is BAME. Abbott is BAME. My point was that in large parts of Labour there is a hierarchy of racism where as Baddiel puts it so neatly: Jews Don't Count.

    The party promoted Anas Sarwar as the first BAME leader of a political party. Scottish Labour isn't a political party, but Sarwar isn't even the first BAME Labour leader - Ed Milliband doesn't count apparently.
    Disraeli? Jewish by birth ...
This discussion has been closed.