This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
Having read his article, it reads like the impending wipeout is being done to the Conservatives. Heath fails to realise that whatever happens will be because of the Conservatives total inability to govern.
They have done this to themselves. People are not voting for Starmer. This is an Augean Stable clearout
I'm voting fot Starmer, and last time i looked i was a person
Emergency Ilford North poster update. Five more Leanne's and three for Tipu of George Galloway's mob who is actually standing in Ilford South. Tricky things, maps.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Sunak was much closer to Starmer in the post debate poll last night, this poll was pre debate
Oh HY, I almost feel sorry for you. You want so much for it to all turn out not so bad after all but I fear you are in for a terrible disappointment.
I doubt if more than a few thousand at most will be swayed by that debate. Against which the Tory propaganda machine continues it's relentless efforts to boost the Labour vote with the Ange PR piece and this shocker that will convince absolutely no one to vote Tory:
It looks like a hostage situation to be honest.
"Hello? Yes, that's right, I have three hostages in here with me so don't even think of trying something because I swear to God I'll shoot them. I have a list of demands: 1. £10,000,000 IN SMALL DENOMINATION NON-SEQUENTIAL NOTES 2. THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE POLITICAL PRISONER JACKIE WEAVER AND THE DISSOLUTION OF HANDFORTH PARISH COUNCIL 3. DON'T SURRENDER OUR FUTURE TO LABOUR 4. A 12" THIN-CRUST HAWAIIAN PIZZA"
[Police cut the power and start playing Radiohead on a bank of speakers] [hostage taker shoots himself]
This sounds like the it's a robbery scene in Pulp fiction? Do we have a similar flim taste?
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
Having read his article, it reads like the impending wipeout is being done to the Conservatives. Heath fails to realise that whatever happens will be because of the Conservatives total inability to govern.
They have done this to themselves. People are not voting for Starmer. This is an Augean Stable clearout
I agree. It's even slightly heart warming to see the progressive forces getting together to make sure that the really nasty forces of Suella Patel Mogg Johnson Truss Sunak and are not only soundly beaten but mauled.
Let's put them all on a flight to Rwanda without any chance of being allowed back to the UK as was their wish for others
I bet the cost of living is cheap there.
Well Rwanda has had an injection of £500 million into its economy courtesy of the British taxpayer to spend as it wants. Buy shares in Kigali Mercedes Benz dealers.
These are on notional results. The most marginal English seat last time was F Buchan (Con) in Kensington, but on the notional results, it's a small Lab majority, so Ms Buchan will (probably!) lose her seat, but won't "lose" her seat as she's already "lost" her seat.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
I just walked into a bar on the island and the proprietor looked frankly outraged that I, a seeker of beer, expect him, a known seller of beer, in a place which notoriously sells beer, to sell me a beer
As an experienced traveller, Leon, you must remember that the French get extremely cross and upset if you do not speak to them in impeccable French. I expect you got a gender wrong, or something...
If it is not perfect they say no understand. Then use English. It might work or they walk away and leave.
That's my experience.
1) Try in French. Put lots of politeness in, if nothing else. 2) They smile and often reply in English. 3) Stuff happens.
Forget step 1) and it doesn't work.
The only place this didn't work was, it turned out, a cafe in Paris that *the locals* gave reviews describing the staff as rude and stupid.
I agree with you. Paris can be hard going.
It's a wacky place. The rudeness is actually getting better. I think it is a performance in a number of places now - the tourists expect it.
My favourite memory, recently. Went out at 7am for croissant/pastries for family breakfast. Filled a bag, sat down for a coffee.
A black Mercedes with blacked out windows was stopped at a traffic light ahead. A very small, battered white hatched back zoomed, backwards, out of a side road to block any progress.
Two huge armed policemen jumped out, dressed in full SAS-Ninja style, grenades hanging off the body armour, waving assault rifles. All the tattoos and piercings as well. Two more jumped out of the rears seats a moment later.
Then the boot opened and a fifth giant commando unfurled himself. The sum of the volume of the commandos was greater than the volume of the car - no possible doubt.
No one else seemed bothered, so I finished the coffee and left. Walked back along a section of elevated railway that had been converted to a linear garden/walking route.
Yes. Things like that happen there. The place is pleasant and the people are quirky at best.
A London version.
I was walking home, by Tower Bridge, about 1am. Nearly no-one about.
A couple were walking on the other side of the road near the old Royal Mint building.
An unmarked van zoomed up, x armed police boiled out. Full regalia. Had the couple zipped tied and face down in seconds. Lots of shouting. After few seconds, the police boiled back into their van. Last moment cut the zip ties and put the couple back on their feet. Then zoomed off.
The whole thing lasted maybe 30 seconds. The couple looked utterly bewildered. My flatmate and I checked with each other that we had just seen what we had seen.
That is madness.
When was this - was it in the days when Blair & Co had half a million people searched in London under terrorism law, and did not find a single one? That is I think 2008-ish.
I had a Met WPC look me in the eye and tell me that - YES - she seriously suspected that me and the GF (Oops. MY GF, musn't upset the language police) were terrorists. I did an interview on BBC News 24 about it, having written a blog piece which I landed at no 1 on Google for the relevant search.
We had stood for about 30 seconds looking at the local area map - obviously suspicious behaviour.
I don't think it bodes ill for Reform. Reform have a lot of favourable people to get through before Farage's unfavourability become an issue. And the controversial nature of Farage and his negative coverage in sections of the press suggests if you're favourable to him, you're very favourable.
I don’t think anti-Reform tactical voting (though eventually it will come about) is likely to be a big feature in this GE either.
I'm quite hopeful it will and that FPTP works its magic at keeping the extremists out of Parliament.
Eight time loser Nigel Farage has a good ring to it, at the risk of coming across all Kevin Keegan, I'd love it if it comes true.
The use of extremists to refer to a party on the right that you happen to dislike is all sorts of pathetic. As well as being foolish - there are plenty of people who would love to label your views on economic issues as 'extremist' and will try it, and you'll have no leg to stand on having done the same thing to Reform, just (as far as I can see) to earn yourself some cringey trendy vicar cool points.
Left or right has nothing to do with it, the use of extremists to refer to any party that are extremists who pander to our enemy in Vladimir Putin is entirely appropriate.
Corbyn was an extremist and panders to Putin. Same with Farage.
I get why you don't see it as extreme, but it is and thankfully approximately three quarters of the country agrees which is not a helpful thing for your extremists under FPTP.
PS I rightly acknowledge that many of my own personal views on topics varying from economics to abolishing planning are considered extreme. I'm OK with that and not ashamed of that. I'd rather be extreme for backing liberalism and letting people do what they want with their own land, than be extreme for hating foreigners apart from Vladimir Putin.
I don't like to resort to personal invective. But your unending capacity to miss the point makes it somewhat of a challenge.
The point is you want us to be soft and cuddly with a nasty party of racists and bigots and Putin apologists, that somehow found many quite literal fascists as candidates, rather than call them what they are - extremists.
No thanks. I prefer honesty, even if it upsets your mores.
The decision on the extent that we become involved in Ukraine is a foreign policy debate - one side of it is not 'extreme' - that would make every single person living in India, or China, or Austria, or Ireland, an extremist. You may hold the view that we should be involved, and that it is our moral duty to be involved, but you need to debate the rights and wrongs of involvement, not dismiss everyone on the other side as 'traitors' or 'extremists' which is Orwellian as well as intellectually lazy.
As for the rest of this tripe, it's the standard 'nasty party of racist bigots' that gets chucked at every right wing party that dares to challenge the prevailing consensus. It's a pathetic spectacle to see an avowed libertarian free marketeer chucking around such terms, but hey, you do you.
Shambles of a WC. Last night they played on a ploughed field for the first semi final, New York pitch was consistently terrible, England vs Scotland where there was a massive hole in the sheets covering the pitch, etc etc etc.
Did CCHQ organise it? And had a few bets on via the Indian bookies.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
It really is strange in a democracy to see the extremes of rhetoric the Right is driven to in its outrage against any government it doesn't approve of.
They really don't think anyone but they should have the right to decide who governs. Note the electorate, for sure.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
It's an election. It's not The End Of Days. Parties gain power. Parties lose power. It was inevitable that at some point the Conservatives would lose, and that day is upon us. They, or another similar party, will be back in soon enough.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
Having read his article, it reads like the impending wipeout is being done to the Conservatives. Heath fails to realise that whatever happens will be because of the Conservatives total inability to govern.
They have done this to themselves. People are not voting for Starmer. This is an Augean Stable clearout
I agree. It's even slightly heart warming to see the progressive forces getting together to make sure that the really nasty forces of Suella Patel Mogg Johnson Truss Sunak and are not only soundly beaten but mauled.
Let's put them all on a flight to Rwanda without any chance of being allowed back to the UK as was their wish for others
I bet the cost of living is cheap there.
The highway to paradise no less.....I watched that vox pop from Suella's constuency and read a post on here and I really felt like I needed a shower.
........Whatever anyone says about the French when a long line of people came walking across the Italian border at Menton a few years ago having come up from Africa and a load of women appeared from nowhere and set up tables and greeted them and passers by walked up to the tables and gave them money and told them places to stay and where get food it was heart warming. An unkind contrast to the vox poppers in Fareham.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
It really is strange in a democracy to see the extremes of rhetoric the Right is driven to in its outrage against any government it doesn't approve of.
They really don't think anyone but they should have the right to decide who governs. Note the electorate, for sure.
Both sides of the media do it. Boris winning London Mayoral Election, its was full on end of days stuff from Guardian. If you listened to Poly Nosepeg, every non-white person was going to be targeted, it was going to be the rise of the Third Reich.
I just walked into a bar on the island and the proprietor looked frankly outraged that I, a seeker of beer, expect him, a known seller of beer, in a place which notoriously sells beer, to sell me a beer
As an experienced traveller, Leon, you must remember that the French get extremely cross and upset if you do not speak to them in impeccable French. I expect you got a gender wrong, or something...
If it is not perfect they say no understand. Then use English. It might work or they walk away and leave.
That's my experience.
1) Try in French. Put lots of politeness in, if nothing else. 2) They smile and often reply in English. 3) Stuff happens.
Forget step 1) and it doesn't work.
The only place this didn't work was, it turned out, a cafe in Paris that *the locals* gave reviews describing the staff as rude and stupid.
I agree with you. Paris can be hard going.
Even for the French.
I worked for a French company for 18 years and used to teach in Paris. Whenever I meet French vistors to the UK and conversation gets round to the fact I used to work in France they always ask where. When I say Paris the answer is always the same. Paris is not France. If we think there is a lot of dislike directed at London by the rest of the UK, it is nothing compared to how much the French regions hate Paris and the Parisians.
C’est vrait
This hatred of Paris is one driver of Le Pen’s support
I've always found the French to be charming to a fault, very hospitable and at worst slightly inattentive. My French is adequate for a restaurant but hardly brilliant. Maybe they're just good at detecting arrogant Brits abroad. I don't particularly blame them.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Break it up and replace it with Borough Police like the City of London have, perhaps with an Inner London Police Force covering the old LCC boroughs
Perhaps understandably, there’s not much chat on here about the French elections.
As it stands, Le Pen’s mob (RN) are close to getting an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
If they DON’T get an absolute majority, which I still suspect is the most likely outcome, then we can expect some fragile minority coalition of Macron’s party and the rump centre-right.
But if they DO get a majority, not only are the promising to do a Truss (ie ballooning the deficit), they are also promising a complete about-turn in the French position on Ukraine. Le Pen has reminded voters that it is the PM not the President that controls the military budget, and Bardella has signalled that France wouldn’t supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. Several RN candidates have proven financial links with Moscow.
This election is a major European event, with significant implications for the UK.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Break it up and replace it with Borough Police like the City of London have.
Gets Khan out of the loop too.
Oh, you don't like the result of the Mayoralty election so you just want to remove powers from the person Londoners voted for?
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Split them up into national commands and the actual Metropolitan service. It was a mistake putting so much national capability and prestige in one force. It's been a common complaint in the reportage from other forces that the Met thinks itself somehow "elite" and refuses to take advice from provincial plod on anything. Not invented here and all that. And if you're the best of the best, you can't do anything wrong so no need to improve professional standards right? Forces like Durham that were truly rubbish were turned around because they knew they were getting a kicking from the public and needed to be better. The Met just refuses to admit it's meaningfully broken.
Even after Putin-piffle, 27% of Brits have a favourable view of Farage (and 8% neutral) and the exact same proportion support Reform. 27%
That suggests they could get 27% at an election and easily overtake the Tories. They have the potential to be the opposition party in 2029 by which time they need to recruit better candidates and more talent and tack slightly to the centre (like Meloni and Le Pen) and then they could actually win (like Meloni and maybe Le Pen)
By the same logic the Greens could get 41% of the vote.
Nah
Saying you have a favourable view of the greens is like saying you “prefer clean rivers” and “please don’t chop down lovely trees”. Who has an issue with any of that? Most people aren’t aware the greens are now insane Woke Marxists
By contrast everyone knows Farage is basically Hitler and yet he has 27% favourability? I know PB doesn’t like hearing this but there is a decent possibility Britain will go down the same hard right road as France Holland Sweden and Italy
It's a fear for sure. 27% though - even FPTP would make it hard to win power on that.
Edit: And this is why it's much better to give RFM a few dozen seats with STV when they are on 10-15% of the vote, then to potentially let FPTP give them the keys to Number 10 on barely a quarter of the vote.
On that result even Tories like me would end up in liberal opposition to a hard right Farage government it would be left to Leon and LuckyGuy to champion. Farage would only need to get confidence and supply from the DUP
No, I don’t WANT a Farage government. You don’t understand. I’m merely saying it is highly possible
To illustrate. I did that political compass test the other day and I ended up EXACTLY in the same place as the conservatives. Like: bang on. Nowhere near Reform
I thought: hold on this is odd I hate the Tories. Then I realised: the test uses the parties’ rhetoric and supposed policies as its criteria. And I agree with most of what the Tory party supposedly wants to do - try Rwanda, push back against woke, limit migration, promote British values, integrate people better, lower taxes, diminish the state, protect free speech, preserve the Enlightenment
Trouble is the stupid fucking Tories never actually DO any of this. Do they? They are spineless wet dweebs who have left us with the highest tax rate since Athelred the Tax Maniac and the highest levels of immigration since Creation
It’s highly ironic. I am actually perfectly aligned with the supposed position of the Tory party but the Tory party is not. And that’s the problem
Millions of people feel like me and that’s why we might end up with a hard right government in a few years
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Hang on - not in court yet, so innocent till ...
But there’s two or three of these cases every week, and dozens of (former) Met are now in prison for everything from fraud to rape to murder.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Hang on - not in court yet, so innocent till ...
But there’s two or three of these cases every week, and dozens of (former) Met are now in prison for everything from fraud to rape to murder.
Sure, but it did read as if in the context of that particular case.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Years of piss poor leadership in which so many fail upwards. Not fit for purpose.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
It really is strange in a democracy to see the extremes of rhetoric the Right is driven to in its outrage against any government it doesn't approve of.
They really don't think anyone but they should have the right to decide who governs. Note the electorate, for sure.
Both sides of the media do it. Boris winning London Mayoral Election, its was full on end of days stuff from Guardian. If you listened to Poly Nosepeg, every non-white person was going to be targeted, it was going to be the rise of the Third Reich.
Really?
I must admit I thought when Boris Johnson was using the London mayoralty as a stepping stone he managed to con most people into thinking he was a liberal.
Perhaps understandably, there’s not much chat on here about the French elections.
As it stands, Le Pen’s mob (RN) are close to getting an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
If they DON’T get an absolute majority, which I still suspect is the most likely outcome, then we can expect some fragile minority coalition of Macron’s party and the rump centre-right.
But if they DO get a majority, not only are the promising to do a Truss (ie ballooning the deficit), they are also promising a complete about-turn in the French position on Ukraine. Le Pen has reminded voters that it is the PM not the President that controls the military budget, and Bardella has signalled that France wouldn’t supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. Several RN candidates have proven financial links with Moscow.
This election is a major European event, with significant implications for the UK.
It doesn't seem to be attracting that much attention in France. Maybe that's just the South but I couldn't see much evidence of an election at all.
Even after Putin-piffle, 27% of Brits have a favourable view of Farage (and 8% neutral) and the exact same proportion support Reform. 27%
That suggests they could get 27% at an election and easily overtake the Tories. They have the potential to be the opposition party in 2029 by which time they need to recruit better candidates and more talent and tack slightly to the centre (like Meloni and Le Pen) and then they could actually win (like Meloni and maybe Le Pen)
By the same logic the Greens could get 41% of the vote.
Nah
Saying you have a favourable view of the greens is like saying you “prefer clean rivers” and “please don’t chop down lovely trees”. Who has an issue with any of that? Most people aren’t aware the greens are now insane Woke Marxists
By contrast everyone knows Farage is basically Hitler and yet he has 27% favourability? I know PB doesn’t like hearing this but there is a decent possibility Britain will go down the same hard right road as France Holland Sweden and Italy
It's a fear for sure. 27% though - even FPTP would make it hard to win power on that.
Edit: And this is why it's much better to give RFM a few dozen seats with STV when they are on 10-15% of the vote, then to potentially let FPTP give them the keys to Number 10 on barely a quarter of the vote.
On that result even Tories like me would end up in liberal opposition to a hard right Farage government it would be left to Leon and LuckyGuy to champion. Farage would only need to get confidence and supply from the DUP
No, I don’t WANT a Farage government. You don’t understand. I’m merely saying it is highly possible
To illustrate. I did that political compass test the other day and I ended up EXACTLY in the same place as the conservatives. Like: bang on. Nowhere near Reform
I thought: hold on this is odd I hate the Tories. Then I realised: the test uses the parties’ rhetoric and supposed policies as its criteria. And I agree with most of what the Tory party supposedly wants to do - try Rwanda, push back against woke, limit migration, promote British values, integrate people better, lower taxes, diminish the state, protect free speech, preserve the Enlightenment
Trouble is the stupid fucking Tories never actually DO any of this. Do they? They are spineless wet dweebs who have left us with the highest tax rate since Athelred the Tax Maniac and the highest levels of immigration since Creation
It’s highly ironic. I am actually perfectly aligned with the supposed position of the Tory party but the Tory party is not. And that’s the problem
Millions of people feel like me and that’s why we might end up with a hard right government in a few years
Please could Cyclefree write another header soon? I need to restore balance because I'm starting to agree with Leon.
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
Having read his article, it reads like the impending wipeout is being done to the Conservatives. Heath fails to realise that whatever happens will be because of the Conservatives total inability to govern.
They have done this to themselves. People are not voting for Starmer. This is an Augean Stable clearout
I agree. It's even slightly heart warming to see the progressive forces getting together to make sure that the really nasty forces of Suella Patel Mogg Johnson Truss Sunak and are not only soundly beaten but mauled.
Let's put them all on a flight to Rwanda without any chance of being allowed back to the UK as was their wish for others
I bet the cost of living is cheap there.
The highway to paradise no less.....I watched that vox pop from Suella's constuency and read a post on here and I really felt like I needed a shower.
........Whatever anyone says about the French when a long line of people came walking across the Italian border at Menton a few years ago having come up from Africa and a load of women appeared from nowhere and set up tables and greeted them and passers by walked up to the tables and gave them money and told them places to stay and where get food it was heart warming. An unkind contrast to the vox poppers in Fareham.
You still haven’t explained how you feel about living in the south of France, a stronghold of Le Penisme
Must be quite the cognitive dissonance for you. Though that presumes you actually have a form of cognition, not something one is guaranteed to find in retired tampon ad executives
Perhaps understandably, there’s not much chat on here about the French elections.
As it stands, Le Pen’s mob (RN) are close to getting an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
If they DON’T get an absolute majority, which I still suspect is the most likely outcome, then we can expect some fragile minority coalition of Macron’s party and the rump centre-right.
But if they DO get a majority, not only are the promising to do a Truss (ie ballooning the deficit), they are also promising a complete about-turn in the French position on Ukraine. Le Pen has reminded voters that it is the PM not the President that controls the military budget, and Bardella has signalled that France wouldn’t supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. Several RN candidates have proven financial links with Moscow.
This election is a major European event, with significant implications for the UK.
But it's an event with warm up this Sunday followed by the main event on July 7th.
So a bit of time to discuss it after the election - but you need the Sunday results to reveal the actual stories.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Split them up into national commands and the actual Metropolitan service. It was a mistake putting so much national capability and prestige in one force. It's been a common complaint in the reportage from other forces that the Met thinks itself somehow "elite" and refuses to take advice from provincial plod on anything. Not invented here and all that. And if you're the best of the best, you can't do anything wrong so no need to improve professional standards right? Forces like Durham that were truly rubbish were turned around because they knew they were getting a kicking from the public and needed to be better. The Met just refuses to admit it's meaningfully broken.
Cough. Police Scotland. Cough. National commands get too close to the governing party.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
It's an election. It's not The End Of Days. Parties gain power. Parties lose power. It was inevitable that at some point the Conservatives would lose, and that day is upon us. They, or another similar party, will be back in soon enough.
The Tory party, and the right in general, see themselves as the rightful inheritors of all things good and British, so when they lose power they lose their minds. That was the case in 97 as well. "What do you mean my god given hold on the British state is being taken away because the electorate are supremely fucked off with us? HOW VERY DARE YOU!".
Say what you like about the Americans they're much more comfortable with the idea of parties trading power between them. Well, they used to be in any case.
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
It really is strange in a democracy to see the extremes of rhetoric the Right is driven to in its outrage against any government it doesn't approve of.
They really don't think anyone but they should have the right to decide who governs. Note the electorate, for sure.
Both sides of the media do it. Boris winning London Mayoral Election, its was full on end of days stuff from Guardian. If you listened to Poly Nosepeg, every non-white person was going to be targeted, it was going to be the rise of the Third Reich.
Really?
I must admit I thought when Boris Johnson was using the London mayoralty as a stepping stone he managed to con most people into thinking he was a liberal.
The Guardian went totally OTT, particularly Poly. It was embarrassingly stuff. Not he is a liar and a cheat, which are all fair criticises, it was he was a Hitler-esque figure whom non-white people won't be safe under. On the night he won, Poly was on the BBC coverage and was having an absolute meltdown on nonsense about how bad living in London it would be.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Split them up into national commands and the actual Metropolitan service. It was a mistake putting so much national capability and prestige in one force. It's been a common complaint in the reportage from other forces that the Met thinks itself somehow "elite" and refuses to take advice from provincial plod on anything. Not invented here and all that. And if you're the best of the best, you can't do anything wrong so no need to improve professional standards right? Forces like Durham that were truly rubbish were turned around because they knew they were getting a kicking from the public and needed to be better. The Met just refuses to admit it's meaningfully broken.
Cough. Police Scotland. Cough. National commands get too close to the governing party.
Just amazing how accommodating Police Scotland has been to the ‘governing party’.
Even after Putin-piffle, 27% of Brits have a favourable view of Farage (and 8% neutral) and the exact same proportion support Reform. 27%
That suggests they could get 27% at an election and easily overtake the Tories. They have the potential to be the opposition party in 2029 by which time they need to recruit better candidates and more talent and tack slightly to the centre (like Meloni and Le Pen) and then they could actually win (like Meloni and maybe Le Pen)
By the same logic the Greens could get 41% of the vote.
Nah
Saying you have a favourable view of the greens is like saying you “prefer clean rivers” and “please don’t chop down lovely trees”. Who has an issue with any of that? Most people aren’t aware the greens are now insane Woke Marxists
By contrast everyone knows Farage is basically Hitler and yet he has 27% favourability? I know PB doesn’t like hearing this but there is a decent possibility Britain will go down the same hard right road as France Holland Sweden and Italy
It's a fear for sure. 27% though - even FPTP would make it hard to win power on that.
Edit: And this is why it's much better to give RFM a few dozen seats with STV when they are on 10-15% of the vote, then to potentially let FPTP give them the keys to Number 10 on barely a quarter of the vote.
On that result even Tories like me would end up in liberal opposition to a hard right Farage government it would be left to Leon and LuckyGuy to champion. Farage would only need to get confidence and supply from the DUP
No, I don’t WANT a Farage government. You don’t understand. I’m merely saying it is highly possible
To illustrate. I did that political compass test the other day and I ended up EXACTLY in the same place as the conservatives. Like: bang on. Nowhere near Reform
I thought: hold on this is odd I hate the Tories. Then I realised: the test uses the parties’ rhetoric and supposed policies as its criteria. And I agree with most of what the Tory party supposedly wants to do - try Rwanda, push back against woke, limit migration, promote British values, integrate people better, lower taxes, diminish the state, protect free speech, preserve the Enlightenment
Trouble is the stupid fucking Tories never actually DO any of this. Do they? They are spineless wet dweebs who have left us with the highest tax rate since Athelred the Tax Maniac and the highest levels of immigration since Creation
It’s highly ironic. I am actually perfectly aligned with the supposed position of the Tory party but the Tory party is not. And that’s the problem
Millions of people feel like me and that’s why we might end up with a hard right government in a few years
Please could Cyclefree write another header soon? I need to restore balance because I'm starting to agree with Leon.
Those aren't the attitudes of any Scottish people I know. You ought to make your way to Fareham and exile yourself there. You'd be vety welcome under Suella and Leon's umbrella
While recording for @novaramedia in Chichester I came across groups of teenagers saying they support Nigel Farage and Reform.
One of them, a mixed heritage guy doing his A-levels, said immigrants should be sent back.
A really extraordinary encounter. Watch.
The BBC had a similar experience with a Latvian lady....it broke their group think, they literally said but but but you can't be against immigration, you are one....she wasn't haven't any of it. Obviously she came legally and works like 3 jobs, so wasn't very impressed at the thought of people coming illegally and claiming benefits (that's her take).
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
Why hasn't he (or she I suppose) been charged with theft as well? I know that it says alleged theft, but if the theft isn't proved then presumably it isn't misconduct either? Or am I misunderstanding something?
Misconduct in a public office can carry a much more severe sentence than theft.
Up to Life.
I considered complaining to the police about the actions of a person related to the campaign I am involved in. I took advice from a prosecuting barrister. They told me what to do, but suggested that to get much action the police/CPS like to see dead bodies e.g. Hillsborough type events.
A friend had a watch stolen...
He was walking home from working in a pub. A car came round a corner to fast and knocked down.
A policeman came along a bit later and found a long hair youth, moaning in the gutter. Smelling of the beer from the pub. So he did the obvious. Kicked him a few times, then arrested him for drunk and disorderly.
The fly in the ointment was that the bank up the road had installed CCTV (a bit new then). Which showed the entire sequence of events.
Because the technology was new, it was actually a bit overspec'd - the resolution was sharp enough to show the watch on his wrist as he was hauled away, semi-conscious in the police van. Not recorded when they brought him to the station....
In my mis-spent youth working in pubs and restaurants, I’d get stopped driving home at least once a fortnight. Almost always smelling of beer, I think I did a couple of dozen breathalysers, and every time was positive the copper was going to haul me in because he didn’t believe what his own device told him. Thankfully I was always let on my way.
Unless he was convicted of anything I am not sure why ex BNP members cannot be members of other parties ? People change their mind, we want people to change their mind surely
Perhaps understandably, there’s not much chat on here about the French elections.
As it stands, Le Pen’s mob (RN) are close to getting an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
If they DON’T get an absolute majority, which I still suspect is the most likely outcome, then we can expect some fragile minority coalition of Macron’s party and the rump centre-right.
But if they DO get a majority, not only are the promising to do a Truss (ie ballooning the deficit), they are also promising a complete about-turn in the French position on Ukraine. Le Pen has reminded voters that it is the PM not the President that controls the military budget, and Bardella has signalled that France wouldn’t supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. Several RN candidates have proven financial links with Moscow.
This election is a major European event, with significant implications for the UK.
I would find the far-right much easier to endure if they weren't such pathetic appeasers of Putin's dictatorship.
Shambles of a WC. Last night they played on a ploughed field for the first semi final, New York pitch was consistently terrible, England vs Scotland where there was a massive hole in the sheets covering the pitch, etc etc etc.
Did CCHQ organise it? And had a few bets on via the Indian bookies.
Granted it's more pleasent when it's raining at 27 C than near freezing and the light if it's not raining won't be an issue but June for Georgetown Guyana gets more 1.5 times the rainfall, and as many wet days as Oban in Western Scotland does in January.
While recording for @novaramedia in Chichester I came across groups of teenagers saying they support Nigel Farage and Reform.
One of them, a mixed heritage guy doing his A-levels, said immigrants should be sent back.
A really extraordinary encounter. Watch.
The BBC had a similar experience with a Latvian lady....it broke their group think, they literally said but but but you can't be against immigration, you are one....she wasn't haven't any of it. Obviously she came legally and works like 3 jobs, so wasn't very impressed at the thought of people coming illegally and claiming benefits (that's her take).
Totally unsurprisingly. Cameron assessment of UKIP / Reform was spot on.
I was thinking however, given many paper candidates are going to win Labour seats. I wonder what the under / over line on the time before a Labour MP suspended for previous comments or actions.
Unless he was convicted of anything I am not sure why ex BNP members cannot be members of other parties ? People change their mind, we want people to change their mind surely
UKIP had a specific rule banning former BNP members from joining. Not sure if Reform are the same.
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
Let's spell this out in small words. Putin won't stop with the Ukraine so we either help Ukraine push Russia back now or we all end up fighting him later.
To be fair, many of the people on that BNP list turned out not to be members of the BNP. People in the BNP had been rewarded for “signing people up” - in a number of cases they’d signed up people without mentioning it to the people being signed up.
Fascists lying about achievements - shocking. Not.
While recording for @novaramedia in Chichester I came across groups of teenagers saying they support Nigel Farage and Reform.
One of them, a mixed heritage guy doing his A-levels, said immigrants should be sent back.
A really extraordinary encounter. Watch.
The BBC had a similar experience with a Latvian lady....it broke their group think, they literally said but but but you can't be against immigration, you are one....she wasn't haven't any of it. Obviously she came legally and works like 3 jobs, so wasn't very impressed at the thought of people coming illegally and claiming benefits (that's her take).
Jumping the queue, is there a more heinous crime?
Clearly this Latvian lady has assimilated well to British culture....queue jumping....worst crime ever.
A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.
The Met really does need the full RUC treatment. Totally disbanded, and reconstituted with new management bought in from elsewhere. The culture of the “Service” is totally rotten to the core.
Split them up into national commands and the actual Metropolitan service. It was a mistake putting so much national capability and prestige in one force. It's been a common complaint in the reportage from other forces that the Met thinks itself somehow "elite" and refuses to take advice from provincial plod on anything. Not invented here and all that. And if you're the best of the best, you can't do anything wrong so no need to improve professional standards right? Forces like Durham that were truly rubbish were turned around because they knew they were getting a kicking from the public and needed to be better. The Met just refuses to admit it's meaningfully broken.
Cough. Police Scotland. Cough. National commands get too close to the governing party.
The UK Counter-Terrorism command should not be run by the met. Nor should Diplomatic Protection. They should be separate commands, with their own mandate, drawing from the expertise of every force in the country. Or, since the Met is effectively operating as both a local police constabulary and a national gendarmerie, actually form a national gendarmerie and hive the specialist commands off to it. Then base it somewhere outside London to sever the cozy little gravy train from Met to specialist command.
Do we think SIS, NCA, GCHQ and the Security Service are too close to the governing party because they operate as their own entites under their respective ministries? The BTP seems to be pretty reasonable at its job without being buried under the Met. Police Scotland is another matter entirely due to the appointment process of the seniors and how it was merged. This isn't a merger, it's a divestment.
Shambles of a WC. Last night they played on a ploughed field for the first semi final, New York pitch was consistently terrible, England vs Scotland where there was a massive hole in the sheets covering the pitch, etc etc etc.
Did CCHQ organise it? And had a few bets on via the Indian bookies.
Granted it's more pleasent when it's raining at 27 C than near freezing and the light if it's not raining won't be an issue but June for Georgetown Guyana gets more 1.5 times the rainfall, and as many wet days as Oban in Western Scotland does in January.
They also played in Florida, where I believe the super-sopper machine broke down from over usage.
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
Let's spell this out in small words. Putin won't stop with the Ukraine so we either help Ukraine push Russia back now or we all end up fighting him later.
go and die for it yourself then if you really believe in absolute certainty like that and not expect others to do it for you
Even after Putin-piffle, 27% of Brits have a favourable view of Farage (and 8% neutral) and the exact same proportion support Reform. 27%
That suggests they could get 27% at an election and easily overtake the Tories. They have the potential to be the opposition party in 2029 by which time they need to recruit better candidates and more talent and tack slightly to the centre (like Meloni and Le Pen) and then they could actually win (like Meloni and maybe Le Pen)
By the same logic the Greens could get 41% of the vote.
Nah
Saying you have a favourable view of the greens is like saying you “prefer clean rivers” and “please don’t chop down lovely trees”. Who has an issue with any of that? Most people aren’t aware the greens are now insane Woke Marxists
By contrast everyone knows Farage is basically Hitler and yet he has 27% favourability? I know PB doesn’t like hearing this but there is a decent possibility Britain will go down the same hard right road as France Holland Sweden and Italy
It's a fear for sure. 27% though - even FPTP would make it hard to win power on that.
Edit: And this is why it's much better to give RFM a few dozen seats with STV when they are on 10-15% of the vote, then to potentially let FPTP give them the keys to Number 10 on barely a quarter of the vote.
On that result even Tories like me would end up in liberal opposition to a hard right Farage government it would be left to Leon and LuckyGuy to champion. Farage would only need to get confidence and supply from the DUP
No, I don’t WANT a Farage government. You don’t understand. I’m merely saying it is highly possible
To illustrate. I did that political compass test the other day and I ended up EXACTLY in the same place as the conservatives. Like: bang on. Nowhere near Reform
I thought: hold on this is odd I hate the Tories. Then I realised: the test uses the parties’ rhetoric and supposed policies as its criteria. And I agree with most of what the Tory party supposedly wants to do - try Rwanda, push back against woke, limit migration, promote British values, integrate people better, lower taxes, diminish the state, protect free speech, preserve the Enlightenment
Trouble is the stupid fucking Tories never actually DO any of this. Do they? They are spineless wet dweebs who have left us with the highest tax rate since Athelred the Tax Maniac and the highest levels of immigration since Creation
It’s highly ironic. I am actually perfectly aligned with the supposed position of the Tory party but the Tory party is not. And that’s the problem
Millions of people feel like me and that’s why we might end up with a hard right government in a few years
Please could Cyclefree write another header soon? I need to restore balance because I'm starting to agree with Leon.
Those aren't the attitudes of any Scottish people I know. You ought to make your way to Fareham and exile yourself there. You'd be vety welcome under Suella and Leon's umbrella
Where is this voxpop you speak of. Do you have a link?
This sort of thing must be enjoyable for lefties to read.
"Armageddon is upon us, and Britain will never be the same again Right-wing Britain faces meltdown, with the almost total elimination of any power over the UK’s destiny Allister Heath"
Having read his article, it reads like the impending wipeout is being done to the Conservatives. Heath fails to realise that whatever happens will be because of the Conservatives total inability to govern.
They have done this to themselves. People are not voting for Starmer. This is an Augean Stable clearout
I agree. It's even slightly heart warming to see the progressive forces getting together to make sure that the really nasty forces of Suella Patel Mogg Johnson Truss Sunak and are not only soundly beaten but mauled.
Let's put them all on a flight to Rwanda without any chance of being allowed back to the UK as was their wish for others
I bet the cost of living is cheap there.
Well Rwanda has had an injection of £500 million into its economy courtesy of the British taxpayer to spend as it wants. Buy shares in Kigali Mercedes Benz dealers.
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
You do realise you are agreeing with another of our Saturday morning Russobots don't you? We only tolerate him because he is funny and we are seeing how longbhe can last before he trips Robert's troll metre devise.
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
You do realise you are agreeing with another of our Saturday morning Russobots don't you? We only tolerate him because he is funny and we are seeing how longbhe can last before he trips Robert's troll metre devise.
We now assign our bots posting schedules? When did that start?
Shambles of a WC. Last night they played on a ploughed field for the first semi final, New York pitch was consistently terrible, England vs Scotland where there was a massive hole in the sheets covering the pitch, etc etc etc.
Did CCHQ organise it? And had a few bets on via the Indian bookies.
Granted it's more pleasent when it's raining at 27 C than near freezing and the light if it's not raining won't be an issue but June for Georgetown Guyana gets more 1.5 times the rainfall, and as many wet days as Oban in Western Scotland does in January.
Good news for my proposal for a major T20 competition in Oban in January.
Sunak was much closer to Starmer in the post debate poll last night, this poll was pre debate
Oh HY, I almost feel sorry for you. You want so much for it to all turn out not so bad after all but I fear you are in for a terrible disappointment.
I doubt if more than a few thousand at most will be swayed by that debate. Against which the Tory propaganda machine continues it's relentless efforts to boost the Labour vote with the Ange PR piece and this shocker that will convince absolutely no one to vote Tory:
It looks like a hostage situation to be honest.
"Hello? Yes, that's right, I have three hostages in here with me so don't even think of trying something because I swear to God I'll shoot them. I have a list of demands: 1. £10,000,000 IN SMALL DENOMINATION NON-SEQUENTIAL NOTES 2. THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE POLITICAL PRISONER JACKIE WEAVER AND THE DISSOLUTION OF HANDFORTH PARISH COUNCIL 3. DON'T SURRENDER OUR FUTURE TO LABOUR 4. A 12" THIN-CRUST HAWAIIAN PIZZA"
[Police cut the power and start playing Radiohead on a bank of speakers] [hostage taker shoots himself]
This sounds like the it's a robbery scene in Pulp fiction? Do we have a similar flim taste?
Radiohead. Brillant. Paranoid Android. Wonderful.
Careful! That’s banning talk, that is.
Criticising Radiohead is a banning offence, claiming they are brilliant isn't - because RCS1000 doesn't believe in sarcasm...
Is it not axiomatic that any praise of Radiohead is sincere ?
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
You do realise you are agreeing with another of our Saturday morning Russobots don't you? We only tolerate him because he is funny and we are seeing how longbhe can last before he trips Robert's troll metre devise.
While recording for @novaramedia in Chichester I came across groups of teenagers saying they support Nigel Farage and Reform.
One of them, a mixed heritage guy doing his A-levels, said immigrants should be sent back.
A really extraordinary encounter. Watch.
The BBC had a similar experience with a Latvian lady....it broke their group think, they literally said but but but you can't be against immigration, you are one....she wasn't haven't any of it. Obviously she came legally and works like 3 jobs, so wasn't very impressed at the thought of people coming illegally and claiming benefits (that's her take).
Who would have thought that immigrants have multiple aspects to their personality, beyond the fact that they were born in another country?
The interviewers must have led pretty sheltered lives not to have come across these views before.
I don't think it bodes ill for Reform. Reform have a lot of favourable people to get through before Farage's unfavourability become an issue. And the controversial nature of Farage and his negative coverage in sections of the press suggests if you're favourable to him, you're very favourable.
I don’t think anti-Reform tactical voting (though eventually it will come about) is likely to be a big feature in this GE either.
I'm quite hopeful it will and that FPTP works its magic at keeping the extremists out of Parliament.
Eight time loser Nigel Farage has a good ring to it, at the risk of coming across all Kevin Keegan, I'd love it if it comes true.
The use of extremists to refer to a party on the right that you happen to dislike is all sorts of pathetic. As well as being foolish - there are plenty of people who would love to label your views on economic issues as 'extremist' and will try it, and you'll have no leg to stand on having done the same thing to Reform, just (as far as I can see) to earn yourself some cringey trendy vicar cool points.
Left or right has nothing to do with it, the use of extremists to refer to any party that are extremists who pander to our enemy in Vladimir Putin is entirely appropriate.
Corbyn was an extremist and panders to Putin. Same with Farage.
I get why you don't see it as extreme, but it is and thankfully approximately three quarters of the country agrees which is not a helpful thing for your extremists under FPTP.
PS I rightly acknowledge that many of my own personal views on topics varying from economics to abolishing planning are considered extreme. I'm OK with that and not ashamed of that. I'd rather be extreme for backing liberalism and letting people do what they want with their own land, than be extreme for hating foreigners apart from Vladimir Putin.
I don't like to resort to personal invective. But your unending capacity to miss the point makes it somewhat of a challenge.
The point is you want us to be soft and cuddly with a nasty party of racists and bigots and Putin apologists, that somehow found many quite literal fascists as candidates, rather than call them what they are - extremists.
No thanks. I prefer honesty, even if it upsets your mores.
The decision on the extent that we become involved in Ukraine is a foreign policy debate - one side of it is not 'extreme' - that would make every single person living in India, or China, or Austria, or Ireland, an extremist. You may hold the view that we should be involved, and that it is our moral duty to be involved, but you need to debate the rights and wrongs of involvement, not dismiss everyone on the other side as 'traitors' or 'extremists' which is Orwellian as well as intellectually lazy.
As for the rest of this tripe, it's the standard 'nasty party of racist bigots' that gets chucked at every right wing party that dares to challenge the prevailing consensus. It's a pathetic spectacle to see an avowed libertarian free marketeer chucking around such terms, but hey, you do you.
No, not every right wing party is a nasty party of racist bigots. The Tories aren't, I think they're failing and incompetent and overdue time on the Opposition benches to sort themselves out, but they're not a nasty party of racist bigots.
However Reform led by Nigel Farage absolutely is a nasty party of racist bigots.
There's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Don't be such a snowflake, if the party doesn't want to be called a nasty party of racist bigots, then not being a nasty party of racist bigots would be a good starting point.
Unless he was convicted of anything I am not sure why ex BNP members cannot be members of other parties ? People change their mind, we want people to change their mind surely
Got to say, that seems pretty tame for a Reform candidate.
I don't think it bodes ill for Reform. Reform have a lot of favourable people to get through before Farage's unfavourability become an issue. And the controversial nature of Farage and his negative coverage in sections of the press suggests if you're favourable to him, you're very favourable.
I don’t think anti-Reform tactical voting (though eventually it will come about) is likely to be a big feature in this GE either.
I'm quite hopeful it will and that FPTP works its magic at keeping the extremists out of Parliament.
Eight time loser Nigel Farage has a good ring to it, at the risk of coming across all Kevin Keegan, I'd love it if it comes true.
The use of extremists to refer to a party on the right that you happen to dislike is all sorts of pathetic. As well as being foolish - there are plenty of people who would love to label your views on economic issues as 'extremist' and will try it, and you'll have no leg to stand on having done the same thing to Reform, just (as far as I can see) to earn yourself some cringey trendy vicar cool points.
Left or right has nothing to do with it, the use of extremists to refer to any party that are extremists who pander to our enemy in Vladimir Putin is entirely appropriate.
Corbyn was an extremist and panders to Putin. Same with Farage.
I get why you don't see it as extreme, but it is and thankfully approximately three quarters of the country agrees which is not a helpful thing for your extremists under FPTP.
PS I rightly acknowledge that many of my own personal views on topics varying from economics to abolishing planning are considered extreme. I'm OK with that and not ashamed of that. I'd rather be extreme for backing liberalism and letting people do what they want with their own land, than be extreme for hating foreigners apart from Vladimir Putin.
I don't like to resort to personal invective. But your unending capacity to miss the point makes it somewhat of a challenge.
The point is you want us to be soft and cuddly with a nasty party of racists and bigots and Putin apologists, that somehow found many quite literal fascists as candidates, rather than call them what they are - extremists.
No thanks. I prefer honesty, even if it upsets your mores.
The decision on the extent that we become involved in Ukraine is a foreign policy debate - one side of it is not 'extreme' - that would make every single person living in India, or China, or Austria, or Ireland, an extremist. You may hold the view that we should be involved, and that it is our moral duty to be involved, but you need to debate the rights and wrongs of involvement, not dismiss everyone on the other side as 'traitors' or 'extremists' which is Orwellian as well as intellectually lazy.
As for the rest of this tripe, it's the standard 'nasty party of racist bigots' that gets chucked at every right wing party that dares to challenge the prevailing consensus. It's a pathetic spectacle to see an avowed libertarian free marketeer chucking around such terms, but hey, you do you.
No, not every right wing party is a nasty party of racist bigots. The Tories aren't, I think they're failing and incompetent and overdue time on the Opposition benches to sort themselves out, but they're not a nasty party of racist bigots.
However Reform led by Nigel Farage absolutely is a nasty party of racist bigots.
There's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Don't be such a snowflake, if the party doesn't want to be called a nasty party of racist bigots, then not being a nasty party of racist bigots would be a good starting point.
I don't think it bodes ill for Reform. Reform have a lot of favourable people to get through before Farage's unfavourability become an issue. And the controversial nature of Farage and his negative coverage in sections of the press suggests if you're favourable to him, you're very favourable.
I don’t think anti-Reform tactical voting (though eventually it will come about) is likely to be a big feature in this GE either.
I'm quite hopeful it will and that FPTP works its magic at keeping the extremists out of Parliament.
Eight time loser Nigel Farage has a good ring to it, at the risk of coming across all Kevin Keegan, I'd love it if it comes true.
The use of extremists to refer to a party on the right that you happen to dislike is all sorts of pathetic. As well as being foolish - there are plenty of people who would love to label your views on economic issues as 'extremist' and will try it, and you'll have no leg to stand on having done the same thing to Reform, just (as far as I can see) to earn yourself some cringey trendy vicar cool points.
Left or right has nothing to do with it, the use of extremists to refer to any party that are extremists who pander to our enemy in Vladimir Putin is entirely appropriate.
Corbyn was an extremist and panders to Putin. Same with Farage.
I get why you don't see it as extreme, but it is and thankfully approximately three quarters of the country agrees which is not a helpful thing for your extremists under FPTP.
PS I rightly acknowledge that many of my own personal views on topics varying from economics to abolishing planning are considered extreme. I'm OK with that and not ashamed of that. I'd rather be extreme for backing liberalism and letting people do what they want with their own land, than be extreme for hating foreigners apart from Vladimir Putin.
I don't like to resort to personal invective. But your unending capacity to miss the point makes it somewhat of a challenge.
The point is you want us to be soft and cuddly with a nasty party of racists and bigots and Putin apologists, that somehow found many quite literal fascists as candidates, rather than call them what they are - extremists.
No thanks. I prefer honesty, even if it upsets your mores.
The decision on the extent that we become involved in Ukraine is a foreign policy debate - one side of it is not 'extreme' - that would make every single person living in India, or China, or Austria, or Ireland, an extremist. You may hold the view that we should be involved, and that it is our moral duty to be involved, but you need to debate the rights and wrongs of involvement, not dismiss everyone on the other side as 'traitors' or 'extremists' which is Orwellian as well as intellectually lazy.
As for the rest of this tripe, it's the standard 'nasty party of racist bigots' that gets chucked at every right wing party that dares to challenge the prevailing consensus. It's a pathetic spectacle to see an avowed libertarian free marketeer chucking around such terms, but hey, you do you.
No, not every right wing party is a nasty party of racist bigots. The Tories aren't, I think they're failing and incompetent and overdue time on the Opposition benches to sort themselves out, but they're not a nasty party of racist bigots.
However Reform led by Nigel Farage absolutely is a nasty party of racist bigots.
There's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Don't be such a snowflake, if the party doesn't want to be called a nasty party of racist bigots, then not being a nasty party of racist bigots would be a good starting point.
you sound immature
No, I just dislike nasty parties of racist bigots and I'm not afraid to tell the truth.
While recording for @novaramedia in Chichester I came across groups of teenagers saying they support Nigel Farage and Reform.
One of them, a mixed heritage guy doing his A-levels, said immigrants should be sent back.
A really extraordinary encounter. Watch.
The BBC had a similar experience with a Latvian lady....it broke their group think, they literally said but but but you can't be against immigration, you are one....she wasn't haven't any of it. Obviously she came legally and works like 3 jobs, so wasn't very impressed at the thought of people coming illegally and claiming benefits (that's her take).
Jumping the queue, is there a more heinous crime?
I remember reading a Punjabi newspaper on a bus (well, a newspaper aimed at the Punjabi community in London. In English, obviously) around fifteen years ago; the lead story were of the trouble being faced by Punjabi tradesmen because of the influx of Eastern Europeans.
But it makes perfect sense. There is no reason whatsoever why immigrants should be one coherent bloc with common interests.
I don't think it bodes ill for Reform. Reform have a lot of favourable people to get through before Farage's unfavourability become an issue. And the controversial nature of Farage and his negative coverage in sections of the press suggests if you're favourable to him, you're very favourable.
I don’t think anti-Reform tactical voting (though eventually it will come about) is likely to be a big feature in this GE either.
I'm quite hopeful it will and that FPTP works its magic at keeping the extremists out of Parliament.
Eight time loser Nigel Farage has a good ring to it, at the risk of coming across all Kevin Keegan, I'd love it if it comes true.
The use of extremists to refer to a party on the right that you happen to dislike is all sorts of pathetic. As well as being foolish - there are plenty of people who would love to label your views on economic issues as 'extremist' and will try it, and you'll have no leg to stand on having done the same thing to Reform, just (as far as I can see) to earn yourself some cringey trendy vicar cool points.
Left or right has nothing to do with it, the use of extremists to refer to any party that are extremists who pander to our enemy in Vladimir Putin is entirely appropriate.
Corbyn was an extremist and panders to Putin. Same with Farage.
I get why you don't see it as extreme, but it is and thankfully approximately three quarters of the country agrees which is not a helpful thing for your extremists under FPTP.
PS I rightly acknowledge that many of my own personal views on topics varying from economics to abolishing planning are considered extreme. I'm OK with that and not ashamed of that. I'd rather be extreme for backing liberalism and letting people do what they want with their own land, than be extreme for hating foreigners apart from Vladimir Putin.
I don't like to resort to personal invective. But your unending capacity to miss the point makes it somewhat of a challenge.
The point is you want us to be soft and cuddly with a nasty party of racists and bigots and Putin apologists, that somehow found many quite literal fascists as candidates, rather than call them what they are - extremists.
No thanks. I prefer honesty, even if it upsets your mores.
The decision on the extent that we become involved in Ukraine is a foreign policy debate - one side of it is not 'extreme' - that would make every single person living in India, or China, or Austria, or Ireland, an extremist. You may hold the view that we should be involved, and that it is our moral duty to be involved, but you need to debate the rights and wrongs of involvement, not dismiss everyone on the other side as 'traitors' or 'extremists' which is Orwellian as well as intellectually lazy.
As for the rest of this tripe, it's the standard 'nasty party of racist bigots' that gets chucked at every right wing party that dares to challenge the prevailing consensus. It's a pathetic spectacle to see an avowed libertarian free marketeer chucking around such terms, but hey, you do you.
No, not every right wing party is a nasty party of racist bigots. The Tories aren't, I think they're failing and incompetent and overdue time on the Opposition benches to sort themselves out, but they're not a nasty party of racist bigots.
However Reform led by Nigel Farage absolutely is a nasty party of racist bigots.
There's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Don't be such a snowflake, if the party doesn't want to be called a nasty party of racist bigots, then not being a nasty party of racist bigots would be a good starting point.
you sound immature
No, I just dislike nasty parties of racist bigots and I'm not afraid to tell the truth.
Sorry if that hurts your feelings.
believe me I really dont get hurt feelings from what you say - Just observing you sound a bit immature and maybe a bit simple
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
Let's spell this out in small words. Putin won't stop with the Ukraine so we either help Ukraine push Russia back now or we all end up fighting him later.
Ukraine might decide they're better off agreeing to a ceasefire now, and rebuilding/preparing for the next round.
That's their decision to make. Our decision is whether to provide as much support as we can to help them be as successful in defending themselves as possible.
A couple of years to build a modern NATO standard air force and air defences, to push forward drone developments, and take delivery of new warships currently being built. It might be a better route to victory than trying to do the same under continual Russian artillery and missile bombardment - provided we give them at least as much assistance during a ceasefire as during this active phase of the war.
The Russian apologists will want to paint it as Ukrainian defeat. As it being impossible that Ukraine can win, but it doesn't have to be that way.
While recording for @novaramedia in Chichester I came across groups of teenagers saying they support Nigel Farage and Reform.
One of them, a mixed heritage guy doing his A-levels, said immigrants should be sent back.
A really extraordinary encounter. Watch.
The BBC had a similar experience with a Latvian lady....it broke their group think, they literally said but but but you can't be against immigration, you are one....she wasn't haven't any of it. Obviously she came legally and works like 3 jobs, so wasn't very impressed at the thought of people coming illegally and claiming benefits (that's her take).
Who would have thought that immigrants have multiple aspects to their personality, beyond the fact that they were born in another country?
The interviewers must have led pretty sheltered lives not to have come across these views before.
The biggest NIMBYs against new housing are usually the people in the most recent housing that was built on the edge of town.
yes all those who advocate no negotiations on here should realise that a lot of young men are dying horribly - Its not a video game .Its why Farage did not really makes a mistake when he talked about the war as at least the number of people voting for Reform agree with him
Let's spell this out in small words. Putin won't stop with the Ukraine so we either help Ukraine push Russia back now or we all end up fighting him later.
Ukraine might decide they're better off agreeing to a ceasefire now, and rebuilding/preparing for the next round.
That's their decision to make. Our decision is whether to provide as much support as we can to help them be as successful in defending themselves as possible.
A couple of years to build a modern NATO standard air force and air defences, to push forward drone developments, and take delivery of new warships currently being built. It might be a better route to victory than trying to do the same under continual Russian artillery and missile bombardment - provided we give them at least as much assistance during a ceasefire as during this active phase of the war.
The Russian apologists will want to paint it as Ukrainian defeat. As it being impossible that Ukraine can win, but it doesn't have to be that way.
But that is a decision where the Ukraine is the only country that can make the decision. Our task is to support them..
The funny bit is, six weeks ago, it really did look like the Russians might be winning. Sure, they were taking horrendous casualties, but they were advancing on all fronts.
But in the last month, the Russian advance has totally stalled. So much so, that the Russians are bringing in troops from one of the poorest countries in the world to try and bolster their numbers.
It's hard to see how a bunch of starving, ill equipped North Korean conscripts will tip the tide for the Russians. And the fact that it is clearly increasingly hard for Russia to get enough troops from the provinces to fight is a sign of just how thinly stretched they are right now.
Putin is desperately hanging on and hoping for a Trump victory that will, he hopes, force Ukraine to the negotiating table so he can claim victory.
But I'm increasingly confident that Ukraine will hang on irrespective of what happens in the US. And I'm enormously relieved that Starmer is likely to continue to fully support Ukraine. I just hope that other European countries are as steadfast.
Looks like one of the engines on that Mig-29 is in serious need of maintenance.
Ukranians doing well to keep these things in the air though - I guess there are enough spare airframes left in the rest of the world to scavenge parts from?
Breaking news: England's footballers will not be voting in the general election, according to Gareth Southgate. He says they're unable to find the box, let alone put a cross into it.
The funny bit is, six weeks ago, it really did look like the Russians might be winning. Sure, they were taking horrendous casualties, but they were advancing on all fronts.
But in the last month, the Russian advance has totally stalled. So much so, that the Russians are bringing in troops from one of the poorest countries in the world to try and bolster their numbers.
It's hard to see how a bunch of starving, ill equipped North Korean conscripts will tip the tide for the Russians. And the fact that it is clearly increasingly hard for Russia to get enough troops from the provinces to fight is a sign of just how thinly stretched they are right now.
Putin is desperately hanging on and hoping for a Trump victory that will, he hopes, force Ukraine to the negotiating table so he can claim victory.
But I'm increasingly confident that Ukraine will hang on irrespective of what happens in the US. And I'm enormously relieved that Starmer is likely to continue to fully support Ukraine. I just hope that other European countries are as steadfast.
I wonder how much Kim is charging Vlad for his new source of cannon fodder?
Russia must be really desperate if they’re reduced to scraping up the dregs from NK in order to find more warm bodies to throw at the front.
Via @wethinkpolling, 6-24 Jun. Changes w/ GE2019 Notional. Yum yum
Yikes.
That's fascinating. Not much Labour organisation in the seat at all (though a very keen candidate, Isabel Oakeshott's sister). LibDem posters and leaflets everywhere. And yet the above.
If it's accurate then the Blue Wall starts getting very messy.
I’m impressed - usually these guys can’t wait more than an hour after joining before hitting the propaganda button. This one managed a whole three days,
Comments
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2024/06/26/india-manipulating-t20-world-cup-draw-made-it-farce/
I had a Met WPC look me in the eye and tell me that - YES - she seriously suspected that me and the GF (Oops. MY GF, musn't upset the language police) were terrorists. I did an interview on BBC News 24 about it, having written a blog piece which I landed at no 1 on Google for the relevant search.
We had stood for about 30 seconds looking at the local area map - obviously suspicious behaviour.
As for the rest of this tripe, it's the standard 'nasty party of racist bigots' that gets chucked at every right wing party that dares to challenge the prevailing consensus. It's a pathetic spectacle to see an avowed libertarian free marketeer chucking around such terms, but hey, you do you.
Did CCHQ organise it? And had a few bets on via the Indian bookies.
They really don't think anyone but they should have the right to decide who governs. Note the electorate, for sure.
........Whatever anyone says about the French when a long line of people came walking across the Italian border at Menton a few years ago having come up from Africa and a load of women appeared from nowhere and set up tables and greeted them and passers by walked up to the tables and gave them money and told them places to stay and where get food it was heart warming. An unkind contrast to the vox poppers in Fareham.
Gets Khan out of the loop too.
As it stands, Le Pen’s mob (RN) are close to getting an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
If they DON’T get an absolute majority, which I still suspect is the most likely outcome, then we can expect some fragile minority coalition of Macron’s party and the rump centre-right.
But if they DO get a majority, not only are the promising to do a Truss (ie ballooning the deficit), they are also promising a complete about-turn in the French position on Ukraine. Le Pen has reminded voters that it is the PM not the President that controls the military budget, and Bardella has signalled that France wouldn’t supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. Several RN candidates have proven financial links with Moscow.
This election is a major European event, with significant implications for the UK.
https://x.com/uklabour/status/1805980078582509627?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
I agree with Kath.
https://x.com/kathyburke/status/1805999768260259861?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
To illustrate. I did that political compass test the other day and I ended up EXACTLY in the same place as the conservatives. Like: bang on. Nowhere near Reform
I thought: hold on this is odd I hate the Tories. Then I realised: the test uses the parties’ rhetoric and supposed policies as its criteria. And I agree with most of what the Tory party supposedly wants to do - try Rwanda, push back against woke, limit migration, promote British values, integrate people better, lower taxes, diminish the state, protect free speech, preserve the Enlightenment
Trouble is the stupid fucking Tories never actually DO any of this. Do they? They are spineless wet dweebs who have left us with the highest tax rate since Athelred the Tax Maniac and the highest levels of immigration since Creation
It’s highly ironic. I am actually perfectly aligned with the supposed position of the Tory party but the Tory party is not. And that’s the problem
Millions of people feel like me and that’s why we might end up with a hard right government in a few years
BREAKING: Zelensky finally admits time is running out because there are too many dead and wounded Ukrainians.
https://x.com/aussiecossack/status/1806325637667532912
I must admit I thought when Boris Johnson was using the London mayoralty as a stepping stone he managed to con most people into thinking he was a liberal.
‘Broadcasting from Sydney’s Russian Consulate since being granted diplomatic asylum in 2022. Registered foreign agent for Sputnik News’
Must be quite the cognitive dissonance for you. Though that presumes you actually have a form of cognition, not something one is guaranteed to find in retired tampon ad executives
So a bit of time to discuss it after the election - but you need the Sunday results to reveal the actual stories.
Say what you like about the Americans they're much more comfortable with the idea of parties trading power between them. Well, they used to be in any case.
While recording for @novaramedia in Chichester I came across groups of teenagers saying they support Nigel Farage and Reform.
One of them, a mixed heritage guy doing his A-levels, said immigrants should be sent back.
A really extraordinary encounter. Watch.
Reform UK drops candidate revealed to have been BNP member
Exclusive: Raymond Saint, who is standing in Basingstoke, was recorded as BNP member on list published in 2009
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/27/reform-uk-drops-basingstoke-candidate-raymond-saint-bnp-2009-list
I was thinking however, given many paper candidates are going to win Labour seats. I wonder what the under / over line on the time before a Labour MP suspended for previous comments or actions.
People in the BNP had been rewarded for “signing people up” - in a number of cases they’d signed up people without mentioning it to the people being signed up.
Fascists lying about achievements - shocking. Not.
Do we think SIS, NCA, GCHQ and the Security Service are too close to the governing party because they operate as their own entites under their respective ministries? The BTP seems to be pretty reasonable at its job without being buried under the Met. Police Scotland is another matter entirely due to the appointment process of the seniors and how it was merged. This isn't a merger, it's a divestment.
That's a terrible way to run a tournament. Any cricket semi-final absolutely should have a reserve day.
Fucking Christ. Say "I'm a bot whose programmer paid for a blue tick without saying..."
Damn, I'm too late.
The interviewers must have led pretty sheltered lives not to have come across these views before.
However Reform led by Nigel Farage absolutely is a nasty party of racist bigots.
There's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Don't be such a snowflake, if the party doesn't want to be called a nasty party of racist bigots, then not being a nasty party of racist bigots would be a good starting point.
LAB: 31% (+14)
LDM: 31% (+4)
CON: 30% (-23)
GRN: 3% (+1)
RFM: 3% (New)
Via @wethinkpolling, 6-24 Jun.
Changes w/ GE2019 Notional.
Yum yum
https://x.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1806295184952492331
Sorry if that hurts your feelings.
But it makes perfect sense. There is no reason whatsoever why immigrants should be one coherent bloc with common interests.
That's their decision to make. Our decision is whether to provide as much support as we can to help them be as successful in defending themselves as possible.
A couple of years to build a modern NATO standard air force and air defences, to push forward drone developments, and take delivery of new warships currently being built. It might be a better route to victory than trying to do the same under continual Russian artillery and missile bombardment - provided we give them at least as much assistance during a ceasefire as during this active phase of the war.
The Russian apologists will want to paint it as Ukrainian defeat. As it being impossible that Ukraine can win, but it doesn't have to be that way.
I'm a bit worried because I was a bit harsh about Python yesterday and I am not sure which offense is worse...
But in the last month, the Russian advance has totally stalled. So much so, that the Russians are bringing in troops from one of the poorest countries in the world to try and bolster their numbers.
It's hard to see how a bunch of starving, ill equipped North Korean conscripts will tip the tide for the Russians. And the fact that it is clearly increasingly hard for Russia to get enough troops from the provinces to fight is a sign of just how thinly stretched they are right now.
Putin is desperately hanging on and hoping for a Trump victory that will, he hopes, force Ukraine to the negotiating table so he can claim victory.
But I'm increasingly confident that Ukraine will hang on irrespective of what happens in the US. And I'm enormously relieved that Starmer is likely to continue to fully support Ukraine. I just hope that other European countries are as steadfast.
Ukranians doing well to keep these things in the air though - I guess there are enough spare airframes left in the rest of the world to scavenge parts from?
Breaking news: England's footballers will not be voting in the general election, according to Gareth Southgate. He says they're unable to find the box, let alone put a cross into it.
Russia must be really desperate if they’re reduced to scraping up the dregs from NK in order to find more warm bodies to throw at the front.
But there's also a reason (well many reasons) why it is so popular. In particular: chips are cheap and humans are expensive.
That's fascinating. Not much Labour organisation in the seat at all (though a very keen candidate, Isabel Oakeshott's sister). LibDem posters and leaflets everywhere. And yet the above.
If it's accurate then the Blue Wall starts getting very messy.