On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
Agreed.
We should remove immigrant languages like English and have signs just in Welsh.
Why are Welsh rail stations owned by somebody called Fford Allan?
That just tells people who dislike Welsh where to eggs it.
Why are we whining about Trump when this is happening in our own country?
“Here are 3 maps and a thread which show you what is now unfolding in some parts of England 🧵
1. Let me introduce you to St Matthews and Highfields in Leicester.
In this part of Leicester more than 80% of people who are living in social housing were born outside of the UK, of whom only half are currently in work.
More people in this area were born in the Middle East or Asia than in the UK. Three-quarters of residents are Muslim. Not even two-thirds identify as British or English while close to one in three identify with a 'non-UK identity only'. More than four in ten people here live in households that contain NO adults who speak English as their main language.”
My wife was born outside the UK, and (gasps) is from a Muslim country.
What has that got to do with Leon post, if his data is correct then it shows why we are skint for sure. Your wife is not living free in social housing or on benefits etc. Unlimited immigration of unskilled economic immigrants is wrecking the UK.
We don't have unlimited immigration of unskilled immigrants, or of any immigrants.
Data from one small bit of Leicester doesn't tell us much about the overall situation in the UK. When you look at all the data, it shows immigration is generally good for the economy.
Leon is a racist and an Islamophobe, who is shit stirring about this because he can't shit stir claiming Trump is great any more given how obviously ludicrous such statements are.
All this great immigration has not done much obvious for UK, if it is so good why are we in the shit and skint. Can you show any "good" that has happened to UK economy, I don't ever see any good news about it.
Which countries have life significantly better than the UK?
F*** off , most of the developed world. Have you ever looked at league tables on all measures. You will not find UK in top half of any measurement.
By saying "developed world" you are cherry-picking.
Why are we whining about Trump when this is happening in our own country?
“Here are 3 maps and a thread which show you what is now unfolding in some parts of England 🧵
1. Let me introduce you to St Matthews and Highfields in Leicester.
In this part of Leicester more than 80% of people who are living in social housing were born outside of the UK, of whom only half are currently in work.
More people in this area were born in the Middle East or Asia than in the UK. Three-quarters of residents are Muslim. Not even two-thirds identify as British or English while close to one in three identify with a 'non-UK identity only'. More than four in ten people here live in households that contain NO adults who speak English as their main language.”
My wife was born outside the UK, and (gasps) is from a Muslim country.
What has that got to do with Leon post, if his data is correct then it shows why we are skint for sure. Your wife is not living free in social housing or on benefits etc. Unlimited immigration of unskilled economic immigrants is wrecking the UK.
We don't have unlimited immigration of unskilled immigrants, or of any immigrants.
Data from one small bit of Leicester doesn't tell us much about the overall situation in the UK. When you look at all the data, it shows immigration is generally good for the economy.
Leon is a racist and an Islamophobe, who is shit stirring about this because he can't shit stir claiming Trump is great any more given how obviously ludicrous such statements are.
All this great immigration has not done much obvious for UK, if it is so good why are we in the shit and skint. Can you show any "good" that has happened to UK economy, I don't ever see any good news about it.
Which countries have life significantly better than the UK?
F*** off , most of the developed world. Have you ever looked at league tables on all measures. You will not find UK in top half of any measurement.
By saying "developed world" you are cherry-picking.
I remember when Peter Hain said that life was much better in Wales compared to Rwanda and most other countries.
By 2028 the United States could well be a one party state with only one candidate who will get 99% of the vote.
Not unless Trump can repeal the first amendment and ban the Democratic Party US wide and get the military and police to enforce that and prevent blue states seceding
Those worrying about the English language and identity of parts of Leicester in 2025 would be equally shocked by the stats for Whitechapel in 1891 which was 90% Russian or Yiddish speaking Jewish in some streets. History just repeats.
History doesn't just repeat. That's a very boomerish platitude.
Be my guest and ignore the (Gen X actually) platitude. The parallels remain.
Did you ever apologise to Isam for your posts to him last May ?
I've only really just caught up with the whole Zelensky/Trump/Vance dust up.( Got a bit on my plate at the minute, lost my brother unexpectedly, my mum's dementia dropped off a cliff) The white house was a genuine shitshow, truly jawdropping TV. What really, really made me almost puke was Starmer grinning like a loon whilst he flourishes a "personal invite, never been done before" envelope to Trump from the King. We're fucked, aren't we.
It was that, or 25% tariffs.
Flattering Trump's ego probably had a multi-billion pound effect on the British economy.
Starmer just followed the advice, and swallowed his pride.
Noone knows the dark arts of keeping wrong'uns onside better than our Mandy.
On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
Might I suggest a tour of Western Ireland or the Western Isles. You'll be very welcome.
On the ferry across Lough Foyle, the signs are in 3 languages - Irish, English and Ullans
Thanks for the comments on my previous - NZ has a really interesting issue with the Maori and the Waitangi Treaty which, after 185 years, is still contentious.
As @Casino_Royale states, many older Kiwis are annoyed at the preponderance of dual signage and especially when Maori is placed above English. Now, you could argue the Maori were here before the Europeans and that's not wrong but the fact of numbers dictates while no one wants to see Maori language and culture disappear, there's an element of having it shoved down your gullet.
There is a separate Maori tv channel but on the main channel the opening greeting is in Maori while some of the weather presenters reference towns and cities first by their Maori name (Hamilton is Kirikiriroa but no one uses the Maori name) - not the mighty Dan Corbett of course.
On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
Agreed.
We should remove immigrant languages like English and have signs just in Welsh.
Why are Welsh rail stations owned by somebody called Fford Allan?
Why are we whining about Trump when this is happening in our own country?
“Here are 3 maps and a thread which show you what is now unfolding in some parts of England 🧵
1. Let me introduce you to St Matthews and Highfields in Leicester.
In this part of Leicester more than 80% of people who are living in social housing were born outside of the UK, of whom only half are currently in work.
More people in this area were born in the Middle East or Asia than in the UK. Three-quarters of residents are Muslim. Not even two-thirds identify as British or English while close to one in three identify with a 'non-UK identity only'. More than four in ten people here live in households that contain NO adults who speak English as their main language.”
My wife was born outside the UK, and (gasps) is from a Muslim country.
What has that got to do with Leon post, if his data is correct then it shows why we are skint for sure. Your wife is not living free in social housing or on benefits etc. Unlimited immigration of unskilled economic immigrants is wrecking the UK.
We don't have unlimited immigration of unskilled immigrants, or of any immigrants.
Data from one small bit of Leicester doesn't tell us much about the overall situation in the UK. When you look at all the data, it shows immigration is generally good for the economy.
Leon is a racist and an Islamophobe, who is shit stirring about this because he can't shit stir claiming Trump is great any more given how obviously ludicrous such statements are.
All this great immigration has not done much obvious for UK, if it is so good why are we in the shit and skint. Can you show any "good" that has happened to UK economy, I don't ever see any good news about it.
Which countries have life significantly better than the UK?
One quality of life index had the top 5 countries as...
1 Luxembourg 2 Netherlands 3 Denmark 4 Oman 5 Switzerland
Most of those have high rates of immigration.
You better not speak only Luxembourgish, Dutch, Danish or Romanish if you want to get that quality of life either.
Why are we whining about Trump when this is happening in our own country?
“Here are 3 maps and a thread which show you what is now unfolding in some parts of England 🧵
1. Let me introduce you to St Matthews and Highfields in Leicester.
In this part of Leicester more than 80% of people who are living in social housing were born outside of the UK, of whom only half are currently in work.
More people in this area were born in the Middle East or Asia than in the UK. Three-quarters of residents are Muslim. Not even two-thirds identify as British or English while close to one in three identify with a 'non-UK identity only'. More than four in ten people here live in households that contain NO adults who speak English as their main language.”
My wife was born outside the UK, and (gasps) is from a Muslim country.
What has that got to do with Leon post, if his data is correct then it shows why we are skint for sure. Your wife is not living free in social housing or on benefits etc. Unlimited immigration of unskilled economic immigrants is wrecking the UK.
We don't have unlimited immigration of unskilled immigrants, or of any immigrants.
Data from one small bit of Leicester doesn't tell us much about the overall situation in the UK. When you look at all the data, it shows immigration is generally good for the economy.
Leon is a racist and an Islamophobe, who is shit stirring about this because he can't shit stir claiming Trump is great any more given how obviously ludicrous such statements are.
All this great immigration has not done much obvious for UK, if it is so good why are we in the shit and skint. Can you show any "good" that has happened to UK economy, I don't ever see any good news about it.
Which countries have life significantly better than the UK?
F*** off , most of the developed world. Have you ever looked at league tables on all measures. You will not find UK in top half of any measurement.
Why not move then? This is a good country to live in, times are tough (for many, but far from all) across the western world.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
Very helpful when abroad though, considering what the second language invariably is (outside the likes of Belgium anyway)?
On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
Very helpful when abroad though, considering what the second language invariably is (outside the likes of Belgium anyway)?
Yes it certainly comes in handy in places like Sri Lanka or Japan!
There are 9 local by-elections tomorrow. We have Con defences in Barnet and Pendle, a PC defence in Carmarthenshire, and a LD defence in Eastleigh. Then there is a double Lab defence in Hounslow. Finally we have an almost unique situation in Canterbury -there are defences by Green, Con, and Lab.
Thanks for the comments on my previous - NZ has a really interesting issue with the Maori and the Waitangi Treaty which, after 185 years, is still contentious.
As @Casino_Royale states, many older Kiwis are annoyed at the preponderance of dual signage and especially when Maori is placed above English. Now, you could argue the Maori were here before the Europeans and that's not wrong but the fact of numbers dictates while no one wants to see Maori language and culture disappear, there's an element of having it shoved down your gullet.
There is a separate Maori tv channel but on the main channel the opening greeting is in Maori while some of the weather presenters reference towns and cities first by their Maori name (Hamilton is Kirikiriroa but no one uses the Maori name) - not the mighty Dan Corbett of course.
The Maoris got to New Zealand around about the same time the Normans got to England - call it 1,000 years. it's surprisingly recent.
max seddon @maxseddon · 15m The US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces, according to officials familiar with the matter.
On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
Very helpful when abroad though, considering what the second language invariably is (outside the likes of Belgium anyway)?
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
The lack of meaningful domestic opposition to all of this is disheartening. You’d think the CIA might tell him and Tulsi where to go, but evidently not.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
The lack of meaningful domestic opposition to all of this is disheartening. You’d think the CIA might tell him and Tulsi where to go, but evidently not.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
FFS
Putin probably got on the blower to ask for more help.
Frontline Report: Ukrainian raids unravel months of Russian gains in Toretsk
Phil Stewart @phildstewart (Reuters) - Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, pledged on Tuesday to strengthen NATO and said the Republican president remains committed to the alliance.
"If confirmed, I will work tirelessly to strengthen the alliance, ensure the security of the American people and uphold our nation's role as the beacon of freedom and liberty," Whitaker said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
The Gaelic Language act in 2005 was brought in by the LabLib government and afaicr was even supported by the SCons.
It's the political equivalent of a rubber bone. It gives rightwingers something else to moan about, and to blame the SNP for. To add to things like the Scottish Education Dept which IIRC predates the SNP and even its Cunninghame-Graham predecessor. They can and do chew on it all day.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
In the end, everybody kneels...
Europe needs to tell Trump to do one. That the objective of ending the war is one that can only be achieved when Russia loses and that talk of ceasefires is morally wrong and diplomatically stupid unless the aim is to champion Russian interests.
UK foreign policy should not be primarily focused at not upsetting Trump's feelings. If it is, that simply means slavishly following in his path, which in turn makes Starmer an unwitting Kremlin asset.
There are bigger things at stake than Trump's ego.
Our new leader. @TheEconomist has always been staunchly Transatlanticist. We don't say this lightly: "Europe must prepare to be abandoned or extorted. Not to prepare for that could leave Europe vulnerable to Russia and to an increasingly hostile America". https://x.com/shashj/status/1897245244384796889
Phil Stewart @phildstewart (Reuters) - Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, pledged on Tuesday to strengthen NATO and said the Republican president remains committed to the alliance.
"If confirmed, I will work tirelessly to strengthen the alliance, ensure the security of the American people and uphold our nation's role as the beacon of freedom and liberty," Whitaker said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
The lack of meaningful domestic opposition to all of this is disheartening. You’d think the CIA might tell him and Tulsi where to go, but evidently not.
The CIA is a state organisation. It's not for civil servants to reject the instructions of their properly elected / appointed political masters, no matter how stupid they are.
The US does still have an opposition party and civil society; let them lead opposition to the Trump agenda.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
This is all true. Not enough attention has yet been given to the difficulties western leaders including ours have expressing this in very direct terms.
The USA has a very significant military presence in Europe, including in the UK, where it has the capacity to store nuclear weapons. In other words, if Starmer were to speak as bluntly as PBers can he might say:
The USA is no longer a friend and is taking the Russian side; we would quite like it if they therefore, as well as providing a backstop for the Ukraine DMZ, also removed their tanks and aircraft and nuclear facilities from our nice Suffolk lawns.
Not unimportant is the fact that Starmer would then have to respond if the USA said 'No. We don't feel like it. How are you going to make us?'
We have not begun to think through the global implications of this axis shift. I feel real sympathy for Starmer.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
In the end, everybody kneels...
Europe needs to tell Trump to do one. That the objective of ending the war is one that can only be achieved when Russia loses and that talk of ceasefires is morally wrong and diplomatically stupid unless the aim is to champion Russian interests.
UK foreign policy should not be primarily focused at not upsetting Trump's feelings. If it is, that simply means slavishly following in his path, which in turn makes Starmer an unwitting Kremlin asset.
There are bigger things at stake than Trump's ego.
Yes. Trump, Vance, Hesgeth, et al, are wholly owned by Russia.
On language and ethnic origin, New Zealand is interesting. The proportion of the population claiming white European descent is around two thirds now but it's fair to say the main demographic changes have been in Auckland and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay for instance remains as solidly white English middle class as always. However, the bakeries, I'm told, "are now run by Cambodians" - well, that might be true of the Angkor Wat chain, not surprisingly.
As for language, not as straightforward as the statistics might suggest. Indeed, one of the tensions has been the promotion of Maori - roughly 20% of the population has Maori roots. You go into a supermarket for example and the signs will be both in English and Maori - fair enough, you might say, but what angers many of the older European Kiwis is the Maori is first with English second.
Most public buildings have Maori first, English second and it's the explicit demotion of linguistic identity which creates racial and cultural tension.
As for Singapore, many will consider it a paradise. As an example of an ordered society, it takes some beating. Mrs Stodge "always feels safe" in Singapore. Yet you have a real racial intermixing between the Malay, the Chinese and the Japanese with notices in all sorts of languages. Yet no one seems to mind or care - they are a younger society than Britain for example but whatever they do, they do well. On that basis, we can dismiss the anti-multiculturalism nonsense as it's perfectly possible for people of different ethnic origin to live and work together.
Is it as simple as education or parenting?
Twin-language in the public space is intensely irritating.
It makes signs far longer and more cluttered than they need to be, and harder to read.
It's a tiny minority who need it, and can't speak the main language, so it's almost always politics that drives it, and thus political opposition to it.
The Gaelic Language act in 2005 was brought in by the LabLib government and afaicr was even supported by the SCons.
It's the political equivalent of a rubber bone. It gives rightwingers something else to moan about, and to blame the SNP for. To add to things like the Scottish Education Dept which IIRC predates the SNP and even its Cunninghame-Graham predecessor. They can and do chew on it all day.
I think we need more language education, not less. E.g. communicating with tradesmen from Aberdeenshire/Moray. Even the emails are unintelligible.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
In the end, everybody kneels...
Europe needs to tell Trump to do one. That the objective of ending the war is one that can only be achieved when Russia loses and that talk of ceasefires is morally wrong and diplomatically stupid unless the aim is to champion Russian interests.
UK foreign policy should not be primarily focused at not upsetting Trump's feelings. If it is, that simply means slavishly following in his path, which in turn makes Starmer an unwitting Kremlin asset.
There are bigger things at stake than Trump's ego.
Triangulation between Europe and the US was worth a try, but Trump has pulled the rug. The PM needs to recognise that, quickly.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
This is all true. Not enough attention has yet been given to the difficulties western leaders including ours have expressing this in very direct terms.
The USA has a very significant military presence in Europe, including in the UK, where it has the capacity to store nuclear weapons. In other words, if Starmer were to speak as bluntly as PBers can he might say:
The USA is no longer a friend and is taking the Russian side; we would quite like it if they therefore, as well as providing a backstop for the Ukraine DMZ, also removed their tanks and aircraft and nuclear facilities from our nice Suffolk lawns.
Not unimportant is the fact that Starmer would then have to respond if the USA said 'No. We don't feel like it. How are you going to make us?'
We have not begun to think through the global implications of this axis shift. I feel real sympathy for Starmer.
The first step is perhaps to say that since the UK/Europe are taking on the burden of Ukraine, then we are the ones who will have to negotiate with Russia ?
I think it would be a mistake (for now at least) to treat the US as directly hostile. They remain a formal ally, but on a transactional basis.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
The lack of meaningful domestic opposition to all of this is disheartening. You’d think the CIA might tell him and Tulsi where to go, but evidently not.
The CIA is a state organisation. It's not for civil servants to reject the instructions of their properly elected / appointed political masters, no matter how stupid they are.
The US does still have an opposition party and civil society; let them lead opposition to the Trump agenda.
It's a little more complicated than that, as many of those state servants swear oaths to the constitution. Rejecting instructions might mean resignation, but in quite a few circumstances, it is absolutely for them to refuse instructions, if they are illegal.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
The way this is going the US will be invading Scotland by the midterms.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
I am sure WilliamGlenn will be along shortly to explain why Trump is better for Ukraine than President Biden/Harris.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
This is all true. Not enough attention has yet been given to the difficulties western leaders including ours have expressing this in very direct terms.
The USA has a very significant military presence in Europe, including in the UK, where it has the capacity to store nuclear weapons. In other words, if Starmer were to speak as bluntly as PBers can he might say:
The USA is no longer a friend and is taking the Russian side; we would quite like it if they therefore, as well as providing a backstop for the Ukraine DMZ, also removed their tanks and aircraft and nuclear facilities from our nice Suffolk lawns.
Not unimportant is the fact that Starmer would then have to respond if the USA said 'No. We don't feel like it. How are you going to make us?'
We have not begun to think through the global implications of this axis shift. I feel real sympathy for Starmer.
This, I think, is the most important aspect of the whole situation at the moment and a very astute comment
We need to stop making the assumptions that are associated with the USA being a reliable ally e.g. that their military presence on our land is by our consent.
It's not that the USA would say 'how are you going to make us remove our military ' but rather that Trump might do so capriciously and that that would make the current hellish situation spiral several levels deeper into hell (and far harder to find any route out of). There is no space for pride in the current situation, we need to expend all our energies on finding the very narrow path that allows us, in five years time, to be less critically dependent on USA.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
I am sure WilliamGlenn will be along shortly to explain why Trump is better for Ukraine than President Biden/Harris.
Trump is surely playing 76D chess here. By cutting aid to Ukraine it will embolden the hitherto silent anti-Americanism in Europe which will please the nativist elements of the Far Right which will in turn please Putin making him complacent and therefore more vulnerable to a Ukrainian fightback.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
FFS
I’ve got the idea now, the bullying of Z wasn’t to get the Mineral Deal signed, but after that is signed Trump Admin will keep going till Z resigns. What they are really after here, what they see as in their interest, is removal of Z.
Maybe Trump Admin have an agreed something in return from Russia, for the hounding out of Zelenskyy? and also where Trump once asked Z to hand him over a mere server, of no consequence to Ukraine, Z said no to him.
The assumption that there will be any elections in the US in 2028, let alone free or fair ones, is not something we should take for granted. We have gone through the looking glass.
I made a comment like that a few months back, before the election, and got laughed at...
I wouldn't have been one of those laughing.
I expect 'elections' will be held, but they'll be very close to Russia's elections, or Belarus' elections. Winner decided in advance and polling day is just a sham.
Why are we whining about Trump when this is happening in our own country?
“Here are 3 maps and a thread which show you what is now unfolding in some parts of England 🧵
1. Let me introduce you to St Matthews and Highfields in Leicester.
In this part of Leicester more than 80% of people who are living in social housing were born outside of the UK, of whom only half are currently in work.
More people in this area were born in the Middle East or Asia than in the UK. Three-quarters of residents are Muslim. Not even two-thirds identify as British or English while close to one in three identify with a 'non-UK identity only'. More than four in ten people here live in households that contain NO adults who speak English as their main language.”
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
FFS
I’ve got the idea now, the bullying of Z wasn’t to get the Mineral Deal signed, but after that is signed Trump Admin will keep going till Z resigns. What they are really after here, what they see as in their interest, is removal of Z.
Maybe Trump Admin have an agreed something in return from Russia, for the hounding out of Zelenskyy? and also where Trump once asked Z to hand him over a mere server, of no consequence to Ukraine, Z said no to him.
Trump's bullying isn't a mechanism to get what he really wants
Elon Musk’s Grok AI literally thinks Trump is a Russia asset.
“I estimate a 75-85% likelihood Trump is a Putin-compromised asset, leaning toward the higher end due to the consistency of his behavior and the depth of historical ties.” — Grok
The breakdown in talks and aid between the US and Ukraine only helps Putin. I hope that @Keir_Starmer can use his new role to bring the two together and soon."
I'd say he's not fooling anyone but he probably is.
Personally i just cannot look past that he blames the EU and NATO for Putin's invasion. His attempt to walk that back was to act as though he could call it a pretext but still criticise the West for creating a pretext, which doesn't work.
It was a mask off moment, when the chips are down he parrots Russian talking points, and he's fortunate no one seems to care.
A Farage-led government would be as much of a threat to UK national security as a Corbyn one would have been.
If Starmer remains on his current course, there won't be any national security for anyone to be a threat to.
Now there will be no one systematically aggregating all US polling data.
I suspect The Silver Bulletin will become 538 Mark 2, and start aggregative polling data.
I think that's right. In fairness they had been cutting back on 538 for a while. It used to have an extensive sports section that even included predictions for football leagues (of multiple divisions) across Europe and beyond.
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine. The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
The way this is going the US will be invading Scotland by the midterms.
Probably only the golf courses which, in fairness, are not much of a loss.
Another day, another US concession to the Russians.
I had to laugh last night, though, when Trump described aid to Lesotho as going to a country nobody’s ever even heard of before.
My current trial was moved from Dundee to Glasgow and then to a different court within the building. I described it as peripatetic. One of those I am writing to admitted having to google that.
"Conflicting reports on US intelligence sharing with Ukraine
I earlier brought you the FT’s report claiming that the US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces.
But Bloomberg (£) and Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne are reporting that the flow of intelligence information continues.
I will keep an eye on that to see if there are any official confirmations either way."
Another day, another US concession to the Russians.
I had to laugh last night, though, when Trump described aid to Lesotho as going to a country nobody’s ever even heard of before.
My current trial was moved from Dundee to Glasgow and then to a different court within the building. I described it as peripatetic. One of those I am writing to admitted having to google that.
Why are we whining about Trump when this is happening in our own country?
“Here are 3 maps and a thread which show you what is now unfolding in some parts of England 🧵
1. Let me introduce you to St Matthews and Highfields in Leicester.
In this part of Leicester more than 80% of people who are living in social housing were born outside of the UK, of whom only half are currently in work.
More people in this area were born in the Middle East or Asia than in the UK. Three-quarters of residents are Muslim. Not even two-thirds identify as British or English while close to one in three identify with a 'non-UK identity only'. More than four in ten people here live in households that contain NO adults who speak English as their main language.”
My wife was born outside the UK, and (gasps) is from a Muslim country.
What has that got to do with Leon post, if his data is correct then it shows why we are skint for sure. Your wife is not living free in social housing or on benefits etc. Unlimited immigration of unskilled economic immigrants is wrecking the UK.
We don't have unlimited immigration of unskilled immigrants, or of any immigrants.
Data from one small bit of Leicester doesn't tell us much about the overall situation in the UK. When you look at all the data, it shows immigration is generally good for the economy.
Leon is a racist and an Islamophobe, who is shit stirring about this because he can't shit stir claiming Trump is great any more given how obviously ludicrous such statements are.
All this great immigration has not done much obvious for UK, if it is so good why are we in the shit and skint. Can you show any "good" that has happened to UK economy, I don't ever see any good news about it.
Which countries have life significantly better than the UK?
One quality of life index had the top 5 countries as...
1 Luxembourg 2 Netherlands 3 Denmark 4 Oman 5 Switzerland
Most of those have high rates of immigration.
Rates of immigration isn’t a good comparison - for example try moving to Switzerland as a foreigner and not integrating. You won’t get provided with translators for government functions without paying for it yourself, you have to have a job lined up or strong finances, you won’t get any benefits until you have contributed.
If you want to become naturalised you can, and plenty do, get refused by fellow locals so again, you had better integrate. Don’t start demanding special cultural treatment.
If you aren’t pretty much white Northern European expect to be treated shittily by the police in ratio to the darkness of your skin.
I believe all of those countries have suitably varying differences to the UK with regards to how immigrants are treated and their expectations on them.
Except Netherlands maybe. The other four expect integration and maintenance of culture. It's the different culture (failing to integrate) that upsets people most.
"Conflicting reports on US intelligence sharing with Ukraine
I earlier brought you the FT’s report claiming that the US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces.
But Bloomberg (£) and Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne are reporting that the flow of intelligence information continues.
I will keep an eye on that to see if there are any official confirmations either way."
Comments
United Kingdom: 82%
Mexico: 75%
India: 30%
US: 24%
China: 20%
Angus Reid / Mar 3, 2025 / n=2005 / Online
https://x.com/CanadianPolling/status/1896982665569710395
“There will be a little disturbance” is a genuinely Soviet way to describe people not being able to afford their groceries.
https://x.com/brianschatz/status/1897125446137077799
Although in this case, it sounds just as much like mafia talk.
On the ferry across Lough Foyle, the signs are in 3 languages - Irish, English and Ullans
Thanks for the comments on my previous - NZ has a really interesting issue with the Maori and the Waitangi Treaty which, after 185 years, is still contentious.
As @Casino_Royale states, many older Kiwis are annoyed at the preponderance of dual signage and especially when Maori is placed above English. Now, you could argue the Maori were here before the Europeans and that's not wrong but the fact of numbers dictates while no one wants to see Maori language and culture disappear, there's an element of having it shoved down your gullet.
There is a separate Maori tv channel but on the main channel the opening greeting is in Maori while some of the weather presenters reference towns and cities first by their Maori name (Hamilton is Kirikiriroa but no one uses the Maori name) - not the mighty Dan Corbett of course.
Alexander Stubb - President of Finland gave a very empassioned speech about Ukraine which I think we should all listen to.
https://x.com/frontlinekit/status/1897163166976758197
US CUTS OFF INTELLIGENCE SHARING WITH UKRAINE - FT
https://x.com/FirstSquawk/status/1897256630871580969
Time to drop the pretence that Trump is acting as any kind of ally in ending the war on Ukraine.
The US is effectively a third party, sympathetic to the Russian invader.
max seddon
@maxseddon
·
15m
The US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces, according to officials familiar with the matter.
big story from @ChristopherJM @LOS_Fisher
@HenryJFoy
https://x.com/maxseddon/status/1897258127357305034
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eys2yCOZOYo
TLDR: USA should abandon Europe totally. Europe be fucked unless it federates
Frontline Report: Ukrainian raids unravel months of Russian gains in Toretsk
The Ukrainian advance through localized raids managed to expand the gray zone and drive Russians out from a large part of Toretsk, according to the report
https://x.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1897227591515271287
Phil Stewart
@phildstewart
(Reuters) - Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, pledged on Tuesday to strengthen NATO and said the Republican president remains committed to the alliance.
"If confirmed, I will work tirelessly to strengthen the alliance, ensure the security of the American people and uphold our nation's role as the beacon of freedom and liberty," Whitaker said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
https://x.com/phildstewart/status/1897036146313457858
UK foreign policy should not be primarily focused at not upsetting Trump's feelings. If it is, that simply means slavishly following in his path, which in turn makes Starmer an unwitting Kremlin asset.
There are bigger things at stake than Trump's ego.
Our new leader. @TheEconomist has always been staunchly Transatlanticist. We don't say this lightly: "Europe must prepare to be abandoned or extorted. Not to prepare for that could leave Europe vulnerable to Russia and to an increasingly hostile America".
https://x.com/shashj/status/1897245244384796889
The US does still have an opposition party and civil society; let them lead opposition to the Trump agenda.
https://x.com/lxeagle17/status/1897133759381823778
Now there will be no one systematically aggregating all US polling data.
The USA has a very significant military presence in Europe, including in the UK, where it has the capacity to store nuclear weapons. In other words, if Starmer were to speak as bluntly as PBers can he might say:
The USA is no longer a friend and is taking the Russian side; we would quite like it if they therefore, as well as providing a backstop for the Ukraine DMZ, also removed their tanks and aircraft and nuclear facilities from our nice Suffolk lawns.
Not unimportant is the fact that Starmer would then have to respond if the USA said 'No. We don't feel like it. How are you going to make us?'
We have not begun to think through the global implications of this axis shift. I feel real sympathy for Starmer.
I think it would be a mistake (for now at least) to treat the US as directly hostile.
They remain a formal ally, but on a transactional basis.
I can't understand French but it would annoy all the right people.
Rejecting instructions might mean resignation, but in quite a few circumstances, it is absolutely for them to refuse instructions, if they are illegal.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/approval/donald-trump/
EDIT looks like they got that out just before it was shuttered.
(runs around room, rebounds off walls, hides under tables)
If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.
https://x.com/ChineseEmbinUS/status/1897132043362034153
(runs to archive.org and archive.is)
We need to stop making the assumptions that are associated with the USA being a reliable ally e.g. that their military presence on our land is by our consent.
It's not that the USA would say 'how are
you going to make us remove our military ' but rather that Trump might do so capriciously and that that would make the current hellish situation spiral several levels deeper into hell (and far harder to find any route out of).
There is no space for pride in the current
situation, we need to expend all our energies on finding the very narrow path that allows us, in five years time, to be less critically dependent on USA.
Maybe Trump Admin have an agreed something in return from Russia, for the hounding out of Zelenskyy? and also where Trump once asked Z to hand him over a mere server, of no consequence to Ukraine, Z said no to him.
https://x.com/mij_europe/status/1897260132712767605
French govt spokeswoman just announced that Macron, Starmer AND Zelensky are planning a joint mission to the white house in the next few days.
40% of Britons have not read A SINGLE BOOK in the last yeat
https://x.com/YouGov/status/1897246860118757758/photo/1
I expect 'elections' will be held, but they'll be very close to Russia's elections, or Belarus' elections. Winner decided in advance and polling day is just a sham.
It simply is what he really wants.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/03/child-migrants-small-boat-crossing-alone-returned-to-france/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI1L9NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSNs2i6dZQmP3xFx8zoumLPYhvFZsdd56x6P7f9fzaRpAfE4oWL7_HEzzg_aem_W4n4VAf_9prT9bjWcuCuAg
Possible successor to Starmer if she can hold her patch of West Yorkshire.
I have read a couple of Cicero's missives from Estonia though, does that count?
I had to laugh last night, though, when Trump described aid to Lesotho as going to a country nobody’s ever even heard of before.
Especially good with grandchildren, easy to finish, and it's like PB on Parade.
There was no city or town on the Hauraki Gulf before Pakeha colonisation.
We must do what we can and sod the Americans.
Sigh. Scottish education is not what it was.
I earlier brought you the FT’s report claiming that the US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces.
But Bloomberg (£) and Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne are reporting that the flow of intelligence information continues.
I will keep an eye on that to see if there are any official confirmations either way."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/mar/05/donald-trump-volodymyr-zelenksyy-ukraine-russia-greenland-tariffs-europe-live-news
Is the moon in the British Empire? (Al Murray)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Fmjv0WnOsGM