@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
They are right it is completely unsustainable, and an EHCP probably is not necessary for many cases but no one would want to risk not doing enough, but for an already unpopular government I suspect this would go down like a lead ballon
EXC: Hundreds of thousands of children with special needs face losing legal right to extra support in schools under plans being considered by ministers.
Have the cabinet got some weird pecadillo for being absolute arseholes?
I've a great-nephew with special needs. Being a suitable unit has done wonders for him; looks like he'll be employable, which wasn't the case not long ago. Only problem is he lives in Lancashire, which now has a Reform-run county council.
I hope he can find happiness and success in whatever way he and family want to measure that. The discourse around disability, need and welfare is grim right now.
Thanks; he's coming towards GCSE's..... think they're next year. Don't know how he'll do in English and Maths; hopefully well enough to go and do something else afterwards. Very good at Art apparently.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
Thought these lines on economic performance very enlightening. Had little idea there had been such a divergence between Europe and the US. It seems rising prosperity is no protection from political bampots.
In 1995, Germany’s nominal GDP per capita was a little higher ($32,000) than that of the United States ($29,000), with the United Kingdom lagging behind at a noticeable distance ($23,000) . . . Since then, the two continents have markedly diverged. To an extent that few people have fully internalized, an economic gulf has opened up between America and Europe. On average, Americans are now nearly twice as rich as Europeans. According to the latest available data for GDP per capita, the United States stands at $83,000, with Germany at $54,000 and the United Kingdom at $50,000.”
Yet for some reason you are delighted that 'the two main parties' have protected us from 'extremists' - when its obvious that our state setup is absolutely inimical to prosperity.
And you imagine that Reform will improve that state of affairs ? LOL
Your LOLs are just a signal of your own ignorance at this point. Reform's front bench has vastly more business experience than Labour's (not hard as Labour's has zero). Considering Labour has 402 MPs and Reform has 5, that is a massively damning situation. Why would a party that actually knows how to make money rather than just spend it not improve the situation for businesses?
Well, Rupert Lowe certainly has some business experience. Oh, wait...
Yes, he’s a very successful businessman, but actually my assessment didn't include Lowe.
Interesting you should mention him though - that means even Reform's ex MP contingent has more business experience than the Labour front bench.
But do Reform understand that what businesses crave most is stability and predictability, not Trump-like changes of direction every week?
Depends what you mean by "business". By the look of it, the thing uniting Farage, Tice, Lowe and McMurdock is being on the 'arranging finance' side of business, rather than the 'making things or providing services that customers want' side. I suspect (no, it's not my world) that financiers are happier with instability than doers. Especially if they think they can profit from the instability.
(Yes, we need people managing the finances, and I mostly don't object to their skimming off a bit each time. But I remain haunted by an article by that famous lefty, PJ O'Rourke. Under strict anonymity, he got various Wall Street people to admit that no, they weren't doing anything clever and no, they couldn't justify their mega salaries.)
Actually, I think you're both dead wrong about what Reform's economic policies will be like - in fact they may be more within your comfort zone than mine.
Here Tice talks about his plans for the Steel industry in Sculthorpe, which Alison Pearson is critiquing from a doctrinaire Thatcherite perspectives. I've tried to do a timestamp.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
He's making the same mistake Change UK did, that Habib/Lowe are making and Galloway made by utterly failing to stand candidates this year (instead aiming to mass stand next year) - too slow and politics moves on and forgets you
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
Absolutely. What this country really lacks is fringe parties of the left.
In all seriousness the man is 75 and if it formed it would be obviously peter out without his presence, so as amusing as it would be (especially during a period where people are unhappy with the Labour government), the time for it was probably some time ago. Just keep on with the alliance with the Gaza bros.
Could be a cold wind coming. I remember a joke the punchline of which involved the temperature falling to -60C, the chaps from Newcastle putting on a light jacket, hell freezing over and Sunderland qualifying for Europe. If Spurs can do it from 17th why not?
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
He's making the same mistake Change UK did, that Habib/Lowe are making and Galloway made by utterly failing to stand candidates this year (instead aiming to mass stand next year) - too slow and politics moves on and forgets you
And which Reform impressively did not fail to do (despite standing few people last year), and so built massively on their parliamentary breakthrough.
Though Galloway's mob did stand in a frankly preposterous 152 seats in 2024.
I'm a Geordie. An irrational dislike of Sunderland AFC is hard-wired.
While I cannot support The Toon under their Saudi ownership, at least I can still cheer when Sunlun lose. Sadly today was not such an occasion, but I expect it to happen very frequently next season.
So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag - perhaps unsurprising given Farage's past relationship with Russia Today. The comments from the independent Durham councillor at the end of the article seem quite perceptive. I would guess a Reform government would be quite a disappointment to its supporters. Complex problems are not easily fixed by simplistic solutions.
They are not taking down the Ukrainian flag. They are taking down all flags except the union flag, cross of st. George and county flags.
I’m not a Reform supporter and will never vote for Farage. But this sort of misrepresentation just pisses me when off. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to for their betting judgements.
Given per the article the only flag taken down so far has been the Ukrainian one, possibly you are misrepresenting them.
Evidence? You have one quote from Kent.
Moreover there have been complaints year in and year out about pride flags etc. so it may not have been seen in the last 3 weeks but that doesn’t mean it was the motivating factor
Evidence was the article you are complaining about.
Actually the story is a party that happily decries gesture politics in others trips up when indulging in performative flag banning themselves and they don't like it being pointed out.
The quote fron the article is:
one of Reform’s first acts was to take down the Ukrainian flag – hoisted to show solidarity with the war-besieged nation – and vowed not to fly rainbow-coloured flags in support of LGBTQ+ residents
Which demonstrates that it is not just about Ukraine but a broader campaign of nastiness. Which is exactly my point.
We're beating this to death but you claimed a factual statement was misrepresentation.
I’m even boring myself!
But the statement was So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag
That’s simply not true. At the very minimum Reform’s agenda included banning Palestinian and Pride flags.
That seems like a minor error compared to many repeated here often (e.g. exaggerated costs of the Chagos deal, asylum seekers supposedly staying in 4* hotels).
Nope.
On Chagas - assuming they are accurate: I haven’t done the maths - it’s just discounted vs non discounted.
On 4* hotels I believe that you argue they no longer have the facilities that would win a 4* rating. But until they are reinspected they are a 4* hotel…
That attempted sophistry around 4* hotels is a much more aggressive attack on the truth than saying Reform UK are taking down Ukrainian flags. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to inform their betting judgements.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
And congratulations to Boris, Carrie and Poppy. I hope they are extremely happy together. This may put the final kybosh on any talk of a Boris return. He will need more money than ever.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
He's making the same mistake Change UK did, that Habib/Lowe are making and Galloway made by utterly failing to stand candidates this year (instead aiming to mass stand next year) - too slow and politics moves on and forgets you
I would say most of his planned party will be Labour defections no? Reform don’t really want Tory or Labour defections outside people like Suella and Jenrick, because they think they will get the seats anyway and don't want crappy Tory and Labour MPs. Corbyn won't have any qualms about his former colleagues - I doubt Liz Kendall would be welcome, but she wouldn't join anyway.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
He's making the same mistake Change UK did, that Habib/Lowe are making and Galloway made by utterly failing to stand candidates this year (instead aiming to mass stand next year) - too slow and politics moves on and forgets you
Really? In which of this year's local elections might a fully formed Corbyn offering have been effective?
For the few places like Burnley where there might have been some traction, Ind did the trick, and a full launch would have been utterly wasted.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
Absolutely. What this country really lacks is fringe parties of the left.
In all seriousness the man is 75 and if it formed it would be obviously peter out without his presence, so as amusing as it would be (especially during a period where people are unhappy with the Labour government), the time for it was probably some time ago. Just keep on with the alliance with the Gaza bros.
Perhaps the idea is to launch a new party with a younger leadership in place, but with Corbyn’s blessing to give it an initial boost?
And congratulations to Boris, Carrie and Poppy. I hope they are extremely happy together. This may put the final kybosh on any talk of a Boris return. He will need more money than ever.
He'll be the face of the campaign against Rayner's child benefit cuts.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
Absolutely. What this country really lacks is fringe parties of the left.
In all seriousness the man is 75 and if it formed it would be obviously peter out without his presence, so as amusing as it would be (especially during a period where people are unhappy with the Labour government), the time for it was probably some time ago. Just keep on with the alliance with the Gaza bros.
He might have built something with a bit of traction if he'd heeded Galloways call to lead the alt left last year, instead the factions all splintered leading to results like Blackburn which would have easily gone Gaza Indy or Workers had they agreed who should run instead of both. Of course that's good evidence of the utter factionalism in that strand of politics. Galloway is now done with him and becoming very critical so I think he's looking now at a purely Gaza related party which will offload him at the earliest opportunity and then implode. His best bet would be something with the Greens I suppose, possible if Polanski wins but a Ramsay/Ellie Chowns Green Party won't want to do anything i wouldn't think
And congratulations to Boris, Carrie and Poppy. I hope they are extremely happy together. This may put the final kybosh on any talk of a Boris return. He will need more money than ever.
The child's several days old apparently. Just shows how far her father has slipped out of the national consciousness.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
Absolutely. What this country really lacks is fringe parties of the left.
In all seriousness the man is 75 and if it formed it would be obviously peter out without his presence, so as amusing as it would be (especially during a period where people are unhappy with the Labour government), the time for it was probably some time ago. Just keep on with the alliance with the Gaza bros.
Perhaps the idea is to launch a new party with a younger leadership in place, but with Corbyn’s blessing to give it an initial boost?
Possibly, but these things are hard to replicate. Just watch Don Jr fail to pick up the mantle is his father when the time comes.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag - perhaps unsurprising given Farage's past relationship with Russia Today. The comments from the independent Durham councillor at the end of the article seem quite perceptive. I would guess a Reform government would be quite a disappointment to its supporters. Complex problems are not easily fixed by simplistic solutions.
They are not taking down the Ukrainian flag. They are taking down all flags except the union flag, cross of st. George and county flags.
I’m not a Reform supporter and will never vote for Farage. But this sort of misrepresentation just pisses me when off. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to for their betting judgements.
Given per the article the only flag taken down so far has been the Ukrainian one, possibly you are misrepresenting them.
Evidence? You have one quote from Kent.
Moreover there have been complaints year in and year out about pride flags etc. so it may not have been seen in the last 3 weeks but that doesn’t mean it was the motivating factor
Evidence was the article you are complaining about.
Actually the story is a party that happily decries gesture politics in others trips up when indulging in performative flag banning themselves and they don't like it being pointed out.
The quote fron the article is:
one of Reform’s first acts was to take down the Ukrainian flag – hoisted to show solidarity with the war-besieged nation – and vowed not to fly rainbow-coloured flags in support of LGBTQ+ residents
Which demonstrates that it is not just about Ukraine but a broader campaign of nastiness. Which is exactly my point.
We're beating this to death but you claimed a factual statement was misrepresentation.
I’m even boring myself!
But the statement was So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag
That’s simply not true. At the very minimum Reform’s agenda included banning Palestinian and Pride flags.
That seems like a minor error compared to many repeated here often (e.g. exaggerated costs of the Chagos deal, asylum seekers supposedly staying in 4* hotels).
Nope.
On Chagas - assuming they are accurate: I haven’t done the maths - it’s just discounted vs non discounted.
On 4* hotels I believe that you argue they no longer have the facilities that would win a 4* rating. But until they are reinspected they are a 4* hotel…
That attempted sophistry around 4* hotels is a much more aggressive attack on the truth than saying Reform UK are taking down Ukrainian flags. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to inform their betting judgements.
The 4* Hotels debate can be argued from both sides, and the other would think they're being lied to.
One side sees what was previously a 4* hotel being used to house illegal immigrants, and considers it a 4* hotel lost. The other ignores that it ever was a 4* hotel.
Put it this way, if the illegals were housed in Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family and all their staff having moved out and the name being changed to Asylum Village, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say "They're putting the boat people up in Buckingham Bleeding Palace" even though the boat people weren't being treated like royalty and it was no longer called Buckingham Palace
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
He's making the same mistake Change UK did, that Habib/Lowe are making and Galloway made by utterly failing to stand candidates this year (instead aiming to mass stand next year) - too slow and politics moves on and forgets you
Really? In which of this year's local elections might a fully formed Corbyn offering have been effective?
For the few places like Burnley where there might have been some traction, Ind did the trick, and a full launch would have been utterly wasted.
I'm not suggesting for Corbyn this year's locals were the moment more that 'by next year' is ponderous and risks the world moving on. Change UK missed the boat at the 2019 locals allowing Swinson and 'indies' to get the momentum (which then collapsed in the face of Dogbert Johnson) Workers/Galloway have thrown away the progress made into July last year by doing nothing since and missing these locals - certainly they should have gone for Lancs but there we are
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
He's making the same mistake Change UK did, that Habib/Lowe are making and Galloway made by utterly failing to stand candidates this year (instead aiming to mass stand next year) - too slow and politics moves on and forgets you
I would say most of his planned party will be Labour defections no? Reform don’t really want Tory or Labour defections outside people like Suella and Jenrick, because they think they will get the seats anyway and don't want crappy Tory and Labour MPs. Corbyn won't have any qualms about his former colleagues - I doubt Liz Kendall would be welcome, but she wouldn't join anyway.
Depends if he's planning a Corbyn 2015-19 left wing alt Labour party or if his new party is just the Gaza indies with a badge
"The Swedes, having learnt the hard way, are now so tough on new claims (and better at removing failed ones) that they recently became the first country in Europe to achieve net-zero immigration. The next move is to offer £45,000 to families willing to surrender their Swedish passports and move out of Europe. In the UK, “repatriation” is seen as a far-right fantasy. In socialistic Sweden (which once welcomed my wife’s parents as refugees), “remigration” is part of protecting the social contract. If migrants fail to settle, why not pay them to leave?"
The axe has fallen at the NSC, it’s been gutted on a Friday afternoon before a long holiday weekend. It’s “as unprofessional and reckless as could possibly be,” an admin official told me. Staffers had 30 mins to clean out their desks, over 100 dismissed. https://x.com/MarquardtA/status/1926036188487467411
I imagine the Newham Independents, who are already closely aligned to the Workers' Party, would sign up to a Corbyn-led Socialist Party.
There seems to be a bit of tension between GG and JC though, I think George thinks Jeremy's refusal to 'lead the left' last year has cost them all - Galloway basically offered to abase himself at the feet of the anointed but Jezza said 'no thanks' and left him dangling. Newham will more likely stick with allying with GG i think
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
Absolutely. What this country really lacks is fringe parties of the left.
In all seriousness the man is 75 and if it formed it would be obviously peter out without his presence, so as amusing as it would be (especially during a period where people are unhappy with the Labour government), the time for it was probably some time ago. Just keep on with the alliance with the Gaza bros.
He might have built something with a bit of traction if he'd heeded Galloways call to lead the alt left last year, instead the factions all splintered leading to results like Blackburn which would have easily gone Gaza Indy or Workers had they agreed who should run instead of both. Of course that's good evidence of the utter factionalism in that strand of politics. Galloway is now done with him and becoming very critical so I think he's looking now at a purely Gaza related party which will offload him at the earliest opportunity and then implode. His best bet would be something with the Greens I suppose, possible if Polanski wins but a Ramsay/Ellie Chowns Green Party won't want to do anything i wouldn't think
The other thing with that is that the Gaza Independents in parliament don't seem to have triggered much outrage in their first few months (unless I've missed it), I think they may be a fairly softly spoken bunch and fit in more with Corbyn's politesse than either the Labour left vipers of his ex-leadership or any of Galloway's outriders. It might suit him to surround himself with like personalities, who just at least seem a little bit nicer than WPGB and do his favourite thing in the world, campaign from the edge, into his dotage.
And I think, for a while at least, that may be enough to be the dominant left faction.
"The Swedes, having learnt the hard way, are now so tough on new claims (and better at removing failed ones) that they recently became the first country in Europe to achieve net-zero immigration. The next move is to offer £45,000 to families willing to surrender their Swedish passports and move out of Europe. In the UK, “repatriation” is seen as a far-right fantasy. In socialistic Sweden (which once welcomed my wife’s parents as refugees), “remigration” is part of protecting the social contract. If migrants fail to settle, why not pay them to leave?"
I'm a Geordie. An irrational dislike of Sunderland AFC is hard-wired.
While I cannot support The Toon under their Saudi ownership, at least I can still cheer when Sunlun lose. Sadly today was not such an occasion, but I expect it to happen very frequently next season.
My local club, Dundee United, have been known as the Arabs for decades. Allegedly, this came from them using so much sand to get an important match played in the days before undersoil heating that it looked like they were playing in a desert. What it didn't come from, sadly, is a few hundred million being pumped into the club by some Arabian potentate. Be careful what you don't wish for.
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
Absolutely. What this country really lacks is fringe parties of the left.
In all seriousness the man is 75 and if it formed it would be obviously peter out without his presence, so as amusing as it would be (especially during a period where people are unhappy with the Labour government), the time for it was probably some time ago. Just keep on with the alliance with the Gaza bros.
He might have built something with a bit of traction if he'd heeded Galloways call to lead the alt left last year, instead the factions all splintered leading to results like Blackburn which would have easily gone Gaza Indy or Workers had they agreed who should run instead of both. Of course that's good evidence of the utter factionalism in that strand of politics. Galloway is now done with him and becoming very critical so I think he's looking now at a purely Gaza related party which will offload him at the earliest opportunity and then implode. His best bet would be something with the Greens I suppose, possible if Polanski wins but a Ramsay/Ellie Chowns Green Party won't want to do anything i wouldn't think
The other thing with that is that the Gaza Independents in parliament don't seem to have triggered much outrage in their first few months (unless I've missed it), I think they may be a fairly softly spoken bunch and fit in more with Corbyn's politesse than either the Labour left vipers of his ex-leadership or any of Galloway's outriders. It might suit him to surround himself with like personalities, who just at least seem a little bit nicer than WPGB and do his favourite thing in the world, campaign from the edge, into his dotage.
And I think, for a while at least, that may be enough to be the dominant left faction.
Gaza indies are very single issue though, Workers have much broader ideas. George is extremely marmite of course
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
Only 1337 more days of this shit
I wonder what he'll be like if/when the Republicans lose control of both Houses of Congress in 2026. I know the Senate's a long-ish shot but given some of the results around the country ......
A quarter of Birmingham, UK's second city, now on out-of-work benefits? That’s where unemployment peaked in 1933: and we called that a Great Depression.
And Manchester: booming, employers desperate for staff. Yet one in five on the dole."
Just to round off elections, there are still four seats to declare in Portugal - overseas votes are counted over the weekend and the four seats should be awarded on Monday. It might put Chega into second and make them the official Opposition.
Still two seats to declare in Australia - in Bradfield, the Liberal candidate leads the Independent by just 8 votes but there is a recount ongoing. Labor will hold Caldwell, the issue is who finishes second. The Independent has pushed past the Liberal but still trails Labor by 7,600 votes.
As we no doubt know, the Liberal and National coalition nearly split earlier in the week but the Liberal leader Sussan Ley and the National leader David Littleproud seemed to have walked back from the edge and the coalition has survived.
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
"Janet Daley Liberal democracy is dying before our very eyes The modern democratic state, with a government directly accountable to its population, has become unworkable" (£)
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag - perhaps unsurprising given Farage's past relationship with Russia Today. The comments from the independent Durham councillor at the end of the article seem quite perceptive. I would guess a Reform government would be quite a disappointment to its supporters. Complex problems are not easily fixed by simplistic solutions.
They are not taking down the Ukrainian flag. They are taking down all flags except the union flag, cross of st. George and county flags.
I’m not a Reform supporter and will never vote for Farage. But this sort of misrepresentation just pisses me when off. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to for their betting judgements.
Given per the article the only flag taken down so far has been the Ukrainian one, possibly you are misrepresenting them.
Evidence? You have one quote from Kent.
Moreover there have been complaints year in and year out about pride flags etc. so it may not have been seen in the last 3 weeks but that doesn’t mean it was the motivating factor
Evidence was the article you are complaining about.
Actually the story is a party that happily decries gesture politics in others trips up when indulging in performative flag banning themselves and they don't like it being pointed out.
The quote fron the article is:
one of Reform’s first acts was to take down the Ukrainian flag – hoisted to show solidarity with the war-besieged nation – and vowed not to fly rainbow-coloured flags in support of LGBTQ+ residents
Which demonstrates that it is not just about Ukraine but a broader campaign of nastiness. Which is exactly my point.
We're beating this to death but you claimed a factual statement was misrepresentation.
I’m even boring myself!
But the statement was So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag
That’s simply not true. At the very minimum Reform’s agenda included banning Palestinian and Pride flags.
That seems like a minor error compared to many repeated here often (e.g. exaggerated costs of the Chagos deal, asylum seekers supposedly staying in 4* hotels).
Nope.
On Chagas - assuming they are accurate: I haven’t done the maths - it’s just discounted vs non discounted.
On 4* hotels I believe that you argue they no longer have the facilities that would win a 4* rating. But until they are reinspected they are a 4* hotel…
That attempted sophistry around 4* hotels is a much more aggressive attack on the truth than saying Reform UK are taking down Ukrainian flags. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to inform their betting judgements.
The 4* Hotels debate can be argued from both sides, and the other would think they're being lied to.
One side sees what was previously a 4* hotel being used to house illegal immigrants, and considers it a 4* hotel lost. The other ignores that it ever was a 4* hotel.
Put it this way, if the illegals were housed in Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family and all their staff having moved out and the name being changed to Asylum Village, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say "They're putting the boat people up in Buckingham Bleeding Palace" even though the boat people weren't being treated like royalty and it was no longer called Buckingham Palace
It’s definitely a 4* hotel that’s been lost. No-one has disagreed with that. It is not still a 4* hotel.
Reform UK are definitely pulling down Ukrainian flags. They are also pulling down other flags.
"Janet Daley Liberal democracy is dying before our very eyes The modern democratic state, with a government directly accountable to its population, has become unworkable" (£)
I don't know that it is dying, but people might forget that it needs to be fought for to survive as it is pretty rare historically and people within and without can unravel things quickly.
I think about this sort of thing often whenever there are public enquiries around some tragic event and concern expressed by victims and families. Skepticism and scrutiny of how they are set up is understandable, but I don't know who would make a good enquiry member and I don't think I would if I was directly involved either. As it is with victim led campaigns.
Shroud-waving is a terrible basis for public policy. We all know this. We know that hard cases make bad law. Being a victim of a terrible crime or a rare disease or a freak accident does not make you an expert on policy-making. Being the relative of a victim does not give you a unique ability to understand a contentious issue...
“If it saves one life, it will be worth it.” This is the frequent refrain of the campaigning victim seeking to make something good out of something bad. It is an understandable impulse, but the statement is not true. Or at least it is not necessarily true. It depends on what “it” is. Invoking the hypothetical life that could be saved — not will, but merely could — distracts us from thinking too much about “it” https://thecritic.co.uk/the-blunt-truth-about-victim-led-campaigns/
So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag - perhaps unsurprising given Farage's past relationship with Russia Today. The comments from the independent Durham councillor at the end of the article seem quite perceptive. I would guess a Reform government would be quite a disappointment to its supporters. Complex problems are not easily fixed by simplistic solutions.
They are not taking down the Ukrainian flag. They are taking down all flags except the union flag, cross of st. George and county flags.
I’m not a Reform supporter and will never vote for Farage. But this sort of misrepresentation just pisses me when off. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to for their betting judgements.
Given per the article the only flag taken down so far has been the Ukrainian one, possibly you are misrepresenting them.
Evidence? You have one quote from Kent.
Moreover there have been complaints year in and year out about pride flags etc. so it may not have been seen in the last 3 weeks but that doesn’t mean it was the motivating factor
Evidence was the article you are complaining about.
Actually the story is a party that happily decries gesture politics in others trips up when indulging in performative flag banning themselves and they don't like it being pointed out.
The quote fron the article is:
one of Reform’s first acts was to take down the Ukrainian flag – hoisted to show solidarity with the war-besieged nation – and vowed not to fly rainbow-coloured flags in support of LGBTQ+ residents
Which demonstrates that it is not just about Ukraine but a broader campaign of nastiness. Which is exactly my point.
We're beating this to death but you claimed a factual statement was misrepresentation.
I’m even boring myself!
But the statement was So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag
That’s simply not true. At the very minimum Reform’s agenda included banning Palestinian and Pride flags.
That seems like a minor error compared to many repeated here often (e.g. exaggerated costs of the Chagos deal, asylum seekers supposedly staying in 4* hotels).
Nope.
On Chagas - assuming they are accurate: I haven’t done the maths - it’s just discounted vs non discounted.
On 4* hotels I believe that you argue they no longer have the facilities that would win a 4* rating. But until they are reinspected they are a 4* hotel…
That attempted sophistry around 4* hotels is a much more aggressive attack on the truth than saying Reform UK are taking down Ukrainian flags. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to inform their betting judgements.
The 4* Hotels debate can be argued from both sides, and the other would think they're being lied to.
One side sees what was previously a 4* hotel being used to house illegal immigrants, and considers it a 4* hotel lost. The other ignores that it ever was a 4* hotel.
Put it this way, if the illegals were housed in Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family and all their staff having moved out and the name being changed to Asylum Village, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say "They're putting the boat people up in Buckingham Bleeding Palace" even though the boat people weren't being treated like royalty and it was no longer called Buckingham Palace
It’s definitely a 4* hotel that’s been lost. No-one has disagreed with that. It is not still a 4* hotel.
Reform UK are definitely pulling down Ukrainian flags. They are also pulling down other flags.
Your Buckingham Palace analogy is poor.
In what way is it poor? It is analogous to a 4* hotel that is no longer a 4* hotel now it is being used to house illegal immigrants.
The locals still refer to it as what it was previously. What is the difference?
I think about this often whenever there are public enquiries around some tragic event and concern expressed by victims and families.
Shroud-waving is a terrible basis for public policy. We all know this. We know that hard cases make bad law. Being a victim of a terrible crime or a rare disease or a freak accident does not make you an expert on policy-making. Being the relative of a victim does not give you a unique ability to understand a contentious issue...
“If it saves one life, it will be worth it.” This is the frequent refrain of the campaigning victim seeking to make something good out of something bad. It is an understandable impulse, but the statement is not true. Or at least it is not necessarily true. It depends on what “it” is. Invoking the hypothetical life that could be saved — not will, but merely could — distracts us from thinking too much about “it” https://thecritic.co.uk/the-blunt-truth-about-victim-led-campaigns/
Or in Esther Rantzen's case; "If it takes one life, it will be worth it"
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
"The Swedes, having learnt the hard way, are now so tough on new claims (and better at removing failed ones) that they recently became the first country in Europe to achieve net-zero immigration. The next move is to offer £45,000 to families willing to surrender their Swedish passports and move out of Europe. In the UK, “repatriation” is seen as a far-right fantasy. In socialistic Sweden (which once welcomed my wife’s parents as refugees), “remigration” is part of protecting the social contract. If migrants fail to settle, why not pay them to leave?"
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
"Janet Daley Liberal democracy is dying before our very eyes The modern democratic state, with a government directly accountable to its population, has become unworkable" (£)
To be honest, all very predictable from Janet Daley.
We've had conservatism - indeed, conservative politics (if not economics and culture) have dominated since the 1950s with long periods of Conservative Government and this is an admission of its failure.
It's an admission leaving the EU has made no difference either.
What's changed is the nature of the contract between Government and governed - it used to be the case if you worked hard you would prosper, your family would prosper and your children would have a better life than you. That's no longer guaranteed.
Whether it's the demands of an ageing population or global conditions I don't know but the capitalist model has stopped producing the goods. It's nothing to do with "woke" or immigration or any of that nonsense. It could be called a failure of growth (probably since the bubble burst in 2008). My coiffeur called it a "silent recession" based on ebbing demand as people hold on to what they have.
MY belief (or hope) is, as before, human ingenuity and technological innovation will create new growth but when and in what way I've no clue. I reckon I've stagnated economically since 2008 - compared with most of the planet, in all fairness, I'm fine, but it's not moving forward, it's running hard to stand still and I sense that as a general feeling and a source of the current malaise, ennui or just plain anger.
Mrs Stodge has returned from meeting the girls in Epping and has told me that once popular High Street now has its share of empty shops and forfeit notices on the doors.
Amazing all the things that man knows and understands. He's actually wasted just being the US president.
It is part of the job of a politician to make decisions touching on pretty much everything, so they may need to project understanding and insight on matters on which they know little. But there is taking it too far.
“… We are here to help …. because inside every gook there is an American trying to get out. It's a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this peace craze blows over.”
So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag - perhaps unsurprising given Farage's past relationship with Russia Today. The comments from the independent Durham councillor at the end of the article seem quite perceptive. I would guess a Reform government would be quite a disappointment to its supporters. Complex problems are not easily fixed by simplistic solutions.
They are not taking down the Ukrainian flag. They are taking down all flags except the union flag, cross of st. George and county flags.
I’m not a Reform supporter and will never vote for Farage. But this sort of misrepresentation just pisses me when off. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to for their betting judgements.
Given per the article the only flag taken down so far has been the Ukrainian one, possibly you are misrepresenting them.
Evidence? You have one quote from Kent.
Moreover there have been complaints year in and year out about pride flags etc. so it may not have been seen in the last 3 weeks but that doesn’t mean it was the motivating factor
Evidence was the article you are complaining about.
Actually the story is a party that happily decries gesture politics in others trips up when indulging in performative flag banning themselves and they don't like it being pointed out.
The quote fron the article is:
one of Reform’s first acts was to take down the Ukrainian flag – hoisted to show solidarity with the war-besieged nation – and vowed not to fly rainbow-coloured flags in support of LGBTQ+ residents
Which demonstrates that it is not just about Ukraine but a broader campaign of nastiness. Which is exactly my point.
We're beating this to death but you claimed a factual statement was misrepresentation.
I’m even boring myself!
But the statement was So far Reform's agenda in local government seems to extend no further than taking down the Ukrainian flag
That’s simply not true. At the very minimum Reform’s agenda included banning Palestinian and Pride flags.
That seems like a minor error compared to many repeated here often (e.g. exaggerated costs of the Chagos deal, asylum seekers supposedly staying in 4* hotels).
Nope.
On Chagas - assuming they are accurate: I haven’t done the maths - it’s just discounted vs non discounted.
On 4* hotels I believe that you argue they no longer have the facilities that would win a 4* rating. But until they are reinspected they are a 4* hotel…
That attempted sophistry around 4* hotels is a much more aggressive attack on the truth than saying Reform UK are taking down Ukrainian flags. This board relies on accurate information / assessment for people to inform their betting judgements.
The 4* Hotels debate can be argued from both sides, and the other would think they're being lied to.
One side sees what was previously a 4* hotel being used to house illegal immigrants, and considers it a 4* hotel lost. The other ignores that it ever was a 4* hotel.
Put it this way, if the illegals were housed in Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family and all their staff having moved out and the name being changed to Asylum Village, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say "They're putting the boat people up in Buckingham Bleeding Palace" even though the boat people weren't being treated like royalty and it was no longer called Buckingham Palace
It’s definitely a 4* hotel that’s been lost. No-one has disagreed with that. It is not still a 4* hotel.
Reform UK are definitely pulling down Ukrainian flags. They are also pulling down other flags.
Your Buckingham Palace analogy is poor.
In what way is it poor? It is analogous to a 4* hotel that is no longer a 4* hotel now it is being used to house illegal immigrants.
The locals still refer to it as what it was previously. What is the difference?
It’s also quite likely that, after the migrants leave, the owners will use the profits from the arrangement to do a massive rework of the hotel, restoring it to being a 4* hotel.
"This is not just any cyber meltdown: will shoppers forgive M&S? Customer loyalty is the magic ingredient that should see Marks and Spencer bounce back from this crisis Claer Barrett"
I have, inter alia, threads about AV, Scottish Independence, Cash, and why patriots want to rejoin the EU whilst traitors want us to keep us outside the EU planned.
"Janet Daley Liberal democracy is dying before our very eyes The modern democratic state, with a government directly accountable to its population, has become unworkable" (£)
I have, inter alia, threads about AV, Scottish Independence, Cash, and why patriots want to rejoin the EU whilst traitors want us to keep us outside the EU planned.
"This is not just any cyber meltdown: will shoppers forgive M&S? Customer loyalty is the magic ingredient that should see Marks and Spencer bounce back from this crisis Claer Barrett"
Utterly despicable . Netanyahu rot in hell with your genocide cabinet.
It is utterly tragic but I do think Sky and the BBC showing these horrors on repeat are not wise, as it comes to a point viewers cannot take anymore horror, feel helpless, and just switch over to other channels
I have, inter alia, threads about AV, Scottish Independence, Cash, and why patriots want to rejoin the EU whilst traitors want us to keep us outside the EU planned.
I look forward to reading all of them, because we can be absolutely sure that nothing newsworthy will happen during your holiday.
Observer reporting Labour will scrap the two child benefit cap. Starmer and Lammy also recently criticising Israel on Gaza. It feels like maybe they're having a reset? Oh and WFA changes also...
Utterly despicable . Netanyahu rot in hell with your genocide cabinet.
It is utterly tragic but I do think Sky and the BBC showing these horrors on repeat are not wise, as it comes to a point viewers cannot take anymore horror, feel helpless, and just switch over to other channels
It is difficult to get the balance I know
I can barely watch Gaza news anymore . And Netenyahu is the biggest recruiting sergeant for anti-semitism . He can stop lecturing the west and take responsibility for the rise in that .
Observer reporting Labour will scrap the two child benefit cap. Starmer and Lammy also recently criticising Israel on Gaza. It feels like maybe they're having a reset? Oh and WFA changes also...
Observer reporting Labour will scrap the two child benefit cap. Starmer and Lammy also recently criticising Israel on Gaza. It feels like maybe they're having a reset? Oh and WFA changes also...
Does that mean Morgan McSweeney has been given his P45 . He apparently wanted to keep the cap .
A quarter of Birmingham, UK's second city, now on out-of-work benefits? That’s where unemployment peaked in 1933: and we called that a Great Depression.
And Manchester: booming, employers desperate for staff. Yet one in five on the dole."
Observer reporting Labour will scrap the two child benefit cap. Starmer and Lammy also recently criticising Israel on Gaza. It feels like maybe they're having a reset? Oh and WFA changes also...
A Chav's Charter to churn out yet more feral, delinquent kids. Marvellous.
Utterly despicable . Netanyahu rot in hell with your genocide cabinet.
It is utterly tragic but I do think Sky and the BBC showing these horrors on repeat are not wise, as it comes to a point viewers cannot take anymore horror, feel helpless, and just switch over to other channels
It is difficult to get the balance I know
I can barely watch Gaza news anymore . And Netenyahu is the biggest recruiting sergeant for anti-semitism . He can stop lecturing the west and take responsibility for the rise in that .
Unfortunately we are in a horrific fight between Israel and Hamas with no end in sight, leaving most everyone utterly despairing at the brutality and endless suffering
Observer reporting Labour will scrap the two child benefit cap. Starmer and Lammy also recently criticising Israel on Gaza. It feels like maybe they're having a reset? Oh and WFA changes also...
Comments
NEW 🚨 PARTY?
@jeremycorbyn has said "I hear the call for a new political party. I fully understand that, and that political party needs to be well-informed and effective".
And "by next year’s local elections... we’re going to have something in place":
https://nitter.poast.org/TheCanaryUK/status/1925237955959857303#m
Here Tice talks about his plans for the Steel industry in Sculthorpe, which Alison Pearson is critiquing from a doctrinaire Thatcherite perspectives. I've tried to do a timestamp.
https://youtu.be/vlVz3hMuqjg?si=w-dkR2IkIWrXMvW9&t=48m00s
Just hoping they can hold on, not do what Ipswich did last year and Luton the year before. It's a big jump from the Championship, apparently.
In all seriousness I doubt they will survive in the Premiership, but let them enjoy their moment
Though Galloway's mob did stand in a frankly preposterous 152 seats in 2024.
While I cannot support The Toon under their Saudi ownership, at least I can still cheer when Sunlun lose. Sadly today was not such an occasion, but I expect it to happen very frequently next season.
For the few places like Burnley where there might have been some traction, Ind did the trick, and a full launch would have been utterly wasted.
Galloway is now done with him and becoming very critical so I think he's looking now at a purely Gaza related party which will offload him at the earliest opportunity and then implode.
His best bet would be something with the Greens I suppose, possible if Polanski wins but a Ramsay/Ellie Chowns Green Party won't want to do anything i wouldn't think
One side sees what was previously a 4* hotel being used to house illegal immigrants, and considers it a 4* hotel lost. The other ignores that it ever was a 4* hotel.
Put it this way, if the illegals were housed in Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family and all their staff having moved out and the name being changed to Asylum Village, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say "They're putting the boat people up in Buckingham Bleeding Palace" even though the boat people weren't being treated like royalty and it was no longer called Buckingham Palace
Change UK missed the boat at the 2019 locals allowing Swinson and 'indies' to get the momentum (which then collapsed in the face of Dogbert Johnson)
Workers/Galloway have thrown away the progress made into July last year by doing nothing since and missing these locals - certainly they should have gone for Lancs but there we are
https://x.com/MarquardtA/status/1926036188487467411
Reporter: What makes you confident that Apple can build in the US at a price that—
Trump: Oh they can, a lot of it is so computerized. These plants are amazing
https://x.com/Acyn/status/1925986372143198649
And I think, for a while at least, that may be enough to be the dominant left faction.
Then I imagine his enthusiasm for forcing them to onshore production at three times the cost would wilt dramatically.
I know the Senate's a long-ish shot but given some of the results around the country ......
@FraserNelson
The below figures are hard to believe.
A quarter of Birmingham, UK's second city, now on out-of-work benefits? That’s where unemployment peaked in 1933: and we called that a Great Depression.
And Manchester: booming, employers desperate for staff. Yet one in five on the dole."
https://x.com/FraserNelson/status/1925250652432920922
Still two seats to declare in Australia - in Bradfield, the Liberal candidate leads the Independent by just 8 votes but there is a recount ongoing. Labor will hold Caldwell, the issue is who finishes second. The Independent has pushed past the Liberal but still trails Labor by 7,600 votes.
As we no doubt know, the Liberal and National coalition nearly split earlier in the week but the Liberal leader Sussan Ley and the National leader David Littleproud seemed to have walked back from the edge and the coalition has survived.
"Janet Daley
Liberal democracy is dying before our very eyes
The modern democratic state, with a government directly accountable to its population, has become unworkable" (£)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/24/liberal-democracy-is-dying-before-our-very-eyes/
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5317486-donald-trump-west-point-commencement-speech-golden-age/
“The job of the U.S. Armed Forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures, but to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun. ..
Reform UK are definitely pulling down Ukrainian flags. They are also pulling down other flags.
Your Buckingham Palace analogy is poor.
Shroud-waving is a terrible basis for public policy. We all know this. We know that hard cases make bad law. Being a victim of a terrible crime or a rare disease or a freak accident does not make you an expert on policy-making. Being the relative of a victim does not give you a unique ability to understand a contentious issue...
“If it saves one life, it will be worth it.” This is the frequent refrain of the campaigning victim seeking to make something good out of something bad. It is an understandable impulse, but the statement is not true. Or at least it is not necessarily true. It depends on what “it” is. Invoking the hypothetical life that could be saved — not will, but merely could — distracts us from thinking too much about “it”
https://thecritic.co.uk/the-blunt-truth-about-victim-led-campaigns/
The locals still refer to it as what it was previously. What is the difference?
Is he working for Samsung or something ?
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/amphetamine-addiction/know-someone-amphetamines/
money offshore to avoid tax, as much as possible.
It’s not just MAGA that doesn’t love that model - read some Reddit….
So, the #BBC protected:
- Jimmy Saville
- Gary Glitter
- Rolf Harries
- Nigel Farage
- Huw Edwards
- etc
But get rid of Gary Lineker
!?!?!
https://x.com/richardgcorbett/status/1926028346808287378?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
We've had conservatism - indeed, conservative politics (if not economics and culture) have dominated since the 1950s with long periods of Conservative Government and this is an admission of its failure.
It's an admission leaving the EU has made no difference either.
What's changed is the nature of the contract between Government and governed - it used to be the case if you worked hard you would prosper, your family would prosper and your children would have a better life than you. That's no longer guaranteed.
Whether it's the demands of an ageing population or global conditions I don't know but the capitalist model has stopped producing the goods. It's nothing to do with "woke" or immigration or any of that nonsense. It could be called a failure of growth (probably since the bubble burst in 2008). My coiffeur called it a "silent recession" based on ebbing demand as people hold on to what they have.
MY belief (or hope) is, as before, human ingenuity and technological innovation will create new growth but when and in what way I've no clue. I reckon I've stagnated economically since 2008 - compared with most of the planet, in all fairness, I'm fine, but it's not moving forward, it's running hard to stand still and I sense that as a general feeling and a source of the current malaise, ennui or just plain anger.
Mrs Stodge has returned from meeting the girls in Epping and has told me that once popular High Street now has its share of empty shops and forfeit notices on the doors.
Customer loyalty is the magic ingredient that should see Marks and Spencer bounce back from this crisis
Claer Barrett"
https://www.ft.com/content/71bf35b0-740f-472f-96c6-86a9458e5844
I have, inter alia, threads about AV, Scottish Independence, Cash, and why patriots want to rejoin the EU whilst traitors want us to keep us outside the EU planned.
https://x.com/PoliticsMoments/status/1926327490428965195
I rather doubt the whole Mikey community.
Utterly despicable . Netanyahu rot in hell with your genocide cabinet.
It is difficult to get the balance I know
Absolutely tragic story. Perhaps Gazans might reflect on why this is happening and get rid of Hamas?
The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 2.1 in January to March 2025, up from 1.9 in the previous quarter (October to December 2024).
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/may2025