Just to help out, of the Conservatives' top 50 targets, the LDs currently hold 9, the SNP 2, Plaid 1 and the remaining 38 are Labour so its Conservative progress against Labour which wins seats.
Of the top 50 Reform targets, 27 are held by Labour and 23 by the Conservatives.
However of the LDs top 40 defences only one is not vs the Tories so the blues will certainly target team Davey
The LDs are not the boggest problem for the Conservatives - it's Reform.
Indeed, as the polls show, the Conservatives could succeed in keeping all their seats aginst the LDs but lose so many to Reform they fall behind the LDs in the next Commons.
They will be looking to keep a vote share low to mid 20s and do three things 1) gain from Labour via Labour vote collapse 2) hold as much as possible vs Reform 3) ameliorate losses in 2 by gaining back sears in the blue wall
LDs took ALL the low hanging fruit except Hunt in July so if the Tories hit their vote share target (standing still effectively) then they will be playing offense not defence versus the LDs
If they lose much vote share they are totally fucked on all fronts
That's true of the LDs as well of course and indeed all parties.
IF the Conservatives are sub 20% all bets are off - you and I both know that even if the LDs are on say 15%. The Conservatives just look vulnerable currently but they still have over 4,000 councillors though that might take a hit next year.
Local Government reorganisation will further reduce the number of Conservative councillors as Conservative dominated Districts are abolished (the LDs will suffer as well).
2027 will be very much the last stand for the Conservatives in local Government - further big losses then and it looks bleak for them.
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
I'm with you. He is indeed a nullity who has no idea what we wants other than to be in power, whose thinking (and I use the term loosely) is shaped by the last person to sit on him, who is utterly ineffectual, deeply boring and just plain dull. I struggle to have strong emotions about him because he is a walking void of emptiness. There is so little to get a grip of. Exasperation that someone so inept is in Number 10 at a somewhat difficult time is as close as I can get to.
It seems odd to call someone ineffectual who managed to become leader of the Labour Party and PM, and this is his second career!
Have you looked at the Labour front bench?
Yes, but they are Starmers appointments!
The exception is Rayner who has her own powerbase as elected deputy leader.
It is a time of a stunning lack of quality in our politics and that is what allowed a non entity such as Starmer to rise to the top of his party (well, that and his willingness to lie). And then he carefully carried a ming vase across the stage against a shambolic and tired government and was handed the premiership on a plate.
This paucity of talent is not just a Labour affliction. Davey, with all his ridiculous antics, appears a moral colossus at times in a shallow sea of mediocrity. Davey. That is what we are reduced to. It's deeply depressing.
I am struggling to see a way forward at the moment.
What do you think of Davey's general performance as a Cabinet Mininster?
He did the Post Office error very early on, and he did significant things in addressing home efficiency - which is the one I noticed most, but there are a number of others.
In early career terms, he was remarkably similar to Katie Lam, who we discussed yesterday.
His major decision was approving Hinckley Point which threatens to be an unbelievably expensive white elephant when you see the national grid numbers today. His plan to try and introduce more competition into the energy market was reasonably sound but it didn't work. On the plus side he was not as recklessly self harming as Energy and Climate Change Minister as Ed Miliband but that is surely the lowest of bars.
There's not much affection for Sir Keir on here tonight. I wonder how he would have fared in a different era. I think much of his problem is that we live in an age that values emotion and instinct over cold reason and analysis, and Sir Keir just doesn't radiate enough love. This is something the more successful politicians of recent times - Blair, Cameron, Boris - strived to do. The likes of Brown and May couldn't and flopped accordingly.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
I appreciate this is a troll post, but it reflects a widely held view.
And how depressing is that. I want to live in a country where any child, whatever their background, has at least a 75%+ chance of a fulfilling life and contributing to society. Each birth should be an unreservedly celebrated.
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
I'm with you. He is indeed a nullity who has no idea what we wants other than to be in power, whose thinking (and I use the term loosely) is shaped by the last person to sit on him, who is utterly ineffectual, deeply boring and just plain dull. I struggle to have strong emotions about him because he is a walking void of emptiness. There is so little to get a grip of. Exasperation that someone so inept is in Number 10 at a somewhat difficult time is as close as I can get to.
It seems odd to call someone ineffectual who managed to become leader of the Labour Party and PM, and this is his second career!
Have you looked at the Labour front bench?
Yes, but they are Starmers appointments!
The exception is Rayner who has her own powerbase as elected deputy leader.
It is a time of a stunning lack of quality in our politics and that is what allowed a non entity such as Starmer to rise to the top of his party (well, that and his willingness to lie). And then he carefully carried a ming vase across the stage against a shambolic and tired government and was handed the premiership on a plate.
This paucity of talent is not just a Labour affliction. Davey, with all his ridiculous antics, appears a moral colossus at times in a shallow sea of mediocrity. Davey. That is what we are reduced to. It's deeply depressing.
I am struggling to see a way forward at the moment.
Oh dear. Do not despair. It is a long and winding road. I've seen that road before. A step at a time. The secret I was told (by John Harvey Jones) was a) know your destination b) know your first step c) don't rely on a plan.
There's not much affection for Sir Keir on here tonight. I wonder how he would have fared in a different era. I think much of his problem is that we live in an age that values emotion and instinct over cold reason and analysis, and Sir Keir just doesn't radiate enough love. This is something the more successful politicians of recent times - Blair, Cameron, Boris - strived to do. The likes of Brown and May couldn't and flopped accordingly.
I think most would still despise him because he seems a moral, ethical, and idea vacuum. A blank slate to be written on by his donors
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
I'm with you. He is indeed a nullity who has no idea what we wants other than to be in power, whose thinking (and I use the term loosely) is shaped by the last person to sit on him, who is utterly ineffectual, deeply boring and just plain dull. I struggle to have strong emotions about him because he is a walking void of emptiness. There is so little to get a grip of. Exasperation that someone so inept is in Number 10 at a somewhat difficult time is as close as I can get to.
It seems odd to call someone ineffectual who managed to become leader of the Labour Party and PM, and this is his second career!
Have you looked at the Labour front bench?
Yes, but they are Starmers appointments!
The exception is Rayner who has her own powerbase as elected deputy leader.
It is a time of a stunning lack of quality in our politics and that is what allowed a non entity such as Starmer to rise to the top of his party (well, that and his willingness to lie). And then he carefully carried a ming vase across the stage against a shambolic and tired government and was handed the premiership on a plate.
This paucity of talent is not just a Labour affliction. Davey, with all his ridiculous antics, appears a moral colossus at times in a shallow sea of mediocrity. Davey. That is what we are reduced to. It's deeply depressing.
I am struggling to see a way forward at the moment.
Oh dear. Do not despair. It is a long and winding road. I've seen that road before. A step at a time. The secret I was told (by John Harvey Jones) was a) know your destination b) know your first step c) don't rely on a plan.
A politician who had some idea of what the country's destination was, as opposed to their own self advancement, would be welcome indeed, especially if it bore any tangential contact with reality.
Just to help out, of the Conservatives' top 50 targets, the LDs currently hold 9, the SNP 2, Plaid 1 and the remaining 38 are Labour so its Conservative progress against Labour which wins seats.
Of the top 50 Reform targets, 27 are held by Labour and 23 by the Conservatives.
However of the LDs top 40 defences only one is not vs the Tories so the blues will certainly target team Davey
The LDs are not the boggest problem for the Conservatives - it's Reform.
Indeed, as the polls show, the Conservatives could succeed in keeping all their seats aginst the LDs but lose so many to Reform they fall behind the LDs in the next Commons.
They will be looking to keep a vote share low to mid 20s and do three things 1) gain from Labour via Labour vote collapse 2) hold as much as possible vs Reform 3) ameliorate losses in 2 by gaining back sears in the blue wall
LDs took ALL the low hanging fruit except Hunt in July so if the Tories hit their vote share target (standing still effectively) then they will be playing offense not defence versus the LDs
If they lose much vote share they are totally fucked on all fronts
That's true of the LDs as well of course and indeed all parties.
IF the Conservatives are sub 20% all bets are off - you and I both know that even if the LDs are on say 15%. The Conservatives just look vulnerable currently but they still have over 4,000 councillors though that might take a hit next year.
Local Government reorganisation will further reduce the number of Conservative councillors as Conservative dominated Districts are abolished (the LDs will suffer as well).
2027 will be very much the last stand for the Conservatives in local Government - further big losses then and it looks bleak for them.
Oh sub 20 and go home lads, yes. Yeah 2027 is probably the most vital set theyll face. For 26 I think theyve already given up on retaining the delayed Norfolk and Suffolk next year from my local perspective but i think theyll be targetting being largest party which would suggest stemming the blood loss we saw this year - largest party and most votes in Norfolk over Reform would be 2013 and UKIP redux, a 'dealable' situation
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
I'm with you. He is indeed a nullity who has no idea what we wants other than to be in power, whose thinking (and I use the term loosely) is shaped by the last person to sit on him, who is utterly ineffectual, deeply boring and just plain dull. I struggle to have strong emotions about him because he is a walking void of emptiness. There is so little to get a grip of. Exasperation that someone so inept is in Number 10 at a somewhat difficult time is as close as I can get to.
It seems odd to call someone ineffectual who managed to become leader of the Labour Party and PM, and this is his second career!
Have you looked at the Labour front bench?
Yes, but they are Starmers appointments!
The exception is Rayner who has her own powerbase as elected deputy leader.
It is a time of a stunning lack of quality in our politics and that is what allowed a non entity such as Starmer to rise to the top of his party (well, that and his willingness to lie). And then he carefully carried a ming vase across the stage against a shambolic and tired government and was handed the premiership on a plate.
This paucity of talent is not just a Labour affliction. Davey, with all his ridiculous antics, appears a moral colossus at times in a shallow sea of mediocrity. Davey. That is what we are reduced to. It's deeply depressing.
I am struggling to see a way forward at the moment.
Oh dear. Do not despair. It is a long and winding road. I've seen that road before. A step at a time. The secret I was told (by John Harvey Jones) was a) know your destination b) know your first step c) don't rely on a plan.
The trouble is Starmer has taken the first and second steps in the wrong direction then run out of legs to take further steps with and fallen flat on his face
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
The two child cap does not apply to child benefits, it only applies to those claiming uc benefits on top of them
Just to help out, of the Conservatives' top 50 targets, the LDs currently hold 9, the SNP 2, Plaid 1 and the remaining 38 are Labour so its Conservative progress against Labour which wins seats.
Of the top 50 Reform targets, 27 are held by Labour and 23 by the Conservatives.
However of the LDs top 40 defences only one is not vs the Tories so the blues will certainly target team Davey
The LDs are not the boggest problem for the Conservatives - it's Reform.
Indeed, as the polls show, the Conservatives could succeed in keeping all their seats aginst the LDs but lose so many to Reform they fall behind the LDs in the next Commons.
They will be looking to keep a vote share low to mid 20s and do three things 1) gain from Labour via Labour vote collapse 2) hold as much as possible vs Reform 3) ameliorate losses in 2 by gaining back sears in the blue wall
LDs took ALL the low hanging fruit except Hunt in July so if the Tories hit their vote share target (standing still effectively) then they will be playing offense not defence versus the LDs
If they lose much vote share they are totally fucked on all fronts
That's true of the LDs as well of course and indeed all parties.
IF the Conservatives are sub 20% all bets are off - you and I both know that even if the LDs are on say 15%. The Conservatives just look vulnerable currently but they still have over 4,000 councillors though that might take a hit next year.
Local Government reorganisation will further reduce the number of Conservative councillors as Conservative dominated Districts are abolished (the LDs will suffer as well).
2027 will be very much the last stand for the Conservatives in local Government - further big losses then and it looks bleak for them.
Oh sub 20 and go home lads, yes. Yeah 2027 is probably the most vital set theyll face. For 26 I think theyve already given up on retaining the delayed Norfolk and Suffolk next year from my local perspective but i think theyll be targetting being largest party which would suggest stemming the blood loss we saw this year - largest party and most votes in Norfolk over Reform would be 2013 and UKIP redux, a 'dealable' situation
Id add to this that since local government reorg in 1972 the Conservatives have been largest party in seats at every single Norfolk county council election so to not be next year will suggest end of days approaches
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
I'm with you. He is indeed a nullity who has no idea what we wants other than to be in power, whose thinking (and I use the term loosely) is shaped by the last person to sit on him, who is utterly ineffectual, deeply boring and just plain dull. I struggle to have strong emotions about him because he is a walking void of emptiness. There is so little to get a grip of. Exasperation that someone so inept is in Number 10 at a somewhat difficult time is as close as I can get to.
It seems odd to call someone ineffectual who managed to become leader of the Labour Party and PM, and this is his second career!
Have you looked at the Labour front bench?
Yes, but they are Starmers appointments!
The exception is Rayner who has her own powerbase as elected deputy leader.
It is a time of a stunning lack of quality in our politics and that is what allowed a non entity such as Starmer to rise to the top of his party (well, that and his willingness to lie). And then he carefully carried a ming vase across the stage against a shambolic and tired government and was handed the premiership on a plate.
This paucity of talent is not just a Labour affliction. Davey, with all his ridiculous antics, appears a moral colossus at times in a shallow sea of mediocrity. Davey. That is what we are reduced to. It's deeply depressing.
I am struggling to see a way forward at the moment.
Oh dear. Do not despair. It is a long and winding road. I've seen that road before. A step at a time. The secret I was told (by John Harvey Jones) was a) know your destination b) know your first step c) don't rely on a plan.
A politician who had some idea of what the country's destination was, as opposed to their own self advancement, would be welcome indeed, especially if it bore any tangential contact with reality.
Most people would agree on a destination. Decent public services. Affordable housing. Reward for effort. Freedom to do your own thing. Boring but desirable. The problems are ideology, simplistic dishonest solutions, political ambition perverting the good. These need to be faced down. That's up to us.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
The two child cap does not apply to child benefits, it only applies to those claiming uc benefits on top of them
Besides you have to understand why the two child cap was brought in and why abolishing it will raise ire.
My son was born in 92...in those days if you were working all you got was child benefit. We wanted a second but couldn't afford it. Meanwhile a couple of friends not working were working on their fourth because they could afford to...in fact it was financially beneficial to them to have another as it boosted their income and gave them extra points to push them up the council housing list.
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
It is interesting and I reckon I have identifed it. Uncanny Valley
Scientists know that there is a weird zone of revulsion, in humans, when they are confronted by a robot/avatar/tech that "appears" human but doesn't quite make it to full human. A few gestures and tics give away that non-humanity and we react with unfiltered and violent rejection; it is probably Darwinian: an evolved reflex to detect the imposter, who is a potential danger
That's what Starmer evokes, in me, the disgust at the not-quite-human. He is a Woke robot pretending to be like the rest of us
Yes! I can see that. I thought it was a lover spurned effect. I know you voted for him. But he is odd in the way you describe. I wonder how many people are picking up on this?
We wanted boring but we got a hollow man. He’s probably okay in real life, dull but straight. Always brings some wine. Not my fave for PM though.
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
It is interesting and I reckon I have identifed it. Uncanny Valley
Scientists know that there is a weird zone of revulsion, in humans, when they are confronted by a robot/avatar/tech that "appears" human but doesn't quite make it to full human. A few gestures and tics give away that non-humanity and we react with unfiltered and violent rejection; it is probably Darwinian: an evolved reflex to detect the imposter, who is a potential danger
That's what Starmer evokes, in me, the disgust at the not-quite-human. He is a Woke robot pretending to be like the rest of us
Yes! I can see that. I thought it was a lover spurned effect. I know you voted for him. But he is odd in the way you describe. I wonder how many people are picking up on this?
We wanted boring but we got a hollow man. He’s probably okay in real life, dull but straight. Always brings some wine. Not my fave for PM though.
If he brings wine check the label, pretty sure it will be lambrusco light
There's not much affection for Sir Keir on here tonight. I wonder how he would have fared in a different era. I think much of his problem is that we live in an age that values emotion and instinct over cold reason and analysis, and Sir Keir just doesn't radiate enough love. This is something the more successful politicians of recent times - Blair, Cameron, Boris - strived to do. The likes of Brown and May couldn't and flopped accordingly.
Yes he's a complete charisma vacuum, which probably dooms him in this age, at any rate if the opposition (whichever party) somehow finds a charismatic leader of their own.
But his absolute lack of political judgement, his complete lack of concrete achievements, and active destruction of the private sector, don't help either, except with a few public sector obsessives.
His only asset is a huge majority, but I think that could turn into a liability as it dawns on about half of his MPs that they won't get elected next time.
Of course something could turn up to save him, like it did for the Canadian Liberals, but I don't see it at the moment.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Yep but that is a complex story to explain away - which is why Farage will go for the idea. It looks good and the people who vote for him aren’t bright enough to pick up who really would benefit (and for a lot of reform voters the people who would benefit are those they look down on).
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
Child benefit isn’t the issue here it’s tax credits where people would really gain.
Firstly in having more children and secondly be gaming the system to extend the time they get the benefits for
@MattW re deaf constituents and council livestreams
I posted yesterday that modern browsers can provide live captions or simultaneous subtitles.
Chrome – (three dots menu) > settings > accessibility (on left) > live caption
It seemed to work for a Kent council livestream but then I noticed everyone had an American accent and it turns out there is a Kent over there as well.
Perhaps you can try it. There is no point activists wasting scarce funds on a legal challenge if they will just be told to press a few buttons.
Here is a live horseracing commentary (with mangled horse names):-
My phone sometimes does a good job of that; the issue is perhaps around institutionalising reasonable expectations.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Isn't it about twenty quid a week? I'm not sure how that benefits the feckless. Unless they are very clever and excellently frugal cooks.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Long term we’re going into a demographic downward spiral. In fact not only long term, medium term. Either we fix that with immigration or pro-natal policies, or both.
A hard cap after 2 children just seems counter-productive. A tapered credit system might make sense, after all there are economies of scale in household size. But a hard cap, especially at only 2, doesn’t make any sense except as a Daily Mail policy.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Isn't it about twenty quid a week? I'm not sure how that benefits the feckless. Unless they are very clever and excellently frugal cooks.
No that is child benefit which the 2 child cap doesnt apply to. It applies to the 300 or so a month you can claim for each subsequent child on uc
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Isn't it about twenty quid a week? I'm not sure how that benefits the feckless. Unless they are very clever and excellently frugal cooks.
£70, and subject to the same onerous conditions as usual with UC. I must say, it is impressive the level of financial planning these feckless parents are undertaking.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Is this the first time you've defended Farage, albeit indirectly?
There's not much affection for Sir Keir on here tonight. I wonder how he would have fared in a different era. I think much of his problem is that we live in an age that values emotion and instinct over cold reason and analysis, and Sir Keir just doesn't radiate enough love. This is something the more successful politicians of recent times - Blair, Cameron, Boris - strived to do. The likes of Brown and May couldn't and flopped accordingly.
I think he could have slipstreamed from Director of Public Prosecutions into a senior civil service role or serious member of the Lords. Would have probably thrived and contributed a lot to the country.
As prime minister and leader of Labour - I'm not seeing it.
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
I agree he is a nullity and I note his political naivety. Useless. But he doesn't stir my emotions at all.
So it is very interesting for a nullity to have this extreme effect on you. Any idea of the underlying root cause of this reaction? It's interesting.
I'm with you. He is indeed a nullity who has no idea what we wants other than to be in power, whose thinking (and I use the term loosely) is shaped by the last person to sit on him, who is utterly ineffectual, deeply boring and just plain dull. I struggle to have strong emotions about him because he is a walking void of emptiness. There is so little to get a grip of. Exasperation that someone so inept is in Number 10 at a somewhat difficult time is as close as I can get to.
It seems odd to call someone ineffectual who managed to become leader of the Labour Party and PM, and this is his second career!
Have you looked at the Labour front bench?
Yes, but they are Starmers appointments!
The exception is Rayner who has her own powerbase as elected deputy leader.
It is a time of a stunning lack of quality in our politics and that is what allowed a non entity such as Starmer to rise to the top of his party (well, that and his willingness to lie). And then he carefully carried a ming vase across the stage against a shambolic and tired government and was handed the premiership on a plate.
This paucity of talent is not just a Labour affliction. Davey, with all his ridiculous antics, appears a moral colossus at times in a shallow sea of mediocrity. Davey. That is what we are reduced to. It's deeply depressing.
I am struggling to see a way forward at the moment.
Oh dear. Do not despair. It is a long and winding road. I've seen that road before. A step at a time. The secret I was told (by John Harvey Jones) was a) know your destination b) know your first step c) don't rely on a plan.
A politician who had some idea of what the country's destination was, as opposed to their own self advancement, would be welcome indeed, especially if it bore any tangential contact with reality.
I will never be a politician but £10bn minimum on new railways year on year with - 10+ year plan on what happens after HS3 (sorry hs2b) and 4.
Plus I would sort things out so Birmingham, Leeds and co can build metros and trams (Manchester is only excluded becaus we need HS2 and northern power rail and until that’s designed I don’t know where the metros go.
Also 3p on income tax with winter fuel allowance reinstated to reduce the impact on poorest pensions
There's not much affection for Sir Keir on here tonight. I wonder how he would have fared in a different era. I think much of his problem is that we live in an age that values emotion and instinct over cold reason and analysis, and Sir Keir just doesn't radiate enough love. This is something the more successful politicians of recent times - Blair, Cameron, Boris - strived to do. The likes of Brown and May couldn't and flopped accordingly.
I think he could have slipstreamed from Director of Public Prosecutions into a senior civil service role or serious member of the Lords. Would have probably thrived and contributed a lot to the country.
As prime minister and leader of Labour - I'm not seeing it.
And yet, it's not obvious that anyone else would be markedly better, and most of the touted alternatives would definitely be worse. That was true in 2020, also in 2024, and it's still the case now.
@cyclefree Well that's a bugger. You have been my favourite contributor here. You write things I wish I could articulate. Thank you and the very best of luck.
For cricket fans, that slightly disturbing Dermot Reeve interview again, with someone who neither looks nor sounds like the Dermot Reeve we know so well.
There's not much affection for Sir Keir on here tonight. I wonder how he would have fared in a different era. I think much of his problem is that we live in an age that values emotion and instinct over cold reason and analysis, and Sir Keir just doesn't radiate enough love. This is something the more successful politicians of recent times - Blair, Cameron, Boris - strived to do. The likes of Brown and May couldn't and flopped accordingly.
I think he could have slipstreamed from Director of Public Prosecutions into a senior civil service role or serious member of the Lords. Would have probably thrived and contributed a lot to the country.
As prime minister and leader of Labour - I'm not seeing it.
And yet, it's not obvious that anyone else would be markedly better, and most of the touted alternatives would definitely be worse. That was true in 2020, also in 2024, and it's still the case now.
Good night- and if you're in the UK, good luck.
Rayner would be a notably better motivator for Labourites - she has actual rizz, she’s the real working class deal - and I fail to see how she could be WORSE as premier than Sir Keir Traitor
She’s her own woman. She has common sense. I doubt she’d have signed off on Chagos
I wouldn’t vote for her, but if I was a lefty I think she’d enthuse me a lot more than twatface Keir. And she’d be better at taking it to Farage
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Long term we’re going into a demographic downward spiral. In fact not only long term, medium term. Either we fix that with immigration or pro-natal policies, or both.
A hard cap after 2 children just seems counter-productive. A tapered credit system might make sense, after all there are economies of scale in household size. But a hard cap, especially at only 2, doesn’t make any sense except as a Daily Mail policy.
Indeed, given our fertility rate is below replacement level of 2.1 raising it to 3 children for the benefit cap makes sense
I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union. I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
Fair enough. I feel similar about Farage tbh.
Starmer has been underwhelming but I think he'll survive. We'll see.
Meanwhile, you can't get rid of Starmer, only the Labour Party or the electorate can do that so my advice is chill, focus on the things you can change.
Well yes, I have scolded myself, so it won't get to me
But it might cast useful light on future betting. Starmer rubs people up the wrong way, big time, and he has zero upsides
Even if you hated Thatcher, she was effective and intelligent
Even if you hated Boris, he could be funny and was a great campaigner
Even if you hate Farage, he is undeniably skilful and good on TV
What is the positive on Starmer? What are the upsides to compensate for the massive downsides? I see none
I know Labour don't replace leaders but if the polls in late 2026 are this bad, I am sure they will make an exception
You missed Liz off of your list, just saying.
We have been watching the Bombing of Pan Am 103 on iPlayer (very good btw). They use a few news clips from 1988/9 and I found myself watching Reagan speak, wistful for a time when the even the right-wing leaders were decent, compassionate people.
President Trump: "I'm not happy with what Putin is doing. He's killing a lot of people and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin ... he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all!"
President Trump: "I'm not happy with what Putin is doing. He's killing a lot of people and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin ... he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all!"
Turns out Putin is a bit of an arsehole. If only someone had said.
So Farage would need Tory confidence and supply as well as DUP and TUV support for a stable majority
Fukkers + the traumatised handful of tory 'Last of Us' survivors + drumbashers would no doubt usher in a gilded age of government. With deep seated intellectual and philosophical coherence that would inexorably lead to an accelerando of social and economic progress.
On a more cheerful note, I think Sir Keir Traitor is now my most-hated-politician ever
Seriously. After Chagos (and on top of everything else) my loathing of him has reached Red Mist levels, far surpassing even my loathing for Sadiq Khan or Gareth Southgate. I find myself wishing for very unpleasant things to happen to this porcine prick of a prime minister. I want him REDACTED REDACTED
This is neither healthy nor wholesome. Nonetheless it is a thing, and a new thing for me. Is this what lefties felt as regards Thatcher in the 1980s? Consumed with disgust and abhorrence? If so, maybe it allows me to understand them
But it may alse be of note to bettors. Starmer has a unique ability to evoke revulsion, the polls show it. I do not see how he lasts until 2028, and I think Rayner will be the replacement
You're not a fan of SKS? Who knew, eh..?
Indeed, but also I think of use to political wagerers
I have NEVER felt this revulsion for any British politician, or indeed any foreign politcian. Not even Jeremy Corbyn - indeed Corbyn was nowhere close to this. Corbyn is, for all his faults, his honest self. A twattish, crusty old lefty with ridiculous views who hates the West and loathes Israel. I can deal with that. I know people like this. I have lefty friends who are a bit like this, We can still have a civilised drink. Corbyn is relativelty direct, at least
The desperate nullity that is Starmer, betraying the British and Britain at every opportunity, yet apparently without any ideology to guide this...? What is that? Who even is this? What does he really think? He is a fucking freak who doesn't dream, he is a vain and contemptible weirdo
I cannot imagine having a drink with Starmer without wanting to REDACTED. The idea of sitting next to him makes my skin crawl
Fair enough. I feel similar about Farage tbh.
Starmer has been underwhelming but I think he'll survive. We'll see.
Meanwhile, you can't get rid of Starmer, only the Labour Party or the electorate can do that so my advice is chill, focus on the things you can change.
Well yes, I have scolded myself, so it won't get to me
But it might cast useful light on future betting. Starmer rubs people up the wrong way, big time, and he has zero upsides
Even if you hated Thatcher, she was effective and intelligent
Even if you hated Boris, he could be funny and was a great campaigner
Even if you hate Farage, he is undeniably skilful and good on TV
What is the positive on Starmer? What are the upsides to compensate for the massive downsides? I see none
I know Labour don't replace leaders but if the polls in late 2026 are this bad, I am sure they will make an exception
I expect Starmer to retire early so obviously he will be replaced. I'm not sure of any mechanism to force him out though.
Starmer is already our oldest Prime Minister this millennium. He had no ambition to be Prime Minister and is a lawyer rather than a politician, suggesting there is no grand project he wants to oversee, and no heir he wants to anoint. And this is betting without any medical grounds like Wilson, whose example I expect him to follow, although Starmer will be conscious of Biden's decline which is currently in the news and will stay there as more memoirs are released (and if Trump starts an inquiry).
Wait what "He had no ambition to be Prime Minister" ? How can you claim this? If I have no ambition to do a job....guess what I don't apply for it like I suspect is the same for most people. Of course he had an ambition to be prime minister to think he didn't is risible
It has been widely reported Starmer entered politics with the ambition of becoming Attorney General.
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Isn't it about twenty quid a week? I'm not sure how that benefits the feckless. Unless they are very clever and excellently frugal cooks.
£70, and subject to the same onerous conditions as usual with UC. I must say, it is impressive the level of financial planning these feckless parents are undertaking.
Child Benefit is £26.05 per week for the oldest or only child. £17.25 per child per week for any subsequent kids.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
And these days the photo ID at the end of the lanyard often doubles as an NFC access card to unlock doors or gates or even activate the workgroup printer. If it were not round your neck on a lanyard, you'd be forever moving it in and out of your pocket.
President Trump: "I'm not happy with what Putin is doing. He's killing a lot of people and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin ... he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all!"
Nothing happened to Putin.
Maybe one day Trump will work that out. Maybe not.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
And these days the photo ID at the end of the lanyard often doubles as an NFC access card to unlock doors or gates or even activate the workgroup printer. If it were not round your neck on a lanyard, you'd be forever moving it in and out of your pocket.
"...I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant..."
Wut ?
Our regular dose of the herneneutics of dildo knapping makes more sense.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
I've worked with a lot of feckless parents helping them with housing and benefits (as have others on this site, I believe). Mothers are fearsome in their pursuit of help for their children. Fathers (if they are around) not so much. Support mothers and you'll get a better outcome.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Does it ? Didn't we already go through this bullshit once ?
Any business which engages in trade with the US must be despairing. Or looking to see if other options exist.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
And these days the photo ID at the end of the lanyard often doubles as an NFC access card to unlock doors or gates or even activate the workgroup printer. If it were not round your neck on a lanyard, you'd be forever moving it in and out of your pocket.
"...I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant..."
Wut ?
Our regular dose of the herneneutics of dildo knapping makes more sense.
The Spectator is scraping the bottom of the barrel for writing nowadays:
‘It was more of a poetic idea: “The Lanyard”. I wrote a couple of poems that will never be published on the lanyard as a symbol for something horrible that I was trying to decipher.’"
Surely someone is just taking the piss, to see what codswallop they can get past the editor before they are all replaced by AI?
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Does it ? Didn't we already go through this bullshit once ?
Any business which engages in trade with the US must be despairing. Or looking to see if other options exist.
Yeah, it's totally ridiculous. He is utterly destroying business confidence in the US.
China and Europe are also doing trade negotiations. Xi isn't randomly imposing & then withdrawing tariffs just to "quicken the pace of negotiations".
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
"Glasman thinks the lanyard is still a powerful cultural symbol for what voters are raging against. ‘There is an insurrection. When I went to the States for the inauguration, I saw this rejection of the lanyard. People were throwing them in the bin. I would summarise Reform and Trump as a rebellion against the lanyard class, from the people who have to wear them and have to be compliant. It’s a class issue. A class war against the lanyard is how I would describe the present moment.’" (£)
I don't really care whether "lanyard class" catches on or not as a political term. But my whole working life I've worn some ID at work, whether it was a badge you strap on your clothes or a lanyard you hang round your neck. And I'll wage that everybody in the UK who works in an office has done so too. All this proves is that Glasman is an idiot.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Does it ? Didn't we already go through this bullshit once ?
Any business which engages in trade with the US must be despairing. Or looking to see if other options exist.
You may have a.ready gone through it once but I do not think for one moment he chickened out. I have no doubt the tariffs he sees as a negotiating lever. A pretty blunt one it must be said.
Of course your last two sentences are quite right but it will also be businesses in the US who will also be despairing and having problems. From one week to the next they don’t know what tariffs or other obstacles they will face and due to Trumps economic nationalism they will probably have less opportunity to export too.
Given the volatility on input pricing one issue to be considered is pricing, in the seventies when there was high inflation businesses were repricing regularly every few months. It is a cost burden and admin they don’t need.
So Farage would need Tory confidence and supply as well as DUP and TUV support for a stable majority
Fukkers + the traumatised handful of tory 'Last of Us' survivors + drumbashers would no doubt usher in a gilded age of government. With deep seated intellectual and philosophical coherence that would inexorably lead to an accelerando of social and economic progress.
Because deep seated intellectual and philosophical coherence is exactly what this government is delivering.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Von der Leyen spoke to Trump today. The European Commission President sets July 9 as the timeline for a “good” deal. Trump’s 50% tariff threat by June 1 would a) break the 90-day pause b) double Liberation Day’s rate. Brussels looks to set the terms straight in Trump’s world.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Von der Leyen spoke to Trump today. The European Commission President sets July 9 as the timeline for a “good” deal. Trump’s 50% tariff threat by June 1 would a) break the 90-day pause b) double Liberation Day’s rate. Brussels looks to set the terms straight in Trump’s world.
I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union. I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
He’s the boy who cried wolf. He’ll go on announcing tariffs and then he’ll extend deadlines or reverse them before the deadline.
I saw an interesting idea yesterday on the two child cap - give it as a tax deduction instead.
Tax deductions are of no use to those not paying tax. But come to think of it, didn't child benefit start out life as a tax deduction? One problem in dysfunctional families was the tax deduction went to dad who did not always pass it on to mum. iirc.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Von der Leyen spoke to Trump today. The European Commission President sets July 9 as the timeline for a “good” deal. Trump’s 50% tariff threat by June 1 would a) break the 90-day pause b) double Liberation Day’s rate. Brussels looks to set the terms straight in Trump’s world.
Well that’s convinced me I’m wrong, and no mistake.
Did Aaron Rupar not have a view for you to share ?
Trouble is, it's mostly a rubbish threat. America can't do import substitution on the necessary scale over a couple of months, and possibly can't do it at all. So if Trump ever carries through on one of these mega tariff threats, it will largely hurt American consumers.
"Do what I want, or I shoot myself in the foot" doesn't work as a threat, and the rest of the world has largely worked that out.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Von der Leyen spoke to Trump today. The European Commission President sets July 9 as the timeline for a “good” deal. Trump’s 50% tariff threat by June 1 would a) break the 90-day pause b) double Liberation Day’s rate. Brussels looks to set the terms straight in Trump’s world.
Well that’s convinced me I’m wrong, and no mistake.
Did Aaron Rupar not have a view for you to share ?
Trouble is, it's mostly a rubbish threat. America can't do import substitution on the necessary scale over a couple of months, and possibly can't do it at all. So if Trump ever carries through on one of these mega tariff threats, it will largely hurt American consumers.
"Do what I want, or I shoot myself in the foot" doesn't work as a threat, and the rest of the world has largely worked that out.
During the election campaign I commented here Trumps tariff plans were crazy.
I’m not a proponent of them or Trumps use of them. Take iPhones. The cost and the timing to localise production into the USA, and it would have to be production rather than just being a screwdriver facility, would be prohibitive and a lot of the equipment, as rcs IIRC said, would need to come from overseas so subject to Tariffs.
I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union. I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
He’s the boy who cried wolf. He’ll go on announcing tariffs and then he’ll extend deadlines or reverse them before the deadline.
Didn't he also stick his finger in a dyke? Or am I confusing things...?
I don't despise Starmer. I do hold him in contempt though.
He was a Tedious Tactical Triangulator in opposition and he's a Tedious Tactical Triangulator in office - I don't find his method acting convincing - all the while being taken for a ride by any foreign leader or institution he deals with because he's so blissfully naive and secretly embarrassed at being British.
So despise him? No. He's just totally not up to the job.
I saw an interesting idea yesterday on the two child cap - give it as a tax deduction instead.
Tax deductions are of no use to those not paying tax. ...
True and there are two other problems with them. They complicate our already disastrously uncompetitive tax system and because they don't count as government spending they disguise the level of government intervention in the economy.
Which is, of course, why politicians like the dismal Gordon Brown love them so much.
If the government feels it has to intervene, spending is much better than fudging the tax system.
And here we go on here again discussing why we need more benefits, not less.
I despair.
What we want is functioning families - and they need some sort of financial safety net just like PB'ers. What was that comment about "the price of everything and the value of nothing"?
And here we go on here again discussing why we need more benefits, not less.
I despair.
What we want is functioning families - and they need some sort of financial safety net just like PB'ers. What was that comment about "the price of everything and the value of nothing"?
I don't think anyone who has kids lives or dies on whether they get child benefit or not.
Sure, it helps, like any £20 a week rebate or cash top up would help, but they don't.
The help you need as parents is with childcare costs for nursery or extra cash during maternity leave. Very much in the first few years.
I don't despise Starmer. I do hold him in contempt though.
He was a Tedious Tactical Triangulator in opposition and he's a Tedious Tactical Triangulator in office - I don't find his method acting convincing - all the while being taken for a ride by any foreign leader or institution he deals with because he's so blissfully naive and secretly embarrassed at being British.
So despise him? No. He's just totally not up to the job.
Well we will be getting Saint Ange, hero of the working class, in the next couple of years. She will make SKS seem an overachiever.
This, from Robert Colvile, on SKS seems about right,
And here we go on here again discussing why we need more benefits, not less.
I despair.
I’d argue we need fewer benefits not less benefits
The state is trying to do too much and penny pinching in the process.
Better to do less and fund it properly
The latest borrowing figures are horrific. The 30 year rates are eye-watering.
We are heading for a sovereign debt crisis at this rate.
Just imagine if we get a bit of Greekery with public sector pensions capped or heavily discounted, a 20% haircut on all benefits across the board, a 5% public sector paycut, 3-4p on the basic and higher rate, and a double-lock being imposed by the IMF.
We should trim back the bribes and fund the core functions of the state - justice, defence, foreign affairs, industrial strategy, and education - properly.
She's a socialist. She wants sweeping tax rises across the board to pay for an expanded welfare state, higher spending on pay and services, more nationalisations and much tougher treatment of the private sector.
She'd delight the base for a few weeks. Until she crashed the economy.
And here we go on here again discussing why we need more benefits, not less.
I despair.
I’d argue we need fewer benefits not less benefits
The state is trying to do too much and penny pinching in the process.
Better to do less and fund it properly
The latest borrowing figures are horrific. The 30 year rates are eye-watering.
We are heading for a sovereign debt crisis at this rate.
Just imagine if we get a bit of Greekery with public sector pensions capped or heavily discounted, a 20% haircut on all benefits across the board, a 5% public sector paycut, 3-4p on the basic and higher rate, and a double-lock being imposed by the IMF.
We should trim back the bribes and fund the core functions of the state - justice, defence, foreign affairs, industrial strategy, and education - properly.
Trimming back isn’t going to work.
You need to say “I want to do X” - what is the best way of achieving it.
It’s the accretion of small and medium sized programmes that get done for reasons and never cancelled that is the problem. Winter fuel allowance is a classic example.
But education, for example, we should fund properly. Eliminating 1 TA per class or the Sure Start programme is probably counterproductive
Farage saying he will end the 2 child benefit cap is a massive mistake. It will just incentivize the sort of people we dont want reproducing to reproduce. Many of our current problems are due to the decline in the avetage quality of the uk population. Politics cant fix this.
Translation: "although we need to have more babies, we don't want those awful poor people having babies"
Aren't we constantly seeing reports stating that poverty is a major driver of child underachievement? If so that implies we should discourage birthing children into poverty. Not defending the woking statement however which came across as you claim as poor people are the wrong sort of people.
However what we should do as a suggestion is to assist those in poverty out of it before they have children else those children will be likely to continue the cycle
Paying Child Benefit for all children literally helps lift children out of poverty.
It literally encourages feckless parents to have more children who will become the next generation of feckless parents, and the cycle goes on.
Isn't it about twenty quid a week? I'm not sure how that benefits the feckless. Unless they are very clever and excellently frugal cooks.
£70, and subject to the same onerous conditions as usual with UC. I must say, it is impressive the level of financial planning these feckless parents are undertaking.
70 quid a week onto the squillions they also get nad not a penny will be spent on the children. Bloodsuckers who will beggar the country. Their only career is getting as many benefits as possible to enhance their feckless lives. It is an absolute joke.
And here we go on here again discussing why we need more benefits, not less.
I despair.
What we want is functioning families - and they need some sort of financial safety net just like PB'ers. What was that comment about "the price of everything and the value of nothing"?
throwing even more cash at feckless feckers is not the answer, enough is squandered on them already.
Trump chickened out again. "President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
I don’t think he chickened out. I expect this was always the intention. Using the tariff threat as a lever to bring the E.U. to push negotiations on at a far quicker pace. It looks like that’s happened.
Does it ? Didn't we already go through this bullshit once ?
Any business which engages in trade with the US must be despairing. Or looking to see if other options exist.
You may have a.ready gone through it once but I do not think for one moment he chickened out. I have no doubt the tariffs he sees as a negotiating lever. A pretty blunt one it must be said.
Of course your last two sentences are quite right but it will also be businesses in the US who will also be despairing and having problems. From one week to the next they don’t know what tariffs or other obstacles they will face and due to Trumps economic nationalism they will probably have less opportunity to export too.
Given the volatility on input pricing one issue to be considered is pricing, in the seventies when there was high inflation businesses were repricing regularly every few months. It is a cost burden and admin they don’t need.
And here we go on here again discussing why we need more benefits, not less.
I despair.
I’d argue we need fewer benefits not less benefits
The state is trying to do too much and penny pinching in the process.
Better to do less and fund it properly
The latest borrowing figures are horrific. The 30 year rates are eye-watering.
We are heading for a sovereign debt crisis at this rate.
Just imagine if we get a bit of Greekery with public sector pensions capped or heavily discounted, a 20% haircut on all benefits across the board, a 5% public sector paycut, 3-4p on the basic and higher rate, and a double-lock being imposed by the IMF.
We should trim back the bribes and fund the core functions of the state - justice, defence, foreign affairs, industrial strategy, and education - properly.
The public want more without paying more taxes . The triple lock should have been a temporary measure and isn’t sustainable but which party will put getting rid of it in their next election manifesto ?
Unless there’s cross party support to do away with it then it’s going nowhere .
Comments
IF the Conservatives are sub 20% all bets are off - you and I both know that even if the LDs are on say 15%. The Conservatives just look vulnerable currently but they still have over 4,000 councillors though that might take a hit next year.
Local Government reorganisation will further reduce the number of Conservative councillors as Conservative dominated Districts are abolished (the LDs will suffer as well).
2027 will be very much the last stand for the Conservatives in local Government - further big losses then and it looks bleak for them.
I would probably give him a C- , Horizon aside.
And how depressing is that. I want to live in a country where any child, whatever their background, has at least a 75%+ chance of a fulfilling life and contributing to society. Each birth should be an unreservedly celebrated.
It is a long and winding road. I've seen that road before.
A step at a time.
The secret I was told (by John Harvey Jones) was a) know your destination b) know your first step c) don't rely on a plan.
Yeah 2027 is probably the most vital set theyll face. For 26 I think theyve already given up on retaining the delayed Norfolk and Suffolk next year from my local perspective but i think theyll be targetting being largest party which would suggest stemming the blood loss we saw this year - largest party and most votes in Norfolk over Reform would be 2013 and UKIP redux, a 'dealable' situation
The goal is right, the means is difficult.
Decent public services.
Affordable housing.
Reward for effort.
Freedom to do your own thing.
Boring but desirable.
The problems are ideology, simplistic dishonest solutions, political ambition perverting the good.
These need to be faced down. That's up to us.
My son was born in 92...in those days if you were working all you got was child benefit. We wanted a second but couldn't afford it. Meanwhile a couple of friends not working were working on their fourth because they could afford to...in fact it was financially beneficial to them to have another as it boosted their income and gave them extra points to push them up the council housing list.
But his absolute lack of political judgement, his complete lack of concrete achievements, and active destruction of the private sector, don't help either, except with a few public sector obsessives.
His only asset is a huge majority, but I think that could turn into a liability as it dawns on about half of his MPs that they won't get elected next time.
Of course something could turn up to save him, like it did for the Canadian Liberals, but I don't see it at the moment.
At least 12 killed including three children after Kremlin launches 298 drones and 69 missile strikes against neighbour
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/25/deadly-missile-and-drone-strikes-batter-kyiv-for-second-night
Firstly in having more children and secondly be gaming the system to extend the time they get the benefits for
A hard cap after 2 children just seems counter-productive. A tapered credit system might make sense, after all there are economies of scale in household size. But a hard cap, especially at only 2, doesn’t make any sense except as a Daily Mail policy.
As prime minister and leader of Labour - I'm not seeing it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/table
Plus I would sort things out so Birmingham, Leeds and co can build metros and trams (Manchester is only excluded becaus we need HS2 and northern power rail and until that’s designed I don’t know where the metros go.
Also 3p on income tax with winter fuel allowance reinstated to reduce the impact on poorest pensions
Good night- and if you're in the UK, good luck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0S-kHkLHMU
“Only a third of recommendations to tackle endemic racism in UK implemented”
It’s literally the front page
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/25/only-a-third-of-recommendations-to-tackle-endemic-racism-in-uk-implemented
She’s her own woman. She has common sense. I doubt she’d have signed off on Chagos
I wouldn’t vote for her, but if I was a lefty I think she’d enthuse me a lot more than twatface Keir. And she’d be better at taking it to Farage
Also, she’s human
https://news.sky.com/story/call-for-dog-free-areas-in-wales-to-tackle-racism-13253986
Call for dog-free areas in Wales to tackle racism
I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union. I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
President Trump:
"I'm not happy with what Putin is doing. He's killing a lot of people and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin ... he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all!"
"@ElectionMapsUK
Nowcast Update: Reform just shy of a Majority, Tories fall to 5th.
RFM: 319 (+314), 29.6% - [7 Short]
LAB: 134 (-277), 22.3%
LDM: 80 (+8), 14.4%
SNP: 44 (+35), 2.8%
CON: 33 (-88), 17.9%
PLC: 7 (+3), 1.1%
GRN: 6 (+2), 9.3%
Oth: 8 (+3), 2.7%
http://electionmaps.uk/nowcast"
https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1926588717398974539
Portugal moving rightwards.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/are-the-lanyard-class-the-new-enemy/
https://archive.is/9FjWw
Maybe one day Trump will work that out.
Maybe not.
Wut ?
Our regular dose of the herneneutics of dildo knapping makes more sense.
"President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would delay tariffs that were set to be imposed next week on the European Union until July 9.
Trump told reporters that he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who had requested an extension so that they could continue to negotiate over Trump’s proposed 50 percent tariffs that were set to be in place June 1."
“She said she wants to get down to serious negotiation, because … they have to do that,” he said. “And we had a very nice call. And I agreed to move it.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/25/trump-trade-tariffs-eu/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20240301-can-skiing-solve-its-diversity-problem
https://youtu.be/eq2k-D8Nv3M?si=a3h_SIbhaFx0mzW3
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/kemi-badenochs-critics-circle-as-tory-mps-plot-her-downfall-prgjvkgnf
Didn't we already go through this bullshit once ?
Any business which engages in trade with the US must be despairing.
Or looking to see if other options exist.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz63lgj4ygzo.amp
‘It was more of a poetic idea: “The Lanyard”. I wrote a couple of poems that will never be published on the lanyard as a symbol for something horrible that I was trying to decipher.’"
Surely someone is just taking the piss, to see what codswallop they can get past the editor before they are all replaced by AI?
China and Europe are also doing trade negotiations. Xi isn't randomly imposing & then withdrawing tariffs just to "quicken the pace of negotiations".
Of course your last two sentences are quite right but it will also be businesses in the US who will also be despairing and having problems. From one week to the next they don’t know what tariffs or other obstacles they will face and due to Trumps economic nationalism they will probably have less opportunity to export too.
Given the volatility on input pricing one issue to be considered is pricing, in the seventies when there was high inflation businesses were repricing regularly every few months. It is a cost burden and admin they don’t need.
It’s going to be a long four years.
Pah!
@mariatad
Von der Leyen spoke to Trump today. The European Commission President sets July 9 as the timeline for a “good” deal. Trump’s 50% tariff threat by June 1 would a) break the 90-day pause b) double Liberation Day’s rate. Brussels looks to set the terms straight in Trump’s world.
https://x.com/mariatad/status/1926746013634634213
Did Aaron Rupar not have a view for you to share ?
Monaco should still be axed.
"Do what I want, or I shoot myself in the foot" doesn't work as a threat, and the rest of the world has largely worked that out.
I despair.
I’m not a proponent of them or Trumps use of them. Take iPhones. The cost and the timing to localise production into the USA, and it would have to be production rather than just being a screwdriver facility, would be prohibitive and a lot of the equipment, as rcs IIRC said, would need to come from overseas so subject to Tariffs.
The state is trying to do too much and penny pinching in the process.
Better to do less and fund it properly
What's the point of bank holidays?
He was a Tedious Tactical Triangulator in opposition and he's a Tedious Tactical Triangulator in office - I don't find his method acting convincing - all the while being taken for a ride by any foreign leader or institution he deals with because he's so blissfully naive and secretly embarrassed at being British.
So despise him? No. He's just totally not up to the job.
Which is, of course, why politicians like the dismal Gordon Brown love them so much.
If the government feels it has to intervene, spending is much better than fudging the tax system.
Sure, it helps, like any £20 a week rebate or cash top up would help, but they don't.
The help you need as parents is with childcare costs for nursery or extra cash during maternity leave. Very much in the first few years.
This, from Robert Colvile, on SKS seems about right,
We are heading for a sovereign debt crisis at this rate.
Just imagine if we get a bit of Greekery with public sector pensions capped or heavily discounted, a 20% haircut on all benefits across the board, a 5% public sector paycut, 3-4p on the basic and higher rate, and a double-lock being imposed by the IMF.
We should trim back the bribes and fund the core functions of the state - justice, defence, foreign affairs, industrial strategy, and education - properly.
Saint Ange would be like the Labour Liz Truss.
She's a socialist. She wants sweeping tax rises across the board to pay for an expanded welfare state, higher spending on pay and services, more nationalisations and much tougher treatment of the private sector.
She'd delight the base for a few weeks. Until she crashed the economy.
You need to say “I want to do X” - what is the best way of achieving it.
It’s the accretion of small and medium sized programmes that get done for reasons and never cancelled that is the problem. Winter fuel allowance is a classic example.
But education, for example, we should fund properly. Eliminating 1 TA per class or the Sure Start programme is probably counterproductive
Unless there’s cross party support to do away with it then it’s going nowhere .