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The challenge for… Labour – politicalbetting.com

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  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,553

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    FF43 said:

    How is Starmer getting himself in just a muddle over defence spending and the commitment is for 10 years time. In reality, no commitment ever survives two terms in government without adjustment, who knows how the economy will go over the course of a decade, so he has nothing to lose by saving they are committed to it and move on.

    He simply cannot commit to 3% without making choices that are alien to him

    However, without it the review is just words and you can be certain it will lack credibility
    The choice alien to him is to raise taxes. It is as simple as that.
    When as a nation we have no money and Russia are about to invade, that is a little bit of a handicap.
    The UK as a nation is now committed to the Nato target on defence spending and Russia would have to invade most of the rest of Nato and other European nations and cross the channel before they invaded us
    Point of order

    UK is not committed to the NATO target of defence spending which is moving towards 5% at their next meeting

    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition
    Given most NATO nations have not even been meeting the current target the idea they will all suddenly approve and find 5% of gdp for it is optimistic
    Nope

    https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-embrace-5-percent-defense-goal-nato-summit/
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130

    So Starmer's vision is,

    To build at least six new munitions factories in the UK
    Create a hybrid Royal Navy, blending drones with warships, submarines and aircraft
    Under AUKUS (a partnership with the US and Australia) they will deliver up to 12 attack submarines
    And investing £15bn in the "sovereign warhead programme" - meaning nuclear weapons

    I would have hoped anti-drone tech would be top of the list as it is clear that is the new battleground.

    Far be it for me to defend Starmer, so sneer all you want.

    However your party in Government had an absolutely shocking record of defence spending.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,553
    TOPPING said:

    As for sentencing, thanks @williamglenn for the link - it was calculated as follows, and includes aggravating and mitigating circumstances:

    "24. The minimum sentence after a trial would have been three and a half
    years imprisonment.
    25. You pleaded guilty at the Plea and Case Management hearing and you
    are therefore entitled to a reduction in that sentence of twenty five
    percent.
    26. The sentence on count 1 therefore is one of 31 months imprisonment.
    You will serve forty percent of that sentence."

    I think the sentence seems a bit steep, but as David Allen Green points out, the sentence is the result of past governments passing legislation with stiff sentencing guidelines.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,553

    Talking of weird decision this government have made....I only recently found out they cut the funding provided to universities to help put on courses which are very expensive to run i.e. the ones a high tech knowledge economy needs e.g. Chemistry, Medicine, etc, and also cut the overall capital funding pot.

    Makes perfect sense - cut the budget in ways voters won't notice before the next election.

    A friend who did an Art History PhD at Oxford (full overseas fees) commented that it was the most expensive library card on earth. Aside from an hour or 2 a week with Martin Kemp, that's all he got, really.

    Why do you think it's far more talk about funding apprenticeships, than actuality - often they cost far, far more than many degrees to fund.
    The modern apprenticeship scheme is an overengineered nightmare of red tape. It could be greatly simplified, with a free market in the provision of training/education.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,060

    TOPPING said:

    As for sentencing, thanks @williamglenn for the link - it was calculated as follows, and includes aggravating and mitigating circumstances:

    "24. The minimum sentence after a trial would have been three and a half
    years imprisonment.
    25. You pleaded guilty at the Plea and Case Management hearing and you
    are therefore entitled to a reduction in that sentence of twenty five
    percent.
    26. The sentence on count 1 therefore is one of 31 months imprisonment.
    You will serve forty percent of that sentence."

    I think the sentence seems a bit steep, but as David Allen Green points out, the sentence is the result of past governments passing legislation with stiff sentencing guidelines.
    I also wonder if she was convinced to plead guilty as she would get a more lenient outcome (automatic reduction in senstence etc) without it being made explicit how long the sentence would be.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 14,499
    isam said:



    🚨 NEW | Reform lead by 6pts

    🟦 REF – 31% (+2)
    🔴 LAB – 25% (-)
    🔵 CON – 17% (-1)
    🟠 LD – 11% (-2)
    🟢 GRN – 10% (-)

    Via @OpiniumResearch, 29-30 May (+/- vs 14-16 May)


    https://x.com/leftiestats/status/1929129032613761350?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    🎶 Don't be fooled by the polls that I've got. I'm still Kemi from the block 🎶
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,911
    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
  • DopermeanDopermean Posts: 1,120

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    FF43 said:

    How is Starmer getting himself in just a muddle over defence spending and the commitment is for 10 years time. In reality, no commitment ever survives two terms in government without adjustment, who knows how the economy will go over the course of a decade, so he has nothing to lose by saving they are committed to it and move on.

    He simply cannot commit to 3% without making choices that are alien to him

    However, without it the review is just words and you can be certain it will lack credibility
    The choice alien to him is to raise taxes. It is as simple as that.
    When as a nation we have no money and Russia are about to invade, that is a little bit of a handicap.
    The UK as a nation is now committed to the Nato target on defence spending and Russia would have to invade most of the rest of Nato and other European nations and cross the channel before they invaded us
    Point of order

    UK is not committed to the NATO target of defence spending which is moving towards 5% at their next meeting

    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition
    Given most NATO nations have not even been meeting the current target the idea they will all suddenly approve and find 5% of gdp for it is optimistic
    Nope

    https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-embrace-5-percent-defense-goal-nato-summit/
    How is a "goal" different from an "ambition"?
    Neither is a firm commitment.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 61,472
    10% of non doms gone already (per Guido)

    The lefties who devised the policy predicted 0.37% would leave

    Remember the Golden Rule, everything this government does sooner or later damages the UK
  • eekeek Posts: 30,205

    TOPPING said:

    As for sentencing, thanks @williamglenn for the link - it was calculated as follows, and includes aggravating and mitigating circumstances:

    "24. The minimum sentence after a trial would have been three and a half
    years imprisonment.
    25. You pleaded guilty at the Plea and Case Management hearing and you
    are therefore entitled to a reduction in that sentence of twenty five
    percent.
    26. The sentence on count 1 therefore is one of 31 months imprisonment.
    You will serve forty percent of that sentence."

    I think the sentence seems a bit steep, but as David Allen Green points out, the sentence is the result of past governments passing legislation with stiff sentencing guidelines.
    I also wonder if she was convinced to plead guilty as she would get a more lenient outcome (automatic reduction in senstence etc) without it being made explicit how long the sentence would be.
    I said as much earlier - the advice to plead guilty made sense if the sentence was likely to be small but the aggravating circumstances of triggering a race riot meant that the sentence was always going to be at the extreme end of things
  • DopermeanDopermean Posts: 1,120

    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    Brexit all.over again.
    As per previous thread, Reform's popularity is in part due to appealing to the normally non-voting part of the electorate.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    I do not think maths is Reforms strong point
    Perhaps they should be scrutinised a little more than they currently are.
    Perhaps you could begin this forensic scrutiny by providing an actual quote, or a link to more information? Or did he just leap into frame and say that and nothing else?
    Zia Yusuf speaking to Lewis Goodall on LBC yesterday. Find it yourself!
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 18,088
    edited June 2
    Taz said:

    TOPPING said:

    As for sentencing, thanks @williamglenn for the link - it was calculated as follows, and includes aggravating and mitigating circumstances:

    "24. The minimum sentence after a trial would have been three and a half
    years imprisonment.
    25. You pleaded guilty at the Plea and Case Management hearing and you
    are therefore entitled to a reduction in that sentence of twenty five
    percent.
    26. The sentence on count 1 therefore is one of 31 months imprisonment.
    You will serve forty percent of that sentence."

    So she will be out pretty quickly.

    I do wonder what would have happened if she went ‘not guilty’ and tried to justify/explain it.
    She would take the likelihood of a much longer actual prison sentence against the possibility of a jury finding on the facts that she didn't incite violence and being let go. She made her own decision on the advice of her lawyer. I don't think any of us can say she made the wrong decision.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,789

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,911
    Leon said:

    10% of non doms gone already (per Guido)

    The lefties who devised the policy predicted 0.37% would leave

    Remember the Golden Rule, everything this government does sooner or later damages the UK

    How does that differ from the last government? Or the one before that? Etc.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 54,890
    MattW said:

    TOPPING said:

    As for sentencing, thanks @williamglenn for the link - it was calculated as follows, and includes aggravating and mitigating circumstances:

    "24. The minimum sentence after a trial would have been three and a half
    years imprisonment.
    25. You pleaded guilty at the Plea and Case Management hearing and you
    are therefore entitled to a reduction in that sentence of twenty five
    percent.
    26. The sentence on count 1 therefore is one of 31 months imprisonment.
    You will serve forty percent of that sentence."

    As I kept pointing out, the sentencing guidelines are quite restrictive. Indeed, when they were introduced, many judges and magistrates complained that they tied their hands.

    In all the written judgements you see, these days, the points are about evaluating a particular criteria in the sentencing guidelines. So any appeal would go through, checking off the whether all of the guidelines were applied.
    Indeed it would. Here is the Appeal Judgement, by a panel of 3 judges.

    https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lucy-Connolly-v-The-King-1.pdf

    It also has a more detailed timeline, including tweets she made in the same niche one week before and afterwards.

    In one way I'm baffled that anyone is still talking about this, other than for purely political reasons, as they don't like the same standards being applied to "their" people as were applied to those who were not "their" people in eg the London riots around 2011.

    To me the comparison with "The Labour Councillor who is still out on bail" seems spurious; his alleged offence was not on the day of nationwide disorder (was it in October?), and he did not plead guilty, so there is an extended period before trial (initially set for Jan 2025, now Aug 2025).

    The Connolly timeline was Offence: 29th July 2024, Arrested: 6th August 2024, Charged: 10 August 2024, Guilty Plea: September 2 2024, Sentenced: October 17 2024.

    So the time from arrest to guilty plea was 4 weeks.
    The way that justice gets varied is in the *charging*. Quite often the CPS charges at level far less than the crime actually committed.

    Some years ago, for example, a young man was stabbed to death near Oxford Street. Postcode war stuff. Two teenagers in the group that murdered him, held him down, while he was stabbed. Under the doctrine of Common Purpose they could have been charged with murder. Instead, they were charged with a variant on assault - they got 12 months and due to time served and early release were out by Christmas.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 127,932
    edited June 2

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    FF43 said:

    How is Starmer getting himself in just a muddle over defence spending and the commitment is for 10 years time. In reality, no commitment ever survives two terms in government without adjustment, who knows how the economy will go over the course of a decade, so he has nothing to lose by saving they are committed to it and move on.

    He simply cannot commit to 3% without making choices that are alien to him

    However, without it the review is just words and you can be certain it will lack credibility
    The choice alien to him is to raise taxes. It is as simple as that.
    When as a nation we have no money and Russia are about to invade, that is a little bit of a handicap.
    The UK as a nation is now committed to the Nato target on defence spending and Russia would have to invade most of the rest of Nato and other European nations and cross the channel before they invaded us
    Point of order

    UK is not committed to the NATO target of defence spending which is moving towards 5% at their next meeting

    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition
    Given most NATO nations have not even been meeting the current target the idea they will all suddenly approve and find 5% of gdp for it is optimistic
    Nope

    https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-embrace-5-percent-defense-goal-nato-summit/
    Not yet even endorsed by NATO defence ministers let alone with all NATO nations committing to the tax rises or spending cuts to fund that new 5% target.

    9 NATO members still aren't even meeting the 2% target
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,789
    Leon said:

    10% of non doms gone already (per Guido)

    The lefties who devised the policy predicted 0.37% would leave

    Remember the Golden Rule, everything this government does sooner or later damages the UK

    Could that have a sub clause of everything that X votes for sooner or later damages the UK?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,911

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    Reading 1920's and 30's literature can sometimes be quite startling. And as for Biggles and the like......
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591
    Dopermean said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    FF43 said:

    How is Starmer getting himself in just a muddle over defence spending and the commitment is for 10 years time. In reality, no commitment ever survives two terms in government without adjustment, who knows how the economy will go over the course of a decade, so he has nothing to lose by saving they are committed to it and move on.

    He simply cannot commit to 3% without making choices that are alien to him

    However, without it the review is just words and you can be certain it will lack credibility
    The choice alien to him is to raise taxes. It is as simple as that.
    When as a nation we have no money and Russia are about to invade, that is a little bit of a handicap.
    The UK as a nation is now committed to the Nato target on defence spending and Russia would have to invade most of the rest of Nato and other European nations and cross the channel before they invaded us
    Point of order

    UK is not committed to the NATO target of defence spending which is moving towards 5% at their next meeting

    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition
    Given most NATO nations have not even been meeting the current target the idea they will all suddenly approve and find 5% of gdp for it is optimistic
    Nope

    https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-embrace-5-percent-defense-goal-nato-summit/
    How is a "goal" different from an "ambition"?
    Neither is a firm commitment.
    There is a difference between a goal of 5% and an agreement of 3.5% by 2032

    Starmer has only agreed 2.5% by 2027, but his defence review demands a commitment to 3% which he has not given and why the pressure is on led by the Conservatives and Lib Dems and almost certainly Reform
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 54,890

    Talking of weird decision this government have made....I only recently found out they cut the funding provided to universities to help put on courses which are very expensive to run i.e. the ones a high tech knowledge economy needs e.g. Chemistry, Medicine, etc, and also cut the overall capital funding pot.

    Makes perfect sense - cut the budget in ways voters won't notice before the next election.

    A friend who did an Art History PhD at Oxford (full overseas fees) commented that it was the most expensive library card on earth. Aside from an hour or 2 a week with Martin Kemp, that's all he got, really.

    Why do you think it's far more talk about funding apprenticeships, than actuality - often they cost far, far more than many degrees to fund.
    The modern apprenticeship scheme is an overengineered nightmare of red tape. It could be greatly simplified, with a free market in the provision of training/education.
    I would go the other way, with Universities providing apprenticeships as part time degrees. The firms provide the hands on part, the universities do the academic side and provide a quality control element. Plus make the qualifications universal.

    Plus we merge education of white collar and blue collar - both could learn from each other. Why not a degree in Elizabethan Poetry & Welding? Or a degree in Machine Tool Operation & Medieval Art?
  • numbertwelvenumbertwelve Posts: 7,497

    eek said:

    eek said:

    ...

    Sky reporting that both the Conservatives and Lib Dems are demanding 3% defence spending in this parliament

    Remind me who was in Government until July last year.
    Pre Trump, but try to deflect if you want.

    Labour are nearing a year in office and simply have to find the 3% or be widely ridiculed
    Yep Labour really should have reversed the 4p income tax cut by putting 3p on income tax

    I take it that’s what you are asking for in a very roundabout way
    It is a matter of priorities and if keeping us safe demands higher spending then there is no choice but to find the money
    So you are happy with 3p on income tax and other cuts in spending - just making sure that we can call you our when you complain that the Government cut something you care about
    It is for the government to find the 3% and in a fair way

    There are many choices including taxes
    Anything the government do will be met with howls of protest - we can look to the WFA as an example of that.

    They can and should find the money, and they need to bring the country with them, but it is not an easy task by any means. I think we need them to finally grasp the nettle and raise income tax rather than tinkering around the edges and targeting groups of taxpayers which amplifies the anger - but that is going to be hugely controversial.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 9,337
    Dura_Ace said:

    isam said:



    🚨 NEW | Reform lead by 6pts

    🟦 REF – 31% (+2)
    🔴 LAB – 25% (-)
    🔵 CON – 17% (-1)
    🟠 LD – 11% (-2)
    🟢 GRN – 10% (-)

    Via @OpiniumResearch, 29-30 May (+/- vs 14-16 May)


    https://x.com/leftiestats/status/1929129032613761350?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    🎶 Don't be fooled by the polls that I've got. I'm still Kemi from the block 🎶
    My favourite riff on that song was from a friend's girlfriend (also a friend) when I visited his fancy new rented furnished apartment near Canary Wharf and he was showing me the kitchen - "don't be fooled by the woks that he got, he still eats noodles from the pot" :lol:
  • MattWMattW Posts: 27,598

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    Reading 1920's and 30's literature can sometimes be quite startling. And as for Biggles and the like......
    If anyone wishes to study Biggles for this reason, I seem to have inherited some first editions !
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 54,890

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    Actually, they were referring to Italians and Spaniards quite often, in those terms. As well as Jews.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 54,392
    Dopermean said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    FF43 said:

    How is Starmer getting himself in just a muddle over defence spending and the commitment is for 10 years time. In reality, no commitment ever survives two terms in government without adjustment, who knows how the economy will go over the course of a decade, so he has nothing to lose by saving they are committed to it and move on.

    He simply cannot commit to 3% without making choices that are alien to him

    However, without it the review is just words and you can be certain it will lack credibility
    The choice alien to him is to raise taxes. It is as simple as that.
    When as a nation we have no money and Russia are about to invade, that is a little bit of a handicap.
    The UK as a nation is now committed to the Nato target on defence spending and Russia would have to invade most of the rest of Nato and other European nations and cross the channel before they invaded us
    Point of order

    UK is not committed to the NATO target of defence spending which is moving towards 5% at their next meeting

    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition
    Given most NATO nations have not even been meeting the current target the idea they will all suddenly approve and find 5% of gdp for it is optimistic
    Nope

    https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-embrace-5-percent-defense-goal-nato-summit/
    How is a "goal" different from an "ambition"?
    Neither is a firm commitment.
    "Aspiration"
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 9,337
    edited June 2

    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not part of the yellow (scooter) peril? :wink:
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    FF43 said:

    How is Starmer getting himself in just a muddle over defence spending and the commitment is for 10 years time. In reality, no commitment ever survives two terms in government without adjustment, who knows how the economy will go over the course of a decade, so he has nothing to lose by saving they are committed to it and move on.

    He simply cannot commit to 3% without making choices that are alien to him

    However, without it the review is just words and you can be certain it will lack credibility
    The choice alien to him is to raise taxes. It is as simple as that.
    When as a nation we have no money and Russia are about to invade, that is a little bit of a handicap.
    The UK as a nation is now committed to the Nato target on defence spending and Russia would have to invade most of the rest of Nato and other European nations and cross the channel before they invaded us
    Point of order

    UK is not committed to the NATO target of defence spending which is moving towards 5% at their next meeting

    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition
    Given most NATO nations have not even been meeting the current target the idea they will all suddenly approve and find 5% of gdp for it is optimistic
    Nope

    https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-embrace-5-percent-defense-goal-nato-summit/
    Not yet even endorsed by NATO defence ministers let alone with all NATO nations committing to the tax rises or spending cuts to fund that new 5% target.

    9 NATO members still aren't even meeting the 2% target
    The meeting to discuss and agree the new commitments takes place in the Hague on the 24th to 26th June

    It seems the commitments are for 3.5% by 2032 and then to 5%
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130
    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,060

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 54,392

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    Private Walker wasn't Italian...
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,060

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 55,014

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    I didn't get the connection either
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    I do not think maths is Reforms strong point
    Perhaps they should be scrutinised a little more than they currently are.
    Perhaps you could begin this forensic scrutiny by providing an actual quote, or a link to more information? Or did he just leap into frame and say that and nothing else?
    Ironic given he is the first to demand citations to support statements 🤷‍♂️
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,789

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    Actually, they were referring to Italians and Spaniards quite often, in those terms. As well as Jews.
    At least they'd rounded up quite a lot of the Italians so the chances of being ripped off with overpriced frothy coffee were much reduced.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 43,873

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    In micro-social environments yes absolutely. Homophobia, anti-semitism, anti-people not white as the driven snow.

    For sure. Not as the third item on the News at Ten but it's everywhere.

    What bubble do you live in.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 55,014

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    FF43 said:

    How is Starmer getting himself in just a muddle over defence spending and the commitment is for 10 years time. In reality, no commitment ever survives two terms in government without adjustment, who knows how the economy will go over the course of a decade, so he has nothing to lose by saving they are committed to it and move on.

    He simply cannot commit to 3% without making choices that are alien to him

    However, without it the review is just words and you can be certain it will lack credibility
    The choice alien to him is to raise taxes. It is as simple as that.
    When as a nation we have no money and Russia are about to invade, that is a little bit of a handicap.
    The UK as a nation is now committed to the Nato target on defence spending and Russia would have to invade most of the rest of Nato and other European nations and cross the channel before they invaded us
    Point of order

    UK is not committed to the NATO target of defence spending which is moving towards 5% at their next meeting

    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition
    Given most NATO nations have not even been meeting the current target the idea they will all suddenly approve and find 5% of gdp for it is optimistic
    Nope

    https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-embrace-5-percent-defense-goal-nato-summit/
    Not yet even endorsed by NATO defence ministers let alone with all NATO nations committing to the tax rises or spending cuts to fund that new 5% target.

    9 NATO members still aren't even meeting the 2% target
    The meeting to discuss and agree the new commitments takes place in the Hague on the 24th to 26th June

    It seems the commitments are for 3.5% by 2032 and then to 5%
    Please Big_G, The Hague. Saying in the Hague suggests a rather uncomfortable hosting session for William...
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742
    Dura_Ace said:


    Starmer 3% is an ambition by the end of the next parliament with 2.5% by 2027

    You cannot decide defence policy on ambition

    3% is fucking mad. The MoD will just waste most of it.
    Surely there’s also a bunch of consultants and middle men on hand to help spend it too.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 27,598
    edited June 2
    Selebian said:


    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not part of the yellow (scooter) peril? :wink:
    Middle-aged people going into a betting shop next to a Greggs?

    Is that not core to the PB demographic?

    (That's the centre of Tamworth btw, so it *is* quite PB. The only things missing are @Dura_Ace in his Robin Reliant, and OGH Minor on his electro-Brompton. It's not dissimilar to the shopping mall in Ealing !
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GrNpLbJk7EEsy4N8 )
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 43,873

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
    Exactly.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 18,088
    Leon said:

    10% of non doms gone already (per Guido)

    The lefties who devised the policy predicted 0.37% would leave

    Remember the Golden Rule, everything this government does sooner or later damages the UK

    One third of non doms left after the Brexit vote so 10% is a drop in the ocean and maybe we'll get some taxes out of the rest this time. Well done, lefties, much less damaging than those Leave voters.




  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 54,890

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    It's often suggested that Hitler & Co. started the process of making even mild racism unacceptable.

    The pre war mindset is often hard to parse. There are instance of people who rejected the idea of letting Jews join their gulf club *and* who declared Hitlers racism utterly beyond the pale.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 14,510

    ...

    Sky reporting that both the Conservatives and Lib Dems are demanding 3% defence spending in this parliament

    Remind me who was in Government until July last year.
    And which taxes they want raising to pay for it.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,060

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
    The post before suggests ALL levels of society. I think most of us suspect that reformy types might be more inclined to be racist.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742
    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    After that we’ll be down the pub, discussing it.

    https://x.com/britains___pubs/status/1929461894940659997?s=61
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591
    MattW said:

    Selebian said:


    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not part of the yellow (scooter) peril? :wink:
    Middle-aged people going into a betting shop next to a Greggs?

    Is that not core to the PB demographic?

    (That's the centre of Tamworth btw, so it *is* quite PB. The only things missing are @Dura_Ace in his Robin Reliant, and OGH Minor on his electro-Brompton.
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GrNpLbJk7EEsy4N8 )

    I have never been in a betting shop or a Greggs to be fair
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,911
    Selebian said:


    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not part of the yellow (scooter) peril? :wink:
    No, although along the other day close to another, similar, scooter a passer-by made a remark about 'Hells Angels'!
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not even on the pushbike ?😉
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 31,540

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    I do not think maths is Reforms strong point
    Perhaps they should be scrutinised a little more than they currently are.
    Perhaps you could begin this forensic scrutiny by providing an actual quote, or a link to more information? Or did he just leap into frame and say that and nothing else?
    Zia Yusuf speaking to Lewis Goodall on LBC yesterday. Find it yourself!
    Oh, so you don't actually want anything scrutinised then, got you.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,553

    Talking of weird decision this government have made....I only recently found out they cut the funding provided to universities to help put on courses which are very expensive to run i.e. the ones a high tech knowledge economy needs e.g. Chemistry, Medicine, etc, and also cut the overall capital funding pot.

    Makes perfect sense - cut the budget in ways voters won't notice before the next election.

    A friend who did an Art History PhD at Oxford (full overseas fees) commented that it was the most expensive library card on earth. Aside from an hour or 2 a week with Martin Kemp, that's all he got, really.

    Why do you think it's far more talk about funding apprenticeships, than actuality - often they cost far, far more than many degrees to fund.
    The modern apprenticeship scheme is an overengineered nightmare of red tape. It could be greatly simplified, with a free market in the provision of training/education.
    I would go the other way, with Universities providing apprenticeships as part time degrees. The firms provide the hands on part, the universities do the academic side and provide a quality control element. Plus make the qualifications universal.

    Plus we merge education of white collar and blue collar - both could learn from each other. Why not a degree in Elizabethan Poetry & Welding? Or a degree in Machine Tool Operation & Medieval Art?
    I am absolutely in favour of universities being providers of the education element. I’d propose a system where companies and apprentices can pick from a list of course offerings, rather than the nightmare of the present scheme.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 10,866

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    We've all panicked on a first date.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,911
    Taz said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not even on the pushbike ?😉
    My pushbike days are, very sadly, long gone.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 24,728
    MattW said:

    Selebian said:


    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not part of the yellow (scooter) peril? :wink:
    Middle-aged people going into a betting shop next to a Greggs?

    Is that not core to the PB demographic?

    (That's the centre of Tamworth btw, so it *is* quite PB. The only things missing are @Dura_Ace in his Robin Reliant, and OGH Minor on his electro-Brompton. It's not dissimilar to the shopping mall in Ealing !
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GrNpLbJk7EEsy4N8 )
    I have betted in a Betfred shop, and I have et at a Greggs. I shall cast myself into the outer darkness of PB and never bother the purebloods again :)
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 31,540

    Taz said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not even on the pushbike ?😉
    My pushbike days are, very sadly, long gone.
    Never say never.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    If he hadn't tried to outrun the police then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,240

    MattW said:

    Selebian said:


    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not part of the yellow (scooter) peril? :wink:
    Middle-aged people going into a betting shop next to a Greggs?

    Is that not core to the PB demographic?

    (That's the centre of Tamworth btw, so it *is* quite PB. The only things missing are @Dura_Ace in his Robin Reliant, and OGH Minor on his electro-Brompton.
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GrNpLbJk7EEsy4N8 )

    I have never been in a betting shop or a Greggs to be fair
    Really?
    I don't know which of those is the more surprising omission.
    I don't even particularly like Greggs and I reckon I've probably been in Greggs over 1000 times in my life.
    (There didn't used to be any sort of cachet about Greggs when I was small, positive or negative. It was just somewhere selling pastry products.)
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,789

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Depends which race is holding the whip hand over the white man.
    I understand Hezza and Megs are beyond the Pale(!) for every red blooded PBer, but istr at the time there was some pushback against the idea that it was unacceptable that one's posho relatives might speculate on the tint of their mixed race kids.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591

    Taz said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not even on the pushbike ?😉
    My pushbike days are, very sadly, long gone.
    Never say never.
    Mine also and I can say never again will I ride a bicycle
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 35,360
    FPT
    kjh said:

    In Seville. Stunning, but too many tourists (yes I know the hypocrisy). It has been 30 years since my last visit. Cordoba and Granada to come.

    On e gates and luggage: Seville is quite a small airport and we were the only plane to land at that time and we had to walk through baggage reclaim so here are the anecdotes:

    s) It had e gates but they weren't in use. So even if you were one of those Brits who managed to get an Irish EU passport it was tough, you had to queue with the British plebs. Presumably they open them when an EU
    dense flight comes in.

    b) From an entire easyJet plane only about 10 people were collecting hold luggage.

    I went to Seville in February 2023 and it was fantastic. Cool weather, not too many tourists. (Took the high speed train to Barcelona and then Paris, then back to London).
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    I do not think maths is Reforms strong point
    They're good at division.
    That's very good
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    He had no license and insurance. The police had tried to stop him once and he fled from them onto the A1. Caused massive disruption at rush hour the following morning.

    Two days later he was caught driving another car. No license.

    Admitted dangerous driving.

    I’m looking forward to the next few days rage bait in the chronicle and on its feed.

    https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/a1-crash-sentencing-live-updates-31767715?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4Dbl45oecErbauf1UMGPLoIKFma0lZuhP9goEaqdJpEO3_Ok3_pIAotkxmGQ_aem_uEbCKEw4aus1FBgEugcm1A
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591
    Cookie said:

    MattW said:

    Selebian said:


    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not part of the yellow (scooter) peril? :wink:
    Middle-aged people going into a betting shop next to a Greggs?

    Is that not core to the PB demographic?

    (That's the centre of Tamworth btw, so it *is* quite PB. The only things missing are @Dura_Ace in his Robin Reliant, and OGH Minor on his electro-Brompton.
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GrNpLbJk7EEsy4N8 )

    I have never been in a betting shop or a Greggs to be fair
    Really?
    I don't know which of those is the more surprising omission.
    I don't even particularly like Greggs and I reckon I've probably been in Greggs over 1000 times in my life.
    (There didn't used to be any sort of cachet about Greggs when I was small, positive or negative. It was just somewhere selling pastry products.)
    It is true but then I have never bet or gambled
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742
    Eabhal said:

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    We've all panicked on a first date.
    Not like you to excuse a motorist who admits dangerous driving. I wonder what it is about the defendant and/or case that makes you keen to do that. 🤔
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,060

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    "he lad had tried to outrun the police, true" is the same as "posted some nonsense on X".
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,553

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
    The post before suggests ALL levels of society. I think most of us suspect that reformy types might be more inclined to be racist.
    People here have said we need more white babies or that all Muslim men are problematic. There is plenty of racism around.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    If he hadn't tried to outrun the police then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place
    I don't disagree. Lock him up. However the incompetent policeman needs a substantial sanction too.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
    The post before suggests ALL levels of society. I think most of us suspect that reformy types might be more inclined to be racist.
    People here have said we need more white babies or that all Muslim men are problematic. There is plenty of racism around.
    One person said that about white babies, and was duly chastised by people across the political divide for saying so.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    If he hadn't tried to outrun the police then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place
    I don't disagree. Lock him up. However the incompetent policeman needs a substantial sanction too.
    How do you know the circumstances of the collision ?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130
    edited June 2

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    I do not think maths is Reforms strong point
    Perhaps they should be scrutinised a little more than they currently are.
    Perhaps you could begin this forensic scrutiny by providing an actual quote, or a link to more information? Or did he just leap into frame and say that and nothing else?
    Zia Yusuf speaking to Lewis Goodall on LBC yesterday. Find it yourself!
    Oh, so you don't actually want anything scrutinised then, got you.
    https://youtu.be/eQy6V2pSZF4?si=d8lcy-1sQV92puzC

    It isn't scrutiny it's voodoo economics or in plain English, bullshite!
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,060

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
    The post before suggests ALL levels of society. I think most of us suspect that reformy types might be more inclined to be racist.
    People here have said we need more white babies or that all Muslim men are problematic. There is plenty of racism around.
    But not to a chorus of the rest of PB saying "yes, yes, an excellent point old man."
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 19,060

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    If he hadn't tried to outrun the police then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place
    I don't disagree. Lock him up. However the incompetent policeman needs a substantial sanction too.
    And I assume he will be having 'processes' right now.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,553
    Taz said:

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
    The post before suggests ALL levels of society. I think most of us suspect that reformy types might be more inclined to be racist.
    People here have said we need more white babies or that all Muslim men are problematic. There is plenty of racism around.
    One person said that about white babies, and was duly chastised by people across the political divide for saying so.
    And he then made clear he still holds the same view. A different poster said all Muslim men are problematic. A few others have repeatedly voiced Islamophobic views.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742
    Reform, once again, field 3 candidates in a 2 member ward.

    Amateur hour I’m afraid. They really need to sort their admin.

    https://x.com/electionmapsuk/status/1929495435887939706?s=61
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,911

    Taz said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    Reform UK is a political movement based on the notion that we live in unprecedented times of international uncertainty and social upheaval due to demographic and technological changes. Furthermore, those best placed to diagnose these complex issues and offer solutions are the politicians preferred by people like this:


    For the avoidance of doubt, since I have in the past mentioned riding an electric mobility scooter, I am NOT featured in the picture shown.
    Not even on the pushbike ?😉
    My pushbike days are, very sadly, long gone.
    Never say never.
    I can't stand upright without support. Managing a tricycle might be possible, I suppose, but that's the nearest I'll get.
    In my long-ago youth I cycled quite a lot. Once spent an Easter school holiday cycling from Southend to the (nearly anyway) top of Pumlumon, then down the Wye Valley and back to Southend. So I've done my fair share
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 18,839
    Taz said:
    Is Eagles still on holiday?
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 10,866
    Taz said:

    Eabhal said:

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    We've all panicked on a first date.
    Not like you to excuse a motorist who admits dangerous driving. I wonder what it is about the defendant and/or case that makes you keen to do that. 🤔
    Woooooosh
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,845

    So Starmer's vision is,

    To build at least six new munitions factories in the UK
    Create a hybrid Royal Navy, blending drones with warships, submarines and aircraft
    Under AUKUS (a partnership with the US and Australia) they will deliver up to 12 attack submarines
    And investing £15bn in the "sovereign warhead programme" - meaning nuclear weapons

    I would have hoped anti-drone tech would be top of the list as it is clear that is the new battleground.

    Far be it for me to defend Starmer, so sneer all you want.

    However your party in Government had an absolutely shocking record of defence spending.
    I fully agree. The Coalition had the worst record on defence of any post-war government.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 14,553
    Trump has now pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley, media personalities who were convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud banks of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents and of tax evasion. https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-julie-todd-chrisley-reality-tv-2f79831f142de44b36922ebdbc959f04
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 18,839

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    I do not think maths is Reforms strong point
    Perhaps they should be scrutinised a little more than they currently are.
    Perhaps you could begin this forensic scrutiny by providing an actual quote, or a link to more information? Or did he just leap into frame and say that and nothing else?
    Zia Yusuf speaking to Lewis Goodall on LBC yesterday. Find it yourself!
    Oh, so you don't actually want anything scrutinised then, got you.
    LBC put out this clip;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQy6V2pSZF4

    You can argue choosing to trust the Civil Service over Conservative Way Forward (who seem to be the think tank invovled) is tomayto/tomahto. On the other hand, there are a bit more than six million public sector workers in the UK. So £7 billion is about a thousand pounds an employee. Not impossible, but also not that likely.

    (And again, an ingenious bit of messaging. If political correctness really is costing the state that much, it is a massive scandal to get really cross about. But you know what they say about the evidence needed for extraordinary claims. Trump's reported remarks on DOGE, "was it male bovine faeces?", are more probably the case.)
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,845
    edited June 2
    TOPPING said:

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    In micro-social environments yes absolutely. Homophobia, anti-semitism, anti-people not white as the driven snow.

    For sure. Not as the third item on the News at Ten but it's everywhere.

    What bubble do you live in.
    I've sometimes been surprised by casual, as opposed to malicious, dislike of Jews, coming from people who see it as entirely natural.

    Hence, sitting next to a couple at a Conservative function, who remarked "Of course, we've never liked Jews at all, but Michael Howard is a good leader."
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Taz said:

    rkrkrk said:

    Nice review - thanks for the header.
    One opportunity Labour have I think is to say they will recognise Palestine as a state. Popular in the country and may go some way to repairing their very damaged relations with Muslim and Green voters.

    Will David Lammy be the Arthur Balfour of the 21st Century?
    Not auspicious, though I’m sure bumbling, Ill-considered incompetence sowing the seeds of future chaos are well within the powers of Lammy.


    To be fair to Balfour he acknowledged it wouldn't work without a proper Palestine.

    No Hitler/holocaust, no Israel, so we can blame Herr Hitler for the current mess.
    Eh? the Balfour Declaration arose from the First World War so Israel would still be here. There is, however, a school of thought that much of the current animosity comes from years of Nazi propaganda in the Middle East where they were trying to stir up native revolutions against the British, so to that extent, it is Hitler's fault.
    The Balfour Declaration also exists within a context of European antisemitism and fears over immigration. The first two major pieces of UK legislation to keep immigrants out, the Aliens Act 1905 and Aliens Act 1920, are basically created to keep out Jewish immigrants fleeing eastern and then central Europe. The UK, like much of the West, was full of a discourse about being (supposedly) swamped by these aliens who (supposedly) don't share our culture and are less intelligent/civilised: basically, everything certain Islamophobic posters here say, but replace "Muslim" with "Jew".
    To paraphrase a previous point, if it hadn't been for Hitler & the Holocaust, there would likely still be socially acceptable antisemitism at all levels of society. Even during the war, newspaper letter pages were full of compaints about oily, swarthy skinned spivs with strong accents ripping off the native population. Pretty sure they weren't referring to Italians.
    I think that's rubbish. Is any racism socially acceptable?
    Genuine question: would it get called out at a Reform social?
    The post before suggests ALL levels of society. I think most of us suspect that reformy types might be more inclined to be racist.
    People here have said we need more white babies or that all Muslim men are problematic. There is plenty of racism around.
    One person said that about white babies, and was duly chastised by people across the political divide for saying so.
    And he then made clear he still holds the same view. A different poster said all Muslim men are problematic. A few others have repeatedly voiced Islamophobic views.
    Islamophobic is one of those terms that is somewhat elastic. What are these repeatedly voiced islamophobic views ? I’m not here 24/7. Can’t say I’ve seen a great deal. Never seen anyone say all Muslim men are problematic which is a nonsensical generalisation.

    I do get the feeling people just shout racism at a problem as discussing it makes them feel uncomfortable.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Taz said:
    Is Eagles still on holiday?
    Boom !!!!
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Zia Yusuf :- The current £26m annual spending on DEI will be removed by Reform giving a £7b saving.

    Explain the maths please.

    I do not think maths is Reforms strong point
    Perhaps they should be scrutinised a little more than they currently are.
    Perhaps you could begin this forensic scrutiny by providing an actual quote, or a link to more information? Or did he just leap into frame and say that and nothing else?
    Zia Yusuf speaking to Lewis Goodall on LBC yesterday. Find it yourself!
    Oh, so you don't actually want anything scrutinised then, got you.
    LBC put out this clip;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQy6V2pSZF4

    You can argue choosing to trust the Civil Service over Conservative Way Forward (who seem to be the think tank invovled) is tomayto/tomahto. On the other hand, there are a bit more than six million public sector workers in the UK. So £7 billion is about a thousand pounds an employee. Not impossible, but also not that likely.

    (And again, an ingenious bit of messaging. If political correctness really is costing the state that much, it is a massive scandal to get really cross about. But you know what they say about the evidence needed for extraordinary claims. Trump's reported remarks on DOGE, "was it male bovine faeces?", are more probably the case.)
    My issue with this approach, and I did discuss this with Andrew Husband who is now DCC leader prior to the local elections, is we won’t see any real benefit and the only beneficiaries are likely to be, as is usually the case, the auditors.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 66,110
    Scott_xP said:
    Guy on the right looks like a member of the Lanyard Class to me!!
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 66,110
    Taz said:

    Reform, once again, field 3 candidates in a 2 member ward.

    Amateur hour I’m afraid. They really need to sort their admin.

    https://x.com/electionmapsuk/status/1929495435887939706?s=61

    Reform DOGE is gonna be a laugh if they can't count two or three.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 55,014
    dixiedean said:

    Had a lovely morning teaching three year four classes to meditate.

    Next Monday I get to show a group of school kids a bunch of moths. This will be the fourth year I have done it. Mostly about 8 or 9 year olds. They ususally start out all squeamish and "Eeeeeuuugh!" - but at the end of the morning they are fighting over who gets to wear them like a brooch...

    In amongst they learn about their life cycles and about how important they are for pollination.

    Moths rock.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    If he hadn't tried to outrun the police then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place
    I don't disagree. Lock him up. However the incompetent policeman needs a substantial sanction too.
    How do you know the circumstances of the collision ?
    It has been widely reported.

    The youngster had already been stopped after a chase ( so he deserves his custodial sentence) and the police cars involved in the stop were stationary across the carriageway until some over enthusiastic copper ploughed into them ALL at speed.
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742
    Adil Rashid is now Englands leading wicket taker of spin bowling across all formats.

    https://x.com/englandcricket/status/1929178899876888813?s=61
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Taz said:

    Reform, once again, field 3 candidates in a 2 member ward.

    Amateur hour I’m afraid. They really need to sort their admin.

    https://x.com/electionmapsuk/status/1929495435887939706?s=61

    Reform DOGE is gonna be a laugh if they can't count two or three.
    Good point.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,591

    Two tier justice news.

    The young man whose escape from Northumberland Constabulary resulted in seven patrol cars being written off* has been jailed for fourteen months.

    * The cars were written off after a patrol car driver who was unaware that the six police cars were stationary careered into them at ultra high speed.

    Why is that an example of two tier justice?
    The young lad took the custodial hit for some incompetent driving by a Motorway Patrol Driver. The lad had tried to outrun the police, true, but the £200,000 damage to police vehicles was surely entirely the work of TC Magoo.
    If he hadn't tried to outrun the police then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place
    I don't disagree. Lock him up. However the incompetent policeman needs a substantial sanction too.
    How do you know the circumstances of the collision ?
    It has been widely reported.

    The youngster had already been stopped after a chase ( so he deserves his custodial sentence) and the police cars involved in the stop were stationary across the carriageway until some over enthusiastic copper ploughed into them ALL at speed.
    You still do not know the police officers explanation and circumstances
  • TazTaz Posts: 18,742

    Trump has now pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley, media personalities who were convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud banks of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents and of tax evasion. https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-julie-todd-chrisley-reality-tv-2f79831f142de44b36922ebdbc959f04

    He’s supposed to be pardoning the Tiger bloke too.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,130

    Scott_xP said:
    Guy on the right looks like a member of the Lanyard Class to me!!
    It is outside a bookies. We could have a "guess the PB poster" competition.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 122,229
    edited June 2

    Taz said:
    Is Eagles still on holiday?
    I am and there’s an update.

    The venue I am staying at/hosting the wedding has no WiFi and being in the middle of rural Aberdeenshire also has no mobile coverage.

    So from for about 48 hours starting tomorrow evening I am cut off from civilisation.
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