Some farms will be taken entirely out of food production under plans to make space for nature, the environment secretary has said.
Speaking at the Groundswell farming festival in Hertfordshire, Steve Reed said a revamp of the post Brexit farming subsidies and a new land use plan will be aimed at increasing food production in the most productive areas and decreasing or completely removing it in the least productive. In reality, this means many upland farmers may be incentivised to stop farming.
Vile agenda.
A good reminder that Labour are malign as well as incompetent.
There are a lot of metropolitan elite who think food comes from shops, nobody wants to invade, the system isn't broken and if everybody was just nice to each other it will all work out.
Sounds like the Union of Traken.
Didn’t end too well.
The Master blew it up?
He certainly finished it off. Something to do with entropy. Which carries over to the next story.
I was Ainley making a feeble attempt at humour.
It would simm so, yes.
Roger, that.
Dhawan that got away.
He sacha'd away
(I'm logging off now before we get onto the Big Finish Masters, of which there are many... )
I think James Dreyfus is verboten now anyway. I’ve still got over a hundred Big Finish stories to listen to from the first 150. After that I stopped buying.
If you've not watched their interview with Jacqueline Pearce (AKA 'Servalan') it's very worth a go. RIP.
Ooh, I’ll have to dig it out. She was far more than just Servalan, did a few good horror movies too.
I love that story of her going round to a fan’s house to discipline him after he wrote her a letter and told her to come after a certain time as him mom will be in bed.
Mum.
Not if you’re a Midlander, which I am, and up here in the North East it’s Mam.
For Midlander's it's mum.
"Mom" is American English and deprecated.
Nonsense. I’m from Brum, it’s Mom. It always has been certainly where I grew up. West Mids is Mom. Jess Phillips even raised it in Parliament. She uses Mom a lot and also Bab.
It's a pretty obvious way to try and stir up racial hatred to post about every time someone from the group you want people to hate commits a violent crime. What you are, of course, doing is ignoring the context, all the times when someone from other groups commits a similar crime.
It’s simply good public policy to minimise the number of people wandering around who have psychological issues liable to make them commit random acts of violence.
As you correctly point out, we have more than enough of our own. Enoch Powell was perhaps wrong to close the asylums.
Yes, if ever I get violently attacked I'm very keen for it to be one of our own that does it.
It’s the difference between thinking that the perpetrator should have been sectioned and thinking that they shouldn’t have been let in.
What if they have entered Hampstead from Runcorn?
Should have been in an asylum.
So now you're in favour of granting asylum to people. My head is spinning.
Talks of split on the left. Almost contains its glee.
Splits on the left might be exactly what Starmer needs for a reboot. He was at his most ruthlessly effective purging the Corbynites. Boris’ purge of the remainers certainly gave him a spring in his step.
Starmer needs 'the-boot', not a reboot. I realise that my well-meaning advice for the left has as much value to them as Jonathan's well-meaning advice for the Tory Party has to me, but genuinely, the man is poison. He's loathed, and it's only going to get worse, the more people he gets to make excuses for him, the more women he forces to dry their tears and slap another coat of make up on and hug him a lot.
Talks of split on the left. Almost contains its glee.
Splits on the left might be exactly what Starmer needs for a reboot. He was at his most ruthlessly effective purging the Corbynites. Boris’ purge of the remainers certainly gave him a spring in his step.
Starmer needs 'the-boot', not a reboot. I realise that my well-meaning advice for the left has as much value to them as Jonathan's well-meaning advice for the Tory Party has to me, but genuinely, the man is poison. He's loathed, and it's only going to get worse, the more people he gets to make excuses for him, the more women he forces to dry their tears and slap another coat of make up on and hug him a lot.
He's not loathed - you need to get out of your bubble. People are disappointed. He's got the same ratings as Farage and Badenoch of negative 30ish. Johnson and Corbyn still rank worse than him.
Even Conservative voters prefer him to Liz Truss, though that polling was back in February so out of date.
Talks of split on the left. Almost contains its glee.
Splits on the left might be exactly what Starmer needs for a reboot. He was at his most ruthlessly effective purging the Corbynites. Boris’ purge of the remainers certainly gave him a spring in his step.
Starmer needs 'the-boot', not a reboot. I realise that my well-meaning advice for the left has as much value to them as Jonathan's well-meaning advice for the Tory Party has to me, but genuinely, the man is poison. He's loathed, and it's only going to get worse, the more people he gets to make excuses for him, the more women he forces to dry their tears and slap another coat of make up on and hug him a lot.
He's not loathed - you need to get out of your bubble. People are disappointed. He's got the same ratings as Farage and Badenoch of negative 30ish. Johnson and Corbyn still rank worse than him.
Even Conservative voters prefer him to Liz Truss, though that polling was back in February so out of date.
A very instructive poll, because it explains the Green party’s current high vote share despite their total lack of media coverage, meaningful policy or direction. They are what Reform would be if there were no Farage.
Also hints at the persistent role of the SNP as repository for disaffected lefties north of the Border.
It also implies that a lot of Greens are watermelons. From those figures Polanski is on for a landslide.
The various independents and perhaps the Greens and Sultana have the potential for an electoral pact.
A very instructive poll, because it explains the Green party’s current high vote share despite their total lack of media coverage, meaningful policy or direction. They are what Reform would be if there were no Farage.
Also hints at the persistent role of the SNP as repository for disaffected lefties north of the Border.
Reading even a hint of a conclusion into a Scottish subsample of a theoretical poll, is there any further level of depravity we can possibly add to this?
Talks of split on the left. Almost contains its glee.
Splits on the left might be exactly what Starmer needs for a reboot. He was at his most ruthlessly effective purging the Corbynites. Boris’ purge of the remainers certainly gave him a spring in his step.
Starmer needs 'the-boot', not a reboot. I realise that my well-meaning advice for the left has as much value to them as Jonathan's well-meaning advice for the Tory Party has to me, but genuinely, the man is poison. He's loathed, and it's only going to get worse, the more people he gets to make excuses for him, the more women he forces to dry their tears and slap another coat of make up on and hug him a lot.
He's not loathed - you need to get out of your bubble. People are disappointed. He's got the same ratings as Farage and Badenoch of negative 30ish. Johnson and Corbyn still rank worse than him.
Even Conservative voters prefer him to Liz Truss, though that polling was back in February so out of date.
He's unquestionably loathed by Luckyguy.
What we need is a comparison of "median loathing" and "mean loathing". I think for Starmer you'd find that mean loathing would be significantly higher than the median because you've got people like Luckyguy brimming over with fury, while lefty voters are just a bit meh about him.
Replying to @Gabriel_Pogrund In 2020, Zarah Sultana voted that MPs who voluntarily change their party affiliation should be subject to a recall petition. #JustSaying
A very instructive poll, because it explains the Green party’s current high vote share despite their total lack of media coverage, meaningful policy or direction. They are what Reform would be if there were no Farage.
Also hints at the persistent role of the SNP as repository for disaffected lefties north of the Border.
Reading even a hint of a conclusion into a Scottish subsample of a theoretical poll, is there any further level of depravity we can possibly add to this.
We could also assume that the Corbyn party must be picking up some current non-voters, and that also implies that the presence of the Corbyn party must be stimulating some other non-voters to come out for Reform, Conservative and LD given their vote shares remain constant.
I will have a look at the tables when they are made available.
Replying to @Gabriel_Pogrund In 2020, Zarah Sultana voted that MPs who voluntarily change their party affiliation should be subject to a recall petition. #JustSaying
Andrew Lilico @andrew_lilico · 57m It's genuinely funny that the Sultana-Corbyn party had a split literally within an hour of being launched. Stereotypes are usually stereotypes for a reason...
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
A very instructive poll, because it explains the Green party’s current high vote share despite their total lack of media coverage, meaningful policy or direction. They are what Reform would be if there were no Farage.
Also hints at the persistent role of the SNP as repository for disaffected lefties north of the Border.
Reading even a hint of a conclusion into a Scottish subsample of a theoretical poll, is there any further level of depravity we can possibly add to this?
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
Ukrainians have worked out their best bet is on themselves. They can’t rely on anyone else.
China’s comments, like those of Trump, are pure imperialism.
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
It's pretty bleak, to be sure, and the choices made to see it happen will be presented as an inevitability of it happening.
The election debates next time around are going to be a joy to behold...We have hired Wembley stadium, not to hold the audience, no just be able to fit in all the party leaders.
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
4) N Korea is sending another 30k troops.
The war isn't being lost, AFAIKS. Bit unless Europe gets its act together, it won't be won either.
Almost certainly. If theres a row (and i dont really see team Jezza getting on the blower to the Times to bitch) it will be about the timing Hes already confirned its on its way and hes in discussions. Any withdrawal now kills the project permanently
Still feels like he is being bounced into all under sufference - he's had to be dragged to an anti-Labour state every step of the way, as a necessity to maintain relevance, even as those around him have been calling for it for years and years.
EXCLUSIVE: I understand Jeremy Corbyn has not agreed to join the new left party with Zarah Sultana yet
He is furious and bewildered at the way it has been launched without consultation.
As I posted earlier. Jumped the gun?
It would be exciting if the New Left party with its two members could manage to split before it's been launched. They're seeing what fun Reform and Advance and Reclaim and the like are having and want a bit of the action.
Left Unity was a fringe left spinter group which, of course, then split. Good times, we need more of that.
(((Dan Hodges)))@DPJHodges People saying “it’s bad news for Keir Starmer Corbyn and Sultana have left to form their own party”. The level of appeasement of the hard left necessary to keep them in would have been disastrous. https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1940866825019183362
North London entitled tosser comes to a South London bar. Not impressed. He claims he has a right to water & toilets. I don’t want assholes like this in my neck of the woods. If you can identify and name this man, I will give you £100 (for first responder).
Talks of split on the left. Almost contains its glee.
Splits on the left might be exactly what Starmer needs for a reboot. He was at his most ruthlessly effective purging the Corbynites. Boris’ purge of the remainers certainly gave him a spring in his step.
Starmer needs 'the-boot', not a reboot. I realise that my well-meaning advice for the left has as much value to them as Jonathan's well-meaning advice for the Tory Party has to me, but genuinely, the man is poison. He's loathed, and it's only going to get worse, the more people he gets to make excuses for him, the more women he forces to dry their tears and slap another coat of make up on and hug him a lot.
He's not loathed - you need to get out of your bubble. People are disappointed. He's got the same ratings as Farage and Badenoch of negative 30ish. Johnson and Corbyn still rank worse than him.
Even Conservative voters prefer him to Liz Truss, though that polling was back in February so out of date.
He's unquestionably loathed by Luckyguy.
What we need is a comparison of "median loathing" and "mean loathing". I think for Starmer you'd find that mean loathing would be significantly higher than the median because you've got people like Luckyguy brimming over with fury, while lefty voters are just a bit meh about him.
Better still, some nice continuous distributions.
Depends on the leftiness. I've lefty relatives who hate him so much that when made comments about Ukraine they switched to saying Trump wasn't as bad as Starmer.
North London entitled tosser comes to a South London bar. Not impressed. He claims he has a right to water & toilets. I don’t want assholes like this in my neck of the woods. If you can identify and name this man, I will give you £100 (for first responder).
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
The actual statement seems peculiarly empty:
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing cannot afford a Russian loss in Ukraine because it fears the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.
Why does he think the war in Ukraine is going to make any material difference to the USA's shift of focus?
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
4) N Korea is sending another 30k troops.
The war isn't being lost, AFAIKS. Bit unless Europe gets its act together, it won't be won either.
North London entitled tosser comes to a South London bar. Not impressed. He claims he has a right to water & toilets. I don’t want assholes like this in my neck of the woods. If you can identify and name this man, I will give you £100 (for first responder).
The City of London police are fining people for cycling without hands - while groups of lads angle grind £1000 sports bikes like it’s ordering a cup of tea.
We incentivise numbers and low hanging fruit over dealing with actual crime. Mad.
Actually, if so, I grudgingly respect the unexpected internal consistency of the policy, but still.
I can remember when most people in the UK used to frown on flag-flying in general, regarding it as an American obsession. Funny how things change over time.
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
4) N Korea is sending another 30k troops.
The war isn't being lost, AFAIKS. Bit unless Europe gets its act together, it won't be won either.
The war isn't being lost on the battlefield right now, but I struggle to see how we avoid such a defeat occurring in a couple of years time given these developments.
When I say that the West is losing I mean that I cannot see how a defeat is avoided.
Ukraine War developments today are very, very bad.
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine. 2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose. 3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
The actual statement seems peculiarly empty:
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing cannot afford a Russian loss in Ukraine because it fears the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.
Why does he think the war in Ukraine is going to make any material difference to the USA's shift of focus?
The US still has lots of troops in Europe, so I think there's some basis for this view from China.
But, the important thing here - as with Reform voters - is not whether the view is factually correct, but that the view stated provides motivation for a set of actions. Those actions being to provide enough Chinese support for Russia that Russia does not lose the war. There's also a corollary that it is also follows that China would prefer to see a disunited Europe unable to provide sufficient support to Ukraine that Ukraine can win the war.
Actually, if so, I grudgingly respect the unexpected internal consistency of the policy, but still.
I can remember when most people in the UK used to frown on flag-flying in general, regarding it as an American obsession. Funny how things change over time.
I really like flags from a visual fun colour point of view, and I am frustrated that people assign all sorts of deep meaning to them, such that my flying a bunch of them would be likely to have people making assumptions about me as a result.
First-time buyers turn from rural areas to Britain’s regional cities
With the rise of home working and surging house prices in many urban areas, one might have assumed that British cities had lost some of their appeal to homebuyers over the past decade, but it turns out the opposite is the case.
An analysis of the first five months of this year shows the number of would-be first-time buyers in Great Britain looking to move to cities is up by 16% on average compared with the same period in 2015.
First-time buyers turn from rural areas to Britain’s regional cities
With the rise of home working and surging house prices in many urban areas, one might have assumed that British cities had lost some of their appeal to homebuyers over the past decade, but it turns out the opposite is the case.
An analysis of the first five months of this year shows the number of would-be first-time buyers in Great Britain looking to move to cities is up by 16% on average compared with the same period in 2015.
There were a few extra first time buying rural buyers in the height of the pandemic but now most are back to hybrid working inevitably first time buyers will be more focused on urban areas again.
Rural buyers will remain strongest amongst the retired who no longer need to commute to a city or work in a town
North London entitled tosser comes to a South London bar. Not impressed. He claims he has a right to water & toilets. I don’t want assholes like this in my neck of the woods. If you can identify and name this man, I will give you £100 (for first responder).
i'd say the bigger asshole is the one who's filmed it and posted it asking for the person to be identified. How's Littlewood retained any credibility after the Truss budget?
North London entitled tosser comes to a South London bar. Not impressed. He claims he has a right to water & toilets. I don’t want assholes like this in my neck of the woods. If you can identify and name this man, I will give you £100 (for first responder).
i'd say the bigger asshole is the one who's filmed it and posted it asking for the person to be identified. How's Littlewood retained any credibility after the Truss budget?
Was that Littlewood speaking? If so it sounds like someone's parody impression of a raving nutcase.
RefUK 1332 Green 1155 Con 808 Lab 667 Ind Stennett 407 LD 259
RefUK 28.78% Green 24.96% Con 17.46% Lab 14.41% Ind Stennett 8.79% LD 5.60%
Tory vote halved since 2021 and Green and Lab also down Reform motored past the lot of them
This is basically the centre of Bury St Edmunds I believe. I thought the Greens were narrow favourites beforehand.
Yes, its right in Bury. Id have picked Greens too but they are starting to suffer a bit from incumbency in the Suffolk area where theyve got a lot of wards. They went backwards in the one they held a few weeks ago too. (I appreciate they didnt hold this one of course - the shine just seems to be wearing off a little)
Home Office unaware if foreign workers leave after visas end, MPs say
The Home Office does not know whether foreign workers are leaving the UK or staying to work illegally after their visas expire, a cross-party committee of MPs has said.
Home Office unaware if foreign workers leave after visas end, MPs say
The Home Office does not know whether foreign workers are leaving the UK or staying to work illegally after their visas expire, a cross-party committee of MPs has said.
Home Office unaware if foreign workers leave after visas end, MPs say
The Home Office does not know whether foreign workers are leaving the UK or staying to work illegally after their visas expire, a cross-party committee of MPs has said.
The Iranians were not trying to shoot down the French and British aircraft, that's the difference.
Say we do it and an RAF Typhoon gets nailed by a Growler. If SKS is lucky the pilot will be killed. SKS rarely seems to be lucky so now old mate is off to the Gary Powers Suite at the Lubyanka. Then what?
This should be making the news here in the UK every day just as events happening in another part of the world does every day, but it doesn't, why?!
Its not "the latest" thing anymore.
But the implications for Ukraine and the NATO alliance should mean that this remains one of the most urgent Foreign policy matters for a US President to deal with right now. Trump and his adminstration are utterly and dangerously short sightedly clueless when it comes to even trying to get himself in a position where he can still call the shots on the global stage while portraying himself at home in the US as someone who is isolationist to the MAGA base.
Trump keeps kicking the legs from under Zelensky and Ukraine and selling the country down the river and then he wonders why plucky Ukraine won't give in after being aggressively invaded by Russia, and Putin won't come to the negociating table because Trump keeps making it easier for him to continue so he can go after his original goal with impunity. Did Trump really think he could get Zelensky and Putin to sit around a table so he and Putin could carve up Ukraines assets to the benefit of both the US and Russia while he continues to weaken military aid to Ukraine making it easier for Putin to continue the war so he can claim victory at home and take control of it all? The words useful idiot spring to mind.
This should be making the news here in the UK every day just as events happening in another part of the world does every day, but it doesn't, why?!
Its not "the latest" thing anymore.
But the implications for Ukraine and the NATO alliance should mean that this remains one of the most urgent Foreign policy matters for a US President to deal with right now. Trump and his adminstration are utterly and dangerously short sightedly clueless when it comes to even trying to get himself in a position where he can still call the shots on the global stage while portraying himself at home in the US as someone who is isolationist to the MAGA base.
Trump keeps kicking the legs from under Zelensky and Ukraine and selling the country down the river and then he wonders why plucky Ukraine won't give in after being aggressively invaded by Russia, and Putin won't come to the negociating table because Trump keeps making it easier for him to continue so he can go after his original goal with impunity. Did Trump really think he could get Zelensky and Putin to sit around a table so he and Putin could carve up Ukraines assets to the benefit of both the US and Russia while he continues to weaken military aid to Ukraine making it easier for Putin to continue the war so he can claim victory at home and take control of it all? The words useful idiot spring to mind.
I don't disagree, I am just saying the media get bored, it doesn't drive clicks and another "latest thing" comes along. Now its all about the baddies Israel and antisemitic ranting musicians.
Bloody hell, LD gain from Reform in Durham, Reform pushed into third
Classic LD by-election.
In fairness to them unlike Labour and the Tories they actually held on to most of their support in the all out Durham elections.
Exactly. I did say earlier in the week there’s been a swing away and I expected Reform to lose, although I thought Labour would gain it. Look at the previous result and it was one Reform only just took. Their win was not convincing.
Bloody hell, LD gain from Reform in Durham, Reform pushed into third
Classic LD by-election.
In fairness to them unlike Labour and the Tories they actually held on to most of their support in the all out Durham elections.
Exactly. I did say earlier in the week there’s been a swing away and I expected Reform to lose, although I thought Labour would gain it. Look at the previous result and it was one Reform only just took. Their win was not convincing.
Bloody hell, LD gain from Reform in Durham, Reform pushed into third
Classic LD by-election.
In fairness to them unlike Labour and the Tories they actually held on to most of their support in the all out Durham elections.
Exactly. I did say earlier in the week there’s been a swing away and I expected Reform to lose, although I thought Labour would gain it. Look at the previous result and it was one Reform only just took. Their win was not convincing.
So two reform defences and two losses.
Is the Reform bubble bursting? Seems to be a few political commentators still trying to keep it afloat so they have some clickbait to keep their careers going. It's going to be a long four years.
Young Europeans losing faith in democracy, poll finds
Support is lowest in France, Spain and Poland, while 21% back authoritarian rule under certain circumstances
Only half of young people in France and Spain believe that democracy is the best form of government, with support even lower among their Polish counterparts, a study has found.
A majority from Europe’s generation Z – 57% – prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied significantly, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%.
More than one in five – 21% – would favour authoritarian rule under certain, unspecified circumstances. This was highest in Italy at 24% and lowest in Germany with 15%. In France, Spain and Poland the figure was 23%.
Nearly one in 10 across the nations said they did not care whether their government was democratic or not, while another 14% did not know or did not answer.
Talks of split on the left. Almost contains its glee.
Splits on the left might be exactly what Starmer needs for a reboot. He was at his most ruthlessly effective purging the Corbynites. Boris’ purge of the remainers certainly gave him a spring in his step.
Starmer needs 'the-boot', not a reboot. I realise that my well-meaning advice for the left has as much value to them as Jonathan's well-meaning advice for the Tory Party has to me, but genuinely, the man is poison. He's loathed, and it's only going to get worse, the more people he gets to make excuses for him, the more women he forces to dry their tears and slap another coat of make up on and hug him a lot.
He's not loathed - you need to get out of your bubble. People are disappointed. He's got the same ratings as Farage and Badenoch of negative 30ish. Johnson and Corbyn still rank worse than him.
Even Conservative voters prefer him to Liz Truss, though that polling was back in February so out of date.
Young Europeans losing faith in democracy, poll finds
Support is lowest in France, Spain and Poland, while 21% back authoritarian rule under certain circumstances
Only half of young people in France and Spain believe that democracy is the best form of government, with support even lower among their Polish counterparts, a study has found.
A majority from Europe’s generation Z – 57% – prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied significantly, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%.
More than one in five – 21% – would favour authoritarian rule under certain, unspecified circumstances. This was highest in Italy at 24% and lowest in Germany with 15%. In France, Spain and Poland the figure was 23%.
Nearly one in 10 across the nations said they did not care whether their government was democratic or not, while another 14% did not know or did not answer.
Bloody hell, LD gain from Reform in Durham, Reform pushed into third
Classic LD by-election.
In fairness to them unlike Labour and the Tories they actually held on to most of their support in the all out Durham elections.
Exactly. I did say earlier in the week there’s been a swing away and I expected Reform to lose, although I thought Labour would gain it. Look at the previous result and it was one Reform only just took. Their win was not convincing.
Bloody hell, LD gain from Reform in Durham, Reform pushed into third
Classic LD by-election.
In fairness to them unlike Labour and the Tories they actually held on to most of their support in the all out Durham elections.
Exactly. I did say earlier in the week there’s been a swing away and I expected Reform to lose, although I thought Labour would gain it. Look at the previous result and it was one Reform only just took. Their win was not convincing.
So two reform defences and two losses.
Is the Reform bubble bursting? Seems to be a few political commentators still trying to keep it afloat so they have some clickbait to keep their careers going. It's going to be a long four years.
Reform being the insurgents is one thing. Having a ground game to defend seats against determined opponents is another.
They do seem to have peaked and their numbers are falling slightly.
It’s fine being the insurgents but you need to start delivering when you get power.
This should be making the news here in the UK every day just as events happening in another part of the world does every day, but it doesn't, why?!
Maybe those who confidently predicted that Russia was going to run out of both missiles and drones last year are somewhat embarrassed. Once again, our expectations of the sanctions regime were utterly delusional.
Young Europeans losing faith in democracy, poll finds
Support is lowest in France, Spain and Poland, while 21% back authoritarian rule under certain circumstances
Only half of young people in France and Spain believe that democracy is the best form of government, with support even lower among their Polish counterparts, a study has found.
A majority from Europe’s generation Z – 57% – prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied significantly, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%.
More than one in five – 21% – would favour authoritarian rule under certain, unspecified circumstances. This was highest in Italy at 24% and lowest in Germany with 15%. In France, Spain and Poland the figure was 23%.
Nearly one in 10 across the nations said they did not care whether their government was democratic or not, while another 14% did not know or did not answer.
Comments
Reform wants to ban flying Yorkshire, Pride and Armed Forces flags in public
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/reform-wants-ban-flying-yorkshire-31989717#ICID=Android_HuddersfieldExaminerNewsApp_AppShare
Actually, if so, I grudgingly respect the unexpected internal consistency of the policy, but still.
https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/buzzballz-premixed-cocktails-trend-tiktok-wxcj9kf9x
Massive opportunity for UK. Get them US researchers over here now!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epikf5rXjnY
Spectator's new signing Tim Shipman thinks it is going badly.
Even Conservative voters prefer him to Liz Truss, though that polling was back in February so out of date.
Better still, some nice continuous distributions.
Yes im reduced to reporting turnout in council by elections
Replying to
@Gabriel_Pogrund
In 2020, Zarah Sultana voted that MPs who voluntarily change their party affiliation should be subject to a recall petition. #JustSaying
I will have a look at the tables when they are made available.
Andrew Lilico
@andrew_lilico
·
57m
It's genuinely funny that the Sultana-Corbyn party had a split literally within an hour of being launched. Stereotypes are usually stereotypes for a reason...
1. US still stalling on providing ammunition to Ukraine.
2. China tells the EU that they won't let Russia lose.
3. Putin tells Trump that he will fight on until he achieves victory, and Trump is so weak he has no response.
The West is losing this war. The best part of three years were wasted because Biden was too scared of the consequences of winning the war, and the Europeans were not willing to take action without US leadership. Now a weak and cowardly Trump chooses defeat, and the Europeans are struggling to match Russia/North Korea/Iran, with China ready to intercede should the Europeans get their act together.
I don't know where we go from here. The future looks very dark.
China’s comments, like those of Trump, are pure imperialism.
The war isn't being lost, AFAIKS. Bit unless Europe gets its act together, it won't be won either.
Left Unity was a fringe left spinter group which, of course, then split. Good times, we need more of that.
(((Dan Hodges)))@DPJHodges
First good news for Keir Starmer all week.
https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1940854499251573042
(((Dan Hodges)))@DPJHodges
People saying “it’s bad news for Keir Starmer Corbyn and Sultana have left to form their own party”. The level of appeasement of the hard left necessary to keep them in would have been disastrous.
https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1940866825019183362
(((Dan Hodges)))@DPJHodges
The new Corbyn and Sultana party appears to have lasted about 90 minutes before descending into factionalism and division.
https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1940868704906236311
Mark Littlewood
@MarkJLittlewood
North London entitled tosser comes to a South London bar. Not impressed. He claims he has a right to water & toilets. I don’t want assholes like this in my neck of the woods. If you can identify and name this man, I will give you £100 (for first responder).
https://x.com/MarkJLittlewood/status/1940850614692728844
Glasses around his neck on a cord, and other glasses on his head? Boots with shorts? Nailed on.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing cannot afford a Russian loss in Ukraine because it fears the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.
Why does he think the war in Ukraine is going to make any material difference to the USA's shift of focus?
In fairness to them unlike Labour and the Tories they actually held on to most of their support in the all out Durham elections.
We incentivise numbers and low hanging fruit over dealing with actual crime. Mad.
https://x.com/AaronBastani/status/1940773300789301291?s=19
Con 647 43.3
LD 345 23.1
Lab 251 16.8
Ref 187 12.5
Grn 63 4.2
Comfortable in the end for the Tories
Newark is single digits close, no idea who between!
🔶 LDM: 28.3% (+17.3)
🌹 LAB: 27.4% (+0.8)
➡️ RFM: 25.6% (-6.6)
🙋 Ind: 15.7% (-8.0)
🌳 CON: 1.6% (-5.0)
🌍 GRN: 1.4% (New)
Liberal Democrat GAIN from Reform.
Changes w/ 2025.
When I say that the West is losing I mean that I cannot see how a defeat is avoided.
But, the important thing here - as with Reform voters - is not whether the view is factually correct, but that the view stated provides motivation for a set of actions. Those actions being to provide enough Chinese support for Russia that Russia does not lose the war. There's also a corollary that it is also follows that China would prefer to see a disunited Europe unable to provide sufficient support to Ukraine that Ukraine can win the war.
@RobertJenrick
Conservative GAIN from Reform for the first time.
Thank you to the people of Newark for putting your trust in us once again, and to our brilliant team.
Congratulations Keith! We did it 💪"
https://x.com/RobertJenrick/status/1940910460477624529
How do you decide to start a new party and not at least get a name for it.
Newark West (Nottinghamshire) Council By-Election Result:
🌳 CON: 34.7% (+4.8)
➡️ RFM: 34.3% (-1.6)
🌹 LAB: 16.1% (-3.9)
🌍 GRN: 9.7% (+2.1)
🔶 LDM: 4.6% (-1.9)
🔴 SDP: 0.6% (New)
Conservative GAIN from Reform.
Changes w/ 2025.
Reform 0/2 on defendimg seats
With the rise of home working and surging house prices in many urban areas, one might have assumed that British cities had lost some of their appeal to homebuyers over the past decade, but it turns out the opposite is the case.
An analysis of the first five months of this year shows the number of would-be first-time buyers in Great Britain looking to move to cities is up by 16% on average compared with the same period in 2015.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/04/first-time-buyers-turn-from-rural-areas-to-great-britains-regional-cities
🔶 LDM: 57.1% (-18.2)
➡️ RFM: 22.0% (New)
🌳 CON: 9.7% (-6.7)
🌍 GRN: 6.6% (+2.0)
🌹 LAB: 4.6% (+0.9)
Liberal Democrat HOLD.
Changes w/ 2023.
Rural buyers will remain strongest amongst the retired who no longer need to commute to a city or work in a town
How's Littlewood retained any credibility after the Truss budget?
RefUK 1332
Green 1155
Con 808
Lab 667
Ind Stennett 407
LD 259
RefUK 28.78%
Green 24.96%
Con 17.46%
Lab 14.41%
Ind Stennett 8.79%
LD 5.60%
Reform motored past the lot of them
The Home Office does not know whether foreign workers are leaving the UK or staying to work illegally after their visas expire, a cross-party committee of MPs has said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwykw93d393o
The Iranians were not trying to shoot down the French and British aircraft, that's the difference.
Say we do it and an RAF Typhoon gets nailed by a Growler. If SKS is lucky the pilot will be killed. SKS rarely seems to be lucky so now old mate is off to the Gary Powers Suite at the Lubyanka. Then what?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crrq2y819y1o
Need to get Trump and his art of the deal on it ;-)
OSINTtechnical@Osinttechnical
Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, tonight after Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on the city.
Numerous sites across Kyiv were hit, including multiple civilian and residential buildings, just days after the U.S. froze shipments of air defense munitions.
https://x.com/Osinttechnical/status/1940944474349490257
This should be making the news here in the UK every day just as events happening in another part of the world does every day, but it doesn't, why?!
Trump keeps kicking the legs from under Zelensky and Ukraine and selling the country down the river and then he wonders why plucky Ukraine won't give in after being aggressively invaded by Russia, and Putin won't come to the negociating table because Trump keeps making it easier for him to continue so he can go after his original goal with impunity. Did Trump really think he could get Zelensky and Putin to sit around a table so he and Putin could carve up Ukraines assets to the benefit of both the US and Russia while he continues to weaken military aid to Ukraine making it easier for Putin to continue the war so he can claim victory at home and take control of it all? The words useful idiot spring to mind.
So two reform defences and two losses.
you still seem to be keeping factory hours
youve retired have a lie in :-)
Support is lowest in France, Spain and Poland, while 21% back authoritarian rule under certain circumstances
Only half of young people in France and Spain believe that democracy is the best form of government, with support even lower among their Polish counterparts, a study has found.
A majority from Europe’s generation Z – 57% – prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied significantly, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%.
More than one in five – 21% – would favour authoritarian rule under certain, unspecified circumstances. This was highest in Italy at 24% and lowest in Germany with 15%. In France, Spain and Poland the figure was 23%.
Nearly one in 10 across the nations said they did not care whether their government was democratic or not, while another 14% did not know or did not answer.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/04/young-europeans-losing-faith-in-democracy-poll-finds
My wife gets up at this time as she still works and I like to make her breakfast and a cuppa.
They do seem to have peaked and their numbers are falling slightly.
It’s fine being the insurgents but you need to start delivering when you get power.
Except, of course, for all the other ways that have ever been imagined.