A Political Thread pt. 2

[Saintjay]

Starmer climbs down on disability benefits cuts after rebellion by Labour MPs

The U-turn, including protecting personal independence payments (Pip) for existing claimants, comes after 126 MPs threatened to vote against the government.

www.bbc.co.uk

Is Starmer going to walk back every policy idea after some backlash?

He has hardly conveyed strength or leadership since arrival, from U turning on policies, jumping to Trumps beck and call on Tarrifs, and Defence spending, bending over backwards to accommodate the EU, and his flip flop on trans issues, he might as well be campaigning for reform!

EDIT: didnt see this at first.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2l8ge86z7o

It called for a "relentless focus on the new centre ground in British politics".

Christ that's worrying if true.

The front bench have been pretty tone deaf on issues especially WFA and now PIP. A mess of there own making and stupid of them. When a year in the PM is facing a large rebellion with such a majority

It was never going to fly but they were still rolling out Rayner to bang the drum earlier in the week.

Labour should never be going after the more vulnerable in society. Although I agree the welfare system needs changing.

Reeves is now stuck in a difficult position as it's also reported that a lot of millionaires are also leaving the UK. So she's not gaining savings or adding money to the coffers. Without the need to raise taxes.

 

[dirty harry]

The front bench have been pretty tone deaf on issues especially WFA and now PIP. A mess of there own making and stupid of them. When a year in the PM is facing a large rebellion with such a majority

It was never going to fly but they were still rolling out Rayner to bang the drum earlier in the week.

Labour should never be going after the more vulnerable in society. Although I agree the welfare system needs changing.

Reeves is now stuck in a difficult position as it's also reported that a lot of millionaires are also leaving the UK. So she's not gaining savings or adding money to the coffers. Without the need to raise taxes.

The problem is that she was always going to raise taxes, that's probably why a number halves left, seeing the writing on the wall.

And let's be honest, shes only not raised taxes by a technicality, the NI raid obliterated growth, and the possibility of pay raises in a lot of sectors, such as the third sector, its almost like everything hits the working and middle class directly or not.

The idea they are desperate to get the centre ground is super dangerous, and I can see Starmer leaving more and more right as things dont go his way.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

It just seems like the UK is on a steady decline and nobody has a clue how to reverse it. You wouldn't know Labour had a majority as big as they do. I'm pretty sure they will lose their majority next election. The only positive is hopefully it's a hung parliament and it increases calls for PR

 

[McTallshort]

It just seems like the UK is on a steady decline and nobody has a clue how to reverse it. You wouldn't know Labour had a majority as big as they do. I'm pretty sure they will lose their majority next election. The only positive is hopefully it's a hung parliament and it increases calls for PR

Well we did leave that trading block we were quite senior members too...

Let's be honest it's not just the UK that's in a mess, the change in finances following the 2008 crash, the massive disappearance of funds during COVID, the change in security priorities following the Russian invasion in 2022 have ****** up pretty much everyone's economy in the West with nations having to deal with unprecedented levels of debt leaving countries at the mercy of the stock markets but in the UK we also had a decade of apparent Austerity where government spending went down but for some reason it's borrowing went up and Brexit which completely stifled any investment into the country.

I'm not going to die on any hill for the current government but they are dealing with a set of circumstances that no government has had to deal with since at least 1974 on top of which you have a complete change in the global order and places like Dubai sucking up rich people with tax free living means they are limited to what they can do but hey they did want to the job...

 

[Bada-Bing!]

End of the day any Govt. Is there for Power. Up to 5 year term - get all the contacts and influence and then cash in during or afterwards.

 

[Deleted member 90256]

It just seems like the UK is on a steady decline and nobody has a clue how to reverse it. You wouldn't know Labour had a majority as big as they do. I'm pretty sure they will lose their majority next election. The only positive is hopefully it's a hung parliament and it increases calls for PR

We're definitely on a managed decline, but I'm concerned about the types (reform etc) that will use it to their advantage and do even more harm.

 

[General Melchett]

We're definitely on a managed decline, but I'm concerned about the types (reform etc) that will use it to their advantage and do even more harm.

I feel like PR alone (while an improvement) won't be enough to improve things materially. We have massive flaws in election/referenda campaigning rules where politicians can tell outright lies and spread hate/fear with no fact checking or repercussions. A bit like accusing someone of lying in the HoC is considered to be worse than lying itself - it's crazy. Winning an election or referendum based on lies/fear/hate is a rotten mandate IMO.

Things won't improve until someone in Labour has the balls to admit that Brexit has been a disaster. It almost feels like we need to get a Tory/Reform coalition out of the way (to show the Faragites that Brexit has still been a disaster even with him in Govt) before Labour eventually pledges to have another vote on EU membership.

Company I used to work for relocated it's European HQ from London to Amsterdam. Foreign companies have little interest in setting up operations in the UK when the EU is just next door. Brexit was essentially a protest vote against net migration levels but EU migrants were just replaced with non-EU ones. Biggest act of economic self harm in decades.

 

[AlRums]

Blaise Metreweli: MI6 distances new chief from Nazi grandfather

Blaise Metreweli "neither knew nor met" her grandfather, reportedly a chief Nazi informant during World War Two.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Capt Mainwaring]

I feel like PR alone (while an improvement) won't be enough to improve things materially. We have massive flaws in election/referenda campaigning rules where politicians can tell outright lies and spread hate/fear with no fact checking or repercussions. A bit like accusing someone of lying in the HoC is considered to be worse than lying itself - it's crazy. Winning an election or referendum based on lies/fear/hate is a rotten mandate IMO.

Things won't improve until someone in Labour has the balls to admit that Brexit has been a disaster. It almost feels like we need to get a Tory/Reform coalition out of the way (to show the Faragites that Brexit has still been a disaster even with him in Govt) before Labour eventually pledges to have another vote on EU membership.

Company I used to work for relocated it's European HQ from London to Amsterdam. Foreign companies have little interest in setting up operations in the UK when the EU is just next door. Brexit was essentially a protest vote against net migration levels but EU migrants were just replaced with non-EU ones. Biggest act of economic self harm in decades.

I feel like PR alone (while an improvement) won't be enough to improve things materially. We have massive flaws in election/referenda campaigning rules where politicians can tell outright lies and spread hate/fear with no fact checking or repercussions. A bit like accusing someone of lying in the HoC is considered to be worse than lying itself - it's crazy. Winning an election or referendum based on lies/fear/hate is a rotten mandate IMO.

Things won't improve until someone in Labour has the balls to admit that Brexit has been a disaster. It almost feels like we need to get a Tory/Reform coalition out of the way (to show the Faragites that Brexit has still been a disaster even with him in Govt) before Labour eventually pledges to have another vote on EU membership.

Company I used to work for relocated it's European HQ from London to Amsterdam. Foreign companies have little interest in setting up operations in the UK when the EU is just next door. Brexit was essentially a protest vote against net migration levels but EU migrants were just replaced with non-EU ones. Biggest act of economic self harm in decades.

Hopefully Reform’s incompetence will be exposed as they begin to ruin the councils they’ve just won.

 

[McTallshort]

Blaise Metreweli: MI6 distances new chief from Nazi grandfather

Blaise Metreweli "neither knew nor met" her grandfather, reportedly a chief Nazi informant during World War Two.

www.bbc.co.uk

Nothing story.

 

[AlRums]

Netanyahu hopes for boost from Iran conflict - but do Israelis still trust him?

Israel's prime minister may be contemplating an early election, but he still faces corruption charges.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Saintjay]

You are doing well as a Labour government to lose a Glasto crowd. Chants of "**** Starmer" not going down well. God forbid politics and music mix.

 

[Ddanno]

You are doing well as a government to lose a Glasto crowd. Chants of "**** Starmer" not going down well. God forbid politics and music mix.

View attachment 23929

Quite a slide from "ohhhh Jeremy Corbyn"*

*I did not endorse him, but it illustrates how far the party has fallen among a slice of the population

 

[Welsh Exile]

You are doing well as a Labour government to lose a Glasto crowd. Chants of "**** Starmer" not going down well. God forbid politics and music mix.

View attachment 23929

I just saw this, I did laugh when he said something like “I know I’m on the BBC so I won’t say anything too crazy” and then later apparently led thousands of people in a “Death, death to the IDF” chant. lol.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Quite a slide from "ohhhh Jeremy Corbyn"*

*I did not endorse him, but it illustrates how far the party has fallen among a slice of the population

True but that slice don’t vote anyway. One of the most frustrating things with the left is how vocal yet politically inactive, the Glastonbury type crowd are.

 

[Capt Mainwaring]

True but that slice don't vote anyway. One of the most frustrating things with the left is how vocal yet politically inactive, the Glastonbury type crowd are.

Have elections at Glastonbury time. Polling stations at the festival, perhaps?

 

[Welsh Exile]

Have elections at Glastonbury time. Polling stations at the festival, perhaps?

Think you’d still have to put in some MDMA dispensers inside the voting booth for it to really gain traction.

 

[McTallshort]

Have elections at Glastonbury time. Polling stations at the festival, perhaps?

No sorry, wouldn't want my government selected by a load of middle class kids with a load of coke up their nostrils but this whole kneecap thing is ******* stupid

 

[Ddanno]

No sorry, wouldn't want my government selected by a load of middle class kids with a load of coke up their nostrils but this whole kneecap thing is ******* stupid

Ehh, based on the shower of the last 15 years I'm not sure anyone should be voting

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Thought I posted this yesterday but left it in my drafts.

Redirect Notice

If the UK courts find Mo Chara guilty it'll be both a miscarriage of justice and one of the most politically stupid moves a court could make. Obviously a court shouldn't interest themselves in politics but to find an Irish nationalist guilty for an admittedly stupid and incorrect thing to do but it was an error in judgement that really incited absolutely nothing rather than a malicious act. It'd be a decision that angers two groups of people massively and will quickly raise memories of internment from the late last century.

Absolutely loved this:

On stage, the band thanked Glastonbury for keeping them on the bill and told the crowd the "prime minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play".

And thought this was funny:

Formed in 2017, Kneecap rose to fame after starring a semi-autobiographical film alongside Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender last year.

Weird petty shot, I've seen with 10s of thousands of people before that movie came out.

I'm fans of theirs (well not their recent music which is just bad from an artistic point of view imo), they can be aggressive with their message but they're not afraid to speak out regarding controversial opinions and from their point of view they support marginalised and helpless groups of people. They also won't give up their voice for financial success.

Thought Leo Varadkar, our former Taoiseach / premier, summed up Keir's stupidity perfectly to be honest:

Leo Varadkar says politicians should not censor artists following Keir Starmer Kneecap remark

British prime minister said the rap group’s inclusion at Glastonbury is inappropriate

www.irishtimes.com