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He doesn't care about reading the room. Unfortunately its landed well with his target audience, as I'm sure he expected it would
It does seem like its just damage limitation now. They know they're going down to a landslide, but they're trying to get their core vote of elderly bigots out to try and hold on to a few seats.
In which case, expect a lot more of this vicious nastiness from 'The Nasty Party' in the coming months
Interview today with Sunak about yesterday's PMQ's. It's all Starmer's fault and he even managed to get a slogan in, "he has no plan."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68237826
It doesn't really matter what Rishi thinks. The only people who's opinions matter here are Brianha's parents and her father has demanded an apology (which he's clearly not going to get) and referred to Sunak's comments as 'degrading' and 'dehumanising'
Sunak is still trying to make political capital out of it today. He really is a horrible little ****!
I notice Chris Phelp deliberately misgendered her this morning, and then refused to apologise for that when picked up on it.
Again... this is just playing to their base of small-minded idiots who get themselves frothing with anger about peoples preferred pronouns
Sunak is trapped in the culture war narrative
he can't back down now
IMO Starmer appeared worse in this exchange, as it was him who brought Brianna Ghey into it.
Sunak listed many of Starmer’s u-turns, of which flapping about the definition of woman was one, and Starmer ducked the point by essentially hiding behind a dead child.
Sunak went low. Starmer went lower. It was dismal politics.
@benos - Starmer was merely pointing out that taking the piss out of trans people isn't acceptable and on that particular day Sunak should have reigned himself in a bit, even if he can't help it.
The guffawing from the Tory benches at Sunak's gag were equally unacceptable.
IMO Starmer appeared worse in this exchange, as it was him who brought Brianna Ghey into it.
Sunak listed many of Starmer’s u-turns, of which flapping about the definition of woman was one, and Starmer ducked the point by essentially hiding behind a dead child.
Sunak went low. Starmer went lower. It was dismal politics.
That's your takeaway from this? Have a serious word with yourself
Starmer was merely pointing out that taking the piss out of trans people isn’t acceptable
It isn't acceptable - but the PM didn't do that.
He was taking the piss out of SKS - who promptly hid behind a murder victim and accused the PM of insulting her memory. All to protect himself from a valid criticism. SKS needs to sit on the naughty step and think about what he's done.
PM owes no-one an apology IMHO.
It's sunak who should be on the naughty step thinking about the insensitivity of his comment as he knew Brianna Ghey's mother was present - as Starmer welcomed her in his opening remarks only minutes earlier.
It was pathetic and feeble politicking by sunak, reflecting what he is.
PM owes no-one an apology IMHO.
After announcing to the world that he thinks people like her recently murdered daughter are just in fact; useful pawns in the Culture War. I think Sunak at least owes Brianna's parents an apology. Especially after her father specifically asked for one. I note that he didn't think Starmer has anything to apologise for.
IMO Starmer appeared worse in this exchange, as it was him who brought Brianna Ghey into it.
Sunak listed many of Starmer’s u-turns, of which flapping about the definition of woman was one, and Starmer ducked the point by essentially hiding behind a dead child.
Sunak went low. Starmer went lower. It was dismal politics.
A child murdered by two people who misgendered her and dehumanised her for being trans. Trans hate is relevant in the murder of the child. Sunak cracking jibes about misgendering on the day the child's mother was visiting parliament is redolent of some of humanity's darkest acts. I don't trust Starmer on the issues involved, but his reaction here is to his credit.
After announcing to the world that he thinks people like her recently murdered daughter are just in fact; useful pawns in the Culture War.
Not that I want to defend the grasping incompetent, and I still fully intend to vote Labour, but Sunak didn’t do that. Starmer did.
Starmer’s 99% idiocy has been a standard jibe for months. Starmer brought Brianna Ghey into it. It was low.
Somehow this place still occasionally manages to astonish me, and sadly not in a good way...
He was taking the piss out of SKS
To be honest that is how I saw it too. Sunak was ridiculing Starmer not trans people. Where Sunak was clearly wrong imo was in thinking it was an appropriate time to bring up that particular apparent U-turn by Starmer.
With the current headlines and Brianna Ghey's mother alledgedly in the public gallery it very obviously wasn't. He could have listed all of Starmer's many U-turns and left that particular one out. It suggests a lack of awareness and sensitivity which he should imo apologise for.
Of course there is always the possibility that Sunak wasn't aware that Brianna Ghey was transgender - unless you closely followed the case you could easily be unaware. It was hardly mentioned in the articles that I read and there was no way her photo provided any clues, imo.
Anyway RIP Brianna Ghey.
Agreed, Ernie. It gave me that sinking feeling of watching a weak PM being challenged by a weak opposition leader.
He absolutely does now
Obviously he does now. But he could have been easily aware of the case without being aware that Brianna was transgender. He is after all Prime Minister and you would think that he has enough to focus on without reading the details of a very tragic murder case.
I agree that he should apologise but not for poking fun at transgenders, I don't feel that he did that.
Starmer's U-turns are a hypocritical but legitimate line of attack, but there was no need to add that pathetic dig at the end which just shows how out of touch with the zeitgeist Sunak is
I also don't feel this part of the culture war is helping the Cons either. Trans people are increasingly out and not hiding. More and more people know a trans person in their own family or one of their friends families. They're not faceless but someone's grandchild or cousin that they've known and see struggle for years.
Perhaps Sunak should focus more on answering questions in PMQs and save the electioneering attacks for Media interviews (if he is brave enough to face them).
More and more people know a trans person in their own family or one of their friends families. They’re not faceless but someone’s grandchild or cousin that they’ve known and see struggle for years.
Spot on. The grandchild of one of my very best friends is transgender and of a similar age to Brianna. In fact apart from the glasses I could see a very strong similarity with my friend's grandchild. It added a more "personal" (for want of a better word) angle to the tragic Brianna case.
Sunaks Seat in Richmond North Yorkshire had a 63% Tory vote at last election, labour got 13%
Current poling has Sunack at 49, Labour at 31, Libs at 13 and greens on 8% if Starmer had kept his green pledge he might have got a tactical vote on this one.
This is the most robust seat probably in England.
This is the most robust seat probably in England.
Don't know where you see polling by constituency but I would say my MP Desmond Swayne has a seat as equally safe.
Just found prediction that Labour will get 44% and tories 27% so may be proved wrong. Swayne even got around 50% in 1997 so let's wait and see. I had better vote Labour through gritted teeth rather than my real choice of Green who are predicted to get 6%.
F*cksake! The odious prick is in my city tonight and just happened to be where our Scouts (my daughter being one of them) are having a climbing session tonight. He spent time with/talking to the troop and I'm not there to ask some questions to make him squirm! 😠
I detest Sunak as much as the next sane individual, have always voted labour or green and always will. However my first reaction was also that there was no need for SKS to bring in the dead child. Especially as her mother was not actually in the gallery at the time. I honestly believe he was going for political points. Sunak’s comment was shameful and SKS should have pointed that out in a more general way.
As I said yesterday, nobody came out with any credit. However since then Sunak has scooped the crown by doubling down, refusing to apologise for his insensitive remarks and generally acting like it’s the snowflakes that have a problem not him.
We deserve more than this.
It's worth remembering Starmer's look and body language as he stood up to reply to Sunak.
That wasn't a man thinking, "I can make a bit of political gain from this." He was genuinely angry, it was driven by pure disgust at what Sunak said within minutes of him being told Brianna's mother was in the chamber.
Simple as that.
this happened at the end of PMQs too
https://twitter.com/BestForBritain/status/1755231625728684159?t=2W7IVnKcHAe67xDli1NVnQ&s=19
^^ Hadn't seen that.
Sunak scuttling off like the little rat he is.
https://twitter.com/lara_spirit/status/1755859473392894317?t=Oh-pKW8uWpWH5zjdOQlPqg&s=19
theres no way they'll go for a May election with an these numbers
. electoral calculus says that's a 390 seat majority for labour 😳
even with the noise there's a definite steady decline in the tory support in that graph ^.
Apparently No10 is telling MPs to space out their 'Im standing down to spend more time with my non exec directorship / gbnews family' announcements so it doesn't look like a flood.
another reason a May election looks unlikely, they'll need to get new candidates in place
less than a week until the next 2 byelections , that could trigger more of them, too.
theres no way they’ll go for a May election with an these numbers
They have to go at some point. Nothing is going to 'turn up' to improve things for Sunak, at least not economically. Their turnout is likely to be best in May.
theres no way they’ll go for a May election with an these numbers
How do you think waiting until autumn will help?
A general election after a March budget seems plausible.
What that graph shows is that Labour support is fairly stable whilst support for Reform UK has been steadily increasing over a very long period of time, at the expense of support for the Tories. There is no evidence to suggest that support for Reform UK will have fallen by autumn.
They have to go at some point. Nothing is going to ‘turn up’ to improve things for Sunak, at least not economically. Their turnout is likely to be best in May.
Interest rates being cut - is the only reason they would probably keep putting it back.
Truss me - they be willing to make a song and dance of arms length policy control when rates drop. Not clear at the moment to be fair. But March was favourite to be a pivot but that's got less likely recently because central banks are very muddled. ... And the USA is doing incredibly well with high interest rates but we have different debt make up on mortgages. (Shorter terms.)
Look at the S&P - all time high. Plenty of people making a lot of money currently.
Anyway these leaders hang on and hang on would be my take. So I'd be surprised if it was May.
I thought last autumn but I just think they keep hoping someone will pop up.
Irrespective expect Sunak to sell any drop as interest rates as Tory success. Yawn.
The Tories having more or less just twice the support of Reform must be a absolute shocker to Tory HQ. Hobson's choice for them right now. Call an election now, just rip the plaster off, hope to regroup for 5 years time, or stick with a later election and hope that maybe something will come along but risk Reform closing the gap even further...
The Tories having more or less just twice the support of Reform must be a absolute shocker to Tory HQ
And in the background lurks Farage, hinting of a return to Reform. I bet Rishi wakes up screaming in the middle of the night at the thought of that
Did anyone watch QT last night. Old banana-head James Daly got well and truly owned by....
*checks notes*
Paddy McGuinness
https://twitter.com/MichaelTakeMP/status/1755883458415525957?s=20
And in the background lurks Farage, hinting of a return to Reform
Hint at a return?
Its his and Tices company. Its just he doesnt want to stand probably because he doesnt want to lose 8 times in a GE and it works better for him to be able to travel around grafting rather than having to campaign heavily in just one location.
He spent time with/talking to the troop and I’m not there to ask some questions to make him squirm!
Does he ever do his day job?
Seems to spend all his time hanging out for photoshoots for an hour or so before helicoptering off to the next photoshoot.
Truss me – they be willing to make a song and dance of arms length policy control when rates drop.
You've been Trussed already. Wasn't pleasant.
Weapons grade dimwit Laura Trott was on top form on Radio 4. Have a listen to this and marvel that this woman is actually the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She can't even read a graph or understand basic maths and seems to have zero grasp on her brief. As thick as mince.
https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1755662826826297615?s=20
That is just incredible.
So Sunak is critiquing local authorities attempts to get themselves out of financial strife despite being one of the architects of their doom
Weapons grade hypocrisy