FPTP is such a horrible system in this modern age and the way things seem to be heading, next time around it could worryingly be a Reform landslide.
While I agree FPTP is fundamentally flawed, I hate the idea of PR making Farage the kingmaker in a coalition.
Rock and hard place
FPTP may not be great, but it is political financing that is a far bigger problem. Fix the funding of politics to take out the oligarchy first as the big change that would have a long lasting impact, PR second as it will only really make an impact if the distorting effect of the wealthy buying politics before we get to vote is fixed already, replace the HOL with an elected chamber as the third priority (I don't think it will make much difference in reality but it is a symbolic change) prioritising HOL reform is a charade of change that has very little real world impact but allows labour to pretend they tried (kind of like the farm inheritance tax change, **** all difference in taxation to the wealthy but allows labour and the Starmer disciples to pretend there is mass resistance to taxing the wealthy).
it is political financing that is a far bigger problem. Fix the funding of politics to take out the oligarchy first as the big change that would have a long lasting impact,
Very true.
but it is political financing that is a far bigger problem. Fix the funding of politics to take out the oligarchy first as the big change that would have a long lasting impact,
Also agree but who is proposing that they would change/limit funding - no party I can see is going to bite the hand that feeds.
When the unions were major funders of the LP before big business stepped in, the PLP still tried to introduce 'In Place of Strife' which sought to tie the hands of the unions. Parliamentary parties are just slightly differently coloured aspects of the status quo.
While I agree FPTP is fundamentally flawed, I hate the idea of PR making Farage the kingmaker in a coalition.
Rock and hard place
The electorate at large hardly have clean hands in all this, either.
You can only excuse voting along the lines of bigotry for so long.
🤷♂️
I see there’s a list of 364 MP’s on FB (including many women) who voted against a National Inquiry into the child exploitation and grooming that is currently all over the news.
Assuming the list is real, why on earth would anyone not want this looked into?
While I agree FPTP is fundamentally flawed, I hate the idea of PR making Farage the kingmaker in a coalition.
Rock and hard place
Think of it as a vaccine.
The far right have gotten into coalition governments in several places in Europe over the last few years. Mostly that's resulted in them losing popularity once people realise, 'Actually, turns out it's a bit more complicated than they said.'
I'd rather have Reform as a junior coalition partner for 3 years (can't see them lasting in a coalition for an entire term) than see them have a 100 seat majority for 5 years.
Assuming the list is real, why on earth would anyone not want this looked into?
I guess it could depend what pressure was applied to them from head office. I am afraid many/most of our current representatives are incapable of doing the right thing, they are just career politicians doing what they are told hoping to climb the ladder, basically corporate middle management level thinkers.
Some could also worry that the exploitation of the findings to promote racism could do more damage than good.
But IMO it is more likely to be the former than the latter
Assuming the list is real, why on earth would anyone not want this looked into?
Because the inquiry has already been done. And the current level of whatever grooming/exploitation is going on would be far lower if successive governments had implemented the recommendations of the initial ****ing inquiry. If the recommendations are implemented in full, and there are more cases, then yes - an inquiry is worthwhile because it highlights loopholes that may not have been apparent at the time.
You can have as many inquiries as you like. If you don't take the necessary actions that arise, all you do is keep having the same old inquiry. Politically, of course, you can keep the pot boiling if it serves your purposes to do so.
Assuming the list is real, why on earth would anyone not want this looked into?
This was a Tory amendment, and Labour effectively said, 'there's been enough enquiries and it needs sorting out, besides which locally run inquiries [if they're needed] are faster, more cost effective and equally good at implementing changes'. Plus the amendment contained challenges to the additional protection being considered to home schooled children and changes to the way academies are run, which the Tories don't want. The last inquiry into child abuse finished in 2022 and lasted 7 years.
Grenfell Towers still dragging on.
The Post Office Scandal still dragging on.
This abuse scandal..... ditto.
Does anything ever actually get resolved?
Does anything ever actually get resolved?
I recall that VIP Lane covid contracts for the likes of Michelle Mone went through pretty damn quick.
Honours lists for cronies don't seem to get bogged down in endless red tape either.
🤔
Grenfell Towers still dragging on.
The Post Office Scandal still dragging on.
This abuse scandal..... ditto.
Does anything ever actually get resolved?
Not without the political will to fund and resource the solutions properly - which may have a 2-3 year lead time if it requires people to be suitably qualified eg social workers for child protection.
Though it's a bit rich for the Tories to be accusing the current government of dragging its feet, given their record of foot dragging for 14 years
Though it's a bit rich for the Tories to be accusing the current government of dragging its feet, given their record of foot dragging for 14 years
Paul Bland was talking to Badenoch where she was slagging off Labour for not doing something. He then asked her why the tory government hadn't done anything about it for 14 years and her response was "Well, we didn't get everything right" - I think she must have meant to say Anything rather than Everything but then she is in another reality I suppose.
Caught the back end of stream saying Labour had dropped to 3rd place in one poll.
Can't find it.
Total mess. I guess the confused/bullshit Labour position on just about everything isn't working out.
Caught the back end of stream saying Labour had dropped to 3rd place in one poll.
Can't find it.
Total mess. I guess the confused/bullshit Labour position on just about everything isn't working out.
I saw something about that on another forum, think it was a GB News tweet? This was followed up with some else suggesting it was an outlier as the Tories are tanking even worse than Labour in all the other polls.
Caught the back end of stream saying Labour had dropped to 3rd place in one poll.
Can't find it.
Was it on GB News 🙂
If anything Labour have recovered a bit in the polls recently with Reform dropping. Still far from a good performance but a positive direction for them. Tories staying pretty flat
Caught the back end of stream saying Labour had dropped to 3rd place in one poll.
Can't find it.
It was this poll taken about a week ago. :
https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/our-work/voting-intention-trackers/?origin=app
Labour are back in second place 8 points behind Reform in the latest poll.
Ta. Bit behind this week - too busy for keeping up to date.
So it turns out that the renowned barrister supports a gross and blatant violation of the United Nations Charter
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-starmer-iran-bomb-nuclear-weapon-b2774591.html
And it also turns out that Sir Keir Starmer doesn't support his own policy of "de-escalation".
He didn't even manage to convince himself that de-escalation was a correct path to take !
But on the plus side it's something else which he can agree with Nigel Farage on
"Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also gave his backing to the Americans.'
https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1936675855675035868?t=A3dPCHWecGEvpd1cnC2fmg&s=19
More horseshit version of reality from the robotic war clown. As I understand it Iran were at the negotiating table.
Seems to me the USA/Israel are more of a threat than anyone else.
Ooff… there was already a path towards preventing Iran developing a nuclear arsenal, and Trump killed it in his first term. Pretty sure all the Labour MPs now in the cabinet condemned that at the time. And then he does this in his second term. Giving a tacit agreement to using force not agreements to try and solve this problem is not something any UK PM should be doing. The UK gov should be calling Trump out on this. Cowards.
The only thing that surprises me is that he has managed to remove his lips from Donald's ring long enough to make a statement.
Starmer also said
We hoped and proposed a peaceful, diplomatic means to do that
So i think we all agree Iran having nukes is bad thing, diplomatic process is the right way to achieve that. The situation in the middle east is highly volatile. Starmer has said this and as far as I can see has not supported the American strikes, supporting the ending of Iran's nuclear program by diplomatic means does not equate to condoning the actions of Isreal or the USA.
I am much more worried that Isreal and the US already have nukes, than the constantly repeated and discredited claim by Israel that Iran are once again just months or weeks away from developing nukes, as they have claimed hundreds of times over the past decade or two.
So i think we all agree Iran having nukes is bad thing, diplomatic process is the right way to achieve that.
I can agree with that.
Starmer has said this and as far as I can see has not supported the American strikes, supporting the ending of Iran's nuclear program by diplomatic means does not equate to condoning the actions of Isreal or the USA.
There is a tacit agreement with, and validation of the bombing, by saying…
Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.
No, he doesn’t say “and we support that action”, but come on… how else do you read that?
The PM should be saying that a return to diplomacy and agreements is the way forward (yeah he is) but that should include a call for the USA to pull back from military action and engage in the diplomatic process properly once again.
as far as I can see has not supported the American strikes
What the hell do you think this means then?
"Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat"
So i think we all agree Iran having nukes is bad thing
I think we can all agree that Israel having nuclear weapons is a bad thing. I think we can all agree that any nuclear weapons in the Middle East is a bad.
Which is precisely why Iran has called for a nuclear free Middle East and why a fatwa has been issued declaring nuclear weapons religiously prohibited under Islamic law
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei%27s_fatwa_against_nuclear_weapons
US intelligence recently concluded that Iran was not building nuclear weapons, Trump simply ignored it.
The Iraq war was justified by lie concerning WMDs, now the war in Iran is being justified with another but extremely similar lie.
What a ****ing pathetic mouthpiece for supporting dropping bombs to de-escalate a situation that is entirely the creation of a rogue state.
Meanwhile………let’s ban kneecap from Glastonbury.
International law is now ****ed
how else do you read that?
As two separate statements, Iran should not have nuclear weapons and the USA has done something about it. As usual Starmer is sitting on the fence, whether through choice, inability to take a side side or trying to steer a course through a diplomatic minefield. It would have helped if he had added to the statement about Amercian action 'which we condone/ condemn'.
Yes Ernie we can agree the middle east should be nuclear free and Israel having them is not good, especially given the Trumpesque blood thirsty loons in charge there at the moment.
Yes Ernie we can agree the middle east should be nuclear free and Israel having them is not good
Should Israel also be bombed by the US then, oh I see a problem there...
Iran should not have nuclear weapons
They didn't, did they?
As usual Starmer is sitting on the fence, whether through choice, inability to take a side side or trying to steer a course through a diplomatic minefield.
He must have more splinters in his arse than a porcupine from all his fence sitting
https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1936781452919672848?t=Os0aV4AOvUJ1KKKgp3muLg&s=19
Lmfao the amount of people parroting this soundbite. "In his own mind."
Sorry was this a thing when you came to power?
So much false equivalence going off here.
Also this is not an update. It's shit a soundbite.
The man is awful, truly our ****ing worst nightmare.
A.I Starmer - checks to see which side is winning the war and joins them. This is going to be a very painful and long four years.
(The only country to ever detonate an atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb on an enemy dictating who is too dangerous to have them. With Starmer's blessing. NB I'd prefer a world without nukes but apparently some of us are stable enough to have them and exceptionalism kicks in.)
In 10 years we will all be reflecting on how this was a mess. Rinse and repeat.
In 10 years we will all be reflecting on how this was a mess. Rinse and repeat.
I'm hoping we are all still around to do some reflecting in 10 years time. I'm not that confident after today's developments
Should Israel also be bombed by the US then, oh I see a problem there.
I'd like to see the USA stop giving Israel weapons in all forms, whether that's nicely packaged and delivered at an airport or dropped from a plane. One thing we all know is bombing the hell out of a country rarely ends well for anyone although there is a bit of me that would be quite happy to see Israel get a taste of it's own medicine. Wanging on about suffering a blitz like the UK did is absolute bolloxs, as is the PMs son having to move his wedding twice, not quite up there with Israel's genocidal affects on the Palestinians.
I've noticed that Starmer and his ministers have been saying that they will be acting in our national interests a lot in the last few weeks. Presumably this translates as "not upsetting Donald Trump"?
I suppose blathering on about Israel's right to self defence was wearing a bit thin even for these spineless nobodies as the IDF mows down starving civilians in food queues.
I hope all the Brexiteers are taking note of how little influence the UK wields. But, of course, they aren't.
I hope all the Brexiteers are taking note of how little influence the UK wields. But, of course, they aren't.
I know some are desperate to shoehorn brexit as the fault for everything, but Starmers actions on this are nothing to do with brexit, it is fully on him and the party he has created, no excuses. He is a coward who would do the same in or out of the EU, just as the German chancellor Mertz and French President Macron are also doing within the EU.
Maybe it is time for you to take a bit more notice, and actually think about the problems that can be made better within the EU and those that are actually about our own government. I support re-joining, but I am realistic about the benefits and compromises it will bring, and most of the problems need to be fixed domestically, if they are then re-joining the EU will benefit the whole country, just re-joining with our current political climate will at best be be indifferent to most people, and growth without redistribution will just exasperate many of the problems people are already suffering.
I know some are desperate to shoehorn brexit as the fault for everything
Which is not what I did. Either in my actual words or the intent behind them. Re-read my post. All I was saying is that the tub-thumpers* need to take note of Britain's irrelevance on the world stage. Thinking we're a major player is the root cause of a lot of our issues. Inside or outside of the EU.
*for which 'Brexiteer' is a commonly accepted synonym.
Maybe it is time for you to take a bit more notice, and actually think
I would say it is time for you to take a bit more notice (in this case of what is there in black and white) and actually think. Your reflexive need to invent an issue where there is none and then argue against it is revealing in itself.
Maybe it is time for you to take a bit more notice, and actually think about the problems that can be made better within the EU and those that are actually about our own government.
The whole Brexit problem was due to failures by UK governments of all flavours. We kept using the excuse that the EU rules prevented us doing x or y, the right wing press then extended that to made up shit about a, b and c as well, and voters believed the EU were the cause of their problems.
We can't blame the EU now, so we are blaming migrants, and benefit claimants. We still aren't blaming the politicians we have elected who have no vision, no plan and no aspirations other than to be reelected.
Maybe the EU softened *some* edges but it really isn't the main issue for things that have been in decline for many people.
We have a morally questionable interest rate policy - that serves no good for public purpose. A shortage of housing stock; a ruinous water utility service; a malfunctioning energy market. Not to mention an ever growing stack of private debt (that happens when you shrink public spending.)
None of that has anything to do with being in or out of the EU. But is much harder to pin down and doesn't have Led By Donkeys' middle class support.
I really hope Starmer, Reeves and Kendall get a good kicking over the disability cuts.
Set of awful miscalculating right-wing loons.
Starmer will get his 5% of GDP though - trotting around the world like some retired Colonel collecting importance medals.
Starmer will get his 5% of GDP though - trotting around the world like some retired Colonel collecting importance medals.
He probably will. Now remind me... what was the hit to UK GDP from Brexit? Ah yes, 4-5%. Something in the region of £85bn to £120bn per year.
I really hope Starmer, Reeves and Kendall get a good kicking over the disability cuts.
Me too. I mean, all that pain and suffering inflicted to save (IIRC) around £5bn a year in 3+ years time. When there's around £100bn a year being ignored.
Set of awful miscalculating right-wing loons.
Totally - it just seems we have differing reasons for thinking it.
Just heard the UK Defence Secretary on R4.
If anyone wants to know what UK foreign policy is, you'd be better off calling the Pentagon. The only problem is that, having elected a total reactionary narcissist as president, they can't tell you either.
The danger of miscalculation is now hugely increased.
what was the hit to UK GDP from Brexit? Ah yes, 4-5%
FFS give it a rest. Brexit was nearly 10 years ago now. We've been out of the EU for 5 years and won't be going back any time soon. Move on.
If we ignore the economic stagnation of our own making... there's also that it's a significant event when it comes to our current influence on world events. Why would you avoid mentioning it? We've been too dependent on the USA for so long now. What's the path out of that other than stronger cooperation with our neighbours...? There's lots of work to do there in repairing ties, sharing data, joint planning etc... all made harder by the thing that can not be mentioned. In the meantime we scrabble around trying to avoid the wrath of a USA president when it comes to trade and defence... yeah, that makes the PM look like a weak coward being blown about on the wind of a major power... but let's not pretend that is not OUR collective weakness, and that we chose to be weaker. But yeah, "shut up about it" and all will sort itself out.
Move on.
No.
Unless it is moving on back into closer cooperation with our closest allies - politically, culturally and geographically.
Why would you avoid mentioning it?
Very interested in the answer to this one, though.
