I recently googled who the LibDem leader was as I couldn’t remember, and now again I can’t remember.

There’s some kind of spell cast over him to make you forget.

Layla Moran had some good ideas, and I quite liked the revenge of the geeks style she brought to broadcast interviews. That’s not for this thread though.

Quite like Ed Davey. Knows his onions on energy/climate change.

Well done for remembering him. And yes, he’s has been consistently strong across that brief. I’d take him as a minister over anyone currently in government. Not going to inspire people to vote LibDem in Hartlepool though, in any serious numbers, is he?

Slightly off topic. *Macroeconomics*

Richard Murphy has made available a round up of all of his lengthy tweets about the economy and monetary system for the UK.

Free and easy to read.

https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Money-for-nothing-and-my-Tweets-for-free.pdf

Richard does tend to wander a bit but essentially an MMT proponent with lots of surrounding opinions.

He’s been an advisor to Labour in the past and one of the GND architects.

Thnaks rone. always enjoyed reading his tweets, having them all in one book is cool

Looks like the socialist revolution has been put on hold for a bit longer, comrades

🚨 No Northern Independence Party on the Hartlepool by-election ballot, after failing to successfully register with the electoral commission in time.

Thelma Walker will still run as an independent.

— Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) April 8, 2021

… as the continuity Corbyn candidate filled the forms in incorrectly

socialist revolution

comrades

continuity Corbyn

Don’t you get tired banging that same drum?

Looks like the socialist revolution has been put on hold for a bit longer, comrades

Meanwhile:

Sleaze has to be the big thing this week and next. How can people still want to vote for these shysters?

Starmer’s centrism is making the lib dems more popular. That’s quite an achievement given their leader is even more boring than Starmer.

I couldnt quite tell if NIP was some sort of performance art set up, but then I thought that about Farage once & look at the damage he did!

That’s a bad poll for Labour

The Tories hadn’t increased their lead but labours had fallen and split evenly between LD & Green

I still think Tories will get a bit higher as we fully open up in the summer -It seems no matter how sleazy they are, their core will not dessert them.

Starmer’s centrism is making the lib dems more popular.

I’m not sure Stamer’s “centrism” is either here nor there. He’s not cutting through, that’s for sure… but are Hartlepool voters really saying they won’t vote for the Labour candidate because Starmer isn’t a “left wing” firebrand? Absolutely Starmer is trying, with arguabley little success, to position Labour “on the left, but not just for the left”… but is that really why the Conservatives are increasing their lead? Anyone really, genuinely think so? Nothing about vaccines, declining death rates and opening up pubs and shops?

Labour has to become a coalition of the centre and the left. That Starmer is unsuited to winning over the public on that ticket is an easy case to argue, he’s uninspiring. But his task is doomed to fail anyway, when the public can so clearly see that coalition is not just “uneasy” but self destructive.

How can people still want to vote for these shysters?

Because they wear their self serving deceptive lying status on their sleeves? No one ever supported Johnson and his cabinet because they thought they were trustworthy and just in it to serve the public, did they?

Don’t you get tired banging that same drum?

Come on… you’d miss it if I didn’t.

And when there’s comedy gold gold like that…

Its like a metaphor

Interesting fact of the day for you… the bloke who set up the Northern Independence Party is actually from Brighton

Of course he is.

Looks like you need to help kill 130,000 people , demolish the economy, oversee a Brexit mess to be 14 points ahead these days.

Looks like you need to help kill 130,000 people , demolish the economy, oversee a Brexit mess to be 14 points ahead these days.

There’s only one game in town at the moment… the vaccination programme. Everything else is irrelevant. People can go to Primark then have a pint. Job jobbed!

This is doing for Boris what the Falklands did for Fatcha. She’d have been toast in her first term without that. This is the same thing

It’s genuinely painfully ironic that it’s going to be the NHS and the public sector that deliver this after a year where his private sector mates have been delivering a masterclass in incompetence and corruption.

He’s been handed a ‘get out of jail free’ card by the very people he views with utter contempt, and he couldn’t give a toss that he’s ruthlessly exploiting their sacrifice and sense of duty. He’s utterly shameless

Come on… you’d miss it if I didn’t.

No; I don’t think we would. I think we’d welcome something intelligent mind, rather than the continuously disparaging and divisive rhetoric you keep churning out. We get that you’ve backed the wrong horse, but there’s no shame in admitting it. Sir Keith has let you down; he doesn’t care, as his nest is well feathered. So perhaps try to think of something more constructive to say, that might help foster better cohesion amongst those of us who oppose tory rule, than continuing to imagine it’s all someone else’s fault. That’s how Farage succeeded, by sowing the seeds of division. Try to think for yourself more.

Try to think for yourself more.

Still clinging on to the usual narrative that everyone who differs in views from your own is an unthinking drone, clearly incapable of independent thought and just slavishly buying whatever Rupert Murdoch spoon-feeds them?

Ok comrade.

And they say that lefties are generally condescending and patronising? Can’t see it myself

he doesn’t care, as his nest is well feathered

Really? He seems to care just as much as so many other rich left wing politicians who chose to dedicate their lives to politics… whether their money came from inheritance, marriage, or a highly successful career before entering politics. Being financially stable doesn’t always stop you caring about others.

I disagreed with Tony Benn on many issues, and Hilary Benn on many others… but to say that either “didn’t care” as their “nests were well feathered” is very reductionist politics.

their core will not dessert them.

Very good.

Really? He seems to care

Well, then his acting skills work on you then, at least.

rich left wing politicians

Starmer really, really isn’t left wing. And sadly, neither is the son of Tony Benn. These are people who are politically much more in line with John Major. And what happened to John Major? Oh, he lost a general election for being to insipid, grey and boring…

Still clinging on to the usual narrative that everyone who differs in views from your own is an unthinking drone, clearly incapable of independent thought and just slavishly buying whatever Rupert Murdoch spoon-feeds them?

If it looks like a duck and goes ‘quack’…

These are people who are politically much more in line with John Major.

Really?

Anyway, even if you politically disagree with them, why do you think they “do not care”?

As for Major, who did he lose to? And he did win a general election anyway.

Happy to have Starmer (and Benn) described as grey, but they do care, and they are on the left of UK politics, even if not left enough for you (or me as it happens) politically.

As for Major, who did he lose to?

A shiny, neoliberal mate of Rupe…

Well it looks like unless we can all attain the higher spiritual plain of true enlightenment that you’ve clearly achieved, you’re just going to have to live out your days surrounded by thicko’s, Tory’s and lackeys to the military industrial complex

Does it ever get lonely in that ivory tower?

Does it ever get lonely in that ivory tower?

No; my local pub isn’t full of racists, fortunately. I don’t have to sit in a corner, reading the Guardian on my own.

Why are you lot obsessed with my local pub and its racist occupants?

Its very odd

And to be honest with you, the idea of sitting in the corner of the pub on my own with a pint, reading the Guardian, sounds like absolute bliss. Thats my idea of heaven

There’s only one game in town at the moment… the vaccination programme. Everything else is irrelevant. People can go to Primark then have a pint. Job jobbed!

Nope. Starmer’s popularity started to decline in Oct of last year.

I prefer this one

I mean its still not great…

Westminster voting intention:

CON: 43% (-)
LAB: 35% (+2)
LDEM: 8% (-1)
GRN: 4% (-1)

via @Survation, 08 – 10 Apr
Chgs. w/ 10 Marhttps://t.co/5m3BhWO96G

— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) April 16, 2021

Nope. Starmer’s popularity started to decline in Oct of last year.

???

NEW – Leadership Favourability Ratings:

Johnson / Starmer

Net Rating: 1% (-) / -4% (-1)

Favourable 42% (-2) / 33% (+1)
Neutral 15% (+3) / 26% (+1)
Unfavourable 41% (-2) / 37% (+2)

1,009 respondents, fieldwork 8-10 April 21. Changes w/ 9-10 March. pic.twitter.com/YxOjiH3IPy

— Survation. (@Survation) April 16, 2021

he held up pretty well until vaccine rollout began in earnest

you can see that there defenitley a relationshio between how well the government performs and starmers approval ratings

as country opens up more, Id expect Johnsons to rise more and starmers to fall a bit more

until around the autumn when economic hangover from covid/brexit really kicks in

(although you can underestimate Johnsons ability to balls things up)

ultimately starmer is a passeneger until covid is more or less out the way

Interesting fact of the day for you… the bloke who set up the Northern Independence Party is actually from Brighton

Have you read their manifesto? I’d have though you’d be all for it since it says prettty much what you’ve been saying for a long time about the north needing proper political representation. And the fact the guy is from Brighton is irrelevant, unless you now think the birth place or origin of a person should define the rights, protections or benefits they receive from the state?

“We reject bigotry and all ideologies of hatred. The North was, is, and will remain international. Everyone who identifies as Northern is Northern, and so we welcome refugees who seek safety and security in the North.”

I presume that means refugees from Brighton too. 🙂

https://www.freethenorth.co.uk/our-values

I’m sure Binners could get together with someone from Brighton, draw up a manifesto that appeals to him much more, and definitely come up with a better logo and campaign material … but why?

This would be an opportune moment to post a Monty Python “splitters” gif, followed by a Harry Enfield laughing Tory Boy one… FPTP suits the Conservatives so well right now, doesn’t it. Leave everyone else to fight it out amongst themselves.

Who kept posting the “Independent Yorkshire” jokes in the old Brexit thread?

I’m sure Binners could get together with someone from Brighton, draw up a manifesto

There aren’t enough Monty Python memes in existence to form a manifesto.

and definitely come up with a better logo and campaign material

Seriously though, what bits of their manifesto do you disagree with?

Aqueducts and wine will feature prominently 🙂

what bits of their manifesto do you disagree with?

You could ask that of the Green Party manifesto. I live in England. It’s obvious that the current Conservatives absolutely know how to turn FPTP to their advantage. Time for voters to wise the **** up, or live under Tory rule for decades. Voting for the monster racing loony party in a Tory/Labour marginal really doesn’t feel like fun any more.

he held up pretty well until vaccine rollout began in earnest

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/trackers/keir-starmer-approval-rating

That big dip around the time Corbyn was suspended?

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/04/03/one-year-keir-how-has-starmer-done-leading-labour

For most of his first year, Keir Starmer’s favourability ratings have been both positive and superior to those of his Conservative counterpart Boris Johnson. Things started to take a turn for the worse in late January, however, with Starmer’s reputation going into rapid decline.

That big dip around the time Corbyn was suspended?

Yep, that happened for sure. And most of that support will never come back under this leader. Slow hand clap for the last leader for his efforts to help unify the party from the back benches. A return to past form.

Time for voters to wise the **** up, or live under Tory rule for decades.

Based on the last 5 years I would says voters wising the **** up is going in the wrong direction so it is Tory rule for decades and unless you stop the over 50’s voting nothing is going to be stopping that.

Not all over 50s are that stupid…….

binners

Come on… you’d miss it if I didn’t.

And when there’s comedy gold gold like that…

Well, it’s mostly stopped me from reading or commenting on any political threads on here, which is probably good for my health. 🙂