Dunge

An interesting and - from what I can tell - analytically neutral discussion on the main UK parties and left/right stance since in recent times. Obviously it doesn’t include current positions because it’s looking specifically at manifestos - which is fair because these are both official declarations and snapshots in time. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-923X.13009 The more interesting graphs are from the halfway point onwards.

On the lighter side: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-67129290

I don’t think the current Conservative Party even knows what they stand for anymore.

Yes. And it’s feeling like we’re teetering on the edge of a second…

Apologies if I wasn’t clear because that was part of my point - I’m not saying that (eg) France is further right than the UK, because mostly it isn’t. But also it’s not fair to paint Britain as a deeply conservative country. It’s more that we have tended to hold our position.

I think there’s an argument that Britain’s natural position in living memory has been centre-right as compared to the world stage, but no more than that. The country is comparatively secular and remember that many European nations have been far more inclined to vote for something described as a “national front” than we have. We tend to be very consistent in our voting choices and political parties almost always need to win over the centre ground to get elected. It’s one reason why I think PR advocates should be careful what they wish for, but that’s another argument.

I’ve seen it, but only from people who are upset that he isn’t left wing enough. The voters around the centre that he’s trying to win don’t care. And the ones on the hard right probably wish he’d commit to it.

I don’t think he was dangerous. In fact I think he’ll make a good Prime Minister.

The only other individual I remember using that was Lisa Simpson.

I’m not convinced the whole project was ever going to bring the benefits people wanted from it. But now, with the skyrocketing prices (and good reason to believe they’d keep going up in various forms), I believe the risk/reward balance has tipped even further into the Stop territory. I appreciate what people want - a modern public transportation system. If it could be done at the right price then I could go with that. But this is massive just to join up single parts of the country - it’s not even a network. I’d actually rather the money was spent upgrading broadband to do business and work differently, and investing in electric cars, because I’m not convinced people in the future will even be that keen on train travel.

On Laurence Fox, I remember seeing him on Question Time before his modern persona kicked off. He was right of centre but not unreasonable. Since then, he’s just got wackier and wackier by the month, more and more extreme until he’s reached… we’ll, whatever this is now. He’s just a man who can’t stand being challenged.

I think scrapping the rest of HS2 given where we are is the right decision, but with two caveats: 1. Sunak promised the investment would instead be directed into improving the transport links in the M62 corridor. This is now expected instead, is of far greater benefit to the north, and he should be held to account for it. (I know, I know.) 2. If HS2 had started in the north we all know a final leg to London wouldn’t have been scrapped.

Honestly, the more this goes on the more I think of applying to join the Conservative Party. Not because of agreeing with them, but with the hope of being a small part of getting it to change direction.

Just watching a bit of the Sunak speech. I feel like I’m picking up on something. It feels a bit like Braverman is being offered enough rope to hang herself, that she can’t stop getting more extreme and become unpalatable for other Conservative MPs to ultimately back her as leader. If so then it’s a dangerous plan, particularly given how Labour tried similar with Corbyn back in the day and he got voted into leadership. Meanwhile, while Braverman sits there with a face like a slapped a**e, Kemi Badenoch sits there with a beaming smile as she’s praised directly by the PM. She’s looking more like the true heir to the Tory throne here.

Don’t you dare tell me The Traitors is scripted. I want to believe.

In related news, I claim Moscow in the name of Dungetopia. It’s mine now.

Could be that they’re mad and doing it for illogical reasons. Could be they’re trying to impress someone. Or it could be that they’re just callous and doing it for the sport of upsetting people. It’s not like you need to search social media for long to find people like that.

I’d take another dose of Pfizer if offered. I’ve only knowingly had it once and it was kind of like an extended cold, but I was able to drive home from holiday with it so it doesn’t sound like I got it that bad. Even so, the idea of it eventually circulating as it slowly gets weaker has been the end goal from quite early on.

“Please remove me from this email chain” is a good one too.

What do you… What are you recommending exactly?

I bought FF16 the other week after swearing that I wouldn’t. So I’ve got that to look forward to soon. My fear is that it’s going to be too much like FF13 - emo, miserable. But maybe having low expectations for it will help.

I was being a flowery with “sh!te”, granted. Vanilla, maybe. Which is fine; I like vanilla. My point is I could hum you about 6 Ed Sheeran tunes* but Taylor Swift’s music seems to go in one ear and out the other for me. *Don’t worry, I’m not going to.

My favourite moment of that is when the guy coughs the word “No”.

I’m just imagining how it would be to play against someone who orgasms before making each move. Bzz oohh… Knight F3.

Anyway, in other news: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66921563