General News Thread

[Tommy G]

20 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

Wanting to take the middle ground is laudable. An inconvenient truth for some is that according to MI5 the most significant terrorist threat to the UK is from extreme islamist groups or individuals.

What is the most significant terrorist threat to the UK, then?

[Foxdiamond]

9 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

What is the most significant terrorist threat to the UK, then?

Check out the MI5 website. They know a lot more than I do

[st albans fox]

Apparently one of the dead and one of the injured seem to have been hit by police gunshots 

 

tragic 

 

 

[Mickyblueeyes]

Very sad news. May those who have lost their lives rest in peace. 
 

I made a decision to leave the UK with my family 6 months ago after a couple of years contemplating the idea. Where I’ve moved is an absolute melting pot but everything seems fine and my kids are getting to know many cultures and religion. 
 

I’ve been back for short periods for meetings etc. and never feel the same. It’s funny how a new place can become home so quickly. 
 

There is so much division and hatred in the UK which is far more apparent since my move. Really is sad. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

20 hours ago, StanSP said:

Just heard it took 7 mins for emergency services to get the assailant shot. 

 

Fair play to them. That's rapid

It's easy if you don't aim.

[BKLFox]

43 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Very sad news. May those who have lost their lives rest in peace. 
 

I made a decision to leave the UK with my family 6 months ago after a couple of years contemplating the idea. Where I’ve moved is an absolute melting pot but everything seems fine and my kids are getting to know many cultures and religion. 
 

I’ve been back for short periods for meetings etc. and never feel the same. It’s funny how a new place can become home so quickly. 
 

There is so much division and hatred in the UK which is far more apparent since my move. Really is sad. 

Generic Comments just piggybacking of your post thou blue eyes.

 

I think for most ‘Home’ is where ever your partner and kids are & it’s them that is missed and not a house, neighbourhood or country.

 

Is the UK as bad as portrayed on here, a couple have mentioned moving away ‘because’ but on here it reads like people’s experiences are seen through the prism of social media & news and not personal experience. I bet most posters haven’t had a confrontation with a neighbour in the past 5yrs (or ever) let alone the past 5hrs which SM will have us believe.

 

We all get blinkered sometimes and fail to look over the fence, the EU countries are not all in a euphoric state of sugar and spice and all things nice, a large amount are going through exactly the same issues as the UK but personal experiences poster have had moving away will be very like in Uk & they won’t see the snakes and snails and puppy dogs tails in their area except through the prism of SM but will comment on their neighbourhoods not on what they then see on SM.

 

Every country has its bad areas every country has its f’ing idiots but thankfully it’s the minority rather than the majority so chins up guys n gals don’t let that f’ing minority few grind you down where ever you are in this world.

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, Tommy G said:

I suspect 50% of people with a Palestine flag wrapped around them have no idea what they are supporting or understand the history, but instead its just the right thing to do in front of their mates and social media.

I'd say that's true of any cause, in fact I'd put the figure higher. So many people want to be sheep.

 

Baaaaaaaaaa!

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 hours ago, bovril said:

They implied it is a conflict that comes from disagreements over religion, which it's not

It's misunderstandings like this that cause division and hate!

[st albans fox]

28 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

I'd say that's true of any cause, in fact I'd put the figure higher. So many people want to be sheep.

 

Baaaaaaaaaa!

Sheep are useful 

[Trav Le Bleu]

10 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Sheep are useful 

My humblest apologies to sheep.

[CosbehFox]

49 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Generic Comments just piggybacking of your post thou blue eyes.

 

I think for most ‘Home’ is where ever your partner and kids are & it’s them that is missed and not a house, neighbourhood or country.

 

Is the UK as bad as portrayed on here, a couple have mentioned moving away ‘because’ but on here it reads like people’s experiences are seen through the prism of social media & news and not personal experience. I bet most posters haven’t had a confrontation with a neighbour in the past 5yrs (or ever) let alone the past 5hrs which SM will have us believe.

 

We all get blinkered sometimes and fail to look over the fence, the EU countries are not all in a euphoric state of sugar and spice and all things nice, a large amount are going through exactly the same issues as the UK but personal experiences poster have had moving away will be very like in Uk & they won’t see the snakes and snails and puppy dogs tails in their area except through the prism of SM but will comment on their neighbourhoods not on what they then see on SM.

 

Every country has its bad areas every country has its f’ing idiots but thankfully it’s the minority rather than the majority so chins up guys n gals don’t let that f’ing minority few grind you down where ever you are in this world.

 

That's pretty much it - it's the constant noise which is depressing. 

[RobHawk]

4 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Can those who attend mosques advise if they have security guards on duty when they have prayers or events there ? Are the doors to the mosque locked shut during services with someone having to guard the door and unlock to allow people in ?  this has been the case at synagogues and community centres for decades.  also, do Islamic schools have security guards on duty rather than teachers making sure all is in order. 
 

I understand that many mosques are attacked but I believe that it’s the buildings that are targeted away from busy times rather than the people attending. 

 

I think there is a lot of ignorance out there about how Jews have to go about their business  - this is not just the uk.  Most of Europe is the same.   And fundamentally, this feeds into the vast majority isr support that exists within the community. it’s the only country that they know will be a place of safety for them. 

I don't know about security guards in mosques tbh, but it was only a few years ago there was the Finsbury park attack which was on a par with this. 

 

I'm not trying to belittle what Jewish people have to go through, again I don't know the details but ultimately Im about everyone being able to do their own thing, safely and for us all to just be a bit nicer and get along better. I may be ignorant to their struggles right now, but I'm happy to listen.

 

Personally, I don't believe in religion, I think it is a construct to control a populace and does far more harm than good. But if somebody else wants to believe in god, that's up to them.

 

Don't know why we can't all act with a little more love and alot less hate regardless of what or who you believe in. 

[CosbehFox]

In amongst this, the only party leader what has any ****ing sense is Zack Polanski (Davey to a point). As a leftie like myself, he's been largely superb in most interviews over the last couple of weeks. Some of his stuff this morning as a Jewish person from Manchester was nuanced and clearly delivered. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

53 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

In amongst this, the only party leader what has any ****ing sense is Zack Polanski (Davey to a point). As a leftie like myself, he's been largely superb in most interviews over the last couple of weeks. Some of his stuff this morning as a Jewish person from Manchester was nuanced and clearly delivered. 

Just heard him on Radio 5.

 

It's rather sad that hearing a politician talk even-handed common sense seems so remarkable.

[bovril]

1 hour ago, BKLFox said:

Generic Comments just piggybacking of your post thou blue eyes.

 

I think for most ‘Home’ is where ever your partner and kids are & it’s them that is missed and not a house, neighbourhood or country.

 

Is the UK as bad as portrayed on here, a couple have mentioned moving away ‘because’ but on here it reads like people’s experiences are seen through the prism of social media & news and not personal experience. I bet most posters haven’t had a confrontation with a neighbour in the past 5yrs (or ever) let alone the past 5hrs which SM will have us believe.

 

We all get blinkered sometimes and fail to look over the fence, the EU countries are not all in a euphoric state of sugar and spice and all things nice, a large amount are going through exactly the same issues as the UK but personal experiences poster have had moving away will be very like in Uk & they won’t see the snakes and snails and puppy dogs tails in their area except through the prism of SM but will comment on their neighbourhoods not on what they then see on SM.

 

Every country has its bad areas every country has its f’ing idiots but thankfully it’s the minority rather than the majority so chins up guys n gals don’t let that f’ing minority few grind you down where ever you are in this world.

 

You're right it's not great in other countries but I think perhaps your post betrays your own lack of personal experience. In the last year or so in the UK there have been literal attempted pogroms of foreigners in the north of England and Northern Ireland. Lots of people want to leave not because of what they see on SM but because they're tired of English media and politicians portraying them and their family as parasites almost every day. 

[st albans fox]

47 minutes ago, RobHawk said:

I don't know about security guards in mosques tbh, but it was only a few years ago there was the Finsbury park attack which was on a par with this. 

 

I'm not trying to belittle what Jewish people have to go through, again I don't know the details but ultimately Im about everyone being able to do their own thing, safely and for us all to just be a bit nicer and get along better. I may be ignorant to their struggles right now, but I'm happy to listen.

 

Personally, I don't believe in religion, I think it is a construct to control a populace and does far more harm than good. But if somebody else wants to believe in god, that's up to them.

 

Don't know why we can't all act with a little more love and alot less hate regardless of what or who you believe in. 

The Finsbury Park mosque attack was indeed on a par although the perpetrator seems to not have the mindset to leave his vehicle and try to kill people one to one. 
I haven’t read up on the motivation for that attack - was it specifically aimed at that mosque because of the negative publicity that had been attached to it over the years? 

 

I don’t believe that religion on its own is a problem. It’s the extremist interpretations on the margins that lead to problems.  Those religions that seek to convert and expand will generally find themselves more at odds with societies where they seek to become established because of those margins. 
 

Will birth rates within the muslim community continue to be significantly higher than other groups?  If so, it is inevitable that Islam will become the largest religion in Western Europe within 100 years. Within the democratic structures, if constitutions allow, that means many large changes could occur.  Surely it is ok for countries to change with their populations ?  Would it be an issue for Britain to be an Islamic state in 2150 if 65% of the population were muslim?  Either you embrace change or you take steps to prevent it. At the moment we seem to be trying to be all things to all people.  
 

of course, as the Muslim demographic increases in its wealth, its birth rate may well begin to drop and that would change this timescale. 
 

Do we need to have this debate?   the division that now exists means that it can’t happen in a constructive/ grown up manner. 
 

the basic problem is a lack of respect for others, and this is getting worse, not better. 
 

 

[Brizzle Fox]

1 hour ago, CosbehFox said:

In amongst this, the only party leader what has any ****ing sense is Zack Polanski (Davey to a point). As a leftie like myself, he's been largely superb in most interviews over the last couple of weeks. Some of his stuff this morning as a Jewish person from Manchester was nuanced and clearly delivered. 

Yeah he talks and presents himself very well generally and particularly today.

 

There are great opportunities for the Greens to hoover up a lot more of the left leaning vote over the next few years and grab a very decent haul of seats at the next general election, if they can broaden their appeal slightly beyond the tofu basket weaving metropolitan middle class in certain southern cities beginning with the letter B.

 

And he can also make your tits bigger through hypnotism, so a win win.

[Robo61]

3 minutes ago, Brizzle Fox said:

Yeah he talks and presents himself very well generally and particularly today.

 

There are great opportunities for the Greens to hoover up a lot more of the left leaning vote over the next few years and grab a very decent haul of seats at the next general election, if they can broaden their appeal slightly beyond the tofu basket weaving metropolitan middle class in certain southern cities beginning with the letter B.

 

And he can also make your tits bigger through hypnotism, so a win win.

Which would be great for a left leaning liberal like me in a PR system but a potential disaster with the  FPTP system that we currently have.  

[Brizzle Fox]

4 minutes ago, Robo61 said:

Which would be great for a left leaning liberal like me in a PR system but a potential disaster with the  FPTP system that we currently have.  

And that's a whole thread on it's own with our antiquated voting system.

[worthosoriginals]

6 hours ago, Zear0 said:

Still can't get over the nob being called Jihad. 

Nominative determinism.

[st albans fox]

10 minutes ago, worthosoriginals said:

Nominative determinism.

I thought it meant ‘struggle’.  It doesn’t have to mean violence. 

not sure why you’d call your kid ‘struggle’ though 

[Sampson]

1 hour ago, Robo61 said:

Which would be great for a left leaning liberal like me in a PR system but a potential disaster with the  FPTP system that we currently have.  

Agreed. I voted LibDem last election because Labour had it in the bag but it’s anyone but Reform as long as we have PR.

[Thommo]

4 hours ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Very sad news. May those who have lost their lives rest in peace. 
 

I made a decision to leave the UK with my family 6 months ago after a couple of years contemplating the idea. Where I’ve moved is an absolute melting pot but everything seems fine and my kids are getting to know many cultures and religion. 
 

I’ve been back for short periods for meetings etc. and never feel the same. It’s funny how a new place can become home so quickly. 
 

There is so much division and hatred in the UK which is far more apparent since my move. Really is sad. 

Just out of interest Mickey where did you emigrate to?

[st albans fox]

9 minutes ago, Thommo said:

Just out of interest Mickey where did you emigrate to?

Nottingham ………

[st albans fox]

I saw that the father of the attacker yesterday posted on social media that this is not what the family are.  That this was a heinous act…….  the same man who posted on Oct 7 glorifying the attack ……clearly  the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree ……..

 

(mr al Shamie jnr was also on bail for a rape charge btw) 

Edited 3 October 2025 by st albans fox