General News Thread

[Foxdiamond]

14 minutes ago, OntarioFox said:

Labour have a remarkable history of backing the wrong horse, whether that was Foot, Corbyn, or the wrong Miliband brother.

 

And now they're doing it all over again by letting Starmer cling to power like a limpet on a ship, when it's bleeding obvious that Andy Burnham is the only figure who has even a small chance of reversing their fortunes before the next election. They had their chance with Gorton and Denton and instead decided to hand it to the Greens on a platter and show them to be a viable home for left-leaning Labour voters. Pure self-immolation from a position of power.

Yes. They often seem to forget the idea is get elected in government and stay there rather than navel gaze from the confines of the party. Starmer may be a decent person but can't galvanise the general public as PM and see off the likes of Farage. John Major was rerided as the grey man. Starmer is the beige man. 

[purpleronnie]

 

[StanSP]

Just now, purpleronnie said:

 

Is that legit? 

[st albans fox]

22 minutes ago, OntarioFox said:

Labour have a remarkable history of backing the wrong horse, whether that was Foot, Corbyn, or the wrong Miliband brother.

 

And now they're doing it all over again by letting Starmer cling to power like a limpet on a ship, when it's bleeding obvious that Andy Burnham is the only figure who has even a small chance of reversing their fortunes before the next election. They had their chance with Gorton and Denton and instead decided to hand it to the Greens on a platter and show them to be a viable home for left-leaning Labour voters. Pure self-immolation from a position of power.

Our politics is so bad that I sometimes look back fondly at theresa may ………..

And it’s not just labour

duncan-smith, Howard ….

There are more. 
 

raynor is unelectable at a GE 

miliband has already proven that 

streeting doesn’t have the political weight 
looks like AB is the only chance they have in 2029. 
But the NEC has to allow him to find a seat and raynor may have enough clout there to keep him out. 
 

I don’t want to sound mean but based on what I’ve seen of AR, I would expect truss’ cabbage to make a comeback if she was elected as leader of the PLP. 

[st albans fox]

4 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Is that legit? 

Looks like it’s new 

1000 followers already 

 

and dug out a few wrong’un councillors already  

[Foxdiamond]

23 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Our politics is so bad that I sometimes look back fondly at theresa may ………..

And it’s not just labour

duncan-smith, Howard ….

There are more. 
 

raynor is unelectable at a GE 

miliband has already proven that 

streeting doesn’t have the political weight 
looks like AB is the only chance they have in 2029. 
But the NEC has to allow him to find a seat and raynor may have enough clout there to keep him out. 
 

I don’t want to sound mean but based on what I’ve seen of AR, I would expect truss’ cabbage to make a comeback if she was elected as leader of the PLP. 

Don't think much of the current Labour front bench. Hopefully Andy Burnham will get a look in. Shame Dan Jarvis is not further up the pecking order.

[StanSP]

And so it begins. 

 

Disgrace of a party. Bet he was on a march to 'protect our women and girls' too... 

 

 

 

 

[StanSP]

 

 

 

[OntarioFox]

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

 

 

 

Justice for Dorothy

[MPH]

On 06/05/2026 at 21:09, Jon the Hat said:

Japan absolutely does not have a single village 500-600 miles from a city, let alone a significant town.  I could believe it in China or Russia, but Japan is simply not that big, and quite densely filled with cities from top to bottom.

 

That doesn't mean a village a few hours away from a decent town doesn't suffer from isolation and the resulting depopulation.  I wonder if it is as much the traditional life as it is location which causes young people to leave and not come back for decades.

 

Japan is indeed made up of many  islands  of course, and there are rural villages on places like the Yaeyama islands that are approximately 1,000 miles from mainland Japan, but my mistake, I believe there is a  small city in Yaeama….   Bout the size of Loughborough

Edited 9 May by MPH

[LCFCJohn]

6 hours ago, Foxdiamond said:

I surely can't be in a minority as an over 65 that constantly is concerned about the future of my children and grandchildren and looks for policy that will help them. I would guess that the over 60 right wing voter was a selfish under 60 and under 50 etc voter back in the day

I think a lot of that generation, I include my own parents, had things very easy. They grew up in the 70’s and entered the workforce/housing ladder in the 80’s and fit the stereotypical boomers getting everything easily like career progression and lack of having to worry about constant restructures like we do now. My in-laws of the same generation are much more modest in terms of their working lives and property.

 

When the Brexit vote was approaching, my in-laws said to my wife and I, what do you want us to do. It’s your future and we want to make sure we do what will benefit you. They voted remain as did my wife and I. We had researched into it and knew it’d be a disaster. My parents voted leave for no other apparent reason than immigration….

 

It’s so refreshing you are concerned about those younger than you that will have to deal with the consequences. Good on you 

[st albans fox]

36 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

I think a lot of that generation, I include my own parents, had things very easy. They grew up in the 70’s and entered the workforce/housing ladder in the 80’s and fit the stereotypical boomers getting everything easily like career progression and lack of having to worry about constant restructures like we do now. My in-laws of the same generation are much more modest in terms of their working lives and property.

 

When the Brexit vote was approaching, my in-laws said to my wife and I, what do you want us to do. It’s your future and we want to make sure we do what will benefit you. They voted remain as did my wife and I. We had researched into it and knew it’d be a disaster. My parents voted leave for no other apparent reason than immigration….

 

It’s so refreshing you are concerned about those younger than you that will have to deal with the consequences. Good on you 

And yet go back to the early 80’s when recession was deep and you had to think carefully about what courses to take might lead to employment. We didn’t think it was easy back then. 

[Sampson]

7 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

And yet go back to the early 80’s when recession was deep and you had to think carefully about what courses to take might lead to employment. We didn’t think it was easy back then. 

But you can’t even do that anymore because technology and AI affects every career on earth and changes every 5 years that has meant no career is long-term viable and university riddles you with so much extra debt the more you earn that getting a good education doesn’t pay anymore. 5-10 years ago everyone was told to train and go into engineering and data analysis and all those jobs will now be gone from AI within less than a decade.
 

Not to mention every job and cv has AI screening and is just about having a few key words on your cv nowadays
 

I see my niece and nephew and wonder what the hell kind of jobs and education opportunities are even going to be left for them in the future. 

Edited 9 May by Sampson

[st albans fox]

12 minutes ago, Sampson said:

But you can’t even do that anymore because technology and AI affects every career on earth and changes every 5 years that has meant no career is long-term viable and university riddles you with so much extra debt the more you earn that getting a good education doesn’t pay anymore. 5-10 years ago everyone was told to train and go into engineering and data analysis and all those jobs will now be gone from AI within less than a decade.
 

Not to mention every job and cv has AI screening and is just about having a few key words on your cv nowadays
 

I see my niece and nephew and wonder what the hell kind of jobs and education opportunities are even going to be left for them in the future. 

Can’t argue with that view 

if I was in my teens I’d be looking to learn a trade like plumbing 

[LCFCJohn]

21 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

And yet go back to the early 80’s when recession was deep and you had to think carefully about what courses to take might lead to employment. We didn’t think it was easy back then. 

Whereas the difference now is, you can do those courses and still not get employment. Any role has maybe 150 applicants at least. 
 

Look, I’m approaching mid 30’s, own my home, 10 years into the mortgage already and we both have jobs that are above average pay and our family. I’m not bitter or unhappy. But this is no longer possible without both working full time. When I was young, my mum only had to work a few hours during school times (which seemed easy for mums to get these roles back in the 90’s) and the 4 fed detached house, cars and holidays were funded from that full time income. 

[VLC86]

“Are we sure they didn’t mean Fergie from

the Black Eyed Peas? Do you want to check before we hit publish? No? No, ok”

[deep blue]

6 hours ago, Foxdiamond said:

I despised Thatcher's policies from day one of her winning the 1979 election. The writing was on the wall even back then. I remember when Labour scored an own goal by electing Michael Foot as leader instead of Denis Healey. My wife worked in social care so we know how under funded that is. That working class folk think that Reform is the answer is potty. 

Absolutely.  Social fairness was more accepted pre-Thatcher and many people had belief in such things.  It was Thatcher that really changed the agenda, appealing to the greedy and selfish (I will never forget Thatcher's proclamation that "there's no such thing as Society", nor her callous edict to councils to sell off council houses but forbidding them to use the money accrued to replace them with affordable housing to buy or let)..

 

 I, like many many people born just after WW2 , have always espoused more socialist/Liberal ideas and continue to do so , exhibiting kindness and respect for others, but it feels like a lost cause now given the populist takeover of the more recent years.

[Corky]

6 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

 

Bet he is more effective than most who actually exist in councils going forward.

[davieG]

2 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

I think a lot of that generation, I include my own parents, had things very easy. They grew up in the 70’s and entered the workforce/housing ladder in the 80’s and fit the stereotypical boomers getting everything easily like career progression and lack of having to worry about constant restructures like we do now. My in-laws of the same generation are much more modest in terms of their working lives and property.

 

When the Brexit vote was approaching, my in-laws said to my wife and I, what do you want us to do. It’s your future and we want to make sure we do what will benefit you. They voted remain as did my wife and I. We had researched into it and knew it’d be a disaster. My parents voted leave for no other apparent reason than immigration….

 

It’s so refreshing you are concerned about those younger than you that will have to deal with the consequences. Good on you 

Well it's all relative but as someone who left school in the 60s with GCEs having been one of the first pupils at a Secondary Modern school were allowed to take them and when University was something was way out of reach it took me until late September to get a job as an on trial apprentice, work was certainly not easy to get.

 

As for the 70s it was a terrible decade 3 day week, IRA bombings, raging inflation.

 

If you've every been asked to search a large factory and office looking for unusual packaging after a bomb warning you wouldn't say life was good.

 

The 70s brought inflation averaging 16% but peeking at 24%. Mortgage rates were as high as 17% you try living with those rates with 3 young kids

 

Between 71 and 73 house prices doubled.

 

The company I worked for an old well established Leicester one was taken over 3 times and every time there was major restructuring and redundancies. I was made redundant at 51 and never got a full time job again as was too old or too qualified and therefore thought I might leave if a better job came along.

 

The Thatcher years were no better with more restructuring and redundancies. I was Union Rep at the time for the Technical and Office Staff getting pay rise was no picnic I can tell you. I remember spending the night at the Leicester Fire Station supporting the Firemen who were on strike.

 

I've got grandkids now who've just started University so I recognise the modern hardships  and fear that they will have difficulty finding work when complete.

 

But all generations have there ups and downs and relative to their time in history will have suffered it's not something new just different.

[OntarioFox]

37 minutes ago, deep blue said:

Absolutely.  Social fairness was more accepted pre-Thatcher and many people had belief in such things.  It was Thatcher that really changed the agenda, appealing to the greedy and selfish (I will never forget Thatcher's proclamation that "there's no such thing as Society", nor her callous edict to councils to sell off council houses but forbidding them to use the money accrued to replace them with affordable housing to buy or let)..

 

 I, like many many people born just after WW2 , have always espoused more socialist/Liberal ideas and continue to do so , exhibiting kindness and respect for others, but it feels like a lost cause now given the populist takeover of the more recent years.

Think it was the 60s bunch that really ruined it for everyone personally. Young adults through the peak of Thatcherism and a huge number swallowed it whole.

 

I grew up with the weird juxtaposition of spending weekends at my Gran's council house in Braunstone with Dad, while both parents waxed lyrical about how great the right to buy scheme had been, without even a hint of irony that they both grew up in state-provided houses that my generation would have to fight tooth and nail for years to access. Grandparents on Mum's side had of course bought theirs in the 80s.

 

Then again, I also remember my gran fighting tooth and nail to stop the council giving her free double glazing. Didn't need or want it apparently. 

Edited 9 May by OntarioFox

[davieG]

40 minutes ago, deep blue said:

Absolutely.  Social fairness was more accepted pre-Thatcher and many people had belief in such things.  It was Thatcher that really changed the agenda, appealing to the greedy and selfish (I will never forget Thatcher's proclamation that "there's no such thing as Society", nor her callous edict to councils to sell off council houses but forbidding them to use the money accrued to replace them with affordable housing to buy or let)..

 

 I, like many many people born just after WW2 , have always espoused more socialist/Liberal ideas and continue to do so , exhibiting kindness and respect for others, but it feels like a lost cause now given the populist takeover of the more recent years.

And didn't she say there was no such thing as compromise.

[davieG]

[davieG]

This is a more accurate display of the local election results in England, rather than that shown by most of the media, that headline the number of councillors elected. The local elections are about electing local councils. The headlines generally are not about the councils that have been elected and what parties will be controlling them. The headlines are about the apparent growing support for Reform UK. These are not the same thing, although many people seem to believe that they are. People presumably want to know who are going to be providing their vital services – whether the policies of Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green or Reform (or others) are going to be carried out in their areas. But the media demote that to being of lesser importance than how many councillors were elected per party, which does not give the public that information. In fact Labour now runs 96 councils in England, Conservatives 53, Liberal Democrats 38, Reform 23, Greens 4, and some others. That is what matters most to local inhabitants. The rise and/or decline in support of the various parties is another matter, and though important, it should not be the headline in displaying the results.

 

[I saved the Foxes]

The amount of AI shite on this is amazing, next we will have Farage stabbing someone. Is there any way of posting what is real? 

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, I saved the Foxes said:

The amount of AI shite on this is amazing, next we will have Farage stabbing someone. Is there any way of posting what is real? 

Welcome to the post truth era, mon ami. 

 

Unfortunately that cat is very much out of the bag and most of the ways to get it back in involve methods that people in democracies find disagreeable.