General News Thread

[kenny]

11 hours ago, Lionator said:

It’s because it’s due at 5pm today if you can read it!

Not much, his opening announcement was as long as most of his answers.

 

Loosely, devolution, nationalisation, 2024 manifesto being followed including keeping the triple lock, ’fairer recruitment practises for young people' and the largest programme for new council houses ever.

 

DIP is fully funded. He doesn't say whether it's the £13.5bn at present or the £30bn requested, I'd assume the former.

 

Nationalisation is the way because of the buses in Manchester.

 

Usual important stuff about his favourite bands and films.

 

 

[Parafox]

33 minutes ago, kenny said:

Not much, his opening announcement was as long as most of his answers.

 

Loosely, devolution, nationalisation, 2024 manifesto being followed including keeping the triple lock, ’fairer recruitment practises for young people' and the largest programme for new council houses ever.

 

DIP is fully funded. He doesn't say whether it's the £13.5bn at present or the £30bn requested, I'd assume the former.

 

Nationalisation is the way because of the buses in Manchester.

 

Usual important stuff about his favourite bands and films.

 

 

I can't wait for him to be President.

 

I mean Prime Minister. 

 

All lip service and no substance like so many frontline politicians. Win at all costs and lie if you have to. And they do.

Edited 3 July by Parafox

[davieG]

Andy Burnham visited one of the poorest towns in the North of England yesterday and asked the local mayor what were the three priorities to revitalize the area.

“The first is the hospital” he said, “It’s there, but there are just not enough doctors and nurses to fully staff it

He pulls out his cell phone, talks for a couple of minutes, and then announces:

“Done, when I’m Prime Minister a team of doctors and nurses will arrive at the end of the month”

“The second is the potholes, they’re everywhere”

He picks up the cell phone again, a couple more words, and says:

“Done. When I’m PM, they’ll be filled within a month.

“And the third?” He asks.

“The third is cell phones,” the mayor replies.

“There’s just no signal and nothing works around here.”

[CPepFox]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

The third is cell phones,” the mayor replies.

“There’s just no signal and nothing works around here.”

Made me choke on my vodka... damn n that was funny... at least in my current state!!!

[leicsmac]

When the Papacy, one of the most historically corrupt and unequitable institutions of all time, actually appears reasonable by comparison...

 

... then you know you're dealing with a special group of psychopaths. 

[st albans fox]

44 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

When the Papacy, one of the most historically corrupt and unequitable institutions of all time, actually appears reasonable by comparison...

 

... then you know you're dealing with a special group of psychopaths. 

Wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card …..

[leicsmac]

Just now, st albans fox said:

Wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card …..

We live in a damned weird timeline, mon ami.

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

When the Papacy, one of the most historically corrupt and unequitable institutions of all time, actually appears reasonable by comparison...

 

... then you know you're dealing with a special group of psychopaths. 

He does understand that the core beliefs of the Catholic church and communism are diametrically opposed...

 

Right?

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

He does understand that the core beliefs of the Catholic church and communism are diametrically opposed...

 

Right?

He also doesn't understand that the Chinese system is much more hybrid than it is communist these days.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cevlkzer7vdo

 

Extreme heat has disrupted Fourth of July celebrations across parts of the US, including the cancellation of a parade in Washington DC.

The Great American State Fair in the nation's capital - marking the country's 250th birthday - was also temporarily shut after multiple people were treated for heat-related illnesses.

More than 165 million people were sweltering on Friday under record temperatures along the US East Coast and Midwest, according to the US National Weather Service.

The heatwave is disrupting the holiday weekend as US President Donald Trump hosts a celebration marking America's 250th birthday, while multiple World Cup matches take place outdoors.

 

There is a certain delicious irony in those who reject the laws of physics and their own part in its consequences being inconvenienced like this on the day that they want to appear all powerful. 

[orangecity23]

13 hours ago, kenny said:

Not much, his opening announcement was as long as most of his answers.

 

Loosely, devolution, nationalisation, 2024 manifesto being followed including keeping the triple lock, ’fairer recruitment practises for young people' and the largest programme for new council houses ever.

 

DIP is fully funded. He doesn't say whether it's the £13.5bn at present or the £30bn requested, I'd assume the former.

 

Nationalisation is the way because of the buses in Manchester.

 

Usual important stuff about his favourite bands and films.

 

 

He wasted one of his answers in his public q and a answering Kemi Badenoch, who he will be answering questions from every week any way. Oh, and he completely avoided every single question about digital privacy and the social media ban and the massive cyber security risks for everyone it entails, despite the fact that along with the triple lock questions they were some of the most up voted.

 

So I guess expect plenty of surface level "isn't he northern! Wow!" Presentation from now on, while Peter Thiel and friends worm his way in in the background to implement full on cyberpunk dystopia.

Edited 4 July by orangecity23

[kenny]

17 minutes ago, orangecity23 said:

He wasted one of his answers in his public q and a answering Kemi Badenoch, who he will be answering questions from every week any way. Oh, and he completely avoided every single question about digital privacy and the social media ban and the massive cyber security risks for everyone it entails, despite the fact that along with the triple lock questions they were some of the most up voted.

 

So I guess expect plenty of surface level "isn't he northern! Wow!" Presentation from now on, while Peter Thiel and friends worm his way in in the background to implement full on cyberpunk dystopia.

His longest answer was about rugby league.

 

I'm exaggerating, but it had a rugby league to be compulsory to improve the north south divide vibe.

 

I don't think he much in the way of policy as yet, just vague ideas and vibes.

[Clogger_]

Look, Burnham's got one job: keeping Reform and their Tory mini-me's out of government for the good of the country. It's encouraging to see he has them frothing...but early days

Edited 4 July by Clogger_

[leicsmac]

38 minutes ago, Clogger_ said:

Look, Burnham's got one job: keeping Reform and their Tory mini-me's out of government for the good of the country. It's encouraging to see he has them frothing...but early days

Right.

 

Top priority, all other priorities rescinded. 

 

More than people think hangs on that. 

[Sampson]

He's put forward plenty of ideas though, it's more about how they'll be financed.

 

It all comes back to what many of us said before the election and also as to why changing the leader is going to actually be hard to change this - I think saying we'll do all this house building and re-industrialisation while saying you won't raise income tax just feels a bit non-credible.

 

Morgan McSweeney's overly defensive election strategy was just always going to fail, I remember many of us discussing as much here in the lead up to the election. After 14 years of cuts and decline, I think the country was more than prepared to pay higher taxes to get some investment into infrastructure, rejuvenation of public services and town centres and house building, and promising to not raise income tax over 5 years in this day and age is silly enough even without that. They would've got enough votes for a majority regadless, why they had to come out with this stuff and limit the levers they could pull and back themselves into a corner I didn't understand in the run up to the election and still don't.

 

I voted LibDem not Labour last election, but I genuinely want him to succeed and hope he succeeds.

Edited 4 July by Sampson

[MonkeyTennis?]

3 hours ago, Sampson said:

 why they had to come out with this stuff and limit the levers they could pull and back themselves into a corner I didn't understand in the run up to the election and still don't.

 

I think it's because 'Labour will raise taxes' was (and has always been) a key Tory attack line, and much of the election was fought over cost-of-living concerns, so promising not to raise income taxes and prioritising growth were both ways that Labour sought to reassure centrist type voters. 

 

I think Starmer has been alright (yeah, I know, one for the unpopular opinions thread) but I agree this was a key error: By backing themselves into a corner over income tax, they've ended up increasing taxes on business, which makes the growth they wanted harder to realise. Perhaps Burnham can find a way round it?

[leicsmac]

Confederate flags in prominent positions in the crowd at the 4th July celebrations in DC, then. 

 

I wish I was surprised. 

Edited 4 July by leicsmac

[Md9]

Wonder what time the next fake attempt on trump will be today never to be spoken of again 

[Trav Le Bleu]

War not going well? Don't worry, you can always sacrifice your future engineers, scientists and architects on the blood soaked altar of destruction.

 

Russia looks to students to make up for mounting losses in Ukraine - BBC News

 

https://share.google/W01ydCiSv8Vl7A6wV

 

 

[leicsmac]

Farage finally taking a few hits in the press. Glory be.

[Bellend Sebastian]

8 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Farage finally taking a few hits in the press. Glory be.

Tentative signs that the UK is at last deciding that maybe it does not want to be your Auntie Jean who has inexplicably started going out with a blowhard crooked financial adviser that drives a Vauxhall Vectra which he claims is "the greatest car ever made", was done for PAYE fraud in 1997 and lost his original job as a teacher in a girl's school for something you're not allowed to ask about and all your cousins hate

[Zear0]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Farage finally taking a few hits in the press. Glory be.

By no other than the “Labour loving Times” (his words).

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

By no other than the “Labour loving Times” (his words).

Which shows quite clearly just how messed up his (and his supporters) view of the Overton Window is. 

 

Since when was the Times anything other than Establishment Centrist?

[Zear0]

2 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Which shows quite clearly just how messed up his (and his supporters) view of the Overton Window is. 

 

Since when was the Times anything other than Establishment Centrist?

It’s whichever side Murdoch fancies it to be. Still hilarious to see Farage’s image (not that he ever had a decent one) crumbling by the week.

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

It’s whichever side Murdoch fancies it to be. Still hilarious to see Farage’s image (not that he ever had a decent one) crumbling by the week.

Long past time, too.