General News Thread

[MaidstoneFox]

On 19/07/2026 at 09:04, Raj said:

Arise the saviour Andrew Burham of the North.

Proper working class northerner of the people.

 

 

 

 

Educated at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

Big cricket fan and lists The La's and The Weddos amongst his favourite albums. From my very basic criteria of judging people (sport and music) he is clearly a very sound bloke. All the rest is irrelevant.

 

https://thequietus.com/interviews/bakers-dozen/andy-burnham-bakers-dozen-favourite-music/13/

[Sampson]

Voted LibDem in 2024, largely because of PR and wanting to rejoin the European common market, but hope Burnham does well. I want to vote for Labour in 2029, understand these things take time after years of gutting the state, but hopefully there's enough over the next 3 years to get us going in the right direction again.

 

I think taking things like water and railways back under public control is definitely sensible, We got so addicted to the mantra of privatisation under both Thatcher and Blair that we just went too far with stuff like this, especially as the way we do it like just offering railway contracts doesnt even really promote competition to drive proves down. Even the US doesn't have the privatisation of things like water and railways, taking them back under public control is just us becoming a normal country again really,

 

Hope he manages his promise to cut down the endless bickering between parties and working closer eith other parties, although I don't know how practical that is, There definitely are a lot of politicians and media who want to do nothing but put Britain down and try to make out we are a shithole with the hunger games on our streets these days when there clearly isn't.

Edited Monday at 14:52 by Sampson

[kenny]

Steve Reid has resigned.

 

Its a shame, I enjoyed listening to his updates on the number of houses built where he is still confidently stating they will build 1.5m by the end of the parliament.

 

He wasn't at all perturbed by the record low numbers being built and that are still going down. I have a lot of time for that type of confidence.

[st albans fox]

Out

lammy

reeves

reed

 

More to come

Nothing unexpected yet 

[st albans fox]

Attorney general out 

 

that could be interesting with some extrapolation of scenarios re F-35 global supply chain parts 

 

all hypothetical for now but you could see how a could lead to b and then q and r pretty quickly ! 

[kenny]

29 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Out

lammy

reeves

reed

 

More to come

Nothing unexpected yet 

Kyle has gone.

 

Reeves did well to last this long.

[Lionator]

Seeing all of Starmer’s cronies go is beautiful. 

[spacemunky]

It's really hard keeping track of your PMs there.

[st albans fox]

Healey back into cabinet at no 11 ??

 

miliband and Mahmoud now in no 10 aswell before news on healey is out 

 

maybe they’re playing rock paper scissors ??

Edited Monday at 16:29 by st albans fox

[Trav Le Bleu]

4 hours ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Lets give him a go then. 

 

He can't be any worse than what's gone before surely? 

 

He needs to get a proper Chancellor for a start not someone who got their credentials off the back of a packet of cornflakes. 

I understand this guy is great...

 

[ramboacdc]

Not sure I would be a fan of any of the 3 who have walked in so far becoming Chancellor. 

I thought Milliband was for the heave ho as energy secretary and out on his ear entirely. 

[ramboacdc]

44 minutes ago, spacemunky said:

It's really hard keeping track of your PMs there.

My wife has an app for that....

[Sampson]

Healey is an interesting appointment I didn't see coming. I assume it's too indicate greater focus on defence, which makes sense in these times.

[st albans fox]

8 minutes ago, Sampson said:

Healey is an interesting appointment I didn't see coming. I assume it's too indicate greater focus on defence, which makes sense in these times.

He severed in the treasury in the Blair administration for 5 years 

 

[Lionator]

Lindsey Graham died??? How did I miss this?

[RowlattsFox]

Any chance we can just not hear from a prime minister every day, and let him get on the job. Feels like they are always defending themselves or someone else. 

They are not celebrities. 

 

I'm politically flexible, so no loyal labour follower, but I would have more respect for someone who just did what they believes in, and stuck by it. Even if it was shit, yes you need to be challenged but feels like nothing ever gets done. 

[Wymsey]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/ann-widdecombe-murder-suspect-joshua-kerry-b3018115.html

 

[Super_horns]

10 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

Any chance we can just not hear from a prime minister every day, and let him get on the job. Feels like they are always defending themselves or someone else. 

They are not celebrities. 

 

I'm politically flexible, so no loyal labour follower, but I would have more respect for someone who just did what they believes in, and stuck by it. Even if it was shit, yes you need to be challenged but feels like nothing ever gets done. 

How long will he get before things start to unravel ?

[UniFox21]

VAT removed from electricity bills from October, saving around £45 a year. Not exactly a huge saving, averaging less than £4 a month.

[kenny]

3 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

VAT removed from electricity bills from October, saving around £45 a year. Not exactly a huge saving, averaging less than £4 a month.

If they had removed it from subsidies instead it would have helped businesses as well as households.

[st albans fox]

10 year Gilts barely changed in opening ten mins 

if anything easing up. Unlikely to be a reflection on Healey but more that burnham seems likely to be more taxes and more spending. 

 

[UniFox21]

10 minutes ago, kenny said:

If they had removed it from subsidies instead it would have helped businesses as well as households.

Risk of actually being helpful there, can't be doing that 

[kenny]

9 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Risk of actually being helpful there, can't be doing that 

Worse, can't be seen to be helping wealthy business owners at the expense of the needy.

[AKCJ]

2 hours ago, kenny said:

If they had removed it from subsidies instead it would have helped businesses as well as households.

Won't someone think of the poor energy firms?!

[MrSpaM]

Can they honestly not think of any other way of using these billions saved on digital ID than giving people the money equivalent of a Tesco meal deal every month

 

Surely pumping that money directly into helping the country build more sustainable energy is a much better idea in the long run

Edited Tuesday at 09:54 by MrSpaM