General News Thread

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Jon the Hat said:

It's a shame the best political operative in a generation is leading Reform and has a worrying agenda and is surrounded by *****.  Otherwise it is political lightweights everywhere.

Well, yes, say what you want about Farage, he rolled high on his Charisma stat in a very con artist way and apparently that means the policy platform is a good thing for the future too. Which of course, it isn't. 

 

It would be nice were the man and his ability to manipulate were guided by anything other than short term self interest.

[Guest Bilo]

9 hours ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

God, give me strength.

 

Do you honestly, in your heart of hearts believe that Keir has been better than all those listed? 
 

He, and his cabinet have been f***ing dreadful. 

He objectively has. The incompetence of the Tories means that he essentially inherited a burning house and now said Tories are complaining about the water damage from his attempts to put it out.

[Guest Bilo]

9 hours ago, bovril said:

Understatement of the year

Reform being elected would turbocharge Scottish independence and Irish unification. 

[Muzzy_no7]

2 minutes ago, Bilo said:

He objectively has. The incompetence of the Tories means that he essentially inherited a burning house and now said Tories are complaining about the water damage from his attempts to put it out.

Just like Cameron inherited a mess in 2010 eh?

[Guest Bilo]

2 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Just like Cameron inherited a mess in 2010 eh?

The UK was recovering more quickly from the GLOBAL financial crisis than any other country in the G8.

[Muzzy_no7]

9 minutes ago, Bilo said:

The UK was recovering more quickly from the GLOBAL financial crisis than any other country in the G8.

So the mess was in part due to the global crisis?

 

Bit like part of the mess currently is down to Covid?

[Tommy G]

1 hour ago, Voll Blau said:

I've noticed the tangible benefits for me and my family from Labour's policies since they got in.

 

They've not been perfect because no government is, but they have been better (so far) than anything in the 15 years before them.

Interesting to hear the direct benefits for your and your family which are directly linked to labour policy?

[Guest Bilo]

1 minute ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

So the mess was in part due to the global crisis?

 

Bit like part of the mess currently is down to Covid?

And Brexit, which has cost the country £140bn. The result of the worst British foreign policy disaster since the Suez Crisis and wholly at the feet of David Cameron taking a gamble to silence the Eurosceptics in his party. 

 

[DennisNedry]

Some of the comments on the last few pages about white working class Brits interest me. Obviously there's a lot of stereotypes that are quite amusing. As with all stereotypes, there's some level of truth to them. The can of Stella, the Ingerlund shouting, the pitbull, etc. We have all seen the like whilst acknowledging that this isn't representative of the white working class as a whole.

 

I wonder, though, are we Brits unique in how self deprecating we are towards our own compatriots? (specifically those who are white). Or do you reckon there's a forum somewhere made up of, say, middle class Afghans, and the General Chat section is made up of similar comments... "What in the illegal cigarette flogging, cash-in-hand kebab making, hanging around outside kids parks shit is this?". 

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, DennisNedry said:

Some of the comments on the last few pages about white working class Brits interest me. Obviously there's a lot of stereotypes that are quite amusing. As with all stereotypes, there's some level of truth to them. The can of Stella, the Ingerlund shouting, the pitbull, etc. We have all seen the like whilst acknowledging that this isn't representative of the white working class as a whole.

 

I wonder, though, are we Brits unique in how self deprecating we are towards our own compatriots? (specifically those who are white). Or do you reckon there's a forum somewhere made up of, say, middle class Afghans, and the General Chat section is made up of similar comments... "What in the illegal cigarette flogging, cash-in-hand kebab making, hanging around outside kids parks shit is this?". 

Can only speak for where I've lived, but in both Korea and the US people could be absolutely brutal towards their countrypeople based on perceived differences and stereotypes, so no, I don't think it's unique. 

 

Edit: the movie "Parasite" is a good showing of how a people can be split and stereotyped along money/class lines in Korea. 

Edited 3 September 2025 by leicsmac

[bovril]

29 minutes ago, Bilo said:

Reform being elected would turbocharge Scottish independence and Irish unification. 

Would be entertaining, just hope I'm watching it from a distance 

[Muzzy_no7]

4 minutes ago, Bilo said:

And Brexit, which has cost the country £140bn. The result of the worst British foreign policy disaster since the Suez Crisis and wholly at the feet of David Cameron taking a gamble to silence the Eurosceptics in his party. 

 

Hard to pinpoint exactly how much of an effect Brexit has had with Covid and the War in Ukraine but it has been a failure.

(Although our economy is still stronger than Frances’s and Germany has at no point accelerated ahead of us at a quicker rate)

 

Most likely voted Brexit due to immigration which obviously still hasn’t been addressed properly. (Largely because our hands are tied)

[Lionator]

35 minutes ago, Bilo said:

Reform being elected would turbocharge Scottish independence and Irish unification. 

 They’d never grant Scotland another referendum. Irish unification on the other hand is inevitable, we might as well just let it happen now while enshrining the rights of British citizens of course, of which the Irish government would do. 

[CosbehFox]

10 minutes ago, DennisNedry said:

Some of the comments on the last few pages about white working class Brits interest me. Obviously there's a lot of stereotypes that are quite amusing. As with all stereotypes, there's some level of truth to them. The can of Stella, the Ingerlund shouting, the pitbull, etc. We have all seen the like whilst acknowledging that this isn't representative of the white working class as a whole.

 

I wonder, though, are we Brits unique in how self deprecating we are towards our own compatriots? (specifically those who are white). Or do you reckon there's a forum somewhere made up of, say, middle class Afghans, and the General Chat section is made up of similar comments... "What in the illegal cigarette flogging, cash-in-hand kebab making, hanging around outside kids parks shit is this?". 

No, I'd probably say there are harsh opinions / stereotypes amongst other nations. As I am sure Bovril can add in, somewhere like Italy has a huge divide between North & South. Stronger than we do here. In my experience the same sort of division exists in Spain and the Balkans. 

 

Also I'd object to the idea its middle class opinions in here. I'd rate the average person on here is probably from working class stock whowhoses not done too bad for themselves, so I'd say our view on the working class has born from a genuine origin. 

[Lionator]

45 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

It's a shame the best political operative in a generation is leading Reform and has a worrying agenda and is surrounded by *****.  Otherwise it is political lightweights everywhere.

Farage isn’t even that good historically, the test will be for him, as he gets closer to power whether he’ll conform to the status quo or will genuinely chase ‘reform’ (not immigration based policy, but genuine economic reform in the uk).

 

From the left I can only look on with envy that we don’t have a figure of the like who can play the field with a strong economic left wing approach, we get far too entwined with social policy. I thought the Gary Stevenson stuff might lead somewhere but he only likes book sales it seems. 

[Muzzy_no7]

27 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Interesting to hear the direct benefits for your and your family which are directly linked to labour policy?

Second this. 

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, kenny said:

What has been the pluses so far? It's just been negatives in our household.

 

20 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Interesting to hear the direct benefits for your and your family which are directly linked to labour policy?

 

Extra childcare hours, bereavement leave for pregnancy loss, dealings with the NHS have been much quicker and more efficient (in my experience) to think of a few off the top of my head.

 

Plus, feeling a better sense of security for the future with the planned new stuff on school uniform pricing, breakfast clubs, increased workers' rights for those on zero-hours contracts etc.

[Guest Bilo]

17 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Hard to pinpoint exactly how much of an effect Brexit has had with Covid and the War in Ukraine but it has been a failure.

(Although our economy is still stronger than Frances’s and Germany has at no point accelerated ahead of us at a quicker rate)

 

Most likely voted Brexit due to immigration which obviously still hasn’t been addressed properly. (Largely because our hands are tied)

So its main premise was sold on a complete lie? 

[JonnyBoy]

10 hours ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

God, give me strength.

 

Do you honestly, in your heart of hearts believe that Keir has been better than all those listed? 
 

He, and his cabinet have been f***ing dreadful. 

So many lefties on this forum you will never win unfortunately. Blind leading the blind 

[Zear0]

3 minutes ago, Bilo said:

So its main premise was sold on a complete lie? 

Boris' immigration figures are always worth reminding people about.

[Guest Bilo]

22 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Hard to pinpoint exactly how much of an effect Brexit has had with Covid and the War in Ukraine but it has been a failure.

(Although our economy is still stronger than Frances’s and Germany has at no point accelerated ahead of us at a quicker rate)

 

Most likely voted Brexit due to immigration which obviously still hasn’t been addressed properly. (Largely because our hands are tied)

But most studies show we’re growing more slowly than we would have inside the EU.

 

Immigration was the key reason many voted Leave, yet net migration today is actually higher than in 2016. EU migration has fallen, but non-EU migration has surged – partly because the NHS, care sector, and other industries depend on it. The government’s “hands are tied” more than people expected.

 

So, has Brexit been a failure? Economically, it’s held us back. Politically, it hasn’t solved immigration. The idea of “taking back control” has collided with global realities.

[Guest Bilo]

Just now, Zear0 said:

Boris' immigration figures are always worth reminding people about.

And the immediate explosion in small boat crossings because he rushed through a half-arsed deal without thinking about replacing the Dublin Agreement. 

[Guest Bilo]

3 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

So many lefties on this forum you will never win unfortunately. Blind leading the blind 

https://futurism.com/neoscope/left-wing-beliefs-intelligence

 

 

[Muzzy_no7]

7 minutes ago, Bilo said:

So its main premise was sold on a complete lie? 

Well yes because they essentially told people that Brexit would give us control of our borders and limit immigration, which hasn’t happened. So yes, it was either a lie or it simply hasn’t been done properly. 

[Muzzy_no7]

2 minutes ago, Bilo said:

https://futurism.com/neoscope/left-wing-beliefs-intelligence

 

 

Why are most of the richest people in the world centre right then?