General News Thread

[Salisbury Fox]

18 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

They won't be a sovereign nation if they agree to this for reasons I've said. It's a death sentence for them and just moves Europe closer to being the next targets.

I would also add that the deal as it stands would likely lead to a greater risk of nuclear proliferation as countries see that nuclear weapons are the only way to stop another country invading. I also feel it would make war in Europe far more likely. Hopefully there will be significant changes

[Salisbury Fox]

Here’s the UK, French and German (the E3) counter proposal apparently:

https://en.hvylya.net/news/80-e3-nations-propose-counter-plan-to-trump-s-ukraine-peace-deal-reuters-reports

[Super_horns]

I hope Farage hasn't been complaining about Labour and their U-turns.

 

Also doesn't sound like an ideal that will encourage youngsters to work? 

 

https://news.sky.com/story/nigel-farage-says-reform-uk-could-cut-minimum-wage-for-young-people-and-defends-u-turn-on-tax-pledges-13463252

[CornwallFox]

11 hours ago, BKLFox said:

Yes reading that this morning though and how they (Gov) are speaking as if they are putting money (£300) back in our pockets but actually the truth is they are just not taking another (£300) from us, I’m sure they think we are bloody idiots.

Is it a good policy or bad policy?

Given it's the first freeze in thirty years is it the best outcome for passengers in thirty years?

[Jon the Hat]

2 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Is it a good policy or bad policy?

Given it's the first freeze in thirty years is it the best outcome for passengers in thirty years?

Without restructuring railways, this is essentially paying for the inevitable increase in rail costs with general taxation instead of commuters paying themselves. 

They would be better off forcing rail companies to put in place flex season tickets - i.e. you pay for 20 tickets not a month and can use them whenever.  Must better for the current world of Hybrid working.

[Lionator]

9 hours ago, Zear0 said:

They won't be a sovereign nation if they agree to this for reasons I've said. It's a death sentence for them and just moves Europe closer to being the next targets.

Ukraine is a pawn between west/east. It’s sad but that’s geopolitics. Maybe I’m naive but I don’t see the reason why Putin would want to invade any other European nation. The only risk is maybe Lithuania so they can get a path to Kaliningrad, but if de-escalation in Ukraine occurs then diplomacy can fix that. The big risk is a misinterpretation or accident leading to a bigger confrontation. People keep screaming ‘it’s 1939’ again, but ultimately Hitler didn’t lose over a million men fighting for nearly 4 years and destroying his economy in the process. It’s a different ball game. NATO needs to build up, deter, deter, deter, then Russia won’t play silly buggers. 

[kenny]

8 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Is it a good policy or bad policy?

Given it's the first freeze in thirty years is it the best outcome for passengers in thirty years?

I suspect that reducing bus fares back to £2 is cheaper and has a greater effect on the lowest income workers.

 

It was a good policy and should be bought back.

[westernpark]

5 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Ukraine is a pawn between west/east. It’s sad but that’s geopolitics. Maybe I’m naive but I don’t see the reason why Putin would want to invade any other European nation. The only risk is maybe Lithuania so they can get a path to Kaliningrad, but if de-escalation in Ukraine occurs then diplomacy can fix that. The big risk is a misinterpretation or accident leading to a bigger confrontation. People keep screaming ‘it’s 1939’ again, but ultimately Hitler didn’t lose over a million men fighting for nearly 4 years and destroying his economy in the process. It’s a different ball game. NATO needs to build up, deter, deter, deter, then Russia won’t play silly buggers. 

You were saying last week that we were 2-3 years away from a European war.

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Without restructuring railways, this is essentially paying for the inevitable increase in rail costs with general taxation instead of commuters paying themselves. 

They would be better off forcing rail companies to put in place flex season tickets - i.e. you pay for 20 tickets not a month and can use them whenever.  Must better for the current world of Hybrid working.

Other countries seem to make it work. If we're looking for instance at Denmark re: immigration, surely we can look at solutions abroad?

[leicsmac]

4 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Ukraine is a pawn between west/east. It’s sad but that’s geopolitics. Maybe I’m naive but I don’t see the reason why Putin would want to invade any other European nation. The only risk is maybe Lithuania so they can get a path to Kaliningrad, but if de-escalation in Ukraine occurs then diplomacy can fix that. The big risk is a misinterpretation or accident leading to a bigger confrontation. People keep screaming ‘it’s 1939’ again, but ultimately Hitler didn’t lose over a million men fighting for nearly 4 years and destroying his economy in the process. It’s a different ball game. NATO needs to build up, deter, deter, deter, then Russia won’t play silly buggers. 

And, pardon for repeating, but that mindset is inimical to and therefore unacceptable for any kind of decent future at all. The advertised idea that such "geopolitics" is the most pragmatic idea when it appears to completely ignore the need for global unity as a necessity on quite a few issues is both tragic and laughable. 

 

That being said, I'm also inclined to think that if this deal goes ahead, Putin will not play toy soldiers for a while at least. But that's only because the economic and manpower damage that's been done to Russia is severe enough to give him pause. 

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Other countries seem to make it work. If we're looking for instance at Denmark re: immigration, surely we can look at solutions abroad?

I'd ask every nation around the land size of the UK to look to Korea in terms of public transport infrastructure tbh. It's one thing they get absolutely right. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Visited my bro-in-law over the weekend. He lives in-between Bristol and Bath. 

 

I think I saw 2-3 Asian or African people in that time and yet all they talked about was immigration and how terrible P****s are.

[leicsmac]

3 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Visited my bro-in-law over the weekend. He lives in-between Bristol and Bath. 

 

I think I saw 2-3 Asian or African people in that time and yet all they talked about was immigration and how terrible P****s are.

Just goes to show how effective it is to sell a message via social media these days and how perception is outranking fact. 

 

An issue that in real terms of effect economically and physically is maybe just about in the top five in terms of importance has become a lightning rod so powerful a party leads the polls based solely upon it. 

Edited 24 November 2025 by leicsmac

[Jon the Hat]

4 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Visited my bro-in-law over the weekend. He lives in-between Bristol and Bath. 

 

I think I saw 2-3 Asian or African people in that time and yet all they talked about was immigration and how terrible P****s are.

How depressing. 

 

I love how the demography changes as you move around.  Here in Western Australia there are relatively few black African people, but I do know they are concentrated in a few suburbs.  Its very noticeable to me as I used to work in central London and commute through Croydon.  There are however lots of Chinese and SEA nationalities, which I see less of for example when I in Finland.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Just now, leicsmac said:

Just goes to show how effective it is to sell a message via social media these days. 

 

An issue that in real terms of effect economically and physically is maybe just about in the top five in terms of importance has become a lightning rod so powerful a party leads the polls based solely upon it. 

Honestly, I'd say that legal migration and a reliance on labour from other countries, is a much bigger "problem" than illegal migration.

 

And then that, like you say, would scrape the top 5.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Just now, Jon the Hat said:

There are however lots of Chinese and SEA nationalities, which I see less of for example when I in Finland.

That's our solution to immigration.

 

Make the country darker and colder!

[Jon the Hat]

8 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Just goes to show how effective it is to sell a message via social media these days. 

 

An issue that in real terms of effect economically and physically is maybe just about in the top five in terms of importance has become a lightning rod so powerful a party leads the polls based solely upon it. 

In small town rural areas there have always been xenophobic types.  They don't like people from London down their either.

 

I think we should be careful not to think this is the issue everywhere - in some parts of the country there are genuine scale and integration issues, and they have been told for years that they are racist or xenophobic to talk about the problems, mostly by poeple who don't see them or their problems.  This is how Reform got where they are, and if we ignore it, they will win the next election.

[leicsmac]

3 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

In small town rural areas there have always been xenophobic types.  They don't like people from London down their either.

 

I think we should be careful not to think this is the issue everywhere - in some parts of the country there are genuine scale and integration issues, and they have been told for years that they are racist or xenophobic to talk about the problems, mostly by poeple who don't see them or their problems.  This is how Reform got where they are, and if we ignore it, they will win the next election.

I'm certainly not asking for it to be ignored, for the reasons stated here. 

 

It should, however, have a level of attention proportionate to its importance, rather than vastly above it.

[Lionator]

30 minutes ago, westernpark said:

You were saying last week that we were 2-3 years away from a European war.

We are if we get this wrong 

[Md9]

9 hours ago, Salisbury Fox said:

Here’s the UK, French and German (the E3) counter proposal apparently:

https://en.hvylya.net/news/80-e3-nations-propose-counter-plan-to-trump-s-ukraine-peace-deal-reuters-reports

America will now say the draft that everyone has seen from them and Russia wasn’t real and fake news and make it look like they care a bit because other countries have got involved again 

[BKLFox]

9 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Is it a good policy or bad policy?

Given it's the first freeze in thirty years is it the best outcome for passengers in thirty years?

Of course it’s welcome but my comment is about their flannel of putting £300 back in my pocket as I will not, I will just not have another £300 taken from it.

 

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

I'm certainly not asking for it to be ignored, for the reasons stated here. 

 

It should, however, have a level of attention proportionate to its importance, rather than vastly above it.

I don't think its importance can be overstated in the short term.  Reform are not going to advance anything good, they must be defeated.  

[leicsmac]

18 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

I don't think its importance can be overstated in the short term.  Reform are not going to advance anything good, they must be defeated.  

And that means addressing them on their turf, fair point. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

In small town rural areas there have always been xenophobic types.  They don't like people from London down their either.

 

I think we should be careful not to think this is the issue everywhere - in some parts of the country there are genuine scale and integration issues, and they have been told for years that they are racist or xenophobic to talk about the problems, mostly by poeple who don't see them or their problems.  This is how Reform got where they are, and if we ignore it, they will win the next election.

I also noted that when I went into the local Tesco supermarket there, the amount of stuff that was security tagged.

 

I can only assume it was to stop whitey nicking stuff.

 

There was also a turd in one of the aisles

No, honestly.

[StanSP]

Reeves cutting ISA allowance to £12k from £20k.