General News Thread

[martyn]

2 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Time for Keir to go, an election, and the coronation of Sir King Lord Earl of Farage. 

Election called with Labour pledging to rejoin the EU. 

[Lionator]

2 minutes ago, martyn said:

Election called with Labour pledging to rejoin the EU. 

Would be a clever move from Labour, would basically make it a two way battle between them and Reform which gives them the best chance. Equally if young people jump

to the Greens then Labour would be screwed. 

[martyn]

3 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Would be a clever move from Labour, would basically make it a two way battle between them and Reform which gives them the best chance. Equally if young people jump

to the Greens then Labour would be screwed. 

Tbh, im hoping Starmer survives this, gets a competent comms team around him, and living standards improve enough closer to the end of term to effect the polls accordingly.

 

Wishful thinking i know.

[bovril]

Just now, martyn said:

Tbh, im hoping Starmer survives this, gets a competent comms team around him, and living standards improve enough closer to the end of term to effect the polls accordingly.

 

Wishful thinking i know.

This is not what I was expecting Ian Marshall to say 

[bovril]

8 minutes ago, martyn said:

Election called with Labour pledging to rejoin the EU. 

Labour win, we rejoin, the EU put 29 year transitional controls on young Brits freedom of movement to stop them all moving to Poland for work

[danny.]

1 hour ago, bovril said:

Shame to see European culture being diluted by mass immigration of people with violent tendencies and weird food who don't speak the language  

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/inside-wetherspoons-first-pub-spain-36691887

100%, I watched a bit of some trash TV at the weekend and it was Brits going to Spain, all absolute creatures and they made zero attempt to even speak basic Spanish let along try and actually assimilate into the local culture.

Not sure if you were being sarcastic but I genuinely hate to see this, and Brits moving to some parts of Spain is a prime example. But I guess if one thinks it's fine for people to immigrate and make no effort to integrate then one can't be annoyed at the Brit "ex-pats" either.

[Tommy G]

7 minutes ago, danny. said:

100%, I watched a bit of some trash TV at the weekend and it was Brits going to Spain, all absolute creatures and they made zero attempt to even speak basic Spanish let along try and actually assimilate into the local culture.

Not sure if you were being sarcastic but I genuinely hate to see this, and Brits moving to some parts of Spain is a prime example. But I guess if one thinks it's fine for people to immigrate and make no effort to integrate then one can't be annoyed at the Brit "ex-pats" either.

The only positive for the chav ex pats is at least they are pumping money into the local economy in forms of cheap beer and fry ups. Tongue in cheek but I'm not sure many are taking from the state.

[bovril]

20 minutes ago, danny. said:

100%, I watched a bit of some trash TV at the weekend and it was Brits going to Spain, all absolute creatures and they made zero attempt to even speak basic Spanish let along try and actually assimilate into the local culture.

Not sure if you were being sarcastic but I genuinely hate to see this, and Brits moving to some parts of Spain is a prime example. But I guess if one thinks it's fine for people to immigrate and make no effort to integrate then one can't be annoyed at the Brit "ex-pats" either.

I was exaggerating for semi comic effect but no I am not a fan. You're right of course that it doesn't really matter if it's Brits in Spain or e.g. Lithuanians in the UK. What I would say is that Brit retirees in Spain often have less of an excuse as they have the money, property and free time to assimilate more whereas economic migrants in the UK often have fewer options and need to stick together. And as you say, some (I stress some) Brits in Spain really are the worst of the worst. I feel bad for the normal ones being associated with them.

 

To be honest I was pretty live and let live about it until I lost my own FoM which many of those ex-pats voted for unfortunately.

Edited 9 February by bovril

[danny.]

2 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

The only positive for the chav ex pats is at least they are pumping money into the local economy in forms of cheap beer and fry ups. Tongue in cheek but I'm not sure many are taking from the state.

They are still, to a point, erasing the indigenous culture. If that happens everywhere we simply lose the cultures (as many have been lost in the past). And culture and art are a huge part of what sets humanity apart from other animals for me. It's a positive to have a range of diverse cultures in the world, and they need to be conserved or lost. I guess that's a political viewpoint though as I know many are fine with erasure and the loss of cultures.

[Tommy G]

14 minutes ago, danny. said:

They are still, to a point, erasing the indigenous culture. If that happens everywhere we simply lose the cultures (as many have been lost in the past). And culture and art are a huge part of what sets humanity apart from other animals for me. It's a positive to have a range of diverse cultures in the world, and they need to be conserved or lost. I guess that's a political viewpoint though as I know many are fine with erasure and the loss of cultures.

No I agree 

[Jattdogg]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/trump-gordie-howe-bridge-9.7081924

 

Oh look goal post moving again.  What's tomorrow? Going to say we owe them trillions for using "america" when discussing North America. 

 

Fuk offff you douche canoe.

[spacemunky]

22 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/trump-gordie-howe-bridge-9.7081924

 

Oh look goal post moving again.  What's tomorrow? Going to say we owe them trillions for using "america" when discussing North America. 

 

Fuk offff you douche canoe.

I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve," Trump wrote in the post on Monday.

 

 

We will do exactly that.

 

[Jattdogg]

9 minutes ago, spacemunky said:

I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve," Trump wrote in the post on Monday.

 

 

We will do exactly that.

 

He is a clown.  Boycott USA!

[accessory]

10 hours ago, Lionator said:

Time for Keir to go, an election, and the coronation of Sir King Lord Earl of Farage. 

When Starmer quits, six of the last eight PMs will have left office in the middle of a parliament (ie outside a general election).

 

With a majority of well over 100, and a term of office lasting until July 2029, doubt any incoming Labour leader will call an election any time soon - certainly not while a crook like Farage is seen as the most likely successor..

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, spacemunky said:

I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve," Trump wrote in the post on Monday.

 

 

We will do exactly that.

 

"You're not having your ball back untill you say sorry, so ner!"

[Sampson]

6 hours ago, Jattdogg said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/trump-gordie-howe-bridge-9.7081924

 

Oh look goal post moving again.  What's tomorrow? Going to say we owe them trillions for using "america" when discussing North America. 

 

Fuk offff you douche canoe.

This is why appeasement doesn’t work, it just emboldens Trump to move the goalposts more and more and before you know it he’ll be talking about invading the Falklands, the Shetlands and stoking up division in Northern Ireland and trying to destroy that hard fought peace. 

Edited 10 February by Sampson

[Sampson]

16 hours ago, martyn said:

Election called with Labour pledging to rejoin the EU. 

Would be the one thing that would be certain to get me to vote for them tbf

[st albans fox]

Trying to work out what streeting is up to.  He’s certainly not supporting Starmer with his WhatsApp leak.  Looks like he’s attempting to show that he wasn’t mandelson’s political lap dog which is positioning himself for a run at the top job.  But it’s very clumsy and will have repercussions for the whole govt with its content. 

[leicsmac]

45 minutes ago, Sampson said:

This is why appeasement doesn’t work, it just emboldens Trump to move the goalposts more and more and before you know it he’ll be talking about invading the Falklands, the Shetlands and stoking up division in Northern Ireland and trying to destroy that hard fought peace. 

You would have thought this was obvious from the start.

[st albans fox]

1 minute ago, Sampson said:

Would be the one thing that would be certain to get me to vote for them tbf

Genuine question - how can anyone pledge to rejoin the EU ?  It’s way too vague.  They can promise to explore the possibility but their opponents would just shoot down a rejoin commitment as being ‘labour pledge to join euro and ditch pound’ 

 

and they’d not win on that basis 

[Sampson]

34 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Genuine question - how can anyone pledge to rejoin the EU ?  It’s way too vague.  They can promise to explore the possibility but their opponents would just shoot down a rejoin commitment as being ‘labour pledge to join euro and ditch pound’ 

 

and they’d not win on that basis 

This continues this weird assumption that voters will go from Labour to Reform which they aren’t particularly doing.  Labour are losing votes en masse to the Greens and LibDems who are the pro-EU parties, not Reform. Reform gain voters en masse from the Tories not Labour.

You don’t need to join the euro, many countries just never meet the criteria, but I think it’s a moot point regardless in terms of winning or losing votes, plenty of polls show joining the euro isn’t a particularly big discouragement from wanting to rejoin the eu. The Greens have pledged to join the eu and it’s one of the main reasons way more Labour voters have gone over to them than Farage.

 

The opposition will shout whatever, the same way Boris said we’d still be using EU passport’ lines and Farage said we’d stay in the single market during the referendum, Badenoch shouts “betrayal” at a limited youth movement scheme - and Labour aren’t winning the next election currently anyway without pulling something really bold and statement making out the hat like this - who of the remaining Labour voters are really going to go to Reform if they say these things? Not many, but there’s a lot of potential to win back votes from the Greens and LibDems, so I don’t get your point? Farage will say these things anyway. But polls show a good majority thinks Brexit has been an overwhelming failure and want to rejoin. 

Edited 10 February by Sampson

[st albans fox]

22 minutes ago, Sampson said:

This continues this weird assumption that voters will go from Labour to Reform which they aren’t particularly doing.  Labour are losing votes en masse to the Greens and LibDems who are the pro-EU parties, not Reform. Reform gain voters en masse from the Tories not Labour.

You don’t need to join the euro, many countries just never meet the criteria, but I think it’s a moot point regardless in terms of winning or losing votes, plenty of polls show joining the euro isn’t a particularly big discouragement from wanting to rejoin the eu. The Greens have pledged to join the eu and it’s one of the main reasons way more Labour voters have gone over to them than Farage.

 

The opposition will shout whatever, the same way Boris said we’d still be using EU passport’ lines and Farage said we’d stay in the single market during the referendum, Badenoch shouts “betrayal” at a limited youth movement scheme - and Labour aren’t winning the next election currently anyway without pulling something really bold and statement making out the hat like this - who of the remaining Labour voters are really going to go to Reform if they say these things? Not many, but there’s a lot of potential to win back votes from the Greens and LibDems, so I don’t get your point? Farage will say these things anyway. But polls show a good majority thinks Brexit has been an overwhelming failure and want to rejoin. 

Facts are irrelevant - that’s why we voted to leave 

 

I accept that the eu might allow us to rejoin without taking the euro but I reckon they’d want it front and centre. We’ve chucked all our opt outs in the bin. The majority wanting back in will drift back to 50/50 at best once the brexiteers can shout about the pound and all those opt outs having gone. Basically we rejoin on worse terms (re their precious ‘sovereignty’ ) than we left!   the greens and Lib Dem’s are not considered serious parties of govt so they’ve not been challenged on all these matters.  The left and centre left is split across labour, greens and Lib Dem’s. The right and centre right the same.  We’re years from a GE unless labour commit political suicide. 
 

[Sampson]

8 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Facts are irrelevant - that’s why we voted to leave 

 

I accept that the eu might allow us to rejoin without taking the euro but I reckon they’d want it front and centre. We’ve chucked all our opt outs in the bin. The majority wanting back in will drift back to 50/50 at best once the brexiteers can shout about the pound and all those opt outs having gone. Basically we rejoin on worse terms (re their precious ‘sovereignty’ ) than we left!   the greens and Lib Dem’s are not considered serious parties of govt so they’ve not been challenged on all these matters.  The left and centre left is split across labour, greens and Lib Dem’s. The right and centre right the same.  We’re years from a GE unless labour commit political suicide. 
 

I think you’re agreeing with me here . The point is how split the vote is on both sides and that Labour only need probably less than 10% of the vote back from the Greens and LibDems to gain a majority and they have  way chance of gaining that back from the Greens and LibDems than they do losing it to Reform with a rejoining eu policy - so I don’t think what Farage or Badenoch says matters that much because they’re fighting each other for voters more than they’re fighting Labour. While Labour are fighting Greens and LibDems for voters more than Reform or the Tories - it’s not like 10 years ago where Labour and the Tories were fighting each other to hoover up the voters from the collapsing LibDems. They’re not going to unsplit the Tory/Reform vote by pledging to rejoin the EU, but they would gain plenty of votes back from their own side of the split I reckon.

Edited 10 February by Sampson

[st albans fox]

21 minutes ago, Sampson said:

I think you’re agreeing with me here . The point is how split the vote is on both sides and that Labour only need probably less than 10% of the vote back from the Greens and LibDems to gain a majority and they have  way chance of gaining that back from the Greens and LibDems than they do losing it to Reform with a rejoining eu policy - so I don’t think what Farage or Badenoch says matters that much because they’re fighting each other for voters more than they’re fighting Labour. While Labour are fighting Greens and LibDems for voters more than Reform or the Tories - it’s not like 10 years ago where Labour and the Tories were fighting each other to hoover up the voters from the collapsing LibDems. They’re not going to unsplit the Tory/Reform vote by pledging to rejoin the EU, but they would gain plenty of votes back from their own side of the split I reckon.

For all his faults, I think Starmer is labours best chance of winning in 2029. I think Polanski will fold like a cheap suit once the heat is really on him. (if the greens ever gets that far to attract real heat).  The majority of the electorate are centre left and centre right. Starmer can attract that centre right whereas a leader further to the left won’t. 

 

unless there are skeletons I don’t know about !

[Sampson]

36 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

For all his faults, I think Starmer is labours best chance of winning in 2029. I think Polanski will fold like a cheap suit once the heat is really on him. (if the greens ever gets that far to attract real heat).  The majority of the electorate are centre left and centre right. Starmer can attract that centre right whereas a leader further to the left won’t. 

 

unless there are skeletons I don’t know about !

I think this is an early 2010s, pre-“The Age of Populism (2014-present)” view of the country that isn’t borne out by the data nowadays though - the voting data is very clearly and starkly split by age into a right and left block nowadays and a lot of that is that the Tories or Reform won’t touch the pension system - which parties do you think Starner is winning votes from on the right? Tories or Conservatives? And what about the 33% of his 2024 voters who’ve defected to Greens and LibDems compared to the 8% of voters who’ve defected to Reform?

Edited 10 February by Sampson