This was in January
Westminster Politics
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
This was in January
They are already doing that, by keeping silent on somethings and by indicating they won't be reckless they are working very hard to capture middle of the road/disappointed Tories, or Tories who are not in the 'nasty party' Tory grouping. They are also not giving the RW press any real ammunition or targets to have a go at, certainly not before the GE run-in starts. Most of all though they are relying on the traditional Labour vote, that includes the far left, and they are hoping these traditional voters will know their intentions anyway and trust them.
The crucial thing being Labour have to keep everyone happy for this first GE, because the first term Labour government simply has to stop the rot..... the reality is it will not be able to do much more.
It will take two or three terms to move the dial as far as they want, and the reality is that their 'super large' majority (assuming it happens) will get eaten way at the next election especially if the Tory party recovers its 'we are the natural party of government' credentials. By the third term enough dial movement will have been achieved so that Labour can (rightly) ask the electorate for a third term, to finish the job.
The left although upset about many things, can help Labour win its 'super majority' and play a part in moving the dial, and in which direction; or it can be insulted, spoil ballots, or vote for others who have no chance and In so doing it will open the way for the Tories to realistically plan a quick return.
Labours priorities in its first term (in my opinion) should be to administer the emergency TLC needed for Health & Education, and plan a real drive on housing and on developing decent employment (with training) prospects and this needs full union support on this, not just the nodding of heads.
Another chance like this to move the dial for working folk will not come along in the foreseeable future, the left has to make sure its doesn't do the Tories job for them.
She even got the books wrong. Holding up the one with the Union Flag on when she said The United States and the one with The Star and Stripes when she said The UK.
One of the biggest scandals in recent politics will be how Andrew Jenkyns went on the honours list. A loathsome politician and a nasty piece of work.
The way I see it, I'm not voting for Labour by default, I'm not a Labour member and I never will be a member to any party. I'm not ruling out voting Labour but as it stands I'm leaning against them. For me I'll just look at a combination of the local candidates and what the manifesto's are decide based on that.
I won't vote Tory or any other right wing group but I'll consider all other options. I'm just not going to vote Labour based on greater good concept that they may make things better over the next 10 years, I don't believe in any party that much to be giving them a vote based on that.
Alan Duncan being investigated by Conservative Party after criticising fellow Tories for Israel support
Sir Alan, a former government minister, called for his fellow Conservatives Lord Polak, Lord Pickles and Tom Tugendhat to face repercussions over their support of Israel on LBC on Thursday.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: "Following his comments on LBC this morning, Alan Duncan has been informed in writing that he is under investigation by the party."
Investigations of this kind can take a few weeks, and can result in a member being expelled from the party.
Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Sir Alan also called for arms sales to Israel to be stopped "immediately".
"I think that anything in support of what is becoming a total catastrophe in Gaza is morally unacceptable and what we have to accept is it’s not just what they’re doing now is wrong – it’s what Israel has been doing for years has been wrong because the Israeli defence does not follow international law," he said.
"It has been backing and supporting illegal settlers in the West Bank who steal Palestinian land and it is that land theft, that annexation of Palestine, which is the origin of the problem, which has given rise to the Hamas atrocity and the battles we’re seeing."
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/alan-duncan-investigated-conservative-party-israel/
Sir Alan, a former government minister, called for his fellow Conservatives Lord Polak, Lord Pickles and Tom Tugendhat to face repercussions over their support of Israel on LBC on Thursday.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: "Following his comments on LBC this morning, Alan Duncan has been informed in writing that he is under investigation by the party."
Investigations of this kind can take a few weeks, and can result in a member being expelled from the party.
Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Sir Alan also called for arms sales to Israel to be stopped "immediately".
"I think that anything in support of what is becoming a total catastrophe in Gaza is morally unacceptable and what we have to accept is it’s not just what they’re doing now is wrong – it’s what Israel has been doing for years has been wrong because the Israeli defence does not follow international law," he said.
"It has been backing and supporting illegal settlers in the West Bank who steal Palestinian land and it is that land theft, that annexation of Palestine, which is the origin of the problem, which has given rise to the Hamas atrocity and the battles we’re seeing."
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/alan-duncan-investigated-conservative-party-israel/
Welcome to the resistance Alan
Well worth listening to the interview. He's absolutely bang on.
Never thought a veteran Tory politician would be the voice of reason (putting to shame the pathetic apologist stance from Labour). And I'm glad he named and shamed those Tory MPs and Lords.
Wow, he did not hold back, sliced everyone in the Tory, but not only that, he put every IDF friend in Labour including their leader to shame.
How is the producer not telling Nick Ferrari to stop breathing like an ape into the mic? It’s impossible to listen to the fella with headphones on. He does it every day.
Also - fella was spot on of course.
What this means is that Sunak is closer to grasping the key issue than Starmer and the Labour Party. Wonderful.
She's a total moron, but neither book has a stars and stripes flag on it.
Check again. Maybe not stars, but if you don't want to clutch at straws is clearly the US stripes
Don’t you understand? Starmer has to avoid saying anything that could potentially upset anyone at all. It’s not his fault.
Fair enough, but if Labour doesn't get your vote then (and its not clear from your comments what they would have to do to get your vote) it sounds like you may not be voting for anybody...... who actually has a chance of winning overall (that is if you are ruling out the Tories).
I suppose you may have a local candidate who is a good constituency MP and it would not matter what the candidates politics are, you would vote for them. That's your right of course, but for the uncommitted, Labour offers not only the option of 'not being Tory' and of course 'a change is as good as a rest' (my old mum use to say), but also realistically they are the only party with a strong enough potential majority to move the dial in favour of ordinary folk; who after 14 years of Tory rule, desperately need a government that will represent the needs of the majority and not the elite, or the ones that can shout the loudest.
I can appreciate (considering potentially) voting for a party for three consecutive terms, is a bit of a stretch, given the situation the country finds itself in just now. However, realistically an initial 5 years tenure might be something in which a dynamic government could be successful in overcoming the inertia that now seems to grip the country, almost in every facet of our existence; but to make a real difference, to move the dial etc.....starting from where we are now, will take at least 15 years (3 terms).
On a purely personal level, my advice to voters at the next GE would be not to vote on a one term basis only, but to look realistically at whether;
a) the party you are supporting or likely to support, can keep going beyond one term, stamina, will, commitment,
b) does it have the kind of people in post, who can stay the course, i.e. beyond 1 term, possibly up to 3,
c) does its leader, really lead or is there someone else /group in the shadows pulling the strings,
d) is there some one else waiting in the wings for the incumbent to fall from grace,
e) is what is being proposed over the 3 terms work for the majority of ordinary people, e.g. does it contain aims and objectives for improving; health, education, housing and employment and training opportunities?
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Im sick of the "you should vote for this to not get the other one". The "useful" vote. Is shitty to guilt-trap you to vote for a party/person that doesn't represent and even go against your values and it only propagates the bipartidism that exist in any big western country
Who ever advocates for this are a big part of the problem that we have shitty representatives because they don't feel threatened. They are all part of the establishment and if they win they will be comfortably in the government and if they lose they will be comfortably in the opposition. Never out
Who ever advocates for this are a big part of the problem that we have shitty representatives because they don't feel threatened. They are all part of the establishment and if they win they will be comfortably in the government and if they lose they will be comfortably in the opposition. Never out
Didn’t know MS Paint is still being used.
I would be pretty pissed off if I was King Charles or Aston Martin being used in political campaigning by the Tories
EDIT and the English football team, I didnt spot them initially hiding at the bottom
The MSC Zoe was the ship that lost about 300 containers overboard in the North Sea but is not British anyway.
Second most powerful country in the world at what?
Edit: Nevermind, it is a study in soft power produced by the Henry Jackson Society: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/new-study-ranks-britain-second-powerful-country-world/.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society "would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist ... propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups". He claimed that "The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam".
Edit: Nevermind, it is a study in soft power produced by the Henry Jackson Society: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/new-study-ranks-britain-second-powerful-country-world/.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society "would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist ... propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups". He claimed that "The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam".
Chris Nolan there too.
Maybe he should make a movie about how the Tories have fecked the country!
I do generally agree with the premise but I personally don't believe I owe the Labour party anything to have a guaranteed vote from me. I may well decide Labour is the best party for me to vote for but I think political parties relying on certain demographics to vote for them by default is a dangerous game and potentially leaves those groups unhappy that the party doesn't do much for them.
Yes, I can understand that, I was a member of the Labour party (in my Youth) and even then didn't vote blindly for the party (even though my father did). I do think Starmer is trying to harness voters who would not be natural labour people and in so doing is risking the left leaning element, because he can see maybe once in a lifetime opportunity to move the dial.... A 'super majority'at the next GE, that would get reduced over two or three terms, but keep his government in power long enough to change the course of history of the British working populace, as did the post WW2 labour government with the NHS Act and the Education Act, that empowered millions of ordinary folk, me among them.
Literally all of this only exists as your gut feeling though. You're constantly in this thread explaining the 4D chess that Starmer is playing, based on nothing but your say so and what a party did decades ago.
"According to Brand Finance's 2024 Global Soft Power Index, the UK has retained second place behind the US and has increased its score since 2023."
I gave up digging up info on this Brand Finance lot but before I did I found out that their "secretary" is a guy called David Edward Bickerton HAIGH. This guy also happens to be the "secretary" or director for two dozen other think-tanks, including Royalty Relief Limited (who champion how the Royal Family are Britain's biggest asset), and a bunch of shady groups that don't seem to have anything of note online but appear "dormant" and only have accounts that total £1 according to their public statements on the government website.
The Dark Right!
Worth a go just once though, right? What’s the worst that can happen? Can always take it back next time.
Anyone not voting explicitly anti-Tory at the next election is certifiable.
They both look like Union Jack flags to me. They have the same angles.
One is definitely the Stars and Stripes.
English football team
most people agree they deserved to win the last world cup. a lot of people actually refuse to recognise any other winner.
The one in her right hand looks like red and white stripes to me.
https://x.com/SkyNews/status/1775957318384971875?t=DY8iL6y933szjaM2RkB1CA&s=09
Someone has been a bit silly.
It's news (salacious) about William Wragg - not sure why the post isn't displaying.
Someone has been a bit silly.
It's news (salacious) about William Wragg - not sure why the post isn't displaying.
I subscribed to that myself a year or two ago. I knew Starmer wasn't as left leaning as I am or wanted a Labour leader to be, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
However, since then there have been so many red lines that he's crossed that I've lost count. He can no longer benefit from the doubts. I'm just not giving his version of Labour my votes. It shouldn't be too idealistic to want to give my vote to a party who oppose genocide and favour peace.
They both use this same photo, or at least photos from the same session. It's a union flag.
They both use this same photo, or at least photos from the same session. It's a union flag.
Huh, wonder if they edited it deliberately cos it defo looked like the US on the book.