UK and European Politics 2024 Thread

[elginCity]

The lesser spotted high quality phone in caller is a beauty to behold.

Starmer's commitment to pleasing all of the people all of the time will always tie him up in knots. Hope he grows a pair (no trans joke intended) once elected.

Starmer’s still in campaign mode - the ‘laser like focus’ on winning the contest. Overplaying the ‘toolmaker’ and ‘DPP’ cards, he’s quite a naive political operator in many ways.

Looking forward to his actions, rather than words. Especially the pledged reforming government - I’m cautiously optimistic.

 

[arthur]

In Starmer’s defence I would say that he was being thoroughly Sunaked in that intervew - not allowed to get half a dozen words out before being interrupted.

This is not forensic interviewing - there are political positions that it takes more than half a dozen words to explain. And if the positiion is absurd, the more opportunity there is to explain it, the more the absurdity is evident.

I hope this form of debating is not going to become the norm...

 

[tavyred]

Starmer’s still in campaign mode - the ‘laser like focus’ on winning the contest. Overplaying the ‘toolmaker’ and ‘DPP’ cards, he’s quite a naive political operator in many ways.

Looking forward to his actions, rather than words. Especially the pledged reforming government - I’m cautiously optimistic.

On that subject Peter Hitchens is convinced that Starmer will lead one of the most dangerously (in his view) radical governments in our history. So perhaps your optimism is well founded.

 

[arthur]

Unless the two main parties get their act together Reform will win more seats than has been expected.

Farage has been given a free ride as neither Labour or the Tories have wanted to attack Reform - Labour because it feels Reform will take Tory votes and help it win, the Tories because they have chosen to stand on the same platform and appeal to the same voters.

But with a large number of undecided voters who see the election as already decided the potential for a significant Reform vote is huge.

Farage might have done us all a favour by forcing the major parties to up their game (both of them have been dire so far), but I'm not holding my breath

 

[Mid Devon Grecian]

As disingenuous interviews go I thought Mr Ed’s performance yesterday was right up there. I thought NR scuppered him big time on the LD habit of playing to the NIMBY crowd big time to gain and keep seats/councils in Tory areas whilst simultaneously trying to portray themselves at a national level as progressive when it comes to house building. It was a similar story I thought with their incoherent Brexit position.
They’re about to do very well next Thursday but it’s only because they exist as a useful safe vent for disaffected centrist Tories every 10-15 years.
BTW if the UK is a “hellhole’” it’ll be partly down to those whole host of LD Ministers who served with such gusto in the Cameron/Osborne ‘austerity’ Government 2010-15.

I was talking specifically about his response re the Post Office Horizon scandal. Thought he explained it very well. If anything he was naive in believing what he was being told by various parties. He indicated he’d learnt from the experience.

 

[Mid Devon Grecian]

We have our problems here in the UK i'll grant you that but to call the UK a hell hole is extreme to say the least, Bad term to use imo.

To you and I it might not be a ‘hell hole’ but to many others it is.

As long as you don’t get ill, hold on to a good job and you’re a homeowner with either no or a manageable mortgage you’ll be ok.

Falling down hospitals and schools, cut after cut in public services, broken roads, broken railways, shit pumped into rivers, lakes and the sea. Make sure you don’t have a mental health breakdown, there’s no help. Make sure you’re not too sick to work as you’ll be treated as a skiver and punished by the state.

I think many of us more privileged citizens fail to put ourselves in others shoes.

 

[DB9]

To you and I it might not be a ‘hell hole’ but to many others it is.

As long as you don’t get ill, hold on to a good job and you’re a homeowner with either no or a manageable mortgage you’ll be ok.

Falling down hospitals and schools, cut after cut in public services, broken roads, broken railways, shit pumped into rivers, lakes and the sea. Make sure you don’t have a mental health breakdown, there’s no help. Make sure you’re not too sick to work as you’ll be treated as a skiver and punished by the state.

I think many of us more privileged citizens fail to put ourselves in others shoes.

As I've said things aint perfect but i'll wager you there are worse countries that you can really call hell holes, As for privilege, You have not idea what my life is, How my finances are etc, My employment status. All the things you've said are fixable, We have the power of vote, Whether in a local GE or National GE. I will state it again, This country is NOT a hell hole.

 

[Mid Devon Grecian]

As I've said things aint perfect but i'll wager you there are worse countries that you can really call hell holes, As for privilege, You have not idea what my life is, How my finances are etc, My employment status. All the things you've said are fixable, We have the power of vote, Whether in a local GE or National GE. I will state it again, This country is NOT a hell hole.

It was perhaps an over exaggeration, and I’m just making the point that for many it is something close to a hell hole and that the decline in basic infrastructure and support for those without means is going to be extremely difficult to reverse.

Not saying it can’t be reversed but it’ll be a mammoth task. We’ve had a party in power for 14 years that’s been more intent on tearing itself apart than attending to the Nations needs.

 

[Trapdoor]

On that subject Peter Hitchens is convinced that Starmer will lead one of the most dangerously (in his view) radical governments in our history. So perhaps your optimism is well founded.

Well if Peter Hitchens is worried that's a good thing. That ***** would outlaw same sex marriage and defends peadophiles.

 

[lamrobhero]

Re " a hell hole" do the Office of National Statistics (ONS) publish statistics about wealth / income distribution or the base wage needed to be able to buy "necessities". If not why not ?