British Politics

Starmer is really awful. He's unable to show real leadership when it matters, authoritarianism being a poor substitute. I'm never voting for this genocide-enabling ****.

Labour's position only shifted once the likes of Australia, Canada and New Zealand had called for an immediate ceasefire.

Yep SNP only interesting in sniping, not engaging.

The last actual PM to sit in the Lords was Lord Salisbury in 1895-1902. Lord Home was nominally PM for three weeks while Parliament was in recess, meaning he was not technically a member of either House, until he got into the Commons via by-election having renounced his earldom under the new law created for Tony Benn's benefit that July. Under the present convention you must be able to command the confidence of the House of Commons before the Sovereign can ask you to form a government.

Mr Speaker seems to have made a bit of a procedural error which resulted in the usual Westminster fracas. It makes no difference at all either way to the situation in Gaza, of course, nor could it, it's all posturing.

I agree it's utterly pointless having symbolic votes on this. It just puts MPs at the mercy of Islamic nuttjobs when they vote in a way that is not to Allah's pleasing.

We should just help Gazans as much as possible with aid.

I dont doubt for a moment that there are very real dangers to MPS but we're being bullshitted on this. KS's concern is voters who are deserting labour over their Gaza stance. He was desperate to avoid voting against a ceasefire because of voters not extremists.

I also dont agree it's entirely symbolic.

I agree 100% that is KS's concern. However, the threats, bullying and intimidation are real.

Pro-Palestinian protesters hold demonstr...

It appears to be just a question of time before we have another MP murdered by an Islamic terrorist.

Just Stop Oil also think it's acceptable to protest outside MPs homes.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I've no doubt they are real

They were also real when KS was happy to whip his MPs into voting against the ceasefire last time. MPs in favour of a ceasefire being heaviltyt pressured to vote against despite the dangers. Mysteriosuly it only mattered enough to change parliamentary behavior when it was to KS's electoral advantage. *******

As did the old UK mod around these parts. I was a pretty lone voice arguing against harassing politicians/etc outside of their workplace.

Protesting against politicians you are unable to remove from office until they or the five year electoral clock decide it's time, is perfectly reasonable and a good way to focus minds. This is not the same as harassment.

They should be grateful there aren't guillotines outside.

Notice how the resident anti-immigrationist phrases posts to make it appear that MPs are routinely murdered by Islamists, when in fact Jo Cox was murdered by...an anti-immigrationist.

It results I'n MPs particularly women dealing with far right extremists, antiabortionists, other extremists etc.

It is harassment and it will principally target the best of MPs while the rich ****ers will retreat to their gated communities.

Came to make this exact point. If far-right protesters were outside a female left wing MP's house then there is 0% chance you would feel this way.

I think a better way to convince everyone that homes should be a no-no, is the fact that other people live there other than the person you are protesting

Yes, but those stupid little children should know better than to be born into a political family.

It's a close call if you encounter (or look for) a politician in public, but in a private capacity.

I met local politicians I really dislike in restaurants, once at a dentist even, but I tend to hate the idea of disrupting people who have nothing to do with them.

But I can understand for others it might be different and I don't have a strong opinion on this

Also online. Harrassment is a serious problem for a democracy.

It's fun when it's the right targets and a worthy cause but in geeral it isnt anything like that.

Protesting outside a private residence if unacceptable. Constituency offices, that's fine, parliament is fine, but protesting outside a private residence is harrassment imo.

Protests and demonstrations in public spaces are an intrinsic part of this country's history and you're a bunch of fascists for wanting to suppress them.

Protest, marches etc are vital. That's nothing to do with it.

Protesting outside Parliament against a particular MPs behaviour or voting record is valid though pointless and they may not even see it.

Protesting outside a constituency office is valid but will only deter the MP from having surgeries ie doing the job they were appointed to.

Harassing politicians at their homes and in restaurants is a British thing too? I always assumed that was just something American leftists did, but didn't think it was also a British thing.

It's protests that we are talking about.