British Politics
Been on holiday for a few weeks, surprised to find no general discussion of British politics so though I'd kick one off.
Tory leadership contest is quickly turning into farce. Trump has backed Boris, which should be reason enough for anyone with half a brain to exclude him.
Of the other candidates Rory Stewart looks the best of the outsiders. Surprised to see Cleverly and Javid not further up the betting, but not sure the Tory membership are ready for a brown PM.
https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
Regarding the LD leadership contest, Jo Swinson is miles ahead of any other candidate (and indeed any of the Tory lot). Should be a shoe in.
Finally, it's Groundhog Day in Labour - the more serious the anti-Semitism claims get, the more Corbyn's cronies write their own obituary by blaming it on outlandish conspiracy theories - this week, it's apparently the Jewish Embassy's fault...
2.6 billion is like sofa cushion change... that token is much ado about NOTHING.
Ukraine is not the battle to be fought.
The EU is supposed to have a military thingie going on, but being EU it's just bureaucratic and desk-based.
Europe does now urgently need to step up its hard power. This can be done in leader-to-leader talks and any actual deployment required could be on an ad hoc understanding if the increasingly useless Americans are withholding a NATO consensus. There would be a lot of problems, such as the Poles presently declining to assist Ukraine despite sharing a border, and the difficulty of agreeing on the joint commander, but it may not be unfeasible.
2.6 billion is like sofa cushion change... that token is much ado about NOTHING.
Ukraine is not the battle to be fought.
Europe has given considerably more military assistance to Ukraine in dollar values than the US (Trump is, not surprisingly, lying about that) and at this point American opinion represents a portfolio of junk bonds.
why does this Potato face look like a scared little boy playing in a Man's arena...
show us your leadership little boy without the BIG BOY standing behind your raggedy arse.
send your children and hardware into the face of death and let us know how it felt as you get bent over and sodomized.
No. Worst possible way to deal with joint military approach. Leaders, not that waste of space and time.
Then we will one day probably be in a world where there are multiple major powers and we are part of none of them. We're altready at teh stage where we're so dependent on the usa that resisiting trumps demands over such things as food standards, regulating social media, giving access to the NHS, climate change meaures etc etc is going to be very hard. The EU is also in a significantly weaker position because we left.
I think that's a seriously bad idea. UK cannot go it alone and bits of paper will never be worth a damn when it really matters.
Then we will one day probably be in a world where there are multiple major powers and we are part of none of them. We're altready at teh stage where we're so dependent on the usa that resisiting trumps demands over such things as food standards, regulating social media, giving access to the NHS, climate change meaures etc etc is going to be very hard. The EU is also in a significantly weaker position because we left.
I think that's a seriously bad idea. UK cannot go it alone and bits of paper wil
Putting the EU in charge of anything military is like putting Mr Mackey in charge of the SAS
The EU is at the very early sdage of work in progress. We could be a full part of it
Or we could back the other horse as a very junior partner. They have the bestest riders
Yeah, we could be one of the states of the USE, awesome
Or we could go with China I suppose. Maybe India
We're altready at teh stage where we're so dependent on the usa that resisiting trumps demands over such things as food standards, regulating social media, giving access to the NHS, climate change meaures etc etc is going to be very hard.
The good news is that we will always be able to blame it on those who **** us.
edit: sorry going mad
This coalition thing needs to assume that America will be an unreliable (at best) actor in this, and work on that basis. Probably better to assume it is hostile, frankly, but the noises they are making seem to be 'we can't do this without USA'.
If they can't do it without USA, it will never be enough. Trump and Vance have made it clear they are more a friend to Russia to Europe.
This coalition thing needs to assume that America will be an unreliable (at best) actor in this, and work on that basis. Probably better to assume it is hostile, frankly, but the noises they are making seem to be 'we can't do this without USA'.
If they can't do it without USA, it will never be enough. Trump and Vance have made it clear they are more a friend to Russia to Europe.
Do what? What exactly is "it"? What actually is the coalitions plan? Is it to provide enough weapons and support for the war to stalemate another year or two hoping Putin gives up? Is it to provide enough weapons and support for Ukraine to drive Russia completely out? What exactly is the plan?
At least Trump says he has an actual plan. He says he wants a peace treaty on terms that many feel are too generous to Russia. What exactly is the European coalition's plan?
Read a bit, will you? sheesh.
search page for ' Starmer said four points had been agreed':
compare this to Trump rather more nebulous 'plan'.
search page for ' Starmer said four points had been agreed':
compare this to Trump rather more nebulous 'plan'.
Obviously it is a little light on the details, but I guess reading between the lines there is some expectation that Russia will be the first to cry "uncle" at some point if the pressure is kept up. Maybe that is true, but I just dont see it.
Maybe not Britain, but it seems a lot of nations (especially LOL Germany which purposefully neutered their own ability to generate energy) are making noises like they are the ones getting ready to blink and start giving concessions to get access to Russian energy.
A step in the right direction imo.
Outright ban on new leasehold flats moves closer
Obviously it is a little light on the details, but I guess reading between the lines there is some expectation that Russia will be the first to cry "uncle" at some point if the pressure is kept up. Maybe that is true, but I just dont see it.
Maybe not Britain, but it seems a lot of nations (especially LOL Germany which purposefully neutered their own ability to generate energy) are making noises like they are the ones getting ready to blink and start giving concessions to get access to Russian
Yeah, it's a starting framework. Still better than 'sign away your precious metals, then maybe we can talk peace between you, who we don't like, and Putin, who's our buddy.'
Yeah, it's a starting framework. Still better than 'sign away your precious metals, then maybe we can talk peace between you, who we don't like, and Putin, who's our buddy.'
There are no precious metals to sign away, it was all a lie to allow Trump to save face and claim he recouped money for americans
This coalition thing needs to assume that America will be an unreliable (at best) actor in this, and work on that basis. Probably better to assume it is hostile, frankly, but the noises they are making seem to be 'we can't do this without USA'.
If they can't do it without USA, it will never be enough. Trump and Vance have made it clear they are more a friend to Russia to Europe.
We (and more desperately Ukraine) have to face the stark reality that we are currently very dependent on the usa. Trying to keep them onboard is the only shot in the short term. Stupid psition to have got into but way too late to change that
Simultaneously and urgently we need to work on reducing dependence on the USA.
I don't think it's stupid given USA have been there for so long. But Trump has changed the game, and its time to adjust. I think Europe, or I at least hope Europe, can see that.
I've been advocating for reducing links/dependency on the US for a very long time. Now it's up to Europe (not only the EU) to step up and assume responsibility for its future.
