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.
It is Josh Simons in Makerfield. Only been there since 2024. There was a 5,400 majority over Reform, down from 13-14,000 over the Tories in the 2010s. It's within Greater Manchester, where Burnham may poll well, though these days who knows. One reason the NEC blocked him last time was a fear that Reform might then win the mayoralty. It could look bad to block him again. Streeti
It's looking really bad for starmer now. Blocking him is going to be really tough. We may be getting close to starmer having no choice but to do the decent thing.
I think there's only one reason the NEC blocked burnham last time. I suppose burnham could lose but it looks unlikely.
Wes Streeting is interesting as it looks like he has decided he should (or has to) let burnham have his chance - maybe he will even back him in a coronation.
I didn’t say or import this attack was a hate crime. I did say that wankers like you ignore it because of your deeply embedded Islamophobia, and that if it had been a synagogue you’d have been leaping to the conclusion that it was an anti semitic attack just as you did with the Hendon attacks carried out on the same day as the perpetrator stabbed a Muslim.
Everyone can join the dots except you. I (and the government, the police and everyone else) reasonably concluded that the Golders Green stabbings were very likely anti-sematic. Just because the guy stabbed a Muslim earlier that day, does not mean that if he later stabs some Jews, it precludes this being a racist attack. Only you and a few other racist crackpots are stupid enough to come to this conclusion, no one else.
Meanwhile in Blackburn someone throws a Molotov cocktail through a café window in the middle of the night. No one injured. This is not a story the national press is going with. This does not represent some "double standard" in the treatment of Jews and Muslims, except in the minds of crackpot antisemites like you.
In one of the more surreal moments yesterday, Kemi's roasting of West Streeting got re-tweeted by Nikki Minaj.
To be portrayed on film and TV like Thatcher, Kemi would have to get to No.10 and serve a successful term. That may not be as improbable as it seemed a while back.
In the local elections, Reform polled 27%, Conservatives 20%, Labour 15%, Lib Dems and Greens 14% each, Other 10%. It still doesn't look as if Reform can get an outright majority next time and it might be unwise for Kemi to go into coalition with them (and she doesn't want to). Better perhaps to make Nige form a minority government, like Ramsay Mac's first Labour government, then kick it around from pillar to post. Then Kemi could conceivably get in.
That's assuming Labour don't make a strong recovery and the Green Wave recedes. Might depend what happens with Burnham, but Labour will still get the blame for the sluggish economy while they're in power.
Everyone can join the dots except you. I (and the government, the police and everyone else) reasonably concluded that the Golders Green stabbings were very likely anti-sematic. Just because the guy stabbed a Muslim earlier that day, does not mean that if he later stabs some Jews, it precludes this being a racist attack. Only you and a few other racist crackpots are stupid enoug
As usual you're very confused about what people are saying to you. Your confusion arises from being unable to differentiate between someone saying that there wasn't yet sufficient evidence for you to start creaming your panties about another anti-Semitic event, and them saying that it wasn't an anti-Semitic event. No wonder you failed in the hard sciences, just as you've failed in every other aspect of life.
Also, it's "anti-Semitic" not "anti-sematic" (with an "i" not an "a" at the other end of the keyboard), which you would know if you actually gave a damn about Jewish people instead of salivating over attacks on them as a means of furthering your campaign of hate against people who you think are 'too foreign'.
A rare thing on social media now, a balanced post by a supporter of another party:
Tl;dr Burnham will be a little better than Starmer but not much. Perhaps his biggest electoral asset is his likability.
Burnham allowed to run for selection in Makerfield by-election, Labour's ruling body says
Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC)'s decision to allow Andy Burnham to stand in the Makerfield by-election comes after he was blocked from standing in the Gorton & Denton by-election earlier this year.
The NEC has also set the timeline for the selection contest to take place, with applications to close on Monday 18 May, and a selection meeting occuring on 21 May.
There is, as yet, no definitive timing for the by-election itself, as the writ still needs to be moved in parliament before that date can be set.
And, the Greater Manchester mayor still needs to be selected as the local party's candidate.
In further bad news for Elracist, 11 far right activists have been banned from entering the UK ahead of tomorrow's "Tommy Robinson" organised rally. One of them is this notorious Islamophobic and race-hate lies peddling monstrosity:
Not sure why some Labour MPs think Burnham would be any better than Starmer. (Desperation, possibly.) No evidence for it, and he's quite wibbly-wobbly. In any case we know that switching leaders mid-term does not do the party in power any great favours.
If Burnham does take Makerfield and Labour retain the Manchester mayoralty, that'll be interesting, but the swing to Reform since 2024 means there could be a bit of an upset on both counts.
He voted in favour of the Iraq war and joined Labour Friends of Israel, so I expect more support for the USA and for genocide.
He's already strong favourite to be the next PM after Starmer but I'm never voting for this ****.
We don't really know Burnham's position on anything because he seems to go whichever way he thinks the wind is blowing at the time.
Also, it's "anti-Semitic" not "anti-sematic" (with an "i" not an "a" at the other end of the keyboard), which you would know if you actually gave a damn about Jewish people instead of salivating over attacks on them as a means of furthering your campaign of hate against people who you think are 'too foreign'.
Ironic that "semantics" are all you have...
Not sure why some Labour MPs think Burnham would be any better than Starmer. (Desperation, possibly.) No evidence for it, and he's quite wibbly-wobbly. In any case we know that switching leaders mid-term does not do the party in power any great favours.If Burnham does take Makerfield and Labour retain the Manchester mayoralty, that'll be interesting, but the swing to Reform sin
John Major says hi
It may be desperation but there are no good answers now. Starmer and the whole changed labour, mcsweeney project have converted one of the best opportunities ever for labour into a tragic disaster for labour and the uk. I have no great hopes of Burnham but he may end the changed labour disaster and push public ownership.
I quite like the fact he has a tough bi-election to test him. This is his moment to offer a real alternative to reform or carry on the starmer appeasment. We shall see
No, it's not bad grammar on your part because (and it's quite embarrassing that this has to be pointed out to you) grammar is concerned with the structure of a language as in the silly picture you posted, not the hopeless misspelling of words by someone who hasn't a clue what he's talking about most of the time.
You're just not very bright and I'd stop digging now if I were you.
Speaking at a conference organised by the thinktank Progress on Saturday, Streeting confirmed he would enter any possible leadership race, outlining his belief that the UK needed to pursue a “new special relationship” with the EU, signalling that he wanted to see the country rejoin the trade bloc in the future.
blah ...
Streeting said Britain should rejoin the EU, describing Brexit as a “a catastrophic mistake” and suggested a closer relationship to Europe would help “rebuild our economy and trade, and improve our defence against the shared threats from Russian aggression and America First”.
Andy Burnham says Labour must put energy and water under public control
Greater Manchester mayor suggests programme of renationalisation would be key policy if he succeeds Keir Starmer as PM
He said: “We need a different path completely. What is that path? Put more things back under stronger public control: energy, housing, water, transport.
“I’ve done that with buses in Greater Manchester. I was the first to do it. Margaret Thatcher deregulated them … and then they just work for the private shareholders and not for the paying public.
“I put them back under public control with the £2 fares, so you take that principle and apply it to energy and apply to the water – that’s what I think we need to do.
“The country gave away its control with basic things that people depend upon every day and that was a big mistake in my opinion.”
He probably doesn’t mean it. He’s just trying to broaden his appeal and move the discourse around him on from being the **** who wants to sell the few remaining public assets off to Black Rock and Palantir.
And if he does mean it, it’s because those companies want the UK as an entry point into the EU.
He probably doesn’t mean it. He’s just trying to broaden his appeal and move the discourse around him on from being the **** who wants to sell the few remaining public assets off to Black Rock and Palantir.
And if he does mean it, it’s because those companies want the UK as an entry point into the EU.
Nationalisation of water is likely to cost north of £90,000,000,000, energy the same again. Comparison with Manchester's bus services is daft. If he doesn't present a concrete plan for nationalisation, and how he's going to finance and manage it (however desirable it might be in theory, on a certain view), then he's taking people for mugs.
There needs to be a plan but the economics of we can't afford it are arse over tit.
The companies are taking money out, not putting money in. There is some money that has been 'stolen' and decrepit infrastructure but that's done and we're going to pay for that anyway .
The water bills for thames water alone comes to £2.6 billion a year. There's a huge income for us as well as the cost if we own it.
I’m surprised none of you are talking about the Tommy Robinson march. It sounds like it was a massive success. Anywhere from 150k to 3 million. Probably closer to 300k. It’s good to see these people are doing something to get their country back. It’s a shame Starmer didn’t allow several foreign speakers to attend. I’ve never seen Tommy this happy.
I pray things turn around for you folks.
I’m surprised none of you are talking about the Tommy Robinson march. It sounds like it was a massive success. Anywhere from 150k to 3 million. Probably closer to 300k. It’s good to see these people are doing something to get their country back. It’s a shame Starmer didn’t allow several foreign speakers to attend. I’ve never seen Tommy this happy. I pray things turn around for
Lol, I've got a bridge to sell you if you think it was even close to the lower end of those numbers. Police estimates put it at about 60k, well under half the number that were there the last time a similar event happened in September (and aerial pictures makes it very clear there were far fewer).
I don't know the specifics of the bolded but the whole thing was apparently incredibly US-centric and a significant proportion of the attendees were not particularly impressed about that. Our right-wing agitators have got so swept up in the US MAGA grift that they appear to have largely forgotten how to even rabble-rouse our local racists effectively.
