Good on Kemi!

The corruption, incompetence and lying around Covid is certainly a factor in judging the 2019-24 régime, but it is definitely not all of it. What made it poor was a whole combination of factors including the crumbling schools, courts, prisons and hospitals, ever-deteriorating care system (and whatever happened to that promise about care home fees?), ignoring the Post Office scandal, tanking the economy, and especially the succession of scandals and constant lying. Those things were happening before Covid and their continuation really cannot be blamed on it.

It was always obvious Rwanda wouldn't work. It was unlawful, it wasn't going to have any effect on immigration, and it cost an absolute fortune. It was very typical of the regime's approach to politics - they wanted something showy that would appeal to the right wing, they were happy to give the appearance of being nasty to ethnic minorities, but they hoped they could keep its failure under wraps long enough that they wouldn't be around to be blamed for it when it became clear.

People defending it tend to forget conveniently that Johnson was ultimately forced out because he appointed a sexually predatory person to a position of power within the party and lied about it, leading to the resignations of 62 government ministers, PPSs, trade envoys and party vice-chairmen, with numerous other MPs refusing to take their places and serve under him. On any interpretation that is the marker of a spectacular failure as a government, only outstripped in the incompetence stakes by that of Truss.

The corruption, incompetence and lying around Covid is certainly a factor in judging the 2019-24 régime, but it is definitely not all of it. What made it poor was a whole combination of factors including the crumbling schools, courts, prisons and hospitals, ever-deteriorating care system (and whatever happened to that promise about care home fees?), ignoring the Post Office scandal, tanking the economy, and especially the succession of scandals and constant lying. Those things were happening before Covid and their continuation really cannot be blamed on it.

It was always obvious Rwanda wouldn't work. It was unlawful, it wasn't going to have any effect on immigration, and it cost an absolute fortune. It was very typical of the regime's approach to politics - they wanted something showy that would appeal to the right wing, they were happy to give the appearance of being nasty to ethnic minorities, but they hoped they could keep its failure under wraps long enough that they wouldn't be around to be blamed for it when it became clear.

People defending it tend to forget conveniently that Johnson was ultimately forced out because he appointed a sexually predatory person to a position of power within the party and lied about it, leading to the resignations of 62 government ministers, PPSs, trade envoys and party vice-chairmen, with numerous other MPs refusing to take their places and serve under him. On any interpretation that is the marker of a spectacular failure as a government, only outstripped in the incompetence stakes by that of Truss.

The immigration issue I agree with.

Proroguing Parliament was something made of nothing. Ridiculous fuss and epitomised how utterly spineless and pathetic the whole of Parliament was, trying to fight back using any weapon against the result of the referendum and undermining the UKs position. They all disgraced themselves. Particularly Keir Starmer. Who has subsequently proven he really is no believer in democracy anyway.

Truss is usually wheeled out as some great disaster. I think Rachel Reeves will turn out to have shafted everyone a lot worse unfortunately. And in any event the polls agree that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are the most unpopular people who have ever held their respective jobs. So most people judge them to have performed worse than Truss and Kwarteng.

Rwanda...pointless because we never knew if it would work. Because Keir stopped it before it even started, without anything effective to replace it with. He will end up with something similar I expect. Another U turn.

And as I said the majority of that period was covid and the effects of covid subsequently.

And Reeves would have gone the same way after her ‘mistake’, but fortunately for her there was bigger news at the time which pushed her under the radar. They’re all as crooked as they come in the Labour Party. It’s true when they’re described as champagne socialists. Want to put their foot on the heads of the upper working classes and middle classes, but are quite happy to adopt the same lifestyle for themselves, by lies and fraud if they need to.

Badenoch & others on this thread, totally trashed Starmer for threatening to ban X over sexualised images on Grok.

X stepped back and will reprogram Grok...

Badenochs approach would have meant these images would have continued.

Starmer showed, when it matters, he can be strong, same over Trump and Greenland.

Sacking someone who has already said he is defecting, isn't strong, she had no choice, as has said herself.

Fantastic for reform, not so good for the conservatives. I think a lot of posters are desperately deluded.

Badenoch & others on this thread, totally trashed Starmer for threatening to ban X over sexualised images on Grok.

X stepped back and will reprogram Grok...

Badenochs approach would have meant these images would have continued.

Starmer showed, when it matters, he can be strong, same over Trump and Greenland.

Sacking someone who has already said he is defecting, isn't strong, she had no choice, as has said herself.

Didn't he resign from that post because he disagreed with the Conservatives policy?

Exactly what it says. It’s hardly ambiguous.

"to the disappointment of people like you"

What's that supposed to mean?

The economy isn’t booming but, to the disappointment of people like you, nor is it crashing and the IMF is unlikely to come knocking anytime soon as some posters were predicting not long ago. It will be interesting to see where we are at this point in 2029.

Unfortunately most people in the UK dont share your joy and optimism at this allegedly great booming economy. As shown by the polls. Most people have real life experience of Labour's policies in some way or another hence why we all hate them. Or most of us.

I feel sorry and scared for young people mostly.

I don’t know about disgraced, but Jenrick seems most angry about the Tories’ immigration record.

He was the immigration minister.

Is Robert Jenrick "failed and disgraced"?

What about Danny Kruger?.

What about the new leader of Reform in Scotland? He has had an amazingly successful life.

People just want to see the end of this awful Labour government.

As with so many elections in the UK, the outcome will most likely revolve around votes against a particular party as opposed to votes in favour of another.

I will vote in whichever way is best to remove Labour. That means my vote would be different depending which constituency I live in. I am far from alone with that approach.

We actually know quite a lot about Reform. It's just that some people are choosing not to look.

You mean the failed and disgraced Tories?

She has definitely improved but lets face it, who has ever arrived in a job on day 1 and didnt need some time to bed in. I think she is growing into the role and it might be a long shot, but id love to see her take the next election and be our PM. She might be less polished and make a few mistakes but I trust her and its been a long time since I felt that way about a politician.

Yes I like that about her a lot, even though she is further right that me. She did badly when she was first leader but I think she’s improving. And she makes a nice contrast to Starmer who is hard to pin down.

I think she should be less attacky though. That just reminds me she’s a politician. She is far stronger in her “common sense” style.

We actually know quite a lot about Reform. It's just that some people are choosing not to look.

No councils are asking for this but i think those calling for pojntless elections on councils about to be abolished, should pay for the elections with higher council tax....

Almost all trials resulting in a jail sentence are not held under a jury system already...

Banging people up for online abuse? you do realise the Govt don't prosecute people... let alone sentence them...