Anyone in Hartlepool - what on earth is going on

[Purplecatshopaholic]

Genuine question. (Apologies if this is in the wrong place, I don’t post much). I’m Scottish and in Scotland, and I am constantly aware these days of how different the views are of Westminster up here, to across the border sometimes. We also have our own Labour Party leader up here. But really? Is Keir Starmer that bad? Are other parties not available? Who on earth is still voting for Boris…? Any WHY?

We can go back to being a declining country or we can take a chance on a man with a vision.

Tell us what vision he has then. So far we have seen a lot of enrichment of his friends. We have heard him say Fuck Business. We saw him as London Mayor waste money on the garden bridge, and a new design of routemaster bus, which didn't work and the remaining ones have had to be adapted. The firm that made them went into administration.

Ironic how a thread lambasting the LP for being out of touch has posters decrying Angela Rayner as not the right kind of w/c. 'Poorly educated and god forbid a grandmother at 37' Couldn't make it up. (And I'm no supporter)

@hamstersarse

The Tories have never cared about the little man. They sell the dream that if you work hard enough, you'll get there. But not in an underfunded, shit school, leaving with zero career opportunities, and a scant few zero hours MW jobs available to you.

I really hope you do not pass this doom and gloom, woe is me attitude, onto your children.

God help them

Yes indeed. God help anyone acquainted with reality. That’s exactly what life’s like for a lot of people. And you complain about being regarded as privileged.

If you cannot see a potential culture clash between islam and British culture, you are living in a dream world. Homosexuality being just one such potential clash.
Yes, only Muslims are ever homophobic and all Muslims are homophobic.

A well known hard let activist on here used to proudly declare how her DM wanted to " burn down waitrose", and how she had raised her own DC to be open minded and LEFT like her! She admitted she would not tolerate a Tory child

I know. You get this over and over. People on the left who call themselves 'open-minded' and 'tolerant' and 'inclusive'. Yet hate and insult and seek to silence anyone with different views. Just another example of how words have ceased to have meaning to so many on the Left.

It is exactly these people who caused me to leave the left. I just don't want to be associated with that authoritarian, small world, closed minded intolerance. It is everything I disagree with.

Fools rush in...

How patronising

We have a conservative council, things seem well run, the Labour candidate wasn’t offering anything special at all so I voted for the status quo.
Don’t really do party politics in local elections, generally it’s individuals I vote for.

@CervixHaver

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought yesterday's Election was to appoint a Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner?

Plus local government, plus by elections.

I spoilt my police commissioner paper because none of them even bothered to let me know who they were or what they stood for.

@Temp023

We have a conservative council, things seem well run, the Labour candidate wasn’t offering anything special at all so I voted for the status quo. Don’t really do party politics in local elections, generally it’s individuals I vote for.

Yes I think you are right. We should be voting gor individuals. What is the use of party politics in local elections

What is the use of party politics in General Elections either? Where you get safe seats where, if the MP is so minded, can do absolutely bugger all but still get elected.

That's not to say that all in safe seats are like that - some are conscientious.

@Peregrina

We can go back to being a declining country or we can take a chance on a man with a vision.

Tell us what vision he has then. So far we have seen a lot of enrichment of his friends. We have heard him say Fuck Business. We saw him as London Mayor waste money on the garden bridge, and a new design of routemaster bus, which didn't work and the remaining ones have had to be adapted. The firm that made them went into administration.

That's not what put wrightbus into administration.

That's not what put wrightbus into administration.

That may well be the case, but I don't think they got a flood of orders for the Boris Bus, which might have saved them if they had. I don't think anyone else bought them.

Because people are stupid. Because people are selfish. Because Starmer has the leadership skills and charisma of a sea-slug.

BuggerBognor, no, I'm not being obtuse, deliberately or otherwise, thanks for asking. It is pretty disingenuous to make out that by talking about homosexuality in this context I've introduced a brand-new topic to the discussion.

I voted Labour, but am secretly relieved that most of the UK is rejecting identity politics. I have been on the bad end of those recently.

I don't think KS is pro- identity politics, but he hasn't really said so. Until Labour is anti- knee-jerk, identity politics, I'll suffer the Tories.

If you cannot see a potential culture clash between islam and British culture, you are living in a dream world. Homosexuality being just one such potential clash.
Irrelevant to that, was it?

@Puzzledandpissedoff

I'd vote for Tony Benn. Other than that, no. None of them appeal

That might be a bit difficult, on account of him being dead and all ... though even dead, this utterly principled man would probably be more use than the current bunch

I know he is dead. I should have made that clear, that I can never vote Labour because they literally don't have a single decent politician among them. TB was truly excellent.

They weren't suitable for anyone else due to the design of most bus stations, @Peregrina but their streetlites and streetdecks are very popular. Unfortunately, a couple of our big national transport companies have been in dire straits of their own, so, arriva especially, haven't been investing much in new fleet. Go ahead had a big order in when they went under. Before Bamford bought them out, it transpired that there had been some dodgy financial goings on that has not helped their situation. www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/former-wrightbus-workers-angry-at-donations-to-evangelical-church-1.4032990

www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2021/03/curious-case-paul-williams-tweets

Thanks for the link, GlassBoxSpectacular. I had to look up MILF -- god, what a creep Williams is. I can hardly believe a GP and politician would be stupid enough to display his crass sexism so openly on Twitter. Does Labour have a death wish?

@IntermittentParps

If you cannot see a potential culture clash between islam and British culture, you are living in a dream world. Homosexuality being just one such potential clash. Yes, only Muslims are ever homophobic and all Muslims are homophobic.

Half of British Muslims think homosexuality should be illegal

Nearly half think gay people shouldn’t be allowed to be teachers.

This is when identity politics gets really interesting

Work that one out

"Now, the tories, whatever you think of them, have rewarded Hartlepool (and Teeside) with a Freeport for putting their faith in the tories at the last election. Neighbouring ports with hardcore Labour councils were sidelined in favour of those port towns willing to give the tories a chance." I'm sure all parties are at this to some extent but to me this feels like extremely naked bribery.

Tony Benn RIP was one of Labour's most fervent Euro-sceptics and would definitely have been a thorn in the side of the present-day Labour party.

A lovely man, he sent a very nice thank you note when we sent him a copy of a book we had published.

Reporting from the Cornish Council elections, Labour had won four seats a few minutes ago (one by only 8 votes) and Mebyon Kernow had won five. One Green, in another student location.