Thread 17: Starmer: Treading softly.

[DuncinToffee]

Lettuce pray

Keep it civil

Cat, dog, flowers tax much appreciated

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5257111-thread-16-starmer-mad-world?page=40

Badenoch needs to get her head out of her arse and start paying attention to what's happening in the world.
She's supposed to be a fucking leader, but she's about 5 steps behind.

As few as that?

I was being generous...

She's pursuing money $ not votes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gxgxl3grgo

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.

It’s all getting very 1938.
Though on the plus side, Trump seems to have done the impossible and united Europe. Against him, but hey ho.

Absolutely.
I texted a friend in the US tonight with this...
It's often been said that America came late to both WW1 and WW2. I think that Trump wants to ensure that he causes so much destabilisation that he's there right at the start of WW3. Appeasing Hitler didn't work in 1938 and it won't work on Putin in 2025.
He agreed.

The BBC cut out jokes about Trump by David Tennant at the BAFTAs

Ouch. Obviously feeling nervous.

I heard one?

I see all this talk about increasing defence spending. I also see a lot of people complaining about tax increases and also not wanting spending cuts.

I don't see anyone saying where the increase in defence spending will come from and how it will be paid.

If they want to increase front line troops, they need to sort out the recruitment process quickly. It's currently fubar.

The borrowing rules will be thrown on the fire I guess.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal

Oh, wait for the MN scaremongering threads on that!

Agree @BIossomtoes . Governments always find the money for defence/war when needed.

I wonder how this will go down

Badenoch and Farage to vie for attention of Trump allies at London summit

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/17/badenoch-farage-trump-allies-london-rightwing-arc-summit

Well that conference (full of fossil fuel companies and religious right wing groups) is exactly why Badenoch used rhetoric about fighting for free speech and Farage/Tice reject climate change.

💰💰💰💰

It certainly makes for strange bedfellows

"But the corporate representatives at the ARC event are on the same attendees list as influential religious right activists...

That includes a senior vice president with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian legal activist group that was responsible in 2022 for helping convince the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to an abortion. The group is reportedly expanding into the UK. "

www.desmog.com/2025/02/16/leaked-oil-executives-donald-trump-allies-attend-jordan-peterson-alliance-for-responsible-citizenship-london-conference/

The optics were bad in the first place but even more so now.

Public initially 50% to 22% favour UK troops to protect/peace keep once a Ukraine settlement.

62-65% support across Conservative, Labour and LibDem, while Reform's 14% vote split 3 ways (33-35 against).

https://bsky.app/profile/luketryl.bsky.social/post/3liebhkjn5k2k

Numbers like that will not be to Farages liking if he plans to push the "Roll over, Lay Down" policy that Tice was excoriated for by JHB last week.

That is assuming Farage and Tice have the same hymnsheet.

With predictable dimness, Badenoch has managed to totally avoid the one change the Tories may have to slay Reform with a single blow. Clearly anyone with any intelligence has abandoned the Tories to their fate.

With a little delicate manouvering, Labour could crush the whole right wing narrative the last six months have advanced with a single stroke using the power of a media that loves binary to their advantage.

Who do you support ? Your country or Putin. Very easy question.

Yup. My son is barred from the military because of an eye condition now treated. He would have loved to join up but so far can’t.

Sunak has given full support to Starmer on Ukraine

In a different universe:
Badenoch praises Trump and ‘populism’ in speech warning of civilisational threats

In her ARC speech, Badenoch took aim at DEI, mass migration, “taking the knee” and claimed “some cultures are better than others”

The Tory party continues to slide towards irrelevance. By now Johnson would have been desperately pivoting into "leading" the Tories against Putin.

Much as I despise the Tories, if they were in power, then I would be behind them if they were standing up to Putin. Unlike Badenoch, it seems, I am a patriot.

Do you have a link re: Sunak please Duncin. Would like to post on another thread.

Sunak's message. I'd say that was unequivocal.

bsky.app/profile/sturdyalex.bsky.social/post/3liekg2dg5s27

"Free speech matters. Some cultures are better than others, and it’s only contentious to say this because honesty has become impossible."

I wonder which Tory MP is going to explain which cultures are better than others?