Thread 18 Starmer: All sides of the House agree apart from the Trump bootlickers

[DuncinToffee]

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https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5264338-thread-17-starmer-treading-softly?page=40&reply=142243865

Way to go, Donald !

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/norwegian-fuel-supplier-refuses-u-s-warships-over-ukraine/

Norwegian fuel company Haltbakk Bunkers has announced it will cease supplying fuel to U.S. military forces in Norway and American ships docking in Norwegian ports, citing dissatisfaction with recent U.S. policy towards Ukraine.

What a cute little dog! What eyes!

*starmer now "the crowd outside cheering that was totally spontaneous" 🤣

As oppose to putin dragged in crowds cheering with their grannies in a head lock.

I'm not a fan of starmer or this government at all I think they have been utterly atrocious however I think starmer has had an incredibly tough brief to follow and line to walk.
He doesn't have macron easy charm he's far more staid and awkward. But he did extremely well and was obsequious but also happy to push back and hold his own.
Obviously he did well when the cameras were not there because trump said he did well and fought for his country.
Trump and starmer are not natural bedfelllowats

At all but trump does have assets in the UK and did immediately restore Churchill bust!
Farage did say Trump loved the UK so let's go for it.
Well done starmer.

Totally agree with all of this

I briefly saw a "meme" that claimed to be a quote from Sanna Marin to the effect that Europe really should stop telling itself it is weak when it is anything but.

This isn't the 18th century. Europe needs to pull together and protect each other from the various failings of our imperial pasts.

Well we all have an interest in it's success, politics aside. Let us hope that all these leaders can look at the bigger picture.

Also, I confess a tiny amount of pride in seeing the UK doing something it once did naturally. I have not seen it in a long time. And that does give me hope

The idea that Truss was in anyway up to the job given who her most significant £ supporters were (fossil fuels for starters) is for the birds. What advice do you think the Institute of Economic Affairs would have given her? We'd have been one deep in US fracking interests by now anyway.

Sunak obviously had some overlapping interests but had a better grasp of things by far. I think he would have handled things v similarly to Starmer. (The only issue he might have had was his association with California and Trump's weird obsession with height). I suppose he and Musk were very chummy.

Johnson would have been his usual unpredictable trolley.

@bombastix let's hope so but it has taken ages to get them all in, then line ups for photo calls, then sit down and then more press how much time is left to discuss anything?

the red carpet treatment was like a big fuck you to Don and Vlad, well played

? @Notonthestairs what's trumps obsession with height

I think really this are you in or are you out meeting, and the implications of saying that really. Remember that the details will be worked out by the officials later. It's okay.

A united front

I couldn’t stand her. RIP She blocked me on Twitter because I objected to her slagging off William and Kate’s children. Very thin skinned in an Owen Jones sort of way.

Sorry that was meant as a light hearted comment. I was poking fun at Trump (not Sunak) - it's been a long running thing that he's misrepresented his height. It's part of the macho domineering image.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/height-of-pettiness-small-minded-trump-seeks-advantage-from-his-large-frame-in-us-presidential-elections/amp_articleshow/113200528.cms

So do you think Zelenskyy is weak too, given the tweets I posted?

I wonder if these famous minerals that have become the talk of the town will turn out to be like the weapons of mass destruction Saddam had stockpiled all over Iraq ?

No of course not. I don’t see the relevance of this. I doubt if anyone - or anyone sane at least - doesn’t recognise the bind that Zelensky is in.

That’s got nothing to do with perceptions - right or wrong - of Starmer’s visit to and relationship with Trump.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that any PM would have come back as a conquering hero(ine). I’m simply pointing out that Starmer’s reputation post-Trump is not necessarily what the regular posters on here suppose and it may suffer in the future - depending on what happens in lots of ways: tariffs, defence agreements, Chagos, China policy, net zero etc - if we look back and think that Trump’s completely ignored him. That’s not a criticism of Starmer: I think he did well and I doubt any PM would want to deal with a very powerful, capricious and unpleasant President.

@Rummly trump is of course a racist but he did do a rare move in the 80s and gave a woman a huge big special job in his building stuff (Netflix doc on him).
He also initially went for an educated Olympic champion but said having her in the business killed the romance.

https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-celebrates-united-states-foreign-policy-coinciding-moscow-ukraine/

@SerendipityJane I've heard some "experts" talk about this on the radio and they are questioning how much is actually there however maybe this is the ruse and play.

@SerendipityJane interesting and if trump wants to butter putin Up to do a deal, it's clearly working?

It's a great photo and the summit has an air of pomp and circumstance. Lancaster House has had a colourful history, especially in films and TV programmes - The Crown being a notable one.

Queen Victoria on visiting Stafford House, as it was then known, is said to have remarked to the 2nd Duchess of Sutherland 'I have come from my House to your Palace!'

I can see Putin conning Trump (who would automatically ignore anything Obama commissioned) into believing there are untold riches in Ukraine if only Trump could deal with the troublesome Zelensky.

"No problem" says the every predictable Trump.

"You know what would work ?" says Vlad. "Maybe a massive display of your manliness in front of the worlds press"

"Hey, Vlad, that's a bigly idea !"
"Yes, Don-ald. One of you best yet !"
"Hey, you're right. It is a great idea. I'm right about everything."

and so it unfolded. Putin basically selling Trump down the river. A helpful Trump is useful. A US in civil war is priceless.

On the European front, I think it’s highly doubtful that Europe will be able to do anything meaningful for Ukraine’s security without the US. The European leaders’ meetings are really only of any worth in deciding how best to appeal to the US for help.

If NATO (for which read the US) is compromised, Poland, Finland and the Baltic states must be desperately eyeing up their own defences.

@Rummly I don't think this time, trump et Al are hanging them out the window by their ankles.