Thread 21 Starmer - Casting Nasturtiums

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5298316-thread-20-starmer-spring-statement?page=40&reply=143217222

Respectful and supportive discussion of things political and beyond

Cat, dog, flowers, haberdashery tax most welcome

He was high surely. Nobody rational and sober behaves like that. VDs glasses spoke volumes.

He’s always been like that (which doesn’t discount drugs I suppose!)

Don’t know about high but he was highly obnoxious! I feel cross on behalf of VD. 😡

Plus part of me wishes she added after “go ahead “ make my day punk !

What a vile man! What a way to speak to someone.

What an arrogant tit. That was a hard watch.

I could see the thought bubble saying "please don't call him a bellend on TV...resist! "

Really wish she had @PickAChew !
No jury would convict…

Late to join. Cat tax.

Happy Finns are still happy, despite their nightmare neighbours.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr72xep44kdo

Late with my tax. I'm an awful photographer, but I was very excited to see a Kite.

Love seeing kites. They’ve become really common round here. There was one over the house the other day. Twenty years ago we never saw them this far south.

VD has the patience of a saint.

Red Kites are supposedly so common to the NE that we had buses in their honour. Anyone who sat through The Dumping Ground with a tween might have seen one of these at Consett bus station.
https://transportdesigned.com/ayearofbuses-145-red-kite-newcastle-consett/

Yeah, but French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese etc. wines are even better, are cheaper, and don't have to come half way around the world...

We have a beautiful wine made locally to us, some of the grapes are grown a 5 minute walk from my house. It's pricier than the usual bottles from the supermarket, so a proper treat when we have it.

Livia Tossici-Bolt convicted of breaching abortion clinics buffer zone. Good.

Yes, it is a horrible thing to do. There will be a lot of outrage. Two tier etc.

The reason abortion clinics need buffer zones at all is because of those people that think they know better than the women directly involved. Tossici-Bolt is leader of a chapter of 40 Days For Life which wants to end abortions (amongst other things like closing planned parenthood centres in the US) - she certainly came with a specific angle.
Tossici-Bolt objected to the buffer zone when it was created in 2022 so knew exactly where it was.
She was asked to move away when she first entered it to hold up her sign and she refused.

Given her past history I conclude it was a deliberate act to be arrested and charged in order to gain publicity and - I admit this thought is highly cynical - as bait for US funding from ADF.

Forgot to mention that Tossici-Bolt was offered the opportunity to pay a FPN rather than go to court - the fact that she chose court suggests that she wants to re-litigate the existence of buffer zones at all.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gr30z4lnlo

District Judge Orla Austin told the court of the defendant: "She lacks insight that her presence could have a detrimental effect on the women attending the clinic, their associates, staff and members of the public."

She added: "I accept her beliefs were truly held beliefs. Although it's accepted this defendant held pro-life views, it's important to note this case is not about the rights and wrongs about abortion but about whether the defendant was in breach of the PSPO (Public Spaces Protection Order)."

https://humanists.uk/2025/04/02/how-us-funded-anti-abortion-activism-in-the-uk-now-threatens-us-uk-trade-deal/

US-funded anti-abortion activity has been growing in recent years. But this week it has exploded onto the front pages as it is now reportedly threatening the UK getting a trade deal with the US. A UK-US trade deal was a proposed alternative to the UK being hit by the ‘global tariffs’ promised by President Trump.

As if it’s not bad enough that US women have been thrown under the bus. They can fuck right off.

From the linked to the Humanist article -

"But the US fears around free speech in the UK are unfounded. Safe access zones do not stop people from protesting against others having abortions, or from praying that they don’t. They just prevent them from doing so in a way likely to cause others alarm or distress, or that takes away their privacy. They simply require protestors to move 150 metres down the road."

What they want is to get up close to the clinic and anyone attending it or working there.

It also refers to Livia Tossici-Bolt as a "seasoned anti-abortion campaigner"

And that Adam Smith-Connor, another Bournemouth protestor, was referred to by Vance in his Munich Security Conference speech.

And that Adam Smith-Connor, another Bournemouth protestor, was referred to by Vance in his Munich Security Conference speech.

I expect Father of the Year Musk will stick his oar (and $$$) in soon.