Thread 28 Starmer - Weodmonath

[DuncinToffee]

The month of Agustus we call the weed month in our language, for these grow most in this month.”

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5371734-thread-27-starmer-hes-a-very-clever-cat?page=40&reply=146154992

I have low expectations of public transport, I grew up in a very rural area where the only bus was to the nearest small town’s market once a week it came past in the morning and back in the afternoon! I was amazed by the frequent cheap buses at my grandma’s house in South Yorkshire, I remember under 16’s could travel anywhere for 10p after decimalisation.

I really think we have to improve public transport to give young people opportunities, it is no good offering courses they can’t get to. Our local news was running a story about hospitality businesses in the Lake District trying to encourage young people to stay in the area and work for them. The lack of affordable accommodation is also a huge issue, many people are bussed in from cheaper areas.

This could be a reason for MN threads

https://bsky.app/profile/logatex.bsky.social/post/3lwbdtbgae22e

Tommy Robinson fondly invoking the days when the East End was run by gangsters and women were in danger of being killed

Vance met with Jenrick and Philps yesterday, next is Farage's turn but no meeting with Badenoch.

I don't know if Davey got an invite.

Aside from the fact that Yaxley Lennon's nostalgia focuses on murderers, I'm not sure he's read much history of the East End.

Clearly Vance can see where the future lies for the Tory party.

I was just reading a thread on reddit, about a benefit-bashing thread on MN which has been deleted. The OP hadn’t c+p the thread, so I have no idea what it said - but this was the deletion message:

This thread has been deleted
Hi, all. We can't see that this thread is going to be conducive to a civil debate, so we've removed it.

Would love to see that used on some anti-immigration threads!

I highly doubt Davey is Vance's cup of tea.

I see the US state department chose to criticise UK safe access zones around abortion clinics again. Vance can get in the bin.

Aye but they have to register them with VOSA, these days.

Something which the stroke of a pen could change.

I repeat my antipathy to the low energy thinking that imagines that "you can't do that because <x>" where <x> is simply an artificial madey-uppy thing than can be changed in a heartbeat. What is most amusing and annoying in turn, is that this sort of non-thinking seems to settle in the minds of the very people who blather on about "sov-ren-tea" and all that bollocks.

Parliament can do anything it wants. So when parliament doesn't do something it's not because of Newtons fourth law. It's because parliament chooses not to do that.

That can't be overstated. Change income tax ? Of course they could. Abolish VAT on something. Of course they can.

Whenever any politicians says "can't" people need to mentally remember that it's "won't". And make their decisions accordingly.

It was the usual shite about disabled people driving Porsches etc.

Leaving this little nugget from Nicola “Brass Neck” Sturgeon who has apparently decided Scotland is too small to hold her big ideas. England not yet a foreign country apparently. Save us all from provincial nationalism it seems

www.scotsman.com/news/politics/suffocating-nicola-sturgeon-considering-move-to-london-to-avoid-goldfish-bowl-scrutiny-5268096#disqus-comment-section

Paywall!

eta: Oops, sorry.

Labour to revive Northern Powerhouse Rail project

Starmer and Reeves expected to announce move before Labour conference

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/13/labour-to-revive-northern-powerhouse-rail-project-trains?

There was a comment in today’s Times Diary page about the level of accuracy in the memoirs "Nicola Sturgeon’s memoir has claimed independence from factual accuracy.” Perhaps close chum Val has been giving lessons in creative writing:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/e3efc465-c90b-485a-ac54-edff326eb500?shareToken=6b62311471c5d9fa56ec4a8084920901

There was an article earlier in the week looking at some of the reverse ferrets which raised a few eyebrows with Scottish colleagues, especially those in Labour who suggested the move to London was due to more support south of the border than north at the moment. (granted they are not impartial!)

Meanwhile, I'm starting to see loads of CGT "discussion" in various fora.

Something in the water ? Or a preemptive reaction to something in the works ?

The average two-year mortgage rate has dipped below 5% for the first time since former Prime Minister Liz Truss's mini-budget in September 2022, figures show.

Wealth tax?

The warm weather has brought new species to UK waters

There seems to be a parallel "Everyone is talking about it" movement of people whining that they are paying too mach tax and it would be "fairer" if we all paid a bit more.

When they say "we" they really mean "you". And when they say "fairer" they mean they shouldn't pay any.

It's looking like the latest con is to say to people "the reason you can't afford a house is because we are all paying stamp duty and CGT. If you abolish those, then of course you can all afford a house".

I guess the logic is it worked with Brexit.

Speaking of which:

He posts on the Brexit thread

I have zero time for her. The idea she’s going to run around London with her freshly minted liberal ideas as she’s grown out of Scotland is nauseating. Stoke a lot provincial narrow minded nonsense and then hide in England.

Just worth pausing to reflect that the population of London is c. 9 million and the population of Scotland 6 million (and that is very much rounding up).

If we treat Scotland and Wales as separate countries, then we have 56 million living in England of which 9 million are in London alone (so more than 1 in 7). Or you could take Wales and Scotland together, and still be smaller in population than one city in England.

This is so abnormal as to be unique. I can't think of any other country that has such a complex and weighted population.

This addresses Sturgeons talking about seeking asylum in England as well as some of the points about other cities in England upthread.

That figure for people living in London of course excludes those in the home counties who commute in daily ...

Well, I shall read her book with great interest, personally, having met her several times when we were both 15.

Rather than taking a Times filter of what they say she says, I might add.

I’m also looking forward to reading it. I had a lot of time for her.

There is probably more support for Scottish independence in England than in Scotland, though probably not for the same reasons.

£2.4 million spent on a superinjunction

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/world/europe/uk-data-breach-afghan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.d08.XFKA.6weK0Onki9rm&smid=url-share

U.K. Secretly Spent $3.2 Million to Stop Journalists From Reporting on Data Breach

After British authorities accidentally exposed information about 19,000 Afghans, the government sought a legal order preventing disclosure of the breach.