Thread 32 Starmer - Corn Moon

[DuncinToffee]

Pull up a chair for some friendly chit chat about politics and beyond

Taxes optional but greatly appreciated.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5402603-thread-31-starmer-september-rain?page=40&reply=146949615

As Chair, here is our cross-party joint statement from the Parliamentary Black Caucus, regarding the rising threat of racism and violence from the far-right.👇🏾
https://bsky.app/profile/dawnbutlerbrent.bsky.social/post/3lyscbmf4o226

The L/Ds are a mainstream party that hasn't followed Reform. There are plenty of others.

But then I think 'fixing a church roof' represents a lot more pride than cheering foreign billionaires and knocking the teeth out of the police.

I know loads of people with very different opinions to me. There is a difference I think between your line of thought (that the migration policy of the conservatives was wrong and that regular immigration should have been kept lower) which is quite specific. Like you could say "I don't think they should have let in as many people from HK" and I could agree/disagree with that point. And the big, deliberately nebulous wave of dissatisfaction Musk/SYL like to ride.

I also think there is a difference between wanting a different policy on migration and portraying (eg) Muslim immigrants as " enemy's of democracy/the West", because then it isn't just Muslims who are the enemy but also "bleeding heart liberals" opening our borders through their foolishness. Judges are enemies of the people of they uphold human rights law. Etc etc. I think some in the left lean into the enemies narrative too and it's unhealthy but the "right" (not you) will aways win at grievance identity politics because they invented it.

The conservatives managed to be the worst of both worlds in that they ramped up hostile narratives/immigrants as a threat/enemy language while also letting in (actually inviting) record breaking numbers of immigrants.

I think very few people actually want "open borders with no boundaries" - it's a bit of a straw man. But the language Keir Starmer used in his Island of strangers speech was so stupid - rhetoric/the words used actually do matter. It's just a continuation of the Tory policy and only going to help Reform/the far right.

I joined this thread late this time so haven't paid tax yet.
I thought I'd illustrate a compromise position since they seem so rare in the current climate.
Basil (black) was asleep in the cat bed. Sybil wanted in. She's given up trying to disturb him so has just slept on top of him instead.

They look so cosy, perfect for a chilly day

Starmer: “Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect.

"Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/14/britain-far-right-protesters-flag-keir-starmer

I see all the "freeze peach" advocates in the US are now sacking people for having posted on social media disagreeing with Charlie Kirk.

Even more ironic, given that for all Kirk was a horrendous excuse for a human being, among his abhorrent set of beliefs I think he actually genuinely believed in free speech.

Kirk had his own watchlist

Where the American left walked with their definition of "stochastic terrorism" the American right are really running. Ugh. Completely predictable unfortunately.

Same for paedophiles, as it happens.

I have just been into a part of Kent which is covered in flags. It had a thoroughly menacing atmosphere. Very deprived area. Very nasty vibe

Welcome to parts of Northern Ireland, which is why I left and will never go back to live there.

It is all so depressing. Where will it end?

I hope your family member wasn't hurt yesterday @bombastix.

It was extremely clear what it meant, but just in case it wasn’t, there were five men eyeballing everyone there, all watching as a man who I guess was a recent migrant was kicking off at a bus driver as he didn’t have enough money to get on board, the bus alarm whining.

I couldn’t get out of there fast enough - as did everyone else including a teenage boy who went one stop on the bus to avoid walking past the men watching.

@PandoraSocks - he is fine, thank you.

Where were the coordinated marches when the Tories were dismantling our country by under funding, closing down, and helping increasing more difficulties and unrest in this country over the previous 14 years by playing the divide and conquer game?
Who are the marches for?
Who could really truly believe in Farage as a PM.
It is baloney to think he could lead the UK out of anything.
In my opinion.

Now is the time for Starmer, Badenoch and Davey to come together. And Polanski I supposed. To fight the racist rhetoric of Reform, Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk.

And Keir Starmer needs to get angry. REALLY angry, about all of this and show some heartfelt passion about it all.

And who would you get to report on this ?

Can't see Badenoch getting involved. She thinks that the Tories have a last minute plan to swoop in and turn all the Reformers back to the true faith. Remember how impossibly dim she is.

Starmer's on borrowed time, IMHO.

I don't think anything he says or does now will cut through. He made the Island of Strangers speech. He is chasing the Reform vote.

I think Starmer should call a snap GE. Lance the boil. Let the UK decide once and for all what it wants to be.

If in the very unlikely event Reform got in (and it isn't likely to as it wouldn't be anywhere near ready for a GE right now and it has some competition for far right votes in the form of Advance), it would collapse quickly. It would be horrible, but would be the end for Farage.

If Reform lost, it would also be the end for Farage. Starmer's authority would be re-established and maybe he and the Labour party would find their backbones and actually be the Labour party instead of pandering to the far-right.

There's a venn diagram in there somewhere...

Why should YL and his secret love Musky get a mention in Parliament?

Neither of them support democracy.

Snap general election call? Utter nonsense.

The only road to an election before July 2029 is a vote of no confidence in the commons.

That may or may not be contemporaneous with moves to unseat Starmer.

I have no idea how the Labour party removes a leader - which suggests it's not as easy as it may seem.

An incumbent PM has a nuclear button that isn't available to many heads of state. Both literally (as in big boom) but also metaphorically. They can always call an election before they are deposed. It's highly likely this was how Sunak kept a lid on some of the more extreme members of the Tories.

I know that they don’t! But we (and the government plus opposition) also can’t fail to acknowledge the swell of report for the right - which is being funded by the likes of Musk and Robinson’s backers. There was a LOT of money put into that march - all those giant screens along the route of the march would not have been cheap.

But above all, Starmer really has to show some leadership. (Badenoch would be foolish not to support him IMVHO)

The only road to an election before July 2029 is a vote of no confidence in the commons

No, the PM can call a GE whenever they like. Remember Theresa May's surprise GE?

I don't know, BIWI. It could be playing right into YL and Musk's hands? Better just ignore and get on with things?