Thread 33 Starmer - Gerst Monath

[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/5405579-thread-32-starmer-corn-moon?page=40&reply=147167011

The BBC are worried about their Charter - fangirling Reform to ward them off won't work though.
Paul Marshall, Legatum and friends will make sure of that.

It's sad and pathetic that they think this. That ship sailed 15 years ago.

It's like a lot of big animals that get shot by hunters. They can take a hell of along time until they realise they are dead.

https://www.leyf.org.uk/about/meet-the-team/june-osullivan/

OBE.

I think its more like siding with a bully to escape being targeted and then realisation that nothing you do will be enough to keep you safe. Particularly given that their vested interests (GB news) run directly contrary to your survival.
Having a few Tories in leadership/editorial positions isn't going to save you now!

https://x.com/JuneOSullivan/status/1963725033072714204

June's x feed. Complaining about not being able to pay a bill.

Wait? She is a social justice and child poverty campaigner? Interesting.

Speaking of the BBC, where are their critical instincts ?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cddmr6v0jpzo

A spokesperson for the duchess said her subsequent email to Epstein, describing him as a friend, had been sent because she was trying to counter a threat from him to sue her for defamation - and that she still really regretted any association with him.
"This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats," said a statement from her spokesman at the weekend, when the email to Epstein had been published.
The email exchange was several years after Epstein's jailing for sex offences in 2008.

Sorry - on what planet can a convicted felon "sue for defamation" ?

“There should be a high bar for politicians attacking the media, but maybe Ed Davey has half a point here?

For example, the first three paragraphs of this BBC story repeat Reform's £243bn figure without saying that the thinktank behind the estimate now disowns it. (This is mentioned in paragraph 35)”

(And if you look at para 35 it barely scratches the surface of the disputed numbers before switching back to Farage).

https://bsky.app/profile/henrymance.ft.com/post/bsky.app/profile/henrymance.ft.com/post/3lzgubtc6p22t

Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage said the UK should not be "the world's food bank". What a disgusting thing to say.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c930xypxpqpo

I’m just surprised that people think Reform weren’t like this. I mean, they didn’t pretend at all today, hell knows what the rhetoric will be like if they got elected.

It will also drag the Labour Party and Conservatives to have tougher policies on ILR which they’re already discussing.

bombastix · Today 19:24

I’m just surprised that people think Reform weren’t like this. I mean, they didn’t pretend at all today, hell knows what the rhetoric will be like if they got elected.

I spotted this ad, earlier and decided it was worth capturing for all those d'oh moments.

It's not letting me add it

Farage made very clear who he was when he promoted Brexit

Hmm

Yeah, the "net takers" versus "net contributers" line. You need people in the higher tax band. But you also need people doing the less well paid jobs. They are contributing to the UK in other ways. But if people accept that framing for "foreigners" then the next step is all lower paid workers (non high tax payers) are sponging of the state. And you can cut NHS care, housing benefits, etc.

Pathetic.

"A bid to end Reform UK’s controversial ban on speaking to the Nottingham Post has failed after councillors “talked out” the move. Opposition councillors failed to end the ban last week after Reform councillors voted against allowing time for it to be debated."
https://bsky.app/profile/josiah.writes.news/post/3lzh4duivj22h

I'm watching with dismay. This is how Trump started out - even if Reform implodes, there will be plenty of people watching how their ideas land.

It does not help that the other thread I ventured on today was about newly-qualified nurses struggling to find work because;
a) budgets are frozen/cut and
b) The NHS/Boriswave lead to overseas over-recruitment, leaving fewer vacancies for homegrown graduates.

I have not had a chance to dig into the claims and see how true they are. In some ways, it does not matter. People hear from their neighbours or friends how x and y can't find work and will have to become bank staff or go to Australia, whilst the local hospital is short staffed and they keep getting bumped for appointments. The anger builds from there.

Then they see the "1,000" migrant headline from the BBC and the Telegraph's front page about Afghan refugees going back home for holidays, and they feel like they are being taken for mugs. Boris came into power on the back of a protest vote. So did Brexit. I'm concerned we are being set up for round 3.

Citizen, are you a contributor or a taker under our new Reform government?

And by doing so, drive away those that understand the economy, net contributors, blah blah, blah. But, I suppose these Labour voters are not needed anymore.

From Ben Jennings, Guardian

That was sarcasm by the way Re: Net Contributors but I don't understand the abandonment of the Labour vote that will never vote for a pseudo Reform party.

In a bit of US news, Jimmy Kimmel's show is coming back on the air on Tuesday. I don't think Trump will be pleased.

Interesting and surprising.

He is spouting dangerous nonsense about autism and vaccines now, he is putting the lives of women and children at risk

Inject bleach levels of insanity

Eta Trump that is

And just a couple of weeks ago -

https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1934

Malhotra was writing the Reform health plan wasn’t he?