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Thread 35 Starmer: Old and smelling of roses

993 replies

DuncinToffee · 14/10/2025 20:26

Pull up a chair for some friendly chit chat about politics, cats, dogs and much more

Taxes optional but greatly appreciated.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5418471-thread-34-starmer-conference-swanwiches-and-a-deputy-leader-contest?page=40

OP posts:
Thread gallery
140
SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:13

BIossomtoes · 24/10/2025 09:21

I think the era of two party politics is on the wane and a good thing too. Genuine cross party politics can only be a good thing.

Hence the all-except-Reform-party parliamentary group looking at electoral reform.

2024 will probably be the last election where two parties get more than 50% of the vote. And that has long been considered an event horizon in democracy.

Remember that grown-up PR would pretty much finish off Reforms ambitions to run a government.

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:14

grannycake · 24/10/2025 09:51

I'm a life long labour voter. I'm Welsh. If I lived in a constituency at risk from Reform I woud definitely do a tactical vote for Plaid - this may have been some of the reason for the collapse of the Labour vote. We already have PR for Senedd elections so no doubt there will be some Reform presence in the Senedd after next year's elections

It's life long voters that allow parties to slip into shitness

Much better to make them feel they have to earn your vote.

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:15

Bookies will not be happy they've been duped by the media too. That spat will be interesting

BestIsWest · 24/10/2025 10:16

Overjoyed at the Caerphilly result.
I’m also a life long Labour member in Wales. I’d definitely have voted Plaid in Caerphilly and in fact have done so once before. However tactical voting aside this is still so bad for Labour.

Will Hayward as always is interesting on this. Disaster for Reform, Catastrophic for Labour.

This is a disaster for Reform. They poured everything into this. They banked on getting disengaged voters out to vote. But the problem with disengaged voters is they are, well, disengaged. They haven’t managed to mobilise their vote in the way they hoped.

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:19

However:

The Caerphilly by-election has seen 50.43% of voters take part.

So one in two voters either couldn't give a shit, or would be happy with whoever won.

It's hardly the French Revolution.

cardibach · 24/10/2025 10:19

PandoraSocks · 24/10/2025 09:23

I think that is very true Cardi. I don't know about you, but a few of my Welsh Labour friends are turning to PC, as have I.

Yup. Me too.

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:19

They banked on getting disengaged voters out to vote. But the problem with disengaged voters is they are, well, disengaged.

A flaw in the strategy that was noted before.

cardibach · 24/10/2025 10:23

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:14

It's life long voters that allow parties to slip into shitness

Much better to make them feel they have to earn your vote.

In fairness, I’m a life long Labour voter too (for Westminster anyway - I’ve voted Plaid in local and Senedd elections a number of times) but it’s because they have earned it. I agree (or have done anyway) with their underlying ethos and most of their policies.

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 10:27

What's Caerphilly and Clacton got in common?

Neither's likely to see Nigel Farage today.

😂

I noticed he 'boycotted' PMQs, as has been pointed out, he hasn't bothered to apply for a question since July.
Lazy gobshite.

OP posts:
placemats · 24/10/2025 10:30

If Farage thinks that Reform will fall from grace with the electorate, he'll dump and start another party. He's proved he's not loyal.

Efacsen · 24/10/2025 10:31

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 10:27

What's Caerphilly and Clacton got in common?

Neither's likely to see Nigel Farage today.

😂

I noticed he 'boycotted' PMQs, as has been pointed out, he hasn't bothered to apply for a question since July.
Lazy gobshite.

And was complaining that he was ignored at PMQs so sat in the visitors gallery with Aaron Banks

What an attention seeking child he is

placemats · 24/10/2025 10:37

In Wales PC certainly is a good alternative to Labour and would cooperate within the Senedd as a coalition. There's not a chance they would work with Reform.

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:39

placemats · 24/10/2025 10:30

If Farage thinks that Reform will fall from grace with the electorate, he'll dump and start another party. He's proved he's not loyal.

Thing Nigel Farage is Reform. He owns it. He runs it. No one else has any say in it's strategy.

If it fails - it's his failure.

I wonder when all those people pouring money into Reform twig that it's really just the Nigel Farage pension scheme and they've been had.

Goldenbear · 24/10/2025 10:43

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 10:02

From UKIP to Brexit Party to Reform.

Oh yes, I forgot about the Brexit party, I suppose because they kept a low profile due to the years of decline that followed.

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 10:48

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:39

Thing Nigel Farage is Reform. He owns it. He runs it. No one else has any say in it's strategy.

If it fails - it's his failure.

I wonder when all those people pouring money into Reform twig that it's really just the Nigel Farage pension scheme and they've been had.

Russians have their ways to get their investment back......

OP posts:
SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:49

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:14

It's life long voters that allow parties to slip into shitness

Much better to make them feel they have to earn your vote.

and ...

Thread 35 Starmer: Old and smelling of roses
DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 10:50

😅

OP posts:
SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 10:51

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 10:48

Russians have their ways to get their investment back......

Well now they have switched to the c-word, it's possible to pull back unbanked donations.

Remember that regardless of where you get your c-word, you need to tell HMRC when you turn it into any fiat currency. If I didn't know how much of a details man Farright is, I'd remind him myself.

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 12:30

Oops

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn095n9qd87o
Key China spy case witness removed 'enemy' from evidence under Tories

OP posts:
DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 13:19

7 by-elections, Reform won in Paulsgrove (Portsmouth), gained from localists PIP who didn't stand.

Others were Lib Dems (4),Tory and Labour

OP posts:
placemats · 24/10/2025 13:28

The far right will always eat each other up because there's so little room for manoeuvre.

Notonthestairs · 24/10/2025 14:58

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 12:30

Oops

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn095n9qd87o
Key China spy case witness removed 'enemy' from evidence under Tories

Well.

Did the Tories have amnesia? assume people were too lazy to go back and check? Ridiculous posturing from them.

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 15:03

It distracts fom Philps and Lam's mass deportation plan which has been compared to Idi Amin's policy

OP posts:
BIossomtoes · 24/10/2025 15:07

DuncinToffee · 24/10/2025 15:03

It distracts fom Philps and Lam's mass deportation plan which has been compared to Idi Amin's policy

Well, if the Tory vote share in Caerphilly is replicated elsewhere that will be the least of anyone’s worries - 2%!

SerendipityJane · 24/10/2025 15:38

BIossomtoes · 24/10/2025 15:07

Well, if the Tory vote share in Caerphilly is replicated elsewhere that will be the least of anyone’s worries - 2%!

There is a line from a song about "doesn't know he's dead" ... which pretty much sums up the totally lost party now.

Never have I been so pleased to be correct in my rune casting that the decision to have a rigged referendum and then the attempt to cash in on the results would prove kyrptonite for whatever party was stupid enough to do it.

No matter how bad Labours woes may be, they can still say "At least we aren't the Tories".