Thread 41 Starmer : "Alban Arthan" the returning of the light

[DuncinToffee]

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Welcome to 2026 for political discussion, general chat and taxes in kind.

It's clear from the the interview with Laura K that Jenrick, a remain ally with David Cameron, is defecting for the fight to get rid of this Labour Government.

This is what the Labour Government did this week.

A short clip from that interview

https://bsky.app/profile/implausibleblog.bsky.social/post/3mcl6eefbxk2a

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/8a7aa96dbc4fbe4c
Badenoch
The Tories are stronger without people who don’t believe in loyalty
We are a party of conviction, firmly on the Right. This is why and how we are different from Reform

"You may ask why the Conservative Party didn’t do this before. Well, sorry, but I wasn’t in charge then".

The Tories are never going to look at themselves and examine what went wrong. The Tories will always rewrite history.

Going to be a tricky one for Starmer "Support Trump over Greenland Annexation OR UK will face Tariffs....."

It'll be reported on very negatively, whatever he does.

Wonder what the EU (and NATO) will do?

He’s hoping to be Shadow chancellor.
Tice/Anderson/Pochin/Kruger incapable.
Farage too lazy. Eventually Jenrick just runs the show himself.

It’s exactly the shameless personal ambition he’s displayed for years.

They are relying on people having short attention spans.

Or, more accurately, people having too much other shit on their plates to fact check the Tories and their tales of personal growth. .

Without Farage there wouldn’t be a show to run. He is Reform.

Yes, whatever choice is made it will be reported as the wrong one.

I tend to think that upholding NATO obligations is the right thing given Trump’s unreliability/volatility. We do need reliable partners and to have that we need to be one.

I don’t think he’d vanish. But Jenrick will jostle the others out of the way until it is a two man band.
That said how effective can you be if your resignation speech was left lying around?

I think Jenrick was arrogant enough to think he wouldnt be sacked, he already survived 3? sackable offences.

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/lucy-powell-mp-interview

I enjoyed reading this.

I’ve just watched Jenrick’s interview with Kuensberg. He’s scarily plausible right up to the end when his messiah complex surfaces. It’s easy to see how people would be taken in by him if they were unaware of his past.

Blair named on the Gaza 'Board for Peace' alongside Rubio and Kushner

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/17/a-and-e-broken-wrist-nhs

Another good Saturday read. The comments are excellent in the main as well. The Torygraph, the Daily Fail and the not so Express all participate in doom laden articles that frighten people, especially those who are vulnerable.

We are so lucky to have the NHS. My best friend got the all clear from uterine cancer yesterday. Caught and treated by the NHS in a matter of months since she first went to the GP with symptoms.

In more good news, my DD, who has had a pretty shitty few years with illness followed by redundancy has been offered a new job, with the NHS (as it happens).

Lovely news Best

DH was seriously ill in November. Luckily turned out to be something resolvable. I can't fault the speedy treatment he received. 11 appointments in 4 weeks mostly to confirm there wasn't something else going on as well as the obvious.

I agree. Well done to your daughter and best friends always get support because they give it as well.

@countrygirl99 good news is always welcome.

Great article - the perils of perception indeed.

Lovely to read the positive news. Worth celebrating over the cacophony of doom riddled headlines.

They already tried appeasing to get lower tarifs. Stärker and Lammy worked really hard with the state visit etc etc. I don't blame them for trying. But the problem is as soon as Trump gets what he wants he goes back on his word. So even if the UK and other EU countries just let him have Greenland he'd be back in a few months with another "give me what I want or I'll raise tarifs.

There's no stability or certainty with that man and that's just as bad for business as just having the tarifs.

Great news @BestIsWest !
The Toynbee article reveals something I’ve been battling with a dispirited Labour voting friend lately. She keeps insisting nothing is improving and one of her big moans is the NHS. Doesn’t matter how many figures she sees, she won’t have it that it isn’t getting worse. She’s the opposite though - says it worse particularly in her area, the improvements arent happening there. Given she’s 8n a deprived bit of the red wall I’d be surprised if it’s not actually 8m proving faster there than elsewhere.
The Lucy Powell interview is interesting and she comes across well, but the time of the writer is still annoying, talking about Starmer ‘floundering’ and being concerned that she’s talking to other MPs etc. I dispute Powell’s own words about budget leaks too. There weren’t leaks as the things ‘leaked’ didn’t happen. They were media speculation based on (mainly) Reeves refusing to give a direct answer to questions about eg tax - like absolutely every chancellor before her.

Brilliant news @BestIsWest. Our experience of the NHS over the last six months has been nothing but positive and its remaining that way as Mr B continues to be monitored for potential further cancers. He’s not out of the woods yet but without the exceptional care he’s received we would be in a horrible place now.

Incredible as it may seem, the Tories could dump Brexit and leave Reform and Farage holding the baby. This would see a huge surge in support as the disenfranchised forced into the LibDem tent return.

I know they won't, which is what will make their oblivion more sweet.