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.

The local economy in my patch would collapse if the bases were closed, but that's the only argument against doing it. We need to get them gone.

@persephonia

Then they need to look at ways to decouple urgently. The problem is the argument gets circular

No disagreement here...but there are capabilities where it would take the UK and EU decades to replace what the US can provide...

Both Davey and Polanski seem to want the UK to engage in a trade war with the US

Davey and Polanski have the freedom to say XYZ without elaborating on the consequences.

(But I think its probably useful for Davey and Polanski to be saying these things.
It's prepping for any later change in position for Starmer IMV. Labour will want LibDem/Green support if things escalate and they should get it)

Actually I take my last post back. Seen Davey’s message on Bluesky and think he needs to walk that back.

Davey and Polanski need to wind their necks in. It’s easy to shout from the sidelines with no responsibility or accountability.

I’ve just been to look. What a terrible post. It’s repeating an untruth for a start.

That is a two way street.

Why does the US "need" to know what is happening in Europe. If it's such a big boy then let it deal with Russia and China on it's own.

Once again, I disagree.

They should use their freedom to signal to the entire world that the UK -as a functioning democracy and sovereign state - is more than capable of encompassing all voices in a debate. And that there is a clear mood in the UK that this nonsense is getting silly now.

Currently that may not be the actual government position. But at least it's being heard.

Davey and Polanski are the UKs version of the US Democrats who can do fuck all, but their words and actions make it clear the US is not of one people on this.

Well it has it's benefits. Keeps this turd out of the press ...

Turds have a purpose. I am not so sure the same applies to the thoughts of Jacob Rees-Mogg.

As for the comments by Ed Davey and Zack Polanski, an example of real freedom of speech not the kind the supporters of Donald Trump want.

EU trade deal (biggest in US history) halted

I'm glad that they are speaking out. It's amazing how many people who aren't politically engaged, have no idea of what is happening. They need a jolt out of their oblivion.

sadly it's too late now (which may not be an accident). However I would love to know how many people in Britain did realise a war was on until the bombs actually hit the ground ?

My DM was a news hound. 9 O'Clock News. News at 10. Newsnight. QT. Daily Mail. Plus Sunday Times. Possibly borne of growing up in the Blitz. (Could also explain her deep devotion to fantasy and sci-fi as escapism). Something I think I inherited.

Reflecting on that deranged tweet- he really wants the Nobel prize.

He's threatened world security for a trinkit he has in his possession but will never own.

Those going along with this are as batshit as he is.

They aren’t ’speaking out’. They are making cheap party political points. Starmer has been quite clear that Trump’s behaviour is unacceptable. I’m not really sure about it shaking people who don’t know what’s going on. I imagine those who aren’t politically engaged won’t hear this stuff either.

The problem can be you have people like my DF who basically never followed "the news" and would only harumph on the odd occasions he caught it. As I say it was DM who was the news hound and who steered the family (including DF) through the various systems and changes and requirements of modern life.

So he could "get away" with knowing very little about current affairs. Given he ran his own business, this allowed a certain ease of dealing with people.

I will never shake the sight of a very old gentleman at the 2017 general election who had clearly never voted in his life getting instructions from a teller just ahead of me in the queue. To this day I wonder what was the push that particular day.

E2A:

They aren’t ’speaking out’. They are making cheap party political points.

But surely that is free speech ? Again, I'd rather these points are argued in daylight than being censored. We aren't the US yet.

Do we know what Badenoch and Farage have said? I am not on X

Well here is Farage urging Congress to use trade sanctions against the UK.

Although presumably he did it without malice.

Farage

Farage says Trump's tariffs threat 'wrong' and he will be 'having words' with US officials about it at Davos

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, is normally proud of his friendship with Donald Trump, and he rarely criticises him in public. But on Saturday, after Trump announced tariffs on eight Nato countries not supporting his proposed purchase of Greenland, Farage said he did not support the move, which he said would “hurt” the UK.

Farage is quoted by the BBC but they didn't mention Badenoch

And Farage really needs to start keeping track of his lies.

Davos is going to be interesting. Denmark has already pulled out of attending.

Interesting - my Mum absolutely loved Sci fi and fantasy in any form - films/books/collectibles. Can remember our Ltd tv watching always had Dr Who on each week, and a random, one off cinema visit (not their thing much) was to Star Wars. It was my Dad that watched news twice a day although my mum did alongside it was he who worried about missing it - we also had papers delivered and read each day.
However, it was instead their interest in golden age crime fiction that I carried forward.
My parents were so much against Corbyn and any whiff of communism that I wondered what he’d done personally as I found their insistence on how awful it was unusual for them - I later realised why reading my Dad’s NS diary with a lot about the Russians.
My Mum only talked about the local bombings in her last year or so, after my Dad had gone - she also talked about the lodgers they had and reduced food and not knowing where her Dad was based - my Dad never said anything I recall about the actual war though his area wasn’t bombed but he was 8 at the start, 2 years older than my mum so must have recalled it.
Perhaps it was never something to remember but escape from into sci fi.
Thanks for the memories @SerendipityJaneand it’s interesting to consider the reasons. Also to realise it’s no wonder we are forgetting as average people who were around age out and maybe never discussed the realities much anyway.

Great how Farage is going to school the US in ‘friendships’ - does he actually think they will listen to him? Though he’d take the credit if things changed obviously despite him being irrelevant - repulsive creature.
I have normally agreed with Davey’s opinions on Trump, though how it’s been handled I can now see was better - I think he’s maybe going a bit far though. I probably find Diane Abbot’s statement on it better than Davey’s and Polanski’s - clear but not too much.
Good for everyone to have all the views out there though.