Thread 54 Starmer: Grev Søppelbøttefjes Sommergalskap

[DuncinToffee]

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https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5548897-thread-53-starmer-insania-aestiva?page=39&reply=153451733

The Reform manifesto is hardly inspiring. The candidate’s priority is apparently to dig for dirt on Burnham.

I think she would hate their response to her death actually. I remember that she said there shouldn’t be an overreaction to David Amiss’s death (he was a close friend). She said politicians shouldn’t give into fear or increase security. They must always remain accessible to the public. (Despite that murder having clearly been a terrorist act.)

Anne Widdicombe had genuine convictions I think. They weren't mine, but I think she was genuine about pushing for what she thought was right. Even if it's very far from what I thought was "for the good" it's part of living in the world that different people can want What's best and disagree on what best is.
That's a world away from the grifting,.would sell their grandmother for cash, of Farage or the gleeful pursuit of causingcm chaos for chaos sake that seems to motivate the Cummings of this world. In that sense she was by far the best member of Reform.

Saw this in comments BTL in the Guardian politics: Binface v Bungface.

... Jonathan Pie chatting with Geoff Norcoytt on a podcast, and (possibly from character) Norcott suggested that Binface would have to come up with new "whacky" manifesto pledges every day to maintain the news cycle.

It was said in the tone of someone who doubted it was possible. I think the reverse ... the press will be queuing up daily to get a Binface quote.

I suspect more than a bit of projection, there.

It's quite obvious that if you front a party that purports to be anti establishment then that party has to be upfront about donations and funding. Reform UK hasn't done this.

That's the way I viewed her too. I never warmed towards her, and disagreed with her on most things, but I always appreciated the way she stuck to her principles. And I respected her Christian conviction.

I've known quite a few people like her at the various churches I've attended.

Has anyone else had trouble with the site?

I got bot checked when I opened it just now but otherwise it’s fine @placemats

Yep. Down for about an hour. Big spike of reports on downdetector.

Yes, it was down for me for about two hours.

Yes, I had problems getting on here. They apparently had to verify I wasn’t a ‘bot’.

Yes, I couldn't get in for ages.

Have only just got back on.

Same here.

Same here

According to Site Stuff it was a server error

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15970781/spies-watching-Reform-sleaze-trail-leads-Kremlin-HODGES.html

On September 26, 2025, Nathan Gill, the former Reform leader in Wales, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery, following an extensive investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.

Gill had received £40,000 in payments from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician, Oleh Voloshyn – once described by the US government as a 'pawn' of Russian secret services – to make statements that would 'benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine'.

Following his conviction, Nigel Farage expressed his shock: 'I'd known this person for a very long time. I knew him in the European Parliament in the Ukip days to be a God-fearing Christian, somebody you would think was the least corruptible person that you would know.'

At which point the story basically died. Gill was, in Farage's own words, just one 'rotten apple'. Voloshyn was just one crazy Ukrainian. There was nothing much more to see.

Except suddenly there is. Over the course of the past week, Farage's party has been consumed by a blizzard of fresh allegations, prompting him to resign his seat and take his case to the people of Clacton (with a man dressed as a bin in tow).

Fresh revelations emerged about his relationship with 'Posh George' Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, who gave the Reform leader a series of donations in kind in the run-up to the 2024 election, which were not declared to the parliamentary authorities.

It then emerged that the Metropolitan Police had opened an investigation into Reform's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick and donations he had received during his 2024 Tory leadership bid.

Then it was reported that a fresh police investigation had been launched into two separate £250,000 donations made by Cottrell's mother to Reform back in 2024.

Concerned citizens.

Twelve arrested over threat to an Islamic event in Suffolk - BBC News https://share.google/AyAA8xtBGmkAa4i5Q

"We need candidates with the five Cs: they must be clever, have charisma, communication skills, conviction and, most importantly, be Conservative."

Badenoch's take on prospective candidates standing for the Conservatives. Hmm...

Oh and also be committed to leaving the ECHR and not believing in net zero.

There's more charisma in my lawn mower than Badenoch.

Intelligence not required.

... and I bet your lawn mower does a good job

Well done fellow harpies for avoiding the obvious, there.

Meanwhile, will Kemi rue the missed opportunity to include "conscience" ?

Perhaps Badenoch should rephrase in the style of Monty Python and the Spanish inquisition.

Actually let's start again:

"We need candidates with the six Cs: they must be clever, have charisma, communication skills, conviction and, most importantly, be Conservative and have a conscience.