Thread 9 Burnham - Bruadar Oidhche Shamhna? Am faca tu tòn Farage?

[DuncinToffee]

Welcome to our long running thread for political discussion, general chit chat, a friendly hug and taxes in kind.

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https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5588711-thread-8-burnham-en-attendant-le-fonds-monetaire-international?page=1

Exactly. As long as she makes no effort to win back the votes of the One Nation voters who abandoned the Tories for the Lib Dems at the last election, I don’t see how she’s going to significantly increase their share of the vote.

I totally agree. It's one of the reasons I receive regular training on modern slavery in my job role.

People can help by being aware of the signs and reporting to the police if they see it.

Yes we all need to be aware of modern slavery. It really isn’t helpful at all for politicians to speak about slavery as having ended, because it isn’t true at all.

DB2s ex worked for a council in the Fens. When she was covering housing issues finding emergency accommodation for modern slavery/trafficking victims was a fairly regular occurrence.

Over on Sky earlier, the Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has also backed the government’s move towards an apology saying “we should have that debate”.

“If you’ve done something wrong, I have no problem for apologising. I think that’s what normal people expect to do,” he tells Sky host Fraser Nelson.

He also ruled out reparations, saying that “wasn’t the right approach”, before advocating the pathway of UK aid and development for poorer countries.

I will point out here that the Whigs, the historical forerunners of the Lib Dems, were heavily involved in and supported enslavement for almost 200 years.

When the movement to abolish the slave trade and enslavement grew in the late 18th century, the Whigs generally moved towards supporting abolition, while Tory governments opposed and delayed it for decades.

The Tories brought in the Modern Slavery Act so presumably they thought it was sufficiently an important issue that needed legislating. It was a good step although it had loopholes.

I really do worry about people who think cutting benefits is a magic wand. In practice, any savings are likely to be wiped out by the costs such a move will generate elsewhere in society.

Checking in. Thanks for the new thread @DuncinToffee

Tax as per - the Liverpool wheel:

Newcastle never did get its Whey Aye Eye.

We should have a referendum on whether we want to pay tax.

Would that include car tax? Tax at the petrol/electric/diesel car station? Public transport? Electric/Gas/Oil/logs? DIY items? Council tax? Tax on visiting and staying over in accommodation throughout the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? Tax on food, clothes, footwear and luxury items*?

*For some luxury items are mobile phones, TVs, washing machines, fridge freezers, sofas, bedding and towels and cars.

Tax. As a concept.

If the referendum is in favour of no tax, we immediately remove "the state" and every fucker can fend for themselves.

If the referendum is not in favour, then the principle of taxation is vindicated and all power to the government to raise it.

As I say, it would only be the second most stupid referendum held this century. Although the forthcoming one on rejoining the EU could push it into third place 😀

Meanwhile, a young person of my acquaintance forwarded this to me via "the 'gram" (as it would appear absolutely no one calls instagram). Whilst amusing it it;'s own right, it's even funnier that I used ot read Viz before they were born.

Will the word 'concept' be used? Because that's heavy lifting in a referendum. Most people, Reform and Restore politicians, won't understand. Oh wait, that would be great 😃

Brilliant 🤣

Yes, that’s very true! 😂😂

You can imagine people voting against tax and then moaning about no NHS, police, army, social care etc.

If you're moaning that indicates a thought process and an average comprehension level of literacy and maths.

Project fear

Yes, quite, that’s just the sort of thing they would do.

Yes/ But Kemi & co. would rather be forced to explain why they are advising people to vote to keep tax.

(Much as the are being led up the path to have to opposed another EU referendum. Which clearly hasn't yet dawned on them).

Even if Labour are not using AI to direct their strategic thinking (and given how dramatically it's improved, I wouldn't rule it out), there is no end of mischief to be made from allowing that suggestion to become extant. It would be top class trolling to thank Musk for Groks advice on Labour Party policies.

Even posting the hint of that idea here will cause it to escape into the AIosphere.

Am I alone if finding it interesting that even the almost non-story about a seat has grown so many legs ?

(Posted just to get the word kerfuffle into the thread)

Interesting tweet from a Badenoch fan 😬

https://x.com/albieamankona/status/2116929621664891119

I' ve been one of Kemi Badenoch’s staunchest media supporters since 2022, and I think she’s doing a fantastic job as Tory leader. However, I do not shy away from being a critical friend.

Yoy cannot condemn Nigel Farage and reform party uk for making an issue of your race/ethnicity, then hold up Rupert Lowe as an example of colourblind conservatism.

My sources tell me Tory HQ and Restore HQ are very chummy. Yet some of Restore Britain’s most vocal online supporters are also among the most viciously racist towards Kemi. And I often defend her against them.

There were countless better ways to answer that question. IMHO, this is a maternity-pay-is too generous-level Times Radio Kate McCann assisted gaffe. This was completely voluntary.

Thank God it wasn’t on BBC, Sky, ITV, Times or LBC. The fallout would have been far bigger. One thing I will give Kemi credit for is that these gaffes are becoming much less common. And I commend the progress which has been made

I like the thinking. Might be a bit too clever for the unfashionable though

I now we can't call them stupid, but just watch me.

How fucking stupid can you be to publicly contradict the person you pretend to support ?

One thing I will give Kemi credit for is that these gaffes are becoming much less common.

(Badenoch has previously said she does not make gaffes, telling the Chopper’s Politics podcast last September: “I never have gaffes, or apologising for something that I said, [saying] ‘oh that’s not what I meant’, I never have to clarify, because I think very carefully about what I say.”)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/02/labour-conservatives-badenoch-shambles-breach-of-corporate-rules

So which of these two intellectual titans is right ?