Angela from Housing

[billysboy]

Ainu to think Angela Rayners has been set up to fail on her 1.5m homes target ?
you can barely get planning permission through for a small extension in under 10 weeks let alone 1.5 m new homes
Every month that goes by the shortage compounds
I wonder if Kier has set her up to fail

No its actually you who is refusing to discuss the actual issue, which is should UK troops be losing their lives in Ukraine?
Do you know what it feels like to have a loved one on tour, not knowing whether they'll come back? I do.
You also didn't answer my question about sending Nato into Ukraine without the US.

@HPFA Maybe try the cat thread, their views may be more to your liking.

Bless. One minute you've built a firewall of cats to keep out dissenters out of your safe space and the next minute you are hawkishly cheering on Starmer as he takes off his glasses and dresses up for war. Must be dizzying.

There seems to be a total ignoring of facts from the US administration: Russia invaded Ukraine and have committed many war crimes, including bombing a maternity hospital. Russia could end the war by withdrawing from Ukraine. On the same day JD Vance was hypocritically preaching on free speech and saying that Russia wasn’t a major threat, a Russian drone reportedly hit a radiation shelter protecting the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor.

Hegseth has caused outrage, even amongst Republican senators, for selling out Ukraine (with regards to no NATO membership and territory) before negotiations even begin. Trump has no sense of nuance, diplomacy or history: how can he be trusted to enter into fair, considered negotiations? You cannot appease the likes of Putin - this is likely to only embolden his expansionism.

If the USA are reducing their input into NATO, promoting the right wing AfD in Germany and favouring Putin, then Europe has some serious issues and dangers to consider. Does the UK have any real choice but to increase defence as an individual nation and unite as a coalition with other European countries? Genuinely, I’m really interested and open to hear the alternatives on how we navigate this.

It's depressing to see how effective it is here that we have posters gung ho on sending young people

Yes, we need to bolster our defense spending. We also need more recruits, although I hardly see people signing up, despite their newly found enthusiasm for war. Without US on board our tough stance with Russia is no more than a dangerous performance.

I'm not apologist for Russia, who are well known for behaving like cunts, but we knew that when we reneged on our promise not to attempt to extend NATO beyond Germany in 1991. Did we think they had forgotten?

And now we want a hero's narrative so we are going to put our youngsters in danger? Well, I say our, but it's never your blood is it?

There's a lot to unpack there @Sherbs12
I don't support Trump, or like Putin. I can see why the US don't want to continue paying for the war which is happening right next to the biggest trading bloc in the world.
If Europe wanted Ukraine to win, they should have made it happen when Russia invaded. They have had ample opportunity to do this over the last three years, they failed.
I don't think we can rely on unity across Europe on this issue as the right wing parties gaining ground are more likely to be sympathetic to Trump. Would the Afd or Le Pen support german/french troops going to Ukraine for example? The old guard of Europe are becoming obsolete.
We should increase defence spending, both main parties have been too complacent.

What do you think Sherbs? How do you think the UK should respond?

Anyway, looks like Germany isn't in and Poland is out. Spain, Italy and Norway are trying to look busy.

All it needs for war to end is for Putin to take his troops home and stop killing Ukrainians.

Good. I hope they give it more consideration than the Labour stuff posted today

No surprises there

This is interesting. Oldham council have recently voted to demand a full public enquiry into child rape gangs. I wonder if Yvette Cooper will change course?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr46yxnw1d1o

Yes, totally agree with you on the questionable unity of a European alliance and also the US reduction in NATO is unsurprising.
I have no straightforward solution for the UK; I’m very much reading and listening to all that I can. My instinct would always be negotiations and avoiding further conflict: but is this remotely realistic with Putin, Trump and the rights of Ukraine? Would this be enough to stop Putin? I have doubts.
It’s very uncertain times, and I agree that a ‘gung-ho’ approach needs to be avoided and I understand concerns over the loss of soldiers - it’s not difficult to understand why people are wary and cynical about. Is there is a threshold when this shifts, and if so, what is it?
As I said, no easy answers, and a very complex situation, but will time pressure to be decisive.

Scholz is clearly pissed off:

"Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, has said that calls to send peacekeepers to Ukraine are “completely premature” and “highly inappropriate” while the war is ongoing.
“I am even a little irritated by these debates, I want to say that quite frankly,” he told reporters on Monday.
“The discussion is being held over Ukraine’s heads, over the outcome of peace talks that have not taken place and to which Ukraine has not said yes and where it has not sat at the table,” he added.
“This is highly inappropriate, to put it quite frankly and honestly. We do not know what the outcome will be.”

It is v complex and I don’t see Putin backing down re Ukraine wanting to join NATO…

Thanks for this. At last something to counter the pro posts today.

Sholz is right. This is not the right time. Starmer needs to do the same and STFU. Instead he's making stupid comments about sending troops and Nato to grab headlines and pissing everybody off, including other European leaders it would seem.

No he won't. But Starmer wants to poke the fucking Bear!

Starmer needs to step back …

Starmer is going for political capital up against dire polling

Scholz is much more considered tg

Germany will matter more on this

I expect warmongering doesn't sell well at the polls a week out from a g.e. and the appetite of the electorate to send their children off to Russia has a material consequence.

Thanks for the updates today @Upstartled

Well, some posters here will be happy.

It was suggested that he needs his Falklands by some.

No problem. It's just a bit unsettling, isn't it?

Yes it is. Let's hope Sholz tells Starmer to shut up and get back in his box until they know exactly what they're dealing with. The world could look very different in a few weeks time. Cool heads needed.