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

Zelenskyy suggests that they'd need 200,000 peacekeeper to do the job of defending the border.

It seems the figure being thrown about for European peacekeeping troops stands at 30,000. Apparently the plan isn't to defend the border but to 'stand ready'.

Thanks @TheNuthatch it's unsettling to see where loyalty to a politician leads, particularly when it's young people and something this important

That WhatsApp is bad

Diane Abbot - "If it's a durable, lasting peace then there will be no need for British troops on the ground. If not, and it could put this country at risk and troops in harm's way, then parliament should vote on it first".

Clive Lewis (served in Afghanistan) - "This course of action could put UK troops in harm's way against a nuclear power, without US support. That demands deeper and broader debate".

At least some on the left value our troops, unlike Starmer.

'Stand ready' for Macron and Starner to use as photo shoots in fatigues more like.

Apparently we can commit to an upper limit of 10k peacekeepers, but would more likely send over 5k. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wonder how many we are asking the US to commit to whilst at the same time we would paint them as bullies and... facists, now...(?) apparently there is no upper limit to mn hyperbole.

Stand ready' for Macron and Starner to use as photo shoots in fatigues more like.

So true. I wish people could make do with a pic of them in combat gear if that's their fancy rather than promote and normalising using troops

Thanks for this.

And Graham Stringer has piped up to demand a vote in the commons.:

"[There] certainly should be a Commons vote, and after failing in Basra and Helmand I would take some convincing,"

Germany is key surely.

I mean apart from the US who is key decider

If the new German gov can't get it passed then it'll be moot. I don't think they'll have enough support going by party positions

Good news for the British public. Another huge headache for the incompetent Reeves.

It’s not really though is it? Because as far as I understand it, the comparative period had 15 strike days according to the BMA. And inpatient appointments are around 120 million a year - 10 million a month. So in a 5 month period (152 days) in 2024 the NHS delivered 2.2 million more appointments than in the same period in 2023, which is 4%. But it delivered them with 10% more working days by resident doctors…

The Starmer fans seem to have gone a little quieter since Starmer received his lesson in statesmanship from the Europeans.

Not sure about this. He could do anything and they'd be pro

I find the loyalty at all costs odd

So much for the House being united eh!

So win and win, for the former and the latter lol

Apologies, I was trying to be fair and give labour some credit.
I shall revert to type :-)

The NFU aren't happy after their meeting with the treasury! Our incompetent government seem to have made them even angrier.

Starmer will need his rescue helicopter again next time he's out and about.

Has anyone posted these yet?

Further questions are being raised over alleged exaggerations of Rachel Reeves’s credentials, after the chancellor was reported to have incorrectly claimed some of her work was published in one of the world’s leading economics journals.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rachel-reeves-cv-whos-who-b2699979.html

Jonathan Reynolds has been accused of fabricating his CV after it emerged he repeatedly described himself as a solicitor despite never qualifying.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/18/jonathan-reynolds-business-secretary-solicitor-claims/

I don’t think it’s that people want to snub American support, it’s that America have announced that they will be vastly reducing their input into NATO and Trump’s rhetoric has been echoing that of the Kremlin, so European nations have no real choice but to consider and explore their options on how they try to step-up, fill that gap, defend Europe from potential Russia attacks, etc. Starmer stated that any peace process would need the US as a backstop / security guarantee. However, given the current US administration, who knows what approach they will take and they cannot be forced to do this.

Are you kidding? We have posters up and down the boards telling people not to buy American products whilst at the same time acting affronted that the US won't continue to put more than their fair share of money on the table to bolster Europe's impoverished armies.

They are expected to play the part of benevolent allies and world police while we call them Nazis.

Of course, neither is true. But it's a black and white narrative that is increasingly typical.

There has been an increase in anti US rhetoric

I mean over the last few years, it's on here.

I recall a US spokesperson saying well they'll miss us when we're gone.

Too late to panic now. The mandate is there to withdraw

I see inflation is up by 3% today - down to increases in food and transport. It seems particularly mean when people are having to pay more for essentials that they then have the hope of reduced mortgage costs whipped away.

Yes. Agreed. I'm not sure what that leaves us with though. Obviously we'll need to put more into defence spending well beyond 2.5%, but how do we begin to expand our resources and capacity to secure this country when so few people now willing to fight?

Sky news are reporting that the big increase in inflation is also due to the VAT on private schools.
They are also reporting that unprotected government departments are being asked to model an 11% cut with a view to increase defense spending. I'm not sure I trust this particular government to improve our armed forces. Starmer has made it very clear how little he thinks of them.

@Upstartled yes I agree re the US rhetoric. There's a thread on here by a poster who wanted advice re moving to the US. The responses speak volumes. It's the ultimate in CFery to complain when the big boys take their ball home. Yet the saintly EU can do no wrong, despite their utter failure to defend their own people.

@Clavinova thank you for that info, no I wasn't aware of either of those stories. Lies, lies and more lies! They couldn't lay straight in bed could they!

Has there ever been a more out of their depth government Just putting on army fatigues doesn’t make you a war hero Starmer. I’m so angry with them all such liars and incompetence is truly breathtaking. Thinking of my two great uncles killed in WW1 18/19 years old for bloody what ! Now someone else’s son will be killed as have Russians and Ukrainians. My sons best friend at school was Russian he was at boarding school here his two friends at home one shot then selves in the leg to not be conscripted and last year when the age of conscription dropped to 18 his other friend killed himself. Just fuck off Starmer no ones going to defend this toxic ness you go first

I'm sorry to hear about your son's Russian friends. Thats truly awful.
I often think it's a shame that our so called leaders no longer have to go into battle themselves. There would be far less war if they did. I also think that if women ruled the planet, Putin would have received a bullet between the eyes a long time ago.