To think we don’t know how lucky we are under Starmer.

[SevenYellowHammers]

Russia have a mad despot who is responsible for the deaths of Russians and Ukrainians and has caused untold damage on the world’s environment and economy. But he’s still in power.

The USA have a mad despot who’s causing deaths worldwide and has started a war he can’t win causing untold damage to the world’s economy and environment. But he’s still in power.

Israel have a mad despot who is committing genocide and putting Jewish people at risk across the world. But he’s still in power.

In the UK, we have a dull bloke who’s doing his best to stand up to the mad despots while not leading us into war. And we’re all trying to get rid of him.

I agree totally with that. I think they're power hungry and so engaged in bloody battle that they've forgotten they're there to represent the populace. It should be an 'off with their heads' moment really.

They need to get their heads down and earn their wage representing us. NOT infighting.

Same here. Do you remember the media during the Truss / Sunak battle?

Anyone that thinks the media isn't biased should have CLEARLY had it signposted to them then that the media drove the choice of Lettuce Truss. Sunak was barely mentioned.

It fills me with despair. The Labour Left are pathetic - grievance filled little men pining for Corbyn and the days everyone told them they were important, and the self-interested prats in regional mayoralties who think they are Che Guevara.

I am holding on to the hope that Wes Streeting is pushing the timing to keep the dreadful Burnham out. If the best the left has is Miliband, they've fucked it, Starmer wins on a ballot and they have to simmer the fuck down before the economy flatlines forever.

May I add the unrecorded meeting with Palantir, with Mandelson by his side?
That never happened either. Not in paper, for sure. And that is a breach of Ministerial Code.
And that said company is linked to Mandelson via another company where Mandelson holds shares.
And that said company has secured large contracts with UK NHS and other sectors in UK.
Palantir has a really bad press. I do not know if the contract for the NHS database, and other parts of government, are any good. If the systems work nicely and make our lives better, and they are save enough to be trusted with our data. It would be good to hear from NHS personnel that uses them. But it all sounds dodgy. Very dodgy.
Also, in view of the current international stage affairs, should we just give up on the special relationship with US? It is not there anymore, it is gone. And a UK own software will keep more jobs in UK, investment in UK (there, for Reeves growth, it will add a bit) and keep us safer. If UK creates its own system, for the NHS and, particularly, defence. Domestic companies for software and weapons make 100% sense in the current cyberattack and hostile world we live in. Plus they will add to our wealth generation pool, instead of seeing millions going outside the UK.
Why choose an American company? And be stupid enough to not follow all protocols and have it all properly recorded?

Oh, Angela Rayner has just been cleared by HMRC. She has paid the stamp duty she was due, but that is all.

Angela Rayner was already cleared ofctax dodging by HMRC and has just been cleared by Parliament.

Correction: Angela Rayner has just been cleared by HMRC

@TeaCupTinselTHANK YOU so much for rhe Full Facts site link. Very interesting!
8 agree that this is entirely the wrong time to attempt to oust KS who has been doing a steady job in difficult times. We'll regret it!

Has she?

All I have seen is that Angela Rayner has paid the £40,000 outstanding tax, and she says she has been exonerated, which is very different.

Until I see a statement from HMRC, I'll reserve judgement.

Rayner aside, how does Streeting still have his job, it’s a bit like. Caesar telling Brutus he has every confidence in him as he stabbed him in the back

Literally news broke he’s resigned as I posted last post

HMRC are not in the habit of commenting on anyone’s tax affairs, as I understand it. I hope that’s correct, and I extend that wish to the tax affairs of the country’s slimiest - amongst whom I do not number Angela Rayner.

I feel sure you are not the only cynic here and that AR knows this. I daresay that if she wants to advance politically she will release something to satisfy any reasonable person.

Quite.

Please expand on this.
He was the head of the Crown Prosecution Service and Director of Public Prosecutions when Savile was alive.
Savile was free to abuse god knows how many people as he saw fit.
Starmer failed to take any action against Savile and he went to his grave a free man.
These are facts, not deranged nonsense.
Please tell me what part of the above is untrue.

What obvious reasons? Harriet Harman PIE will give you your answers

He makes constant U turns. He can't control his back benchers. He's a useless leader. I'll be happy if he goes.

👏Don't forget all the freebies he took from glasses for passes, dresses for his wife, suits, weekend breaks in a penthouse, Arsenal tickets, tickets for pop concerts etc etc

It's well known. HH advocated for the Paedophile Information Exchange in the 70s/80s. She also advised that "child porn" laws should be loosened. This is settled fact. Nor has she apologised for this.

Her opinions on transwomen being women and her nonsense take on the SCJ are all publicly available. All this has been pulled out of storage and rehashed recently since her appointment (I'm old and knew it anyway) but how have you missed this?

It's well known. HH advocated for the Paedophile Information Exchange in the 70s/80s. She also advised that "child porn" laws should be loosened. This is settled fact. Nor has she apologised for this.

As always, it's a bit more nuanced than that.

I've not come across that website.
Thanks @TeaCupTinsel

I totally agree with what you have said about the Winter Fuel Allowance. Ridiculous that they U-turned on that. It is another example of the press drumming up ridiculous images of freezing pensioners, rather than doing anything old fashioned like researching and reporting on factual facts. Ludicrous that some of the wealthiest people automatically get given a Winter Fuel Allowance, when, overwhelmingly it is their children and grandchildren struggling with the cost of living more than them.

He has done alot of positive things for families, especially lower income ones like mine, so he gets my vote 👍

Amen. You are so right.

This. I've been saying this for years now.

Sorry to bombard this thread with posts, but this thread is the most sensible take on the situation I have yet to see pretty much anywhere.

Starmer failed to take any action against Savile
How could he have?

The police made a referral (re. 4 historic abuse claims) to the CPS in late 2009.

The reviewing lawyer made a decision not to pursue charges.

The reviewing lawyer could (and should) have escalated the matter up the chain of command, which could ultimately have resulted in a refferal to the DPP, but did not.

Nobody can act on something they don't know about.

That Starmer, nor anyone else above the reviewing lawyer, was not informed of the case, has been extensively documented.

Boris Johnson, of course, made an allegation that Starmer "failed to prosecute" Saville, which was widely condemned by Tory officials as being indefensible, demand that Johnson apologize, and prompted Johnson's own policy manager to resign in protest.

All to say, the suggestion that Starmer bore any personal responsibility is widely known to be baseless, and a disgusting one to make (both for the falsity of it, and the bad-faith explotation of horrendous crimes).

Incidentally, re. "Savile was free to abuse god knows how many people as he saw fit" - there are no documented allegations of abuse after 2009.