The Westminster Arms

[DustyDiamond]

Shiny new thread 😍😍

The Westminster Arms:
A non-partisan politics pub-thread for varied political chit-chat & other such stuff

Cheers all 🍷

Yes I know the notice you are talking about. I wonder what the trajectory is from wiping annoying posts out with zoflora - after stuff so nasty that the thread got pulled - to that horrible notice.

Arse If something happened, it happened. You can try and bury the evidence, but the more records there are, the more evidence will eventually emerge. There is objectivity on history in that we know certain things happened on certain dates, and everyone agrees on that. We know King George VI died on 6th February 1952. We know that Trafalgar was fought on 21st October 1805, and Waterloo on 18th June 1815. You can piece together Wellington's strategy from the disposition of his troops, his orders and dispatches, and the various accounts of the battle from those who fought in it and there is a consensus on that.

I do read history non fiction...is there a reason I shouldn't? With an historian in the house it's difficult not to, as he recommends things, and we do discuss historical revisionism amongst other things.

Of course I thought it was directed at me. After the other shit, why wouldn't I.
Way to lose an ally, Arms customers.

We who drink here are excited for the future.
Once people accept that we have to deal with what will happen, and know it won't alter by protest , we may start to do that.

I was very upset that the last thread was pulled, Bellini. I was the OP and absurd as it might sound, I feel responsible for keeping a thread going when I've invested in it like that.

It went through a rocky evening, as you will remember, and so I took a little break to collect my thoughts. When I came back the next morning, ready to start again with fresh equilibrium, it was a mistake. Someone - NOT you - said something that set me off again. They actually said it in all innocence (they hadn't read the thread, just jumped in). Unfortunately, I've had two bereavements (immediate family) in a short time. One of those I've spoken about on these threads but the other I have not. It's too painful. That morning, I was going to pick up one set of ashes.

I am telling you this not to elicit sympathy but just to put things in context.

That's when I posted a message that I was still majorly pissed off and was taking another break. I don't really swear, Bellini, and my post was uncharacteristic behaviour but I hope you see now why it happened.

After that, all hell broke loose. The thread was pulled while I was out at the crematorium. It was very upsetting on top of an already upsetting day.

If, however, you can take a deep breath and start again, I'm sure I can do the same. So what do you say? Is it going to be handbags at dawn or so we have a truce? And if it's handbags at dawn, I'm going to start with a massive disadvantage. I hate the flaming things. That's why God invented pockets.

Gah. While I was composing my link message, I missed your last post.

Last, not link.

Flaming autocorrect

Been through bereavements myself. The worst kind.
After that ghastly thread I was willing to take a deep breath and move on. The Zoflora shit, whether it was meant against me or not, was back to that. Then what I presume was the accusation that I was sock puppeting. Or another poster was. More weird paranoid crap. The atmosphere in this place switches to Mean Girls very quickly. If you are all so desperate to be seen as normal, intelligent, funny, optimistic people who just take a different view you flip over to the Dark Side very quickly.

I'm truly sorry you've had bereavements too.

I've never watched Mean Girls although I'm vaguely aware of it.

So what's it to be then? Truce or no truce? It's up to you. I just want to know either way.

Thanks for trying. I'm please you have such good intentions. That's a positive. And this country is going to need it.
I'll just bow out and hide this thread. No doubt our paths will cross in other threads.

Fair enough, Bellini. No hard feelings.

Apologies for random post
Just wanted to let some of you know I’ve blocked private messages again(not because of this thread). X

“I'll just bow out and hide this thread.”

I honestly think that is for the best. And I really don’t care if people think that is unreasonable.

Morning, Autumn, I'm glad to see you. I thought I'd killed the thread again.

Sooo...in an effort to move on again, it looks as though Emily Thornberry is making a valiant last-ditch plea for support. She has a mountain to climb, not least because she has already declared herself to be "an excellent candidate".

This from The Times:

“Emily Thornberry has made a desperate plea for a place in the final round of the Labour leadership race, as she urged party members to “just get on and nominate me please”.

The shadow foreign secretary, who is trailing behind Sir Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy to secure her place to run for leader, acknowledged that despite being an "excellent candidate" she was “yet to get on the ballot”. “I’m the most experienced of the candidates, I’ve had seven front bench jobs, I've had two years shadowing Boris Johnson and I tore him to pieces every time,” she told a hustings in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon.

Ms Thornberry, who only has nine of the 33 nominations needed from Constituency Labour Party groups to secure her position in the final leg of the race, implored members to give her “a chance”

Hahaha. There’s a segment about to run on Jeremy Vine on whether Remainers who mock leavers should be facing Police action?
That was a disgusting segment. I'm a remainer and I wish I could have phoned in to complain. Ashley James posted clips of the 'thick' people.
It was bullying. Beverley Turner is another right on rent a gob on there regularly.

I do read history non fiction...is there a reason I shouldn't?

Why would there be? I read all kinds of stuff, including threads on MN, tho I am very discerning about what I will accept.

I'm sure you are well aware that I wasn't referring to dates in terms of historical accuracy but the slant writers will put on history in order to push their own agenda, whatever it might be.

Lily

I’m not actually reading the thread at the mo, just plopped on to say that so no one would think I was ignoring messages. X

Food for thought, sorry it's a Daily Fail link, but an interesting concept IMO anyway. It doesn't state the source other than 'a Labour source' so not to be taken as fact by any means.

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-7959509/ANDREW-PIERCE-Corbyn-hand-reins-PMQs-performances-bad-worse.html

The four leadership contenders Emily Thornberry, Sir Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long Bailey could take it in turns to stand in for Corbyn at PMQs.

‘It’s the perfect audition for the job of Leader of the Opposition,’ says one Labour source

I honestly think that is for the best. And I really don’t care if people think that is unreasonable

It's not just unreasonable, it's extremely unfortunate in the case of bellinisurge as they made the point that, as a remainer, they have tried to counter stereotypes about Brexiters and be a voice of reason.

Unfortunately, the reaction of Brexiters here doesn't just fit the stereotypes but seems to want to actively promote them. What a shame

Morning, derxa. ☕️ for you. I didn't watch that but my overall impression of Beverley Turner Is that she's a bit of an attention seeker.

I posted before about the Agriculture Bill and it looked as though the NFU are relatively positive about it (I'm aware the NFU does not necessarily represent the views of all farmers) and I'm hoping that more clarification will emerge in the coming months for farmers. This is an anxious time for them.

Autumn, hope things are OK and we see you again soon.

The four leadership contenders Emily Thornberry, Sir Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long Bailey could take it in turns to stand in for Corbyn at PMQs.

haven't clicked the link but that seems perfectly reasonable and sensible. Though 'Boris' is inclined to dodge PMQ's if possible that shouldn't make a difference to whoever's on the other side of the box

It’s the perfect audition for the job of Leader of the Opposition,’ says one Labour source

It would also be a form of national hustings.

Just heard Boris' speech to business leaders. I thought he was spot on.
In nearly all areas we are more progressive than the EU and won't be demanding that they raise their standards to our levels. So we will not be reducing ours to their levels.

I hope he reassured the business community.

I will be very interested to see how they perform in PMQs.
I wonder if they will include ET even thought she has yet to get on the ballot paper.
Bet Boris is trembling at the thought of it.
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

So, read the DT, couldn't do the crossword, so coffee, another toastie and Sky News. Glad we have a big TV in this pub because I don't have one at home.

I notice Boris took questions from everyone else except the BBC. Only at the end when he had little or no choice did he take a question from LK.
And Robert Peston was incoherent. But, if IRC he is a member of the LP and an ardent remainer (well, ok a rejoiner)

Definitely hasn’t reassured DP and the other shareholders and directors of his business Copper. The EU aren’t asking us to lower our standards, they just want more than UK word that we aren’t going to lower them, ie, if we do there will be consequences. If Boris doesn’t want to lower standards I don’t see why agreeing to LPF commitments is a red line for him, as they mostly have nothing to do with product standards if we wanted to diverge on them?