anyone seen starmer?

[Offwiththecircus]

From what I can see, after his entirely unconvincing "position" on gaza he has essentially disappeared from view. Blair notoriously used to do this a lot when he wanted to avoid legitimate questions, leaving brown nosing slaves to face questions from the proles.
So over to the mnet net, which I know has wise tentacles everwhere
Has the famous SIR dropped into your church fete/tombola recently? Selfies welcome.

Well I for one am very glad he has been found. I was concerned for him.
Not seem him at the village fete yet though.

No fridges were harmed during the search....

As you may have noticed this thread was started back last year.
At that time he had very definitely been out of the public eye where serious questions could be asked for quite some time. With minions sent over the top to explain what he had said/take any flack. This technique is actually mentioned in one of the links a poster upthread posted.
He has of course now reappeared but let's see what he says. Didn't say much in his Sky interview for sure, despite being given the softest ride imaginable.

'Last year' is disingenuous. You started it during the Christmas break when parliament was in recess and even politicians spend time with family. Excepting Sunak who appeared to be simultaneously 'at home' in Yorshire and all alone in Downing Street making witty social media videos.

No I started it after a long long period of him appearing to stay out of public sight and putting forward anonymous sources to explain/reinterpret/lie about his LBC interview. He has since of course reappeared, safe in the knowledge no doubt that that episode is now past, separated from us by Merry Christmas, so he won't have to answer questions about it. He can swerve any questions about it by portraying it as so boring, so last year, so pre Christmas, so overtaken by other serious threats we should all pull together on moving forward bla bla bla.
I remember well this long period of absence as I was out and out about a lot and asked a fair few people about any interviews he had actually done which gave an opportunity to ask him questions.
As I said this ploy is referred to above in a bit linked to by another poster. Blair also used to do it now and again. Have no idea where he holed up I must admit.
I will try to catch him on Laura's prog.

Never noticed it myself, he seems to do a lot of regular interviews and newspaper articles plus is at PMQ almost every week (when they sit)

As much as any leader does.

Even if he did step back, so what? i wouldn't begrudge that from any politician, i know they chose the job but it must be very draining being in the public eye constantly.

They all need a break but i expect as we move into the GE period we will get ever more desperate attacks on Labour and Starmer.

I'm expect Angela Rayner to be the next target, you up for that OP ?

Newspaper articles are essentially press releases - they are not necessarily even written by him, though one of course hopes that he signs them off. It's called PR. One could hardly skip PMQs so that doesn't really count - and is in any case very theatrical/stage managed. I made it clear that that doesn't count.

The quote I reffered to from the posted link was this - referring to the paedo ploy horror:

"Quite how soon the Labour leader will wish to emerge again after this ad is unclear – as is quite how much he will wish to bang on about decency for a bit. Perhaps we’ll see him out and about with “real people” in the days ahead."

note the "real people" bit refers to PR - not an actual engagement with anyone.

Yes of course being an MP or at least minister/PM is tiring and demanding. I'd never accuse any of whatever colour of being stupid.

Why would I have a go at Angela Rayner?

I did highlight the case of a curiously missing other leading female labour bod upthread but made it clear that I wasn't getting at her - I just strongly suspected that the Starmer machine had got to work on her. Post LBC. Best lie low folks. Visit some whisky barrels.

Who are these people you 'talk to out and about'??

You talked to us, most of us said we didn't have the same perception or agree (and not just Labour voters. Starmer fans). You seem not to accept this.

You must know it's a well worn Tory HQ line of attack. I have seen several posters posting 'where is Starmer?' lately.

I stand by my point that posting your query on 18 December was a deliberate ploy- you knew that as your thread ran over the Christmas period it would be a while til anyone had proof they saw him.

Has your village had a fete since you started the thread?
Mine hasn't so perhaps that is why I haven't seen him?

"Where's Starmer" is an odd line of at attack given that Johnson made an art form of avoiding being interviewed, Truss lasted less time than the hangover from the village fete and Sunak can't even bring himself to attend international conferences let alone meet voters.

Makes a change and is even more bizarre than the knowing what a woman is line of attack.

I think the 'where's Starmer' line of attack is just another form of the left being held to higher standards than the right. As a Tory politician it's OK to give non-answers, hide in fridges and behind awful videos and put out vague mission statements. If you're Labour, you have to be ready to put forward a 5 million page costed manifesto accounting for every penny, answer questions about your underwear preferences and generally be a saint. It's pathetic.

Folk I see out and about in London. Range of folk, Not pre-filtered for political opinions, though have the idea that most are left of centre. Not aware that any actually Tory. Yep some folks on here have different views - isn't that what forums are about? Some of the replies in truth seem somewhat facile/to miss the point though - to not want to address - just say ya boo labour will win. I agree that they will almost certainly win. Have said so more than once. But not the point. Very much not the point.

>>You must know it's a well worn Tory HQ line of attack.

Not again. The idea that anyone critical of Starmer's vision, or lack of, must be a Tory. Have said several times that I am not a Tory. I find this sort of tribalism depressing. This isn't a gameshow.

>>I stand by my point that posting your query on 18 December was a deliberate ploy- you knew that as your thread ran over the Christmas period it would be a while til anyone had proof they saw him.
Have said that it was not a ploy - just posted at the end of a period of frustration after a long disappearance. But if you want to think I am a scheming Tory plant, if that suits your tribal worldview, go ahead - I can't stop you.
I would though ponder the dramatic shift from Labour in certain northern parts.

Facile.

Has the famous SIR dropped into your church fete/tombola recently? Selfies welcome.

I would though ponder the dramatic shift from Labour in certain northern parts.

The parts that lent their vote to Johnson in 2019 having been promised levelling up money that never materialised. It will be interesting to ponder the scale of the revoke of the loan in the next election.

You're going up to random people in the street and asking them if they know where Keir Starmer is?!?!? That's the most insane thing I've ever heard. You know he's not running the country right? And even if he were....
I talk about politics quite a bit with friends and colleagues, but not randos that I don't know. In London?
Is this some sort of Vox Pop that you've been carrying out? Like those annoying chuggers that try to stop you outside tube stations.

@Offwiththecircus "As you may have noticed this thread was started back last year.
At that time he had very definitely been out of the public eye where serious questions could be asked for quite some time."

But when he was, actually, visiting NATO troops in Estonia. Not my favourite activity for politicians- I wish they wouldn't. But hardly "out of the public eye."

Oh dear. Resorting to insults now.

As for the dramatic shift from Labour in the north. Well we all know why that happened in 2019. The circumstances are very different now. What have the Tories done for the people of the north since then, apart from inflate their cost of living?

To borrow a phrase from GOT that I think will be appropriate come 10pm on GE night: The North Remembers.

Shall we wait and see if the 'Northern parts' shift back?? Several already have in by elections. And thta ahs v little to do with Labour not being left wing enough and way more to do with Brexit. As I am sure you know.

When I am 'out and about' I don't canvas people I meet about where politicians are. The only ones I hear people talk about are Tories, especially Johnson, Sunak and Truss..

I have not accused you of anything . Far form it. You say repeatedly you are liberal left so I wondered why you were using a Tory attack line. And you haven't explained.

I am hardly tribal. Unable where I live to vote for any kind of party left wing and socially progressive enough for me. Frustrated by Labour's centrism. But also appreciate that this seems to be what is needed to oust the most venal , corrupt bunch of career politicians in living memory. Happily, my new Labour MP has been out and about loads, as has the more left wing chap from next door's constituency.

ps not wise to accuse others of echo chambers and tribalism when your only frame of reference seems to be the liberal elite of metropolitan London.

I am not sure I feel insulted. More really really patronised.

I always wonder about posters who talk about “folk” - there are two in particular who do it (apart from this one) and they have very odd opinions.

Oh, yes. How curious.

Why do you use that odd way of quoting other posters @Offwiththecircus? Can you not use MN's quote facility?

Oh dear, i have often use the term "folk" instead of "people"

But yes i have odd opinions and clash with one or two posters on the right 😂

Just returned - yep an odd odd point to pick me up on - will reply to that other "folk ticking" anon - can only put it down to too much time on twatter and word policing/demonising.
If there was any thought about me using it it was possibly to try and defuse potential arguments/defuse objections to terms that may have been deemed worthy of cancelling last time I checked/before I went to sleep.
Folk in my book means people - of whatever sexuality/race/belief system etc etc.
It's casual warm inclusive humanist.
Now to wander upthread.
Folks.