The UK Political Landscape

East Belfast last night on the eve of the loyalist communities big cultural celebrations today.

bigots.jpg

KAT is shorthand for 'Kill All Taigs" taig's being those of the Catholic faith. I wonder if it would be tolerated if the 'T' referred to women, gays or Muslims? This is the niche that the UK Government will soon break an international treaty to mollify.
 
Shouldn’t be tolerated anywhere. I remember going to NI some years ago and being shocked by the displays of sectarianism. All of it directed against the other side and all of it brutal. Fair frightened me to death, it did.
 
Q. What's the difference between an apple and an orange?
A. There's no such thing as an 'apple bas*tard'.
 
Catching some of the TV debate in the background.

Geez, what a clueless bunch.

We're fvcked. We truly are fvcked.
 
There was a period from about 1997 to (September 10th) 2001, when it felt for a lot of us like we weren't all fucked. Call me nostalgic, but I wouldn't mind revisiting a day in my life back then.

Then Iraq happend.

A banking crisis partly caused by no regulation of the banks.

Then austerity

Then leaving the E.U

Then Covid

Then Ukraine

Then the current battle for leadership of the Titantic.

Oh not forgetting the Scottish referendum that is rearing its head again.

What next???

11/4 World War Three by the end of 2024???
 
Last edited:
"Farewell" I doubt but I'll watch it later.

James is ok on the radio although he is prone to victimising himself for being middle class, when someone say, specifically critisises the middle classes, for their consumption of cocaine in places like London.

Rather than victimise himself he should address the point in hand. I feel me and him are definately different components of 'the left'.
 
Last edited:
What I don’t understand is that some of us have been saying what Johnson was like for years. I even heard it from Conservative party members and one of their MP’s years ago. A councillor friend of mine switched from Tory to LibDem because of it and suffered no end of abuse for it. So why has it taken so long for so many other people to see him as he really is?
 
The most straightforward answer is most people didn't actually care, Moe.

I think seeing the seriousness of hundreds of thousands of people dead during Covid was an eye opener for many people into the magnitude of the role and responsibility of a position like British Prime Minister.
 
Last edited:
moehat said:
What I don’t understand is that some of us have been saying what Johnson was like for years. I even heard it from Conservative party members and one of their MP’s years ago. A councillor friend of mine switched from Tory to LibDem because of it and suffered no end of abuse for it. So why has it taken so long for so many other people to see him as he really is?
Click to expand...

Everyone did know, but thought his charisma was a sure fire vote winner which, in this age of “celebrity” seems to be the all important talent (if I can dare to call it that :D).
 
Your entire establishment is based on tugging your forelock, gentlemen vs players, 'fog on channel, continent isolated', if they were worth anything, they'd have the money attitude. The reason why the Tories are in power is that England likes it. It doesn't matter how many fantasy hospitals they pretend to build, it doesn't matter how many benefits they pretend that their policies bring, England enjoys the toffs stealing from them and prefer to stick their fingers in their ears than expose the lies. Ideally the Tories would have someone less obviously corrupt as leader but fundamentally integrity isn't as important as a brassneck.
 
HawkWing said:
Your entire establishment is based on tugging your forelock, gentlemen vs players, 'fog on channel, continent isolated', if they were worth anything, they'd have the money attitude. The reason why the Tories are in power is that England likes it. It doesn't matter how many fantasy hospitals they pretend to build, it doesn't matter how many benefits they pretend that their policies bring, England enjoys the toffs stealing from them and prefer to stick their fingers in their ears than expose the lies. Ideally the Tories would have someone less obviously corrupt as leader but fundamentally integrity isn't as important as a brassneck.
Click to expand...

Of course the electorate don't enjoy toffs stealing from them. The double standards on display from the Tories especially over partygate is what will lose them votes especially in the North of England where they made gains in 2019.

You have to understand, Conservatism for many, including many voters is precisely about holding down the poor, liberalising the free market, protecting the business owner, (which many of their voters are), buying the best education for their children.

It's a way of life many people in England have written in their DNA. As they do with the republican party in America.

I actually agree with your sentiment but not the way you have put it across.

Off on a tangent, the idea I recently heard touted that trans rights is an issue that been caused by the Tory Party is obviously complete bullshit.

The trans rights issue go beyond the traditional lines of right and left politics. It's a sign of the times.

I hope Labour win the next election but I can't delude myself into believing Labour have lost the last four or so elections through no fault of their/our own.

The same way I can't believe 52 percent of Brexit voters were all stupid and racist as some would have us believe.

I guess at least Starmer seems stable. It'll interesting to see how he handles the job if he gets in
 
Last edited:
If the electorate was simply stupid, it would be easier to solve. The electorate are happier being ripped off and being sold fairytales by the donors/oligarchs deciding Tory leadership/policy, than holding anyone to account. It's more like a wonan trapped in an abusive relationship.

Starmer has given up the fight to present something different and is deliberately courting the Tory donors/media owners/oligarchs. Deliberately choosing to have policies indistinguishable from Tories. It's what get you elected. It's what the electorate is told they want.

I could see how fascism eventually came to pass in Europe in the 30s, given that the moneyed were threatened by communism. Unfortunate for the minorities/needy back then but better than losing their money. Now, fascism is viewed as a better alternative for the moneyed than bog standard social democracy. Or even basic democracy. And England will like it, because they are told to like it.
 
Last edited:
It’s not as if we have much choice. You can only eat from the dishes put in front of you and if you don’t like any of them you either go hungry or hold your nose and eat the least offensive. Anyway,, what’s your solution HW? After all, it doesn’t matter what system you have in place it will always be those who have the power who take the cream.
 
Last edited:
PR helps hugely. But ye'll believe that FPTP is essential for no good reason, cos those who benefit from the current system will tell you it's bad. And that's a solution that does not require much thought, yet is seemingly from beyond outer space, so trapped is England in the Tory narrative.

Stop supporting the Tory donors helps. Join unions. Vote for/support/canvas for those candidates that **** off the billionaires most.

There are hundreds of things that could be done but understanding that everything they tell you is the message that their donors want you to hear, selling you on the idea why it's good that they profit at your expense is a atart.
 
Last edited:
In the bad old days our country was held to ransom by the trade unions who nearly crippled us, so I certainly don’t want to see them regain the power they had. They did, though, create a balance with capitalist power which has run rampant since their demise. In general, though, people put up with the imbalance when the crumbs from the rich man’s table are reasonably nourishing and growing, even though they hanker for more. There’s a bit of unrest coming fast at the moment, though.

As I said before, it doesn’t matter if you live under a communist system, a capitalist one, a dictatorship, or whatever, it is the power elite and those in their favour who take the cream at the expense of the rest. It was ever thus.
 
Last edited:
You get a billionaire non-dom as PM, ultimately because ye like it. It's the way of the world.

Tory leadership candidates falling over themselves to out-tory each other in front of a national audience who have no dog in the fight. Whether it was Brexit, proroguing parliament, P&O ferries, northern Ireland, lack of workers, climate change, it's how much tax can we cut that's really the pressing concern. Oh and what constitutes a woman.
 
Back
Top