Socialism. The next step will be communism.

There's a shortage of fuel at petrol stations; food is rotting in the fields because there's no-one to pick it; animals will have to be euthanised because they cannot be processed in abattoirs; NHS waiting lists are growing rapidly, a thousand people a week are dying of Covid despite the success of the vaccination programme.....

....but according to most of the (predominantly right wing) UK press, the most horrible thing going on in UK politics at the moment is that Angela Rayner called Conservative ministers "Scum" and has been pictured smoking a cigarette. :mad:

If they didn't want to be called scum, perhaps they should try stopping acting like scum?

I mean, I might be biased given my old occupation, but I can't help regarding a party which has cut health services, education provision (especially special needs provision) and social services since 2010 as much other than scum.

The current Tory party are scum.

They elected a man leader of their party who is demonstrably homophobic, a racist and a misogynist.

What else would you call people who stand behind the term "Flag Waving Picaninnies With Watermelon Smiles"?

Apparently the UK 'National Space Strategy' will "create jobs and level up"

Trade deal with Uranus?

If they can remove his head.

And the UK elected the Tories to government, ergo...

But that was all just Epic Bantz...Like insulting the entire population of Liverpool, like his letter box comment, like his patronising comments to Macron last week, like...How long do you want me to go on?

But, for some reason, huge chunks of our population either fall for his schtick or actually agree with the words he uses.

Meanwhile, over in Brighton the Labour Party shows its unequalled ability to shoot itself in the foot, with Andy McDonald resigning from the shadow cabinet and at least one MP (per interview on PM) having been in meetings with McDonald over the lasst couple of days professing bafflement at this turn of events.

It's almost like they've learned nothing from the 1980s...

"You see that open goal? Its only a few yards away, go on, try to kick the ball into the net".
[misses]
"Oh, bad luck".

Sometimes it feels almost deliberate. :(

There's a part of the Labour party who would rather not be in power but cling to every part of their political doctrine rather than compromise on some of it but be in a position to make life better for millions of people.

The Labour Party needs to be electable first and foremost, this conference seems to be about increasing the chances of election success by undoing Milliband's naive changes and lessening the influence of the Corbyn claque

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https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ike_Button.jpg

We don't even have to look that far. The lessons they should learn from the Corbyn era should be enough.

#1971 and #1972: pretty much it, I reckon.

When did Labour actually get elected? Blair and Wilson (aside from the obvious Attlee, which was a whole Nuther Thing)...Who didn't get elected? Long list.

And I speak as someone who was never terribly taken with Blair, didn't vote for him to be Labour leader and didn't vote for him when I lived in (the fringes of) Sedgefield constituency in 2001 (edge of Darlington, and I wouldn't have voted for sodding Milburn if I'd lived in Darlington constituency); did vote Labour in '97, but that was Bristol East.

History tells us that the predominantly right wing media in the UK, and England in particular, are going to set the boot in on someone like a Foot or a Corbyn especially and even on a Kinnock or a Miliband. We'll never know about John Smith, but we do know that Robin Cook, if he'd ever become leader, would have been pilloried for his appearance and probably Scottishness (see Kinnock and Welshness).

Ergo...proof positive that first past the post is a dreadful way of implementing democracy....

Saying so is not going to win an election.

I, for one, would rather we had an effective opposition, that attacked the arguments, and the policies of this government.

Another piece of the railways has been renationalised.

The government has stripped rail operator Southeastern of its franchise after "a serious breach of good faith".
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than £25m of historical payments due to the Department for Transport were not paid.
He said the 'Operator of Last Resort' would take over the running of rail services in the south east to protect taxpayers' interests.
Mr Shapps said: "We won't accept anything less from the private sector than a total commitment to their passengers, and transparency with taxpayers.
"Through the Operator of Last Resort we'll prioritise the punctual, reliable services passengers deserve."

Bexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman, who chairs the Transport Select Committee, told the BBC: "I understand the Serious Fraud Office will be involved in this, so there is a limit to what I can say."
A statement from the Department for Transport (DfT) said it had found evidence that since October 2014 historical taxpayer funding of £25m, which should have been returned, had not been declared.
It added the money has now been reclaimed, with more investigations being carried out and further action, including financial penalties, possible.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-58716625

IMO there's space for both.

Starmer and his ilk can quietly and confidently take apart the government's policies and actions but I think there should also be people on the opposition side who are so incensed by the government's actions (or inaction) and passionate about helping British people in need that they do call the government out about what they appear to be.

A combination of reason and passion should have appeal IMO, at least moreso than the self interest and dealing for the donors that the government appears to be doing.

"transparency with taxpayers" hohoho

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Was it Dennis Healey who said something like "many in the party prefer the ideological purity of opposition to the hard decisions of power"?

Britain will launch rockets next year, vows Boris Johnson

Spaceports from Cornwall to Shetland will launch rockets into orbit next year as Boris Johnson promises to create “galactic Britain”.

The prime minister insisted that Britain cannot remain “earthbound” and must seize leadership in the multi-billion-pound space industry.

Space defences will spy on hostile powers from orbit and prevent them jamming vital communications, a government strategy published yesterday promised. Satellites will also help to forecast the weather and look for power grid outages, the plan said.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b...nson-r38tckx3l

For once the government's favourite tactic is failing them, usually with their "big lie" they repeat something enough times and people accept their new reality. But this time repeating "there is no shortage of fuel" doesn't seem to be changing reality for them.

It's like standing in the Sahara and shouting, "there is no shortage of water!"

Has he moved on from proposing bridges/tunnels?

I didn't realise that launching rockets featured so low on a nation's hierarchy of needs. :rolleyes:

I think I'd rather have a reliable supply of electricity, enough food for Christmas, petrol for my car, adequate funding for the NHS and social care, good public transport.

I hope that, unlike the UK's GPS replacement system, these are the right kind of satellite.

UK Prime Minister tweets
@10DowningStreet
United Kingdom government organization

We’ll harness space technology to solve problems on Earth, creating jobs and levelling up across the UK.

Find out more about our new National Space Strategy: https://gov.uk/government/news/bold-...s-space-sector

#SpaceStrategyUK

Dear Prime Minister,

I'm pleased that you think that building and launching satellites from next year will solve all of the UK's problems. In the meantime:

- Why did Gran die of a preventable Covid infection in her care homelast winter ?
- When will the supermarket shelves be full again ?
- Can I please have some petrol ?
- When will we be able to get building supplies ?
- What happened to the £37bn spent on track and trace ?
- Why are you lining your mates' pockets

Best regards

U. K. Taxpayer

PS Where is that £350 million per week for the NHS? Definitely need it just now, including all the back money...

There is a question which has frequently been asked within the Carrot Flower household: why the sodding buggery bollocks did Johnson want to be King of the World/Prime Minister of the UK? He shows absolutely no aptitude for actually DOING anything or sorting out any problems, lacks any ideology or driving principles, remains clueless about how anything actually works, has no idea about how one action or inaction subsequently influences other events.

What is he actually FOR?

He's entitled

Don't forget HS2

From £35 billion to £95 billion with no final date for services and another increase in costs likely.

ANd we are seeing the same thing with the Democractic Party in the US. the Progressive wing seems determined to drive off the debt ceiling cliff.

Just saw a story about the fuel shortage in the UK
Bojo is doing such a great job.....
This is one issue where the usual BS won;t work for the Government.

Yes it will. We all know the EU are to blame!

Heh, he can't even launch an HGV.

Dear U.K. Taxpayer

You will be pleased to know that we are moving heaven and earth to make Christmas happen this year. We are straining every sinew to bring HGV drivers from Europe on temporary visas. Rishi is skimming off the triple-lock state pension by saving 4% on not paying the coffin-dodgers next year - just a one-off, I promise you, and my right hand man, Gavin Williamson, in whom I have the utmost confidence is leaving no stone unturned in recouping student loans as spiffingly soon as spaffingly poss.

Ping-pong was invented on the dining tables of England in the 19th century, and it was called Wiff-waff! And there, I think, you have the difference between us and the rest of the world. Macron is so soop-jel of our fine nation.

Yours Faithfully

Boris

Not helped by Piers' idiotic rantings.

Remember Belfast South!

Oh FFS he is a clueless cretin. Of course the idiots who lap up his lies are too stupid to understand.

Wrong Corbyn?

Though they are both fools