[Yug]

And while the good news is waiting for a sunnier leader, the bad-faith media from the Mail to the Grauniad keep pumping out their bullshit. The public have no reason to believe that Labour is not only working, but working for them, and the wrong notion that Britain is broken and Labour are shit gets even more firmly entrenched.

[davidjay]

And while the good news is waiting for a sunnier leader, the bad-faith media from the Mail to the Grauniad keep pumping out their bullshit. The public have no reason to believe that Labour is not only working, but working for them, and the wrong notion that Britain is broken and Labour are shit gets even more firmly entrenched.

It's times like this when you wish for another Alistair Campbell.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sadly (maybe) the days of some hard nut keeping media mostly in line (sort of) are long gone. Here's an example that caught my eye. The generally very good Jonn Elledge picks up on a quote from a chap who hates Labour as evidence that "Starmer thought everything was fine before" (the bastard). Evidence for this is Starmer saying that he didn't fear for the country under past Tory Governments like he does under Reform. Obama said the same thing about not fearing for the future if McCain or Romney won, but that he did under Trump. The point being made is very clear- it isn't that everything is fine when the Tories win.

Elledge baffling says he gets that point, then shows he doesn't. What is the point of this stuff? Who does he think wins from the idea that nobody is changing anything, and the Prime Minister doesn't care anyway? It's mad. I'm sure if you put to Elledge that lots of people are still going to claim asylum, move to the UK for work and study, so nothing's changing, he'd strongly refute that. What's the difference with all the other changes?

[Tubby Isaacs]

I don't know who it was, but I saw somebody of this type (not Elledge) saying that one problem with Labour now was that it wasn't doing the Blairite economic policies. I've been more defensive of these than others, but nobody can say there weren't problems with them that hurt Labour in its "heartlands". The Government is trying to address some of that, with working rights, renters rights, industrial policy, training, and devolution. Some of it won't work, sure, but I thought that was a clue to why the Government just gets it in the neck all the time.

[The Weeping Angel]

Sadly (maybe) the days of some hard nut keeping media mostly in line (sort of) are long gone. Here's an example that caught my eye. The generally very good Jonn Elledge picks up on a quote from a chap who hates Labour as evidence that "Starmer thought everything was fine before" (the bastard). Evidence for this is Starmer saying that he didn't fear for the country under past Tory Governments like he does under Reform. Obama said the same thing about not fearing for the future if McCain or Romney won, but that he did under Trump. The point being made is very clear- it isn't that everything is fine when the Tories win.

Elledge baffling says he gets that point, then shows he doesn't. What is the point of this stuff? Who does he think wins from the idea that nobody is changing anything, and the Prime Minister doesn't care anyway? It's mad. I'm sure if you put to Elledge that lots of people are still going to claim asylum, move to the UK for work and study, so nothing's changing, he'd strongly refute that. What's the difference with all the other changes?

I saw that a big problem is that a lot of the media people on there have realized that bashing Starmer is the quickest way to get likes on Bluesky

[Tubby Isaacs]

Wes Streeting improves offer to resident doctors in England in attempt to stop strikes
BMA puts health secretary’s offer, which includes pledge to double number of extra training places, to resident doctors

This would be a feather in his cap if this resolved the strikes. Actually it probably won't, because everyone will claim he caused the strikes we've had by not going it before. Of course, that's not how it works, the Minister has to have the capacity to make new offers, which he probably didn't before.

I still don't want him as Leader, mind.

[Boiler]

I still don't see what makes resident doctors think they're entitled to have their pay brought up to a level the rest of us have just had to grin and bear.

[Tubby Isaacs]

They’re bullshitting about how far their pay has fallen behind.

Apparently recommending a no vote.

[The Weeping Angel]

https://bsky.app/profile/antoniabance.b ... nzakfobs2y

[Boiler]

It'd be good if those of us without BlueSky accounts could see what you're posting up, TWA.

[The Weeping Angel]

Sorry the problem with this forum is that every now and then it won't display posts from Bluesky.

[Boiler]

No worries, TWA: it seems to affect only those BlueSky posts where the poster requires you to sign in to view their posts, thus;

Screenshot_20251211_142342_Opera.jpg (183.3 KiB) Viewed 18466 times

[Boiler]

Red Hall & Lingfield (Darlington) Council By-Election Result:

RFM: 37.7% (New)
CON: 17.3% (-22.5)
LDM: 17.3% (New)
LAB: 16.8% (-37.1)
GRN: 9.8% (+3.6)
Ind: 1.0% (New)

Reform GAIN from Labour.

[mattomac]

I do like how ITV are moaning about the briefing of the budget for the fall of growth, most of which was speculation from them and their fellow media counterparts. I assume we won't get a similar opinion piece that is presented as a news story in a couple of months when the growth is upgraded and that the budget delivers a decent bounce as it is more than likely.

[The Weeping Angel]

Red Hall & Lingfield (Darlington) Council By-Election Result:

RFM: 37.7% (New)
CON: 17.3% (-22.5)
LDM: 17.3% (New)
LAB: 16.8% (-37.1)
GRN: 9.8% (+3.6)
Ind: 1.0% (New)

Reform GAIN from Labour.

They're already salivating over that result over on Bluesky.

[The Weeping Angel]

Menawhile.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/doze ... si0iYldVNA

Labour MPs are being barred from pubs and restaurants across Britain as angry landlords launch a growing backlash over rising taxes.

Dozens of venues have begun displaying “No Labour MPs” stickers on their doors and windows in protest at higher business rates, with owners accusing the Government of hammering the hospitality sector.

The campaign was started on Friday by Andy Lennox, who runs the Old Thatch pub in Dorset. He said around 50 venues had already pledged to take part.

“It’s springing up in different towns,” Mr Lennox told The Telegraph. “By the end of the week, it will be all over the place. We’re getting requests from across the UK for stickers and advice on how to get involved, from bosses as far away as Clacton-on-Sea.”

[Boiler]

Menawhile.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/doze ... si0iYldVNA

Labour MPs are being barred from pubs and restaurants across Britain as angry landlords launch a growing backlash over rising taxes.

Dozens of venues have begun displaying “No Labour MPs” stickers on their doors and windows in protest at higher business rates, with owners accusing the Government of hammering the hospitality sector.

The campaign was started on Friday by Andy Lennox, who runs the Old Thatch pub in Dorset. He said around 50 venues had already pledged to take part.

“It’s springing up in different towns,” Mr Lennox told The Telegraph. “By the end of the week, it will be all over the place. We’re getting requests from across the UK for stickers and advice on how to get involved, from bosses as far away as Clacton-on-Sea.”

I wonder why that place gets a mention...

[davidjay]

Publicans being noted for their Liberal tendencies.

[The Weeping Angel]

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... ool-spaces

Labour to create up to 60,000 spaces for children with Send in English schools
Bridget Phillipson says £3bn scheme focussed on local state schools will ‘transform lives’, after rise in parent appeals

Richard Adams Education editor
Thu 11 Dec 2025 22.30 GMT
Share
The government is to invest £3bn in creating bespoke places within local state schools for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), a crucial part of its efforts to grapple with England’s rising numbers of children facing social and mental health problems.

The plan announced by Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, to create up to 60,000 places within mainstream schools, will be partly funded by the suspension of a group of planned free schools, saving an estimated £600m in the coming years. The remaining £2.4bn will come from departmental spending outlined in November’s budget.

Phillipson said: “This government will fix the broken education system for children and young people with Send by making sure that their local school is also the right school.

“Ahead of our reforms next year, we’re laying the foundations of a new system that shifts children with Send from forgotten to included and earns the confidence of parents.

“This £3bn investment will transform lives. It will open the door to opportunity for tens of thousands of children with Send, giving them the chance to learn, belong and succeed in their local community.”

The urgent need for change was highlighted by figures showing that legal action by parents over their children’s special needs provision have continued to soar. The Ministry of Justice said the number of Send appeals heard by tribunals rose for the ninth year in a row to 25,002 in 2024-25, an 18% increase on the previous year.

[Dalem Lake]

They're already salivating over that result over on Bluesky.

Pffft! Who gives a fuck what the bluesky lot think, it's a a December council by-election. It's the Scottish and Welsh elections next May that are the ones to be concerned about and it ain't looking good for Labour. Personally, I'm starting to think Starmer's a busted flush and moving into the "shifting him onto somewhere else" camp.