[Tubby Isaacs]

It's literally just talking points. What decisions have been outsourced to the OBR? This sounds like she's picked up some tripe off Twitter from fans of Liz Truss.

And what quangos are they creating? The Government's abolishing NHS England and bringing it directly into the Department of Health. That's a pretty major move against a quango, whether it works or not.

[The Weeping Angel]

Interesting piece on Badenoch, noting how her own approval ratings have risen, but the Tories' haven't.

https://samf.substack.com/p/the-badenoc ... irect=true

At the same time, despite growing confidence and some better Parliamentary performances, Badenoch has done nothing to structurally improve the Tory position. There is no policy agenda beyond pledges to undo Labour taxes rises by cutting welfare. Because the Tory leader seems animated almost entirely by hatred of Labour her positions are always about negating something they’re doing, whether on net zero or private school VAT, rather than setting out a positive agenda of her own.

To be fair to her the party has far fewer resources than in the past to fund policy development, and few MPs to do any of the work. Once you’ve filtered out the mad, dim, lazy and those who have already mentally moved on, there are maybe twenty MPs left who are any use. A lot of the think-tank types who would previously have worked closely with the party have switched allegiance to Reform. For instance Karl Williams, who was research director at the venerable Tory think-tank, the Centre for Policy Studies, has just joined Reform’s policy unit (yes they have one).

But, despite these challenges, Badenoch should still be doing better at developing a platform. Too often she takes positions on the basis of existing prejudices, without thinking things through or doing the necessary work. We saw this on Iran, where she quickly decided to back the US/Israeli attacks, only to back off later when it became apparent what a mess they had caused. Her speeches are typically shallow and partisan with little diagnosis of the country’s real problems. She made one earlier in the week on the economy which included this gem:

“If you look under the hood of Andy Burnham’s proposals, you will find at the core, a mistaken belief, a belief that it is government that creates growth. It is not. It is business that creates growth.”

[Youngian]

If what passed for intellectual heft in the Tory party has found a home in Reform, the Tories are probably in a slightly better place in the long run. This once sturdy mansion has been reduced to a crumbling wreck by Boris Johnson and Brexit. The Conservative brand is still strong and will have some brighter new owners after another election defeat and Farage as history.

Once you’ve filtered out the mad, dim, lazy and those who have already mentally moved on, there are maybe twenty MPs left who are any use. A lot of the think-tank types who would previously have worked closely with the party have switched allegiance to Reform.

[mattomac]

Problem Kemi has she’s so shite that if the public do get more of her they will probably want less of it.

[Yug]

Improving the Tories' chances in the next GE

Badenoch purges would-be MPs who back net zero

Conservative leader says she wants teachers and builders as her election candidates, not failed politicians following old policies

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... -net-zero/

She writes: “If someone still believes in net zero targets that make energy more expensive and are destroying industry, they are not coming back.

“If someone thinks that the ECHR can be wished away rather than being dealt with properly, they are not serious.

“If they want to jump on every passing fad that makes us look more like Liberal Democrats than Conservatives, there is no place for them in this party.

We have to show we have changed for the better.”

While doing everything to show they're changing for the worse.

Does she smell Fargle's blood and think the Tories can hoover up the RacistUK votes? I don't think RacistUK cunts care for the Tories very much.

[Boiler]

Especially their current leader.

[The Weeping Angel]

Prime Ministerial.

[Boiler]

I prefer "demented fucking halfwit".

[Tubby Isaacs]

Kemi’s going to get the young professionals back with that pitch. Supporting policies they ran on in 2024 “not serious”.

[AOB]

Academic now but:

Kemi Badenoch said on Monday she would probably not back a bank holiday if England wins the World Cup, arguing the “private sector would still be working and the public sector would take the day off”.

An Opposition leader with half a brain, especially one with a poxy (figuratively and literally) 117 MPs, trying to gain support from as many voters as possible might say; "We'll support a bank holiday in lieu to be taken later in the year to give employers a chance to prepare." But Kemi just recites the old Mail trope. She just forgot to mutter something about gold-plated pensions.

[Boiler]

Does anyone currently in employment expect to get a final salary/defined benefit pension now?

[RedSparrows]

Academic now but:

Kemi Badenoch said on Monday she would probably not back a bank holiday if England wins the World Cup, arguing the “private sector would still be working and the public sector would take the day off”.

An Opposition leader with half a brain, especially one with a poxy (figuratively and literally) 117 MPs, trying to gain support from as many voters as possible might say; "We'll support a bank holiday in lieu to be taken later in the year to give employers a chance to prepare." But Kemi just recites the old Mail trope. She just forgot to mutter something about gold-plated pensions.

I find this approach fascinating. This bitter, divisive, scumbag shithouse landlord-boss approach. The fact anyone nods their head at it is because, of course, the narrative is beloved by the scumbag shithouse landlord-bosses who own the press and who put each other on pedestals.

But step back, for a moment: 'millions of you potential voters are wastes of space because you're not working hard enough after what would be a day of unbelievable joy for the psyche of the nation'.

The fact anyone tries that angle indicates just how powerful the scumbag shithouse paradigm is.

[Boiler]

I'd expect nothing less of her. It's all so... American, isn't it?

[Rosvanian]

So she hates me (NHS), my youngest daughter (NHS), my missus (local authority), my son (training, at his expense, to become NHS). She used to hate my sister who was NHS for years but now she's in private healthcare she likes her. She also hates the blokes who've just driven down the back lane emptying the bins, the lollipop lady to whom I nod every morning, and the council bloke who was just emptying the litter bin by the bus stop. However, she doesn't hate the Virgin Media guy parked further down the street or the Royal Mail postie who's just shoved a letter through my front door.

I fucking despise these right-wing psycho weirdos with every fibre of my being.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

So she hates me (NHS), my youngest daughter (NHS), my missus (local authority), my son (training, at his expense, to become NHS). She used to hate my sister who was NHS for years but now she's in private healthcare she likes her. She also hates the blokes who've just driven down the back lane emptying the bins, the lollipop lady to whom I nod every morning, and the council bloke who was just emptying the litter bin by the bus stop. However, she doesn't hate the Virgin Media guy parked further down the street or the Royal Mail postie who's just shoved a letter through my front door.

I fucking despise these right-wing psycho weirdos with every fibre of my being.

Spot. On.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Does anyone currently in employment expect to get a final salary/defined benefit pension now?

When I got my first permanent “graduate” job (and the last), in late 1996, they’d just abolished the final salary pension. This was with one of what was then the Big 6 accounting firms, and one regarded as being good to work for (ie not Arthur Andersen).

I’d guess they’d gone in most places before that.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Academic now but:

Kemi Badenoch said on Monday she would probably not back a bank holiday if England wins the World Cup, arguing the “private sector would still be working and the public sector would take the day off”.

An Opposition leader with half a brain, especially one with a poxy (figuratively and literally) 117 MPs, trying to gain support from as many voters as possible might say; "We'll support a bank holiday in lieu to be taken later in the year to give employers a chance to prepare." But Kemi just recites the old Mail trope. She just forgot to mutter something about gold-plated pensions.

It's also completely wrong. Lots of private sector places would not open, and lots of public sector workers would have to work.

She can't answer the easiest question without making it into a culture war thing.