[Tubby Isaacs]

Apparently the EU doesn't need unanimity to provide a lot of help to Ukraine. Question is more whether it's legal.

[Tubby Isaacs]

In other news, Starmer's neglecting Europe again by (in fairness to Sunak, continuing his work) of having good relations with Ireland.

[The Weeping Angel]

Some good news.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... or-ukraine

Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have shot up since Donald Trump returned to the White House and shocked Europe by withdrawing political and military support for Ukraine, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.

Starmer’s Labour government as a whole has also gained public support for its response to the global turbulence caused by Trump’s return – on security and economic issues. His personal ratings have risen by 10% – albeit from an alarmingly low point – compared with a month ago.

Strikingly, Labour, rather than the Conservatives who are traditionally seen as stronger on defence, are now seen as by far the best at dealing with key foreign policy and defence challenges. Around 30% of voters said they would prefer Labour when it comes to “dealing with allies against threats to the UK”, compared with 18% for the Tories. On “allocating funding to the armed forces and defence”, 27% support Labour to do so best against 20% for the Tories. Some 28% say Labour will best safeguard “the UK’s reputation abroad” against 19% for the Tories.

[Youngian]

Paul 'never did like Trump' Dacre continues to blow smoke up Starmer. How many Republican voters have the faintest clue who Starmer is?

Republicans love ... Keir Starmer: UK's Labour PM is US party's favourite world leader

They are not the most obvious of bedfellows, but US Republicans appear to be quite taken with Keir Starmer, an exclusive poll reveals.
After the Prime Minister's trip to the White House last month, in which he buttered up Donald Trump with an invite to visit the King, Sir Keir is the favourite world leader of the president's voters base.
Despite his moderate centre-left background the PM was rated higher than hard right Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and France's Emmanuel Macron, in a survey by JL Partners for DailyMail.com.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... Trump.html

[The Weeping Angel]

Of course he's just like Stalin even the names sound similar.

[Abernathy]

What a load of old cobblers.

[Tubby Isaacs]

"Secessionist John Swinney isn't General Robert Lee", not yet anyway.

[Youngian]

As Jim Hacker observed after being compared to Stalin; 'Good, the public like to know someone's in charge.'

[mattomac]

Someone read the summary of “Animal Farm” and couldn’t sleep…

The result is this.

[The Weeping Angel]

Turns out Keir is posh and Farage isn't.

[Youngian]

That's a very interesting point that voters like politicians who look like they're enjoying the job. But the media would flip that narrative if Labour had a leader like good ol' Nigel or Boris who larks about, 'not serious' 'just because you'd like a pint with the Labour leader doesn’t mean they can be trusted with defence' etc.
On balance it's better to have those affability skills that Keir lacks as more people are taken in by a cheeky chappy con artist* then repelled by them.
* Especially when they're as poorly scrutinized as Farage.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yeah, see how Starmer talking about Friday evenings being family time was represented. It was "part time Keir, doesn't understand how hard the job is". That was a bloke spending time with his kids, not going out knocking back pints.

[Youngian]

Starmer and Blair are both forged by the 80s when you couldn't trust Knockabout Neil over serious Maggie with your money or protecting the country from the Reds.
Listening to Jon Stewart's podcast making a similar point, a Democrat president can't even wear a tanned suit without it being a controversial week long discussion on the news cycle.

[The Weeping Angel]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78798vnwxeo

Police have arrested a man over suspected arson attacks on two properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The 21-year-old was arrested in the Sydenham, south-east London, on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remains in custody, the Metropolitan Police said.

Emergency services responded to a fire at the prime minister's private home in Kentish Town, north London, early on Monday.

On Sunday, crews were called to a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington - a property Sir Keir is understood to have lived in during the 1990s.

Police are also looking at a car fire which took place on Thursday on the same street as the Kentish Town property. It is understood that the car used to belong to Sir Keir.

The prime minister is understood to still own the home in Kentish Town but lives in Downing Street. He lived there before the 2024 general election and it has been rented out since then.

Counter-terrorism police are leading the inquiry and are treating the fires as suspicious.

"A key line of enquiry is whether the fires are linked due to the two premises and the vehicle all having previous links to the same high-profile public figure," the head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, Cdr Dominic Murphy, said.

[Killer Whale]

Radicalised by social media. I'm calling it. Happy to be proved wrong.

[Youngian]

Are we having a sweepstake?
'Andrew Tate is innocent' incel saddo.
Angry Muslim firebombing for Gaza
Dangerous far right activist.
Full tin foil hatter fighting the secret world government.
Boozed up son of an anarchist found his dad's Class War paper collection (from the good old days when the idea that failed rich racist Tories were anti establishment was laughable beyond belief).
Someone with serious mental health who wasn't politically motivated.

[davidjay]

It's the sort of thing Dave Spart Jr would do, but I look forward to the Mail's "Hypocrite Starmer the Private Landlord" take on the incident.

[The Weeping Angel]

Are we having a sweepstake?
'Andrew Tate is innocent' incel saddo.
Angry Muslim firebombing for Gaza
Dangerous far right activist.
Full tin foil hatter fighting the secret world government.
Boozed up son of an anarchist found his dad's Class War paper collection (from the good old days when the idea that failed rich racist Tories were anti establishment was laughable beyond belief).
Someone with serious mental health who wasn't politically motivated.

My money is on the far right activist.

[Oboogie]

Whoever it was they are remarkably inept, they failed to burn down two houses Starmer no longer lives in and set fire to a car which isn't his. The burning of the Reichstag it was not.