Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Boiler wrote: ↑Fri Apr 25, 2025 5:45 pm all the anti-solar farm brigade will be delighted.

Aren't they all of the size that they get passed up the planning chain to national government? Or is that devolved to the regional mayors, now?

I think the main one round here - Mallard Pass - is as you describe. However, it won't stop ever more spanners being thrown in the works to delay it further.

There are several very large solar developments intended for Lincolnshire. This seems reasonable enough to me, it being a very large county with lots of open spaces, but Jenkyns won't be short of opportunities. "Why won't Ed Milliband listen to the people?", that sort of rubbish.

I don't know how much power objectors have to take things to judicial review. Some of them are trying to do that in Sussex.

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/pe ... rm-5097744

Reform not racist says my mate Chalky

And everybody applauded...

Once more, I am wondering if there really are such things as racist bones.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 26, 2025 10:29 pm Once more, I am wondering if there really are such things as racist bones.

If there are, Reform's the place to find them.

Is Ryan trying to drive away his base? A patriotic alternative, perhaps?

kreuzberger wrote: ↑Sat Apr 26, 2025 10:57 pm Is Ryan trying to drive away his base? A patriotic alternative, perhaps?

Which touches on the biggest problem in combating Reform. It's no good calling them racist - their core support knows that; they're racist themselves, but they don't want to be called it so by some leap of twisted logic, calling Reform racist is woke snowflakery.

"Call me a racist. Go on. You lefties throw it around so much, it's lost all meaning!"

"OK, you're a racist."

"HOW DARE YOU!!!"

Whilst filling the car up with petrol in preparation for the next few days at work, what did I spy nailed up high in the trees? Yep, posters advertising the candidate for voters who think Reform a bunch of lefty snowflakes...

Passed a 'I'm voting Reform UK' placard outside a house just now (only one I've seen across multiple districts, thankfully).

I had to ask the universe: 'why?'

Like, actually, why?

RedSparrows wrote: ↑Sun Apr 27, 2025 4:30 pm Passed a 'I'm voting Reform UK' placard outside a house just now (only one I've seen across multiple districts, thankfully).

I had to ask the universe: 'why?'

Like, actually, why?

Well, it has to be said that there will be many people out there who will be saying:

"Passed an 'I'm voting Labour' placard outside a house just now (only one I've seen across multiple districts, thankfully).

I had to ask the universe: 'why?'

Like, actually, why?"

Boiler wrote: ↑Sun Apr 27, 2025 5:33 pm

RedSparrows wrote: ↑Sun Apr 27, 2025 4:30 pm Passed a 'I'm voting Reform UK' placard outside a house just now (only one I've seen across multiple districts, thankfully).

I had to ask the universe: 'why?'

Like, actually, why?

Well, it has to be said that there will be many people out there who will be saying:

"Passed an 'I'm voting Labour' placard outside a house just now (only one I've seen across multiple districts, thankfully).

I had to ask the universe: 'why?'

Like, actually, why?"

Yes, but Labour has a policy platform and decades of experience of governance and major opposition.
Reform has 'wink wink' and decades of experience of 'just fucking sort it, common sense isn't it.'

Which does seem to appeal to a considerable number of the electorate. There seems to be an element of "talk to us, not at us" - which I get the impression is how Reform and Labour respectively are perceived by them.

The amazing thing is how Farage, with his comfortable background in a comfortable part of Kent (a mate of mine remembers him at a church fete over fifty years ago as "a grotty kid", in his words) has managed to convince so many that he's a "man of the people".

There's a reason why "Beggar at the Feast" in Les Miserables tends to get a standing ovation.

Hell, Fargle as Thernadier isn't a bad shout.

Boiler wrote: ↑Sun Apr 27, 2025 5:55 pm
The amazing thing is how Farage, with his comfortable background in a comfortable part of Kent (a mate of mine remembers him at a church fete over fifty years ago as "a grotty kid", in his words) has managed to convince so many that he's a "man of the people".

Good chat on another thread about how that narrative changes if a Labour leader develops a cheeky chappy persona. Not serious or up to the job.
At least Labour leaders who did get away with that kind of schick like Harold Wilson or Ken Livingstone were really serious policy nerds.
Would like to see an academic study as to what differentiates someone who finds 'good ol' Boris or Nige instantly repellent and transparent with those who buy into them.

Livingstone was some way ahead of his time in terms of political messaging. I don't know if he had some Tim Bell figure that I haven't heard of, or whether it was his own instincts. But he did indeed know lots of policy, and was respected for his knowledge of rail, like the very different Andrew Adonis and Steve Norris both were.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 26, 2025 10:29 pm Once more, I am wondering if there really are such things as racist bones.

Oi!!!

The Reflux mob, who constantly and relentlessly bang on about the war, never seem to want to commemorate it's ending - perhaps, that is what they do every day. Meantime, we have Thursday off next week as a proper holiday in order to mark the 80th anniversary.

My family lost mercifully few in the course of the conflict, although one of ours went down on The Hood, so it seems like a good day to go sailing.