Mailwatch(ed) Forum

That is simply beyond cool.

kreuzberger wrote: ↑Tue Jul 14, 2026 10:46 pm That is simply beyond cool.

Not bad for the worst Prime Minister ever*, isn't it?

*only in the minds of twats.

Closer ties with Europe...EU by the back door....ignoring the will of the people...

Of course, the Guardian has pointed out that it has also been given to Putin and Assad in the past...

Well that's a message to 322 Labour weasels...

Boiler wrote: ↑Tue Jul 14, 2026 9:40 pm Keir Starmer has been awarded the Légion d'honneur.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... nce-macron

Cheeky football watcher wonders whether Kylian Mbappe's name had been hastily scratched out.

( Mbappe is a French footballing superstar.
The French team - world cup favourites for many - were eliminated after an uncharacteristically weak showing last night.
Worst Bastille Day ever. )

It does go to show we will miss him on the world stage.

Already noticed he polled as third best PM on a poll yesterday since 2000 behind Blair and Brown.

mattomac wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2026 2:49 pm It does go to show we will miss him on the world stage.

Already noticed he polled as third best PM on a poll yesterday since 2000 behind Blair and Brown.

I rate Starmer higher than either of them based solely on what they each achieved with the hand they were dealt.

mattomac wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2026 2:49 pm It does go to show we will miss him on the world stage.

Already noticed he polled as third best PM on a poll yesterday since 2000 behind Blair and Brown.

I'm guessing that's not a Mail / Express / Scum poll.

Watching Keir’s ultra-dignified and good humoured final PMQs session, today, I found it emotional. I ‘ve been deeply uneasy about the Burnham coup ever since he tried to stand in Gorton & Denton, and I still think Starmer was a good Prime minister, who could still have gone on in the remaining 3 years of this government and beyond to be a great one.
But he paid the price of being unpopular and making mistakes. I dare say that what he was lacking was the political skill set needed to govern well and take the voters with him. The skill set that Blair had, I guess. The question I’m still asking is why was it necessary ? Was it really necessary ?

I’m still not happy with the way that he was essentially forced out, but ever-dignified, Keir is giving his whole-hearted support to his successor, and that’s good enough for me.

I wish Keir all the very best for whatever he does next. He leaves with my profound gratitude as a Labour member for in effect, saving the party from oblivion and making it a party of government again.

The point was made on PM that most former Prime Ministers recall their first two years as their worst - it's a steep learning curve shifting from opposition to government - the problem now is that, in the age of social media, they don't get more than two years.

Yes, it will be interesting to see where Burnham is in two years’ time.

No idea who Brendan May is, but I’m finding it hard to disagree.

Brendan May:

https://www.robertsbridgegroup.com/brendan_may

Let's hope history treats him kindly. The present certainly hasn't.

My Take:

* A good responsible man who made Labour electable again when every party was suffering 57 varieties of batshit.
* A stable leader who got a lot more done then anybody expected.
* Unwise in some of his press pack appointments.


And how this shapes the future of politics.

* People say "We need leaders with experience outside politics" - people are lying.
* To not expect (and counter) a press pack pile-on from day zero is an error of judgement.
* The electorate (bastards!) demand a showman as leader.
* This augurs poorly for the quality of politician we'll see in future - gobby populist chumps over thoughtful experts.


And Labour's priorities:

* The nation faces a new array of digitally driven threats: extremely partizan media, foreign crypto-bros, a unified digital far-right brotherhood, disruptive criminal street fighters.
* None of these enjoy majority support, but combating each one demands significant resources.
* #1 priority is to make people feel better, wealthier and safer.
* My (extremely poor) instinct would be to take down a couple of high profile agitators.
* This leans on intelligence services, police and ofcom.
* Law and Order isn't an exclusively right wing ticket.

If I could 'like' that post more than once Bones, I would.

Agitators are rather like brambles: unless you get on top of them promptly, your green and pleasant land gets overrun by them and then they are virtually impossible to remove.

People say "We need leaders with experience outside politics" - people are lying.

That should inspire a thread; 'Things people say but are full of shit.'
US comic Des Bishop noted people only hate immigrants until their mum's ill, "the last face you'll ever see won't be wearing a MAGA hat."

So Alan Hope (OMRLP) has put up 3 candidates to try to split Binface's vote to help his drinking buddy, Gargle.
I wonder who is behind some of the others, and for what reason.

If Farage only wins because Mr Fishfinger, Binface, Piers Corbyn etc. split the opposition vote, that's still an humiliation.