[Abernathy]

Well, not to pick nits, but if it’s a fantasy, then nothing would inevitably follow.

[Youngian]

Was listening to PMQs and struck by the impressive range of real issues raised once Kemi's grandstanding was over. Mental health, rural depopulation, high suicides, on going Stormont paralysis, the menace of antivax propaganda, corrupt practices in the franchising system. And no running down the clock with 'does the PM agree his policies are marvellous?' Sadly it only cuts through with those effected.

[Tubby Isaacs]

You have to get past all the party leaders these days.

[Abernathy]

A not entirely un-commendable attempt to understand Starmer-hatred in the Grauniad today :

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... 1768287916

[Tubby Isaacs]

Jonathan Liew is a pretty good writer, but I see we can add "writing sports columns" to cutting hair and driving cabs in George Burns' gag about people who know how to run the government.

[Abernathy]

Sir Keir had a good PMQs today. Not remotely troubled by Badenough, he even pitched in a couple of good jokes :
One about the Tories’ “IKEA Shadow Cabinet - full of dead wood, and with the odd nut flying off to join Reform”.

The other one was less chucklesome - about the Tories having had that many PMs, Chancellors and Home Secretaries that they’d had “more positions than the Kama Sutra” (har har).

[Oboogie]

The other one was less chucklesome - about the Tories having had that many PMs, Chancellors and Home Secretaries that they’d had “more positions than the Kama Sutra” (har har).

Like most jokes, it works better if you include the punchline, "Don’t get me started on consistency: the Tories had five prime ministers, six chancellors, eight home secretaries and sixteen housing ministers – they had more positions in 14 years than the Kama Sutra. No wonder they are knackered and they left the country screwed.”

Needless to say, the right-wing press are having a fit of the vapours over such poor taste, they may need to calm themselves with a couple of hours perusing their favourite AI images on Grok.

[Youngian]

The other one was less chucklesome - about the Tories having had that many PMs, Chancellors and Home Secretaries that they’d had “more positions than the Kama Sutra” (har har).

Good line but better to taunt the Tories for having only one position since Cameron resigned; what does Nigel think?
Would that be a missionary position now Reformers have found God?

Farage did turn up today for PMQs only for the PM to not only accuse him again of Kremlin collaboration but a child pornography defender. That wiped the smug grin off his face, more of this please.

[mattomac]

Starmer has been spot on with Ukraine and has approached the Greenland situation in a similar manner.

The alternative is a mess, there are solutions but at this moment in time Trump has gone completely off.

He’d probably press the button if provoked. It’s like poking a bear. Sorry Bluesky your wrong.

[The Weeping Angel]

Failing to stand up to Trump latest.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I like that stuff. Sadly most of the media thinks bipartisanship in crises is for mugs, if Labour are in Government.

Kemi met Mike Johnson, who may have pushed this Chagos rubbish to Trump.

[Youngian]

Farage bought up the Chagos controversy in a GBN interview with Mike Johnson. We expect no better from Farage but this week was an opportunity for Kemi to differentiate herself from Farage by placing the national interest first. She's as pathetic as Corbyn.

[The Weeping Angel]

[kreuzberger]

There is precedent for taking in to the FCO former PMs who resigned of their own accord. Just a thought.


(EDIT: Grammatical soup.)

[davidjay]

And just when you get some good news...

[Abernathy]

It’s getting depressing - the way that the news media, including the BBC, are all treating the Mandelson story as unquestionably the end of Starmer’s premiership, or simply a matter of time before he walks the plank, or is obliged to. It’s almost taking on the characteristics of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even Harriet bloody Harman is pitching in.

And it’s a real shame. Starmer is a thoroughly decent man, more honest, and possessed of greater integrity than any of the UK’s prime ministers of the last 15 years. He has done a fantastic job representing the UK’s interests internationally, notably faced with a volatile narcissist of a president of the USA who is the worst human being on the planet. He has had mis-steps domestically, but he has shown that he has the capacity to recognise and admit mistakes, and change course - surely a positive quality, not a negative. It would be nothing short of a tragedy were he to be forced out because he accepted the word of a now revealed to be traitorous liar.

I would not be too surprised were Starmer to be considering voluntarily throwing in the towel right now. But if he is, he’ll be considering all the consequences of him doing so - for him, his family, his party, and of course, the country. He will of course also be weighing up the same consequences of him remaining in post.

I’m still convinced that there can be no better PM for the UK in 2026.

[Youngian]

As someone of this parish remarked "over to you, Chris" is the only thing that's missing. Keep hearing an LBC show clip of an excitable Lewis Goodal , "worst scandal in 50 years!." Oh FFS he hasn't shot Noel Edmonds.
Fortunately for Keir, the memories of political correspondents aren't much longer than their listeners. Which isn't all that much longer than a goldfish.
Unless you party during a pandemic, those who lost love ones don't forget easily.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think he'll hold on, unless there's something very damning in the vetting documents. Mandelson was, after all, a well-connected former EU Trade Commissioner. It was far from the most off the wall appointment, even if he'd kept in touch with Epstein.

Anyone who wants his job should look at what'll be coming up. One thing that catches my eye is special needs education, which is the shit sandwich all of all shit sandwiches. Barring another significant tax rise, hard to see how a new leader wouldn't immediately be hit with stories of deserving people who've lost out. I think this is one I'd be happy to leave for Sir Keir. I only hope it doesn't flatten Bridget Philipson as well.

[Tubby Isaacs]

As someone of this parish remarked "over to you, Chris" is the only thing that's missing. Keep hearing an LBC show clip of an excitable Lewis Goodal , "worst scandal in 50 years!." Oh FFS he hasn't shot Noel Edmonds.
Fortunately for Keir, the memories of political correspondents aren't much longer than their listeners. Which isn't all that much longer than a goldfish.
Unless you party during a pandemic, those who lost love ones don't forget easily.

Yeah, it's all "drama" now with these correspondents. There was a fair bit of drama in the John Major era, with Arms to Iraq (was that not a worse scandal than appointing Mandelson? The Government was happy for some businessmen to go to prison to save its own arse) , an actual leadership challenge, and consistent attacks from the goons on the backbenches. But I don't recall Robin Oakley running round breathlessly.

[Oboogie]

As someone of this parish remarked "over to you, Chris" is the only thing that's missing. Keep hearing an LBC show clip of an excitable Lewis Goodal , "worst scandal in 50 years!." Oh FFS he hasn't shot Noel Edmonds.
Fortunately for Keir, the memories of political correspondents aren't much longer than their listeners. Which isn't all that much longer than a goldfish.
Unless you party during a pandemic, those who lost love ones don't forget easily.

Yeah, it's all "drama" now with these correspondents. There was a fair bit of drama in the John Major era, with Arms to Iraq (was that not a worse scandal than appointing Mandelson? The Government was happy for some businessmen to go to prison to save its own arse) , an actual leadership challenge, and consistent attacks from the goons on the backbenches. But I don't recall Robin Oakley running round breathlessly.

Yes, I'm disappointed by Lewis Goodall's behaviour, but not surprised, he's young and ambitious and he's jockeying against Emily Maitlis. Jon Sobel is all that keeps me listening to The Newsagents.