Mailwatch(ed) Forum

In a long line of Labour Home Secretaries, Cooper is not quite following through with the values and standards which we expected.

Sundry ghouls, goblins, and hobbits from the hate-fuelled terraces are being afforded cartes blanches while retired geography teachers are being slung in to the back of meat waggons.

What the hell is happening to decency and a rules-based system? Why are media outlets suddenly being allowed to cock a snook at OFCOM while under clear and unequivocable direction from Tufton Street and their mates?

We expected or you expected?

There's an element of 'Twas ever thus, but never has it been so blatant. I'm not sure the Home Secretary can do much about GeeBeebies but they can certainly have a word with a few Chief Constables.

Make the OP a bit less gnomic and I may be able to respond.

I don't hold grudges: I've seen how they can eat people from the inside out and frankly, life's too short.

But for Cooper, I have made an exception.

The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Wed Aug 20, 2025 11:55 pm We expected or you expected?

Do you mean you always expected Cooper to suddenly lean authoritarian, or that it was wrong to expect a Labour PM to *not* lean quite so authoritarian?

Being a Labour Home Secretary is a thankless job the right hate you because you're too soft and the left hate you because you're too right-wing.

Crabcakes wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 11:44 am

The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Wed Aug 20, 2025 11:55 pm We expected or you expected?

Do you mean you always expected Cooper to suddenly lean authoritarian, or that it was wrong to expect a Labour PM to *not* lean quite so authoritarian?

I was responding to Kreuz.

The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 12:05 pm Being a Labour Home Secretary is a thankless job the right hate you because you're too soft and the left hate you because you're too right-wing.

On the one hand, yes absolutely. On the other, I think it’s arguable there have been let’s just say disappointing elements: heavy handedness on immigration crackdowns and border security, and obviously proscribing Palestine Action.

I admire a great deal about her, but I hope the hard line might soften a bit. The Tory and Reform approach to immigration and protest isn’t right. A continuation of the themes, if mercifully not the worst of the policies at least, isn’t the reset we need.

My view is that old geography teachers can be dragged through the courts just like anyone else who breaks the law. Levy fines, off to jail if they don't pay. Palestine Action wrecked a plane that could be needed to assist allies in Europe. That there's a significant chunk of the left for whom Ukrainians, Latvians etc are basically Russian anyway, is a source of huge disgrace. I can see why the Labour Right dream of not having to bother what these fools think.

But I accept it doesn't look like that to lots of people. And I don't know where the Government goes.

Perhaps make PA a criminal not terrorist organisation whereby only membership of constitutes an offence.

An optimistic take from Jack Straw .

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... age-reform

The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 4:08 pm Perhaps make PA a criminal not terrorist organisation whereby only membership of constitutes an offence.

It would require a rewriting of the definition of terrorism contained in the Terrorism Act 2000. In turn that will provoke accusations of two tier policing next time the Far Right attack a Mosque, asylum hotel or assault people of colour and are not defined as terrorists.
Has anyone demanded the proscription of National Action should be lifted yet? It can only be a matter of time.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 5:16 pm An optimistic take from Jack Straw .

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... age-reform

Straw makes some salient points and it should be remembered that Farage's net approval ratings are terrible minus double figures and as bad as Corbyn's were. A stop Farage campaign at the election could be as potent as Tory stop Red Ed or Corbyn tactics.

Youngian wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 7:45 pm

Abernathy wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 5:16 pm An optimistic take from Jack Straw .

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... age-reform

Straw makes some salient points and it should be remembered that Farage's net approval ratings are terrible minus double figures and as bad as Corbyn's were. A stop Farage campaign at the election could be as potent as Tory stop Red Ed or Corbyn tactics.

Surprised to see such a balanced, rational assessment in the Guardian - it's been a while, maybe talking up the threat of Farage is no longer the clickbait it once was?
Also it's important to anticipate the impact on the electorate of four years experience of Reform attempting to run councils, how many will consider their record worthy of promotion to national government?

Lots of the best lines v Reform are hard to use while Trump is still in untrammeled power. From November 2028 to the next UK election can't be longer than 8 months, but if the Democrats control the House, Labour can ramp things up towards the end of the lame duck period.

This is poor. Supporting the current flagshagging fetish is not going to win Labour a single vote, but will sure as hell lose them some.

What is really bad about the tweet in Crabbie's post above is not knowing whether that is what Cooper said, or if it was cherry-picked from a longer statement for maximum effect.

It could be - and if so, it’s the Guardian that did the cherry picking as I recognise the article style.

Crabcakes wrote: ↑Tue Sep 02, 2025 8:41 am It could be - and if so, it’s the Guardian that did the cherry picking as I recognise the article style.

That would be par for the course.