UK Politics Thread (Part 4)

I saw such a headline and ingress today and skimmed through. Forgive me please, i do not remember who it was and I am, I admit, not certain of their power within the party. Sorry.

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Anonymous party source to the telegraph
.
https://x.com/shashj/status/1891493426245329395
I know many don’t take anonymous sources seriously and I know many loath the publication, but its how it works in politics (anonymous sources leaking), as you know Redfanman and the Economist journalist highlighting this knows. i think it’s useful for gauging the temperature in the party at least

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I was screaming well before that. I remember sitting infront of the television gobsmaked when it was being explained that a change in military policy was underway. Instead of aircraft carriers small fast intervention forces with helicopters where the political in thing. There were a good number of générales falling down with heart attack. France not UK btw. The UK went even further without even one aircraft carriers for years.
Told them so! :sob:

A 10% increase will get it to 2.5% of GDP, a 20% will take it to about 2.75%.

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What’s the problem in saying you’re willing to step up against Putin?

An aircraft carrier in the current technological environment is just a big expensive target
 The only property they still offer is force projection, and I don’t think the need to project power outside the European theatre is high on the list for either the UK or France.

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Nice play on words.

Unlikely as it is to actually happen, if you or anyone else for that matter is happy (as in dont have a problem with) British troops potentially in combat with Russian troops, in a foreign country, then I fucking despair

Sure however it has knock on effects. Fewer planes and surface ships for example.
I obviously shouldn’t have added that bit as the policy changed soo much more. Armed forces cuts and much more. It was also a long time ago and my comment wasn’t about ‘today’ but back then.

Well that’s how I took it. If I’m supposed to react to it in another way please enlighten me. I cant mind read across the internet.

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If someone can tell me whether I’m supposed to be furious at Starmer for acting or not acting, that would be really helpful.

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Your big enough and opinionated enough to décide for yourself mascot. Just have a nice day. :grinning:

You’ve reacted.
Tells me everything I need to know.

Doesnt matter if its Starmer, Johnson, or any other “leader”.
Contemplating sending our troops to fight the Russians is fucking madness.

Astounded, but not astounded that people are comfortable with that.

So youre happy to sit back and let Putin invade Poland next?

I presume your answer to the question is to say “no”, and basically give Russia a green light to carry on?

I’d also be telling Trump that parts of Europe and Ukraine need to be at the table with Russia.

As unpleasant a thought it is, nations need to really start standing up to Russia. Putin is not backing down otherwise.

For the record if any previous UK prime minister said that, even the weed Cameron, but excluding Johnson, Truss or Sunak, my reaction would be the same.

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Yes, the alternative is rather worse. A lot worse.

Not that I think any such troop deployment will happen any time soon. For that to happen, first there must be the magical Cease Fire. And right now, it’s illusive. Russia’s terms are super harsh. Full Ukrainian withdrawal from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, where they control little.
Then Ukraine must fully withdraw from Donetsk and what little remains of Lugansk.

This is not going to happen very soon, unless we in Europe fuck up and don’t seriously get out act together and increase military aid substantially. And even if we don’t, Ukaraine will still fight a brutal fighting withdrawal for many months to come. What many don’t realise is that the Ukrainian army is far from broken. Russia’s monthly advances are miniscule and seriously slowed down. But we can like the US betray them against our own interest, in time they must then capitulate. Because while RU attacks now with floods on non-mechanised attacks, they are bulding a huge army in the rear. So in time, they will have significant reinforcements. There is not much time. The RU economy is falling apart, but it is not falling apart fast enough if we stymy aid to Ukraine.

Whoever in Europe who thinks a Russian victory will not affect them, well, you are quite wrong. Trump Admin + Russian victory. Oh, lol. Geopolitical Nightmare Scenario from the lowest pit of hell


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My sentiments exactly.

It was @redalways who suggested that Anti-establishment may be a reason for Labour potentially (suggested by a recent YouGov poll) losing its Birmingham seat to Reform. :+1:t2:

Yeah it was me. I didn’t say he was anti-establishment though, I said that support for Reform was in part due to support for the “anti-establishment”. I think @Mascot neatly highlighted how stupendously daft the media is with their coverage of him, which is another point that I’m making.

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It looks like the effects of the budget NI changes have yet to filter through:

They will apply from April’s payroll, presumably? I’d assume that we would have a bigger picture of the impact by July, then.

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I wonder how much of that is driven by public sector rises?

I don’t think it will be a significant driver, and it’s unlikely we will see another big jump in public sector pay this year. The big part of the pay growth is the private sector. Back in November the Bank of England held back on cutting interest rates because they had been surprised by how strong private sector growth had been. And, for all the talk by businesses on the impact from the tax rises in the budget, they are still paying existing staff increases well above inflation.

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Cheers, trying to anticipate the usual media sources outfall.

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