[Tubby Isaacs]

What makes you say that?

Nothing really. Just a sense I'm tempting fate.

I'm not that confident in McSweeney though, so could be something in it.

[The Weeping Angel]

Here's the article.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/cabin ... st_popular

Of course it gets denied but then they get sources saying Philipson is to blame for VAT not being sold and Nandy spending too much time in Salford. Also says the reshuffle will happen in late spring early summer.

[mattomac]

So not Angela Rayner this time….

Every time she had a cabinet rumour she ended up getting a better role.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Here's the article.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/cabin ... st_popular

Of course it gets denied but then they get sources saying Philipson is to blame for VAT not being sold and Nandy spending too much time in Salford. Also says the reshuffle will happen in late spring early summer.

So might be a reshuffle in 4-6 months.

If that's a real source, they need sacking. Anyway, the VAT on school fees is popular.

[The Weeping Angel]

Do you think the source is McSweeney?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Distinctly possible.

In the meantime, credit to Polly Toynbee for saying this. I've noticed even the Guardian elevating Danny Kruger's view.The Government is making time for this bill, so I put it here.

A forceful campaign is trying to make Kim Leadbeater’s committee look as if it’s on the edge of failing. The opposite is true

Polly mentions the amendment that covers degenerative diseases (12 months, not 6 months) and I've seen that being attacked (by an otherwise good Labour MP). I can't believe that some of the Labour MPs can't see what's happening here. It's a load of big money trying to find an issue like abortion is in the US. Not to say every opponent is like that, of course not, but that's part of the dynamic, If this bill fails, it'll all be "Labour can't even get that done".

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sucking up to Trump latest.

Ukraine on ‘irreversible path’ to Nato membership, Starmer tells Zelenskyy
Prime minister uses call with Ukraine president to restate UK support in face of Trump interventions

[Crabcakes]

Sucking up to Trump latest.

Ukraine on ‘irreversible path’ to Nato membership, Starmer tells Zelenskyy
Prime minister uses call with Ukraine president to restate UK support in face of Trump interventions

Starmer (and to be fair, much of Europe) have been really good on this. And I’m sure Vance and Hegseth (or whatever that idiot’s name is) have helped crystallise things with their absolute dogshit speeches. If Trump doesn’t want to get involved, he doesn’t get a say either and can fuck off. Putin is clearly hoping for a quick resolution and everything he wants. The reaction in Europe tends to suggest this is not what is about to happen.

Also, just imagine this scenario, but with Johnson still in charge making out he has Trump’s ear.

[Oboogie]

Putin is clearly hoping for a quick resolution and everything he wants.

Putin needs a quick resolution, the current rate of attrition is unsustainable for Russia both militarily and economically

Hegseth (or whatever that idiot’s name is) ...

I'd just about learned Hegseth's name when Mrs O'B referred to him as Hagrid...and that was the end of any hope of me ever remembering his name again.

[Youngian]

Also, just imagine this scenario, but with Johnson still in charge making out he has Trump’s ear.

He makes that scenario easy to imagine

[Tubby Isaacs]

Starmer (and to be fair, much of Europe) have been really good on this. And I’m sure Vance and Hegseth (or whatever that idiot’s name is) have helped crystallise things with their absolute dogshit speeches. If Trump doesn’t want to get involved, he doesn’t get a say either and can fuck off. Putin is clearly hoping for a quick resolution and everything he wants. The reaction in Europe tends to suggest this is not what is about to happen.

Also, just imagine this scenario, but with Johnson still in charge making out he has Trump’s ear.

Germany is still key though. The sodding debt break is a massive problem on this score.

[kreuzberger]

Germany is still key though. The sodding debt break is a massive problem on this score.

Despite the election being only two weeks away, the serious players in Germany are united in being fucking furious. JD Sports - a man who permanently looks like he has forgotten what he came into the kitchen for - has only succeeded in pouring ethanol on an already raging inferno.

Scholz had already called for a relaxation of the debt brake and, as far as I can see, has not experienced any pushback and certainly not from Merz, his probable successor.

Per NTV;

... according to the Federal Chancellor, the Bundestag should take a decision as quickly as possible, according to which the war in Ukraine and its "serious consequences for the security of Germany and Europe are classified as an emergency within the meaning of Article 115 paragraph 2 of the Basic Law". (That's the debt brake.)

According to Scholz, this would mean that Ukraine's support would not continue to be held to the expense of other tasks that the state "shall have to fulfil its citizens". In addition, the Federal Chancellor wants to promote "discussions" in the EU on how to "really get to" the development of a strong European defence industry.

https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Olaf-Scholz ... 63349.html

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ah that is positive. Good to hear.

[kreuzberger]

Reasonably positive.

Olaf has, for these three years, unfathomably refused to send the highly-impressive Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

[Oboogie]

A question for the panel: I heard the other day that Europe still spends more on Russian oil and gas than the value of the sanctions they've imposed on Russia and is, therefore, propping up the failing Russian economy. I've so far been unable to verify this. Any ideas?

[kreuzberger]

Foreign Policy - free to register - has a good piece on this. TLDR; the usual lard-arsed Slavs are largely to blame, and France isn't entirely reliant on nuke.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/03/eu ... -pipeline/

[Crabcakes]

Also, just imagine this scenario, but with Johnson still in charge making out he has Trump’s ear.

He makes that scenario easy to imagine

Well that aged like dogshit on a hot day. Nice to see Boris on the humiliating end of having broadcast something he was probably assured of only to have the person who did it almost immediately renege on it. Now he knows how the junior ministers he used to send out to do the morning rounds felt.

[mattomac]

Johnson like usual pretend it was something else he said.

[Tubby Isaacs]

We're all right, chaps. It won't be as hard as WW2. Rather overlooking that Putin doesn't have to bother about re-election, while his pals in the West run on "Your hip replacement or Ukraine's bombs".

[The Weeping Angel]

This is good.

Usual response of typical dumbing down from Labour.