[mattomac]

Bad news a poll has Reform on course to win in Runcorn.

Ben Walker has Labour slightly ahead on his Nowcast, he has generally been pretty reliable.

[Youngian]

According Xbots, Labour are deluded if they think Putin is an issue down the Dog and Duck in Runcorn. Became a big problem for Corbyn so we shall see.
Reform should take this seat easily as people don't like being dragged out to vote again so soon after a GE. Even when the MP hasn't resigned for acting like a fucking idiot. If the Tories as well as Labour play the Putin card against Farage than Reform might not get over the line.

[davidjay]

If they can't win now, they never will.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sunder Katwala has pointed out that scourge of grooming gangs, Rupert Lowe, was chairman of Southampton when historic sexual abuse was exposed. He may not have addressed it as well as he could.

[davidjay]

Sunder Katwala has pointed out that scourge of grooming gangs, Rupert Lowe, was chairman of Southampton when historic sexual abuse was exposed. He may not have addressed it as well as he could.

A lot of football clubs had the same problem. Some honourable, decent men tried to play it down because they thought at the time that was the best thing for the victims. I wouldn't attack Lowe too heavily on this when there's so much other ammunition.

[The Weeping Angel]

he seems reasonable.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... of-vetting

A Reform UK general election candidate who said Hitler was “brilliant” at inspiring people and described Bashar al-Assad as “gentle by nature” is now in charge of the party’s vetting process.

Jack Aaron’s comments about the Nazi leader and Syrian dictator came to light last year when he stood for Reform in the Welwyn Hatfield constituency. He also claimed Vladimir Putin’s use of force in Ukraine was “legitimate”.

Aaron made the comments as part of a pseudoscientific theory of personality types. He is the president of the self-styled World Socionics Society – a group promoting the idea that there are 16 personality types.

However, while he was one of many Reform candidates whose comments caused controversy and led to many being sacked, he is now head of vetting at Reform UK.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Reform have also said that he can't be racist because he's Jewish...

[Andy McDandy]

And they argue that the Black Police Association is racist.

[The Weeping Angel]

Ok Rupert

[Malcolm Armsteen]

How long would it take to suck off a million immigrants? Weeks, I should imagine...

[Oboogie]

You can't fault his ambition and it would be a nice welcoming gesture after their harrowing journey. But I can't help thinking Rupe's going to have a very sore jaw.

What word was he aiming for?

[mattomac]

Fucking would sort of fit, but it’s a foul mouth.

[Oboogie]

Fucking would sort of fit, but it’s a foul mouth.

Looking at it again, I suspect he meant "sacking off" but his predictive text auto-corrected it based on his history.

[Bones McCoy]

Ok Rupert

At least he has Darren Grimes and Martin Branning on his side.
A burden shared ...

[Youngian]

Is that the best Lowe can do? Illegal migrants incarcerated aren't awarded residency status and neither are asylum seekers festering in hotels waiting for their claims to processed illegal immigrants.
The estimated 800k-1.2m visa absconders living under the radar hardly registers as a political issue.

[Killer Whale]

Ok Rupert

Looks doctored. Font of the words "sucking off" is slightly smaller and a pixel or two nearer the top of the image than the rest of the text.

[davidjay]

Is that the best Lowe can do? Illegal migrants incarcerated aren't awarded residency status and neither are asylum seekers festering in hotels waiting for their claims to processed illegal immigrants.
The estimated 800k-1.2m visa absconders living under the radar hardly registers as a political issue.

What does it matter as long as he's saying what people are thinking?

[The Weeping Angel]

[Boiler]

Spotted BTL elsewhere:

Farage “Have a look at that. The anger, the anger, You must be at university.
That’s what you get folks, when teaching unions in this country are poisoning the minds of young people, not just against Reform, but against everything this country has ever stood for.
I’ll make it clear, when we’re in a position of power, we will go to war with these left-wing teaching unions and make sure our kids are taught properly.”

This, to use an oft-overused word, I find chilling.

[Andy McDandy]

They, and a good amount of their mostly middle to older aged supporters, never bothered with school. This was because they knew they were taken care of. Be it at the factory, or in a city firm, they would have a job. And following that, an income, a mortgage, a home of their own. They might not be good at that job, but it didn't matter - the hardest hurdle is getting the job.

What they remember from school is a spattering of trivia, respect for the teachers who were hard enough to make an impression, and disdain for anyone who wasn't in their clique.