[Youngian]

Jones hasn’t take kindly to Keir’s non-engagement. Not the first time Starmer has been criticised for blanking nutters and blabbermouths. We saw an insulate activist do that to Mike ‘concrete grower’ Graham. I think its the way forward, you’ll never win a game of chess with a pigeon.

[Cyclist]

Squealer makes some good points here

The UK is in danger of becoming a police state masquerading as a democracy
Owen Jones

Hysteria whipped up against groups like Insulate Britain masks the dark side of the Conservatives’ police and courts bill


[/https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... crime-bill]

[Cyclist]

Edit:. I accidentally pressed submit instead of preview part-way into this post

Squealer cannot hold himself back. The results of a meaningless poll are just the proof he needs that Blair is a wrong'un.

The people have spoken: Labour should cut its ties with Tony Blair
Owen Jones


https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... grassroots

We'll start with some utter bollocks

As prime minister he made a virtue of alienating his grassroots. This unleashed the political forces that consumed him

Sir Tony Blair is a striking case study of how elite opinion and popular common sense collide. In media and political circles, Blair is a respected statesman: when he speaks, agree or not, you listen. His passionate detractors are essentially treated as cranks suffering from an acute case of Blair Derangement Syndrome: an unholy alliance of rightwingers enraged by three consecutive Tory defeats and leftwingers still bitterly resentful about their exile during the New Labour era.

It totally escapes him that Labour were unelectable until these leftwingers were booted out.

According to a new YouGov survey, just 14% approve of his knighthood – fewer than believe the moon landings were faked – and only 3% strongly so, while 63% disapprove, 41% strongly so. A decisive 56% of Labour voters disapprove, two and a half times more than approve. Meanwhile, almost a million people have signed a petition demanding the knighthood be rescinded.

It would appear that a lot of people are criticising the Queen for her personal decision.

How Blair went from a prime minister with a 93% approval rating in 1997 to one of Britain’s most loathed public figures – including among his own political tribe – offers invaluable lessons for Labour’s future.

I don't think the Labour Party needs to take any lessons from these "leftwingers". The Corbyn years were lesson enough.

Keir Starmer is surrounded by aides (including close associates of Peter Mandelson) who regard recovering Blair’s reputation as a political and moral imperative.

'sniff'. Is that bullshit I detect?

The most obvious lesson is, of course, is: don’t launch a bloody war of aggression in conjunction with a hard-right US administration. Blair’s former defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, this week claimed he was asked to burn a memo from the attorney general questioning the Iraq war’s legality

That wasn't what Geoff Hoon said at all.



Squealer then goes on to list all of Blair's crimes, starting with Iraq, naturally, but including stuff like immigration, a housing crisis and a squeeze on living standards - none of which I actually remember.


To sum up:

Waah waah waah something something TRAITOR.

[mattomac]

14% wasn’t that roughly where Labour was when Corbyn left as leader.*

*I kid I believe it was around 28%

[Youngian]

Sounds about right, I’ve never heard Blair’s shortcomings high on many normal people’s lists. When did voters ever think politicians deserve a gong?

His passionate detractors are essentially treated as cranks suffering from an acute case of Blair Derangement Syndrome: an unholy alliance of rightwingers enraged by three consecutive Tory defeats and leftwingers still bitterly resentful about their exile during the New Labour era.

[Abernathy]

Keir Starmer is surrounded by aides (including close associates of Peter Mandelson) who regard recovering Blair’s reputation as a political and moral imperative.

Too bloody right. That Miliband, Corbyn and their band of Trot acolytes chose actively to denounce Labour's recent record in government was a major factor in the defeats of 2015 and 2017 and the monumentally disastrous rout of 2019.

Squealer really is an arrogant, dim-witted little shite.

[davidjay]

Keir Starmer is surrounded by aides (including close associates of Peter Mandelson) who regard recovering Blair’s reputation as a political and moral imperative.

Too bloody right. That Miliband, Corbyn and their band of Trot acolytes chose actively to denounce Labour's recent record in government was a major factor in the defeats of 2015 and 2017 and the monumentally disastrous rout of 2019.

Squealer really is an arrogant, dim-witted little shit.

Given that the main strand of Millband's campaign in 2015 was "We're sorry and we won't do it again" every time the Blair government was mentioned, and his greatest legacy was the £3 Trots, I can live with his reputation being destroyed.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

I could live with immersing him in a slurry pit for a few years.

He should be expelled.

[davidjay]

I don't think being a fucking idiot should be reason for expulsion but there should never, ever be any rehabilitation.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Being so far under the influence of certain trade unions that he acted against the interests of the party should.

[davidjay]

I can see where you're coming from, but the trouble there is that if the lunatics ever take over the asylum again a precedent would have been set for them to expel everyone from Keir Starmer to the spirit of Clem Atlee.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Then we will have to make sure that the lunatics never take over again.

[davidjay]

I think Owen's had a bit of a stopped clock moment.

[The Weeping Angel]

Of course even then he has to engage in a bit of victim blaming.

[Youngian]

Doubt Nad thinks many steps ahead but a private BBC subscription service would be more out of reach. Its news output is likely to be challenging to attract viewers. Plus a Jon Stewart type smart arse on every night to mock the government. Nadine writes her own satire.

[Cyclist]

Squealer's take on the Coventry bin strike. In which we learn that he doesn't like grown-up politics very much.

The case of the Coventry bin-lorry drivers’ strike should raise a red flag for Labour

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... ir-starmer

Pay and cost of living is a national issue, not just for those striking here. But Keir Starmer seems unwilling to take it on

If Dacre wants a hatchet-job on Starmer, written in a reasonable tone, complete with selective quotes and plenty of omissions of facts, he really should give Jones a call.

Does Squealer still pretend to be a serious journalist?

[Boiler]

If Dacre wants a hatchet-job on Starmer, written in a reasonable tone, complete with selective quotes and plenty of omissions of facts, he really should give Jones a call.

I thought that was Dan Hodges' job?

[Cyclist]

You know the Corbynites, always willing to do the Tories' job for them.

[davidjay]

He's trending on Twitter for some reason; something to do with bullying women I believe.

[Boiler]