[Crabcakes]

Every day I think this country can't get any worse... and then it does.

When Major's government was up to its necks in sleaze they resigned when they were found out and the electorate were outraged. This government says "So what?" and the electorate agrees.

I wouldn't say the electorate agrees so much as the electorate are so swamped with things - an inept opposition followed by a still-underperforming one, pandemic, climate change, brexit fallout - that they just don't have time to stop and think. There are so many things to be angry about and be worried about that there isn't time to reflect and say "this is awful". It's the Trump approach - overwhelm and move on - and it works.

The cognitive load is too much. The way to beat it isn't to try and fight back on every front, but to carefully choose the ones that stick and keep going. Cummings was never going to survive his eye test trip, even if initially Johnson let him off. Hancock couldn't survive his affair not because it was an affair but because of when and where he had it.

I think there are reasons to be hopeful - not least of which being the strength of many youth movements. Greta Thunberg just isn't going away and doesn't care - and that infuriates people like Piers Morgan or Trump. They can't get her with their normal tactics just like they can't be got by the media's normal tactics. Plus a lot of the absolute worst people are either old and/or in poor health. No one will work the way Murdoch does again. Trump is a few chicken buckets short of a heart attack or major stroke (and his belief that he's an invincible adonis will hasten that). One of the Koch brothers is dead and the other isn't too hot.

[Nigredo]

The temerity of the pork haystack to stick to that "Labour are the ditherers and we are the doers!" line at PMQs despite it being well documented he's chronically indecisive until the binary choice of the worst and least-worst options remain

[Boiler]

The temerity of the pork haystack to stick to that "Labour are the ditherers and we are the doers!" line at PMQs despite it being well documented he's chronically indecisive until the binary choice of the worst and least-worst options remain

And the electorate at large will buy into it.

[Spoonman]

Before I start, I'm well aware that the following comment is potentially inviting a lot of heat, so I'll put on my flak jacket while typing.

The only way you'll scare the crap out of that bunch of corrupt fuckheads is if you relay to them that their actions might make someone - and it just has to be one - go down a dark road and that they decide that your name is next on the list after Jo Cox and David Amess.

[Youngian]

I think there are reasons to be hopeful - not least of which being the strength of many youth movements. Greta Thunberg just isn't going away and doesn't care - and that infuriates people like Piers Morgan or Trump.

And the electorate at large will buy into it.

Sort of, Trump's a failure on 48 percent, Johnson can achieve a landslide on 40 percent. Dubious about a progressive alliance due to whether Green and LD dustbin voters would deliver but that's what's happened Hungary and its not looking good for Orban. We're witnessing the last stand of the self entitled white person who doesn't want to share the world. And they come in the form of nativist pricks and low tax economic liberals. So no divisions on the right. Hang in there.

[Youngian]

Before I start, I'm well aware that the following comment is potentially inviting a lot of heat, so I'll put on my flak jacket while typing.

The only way you'll scare the crap out of that bunch of corrupt fuckheads is if you relay to them that their actions might make someone - and it just has to be one - go down a dark road and that they decide that your name is next on the list after Jo Cox and David Amess.

Proposing arrests and jail sentences might be a good start. That means the former DPP upping his game before power fades from the Tories. And PC Plod knows what they have to do to indulge their in-coming masters.

[Boiler]

Given a number of forces are as bent as a nine bob note, there'd need to be wholesale reform there too.

[Youngian]

Corruption is a hiding for nothing for the Tories. If they want to make an issue of a Labour MP who's been 'at it' to go for a score draw (not dotting their 'i's and crossing their't's on expenses will be enough for tabloid fury) then Starmer will remove the whip. There are plenty of straight people in the Tory Party but the one's who are bent as nine bob note will almost certainly be Boris backers.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Corruption is a hiding for nothing for the Tories. If they want to make an issue of a Labour MP who's been 'at it' to go for a score draw (not dotting their 'i's and crossing their't's on expenses will be enough for tabloid fury) then Starmer will remove the whip. There are plenty of straight people in the Tory Party but the one's who are bent as nine bob note will almost certainly be Boris backers.

Sir Keir mentions that he oversaw the prosecutions for the 2009 expenses cases. He's good and confident on this territory. Combine this stuff (in time) with "so where's the £350m a week?" and he's got a winning hand.

[Tubby Isaacs]

You can imagine them having a good laugh about the unnecessary flight, all old pals together.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... end-dinner

Boris Johnson has been accused of “staggering hypocrisy” after it emerged that he flew back to London from the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow by private jet to go to a dinner at a men-only private members’ club.

The prime minister is reported to have attended the exclusive private members’ club The Garrick in the West End for a reunion of Daily Telegraph journalists. He flew 400 miles on Tuesday night from Glasgow to London, according to the Daily Mirror.

[kreuzberger]

Corruption is a hiding for nothing for the Tories. If they want to make an issue of a Labour MP who's been 'at it' to go for a score draw (not dotting their 'i's and crossing their't's on expenses will be enough for tabloid fury) then Starmer will remove the whip. There are plenty of straight people in the Tory Party but the one's who are bent as nine bob note will almost certainly be Boris backers.

Sir Keir mentions that he oversaw the prosecutions for the 2009 expenses cases. He's good and confident on this territory. Combine this stuff (in time) with "so where's the £350m a week?" and he's got a winning hand.

Given how hard he has driven on the £350m a week or even the 150,000 deaths, few can have much confidence in Starmer's killer instinct.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Rayner can do it.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Way to go here and BTL. People who've never heard of pairing apparently get stuck into "they're just like the Tories".

Anything happening at all in the news which might make it less likely that people would attend, at all?

[Malcolm Armsteen]

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=204&p=13131#p13131

[Tubby Isaacs]

Given how hard he has driven on the £350m a week or even the 150,000 deaths, few can have much confidence in Starmer's killer instinct.

I didn't say I was entirely hopeful of Keir winning this hand. But I think it plays to strengths in the way other issues haven't.

The Government got enough cover from its high profile advisers on Covid- not just the human shields who took all the difficult questions at briefings, but the JCVI too. Starmer had a good go when SAGE were disagreeing with the government, but it didn't really cut through in November last year, nor did he get (and SAGE) get any credit for being proved right. What he has to do is tie in the "marking your own homework" point with the lack of a public inquiry into Covid.

"It's the economy stupid" is too early to be a winner. Brexit and Covid provide cover.

[Tubby Isaacs]

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=204&p=13131#p13131

Great minds and all that.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

I'm not trying to claim credit, Tubbs, I'm pointing out that it's being discussed elsewhere...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yeah, I know. But we thought alike, didn't we? I like that.

[Boiler]

Interestingly, I've just been pointed at a picture at COP26 that shows Johnson with a mask and Attenborough without...

[Nigredo]

Corruption is a hiding for nothing for the Tories. If they want to make an issue of a Labour MP who's been 'at it' to go for a score draw (not dotting their 'i's and crossing their't's on expenses will be enough for tabloid fury) then Starmer will remove the whip. There are plenty of straight people in the Tory Party but the one's who are bent as nine bob note will almost certainly be Boris backers.

Sir Keir mentions that he oversaw the prosecutions for the 2009 expenses cases. He's good and confident on this territory. Combine this stuff (in time) with "so where's the £350m a week?" and he's got a winning hand.

That will probably get buried by tabloid smears about how in 2009 he also let Saville go