Starmer promises to fight Reform, Reeves promises not to scare the bond markets, Mahmood promises Reform cosplay, and the left flank is left wide open.
Well I was at conference too and I don’t agree with your analysis, Bear. I went to several fringe events on housing and on child poverty and on the alternative plan to Surestart and I felt a mood of emerging optimism and that, finally, things are starting to happen. Some things are now already in place- reforms to workers rights and improvements to planning arrangements with new requirements for quality of housing both in construction and in existing properties.
Naturally, there are still many many problems, but you can’t turn everything round in a mere 14 months.
I see the rise of Reform,and it won’t be too long before we start seeing how ‘capable’(?) they are when we see the results of their management of the various councils/ authorities that they now run. And as you say, it is actually a long time until the next election.
I was also encouraged to see many young people attending.
I’m really glad to hear that the fringe events were positive - and I wholeheartedly agree with you that there are many good things being done around child poverty and worker’s rights - the latter of which I’ve been very happy about.
My concern comes in that the headliners are absolutely making a mess of things. I have a lot of patience (for the most part) when it comes to the economy, I get that there’s incredible damage to be undone - but that doesn’t erase the increasingly hardline stance on immigration from the Home Office or the fact that the messaging from the top is jumbled.
There are three to three and a half years until the next election, there’s a lot of time to turn things around, but that’s also why now is the right time to make changes to the big stuff. We can’t stay silent and uncritical until the election is on our doorstep, knocking to be let in.
That said, I will make more of an effort to celebrate the successes around child poverty and worker’s rights, because you’re right, those things are worth celebrating.
Well, yet another day in paradise for the occupants of planet Earth, not to mention our special version of it here in the UK...
Me? Well, I did not attend conference as a) my new knee precluded it and b) even if it didn't, I could not have been arsed!
So what's happening here in the UK that evokes such a violently beige reaction from a fella born and raised here, someone who genuinely loves his country but was recently forced to throw out perfectly good union jack socks?
In short? SFA (sweet fanny adams) that I can see. Labour surfed to election victory on a wave more powerful than the Severn Bore consisting of promises to reinstate fairness, respect, legitimacy and empathy. Unfortunately instead they have delivered worsening economic performance, deeper social division & highlighted how they value $ over people finally cementing they have no clue as even of the meaning of empathy.
During the runup to their victory, I read much about the lack of substance behind their so called plans. I was worried but I convinced myself they were playing their cards close to their chest for the greater good. 15 months in, I now fully accept they simply had no sodding clue, they, in all honesty are as far out of touch with real people as BlowJo and his mottley crew but, in truth, they are worse as they can't bring themselves to admit it.
Labour are unfit to run a car boot stall never mind a country and the responsibility for that lies 100% in Starmer's lap as, 'a leader' he is most def not. How the hell can anyone lead when they have no plan? How can there be any progress when there is no communicated vision, no specific destination that everyone shares?
It occurs to me that what is happening is that everyone in a role of responsibility is doing what they think is the 'right thing'. Unfortunately, no one has shared even a vague direction for the collective so much of what seems to be happening looks okay, possibly even progressive, from a micro perspective but when you zoom out, some people's directions render the work of others redundant or a waste of time. To me this is exactly the reason we see the comments we do in this thread.
Can Labour make a genuine difference or is it too late already? I think they can. However, it's going to take real leadership, some deeply unpopular decisions & some balls to the wall decisiveness. For all of those you need a real woman to lead the party, someone in touch, not someone prepared to enter the perpetual 'who can pee highest' contest, that is typically government - aka a woman acting like a bloke but wearing a skirt.
Life today is like my knee op. Every element works. Every element has merit. However, without the vision to join all of those dots the overall image is fuzzy with inbuilt inefficiencies and glaringly obvious failure points which most then run into making it ultimately inefficient and super painful to endure. Come one Labour, if you do not wish to wither on the best vine of opportunity for 100 years, get your bloody fingers out and DRIVE the UK where it deserves to be. If people don't like it, then tough titty, they know where the bloody door is!
So immigrants are going to have to volunteer in their local community, as well as holding down one or more probably low paid jobs? Seriously? Do they even think through their own policies and how they would actually work?
Young people being offered a job sounds great, so many are struggling to find a job. However, is this really to help those kids, or to find workers for the jobs nobody wants. There are thousands of care vacancies. Let's fill them with teenagers! If those teenagers actually wanted to work in care, they would be there already. Minimum wage, even lower for anyone under 21 (yes, 21) for hard, demanding, work is the reason there are so many vacancies. Forcing kids to clean and bathe our elderly on 12 hour shifts won't solve anything but will make our elderly feel even more unwanted and abandoned.
Arresting people for holding cards is my last straw. I will be cancelling my labour party membership.
No point in Burnham taking over unless he quickly replaces most of the current gaggle of disingenuous, incompetent and corrupt and ministers. Many taking huge ‘donations’ from Israeli sources, private health providers and other less than wholesome individuals.
Well I was at conference too and I don’t agree with your analysis, Bear. I went to several fringe events on housing and on child poverty and on the alternative plan to Surestart and I felt a mood of emerging optimism and that, finally, things are starting to happen. Some things are now already in place- reforms to workers rights and improvements to planning arrangements with new requirements for quality of housing both in construction and in existing properties.
Naturally, there are still many many problems, but you can’t turn everything round in a mere 14 months.
I see the rise of Reform,and it won’t be too long before we start seeing how ‘capable’(?) they are when we see the results of their management of the various councils/ authorities that they now run. And as you say, it is actually a long time until the next election.
I was also encouraged to see many young people attending.
I’m really glad to hear that the fringe events were positive - and I wholeheartedly agree with you that there are many good things being done around child poverty and worker’s rights - the latter of which I’ve been very happy about.
My concern comes in that the headliners are absolutely making a mess of things. I have a lot of patience (for the most part) when it comes to the economy, I get that there’s incredible damage to be undone - but that doesn’t erase the increasingly hardline stance on immigration from the Home Office or the fact that the messaging from the top is jumbled.
There are three to three and a half years until the next election, there’s a lot of time to turn things around, but that’s also why now is the right time to make changes to the big stuff. We can’t stay silent and uncritical until the election is on our doorstep, knocking to be let in.
That said, I will make more of an effort to celebrate the successes around child poverty and worker’s rights, because you’re right, those things are worth celebrating.
🐻
Got a long drive today. So briefly.
McSweeney-Todd is a campaigner. Not a good one. He should be nowhere near Downing Street.
The Home Secretary is unprincipled and spineless.
Starmer and Reeves are the same plus ham handed and gormless.
I’m on the verge of joining the Green Party.
Morning Bear.
Well, yet another day in paradise for the occupants of planet Earth, not to mention our special version of it here in the UK...
Me? Well, I did not attend conference as a) my new knee precluded it and b) even if it didn't, I could not have been arsed!
So what's happening here in the UK that evokes such a violently beige reaction from a fella born and raised here, someone who genuinely loves his country but was recently forced to throw out perfectly good union jack socks?
In short? SFA (sweet fanny adams) that I can see. Labour surfed to election victory on a wave more powerful than the Severn Bore consisting of promises to reinstate fairness, respect, legitimacy and empathy. Unfortunately instead they have delivered worsening economic performance, deeper social division & highlighted how they value $ over people finally cementing they have no clue as even of the meaning of empathy.
During the runup to their victory, I read much about the lack of substance behind their so called plans. I was worried but I convinced myself they were playing their cards close to their chest for the greater good. 15 months in, I now fully accept they simply had no sodding clue, they, in all honesty are as far out of touch with real people as BlowJo and his mottley crew but, in truth, they are worse as they can't bring themselves to admit it.
Labour are unfit to run a car boot stall never mind a country and the responsibility for that lies 100% in Starmer's lap as, 'a leader' he is most def not. How the hell can anyone lead when they have no plan? How can there be any progress when there is no communicated vision, no specific destination that everyone shares?
It occurs to me that what is happening is that everyone in a role of responsibility is doing what they think is the 'right thing'. Unfortunately, no one has shared even a vague direction for the collective so much of what seems to be happening looks okay, possibly even progressive, from a micro perspective but when you zoom out, some people's directions render the work of others redundant or a waste of time. To me this is exactly the reason we see the comments we do in this thread.
Can Labour make a genuine difference or is it too late already? I think they can. However, it's going to take real leadership, some deeply unpopular decisions & some balls to the wall decisiveness. For all of those you need a real woman to lead the party, someone in touch, not someone prepared to enter the perpetual 'who can pee highest' contest, that is typically government - aka a woman acting like a bloke but wearing a skirt.
Life today is like my knee op. Every element works. Every element has merit. However, without the vision to join all of those dots the overall image is fuzzy with inbuilt inefficiencies and glaringly obvious failure points which most then run into making it ultimately inefficient and super painful to endure. Come one Labour, if you do not wish to wither on the best vine of opportunity for 100 years, get your bloody fingers out and DRIVE the UK where it deserves to be. If people don't like it, then tough titty, they know where the bloody door is!
So immigrants are going to have to volunteer in their local community, as well as holding down one or more probably low paid jobs? Seriously? Do they even think through their own policies and how they would actually work?
Young people being offered a job sounds great, so many are struggling to find a job. However, is this really to help those kids, or to find workers for the jobs nobody wants. There are thousands of care vacancies. Let's fill them with teenagers! If those teenagers actually wanted to work in care, they would be there already. Minimum wage, even lower for anyone under 21 (yes, 21) for hard, demanding, work is the reason there are so many vacancies. Forcing kids to clean and bathe our elderly on 12 hour shifts won't solve anything but will make our elderly feel even more unwanted and abandoned.
Arresting people for holding cards is my last straw. I will be cancelling my labour party membership.
No point in Burnham taking over unless he quickly replaces most of the current gaggle of disingenuous, incompetent and corrupt and ministers. Many taking huge ‘donations’ from Israeli sources, private health providers and other less than wholesome individuals.
Indeed Mr. Bear.
I think Labour currently lack some "V's".
Verve
Voracity
Vision
Greater foresight, spirit and enthusiasm for imaginative and substantial "change" as proclaimed as their mission some 15 months ago.
Greater hunger, desire and appetite to make those changes.
Greater clarity in their stated aims and the actual policies that might enable them to enact those aims.