The Politics Thread.

scarletpimp wrote: dr_martinov wrote: I see the Government is talking tough on petrol suppliers "ripping off" customers and so on. Why is it that petrol that makes them need to appear to be taking action? What about the insane cost of gas and electricity, or water? These examples are where we are clearly being ripped off in what are effectively monopolies. My water bill is stupidly high - they won't install a meter and their estimate is clearly greater than what myself and my wife use (I have asked those with meters for comparison, plus know our own usage in previous accommodation). And if I don't like it there is no other company to change to.  And then gas and electricity. George Monbiot had an excellent article today that describes how the UK uses marginal cost pricing which sets the price to the most expensive source of energy to meet demand. So, despite cheaper renewables providing the majority of the power, it is actually gas that  dictates the wholesale price.  It's crooked and so many of us are being ripped off by them. And WTF are the politicians doing about it? [beep] all. Yet if motorists have to pay more THEN we see them spring into action. Good points Dr M. The Car is GOD , and its over use is  ruining the world we pass on to the next generations. Regarding  the public utilities, these were all privatised by the Tories,  telling us we would get a better deal . Just one of Thatcher's lies,  and those of whom who followed  the whore . Now it appears many of the water are breaking the environmental guidelines, and are policed by a regulator with inadequate teeth. Unfortunately,  taking these companies  back into the public domain will mean  ridiculously  high costs  to the UK taxpayer.Nothing will change in the short term. Shareholders  are laughing

Finally, a paper is examining Farage's work for Cameo, a service where he will literally say anything for money.

Abbey wrote: Interesting piece on the BBC News app by Sir John Curtice on Labour’s shift towards more cooperation with the EU (Sir Sadiq Khan has said they should use the next election as a proxy referendum and campaign on rejoining). Buried in the article, Sir John points out that Labour have only lost a small percentage of voters to Reform but lost 27% to the Greens and Lib Dems - the vast majority of whom would like to see us either rejoin completely or join the Customs Union and/or Single Market. Whatever one’s views on Brexit were in 2016, there is overwhelming evidence that it has hurt us economically so far. The bigger concern, for me, is that it leaves us extremely vulnerable to an antagonistic USA as the EU bloc can galvanise their economies to lower the impact if they lose trade there. Should the US destroy NATO, the UK would be exceptionally vulnerable due to the disinvestment on our military over the past two decades. If Labour got back that 27% of voters at the next election allied with Reform’s continued modest fall in the polls, it would make an interesting difference. Whilst disillusioned with Starmer - with a different leader and campaigning to rejoin, I would consider voting Labour at the next general election. Tin hat on!!

I just think that Brexit per se could have worked but Trump being elected in Nov 2016 changed everything and, as is absolutely plain now, left us isolated and losing our place at the top table. The big economies are the US, EU, China and, to a lesser extent but emerging, India. Russia would be there too if Putin wasn’t spending all his Roubles on weapons. The UK is now well down the table on economy and, by dint of that, influence.
Besides that, there’s plenty of interviews and footage with the main leaver politicians at the time (David Davis, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson amongst others) saying leaving the EU would not mean leaving the single market. Nobody was able to define exactly what Brexit was as everyone had their own version, most of which were fantasy.

Again, not wanting to reopen leave v remain arguments but the world is far, far different in 2026 than it was in 2016. Even Meloni in Italy and the far right in France have changed their “leave” stance to “remain” after they’ve seen what’s happened after Brexit (or, how it was implemented). Maybe May’s soft Brexit was the way forward but the frothing zealots at the Daily Express would not have allowed anything other than the harder Brexit we got. At least Starmer is trying to rectify that but it may mean a Swiss/Norwegian agreement (although, we may as well be back in the EU with that).

dr_martinov wrote: Finally, a paper is examining Farage's work for Cameo, a service where he will literally say anything for money. So far we have Farage: Supporting a neo-Nazi Calling for release of P. Diddy Backing crypto that collapsed making derogatory comments about AOC Calling welsh people foreigners I wondered when exactly the fact he works for this company would clash with his role as a "public servant" as an MP as they don't really seem compatible. And there's people who genuinely think he is PM material? Mind-boggling. You could try and argue that he's only reading aloud what others have written, so they are not his own views, but he's an elected politician for god's sake - communication is a major skill and this includes trust in what they say, which this undermines. And then it also shows a lack of judgement as he doesn't even filter what he reads and will happily defend a sex offender... just because someone paid him 100 quid or so. Both morally and professionally, how is this the sort of person we want as an MP? Farage is only interested in money, most of us on here know that, and will say anything to get more - as this backs up. Obviously I hate Farage but having an MP who works as a TV host for a news company, will repeat any crap for money for Cameo, and acts as an ambassador for numerous companies to flog their wares is a very clear conflict of interest.  There is a simple solution to remove this: all MPs should be banned from second jobs, unless they are in the medical sector (or otherwise clearly providing first point of care for people) or a minimum quantity of work to preserve professional qualifications (e.g. lawyers).   I have no idea why Labour do not implement this.

Fascinating talk by ex-Guardian journalist Carole Cadwalladr and political comedian Stewart Lee about the way Russian funded manipulation of facts brought in Trump and Brexit in 2016 and how it is far worse today. Stewart Lee saying that jokes back in the day had a fact and then a punchline. He says, today, the fact may be wrong in the first place. He gives the example of a joke starting that Starmer defended Jimmy Savile (incorrect) and then the punchline. Also how the Telegraph is encouraging the falsehood that the BBC used AI to put the words in Trump’s mouth that he’s now suing the BBC about when the truth is that the words *were* said but two sentences sliced together.
This talk was illuminating.

I genuinely hope Starmer doesn't get the UK and UK bases dragged into this Iranian conflict. 

hs2 going down the pan i see