Off Topic Politics Thread

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Not making it up. Used to happen often walking home from town with a mate. Wasn't stop and search. It was; where have you been?, what are you up to?, Where are you going? OK, names and addresses please. I gave mine all clear. Mate "stands up for his rights" at which point out comes the "we can take this to the station if you're not going to co-operate blah de blah. just give them your name and address so we can continue going home. Suggestion above of telling the police to "Do one" does not tend to have the best of outcomes.

And I am in Lincoln. This was in Lincoln. lots and lots of times! Maybe 30+ times. Quite often (for some reason) walking up Lindum Hill after pool night! Coppers testing their powers around the corner from the station (as was.)

What offence did they suspect us of? Walking too slow up the hill? Too fast? drinking as much as everybody else in the vicinity of Ritzys? Have a word with yourself before being so confident in saying someone "makes stuff up"


And during these 30+ times no one thought to ask what they'd be arrested for? What offence(s) they were suspected of committing?
 
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And during these 30+ times no one thought to ask what they'd be arrested for? What offence(s) they were suspected of committing?
Eh, I think you'd be surprised how powerful the effect of a police uniform can be and how many people either just assume they have to do whatever the police say or take Imps view that doing what they want is just easier.

There's also the question of how the police word things they say to suggest they have the power to do things they can't. Recently a video went around social media of two women officers entering someone's home to seize a child's phone. The video below is from the barrister who's now representing the homeowner pro bono. It appears the police have not behaved very well to say the least. Those two officers may now be in some trouble. I doubt this is the only case where something similar has happened.
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Eh, I think you'd be surprised how powerful the effect of a police uniform can be and how many people either just assume they have to do whatever the police say or take Imps view that doing what they want is just easier.

There's also the question of how the police word things they say to suggest they have the power to do things they can't. Recently a video went around social media of two women officers entering someone's home to seize a child's phone. The video below is from the barrister who's now representing the homeowner pro bono. It appears the police have not behaved very well to say the least. Those two officers may now be in some trouble. I doubt this is the only case where something similar has happened.
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Yeah that ridiculously edited video, given a "legal commentary" by a man who, even before this incident, was playing to a very specific gallery. Now I'd expect any barrister worth his salt to start muddying the waters to help his clients, however that doesn't mean what those officers have done is remotely unlawful.* I've argued for a very long time that citizens of this country are badly let down in education about the law and specifically what police can and can't do. That doesn't stop every man and his dog adding his expert opinion on social media though. The thing is, it's not a secret. The law and police powers and policies are 99% open and easily checked, no one ever bothers though.


*not saying it is in this case either. There's not enough information, because there can't be. If any investigation is still ongoing then the police aren't allowed to.
 
Yeah that ridiculously edited video, given a "legal commentary" by a man who, even before this incident, was playing to a very specific gallery. Now I'd expect any barrister worth his salt to start muddying the waters to help his clients, however that doesn't mean what those officers have done is remotely unlawful.* I've argued for a very long time that citizens of this country are badly let down in education about the law and specifically what police can and can't do. That doesn't stop every man and his dog adding his expert opinion on social media though. The thing is, it's not a secret. The law and police powers and policies are 99% open and easily checked, no one ever bothers though.


*not saying it is in this case either. There's not enough information, because there can't be. If any investigation is still ongoing then the police aren't allowed to.
The gallery he's playing to really isn't that relevant. He's involved in the case now so will have to be very careful about what he says publicly or he's not going to be a barrister much longer. He also shows a section of the video I hadn't seen before where the woman very clearly tells the police they're not allowed in as they enter the house.

You're absolutely right people don't know what the police can and can't do. That's exactly my point. They see the uniform and in many cases just do whatever the person in the uniform says. I'm reasonably sure some police also don't know (or perhaps don't care) what they are and aren't allowed to do.
 
The gallery he's playing to really isn't that relevant. He's involved in the case now so will have to be very careful about what he says publicly or he's not going to be a barrister much longer. He also shows a section of the video I hadn't seen before where the woman very clearly tells the police they're not allowed in as they enter the house.

You're absolutely right people don't know what the police can and can't do. That's exactly my point. They see the uniform and in many cases just do whatever the person in the uniform says. I'm reasonably sure some police also don't know (or perhaps don't care) what they are and aren't allowed to do.


It doesn't matter if the woman tells the police they're not allowed in, whether she tells them very clearly or not. If there's powers available, which although I am not conversant with the full facts, there seems to be, then the police can enter.

From WMPs public statement I can see more than one lawful reason for the entry and seizure of property. Now, I could be totally wrong and in that specific case they didn't have lawful reason to act as they did but it's not that black and white. Especially as the mother already lied in the video about the investigation being for "viewing a social media post"
 
It doesn't matter if the woman tells the police they're not allowed in, whether she tells them very clearly or not. If there's powers available, which although I am not conversant with the full facts, there seems to be, then the police can enter.

From WMPs public statement I can see more than one lawful reason for the entry and seizure of property. Now, I could be totally wrong and in that specific case they didn't have lawful reason to act as they did but it's not that black and white. Especially as the mother already lied in the video about the investigation being for "viewing a social media post"
Which powers? I've seen several lawyers say police have very limited powers to your property without permission. These basically boil down to when they have a search warrant, if they believe there's an immediate threat of violence within the property, if they want to arrest someone in the property for certain offences or if they want to search the property after arresting someone. It doesn't appear there was a warrant or any threat of violence and it doesn't appear anyone was arrested so it's hard to see how any of these powers could possibly apply. I also note the statement from the police doesn't say anything like "the officers entered the property in exercise of their powers under section X of Act Y"

In terms of the mother lying, that's not really the point and I wouldn't be surprised if she's just misunderstood what's going on. She talks about looking at a social media post several times in the bits of the original video I've seen.
 
And during these 30+ times no one thought to ask what they'd be arrested for? What offence(s) they were suspected of committing?

Maybe you prefer the hard option. Me? I refer to take the easy option. give my name and address, get on with my life. I have never been in a cell, never been arrested. Only been in a police station twice, once as a witness to a crime and the other to report a stolen bike. And I am 50!

As for people knowing their rights, I knew then and I know now that I don't have to hand over my details with there being no reason for them to stop me but your point is? That I should stand my ground, have an argument, resist and turn a 5 minute stop and wait into longer? Better things in life. give name and address, wait for check to complete, move on with life.
 
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It’s a few years since The Arctic Monkeys sang Riot Van. It was clearly a message to young people not to get gobby even if you’d done nothing.

When I was a kid I can recall a group of us just chatting on a street corner before we broke up and went our various ways. Two coppers with a dog came by. One of them, hardly any older than us clearly wanted to wade in, but older guy with the dog simply said ‘You won’t be here when we come back, lads, will you?’

We took the hint. I often contrast this with the over-bearing manner of police officers giving my sons grief when they were late-teens about the time that lot from Sheffield were releasing the aforementioned song.

Policing a City Centre at night must be scary. But over-zealous stop and search increases tensions.
 
ID cards will not stop immigrants from illegally working.
Germany and France both have ID cards

Estimated 457,000 working illegally in Germany

Estimated 400,000 working illegally in France

ID cards have not and will not stop illegal working

Enforcing existing laws and prosecuting employers who hire those working illegally will stop it.
 
I find it hard to believe that the Conservatives have imploded quite so quickly. I think they will ultimately shake off the **** shower that is Badenoch and appoint a statesmen in charge.

There is no way that Reform would be able to form a credible government and I just wonder what kind of idiots will be elected as MPs. Regardless of their horrendous policies, I just think they will have no experience to govern. I can imagine that the civil service will be obstructive but I do wonder just how quickly we will witness a General Strike. Even if elected, I can see them being kicked out of office in a year. It might be good for them to govern as people will realise how inept they are. It won't take long before they argue with themselves too. I think Farage as PM will make Liz Truss look like Winston Churchill in comparison.

I hope Clive Lewis or Richard Burgon becomes PM but can't see Starmer being kicked out. The Left just need to get their act in gear.
There are decent alternatives to Labour - The Greens and Liberal Demócrats!! !
 
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There are decent alternatives to Labour - The Greens and Liberal Demócrats!! !

It is fascinating to see how Starmer perceives Reform as his main threat. Back in the mid 2010s David Cameron had dismissed Farage's followers as cranks and fruitcake.

I do not feel Cameron was wrong about the description yet I think it is shocking how much support Reform have. For me, this calls for the 2020's equivalent of the Battle of Cable Street. I agree with Starmer's assessment yet think that he needs to do more to counter Right Wing extremists. If we do have a digital ID,.it should be weaponised against the the supporters of Farage and Yaxley - Lennon. Make it difficult for their thugs to keep their jobs and cut their welfare where they have been involved in criminal activity including racist intimidation.

I get very annoyed by these gammons making comments about being proud of their country and flag. I would love for these people to be deported for a period of time where they can appreciate just how colonialism has screwed up whole swathes of Africa and maybe understand just how much the British Empire contributed to the problems prevalent in 2025. I think the deportation to Rwanda scheme should have been retained and some of the protesters complaining about protecting their women from foreigners can experience at first hand how their own attitudes over 300 years have created the current crisis.

Farage really frightens and I just feel that the majority of people in uk who do not agree that blatant racism is the answer send a message to Farage , Yaxley Lennon and their supporters . I would like to see a counter movement that unites one nation Conservatives, Labour Party members a d socialist, Trade Unions, the Islamic community (far too quiet in this debate), the Black community, etc join forces to fight Farage and Yaxley Lennon. A United front can destroy them both.
 
Atheism is still a belief system though, no? You believe and have faith in the fact that there's no god.
No, we just don’t think there is any reason to believe in one. A lack of belief is often mis-labelled as a belief, but it isn’t.

Do you have a belief that humans are powered by small gnomes pedalling bicycles or is it just a silly thought not worth thinking about? There is no reason to believe in a god nor is there a reason to call not believing ‘a belief’. It is simply a ludicrous nonsense. I don’t have a belief in the non existence of Santa. I just know he doesn’t exist.