Off Topic Politics Thread

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Ian Thumwood said:
I think that Puck's post is well -thought out but I do not agree with a lot of it. It is an avoidable truth that people are fed up with immigration yet I think that there is a massive disconnect when it comes to association immigrants with criminality. The news item today about the two individuals associated with raping under aged girls in Doncaster underscores Puck's point of view but I have not heard any viewpoint posted on line about the fact that most Muslims do not consume alcohol and it is considered as haram in Islam. I do not think that the behaviour of these individuals was at all typcial of the Muslim community which is certainly as outraged by this as as the "white patriots."

For me, the issue is not about race or religion but simply a matter of criminality. The people perpetrating this crimes are just on a different scale from those protesting in Southampton last week. There is an issue that is spread across all races and religions. The arguments presented by Farage, Lowe , Yaxley-Lennon and Musk are all odious to various degrees and all fail to recognise that the problems were are now witnessing are a direct consequence of liberating the free market and letting life be directed by economic factors. If retail was more viable in high streets in these times and people could benefit from proper careers and not just the gig-economy, I am sure society would benefit and we would see less dodgy shops on our high streets and fewer young jobless people being exploited.

It is shocking to see that, in my youth in the early 1980s, it was the Left that were the radicals looking to change society. I cannot believe that is is the extreme end of the Right Wing spectrum that is setting the agenda and we are now in a situation where even Trade Union membership is 50% pro-Reform.

I feel that Reform are correct insofar as society needs to think very closely about the future yet , in my opinion, the reinvention of Labour by Tony Blair was the catalyst whereby ordinary people started to look elsewhere for representation and, aided by new tools such as the internet, have realigned to the extreme Right who were marginal and very much a laughing stock back in the 1990s.
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Are we reaching a stage where the situation might be defused to some extent by Starmer resigning? Probably waiting to see the outcome of the Mackerfield election first. If Labout lose that, it might spark a massive wave of ministerial resignations and force his hand, like it did with Boris the Great!!
 
The Ides of March said:
Are we reaching a stage where the situation might be defused to some extent by Starmer resigning? Probably waiting to see the outcome of the Mackerfield election first. If Labout lose that, it might spark a massive wave of ministerial resignations and force his hand, like it did with Boris the Great!!
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I think we are reaching a point where the UK is becoming ungovernable.

Whoever takes over from Starmer (and I hope it's Andy Burnham) better be as resilient Sir Keir, but a lot luckier, as he is about to find out what it's like to be universally hated, and to be the target of a pile on from all corners of the media, social media especially.
 
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I am reading William Boyd's "The Predicament" at the moment. This is about a travel writer who gets sucked into becoming a spy and ultimately investigating a plot to kill JFK. As with many of his books, it is slightly absurd and in some ways uses a huge leap in imagination to come from an innocent position of being asked to buy a painting from an art dealer in Spain through to preparing ahead for JFK's visit to Berlin. Boyd is one of my favourite authors and this book has a satirical edge to it.

It did make me think, after reading one chapter last night , how the lead character reflected upon his journey and how his past life contrasted with the dangerous world in which he now lived. This immediately made me think about Rupert Lowe who has been on a similar journey. He started off with reluctantly being respected as Saints chairman and overseeing the long, drawn-out move to St. Marys and a period of stability for the club. This was quickly squandered and Lowe has soon alienated himself from the fan base, which was always a bit dubious in many respects. The relationship quickly soured and Lowe guided the club towards ruin as his position became increasingly toxic. By the time he had left, he had nearly destroyed the club. Afterwards, we associated himself with a non-league team and established his" Brazilian Soccer Schools." However, we are now down the road to a position where he leads the most Far Right political party in the UK and which has held it's arms out to Yaxley-Lennon. Some of the policies of his party are shocking.

I was wondering if the "journey" of Rupert Lowe was more imaginative than William Boyd's character Gabriel Dax ? Would William Boyd have rejected the idea for a story where the chairman of a provincial football club evolves into a Neo-Nazi?
 
Libby said:
Should have added that the one who got 8 was also convicted of GBH after breaking a coppers back with a sledgehammer.

Sounds like a lovely bloke.
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I think that this kind of criminal violence is counter-productive to assisting the cause of Palestine. It is difficult to think just what was behind the motive to attempt to kill a security guard who probably knew little about the factory supplying gear to Israel and was probably on minimum wage. Sickening.
 
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"The Court of Appeal has just ruled the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was justified. On Friday four PA activists were sentenced as terrorists.
This is madness. Palestine Action is clearly a direct action protest group, in the tradition of many British groups that have come before them - none of which were declared terrorists by the British government. But PA is campaigning to stop an active genocide being perpetrated by a UK ally, so they had to be eliminated..
Interesting fact: in 2007 two members of LBD were among six activists who shut down Kingsnorth power station in Kent to stop it burning coal. They were charged with criminal damage. A barrister with campaigning credentials helped them devise a novel defence of ‘necessity’ - that the direct action protest they launched was justified to prevent the much greater harm to the climate caused by the coal plant. Just before the trial started, that QC had to drop out because he was made Director of Public Prosecutions, but the legal defence he developed was run in court and the Kingsnorth Six were acquitted.
That barrister’s name was Keir Starmer. He’s now prime minister, overseeing the most significant attack on the right to protest in living memory.
Picture: Jabalya refugee camp, Gaza, installed opposite Labour Party HQ, July 2025".
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I really think PA crossed a line when members physically assaulted the guard and could have easily killed him. That could never be justified.

The action such as damaging the airolane or climbing on to the roofs of factories is something many peoole will have sneaking admiration for but there are other peotest groups who can get their message across without resulting to violence against someine who was innocent.

I hope the security guards sues them.
 
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Ian Thumwood said:
I really think PA crossed a line when members physically assaulted the guard and could have easily killed him. That could never be justified.

The action such as damaging the airolane or climbing on to the roofs of factories is something many peoole will have sneaking admiration for but there are other peotest groups who can get their message across without resulting to violence against someine who was innocent.

I hope the security guards sues them.
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Point taken Ian, there's no excuse for the violence in which a police sargent's back was fractured. The attacker was jailed for 7 years and 8 months.
www.bbc.com

Palestine Action activists jailed over Bristol Elbit factory raid

The case is believed to be the first time that convictions for criminal damage have been classified as terrorism.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
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And lo, just two days later came news that Eye stalwart David “the Slug” Sullivan had slithered back into the limelight, as he resigned as co-chairman of West Ham United FC ahead of an exposé of “serious historical allegations” on the BBC’s Panorama and in the Times.

The Slug’s 45-year-long trail through Private Eye’s pages… Full story online and in the latest issue: https://www.private-eye.co.uk/street-of-shame

For the rest, including cartoons, Pseuds, Dumb Britain and all the other regulars, you’ll have to buy the magazine.
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