Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » If Starmer is ever to become PM he’s likely going to need some

1234579

Comments

  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,942
    kinabalu said:

    justin124 said:

    justin124 said:

    It depends on how the Corbynites decide to play it.Some might decide that just as the PLP sought to destabilise Corbyn, they can now return the favour by seeking to do the same to Starmer.I am sure that the thresholds of 22 MPs and 5% of CLPs would be achievable , should they wish to go down that road. Others in their ranks may be inclined to hold off until next year.
    I imagine that McCluskey et al still support RLB.

    Who is going to lay down their political life to support RLB?
    I am not a fan at all - but she was the standard bearer of the Corbynite wing in the Leadership Election. Will those who supported her have changed their minds?
    She isn't the sort of personality to inspire self-sacrifice. They might support her with a tweet or two and being generally outraged. But they won't take action

    justin124 said:

    justin124 said:

    It depends on how the Corbynites decide to play it.Some might decide that just as the PLP sought to destabilise Corbyn, they can now return the favour by seeking to do the same to Starmer.I am sure that the thresholds of 22 MPs and 5% of CLPs would be achievable , should they wish to go down that road. Others in their ranks may be inclined to hold off until next year.
    I imagine that McCluskey et al still support RLB.

    Who is going to lay down their political life to support RLB?
    I am not a fan at all - but she was the standard bearer of the Corbynite wing in the Leadership Election. Will those who supported her have changed their minds?
    She isn't the sort of personality to inspire self-sacrifice. They might support her with a tweet or two and being generally outraged. But they won't take action
    Wonderful to see the odious Long bailey sacked. The hard left will be dealt

    with by KS that is clear
    Is Nick Palmer safe ?
    Nick Palmer is a chameleon. A party yesman to the party leader. When Blair was in charge he was a Blairite, when Brown was in charge he was a Brownite, when Corbyn was in charge he was a Corbynista. He's safe.
    It's a little easier to stick rigidly at all times to dozens of written-in-stone principles when blitzing away on the internet than it is when you are an MP for one of the main parties. So "loyalist" would imo be better here than "chameleon".
    Which is one of the fundamental problems with our party system. The only people the MPs should be 'loyal' to are their electorate. In the end parties are a corruption of the system which damages democracy
  • Options
    SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,704
    HYUFD said:
    That will piss off all the right people.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187

    Scott_xP said:
    Starmer is no Tony Blair. He is barely even a Bryan Gould
    I personally find him a good deal less irritating than Tony Blair, so good try, but zero for attainment.

    Johnson, on the other hand, who is "leader" (I use that word advisedly) of the party I was once an activist for, is no Cameron, no Major, no Thatcher, no Heath, no Macmillan, no Douglas-Home, and definitely definitely NO Winston Churchill. He struggles to hold a candle to poor old Theresa May. He is without a doubt the worst and most clueless PM in modern political history.
    There is much truth here.
  • Options
    Scott_xP said:
    They can play their student politics in the corner whilst the party develops a strategy on how to win elections.
  • Options
    BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 7,989
    RobD said:

    Barnesian said:

    Latest data
    R now about 0.87. Uncomfortably close to 1. Cases halve every five weeks.



    Doesn't R tend to 1 when the case numbers drop to very low levels?
    I think it becomes so noisy and dependent on the incidence of individual cases that the R number is no longer useful. I've stopped monitoring R for Richmond borough for that reason. I can't see a theoretical reason why it should tend to 1, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
  • Options
    SurreySurrey Posts: 190
    edited June 2020
    Sky News:

    "Contact tracers have warned that the government's test and trace scheme may be failing to contain the spread of coronavirus because it does not provide translation services for staff."

    "'This is an English-only service,' said one contact tracer, who observed that the website for people who test positive to add their own contacts is currently only available in English."

    "'Unless you happen to get a random match between a case or a contact and a non-English speaking call handler then you can't proceed, and ultimately that opportunity is likely to be lost.'"

    "'Asked if translation services were available, another contact tracer said: "There is nothing. It's not even an option on the system.'"
    (...)
    "According to official statistics from 2011, 864,000 people in England and Wales do not speak English well or at all."


    (2011!)
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,274
    tlg86 said:

    IanB2 said:

    tlg86 said:

    IanB2 said:

    Major incident declared in Bournemouth, suffering hugely from a massive influx of visitors and with incidents of violence.

    Interesting. Looking at traffic on Google Maps, the road along the coast from Worthing to Brighton looks jammed.
    Gridlock around the town, more parking tickets issued than on any single day previously, refuse collectors emptying beachside bins need security guards after previous abuse and assaults. It sounds like chaos down there,
    My family have gone to Littlehampton today - that tends to be a bit better than the bigger resorts - but I'll report back if there was any trouble there.
    The local paper is full of stories:

    https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/

    - widespread problems of illegal parking, excessive waste, anti-social behaviour, gridlock on roads and prohibited overnight camping

    - 558 parking enforcement fines – the highest on record; many reports of cars parking and causing an obstruction

    - Roads in and out of the area were heavily congested into the early hours

    - widespread abuse and intimidation of crews attempting to empty overflowing bins on the seafront. In the stretch between just the piers, eight tonnes of waste was collected yesterday on the second collection run of the day. This morning, a further 33 tons of waste was removed

    - a number of incidents reported which involved excessive alcohol and fights. Multiple fights on the beach left one man with cuts to his face and another with injuries after he was headbutted. A woman was attacked on an approach road to the beach





  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,586
    Scott_xP said:
    He wants to see more empty spaces around the cabinet table first ?
  • Options
    oxfordsimonoxfordsimon Posts: 5,831
    Current members are listed on the Campaign Groups twitter account as:

    Diane Abbott MP
    Paula Barker MP
    Apsana Begum MP
    Olivia Blake MP
    Richard Burgon MP
    Ian Byrne MP
    Dan Carden MP
    Jeremy Corbyn MP
    Marsha de Cordova MP
    Mary Foy MP
    Margaret Greenwood MP
    Rachel Hopkins MP
    Imran Hussain MP
    Kim Johnson MP
    Ian Lavery MP
    Clive Lewis MP
    Rebecca Long-Bailey MP
    Rachael Maskell MP
    Andy McDonald MP
    John McDonnell MP
    Ian Mearns MP
    Nav Mishra MP
    Grahame Morris MP
    Charlotte Nichols MP
    Kate Osamor MP
    Kate Osborne MP
    Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
    Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
    Cat Smith MP
    Zarah Sultana MP
    Sam Tarry MP
    Jon Trickett MP
    Claudia Webbe MP
    Mick Whitley MP
    Nadia Whittome MP
    Beth Winter MP

    Let's see how many are willing to fight for Bailey
  • Options
    eekeek Posts: 24,977
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,586

    *** RESIGNATION WATCH *****

    Lord Falconer surely the first to resign if true?

    https://twitter.com/patrickkmaguire/status/1276186580496121858?s=20

    They want to congratulate him ?

  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,212
    Self purging?

    It gets better for Keir as the hours go by.
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,938
    Nigelb said:

    He wants to see more empty spaces around the cabinet table first ?

    Only one :)
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,377
    Barnesian said:

    RobD said:

    Barnesian said:

    Latest data
    R now about 0.87. Uncomfortably close to 1. Cases halve every five weeks.



    Doesn't R tend to 1 when the case numbers drop to very low levels?
    I think it becomes so noisy and dependent on the incidence of individual cases that the R number is no longer useful. I've stopped monitoring R for Richmond borough for that reason. I can't see a theoretical reason why it should tend to 1, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
    I was talking to one person, last night, who was trying to find a trend in single digit numbers bouncing around - a lower level health authority data set....
  • Options
    Clive Lewis is in the SC right? He's useless.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,421
    Been rather busy today at Bournemouth beach working whilst Virgin Media decided to go mammary glands up.

    Have I missed anything?
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187
    edited June 2020

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Superficially the sacking of RLB looks harsh, but it my guess is that Starmer has put the shadow cabinet under a warning that anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic will result in an instant dismissal, so she's had to go. Her crime is fairly minor: praising an article about a socialist actor. As others have said, there is a danger that absolutely any criticism of the Israeli state (including its Secret Service) is taken as ipso facto anti-semitic. We can criticise Putin without criticising the Russian people. Israel perhaps should be a special case, about which we need to be especially careful, but the Israeli government and its agencies must not be beyond criticism.

    So although RLB had to go, and Starmer is right, I would rather she had gone for her poor performance as shadow Education Secretary. She has failed to hold to account effectively the manifest failings of Williamson and Johnson on the return to school fiasco.

    It does contrast sharply with Jenrick, who despite the defence of some on here should clearly be out of the cabinet for many reasons. The fact that the public don't really care is irrelevant, and signifies governance by publicity rather than by principle. This will end up backfiring on the PM.

    She has been invisible on schools. I was just thinking that the other day.

    The sacking for this might as you say be good politics. It probably is. I do hope so because on its own it looks to me unwarranted.
    Unwarranted? Unwarranted?

    And you wonder why I attacked RLB (even if hyperbolically) for being an anti-Semite!!!!

    Maybe I should start my own list of things you have said like you do for me, though most of them twisted.

    1: Sacking RLB was unwarranted.
    I'm OK with that - in the sense of this "offence" rather than the wider context of Starmer wanting a clause 4 moment.

    There was a discussion earlier about how sometimes juries reach a verdict based on a vista broader than the case in front of them.

    This was IMO similar.
    Clause 4 would have been expelling her and Corbyn and the rest of their ilk.

    Maybe it will come but I'm not holding my breath.
    But I sense you get my drift.
  • Options
    eekeek Posts: 24,977
    Nigelb said:

    Scott_xP said:
    He wants to see more empty spaces around the cabinet table first ?
    He wants to avoid contamination from the screw ups still to come.

  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,274
    Barnesian said:

    Just published.
    Ed Davey edges ahead in nominations

    I have nominated Ed Davey. I think he has a good track record on green investment and is generally sensible - not too woke - unlike Layla Moran. All the Lib Dem members I know, including Sarah Olney, are supporting Ed Davey. Yet Layla Moran remains favourite.

    Moran would be a clean break with the past, and more likely to get the party noticed up against two middle aged men. But after Swinson hopefully members will also be weighing up the risks.
  • Options
    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,190
    HYUFD said:
    The thing is, I reckon there's more of a spine in that lot than when the roles were reversed. I wouldn't be hugely surprised if they do split.
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,938

    Been rather busy today at Bournemouth beach working whilst Virgin Media decided to go mammary glands up.

    Have I missed anything?

    No, Jenrick and Cummings are still in post
  • Options
    oxfordsimonoxfordsimon Posts: 5,831

    Clive Lewis is in the SC right? He's useless.

    No - he didn't make the grade under the new regime
  • Options
    squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,349

    DougSeal said:

    Does refusing to talk to some of your MPs make you look strong or unwilling to engage with those with questions/concerns?
    Starmer fired RBL. Johnson kept Cummings and Jenrick. There’s a definite contrast. The public will make of it what they will.
    Starmer had an antisemite in his cabinet to sack, Johnson did not.
    Johnson has a corrupt official in his cabinet to sack, Starmer does not
    I do hope you have good legal representation
  • Options
    https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1276192513510998019

    Starmer is like leagues ahead of Corbyn on media interfacing, unfortunately for him, only my left ear enjoyed this video
  • Options
    Also a bit of personality from Starmer at the end there, can we have more please?
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913

    isam said:

    Superficially the sacking of RLB looks harsh, but it my guess is that Starmer has put the shadow cabinet under a warning that anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic will result in an instant dismissal, so she's had to go. Her crime is fairly minor: praising an article about a socialist actor. As others have said, there is a danger that absolutely any criticism of the Israeli state (including its Secret Service) is taken as ipso facto anti-semitic. We can criticise Putin without criticising the Russian people. Israel perhaps should be a special case, about which we need to be especially careful, but the Israeli government and its agencies must not be beyond criticism.

    So although RLB had to go, and Starmer is right, I would rather she had gone for her poor performance as shadow Education Secretary. She has failed to hold to account effectively the manifest failings of Williamson and Johnson on the return to school fiasco.

    It does contrast sharply with Jenrick, who despite the defence of some on here should clearly be out of the cabinet for many reasons. The fact that the public don't really care is irrelevant, and signifies governance by publicity rather than by principle. This will end up backfiring on the PM.

    This could do for Starmer what sacking Emily Thornberry did for Ed Miliband
    Remind me how Miliband did at the subsequent GE...

    kinabalu said:

    Superficially the sacking of RLB looks harsh, but it my guess is that Starmer has put the shadow cabinet under a warning that anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic will result in an instant dismissal, so she's had to go. Her crime is fairly minor: praising an article about a socialist actor. As others have said, there is a danger that absolutely any criticism of the Israeli state (including its Secret Service) is taken as ipso facto anti-semitic. We can criticise Putin without criticising the Russian people. Israel perhaps should be a special case, about which we need to be especially careful, but the Israeli government and its agencies must not be beyond criticism.

    So although RLB had to go, and Starmer is right, I would rather she had gone for her poor performance as shadow Education Secretary. She has failed to hold to account effectively the manifest failings of Williamson and Johnson on the return to school fiasco.

    It does contrast sharply with Jenrick, who despite the defence of some on here should clearly be out of the cabinet for many reasons. The fact that the public don't really care is irrelevant, and signifies governance by publicity rather than by principle. This will end up backfiring on the PM.

    She has been invisible on schools. I was just thinking that the other day.

    The sacking for this might as you say be good politics. It probably is. I do hope so because on its own it looks to me unwarranted.
    I agree, it does look harsh. But like I said, I think Starmer has said to the shadow front bench: "if you say, tweet, or do anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic then you'll be out straight away, no questions. We have to be seen to kill dead the allegation of anti-semitism. Do you agree?" To which, I'm sure, the shadow front bench nodded assent. RLB is the victim of this. It's as much a matter of party discipline as it is to do with the specific offence.

    It's not victimisation of RLB; the result would have been the same for any front bench member.
    I think that is correct. Starmer knows that the only way to dig the party out of the hole that Corbyn dug was to demonstrate zero tolerance of anti-semitism or anything that smacks of it.

    The added bonus is that we may now get a shadow Education Secretary who brings Williamson to account. RLB has been absolutely useless in that regard despite staring at an open goal with the ball at her feet.
  • Options
    justin124justin124 Posts: 11,527

    Current members are listed on the Campaign Groups twitter account as:

    Diane Abbott MP
    Paula Barker MP
    Apsana Begum MP
    Olivia Blake MP
    Richard Burgon MP
    Ian Byrne MP
    Dan Carden MP
    Jeremy Corbyn MP
    Marsha de Cordova MP
    Mary Foy MP
    Margaret Greenwood MP
    Rachel Hopkins MP
    Imran Hussain MP
    Kim Johnson MP
    Ian Lavery MP
    Clive Lewis MP
    Rebecca Long-Bailey MP
    Rachael Maskell MP
    Andy McDonald MP
    John McDonnell MP
    Ian Mearns MP
    Nav Mishra MP
    Grahame Morris MP
    Charlotte Nichols MP
    Kate Osamor MP
    Kate Osborne MP
    Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
    Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
    Cat Smith MP
    Zarah Sultana MP
    Sam Tarry MP
    Jon Trickett MP
    Claudia Webbe MP
    Mick Whitley MP
    Nadia Whittome MP
    Beth Winter MP

    Let's see how many are willing to fight for Bailey

    Nearly 20% of the PLP.
  • Options
    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,138

    DougSeal said:

    Does refusing to talk to some of your MPs make you look strong or unwilling to engage with those with questions/concerns?
    Starmer fired RBL. Johnson kept Cummings and Jenrick. There’s a definite contrast. The public will make of it what they will.
    Starmer had an antisemite in his cabinet to sack, Johnson did not.
    Johnson has a corrupt official in his cabinet to sack, Starmer does not
    I do hope you have good legal representation
    He’d be very brave to sue for libel. Oscar Wilde made a similar mistake.
  • Options
    BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 7,989
    IanB2 said:

    Barnesian said:

    Just published.
    Ed Davey edges ahead in nominations

    I have nominated Ed Davey. I think he has a good track record on green investment and is generally sensible - not too woke - unlike Layla Moran. All the Lib Dem members I know, including Sarah Olney, are supporting Ed Davey. Yet Layla Moran remains favourite.

    Moran would be a clean break with the past, and more likely to get the party noticed up against two middle aged men. But after Swinson hopefully members will also be weighing up the risks.
    I voted for Swinson against Davey for that reason - for the party to get noticed. It didn't work out the way I hoped. I'm not making that mistake again.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,586
    Scott_xP said:
    This could be Starmer's Kinnock85 moment ?
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Superficially the sacking of RLB looks harsh, but it my guess is that Starmer has put the shadow cabinet under a warning that anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic will result in an instant dismissal, so she's had to go. Her crime is fairly minor: praising an article about a socialist actor. As others have said, there is a danger that absolutely any criticism of the Israeli state (including its Secret Service) is taken as ipso facto anti-semitic. We can criticise Putin without criticising the Russian people. Israel perhaps should be a special case, about which we need to be especially careful, but the Israeli government and its agencies must not be beyond criticism.

    So although RLB had to go, and Starmer is right, I would rather she had gone for her poor performance as shadow Education Secretary. She has failed to hold to account effectively the manifest failings of Williamson and Johnson on the return to school fiasco.

    It does contrast sharply with Jenrick, who despite the defence of some on here should clearly be out of the cabinet for many reasons. The fact that the public don't really care is irrelevant, and signifies governance by publicity rather than by principle. This will end up backfiring on the PM.

    She has been invisible on schools. I was just thinking that the other day.

    The sacking for this might as you say be good politics. It probably is. I do hope so because on its own it looks to me unwarranted.
    Unwarranted? Unwarranted?

    And you wonder why I attacked RLB (even if hyperbolically) for being an anti-Semite!!!!

    Maybe I should start my own list of things you have said like you do for me, though most of them twisted.

    1: Sacking RLB was unwarranted.
    Yes I'm OK with that.

    In the sense of this "offence" rather than the wider context of Starmer wanting a clause 4 moment.

    There was a discussion earlier about how sometimes juries decide based on a vista broader than the case in front of them.

    This was similar.
    The Clause 4 moment he needs it getting rid of high ranking members of the previous leadership from the party completely. RLB's retweeting is nothing compared to statements/behaviour from Corbyn and many of his clique. Yes, she has done it today - so is the immediate target.

    Once the EHRC report comes out, people have to be expelled - and that includes big names. Not allowed to resign. Expelled. No matter who they were.

    That is the Clause 4 moment that might help. Today isn't that moment
    Mmm. And if all of that is done perhaps at the next election you will vote Tory just slightly less enthusiastically. It's quite a prize.
  • Options
    You know, if the Corbynites do walk from the cabinet, Starmer might be able to pick the best SC cabinet we've seen in years
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,586
    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    He wants to see more empty spaces around the cabinet table first ?

    Only one :)
    On the contrary; in those circumstances, there would be many.
  • Options
    oxfordsimonoxfordsimon Posts: 5,831
    Barnesian said:

    IanB2 said:

    Barnesian said:

    Just published.
    Ed Davey edges ahead in nominations

    I have nominated Ed Davey. I think he has a good track record on green investment and is generally sensible - not too woke - unlike Layla Moran. All the Lib Dem members I know, including Sarah Olney, are supporting Ed Davey. Yet Layla Moran remains favourite.

    Moran would be a clean break with the past, and more likely to get the party noticed up against two middle aged men. But after Swinson hopefully members will also be weighing up the risks.
    I voted for Swinson against Davey for that reason - for the party to get noticed. It didn't work out the way I hoped. I'm not making that mistake again.
    Moran would get the party noticed for the wrong reasons. I think you are right to be wary
  • Options
    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,190
    The thing is, the Left of the Labour Party probably have less to lose at this point compared with the Right of the Labour Party pre-2019 GE. The Left probably know that they're unlikely to regain the leadership of the party any time soon, so perhaps would quite happily leave the party. If they could take some unions with them, even better.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited June 2020
    Well i have to say if the bar for being sacked is retweeting a link to a newspaper article, there are going to be more changes and more often to the shadow cabinet than your average premier League team at the moment.
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913

    eek said:

    As a slight aside, a question for all Tory Members on here

    https://twitter.com/mrchrisaddison/status/1276167587991339017

    And why do Unions give millions to the Labour Party if not in the hope of getting something out of it?

    Do you not see a difference between unions seeking to influence policies that benefit their members and Tory doners seeking to influence policies that let them trouser millions of pounds for themselves?
  • Options
    Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905
    justin124 said:

    Current members are listed on the Campaign Groups twitter account as:

    Diane Abbott MP
    Paula Barker MP
    Apsana Begum MP
    Olivia Blake MP
    Richard Burgon MP
    Ian Byrne MP
    Dan Carden MP
    Jeremy Corbyn MP
    Marsha de Cordova MP
    Mary Foy MP
    Margaret Greenwood MP
    Rachel Hopkins MP
    Imran Hussain MP
    Kim Johnson MP
    Ian Lavery MP
    Clive Lewis MP
    Rebecca Long-Bailey MP
    Rachael Maskell MP
    Andy McDonald MP
    John McDonnell MP
    Ian Mearns MP
    Nav Mishra MP
    Grahame Morris MP
    Charlotte Nichols MP
    Kate Osamor MP
    Kate Osborne MP
    Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
    Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
    Cat Smith MP
    Zarah Sultana MP
    Sam Tarry MP
    Jon Trickett MP
    Claudia Webbe MP
    Mick Whitley MP
    Nadia Whittome MP
    Beth Winter MP

    Let's see how many are willing to fight for Bailey

    Nearly 20% of the PLP.
    Would be comfortably the fourth largest bloc in the Commons, of course.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,586
    Barnesian said:

    RobD said:

    Barnesian said:

    Latest data
    R now about 0.87. Uncomfortably close to 1. Cases halve every five weeks.



    Doesn't R tend to 1 when the case numbers drop to very low levels?
    I think it becomes so noisy and dependent on the incidence of individual cases that the R number is no longer useful. I've stopped monitoring R for Richmond borough for that reason. I can't see a theoretical reason why it should tend to 1, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
    Considering it's a guesstimate at best, there is no real reason at all.

    The Covid Tracker research effort (which I still recommend signing up for) indicates things are perhaps edging upwards in the middle of the country:

    New daily COVID-19 cases in the UK have stopped falling this week:
    https://covid19.joinzoe.com/post/covid-incidence-stable
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    eek said:

    eek said:

    eek said:

    It won't solve anything at a time when the Government needs money itself.
    The Government doesn't need money, the Government can borrow at effectively 0% interest and can print money. The Government needs a tax base and that means saving otherwise healthy businesses from going bust due to the mother of all externality shocks.

    Businesses desperately need money. The Government needs businesses to not go bust.

    A VAT cut can help struggling businesses even if consumers don't spend more simply by businesses charging the same price as they did pre-cut and consumers spend the same as they did pre-cut. The business pockets the tax cut and stays afloat and is able to continue to employ people and pay taxes via PAYE. The business stays afloat and is able to continue to pay NNDR. The business stays afloat and is able to continue to pay VAT.
    A short term cut of 2.5% or even 5% isn't going encourage companies to employ more people, it will simply increase the bottom line.
    *blinks rapidly trying to think how to respond*

    You do realise that's the same thing don't you?

    If companies don't have a healthy bottom line they contract or worse go out of business and sack their staff. If companies have a healthy bottom line they can expand and hire staff. Increasing the bottom line is a Good Thing and what we need to save the economy from cardiac arrest.
    Nope. In theory a lot of people have a lot of excess cash waiting to be spent as for the past few months they haven't been spending (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/jun/02/uk-consumers-repay-record-74bn-of-debt-amid-covid-19-lockdown is as prime example of this). If that's the case there is no need to cut VAT, once shops are open the money should flow regardless.

    If come October / November you need to boost spending that would be the time to do a short term VAT cut but not immediately as in theory a lot of people have spare cash and in a lot of cases a desire to spend at least some of it.
    A lot of people [by no means all people] may, but a lot of companies don't. Companies need to be able to rebuild the bottom line in order to ensure they can survive and as you've already said a VAT cut will do that.

    A VAT cut will do exactly what is required. Waiting until November would be a case of waiting until a lot of companies have gone bust.

    We need to ensure the tax base survives relatively unscathed, a VAT cut is pretty perfect for that. It puts the money exactly where its needed most (the bottom line).
  • Options
    oxfordsimonoxfordsimon Posts: 5,831
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Superficially the sacking of RLB looks harsh, but it my guess is that Starmer has put the shadow cabinet under a warning that anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic will result in an instant dismissal, so she's had to go. Her crime is fairly minor: praising an article about a socialist actor. As others have said, there is a danger that absolutely any criticism of the Israeli state (including its Secret Service) is taken as ipso facto anti-semitic. We can criticise Putin without criticising the Russian people. Israel perhaps should be a special case, about which we need to be especially careful, but the Israeli government and its agencies must not be beyond criticism.

    So although RLB had to go, and Starmer is right, I would rather she had gone for her poor performance as shadow Education Secretary. She has failed to hold to account effectively the manifest failings of Williamson and Johnson on the return to school fiasco.

    It does contrast sharply with Jenrick, who despite the defence of some on here should clearly be out of the cabinet for many reasons. The fact that the public don't really care is irrelevant, and signifies governance by publicity rather than by principle. This will end up backfiring on the PM.

    She has been invisible on schools. I was just thinking that the other day.

    The sacking for this might as you say be good politics. It probably is. I do hope so because on its own it looks to me unwarranted.
    Unwarranted? Unwarranted?

    And you wonder why I attacked RLB (even if hyperbolically) for being an anti-Semite!!!!

    Maybe I should start my own list of things you have said like you do for me, though most of them twisted.

    1: Sacking RLB was unwarranted.
    Yes I'm OK with that.

    In the sense of this "offence" rather than the wider context of Starmer wanting a clause 4 moment.

    There was a discussion earlier about how sometimes juries decide based on a vista broader than the case in front of them.

    This was similar.
    The Clause 4 moment he needs it getting rid of high ranking members of the previous leadership from the party completely. RLB's retweeting is nothing compared to statements/behaviour from Corbyn and many of his clique. Yes, she has done it today - so is the immediate target.

    Once the EHRC report comes out, people have to be expelled - and that includes big names. Not allowed to resign. Expelled. No matter who they were.

    That is the Clause 4 moment that might help. Today isn't that moment
    Mmm. And if all of that is done perhaps at the next election you will vote Tory just slightly less enthusiastically. It's quite a prize.
    None of this is about my voting intention. As you well know.

    Our political system works best when there is a government being held to account by a strong and credible opposition.

    That is why Labour needs to sort this out - it might lead them back to power, it might not. But it is a necessary step
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,328
    Scott_xP said:
    Far be it for me to agree with Owen Jones, or go into bat for Rebecca Long-Bailey, but I’m inclined to agree.

    I can only assume he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913
    edited June 2020

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Superficially the sacking of RLB looks harsh, but it my guess is that Starmer has put the shadow cabinet under a warning that anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic will result in an instant dismissal, so she's had to go. Her crime is fairly minor: praising an article about a socialist actor. As others have said, there is a danger that absolutely any criticism of the Israeli state (including its Secret Service) is taken as ipso facto anti-semitic. We can criticise Putin without criticising the Russian people. Israel perhaps should be a special case, about which we need to be especially careful, but the Israeli government and its agencies must not be beyond criticism.

    So although RLB had to go, and Starmer is right, I would rather she had gone for her poor performance as shadow Education Secretary. She has failed to hold to account effectively the manifest failings of Williamson and Johnson on the return to school fiasco.

    It does contrast sharply with Jenrick, who despite the defence of some on here should clearly be out of the cabinet for many reasons. The fact that the public don't really care is irrelevant, and signifies governance by publicity rather than by principle. This will end up backfiring on the PM.

    She has been invisible on schools. I was just thinking that the other day.

    The sacking for this might as you say be good politics. It probably is. I do hope so because on its own it looks to me unwarranted.
    Unwarranted? Unwarranted?

    And you wonder why I attacked RLB (even if hyperbolically) for being an anti-Semite!!!!

    Maybe I should start my own list of things you have said like you do for me, though most of them twisted.

    1: Sacking RLB was unwarranted.
    Yes I'm OK with that.

    In the sense of this "offence" rather than the wider context of Starmer wanting a clause 4 moment.

    There was a discussion earlier about how sometimes juries decide based on a vista broader than the case in front of them.

    This was similar.
    The Clause 4 moment he needs it getting rid of high ranking members of the previous leadership from the party completely. RLB's retweeting is nothing compared to statements/behaviour from Corbyn and many of his clique. Yes, she has done it today - so is the immediate target.

    Once the EHRC report comes out, people have to be expelled - and that includes big names. Not allowed to resign. Expelled. No matter who they were.

    That is the Clause 4 moment that might help. Today isn't that moment
    The acid test will be whether the public believe that a Starmer government would be anti-semitic or not. If the public don't believe that then he has achieved what he set out to do.

    Nothing he can do will be enough convince you that the Labour Party isn't anti-semitic because you don't want to give it up as an attack weapon. However you are not the target audience.

    I also suspect that his decisive move against RLB contrasts with Johnson's protecting of Jenrick and Cummings. Time will tell.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,421
    What exactly was the antisemitic theory that Rebecca Long-Bailey shared?
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187

    kinabalu said:

    Superficially the sacking of RLB looks harsh, but it my guess is that Starmer has put the shadow cabinet under a warning that anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic will result in an instant dismissal, so she's had to go. Her crime is fairly minor: praising an article about a socialist actor. As others have said, there is a danger that absolutely any criticism of the Israeli state (including its Secret Service) is taken as ipso facto anti-semitic. We can criticise Putin without criticising the Russian people. Israel perhaps should be a special case, about which we need to be especially careful, but the Israeli government and its agencies must not be beyond criticism.

    So although RLB had to go, and Starmer is right, I would rather she had gone for her poor performance as shadow Education Secretary. She has failed to hold to account effectively the manifest failings of Williamson and Johnson on the return to school fiasco.

    It does contrast sharply with Jenrick, who despite the defence of some on here should clearly be out of the cabinet for many reasons. The fact that the public don't really care is irrelevant, and signifies governance by publicity rather than by principle. This will end up backfiring on the PM.

    She has been invisible on schools. I was just thinking that the other day.

    The sacking for this might as you say be good politics. It probably is. I do hope so because on its own it looks to me unwarranted.
    I agree, it does look harsh. But like I said, I think Starmer has said to the shadow front bench: "if you say, tweet, or do anything that can be perceived as anti-semitic then you'll be out straight away, no questions. We have to be seen to kill dead the allegation of anti-semitism. Do you agree?" To which, I'm sure, the shadow front bench nodded assent. RLB is the victim of this. It's as much a matter of party discipline as it is to do with the specific offence.

    It's not victimisation of RLB; the result would have been the same for any front bench member.
    OK - fair enough. Perhaps the whole subject of Israel has to become a no-go area for a while in Labour. The "I" word as it were. Bit disappointing in one sense, but making this the last Tory government of the 21st century has to take priority.
  • Options
    nichomarnichomar Posts: 7,483
    IanB2 said:

    tlg86 said:

    IanB2 said:

    tlg86 said:

    IanB2 said:

    Major incident declared in Bournemouth, suffering hugely from a massive influx of visitors and with incidents of violence.

    Interesting. Looking at traffic on Google Maps, the road along the coast from Worthing to Brighton looks jammed.
    Gridlock around the town, more parking tickets issued than on any single day previously, refuse collectors emptying beachside bins need security guards after previous abuse and assaults. It sounds like chaos down there,
    My family have gone to Littlehampton today - that tends to be a bit better than the bigger resorts - but I'll report back if there was any trouble there.
    The local paper is full of stories:

    https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/

    - widespread problems of illegal parking, excessive waste, anti-social behaviour, gridlock on roads and prohibited overnight camping

    - 558 parking enforcement fines – the highest on record; many reports of cars parking and causing an obstruction

    - Roads in and out of the area were heavily congested into the early hours

    - widespread abuse and intimidation of crews attempting to empty overflowing bins on the seafront. In the stretch between just the piers, eight tonnes of waste was collected yesterday on the second collection run of the day. This morning, a further 33 tons of waste was removed

    - a number of incidents reported which involved excessive alcohol and fights. Multiple fights on the beach left one man with cuts to his face and another with injuries after he was headbutted. A woman was attacked on an approach road to the beach





    Can you keep this lot in the UK and ensure they don’t come to Spain please
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285

    What exactly was the antisemitic theory that Rebecca Long-Bailey shared?

    : "The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd's neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services."
  • Options
    Black_RookBlack_Rook Posts: 8,905

    Scott_xP said:
    Far be it for me to agree with Owen Jones, or go into bat for Rebecca Long-Bailey, but I’m inclined to agree.

    I can only assume he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.
    It's either that, or she has previous, or (most likely) a combination of the two.

    Besides, baiting the Left and making them cry is good for Starmer's image as a moderate. That might not work in peeling off swing voters who cling to the Tories for fear that Labour has gone totally mad, but it's worth a try.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,421
    If Boris Johnson wants my vote he should send in the army to Bournemouth beach and use live ammo on them.

    Pour encourager les autres et al.

    Plus Johnson's hero Sir Winston Churchill wanted to use live ammo on the Welsh, so come on BJ show you're fit to lick the great man's boots.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,421

    What exactly was the antisemitic theory that Rebecca Long-Bailey shared?

    : "The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd's neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services."
    Ah, thanks.
  • Options
    StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,432
    edited June 2020
    Nigelb said:

    Barnesian said:

    RobD said:

    Barnesian said:

    Latest data
    R now about 0.87. Uncomfortably close to 1. Cases halve every five weeks.



    Doesn't R tend to 1 when the case numbers drop to very low levels?
    I think it becomes so noisy and dependent on the incidence of individual cases that the R number is no longer useful. I've stopped monitoring R for Richmond borough for that reason. I can't see a theoretical reason why it should tend to 1, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
    Considering it's a guesstimate at best, there is no real reason at all.

    The Covid Tracker research effort (which I still recommend signing up for) indicates things are perhaps edging upwards in the middle of the country:

    New daily COVID-19 cases in the UK have stopped falling this week:
    https://covid19.joinzoe.com/post/covid-incidence-stable
    The ONS survey has stopped showing decline as well.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/england25june2020

    It might just be that numbers are low and the error bars are bigger, though numbers seem to be flattening at a higher level than some other countries.

    Let's hope it's nothing worse.

    And let's be careful out there.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    Wouldn't be surprised if RLB didn't even read the whole article before retweeting it. It was a go to Corbynista actor, so predictable Tory bashing, probably thought looks good, click, retweet
  • Options
    MysticroseMysticrose Posts: 4,688
    Beyond belief.

    It's the Government's fault for giving out TOTALLY the wrong signals

    https://news.sky.com/story/major-incident-declared-in-bournemouth-as-thousands-of-people-flock-to-beaches-12014686
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285

    If Boris Johnson wants my vote he should send in the army to Bournemouth beach and use live ammo on them.

    Pour encourager les autres et al.

    Plus Johnson's hero Sir Winston Churchill wanted to use live ammo on the Welsh, so come on BJ show you're fit to lick the great man's boots.

    Covid benny hill....

    https://twitter.com/Amandadixon9419/status/1276155340241993732?s=19
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,604
    DIdn't expect the first resignation to be on the Labour side.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,653

    Scott_xP said:
    Far be it for me to agree with Owen Jones, or go into bat for Rebecca Long-Bailey, but I’m inclined to agree.

    I can only assume he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.
    Peake also said People going, ‘Oh, I can join the Labour Party again because Keir Starmer’s there,’ well shame on you.”

    Which presumably RLB also endorsed...

    https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/maxine-peake-interview-labour-corbyn-keir-starmer-black-lives-matter-a9583206.html
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited June 2020
    IanB2 said:

    Well i have to say if the bar for being sacked is retweeting a link to a newspaper article, there are going to be more changes and more often to the shadow cabinet than your average premier League team at the moment.

    This one was highly convenient for Starmer for multiple reasons:

    - an early chance to appear bold and decisive

    - an early chance to draw a line under Labour anti-semitism, and a defence to any future challenge that he might be soft on the matter

    - a good excuse to drop a leading Corbynite (and potential future risk) who was only still there because of her internal party popularity

    - good timing to pick a fight with any of the left who are up for it

    - the perfect contrast with Johnson who did nothing about Cummings and is doing nothing about Jenrick.
    It is obviously all these, the problem comes when inevitably somebody tweets a link to somebody that contains something iffy and then you either have to be consistent or be shown up as only really doing it for reasons stated above
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,274

    If Boris Johnson wants my vote he should send in the army to Bournemouth beach and use live ammo on them.

    Pour encourager les autres et al.

    Plus Johnson's hero Sir Winston Churchill wanted to use live ammo on the Welsh, so come on BJ show you're fit to lick the great man's boots.

    and sent a battleship to sail up and down the Mersey when workers were on strike in Liverpool
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,653

    What exactly was the antisemitic theory that Rebecca Long-Bailey shared?

    UPDATE (25.06.20): This article has been amended to further clarify that the allegation that US police were taught tactics of “neck kneeling” by Israeli secret services is unfounded. The original version did carry a denial from Israeli police, however we are happy to further clarify the matter.
  • Options
    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,190
    edited June 2020
    Punctuality at 92% on the trains:

    http://trains.im/ppmhistorical/

    The lowest it's been for some time. A clear sign that usage is up today.
  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,942
    Surrey said:

    Sky News:

    "Contact tracers have warned that the government's test and trace scheme may be failing to contain the spread of coronavirus because it does not provide translation services for staff."

    "'This is an English-only service,' said one contact tracer, who observed that the website for people who test positive to add their own contacts is currently only available in English."

    "'Unless you happen to get a random match between a case or a contact and a non-English speaking call handler then you can't proceed, and ultimately that opportunity is likely to be lost.'"

    "'Asked if translation services were available, another contact tracer said: "There is nothing. It's not even an option on the system.'"
    (...)
    "According to official statistics from 2011, 864,000 people in England and Wales do not speak English well or at all."


    (2011!)

    Last census I assume
  • Options
    eekeek Posts: 24,977
    Andy_JS said:

    DIdn't expect the first resignation to be on the Labour side.

    Who has resigned?
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,230
    justin124 said:

    It depends on how the Corbynites decide to play it.Some might decide that just as the PLP sought to destabilise Corbyn, they can now return the favour by seeking to do the same to Starmer.I am sure that the thresholds of 22 MPs and 5% of CLPs would be achievable , should they wish to go down that road. Others in their ranks may be inclined to hold off until next year.
    I imagine that McCluskey et al still support RLB.

    No, 22 MPs is if there is a vacancy. To launch a challenge it would be 41.
  • Options
    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,187
    edited June 2020
    Nigelb said:

    Scott_xP said:
    This could be Starmer's Kinnock85 moment ?
    There HAS to be a gameplan. Perhaps Keir is going for broke on remoulding. If he can somehow combine "move to the centre" with "radical not timid" - plus a bit of isam's "personality" upgrade (but not too much please!) - he could be onto a winner.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,728

    DougSeal said:

    Does refusing to talk to some of your MPs make you look strong or unwilling to engage with those with questions/concerns?
    Starmer fired RBL. Johnson kept Cummings and Jenrick. There’s a definite contrast. The public will make of it what they will.
    Starmer had an antisemite in his cabinet to sack, Johnson did not.
    Johnson has a corrupt official in his cabinet to sack, Starmer does not
    I think you win this round of badinage.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,604
    edited June 2020
    eek said:

    Andy_JS said:

    DIdn't expect the first resignation to be on the Labour side.

    Who has resigned?
    The heat must be getting to me. I meant resignation or sacking.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,421

    If Boris Johnson wants my vote he should send in the army to Bournemouth beach and use live ammo on them.

    Pour encourager les autres et al.

    Plus Johnson's hero Sir Winston Churchill wanted to use live ammo on the Welsh, so come on BJ show you're fit to lick the great man's boots.

    Covid benny hill....

    https://twitter.com/Amandadixon9419/status/1276155340241993732?s=19
    Perhaps they are out for an eye test.
  • Options
    DougSealDougSeal Posts: 11,138

    Scott_xP said:
    Far be it for me to agree with Owen Jones, or go into bat for Rebecca Long-Bailey, but I’m inclined to agree.

    I can only assume he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.
    She wasn’t fired for retweeting the article per se. She was fired because of the damage that keeping her would cause to the Labour Party. That’s a perfectly legitimate reason for firing anyone. If one of my employees retweeted something that might cause my organisation significant harm then dismissal would be an option. I fired someone for a twitter post myself once and have advised on several FB related dismissals that resulted in damage to an employer’s reputation.
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913

    Does refusing to talk to some of your MPs make you look strong or unwilling to engage with those with questions/concerns?
    and if he'd agreed to meet them you'd be saying he was under the thumb of the hard left.
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,735
    Barnesian said:

    RobD said:

    Barnesian said:

    Latest data
    R now about 0.87. Uncomfortably close to 1. Cases halve every five weeks.



    Doesn't R tend to 1 when the case numbers drop to very low levels?
    I think it becomes so noisy and dependent on the incidence of individual cases that the R number is no longer useful. I've stopped monitoring R for Richmond borough for that reason. I can't see a theoretical reason why it should tend to 1, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
    As you say it does the opposite of tending to 1. It will jump up to much higher numbers than we are used to, then the following week might drop back to very low levels (or stay very high for another week if there is a real problem somewhere). Non mathematicians will really struggle to understand this.
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,328

    Scott_xP said:
    Far be it for me to agree with Owen Jones, or go into bat for Rebecca Long-Bailey, but I’m inclined to agree.

    I can only assume he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.
    It's either that, or she has previous, or (most likely) a combination of the two.

    Besides, baiting the Left and making them cry is good for Starmer's image as a moderate. That might not work in peeling off swing voters who cling to the Tories for fear that Labour has gone totally mad, but it's worth a try.
    True. It makes political sense (and it shows a streak of ruthlessness). I’m just not sure it’s fair.

    Politics isn’t, of course.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,421
    Two Metropolitan police officers have been arrested after a photograph was allegedly taken of the bodies of murdered sisters in a London park, the Guardian has learned.

    Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, were found stabbed to death in Fryent Country Park in north-west London this month.

    They were reported missing after a birthday gathering on Friday 5 June, and their bodies were found on 7 June. Several days later police confirmed they had been stabbed to death by a stranger who was likely to have been injured in the attack and is still at large.

    Smallman was a freelance photographer while Henry was a social worker and mother of one. They were daughters of Mina Smallman, the Church of England’s first female archdeacon from a black and minority ethnic background.

    A criminal inquiry is under way into an “inappropriate” photo taken at the murder scene, and allegedly sent to a group of people who included members of the public.

    It was reported to the Met police’s directorate of professional standards, which referred it to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is investigating. Thewatchdog described the allegations as “sickening”.

    Two police officers were arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Both had been deployed to guard the scene after the bodies were found, it is understood.

    The investigation will consider whether any criminal charges should be brought or any discipline offences should apply. The family of the two women have been told of the photograph and are said to have been shocked and distressed.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/25/two-met-police-officers-arrested-over-photo-of-murdered-sisters
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,728

    Scott_xP said:
    Far be it for me to agree with Owen Jones, or go into bat for Rebecca Long-Bailey, but I’m inclined to agree.

    I can only assume he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.
    He probably was but she gave him a reason. She would condemn an opponent who shared something with bits in they might not agree with, I have zero doubt of that, so she can hardly complain too much. I'd have sympathy otherwise
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Beyond belief.

    It's the Government's fault for giving out TOTALLY the wrong signals

    https://news.sky.com/story/major-incident-declared-in-bournemouth-as-thousands-of-people-flock-to-beaches-12014686

    Don't be insane. It's 33 degrees. That's all there is to it.
  • Options
    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,190
  • Options
    Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,060
    Can I put in a recommendation for tonight’s NTLive stream of A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
    I saw it last year and can highly recommend it.
  • Options
    glwglw Posts: 9,549

    What exactly was the antisemitic theory that Rebecca Long-Bailey shared?

    : "The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd's neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services."
    I'm fairly certain that the Israeli secret services tactics are a bit more agressive than a knee on the neck.
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913
    edited June 2020

    *** RESIGNATION WATCH *****

    Lord Falconer surely the first to resign if true?

    https://twitter.com/patrickkmaguire/status/1276186580496121858?s=20

    Methinks a fight Starmer is looking for.

    I agree, how better to get it across to the general public that Corbynism and anti-semitism are over, things have changed. I see the odious Chris Williamson has now entered the fray, a man who even went too far for Corbyn, the more the merrier.
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    Cummings stays
    Jenrick stays
    Long-Bailey goes

    Quite a contrast.
  • Options
    Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    DougSeal said:

    Scott_xP said:
    Far be it for me to agree with Owen Jones, or go into bat for Rebecca Long-Bailey, but I’m inclined to agree.

    I can only assume he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her.
    She wasn’t fired for retweeting the article per se. She was fired because of the damage that keeping her would cause to the Labour Party. That’s a perfectly legitimate reason for firing anyone. If one of my employees retweeted something that might cause my organisation significant harm then dismissal would be an option. I fired someone for a twitter post myself once and have advised on several FB related dismissals that resulted in damage to an employer’s reputation.
    She's not been fired like that. She's still a Labour MP.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,377
    An interesting number - 113,925

    The number of "close contacts" of people testing positive, asked to self isolate in the 3 weeks to the 17th June.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,179

    Nigelb said:

    Barnesian said:

    RobD said:

    Barnesian said:

    Latest data
    R now about 0.87. Uncomfortably close to 1. Cases halve every five weeks.



    Doesn't R tend to 1 when the case numbers drop to very low levels?
    I think it becomes so noisy and dependent on the incidence of individual cases that the R number is no longer useful. I've stopped monitoring R for Richmond borough for that reason. I can't see a theoretical reason why it should tend to 1, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
    Considering it's a guesstimate at best, there is no real reason at all.

    The Covid Tracker research effort (which I still recommend signing up for) indicates things are perhaps edging upwards in the middle of the country:

    New daily COVID-19 cases in the UK have stopped falling this week:
    https://covid19.joinzoe.com/post/covid-incidence-stable
    The ONS survey has stopped showing decline as well.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/england25june2020

    It might just be that numbers are low and the error bars are bigger, though numbers seem to be flattening at a higher level than some other countries.

    Let's hope it's nothing worse.

    And let's be careful out there.
    Agree with need to keep being careful. However the ones change is 14 positives from 11 previously. I also think I read that they don't control for clusters in a house, so it's not impossible that one house is the difference... Very small numbers being extrapolated. I also thing local hot spots are now an issue e.g. Leicester. But yes - need to stay frosty...
  • Options
    Fysics_TeacherFysics_Teacher Posts: 6,060
    Jonathan said:

    Cummings stays
    Jenrick stays
    Long-Bailey goes

    Quite a contrast.

    To be fair, I doubt if Starmer was heart broken at the prospect of being able to get rid of Long-Bailey.
    The test will come if and when/if it is someone who is a close and valued ally.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,179

    Beyond belief.

    It's the Government's fault for giving out TOTALLY the wrong signals

    https://news.sky.com/story/major-incident-declared-in-bournemouth-as-thousands-of-people-flock-to-beaches-12014686

    Personal responsibility?
  • Options
    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,190
    Family back home. Littlehampton was busy but no issues. Traffic on the roads coming home fairly light.
  • Options
    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901

    Jonathan said:

    Cummings stays
    Jenrick stays
    Long-Bailey goes

    Quite a contrast.

    To be fair, I doubt if Starmer was heart broken at the prospect of being able to get rid of Long-Bailey.
    The test will come if and when/if it is someone who is a close and valued ally.
    Is Jenrick a close and valued ally?
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913

    Self purging?

    It gets better for Keir as the hours go by.
    The far left were never that good at the politics and now they are all rushing headlong into Starmer's bear-trap. Excellent
This discussion has been closed.