FlyTheNest

AnatolyKasparov

Well we can but hope.

AnatolyKasparov

But that's the point I made initially - it was being built up as him announcing something dramatic and draconian, but it ended up as not much more than "I agree with good things and disagree with bad things". Which is why I think some of the criticism of Starmer is a bit off.

AnatolyKasparov

Plus, some of us are still waiting to see what Labour are actually like in government (voters willing, as ever) Chris Dillow certainly does not hesitate to critique the current leadership, but one thing he gets right is that their incentives will be different (and quite likely better) in government ...

AnatolyKasparov

Yes, seeing this as a "clever trap" by Sunak is reading far too much into it. Starmer basically said "I agree with Sunak - I want unity". That's basically it. Of course we all know that the Tories don't *really* want unity, but culture wars. Still, why not use their own words aga...

AnatolyKasparov

That may or may not be true, but I don't see how it can be divulged from his fairly bland response there.

AnatolyKasparov

Have to say my response was and is closest to the last one - "is that it?".

A widespread impression is that he originally intended to say something "big" but for whatever reason got cold feet at the last minute.

AnatolyKasparov

I've told you why, even if you don't like the answer. Basically, she is still less trouble p***ing out of the tent than the other way round.

Still not given up hope that she retires at the GE to pursue her obsessions outside parliament, mind.

AnatolyKasparov

Galloway apparently thinks he has won, ugh.

AnatolyKasparov

Not long since he had appeared to be recovering quite well, too.

Cancer is vile.

AnatolyKasparov

RIP Dave Myers - an absolutely brilliant ambassador for Barrow-in-Furness (a place frequently and unfairly maligned) as well as everything else.

AnatolyKasparov

Rochdale by-election today, can't wait

AnatolyKasparov

There are fewer more reliable signs that somebody is a bad 'un than if they are both pro-Israel *and* pro-Russia.

(maybe *the* prime exhibit is a certain US ex-POTUS)

AnatolyKasparov

Germany is notably pro-Israel at present, I do wonder if this is significantly down to "certain historical events".

And with such things, there is always the danger of over-compensating.

AnatolyKasparov

A phrase about "eating its own children" comes to mind.

AnatolyKasparov

Ferrari's politics are pretty bad, but he is quite good at his actual job despite that.

AnatolyKasparov

The deed is done - I am feeling a bit sore (obviously) but hopefully nothing more than that.

AnatolyKasparov

frog222 wrote: ↑Mon 26 Feb, 2024 11:52 am AK -- good luck with the tooth !

Thanks, have got an appointment this evening.

AnatolyKasparov

Anyway, goodnight.

I am very likely having my troublesome tooth taken out in the coming week, so wish me luck.

AnatolyKasparov

Yeah, maybe got a bit carried away there. Still stand by the gist of it though.

Again, nobody came out *well* from this past week. But there has been a lot of self serving guff about how Starmer/Labour were uniquely culpable.

AnatolyKasparov

I mean its not "special unconstitutional treatment" - its a CONVENTION which has in fact (contrary to several claims immediately after the event) been breached before (even if only a literal handful of times, that still means that what happened this week was not in fact "totally unpre...

AnatolyKasparov

I genuinely think it made very little difference. At the end of the day his "actions" largely involved parliamentary procedures which will have been fairly incomprehensible to the vast majority. If you are making implications about MPs feeling insecure being blamed on Muslims, that's argua...

AnatolyKasparov

The idea that the likes of Lee Anderson only decided to be Islamophobic after this week is a bit of a stretch tbh.

AnatolyKasparov

What did I say they didn't do?

As I said they reacted to a breathtakingly cynical and dishonest stitch up. They fought fire with fire.

And in the end a motion supporting an immediate ceasefire was passed.

Wasn't that what everybody wanted?

AnatolyKasparov

As for the Gaza amendments fiasco it's interesting to see those defending Starmer praising Labour for indulging in exactly the kind of shithousery we've been condemning the Tories for getting up to for years. So the SNP and Tories doing a shabby deal to stitch up Starmer wasn't that? The past week ...

AnatolyKasparov

There was some fuss over AS within Labour in 2016 (notably the Livingstone saga) but it didn't really take off for another couple of years.

AnatolyKasparov

Anderson has been suspended - Truss next?

AnatolyKasparov

Of course, the quoted Tory "source" simply lied about what Anderson actually said - marches were not even mentioned.

AnatolyKasparov

In the space of 24 hours, that is Braverman Truss and Anderson all going distinctly Bannonish.

AnatolyKasparov

Had blissfully forgotten SB's existence before last night.

AnatolyKasparov

Highly believable account, I'm totally convinced

Oh, and no HoC "rules" were changed yesterday - informal conventions are not "rules".

AnatolyKasparov

I'm actually agreeing that there wasn't a mob outside parliament yesterday - that's why I didn't contest that part of your post. My point was, rather, that some would use this to claim there isn't a problem and MPs have no reason to be concerned about their own safety. Unfortunately, this is not cor...

AnatolyKasparov

Two sitting MPs have been killed in the last decade, they regularly receive the most blood-curdling abuse on social media. (and no, not just about the current war) I agree It doesn't help when they propose daft unworkable stuff like "ending online anonymity" or taking smartphones off junio...

AnatolyKasparov

Yesterday was a bad day in the HoC, and today isn't much better.

AnatolyKasparov

No, the SNP and Tories did a totally cynical and transparent Molotov-Ribbentrop style deal to screw over Labour. And were then shocked when Labour didn't take it lying down. Ultimately, the Tories pulled the plug because they knew there was a good chance their own spoiler amendment was going down to...

AnatolyKasparov

The claim about threatening Hoyle was denied unequivocally, almost straight away. Meanwhile, the unholy SNP-Tory alliance are talking of ousting him *before* the election, and if that doesn't happen the Tories are briefing they will break precedent by standing against him at the GE. For some reason,...

AnatolyKasparov

Quite right too, the "Auld Alliance" of SNP and Tories should always be exposed when they get up to their little games.

AnatolyKasparov

Good morefternoon, all.

Sunak giving Badenoch his full support, is it? Let's hope he doesn't come to regret that.

AnatolyKasparov

Tories have been totally cynical in tabling their own amendment, just to stop Labour's being debated.

Oh and it is abstention from the SNP motion that Labour are saying might happen, not voting against.

Typical that Peston can't even get something basic like that correct.

AnatolyKasparov

Good morefternoon, all.

Scott Benton MP loses his appeal, so the recall process will be set in motion - bar any actual GE intervening.

AnatolyKasparov

Streeting didn't say how Labour would vote on a ceasefire this morning - significant? There certainly wasn't much doubt how it would go last time.

AnatolyKasparov

LAAS are a bunch of cranks, that is all.

AnatolyKasparov

Most of them have genuinely vanished never to return - Berger is maybe the only one I can seriously see returning to parliament.

AnatolyKasparov

I mean, maybe we should want a bit more evidence for this than an SNP party hack? But whatever.

AnatolyKasparov

No, that is the spin of Taj Ali (and you)

A reminder that we already had a ceasefire in this conflict, and it didn't last that long.

AnatolyKasparov

I do note that Scottish Labour voted for an immediate ceasefire yesterday.

AnatolyKasparov

Well, at least you are here!

AnatolyKasparov

Good morefternoon, everyone.

AnatolyKasparov

refitman wrote: ↑Fri 16 Feb, 2024 8:21 pm Tbh, I wasn't really looking at the comment regarding the vote gain/loss, when I posted the tweet. More just the result itself.

Weird how you can read into things, isn't it?

Point is, there were loads of people shouting about it this morning - as if it actually meant something.

AnatolyKasparov

Thank you for reminding me, Sky.

Remarkably enough, the Tory numerical vote was down a bit on the previous GE there as well. Meant precisely zilch, just as it does with Labour now.

AnatolyKasparov

No doubt any defeat at the coming GE will be "technical" as well.

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