porterjames.bsky.social
Left of centre Trade Unionist. UNISON Member. Interested in citizen journalism. Committed European and the EU. Dog lover. Supporter and part owner of Heart of Midlothian FC and Norwich City fan. Hates Trump and RefUK.
579 posts
1,579 followers
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Getting Started
Active Commenter
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I know. Before we bought our house in France (now given up because of effing Brexit) we went to Greece every year for 20 years. Having said that, bacon and egg for breakfast was usually available even although (horror of horrors) the egg was often scrambled. I wonder if she tried the spinach pie!
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Sometimes I just want to hide my head in shame. I note that the woman suffers from ulcerative colitis. Couldn’t be to do with the diet of bacon, sausage and chips could it?
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I think Dickie is going to run into a bit of difficulty here.
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How does she feel now, Sir Michael, with the news that Carrie has had another baby? Must be gut wrenching for her.
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So that means he can sack him. He should do just that.
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My dear Pecksniff to the question “who is responsible for this absurdity” look no further than Mr McSweeney. From what one hears he has far too much influence and, in my view, his head must roll. Enjoy the Côte d’azure. Sources tell me that Burgandy is also on the itinerary. C’est merveilleuse!
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McSweeney has to go. Frankly I can hardly contemplate the nonsense that comes out of the Labour Party these days. They are becoming more RefUK than RefUK. They won’t get RefUK voters but they will lose Labour voters. Is that what they really want?
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Much though I applaud the SNP position on joining the EU, if successful Scotland would be in the CFP and subject to decisions made there. They would have a say, of course but they might not get all they want.
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They are unreconstructed fools.
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My dear Pecksniff one does rather baulk at the vision of the current Labour Party. It has always had its issues but has usually done enough to persuade progressives we can carry on supporting and voting for them. That veneer is wearing more than thin. I await the great “reset” with some trepidation.
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“A coward and a viper” says Lowe. Well, it takes one to know one.
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A very strong point. I get so pissed off with the assumption that care work is something anyone can do. You have to really want to do it and look at the pay and conditions that no doubt puts people off. You need good training, pre and post qualifying and supportive management and a career path.
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“Sound money”
“The enemy within”
“Shareholder democracy”
“Property owner democracy”
“Poll Tax”
“Ask Sid”
There will be many more I’m sure.
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You have a point.
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A long way from a god. He clearly did good things for which he will be remembered. His other “achievements” are somewhat less worthy of being remembered.
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It should not be forgotten that in the election that took place at the end of the war he was swept from power despite his brilliant war leadership. And his years as peacetime PM were hardly memorable. He was pro European, though. A war time hero but definitely not a god.
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The remarkable sound of nails being hit on heads.
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I think it is clear that RefUK have nothing but populist posturing. They need to be attacked (although I sometimes think they need to be ignored).The problem is that they are good at getting attention. That needs to be flipped as in the flag policy. And, indeed, used to emphasise their triviality.
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It will be. Farage will be waving Union flags all day.
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That’s 5 things, not 3 but I can think of many more but we’ll keep it simple!
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3. It needs to u turn on winter fuel payments and cuts to disability benefits and tax the fucking rich.
4. It needs to present Farage as the kind of man you might find on your doorstep attempting to sell you a vacuum cleaner.
5. Like it or not, it needs urgently to re-employ Alastair Campbell.
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My dear Pecksniff. The RefUK revolution appears to have arrived. Labour, in my view, needs to do 3 things.
1. It needs to espouse policies which are diametrically opposite to those of RefUK.
2. It needs to strip bear the policies of RefUK and tear them all apart. Not hard. There aren’t many.
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The EU is on our border if you live in NI and 22 miles away, via a tunnel under the sea, at its nearest point. India is half a world away. Up until 2021 we had FOM. Now we don’t.
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I should say that’s Poilievre fucked.
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Can someone please explain to me how it is a “Brexit Freedom” to remove FOM? Confused of Norfolk.
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Apart from anything else I can’t think why we wouldn’t want FOM. They make this statement without any supporting evidence and it’s just rubbish.
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The simple question to this statement is “why”?
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I’m not Canadian so have no vote but he’s who I’d vote for.
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And never forget he is a man made by Trump and we know that Trump is deeply unpopular here. As is Musk. And yet, here we are. Andrea Jenkyns (ffs) has a 15 point lead in the Lincolnshire mayoral election. McSweeney needs to let that sink in and ponder why his tactics are producing that outcome.
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And let’s face it, Farage gives us plenty to oppose. So committed to Thé parliamentary process that he has 10 jobs and rarely visits his constituency. His outrageous intervention on SEND, where he demonstrates no understanding of the process gives us an insight into his “Johnsonian” grasp of detail.
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When it comes to the dark arts you wouldn’t back Badenough against Farage, although Dicky Tice v Jenrick might be a little more even. The truth of the matter is that McSweeney has to get a grip and change course, in the understanding that you don’t pretend to be the enemy you vigorously oppose them.
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My dear Pecksniff, may I, very gently, suggest that you may not be entirely accurate in your suggestion that the Tories might shaft RefUK in any coalition. Appalling though they are, RefUK is populated entirely by political crooks and con artists who will be Trump like within any such liaison.
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One waits with bated breath.
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One should explain that Pecksniff would no doubt raise an eyebrow or two at the thought of the Muckrakers being taken over by a load of Farageists. Mr Martin, no doubt, would look to count the profit.
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It’s a big worry despite your plea for us to have fun. RefUK seem to be getting all the attention and all of momentum. Half hearted scrutiny and an adoring right wing press do not help but RefUK can be shown to have no answers and are the conduit for protest. They are a bunch of bar room bunglers.
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But, but, but did she not tell us that the people of Wigan hated FOM and she was in favour of Brexit? Has she not been, along with Reeves, a Brexit hard liner? And yet, here we are. I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies but honestly, the brass neck.
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Stop the off shoring of wealth. Tax the Non Doms. Where are they going to go? Make foreign owned companies pay their fair share. Once both bases see there’s something to get behind, they will. Can you forward this to McSweeney? If they keep copying Farage they’ll find copy cats never win.
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Develop an industrial strategy that reinvigorates what our American cousins call the rust belt. It’s hardly any wonder that people living in the north and midlands are so pissed off that RefUK looks like an idea. It’s all smoke and mirrors of course but fucking DO SOMETHING to negate the lies.
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Tax the fucking rich. The wealth gap is obscene and everyone knows it bar RefUK, Truss, Reeves and Badenough. Reinstate the winter fuel payments but make them taxable. Stop the disability cuts. People can see the cruelty. Make a more compelling case for green energy and fighting the climate crisis.
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Get with a programme of public ownership for rail, mail, water and utilities and RefUK is grounded. They’d never do it anyway. Combine with Carney, if he wins Canada, in swinging towards Europe and away from USA and ride the wave of disgust most Brits have for Trump. This cuts the feet off Farage.
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Peter, v interesting. Frankly, I can’t see why Labour can’t figure out how to appeal to both of its bases. Brexit is hated by most, although there is immigration which has been so weaponised by RefUK. Excuse the caps but “THERE WERE NO BOATS TO STOP WHEN WE WERE IN THE EU”. So we can start there.
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One can hope. In the meantime the manoeuvres on the mayoral position are quite dreadful. I see no Norfolk names but expect the appalling Kay Mason Billig to emerge. If ever there was a strong reason for abandoning the whole thing, there it is. One wonders if Rupert Lowe might be persuaded?