Seems like this happens twice a year.
I think eventually one of these frequent re-shuffles will lead Starmer to get so far down the list he even asks me to become Shadow Secretary for sommat or other. I live for the day.
Even without re-shuffles, there’s a pleasantly healthy turn-over of Labour front-benchers.
Hopefully Angela Rayner goes in the reshuffle, the only worse Deputy than her would be Diane Abbott again…
And with regards to the announcement of the changes to the booster vaccine rollout today, I think we are going to see a lot of people in the younger age brackets refusing to take it.
I think people were happy to do their bit to help out the larger population when we thought the vaccines helped to stop the spread, now we know that’s not the case, then it gets to the point where the risks start to out-way the rewards if you are younger.
I do wonder if the government will start to threaten restrictions to certain aspects of life unless you are “fully vaccinated” (3 jabs or more) in an attempt to push more people into having the booster. We shall see. I suspect that isn’t something Johnson’s government wants, they want people out spending and living life normally again, it will depend on the opposition and media pressure.
There is only one reliable route out of poverty - work.
all the media, not just the BBC, also the politicians and political commentators, have united in their correct designation of this tragic event as the worst Channel disaster since the migrant crisis (or “refugee” crisis) began. Which is true enough.
But.
Which amongst them has pointed to the wider context? For example the loss of life in an articulated refrigerator lorry in Grays, Essex, in 2019. In that tragic incident, 39 people died, considerably more than drowned last week in the Channel.
A plausible reason is that the politicians don’t want us to link the dots and disbelieve them when they say they’re going to do something - they have done sweet FA after the Essex lorry incident.
Meanwhile the media want us to focus on this current story and read their copy and watch their reports. context undermines the market attractiveness of their stories.
Its always good to recognise hypocrites who dress themselves up as humanitarians or leaders.
You have to acknowledge that post Blair’s “Affirmative Action” - There is an awful lot of complete garbage being paid ridiculous amounts of money sitting on “labour” benches !
A mate of mine had a hero labour MP - the guy with the red tie - I couldn’t remember his name so that’s what I googled - the red tie - and up he came.
Was close to being father of the house - now wouldn’t that be some whilbaloo 
I’m not familiar with that word, Peter. I tried searching for it in Google but it didn’t come up with any results!
Would you mind explaining it’s meaning? Sorry if I’m being dumb here!
Actually the correct spelling is whilabaloo - a local saying - nearest in English is hullabaloo
( a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance - uproar)
I can just imagine it
What actually is the job of the SNP MP’s at Westminster?
The SNP’s stated ultimate political objective is independence for Scotland. This is justified in their arguments by the governance from Westminster which is unfair to the Scots and prejudicial to Scottish interests.
If, if, if it is accepted that UK rule has been bad for Scotland, then there are three possible exit routes from the situation.
One, the UK could unilaterally grant Scotland its independence whether it wants it or not. It might do this by abolishing the UK but it could do it.
Two, the UK government structure could be reformed so as to protect Scottish rights and interests. (I thought we had actually done this.)
Three, Scotland could withdraw from the UK… This is the SNP’s choice.
It follows that the SNP’s objective is destroyed by Westminster reform. It also follows that the SNP MP’s must therefore try to ensure that new UK laws are not good for Scotland and that any existing UK laws which are not good for Scotland remain in place. This is a strange and perverse procedure for an unproven and unnecessary policy and might better be described as sabotage.
Conservatives hold Bexley
By-elections usually show a swing away from the incumbent government. This one was not different. Voter turn-out was less than half of a normal year, but the Conservatives lost vote share while Labour gained.
The Liberal Democrats will be the most disappointed as they also lost share, despite being the No.2 opposition party…
But are they really the third major political party or is it time they called it a day?
Looks like we have another by-election coming up in the new year.
So what has Barry Sheerman done?
MP’s voting records etc. are available at theyworkforyou.com. He seems to have been a loyal party member.
One oddity is that he voted in favour of permits to allow fracking, but then voted twice against enhanced controls on fracking.
Otherwise, although rarely rebelling against Labour policy, he has voted a little oddly. Yes, he has voted in favour of higher benefit payments, in favour of actions to prevent climate change, for UK membership of the EU and against the reduction of corporate taxation.
But some of his votes appear to support what might be regarded as core Conservative principles - against aviation passenger tax, against elected PCC’s, for mass surveillance of communications and activities, for tougher asylum rules, for stronger immigration controls, etc.
Perhaps this ambiguity simply reflects his constituency. The English public are generally liberal socially but conservative politically. Which is why the country is generally run by Conservative administrations.
The Morning Star (for Peace and Socialism) is a left-wing British newspaper.
I have never been to its website before, but this headline was too much of a temptation -
Venezuelan elections are the gold standard
Go to their website to read more if you need some more good laughs.
I love 10-year plans. You sound decisive and visionary when you launch them, you’re not around when they fail.
This news from Sky is just 1 hour old. Its unacceptable that more than a thousand homes remain without power, 10 days after Storm Arwen cut off 112,000, especially with Storm Barra imminent.
Perhaps Greg Hands might be the next minister to follow the Gavin Williamson trail out of government, to somewhere where he can do less harm.
Greg Hands is the MP for Hammersmith & Fulham. Hammersmith is 300 miles from Northumberland. Just saying…
Crusties, junkies and beggars.
I hate being accosted by them, I hate stepping in their urine in shop doorways, I hate their drunken yorping, I hate their afternoon punch-ups, and I hate the fear of a casual robbery when near them.
So I shop and eat out and stop for coffee and meet friends in the suburbs or in the neighbouring small towns and nearby villages.
And so I don’t care if the Vagrancy Act is repealed or not.
The PM’s office is in communications disarray over ChristmaspartyGate. PMQ’s at lunch-time should be pretty interesting.
Sajid Javid has gone underground. Its quite possible he has intimated to the PM that, as Health Minister during a covid crisis, he expects to speak to the nation about health department policy, not whether the PM knew this or that a year ago concerning a party in his own office. I hope so.
Interesting to recall that in the famous Profumo affair, Defence Minister Sir Joh Profumo was forced to resign not after having an affair with an escort who was also friends with a KGB officer, but after lying about the affair. We can live with idiots, but not idiots who must lie about their idiotic behaviour.
Its an old maxim in politics, never open an inquiry if you don’t already know the answer. And the answer should either be that nobody is to blame or hopefully someone who is your enemy.
Its possible the inquiry could establish Boris Johnson actually could run a piss-up…
