O/T:- ⚠️Impressed with the leadership [The UK Party Politics Thread]

[Jampie]

Funnily enough I agree with the headline.

The Snowy 2.0 hydro project, for all it's hilariously late and over budget, is also nowhere near enough. We need to be madly building more dams and we just aren't.

We are indeed most likely headed straight to a period of grid instability, where the power goes out during certain weather conditions. Total madness, totally unnecessary.

[Magpies1959]

It didn't take me long to realise it didn't come from a wet market, but engineered in a lab close by.

[ForeignLegion]

Funnily enough I agree with the headline.

The Snowy 2.0 hydro project, for all it's hilariously late and over budget, is also nowhere near enough. We need to be madly building more dams and we just aren't.

We are indeed most likely headed straight to a period of grid instability, where the power goes out during certain weather conditions. Total madness, totally unnecessary.

Our car industry is also dead and if they’re waiting for the electric market, they’ll be waiting a long time. The only industry over here is digging stuff out of the ground and exporting it to China, where they make things and we import them.

[Mapperleypie]

It didn't take me long to realise it didn't come from a wet market, but engineered in a lab close by.

Was it another WEF plot?

[queenslandpie]

Our car industry is also dead and if they’re waiting for the electric market, they’ll be waiting a long time. The only industry over here is digging stuff out of the ground and exporting it to China, where they make things and we import them.

Our car industry was retro funded by the Government for a long long time and eventually and rightly so after the USA manufacturers refused to fund it that funding was pulled. Any model for mass producing and distributing cars in Australia will lose a **** ton. Some things are simply better imported mate.

[Magpies1959]

Mapperley, I sincerely hope I am wrong about the WEF, but as things are going at the moment it is hard not fear the worse, depending of course how you wish to live your life. We are still just about allowed to have our own opinions, but is becoming increasingly difficult, unless you believe all the sh!t from the msm at the moment.

[macstop]

Mapperley, I sincerely hope I am wrong about the WEF, but as things are going at the moment it is hard not fear the worse, depending of course how you wish to live your life. We are still just about allowed to have our own opinions, but is becoming increasingly difficult, unless you believe all the sh!t from the msm at the moment.

Even this left website says vote for Starmer and you vote for the WEF

https://labourheartlands.com/the-world-economic-forum-starmer-will-sell-out-the-uk-to-globalisations-mafiocracy/

[drillerpie]

So here's a conundrum for you all:

If the Reform party said they would pass one law which is to amend the electoral system (for the sake of argument to one you really like) then dissolve parliament and have another election under the new system, without passing any other legislation and putting technocrats in charge (so Farage's views on immigration / Europe would be irrelevant), would you vote for them?

[Mapperleypie]

Even this left website says vote for Starmer and you vote for the WEF


https://labourheartlands.com/the-wor...ns-mafiocracy/

The Corbynistas really don't like Starmer. As Labour have increased their lead in the polls they have become more and more extreme and desperate. I'm almost certain there is a wing of the party that would much rather be a protest vote with no chance of power at all.

[BigFatPie]

The Corbynistas really don't like Starmer. As Labour have increased their lead in the polls they have become more and more extreme and desperate. I'm almost certain there is a wing of the party that would much rather be a protest vote with no chance of power at all.

The Corbyn lads would prefer the Tories to win the next election. As nutty as the people who believe man made climate change isn’t real, the earth is flat, and covid was sent down from space by laser toting robot monkeys.

[ForeignLegion]

Our car industry was retro funded by the Government for a long long time and eventually and rightly so after the USA manufacturers refused to fund it that funding was pulled. Any model for mass producing and distributing cars in Australia will lose a **** ton. Some things are simply better imported mate.

I was told by the airport manager when I joined Qantas in the early 90's that, "the days of you blokes earning this much money are coming to an end." He was alluding to labour costs here, compared to the Asian/South East Asian airlines labour costs.

The work ethic over here in many of my experiences is questionable to say the least and the unions, at Qantas, contributed greatly to the whole shebang airside being outsourced. I'm sure this is true across the board; I've been on many mine sites and its not much different there.

[BanjoPie]

I was told by the airport manager when I joined Qantas in the early 90's that, "the days of you blokes earning this much money are coming to an end." He was alluding to labour costs here, compared to the Asian/South East Asian airlines labour costs.

The work ethic over here in many of my experiences is questionable to say the least and the unions, at Qantas, contributed greatly to the whole shebang airside being outsourced. I'm sure this is true across the board; I've been on many mine sites and its not much different there.

So is that also the fault of the Tory party?

[the_anticlough]

The Corbyn lads would prefer the Tories to win the next election. As nutty as the people who believe man made climate change isn’t real, the earth is flat, and covid was sent down from space by laser toting robot monkeys.

To BFP and Mapperley Pie, I personally don't know any 'Corbynistas' or 'Corbyn Lads', whatever they are. Apart from 'Boris' or Trump supporters, I don't know anyone dumb enough to tie their beliefs to any one particular person.

But with labelling like that, of socialists I guess, keep a look out for openings at GB News, or have a think about not making divisive slurs like that, if that direction doesn't appeal.

[Newish Pie]

So here's a conundrum for you all:

If the Reform party said they would pass one law which is to amend the electoral system (for the sake of argument to one you really like) then dissolve parliament and have another election under the new system, without passing any other legislation and putting technocrats in charge (so Farage's views on immigration / Europe would be irrelevant), would you vote for them?

That's a good question. I changed my view on UKIP/Reform a bit after attending an academic talk that argued that (a) every modern European democracy has some form of populist/Trump-esque right wing party; and (b) and that the UKIP of the time (Reform may be different) was probably the most moderate version of that kind of party. Especially compared to the BNP (which very briefly competed electorally) and parties in the AfD in Germany. I don't like them, I've never liked them, but they represent a legitimate body of opinion, and I'd rather them than the likes of the BNP.

There's also no denying that the current electoral system has been deeply unfair to the Kippers and to the Greens. Their support in the country hasn't translated to parliamentary seats, and although part of me loves a good laugh at Farage failing to win a set yet again, the democratic part of my soul has to grudging admit that that's a problem. It's also handed massively unfair electoral advantage to the Tories (and very occasionally, Labour), but most of all to the SNP. No wonder people of all stripes are disillusioned with politics with this level of disconnect between votes and seats. It also keeps artificially broad coalitions like Labour and the Tories together, when they should really be separate parties.

So I'm absolutely on board with electoral reform. Which version is trickier.

I'd very much welcome Reform committing to electoral reform (rather than just trying to shrink the state, cut taxes for the rich, and try to stoke culture war nonsense), but I wouldn't vote for them even if they promised to pass electoral reform and then call an election. Partly because electoral reform shouldn't be done via a single party, and partly because it'll take time to pass and arrange. I don't think Reform have the people, experience, competence, grasp of reality, or integrity to be in government for any length of time. I wouldn't trust them not to take advantage and meddle under the guise of being a caretaker govt and decisions needing to be made. And I absolutely don't want them anywhere near power in case some urgent crisis emerges.

So it's a no from me. But they would be a powerful voice for electoral reform. and I'm surprised they've never been interested in it.

[Magpies1959]

GB News only became a 'thing', because the main stream news became so biased towards the left, in TV terms anyway.

It is amazing that people happy to take in the news from their side of the political fence, become very upset when a new news outlet tries to put the other side of the story.

Democracy is dying on it's feet, and free speech is going the same way.