Election Year or Fear!

[SithHappens]

I think they’re wrong to back down. What is the point of having two elections within nine months? Reform UK now appear to be walking off with 100k of tax payers money, but I’d love Farage to explain how this won’t be a complete waste of money.

Yep should have stood their ground really.

[ramAnag]

Not disagreeing that many Jews appear to be outraged by what's going on, but they aren't the ones flying the flags and the original comment from rA was about flags, and in my view the Palestine flag is becoming the default flag of 'The Left'

I’ll just respond to that point then, as the rest is really aimed at Swale’s response.

I don’t agree that it’s the ‘default flag of the Left’. I don’t even agree that you have to be ‘left wing’ to recognise that the Israeli governments response to Gaza has been outrageous.

Last Sept/Oct, while in Spain, I was genuinely surprised at the number of Palestinian flags in evidence and they had not been put up by militant left wing adventurists, but by ordinary folk who were appalled at what they’d seen. Indeed one of the villages concerned is nicknamed and celebrated as the ‘Village of the Three Cultures’, those being Christian, Muslim and Jewish.

I’m sure a minority will fly the Palestinian flag for the reasons you suspect, but in general I’d compare it more to the outbreak of Ukrainian flag flying of two or three years ago…just ordinary, concerned people expressing their disgust at the behaviour of a more powerful bullying ‘neighbour’.

[Andy_Faber]

I’m sure a minority will fly the Palestinian flag for the reasons you suspect, but in general I’d compare it more to the outbreak of Ukrainian flag flying of two or three years ago…just ordinary, concerned people expressing their disgust at the behaviour of a more powerful bullying ‘neighbour’.

Sorry to bring the discussion full circle but I disagree with that even more. The Ukraine flag united folk, the Palestine flag causes division, its being used as a cover-all anti (small c) conservative marker IMO

[ramAnag]

Sorry to bring the discussion full circle but I disagree with that even more. The Ukraine flag united folk, the Palestine flag causes division, its being used as a cover-all anti (small c) conservative marker IMO

I fear that?s just an example of socially constructed cultural perception, Andy. It?s much ?easier? for ?us? - (middle class, relatively well off white folk) - to be anti Russian than anti Israeli and much easier for some to be pro-Ukraine than pro (largely Muslim) Palestine.

P.S. Just to be clear, I don?t go in for flag waving of any description and certainly don?t have a flag on my property.

[Andy_Faber]

I fear that?s just an example of socially constructed cultural perception, Andy. It?s much ?easier? for ?us? - (middle class, relatively well off white folk) - to be anti Russian than anti Israeli and much easier for some to be pro-Ukraine than pro (largely Muslim) Palestine.

P.S. Just to be clear, I don?t go in for flag waving of any description and certainly don?t have a flag on my property.

Nor I, apart from occasionally a black Ram on a white background. Mrs F does have a Flag of St Andrews that pops up occasionally, thankfully we weren’t home on Saturday!

[Ram Pant]

Two schools of thought on the council election thing. One that Starmer should have stuck to his guns and the other that he was right to allow the elections.

I said a while back that, financially, delaying the elections was the best idea as it prevents 2 sets of local elections in the same/simlilar area insode 9 to 15 months of each other. It now seems that egal advice is to have two sets of elections.

I saw a gloating post on a reform FB page yesterday on the elections. I posted that, legally this was the correct decision but that I sincerely hoped that, a year down the road they did not start complaining about the costs of the second set of elections. I got one response and that was "thank you and now clear off". Reform in a nutshell?

[ramAnag]

Two schools of thought on the council election thing. One that Starmer should have stuck to his guns and the other that he was right to allow the elections.

I said a while back that, financially, delaying the elections was the best idea as it prevents 2 sets of local elections in the same/simlilar area insode 9 to 15 months of each other. It now seems that egal advice is to have two sets of elections.

I saw a gloating post on a reform FB page yesterday on the elections. I posted that, legally this was the correct decision but that I sincerely hoped that, a year down the road they did not start complaining about the costs of the second set of elections. I got one response and that was "thank you and now clear off". Reform in a nutshell?

You were talking sense, RP. I suspect that, yet again, the Government failed to make its case very well, but you surely didn’t expect a sensible reply back from a Reform UK FB page. I’m only surprised it wasn’t more offensive.

[Ram Pant]

You were talking sense, RP. I suspect that, yet again, the Government failed to make its case very well, but you surely didn’t expect a sensible reply back from a Reform UK FB page. I’m only surprised it wasn’t more offensive.

The most surprising thing to me was that someone replied to the "clear off" reply saying "he's right though". Maybe folk should listen to me more often

[swaledale]

You were talking sense, RP. I suspect that, yet again, the Government failed to make its case very well, but you surely didn’t expect a sensible reply back from a Reform UK FB page. I’m only surprised it wasn’t more offensive.

My gripe is that yet again, this Government don't seem to have "dotted the I's and crossed the "T's" before deciding to do something. If the legal advice is correct, which one assumes it is, why the **** wasn't that established BEFORE making announcement about cancelling the elections? Starme ris ****ing lawyer after all! On the face of it, cancelling the elections is a sensible idea. Plus as they are in Government, Labour could have introduced a quick bill to pass legislation to do this in any case!

I'm afraid that despite many of the poisitive things this government has achieved, this another instance where Starmer and the Government look half arsed!

On the positive side, If Reform do win a few more council seats, they will have to contest them within 2 years and judging by the turmoil and distrust in Reform, not mention going back on their pre election claim not to raise council tax, they may well shaft themselves!

[ramAnag]

See Farage has named his new team. Can’t help being reminded of The Who in 1971 and with apologies to Pete Townsend, ‘Here’s the new team. Same as the old team’. You know the title. Let’s hope it comes true.