Election Year or Fear!

[SithHappens]

Fact.

Reform voted against legislation to help protect women and girls.

Reform voted against legislation to improve the lot of workers.

Farage has said he'll stop people working from home if he gets in.

Opinion.
They're a nasty bunch who are in it for themselves and those backing them financially so, basically, they are like 99% (approx) of politicians. Having found out that my right to vote in UK elections was restored a few years back, I have decided not to use it as there isn't a party that I feel I can support. The Blue Tories were always a no no. The Red Ones were my choice when they genuinely represented the working class and the poor but they no longer do that. The Turquoise Tories seem to represent even more of things I dislike then the Blue variety. LibDems I don't take seriously. Greens appear to be as seasonal as nature and change as often. Restore seems as unlikeable as Turquoise. No Monster Raving Lunatic candidate in my neck of the woods so I'll refrain.

What would it take do you think for people to take the LibDems more seriously?

For me its Ed Davey, I don't think his theatrics go down well and he doesn't strike me as someone who will be a strong leader.

He always speaks well when required and was very confident last week in PMQ causing starmer to react very unprofessionally.

Hes a funny man too. But then so is Boris.

It surprises me a little they aren't performing better in Polls at a time people are looking for a home for their vote.

Would a Paddy pantsdown character have them being considered a more serious proposition?

I am a bit like you as not really sure where my vote should go, ill probably vote tactically if Polls suggest a close run affair between Reform and an other.

[swaledale]

Just an anecdote Swale, we can all find/invent anecdotes that fit our narrative

Indeed, though I feel your missing the point somewhat, which is that there is clearly much spinning of a negative narrative by Farage and others, not just on London, but more generally with "Britain is broken" and similar negative propositions, largely based on a one sided,slectively chosen anecdotes, or actual incidents without context.

Plus I can draw on the lived experienceof family and friends who have lived and worked in London for decades and my own experience of working and visting London and I worked for 3 years in social housing so not in the most salubrious parts! All in all their experiences are positive, it isn't the hell hole of crime thats been portrayed.

I do remember my daughter telling me about a friend of hers from Derbyshire who visited her in London, who acted as if she was likely to be robbed or assaulted or worse whenever they were out and about, fears based purely on her lack of knowledge and expereince of being in London and an awareness of its "reputation".

My point was that there are examples (I gave one outside my own network) of positive experiences of life in London which run contrary to the narrative pushed by others.

[ramAnag]

Fact.

Reform voted against legislation to help protect women and girls.

Reform voted against legislation to improve the lot of workers.

Farage has said he'll stop people working from home if he gets in.

Opinion.
They're a nasty bunch who are in it for themselves and those backing them financially so, basically, they are like 99% (approx) of politicians. Having found out that my right to vote in UK elections was restored a few years back, I have decided not to use it as there isn't a party that I feel I can support. The Blue Tories were always a no no. The Red Ones were my choice when they genuinely represented the working class and the poor but they no longer do that. The Turquoise Tories seem to represent even more of things I dislike then the Blue variety. LibDems I don't take seriously. Greens appear to be as seasonal as nature and change as often. Restore seems as unlikeable as Turquoise. No Monster Raving Lunatic candidate in my neck of the woods so I'll refrain.

Totally agree with a lot of that, RP, but I think the 99% figure may be harsh.

Politicians do get a bad press, and understandably so in many cases, but there are very some decent, largely lower profile, ones.
I think I’ve known about four or five in my lifetime, either professionally or as a constituent. Charles Clarke, Philip Whitehead, Margaret Beckett, (all Lab), Matthew Parris (Tory) and John Whitby (Lab) and they all seem to have been decent and astute people, imo.

Unfortunately they all tend to get tarnished via the same brush as the more infamous and ruthless.

[ramAnag]

Actually this is the reason Polanski changed his surname.

His surname ?– Polanski ?– goes back to his family?’s roots. In the early 20th century, his family, who were Jews, escaped from Latvian pogroms via Ukraine and Poland. On arriving in Britain, they anglicised ?“Polanski?”, becoming Paulden, because of the anti-Semitism they faced. Polanski told me he?’d originally believed his family had changed their name because of anti-Semitism in Latvia, not the UK.

Thats quite a common reason for a name change, especially so in the US where many immigrants/refugees angliscised thier names to "fit in".

How does that in any way equates to Yaxley-Lennon, who has had 5 different alias's, for reasons which are clearly dubious?

I wasn’t suggesting it did. Just acknowledging AF’s point about the name change. I’m told that the Zack change stemmed from a fondness for a character of the same name from Michelle Magorian’s excellent book ‘Goodnight Mr. Tom”.

[Andy_Faber]

I wasn’t suggesting it did.

Nor was I, just reminding one and all that my assertion that it’s childish was broadly agreed with some time ago. Very echo-chamber / circle jerk-ish. Just IMO

[Andy_Faber]

Indeed, though I feel your missing the point somewhat, which is that there is clearly much spinning of a negative narrative by Farage and others, not just on London, but more generally with "Britain is broken" and similar negative propositions, largely based on a one sided,slectively chosen anecdotes, or actual incidents without context.

Plus I can draw on the lived experienceof family and friends who have lived and worked in London for decades and my own experience of working and visting London and I worked for 3 years in social housing so not in the most salubrious parts! All in all their experiences are positive, it isn't the hell hole of crime thats been portrayed.

I do remember my daughter telling me about a friend of hers from Derbyshire who visited her in London, who acted as if she was likely to be robbed or assaulted or worse whenever they were out and about, fears based purely on her lack of knowledge and expereince of being in London and an awareness of its "reputation".

My point was that there are examples (I gave one outside my own network) of positive experiences of life in London which run contrary to the narrative pushed by others.

You’ll be amazed to hear that my anecdote on this from my daughter, a two year resident into London, who says she feels safer in her part of London than she did in Derby/Nottingham. That’s her part though, She does also say though that there are ‘less safe’ areas, and it’s reflected most clearly in her eyes in rental prices. She has also seen (despite seeking it) very little integration between communities, of course that doesn’t mean that any one community is ‘worse’ than any other, just that they don’t see the need to mix (socially)

[Ram Pant]

Totally agree with a lot of that, RP, but I think the 99% figure may be harsh.

Politicians do get a bad press, and understandably so in many cases, but there are very some decent, largely lower profile, ones.
I think I’ve known about four or five in my lifetime, either professionally or as a constituent. Charles Clarke, Philip Whitehead, Margaret Beckett, (all Lab), Matthew Parris (Tory) and John Whitby (Lab) and they all seem to have been decent and astute people, imo.

Unfortunately they all tend to get tarnished via the same brush as the more infamous and ruthless.

Burton MPs I have known. 70-74 John Jennings. 74-83 Ivan Lawrence. Personally both likeable chaps (both Blue Tory) in conversation. Both very much toeing the party line in votes despite agreeing that you "had a point" when soeaking to them. The current one, I've never met. Red Tory. He voted against having an inquiry into the grooming gangs. I'm going to put a bet on that he isn't the MP for Burton after the next election.

[Ram Pant]

TAFKAP, The Andrew Formerly Known as Prince has been arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential trade documents to Epstein. I wonder how many rich, famous or political are now quaking a little more than they were yesterday. Why aren't people, especially but not limited to, in America baying for full and unredacted publishing to the relevant authorities (if the contents are as bad as they are said to be, it's not for the general public) to take the relevant action?

The identity of one woman who sent the "the littlest girl was a little naughty" email is in the public domain. She testified a while back as part of a plea deal. One that has seen, as far as I can see, no arrests. DoJ has said that prosecuting everybody involved "would take the entire system down". IMO, if they have to take the entire system dwn to get the abused victims justice then that is exactly what they should do as I find it more important that nobody else ever gets "done" by these depraved tossers (for want of a better word).

[swaledale]

You’ll be amazed to hear that my anecdote on this from my daughter, a two year resident into London, who says she feels safer in her part of London than she did in Derby/Nottingham. That’s her part though, She does also say though that there are ‘less safe’ areas, and it’s reflected most clearly in her eyes in rental prices. She has also seen (despite seeking it) very little integration between communities, of course that doesn’t mean that any one community is ‘worse’ than any other, just that they don’t see the need to mix (socially)

Why would I be amazed? I tend to assume that though you are right leaning, that your capable of rational thought!

Indeed I wouldn't dispute that there are, I'd put it as less salubrious parts of London, when I worked there it was largely in the east around Tower Hamlets and also south around Brixton and Croydon. There were some estates where one didn't go "single manned", but the threat such as it was didn't come from one particular ethnic group, indeed there were many East End and South London residents I was particulary careful with.

Yes rental prices reflect the apparent attractiveness of an area, thats true all over the country, though lower rents does not necessarily equate to less "safe" as such.

The mixing of communities is a complex issue, in my time I lived and worked, as does my daughter, with a variety of nationalities and I've been welcomed into the homes of a wide range of people with very different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to mine. My observation would be that there seems to be a common trait among some people to be in close knit communities, which don't exactly welcome outsiders.

The old saying that in some areas, particulary rural areas that your not considered a local until you have lived there for over 50 years can be very true. I was brought up on a council estate in a rural village and never could udnerstand that attitude, but there we are.

[swaledale]

TAFKAP, The Andrew Formerly Known as Prince has been arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential trade documents to Epstein. I wonder how many rich, famous or political are now quaking a little more than they were yesterday. Why aren't people, especially but not limited to, in America baying for full and unredacted publishing to the relevant authorities (if the contents are as bad as they are said to be, it's not for the general public) to take the relevant action?

The identity of one woman who sent the "the littlest girl was a little naughty" email is in the public domain. She testified a while back as part of a plea deal. One that has seen, as far as I can see, no arrests. DoJ has said that prosecuting everybody involved "would take the entire system down". IMO, if they have to take the entire system dwn to get the abused victims justice then that is exactly what they should do as I find it more important that nobody else ever gets "done" by these depraved tossers (for want of a better word).

Ah but then the real "elite" who have the power and influence would be exposed and made to answer for their actions!