Election Year or Fear!

[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!

[Andy_Faber]

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!

Very poorly judged, makes me wonder who is actually calling the shots in HMG, even if KS didn't know the law he should know that it needed to be referred to the law. I find it odd (although no doubt correct) that HMG, rather than Labour, have to pay Reform's legal costs)

Your point re Reform is right though, some/much of their popularityatpresent hasn't been tempered by them actually being in charge of much. If they win big in May then **** up, they're gonners

[swaledale]

Very poorly judged, makes me wonder who is actually calling the shots in HMG, even if KS didn't know the law he should know that it needed to be referred to the law. I find it odd (although no doubt correct) that HMG, rather than Labour, have to pay Reform's legal costs)

Your point re Reform is right though, some/much of their popularityatpresent hasn't been tempered by them actually being in charge of much. If they win big in May then **** up, they're gonners

The real issue, judging by Farage's reaction whenever difficult questions are asked is his achilles heel. he is very thin skinned and under the pressure and attention he will inevitably get, he is likely to say something that really makes him look like the nasty pompous **** he is. Plus even at the press conference introducing his "team", he still held court, even ansering questions that were asked of them, I can't see him working with a team, its all about him always has been. Oh well it will be entertaining I'm sure.

[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.

[SithHappens]

Not even opposition but name a shadow cabinet. I think we should have a ram inn version of the avengers, ill be iron man. Will serve as much purpose as reforms cabinet.

[Andy_Faber]

Tbf Andy, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is his name. He only adopted the Tommy Robinson alias because of his admiration for an infamous Luton Town hooligan of that name.

When we had this discussion earlier I offered a number of examples where forum members didn’t (or wouldn’t) adopt the same approach and as I recall you accepted that point. Remember Jesse Burns? Or Malc Little? Harry Webb? It’s just a silly habit to refer to people by a non-familiar name.