The Rail Strike, Labour & Starmer.

[WBA123]

Your comments on Starmer's stance (or lack of) get more unbelievable by the post. He can't make clear his position because if he does he will be criticised! What sort of leader leads in such a manner? You couldn't make it up. Unless of course you have such a warped view you can support anything as long as it is anti Tory.

You seem to suggest by 'us' you mean the unions. The day the likes of Mick Lynch et al represent 'us' will be a sad day indeed.

The B word you refer to I take to be the bollox you are posting that do neither you or your beliefs any credit whatsoever.

That's called sensible politics. Your hero and guru BJ is better at it than anyone - have you not noticed?

When an MP at PMQs asked Boris Johnson if he'd ever offered his now wife a £100k per year job in the foreign office, do you think he gave a 'clear position'? In fact does he ever give a straight answer to anything?

In any case, we are getting away from the real issue here - if Starmer had picked a side, would it have made any difference to these strikes? The answer is quite obviously no. But yet this is the angle that the RW press and you and your cohorts prefer to go down. So when it won't make a difference to the current situation, why is it such a big issue for you - unless it has been created to be a big issue for you by your favourite media outlets.

"Ah strikes on the railway, I blame that Keir Starmer chap for not giving his position on it. Not the Govt who have an 80 seat majority and have been in power for 12 years"

By the way, Brexit still going swimmingly well in your eyes then I see...is that patch of sand that your head is wedged into thinning at all?

[WBA123]

Very well said 923.

Last year 123 told us he was still in his 30’s and this actually tells us a lot.

I couldn’t possibly offer an opinion of 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and most of 60’s Britain because I either wasn’t here or I was too young to know.

So you have no opinion on Britain's response to Hitler during the 2nd World War then, as you weren't here. Gotcha

Its a little bit ageist. I actually agree with many of your points, that the Unions needed to be dealt with when Thatcher came in. But I think Omegstrat has nailed it by stating that her actions were callous and lacking empathy.

I'm not actually on either side between Unions and Govt, the Unions were too powerful in the 70s - but equally we have a lot of workers rights now introduced because of them.

The key to every dispute is about what is reasonable. The Govt have been unreasonable with many public sector pay and conditions since they have been in power since 2010, in my opinion.

Are the RMT are being unreasonable now? I'm still on the fence about it, because one of their arguments is that these cuts will make the railway more unsafe, they also have a lot of members who are not train drivers earning 60k per year. But I think the Govts response has been quite apathetic to these strikes, almost seeking to drive division.

[Albionic68]

......I'm not actually on either side between Unions and Govt.....I'm still on the fence about it.....

Good morning Kier, it's nice to have you aboard. I hope the reinforced underpants are of some use with the picket fence. Stay safe and pray they don't chafe 😊 .

[mickd1961]

So you have no opinion on Britain's response to Hitler during the 2nd World War then, as you weren't here. Gotcha

Its a little bit ageist. I actually agree with many of your points, that the Unions needed to be dealt with when Thatcher came in. But I think Omegstrat has nailed it by stating that her actions were callous and lacking empathy.

I'm not actually on either side between Unions and Govt, the Unions were too powerful in the 70s - but equally we have a lot of workers rights now introduced because of them.

The key to every dispute is about what is reasonable. The Govt have been unreasonable with many public sector pay and conditions since they have been in power since 2010, in my opinion.

Are the RMT are being unreasonable now? I'm still on the fence about it, because one of their arguments is that these cuts will make the railway more unsafe, they also have a lot of members who are not train drivers earning 60k per year. But I think the Govts response has been quite apathetic to these strikes, almost seeking to drive division.

You miss the point yet again.

There’s a massive difference between “having an opinion” and actually knowing the reality.

I didn’t have to live through the terror of a World War in the way my parents did.

My point regarding Labour is this........unless you’ve lived yourself through something you can’t get a proper feel for it.

Younger people especially, seem to have the feeling that everyone gets looked after under a Left Wing Socialist regime, I can assure you they don’t.

The deprivation during the 70’s was way beyond anything you see these days.

I came from a lower middle class background but I went to a school in a very poor area.

I doubt you see the number of dirty kids in shabby worn out clothes and with worn out shoes with holes in the soles that we had at our school.

Not only were people poor but there was also the problem of people really not seeming to give a s h I t, there was very little safety net for these families or child support services.

Like I said earlier, whatever your “opinion” of the Tory government, what we are seeing at the moment is not even a 2/10 compared to the 70’s.

When you’re living by candlelight from 4pm on a winters afternoon and queuing for two hours a day to get a loaf of bread (and that’s a maybe and not a definite) then we’ll start to compare this government with an Ultra Leftist regime like we had during the 70’s.

[Omegstrat6]

Certainly there are great differences between how people live now and the far poorer conditions of the past but the expectation levels of many of today's generation can sometimes be exasperating. As I posted previously, for my parents and grandparents generations-and millions like them-having no hot running water or even electric upstairs, no carpets, no central heating, no freezer, no automatic wash machine, an outside privvy, no money for holidays or new clothes and cardboard to cover holes in their shoes was the norm. Now people talk about being poor because they struggle to pay for their Sky TV package and mobile phone and can only afford one takeaway a week and one holiday a year. Doesn't make it right and I'm not denying people are worse off and struggling but some perspective would be nice!

[Omegstrat6]

Before I'm jumped on for the above, I am aware that there are still far too many in this country living in poor conditions and genuinely struggling who do work hard and prioritise their finances as best they can but my comments refer to the many others who aren't in such dire situations.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

That's called sensible politics. Your hero and guru BJ is better at it than anyone - have you not noticed?

When an MP at PMQs asked Boris Johnson if he'd ever offered his now wife a £100k per year job in the foreign office, do you think he gave a 'clear position'? In fact does he ever give a straight answer to anything?

In any case, we are getting away from the real issue here - if Starmer had picked a side, would it have made any difference to these strikes? The answer is quite obviously no. But yet this is the angle that the RW press and you and your cohorts prefer to go down. So when it won't make a difference to the current situation, why is it such a big issue for you - unless it has been created to be a big issue for you by your favourite media outlets.

"Ah strikes on the railway, I blame that Keir Starmer chap for not giving his position on it. Not the Govt who have an 80 seat majority and have been in power for 12 years"

By the way, Brexit still going swimmingly well in your eyes then I see...is that patch of sand that your head is wedged into thinning at all?

The more you post the more bizarre and wide of the mark they get.

Where have I posted BJ is a good choice let alone was my hero/guru? I'll say it once again . He is not my choice, he never was my choice, I want him gone. You don't know who I favour and you don't know what media I consume but hey let's not total utter lack of knowledge stop you posting garbage.

And where has anyone blamed Starmer for the RMT strike? It is obviously not his fault. The only poster bringing it into the same sentence is YOU.

I think there is a massive problem with modern day politics in that along with our nearest and dearest we are not voting for who we want but against who we don't want. In the past I have voted positively for all their faults for winners Thatcher, Blair,Cameron. Recently I've voted not for Johnson against Corbyn/Starmer. Last time I had a vote it was Independent.
In the US it's anti Trump (scarily nearly 50% voted for) not pro Biden
France anti Le Penn (scarily 40% voted for) not pro Macron
Aus anti Morrison not pro Albanese
In most of Europe the opposition is extreme RW parties that make the Tories look like ***** cats.

So who do I blame for the strike? The EU, predominantly but not exclusively led by Germany and France should take a share of the blame. Their reliance on Russian gas emboldened Putin to believe he could invade Ukraine and they would not react as their consumers was more important than Ukraine independence. He has so far called it wrong as the EU has by and large united but I wouldn't bet against it changing if there is a cold winter on the plains of Germany.

So Putin saw a green light on Ukraine from the EU. Fuel prices went through the roof. Inflation took off. UK workers demanded cost of living pay rises. RMT went on strike. Take a bow Merkel, Macron and a few other EU leaders.

[kettering_baggie]

So Starmer thinks that the Tories have run out of ideas! Well, we have yet to hear idea number one from Mr Starmer.

[mickd1961]

So Starmer thinks that the Tories have run out of ideas! Well, we have yet to hear idea number one from Mr Starmer.

I’ve been at a company where my Sales Director has been a bland, insipid nothing like Starmer.

Devoid of charisma and real ideas and completely uninspiring.

The result, me and the rest of the sales force used to get together behind our “leaders” back and do things our way!

Starmer is a man so uncomfortable, so “forced” and plastic that it’s toe curing watching him trying to lead.

I have to turn off after 20 seconds of him starting a supposed rant.

Nasal c u n t!

[boingy]

If Starmer ever gets to be Prime minister he will be speechless. Anything he says is picking fault, looking for trouble, having a stab having a pop. Can’t imagine him having a go at the Government if he is the Government.