Well, that's hysterical. I wonder if Unite will ask for their ยฃ10K back?
TBH, I'm in a bit of a quandary about this. On the one hand, I admire her resolute stand. On the other hand, isn't she stabbing her comrades in the back?
I don't like the woman anyway, so for me, she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.
theguardian.com/politics/2025/โฆ
Rayner โwill not be pushed aroundโ by Unite after union votes to suspend her
Deputy PM targeted for role in Birmingham bin strikes but sources say she resigned her membership months agoRowena Mason (The Guardian)
So resident doctors are paid ยฃ38,800 a year, and they want a 29% pay rise, which is an additional ยฃ11,252 a year, taking them to ยฃ50,052. There are around 71,000 resident doctors currently in the UK, which means #Labour will need to find ยฃ798.892,000 to pay for it. So the question is: What drugs are you willing to give up to pay for it? What welfare payments? What other public money can they claw back to pay for this?
I await some wanker to post "TAX THE RICH!" apparently the rich are only 1% of the population so I love how dumbarses think the rich can pay for everything, just like they expect the state to pay for everything.
theguardian.com/society/2025/jโฆ
Resident doctorsโ 29% pay claim is non-negotiable, BMA chair says
Exclusive: Tom Dolphin says rise needed to redress real-terms earnings loss since 2008 and strikes could last yearsDenis Campbell (The Guardian)
You do realise this only works for those picked up by the UK coastguard, don't you? All those who manage to wade ashore and disappear into their communities won't be sent back unless caught by immigration. This isn't even a plaster on the problem, it's more like a stitch!
#StopAtSource
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx24d7โฆ
UK-France migrant deal 'robust' against legal challenges, Yvette Cooper says
The home secretary says the government will resist any attempts to block the deal agreed with France this week.Anna Lamche (BBC News)
theguardian.com/technology/202โฆ
Elon Muskโs โAmericaโ party could focus on a few pivotal congressional seats
Billionaire says his new political party could try to turn attainable House and Senate seats to decide major issuesRamon Antonio Vargas (The Guardian)
Wow, just wow. If you voted #Labour you saddled us with these useless amateurs for another four years unless something happens. Do you think this is a good look for our country? The pound is down, interest rates on borrowing are up, and the markets are nervous because our chancellor started blarting in public!
That coward Starmer has bent over and U-turned on pretty much every announcement since becoming Prime Minister, what a pathetic, useless government we have.
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c307zvโฆ
Newspaper headlines: 'Pound falls after Reeves tears' and 'Brave face' Kate
Chancellor Rachel Reeves crying and the cancer recovery of the Princess of Wales top Thursday's papers.BBC News
#Bobiverse
I'm confused. All these people convicted for posts they made on Social Media, mostly under the Communications Act 2003 and yet Bob Vylan won't be charged even though his comments were transmitted, and some group called Kneecap will not be charged over encouraging fans to kill their MP!
theguardian.com/music/2025/junโฆ
belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertaโฆ
BBC response to Bob Vylanโs IDF chants at Glastonbury โnot good enoughโ, says minister
Jacqui Smith says live broadcast should have been pulled, but rapper stands by performance calling for โchange in foreign policyโKevin Rawlinson (The Guardian)
dick_turpin reshared this.
This makes me puke, it really does. If this were the #Conservatives, the internet would be aflame with derision and calls for the PM to go, yet this backsliding wimp still hangs on. But here's the more important question. If Labour is not going to cut the Winter fuel allowance, and is not going to recoup any money from the enormous benefits bill. Where is the money coming from to pay for all these manifesto promises?
P.S. How many houses have been built? I suspect that's another objective that this smoke-and-mirrors #Labour government hasn't achieved.
#Politics
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx240nโฆ
A hat-trick of U turns โ and this is the most awkward of the lot
The BBC's political editor Chris Mason gives his analysis of what the climbdown over the welfare bill means for the prime minister.Chris Mason (BBC News)
dick_turpin reshared this.
news.sky.com/story/government-โฆ
Government makes concessions to Labour rebels over welfare reforms
Sir Keir Starmer has made an offer to rebel MPs in a bid to pass his reforms to the welfare and benefits.Sky News
So, not only is the Argon Eon no longer seeing the drives, it now says Network N/A, and I can't see it on the network.
The network should still work, the #raspberrypi boots, and the OLED works.
This is pretty annoying, as it was ยฃ140
dick_turpin reshared this.
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyqzeโฆ
More than 1,000 migrants cross English Channel in a day
So far in 2025, more than 14,800 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel.Jacob Panons (BBC News)
dick_turpin reshared this.
bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5yqp4yp88โฆ
Liverpool parade updates: Water Street reopens as police still questioning suspect
A 53-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a car ploughed into crowds at the Liverpool FC victory parade.BBC News
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telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/โฆ
Councillors to be stripped of powers to decide on planning applications
Unelected officers will be responsible for deciding on developments of up to nine homes under Angela Raynerโs plansTony Diver (The Telegraph)
dick_turpin reshared this.
So basically, the UK is paying France for French police to stand on the beach and watch their problem leave French shores for the UK. You brokered a cracking deal there, #Labour. What's your response, @Keir_Starmer? I know, the easy, lazy option of cracking down on LEGAL immigration, taking everyone's attention away from the illegal.
Fighting the gangs my arse. You need to stop the boats!
telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/1โฆ
French police stand by as Channel migrants leave Normandy beach for Britain
Around a dozen officers, some of whom had riot shields and batons, seen at the waterโs edge at Gravelines, NormandyWill Bolton (The Telegraph)
theguardian.com/politics/live/โฆ
Cooper defends Starmerโs โisland of strangersโ line but says she does not know if he was aware of Enoch Powell echo โ UK politics live
Home secretary says PMโs words on immigration were โcompletely differentโ when asked about comparisons with notorious Rivers of Blood speechAndrew Sparrow (The Guardian)
And this is called: "Government Misdirection" It's not legal immigration that's the problem, although it probably needs an overhaul. It's the illegal immigration that they need to address. By doing this, #Labour hopes to shut everyone up complaining about "All these bleedin' foreigners"
In my book, anyone who wants to come to the UK and pay tax is more than welcome. It's all the fighting-age men landing on the Kent coast who are not.
theguardian.com/politics/live/โฆ
Keir Starmer promises net migration will fall โsignificantlyโ by end of this parliament โ UK politics live
PM says policies will โtake back controlโ of migration as promised, but not delivered, by Tory BrexitersAndrew Sparrow (The Guardian)
reshared this
So let me get this right. He sticks two fingers up at the UK, calls us all racist, even though there's a video of him in his younger days being racist, and didn't he attend a party wearing a swastika? He flounces off to America, telling Oprah that he couldn't get any help with his mental welfare while conveniently forgetting he was the head of a mental health charity. He takes the UK government to court to get them to pay for his security if and when he decides to visit us, and when that doesn't work, he tells everyone he wants to be friends with his dad after slagging King Charles off to anyone who will listen.
Have I missed anything?
theguardian.com/commentisfree/โฆ
Donโt you get it, Harry? Youโre not a victim. Youโre a rich man who can pay for his own sodding security
One of the princeโs well-heeled friends should give our foremost podcaster a lesson on when to keep schtum, says Guardian columnist Marina HydeMarina Hyde (The Guardian)
politico.eu/article/nigel-faraโฆ
Nigel Farageโs Reform snatches Labour safe seat after knife-edge vote
โWe are now the opposition party in the U.K. to Labour, and the Tories are a waste of space,โ Farage told reporters in Runcorn.Matt Honeycombe-Foster (POLITICO)
dick_turpin reshared this.
๐ง "Erm, you do know Labour had a huge majority, don't you? Reform just pissed it away with their six votes." ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
So I had our dog's anal glands expressed last night. The procedure literally takes two, maybe three minutes, and if you don't watch them, they try to use Hibiscrub as a lubricant! I wonder how they'd feel with soap up their backside?
ยฃ27.00 Pets at Home charges, and that's not even a vet; it's a nurse! Twenty-seven pounds to stick a finger in and waggle it about a bit. I phoned our local White Cross Vets; they want an eye-watering ยฃ47.00
It's no wonder dogs and cats are dumped everywhere. Nobody can afford them, what with the price of food, groomers and extortionate vet bills for the most simple of procedures.
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bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm244zโฆ
Met Police to cut 1,700 officers and staff amid shock funding fears
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan confirms Royal Parks unit will be disbanded - despite fierce opposition from councils and victimsAnthony France (Evening Standard)
Be very careful what the #BBCNEWS shows you with these PIP claimants being interviewed and saying how they don't know how they'll manage. ๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฌ has been assessed yet! So nobody knows who will lose what.
#MediaManipulation
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg5drvโฆ
Newspaper headlines: 'Balancing the books on backs of poor' and 'tax rise fears'
Reaction to the chancellor announcing billions in cuts and gloomy economic forecasts dominate the front pages.BBC News
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyd9eโฆ
Trump's national security team's chat app leak stuns Washington
The Signal messages show the inner workings of the president's team and how his Vice-President JD Vance disagreed with him.Anthony Zurcher (BBC News)
Dear Sir Kier Starmer
Please stop doing things that makes me want to vote for you at the next General Election!
NHS Shakeup
Welfare & Benefits Shakeup
Potholes
#Labour #Politics
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0eg39โฆ
Publish pothole progress or lose cash, PM Starmer tells England councils
Councils in England will be asked to publish reports on their repairs or miss out on funding, but critics say long-term thinking is needed.Mitchell Labiak & Michael Race (BBC News)
theguardian.com/education/2025โฆ
Scottish voters split over free tuition as university financial crisis deepens
Poll finds up to 48% of voters believe Scottish students who can afford it should pay, with 29% opposedSeverin Carrell (The Guardian)
#politics #Labour
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0jglwโฆ
Government borrowing higher than expected in February
The latest figures for the UK economy add pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of her Spring Statement next week.Tom Espiner (BBC News)
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyd2pโฆ
At-a-glance: Key changes to benefits in welfare shake-up
How Personal Independence Payments (Pip) and other health-related benefits could change under government plans.Brian Wheeler (BBC News)
Admittedly, these are Tory think tank suggestions, but it's got to happen. Getting rid of tiers of management isn't the ultimate answer.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/1โฆ
Three fee-paying models that could save the NHS
From fines for missed appointments to a French-style insurance system, hereโs how Wes Streeting could take his reforms furtherRosie Taylor (The Telegraph)
#politics
telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/1โฆ
Queen Nicola's ignominious career is finally over
The former First Minister of Scotland didnโt improve the lives of the people she claimed to representTom Harris (The Telegraph)
Politics Channel reshared this.
You can't make this stuff up!
#Labour has spent the last fourteen years telling you that the #NHS is underfunded and understaffed. Screaming that there are not enough doctors and nurses, what do they plan to do now that they are in power? Take a scalpel to the NHS. ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
theguardian.com/society/2025/mโฆ
NHS England to cut workforce by half as Streeting restructures
The health secretary will shrink NHS Englandโs workforce to save money and avoid โduplicationโDenis Campbell (The Guardian)
dick_turpin reshared this.
"๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ง๐ง ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ๐ด, ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ-๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ข๐บ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข๐ค๐ฌ ๐ค๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ญ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด."
#Politics #Labour
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly2l6โฆ
Keir Starmer vows to unleash 'shackled' civil servants
The PM writes to officials, telling them they "must be enabled to re-focus on your core purpose".Henry Zeffman (BBC News)
Remember children, you voted for em'.
#politics #Labour
news.sky.com/story/minister-paโฆ
Minister Pat McFadden says welfare cuts are 'coming soon'
Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has confirmed that cuts are on the way for the welfare bill. It comes as the chancellor is looking to save money for the public purse.Sky News
It is good! It shifts the norm from the socialist idea that people don't have to care about anything, to the capitalist idea that people need to take responsibility for their own lives.
If this norm can become dominant, entrepreneurs will flourish in a generation and the UK will become an innovation center!
- said the slave.
Jokes aside... that is complete nonsense. Governments and states exist for the needs of their inhabitants. If they fulfill no need, they should be abolished.
Therefore any services or initiatives is entirely upon the maffia gang called "the state" and no shadow rests on the individual.
Personally, I moved from sweden, due to the revolting and highly unethical society it is (when it comes to taxation).
Now I pay about 9%-14% tax total. I am much hapier and
≠ PHYSICAL REMOVAL WILL BE REQUIRED ≠ likes this.
wealthier! I believe more people should vote with their feet.
That would lead to less polarized societies, more homogeneous societies and happier individuals.
High tax societies would attract people who enjoy paying high taxes, and low tax societies would attract people who do not want government services, and who enjoy paying low taxes.
Everyone happy in the end and no conflict! =)
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ?
TBH, I could kick myself because I was already thinking yesterday morning, "I bet Trump stops sending weapons." If I had posted that thought on social media, I'd have beaten all the journalists to the scoop.
"๐๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ข ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ'๐ญ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ!"
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/202โฆ
Trump suspends all US military aid to Ukraine - latest updates
Donald Trump paused all military aid to Ukraine to pressure Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire with Russia.The Telegraph
"๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ข๐จ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐ช๐ต๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง......"
๐ค So, if it can defend itself, why does it need America's help?
Europe is fooling only the gullible if people think they stand a chance without US help. I wonder how brave Starmer would be if Trump announced a withdrawal from Europe.
British Army: Approximately 83,010 personnel
Royal Navy and Royal Marines: Approximately 32,610 personnel
Royal Air Force (RAF): Approximately 32,610 personnel
Just under 150,000 in total. Russia has just under 3 million personnel on active duty.
France has 290 Nukes, while the UK has 225, with a plan to reduce that to 180 by 2030
Russia has 5,580
france24.com/en/europe/2025030โฆ
Starmer says 'coalition of the willing' to present Ukraine peace plan to Trump
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that European leaders had agreed to draft a peace plan for Ukraine to present to the US.NEWS WIRES (FRANCE 24)
Ahaha
Given that Ukraine has only been independent of Russia for 34 years, I'm reasonably confident that most Russians feel it is still part of their country. I didn't say that Putin was right to invade what I am saying is if you poke a dog with a stick, you should expect to be bitten.
The EU is just as guilty as Zelenskyy IMO. They should have known the shitstorm they were causing. It's incredible how:
Albania: Applied in 2009
Montenegro: Applied in 2008
North Macedonia: Applied in 2004
Serbia: Applied in 2009
Turkey: Applied in 1987
And the EU has dragged its feet, and yet when Ukraine applied, it was almost fast-tracked.
I don't really care if people hate Putin, or think he's a dictator or evil incarnate. Folk need to take a moment and look at it from the Russian point of view. This is an expansion towards Moscow as far as they are concerned.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ #Labour ๐ ๐ฃ ๐ ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ!
Where did I put my surprised face?
news.sky.com/story/mike-amesbuโฆ
Mike Amesbury: MP jailed for punching constituent in street walks free after appealing prison sentence
The 55-year-old punched his constituent several times and was heard shouting: "You won't threaten your MP again will you, you f****** soft lad?"Alix Culbertson (Sky News)
This proves that leaders are indeed a bunch of feckless kids.
European politicians, including Friedrich Merz of Germany, said that Europe needs to work towards independence from America politico.eu/article/friedrich-โฆ and then next thing the UK's Kier Starmer says that Donald Trump, i.e. America needs to play a firm role in Europe. bbc.co.uk/news/live/c625ex282zโฆ
What a bunch of headless chickens! ๐ ๐ช๐บ ๐บ๐ฒ
Starmer says US needs security role in Ukraine to deter Putin as he prepares to meet Trump - follow live
Meanwhile the US president says Europe should provide the security guarantees after any ceasefire deal with Russia.BBC News
This is literally Brexit delivering on its promises
At least, it's Keir delivering on Brexiter's promises.
The problem with the UK, and I don't think it is 'Party' specific, is that we still think we have the standing and the strength to influence other countries like the Americans can, which means we are shocked when Europeans don't take any notice of what we say or do for that matter hence the reason we are bending over backwards for Ukraine in the vein hope someone in Europe says "Good old Briton, you can always rely on them." It's also amazing that we have been running our military into the ground for the last ninety years. Starmer's announcement has probably been the first increase in funding for decades.
Of course, nobody is saying: "Hang on a minute. I thought we had a ยฃ22 Billion black hole?
They're all a bunch of liars."
Thomas
in reply to dick_turpin • • •dick_turpin
in reply to Thomas • •It's irrelevant unless you believe that 1% has more money than the government.
This is where that argument falls down. It's not about "He has more money than me so he should give more!" It's about how many calls are there on the public purse. I want to live in a country with no or very little tax. The UK is the most heavily taxed country in the world. We pay tax on our earnings, tax every year to own a car, and are taxed every time we put fuel in the car. We're taxed if we buy a burger. We're taxed again and again on just about everything, even though we've already paid tax on what we earned. Pensioners are taxed if their income is above the personal allowance, which is currently ยฃ12,570, and if you've tried to build a little nest egg with savings or an ISA you'll be a target for the taxman. It's no wonder the so-called rich try to find legal ways to avoid tax. There'll be nothing left after all the people with their hands out have finished.
Adam Dalliance
in reply to dick_turpin • • •It doesn't actually cost anything like that though. This is the myth of thinking of government finance like a household or a business.
A third of that money comes immediately back to the exchequer as income tax those doctors pay. 20% of most of the rest comes back as VAT on whatever the doctors spend the money on. A third of what remains comes back in income tax on whoever receives the money the doctors spend.
Within half a dozen transactions pretty much all of the money is already back at the government in increased tax receipts.
We should surely tax the rich, but we don't need to do so in order to pay doctors.
Adam Dalliance
in reply to Adam Dalliance • • •This is also why austerity fails completely. Every pound the government "saves" in spending results in lower tax receipts from less money in the economy and a poorer citizenry. Saving money costs you money and spending money increases your tax receipts.
Government economics is not like a household or a business.
dick_turpin
in reply to Adam Dalliance • •I'll concede that they'll [potentially] get a third back through direct taxation, but the financial commitment will still increase above the current level. Your idea that they'll get the rest back via VAT, etc, is potentially wishful thinking. Not everyone drinks, drives or buys cakes.
Home economics does work; Thatcher proved that.
A cut in government spending doesn't decrease tax revenue unless a redundant public sector worker fails to secure another job. Then again, austerity doesn't have to mean job cuts; there are plenty of commitments that can be shelved that have no bearing on revenue income.
I don't think we need austerity at the moment; what we do need is to keep expenditure under control.
Adam Dalliance
in reply to dick_turpin • • •The money in the economy is created by government spending. If you reduce government spending you reduce the money supply which shrinks the economy and reduces tax receipts.
It is true that if the junior doctors horde their money in offshore bank accounts instead of spending it in the UK then it won't be taxed.
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