Sir Kier Starmer addressing the nation at 7pm

Forsythia

They all ‘do fine’ until they get into government at which point doing fine goes out the window and the real self emerges.

True.
The first cry of any new government is always how they can’t keep their election promises because of the mess left by the previous government, although they know about the ‘mess’ when they make their election promises. I’ve saved this post so I’ll remember when I said it (again).
Forsythia, I might change my mind about the veracity of your statement if Starmer promises to bring in Proportional Representation in all elections main and by- elections under his government if Labour get in AND makes that his first task.

MayBee70

Grany

MayBee70

Calistemon

Is it only me who thinks it's ironic that our posh, Tory Prime Minister and his wife are plain Mr and Mrs Johnson but the Labour Leader of the Opposition and his wife are Sir Keir and Lady Starmer?

?

He only accepted the knighthood because it made his mum happy. And yet everyone thinks he’s posh because of it. His roots are probably more working class than most MP’s.

Keir makes a lot about his working class roots his father wears a tool maker but didn't mention his father owned the factory

His grandfather was a mechanic and Keir was the first in his family to go to university. No idea how big or small the Oxted Tool Company was but it doesn’t strike me of a huge concern. Feel free to correct me, though. And Keirs good education was achieved through brains, not money.

... and Mark Francois MP makes a noise about his working-class background, but no-one questions his membership of the elite ERG.

It seems that if you are from a working class environment it's OK to turn Right once you've 'improved' yourself, but not Left.

This whole notion of the 'champagne socialist' is ridiculous.

Agreed, 100%

Grany’s interpretation of Starmer’s father’s job is misleading. Rodney Starmer was a toolmaker, who eventually became a self-employed specialist engineer manufacturing custom tools to a high standard of precision. He was a self made man, who built up a small manufacturing company in which he continued to work himself on the shop floor.
No lying involved, on Starmer’s part at least.

This whole notion of the 'champagne socialist' is ridiculous.

Not only ridiculous but downright annoying when people (often those who use that phrase) accuse the Labour Party of not encouraging aspiration.

The first cry of any new government is always how they can’t keep their election promises because of the mess left by the previous government, although they know about the ‘mess’ when they make their election promises.

One of my Uni Politics lecturers emphasised that when a party gets into government it often finds that carrying out a simplistic manifesto promise is much more difficult than they'd bargained for...

Maw… better to be boring than a clown

Barmeyoldbat

Maw… better to be boring than a clown

I agree entirely on the importance of being earnest

As long as you don’t abandon him at a railway station in a handbag!?

Well, that put the cat amongst the pigeons didn't it
???

So amusing to see all the indignation about my post.

Kali2

Agreed, 100%

You know very well I've always agreed with you about Starmer, Kali2

Grany

What's with the flag?

Why not our flag. It lives in Downing St. Should Starmer not speak with it beside him. Even EU have their blue banner behind them when someone speaks.

Good enough for Biden too
external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOVP.49ZmkTM9Q1GhtmBnqitz9wEsCo%26pid%3DApi&f=1

He was speaking to everyone in the nation, as was Johnson the previous evening. The national flag underlined that.

Actually that's a good point. The vast majority of what Johnson said referred to England only, but he had the Union Flag on display.

I think a lot of us are trying to reclaim the Union flag from far right extremists. Let’s not speak about who’s speaking for which country please. We’re all in this together.

Labour sneered at the use of the Union flag when Brexit got done & Boris used it. Then they realised Labour was criticised for appearing to be ‘unpatriotic’ .... so remember Keir Starmer used one in ‘soft focus’ the first time with no sharp lines of the flag, just a softer palette of the colours. Since then they’ve up the ante. ‘If you can’t beat them join them’ comes to mind.

Keir Starmer used the word ‘patriotic’ 3 imes in his speech. He’s recognised it is popular after all.

MayBee70

I think a lot of us are trying to reclaim the Union flag from far right extremists. Let’s not speak about who’s speaking for which country please. We’re all in this together.

You can have it. Johnson was speaking only for England though, whether people find that unpalatable or not.

This is why we get antsy. Sorry.

Actually on thinking about it further I do recall some of the posters who voted Remain (on GN) called the use of the Union Flag in the background ‘jingoistic’. Times and opinions change it seems.

Alegrias1

Actually that's a good point. The vast majority of what Johnson said referred to England only, but he had the Union Flag on display.

Difficult for Boris.
He’s giving out about Omicron and the rules in England because Nicola Sturgeon had already spoken about her proposals for Scotland. As a devolved Parliament. But can you imagine the outcry if he had the flag of St George on the podium next to him?

I noticed tonight Nicola Sturgeon just had the Saltire next to her. No Union flag in sight. She doesn’t even pretend.

I thought Nicola Sturgeon released further guidelines today?

I don't think Nicola having the saltire is a good thing either. I don't think any of them need flags. We know where we live. And why would Nicola have the union flag on display?

Get rid of all the flags.

And yes, more restrictions announced today. I was with 3 friends from different households when the measures were announced. Just as well we did it today because is not advised from tomorrow

? Urmstongran. She was addressing Scotland. Why would she use the Union Jack?

Yes on tv. But yesterday she pre-emptied Boris by saying she & Drakeford wanted certain restrictions put in place and ‘hoped Boris Johnson’ would join them.

Sheldon and Amy can have all the fun with all the flags. It is how it should be

No, let’s not get rid of flags, I love ours. Maybe Boris should only use the English flag though when he’s talking about coronavirus regulations that only affect England.