Sick of Starmer relentlessly using the words"difficult " & "painful"

eggplant

Back to what women are wearing again? God it's desperate really.

Yes, that and Starmer as a Marxist. It could be funny but it really isn’t

"Starmer is very most definitely not a Churchill. He's more likely to spout from Karl Marx." He has given very much the same message as Churchill did, except that the fight is against a far more nebulous enemy that Herr Hitler.

Churchill didn't face universal acclaim either. He was most unpopular with the working class, who remembered his past history, Many of the restrictions and rules that were introduced during the war were resented, too, and after the war was over he was rejected in the election. It was only in retrospect that he became an honoured statesman.

Another good comment, thanks Elegran

Elegran I can’t see anything nebulous about Putin - in fact quite the opposite. He seems the only world leader with very firm goals and definite plans.

twiglet77

The state pension will go up next April due to the triple lock, not because the Labour Party have any concept of social conscience.

I too am only just over the threshold to qualify for Pension Credit. Aren’t I lucky to be old enough for a bus pass, and lucky to live alone so my council tax is only 75% of that paid by a couple (and it’s still a quarter of my income each month).

Genuinely lucky, though, in innumerable ways that no government can influence, and I never forget that.

Isn’t AR talking of axing the 25% for singletons?

ronib

No eggplant we moved on to World War 3….

😩

I bloody hope not

Elegran

^"Starmer is very most definitely not a Churchill. He's more likely to spout from Karl Marx."^ He has given very much the same message as Churchill did, except that the fight is against a far more nebulous enemy that Herr Hitler.

Churchill didn't face universal acclaim either. He was most unpopular with the working class, who remembered his past history, Many of the restrictions and rules that were introduced during the war were resented, too, and after the war was over he was rejected in the election. It was only in retrospect that he became an honoured statesman.

Talking of Karl Marx, I heard the other day that Jeremy Corbyn took Diane Abbot on a first date to see Karl Marx’s grave or some memorial or other- says it all really

Oreo

Dickens

Casdon

Mollygo

Do you think Starmer will go for PR, when a small majority of votes got him in?
Everybody talks about the evils of FPTP until they get elected, then it’s seen as OK.

The Labour Party doesn’t support PR, it wasn’t in the manifesto, and the motion at the conference failed - so no.

Correct.

And I believe the last time PR was a 'thing' was at the LP Conferences in '21 and '22.

In 2023 he had what he described as a "longstanding view against proportional representation".

Though during the 2020 Labour leadership election he did say, "On electoral reform, we’ve got to address the fact that millions of people vote in safe seats and they feel their voice doesn’t count. That’s got to be addressed. We will never get full participation in our electoral system until we do that at every level."

... I suppose all politicians revise their ideology, when and as necessary...

They do indeed, depressing at times I find.Anything that gets them into power is good as far as they’re concerned, that goes for all political parties.

The problem is, we are a nation of haves and have nots, and any leader of any party has got to really attempt to appease both - which of course is impossible.

Tory, Labour, Lib Dems - all would be faced with the same issues.

For me, the issue is that Starmer is following the good old Tory line of discussing the economy as if it were run like a household budget which, as you know, it isn't.

I'll just leave this here for consideration...

The arbitrary nature of the fiscal rules is reflected in the fact that, since 1997, they have been significantly changed nine times. If chancellors find the targets too difficult to meet, they change them, making them little more than a tactic in political messaging. There are, therefore, a host of choices involved in Starmer and Rachel Reeves’ decision to choose austerity based on a fictional ‘black hole’. There is a great deal of scepticism about the fiscal rules among economists, and not just left-heterodox ones: a former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and the Treasury’s commercial secretary under George Osborne, has since argued that the government should ​‘drop such petty and arbitrary fiscal rules that magically claim the deficit in five years’ time will be lower’. Austerity, in any case, does nothing to bring about a falling ratio of debt to GDP: the debt-to-GDP ratio was substantially higher at the end of Tory George Osborne’s period as Chancellor than at the start. The current fiscal rules have been proven to be self-defeating. (Dominic Alexander, Counterfire)

The £22bn ‘black hole’ is no way a hard fact.

MissAdventure

Melon, grown from the pips inside one I ate, and tomatoes, grown from the hard bit where the stalk comes out.

That's very interesting MissAdventure
I'd love to try that next year.
How do you do it please?

Iam64

eggplant

Back to what women are wearing again? God it's desperate really.

Yes, that and Starmer as a Marxist. It could be funny but it really isn’t

No he's not funny at all.

sharon103,

I don't use any particular technique, I just poke any seeds or pips into the earth and water gently.

I regrow lettuces, onions, and things like that by standing the cut off bit in water until it roots, then potting on.

It's been the worst year, though, with the wind, rain, and the two little darlings opposite and it's all a mess, really.

I have no idea where those melon plants can go when winter arrives, for example, or the tomatoes.

MissA I have a lemon tree grown from an organic lemon pip. Still waiting for some lemons to grow …. Best not comment further re politics….
I like your approach.

Mt61

Elegran

"Starmer is very most definitely not a Churchill. He's more likely to spout from Karl Marx." He has given very much the same message as Churchill did, except that the fight is against a far more nebulous enemy that Herr Hitler.

Churchill didn't face universal acclaim either. He was most unpopular with the working class, who remembered his past history, Many of the restrictions and rules that were introduced during the war were resented, too, and after the war was over he was rejected in the election. It was only in retrospect that he became an honoured statesman.

Talking of Karl Marx, I heard the other day that Jeremy Corbyn took Diane Abbot on a first date to see Karl Marx’s grave or some memorial or other- says it all really

I'm going to see Diane Abbott talking about her new autobiography this week.. really looking forward to it..

I much preferred Corbyn to Starmer and knew as soon as he said he wasn't going to have a wealth tax that he would be a disappointment..

Pascal30 I am not a DA fan however, I have just seen an interview with her regarding her book.

She was so animated and interesting, for the first time ever I warmed to her.

MissAdventure

*sharon103*,

I don't use any particular technique, I just poke any seeds or pips into the earth and water gently.

I regrow lettuces, onions, and things like that by standing the cut off bit in water until it roots, then potting on.

It's been the worst year, though, with the wind, rain, and the two little darlings opposite and it's all a mess, really.

I have no idea where those melon plants can go when winter arrives, for example, or the tomatoes.

I did grow lemon and orange trees from pips years ago, however, had to give them away when we moved house and I never knew if they ever fruited.

What I did was put some damp potting soil in a polythene bag together with fruit pips, seal it and put it in the airing cupboard. They sprout and then you can gently pot them on.

Should this thread be relocated to Gardening?
It seems to have gone astray, mae13, sorry.

Allira I think this thread is an indication of how life is becoming more painful and difficult…..and how we’re trying to help each other.

My Facebook page, on which used to pop up threads from people and groups that I follow, is full of anti Starmer stuff on a daily basis even though I always click on the ‘no more threads like this’ option and block them. There seems to be a concerted effort to criticise him in any way possible.

MayBee70

My Facebook page, on which used to pop up threads from people and groups that I follow, is full of anti Starmer stuff on a daily basis even though I always click on the ‘no more threads like this’ option and block them. There seems to be a concerted effort to criticise him in any way possible.

Of course he will get criticised he is the PM.

All previous governments and PM’s have been criticised as well all those in the future.

Are you suggesting KS should not be?

MissAdventure

*sharon103*,

I don't use any particular technique, I just poke any seeds or pips into the earth and water gently.

I regrow lettuces, onions, and things like that by standing the cut off bit in water until it roots, then potting on.

It's been the worst year, though, with the wind, rain, and the two little darlings opposite and it's all a mess, really.

I have no idea where those melon plants can go when winter arrives, for example, or the tomatoes.

I tried growing melons this year and have just one melon growing from three plants, two were destroyed by slugs. I thought the plants were annuals, same with tomatoes which we have always treated as annuals. Perhaps I am wrong?

It started in the newspapers before the election and has continued - blame for anything whether it's relevant or not.

The junior doctors have finally voted to accept the deal and Starmer saved us from a Summer and maybe even Winter of strikes which would have affected us all - looked at the newspapers this morning (I player always gives the front pages) and just one had a column on it.

Mind you, most of the papers this morning led on Huw Edwards

I'm curious why the conservative leadership election isn't featuring at all in papers - you'd think there would be more interest since they are to form an opposition.

ronib

Elegran I can’t see anything nebulous about Putin - in fact quite the opposite. He seems the only world leader with very firm goals and definite plans.

Putin isn't the only enemy we have at the moment. and outright war is not the only threat - there are the economy, the climate, the rising tide of displaced persons, and the use of the internet to spread disinformation about everything from food scares to the claiming that just about all hardwon human skills and inventions were gifts from generous aliens from space. That is before you even start thinking about specific human beings or ideologies.

But they haven't ruled out further strikes if their pay doesn't keep in line with inflation Wyllow and according to the Telegraph KS has said he had to scrap WFA to get the NHS on it's feet.

If getting the NHS on it's feet includes the junior doctors pay rise then pensioners whether they can afford too or not, are paying for it, and at what cost to the NHS if it's a choice for some between heating and eating resulting in them needing medical attention.

Smileless2012 I really don’t believe the Telegraph - as we all know there won’t be any savings as many more people will need to apply for pension credit. More money is needed for pensioners therefore and there’s no saving at all. There will be a cost!!