Sir Keir Starmer’s speech this morning (12/05/25)

Incidentally, I really don't understand how you can ignore the politics it's all about politics.

Do not mention that man’s name to me. I did watch his lies and obfuscation. Pass the sick bucket.

nanna8

Do not mention that man’s name to me. I did watch his lies and obfuscation. Pass the sick bucket.

Can you tell me which UK politicians you do like and why?

And can you tell me what he lied about in his speech please?

I actually liked Theresa May and I respect Angela Rayner though not so much ‘like’. I don’t mind Kemi Badenoch, either.
Starmer backtracks so much . One minute it is we should welcome all, the next it is an island of strangers. He is terrified of Nigel Farage’s mob gaining popularity so he has to resort to copying their ideas. Sorry, I really can’t stand the man . He blows with the wind. I don’t think I am alone in this but correct me if he has become overwhelming popular amongst your countrymen.

nanna8

I actually liked Theresa May and I respect Angela Rayner though not so much ‘like’. I don’t mind Kemi Badenoch, either.
Starmer backtracks so much . One minute it is we should welcome all, the next it is an island of strangers. He is terrified of Nigel Farage’s mob gaining popularity so he has to resort to copying their ideas. Sorry, I really can’t stand the man . He blows with the wind. I don’t think I am alone in this but correct me if he has become overwhelming popular amongst your countrymen.

Probably just as well you have no say in whether he or his party are elected.

No, I don't think Starmer is (or ever has been) "overwhelmingly popular". However, there isn't much competition. Badenoch is (IMO) dreadful and the sooner the Conservatives ditch her, the sooner they might begin to recover as a political force.

Mind you, Australia isn’t overwhelmed with good politicians either. Do you go on an Australian forum and moan about them as well?

Oh I thought diversity was our strength

Whitewavemark2

Mind you, Australia isn’t overwhelmed with good politicians either. Do you go on an Australian forum and moan about them as well?

No but I agree with you there! I don’t mind Albo but he has his faults. The opposition have even more. I think most good and decent people wouldn’t want to be a politician these days.

I’m surprised anyone wants to be a politician these days, given the vitriol with which everything they say or do is met.

I have a relative in Australia and asked him how much time is devoted to UK news in their news media. He said that there is very little beyond global affairs, so if he wants to find out more he has to rely on the likes of YouTube or X, which he knows are unreliable at best, and dominated by GB News and idiots such as Shaun Atwood. It can’t be easy to decide who to like from such a distance.

As regards Starmer changing his mind, would those criticising that prefer to have a stubborn leader who refused to recognise when circumstances have changed and adapt accordingly? That is not lying. Lying is saying something happened that didn’t, or that something didn’t happen when it did. Reading the political/economic/global situation and reacting accordingly to benefit the country and its people is, IMO a more mature and considered way to behave than sticking to one’s guns regardless of the consequences.

I’m surprised anyone wants to be a politician these days, given the vitriol with which everything they say or do is met.

Seems to me to be more and more people who love to control others. No matter what gets throw at them.

Whitewavemark2

Mind you, Australia isn’t overwhelmed with good politicians either. Do you go on an Australian forum and moan about them as well?

The USA isn't overwhelmed with good politicians either. Do you go on an American forum and moan about them as well?

fancythat

^I’m surprised anyone wants to be a politician these days, given the vitriol with which everything they say or do is met.^

Seems to me to be more and more people who love to control others. No matter what gets throw at them.

Do you think people go into politics from a desire to control?

Outside of extremists/dictators, I've always assumed that they wanted to help. Not always in the way I would prefer, or even see as helpful, but that they are doing things in a way that, in their opinion, is the right way. Maybe I'm naive, though.

nanna8

Galaxy is right. Never mind the politics, people don’t like being patronised by rich politicians and told what (they ought) to think. Subtly or otherwise.

I agree.
Either by them or their supporters. It’s the voters with the power not the politicians.
Not listening to concerns will be the end of this government.

Doodledog

fancythat

I’m surprised anyone wants to be a politician these days, given the vitriol with which everything they say or do is met.

Seems to me to be more and more people who love to control others. No matter what gets throw at them.

Do you think people go into politics from a desire to control?

Outside of extremists/dictators, I've always assumed that they wanted to help. Not always in the way I would prefer, or even see as helpful, but that they are doing things in a way that, in their opinion, is the right way. Maybe I'm naive, though.

I think the days of me thinking politicians go into politics in order to help people, are long gone.
Though there must still be a few I suppose.

There are career politians.
Liked politics at school, type thing.

I think, from what little I know, the types of people who do it, are primarily interested in the subject. As a subject.
And are somewhat bossy types.

To be fair, my sample size may be too small.

I think there are many MP's across the different parties who do go into politics to try and make a difference.

We rarely get to hear of them because sadly our politics often only reach the press on the basis of what's high drama not the everyday grind of constituents, committees in parliament fighting for money projects in their communities.

I've heard on Gransnet people praise or people criticising their MP as good or useless based on local knowledge over long period of time and it's clear there are both sorts of politicians and many in between.

FWIW, locally we have 4 Labour MP's who are of the working hard variety but I'm perfectly willing to concede there are LP MP's who dont, or there are Conservative MP's who do.

How does it help our shrinking number of voter turnouts if we just continue to pick out the ones we don't rate or produce some shock horror headline in the red tops, and do not recognise the hard work done by others

nanna8

I actually liked Theresa May and I respect Angela Rayner though not so much ‘like’. I don’t mind Kemi Badenoch, either.
Starmer backtracks so much . One minute it is we should welcome all, the next it is an island of strangers. He is terrified of Nigel Farage’s mob gaining popularity so he has to resort to copying their ideas. Sorry, I really can’t stand the man . He blows with the wind. I don’t think I am alone in this but correct me if he has become overwhelming popular amongst your countrymen.

IMO, your press are perhaps focusing only on the negative with KS.

I don’t agree with you at all.

If anyone makes me 🤮 it’s Farage, Trump, Putin, Netanyahu and Boris Johnson.

KS just needs time and some support!

Wyllow3

I think there are many MP's across the different parties who do go into politics to try and make a difference.

We rarely get to hear of them because sadly our politics often only reach the press on the basis of what's high drama not the everyday grind of constituents, committees in parliament fighting for money projects in their communities.

I've heard on Gransnet people praise or people criticising their MP as good or useless based on local knowledge over long period of time and it's clear there are both sorts of politicians and many in between.

FWIW, locally we have 4 Labour MP's who are of the working hard variety but I'm perfectly willing to concede there are LP MP's who dont, or there are Conservative MP's who do.

*How does it help our shrinking number of voter turnouts if we just continue to pick out the ones we don't rate or produce some shock horror headline in the red tops, and do not recognise the hard work done by others*

It does not help anyone, to simply bash, bash, bash and then when challenged don’t come back with any evidence.

I constantly see KS accused of lying and backtracking, I’m not aware of this happening constantly, that applies to Trump.

I too know of very hard working local MPs across all parties, (though I have to be honest, I’ve not seen much evidence of Reform MPs doing much positive constituency work!)

I can't vote for somebody who doesn't know what a women is..Keir Starmer didn't know until the Supreme Court made it's decision...he'll have to backtrack now!!

I had a lot of time for my last but one Labour MP, she worked hard, was decent and I watched her run rings round the sexist young lefties at the CLP, her skill always made me smile. Her knowledge of her particular brief was always impressive, she had previously had a long career in that field.
I think 'knowing' MPs at local level is very different to viewing them from afar at a national level.

I agree Galaxy. My previous Labour MP lived locally, children at local school and often seen on demos to support our library or out in the constituency.

The tories won by 400 votes when Corbyn leader. New MP continued to live 200 miles away - rarely sighted

New MP Labour. Lives across the road from me. Is very active in HoC and locally. Child in local nursery etc. `often seem around here and her dad came to leaflet for her. He was chatting to everyone - human side well on view

Iam64

I agree Galaxy. My previous Labour MP lived locally, children at local school and often seen on demos to support our library or out in the constituency.

The tories won by 400 votes when Corbyn leader. New MP continued to live 200 miles away - rarely sighted

New MP Labour. Lives across the road from me. Is very active in HoC and locally. Child in local nursery etc. `often seem around here and her dad came to leaflet for her. He was chatting to everyone - human side well on view

That’s handy, you can buttonhole her any day you like.
MP’s vary such a lot that we can’t say they’re all lousy and out for themselves or all wonderful for their constituency.Some start out keen as mustard and others only go into it for a career step.

Oreo

Iam64

I agree Galaxy. My previous Labour MP lived locally, children at local school and often seen on demos to support our library or out in the constituency.

The tories won by 400 votes when Corbyn leader. New MP continued to live 200 miles away - rarely sighted

New MP Labour. Lives across the road from me. Is very active in HoC and locally. Child in local nursery etc. `often seem around here and her dad came to leaflet for her. He was chatting to everyone - human side well on view

That’s handy, you can buttonhole her any day you like.
MP’s vary such a lot that we can’t say they’re all lousy and out for themselves or all wonderful for their constituency.Some start out keen as mustard and others only go into it for a career step.

Pretty much like people in any other job in that respect I’d say Oreo. You have to speak as you find, and the (rural) constituency I’m in never has any prospect of a Labour MP. We’ve got a new Lib Dem MP, who has moved in from outside the constituency, and he really is working his socks off, both locally and at Westminster. I do think purely from a local MP perspective, most Lib Dem MPs are pretty good, they are probably less consumed by the national politics.

Pretty much like people in any other job? Not really, as MP’s know they are there specifically to represent an area of the country within their chosen political party.It all depends on how keen on doing the right thing or how cynical the person is.