Never here Keir?

I don’t believe Starmer prefers international issues or that he sees running the country as mundane.

Trump’s bullying narcissistic shouting that he will end the war in Ukraine by insisting land is given to Russia and Ukraine will reduce its military has implications for all European heads of state. Thats why they’re all meeting.
Not only did our government inherit a dogs breakfast at home, the world is facing instability that can’t be dismissed

Allira

MaizieD

Casdon

MaizieD

I admire your defence of Starmer, Iam, but the fact remains that he is better at foreign relations than he is at running the country.

Forgive me stating the obvious, but foreign relations are an essential part of running any country?

Objectively, yes, but what is the use of good foreign relations when you have a country full of discontented citizens because their lives aren't improving. In fact, in many cases, are getting worse?

And why appoint a Foreign Secretary?
We don't hear much about her at all - is she ok or is she being sidelined? If so why?

Because the Foreign Minister manages diplomacy, manages the portfolio. The PM represents the country at the highest level. They are the one who ultimately sets the direction. International meetings often require the head of government, not a delegate. They’re different jobs.

Casdon

We’re allowed to disagree Galaxy. The world is so volatile at the moment that if the foreign relations ball was dropped we may not need to worry about the UK specific issues. It does surprise me that more people aren’t recognising that yet.

Yes, I do.
But he does have a very competent Foreign Secretary too.

Sir Keir Starmer may prefer playing the role of a global statesman to the more mundane duties of running the country. But, as US President Donald Trump’s latest peace proposal for ending the Ukraine war demonstrates, his ability to influence key events is negligible.

We’re allowed to disagree Galaxy. The world is so volatile at the moment that if the foreign relations ball was dropped we may not need to worry about the UK specific issues. It does surprise me that more people aren’t recognising that yet.

MaizieD

Casdon

MaizieD

I admire your defence of Starmer, Iam, but the fact remains that he is better at foreign relations than he is at running the country.

Forgive me stating the obvious, but foreign relations are an essential part of running any country?

Objectively, yes, but what is the use of good foreign relations when you have a country full of discontented citizens because their lives aren't improving. In fact, in many cases, are getting worse?

Cue Galaxy:

If things go wrong 'at home' he will lose the next election, then it will likely be reform managing foreign policy decisions.

😲

MaizieD

^If your policies were put into practice we would step 20 yrs backwards and the IMF would be bailing us out.^

Perhaps you should have been alive 100 years ago and you could have told Mr Keynes how wrong he was..

I'll take the findings of top class economists over someone on a forum who doesn't even know what the source of our money is..

From someone who proposes giving our money to the government that’s pretty rich, I console myself that nobody that matters is taking any notice of those policies, although maybe the loony left in parliament may be tempted.

MaizieD 👍🏻

Iam64

I’m interested In the way Starmer is so easily blamed for the low mood in our country. I’m beginning to see him as a useful fall guy.
He has integrity. I’m as disappointed as the average bear that the government hasn’t waved a magic wand and wiped out 15/years of the destruction of all public services. He did say, honestly, it would get worse before things improvenent.

Yes, I still think he has integrity but I do wish he wouldn't flip-flop. Perhaps he does that because he's a worrier, worries about the consequences of his decisions.

We need a different Chancellor.

I am not sure I agree. If things go wrong 'at home' he will lose the next election, then it will likely be reform managing foreign policy decisions.

It was just an odd statement to make MaizieD, as it is a vital component of government. To suggest that it is of no use, if things are going badly at home, is also quite wrong, given it is harder to rescind, and with more far reaching consequences if the foreign policy ball is dropped.

I’m interested In the way Starmer is so easily blamed for the low mood in our country. I’m beginning to see him as a useful fall guy.
He has integrity. I’m as disappointed as the average bear that the government hasn’t waved a magic wand and wiped out 15/years of the destruction of all public services. He did say, honestly, it would get worse before things improvenent.

MaizieD

Casdon

MaizieD

I admire your defence of Starmer, Iam, but the fact remains that he is better at foreign relations than he is at running the country.

Forgive me stating the obvious, but foreign relations are an essential part of running any country?

Objectively, yes, but what is the use of good foreign relations when you have a country full of discontented citizens because their lives aren't improving. In fact, in many cases, are getting worse?

And why appoint a Foreign Secretary?
We don't hear much about her at all - is she ok or is she being sidelined? If so why?

Casdon

MaizieD

I admire your defence of Starmer, Iam, but the fact remains that he is better at foreign relations than he is at running the country.

Forgive me stating the obvious, but foreign relations are an essential part of running any country?

Objectively, yes, but what is the use of good foreign relations when you have a country full of discontented citizens because their lives aren't improving. In fact, in many cases, are getting worse?

MaizieD

I admire your defence of Starmer, Iam, but the fact remains that he is better at foreign relations than he is at running the country.

Forgive me stating the obvious, but foreign relations are an essential part of running any country?

If your policies were put into practice we would step 20 yrs backwards and the IMF would be bailing us out.

Perhaps you should have been alive 100 years ago and you could have told Mr Keynes how wrong he was..

I'll take the findings of top class economists over someone on a forum who doesn't even know what the source of our money is..

MaizieD

David49

MaizieD

I cant imagine doing that, it’s probably dodgy from a tax standpoint too. I like children and GC to run their own finances, I will fund a project but only money for a secure asset and I would not get involved first hand I would guarantee the loan from others.

David, It wasn't a real life scenario. I wasn't suggesting that anyone would do it. It was an ANALOGY.

If I were to say that my cat was like a tiger I'm making an analogy. He isn't really much like an enormous ferocious wild member of the cat family with black stripes He's a big softy, but he does have stripes and he hunts rabbits, mice and birds...

What did they teach you in English lessons at school.. Did they miss out on similes', metaphors and analogies?

I think you’re loosing it Maizie the thread is about economics, you introduced children, now you’re introducing tigers. I don’t think you have a clue how real world economics works. It certainly isn’t the socialist utopia you crave.

Sorry David, but you're the one who doesn't have a clue about how money works. You don't even know where it comes from. And you refuse to even think about it.

If your policies were put into practice we would step 20 yrs backwards and the IMF would be bailing us out.

I admire your defence of Starmer, Iam, but the fact remains that he is better at foreign relations than he is at running the country.

DaisyAnneReturns

^The prime minister has travelled more and further than any other British leader in official history, including almost double the distance that Sir Tony Blair covered in the same period in office .^
Starmer has visited 44 countries on 37 trips out of the country to attend conferences, bilateral meetings and sports fixtures. During his first 17 months in office, Starmer has spent two and a half months abroad.

What a brilliant record. It's certainly impressive that he has mended so many of the fences broken by the Conservatives while in government. No, he doesn't have charisma but then, it's not actually been a requirement of PMs in the past has it. Just think of:

Clement Attlee (the gold-standard example: highly successful, historically monumental, and notably uncharismatic)
John Major
Gordon Brown
Theresa May
Ramsay MacDonald

The idea of "bread and circuses" being provided for the plebian masses of Rome was put forward as a criticism of how the Roman ruling elite kept the Roman population satisfied and politically passive, i.e, that is not how to run a country. Even they did not insist on their governing leader being chief clown and I would have thought we would have had enough if that in our recent past not to ask for more!

Starmer isn’t avoiding our homeland difficulties ny attending Cop. The European leaders are attempting to work together in support of Ukraine. Starmer has been good internationally. Never mind though about peace and safety in Europe, let’s all join the moan in

I despair. What happened to the great British ability to look on the bright side, to know just how lucky we are

Oreo

We can’t print money our way out of things all the time, we need real economic growth…so far it ain’t happening.

I can assure you, Oreo that we won't get any growth unless the government spends a lot more money. No-one else is interested in providing it...

David49

MaizieD

I cant imagine doing that, it’s probably dodgy from a tax standpoint too. I like children and GC to run their own finances, I will fund a project but only money for a secure asset and I would not get involved first hand I would guarantee the loan from others.

David, It wasn't a real life scenario. I wasn't suggesting that anyone would do it. It was an ANALOGY.

If I were to say that my cat was like a tiger I'm making an analogy. He isn't really much like an enormous ferocious wild member of the cat family with black stripes He's a big softy, but he does have stripes and he hunts rabbits, mice and birds...

What did they teach you in English lessons at school.. Did they miss out on similes', metaphors and analogies?

I think you’re loosing it Maizie the thread is about economics, you introduced children, now you’re introducing tigers. I don’t think you have a clue how real world economics works. It certainly isn’t the socialist utopia you crave.

Sorry David, but you're the one who doesn't have a clue about how money works. You don't even know where it comes from. And you refuse to even think about it.

We can’t print money our way out of things all the time, we need real economic growth…so far it ain’t happening.

MaizieD

^I cant imagine doing that, it’s probably dodgy from a tax standpoint too. I like children and GC to run their own finances, I will fund a project but only money for a secure asset and I would not get involved first hand I would guarantee the loan from others.^

David, It wasn't a real life scenario. I wasn't suggesting that anyone would do it. It was an ANALOGY.

If I were to say that my cat was like a tiger I'm making an analogy. He isn't really much like an enormous ferocious wild member of the cat family with black stripes He's a big softy, but he does have stripes and he hunts rabbits, mice and birds...

What did they teach you in English lessons at school.. Did they miss out on similes', metaphors and analogies?

I think you’re loosing it Maizie the thread is about economics, you introduced children, now you’re introducing tigers. I don’t think you have a clue how real world economics works. It certainly isn’t the socialist utopia you crave.

I cant imagine doing that, it’s probably dodgy from a tax standpoint too. I like children and GC to run their own finances, I will fund a project but only money for a secure asset and I would not get involved first hand I would guarantee the loan from others.

David, It wasn't a real life scenario. I wasn't suggesting that anyone would do it. It was an ANALOGY.

If I were to say that my cat was like a tiger I'm making an analogy. He isn't really much like an enormous ferocious wild member of the cat family with black stripes He's a big softy, but he does have stripes and he hunts rabbits, mice and birds...

What did they teach you in English lessons at school.. Did they miss out on similes', metaphors and analogies?

Grantanow

I'm disappointed with all of our top politicians. With a few exceptions we don't seem to have developed a cadre of the brightest and best for many decades.

I do often wonder if those politicians who are now regarded as 'the brightest and the best' were regarded as such when they were active in parliament.

Perhaps future generations might think some of our current lot are 'brightest and best', even if we don't think so at the moment 😆