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Politics, politics, politics (so long and thanks for all the fish)

SpurMeUp said:
www.theguardian.com

Revealed: details of exclusive Russian deal offered to Arron Banks in Brexit run-up

Leaked document lays out for first time deal proposed to Leave.EU backer, sparking new questions over Moscow’s role
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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Right, so I'm going to remove all the noise from this article (you know the bits where a journalist prints a load of vague implications to imply stuff that isn't true - such as the bit about Sperbank) and highlight the key bits of information The Guardian (not me) have written in the article:
- Banks was presented with an offer to invest in something that he was told could make him a lot of money.
- He showed an interest in it (because they were claiming he could make him a lot of money).
- He passed it on to an investment firm he has an interest in to do due diligence on the offer.
- (the key bit in the Guardian article if you don't want to be taken for a mug by the journalist writing it): having done his due diligence HE CHOSE NOT TO INVEST.
 
Russias population is 143 million by the way set to decline to 130 million by 2050 with a commensurate aging of that population.
 
Robspur12 said:
Meanwhile the buffoon that is Boris Johnson says

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894862122128986405

From the guy who brought us a world beating test and trace system and a cakeist Brexit deal.
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Another Russian asset. Lest we forget…

www.mirror.co.uk

Boris Johnson finally admits he met ex-KGB agent on secretive jolly to Italy

The Prime Minister was quizzed about the 2018 meeting when he appeared at the Commons Liaison Committee as his premiership hangs by a thread
www.mirror.co.uk www.mirror.co.uk
 
Mikey10 said:
Another Russian asset. Lest we forget…

www.mirror.co.uk

Boris Johnson finally admits he met ex-KGB agent on secretive jolly to Italy

The Prime Minister was quizzed about the 2018 meeting when he appeared at the Commons Liaison Committee as his premiership hangs by a thread
www.mirror.co.uk www.mirror.co.uk
Click to expand...
It would have been hard to find a British politician that hasn't been a Russian asset going back to Thatcher. Following the Berlin wall coming down we thought the best policy for lasting peace was to let them go balls deep into western Europe's economy. We've adopted the same policy with China.
 
Irrespective of what you think Starmer, I think he is going to be the right person for the UK in this period.
He's a lawyer with politics added on top.
Lawyers are excellent at keeping their own (our own) counsel and staying out of the noise (the politician in him will use the noise when needed).
They are excellent at focusing on the desired outcome in a reasonable way and dealing with unsavoury people and situations, whichever side of the argument they sit.
 
Silly McSilly Face said:
It would have been hard to find a British politician that hasn't been a Russian asset going back to Thatcher. Following the Berlin wall coming down we thought the best policy for lasting peace was to let them go balls deep into western Europe's economy. We've adopted the same policy with China.
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I’m not sure too many others deliberately dropped their security details while serving in one of the most important and sensitive jobs in government so that they could spend time alone with an ex-KGB agent - and then lied repeatedly about it, and rewarded their pal (for what, one has to wonder?) with a lordship.
 
Mikey10 said:
Nigel’s very quiet.
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He doesn't have to say anything. Tories are listing at historic lows of support and after an awful start to life under a Labour government in many people's eyes they're now steadily eating into their support too. They're on course to potentially win their first seats in the Scottish Parliament. He just needs to sit back right now.
 
Silly McSilly Face said:
He doesn't have to say anything. Tories are listing at historic lows of support and after an awful start to life under a Labour government in many people's eyes they're now steadily eating into their support too. They're on course to potentially win their first seats in the Scottish Parliament. He just needs to sit back right now.
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Signs last week in a couple of polls that Reform’s numbers dipped as a result of all of the movement and news around Ukraine. Farage can certainly expect his views on Putin and Russia to come under a lot more scrutiny from here on.

I actually think the longer that Trump is in charge the more the UK population will be able to see the chaos of what’s happening in the US, and will consequently be less than enamoured with the idea of our Poundshop version of Outspan being anywhere near the levers of power.

www.theguardian.com

Labour steps up attacks on Farage and Reform over pro-Russia stance

Government targets party’s ‘softness on standing up to Putin’ to show Reform is out of step with UK public
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
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Mikey10 said:
Signs last week in a couple of polls that Reform’s numbers dipped as a result of all of the movement and news around Ukraine. Farage can certainly expect his views on Putin and Russia to come under a lot more scrutiny from here on.

I actually think the longer that Trump is in charge the more the UK population will be able to see the chaos of what’s happening in the US, and will consequently be less than enamoured with the idea of our Poundshop version of Outspan being anywhere near the levers of power.

www.theguardian.com

Labour steps up attacks on Farage and Reform over pro-Russia stance

Government targets party’s ‘softness on standing up to Putin’ to show Reform is out of step with UK public
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
Click to expand...
Polls fluctuate and are not really that accurate mid-term. The trend is clear that Reform, having gained traction already with significant numbers of ex-tory and new voters (they've had far more success in attracting young people as a right wing party - an area the tories have struggled with over the years), they are now gaining accelerated traction with traditional Labour, SNP and other voters.

I think we also need to be clear on Reform's/Farage's likely goal. He knows (despite the rhetoric) that Reform are highly unlikely to win a GE. The entire system is designed to keep the main two parties established and both Tories and Labour have concentrated support that guarantee them large numbers of seats. Reform could get 10 million votes and would still end up with a likely seat count under 50 due to FPTP: i.e. you'd get loads of seats where the Labour or tory candidate tops out with say 15,000 votes sneaking ahead of Reform on say 14,000 votes while Reform overall have more votes than either Labour or Tories.

Farage's aim is likely to become enough of a force that he effectively makes it impossible for the tories to come back and win an election and then sustain that force over a long enough period so that the tories opposed to a deal/merger involving Farage taking a senior role in a new right-wing party come to accept that doing such a deal is unavoidable. Similar to how the significant opposition within the tory party to Boris Johnson becoming leader melted away when electoral reality meant he was their best/only chance to sustain electoral success. Right now, that plan is going very well.

Part of that plan is to make Labour/SNP/Libs tact rightwards to stave off voter attrition to Reform. That forces the tories rightwarda even further to differentiate. You've now got Badenoch parrotting Farage's rhetoric about international law. Once the tories are aligned policy and rhetoric wise with Reform for a significant period it makes the prospect of a merger/deal far more palatable and easier to do.
 
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I'm no nationist, nor a natural labour voter - but I feel proud to be British today.

Great work Mr Starmer.
With one act (and no small act - excellent leadership and politics) you've
Helped to protect Ukraine,
Set a sensible and reasonable platform for peace talks
Stuck two fingers up to Trumps bullying and shown him the way forward morally (his response will be very very interesting)
The loan and UKEF parts of the deal also give the UK the preferable position in getting paid back and future relations with Ukraine.

We've been a political basketcase since Cameron

Today feels like a change
 
monkeybarry said:
I'm no nationist, nor a natural labour voter - but I feel proud to be British today.

Great work Mr Starmer.
With one act (and no small act - excellent leadership and politics) you've
Helped to protect Ukraine,
Set a sensible and reasonable platform for peace talks
Stuck two fingers up to Trumps bullying and shown him the way forward morally (his response will be very very interesting)
The loan and UKEF parts of the deal also give the UK the preferable position in getting paid back and future relations with Ukraine.

We've been a political basketcase since Cameron

Today feels like a change
Click to expand...
Agree. I would have preferred a bit more about continuing to fund and supply Ukraine until it has resecured all its borders, but what we got was probably the best we could hope for for now.
 
markysimmo said:
Realisitically without US funding how long can Europe, etc carry on constantly giving Ukraine money
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Its less than double what its currently paying, so its not actually that much. And i doubt Russia has another year left in it, so not for very long either. There's also the option of using the frozen Russian assets, as was hinted at today, which makes its very painless.
 
Gutter Boy said:
Its less than double what its currently paying, so its not actually that much. And i doubt Russia has another year left in it, so not for very long either. There's also the option of using the frozen Russian assets, as was hinted at today, which makes its very painless.
Click to expand...
Be nice if it ended rather than rumbling on, let's be honest neither side is winning it are they
 
Also, longer term, if this serves to initiate democratisation in Russia, defence spending could be wound down massively after that point
 
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