"we'll change the things that need changing and that's all we'll change": the paSUKification of post-brexit politics 2021

It was v hard after an election defeat.

I joined the party in december 2019 and left about 6 months later, during the leadership campaign i used to get phone calls asking me if starmer had my support - they were incredulous when i said i was voting for RLB

Had to check it was today about three times.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-58698403.amp

Unison is the main union in my work and I've often thought I should be in a union but fuck that and fuck them.

I've never been a member of a union in my life and a colleague that joined Unite got fuck all from them during that 2007-08 period when companies realised they could use the financial crisis as a handy stick to beat workers even harder with. And lots of self-identifying "trade-unionist" type people often are very conservative in my experience.

Larry Elliott wrote these crises up last week. That's how weak Lab's opposition is right now.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/22/triple-crunch-tories-labour

The assumption seems to be that such is the weakness of the opposition, the government can get away with anything.

yep, this is precisely why Starmer is complicit with so much bad stuff, and that he genuinely deserves even more contempt than tories.

It seems to me that the only unions that are doing anything important in the UK are small independent unions and maybe the teaching/nursing unions. The tuc is very good at its job of clipping the wings of Union power.

“This is not the moment to be looking at nationalising companies”

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP tells #BBCBreakfast Labour will focus on issues that impact ‘day-to-day life’ despite conferences delegates backing nationalising energy. https://t.co/cyPn2CCEVf pic.twitter.com/1FkmKdeeUX

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) September 27, 2021

one thing that gave me much cheer during Corbyn era was that hideous ghoul getting marginalised to background noise

Fuck Mandelson that is all

Tories to be in power until every atom of the Corbyn-era is dusted off.

My instinct from observing opening days of this conference (very possibly wrong) is that no-one who served on Corbyn's front bench can successfully lead a transformation of Labour's prospects. Question is how, and over what time scale that changeover happens.

— Rafael Behr (@rafaelbehr) September 26, 2021

Her big day, she's ready.

this is what peak performance looks like pic.twitter.com/qPh2JrWkln

— ian mighty ft. eugene cobwebs (@iammightor) September 27, 2021

Nice, gonna sample that and make a banger

Oh dear.

I agree with the comments on this thread.

The party is now corrupt.

I must remember to stop giving them money!

🚨BREAKING🚨

Historic motion on Palestine passes at Labour Party Conference 2021 acknowledging that Israel is practicing apartheid and calling for strong sanctions #Lab21 #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/nmsvZDxIYR

— PSC (@PSCupdates) September 27, 2021

hahahahaha

imagine the Grown Ups In The Room being interrupted in their celebrations about being a Serious Party with this news

Shadow chancellor @RachelReevesMP tells me on @Channel4News #Brexit is partly to blame for fuel crisis but vows no @UKLabour govt would reverse it. She also says someone born male who identifies as a woman would not get access to a women’s refuge under Labour policy. Watch at 7.

— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) September 27, 2021

Is their policy to repeal existing protections?

I’d be amazed if that’s the case.

Reeves not knowing what she’s talking about seems more plausible.

starmer just stated last week their policy was not to repeal existing equality protections, so this is reeves not having any clue in one way or another, either going off on her own or buying into the transphobes' interpretation of the equality act that says that (though courts have already firmly said it's incorrect). it's been clear she's on their side anyway, repeatedly defending duffield etc.

the transphobic interpretation of the equality act gives cover for it not being a change from existing policy even though it is

so it's alienating non-transphobic voters without actually giving the terfs what they want either, just amazing politics

no it is giving transphobes what they want, just that if she's pressed on how her statement differs from starmer's very recent re-commitment to the equality act, saying "the equality act makes an exemption for single-sex spaces" etc. is a likely out for her, even though the reality of the act is much more nuanced - courts have found the exemptions are very limited & must be much more suitably justified than transphobes would like & are not some giant loophole allowing discrimination against trans people. but transphobes keep yelling about their interpretation anyway of course

TERFs on twitter are convinced that the only thing holding labour back from winning elections is their not being transphobic enough.

I alluded in recent @LRB piece as to why this might not be so. (1) Why give up so large a majority until you really need to? (2) Boundary changes (advantageous to Conservatives) will pass into law in summer '23. Prob can't campaign August. October election at a squeak, but... https://t.co/1o6nBzv92N

— James B (@piercepenniless) September 27, 2021

Reeves appears to be evil AND hopeless. Good promotion!

she seems to be the current holder of that fake "most feared by the Tories" title awarded by snivelling journos, previous holders include Yvette Cooper, Dave Miliband, Dan Jarvis, Hilary Benn

Good summary

Like when the australian cricket team used to brief journos that Graeme Hick was the guy they really feared in the england team

Lol

Andy McDonald quits shadow cabibet pic.twitter.com/6vcEORphGG

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 27, 2021

he does always seem very principled and decent by Labour standards

Yes, too good for this shower of shits.

rachel reeves' voice is almost as bad as keir starmer's - slightly less strangled but she sounds like her mouth is full of marbles

I believe I've commented on its hideousness before.

Opposing an increase in the minimum wage and statutory sick pay count as two new Starmer policies! #202notout

— Elvis Buñuelo (@Mr_Considerate) September 27, 2021

fao S Bush

Mcdonald resigning today, Bakers union disaffiliating tomorrow, and most damaging for Labour on Wednesday Starmer is going to be making a speech

— Matt Wain (@TheMattWain) September 27, 2021

The interest in making Reeves happen will increase after Kieth's speech. I think it's twice I've put R4 on in the last few days and Nick Robinson is having a very cordial chat with her.

Cathy Newman has deleted her tweet. Absolutely an attempt to stir the pot.

the lovely Emma B walked into the kitchen this morning and as soon as she heard N Robinson’s voice she marched straight to the Pure DAB radio receiver* and turned it off**

*Lanchesterian, nest-ce pas

** My heart gave a little leap

Paul Mason playing cop.

What CLP is she in?

— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) September 27, 2021

lol I'd take a punch from a priest over a wooden blackboard duster getting thrown square at my head by a nun. But being the very virtuous person I am - I wouldn't use it as an excuse to employ bigoted stereotypes to undermine and attack the only left wing candidate in the last leadership election. His credibility is so shot he just needs to be quiet and perhaps reflect on how he can be so wrong 99.9% of the time.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/27/labour-evokes-blairs-tough-on-slogan-in-bid-to-take-on-tories

A “next-generation neighbourhood watch” using technology including video doorbells and WhatsApp groups would be tasked with bringing people together to share information to tackle crime.

Please recruit the local guy who messaged the neighbourhood trying to track down the owner of the foxes that keep digging up his flowers.

I'd seriously prefer my chances with Chairman Xi's authoritarian hi-tech surveillance state and social credit points system than being up against creepy English curtain twitchers/grassers mobilising and growing bigger in WhatsApp neighbourhood groups

the shadow home secretary will tell delegates at Labour’s annual conference on Tuesday that Priti Patel’s department has been “soft on crime

10 years for statue-botherers? these clowns will make it 11

I seriously believe Kieth when he was DPP was completely inspired by Cameron's Big Society bluster and the Britannia Unchained manifesto.

Absolutely baffled by Mason's latest tweets about this.

Just bizarre and incoherent in every way.

I assume that he has still never admitted that he was simply wrong to support KS.

It would be the simplest and best thing to do.

I might be remembering this wrongly, but I think and am almost sure there was a a point somewhere in the 2015/16 UK political commentariat landscape when Mason was almost a lone pro-Corbyn voice and OJ was *reluctantly* agreeing with the Labour Right that Corbyn should stand down!