Stability is change: crossing the floor from potato to potahto in uk 2024

Nobody can stand him.

I wonder how likely the following scenario is: Farage wins in Clacton, Tories decimated to under 100 MPs, Farage switches sides and becomes Tory leader

it's plausible enough but it's also plausible that the conservative brand ends up so tainted that it's not really in his interests, and it's not like the press won't be happy to treat him as the opposition leader in that case

I assume he has a good shot of winning in Clacton (though is his record a bit patchy when not running specifically on Brexit?), and as a strategy It seems plausible at least.

Is it in his interests or not? I'm not sure. The move has interesting timing, to say the least. If it did happen, he would swoop in as saviour, at least from his perspective. And the more damaged the conservative party and brand is, the more leeway that would give him to shape the party the way he wanted. Likelihood of something like this is difficult to measure, but I could see a potential path to it

*begins typing bet3... into browser*

lol sorry

Starmer to promise to 'close the door' on Putin

https://i0.wp.com/skwawkbox.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mandelson-putin.png?w=1370&ssl=1

he needs to 'close the door' on Mandelson first, lol

I reckon deselecting Putin was the right call actually

I agree, Farage absolutely will return as the saviour of the conservatives. There's no way the "conservative brand" will become too too tainted, it's the most successful political party in history, the English have a co-dependent relationship with it, it's the vampire which never dies and cannot be killed. It's just waiting for the right person/movement to resurrect it.

only just reading about all the kids in kosovo named tonibler after tony blair

another word for 'bootlicker' eh

Mandelson is the Jeffrey Epstein of British politics and no I won't elaborate further

Can't see the Tories ever accepting Farage, I'm not convinced he'll win Clacton anyway. They'll either carry on down the far right route with Badenoch or Jenrick or some other ghoul or they'll completely shift to the centre.

Apsana Begum confirmed as Labour candidate

xp famously he has never won a Parliamentary seat he has stood for, he's 0-7 on that score. Begs the question of why our friends in the media keep platforming him...

Beats talking to Keir Starmer.

There would have to be a paradigm- shifting massacre for the Tories to accept Farage as a leader, I agree, but let's see ...

My older relatives are Tory or Tory-leaning and Farage is an uncrossable line for them. They'd vote for Mordaunt, though.

I am curious, though - what is Farage useful for, exactly, as a politician? He is bad disliked as an orator and personality, he has no consistent base, he has no reputation as a power broker or thinker or organiser, he can get "coverage" but it's usually largely negative - what do others who value the things he represents find him valuable for?

My main thought on Farage is "let's not give any oxygen to this cunt" but having seen a couple of media appearances over the last day I've noticed that they are actually questioning him on his hypocrisy this time and in return he's coming across like a furious foaming-at-the-mouth loon.

I mean metaphorical oxygen but literal oxygen works too

thinking of these two clips

Farage has a meltdown on BBC News and then refused to go on Newsnight

Ben Thompson, "Call it a pressure group, call it a party, you were a candidate to be an MP on a ballot paper"

Nigel Farage, "How many times have you stood?"

BT, "I'm just asking"

NF, "What do you know about… pic.twitter.com/HDa5KdCmEx

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) June 3, 2024

“I can take you to streets in Oldham where no one speaks English.”
“Or they could speak two languages? Don't your own children speak another language?”
Exchange with Nigel Farage on #r4today, Mr Farage asked how he knows people he hears speaking another language have no English👇🏾 pic.twitter.com/zL62EOTECb

— Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) June 4, 2024

He's winning rn in terms of headlines. Guess now we have to see his face every day for weeks. Can imagine him winning (and yeah ending up Tory/eventual PM have thought so for a while) but can't imagine him spending much time in the Commons or indeed in Clacton tho. Pretty funny in that it just seems like he was triggered into running from his own supporters questioning his loyalty or whatever (don't think it was that really but nor was it based on Trump being found guilty as that was on the cards for some time and he didn't have to mention Trump at all when explaining why he wasn't intending to run).

The more racist the talking points the livelier this election will be, with bigger ratings across TV and radio.

Everybosy wins.

feel like they didn't challenge him on his obvious bullshit like this so much before
― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 4 June 2024 14:07

Well yeah, he's no longer a useful foil/brake against a left wing labour party

Theresa May did 'they don't even speak our language' in 2016 get some new material

Farage is looking kind of ratty and rundown to me these days and I think he's trying to introduce a more belligerent MAGA style, less chummy fellow at the golf club, approach and that's not going to go down well.

I mean there are prominent members of the Tory Party who are arguably more right wing than he is so he is having to outflank them.

My older relatives are Tory or Tory-leaning and Farage is an uncrossable line for them. They'd vote for Mordaunt, though.

I am curious, though - what is Farage useful for, exactly, as a politician? He is bad disliked as an orator and personality, he has no consistent base, he has no reputation as a power broker or thinker or organiser, he can get "coverage" but it's usually largely negative - what do others who value the things he represents find him valuable for?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GPO9v12W8AA5hJH?format=jpg&name=medium

lool, he has been milkshaked in Clacton!

National Service required for her...as UK PM

the really zoomed out one where you can see her do it and then walk off also has a lot of charm

Farage-milkshaking hun is the drunk “Tommy Robinson? He’s a cunt x” of this election

looking forward to some very furrowed brows telling me this was an unhelpful thing to do

we regret to inform you that milkshake Nigel is racist

oh so u support political violence do u

(well, yeah)

ah this is glorious. perfect aim, right in the face, the follow up with the cup and the nonchalant walk off - tens across the board https://t.co/ExOfE2U4Ao

— she/hererzade (@tubbsOreally) June 4, 2024

AND THE CUP

🙏

iconic photo

*Mwah* https://t.co/uGsWbanlYy pic.twitter.com/6B5hrvEWpd

— Michael Walsh (@thatbloodyMikey) June 4, 2024

if we're replaying the greatest hits of farage's previous public humiliations in this election cycle i hope there's a small plane ride on his travel itinerary soon

There's going to be some fun cognitive dissonance in the debate tonight.

"I think it's unacceptable for MPs' safety to be threatened in this way, and we will have to crack down on this aggressive behavior"
"No, I think banning arms sales to Israel is the wrong decision"
"I am prepared, at any moment and without much thought, to begin the process of ending all life on earth"

you mean uk media?

it's tonight on bbc and itv, isn't it? not that'll be watching

Perfect, very entertaining

Just Nigel Farage getting a beer chucked at him pic.twitter.com/txnioRDyrD

— RobGoff (@robertagoffin) June 4, 2024

https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:qjzrpzlcmir3bkss4b5nh6ox/bafkreie2gfweuyfamtpmnvt6m3gnnvww62yshlkvr2xskcyr745aaeyfcu@jpeg

👑

Makes me proud to be British.

ah milkshaking. a British tradition I can feel proud of

Don't think there's a party leader in this election you wouldn't be happy to see receive the same treatment

get Luke Akehurst next

lactose the intolerant