Free as a Dodo: UK Politics Welcomes 2021

In fairness, it was specifically within Philip's lifetime that the quote referred to - it might still need an asterisk for Diana and Andrew, mind.

he was a very very clever show-off who would often nettle members of his cabinet by trying to impress on them how much more knowledgeable he was about their portfolio than they ever would be. Even people from the Labour Left who considered him a devious untrustworthy fucker considered him a very sharp operator.

Kieth can slay a Fabian Society audience dead with his hilarious anecdote

thanks for the nuance, Andrew!

https://bylinetimes.com/2021/04/13/special-investigation-mind-boggling-us-experts-speak-out-against-appointment-of-new-uk-government-counter-extremism-chief/

New counter-extremism chief has extensive links to Heritage Foundation/ Gatestone / Douglas Murray shocker.

(from beeb)
"Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suggestion that lockdown has played a significant part in reducing coronavirus infection levels is backed up by the data, says Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter"

Feels like a strange thing to mention just two days after lifting a lot of lockdown rules.

They're just trying to prove it works by pushing infection rates back up.

I presume they consider "Great Replacement" proponents just part of a robust discussion on race rather than white nationalist extremists. These days you get arrested and thrown in jail for posting lol dead Phillip memes.

Paywalled but my assumption would be this article from him follows that line of thinking.

Policymakers and analysts must be careful not to confuse mainstream conservative political positions with the far right, writes @RobinSimcox https://t.co/0iTluqxTZS

— Red Box (@timesredbox) March 29, 2021

I see Liz Kendall making demeaning comments about supermarket workers in parliament went down well yesterday. She's so Tory it's beyond her to advocate for one group of underpaid workers without shitting on another to maintain some balance.

Not sure if this sparkling bit of content has been shared yet, where Sir Queef goes all out for the youth vote by... coming out in favour of VAR??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao_9jNe9nc8

(at 9:33 in, unilad banter fans)

Starmer’s #PMQs Line of Duty reference and reaction from MPs pic.twitter.com/GU4PuskQ0U

— Jon Stone (@joncstone) April 14, 2021

oh no

Mother of God

he could improve this by saying "please laugh" after the joke imo

Kieth would it have killed you to just add “like in the BBC’s award-winning drama Line Of Duty” at the end, come on

that was almost as clunky as when Cameron tried namedropping "Games of Thrones" at pmq's

He should have referenced the unrealistic fictional comedy character Kieth Starmer

Do you hate anyone enough to get them a ticket to see Matt Forde chat to Peter Mandelson, Jess Phillips and Esther McVey at The Garrick? https://t.co/MKY1kUs9Ei

— Frank Owen's Legendary Paintbrush (@WarmongerHodges) April 14, 2021

jesus wept

Invitation to a Braindeading

it says it all really that the least objectionable guest is a tory baroness

What's the Brighton Bomber up to these days?

i had a similar thought but they'd have to be lucky three times

NEW: Labour has suspended Liverpool Councillor Sarah Morton pending an investigation following her social media comments about the Duke of Edinburgh https://t.co/4R6hackeJd

— Liam Thorp 💙 (@LiamThorpECHO) April 14, 2021

Posting a link to a Metro article titled 'The best of Prince Philip's gaffes, quotes and quips', Cllr Morton wrote: "Just a list of reasons why the world is a better place without this fascist piece of inbred s*** in it."

I wish more Labour MP's had the bottle that Sarah has.

An Evertonian too, to boot. She'll have the government's new counter-extremism czar on her tail if she's not careful.

I'll always have immense respect for people who don't play the game, and a quite few of the very few decent Labour MP's that are left - played the fucking game last week!

It reminds me (bear with me here) of that 'TWTWTW' episode after the jfk shooting, where they went full mourning and tribute. Possibly more shocking in retrospect, they'd have been better off just not doing the show at all.

bloody hell how old r U Mark? !

Yes, not posting anything would be another way of demonstrating that you are not going to have performative mourning imposed on you by the deranged British media, nor from peer pressure or from the appalling establishment lick-spittle Labour leader. But shame the devil I say.

Tom D: do you think they are coming for the Evertonians?

a labour leader who is in fact "20 points ahead" https://t.co/nF3FP0ukXT pic.twitter.com/IGQZBreeAC

— David Klemperer (@dmk1793) April 14, 2021

You can forget about your mythical 20pt leads if us Toffees take over.

Ok.

Not normally a box office winner, but govt's sleaze buster in front of MPs now which in current climate, could be a rather big deal - keep up here https://t.co/vi9ayRLijM

— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) April 15, 2021

Fuck's sake Laura must be bored

Also I'm mildly surprised Pickles is still alive, never mind an MP, never mind a "watchdog"

He’s not an MP, he’s a Lord now (ofc). No word on the biscuit bill.

That headline is just cruel because it’s clearly not his, it’s the department’s, but it remains a memorable Pickles story.

This is an interesting analysis. Triggering the libs for socially conservative voters could be bad not good.

I wrote something on 'the Blue Wall' - socially liberal suburban seats long held by the Conservatives but which are trending away from them. I think they get less attention than they should https://t.co/1SFV7vrCv2

— Steve Akehurst (@SteveAkehurst) April 15, 2021

Calz: Just turned 60

I don't remember where I was when JFK copped it, I just remember seeing the TW3 show on some (maybe) Noels TV addicts type show. Some years after, I found out that Willie Rushton etc were massively conflicted as to how to go with it. I think it was the last one ever, but.

Nationalise Colin the Caterpillar

— Northern Independence Party 🟨🟥 (@FreeNorthNow) April 15, 2021

xp

ah right, I thought you was coming out as a septuagenarian for a minute there.

I don't think many commentators have talked much about lol politically homeless socially liberal tory voters since the late days of May/early days of Boris regime. Some of them might, with a heavy heart, vote for Kieth in 2024 he hopes!

who is watching the watchdog's biscuit tin?

It's jezza tarnishing the brand not a vaccine bounce let's not be silly.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE

Tories *14 points* ahead of Labour with YouGov: their biggest lead this year AND since last spring.

Usual caveats apply, but these numbers would confirm Starmer's fears of a vaccine bounce.

Full analysis in @timesredbox this morning: https://t.co/XpaedmAxtE pic.twitter.com/wp7Ccfkrtp

— Patrick Maguire (@patrickkmaguire) April 16, 2021

Decent vaccine bounce from the Greens and Lib Dems too.

http://www.youtube.com/

sad attempt to link bounce it by juicy j on my phone!

I refuse to believe in bouncing, unless it's Kieth in a trampoline arena trying get down with the kids and he goes over the side and breaks his neck

I think it was the last one ever, but.

TW3 - carried on for a bit, but was pulled at the end of '63, as there was a GE campaign coming up. There were a couple more Ned Sherrin shows after that - Not So Much A Programme, More A Way of Life, and BBC-3 (Robert Robinson! Lynda Baron! Leonard Rossiter!). I am also not in my 70s, but I did have an unhealthy interest in all satire boom nonsense as a teenager.

how does it compare to the stilted horror of HIGNFY

Blame for this tragedy lies with Jeremy Corbyn the vaccine bounce.

Corbyn is to blame for all those awkward photographs of KS looking weird too.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EyD3_VgWUAcV7L-?format=jpg&name=large