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

I almost feel curious now to check if Burnham does the same thing!

christ no he's much taller than Kieth!

It's fucking sick really, like they'd go to all sorts of excruciating lengths to cover up FDR's disability, and in that era it probably was politically important to do this. But the least of Kieth's problems is that he's 5'6 and his former deputy leader is taller and hotter than him!

Every single time I see Zarah Sultana say anything, it’s always the exact right thing to say, and she never seems to equivocate. Can she run for leader please???

She is very good, but the Labour membership (or whatever remains of them) are a set of arseholes that would vote for Wes before her.

even before many of them so-called lefty Corbynistas or whatever you want to call them deserted the party, they still voted in much greater numbers for Ian Murray for deputy over Dawn Butler.

Political death to have a candidate with a surname the gammon can poke fun at. Let's hope they don't find out what Johnson means!

i think zarah sultana needs time to polish up a bit and she could be a deadly weapon

she makes me feel sad, because I feel like she is destined to be marginalised for a very long time in this horrible party. There is no hope in UK politics for decent human beings, especially if they are woman of colour.

i feel like the thing about AOC for eg is that she also had from the beginning a very strong support base esp locally. the press here would hound her far more ferally and she would be pretty isolated within the party. this is probably in part projection because i can't imagine how awful it would be to stick yr neck out in that way in such nasty times.

apparently our AOC is Babs... captain oates i may be some time

i know im sorry for doing the aoc thing

wasn't having a pop at you there ftr

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1A7A18WUAAhLo4?format=jpg&name=large

is this real ?

xp haha no i know im just ashamed

thread seems mainly otm:

There is one very clear message from this week’s elections. It is that politically the UK is in a very confused state. This needs some discussion. A thread follows.....

— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) May 9, 2021

Locked account: "Keir Starmer has incidentally not tweeted anything since last Thursday, and his only RTs have been of members of the shadow cabinet thanking him for giving them a job"

I am concerned that the next step in our national journey is a Macron-like figure, but more fashy.

xxp agree, makes me think reading some gramsci would be a good idea

If they can keep the economy afloat and reward target areas with investment in services and infrastructure (while punishing solidly Labour ones with austerity), i'm not sure why this model couldn't see them successful for the long-term.

Calzino: sadly no it's not real.

By yesterday evening I started to think that KS seemed like he was going to quit.

Labour had won numerous elections over the weekend, and he hadn't made any kind of statement about any of them: in person at those locations, on camera from London, or even in a tweet.

People would, of course, have savaged JC for such "unprofessional" and "shambolic" conduct.

It almost felt like c.60 years ago when maybe politicians took the weekend off and went to the grouse farm rather than engaging with the media?

I admit that you can be "too online", "it's good to take time off", etc.

But you're the LOTO and your party has just redeemed some of its performance by winning two of the biggest elected positions in the UK? And a whole nation of the UK? And you remain totally silent?

So baffling as to become alarming!

thread seems mainly otm:

Not sure what he means about the right having 'little to do' in an independent Scotland or Wales?

"the Italian philosopher famously said ..."

The Italian Leninist and Communist Party leader famously said

even a voting id requirement with no cost still introduces a barrier to voting, let alone when people have to pay for a driving license or passport. there's no reason to believe voter fraud is a problem in uk elections, but disenfranchisement already is

— michael wave (@SzMarsupial) May 10, 2021

i mean what is twitter if not the "grouse farm" amirite

If they can keep the economy afloat and reward target areas with investment in services and infrastructure (while punishing solidly Labour ones with austerity), i'm not sure why this model couldn't see them successful for the long-term.

― Scampo di tutti i Scampi (ShariVari), Monday, 10 May 2021 bookmarkflaglink

The economy afloat is a big if depending on various factors outside their control. Also the quality of these projects for poorer areas will probably not cut the mustard after a while as Tories will never want to give poor people money.

Their best bet electorally is divided opposition and increased barriers to voting. Basically a return to Victorian-era England without empire or Union.

On bed. Watching Lost =) love it!

— 𝕞𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕒 🙈🙉🙊 (@my3monkees) March 26, 2009

Lol wtf, this is the post.

48% of Black voters have no form of formal photo ID https://t.co/QJnFszLaxF

— Jason Okundaye (@jasebyjason) May 10, 2021

Mark S: yes, the grouse moor.

On bed. Watching Lost =) love it!

— 𝕞𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕒 🙈🙉🙊 (@my3monkees) March 26, 2009

oh sorry, I see that's already been posted

we have to go back

If they can keep the economy afloat and reward target areas

This seems like a big if — Brexit effects haven't really been felt because of suppressed demand during Covid but there are already noises being made by all the transport firms, convenience stores reducing inventories etc.

Suspect we're not going to have Johnson for much longer either – they know they can't reject IndyRef 2 forever, they know they can't fight it with him because he's toxic in Scotland, and if they feel safe from Labour they'll as a result probably indulge themselves in some more Cummings-Gove infighting until Gove takes over on an "I can save the union" pitch. Can Gove (or any of the other possibles) pull off the same mass appeal that Johnson has? It'll be expensive if so.

xp Either that or go full republican voter-suppression I guess, yes.

Sarwar praised for losing seats.

Starmer tells staff Hartlepool was bitterly disappointing but says delighted at Wales and Scotland performances - praising Anas Sarwar and Mark Drakeford.

— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) May 10, 2021

Further to earlier discussions about the UK media/political class definitions of 'working class' excluding non-white people, I noticed over the weekend there is another group that's excluded, all the better to fit the narrative, young people. I heard John Curtice commenting on how Labour is losing the working class vote and is now relying on votes from middle class liberals, students and young people and I heard it again today from some Telegraph hack. And, of course, there are no working class people in Liverpool and Manchester.

I think if the grip of useless Lab councils is released this is a step forward of sorts. This is just Tory council behaviour.

What you need to know about Labour losing Durham County Council is that the process was set in motion when the council tried to do a fire and rehire of its teaching assistants in 2016. National politics is relevant, but my have DCC made a pig's ear of it around here.

— Charlotte Austin (@c_j_austin) May 9, 2021

One thing about Lab decline is it will allow other things in their place. Not saying all of them will be good, and it will be painful but at least getting rid of these moribund councils is a step.

Managerial class/Blairite Lab councils have a lot to answer for wherever they have lost to Tories.

All true, and of course there are plenty of old school Blue Labour/entrenched graft local councils for who Blairism was a flag of convenience at best, this rot is very long established

The BBC and other irritants rolling out local voters who are (sometimes inarticulately) expressing this dissatisfaction so smug FBPEs on Twitter can say "look it is the electorate who is bad" are part of the problem and a failure of journalism

I'm sure it's incompetence and not malice tho

too many of them are seemingly quite enthusiastic to make "difficult decisions". I felt like garroting this Labour council creep sat in front of me at a school meeting as he was coldly explaining to someone in tears that it was too bad and there was nothing he could do about their disabled kid's school transport was not being funded any more. He wouldn't even try and explain austerity, just sat there arrogant and smug as fuck with a reproachful "let's be grownups now" look for anyone saying this shit was unacceptable.

The BBC and other irritants rolling out local voters who are (sometimes inarticulately) expressing this dissatisfaction so smug FBPEs on Twitter can say "look it is the electorate who is bad" are part of the problem and a failure of journalism

Endlessly oscillating between contempt for people who have started voting Tory over the last decade and contempt for people who have stuck with Labour over the last decade.

Your reminder that Rayner is no tribune of the Left. https://t.co/T6Tx8n2PdA

— Et tu Keith? (@paulewart23) May 10, 2021

Reminiscent of the state of Scottish labour councils just before they all collapsed seemingly forever

Very interesting line from Starmer at shadow cab - he says he will devote his summer "not having rallies of the faithful but speaking to people who don't vote for us."

Pretty obvious shift there from the previous leadership.

— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) May 10, 2021

Focus group are back, awouuu

Interesting strategy. Like when MTV decided not to play music.

as though rallies of the faithful were an option