British PM Richie Rich Sunak decides to celebrate 4th July 1776 Anniversary of Loss of Webellious North American Colonie

[Octavious]

All this is pretty much certain. Add variables like a Trump victory, a revived Tory opposition led by the exciting young Badenoch, grim news from Ukraine, and whatever the next unexpected global disaster will be, and Kier may well be wishing he never got the job. But you never know... He may get lucky...

I think you mistakenly said "exciting" when what you meant to say was "dangerous nutcase".

It is entirely possible that both are true. To a lot of natural Tories she's the the chap with tattoos and a motorbike who your parents deeply disapprove of and have told you in no uncertain terms to stop seeing. Time will tell regarding whether or not she turns out to have a heart of gold, or is just another nutjob.

[MajorMitchell]

Richie Rich Sunak's new policy proposal for Conscription presumably for Military Service should have the Officers of the Horse Guards and Royal Navy Sea Lords in coniptions of dismay.
It reminds me of a hilarious episode of "Yes Prime Minister" that had Conscription as a policy proposal v the Trident submarine project.
Rather AUKUS submarine like stuff.

The aerial photographs of the Roysl Navy's storage of obsolete nuclear powered submarines are a cautionary example of the long term problems of toxic nuclear waste that is ignored and the topic of wonderful dissembling and disingenuous evasions by Britain's political leaders

[Octavious]

Nah, not even the chaps at Horse Guards are deluded enough to think that Rishi is going to win. And even if he did there'd just be a couple of years consultation period, maybe a pilot scheme or two, before they conclude the idea isn't practicable and quietly drop it. It's a nice safe policy designed to attract attention without the risk of actually having to do anything

[MajorMitchell]

That's why it's a simulacrum of the Yes Prime Minister episode, Conscription gets dumped for Trident
Richie Rich Sunak picked the Anniversary of the loss of the Webellious wascally North American Colonies, got rained on outside Number 10 Downing St, proposing Conscription is a perfect "non policy" policy in hope of distracting the public's attention from a myriad of other problems overwhelming Richie Rich Sunak

[MajorMitchell]

Deft positioning as disliked underdog billionaire?

[Jamiet99uk]

At this point the Conservatives could promise to blow up the moon or invade Brazil, it does not matter very much to the outcome of the election.

[Octavious]

... there may be a bit of a boost if they promised to invade France

[Octavious]

To be fair to Labour, they are trying to give the Tories a chance. Inviting Natalie Elphicke into the warm embrace of the Party whilst telling Diane Abbott to sod off is about as big a slap in the face of the left wing as you can get

[Jamiet99uk]

Never mind the "Committed Zionist" who is their candidate in North Durham.

[Jamiet99uk]

Number of photos of the leader in recent Labour manifestos:

2024 (Starmer): 32
2019 (Corbyn): 1
2017 (Corbyn): 4

#NotACult

[Octavious]

In fairness Corbyn could be pretty confident that your average Brit would be able to recognise him in the street. Starmer, far less so. At least he's avoiding the Lib Dem amateur dramatics slapstick approach to campaigning. That's just embarrassing.

[Jamiet99uk]

In fairness Corbyn could be pretty confident that your average Brit would be able to recognise him in the street. Starmer, far less so. At least he's avoiding the Lib Dem amateur dramatics slapstick approach to campaigning. That's just embarrassing.

Amateur dramatics? Have I missed a fun news item?

[Octavious]

You missed him repeatedly pretending to fall into Lake Windermere from a paddleboard? Or the cycle ride down the Welsh hill with his legs in the air? Or the bright yellow waterside event? Or the roller-coaster? It's as if he's desperate to replicate a Boris on a zipline moment.

[Jamiet99uk]

You missed him repeatedly pretending to fall into Lake Windermere from a paddleboard? Or the cycle ride down the Welsh hill with his legs in the air? Or the bright yellow waterside event? Or the roller-coaster? It's as if he's desperate to replicate a Boris on a zipline moment.

I have missed all of these events.

It's almost as if the UK's news channels don't give the Lib Dems very much coverage...

[MajorMitchell]

Merde! Sacre Bleu!
President Macron has decided he will not be upstaged by a smaller political leader in Britain with an election campaign and has announced his own election in la belle Francais.
Chinese Dictator Xi Jinping is asking his spies which of these two diminutive Chaps has the better election, but several misheard the word election and assumed Xi Jinping said "erection" so the Chinese spies are busy trying to find out.

My Bookie has Macron as a short priced favourite to win by a half head from Richie Rich Sunak

[Octavious]

You missed him repeatedly pretending to fall into Lake Windermere from a paddleboard? Or the cycle ride down the Welsh hill with his legs in the air? Or the bright yellow waterside event? Or the roller-coaster? It's as if he's desperate to replicate a Boris on a zipline moment.

I have missed all of these events.

It's almost as if the UK's news channels don't give the Lib Dems very much coverage...

I think there's a degree of living in your political bubble regarding this. It's actually had quite a lot of mainstream coverage. What makes it different to Reform is that people don't give a shit.

Farage says something about adopting a French style healthcare system and you will get armies of people shouting about it on social media. The die hard NHS cultists will put down their "3 weeks to save the NHS" posters and dedicate a few days to shouting at how Farage is evil and wants to turn us into the USA (they will insist it's the USA regardless of what Farage actually says for reasons not entirely clear). Then there will be thousands of people who believe that the NHS needs some kind of reform but don't really agree what it should be, and it generates a lot conversation.

Ed goes down a water slide and says "we should be better on mental health" and people say "yeah, probably right about that", and there's no conversation.

What's surprising me most about this election is Labour's caution. The Tories are plucking figures out of their backside as usual (their statement about Labour having to raise taxes significantly is probably quite true, but the idea that they can somehow avoid it is utter fantasy). But Labour are doing the same. Their attempts at balancing the books in their manifesto are laughable, and their promises lack ambition. It's as if they're fighting a knife-edge election rather than one where they can get a strong mandate for pretty much anything they want if they just put it in the manifesto

[Jamiet99uk]

Keir Starmer is a Marixst.

Not like Karl, but like Groucho:

"These are my principles; if you don't like them, I have others!"