Renton

Genuinely thought you had made a typo. The answer is Hooters.

Odd request. KFC isn't a sports bar. The obvious Sports bar choice would be Shearers I'd think.

This is why I said it's the Chelsea game that's must win. A point yesterday was unexpected from me and most welcome, it wasn't the crucial fixture though. Will be a stressful match.

This actually bothers me nowadays. Spend 2 months shifting 3 Kg of lumber, then wreck it over the course of a week on holiday! I'm on "holiday" in Glasgow today, for family reasons. Just realised it's the old firm game. Fuck sticks, hope these knackers don't stray into the West End.

Blimey, I'm not quite there but you raise one hell of a lot of good points.

If this type of shite is popular enough for Reform to get a national majority then I'm done with this country and anyway the country is done, full stop. Darren Grimes on the radio now, R5, what a little arseclart he is.

And btw, as for Reforms 600 odd seats, you have to take into account where they are, nowhere places and towns full to the brim of disaffected people and pensioners. None of the metropolitan councils voted on Thursday, nor Scotland or London. These places won't return reform. Also, little has been said about turnout or as pointed out, spoilt ballots. BTW, why do people draw penises? What's wrong with a pair of tits and a fanny? Maybe Reform can look into it and make a policy statement.

I hope so. Cos the average Reform member is not as silver tongued as Farage. Inteview them and you expose them. A collection of cranks and fruitcakes who have no policies other than sticking it to the foreigners. And immigration isn't even a council competency. Let's see how county Durham council fares over the next 4 years.

I don't get his point here. It already is Victory (in Europe) day. Is he just dropping the E? Highly debatable the US did more to secure victory in WW2 than either Russia or the UK, and he can fuck right off with any claim for WW1.

How does he have the media in his hands? What is the viewership of GB news? We are not in the same situation as the states. He's been off the hook so far because he's not been seen as a genuine threat, more a curiosity. Labour have been happy to let him eat the Tories, which is where the large majority of his support come from. Natural right wingers. But Farage is inexorably linked to Trump and is on record as saying he wants to scrap the NHS. People might not know this yet, but they will. And you are completely underestimating the SHEER incompetence of Reform representatives and their capacity for self destruction. This isn't wishful thinking on my behalf, I just can't see any scenario where a party led by Farage can achieve a majority. He is blatantly not in. Most people's interests. It ain't happening and a by election result and a few council seats aren't stopping that. But at the moment, its as pointless trying to predict 4 years in advance in poliltics as it isti predict what position NUFC will be in then.

I dunno. Plenty of examples where popularism has been over turned without resorting to combating fire with fire. Look at Canada. We've got to resist the descent into a post truth world otherwise what's the point? Policy needs to be evidenced based. Those countries that adopt this perspective will inevitably be more successful imo. Conversely, the US is about to demonstrate how damaging political incompetence and corruption is.

It's a spot on point. I think tactically Labour wait it out. There is a long, long time before the GE, who knows what will happen by then. The US will have an election first for one thing (2 with the mid terms). Reform and the Tories might unite. If they go with Farage, there is plenty of ammunition from what he's said and done in the past to throw at him. I genuinely believe he is not electable.

Agreed. For the life of me, I just don't get how the right have made the culture war an important issue. Who the fuck cares about it from a political pov? The only thing that matters to me is economics in its broader sense including provision of public serves, taxation, and addressing wealth inequality. And add a few foreign affairs into the pot.

40! Young whipper snapper. Honestly, you'd be regarded as old in my previous workplace. I was literally in the top 5% by age at 54. The only person older than me in the Newcastle team was made redundant and I got the unenviable title of office grand dad. Not as bad in my new place but am still relatively ancient.

Give it to the King of the North*. * Burnhamsy.

The comms have been appalling, and I would definitely agree both Starmer and Reeves are as wooden as Pinocchio with oddly irritating voices.

That's not pragmatism you're describing, it's impossibilism (?). To be pragmatic in that regard, appeal to everyone, would be popularism underpinned by lies. Every thing comes with trade offs and this is a point most people fundamentally don't understand. I think Labour has stuck quite well to it's manifesto commitments. They didn't promise much, the main thing was stability. We've got that. Things are improving incrementally, NHS metrics for instance. We're inching closer to Europe. No revolution was promised and it's been less than a year. What do people expect? So what's gone wrong? Winter fuel allowance withdrawn? Is that 150 quid a year enough to make pensioners switch to Reform en mass? At this point, you can only conclude that people are voting Reform as a protest or that they are genuine bone fide morons if they think Farage has solutions.

Starmer should have shown his face, shook a few hands, in retrospect. But fuck the idiots in Runcorn. Canada showed us the way a few days ago. In Runcorn they're thinking, yeah, let's have a bit of Trumpism popularism over here by supporting his odious ickle spittle.

The parliamentary system isn't set up for 3 or 4 major parties, fuck knows what will happen tbh. Agreed though the worst thing Labour can do is chase the reform vote. I still think they will hoist themselves on their own petard.

Yeah, not saying Trump's demise is imminent and I don't know what mechanism will take him out. But in the end it is the incompetence of the regime and the impact this will have on the economy and the average Joe that will do it for him. He's an idiot surrounded by sycophantic idiots, can't possibly end well for him.

US economy is fucked. Who could have predicted it? This lad sasha is on the nail. Can even Trump survive this?

Fortunately half the train emptied at Leeds and I didnt need to engage her, I am now the master of my own dominion (double seats). And then when I went to charge my phone, there is a Plug AND USB charger, so that's on me, since I have a plug adapter. Anyway, she got on at Liverpool I think, train delayed, and still talking to whoever now near York? 2 hour convo? GTF. She needs a special collection in your HGV MF. That's all am saying at this point.

Heading back home. The kids are alright, they were rightly in awe of me. Transpennine has been great using them so far. This morning in first class got a decent full breakfast, all things considered. Until now. Train dalayed and ended up feeling like Bombay central with the crowds and the heat. Cattle class, seating reservations fucked, and I am sat next to a mackem twat woman I want to kill. She's been talking to her other half incessantly for 45 minutes now, her phone hogging the only charger whilst my battery is almost dead. Her fucking patter is so dull she almost makes Keith sound interesting. This is all shit, but what am thinking is, who the fuck is the cuckold on the other end of this mundane shitness? What man talks to his wife/gf/whatever on the phone for almost an hour so far at this point. She's middle aged and not attractive BTW. Might be a lezzer I guess but dont think so. Anyway, need my battery just to pay for shit and display my ticket nowadays. Laters*. * If there is news tonight of a murder on the TPE, Rayvin did it.

PM? Showing your age their ewerk, it's all about the DM these days. 👍