POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

I saw THIS surprising BBC report.....
Zia Yusuf, who resigned as Reform UK chairman on Thursday, is to return to work for the party in a new role. Yusuf will lead what the party calls its "Doge team" – which is modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by US President Donald Trump. Earlier this week, Yusuf quit the party, saying working to get it elected was no longer "a good use of my time", without expanding further. On Saturday, Reform leader Nigel Farage told the BBC he was "delighted" Yusuf was had returned to the party and that he will now take on a more public role for the party in a new role, appearing more frequently in the media. He said: "Zia regrets what he said and did the other day. It was a combination of 11 months hard work and exhaustion."
The words 'booze-up' and 'brewery' spring to mind.....

[Stanley]

See THIS report on the state of play at Reform UK.
Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has insisted the party knows "exactly what it is doing" following a 48 hours in which its chairman Zia Yusuf resigned, before returning in a different role. On Thursday, Yusuf dramatically quit, saying in a social media post that trying to get the party elected was not "a good use of my time". However, two days later he said he would be coming back to lead the party's unit tasked with identifying spending cuts at councils, which is inspired by the US Department of Government Efficiency. Tice told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that chairing the party was "a tough, brutal job" and Yusuf was "essentially exhausted" after 11 months in the role. "It's a massive job, and as we were growing incredibly fast - essentially that job was too much for one person, so we're reorganising. "I'm delighted that Zia is staying with the party and he's going to be focusing on our Doge unit."
So that's all right then.....
Just a thought, we are paying these idiots to run the country..... To quote Tripps, what could possibly go wrong?

[Stanley]

See THIS summary by Chris Mason of the story so far with the Labour attempt to continue austerity.....
The final act in this slow motion U-turn has played out. The arc of this row runs to almost a year. It was late July last year when I was among a bunch of reporters called into the Treasury to question the then new chancellor about her out-of-the-blue policy to take the Winter Fuel Payment from millions of pensioners. Rachel Reeves limited the payment to only those pensioners in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits – around 1.5 million – saving up to £1.5bn a year. Ever since Labour MPs have grumbled they've been taking heat for it. The issue sat like a giant toad on the political news agenda all summer, hundreds of those newly elected Labour MPs deluged with complaints. And it never really went away.
It is looking as though Labour have realised what an awful mistake it was. There must be many old Labour supporters like me who have been thoroughly disillusioned by Starmer and Co. doing their Tory look alike act for the last year. The question now is will the U turn work? I doubt it actually, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube and the question hanging in my mind (and I suspect many others) is who is going to win the battle for pole position in Parliament, The Liberals or Reform.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the new chairman for Reform.....
TalkTV host David Bull has been named as Reform UK's new chairman, replacing Zia Yusuf who quit last week after clashing with colleagues over calls for a burka ban. A long-time ally of party leader Nigel Farage, 56-year-old Bull has held several roles in Reform and its predecessor the Brexit Party, but is best known for his work as a broadcaster. The appointment of a polished media performer contrasts with multi-millionaire businessman Yusuf, a 38-year-old political newcomer who largely worked behind the scenes as chairman to professionalise the party. Speaking at an event in London, Farage said Bull's job was "not to get involved in the admin" but to "give leadership" to activists.
I have little doubt that there is more to this changing of the guard than meets the eye..... I hold no brief for Farage but in political terms he runs rings round the other three leaders....

[Tripps]

Never heard of Dr David Bull until today. I learn he is a TV presenter who used to do a TV programme about ghosts etc. Says he believes in it all and has been visited by one. That alone should disqualify him from political power.

I have not paid any attention whatever to the financial statement from Rachel from Accounts. Not a "budget" you understand. I put no trust in any of the numbers she speaks of. It will be forgotten about within hours. The main talking point on social media, was to ask if Sir Keir Rodney Starmer was under the influence of a "substance" during her speech. Seems he moved his jaw in a strange manner. Good grief. . . just imagine.

People are treating Reform as a serious political party and behaving as if the next general election is later this year. They have never governed anything - and I doubt they will survive. Note the bizarre behaviour of their Chairman last week. Good luck to the test bed previously known as LCC.

The SNP had a referendum, which they lost, where N. Sea oil played a major part in the outcome. They had to answer some demanding questions at the time. Someone should remind them that things have changed, and we're going for Net Zero. I think criminal charges are still hanging over the former leadership, and what happened to the camper van? Time for some serious questions.

Is that enough to be going on with?

[Stanley]

I'd never heard of Bull either David.
I have to agree with everything else you said. Founded from the remains of Brexit movement Reform has morphed into an anti-Conservative Party which is not a broad enough base to found a political party on. As I said yesterday, the only asset they have is Farage because of his capacity for self-promotion.
Labour won the last election not because of their excellence but because the Tories were so dire. Reform is superficially doing well for the same reason, all the other offerings are rubbish.
Again, you are quite right when you say the Reeves report will be forgotten in hours. It is the only thing being reported on in UK politics. I get the feeling that somehow, governance of this country is sliding down hill at an increasing pace. God alone knows where we are going to end up.

[Tripps]

When you mention Dominic Cummings - the average punter will think of him running away to his dad's in County Durham during Covid, and a test drive to check his eyesight to Barnard Castle. I've seen bits of his interviews but didn't really 'get' him.
Perhaps he has lowered his sights to broaden his audience. I suspect he is "on manoeuvres" and he seems to be close to Mr Farage and his party.

Dominic Cummings

I was seduced by Youtube, into watching this interview with him tonight - and to my surprise watched every minute of the 30 that it takes. It's the most impressive political discourse I've possibly ever heard. He has put into impressive words, and added to much of what I have been thinking over the last few years. He speaks of over promoted low quality civil servants, deliberate encouragement of immigration, driven by The Treasury, the destruction of medical education, in order to encourage the need more foreign doctors to be recruited, downgrading the words 'highly skilled ' to include kebab chefs, the pandering to minorities for fear of rioting, and a whole lot more.

His recommended restorative medicine will not of course be taken - and we will blunder on to the impending, and probably imminent, catastrophe. Turkeys will of course never vote for Christmas.

I doubt a single member on this site will watch the whole thing, and there is no reason why they should, but I'd recommend it.

I'm off to get hold of Thucidydes Book three now sounds a good read . . . . .

[Stanley]

I tried to listen to the interview David but his staccato delivery means I can't understand what he is saying. Sorry but I did try. Sometimes age defeats you!
I looked at current political news and found THIS which seems to me to be more important.
Israel has carried out strikes on Iran's nuclear programme, the IDF has said, with blasts heard in Tehran. The strikes were part of Operation Rising Lion, Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, adding Iran was a threat to "Israel's very survival". Israel has declared a state of emergency, saying the country expected retaliation. In Jerusalem, residents were woken by sirens followed by a phone alert. The strikes targeted "Iran's nuclear programme and other military targets", an Israeli official has said
I can't speculate on this, I can only look at what we are being told and think that it is utter madness on all sides.....

[Tripps]

his staccato delivery means I can't understand what he is saying

That's a shame - my banker to listen to it has fallen at the first fence. I've taken to using headphones when I need to listen properly.

I know that aids are available, but really can't be bothered. The reduction in my hearing is only a minor annoyance, and I don't need any more small fiddly battery powered gadgets.

[Stanley]

That's my argument against doing anything David but I have to admit that my problem has gone beyond a 'minor annoyance', it's a depressing fact of life. I have no problem with clear, well annunciated voices. It's sloppy speakers like Cummings that defeat me. Think of Julie Andrews in that song..... "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains". That's the standard of clarity I need now.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest..... THIS caught my eye....
9 hours ago
MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell will face no further action after being interviewed by police following a pro-Palestinian rally. McDonnell said the pair had been questioned by officers after taking part in the demonstration in central London in January. He told MPs: "It was alleged that we failed to follow police restrictions on the protest. This is untrue, and at all times we followed police instructions". Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the Metropolitan Police of "picking on us two as members of Parliament". A rally involving several thousand people took place in Whitehall in January after police blocked plans to hold a march from Portland Place, near the headquarters of the BBC. Police had imposed a condition on the organisers of the rally under the Public Order Act that prevented them gathering outside the corporation's headquarters because of its close proximity to a synagogue and a risk there could be "serious disruption" as congregants attended services. A further condition required the rally to be confined to Whitehall. Speaking in the Commons on Friday, McDonnell said: "We can now report that the police have dropped the case against us, and there will be no charges". He added that in correspondence with their solicitor, the Met had "informed us that our case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service because as MPs we were to be held to have, and I quote, a 'greater culpability'". "This is an unacceptable practice that flies in the face of the principle that we are all equal before the law," he added. "I wish to place on record my concern about this behaviour by the Metropolitan Police".
No mention of their actions as being seen as Anti-Semitic.... Has the climate of opinion changed?

[Tripps]

It's sloppy speakers like Cummings that defeat me

That's a pity -it has attracted wide attention and much praise. Many agree with me that he is re-positioning himself. Interesting that he describes "calling high level meetings" - as if he was running the show, not just advising the PM. I think he probably was. He said a meeting of special forces said they could stop the small boat crossings in about three days, if tasked to do so.

Raja Miah has quoted him extensively in his latest video. He has also trailed the latest Louise Casey report, which though a couple of months late, will be released later next week. Deliberately timed to avoid Sir Keir Rodney Starmer having to answer awkward question at PMQ's on Wednesday.

Raja Miah says it will be leaked extensively over the next few day , and that has proved to be true. She has said the unsayable, including the "P" word.

Meanwhile here I'm wrestlng with the term "bright overcast" , watching Trooping the Colour, and wondering if we have more horses or tanks in the Army. Looking forward to the French Oaks on Sunday - they've refused $2.5 million for 'She's Perfect' - and Royal Ascot next week. . . .

PS The Royal balcony looks very sparse this year, and likey to get 'sparserer'. No close up shots, little enthusiasm from the gang, and the 'RAF' fly past is derisory. Just learned that they are using bio- fuel. That seems to be then most noteworthy feature of the event. The game's up chaps. . . .

[Tizer]

PS The Royal balcony looks very sparse this year, and likey to get 'sparserer'. No close up shots, little enthusiasm from the gang, and the 'RAF' fly past is derisory. Just learned that they are using bio- fuel. That seems to be then most noteworthy feature of the event. The game's up chaps. . . .

Perhaps try this instead?
`Visual guide: What to expect from Trump’s birthday party military parade' LINK
The US military is rolling into Washington DC this week for a rare public display of strength on Saturday to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary. President Donald Trump, who has long dreamt of holding such an event, will watch on as more than 6,000 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft take part in a military parade. Trump, who coincidentally turns 79 on the same day, says the event will honour the US military’s role in major historical victories and celebrate American power. But the one-day event, which the Army has said could cost up to $45 million (£33m), has been criticised by some as a vanity project and a poor use of taxpayers’ money...

I've just noticed this - it was bound to be happening I suppose...
`Facial recognition error sees woman accused of theft' LINK

[Tripps]

Very impressive and on his birthday too. Not enough horses though as far as I understand it. No bright red tunics and the button spacing is the same for all troops. Plenty of tanks (drone fodder now) but a distinct lack of tradition.

Raja Miah has quoted him extensively in his latest video. He has also trailed the latest Louise Casey report, which though a couple of months late, will be released later next week. Deliberately timed to avoid Sir Keir Rodney Starmer having to answer awkward question at PMQ's on Wednesday.

GBNews are saying that Starmer has announced, on his plane to Canada, that he has caved,and "having read every word of Louise Casey's report" - he will implement her recommendations in full and has announced a full statutary enquiry - with full legal powers to call witnesses etc.

There is still plenty scope for evasive footwork though - no doubt Raja Miah will explain it all tonight, or on his next scheduled video. As it stands though - looks like a total 180 degree U turn, and quite a bit of a humiliation.

For anyone interested - here's the full SP.
Raja Miah

[Tripps]

The US military is rolling into Washington DC this week for a rare public display of strength on Saturday to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary. President Donald Trump, who has long dreamt of holding such an event, will watch on as more than 6,000 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft take part in a military parade. Trump, who coincidentally turns 79 on the same day,

Hadn't realised it was tonight - fancy him having the same birthday as our own dear King. Spooky.

Impressive - they all look ready to fight. No red tunics, no horses, no kilts and no bagpipes. Disappointing.

He certainly has plenty of energy for an 79 year old.

[Stanley]

The parade in Washington.... Why am I reminded of Stalin and Red Square.... ?
I saw THIS and it raises another question.... Why? Have we received instructions from the US?
I see the BBC has caught up with THIS....
The prime minister has announced there will be a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs. Sir Keir Starmer said he had accepted the recommendations of an audit by Baroness Louise Casey into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse. Baroness Casey has recommended a national inquiry is required, he said. The inquiry will cover England and Wales. For months, Sir Keir has faced criticism for not being willing to set one up.

[Tripps]

Humiliation for Sir Keir Rodney Starmer I'd say, and several other colleagues must be having a worrying weekend. Anyone with any principle will surely be resigning. That of course means no one. Miah , to his credit, was very magnanimous in his moment of triumph after six years campaigning.

That said - having read Winston Smith's (Social Worker running hostels) blog which won the Orwell Prize in 2010 - later published as a book, Winston Smith and Maggie Oliver's autobiography, which impressed me less tha I thought it might, I am sceptical about the numbers of victims/survivors that is routinely quoted in the tens of thousands. I think the number is far fewer.

This geezer comments almost hourly on such matters, and is often 'worth a look'. His latest video is interesting - if only for the behaviourof his cat in the background. ( Fast forward to 2 mins) Why is it digging? It's not going to is it? It really is. . . .
I do hope he doesn't delete it.

Hot Takes

[Stanley]

I watched David and yes, of course it is. (How do you know it's his cat?)

It would appear that a log jam has broken, see THIS report on movement in other parts of governance...
3 hours ago
The National Crime Agency (NCA) will carry out a nationwide operation to target and jail predators who have sexually exploited children as part of a grooming gang, according to the Home Office. It said the NCA would work with police forces to give victims whose cases were not progressed through the criminal justice system "long-awaited justice" and prevent more children from being hurt by such crimes. It comes ahead of the release of a report by Baroness Louise Casey on Monday on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Saturday there would be a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales.
I smell a hint of panic.....

[PanBiker]

The US military is rolling into Washington DC this week for a rare public display of strength on Saturday to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary. President Donald Trump, who has long dreamt of holding such an event, will watch on as more than 6,000 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft take part in a military parade. Trump, who coincidentally turns 79 on the same day,

Hadn't realised it was tonight - fancy him having the same birthday as our own dear King. Spooky.

Impressive - they all look ready to fight. No red tunics, no horses, no kilts and no bagpipes. Disappointing.

He certainly has plenty of energy for an 79 year old.

DRAFT DODGER!

[Big Kev]

The US military is rolling into Washington DC this week for a rare public display of strength on Saturday to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary. President Donald Trump, who has long dreamt of holding such an event, will watch on as more than 6,000 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft take part in a military parade. Trump, who coincidentally turns 79 on the same day,

Hadn't realised it was tonight - fancy him having the same birthday as our own dear King. Spooky.

Impressive - they all look ready to fight. No red tunics, no horses, no kilts and no bagpipes. Disappointing.

He certainly has plenty of energy for an 79 year old.

DRAFT DODGER!

FB_IMG_1750015687359.jpg

[Stanley]

Baroness Casey appears to have come up with a meaningful report on grooming gangs. See THIS BBC report....
The ethnicity of people involved in grooming gangs has been "shied away from" by authorities, according to a new report by Baroness Louise Casey. The finding comes after the peer was tasked with producing an audit on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse in England and Wales. The report said ethnicity data is not recorded for two-thirds of grooming gang perpetrators, meaning it is not robust enough to support conclusions about offenders at a national level. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper apologised to victims as she presented the findings to MPs and announced a new national inquiry into grooming gangs.
Now we need to see equal speed in executing the recommendations.
(Ann Cryer will be pleased I think. She was warning about this long before anyone else realised there was a problem.)

As for Trump.... I see he is using Iran as an excuse to leave the G7 summit early. If you've been watching he made a speech supporting Putin and things were getting uncomfortable. See THIS CNN report....

CNN —

While visiting Canada on Monday for a Group of 7 summit, President Donald Trump repeated one of his many false claims about Canada – again wrongly blaming former Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for getting Russia booted out of the group formerly known as the Group of 8. Speaking of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed Monday: “He was thrown out – by Trudeau, who convinced one or two people, along with Obama. He was thrown out. And he’s not a happy person about it, I can tell you that.” In fact, Trudeau did not become Canada’s prime minister until November 2015 – more than 19 months after Russia’s 2014 ouster from the Group of 8, a forum made up of countries with large industrialized economies. It was Trudeau’s Conservative predecessor as prime minister, Stephen Harper, who led the effort to kick Russia out in the wake of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. Trudeau’s Liberals were not even the biggest opposition party in Canada’s House of Commons at the time. Trump made the false claim while standing beside Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trudeau’s successor as Liberal leader. Trump made a similar false claim about Trudeau during an exchange with reporters at the White House in May, incorrectly saying of Russia’s removal from the Group of 8: “I thought it was a very bad decision. It was headed by Trudeau, by the way, and Obama. They were the ones that really fought hard to get Russia out.” Trade and US aid to Ukraine: Trump made other false claims in his Monday remarks at the G7. Speaking to reporters alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump erroneously described his trade deal with the UK as a deal with the European Union, which the UK does not belong to. Trump then twice repeated his long-debunked assertion that former President Joe Biden had given “$350 billion” in aid to Ukraine.
This man is a joke but millions will believe what he says just because he says it.

[Tizer]

As well as confusing his deal with us as one with the EU Trump also dropped his conference papers all over the ground. Another mistake (or obfuscation) is him blaming Iran's nuclear proliferation on actions of other presidents when he himself is the one who terminated the previously successful agreement with Iran to keep it's uranium enrichment below the level for a bomb in exchange for sanctions being lifted. We are in the present Iran situation thanks to Daft Donald!

I wonder how much longer Trump will be able to blunder on. He's increasingly making obvious mistakes and confusing issues. He often says one thing then says the opposite in the next sentence. We don't always hear about these moments in the main news but I listen to Americast regularly and that's where you get stuff not picked up by the usual journalists. He's now losing the original MAGA supporters who voted for him because he promised to stop wars on the first day and keep America out of any future ones. Now they see him getting America tangled in more wars. Add to that the coming economic woes due to his `beautiful' tariffs and his support will fall even more.

[Tripps]

I've heard the Barlick labour MP Jonathon Hinder's name mentioned a few times in recent days. Here he is a few days ago being interviewed on GB News. I don't think he's following the Party policy which was extant at the time -though they have now done another U turn and it now is. . He is calling (amongst other matters) for a public enquiry into grooming gangs, whilst all the others are saying it is not needed, and verbally abusing anyone who doesn't agree with them . Does anyone know how deeply his policy aims were investigated at the hustings?

GB News is not what you might call a left leaning show - to put it mildly - and I'm surprised he chose them to air his views.

Jonathon Hinder

Is there a danger of tergiversation, and a possibility that Reform UK might be getting another recruit?
I would not rule it out on the evidence I have seen.

[Stanley]

That's an interesting thought David! He seems to be auditioning for the 'Awkward Squad'. Nowt wrong with that, Gordon Prentice was a good man but not always following the Party line....

See THIS report from Parliament....
MPs have voted to change abortion legislation to stop women in England and Wales being prosecuted for ending their pregnancy. The landslide vote to decriminalise the procedure is the biggest change to abortion laws in England and Wales for nearly 60 years. Women who terminate their pregnancy outside the rules, for example after 24 weeks, will no longer be at risk of being investigated by police. The law will still penalise anyone who assists a woman, including medical professionals, in getting an abortion outside the current legal framework. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi put forward the amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

[Stanley]

See THIS account of the report on HS2 presented to Parliament.
The opening of HS2 will be delayed beyond the target date of 2033, the government has confirmed, but it did not say when the high speed railway line will begin operating. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said on Wednesday that there was "no route" to delivering the line on schedule and within budget, describing the HS2 project as an "appalling mess". She said a "litany of failure" had led to missed deadlines and ballooning costs which rose by £37bn between HS2 being approved in 2012 and last year. It is the latest setback for the high-speed rail project, which has been scaled back and delayed repeatedly."Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been wasted by constant scope changes, ineffective contracts and bad management."
The question arises in my mind about ever entrusting major infrastructure projects to politicians.....

[Stanley]

There's more to THIS than meets the eye.
Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft has resigned as a whip over the government's plans to cut disability benefits. In a letter to the prime minister,, external Foxcroft said she understood the need to address "the ever-increasing welfare bill" but said cuts to personal independence payments and universal credit should "not be part of the solution". She said she had "wrestled with whether I should resign or remain in the government and fight for changes from within. Sadly it now seems that we are not going to get the changes I desperately wanted to see." Responding to her letter, a government spokesman said it was fixing a "broken welfare system" that was failing the sick and vulnerable. "Our principled reforms will ensure those who can work should, that those who want to work are properly supported, and that those with the most severe disabilities and health conditions are protected."
Does she really think she does more for the disabled by resigning? Or is there something else behind this move.... Note, she has only resigned the post of Whip.