danielmcelroy0.bsky.social

Also Labour didn't have a debate on trans rights! It awkwardly answered one way until it felt the politics had shifted, then it started awkwardly answering the other way. They never worked out what it wanted to do. Now Streeting's off doing his own thing whilst Philipson hides behind the sofa

McSweeney pressed for his mentor to get the job. One of the most bizarre shortlists of all time was drawn up: Mandelson, George Osborne and the rugged TV survivalist Bear Grylls, since it was believed he would appeal to Trump, also a star of reality TV. Starmer initially backed Osborne but McSweeney got his way.

This piece in The Spectator by @shippersunbound.bsky.social has an absolutely mad detail that I was not previously aware of spectator.com/article/auth...

This is exactly it. On essentially every issue, this Labour government is either too leftwing - a bunch of anti-business measures that nobody cares about, an infrastructure binge at a time when it should want downward pressure on rates, etc. etc. - or too rightwing (as set out below).

An equalisation of the minimum wage that will hit youth employment while at the same time sneering about how Gen Z's 'anxiety' is why Neets are going up - probably the ur-example of how this government is too rightwing, too leftwing, and at its core, just not serious enough about policy.

I’m aware this is months old, I think it just indicates the biggest issue this government has: its initial analysis of who and what it is for pre-2024 election was wrong, and it’s been doubling down ever since.

They’ve always had a dreadful idea of who the Labour Party is for and who actually votes for it. Politics 101 and they have never got past it.

We need a true Blairite in power. True Blairism hasn’t been tried. Sincerely.

If Starmer wants a reset - and not yet another U-turn when the parliamentary party balks at a policy - here is his chance.

Writing off of local government SEND debts and nationalising the whole program is genuinely a good thing Labour is doing. Should be doing the same thing with social care too.

It’s actually great we have such high turnover, at least we still have standards to boot out a crap leader.

This is quite dramatic but not without truth: his failures could condemn the Labour Party and the country. Complacency and cowardice are deeply dangerous.

I don’t think Starmer could articulate his difference in positions relative to that of the Blair government if he tried.

Lucy Powell caretaker fulfilling the David Lidington “what the fuck are you all on?” role in this governments slow collapse.

Not today's main point, but I do find it odd that ministers are signalling their support of Keir Starmer - pretty important as their silence is interpreted as a sign they might quit and force him to resign! - by... posting on X.

You know, the site condemned for being an AI porn hellscape last month

Everyone has their own very specific and unique revisionism of what the Blair government was/wasn’t, and we’ve never got the good kind.

Lucy Powell does inspire a particular eye rolling from me, she does just radiate the vibes that she could well be engaging in an elaborate role play of a The Thick Of It character.

People get very stuck on the “2019 was an irrecoverably bad defeat” line, when the real barometer for 2024 success for Labour wasn’t improving from 2019, it was making good on the level of support they had obtained in 2022/23! The circumstances were so different by then, 2019 comparison was moot.

He could limp on out of a strange pity like May did.

I’m actually despairing that he has managed to fuck his goodwill up the wall in such a pitiful fashion. Not even productive. And he’ll still lose in May.

Its written off eventually you moron, and the interest rate is higher than you can repay it

Starmer defining himself against corbyn and boris and becoming both corbyn and boris....absolute cinema. Wish it didn't affect me

arguably the biggest news of the week that Lisa Nandy is currently doing something related to her brief

The Starmer "That's real Britain" image.

A political scandal involving Peter Mandelson?

A fascinating "why format matters" example here. Making this the text of your post would be standard government minister boilerplate.

Posting it as a screenshot in the official font makes it look like you've been asked to carry the portrait of Lenin at the May Day Parade.

The press conference was very thin too. You’d think he’d have more to say!

*Anas Sarwar* being the one to stick the knife in you……..the indignity of it all

Sarwar seems blissfully unaware of the fact people can, in fact, see his past public statements!

I do think that the Anas Sarwar press conference was just too nakedly cynical to be effective, frankly.

red ed redemption (starring ed miliband)

LFG

Deeply real from both of you there.