Gloucester Saint

Jeremy Bowen with a good analysis here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y969pnxgvo The two turning points where America ceased being a superpower and hit their limits were re-electing Trump and Trump blindly following Mad Ben without a plan. Mad Ben by contrast has a plan - but his goals and impact are regional. America’s aren’t.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s similar to growing up in the 1980s in that regard, what you saw yesterday are proper lefties inspired by the new left movement from the 1980s led by Benn, Livingstone and briefly captured by Corbyn. You saw them at Greenham Common and the GLA closure. The people at Robinson and Musk’s rally in the autumn are the NF type who were smashing up Kenilworth Road and various European cities with England. Ironic that their leader comes from Luton - maybe Millwall F Troop was Tommy’s inspiration? Bet someone reads this and has a right old Tommy of a different variety… The former probably vote Green these days and the latter for Lowe backed by Musk’s money (judging by the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 business cards circulating amongst football firms) with a smattering still with Farage. The great majority of us look on with bemusement.

He’s got his dreams, and can’t blame him for that, but those are looking as feasible as Saints getting top 2 this season and if Reform carry on sliding (5% in a 5-way picture within a month is huge) then it’s more like the odds of overhauling Coventry if it’s under their own steam. To show the scale of the task, 25% of Tory members on that party’s own private polling were willing to vote Labour in a seat where it was them v Reform. The ‘Stop Farage’ coalition is both broad, deep and far bigger than Farage’s core vote. That’s why he’s been having a meltdown at YouGov for modelling tactical voting because he knows it’s accurate.

We all have dreams…but unless the current Remain majority in the electorate between three parties Sir John Curtiss describes breaks apart, or the Tories elect a centrist leader who can siphon off some of that group (unlikely as it stands, but May might change their membership’s minds), Reform A and B won’t get sufficient seats in FPTP. They’ll do OK on popular vote but the chances of winning when Reform’s polls are sliding by 5% plus is a pipe dream. I’d love for Saints to win the play-offs, then top 10 PL and win the FA Cup next season. Is that possible, yes? Is it very realistic? No.

Exactly this. Add in the impact of Trump’s moronic tariffs which the ripples on global trade will take several years at best, to reverse, and it’s spot on. So the very last thing the UK needs is a populist government modelled on Trumpian lines. Last time the public - or 52% of them - listened to Reform/UKIP, we needlessly slashed 6% off the economy. Then the same people whine that their public services have dwindled. They more likely won’t get in anyway. As Sir John Curtiss says, barely 1 in 10 Labour switchers are going to Reform/Cons. They are a Conservative issue. The movement away from Labour is to Green for the ex-Momentum brigade and Lib Dem’s for the others. But the key point is that all the movement is within the Remain ‘bloc’. I’m sure the red tops will scream about a coalition of chaos or suchlike, but it’s five-way party politics now, at least in England.

@Weston Super Saint fill yer boots…

The reason for the venom at Starmer is all about this, plus the Coulson and Brooks prosecutions https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yvx5xpze5o https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxdy01z0r8o https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dvz6ldevqo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdjnnyp79rwo

You’d have thought the Republicans had learned from JFK murder and Watergate, both driven by Cuban exiles. But no, like moths to a flame. And to think they used to criticise the British empire.

They frustrate me but 1k new GP hires has made a difference and Streeting is scything through the expensive and wasteful mess of the Lansley system. Whilst Starmer has been disappointing domestically, he’s strong on foreign policy, has handled Trump fairly well and kept us out of the current war when Badenoch and Farage would have us straight in. Migrant hotel usage is well down from the peak under Johnson and Mahmood has done more so far to tackle illegal immigration than Patel and Braverman ever did, and the appeals are clearing faster, albeit plenty to do. The EU trade deals have made some difference which will grow. As a Remainer, it’s still unsatisfactory but a lot better than Badenoch and Farage’s bonkers positions.

Reform are not the same as the BNP and have no association with the views of Tommy Robinson (calm now Soggy!)… https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2026-03-27/reform-candidate-stands-down-after-appearing-to-do-nazi-salute-in-photo The risk with stacking yourselves with ex-Tories is that the actual Conservative Party has years on dirt on these people ready to use. Just like today.

@rallyboy or @whelk come on, own up, you’ve hacked @AlexLaw76’s account haven’t you?

QT didn’t admit to Skinner being a paid up Reform member which is naughty. As for him saying SM divides people and that he spreads some love online instead, calling the Green Party leader a bell end (he is, but that is not the point) demonstrates his hypocracy. Also, Tom thought Trump would be good for the UK economy. I’m sure Nigel Redknapp will find some shithole seat for Tom to compete for even so, Bosh! Keeps on claiming Strictly was rigged so he doesn’t have to face the reality that the vast majority of the public see he’s a grifting cunt who steals our taxes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Skinner_(businessman) A bit like his new boss really.

Some of the Israel Lobby have seriously lost the plot over there. Another one of them being Trump’s son in law.

Nice fella…https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg46r0p7v0o

What about a nice fruit cobbler in the summer?

Semla?

Sussex are truly in the 💩. Sounds like we’ve approached their left arm spin all-rounder James Coles. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c4gx2404dv3o

Fixed it for you.

It’s one of the stupidest acts I’ve ever seen. Patients with serious conditions in need of transport haven’t been able to get to their appointments because of those planks and volunteers punished too. As soon as they’re charged, name them. If they’re not UK citizens, that’s an easy and rapid deportation if found guilty.

You might not want to make this one for her birthday

Pre-lactose intolerance: - Sticky Toffee Pudding - Baked Alaska - Spotted Dick I can find lactose free versions of the latter as fine with eggs but the first two just don’t work lactose-free. I’ve tried with STP and it’s nowhere near what I used to make myself or enjoy eating out. There’s an amazing chocolate and orange jaffa-type cake that a garden centre over the Warwickshire border, Hillers (not Hilliers) does DF. I now make banana bread via the Hairy Bikers recipe which is a favourite. Honourable mentions to Battenberg and Frangipane.

I’m the last to shout ‘woke nonsense’ (whatever that means) but in this instance even I’m saying ‘what a load of bollocks’. Bob Monkhouse was hardly Bernard Manning or Jim Davidson was he? Quite liked him actually.

One of Soggy’s Democrat-supporting friends with a bumper sticker just had a rock thrown through her windscreen in Ohio. Only teasing Soggy 😉

Scousers https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqwxypz5gvo

‘Unlike the scummers, we never turn on our own players’