Fan The Flames

I agree. My point was even with our FPTP system, being one of the big two won't necessarily stop you being wiped off the political map. If Labour remain complacent they could get replaced.

It can happen without PR, look at the election results https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_general_elections The political landscape completly changed in the early part of last century. If Labour ceases to be relevant then their votes can easily dwindle. Labour needs a 1990s realignment and a decent Lib Dem leader would help as well. Both parties are being hollowed out and look lightweight. The Tories aren't going to make the same mistake they did under Major, of lecturing the public on standards. Maybe Labour have served their purpose and their time has come to a natural end. They met the needs of last century and now we need something new to meet the needs of this one. They saw the strict socioeconomic strata bend out of shape, oversaw the death of deference, created the NHS and revived it again in the 90's and put social and economic justice so far up the agenda even the Tories can't ignore it.

It's felt very amateurish at Labour for a long time and I hoped that KS would usher in a slicker outfit. It hasn't happened and I think that is down to the in fighting between the two factions in the party. I really think that Labour are in an existential crisis and could easily be hollowed out by the Tories on one side and the greens or some other progressive party on the other side. Like what has happened in Scotland.

Turn his feet red for the full pompey kit.

You must lead a very boring life.

You said yesterday it wasn't anything to do with brexit.

Good sunday family entertainment.

Foot - Corbyn Kinnock - Starmer Blair - ?? = 13 years

That's as lame as Starmers punches.

Lol love it. The Tory boys think they have it all sown up for the foreseeable. People said the same when Blair was in power but the pendulum will swing again like it always has.

What is interesting is that Europe was seen as Tory problem. Yes Labour had some marxist loons that wanted to leave but that was nothing like the fault line running through the Tory party. No one really appreciated the same fault line in the Labour support and it turns out that you can cover up a fault line in a party far more easily* than you can one in a nationwide support. This is why people feel ignored. Brexit has enabled the decade long Tory government to look like the change candidate, something that has always appealed to voters. Just like Thatcherism united the working class and the progressive wings of the Labour movement, Brexit has broadened the conservative church. It's a gift to the Cons, but won't give forever. *especially a party that see themselves as born to lead, who would kill their granny to keep hold of power.

Probably not. But in Hartlepool the facts are simple, the Cons taking the seat was just delayed by the Brexit party who took 10000 votes in 2019. Where are those voters going to go now the Brexit party is over. To the party that secured Brexit or to the party that put up a remainer candidate. Losing the Hartlepol dead rubber means nothing in grand scale of things, it was lost before yesterday. Brexit has redrawn the political lines and it favours the conservatives at the moment, I don't think Labour have worked out how to repond, they haven't sorted out their offer yet, but they have time before the next GE. The twin tails of brexit and covid will wag for a while yet.

In a seat Labour only held last time because the Brexit party split the vote.

Agree, I've yet to see a design I like.

Totally this. It was a shocking decision that VAR didn't over turn. If a red card is rescinded then the ref should have to serve the ban instead.

Twist

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/feb/15/forgotten-story-17-november-1993?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other You might like this.

The Saints Players piece is a good read. I had high hopes for AM. Very sad news at such a young age.

Ahh the days when 3-1 was our favourite scoreline. Three team shootout now, I'm going to enjoy Sunday.

Jim Davidson

I'm sure she mistakenly used a short hand phrase. But if that was Chris Kamara we'd all think if was just a funny gaff. We all do it, I once at work said 'I'm going for my ejaculation', instead of inoculation. Given that the job was for a female present her being a women is redundant, she got the job because she was a high profile woman player. I agree that shouldn't make her the most suitable person for the job and there are probably better people out there. The idea that only football people can talk about football is wrong, a lot of football chat is bollocks and some of the better stuff I listen too is with non-footballers.

Because something is disagreed with doesn't automatically make it controversial. She said that a covid break would help a high tempo team like Leeds, that's not really controversial. Pile ons are part of it but like everything people over step the mark and she thinks that Twitter should pull the really bad one. Twitter probably can't afford to police it though, but with numbers declining they might have to. Interestingly peoples views on pile ons is influenced by whether they agree with the particular subject matter or not.

Some measures are being relaxed before 21 June, there is a road map and it's happening in stages.

It would be good if she could have fronted it out, but couldn't and that's ok.

Has Carney had a go at Twitter, or has she just said how the event made her feel. I don't think she said anything controversial, I also don't think Leeds response was bad. The plle on afterwards was and whilst in the main that is on the individuals who post, I guess she feels that Twitter could take responsibility regarding the most abusive posts and I tend to agree with that. She said it affected her mental health so she did the right thing and deleted her account.