The Starmer Years - Can The New Broom Sweep Clean?

[egg]

25 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

Yeah I couldn't get in on my I-pad and phone apps last night either, then tried it online with my laptop and that was buggered too.  Tried it now and got an immediate "we're currently experiencing technical issues" popup.  I hope they haven't been hacked....

The thought had crossed my mind. 

[The Kraken]

1 hour ago, egg said:

The thought had crossed my mind. 

Looks like HL are saying it's not.

In a statement on Friday morning the company said this was impacting the ability to perform account transactions but said clients' assets and data were "secure" and there was "no evidence of any cyber incident data breach".

[Lord Duckhunter]

Look at this Nod, fuck me. I’ve seen lots of amateur players of his age playing 5 a side, and they look like older versions of how they played. This bloke must of been absolutely fucking pony in his “prime”. 
 

Although he may have lacked a bit of subtlety, at least Boris had a bit of coordination and didn’t run like a constipated duck. 
 

 

[Farmer Saint]

9 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

This bloke must of been absolutely fucking pony in his “prime”. 

Think you'll find it's 'must have been'.

Also, Boris was 21 years younger than Keir was there. It's a very odd comparison to make, but then your a very odd old cunt aren't you?

Edited March 30 by Farmer Saint

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

3 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Think you'll find it's 'must have been'.

Also, Boris was 21 years younger than Keir was there. It's a very odd comparison to make, but then your a very odd old cunt aren't you?

Ahem…. “you’re “

[whelk]

8 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Think you'll find it's 'must have been'.

Also, Boris was 21 years younger than Keir was there. It's a very odd comparison to make, but then you’re a very odd old cunt aren't you?

Sure he pisses himself laughing at someone called Skint Eastwood. Genius, gettit, gettit?

[Farmer Saint]

5 hours ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

Ahem…. “you’re “

Lol, true story.

[Gloucester Saint]

11 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Think you'll find it's 'must have been'.

Also, Boris was 21 years younger than Keir was there. It's a very odd comparison to make, but then your a very odd old cunt aren't you?

I couldn’t see Farage doing any more than 30 seconds without needing a cigarette/pint but tbh, footballing ability in someone’s prime isn’t high up on my list of what I look for in leaders and PMs.

If it was, Wayne Rooney or Sir David Beckham would be PM.

[Sir Ralph]

On 30/03/2026 at 01:17, Farmer Saint said:

Think you'll find it's 'must have been'.

Also, Boris was 21 years younger than Keir was there. It's a very odd comparison to make, but then your a very odd old cunt aren't you?

Just no need to be that rude……

Edited April 6 by Sir Ralph

[sadoldgit]

On 30/03/2026 at 01:17, Farmer Saint said:

Think you'll find it's 'must have been'.

Also, Boris was 21 years younger than Keir was there. It's a very odd comparison to make, but then your a very odd old cunt aren't you?

Remember this?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/15/boris-johnson-knocks-over-10-year-old-boy-during-rugby-game-in-japan

And this?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2014/oct/15/boris-johnson-trips-child-football-match-video

Edited April 6 by sadoldgit

[Farmer Saint]

3 hours ago, Sir Ralph said:

Just no need to be that rude……

Oh great, Nic's back on his unlimited account.

Edited April 7 by Farmer Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

7 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Oh great, Nic's back on his unlimited account.

The beaches and spicy food can only distract him for so long.

[hypochondriac]

Are we judging prime ministers on their footballing abilities now? It was bad enough when Milliband got pilloried for eating a bacon sarnie like a spaz.

[iansums]

Resident Doctors going on strike again this week.😞

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, iansums said:

Resident Doctors going on strike again this week.😞

No time for them or the BMA whatsoever. They are moaning in part about ‘only’ having a 1 in 2 chance of securing a vacancy. They might want to take a peek at the rest of the labour market across all sectors…..

[iansums]

12 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

No time for them or the BMA whatsoever. They are moaning in part about ‘only’ having a 1 in 2 chance of securing a vacancy. They might want to take a peek at the rest of the labour market across all sectors…..

Agreed. My daughter, who is 27 is only now receiving a decent wage as she is now a qualified solicitor. Up until six months ago it was only a little above the minimum wage. No complaints, this is the career she chose, the real (monetary) benefits come further down the line, as it does for Doctors.

[Farmer Saint]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

Are we judging prime ministers on their footballing abilities now? It was bad enough when Milliband got pilloried for eating a bacon sarnie like a spaz.

It seems that way - compared to most PMs of the past at least he does play football, irrespective of how good he is at 63 years of age.

[whelk]

39 minutes ago, iansums said:

Resident Doctors going on strike again this week.😞

I reckon CB Fry has more sympathy for the WASPI cause than the general public have for the BMA and this strike.

[Farmer Saint]

37 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

No time for them or the BMA whatsoever. They are moaning in part about ‘only’ having a 1 in 2 chance of securing a vacancy. They might want to take a peek at the rest of the labour market across all sectors…..

Spoilt and entitled.

[whelk]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

It seems that way - compared to most PMs of the past at least he does play football, irrespective of how good he is at 63 years of age.

And he actually always gone to games with his mates. Doesn’t forget who he ‘supports’ like Cameron vaguely remember they play in claret and blue

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, iansums said:

Agreed. My daughter, who is 27 is only now receiving a decent wage as she is now a qualified solicitor. Up until six months ago it was only a little above the minimum wage. No complaints, this is the career she chose, the real (monetary) benefits come further down the line, as it does for Doctors.

I’m glad your daughter has gotten over the drawbridge at the right time as AI may disrupt the pipeline on entry level newly qualified legal professionals where the learning comes from analysing and first line edits of contracts, IP agreements etc.

Even more reason then for the junior/resident doctors not to be brats. There’s one at our local practice who calls himself another title because they and their union know all too well the views of the public. 

[sadoldgit]

It’s a shame that this article has omitted to mention that Lord Robertson is currently a lobbyist for American arms dealers.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/defence-spending-uk-war-keir-starmer-lord-robertson-b2957156.html#

[AlexLaw76]

56 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

It’s a shame that this article has omitted to mention that Lord Robertson is currently a lobbyist for American arms dealers.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/defence-spending-uk-war-keir-starmer-lord-robertson-b2957156.html#

He is not wrong though. I, wrongly, used to state we would be all done and dusted over a bad weekend against a near peer advisory.

the last few weeks suggest we would not even make it to the weekend.

the current Labour government cannot be blamed totally for the state of the forces, but they have some blame, and with the previous government, despite the talk, defence is simply no where near a priority.

[Farmer Saint]

26 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

He is not wrong though. I, wrongly, used to state we would be all done and dusted over a bad weekend against a near peer advisory.

the last few weeks suggest we would not even make it to the weekend.

the current Labour government cannot be blamed totally for the state of the forces, but they have some blame, and with the previous government, despite the talk, defence is simply no where near a priority.

So Labour have increased spending but we need to spend more, I think that is clear. The Tories have really hollowed us out of the past 14 years though, so Labour are starting from an utterly shit basepoint.

[AlexLaw76]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

So Labour have increased spending but we need to spend more, I think that is clear. The Tories have really hollowed us out of the past 14 years though, so Labour are starting from an utterly shit basepoint.

The hollowing out starting before the last 14 years, so no need to just stop there.

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

It’s a shame that this article has omitted to mention that Lord Robertson is currently a lobbyist for American arms dealers.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/defence-spending-uk-war-keir-starmer-lord-robertson-b2957156.html#

There’s nobody more knowledgeable about defence in the Labour Party than him, probably since Denis Healy. Yet, you’re such a biased one eyed clown you’re having a pop…

[Farmer Saint]

On 13/03/2026 at 12:22, Farmer Saint said:

By the way, this is a common theme:

Jan 2024 - 0.0% growth

Jan 2025 - 0.0% growth

Jan 2026 - 0.0% growth

Upgraded to 0.1% now, and a 0.5% growth in February before the Iran war started.

BBC News - UK economy grew faster than expected ahead of Iran war
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz0e23r0993o

 

[whelk]

What would be good to see is analysis of the IMF’s and other bodies actual forecast accuracy. I know 24/7 news means any utterances are reported to death, even more so if bleak predictions. But when they say we are the most hit G7 economy etc does anyone go back in 6 months time and say bullshit it was France etc?

 

[Farmer Saint]

7 minutes ago, whelk said:

What would be good to see is analysis of the IMF’s and other bodies actual forecast accuracy. I know 24/7 news means any utterances are reported to death, even more so if bleak predictions. But when they say we are the most hit G7 economy etc does anyone go back in 6 months time and say bullshit it was France etc?

 

Agreed, especially when predictions seem to be overly politicised.

What I find odd is when the January results were published at 0.0% the news was top story on the BBC. When the predictions took place yesterday, top story again. Today's news that the economy did well in Jan and Feb is story number 8...

Edited yesterday at 08:38 by Farmer Saint

[Weston Super Saint]

Oooppppsss.  I expect this will probably be the death knell for Sir Keir.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2r15151xgo

I guess he won't oversee the May elections now then, but the next new broom will arrive after the booths close so will claim nothing to do with me Guv'.

[Sarnia Cherie]

1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

Oooppppsss.  I expect this will probably be the death knell for Sir Keir.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2r15151xgo

I guess he won't oversee the May elections now then, but the next new broom will arrive after the booths close so will claim nothing to do with me Guv'.

I dread to think who will take his place. Angela Rayner? Yvette Cooper? Please, neither of them. Andy Burnham might have been a popular choice had Starmer, behaving like a child, not blocked him standing in the recent by-election. 

Edited 20 hours ago by Sarnia Cherie
Add words

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 hours ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

I dread to think who will take his place. Angela Rayner? Yvette Cooper? Please, neither of them. Andy Burnham might have been a popular choice had Starmer, behaving like a child, not blocked him standing in the recent by-election. 

I was wondering who Starmer would find as a scapegoat this time, after McSweeney had gone.

Olly, not Oily, Robbins from the foreign office is to blame. Honest he is.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c747r3v90k3o

 

[Lord Duckhunter]

On 16/07/2024 at 08:55, sadoldgit said:

Now that the GE is done and dusted it is time for a new political thread. Hopefully we can get back to grey, boring politics again after the crazy, psycho dramas of the last few years.

New broom 

[egg]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

New broom 

Filthy mop. 

[Farmer Saint]

8 hours ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

I dread to think who will take his place. Angela Rayner? Yvette Cooper? Please, neither of them. Andy Burnham might have been a popular choice had Starmer, behaving like a child, not blocked him standing in the recent by-election. 

Wes Streeting

[egg]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

Wes Streeting

I think he's the best option, but, he doesn't have enough gravitas for me. I think it'll be a discussion to be had though - Starmer is in deep here. Peston was unusually blunt yesterday "lying for months" etc. 

[Sir Ralph]

On 15/04/2026 at 21:31, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s nobody more knowledgeable about defence in the Labour Party than him, probably since Denis Healy. Yet, you’re such a biased one eyed clown you’re having a pop…

Lord Robertson quote that Starmer is putting us at genuine security risk because of his welfare spending over state security was damning. Whilst we are being attacked by the Russians I’ll comfort myself that the reason it happened is because our government is “empathetic”.

Its a sad state of affairs that, other than Streeting, I would prefer Starmer to stay as he is one of the few that would more likely “limit” the increase beyond the current unsustainable spending  levels

Edited 10 hours ago by Sir Ralph

[trousers]

Does anyone know why @sadoldgit is much slower to condemn transgressions by Labour politicians than transgressions by politicians to the right...? 

Yours,

The Rhetorical Question Society 

[badgerx16]

13 minutes ago, trousers said:

Does anyone know why @sadoldgit is much slower to condemn transgressions by Labour politicians than transgressions by politicians to the right...? 

Yours,

The Rhetorical Question Society 

Careful, you will be joining the "Usual Suspects" next.

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, trousers said:

Does anyone know why @sadoldgit is much slower to condemn transgressions by Labour politicians than transgressions by politicians to the right...? 

Yours,

The Rhetorical Question Society 

Hardly the crime of the century is it. Something about Trump and Farage. Imagine the mess we'd be in if the Tories were still in charge, not that you care as you're a Reform voter, bet you cant wait to see them running the country with Tommy Robinson and Katy Hopkins their mouth pieces. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Turkish

[hypochondriac]

What is worse -either they're all lying and there's been a cover up or they're so incompetent that this all happened and they didn't know (now we find out that they supposedly found all this out on Tuesday and didn't bother to tell the foreign secretary.) 

[Farmer Saint]

2 hours ago, egg said:

I think he's the best option, but, he doesn't have enough gravitas for me. I think it'll be a discussion to be had though - Starmer is in deep here. Peston was unusually blunt yesterday "lying for months" etc. 

Yep, he needs to go because of this.

[Sarnia Cherie]

7 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I was wondering who Starmer would find as a scapegoat this time, after McSweeney had gone.

Olly, not Oily, Robbins from the foreign office is to blame. Honest he is.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c747r3v90k3o

 

I am curious how Olly Robbins who started work at the Foreign Office in January 2025 can be held responsible for information on Mandelson's appointment as US Ambassador which was announced in December 2024. 

[The Kraken]

The whole thing from start to finish is just utterly bizarre and reflects terribly on the government. Appointing such a toxic and repulsive figure as Mandelson in the first place was a shocking decision. 

Sounds like there might be a foreign office committee investigation with Olly Robbins as early as next week so maybe that will shine some light on it. Starmer is being forthright that Downing St were not told Mandelson failed then was passed, so there are monumental questions to be asked about how that happened, and who put the pressure on vetting to grant Mandelson his DV.

Really, really bad judgement all round and entirely avoidable.

[trousers]

It's all very well having "I wasn't told, guv" as a line of defence, but how credible is it that he didn't ask what the result of the security vetting was...? 

[badgerx16]

34 minutes ago, trousers said:

It's all very well having "I wasn't told, guv" as a line of defence, but how credible is it that he didn't ask what the result of the security vetting was...? 

I suspect he did ask, and was told "Yes, he passed".

[Lord Duckhunter]

I suspect he didn’t ask, so he could hide behind that if the shit hit the fan(which it has). Utterly bizarre he thinks he’s going to get away with this line of defence. It’s fucking obvious what happened. They knew Petie was dodgy, but thought the benefits of having him in the role outweighed the possibility of this happening. They took a calculated political decision that back fired, when it did, they started lying and covering it up. They may have got away with it had they come clean and admitted it was a  mistake (obviously his opponents and people like me would of criticised him) but by trying to blag his way out of it, by chucking aides & senior civil servants under the bus & actually thinking Joe Public would believe he’s wandering about oblivious to security reports and concerns over the US ambassador is utterly baffling. He should have got ahead of this story & laid everything out weeks ago, his behaviour since has demeaned him and made the government look incompetent & corrupt. I can’t believe the party will put up with this much longer. 

[Doctoroncall]

Was the evaluation part of the blob process in diplomatic appointments or was it purely a politically driven appointment?

[The Kraken]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I suspect he didn’t ask, so he could hide behind that if the shit hit the fan(which it has). Utterly bizarre he thinks he’s going to get away with this line of defence. It’s fucking obvious what happened. They knew Petie was dodgy, but thought the benefits of having him in the role outweighed the possibility of this happening. They took a calculated political decision that back fired, when it did, they started lying and covering it up. They may have got away with it had they come clean and admitted it was a  mistake (obviously his opponents and people like me would of criticised him) but by trying to blag his way out of it, by chucking aides & senior civil servants under the bus & actually thinking Joe Public would believe he’s wandering about oblivious to security reports and concerns over the US ambassador is utterly baffling. He should have got ahead of this story & laid everything out weeks ago, his behaviour since has demeaned him and made the government look incompetent & corrupt. I can’t believe the party will put up with this much longer. 

I think this is the only logical assumption to make at this stage.

As someone who voted Labour in (only the second time I’ve ever voted for them in my life) I can’t hide how disappointed I am by their performance in general, but particularly from this whole episode. It’s utter naivety and stupidity from start to finish and just a completely avoidable situation. I can’t see Starmer lasting out a whole term, and quite frankly nor should he. Nor should the cretins who advise him.