The Burnham Years - Can the new(ish) broom sweep clean?

[badgerx16]

54 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

We could have also had a national sovereign wealth fund, re-investing the profits from our oil and gas industry like Norway. 

True, and I think we should have done, but Maggie needed the tax revenues to fund tax cuts.

[Weston Super Saint]

7 hours ago, The Kraken said:

To take that away or reduce it / diminish it goes back on a a decades long agreement. It would be a horrendous move IMO, one of massive betrayal. 

 

Will never happen.  Pensioners = votes.

I can see reform of the system happening, but will only affect those of school age now and how their future will look, but will be something they 'grow up' with.

[Weston Super Saint]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpd76e737ljo

Quote

People in England needing immediate care for mental health problems will be able to access specialist walk-in hubs close to their home, the government is promising.

The aim is to give those experiencing a mental health crisis or significant distress somewhere to go to get help when they need it - with plans to open dozens of the hubs in high street locations like banks and libraries.

Whilst we no doubt need more mental health treatment centres, has this really been thought through?  Essentially you can get help from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday (maybe, unless your bank is only open 10-4!), but is that really when most mental health crises happen?  I assume they are more likely to happen outside of those hours?

Besides, do we really want someone suffering from a mental health crisis in the same place where large amounts of money are kept?  

[AlexLaw76]

This is awkward

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/05/wes-streeting-donations-linked-to-crypto-king-fraudster/

[egg]

11 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

This is awkward

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/05/wes-streeting-donations-linked-to-crypto-king-fraudster/

There's a paywall... headline doesn't look great though! 

[benjii]

50 minutes ago, egg said:

There's a paywall... headline doesn't look great though! 

Basically Sam Bankman-Fried (crypto billionaire subsequently done for fraud) donated 500k to a think tank. The think tank later gave 35k to Streeting. Apparently some other Labour figures declined gifts as they weren't sure where the money came from. 

I don't think SBF had been found guilty at the time though.

It's not really in the same league as being in direct cahoots with a money launderer and taking 5m quid and pretending it's not a political donation. 

[egg]

14 minutes ago, benjii said:

Basically Sam Bankman-Fried (crypto billionaire subsequently done for fraud) donated 500k to a think tank. The think tank later gave 35k to Streeting. Apparently some other Labour figures declined gifts as they weren't sure where the money came from. 

I don't think SBF had been found guilty at the time though.

It's not really in the same league as being in direct cahoots with a money launderer and taking 5m quid and pretending it's not a political donation. 

Thanks for that. So trying to compare an apple to an orchard. Still shows poor judgement, at best, though. 

[rallyboy]

Look, a dead cat!

[badgerx16]

1 hour ago, benjii said:

Basically Sam Bankman-Fried (crypto billionaire subsequently done for fraud) donated 500k to a think tank. The think tank later gave 35k to Streeting. Apparently some other Labour figures declined gifts as they weren't sure where the money came from. 

I don't think SBF had been found guilty at the time though.

It's not really in the same league as being in direct cahoots with a money launderer and taking 5m quid and pretending it's not a political donation. 

So, a desperate attempt at deflection and construction of an extremely flimsy false equivalence.

[whelk]

3 hours ago, egg said:

There's a paywall... headline doesn't look great though! 

URL tells me all lot. Wouldn’t trust those cunts to have the correct date on the front page. Absolute joke of a paper nowadays.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

URL tells me all lot. Wouldn’t trust those cunts to have the correct date on the front page. Absolute joke of a paper nowadays.

Long, long way away from its 1980s to expenses scandal heyday. Any paper who has that weird, Truss-worshipping creature Allister Heath as Editor for 9 years is bound to be wonky and inaccurate. 

Here’s his latest masterpiece about his new crush, Farage https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/08/05/joining-rupert-lowes-religious-war-would-be-electoral-suici/

The irony of what he thinks Reform is about is as misplaced as his hurrahing about the Truss and Kwarteng disaster budget. 

[Turkish]

I see Burham is being criticised for being too blokey FFS 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

9 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I see Burham is being criticised for being too blokey FFS 

"We want a man of the people. Just not those people." 🙂

[Farmer Saint]

32 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I see Burham is being criticised for being too blokey FFS 

But I thought blokey pint drinking man down the pub is what this country wanted?

[Whitey Grandad]

16 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

But I thought blokey pint drinking man down the pub is what this country wanted?

Drunks and alcoholics?

[badgerx16]

16 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Drunks and alcoholics?

Churchill ?

[Farmer Saint]

5 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Churchill ?

Druggies as well?

[badgerx16]

6 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Druggies as well?

I have suspicions about several of the last few Tory cabinets. When they ordered Coke it didn't come in a bottle.

Edited 3 hours ago by badgerx16

[Weston Super Saint]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

But I thought blokey pint drinking man down the pub is what this country wanted?

Possibly.  But definitely not wanted by the Social Media gurus in Whitehall.

He should tell them to fuck off and present himself how he wants to be presented.  Would be nice to have someone reasonably authentic in power, warts and all.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, badgerx16 said:

Churchill ?

Him too.

What he chave achieved had he stayed clean!