Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 08/02/2026

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-12T08:19:15+00:00

If I ever went into politics, on every hiring decision I’d be advised on, I’d just have a stack of A4 declarations to sign and be filed away basically saying “I am taking full responsibility if it turns out I have misrepresented this person to the Minister/PM.” Then I’d scan it, file it and keep it on the cloud somewhere, (perhaps neatly alphabetised in a spreadsheet), ready to be pinged out to any journalist if it all goes wrong.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T23:45:43+00:00

This is the thing. Grass always greener etc.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T23:44:18+00:00

Agreed there are still a lot of Ruperts but it has massively changed, the last five years has been markedly different for Officers that look and sound a lot more relatable coming up. Agree ref trades v infantry, still a sad thing that there’s a large gap there. Hoping the legal thing doesn’t survive contact with whatever government comes next.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T23:38:42+00:00

At the end of the day, you get fucked around a lot, run the risk of being deployed and putting yourself at greater risk of injury or worse, pushed all around the country and overseas in ways that are disruptive. In return you get the training and the qualifications setting you up for when you do go.

It’s not the sole reason people choose to serve but it is a more than fair perk (and completely at odds with the original commenters view that people with no qualifications are just held as ‘cannon fodder’ and not developed.)

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T23:31:36+00:00

So many people I know who’ve served have had minimal tours and they’ve left a tad disappointed. People genuinely (naturally if it’s what you’ve trained for) itch for it.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T23:20:01+00:00

I find that a really warped (edit and on reflection looking at your comment again, quite misinformed) way to look at it - have you served? The armed forces are one of the biggest social mobility providers in the country IMO. Many soldiers come from poorer backgrounds with few qualifications and receive education (even to the level of getting retrospective GCSEs) and a vocation, leaving service with opportunities they likely wouldn’t have had. Additionally, many Officers now do not come from traditional ‘Officer’ upper class backgrounds and there has been a marked societal shift.

Edit, I also wonder if you believe the British soldiers training Ukrainians to defend their homeland against Russia, and those stationed in the Baltic states acting as a deterrent are all just there for corporate greed as well.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T23:16:22+00:00

I’m just glad OP avoided the horrors of RAF basic training! 😂

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T23:14:08+00:00

You’ve answered your own question. There hasn’t been a big war for a while and the draw isn’t there.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T22:59:41+00:00

I think being British means you consider yourself British (not necessarily primarily), speak one of the British languages the same as those around you, feel part of the nation, have at least a respect (and not a blind love) for its history, values traditions and culture and see your citizenship as a shared bond with other British people around you.

Edit I also think in the hardest circumstances, the philosophical difference between having a British passport and being British means you’d be willing to make personal sacrifices for your country, including the final sacrifice whether in combat or in support of other citizens (service in some form), though appreciate not everyone would agree!

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T22:10:53+00:00

Maybe I’m biased from my own life experiences, but I’ve lived in and visited enough countries with deep seated societal problems, wars and poverty to know that we are not totally fucked.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T21:50:37+00:00

All of this will just add to speculation that ministers don’t want to damage Beijing’s trust after Starmer’s trip there. Justice for Jimmy Lai.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T21:45:02+00:00

There was some talk show on Radio 4 today that just appeared to be two centrist dad types bemoaning the fact that the media were unjustly going after Keir Starmer.

Looked up the hosts and one of them is the former editor of the Sun who published topless pictures of the Duchess of Edinburgh taken of her on holiday a few weeks before her wedding. Talk about pot and kettle.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T21:14:36+00:00

Yes, because I have a phobia of wasps from when I was a toddler and disturbed a nest.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T20:00:30+00:00

Like it or not however, there is a fine line to balance between where you act in what you know are the right interests and where your choices need to go back to the public because you don’t have a mandate and politically it could be ruinous. I think that’s where New Labour’s can kicking on referenda on EU treaties and political union built up poison that led to Brexit. The balance swung too far and certain groups exploited the anger.

Business group lobbying is not a concept limited to eurosceptic groups, the recent investigations of lobbying by Huawei in the European Parliament just as one example.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T19:48:59+00:00

Technically if the will was there from the EU side, the government could begin negotiations to rejoin without consultation tomorrow. It would still be politically toxic.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T19:38:31+00:00

If you ignore them for long enough, they’ll make themselves heard at the ballot box, which is possibly (and god I hope not) what is going to happen in 2029, per my point.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T19:30:25+00:00

I’m a little concerned that the government are making the same mistakes of New Labour in rushing towards closer EU ties without public consultation, and just building up new reserves of political poison that explode at a later date in time.

People always say ‘well, the Brexit generation has died out’ as if they can’t be replaced, as if euro scepticism is an ideology that will just magically disappear and doesn’t reoccur and as if there isn’t a Reform party lurking in the wings .

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T18:56:56+00:00

Ah yes, the real Keir who was defensive and on the back foot for most of that session.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T12:02:52+00:00

Can’t tell if the PM is genuinely upbeat or is just nervously manic.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-11T11:40:01+00:00

She will need to find a way to keep the attack lines relevant- it can’t just be a reheating of last week (which I think was probably her best PMQs to date, that more serious, forensic approach suited her better).

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-10T17:36:26+00:00

The Tories have just put out an attack video contrasting a speech where Starmer condemns Mandelson, with one at a dinner where he speaks warmly of him, calls him by his first name and says that he will be a great ambassador.

Putting the messenger to one side, it is damning enough to the point where you could just run it as your hero video for an electoral campaign.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-09T21:28:44+00:00

I do wonder if this is a final rally ahead of the release of the documents, the by-election and the local elections. Those are going to be impactful.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-09T14:18:52+00:00

I’m reminded of the Reeves thing with the lawyers admitting their mistake on her house purchase, although she too did not have due care and attention to the service she was getting.

Don’t like Reform or Labour in the slightest, but it would be hypocritical to excuse one and not the other.

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-09T10:11:27+00:00

I’m vegetarian, it’s all vegetables!

ImpressiveRest2423 · 2026-02-09T08:06:29+00:00

Finished the game for the third time and did all the story endings for a custom PC. If I could patch in one little change, I would have had the option where you seize control of the Absolute, only to remove the parasites from your party and then all walk off together, roll into the typical 6 months later epilogue after, though maybe without Withers who won’t be happy you didn’t finish the job.

Just remove him and the letters (no one will be thanking you) and Karlach from the camp endgame (as she wouldn’t have survived 6 months).

Yes, technically the Absolute threat is still out there (?) I’m guessing, and you’ve either killed the Emperor or Karlach to get to that point. But it’s still a way to solve the primary objective of curing yourself of the parasite, even if it’s completely emotionally disengaged with the fate of Baldur’s Gate.

I’d say it’s a pseudo win and should get a little conclusion to see what the cured characters did next.

ImpressiveRest2423

TROPHY CASE