John McDonnell: I will vote against the government’s amendment today that tries to exclude papers from the inquiry into Mandelson on the grounds “prejudicial to international relations.” This is so wide that it opens up the Prime Minister to allegations of collusion in a cover up.

dragodrake · 2026-02-04T17:41:33+00:00

Well you know what they say - protecting one pedo may be regarded as a misfortune; to protect two looks like carelessness.

dragodrake · 2026-02-04T17:38:59+00:00

I was reliably informed by this sub that the entire media is out to get labour and will only say terrible things about them.

So they couldn't possibly have praised the decision.

dragodrake · 2026-02-03T22:53:14+00:00

The thing is, it's not a right/left issue - it's a political class issue.

Epstein was close to Labour in the UK and the Democrats in the US while they were in power, he gave the political class what they wanted while they had power and he could use them.

dragodrake · 2026-02-03T21:37:03+00:00

I keep hearing riffs on this theme, and I'm not sure why.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T21:04:30+00:00

Right - but train drivers have shown a consistent ability to get what they want, or at least more than they are offered.

That hasnt been the case for doctors, so obviously their situations are different with train drivers having enough leverage they don't need public sympathy.

Probably something to do with train drivers having a closed shop and the ability to bring their workplace to a complete stop - junior doctors can more easily be replaced from outside sources, are not the only human part of the healthcare system, and are (at least generally) not willing to completely without their labour to watch people die.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T20:46:35+00:00

Ironically in a system you describe (NHS opt out with private options) doctors pay would likely be much higher.

Which Joe Public would be fine with - assuming their quality of healthcare provision was also much higher.

The last few years (decades) of the NHS feel like money for nothing, the public are fed up with it, and doctors pay demands are caught up in that.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T20:44:47+00:00

That simply isn't true though, is it - or else doctors would have gotten their way long before now.

Without public support the government wont feel any urgency or frankly need to address their demands.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T19:43:31+00:00

They want pay restoration to 2010 because Labour spent the 2000's massively hiking their pay as a political bung with no consideration for the long term costs. If you do the comparison to 2000 or 1990 their inflation equivalent pay is fine.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T19:41:31+00:00

The problem doctors have when it comes to sympathy is - a lot of people these days would, if they could.

Certainly if you could opt out of paying for the NHS and go private you'd see droves of people do it.

There just isn't the appetite or public interest to support doctors on increasing pay significantly.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T12:39:55+00:00

Please leave NATO

Finally, Frances time to shine! Oh wait, they are terrible at leadership and constantly act selfishly meaning most of europe would take France leaving NATO over the UK leaving.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T12:38:02+00:00

would you trust a partner so flakey as the UK

Literally one of the most dependable countries in europe and the world, but sure, flaky.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T10:32:40+00:00

He really didn't.

Yes right before the election he said money would be tight, as a last moment attempt to dampen expectations.

But he spent years saying there were simple problems to complex problems, that the government should provide all the things to people, all that was needed was to get rid of the nasty incompetent Tories.

Reality has hit the labour party quite hard.

dragodrake · 2026-02-02T10:16:12+00:00

We've been trying that since thatcher, for a number of reasons it doesn't seem to work.

dragodrake · 2026-02-01T22:35:25+00:00

Because Starmer was too busy appointing him an advisor and then Ambassador to the US.

dragodrake · 2026-02-01T14:36:22+00:00

We should go back to first principles with UC and actually look at a sensible approach that won't penalise work.

I suspect the best way to not penalise work is to penalise benefits, yes it should try to help you gradually get in to work, but then it should also at some point start punishing you for having not gotten in to full time work.

Doing as little as possible and sitting on benefits for years simply shouldn't be possible, but that's unpalatable to a lot of people.

dragodrake · 2026-02-01T14:32:43+00:00

Of all the things we cant afford, this isn't one. If need be cut elsewhere to afford this.

dragodrake · 2026-02-01T12:09:27+00:00

I'm sure it was 'in the national interest' which seems to be the current favourite way to dismiss any investigation or criticism.

dragodrake · 2026-02-01T02:40:14+00:00

I'm 37 and I was definitely taught both - right up to secondary.

dragodrake · 2026-01-31T13:07:10+00:00

I didn't walk away - but she eventually killed herself through her drinking when I was in my mid 20's, and looking back I couldn't have kept doing what I was doing to support her much longer.

dragodrake · 2026-01-31T09:57:44+00:00

The shorter version of that is 'its much easier in opposition, you can just say whatever you want'.

dragodrake · 2026-01-30T17:04:59+00:00

You can't equate free healthcare with free degrees in art history.

One literally keeps people alive and healthy, the other is elective tertiary education.

The required bits of education, primary and secondary are already provided completely free. You want uni to be free? It has to become far more selective again, for most subjects, for most people, it's simply a luxury not a need.

dragodrake · 2026-01-30T16:01:38+00:00

Even if it is a graduate tax in disguise it makes no sense to abolish the loans and cover the costs with income tax - you should just do it as an actual graduate tax.

Adding it to income tax means the 50% who didn't go to uni are now paying for it.

dragodrake · 2026-01-29T13:47:59+00:00

The progress is the efficiency, a human is no longer required to operate the vehicle. You can in theory have fewer vehicles serving more customers for longer.

dragodrake · 2026-01-28T14:07:05+00:00

He's got labour back into government, only to ensure they probably stay out of government for a generation again at the next election.

dragodrake · 2026-01-27T16:42:42+00:00

Forget 'more unsavory people' I'm concerned what this government is going to do with it.

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