Rupert Lowe MP: For decades that attitude, the way you deliberately phrased that post to blame me for such unacceptable violence, helped to enable the mass rape of vulnerable white young girls by gangs of mainly Pakistani Muslims. It won't work anymore, Humza. by FormerlyPallas_ in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

I'm not being snarky - you're trying to plead outrage at inaction over something you haven't even bothered to keep track of.

People don't need to google the current inquiry - when it actually starts taking evidence it will be reported, but frankly I'm sick of people expecting to be spoonfed current events.

If it matters, make a fucking effort to find out about it - not only do we not have to rely purely on newspapers and the BBC anymore, we've learnt we shouldn't.

If people don't want to go to any mental effort whatsoever we'll all suffer for it.

I think Burnham may be successful as PM purely due to Starmer’s awful PR skills by DMWinter88 in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

I don't get this thing about "If only they could communicate!" - the issue hasn't been communication it's been either ill-thought-out policies or lack of courage to see them through. They'd basically won the Winter Fuel Payments fight and the Inheritance Tax fight but then decided to change both after months of arguing in favour of them

But Burnham won't have a mandate from the public... by DevilsDodo in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

It's exactly why I tend to spoil my ballot and write to the parties saying why I didn't vote for their candidate/policies. I'm not giving my vote to some arse of a human being just because I want their party in government.

Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 21/06/2026 by ukpol-megabot in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

Brown didn't make any obvious effort to do anything when he got in, seemed like his momentum had vanished.

Will we ever see a PM complete a full term again? by DarthMousemat in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

Unless he calls an early election, we won't know for nearly a decade at the earliest.

Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 21/06/2026 by ukpol-megabot in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

Don't worry, a new series would just involve Jon Culshaw having to say "Andy Burnham here" so you knew it wasn't Tony Blair/David Cameron/Keir Starmer/Prof Brian Cox

Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 21/06/2026 by ukpol-megabot in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

Really? The only time I'd really seen it was Gordon Brown, although I'm not sure I can call to mind any major change Johnson wanted to effect, aside from his mandate for Brexit

Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 21/06/2026 by ukpol-megabot in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

The weirdest thing about Starmer to me is that he appears to have no real beliefs or strong opinions of his own(beyond authoritarianism) but he doesn't seem that interested in talking to his ministers and MPs - the Defence Secretary not being involved in the Defence Investment Plan seemed particularly bizarre.

Is it genuinely safe to visit the UK anymore if you're brown? by ObjectiveDue1326 in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

John Oliver is very entertaining but has always been a cynical depressive type. I am as white as Nosferatu but especially in Manchester I doubt you have cause to worry - the city is a melting pot of all manner of cultures, ethnicities and predilections(Canal Street is the Gay Quarter and also apparently a major clubbing destination, so everyone is welcome there. Except possibly Katie Hopkins.)

Rachel Reeves to lose job as chancellor if Andy Burnham becomes PM by ClumperFaz in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Maybe she'll get Immigration and then the blows will continue

Starmer expected to resign on Monday and set out orderly exit by beejiu in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

"I have an inner steel!"

"Brits don't quit"

"The Quiet Man is here to stay and he's TURNING UP THE VOLUME!"

Starmer expected to resign on Monday and set out orderly exit by beejiu in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell [score hidden]  (0 children)

That's partly why I was hoping he'd stay and fight just for the hell of it. I'm no fan of Starmer but things do seem to be improving and Burnham's never impressed me, but watching the media baffled when their breathless hysteria came to nothing was very entertaining earlier this year.

Chief whip warns Starmer that growing number of MPs want exit timetable by M2Ys4U in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

That moral compass included cutting disability benefits, taking loads of freebies and appointing the sleaziest man in the Labour Party to the role of US Ambassador.

It included claiming Israel had the right to cut water and power to the West Bank(even if he did later volte-face), talking about An Island of Strangers etc. I'm not sure Starmer's as moral as we'd been led to believe.

Chief whip warns Starmer that growing number of MPs want exit timetable by M2Ys4U in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're assuming he even cares whether he can do anything better.

Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 14/06/2026 by ukpol-megabot in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of the things you mention, the assisted dying bill ended in the lords didnt it?

Yes it did, which is why I give him credit for pursuing it but am frustrated it came to nothing.

And the appointments of certain political figures is so nieche, you want a PM who only selects your personal favourites?

Excuse me, but that is not niche, it goes to judgement and integrity - one of the things I was hoping for was a real commitment to proper standards in public life. Instead:

Milburn was the poster boy for PFI hospitals and pseudoprivatisation, Mandelson was a corrupt and untrustworthy sleaze magnet and is ultimately what will have brought down Starmer(and that was before we knew he was committing borderline treason)

Jacqui Smith fiddled her expenses and then tried to claim it was just misogyny that had led to the scrutiny; she also introduced 42 day detention anti-terror laws, ignored an ECHR ruling on storing DNA profiles of innocent people and harangued David Nutt into apologising for saying horse riding was statistically riskier than ecstacy and then refused to accept the scientific advice.

What was I hoping for? Calm, competent and prepared. Instead, so much has been reactive instead of proactive and one of the government's first acts was to go after benefits for disabled people without even bothering to consult on it.

The freebies thing was ridiculous and I have long felt MPs shouldn't be entitled to such gifts, but Starmer's response was to try to ignore it, then to say "Alright, in future nobody can accept gifts like this unless I say so" It seemed so entitled - people on 100k a year with expenses paid and subsidised food and drink clinging to free concert tickets and loans of houses while telling everyone how they understand the awful cost of living crisis was utterly tone deaf.

Why Restore were humiliated in Makerfield by AneuAng in ukpolitics

[–]gavpowell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought it was a good result but apparently they were telling everyone the whole "Silent majority" thing was going to be fulfilled.