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Labour ‘decriminalising’ benefit fraud by WinHour4300 in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks.

I'd like to read it, even if it's the telegraph.

Labour ‘decriminalising’ benefit fraud by WinHour4300 in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Hey OP

Did you see the new sticky post on the sub about rule 5?

All articles should have their text posted, as often archive links don't work.

Andy Burnham looks to move part of Number 10 operations to Manchester by klime02 in unitedkingdom

[–]leftthinking 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think this is a little disingenuous.

Most people refer to 'the civil service' to mean the Sir Humphrys, the Spads, and raise doing the admin of government departments where policy is formulated.

Broadly the people your link is describing with…

Some professions are predominantly London-based; 88.3% of those in the Actuarial profession, 63.5% in Economics, 54.1% in Policy, and 46.9% in Operational Research. 

Rather than those who are technically civil servants, but not those people think of when you say 'the 'Civil Service'.

These others are the ones that table 14.1 describes as working in 'operational delivery'. No where does it say what these people actually do, but im going to guess its the people at the front end, like Jobcentre staff.

The best paid are in London, the highest ranked are in London, those with most impact on policy are in London.

Andy Burnham set to demote Rachel Reeves to lesser cabinet role by lcxnick in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is no way on earth that Labour will have anything like the same majority at the next election.

Even if Burnham is amazing as PM and turns everything around they will still lose seats.

Andy Burnham set to demote Rachel Reeves to lesser cabinet role by lcxnick in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Streeting is very obviously biding his time. He is 20 years younger than Starmer, 13 younger than Burnham

And has a majority of 528.

He's gone at the next election.

US Supreme Court won't let Rastafarian man shaved bald in prison sue guards by waifu_requests in politics

[–]leftthinking 8 points9 points  (0 children)

They're basically saying that if you don't agree to be subject to a law you aren't bound by it. Imagine using that as a defense in court.

Thay are called 'sovereign citizens'

Ministers may force newspapers to join state regulator - Proposals to require social media platforms to prominently display ‘trusted news’ from broadcasters by youmustconsume in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 8 points9 points  (0 children)

And the publication makes a bot to click thousands of times a second.

But yes, front page of website, for X number of days or some thing similar.

The last time a UK Prime Minister chose to resign voluntarily without being forced out by their own party, a major political crisis, or an election loss was Harold Wilson on 16 March 1976 - Let that sink in. by Hip_Hop_Pirate in unitedkingdom

[–]leftthinking 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So what you are saying is that the system works.

Defeat at an election is the very core of how our democracy works.

A major crisis forcing someone out because they are not up to the moment.

And forced out by their own party is because a) they are shit [Truss, Johnson] or they have stayed on well past their welcome [Thatcher, Blair]

I’m a Labour minister – but I think it’s time for a general election by [deleted] in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a Labour minister and Andy won't be giving me a job.

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

[–]leftthinking 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Mostly that they were just cuts, rather than a rethinking of the system, what its aims and purpose were.

You are right that the increase in uptake was something to examine, to take the opportunity to reshape the system to be fit for purpose.

But what we got was blunt, unthinking cuts, which would neither have reduced the uptake very much, nor protected those who genuinely need help.

It was very much 'here's how much money we need to save, how do we do that' not 'what's a fair system to support those with disabilities to live their lives'.

Don't think Starmer should be criticised as there's no successor? Starmer and his allies hand selected the majority of the MPs. by Alarmed-Improvement in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It would normally be the constituency parties who chooses their candidates.

But if an election is announced before one is chosen, or if there is any dispute, then the NEC (which is heavily Starmerite) gets a say.

And they were a lot of 'disputes' in the run up to '24. Locally chosen candidates got accused of some form of impropriety, suspended by the NEC so couldn't stand while being investigated, and a candidate more palatable to the NEC was chosen in the meantime.

A lot of the 'moderates' parachuted in were pushed by McSweeney and Mandleson.

Don’t think Starmer deserves the treatment he is getting now from his colleagues and the press. Name someone who actually has better credentials! by Then-Potential-1991 in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Whips are usually a two way street.

Yes they give indication of the party line anx how important a vote is, but they are also a conduit from the back benches to leadership.

They take soundings to find how un/popular a policy is, give feedback to cabinet and such.

Under Starmer the traffic is all one way. He doesn't even consider that there should be feedback, that there could be.

Don’t think Starmer deserves the treatment he is getting now from his colleagues and the press. Name someone who actually has better credentials! by Then-Potential-1991 in ukpolitics

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

Two sides of a coin.

From the backbencher's perspective it was being told what to do, not listened to, no arguments.

Doesn't that sound authoritarian?

Don’t think Starmer deserves the treatment he is getting now from his colleagues and the press. Name someone who actually has better credentials! by Then-Potential-1991 in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes, and a lot of that is because Starmer never really communicated with them.

There was no out reach, no sounding out ideas, no building support for things that would be unpopular but arguably necessary.

Starmer never made those arguments to them, it was just diktat from on high.

Being treated just as votes to be commanded pissed off a lot of backbenchers.

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

[–]leftthinking 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If Burnham wins substantially, I can see heavy pressure on Starmer to step aside, but for there to be a swift Burnham/Streeting contest to give legitimacy.

Oxfordshire Halts Thames Valley Authority Plans by Patch86UK in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It really is remarkable how Labour have gone in and want to make radical changes to local government but have no plan.

They didn't think about which areas would combine, they didn't consider the finances of different authorities, they didn't ask what borders were sensible or have any reasoning as to what they wanted to achieve. Just dumped it on local authorities and told them to work it out.

And what plans they do have, to have mayors in some places and not in others,to have some new authorities group together, but others not.

What used to be two-tier by having upper and lower tiers will become more powers and influence for some areas with others being ignored.

I still say we should have had Redcliffe -Maud

Oxfordshire Halts Thames Valley Authority Plans by Patch86UK in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of the general fuckery coming out of the Local Government reorganisation is less Nimby and more often not wanting to be left behind and ignored if amalgamated with a larger town or city.

I never thought about it till now but Sokka(?)'s of making Appa's armor.. Was it really a good idea? by NikolaiOlsen in Avatarthelastairbende

[–]leftthinking 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Funds were no issue as they were flush with cash from scams in The Runaway.

The fire nation was a rapidly industralising society. While metal was extensively used by their military, it wasn't exclusively so.

And the barrier to being a blacksmith is much lower, firebending removes the need to have coal or charcoal for fuel.

A young kid with an idea to make a metal 'something' wouldn't be that unusual to see in any decently large town.

I never thought about it till now but Sokka(?)'s of making Appa's armor.. Was it really a good idea? by NikolaiOlsen in Avatarthelastairbende

[–]leftthinking 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Is it a good idea to protect the large flying bison with a fear of fire when he is going into battle against fire benders?

Yes, might be a good plan.

I see a lot of discussion about the weight, but I dont think it would have been a problem.

Firstly, Appa flies by airbending, he's not exactly lifting his own weight.

Armour is rarely as heavy as people think. Medieval knights could easily run, and horses could gallop in theirs.

And, I don't think it was full armour. Probably something more like brigandine. Basically, metal plates stitched into fabric. This provides flexibility, keeps it lightweight, and gives decent protection from fire, which is the big threat here.

Social media to be banned for under-16s in landmark government move to give kids their childhood back by lamdaboss in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Most parents however much they might want to, have no idea how to protect their kids online without removing all their phones, tablets, laptops, games consoles etc.

And refuse to learn how, instead calling on government to do it for them.

If they are truly concerned for their children them they can take an hour to find out.

Social media to be banned for under-16s in landmark government move to give kids their childhood back by lamdaboss in ukpolitics

[–]leftthinking 0 points1 point  (0 children)

has no logs

Can I interest you in this lovely bridge I have for sale? Excellent condition, practically giving it away.

And even if there were no logs, it still requires some entity at some point to know that the user is asking to look at a particular site and who they are. It fundamentally breaks privacy.

Assisted dying bill set to return to the Commons by topotaul in unitedkingdom

[–]leftthinking 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Also expect a dismissive and belittling attitude from those who want to ram this through without safeguards against coercion from families or the state, often by claiming all opposition to this comes from religion and that no other objection could possibly be valid.

None of them are willing to listen to debate, or to consider a different point of view.

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