Politics

[BobyBrno]

2 hours ago, bolty58 said:

This bloke sounds remarkably like a bloke I worked with at Walmsleys mate. He wasn't called Vic by any chance? There, he was to union rep for AUEW-TASS.

Nah. This bloke was called Trevor. I think Corbyn modelled himself on him.

[CumbrianWhite]

8 hours ago, Cheese said:

Which Reform policies do you think will do those things?

Remove the 5% vat on household energy bills, scrapping net zero, fast track annual licensing for North Sea oil. We’re currently in the top 5 for most expensive domestic electric prices so shouldn’t be too difficult. 

Freeze all non essential immigration. Ban students bringing family members to the UK with them, mass deportation of illegal migrants. 
 

Their economic policies are a little more radical but should stimulate growth and investment. The bar hasn’t exactly been set high though has it. 

[BobyBrno]

10 hours ago, Zico said:

Out of interest

What other options do you think we had? 

You voted reform 

Do you think they'd be doing better than labour right now?

And I assume you don't think Lib Dems could do a better job

Or the Tories 

We know you don't rate labour 

But if it was up to you

Who should've won the last election and gone in to sort the mess to the point of showing progress within 12 months 

Who will you vote next time and why?

If my vote would have counted, I’d have voted Tory. (They never get in, in my constituency)

I thought Rishi had steadied things and remember, there were 2 budgets after the failed Truss attempt and the economy was getting back to normal after three years of turmoil. I went on record though saying that although they were bad, Labour would be worse. I still think that.
I voted tactically because I hoped it would deny another Labour MP. I knew that Labour would win but thought and said that a landslide would be a bad thing. I still do.

As for next time?🤷‍♂️ I really am open minded. 

A lot can happen in 4 years if it goes that far.

 

Edited September 20, 2025 by BobyBrno

[Bertie]

19 minutes ago, CumbrianWhite said:

Remove the 5% vat on household energy bills, scrapping net zero, fast track annual licensing for North Sea oil. We’re currently in the top 5 for most expensive domestic electric prices so shouldn’t be too difficult. 

Freeze all non essential immigration. Ban students bringing family members to the UK with them, mass deportation of illegal migrants. 
 

Their economic policies are a little more radical but should stimulate growth and investment. The bar hasn’t exactly been set high though has it. 

Fair cop….and I’m sure more will get clarified as we near an election. As long as policies are clear then folks know what they’re voting for across the board. Democracy.

Immigration emotions aside what’s worrying for me from the above is Reform’s climate change denial.  Whole other topic of course, but I believe in the science. It’s real. Green energy should be seen by political parties an opportunity for growth and jobs, not for higher prices and punitive taxation. Another reason then for Reform not to exist.

[Duck Egg]

Reform 'freezing immigration', will only increase the amount of boat crossings won't it?

I know it's a bit of a Toal at right back type suggestion, but what about an open borders policy? Open the legal routes and process and vet folk as they come in? 

[CumbrianWhite]

36 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

Reform 'freezing immigration', will only increase the amount of boat crossings won't it?

I know it's a bit of a Toal at right back type suggestion, but what about an open borders policy? Open the legal routes and process and vet folk as they come in? 

Think about how many millions would want to come to the UK? They’re currently paying thousands for a dangerous channel crossing.

[bolty58]

2 hours ago, Sweep said:

Nigel knows, he's going to deploy the Navy (by the way, he'd never do that, not in a million years) but he knows that there are enough people who believe he will

I think you are (yet again) completely wrong. Take a short while to get us out of the ECHR and them turn them round with gunboats and keep turning them round and escorting them back into French waters. Sooner or later they would have to head back to the French coast for water and food reasons.

He would cement his place as the one politician who does what he says he'll do. I couldn't leave her if I tried.

[CumbrianWhite]

1 hour ago, BobyBrno said:

If my vote would have counted, I’d have voted Tory. (They never get in, in my constituency)

I thought Rishi had steadied things and remember, there were 2 budgets after the failed Truss attempt and the economy was getting back to normal after three years of turmoil. I went on record though saying that although they were bad, Labour would be worse. I still think that.
I voted tactically because I hoped it would deny another Labour MP. I knew that Labour would win but thought and said that a landslide would be a bad thing. I still do.

As for next time?🤷‍♂️ I really am open minded. 

A lot can happen in 4 years if it goes that far.

 

Conservatives were actually excellent for small business and trades. Especially during the COVID years.

If they’d got a lid on immigration they’d still be in power. 

[royal white]

42 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

Reform 'freezing immigration', will only increase the amount of boat crossings won't it?

I know it's a bit of a Toal at right back type suggestion, but what about an open borders policy? Open the legal routes and process and vet folk as they come in? 

Do you not think we are letting to many in legally? 

[bolty58]

1 hour ago, BobyBrno said:

Nah. This bloke was called Trevor. I think Corbyn modelled himself on him.

Sounds like Vic's doppelganger. He used to carry his lightweight bike up to the first floor level on his shoulder and leave it by the balustrade at the top of the stairs.

He had those quick release lever things on his wheels - someone would loosen them off from time to time and the front wheel would head down the stairs on occasion when he picked the bike up to depart. He used to foam at the mouth in Stalinesque rage 

The cunt would try to have us out on the street for the least thing. Food not warm enough in the canteen. Toilet roll issues. Natural light deficiencies. He was a real popular bloke.

[gonzo]

10 minutes ago, CumbrianWhite said:

Think about how many millions would want to come to the UK? They’re currently paying thousands for a dangerous channel crossing.

Stop giving them stuff and make ourselves more attractive to proper EU working migrants.

They only come because of what's on offer. Stop giving them a life to come to.

 

[Winchester White]

9 minutes ago, bolty58 said:

I think you are (yet again) completely wrong. Take a short while to get us out of the ECHR and them turn them round with gunboats and keep turning them round and escorting them back into French waters. Sooner or later they would have to head back to the French coast for water and food reasons.

He would cement his place as the one politician who does what he says he'll do. I couldn't leave her if I tried.

As if it would be that simple. The diplomatic shit storm would be off the scale.

[bolty58]

Once again this week I have been struck with the left wing bias of the BBC. Their reporting of 'the March' was bad enough but if you analyse the commentators they get to comment on almost any subject (Gaza, Charlie Kirk etc.) it is always some some so called 'expert' from a US university invariably in the left wing nest of vipers that is California.

Never Texas, Alabama or Georgia etc. Always California. Biased Bastards Corporation.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

1 hour ago, CumbrianWhite said:

Remove the 5% vat on household energy bills, scrapping net zero, fast track annual licensing for North Sea oil. We’re currently in the top 5 for most expensive domestic electric prices so shouldn’t be too difficult. 

Freeze all non essential immigration. Ban students bringing family members to the UK with them, mass deportation of illegal migrants. 
 

Their economic policies are a little more radical but should stimulate growth and investment. The bar hasn’t exactly been set high though has it. 

Aye.

"Scrapping net-zero" is somewhat nebulous though.

The project was poorly designed and labelled.

An unbalanced rush to build the production side, but without storage and distribution infrastructure to go with it.

Nothing wrong with pursuing the aims of sustainability though, just do it in a more comprehensive way.

That includes keeping our own oil/gas flowing whilst we transition gradually. 

Agree with the rest entirely. 

An estimated 1.5m illegals in this country: that is a lot of housing, water, energy, health and maybe even eduction. Not mentioning crime, illegal working etc.

[CumbrianWhite]

21 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Stop giving them stuff and make ourselves more attractive to proper EU working migrants.

They only come because of what's on offer. Stop giving them a life to come to.

 

Yeah spot on. We need immigration but can we just bring in people who want to work and contribute!

[Cheese]

14 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Aye.

"Scrapping net-zero" is somewhat nebulous though.

The project was poorly designed and labelled.

An unbalanced rush to build the production side, but without storage and distribution infrastructure to go with it.

Nothing wrong with pursuing the aims of sustainability though, just do it in a more comprehensive way.

That includes keeping our own oil/gas flowing whilst we transition gradually. 

Agree with the rest entirely. 

An estimated 1.5m illegals in this country: that is a lot of housing, water, energy, health and maybe even eduction. Not mentioning crime, illegal working etc.

Immigrants put more in than they take out.

[royal white]

3 minutes ago, Cheese said:

Immigrants put more in than they take out.

Even the ones not working? 

[Duck Egg]

31 minutes ago, gonzo said:

 

They only come because of what's on offer. 

 

You've said this before. What do they get in the UK that they dont get in other EU countries?

The idea that they're coming across for our benefits system is for the birds imo. They get similar sustenance allowances, slightly more in some places, in France, Germany, Italy.

[Duck Egg]

44 minutes ago, royal white said:

Do you not think we are letting to many in legally? 

I really dont know.  We've always been told and Cheese has just repeated it, immigration brings a net benefit. 

I was trying to answer Spider's question.  How do we stop the boats? We're not going to start executing them mid crossing, despite the rhetoric from the usuals.

[CumbrianWhite]

11 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

I really dont know.  We've always been told and Cheese has just repeated it, immigration brings a net benefit. 

I was trying to answer Spider's question.  How do we stop the boats? We're not going to start executing them mid crossing, despite the rhetoric from the usuals.

Whether people like Trump or not, he’s effectively stopped all illegal immigration on the southern border. If there’s will there’s a way. 

[royal white]

15 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

I really dont know.  We've always been told and Cheese has just repeated it, immigration brings a net benefit. 

I was trying to answer Spider's question.  How do we stop the boats? We're not going to start executing them mid crossing, despite the rhetoric from the usuals.

The boats aren’t being stopped. No 3 word slogans will work and it’s frightening that lads on a footy forum knew it would never work whist consecutive governments have been pushing them. 
 
There’s getting close to 2 million immigrants that aren’t working. There needs to be something in place that you can only come here if you have guaranteed work (like Oz) if you lose your job then you have 6-12 months to find another, if you don’t then you have to return. 
 

As for those coming on the boats, like Gonzo said and many other before him, stop with the hotels, stop with the benefits, everything Basic, don’t allow them to roam towns etc. Word will soon get back, 

[Duck Egg]

13 minutes ago, CumbrianWhite said:

Whether people like Trump or not, he’s effectively stopped all illegal immigration on the southern border. If there’s will there’s a way. 

If true, it really is a remarkable achievement.  Presumably the wall is finished (not the one in Colarado) and doing it's job.  Presumably there must be some horiffic log jams in Mexico and central America. 

[Duck Egg]

10 minutes ago, royal white said:

The boats aren’t being stopped. No 3 word slogans will work and it’s frightening that lads on a footy forum knew it would never work whist consecutive governments have been pushing them. 
 
There’s getting close to 2 million immigrants that aren’t working. There needs to be something in place that you can only come here if you have guaranteed work (like Oz) if you lose your job then you have 6-12 months to find another, if you don’t then you have to return. 
 

As for those coming on the boats, like Gonzo said and many other before him, stop with the hotels, stop with the benefits, everything Basic, don’t allow them to roam towns etc. Word will soon get back, 

Mostly fair.

If people are willingly risking their lives to cross the channel and in doing so they leave a safe, prosperous country, do you think telling them they won't be able to stay in a travel tavern would stop them? 

[CumbrianWhite]

9 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

If true, it really is a remarkable achievement.  Presumably the wall is finished (not the one in Colarado) and doing it's job.  Presumably there must be some horiffic log jams in Mexico and central America. 

Encounters on the southern border are down 95% from December 2024. His immigration figures are very impressive tbf. 

[CumbrianWhite]

8 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

Mostly fair.

If people are willingly risking their lives to cross the channel and in doing so they leave a safe, prosperous country, do you think telling them they won't be able to stay in a travel tavern would stop them? 

Paying a few grand for the luxury as well. There must be a belief that they’re going to receive either more benefits or work opportunities whether that’s true or not.