What is that "mate" of mine Sadiq Khan trying to achieve ?

 

You lost you demented little cretin, get over it and concentrate on your job you terrorist sympathiser.

1 hour ago, Whitesince63 said:

I can’t disagree on town centres generally being affected by internet shopping but in Rotherham’s case the pathetic Labour town council has been mainly responsible for its steady decline over the last 30 years. Obviously the loss of the coal mines and steel production have had a significant effect but the massive invitation by the council of groups like Somali gypsies and Pakistani refugees has had a detrimental effect on local businesses. As you say moving all the big retailers  like M+S, Boots and Next to Parkgate Retail from the town centre meant small businesses closed too. Contrast that with Barnsley who applied a completely different attitude and invested heavily in the town centre and today its thriving. They didn’t let the loss of coal or steel affect them and they didn’t invite immigrants either who don’t support the shops and bars across the town. There’s never one reason towns fail but Rotherham and Barnsley just 12 miles apart show both how to and how not to keep them alive.

Do not often agree with you but last 2 times we have played Barnsley have been amazed how good the centre. A girl I know lives there and says it has improved massively in last few years. Pity we can not win there. (Sorry to bring football into a politics thread) 

7 hours ago, Not in Crawley said:

Its really not.

You posted a picture of Santa’s and in the first sentence you mention immigrants. Miami replies and mentions immigration you then respond  with “don’t bring immigration into this” 😂😂

7 hours ago, Ani said:

Do not often agree with you but last 2 times we have played Barnsley have been amazed how good the centre. A girl I know lives there and says it has improved massively in last few years. Pity we can not win there. (Sorry to bring football into a politics thread) 

I think it shows what can be done when a council and business work together Ani and a Labour Council at that. It’s equally popular at night with the bars and restaurants busy with people of all ages not just the young. My daughter (now 41) and her friends go regularly and always feel safe unlike Rotherham where they don’t even venture during the day. Sad really what’s been allowed to happen to our towns throughout the country but I’m sure many could be recovered with a little effort.

1 hour ago, Whitesince63 said:

I think it shows what can be done when a council and business work together Ani and a Labour Council at that. It’s equally popular at night with the bars and restaurants busy with people of all ages not just the young. My daughter (now 41) and her friends go regularly and always feel safe unlike Rotherham where they don’t even venture during the day. Sad really what’s been allowed to happen to our towns throughout the country but I’m sure many could be recovered with a little effort.

Wasn't there a plan to get independent shops in around the minster area? Went there on a works jolly about 15 years ago and they were boasting about it. Guessing it didn't work then 

56 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

Wasn't there a plan to get independent shops in around the minster area? Went there on a works jolly about 15 years ago and they were boasting about it. Guessing it didn't work then 

Sadly not which is such a shame because despite everything Rotherham could be one of the prettiest town centres if it was invested in with as you say the minster and so many lovely timber framed buildings around the square. Sadly the clientele just isn’t there now for reasons outlined earlier. The council destroyed the town centre when they raised rates and encouraged all the big retailers to move to Parkgate, so what did they expect?

Where Parkgate Retail is now was originally to have been the site for the Meadowhall Complex but the land next to the motorway came up at the last minute so the developers moved there instead. That left the council with a dilemma so I suppose they had to do something but moving all the big names out of the town centre just basically destroyed it. They’ve tried several times to improve it but without large retailers you don’t get the footfall for the small ones. Such a shame because M+S had a lovely timber framed two story store there and now they’ve even closed the one they moved to at Parkgate.

Unfortunately very few locals now use Rotherham town centre, they either use Wickersley, Meadowhall, Crystal Peaks or other out of centre shopping areas. The only store still viable in the centre is the big Tesco but again people just drive in, shop and drive out again, there’s just nothing to go into the centre for. I’m sure other similar towns face the same problems but with a more enlightened council it could all have been so different. ☹️ 

22 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Sadly not which is such a shame because despite everything Rotherham could be one of the prettiest town centres if it was invested in with as you say the minster and so many lovely timber framed buildings around the square. Sadly the clientele just isn’t there now for reasons outlined earlier. The council destroyed the town centre when they raised rates and encouraged all the big retailers to move to Parkgate, so what did they expect?

Where Parkgate Retail is now was originally to have been the site for the Meadowhall Complex but the land next to the motorway came up at the last minute so the developers moved there instead. That left the council with a dilemma so I suppose they had to do something but moving all the big names out of the town centre just basically destroyed it. They’ve tried several times to improve it but without large retailers you don’t get the footfall for the small ones. Such a shame because M+S had a lovely timber framed two story store there and now they’ve even closed the one they moved to at Parkgate.

Unfortunately very few locals now use Rotherham town centre, they either use Wickersley, Meadowhall, Crystal Peaks or other out of centre shopping areas. The only store still viable in the centre is the big Tesco but again people just drive in, shop and drive out again, there’s just nothing to go into the centre for. I’m sure other similar towns face the same problems but with a more enlightened council it could all have been so different. ☹️ 

When I was at uni in Sheffield, I'd often see Crystal Peaks as a destination on the front of buses

Never went there but always thought the name sounded like an 80s porn star 

15 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

When I was at uni in Sheffield, I'd often see Crystal Peaks as a destination on the front of buses

Never went there but always thought the name sounded like an 80s porn star 

Ha, good one and yes it does have a ring about it and Crystal would have made a good double act with our equally porn star named Tobias Phoenix? 🤣

18 hours ago, London Wanderer said:

Tommy is going down the oddest of paths 

His rambles are getting more incoherent by the day.

he couldn't even be arsed singing Silent Night

47 minutes ago, Zico said:

he couldn't even be arsed singing Silent Night

Good to see he's now joined the biggest paedo cult in the world :  the Church.
He's still dreaming of a White Christmas, though.
 

Can somebody make this make sense

 

 

55 minutes ago, royal white said:

Can somebody make this make sense

 

 

I don't believe that's right at all

there is nothing about brexit/dublin that means aslyum seeker can't claim asylum in france

it does mean it's more difficult for us to return them back to countries in the EU

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/confusion-as-middlesex-change-their-name-388810

I honestly don't remember this one from the other year

8 hours ago, royal white said:

Can somebody make this make sense

 

 

Probably safest to consign anything from Polanski into the bin marked 'loony'. Absolute fucking fruitcake that bloke.

He should be heading up the Monster Raving Loony Party. It would be very appropriate.

11 hours ago, bolty58 said:

Probably safest to consign anything from Polanski into the bin marked 'loony'. Absolute fucking fruitcake that bloke.

He should be heading up the Monster Raving Loony Party. It would be very appropriate.

I agree with you there, he's bonkers. Sadly, he'll be leading a party that has several seats after the next GE, I suspect, which will give him even more of a platform. The state of UK politics at the minute is verging on tragic.

Those leading, whilst maybe not as bad as some would have us believe, aren't great. The usual opposition are just awful, and then you have the likes of Reform and Greens making real headway, neither of which really have any sort of experience of running a local council successfully, never mind an entire country

I heard on the radio yesterday, that amongst Labour, there is real talk of Starmer not seeing next year out, and Raynor v Streeting could be a real run off for leader/PM  -  what a choice that is 😃

Once Liz Truss got the gig it meant anyone with even half a brain could be a serious contender.  I still find it incredible that someone as obviously dense as her, could hold the highest office in this country. 

1 hour ago, Duck Egg said:

Once Liz Truss got the gig it meant anyone with even half a brain could be a serious contender.  I still find it incredible that someone as obviously dense as her, could hold the highest office in this country. 

true.

May (the new Thatcher) was pretty poor, then Johnson (Churchillian) was worse, but she took it to a whole new level. Hopefully she's as bad as it'll ever get. Sunak was an improvement, but of course he was left with fuck all to work with as Johnson had ensured all talent within the party had been removed.

Starmer, thus far, is looking a bit weak, and he'll have to do something (I'm not sure what) fairly soon, or he'll be gotten rid of by his own.

Whilst he's a massive cunt, and I really don't want him anywhere near the top job, at least Farage looks and sounds like he stands for something (of course, we'll not know, unless he does become PM, which I'm not sure he will) - none of the other party leaders (or those waiting in the wings) inspire any sort of confidence in me at all (obvs, this is just my own personal point of view)

2 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

Once Liz Truss got the gig it meant anyone with even half a brain could be a serious contender.  I still find it incredible that someone as obviously dense as her, could hold the highest office in this country. 

Taking the personality aspect out of it, I did find myself thinking would I shag her

Decided that yeah I probably would

Don't recall any previous PM achieving that 'accolade'

15 hours ago, bolty58 said:

Probably safest to consign anything from Polanski into the bin marked 'loony'. Absolute fucking fruitcake that bloke.

He should be heading up the Monster Raving Loony Party. It would be very appropriate.

I might vote for them. Seems to piss people off. That’s how it works isn’t it?

28 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

I might vote for them. Seems to piss people off. That’s how it works isn’t it?

Yep. We really do need some outstanding politicians to steer this nation, regardless of party

1 hour ago, Sweep said:

 

Whilst he's a massive cunt, and I really don't want him anywhere near the top job, at least Farage looks and sounds like he stands for something (of course, we'll not know, unless he does become PM, which I'm not sure he will) - none of the other party leaders (or those waiting in the wings) inspire any sort of confidence in me at all (obvs, this is just my own personal point of view)

Agreed.  I cant stand his politics and the thought of the roundabout painters in power makes me queasy but Farage does at least seem to have the power of his convictions.  You can't say the same of Starmer, although like May and Cameron, you get the sense he is largely respected abroad. Truss was just an embarrassment and has led to Tories like Bad Enoch, Jenrick and Braverman all thinking they could lead the country. 20 years ago those types would have been kept hidden on the backbenches. 

1 hour ago, DirtySanchez said:

Taking the personality aspect out of it, I did find myself thinking would I shag her

Decided that yeah I probably would

Don't recall any previous PM achieving that 'accolade'

I'm sure that when she looks back at what she's achieved, that'll be high up in the things she's proud of 😁

12 minutes ago, Sweep said:

I'm sure that when she looks back at what she's achieved, that'll be high up in the things she's proud of 😁

She just doesn't know it yet

Tanking the economy, pork markets (obvious opening line there) or shagging me 

Fine margins 

4 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

Once Liz Truss got the gig it meant anyone with even half a brain could be a serious contender.  I still find it incredible that someone as obviously dense as her, could hold the highest office in this country. 

We pride ourselves on our "democracy" but she came into power by a massive minority. 

The ruling party's MPs voted for Sunak but Conservative Party members voted for Truss... how many members did the Party have compared to the number in the electorate?

3 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

Agreed.  I cant stand his politics and the thought of the roundabout painters in power makes me queasy but Farage does at least seem to have the power of his convictions.  You can't say the same of Starmer, although like May and Cameron, you get the sense he is largely respected abroad. Truss was just an embarrassment and has led to Tories like Bad Enoch, Jenrick and Braverman all thinking they could lead the country. 20 years ago those types would have been kept hidden on the backbenches. 

Farage is funded by billionaires with vested interests in ensuring our whole financial system, in particular the markets remain unregulated. He is a fucking grifter who is million more times concerned about lining his own pockets than he is about education and the NHS. He dances to the tune of his paymasters. 

The fact he has a sniff of the top job shows how fucking shit Cameron, May, Boris, Truss, Sunak and now Starmer have been. And with the other options being Badenoch, Funny Ed and a hypnotist who think he can make women’s tits bigger shows nothing good is happening soon.