14 minutes ago, Bertie said:

Spot on. The “special relationship” was increasing tenuous I think, and Trumpy’s lot certainly don’t give two shineys about it.

We are in a pickle internationally.

So far I think Starmer for all his woes at home has played a blinder to get closer to Europe (for the right reasons) yet not become too distant from the US (for the right reasons). Not sure how much longer he can continue to tap dance though, without picking a side.

I was always pro-US, pro-Brexit. Massive dilemma when I’m anti-Trump!

See I was always pro EU AND pro US so god knows where this leaves us? 

I'm sure we're all wrestling with this though. 

Yeah initially I thought Starmer was doing well - but I don't think if push came to actual shove the Americans would necessarily back us these days. And we've burned our bridges with the EU. Why would they have us back - even if we decided we wanted to. 

We're no longer a reliable partner in the union and their terms would no doubt be horrific. 

If we can't save NATO - then we become very isolated militarily too. Given that it's unlikely we'd join some sort of European Army. We'd have to sign some sort of deal with Finland/Norway etc would we? 

I'm not political pint scoring here. But I imagine that if the Brexit referendum were hapoening tomorrow - the outcome might be to stay. We've shot that bolt though. 

Let's just hope we can keep our happy little union together eh? 

At a press conference in London, Zahawi was asked about a tweet he posted in 2015 saying: “I’m not British-born, Mr Farage, I’m as British as you are. Your comments are offensive and racist. I would be frightened to live in a country run by you.”
 

‘ He who fucks nuns will later join the church.’

1 minute ago, kent_white said:

See I was always pro EU AND pro US so god knows where this leaves us? 

I'm sure we're all wrestling with this though. 

Yeah initially I thought Starmer was doing well - but I don't think if push came to actual shove the Americans would necessarily back us these days. And we've burned our bridges with the EU. Why would they have us back - even if we decided we wanted to. 

We're no longer a reliable partner in the union and their terms would no doubt be horrific. 

If we can't save NATO - then we become very isolated militarily too. Given that it's unlikely we'd join some sort of European Army. We'd have to sign some sort of deal with Finland/Norway etc would we? 

I'm not political pint scoring here. But I imagine that if the Brexit referendum were hapoening tomorrow - the outcome might be to stay. We've shot that bolt though. 

Let's just hope we can keep our happy little union together eh? 

There is a very public side to this and then what goes on behind the scenes. For instance when the Yanks took the Russian flagged oil tanker it was made clear that UK intelligence was involved.

As much as the relationship is strained it ain’t fully broke. Even with Greenland latest is ‘hard’ way or ‘easy’ way. What chances it ends up being the ‘easy’ what that is not a million miles away from how it works now ? 
 

The crazy thing will be in 3 years (glow many days Bolty) when we could have NF running the UK and the Democrats back in over the pond. They we will be isolated. 

 

9 minutes ago, Ani said:

At a press conference in London, Zahawi was asked about a tweet he posted in 2015 saying: “I’m not British-born, Mr Farage, I’m as British as you are. Your comments are offensive and racist. I would be frightened to live in a country run by you.”
 

‘ He who fucks nuns will later join the church.’

<sigh>
 

how many times do we have to go through this?

Historical statements are to be ignored when made by Reform types.

However, if Angela Raynor bought a curtain rail on expenses in 1986, she wants sending into the volcano.

 

4 minutes ago, Ani said:

There is a very public side to this and then what goes on behind the scenes. For instance when the Yanks took the Russian flagged oil tanker it was made clear that UK intelligence was involved.

As much as the relationship is strained it ain’t fully broke. Even with Greenland latest is ‘hard’ way or ‘easy’ way. What chances it ends up being the ‘easy’ what that is not a million miles away from how it works now ? 
 

The crazy thing will be in 3 years (glow many days Bolty) when we could have NF running the UK and the Democrats back in over the pond. They we will be isolated. 

 

I've considered this eventuality too 😁

The US rebel at the polls. The Dems return. Meanwhile we call an early election because things become untenable or some other black swan type event and vote Farage in on the hope that we'll be fed a few scraps from under the USs table and get a nice pat on the head from Uncle Donald.

The rest of the world shakes it's head in collective disbelief at the self sabotage. Again. 

21 minutes ago, Spider said:

<sigh>
 

how many times do we have to go through this?

Historical statements are to be ignored when made by Reform types.

However, if Angela Raynor bought a curtain rail on expenses in 1986, she wants sending into the volcano.

 

The Bot line is ‘Great recruit we need some real experience to lead Reform.’

The guy was Chancellor and made a £5m deal with HMRC to settle his tax affairs and ‘carelessly forgot’ to declare it. 
 

Full on grifter. 

Edited January 12Jan 12 by Ani

Just now, kent_white said:

I've considered this eventuality too 😁

The US rebel at the polls. The Dems return. Meanwhile we call an early election because things become untenable or some other black swan type event and vote Farage in on the hope that we'll be fed a few scraps from under the USs table and get a nice pat on the head from Uncle Donald.

The rest of the world shakes it's head in collective disbelief at the self sabotage. Again. 

Claude reckons 5-10% chance 😁

So Reform will basically be the Tory party by the next election then.

Farage will have to start another party.

🥳 

57 minutes ago, Spider said:

So Reform will basically be the Tory party by the next election then.

Farage will have to start another party.

🥳

To be fair to Farage, it will become increasingly difficult for him. He needs political experience to form a party that can run the country, sadly, the experience that he's getting in place is from the very party that he claims is useless, and tends to be the ones that generally left under a bit of a cloud

Quote

 

However a Tory source said his defection came after he begged 'several times' for a seat in the House of Lords without success.

'Given he was sacked for his dodgy tax affairs, this was never going to happen,' the source said.

'His defection tells you everything you need to know about Reform being a repository for disgraced politicians.'

 

 

Edited January 12Jan 12 by Sweep

43 minutes ago, Sweep said:

To be fair tp Farage, it will become increasingly difficult for him. He needs political experience to form a party that can run the country, sadly, the experience that he's getting in place  is from the very party that he claims is useless, and tends to be the ones that generall yleft under a bit of a lcoud

 

I think the Chancellor not declaring he was being investigated by HMRC and then forgetting to declare the £5m settlement is more than a cloud. 
 

Even the staunchest Reform supporters must see he is tainted. 

2 minutes ago, Ani said:

I think the Chancellor not declaring he was being investigated by HMRC and then forgetting to declare the £5m settlement is more than a cloud. 
 

Even the staunchest Reform supporters must see he is tainted. 

you would hope so, but they won't, I'd say most of those who support Reform aren't generally "details" kinds of people - they'll pay no attention to who joins the party, as Farage is the be all and end all, which is why it'll probably collapse as a political party when he leaves.

 

I can't be bothered looking, but I'd be surprised if Farage didn't have something to say about Zahawi at the time 

1 hour ago, Sweep said:

you would hope so, but they won't, I'd say most of those who support Reform aren't generally "details" kinds of people - they'll pay no attention to who joins the party, as Farage is the be all and end all, which is why it'll probably collapse as a political party when he leaves.

 

I can't be bothered looking, but I'd be surprised if Farage didn't have something to say about Zahawi at the time 

UKiP, Independance Party and now Reform. Its all just a platform for one person, its not party support its an ideology.

 

3 hours ago, Ani said:

I think the Chancellor not declaring he was being investigated by HMRC and then forgetting to declare the £5m settlement is more than a cloud. 
 

Even the staunchest Reform supporters must see he is tainted. 

They’re quite good at ignoring shit when they need to.
 

Bit like yanks (and a few on here) can pretend  the president isn’t a sex offender

3 hours ago, Sweep said:

you would hope so, but they won't, I'd say most of those who support Reform aren't generally "details" kinds of people - they'll pay no attention to who joins the party, as Farage is the be all and end all, which is why it'll probably collapse as a political party when he leaves.

 

I can't be bothered looking, but I'd be surprised if Farage didn't have something to say about Zahawi at the time 

I’d be amazed if he did, given his financial affairs are murky as fuck. 

4 hours ago, Spider said:

So Reform will basically be the Tory party by the next election then.

Farage will have to start another party.

🥳

It is funny how they pretend to build themselves on being different to the ‘establishment’. 

6 hours ago, Spider said:

Sadiq Khan is having a good day.

It’s only a matter of time until the skeletons come out of the closet.

1 minute ago, Jol_BWFC said:

It’s only a matter of time until the skeletons come out of the closet.

I can hardly wait for the "I told you so" post 😁

2 minutes ago, Sweep said:

I can hardly wait for the "I told you so" post 😁

And after a mere 9 years 🤣

9 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

You do know the Americans don't see it like that, dont you?

To them, we were bailed out as well after getting our arses kicked at Dunkirk and SE Asia.  It was the Russians> The US> and then allied Europe that got rid of the jack boot heel you're referring to. 

Do I care if they don't see it like that? Where's that give-a-fuck-ometer gone? I needed it for the 'land of the free' hysteria too.

7 hours ago, kent_white said:

I think he's the bulldozer behind the project isn't he. 

Congratulations. Keen (if tardy) insight.

23 minutes ago, bolty58 said:

Congratulations. Keen (if tardy) insight.

Well not quite. I thought Project 2025 was fear mongering. And he's already gone far beyond that. 

Who do you think is really pulling the strings?

11 hours ago, kent_white said:

The rest of the world shakes it's head in collective disbelief at the self sabotage. Again. 

 Fucking hell. What a fucking drama queen!

Utter drivel.

10 hours ago, Ani said:

I think the Chancellor not declaring he was being investigated by HMRC and then forgetting to declare the £5m settlement is more than a cloud. 
 

Even the staunchest Reform supporters must see he is tainted. 

Onwards and upwards. Great news.

An Iraqi heritage bloke too. More grist to the mill of shutting up the 'racist' screeching 'thickos'.

9 hours ago, Not in Crawley said:

UKiP, Independance Party and now Reform. Its all just a platform for one person, its not party support its an ideology.

 From a devotee of socialism. You couldn't script it.

7 hours ago, mickbrown said:

They’re quite good at ignoring shit when they need to.
 

Bit like yanks (and a few on here) can pretend  the president isn’t a sex offender

The hypocrisy. Angela Rayner anybody?