I hope you're right. Since Summer 2024, this endless waiting for the "excrement to impact the rotary ventilation system" has been excruciating. Just watching everything - on all fronts (economy, freedom of speech, civil liberties) - getting worse and worse; trying to protest to my MP but she's not listening.
This "government" are determined to double down on their crazy track, they're away from reality. Can't collapse soon enough.
I hope you’re right but disagree. This government knows they are done for, but lack any ounce of decency and will hang on until 2029, the turkey’s will not vote for Xmas .
They are now on a scorched earth strategy to complete everything they want to do regardless of what the public want, and will leave the biggest mess possible for Reform to sort out.
But who will force them? Labour MP’s know they are toast, so will go for a desperate relaunch to continue employment until 2029. More promises, more lies.
So let's hope Lowe puts his spat with Farage aside and does what needs to he done for the sake of the country, which is to pull his candidates where Reform can win. Restore won't win a single seat because to build a movement like Reform takes decades. So let's put the country first. And perhaps even the Tories can pay back Reform by pulling their candidates too. Farage did it it 2019 after all.
Am afraid I think Lowes thirst for vengeance against Farage and Reform is his top priority . Lowe will ally with the Tories if anyone the cosying up has already started . The Tories won’t pull candidates for reform unless there is a quid pro quo
I wouldn't put it past Starmer to bail out and go for a General Election, rather than be toppled. Let's face it, none of them know how to run a country. That image of him sitting in the HoC with his head in his hands says it all. Restore/Advance are irrelevant anyway but, an early General Election would be a disaster for them, and the Tories who will be toast after the May elections, in terms of any hope of being able to split the right. A crisis that Matt predicts here would be a seismic moment and I think would be just what was needed to provoke a Brexit style turnout for Reform UK at a General Election, giving an emphatic two-fingers to the establishment and blowing away any hopes the left might have of a tactical coalition. Similar is happening across the West, the populist uprising will not be stopped,
I do hope you are correct about an early General Election and all the evidence you have listed suggests it is likely. Starmer fluked an election and was always going to be an unmitigated disaster. The fact he, and the rest of the government, have proven so spectacularly inept, clueless, weak and corrupt, has surprised even their biggest detractors. The confected BBC/MSM outrage over Liz Truss, or even Boris and his cake, is nothing compared to the financial damage, sleaze and dishonesty Starmer/Labour have brought to office.
Personally I would rather lance the boil that is this government now than leave it festering away weakening the entire organism that is this country . Short term pain for long term gain. Get a general election as soon as possible.
Decades of open borders Globalisation has hollowed us out. Our manufacturing and industrial base has gone to China and we have imported millions of workers when so many of our people are on benefits living in post Industrial wastelands.
If the nation state doesn't control international finance capitalism, international finance capitalism will control the nation state.
I don't have much hope for the centre Right across the West to be honest. They aren't understanding the scale of the problems, particularly for young people.
I cannot see that an early GE is the answer to our problems. Our extraordinary electorate seems to think that the Greens are worth supporting and the so called right vote will be split unless there is some sort of agreement between the remains of the Tories and Reform. You will recollect that Boris got an 80 seat majority because Farage stood down 160 Reform candidates in 2019 - which Boris squandered. Another imponderable is the enfranchisement of 16 years olds; bizarre. Starmer is dishonest and a coward, never acting in the best interests of this country - Chagos being the classic example.
Does the Green Party care at all for the environment? It seems to have ditched ecology in favor of Islamism and trans rights – as well as legalised crack. How long can such a rag bag of conficting ideals hold together?
They’re not interested in the environment. The original Green Party has been parasitised by the Islam/Hard Left alliance and have been eaten alive. It’s a Zombie party currently controlled by extremists and idiots. The idiots won’t outlast their usefulness.
What is the Labour plan? What reasonably good decision have Labour made since being elected? Are Labour simply incompetent or are they purposefully driving us off a cliff?
I’m afraid no one, including Reform, can save us from our current predicament which is the result of years of bad governance by both major parties. I’m so bloody angry I’d like to see them all face severe consequences.
My book arrived today, somewhat late and after I paid the extra postal charge on-line.
I don’t mind but have a word with your logistics people please.
I asked what Labour had done of a green/Labour voting "actooooorrr" friend. He said they've put more money into early years care. It's all he could think of. So the answer rounded down is "nothing".
I asked a Labour voter why he continued to vote labour 'I always have and always will'. One cannot change people like that but I did point out that voting is not a tribal issue like football.
That's interesting, my book hasn't arrived yet, but I had to pay a postage charge online a couple of days ago. I now suspect that it relates to the book!🙄🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Absolutely! However, I wouldn't be surprised if Royal Mail were told to charge the extra by the "government "! It's the kind of spiteful sh*t they do!💩🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
2022 was an engineered crisis driven by the Deep State's Truss Derangement Syndrome.
Which is not to claim that we are not approaching a financial crisis.
One factor not mentioned is what happens if we can't get oil and gas out of the Strait of Hormuz? The idiots we have in charge (across Europe, not just in Britain) have been very slow to wake up to the pressing need to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to escort shipping, though of course if (as in our case) we don't have any warships, that makes the decision-making part a bit easier.
The problem Richard is that deploying any warship in such a constrained area as The Straits of Hormuz would be far too vulnerable to attack by various modern weaponry and I doubt that any western naval senior officers would permit it.
The problem is that the United States does not need the hydrocarbons as it is energy self-sufficient.
Europe desperately needs them.
Making nice to Trump might be a way of getting them, although after 12 months of being rebuffed by the Europeans on recognising Palestine, free speech online, the Greenland issue, and use of Diego Garcia, maybe he doesn't feel over-inclined to help.
It's like the common joke about the RAF a relative (ex-Army) told me. Fabulous, shiny weapons systems - but far too expensive to actually risk putting somewhere where they might get shot at.
I still don’t see it Matt. They know they have a unique historical opportunity in their grasp. Their prime interests are cultural and demographic not boring old fiscal. Let’s be grateful Sunak capped the Boris wave - but I expect they’ll stop enforcing those curbs. I think they may deliberately crash the economy for as long as they can to scupper any incoming Reform UK government.
Just one question. The rumours that Starmer intends to make Khan a Lord and bring him into government to help him stay in power. Do you have a view on that? Personally I cannot conceive of it being any help to import Khan into government….but who knows, he may just overthrow Starmer and take over. The thought is terrifying!!
The question is help to whom? To the country no, but as a desperate move by Starmer to claw back Muslim votes lost to the Green Party and Gaza Independents he may think so . It’s actually very hard to dislodge a leader of the Labour Party. There is an elaborate process that must be adhered to so Khan couldn’t just stage a coup. It’s also impractical to have a prime minister sitting in the Lords rather than the Commons so realistically like Andy Burnham, he would first have to be elected to the Commons, so we are safe from prime minister khan for now, though maybe not his pernicious presence in the cabinet
The medicine will unpalateable and therefore you are right. We have to face reality sooner or later but we seem to be accustomed to living on tick - which as far as I am concerned is totally against every one of my principles. The silent majority is just not being heard, the floating irresponsible voter decides who the government will be and that's that. Starmer has a 150 seat majority with 34% of the vote and that is not democracy.
I leave financial matters to people better qualified than me. What concerns me most is the loss of our culture which cannot be reversed in the way that finance can be. Whichever way we look, disaster looms, so I suppose it would be best to just get on with it before Labour can do more damage.
A worrying point - Reform (and hopefully a right wing coalition) will have an awful lot to deal with BUT if they start moving things in the correct direction I hope people will give them longer.
My concern is that Labour are going to leave such a mess - I mean, look at what they've done already - that a new government (whatever it is) would have to spend all its time preventing the country from falling over a cliff, and not have to time to get rid of Labour's poisonous legacy on regulation, free speech, civil liberties.
On the other hand, just wiping out the protest laws, the Online Safety Act, the soon-coming further Internet censorship "to protect the Cheeeeeeldren", the no jury trials, the "Islamophobia" business - these could be just dumped with a few votes.
Perhaps an early crowd-pleaser from a new govt, before they turn to more serious business?
The usual suspects will scream and shout about Saaaaaaafety 'n' Secuuuuuuurity - but let them, ignore them.
Agreed. Their incompetence and mismanagement is staggering. Alongside that though, some of the legislation they have passed or attempted to pass is vile, nothing short of evil. I know I am ideologically (I would say rationally) opposed to them, but what they do is above and beyond. As you say, their aim appears to be to totally destroy us culturally.
I think most people will settle for a few big wins and signs that we are heading in the right direction . Stopping the boats would be an enormous national symbol . Am hoping Reform will do what Trump did at the start of this term and arrive with a batch of critical legislation ready to go . Obviously they will need a working majority to get it through . They need to hit the ground running unlike this government which is still floundering after 18 months. I have faith in Reforms top team and Farage is a canny operator .
I hope you're right. Since Summer 2024, this endless waiting for the "excrement to impact the rotary ventilation system" has been excruciating. Just watching everything - on all fronts (economy, freedom of speech, civil liberties) - getting worse and worse; trying to protest to my MP but she's not listening.
This "government" are determined to double down on their crazy track, they're away from reality. Can't collapse soon enough.
I hope you’re right but disagree. This government knows they are done for, but lack any ounce of decency and will hang on until 2029, the turkey’s will not vote for Xmas .
They are now on a scorched earth strategy to complete everything they want to do regardless of what the public want, and will leave the biggest mess possible for Reform to sort out.
I agree it's unlikely they'll call an early election as to do so would put them all out of jobs. But one can hope.
They won’t choose to call an early election but they may be forced into it if things get sufficiently bad .
But who will force them? Labour MP’s know they are toast, so will go for a desperate relaunch to continue employment until 2029. More promises, more lies.
In which case there must be NO split on the right! Because whatever you
say one thing is certain the Left will unite to keep Reform out. They will use
tactical voting in order to achieve this whatever their policy differences. On this they are totally united - making sure Reform never gets elected!!!
So let's hope Lowe puts his spat with Farage aside and does what needs to he done for the sake of the country, which is to pull his candidates where Reform can win. Restore won't win a single seat because to build a movement like Reform takes decades. So let's put the country first. And perhaps even the Tories can pay back Reform by pulling their candidates too. Farage did it it 2019 after all.
Brilliant point! I've been saying that for years. Just dump your egos and GROW UP ffs!🙄🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Am afraid I think Lowes thirst for vengeance against Farage and Reform is his top priority . Lowe will ally with the Tories if anyone the cosying up has already started . The Tories won’t pull candidates for reform unless there is a quid pro quo
I wouldn't put it past Starmer to bail out and go for a General Election, rather than be toppled. Let's face it, none of them know how to run a country. That image of him sitting in the HoC with his head in his hands says it all. Restore/Advance are irrelevant anyway but, an early General Election would be a disaster for them, and the Tories who will be toast after the May elections, in terms of any hope of being able to split the right. A crisis that Matt predicts here would be a seismic moment and I think would be just what was needed to provoke a Brexit style turnout for Reform UK at a General Election, giving an emphatic two-fingers to the establishment and blowing away any hopes the left might have of a tactical coalition. Similar is happening across the West, the populist uprising will not be stopped,
I hope you're right too! What a brilliant bit of optimism! Good for you Toot 👍 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Never hurts to be glass half full. Far too much negativity around at the moment ;-)
Labour MP's will not vote for an early GE, they know they will lose their seats and it's naive to suggest that they will.
I believe you will find that the right to call an election lies with the Prime Minister.
The sooner the better for this country.
I do hope you are correct about an early General Election and all the evidence you have listed suggests it is likely. Starmer fluked an election and was always going to be an unmitigated disaster. The fact he, and the rest of the government, have proven so spectacularly inept, clueless, weak and corrupt, has surprised even their biggest detractors. The confected BBC/MSM outrage over Liz Truss, or even Boris and his cake, is nothing compared to the financial damage, sleaze and dishonesty Starmer/Labour have brought to office.
We can but hope, Matt. On a related matter, the Moggcast with Lord Goodman is very much worth a listen.
Personally I would rather lance the boil that is this government now than leave it festering away weakening the entire organism that is this country . Short term pain for long term gain. Get a general election as soon as possible.
Decades of open borders Globalisation has hollowed us out. Our manufacturing and industrial base has gone to China and we have imported millions of workers when so many of our people are on benefits living in post Industrial wastelands.
If the nation state doesn't control international finance capitalism, international finance capitalism will control the nation state.
I don't have much hope for the centre Right across the West to be honest. They aren't understanding the scale of the problems, particularly for young people.
We've also imported millions of skivers many of whom are sitting pretty in nice council houses.
I cannot see that an early GE is the answer to our problems. Our extraordinary electorate seems to think that the Greens are worth supporting and the so called right vote will be split unless there is some sort of agreement between the remains of the Tories and Reform. You will recollect that Boris got an 80 seat majority because Farage stood down 160 Reform candidates in 2019 - which Boris squandered. Another imponderable is the enfranchisement of 16 years olds; bizarre. Starmer is dishonest and a coward, never acting in the best interests of this country - Chagos being the classic example.
I believe the sixteen year old lads are quite keen on Reform but the girls go Green.😬
Does the Green Party care at all for the environment? It seems to have ditched ecology in favor of Islamism and trans rights – as well as legalised crack. How long can such a rag bag of conficting ideals hold together?
They’re not interested in the environment. The original Green Party has been parasitised by the Islam/Hard Left alliance and have been eaten alive. It’s a Zombie party currently controlled by extremists and idiots. The idiots won’t outlast their usefulness.
They don't even mention the environment now. A joke of sorts.
What is the Labour plan? What reasonably good decision have Labour made since being elected? Are Labour simply incompetent or are they purposefully driving us off a cliff?
I’m afraid no one, including Reform, can save us from our current predicament which is the result of years of bad governance by both major parties. I’m so bloody angry I’d like to see them all face severe consequences.
My book arrived today, somewhat late and after I paid the extra postal charge on-line.
I don’t mind but have a word with your logistics people please.
I asked what Labour had done of a green/Labour voting "actooooorrr" friend. He said they've put more money into early years care. It's all he could think of. So the answer rounded down is "nothing".
I asked a Labour voter why he continued to vote labour 'I always have and always will'. One cannot change people like that but I did point out that voting is not a tribal issue like football.
But Breakfast Clubs!!
That's interesting, my book hasn't arrived yet, but I had to pay a postage charge online a couple of days ago. I now suspect that it relates to the book!🙄🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Me too. It is now going to be delivered today. Still, worth the extra £1.50 for the Founders’ copy.
Absolutely! However, I wouldn't be surprised if Royal Mail were told to charge the extra by the "government "! It's the kind of spiteful sh*t they do!💩🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
No surprise at all. At this point I’d put nothing past this shower!
Same as me, late delivery and £1.50 to be paid.
2022 was an engineered crisis driven by the Deep State's Truss Derangement Syndrome.
Which is not to claim that we are not approaching a financial crisis.
One factor not mentioned is what happens if we can't get oil and gas out of the Strait of Hormuz? The idiots we have in charge (across Europe, not just in Britain) have been very slow to wake up to the pressing need to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to escort shipping, though of course if (as in our case) we don't have any warships, that makes the decision-making part a bit easier.
The problem Richard is that deploying any warship in such a constrained area as The Straits of Hormuz would be far too vulnerable to attack by various modern weaponry and I doubt that any western naval senior officers would permit it.
The problem is that the United States does not need the hydrocarbons as it is energy self-sufficient.
Europe desperately needs them.
Making nice to Trump might be a way of getting them, although after 12 months of being rebuffed by the Europeans on recognising Palestine, free speech online, the Greenland issue, and use of Diego Garcia, maybe he doesn't feel over-inclined to help.
It's like the common joke about the RAF a relative (ex-Army) told me. Fabulous, shiny weapons systems - but far too expensive to actually risk putting somewhere where they might get shot at.
I still don’t see it Matt. They know they have a unique historical opportunity in their grasp. Their prime interests are cultural and demographic not boring old fiscal. Let’s be grateful Sunak capped the Boris wave - but I expect they’ll stop enforcing those curbs. I think they may deliberately crash the economy for as long as they can to scupper any incoming Reform UK government.
Just one question. The rumours that Starmer intends to make Khan a Lord and bring him into government to help him stay in power. Do you have a view on that? Personally I cannot conceive of it being any help to import Khan into government….but who knows, he may just overthrow Starmer and take over. The thought is terrifying!!
The question is help to whom? To the country no, but as a desperate move by Starmer to claw back Muslim votes lost to the Green Party and Gaza Independents he may think so . It’s actually very hard to dislodge a leader of the Labour Party. There is an elaborate process that must be adhered to so Khan couldn’t just stage a coup. It’s also impractical to have a prime minister sitting in the Lords rather than the Commons so realistically like Andy Burnham, he would first have to be elected to the Commons, so we are safe from prime minister khan for now, though maybe not his pernicious presence in the cabinet
If we’re in that much trouble won’t it mean failure for a Reform govt and total disaster in the sense that people will never again vote Reform?
The medicine will unpalateable and therefore you are right. We have to face reality sooner or later but we seem to be accustomed to living on tick - which as far as I am concerned is totally against every one of my principles. The silent majority is just not being heard, the floating irresponsible voter decides who the government will be and that's that. Starmer has a 150 seat majority with 34% of the vote and that is not democracy.
I leave financial matters to people better qualified than me. What concerns me most is the loss of our culture which cannot be reversed in the way that finance can be. Whichever way we look, disaster looms, so I suppose it would be best to just get on with it before Labour can do more damage.
A worrying point - Reform (and hopefully a right wing coalition) will have an awful lot to deal with BUT if they start moving things in the correct direction I hope people will give them longer.
My concern is that Labour are going to leave such a mess - I mean, look at what they've done already - that a new government (whatever it is) would have to spend all its time preventing the country from falling over a cliff, and not have to time to get rid of Labour's poisonous legacy on regulation, free speech, civil liberties.
On the other hand, just wiping out the protest laws, the Online Safety Act, the soon-coming further Internet censorship "to protect the Cheeeeeeldren", the no jury trials, the "Islamophobia" business - these could be just dumped with a few votes.
Perhaps an early crowd-pleaser from a new govt, before they turn to more serious business?
The usual suspects will scream and shout about Saaaaaaafety 'n' Secuuuuuuurity - but let them, ignore them.
I agree, they’re the worst and most dangerous govt I’ve ever known.
Agreed. Their incompetence and mismanagement is staggering. Alongside that though, some of the legislation they have passed or attempted to pass is vile, nothing short of evil. I know I am ideologically (I would say rationally) opposed to them, but what they do is above and beyond. As you say, their aim appears to be to totally destroy us culturally.
I think most people will settle for a few big wins and signs that we are heading in the right direction . Stopping the boats would be an enormous national symbol . Am hoping Reform will do what Trump did at the start of this term and arrive with a batch of critical legislation ready to go . Obviously they will need a working majority to get it through . They need to hit the ground running unlike this government which is still floundering after 18 months. I have faith in Reforms top team and Farage is a canny operator .
🤞 I’m sure you’re right depending on the majority. I’d feel happier if the Restore crowd weren’t hell bent on destroying Farage. Pathetic.