"It’s kind’a like seeing a kid get beaten up in the playground and instead of standing up to the bully, you join in, and when you’re done, the bully gives you a dead arm anyway." Perfectly sums up what it feels like to be British these days. The utter helplessness, the infinite frustration, the hideous shame: who knew a government's contempt for what decent people want could be so blatant? Brexit was an embarrassment, Starmer is so much worse.
The recent years since 2016 have been a pretty good argument for having absolutely nothing to do with the European Union, seems to me. Sure, the British are no better and in some ways worse, but at least you don't ALSO have von der Leyen.
In short, the EU is an embarrassment. You made the right decision for the wrong reasons.
At last someone's standing up for defenceless oligarchs against the ravages of wicked disabled gangs and those starving child bandits. Well done, Sir Keir Starmer, we just knew you wouldn't let down your true constituents in offshore corporations in their eternal struggle against the working poor of your own country.
First it is the genocide on the sick and disabled, then the eradication of the working class. Once the middle class has been exploited into extinction, the greedy insane billionaires will then turn on each other. Shame that none of us will be there to witness this.
'Starmer, who prefers to be called “Trump’s bitch”' - priceless humour and on cue as ever. So who amongst us that 'compromisingly' voted him in is still behind the High Lord Tsarmer's old new-Labour & fascism combo project, and ready to blindly prop up the unfolding shitshow? Tsarmerites you either hate them ...or should hate them!
its like the 1990s all over again for the children of the Gangster Capitalists who raped eastern europe in the fall of the CCCP, only this time around they're raping and pillaging western europe
It's only your brilliance Laura that makes you use that word, the rest of the European leaders gave it up years ago and probably have forgotten how to spell it anyway.
The working class has chosen Labour so it seems they still haven't got the memo of capitalism turning to Imperialism and finally into fascism.
Education is a nice thing, unfortunately many refuse to listen to wisdom and truth - they know best that's what the masters are telling them is right - and communism/socialism are all manslaughter, gulag and all are poor - that's what they have learned and they won't give up on that master's message, it's holy, it's true and not being able to pay for your child's healthcare bill or your rent, who cares?
As long as we do not have to talk about socialism & communism; China is bad anyway and all that China can is copy and produce cheap, ugly stuff and do not regard climate change and human rights.
Going to stop here, need to go and throw up for a moment.
I am a life long member of Labour, retired chair and secretary of the Mumbles Branch before and A Labour activist before and during the Blair years. now retired Branch chairman.
I hated the misogyny and bullying in our Branch when I joined and with many helpful women members got rid of all that nasty tribal history.
What I did not succeed in doing is get our Branch to become more radical.
Labour has to find new sources of funding for capital investment and a way of getting rid of the privatised utilities and essential industries. Not though inflicting austerity but by investment that means having shareholding in our services establishing a routeway to to possible nationalisation.
For London and the UK Labour Party their priority seems to be the fear of upsetting the USA. ...certainly not not fighting but appeasing the new national socialism that is engulfing the world dominated by sovereign individual billionaires and autocrats managing a reduced privatised agency style business State in isolation and trading with an international crypto currency.
The USA mafia State
Labour's current industrial strategy for Wales post mining and steel, is a continuation of the vassal state syndrome....selling off our deep seaports around the coast to private investors as free ports.
Labour and Labour Wales needs to be more autonomous The Assembly is now mature enough to have tax raising powers and a Sovereign wealth fund to exclusively fund capital infra structure and public services to ensure that our future Welsh industrial strategy is driven by socialist principles supporting local needs.
Westminister will not consider the history and poverty and future well-being of Wales as a priority.
For example........
Ref: Stop the current Free-ports industrial strategy for Wales....selling off our future wealth again
When our ruling elite including the last Government rely so heavily on selling off most of your country's essential assets, infra-structure projects, major industries and services to foreign investors you lose control of your country's destiny, self- respect and sovereignty. Let alone create an extensive leak of annual profits to off shore tax havens and foreign corporations probably via the City of London..
It also leaves you open to blackmail, compromising your civilizing moral imperatives including your duty of care to and prosperity of those working people that gave our Government power. We have become a vassal State.
I believe that Wales, as a devolved self-governing region, has a unique opportunity having recently seen the demise of Tata Steel, the last of our heavy industries, to promote a strong and realistic argument for developing our own Welsh industrial strategy based on greater autonomy and creating new opportunities for growth through establishing a substantial Welsh Government Wealth Fund and a more autonomous National Bank of Wales negotiating for an increase in the Welsh Barnet formula.
We can always print money to buy weapons through war bonds.......but not to invest in the NHS and clean water....
In my opinion, any of this capital Wealth Fund of public money, if used to subsidize industrial development or public services by being managed by private enterprise, like Welsh Water, should ONLY be offered in return for shareholding up to the value of the subsidies as a percentage of the development costs of each project/programme.....WHY NOT! That is what the often State or pension scheme foreign investors are doing when investing in our capital assets off shoring investment which our taxes are subsidizing. Instead of subsidising new new developments we should only invest in the schemes by demanding shareholding to the value of our UK contribution.
Primarily Wales needs to establish a new Welsh financial institution, a Welsh National Investment Bank , for capital investment and with the authority to issue new Welsh Government 10-15-30 year Bonds solely to be spent on an industrial and infra-structure renewal programme for Wales. A National Bank that holds and manages our public national shareholding in re-nationalization partnership programme I am suggesting.
It is the modern economic version of nationalization as a partnership.....when you need desperately to create an alternative public source of revenue without increasing taxation.... now essential since the Tories have sold off all your assets and we are now doling out our workers taxes to renew the lack of investment by the State and corporations over decades......I am sure you can recognise this very well-developed blood sucking scam to steal the wealth of working people.
(Why is it okay for the State of Qatar to own Associated British Ports in the UK and the UK tax money that is subsidizing ABP not to have ownership as shareholding equivalence to the level of UK investment that modernize their ABP Qatari assets....seems wrong......the people of Wales should have part ownership of all of their essential assets and services that the nation invests in.
The UK now owns very little of its major essential manufacturing and trading companies (water, electricity and steel for example).. which I am sure you know..... read The Vassal State by Angus Hanton ... a disheartening read) sold off to international corporations by the City of London Financiers primarily since Thatcher..... e.g including Associated British Ports ( majority shares owned by a Toronto Corporation and a Qatari Group) ....they own half of Port Talbot deep port and are the main drivers of the South Wales economic development zone which I understand spreads from Newport to Pembroke Dock. which means that annually the majority of all profits as dividends will leave our country and our skilled industrial workforce become servants to the employment and working practices the foreign owners will impose.....like they did with P&O..
I need a seriously knowledgeable economist to explain why we do not invest with share ownership when we give subsidizes...it seems cowardly. Do we not trust that a new port facility or privately owned water company cannot make a profit.
2014 Scottish (BritishEng/controlled) independence 'referendum' we were all 'one big family of nations' and 'British' was never mentioned, we were all in the 'UK' in fact the Tories called it, 'UKOK'!
Now it's all 'British' this and British that, sigh...it's not great, never was, and sadly Scotland gets what England votes for. England needs a new left of centre party, but that will never be allowed by the English parliament.
One has few realistic hopes left, but that idea gives me one! And a little falling shrapnel left for No10? Then we could also invite a peacekeeping force to march in, maybe the Chechens and Belarus. I'm told they eat anything, which, given the way we're going on the farming front, is an added plus.
The red army wont come even if you hang white flags out of your windows, the island has become too pathetic and has nothing to offer to the Russians or anyone else anyway anymore.
Bad weather and your cuisine is not really tempting, no?
Back in the day we called it a revolution but I can understand, to annoy the royals is something the British would never do, so good luck and have a nice time. :-)
"It’s kind’a like seeing a kid get beaten up in the playground and instead of standing up to the bully, you join in, and when you’re done, the bully gives you a dead arm anyway." Perfectly sums up what it feels like to be British these days. The utter helplessness, the infinite frustration, the hideous shame: who knew a government's contempt for what decent people want could be so blatant? Brexit was an embarrassment, Starmer is so much worse.
Imagine what it's like to be an American citizen these days: like you, but on steroids.
And I'm now calling your PM "Kid Starver."
its actually Sir Kid Starver
Well put.
...who knew a government's contempt for what decent people want could be so blatant?
It's always been like this, you just choose not to see it.
The consequences would have proven that the holy message of your master wasn't true really, even if it was broadcasted by the BBC daily.
Happy that I didn't vote for them.
The recent years since 2016 have been a pretty good argument for having absolutely nothing to do with the European Union, seems to me. Sure, the British are no better and in some ways worse, but at least you don't ALSO have von der Leyen.
In short, the EU is an embarrassment. You made the right decision for the wrong reasons.
Yes, Frau Genocide is quite bad...
At last someone's standing up for defenceless oligarchs against the ravages of wicked disabled gangs and those starving child bandits. Well done, Sir Keir Starmer, we just knew you wouldn't let down your true constituents in offshore corporations in their eternal struggle against the working poor of your own country.
Look, someone’s got to stick up for the billionaires.
Yeah, there's so few of them - they're such a minority!
..and we wouldn’t want to hurt the feelings of the dear loves.
First it is the genocide on the sick and disabled, then the eradication of the working class. Once the middle class has been exploited into extinction, the greedy insane billionaires will then turn on each other. Shame that none of us will be there to witness this.
‼️ So stop the cuts and tax the rich NOW ‼️
'Starmer, who prefers to be called “Trump’s bitch”' - priceless humour and on cue as ever. So who amongst us that 'compromisingly' voted him in is still behind the High Lord Tsarmer's old new-Labour & fascism combo project, and ready to blindly prop up the unfolding shitshow? Tsarmerites you either hate them ...or should hate them!
Well of course...£abouring bi££ionair€$ need a break just like everyone €£$€.
Mansions, yachts and £€arjets are a heavy r€$ponsibi£ity to bear.
Why has it taKKKen so £ong to achieve this minimal modicum of equa£ity?
And then on top of all our expenses we have po£itica£ kickbacks to meet.
Deliciously savage against utter mutts.
Be quiet, peasant; the wealthy are talking.
I enjoyed this more journalism should include swearing. 👌
its like the 1990s all over again for the children of the Gangster Capitalists who raped eastern europe in the fall of the CCCP, only this time around they're raping and pillaging western europe
Starmer does what he gets told on Wednesday's.
Er, rage, rage against the dying of the light?
Love this column, helps lift me out of a despairing malaise. Thanx Laura.
X
Sovereignty?
It's only your brilliance Laura that makes you use that word, the rest of the European leaders gave it up years ago and probably have forgotten how to spell it anyway.
The working class has chosen Labour so it seems they still haven't got the memo of capitalism turning to Imperialism and finally into fascism.
Education is a nice thing, unfortunately many refuse to listen to wisdom and truth - they know best that's what the masters are telling them is right - and communism/socialism are all manslaughter, gulag and all are poor - that's what they have learned and they won't give up on that master's message, it's holy, it's true and not being able to pay for your child's healthcare bill or your rent, who cares?
As long as we do not have to talk about socialism & communism; China is bad anyway and all that China can is copy and produce cheap, ugly stuff and do not regard climate change and human rights.
Going to stop here, need to go and throw up for a moment.
I am a life long member of Labour, retired chair and secretary of the Mumbles Branch before and A Labour activist before and during the Blair years. now retired Branch chairman.
I hated the misogyny and bullying in our Branch when I joined and with many helpful women members got rid of all that nasty tribal history.
What I did not succeed in doing is get our Branch to become more radical.
Labour has to find new sources of funding for capital investment and a way of getting rid of the privatised utilities and essential industries. Not though inflicting austerity but by investment that means having shareholding in our services establishing a routeway to to possible nationalisation.
For London and the UK Labour Party their priority seems to be the fear of upsetting the USA. ...certainly not not fighting but appeasing the new national socialism that is engulfing the world dominated by sovereign individual billionaires and autocrats managing a reduced privatised agency style business State in isolation and trading with an international crypto currency.
The USA mafia State
Labour's current industrial strategy for Wales post mining and steel, is a continuation of the vassal state syndrome....selling off our deep seaports around the coast to private investors as free ports.
Labour and Labour Wales needs to be more autonomous The Assembly is now mature enough to have tax raising powers and a Sovereign wealth fund to exclusively fund capital infra structure and public services to ensure that our future Welsh industrial strategy is driven by socialist principles supporting local needs.
Westminister will not consider the history and poverty and future well-being of Wales as a priority.
For example........
Ref: Stop the current Free-ports industrial strategy for Wales....selling off our future wealth again
When our ruling elite including the last Government rely so heavily on selling off most of your country's essential assets, infra-structure projects, major industries and services to foreign investors you lose control of your country's destiny, self- respect and sovereignty. Let alone create an extensive leak of annual profits to off shore tax havens and foreign corporations probably via the City of London..
It also leaves you open to blackmail, compromising your civilizing moral imperatives including your duty of care to and prosperity of those working people that gave our Government power. We have become a vassal State.
I believe that Wales, as a devolved self-governing region, has a unique opportunity having recently seen the demise of Tata Steel, the last of our heavy industries, to promote a strong and realistic argument for developing our own Welsh industrial strategy based on greater autonomy and creating new opportunities for growth through establishing a substantial Welsh Government Wealth Fund and a more autonomous National Bank of Wales negotiating for an increase in the Welsh Barnet formula.
We can always print money to buy weapons through war bonds.......but not to invest in the NHS and clean water....
In my opinion, any of this capital Wealth Fund of public money, if used to subsidize industrial development or public services by being managed by private enterprise, like Welsh Water, should ONLY be offered in return for shareholding up to the value of the subsidies as a percentage of the development costs of each project/programme.....WHY NOT! That is what the often State or pension scheme foreign investors are doing when investing in our capital assets off shoring investment which our taxes are subsidizing. Instead of subsidising new new developments we should only invest in the schemes by demanding shareholding to the value of our UK contribution.
Primarily Wales needs to establish a new Welsh financial institution, a Welsh National Investment Bank , for capital investment and with the authority to issue new Welsh Government 10-15-30 year Bonds solely to be spent on an industrial and infra-structure renewal programme for Wales. A National Bank that holds and manages our public national shareholding in re-nationalization partnership programme I am suggesting.
It is the modern economic version of nationalization as a partnership.....when you need desperately to create an alternative public source of revenue without increasing taxation.... now essential since the Tories have sold off all your assets and we are now doling out our workers taxes to renew the lack of investment by the State and corporations over decades......I am sure you can recognise this very well-developed blood sucking scam to steal the wealth of working people.
(Why is it okay for the State of Qatar to own Associated British Ports in the UK and the UK tax money that is subsidizing ABP not to have ownership as shareholding equivalence to the level of UK investment that modernize their ABP Qatari assets....seems wrong......the people of Wales should have part ownership of all of their essential assets and services that the nation invests in.
The UK now owns very little of its major essential manufacturing and trading companies (water, electricity and steel for example).. which I am sure you know..... read The Vassal State by Angus Hanton ... a disheartening read) sold off to international corporations by the City of London Financiers primarily since Thatcher..... e.g including Associated British Ports ( majority shares owned by a Toronto Corporation and a Qatari Group) ....they own half of Port Talbot deep port and are the main drivers of the South Wales economic development zone which I understand spreads from Newport to Pembroke Dock. which means that annually the majority of all profits as dividends will leave our country and our skilled industrial workforce become servants to the employment and working practices the foreign owners will impose.....like they did with P&O..
I need a seriously knowledgeable economist to explain why we do not invest with share ownership when we give subsidizes...it seems cowardly. Do we not trust that a new port facility or privately owned water company cannot make a profit.
Terry w Scales
Sorry. The UK is not allowed to become the 51st State until Puerto Ricans and other Americans can stomach your cuisine.
Compared to Canada’s?!!
How the MIGHT British have fallen. Maybe Russia will just bomb Parliament with all these 'fluff-bags' in it.
Yes indeed.
Scottish, never 'British'.
2014 Scottish (BritishEng/controlled) independence 'referendum' we were all 'one big family of nations' and 'British' was never mentioned, we were all in the 'UK' in fact the Tories called it, 'UKOK'!
Now it's all 'British' this and British that, sigh...it's not great, never was, and sadly Scotland gets what England votes for. England needs a new left of centre party, but that will never be allowed by the English parliament.
One has few realistic hopes left, but that idea gives me one! And a little falling shrapnel left for No10? Then we could also invite a peacekeeping force to march in, maybe the Chechens and Belarus. I'm told they eat anything, which, given the way we're going on the farming front, is an added plus.
Why calling on Russia for it?
Are you brits such weak bitches like your leaders?
Are the Brits supposed to bomb themselves?
Duhh, who else?
The red army wont come even if you hang white flags out of your windows, the island has become too pathetic and has nothing to offer to the Russians or anyone else anyway anymore.
Bad weather and your cuisine is not really tempting, no?
Back in the day we called it a revolution but I can understand, to annoy the royals is something the British would never do, so good luck and have a nice time. :-)
Frank. I live in France the cuisine is disgusting BUT you foreigners come here like sheep and expound on it's wonderfulness.
Most times when I used to go to Britain the food had drastically changed MOSTLY because of the Indians.
This is probably the only good thing I can say about Britain
at least the french will do a revolution, again ;-)
Yes. We are slow to take this all in but when it goes in we fight.
I was talking to a friend of mine tonight (I am not French) but have lived here for 23yrs.
There a lot of dumb people in France BUT on average they know the world: Geography and History.