And so it begins

[Sorastro]

It would appear Nigel Farage is trying to get Parliament back sitting over these riots, good luck Nige!

Like the school holidays I don't understand why {this year} Parliament rises for weeks, it started hols on 30th July and will reconvene on 2nd September, like the schools there is no need for it.

This practice started about the mid 1800's the reason for the Parliamentary holiday was because [then] during the Summers the river Thames used to stink to high heaven and M.P.'s couldn't stand the smell so gave themselves a few weeks off till things cooled down, this is no longer the case {apparently} so therefore no need to continue the practice. Anyway nowadays the "stink" always seems to be coming from inside Parliament. 

[Sorastro]

Correction I'll give it 3 months, they've obviously hit the ground running......nose first. 

Farmers protesting outside Westminster, Winter fuel payment binned for millions of O.A.P.'s, Horizon scandal payouts still nowhere to be seen, no nearer solving the boat crisis......Yes 3 months was a good guess.

General election in the Spring me thinks!

[Sorastro]

Noticed on the news 3 "guest" speakers at the farmers protest at Westminster yesterday, Kemi Badenoch, Victoria Atkins and everyone's favourite Jeremy Clarkson, interesting trio.

It's obvious why Badenoch and Atkins were there to point score for the Tories, they don't give a monkeys about the farmers it was just a chance to have a dig at Labour. If the rolls were reversed and the farmers were outside a Tory run Westminster demonstrating those two would have set the dogs on them and had them jailed.

As for Jeremy Clarkson {I'm a farmer 'cos I've got sh*t on my wellies} apart from being surrounded by the media when he arrived how can he empathise with these farming families that have worked farms for generations when he's been doing it 5 minutes.

[Old Cruser]

We needed changes but they have gone in too hard with what they are doing, little wonder people are annoyed,

[Sorastro]

Noticed Starmer is trying to put the Kibosh on up and coming local elections in May, well he's bound to because he knows the party he leads has managed to alienate the electorate in record time and he knows they will take a drubbing at the polls and if bad enough could trigger a general election.

I've a feeling Labour are discovering they may have [already] made a mistake picking Starmer as leader... Starmer Reeves and Raynor need to go. I may not be a politician, but even I can see they're not cut out to be in charge, unfortunately this narrows the field of suitable candidates drastically.

[wollygobble]

Ostensibly the reason for wanting to scrap the elections is that Angela Rayner wants to reorganise local government by grouping local councils together into unitary authorities representing populations of not less than 500,000.  Ms Rayner comes from the Metropolitan County of Greater Manchester (population 2.9 million), where such an idea might be reasonable.  She clearly is clueless about non-metropolitan England, where 500,000 represents half of Derbyshire or almost half of Lincolnshire.

[Sorastro]

When I was a young {good looking} lad just leaving school and starting work, I was blissfully ignorant of politics and overhearing a conversation on politics by a couple of my older workmates one said:-
"Why can't we just get rid of all the M.P.'s and pay the 12 best brains in Britain to run the country". That was in the mid 60's,I believe that conversation is just as relevant now than ever.

[Sorastro]

Just had the pension letter today telling me what I can expect in 2025/6.

Yes I'm getting a rise in pension, but as I mentioned before I have a couple of private pensions so am already paying tax. This years increase will now be more than swallowed up in tax PLUS more, so much so the tax bill for this year has almost doubled from last year.

at this rate I will have to look for a job.

[Old Cruser]

They miss the fact that we worked for what we get pension wise, taxing on it can't be right.
Any money we need out if savings we are questioned.
They are looking for Cohesion and Fraud.
What are we coming too, What a world to live in.
Our own government screwing pensioners over

[Sorastro]

Well the local elections have dealt a real blow to the Tories and Labour too.

Reform have swept the board with the Lib Dems hot on their heels, it wouldn't surprise me to find the Monster Raving Looney party ahead of the Tories in some seats, but what of the results, most people will argue {mainly losing politicians} that "Oh it's just a protest vote" or that Reform won't have a clue how to run a council, well they certainly can't do any worse.
As I thought the Tories are now baying for blood, namely their leaders, she will be gone within weeks and Starmer had better watch himself too he's not come out of this unscathed either.

I'm glad in a way that the voters have finally started to break up the two tier Tory Labour election battles, history tells us {well me anyway} that it hasn't worked in decades.