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IDs don’t bother me but why they thought it would stop illegal workers is beyond me. If people are working illegally now they would be doing the same even if IDs were introduced. To legally drive in this country you need a valid driving licence but this doesn’t stop people driving without one.
The more I know the less I understand.
Polling latest:
Turquoise Tories: 24%
Red Tories: 20%
Blue Tories: 20%
Yellow Tories: 16%
Greens: 14%
Others: 6%It’s the diversity of British politics that makes it so interesting.
A sad indictment of how the neoliberal agenda has dragged the entire population to the right over the last 45+ years, Richard.
Which is why “the left” despise Starmer just as much as Labour’s traditional enemies do.
I’ve been watching The Thick of It recently having never seen it before. Could have just turned on the news today instead.
Maybe we are wrong to fixate on parties and politicians so much. All that is merely Westminster gossip, of no great consequence.
Are any of these busted flushes really capable of dealing with the situation, which is far bigger than any of them? The idea any of them are going to solve anything or make anything better is laughable.
What is really happening is the ongoing decline of The West. It has been going on for just over a century. The European Continent, with help from elsewhere, inflicted two huge acts of hurt on itself in the 20th century and has never recovered. The decline has continued after a succession of mistaken policy choices and is now approaching its endgame.
Western Civilisation, once so vibrant and successful, now looks finished. Politically, socially, economically, culturally and spiritually worn out and exhausted and which no longer even believes in itself.
Plenty of other civilisations which once seemed so successful eventually declined and collapsed. Why should modern Western Civilisation be any different?
Someone (often, as he recognised himself, derided by more fashionable “intellects”) warned us about it in the late 1960s:
Are any of these busted flushes really capable of dealing with the situation, which is far bigger than any of them? The idea any of them are going to solve anything or make anything better is laughable.
There’s little incentive to worry about what happens beyond the current electoral cycle for most politicians, maybe they have half an eye on the next one. International cooperation rather than constant conflict would also be better for everyone but I realise that’s also a pipedream.
At least Europe is slowly waking up to the fact that the USA is effectively no longer an ally. Heads are still buried in the sand on China though. People have no idea how quickly that place is developing and continues to do so. I believe it will replace the USA as the biggest world superpower and perhaps sooner rather than later.
“At least Europe is slowly waking up to the fact that the USA is effectively no longer an ally”.
It took them long enough, especially in this country. As soon as I hear yet another British politician talk about the “special relationship”, I want to scream.
The American political class is at best indifferent to us and much of it actively hostile. They owe their independence to booting us out in the 18th century and didn’t have friendly relations with us for some time afterwards. History doesn’t entirely go away.
Even the much played up friendship between Mrs Thatcher and President Reagan was less straightforward than it looked. Reagan didn’t exactly ask permission to send American troops into Grenada, a Commonwealth realm.
“I believe it will replace the USA as the biggest world superpower and perhaps sooner rather than later.”
It arguably already has. It was always going to be China’s century. Much of the activity since the start of 2026 has been America attempting to shore up its position.
There is some evidence to show the dollar is losing its position as the world’s reserve currency. Some of the emerging economies in Asia, Africa and South America sense which way the wind is blowing and are gravitating towards China.
Europe is a declining part of the world. Starmer and his little buddy Macron can pose as great statesmen as much as they like but they are weak little men, nominally in charge of countries that are in visible decline. They would both lose elections heavily if they were held today.
President Trump clearly holds both of them in little regard and there is nothing they can do about it. If they get involved a trade war with him, they will lose. That is the realpolitik of the matter.
I seem to remember Obama, during the referendum debate, warning would be leave voters that the UK shouldn’t take the USA for granted when it came to trade, and he was just criticised for interfering with British politics.
“They would both lose elections heavily if they were held today.”
Ironically, to opponents who would further weaken their countries by selling everything off to Trump and his cronies.
Starmer and his little buddy Macron can pose as great statesmen as much as they like but they are weak little men, nominally in charge of countries that are in visible decline. They would both lose elections heavily if they were held today.
Much of that can also be said about the USA and Trump. He just has the advantage of a far bigger country which allows him to bully others.
Moehat, there are a lot of political commentators who were crowing about how much of a friend Trump would be to the UK after Brexit. Funnily enough they’ve all gone quiet. It was pretty obvious they’d be wrong, you only had to look at how he acts.
“Much of that can also be said about the USA and Trump. He just has the advantage of a far bigger country which allows him to bully others.”
He is Commander In Chief of what is still the world’s most powerful military force, so he can back up his words with action (or the threat of it).
Britain’s military would barely fill a football stadium. Historically, our power was naval – but the Royal Navy can now hardly defend the English Channel, never mind rule the waves.
Trump does have to bow to 2 things , the markets and the US public , he has elections in Nov and a lot of Americans aren’t happy with the Greenland situation , there’s also the issue of ICE on the streets , America is apparently the land of the free , a lot of Americans don’t feel that just now
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
It wouldn’t surprise me if Trump cancelled the November mid-term elections on national security grounds.
He knows the Republicans are going to get battered if the elections go ahead.
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