That Starmer fella...

To be fair, I defended it without having read the detail too. But I think part of that is that when Labour announced this last year it WAS a teacher-based policy, but following that feedback they reissued as an early learning / breakfast school policy.

I think the level of trauma that exists within the Labour Party can't be underestimated.

Their failure to win elections that they were predicted to win, or looked like they were going to win ( '92 was the big one for me) leaves big scars from deep wounds.

So yes I understand the caution, really really not wanting to fuck it up this time.
Imagine what it would feel like in the early hours of Friday morning with the dawning realisation that the tories haven't lost, that somehow that thev've got back in, how bad that would be, the hopes of a better life and a better Britain crushed.

I get the caution. Whatever it takes.

As so often, Tony Blair is the model. Voters will be offered an aspirational manifesto with a handful of specific but limited promises such as breakfast clubs for primary school children.

https://archive.is/ae3KJ

Ang as Claire, Lisa as Allison. Wes as John Bender.

I think they could even pull off recycling the music, who doesn't get nostalgic for D:ream

totally. You should be in the room.

Dear god I'm having flashbacks to the 2016 referendum and how that felt personally now.

Imagine an entire country suffering from PTSD.

I'm having flashbacks to the 2016 referendum and how that felt

I remember being speechless and numb. I think any photo taken of me would have carried wtaf? over my head by default.

Fuck that was awful.

I went for an early piss and saw the news on my phone and wished I hadn't. Looked at my OH asleep in the bed and genuinely envied them for not yet knowing what had happened.

Oh well. At least it has all worked out for the best.

The worst thing was going to bed full of optimism and then 5 hours later, bam, the country had 180'd.

I keep promising myself one of these.

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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/07/keir-starmer-to-announce-scaling-back-of-28bn-green-investment-plan?

Back to scaling back

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68232133

Back to ditching

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/06/keir-starmer-labours-28bn-green-investment-desperately-needed

I thought he was unwavering a day ago?

Ffs

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/17278334/

His dad made wind farms

Why did they make a commitment to spend £28bn in 2021? Seems fairly hefty and specific from a period that was a long time from a general election and doesn't really go with a lot of their other vagueness.

What prompted it?

Wanted to show they had a vision and to avoid the normal criticism of coming up with uncosted commitments and like s spending other people's money, they put a price on it and how they would fund it

Same as always happens, they don't cost it and it gets ripped to shreds as day dreaming, they cost it and the number gets picked apart

I know it's Peston but thought this was a reasonable summary of what the changes are and what they will mean
https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1755637645051330712?t=Z5lkGv_u9f7UGxmwubjSDw&s=19

Dropping the green investment is a massive own goal.

Solid reminder most people don't follow politics
https://twitter.com/Beyond_Topline/status/1755921790294008122?t=oGw3W8lj2SXKCw4NC3pEMA&s=19

I'm obviously in favour of green investment. But on a cynical political level, from what I've heard I think Starmer has done a really good job of hammering home the message:

1. We launched a realistically costed policy at the time.
   
2. Since then the Tories have fucked the economy even more and we can't afford it.
   
3. We're fiscally prudent.
   
4. The tories have fucked the economy.
   

And if you're going to have to can it it's better to do it now (amongst the other negative press about the Tories) than closer to, or even after, a possible general election.

It'll be forgotten about in a matter of days as politics rumbles on.

thank you for the inspiration for my first digital collage in many months

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thats top notch memeing