In the news

So the money was not only in the wrong column, it was also undisclosed campaign finance. And if he'd filed it correctly as payment to a porn star who he fucked just after his wife gave birth to his son Barron, he might well have never been president.

If he’d filed it correctly as a personal expense, we’d have never heard about it beyond speculative rumours. He fucked himself by wanting to claim it was a payment to his lawyer and a business expense, because wealth horders like him won’t spend a single ill-gotten dollar if they can avoid it.

Not really news but there isn't an interesting things I've read thread

Enjoyed this article

The truth about ADHD and autism: how many people have it, what causes it, and why are diagnoses soaring?
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/01/the-truth-about-adhd-and-autism-how-many-people-have-it-what-causes-it-and-why-are-diagnoses-soaring?

“If the conservatives win the next general election”

It’s a phrase I’m reading a lot, it’s normally couples with some batshit crazy idea the conservatives have had.

It what world do they think they have a chance of even getting the smallest of wins.

It what world do they think they have a chance of even getting the smallest of wins.

I wish I had your faith in the electorate that kept them in power for 14 years.

Brexit wasn’t enough. Fumbling Covid wasn’t enough. Historic inflation hasn’t been enough. Austerity, the NHS, social care, education, policing, crumbling infrastructure, (under-resourced) military, saturated justice system, homelessness crisis, increased rural-urban divide, a nearly endless list of failings hasn’t been enough.

Why would this time be different?

It what world do they think they have a chance of even getting the smallest of wins.

Idiots like this:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/30/a-disaster-undecided-voters-say-britain-is-a-mess-but-still-worry-about-labour

It’s a cruel system here unless he’s calling for a GE they’d still be in power for longer

Let’s be honest starmer isn’t really labour. He’s got a knighthood ffs. That puts me off him straight away. But he’s the only chance we’ve got. I hope Angela keeps him grounded. Or keir has an accident and Angela takes over.

Angela fanboy over here

Let’s be honest starmer isn’t really labour.

Bullshit. He's been a Labour member since his teenage years.

You do realise there are other labour people who have been knighted and also appointed to the House of Lords.

Just my opinion. It just doesn’t seem very labour-esq

Starmer is probably the closest thing to a working class prime minister Labour have ever had (if he wins). (I forgot Callaghan).

Ramsey MacDonald? Illegitimate son of a farm labourer and housemaid.
Jim Callaghan? Son of a Chief Petty Officer, i.e. a senior NCO.

eta MacDonald had a spell addressing envelopes at the National Cyclists' Union in Fleet Street, so probably a hipster.

Lol, what?

knighthood

That's not an inherited aristo title. People are given them for public service.

People don't have to accept them

They don't, not that it'll ever happen but I wouldn't, but if he'd not accepted it there'd be hundreds of Corbynesque "Republican Starmer hates Queen/Sausage fingers" articles all over the press and he'd have never got this far.

Starmer rose to the top of his chosen profession: Director of Public Prosecutions, (for 5 years).
His knighthood is well deserved and identifies him as not an underachieving life long politician.

Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS. What did he ever do for the people?

In 2014 no-one had heard of him. He could have quietly said no thanks. I'd turn it down. I'm holding out for something hereditary.

In 2014 no-one had heard of him. He could have quietly said no thanks.

Yup, but as soon as he took over the Labour party it would've been all over the press that he hates the monarchy. Something I could certainly get behind, but wouldn't really have worked with this softly softly, say nothing, don't rock the boat on the way into number 10 centrist boring persona.

Fire Canning Town, maybe two fires:

https://x.com/TrisCoach/status/1797893734740471845

^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqee8378n2yo

Knighthoods and the like are the State mechanism of acknowledging people. Until there is a non-class originating system I don't see an issue with someone accepting one. Life peerages however can fuck the fuck off.

Do you prefer hereditary peerages?

Interesting position to take if you do.

I'm guessing he prefers an elected upper chamber.

I'd continue with hereditary peerages but I'd just make them titles only, not an entitlement to sit in the House of Lords. Who cares if Baron Cuntface passes down their title to their eldest spawn if they die.

Pick a cut-off date in the next few years, any hereditary peers that die after that date only pass down the title and not the entitlement to sit in the house of Lords and, once numbers come down to a more sensible figure we start having elections to replace the ones that pop their clogs (or the ones that resign or time out if we have them elected for a finite term).

They can also do one.

My point was pretty limited. If a knighthood is the UK system of honouring someones achievements then what the fuck does it matter if it's called a "knighthood" or a "sausage butt"?