UK Politics

  • The Archbishop is looking for hope, not compromise

    We can’t win on everything in a single generation, and many of the tasks that are possible are still out of reach, but some of our best and brightest are now out on a mission to see if at least the potential of our current preoccupations in society are able to provide benefit to everyone who’s receptive here.

    The Archbishop refers back to her installation to refer to hope and its potential for society.

    This is the message that Archbishop Mullally brings to the proceedings by proclaiming both a Christian message and a social word of caution wrapped up in political dialogue. Her position in the House of Lords is presumably as under threat as her Bishop colleagues, but still she rises to the occasion nonetheless.

    It may be the lack of logic in assuming we get more for less, or in believing that pillars of the community are a waste of space and unnecessary for the whole structure of things. In the novelty of the moment this may appear true, but in actuality those that take part are valued, not those that can’t show up to deal with real things.

  • The Wales loss is hitting Labour hard

    It’s difficult not to think parts of the Labour party are in planning mode because of its sudden loss of prominence in Wales due to a Plaid Cymru and Reform UK bounce.

    Andy “The Madman” Burnham and Wes Streeting MP (Ilford North/Labour) have both indicated an attempt for the top prize, albeit the former needs a seat first and can then bid for the top office.

    Streeting has a more realistic chance of taking over from the Prime Minister, but Angela Rayner MP (Ashton-under-Lyne/Labour) too has been reported to be looking to launch a leadership bid.

    Albeit it’s a hoo-ha, no one has come out with firm evidence that it will even open up. After an electoral bruising, this period of introspection isn’t turning out well, is it?

  • Is “change” all we can believe in?

    The mantra “Change” was the Prime Minister’s pledge of trust for his election landslide in 2024. He offered it as his bargaining chip to the UK public in a push to takeover from the Conservatives.

    But it’s not a new word to use in politics here. The significance of its meaning is fading.

    It entails overhauling the law to include concerns that don’t translate in public services. It means making sure everyone is benefiting from a government of scope. It entails making sure a broken Civil Service is fixed for good.

    In honest truth, we’re not sure the Prime Minister has delivered on that.

    The problem of lower prices so everyone can power their homes affordably is not here yet. The promise of safer neighbourhoods is not here yet. The promise of an end to a large scale crime event on the Dover Strait isn’t here yet.

    This isn’t change, but a slow-paced office working backwards on things.

    The Prime Minister has to get a grip and speed up his work, to make his promise make ultimate sense to us. It can’t hang as a word above his head so he’s understood. It has to be delivered as a result.

  • What must Heseltine be thinking now?

    Nigel Farage? Destroy him.

    Reform is fascist. We must stop Nigel Farage.

    Nigel Farage in power would be appalling.

    Such is the diary of Lord Heseltine, a Tory grandee and rogue in the Upper House. He sees Farage and Reform UK as something akin to 1939. And his position? Churchill, in character and attitude.

    He lacks the action, though.

    A once powerful figure in Conservative politics, governing rather than following while in Cabinet positions, he now reflects on the position of younger (and youthful) hopefuls in the same political system.

    He sounds as sure as Winston, but lacks the accuracy.

    He’s a nice enough man, and amicable in person to all who meet him from any political persuasion, but his analysis falls far short. He can’t honestly see this – as innocent, perhaps naïve as it is – in such terms as these?

  • Farage wants politics back in the game

    Nigel Farage MP (Clacton/Reform UK) is a politician on a mission. He wants to put politics back into the hands of UK citizens.

    He hates references to irrelevant places, knowing that local government serves people in ways others can’t.

    “It won’t be Iran that helps us,” he once said to me, referring to the disruption of local areas by protesters. “Those households need to pipe down,” he also said.

    His party, Reform UK, needs to make significant gains to take on the Conservative party, which he sees as “failing us massively” on many policy issues.

    He doesn’t hate the Tories, but he despises delay and loathes laziness.

    He’s a politician with attitude, and as his media tours have indicated, it drives his effort to reach out.

    The long term strategy is Number 10, but his aim in the meantime is to win people over to his program of events anywhere they want him.

  • Gov. approval remains low

    The government’s approval rating remains stubbornly low, so says YouGov, showing a no-end-in-sight Labour state of affairs isn’t popular with the public.

    The Prime Minister has a 15% approval score to look at, dampening hopes of a revival of spirits before a snap election – or one at the end of his term.

  • MI6 call on PM to retract pro-Gaza message

    MI6, the nation’s secret service, has hinted the Prime Minister should retract his Palestine statehood message in support of the UK’s position in the wider world.

    It’s believed his statement has destabilised overseas relations, and led to confusion about the progress of real work being done to assess realities apart from protest.

  • The Starmer Party is a platter of ham sandwiches

    It’s getting to be a tired refrain for MP’s that the Prime Minister is not guilty of a single thing. He can’t have known, he and his colleagues say, but such have the exits been from his government, he must now feel like even he is losing a grip. How such changes are made over an issue he wasn’t informed of makes it look like the game is over.

    MP’s often say the ‘backroom’ staff are crucial to getting their plans backed. But if they’re gone, it’s not clear if it will happen. It’s a long time since the champagne popped and poppers went off. This party, Starmer’s Party, looks like a platter of ham sandwiches.

  • Exclusive: Downing Street chaos

    In an exclusive for Conservative News Site, and in a further blow to confidence in UK politics at its pinnacle, a Downing Street staffer responsible for chaos at the heart of its institution, and an ex-staffer alleged to still haunt the steps of the famous black door, have both now been spotted in a further conspiracy of their crime.

    According to sources, the pair (pictured) are believed to be planning a further engagement of their crime of mismanagement and forced errors against the administrative side of the renowned offices, upsetting those that maintain it and providing further opportunity for corrupt intrusions at the top.

    Radio silence within

    In investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding the problem, disgruntled staff have said their concerns have been overlooked for many years, and there’s a belief that the suspects are guilty of trespass in official realms for much longer than initially thought.

    The evidence has been around for some time, but either because of misunderstanding or the complexities of the issue, many approaches by administrative staff have not been handled appropriately by managers, and their logs haven’t resolved the matter.

    Petty handling

    One unnamed source has said “It’s an absolutely chaotic place”. Further, another has divulged, “No one goes in there”. Finally, one upset staff member said, “I don’t like it anymore”, in reference to a position held in its close confines.

    These comments suggest a deep antipathy to reassurances that have not been followed up with adequate outcomes, and there is a compelling need to now open up the matter to a proper review, to allow scrutiny of any malpractice and to acknowledge its effects on all staff.

  • Starmer says he never knew – but who did?

    The Prime Minister has denied being told of a failure to clear Peter Mandelson to take up the position of Ambassador to the US before it became clear he would do.

    He implies that his Cabinet carried on believing that everything had been approved at a senior level and that nobody had been made aware of problems that were flagged.

    Prime Minister Starmer explains his position on the failure of a former colleague to get security clearance (Source: BBC).

    It’s a staggering omission from a party that promotes its broad way of organisation as the best the UK has, and the real reason why voters should trust it in the first place.

    The lack of accountability for its key figures has slowed the progress of Starmer’s term. As his approval rating struggles, he’ll have to change his strategy or exit the door.

  • Westminster Week: Thinking it over

    Monday

    Sarah Coombes MP (West Bromwich/Labour) highlights a flashpoint issue in her constituency, regarding racism against a local Sikh community’s place of worship. An offensive item that was left outside its doors leaves her questioning how the building can be made safe again.

    Wednesday

    Any talk of war brings up the subject of the funding of our Defence infrastructure. It epitomises the worries of people across the UK who feel exposed to global conflicts and also sense we’re underprepared at the same time. The Iran debacle has not slowed in raising the temperature of conversations across Whitehall and Government (as it usually does), and in Parliament there are signs that it’s an issue at the forefront of many people’s minds too. The only trouble is, who has the right answer?

  • Badenoch wants defence to do smart things

    Admittedly, Kemi Badenoch’s approach to politics isn’t thrilling, but it’s now beginning to appear to go places. The appeal of a quieter campaign to set out aspirations is likely gaining support from all of the right sources. Now, as the Prime Minister struggles to galvanise enough plaudits for his own agenda, Badenoch is finding herself capable of setting out her objectives in front of an attentive audience.

    Her latest outing at the London Defence Conference is just such an example of a circumspect and almost clandestine manoeuvre to get heard in the centre ground. She wants to pull in the doubters, objectors, and even naysayers to distil a vision that might just get us over the finish line, putting the frustrations of a faltering new Labour era behind us.

    The plan is built on being smart, and the latest innovations are free flowing points in her pitch for a return to military strength. She strains to offer an integration of all the newer things into a classical British mindset that works. It’s not to please America, satisfy Europe, or placate powers further off, but just make ends meet. Her deal is for all that it promises us it can be.

    The fulfilment of this mission is a hard task even for a historic Conservative party that sees the UK has been pushed to the margins, principally by Labour, which seeks to just give anything away. The frustration over the Chagos Islands has followed nervous wrangling over the Falklands, Gibraltar, and even Northern Ireland – not to mention the Gaza Strip – in a litany of errors and rebukes. It’s left many people here in need of further clarity.

    The chances of Badenoch imminently winning an election are better but not greater than before. She has to find a way to build back her party so that it could win her access to Number 10. If events last, it could be on the issue of defence itself. It’s a popular move. Many people are looking for a strong sense of security in a volatile world. Her sensitivity to this may find a way through and secure her time in office.

  • If an election were held today…

    The prospect of an election today could have excited Reform UK out of their Millbank offices and into the fray once again for a battle on the streets, but enthusiasm might have frayed for the other big hitters.

    In the event, Labour would have scored another first place result, topping the Conservatives, but for a minority stake in government. A much reduced share of seats – perhaps at 310 – would pin it as a lone star or a partner with another.

    The Conservatives could have scooped 220, leading to a small success story for an existing cohort and a new slew of hopefuls. The outcome would put it closer behind but not on-top of Labour to determine a closer path ahead.

    The rest is determined by history, or a forthcoming narrative out of the towns and cities eager for their say in the great scheme of things. Reform UK may have even pulled in many more than eight to show some fight in the game. It’s all possible now.

  • Your Party have lengths to go to appeal to people

    The Your Party platform is the Death Star of Lefty politics in the UK, a uniting powerhouse of a galaxy of forces and tribes into a single alignment for ultimate domination.

    Of course, the publicity is always a misnomer in these things.

    Jeremy Corbyn MP (Islington North/Your Party) holds onto a seat for the uses of a collective of souls that seek more from a system than a bit of time and attention, here and there.

    This is his junket flying through space and time for a bigger purpose.

    It has lengths to go to reach people that have sober thoughts in mind, more local concerns, and a few complaints themselves. It needs to open up to take in a huddled one or two, trying to think of what to do if everything has failed them too.

  • Liz Truss sees past the clutter

    Liz Truss is a former Prime Minister establishing her own standing after a drubbing at the stumps. It didn’t impress many that she could communicate, hold a meeting, and drive conversations about ideas forward. This isn’t the whole point about her short tenure, but apart from claims that her government’s plan fell far short of the mark, if given enough time her bright intellect may have renewed a lot about the tired State that’s around us.

    Liz Truss speaking at a CPAC event in Texas on her idea for a renewal of American politics.

    It’s certainly now her message to others, and her appearance at CPAC in Grapevine, Texas levelled this teaching of a new model of a prosecutor style of politics to get rid of the rubbish that other party’s put in across the pond. It’s certainly a rallying cry here, because Labour have now tried twice to marshal their powerful legacy as a rhetoric for changes here, there, and everywhere in a fix-everything approach for modern problems.