An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.
Other recent videos:
"Self-Determination for the Falklands but NOT for Scotland!" - World Cup exposes WEIRD contradiction
SNP vote INCREASES in Larkhall by-election as Burnham FAILS his first Scottish electoral test
Disaster for Burnham as Labour languish in JOINT THIRD in YouGov Scottish subsample
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The agreed attack line from The Sun and the Daily Mail on Burnham is that he will “return the country to the 70’s”.
ReplyDeleteThat might be a miscalculation on the part of Murdoch and the 4th Vicount Rothermere.
The Left reminisces about near full employment, a vibrant manufacturing industry, good paying jobs and affordable council housing.
The Right pines after less non-white faces on the street (although they would put it much more crudely).
The Daily Telegraph tries to make a more intellectual case with a sub-head referring to “economic illiteracy”. Yeah, ‘cause Thatchernomics was such a resounding success for anyone outwith the SE of England.
Good one, James! I've said it before but I wish you could have a weekly column in The National, if you would fancy that. But anyway ... today's front page of The Sun (English edition) propaganda sheet is splashed over with Jeremy Clarkson's sage advice: "We should ignore the Argie foolishness and gather round as one, hoping and praying with all our hearts that they get absolutely smashed by Spain tomorrow." Are rational English folk embarrassed, or not, by that sort of hatred on display?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of amazing turnarounds Burnham is going to reverse the ban on further oil drilling, despite the licences granted producing little oil. His tenure may be as short as the Lettuce unless he does something radical on utilities and housing.
ReplyDeleteOur State Broadcaster is celebrating the death of 7 warehouse workers and the injuring of 49 others in a series of coordinated drone attacks by Ukraine. The workers were employees of the Russian equivalent of Amazon.
ReplyDeleteHow would the BBC report an identical Russian attack of a Ukrainian civilian facility? “Mad Vlad’s terror attack in the innocents!”.
Putin continues unprovoked attack on an independent country
DeleteAnd Russian citizens are starting to pay the price for their government's illegal war. It often happens to aggressors.
DeleteI'm back.
ReplyDeleteA message from Factola.
From the National:
ReplyDelete"Scottish pro-Palestine activist arrested 'for reading poem about Gaza'"
Just as well they didn't hear him doing Tam o' Shanter.
Why? What is wrong with the poem Tam o’ Shanter? More accessible and relevant than the English Shakespeare!
DeleteNothing wrong at all. But it depends on the storyteller. At a Burns Supper it can be very threatening! They'd have bunged him straight in the tower for that.
DeleteKemi Badenoch confirms that the attack line on Burnham will be the “dragging us back to the 70’s” schtick. Badenoch launches a homage to St Margaret of Grantham. That will help Badenoch in her struggles with RefUK (who are being attacked from the Right by Restore Britain), but it won’t necessarily hurt Burnham.
ReplyDeleteBurnham has something Starmer entirely lacked. Starmer had the charisma of a concrete breeze block. Burnham’s approval ratings as Major of Greater Manchester are astonishingly positive for a nine year incumbent. 66% of constituents believe he did a good job (YouGov, field work 8 - 15 July 2026). Labour are set to annihilate RefUK in the contest to replace Burnham.
Burnham could explain a change of macroeconomic tack over the heads of the Oligarch press (The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, The Express, The Telegraph), if he chose that path. Remember, Corbyn’s election numbers were nowhere near as dreadful as the mainstream press would have you believe, and Corbyn wasn’t a great communicator outwith his own willing audience.
Johnson had great approval ratings as mayor of London. So what?
DeleteMarx said; “religion is the opium of the people”.
ReplyDeleteIn the West, we live in a post religious world.
In Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, John le Carré has Gerry Westerby (part time MI6 asset and full time sports journalist) claim that his career relies on; “Footer, the opiate of the people.”.
At the height of Princess Diana mania, I thought the Royal family were the opiate of the masses.
Now arguably, politics is the circus show which distracts us while we are sedated, manipulated, downtrodden and controlled.
This may seem like an oxymoron. Presumably showing an interest in politics should raise our awareness and agency to achieve change to our benefit?
Not if politics is entirely tribal and performative.
We at least criticise the on and off-field management of our football club. We argue vehemently about the Royal family (why exactly is Meghan Markle a manipulative gold digger when Catherine Middleton isn’t?).
With politics we show a cult like devotion to our party and leader.
Vote ABC because that’s our party (and ignore the fact that the candidate they’ve vetted and put up to represent you is a drooling imbecile).
Joe Blogs is a bad man because he said nasty things about our party leader (which were later proved to be true). Never, ever listen to Joe Blogs he has nothing worth listening about.
Modern politics has infantilised us. We no longer consider opinion which originates outwith our tribe / cult.
In America, the Economic Left can find common cause on specific issues with the Libertarian Right. This seems logical. Yes, Marjorie Taylor Greene probably is a horrific person but even a stopped clock is correct twice a day, so why not take a win when you can get it.
The Liberal Left (Identity politics) can’t make common cause outwith their own strictly defined tribe. The Liberal Left are disproportionately populated by career politicians (grifters) who are essentially untroubled by core beliefs or ideology beyond where their next paycheque comes from.
Conversely, the Economic Left can’t agree amongst themselves. Put three Trotskyites in a room and four political parties will emerge.
Vote for a candidate not a party.
You sound suspiciously centrist.
DeleteMarx also said that “workers must guard against elites who deceive the masses to maintain the status quo”!!!
DeleteI wonder if Andy Burnham will make high flier, Douglas Alexander, into the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Maybe, at last, Mr Alexander's jaw-dropping talents will be recognised and rewarded. I am not related to Mr Alexander in any way, but I think he is a wonderful person with lots of skills. I am not even a Labour supporter, I voted Conservative last time and I support Scottish separatism but I can see that he will make Britain Great again and restore our place in the world. So that confirms my credentials as a disinterested party. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe only foreign affairs wee Dougie will be doing is fetching the Chinese tea bags and the Garibaldi biscuits
Delete