General British politics discussion thread

ancapailldorcha · 07-05-2026 11:57AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450133#Comment_124450133

I did. They literally formed a party solely about Gaza and then turned on each other.

breezy1985 · 07-05-2026 12:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450127#Comment_124450127

You didn't not even close but proving things has always been something only demanded of others and never yourself.

Same as your shill for Starmer in the exact same disingenuous way you used to chastise Tory shills for.

Sudden Valley · 07-05-2026 12:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450142#Comment_124450142

Politicians not getting along does not mean they didn't believe in their cause. You are just proving your whole point is a leap of logic.

To claim corbyn who chaired a tribunal on the genocide in Gaza doesnt support Palestine because his party failed is a ridiculous.

I dont agree with corbyn on most things but i dont support posters fielding unfounded accusations.

A Dub in Glasgo · 07-05-2026 12:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124449971#Comment_124449971

A lot of Irish people knew who Corbyn was well before he came leader of the LP and they knew he was pro-Palestinian and against what Israel were doing to them

breezy1985 · 07-05-2026 12:11PM

Big election day with Labour and the Tories about to get absolutely battered but ya wasnt Corbyn terrible.

Its quite common to fall back on familiar comforts when times are tough. Whatever helps you cope I suppose.

Strazdas · 07-05-2026 12:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450183#Comment_124450183

The main story will be indeed the collapse in support for the right wing version of Labour - not even so much the rise of Reform UK and the Greens.

For a party that won a thumping majority in 2024, they've had a quite terrible two years and Starmer is one of the main reasons for the fall in support.

Podge_irl · 07-05-2026 12:39PM

It is fair to say that, at the least, Corbyn took a drastically different tone in his approach to Syria (and their accomplices Iran and Russia) and their involvement in mass killings of Palestinians (among others) then he did/does with Israel. It is a reasonable question to ask why.

A Dub in Glasgo · 07-05-2026 01:55PM

Just voted in the Scottish parliament elections, not one person canvassing outside

Meanwhile, Labour are really desperate now

https://twitter.com/skwawkbox/status/2052321515169869929

Tell me how · 07-05-2026 01:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450122#Comment_124450122

They don't have evidence.

They've been asked several times over several months, possibly even a year since first making the claim directly and being asked to substantiate it and haven't ever provided anything.

Corbyn has never been a competent leader, I denounced him loudly and repeatedly with respect to that throughout the Theresa May period in particular.

But it is ignorant, insulting, prejudiced and just plain wrong to accuse him of not caring about Gaza. This poster has tried the sane tactic on me in recent days which has done nothing more than to confirm the view I posted about earlier of the intent of many to use whatever is at their disposal to protect the ultra-zionist ideology.

Thats fine on an internet discussion board, its one opinion that can be challenged directly. But when the mindset influences governance, media etc and therefore society, as it has done, and given what is being done in the name of Zionism right now, then it is important it is called out and challenged.

Tony EH · 07-05-2026 02:19PM

Yet another reason not to trust anything you read in the Torygraph, as if we needed it…

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/telegraph-and-politico-owner-says-journalists-must-support-israel-or-resign

Really, this type of thing is just indicative of where certain sections of the media are leaning with regards to Israel. I wonder what type of retainer Dopfner is receiving for his loyalty.

Strazdas · 07-05-2026 02:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450516#Comment_124450516

Apparently, this stuff is the norm in the German media - journalists for many outlets there have to pledge their allegiance to Israel or they are out of a job. There are some exceptions but not a huge amount.

A Dub in Glasgo · 07-05-2026 02:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124450516#Comment_124450516

That cannot be right, people pushing zionism do not control portions of the media and you are an antisemite if you say they do… according to the usual suspects.

"Zionism uber alles"

midlander12 · 07-05-2026 07:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124449907#Comment_124449907

The images of Polanski are (to my mind) definitely antisemitic, as are the tweets ascribed to a number of Green candidates that I've seen. I don't see why anyone would have any difficulty in seeing BOTH as such. I also don't find it anyway surprising that the right-wing British press (with their own hefty historical catalogue of antisemitism and racism generally) are weaponising the issue while being themselves antisemitic as well. It's just what they do, as opposed to investigating massive gifts from crypto-billionaires to their favourite party leaders etc.

Nor is the hierarchy of racism idea anything new or surprising, though of course everyone has their own hierarchy of it. You mentioned a good example yourself about the North. Another would be nice liberal Irish people who would be no doubt appalled at racism against black people or Asians (or Jews, presumably) but then go on to effortlessly make prejudicial tropes about travellers. Antisemitism is just another form of bigotry, no 'better' or 'worse' than any other, and like the other forms, liable to be exaggerated or minimised by various sides for their own political ends.

Tell me how · 07-05-2026 11:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124451255#Comment_124451255

Antisemitism is just another form of bigotry, no 'better' or 'worse' than any other, and like the other forms, liable to be exaggerated or minimised by various sides for their own political ends.

Except, that isn't necessarily the case. It has been significantly influential in the structures and impact of governance in various societies in which a lot of us inhabit. And not necessarily the act of antisemitism, but rather the accusation of it.

For example, if you consider racism towards Black people, Muslim people, Asian people or Jewish people for example, you will find examples of it being expressed within and amongst the members of all political parties if look closer than beyond a passing glance. But one of these is used to undermine and castigate the individuals or the parties more than any of the others. Antisemitism has been weaponized in a way that allows it to be used to silence people more than any other form of racism in most of our lifetimes at this point I suspect.

And it has been widely used to silence critics of Israel's actions in and towards Palestine. And that is what I have the biggest problem with. As I've stated on here before, I grew up as a kid in the 80's wondering how did the "common" people allow Nazism to flourish as it did and I wondered why more didn't do something to stop it. That is why I abhor those who in any way try to silence people speaking on behalf of Palestinians with flippant and unjustified accusations of antisemitism and other trite dismissals as to their motivations. It disgusts me.

And that is what is particularly galling by the media, and how they will use it to both denigrate someone whose policies they dislike while also using the accusation of it to denigrate them in another way.

Ozymandius2011 · 08-05-2026 12:48AM

Local elections update in England and Wales:

Update. Labour so far has lost 28 councillors. Reform has gained 35. Greens have so far gained 2 and Lib Dems lost 1.

Labour hold Chorley, though Reform pick up two seats.
Labour holds Salford.
Labour holds Halton.
Labour holds Wigan.

- Rumours Reform could win all the seats up for election in Basildon.

- Reform and Labour heck and neck in Tameside, Greater Manchester.

Nationally, so far Labour has lost 8 seats and the Tories lost 2. Reform has gained 8 and the Greens gained 1.Lib Dems gained 1. Only 2 councils finished so far out of 136.

Doesn't yet seem that Reform are doing as much damage to the Tories as to Labour unlike 2024.

end of the road · 08-05-2026 02:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124449971#Comment_124449971

incorrect, he never engaged in perging the party of centrists.
he quite rightly tried to perge it of the hard right and he was correct to do so.
also, he almost eradicated antisemitism from the labour party, the labour party under him had the lowest level of antisemitism in it's history and that was dispite cranks joining and spouting antisemitism to try and discredit the party, but he drove them out like snakes.
he implemented the most robust anti-racism and all else policies ever implemented by a political party which starmer undone.
basically his problems were the far right media and being unable to simply stand up and call out the bs and attack them back harder but that's not his style.

there is no doubt that had he become prime minister and implemented a fraction of his modernisation plan then britain would be in a way better position and farage would be an irrelevance.

ancapailldorcha · 08-05-2026 07:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452013#Comment_124452013

He did. Sorry but this is all wrong.

retalivity · 08-05-2026 08:14AM

Disappointing to see reform taking so many seats but its not translating to flipped councils.

Disaster for labour, losing support to the left and right

Jelle1880 · 08-05-2026 08:23AM

Will be interesting to see now that Reform will be forced to run so many councils. We've already seen in the few they won last time that it's not exactly going well. That said, Labour etc. have only themselves to blame.

ancapailldorcha · 08-05-2026 08:23AM

Could be good in the longer term once Reform show that they have nothing but virtue-signalling and performative cruelty. I think this was expected though. Starmer and Labour weren't exactly soaring in the polls.

somenergy · 08-05-2026 08:42AM

Farage is a wantabe trump 100% will surround himself with loyalty not competence and corrupt as fcuk

Sorry to see uk go the same way again its uneducated fox viewers

A good result will get him a trip to maro laga

Podge_irl · 08-05-2026 08:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452182#Comment_124452182

He is 100% a wannabe Trump.

And with the full knowledge of what Trumpism means, a huge portion of British society has decided "yup, could do with some of that". I do not know how you combat that.

breezy1985 · 08-05-2026 08:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452136#Comment_124452136

It looks to my amateur eye that there is a big overlap between areas swinging Labour to Reform and areas that voted for Brexit.

How utterly stupid do people have to be to be fooled by Farage twice.

A Dub in Glasgo · 08-05-2026 08:59AM

Starmer limping on for now 'I take full responsibility…… but I am not going to walk away'. Wait until the results start emerging from Scotland and Wales.

retalivity · 08-05-2026 09:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452198#Comment_124452198

its engrained at this stage, "foreigners took our jobs, coming over here on small boats and are fleecing the system". Meanwhile the biggest grifter sits atop the lot.

ancapailldorcha · 08-05-2026 09:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452182#Comment_124452182

Oh yeah. No disagreements there.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452191#Comment_124452191

One could muster the defence that people here don't treat local (and once upon a time European) elections as seriously as a general election. Of course, one could counter with the simple fact of Reform are polling at well over 25% which will translate into literal millions of votes so the point is moot.

If we're lucky, the fact that these areas voted for Reform councils will be the same ones that will elect Reform MPs. Given that there are three years between now and the next general election, I can only hope that Reform's clownshow will damage their base.

But yeah, it's properly f*cked up that vast swathes of the public have seen Trumpism and decided that they want to import it here. I don't know how you combat it either. Starmer's centrism isn't the answer and neither is Zack Polanski's nonsense. I've no idea. Presumably the Liberal Democrats are around somewhere but they're not much more than NIMBYs.

breezy1985 · 08-05-2026 09:05AM

In Newcastle Under Lyme (not the famous Newcastle) Reform went from 1 to 27 councillors with Con -11 and Lab -15 to take the council.

The Reform decision to run in every ward in Sutton, London didn't work out for them but split the vote enough to let LD take 20 seats from Cons to go from fragile to massive hold on the council.

Wigan the other big mover with Reform taking 23 of which 20 were Labour who still managed to keep overall context such was their massive majority.

Jelle1880 · 08-05-2026 09:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452216#Comment_124452216

It'll be the SNP in Scotland, which is not necessarily bad news for him.

Losing Wales however for the first time in a century would be big.

breezy1985 · 08-05-2026 09:09AM

Whatever about not having the balls to sack a PM surely the Tories have to ditch Badenoch. I'm sure she will paint this as "could have been worse" but really it couldn't have been.

Sad thing is both parties especially Starmer will read this all wrong and think they need to go more right.

Tell me how · 08-05-2026 09:14AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124452216#Comment_124452216

Already seeing a Labour councilor calling for chabge at the head of the party.

This is all playing out as was predicted in here. He's been weak and under pressure for several months and it was expected Labour would take a beating in these elections and that he would be kept on until that happened.

Now it has happened.

The only thing that might save him is the fact that the party itself looks weak and has lost its apparent alignment with it's traditional base. Theres no Leader in waiting as such since Starmer shut the door once Burnham and Streeting for example has skeletons in his own closet.

General British politics discussion thread

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