[jwi]

The delays at Dover are obviously bad for France. Tourism is a principal export and a mayor contribution to the balance of payment (Tourism, art and luxury goods is basically what France does for a living). In French media, the local administration is blaming an unforeseen technical incident in the tunnel.

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/royaume-uni/embouteillages-a-la-frontiere-le-port-britannique-de-douvres-accuse-la-france-de-ruiner-les-vacances_5272057.html

[lukeyboy]

The entire establishment these days seems to be built on absolving oneself of any responsibility and putting that on the head of something else. Border issues? France. Energy prices? Ofgen. Cost of living? Bank of England. Rail disruption? Up to Network Rail.

It's government by excuses. They have no idea and no plan. There's nothing to it.

Too true. There is a widespread reliance on arms length agencies to do things that the government ought to just be doing itself. They expect to make decisions and not take any flak if it goes wrong. You missed massive waiting lists blame the head of the NHS, not the health secretary; and if all else fails blame COVID, or Russia anyone but the f___ing incompetent government, and definitely not Brexit because there's no chance that's been a total disaster is there?

And then on the flip side, if something goes well (vaccines) then yes that was all us, and we'll take credit for it over and over again

[TobyD]

The delays at Dover are obviously bad for France. Tourism is a principal export and a mayor contribution to the balance of payment (Tourism, art and luxury goods is basically what France does for a living). In French media, the local administration is blaming an unforeseen technical incident in the tunnel.

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/royaume-uni/embouteillages-a-la-frontiere-le-port-britannique-de-douvres-accuse-la-france-de-ruiner-les-vacances_5272057.html

I'm no less pissed off that we've left the EU than I was six years ago, it's regressive, it's crippled our currency, is ruining UK agriculture and fishing, makes holidays more expensive and more hassle, decreases employment opportunities... All of which we're all supposed to just accept.

[TobyD]

Liz Truss appears to be arguing that she had some sort of deprived childhood in the ghetto when she went to school in Roundhay. Jonny Mercer is quite right that its just embarrassing, from both candidates but especially Truss.

[mrjonathanr]

Unlikely.

Mean house price Roundhay: £332,385.  https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/roundhay.html
Mean house price Leeds: £251,878.  https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/leeds.html
Mean house price UK: £283,000   https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/housepriceindex/may2022

[webbo]

Liz Truss appears to be arguing that she had some sort of deprived childhood in the ghetto when she went to school in Roundhay. Jonny Mercer is quite right that its just embarrassing, from both candidates but especially Truss.

Having a farther who was a maths professor at Leeds uni and a mother who was a nurse. They would hardly be on the breadline.

[Johnny Brown]

To be fair the difference between her and someone on the breadline would become vanishingly small if your yardstick is Sunak. Being a senior conservative is a recipe for being woefully out of touch.

[IanP]

Being a senior conservative is a recipe for being woefully out of touch.

Not just senior conservatives, plenty of the well off (and often conservative voters) are amazingly unaware of where they fit in compared to the wider population.  Witness this guy from the 2019 election arguing that the labour party were lying when they said that an 80k salary puts you in the top 5% of earners.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/question-time-video-man-top-earners-tax-percent-80000-explained-a9213351.html

[Will Hunt]

Illustrative anecdote:

We had a family gathering at the weekend and met up with a cousin and his family who we rarely see. He is in a relatively low paid job (my assumption and only relative to the earnings band of myself and my peers; he does engine assembly on a production line with no prior experience of mechanics) and his wife is unemployed since she was made redundant from being a childcare worker prior to having her first baby.
They've got two kids, the eldest of whom is 2 years and 10 months old and who speaks very little (for those without kids, you'd expect a nearly-three year old to never shut up). They're seeing a speech therapist but it was mooted (after they'd left) that the child would benefit from time in nursery around other children his own age. When I pointed out that there was no way they would be able to afford nursery, and that even part time hours would cost over a £1000 a month, my dad was stunned.

The comfortably off have absolutely no idea what "the cost of living crisis" actually is, or how long it's really been going on.

[TobyD]

...
The comfortably off have absolutely no idea what "the cost of living crisis" actually is, or how long it's really been going on.

This is true, there's nothing more irritating than those articles in some newspapers about things like budget meals which involve nothing that anyone actually extremely hard up would have.

[TobyD]

Unlikely.

Mean house price Roundhay: £332,385.  https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/roundhay.html
Mean house price Leeds: £251,878.  https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/leeds.html
Mean house price UK: £283,000   https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/housepriceindex/may2022

I'd wondered about that. Good link, I only lived in Leeds for three years or so but even I knew it was fairly posh as far as the city goes

[nai]

Liz Truss appears to be arguing that she had some sort of deprived childhood in the ghetto when she went to school in Roundhay. Jonny Mercer is quite right that its just embarrassing, from both candidates but especially Truss.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/18/liz-truss-roundhay-school-foreign-secretary-education

[TobyD]

Liz Truss appears to be arguing that she had some sort of deprived childhood in the ghetto when she went to school in Roundhay. Jonny Mercer is quite right that its just embarrassing, from both candidates but especially Truss.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/18/liz-truss-roundhay-school-foreign-secretary-education

The following is a quote from the Times front page this morning:

 A YouGov survey of 507 Conservative Party members found that 50 per cent believed that the foreign secretary was the better performer in the first head-to-head debate on Monday, compared with 39 per cent who said that Sunak was better. Sixty-three per cent said that Truss came across as more in touch with ordinary people, with 19 per cent for Sunak.

Truss more in touch with ordinary people eh? Perhaps if they're seeing other Conservative party members as ordinary.

[Hoseyb]

For me, it was their flagship policies.

Sunak reducing cost of fuel if he feels we need it.
Truss telling the police to prevent more murders.

Is Truss just Boris in drag?

[nai]

Is Truss just Boris in drag?

Funny you should say that:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/24/liz-truss-reminds-me-of-a-tory-leader-but-its-not-margaret-thatcher

[seankenny]

Being a senior conservative is a recipe for being woefully out of touch.

Not just senior conservatives, plenty of the well off (and often conservative voters) are amazingly unaware of where they fit in compared to the wider population. 

For my masters dissertation I wrote a model to explore the causes of income and wealth inequality in the U.K. I’ve read dozens of papers on the topic looking at both historical trends and current rich-world economies. I’m afraid to say that ignorance of income and wealth distributions is fairly well represented across the political spectrum!

Don’t get me started on “I am wealthy if I earn £X..?” type discussions 

[BrutusTheBear]

Sam Tarry - Labour MP hit the picket line today.  'I'm here as Shadow Transport Minister backing transport workers who are on strike'.
Heavy challenge to Keir Starmer's authority, perhaps he doesn't want his job anymore or is there enough dissent in the ranks to keep him in position?

[Paul B]

Because what we really need right now is infighting within Labour? 

[BrutusTheBear]

That argument feels very old and tired PB.
If a LP MP can't support working people in need of a improved pay and conditions,  against the interests of those whom have multiplied their wealth and extracted profits ruthlessly, then really what is the point of the LP?  The majority of the public support the workers, there is a Labour movement happening, the Labour Party should be a part of it and would benefit from showing solidarity with the unions. 
Given that the LP was founded by unions, is funded by unions, has many MPs from union backgrounds.... the dictat from Keir and his advisors feels like an inflammatory act in itself. 
If it means getting closer to a fairer society and protecting the environment then I would argue that criticism and challenge (call it infighting if you like) are entirely necessary.

[mrjonathanr]

That argument feels very old and tired PB.
If a LP MP can't support working people in need of a improved pay and conditions,  against the interests of those whom have multiplied their wealth and extracted profits ruthlessly, then really what is the point of the LP?  The majority of the public support the workers, there is a Labour movement happening, the Labour Party should be a part of it and would benefit from showing solidarity with the unions. 
Given that the LP was founded by unions, is funded by unions, has many MPs from union backgrounds.... the dictat from Keir and his advisors feels like an inflammatory act in itself. 
If it means getting closer to a fairer society and protecting the environment then I would argue that criticism and challenge (call it infighting if you like) are entirely necessary.

That’s the issue in a nutshell, isn’t it? ie does overt support for strikers mean getting closer to a fairer society? Or does it mean mostly consolidating votes Labour already has, whilst losing some of the undecideds in the political mid ground whom it must win over to gain power?

It’s the dilemma at the heart of the party.

[BrutusTheBear]

Look at polling on whether people support the strikes or not. They would gain the support of the majority of the general public on this one.  Public ownership too amongst others. 
The word is literally burning and we're all still lost in this bullshit.  Serious action from serious people is required.

[mrjonathanr]

I’d be especially interested to know what the polling data for the demographic of socially conservative voters they need to win back would be. I think this will be a high priority for setting party strategy.

You’re saying Starmer is too timid. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but regaining votes lost is not going to be as straightforward as simply doing the right thing.

[seankenny]

Labour is not interested in the average voter. It is interested in the marginal voter, the one who needs to be persuaded to vote for us. Appealing to what the average Labour voter wants is comfort blanket politics rather than gunning to win.

If you look up thread I posted a good thing about this from a US Democrat on just this topic.

[Will Hunt]

Look at polling on whether people support the strikes or not. They would gain the support of the majority of the general public on this one.

Watch those polls shift. The public generally start in favour of the strikers and quite quickly lose their rag when it inconveniences them. Who they turn their ire against depends on who wins the PR war.

[BrutusTheBear]

Labour is not interested in the average voter. It is interested in the marginal voter, the one who needs to be persuaded to vote for us. Appealing to what the average Labour voter wants is comfort blanket politics rather than gunning to win.

If you look up thread I posted a good thing about this from a US Democrat on just this topic.

Then once in power, Sir Keir Starmer will reinstate his 10 pledges, do all he said to the membership like standing shoulder to shoulder with workers, bring public services back into public ownership and he will create a new economy based on a zero carbon strategy.  Is that the Strategy? Get elected by bullshitting the msm, the swing voters and establishment into thinking they have what they want.  Then unleash some good 'ole environmental socialism on the masses with the huge majority gained.