Labour Leader: Keir Starmer VII

[TheDecameron]

Sir Keith’s manservant Hoyle is still collecting no confidence letters at a rate of knots. One paid trip too many to Tel Avive.

 

[Finnegan]

Sunak landing blow after blow on Starmer at PMQ’s. Extraordinary that the weakest of Tory PM‘s can wipe the floor with the esteemed barrister and former head of Public Presecutions.

 

[Minio]

Sir Keith’s manservant Hoyle...

Great comedy writing there.

 

[roman]

Sunak landing blow after blow on Starmer at PMQ’s. Extraordinary that the weakest of Tory PM‘s can wipe the floor with the esteemed barrister and former head of Public Presecutions.

Do you think so?

Endlessly bringing up Jeremy Corbyn, who starmer did expel whilst failing to address the madness of Liz Truss, who remains an mp seems weak to me, albeit it was met with the usual baying from the Tory benches.

I also thought it was interesting that starmer brought up garage, connecting him with the Tories and maybe indicating the beginning of a distancing from some of the electorate he represents. I hope so.

BTW I find starmer pretty hopeless in all manner of ways.

 

[TheDecameron]

91 letters of no confidence in Hoyle now.

 

[Finnegan]

Do you think so?

Endlessly bringing up Jeremy Corbyn

I do, very much so. It wasn’t just Corbyn, when Starmer tried to spear Sunak with the Lee Anderson debacle, Sunak was able to effectively counter with Azhar Ali, who Starmer initially kept in situ. Starmer‘s prevaricating, flip-flopping and general contortions he has gone through in trying to prove himself no threat to the bosses leaves him as an all to easy punchbag for mediocrity such as Sunak.

 

[Tony L]

I do, very much so. It wasn’t just Corbyn, when Starmer tried to spear Sunak with the Lee Anderson debacle, Sunak was able to effectively counter with Azhar Ali, who Starmer initially kept in situ. Starmer‘s prevaricating, flip-flopping and general contortions he has gone through in trying to prove himself no threat to the bosses leaves him as an all to easy punchbag for mediocrity such as Sunak.

Sunak may be an oligarch crook, a liar, and a hypocritical far-right apologist, but he has Starmer on the ropes every time a position of principle is challenged. Everything Starmer has stood for has been reversed, every moral position flip-flopped away. He is an absolutely terrible leader as he has no ideology and no position. He has no firm ground from which to throw a punch.

The failure of UK politics is astonishing. The situation in Rochdale is beyond parody; three disgraced ex-Labour nut-jobs and grifters scrabbling over Tony Lloyd’s corpse. This has to be one of the most ridiculous by-elections in UK history. A national embarrassment. Even the Green candidate has been suspended from the party. The only legitimate non-Tory candidate on the ballot is the LD.

 

[Finnegan]

The situation in Rochdale is beyond parody; three disgraced ex-Labour nut-jobs and grifters scrabbling over Tony Lloyd’s corpse. This has to be one of the most ridiculous by-elections in UK history. A national embarrassment. Even the Green candidate has been suspended from the party. The only legitimate non-Tory candidate on the ballot is the LD.

I loathe Galloway. Whatever the question, he’s not the answer. But it will be gratifying if he lands a well placed kick to Starmer’s nuts in the early hours of Friday morning.

 

[roman]

I do, very much so. It wasn’t just Corbyn, when Starmer tried to spear Sunak with the Lee Anderson debacle, Sunak was able to effectively counter with Azhar Ali, who Starmer initially kept in situ. Starmer‘s prevaricating, flip-flopping and general contortions he has gone through in trying to prove himself no threat to the bosses leaves him as an all to easy punchbag for mediocrity such as Sunak.

Sunak sometimes appears to have fared well but it's usually superficial.

On this occasion his claims to have gotten rid of lee Anderson for what he'd said is simply untrue. He was dismissed for failing to withdraw his comments. It's not the same thing. He's got form in this regard. He also failed to take on and properly answer starmers questions regarding farage joining the Tories because he's weak inside a divided and demoralised party.

He's also endlessly repeating himself. Anyone just dropping in on one session of PMQs might be impressed by his mentioning of Corbyn, delivering on the people's priorities, wanting on about the north London elite etc, but he does it all the time as he doesn't have proper answers to more searching questions and can't point to any successes (unless you count Brexit).

He simply ignores questions and instead clunkily follows his silly flowchart leading him to increasingly irrelevant and distant attacks on labour. It's pretty weak sauce and a sign of desperation.

I'll give you starmers hopelessness but at least his party's lead continues to hold. Sunak will say anything but I don't think anyone's listening.

 

[Tony L]

I loathe Galloway. Whatever the question, he’s not the answer. But it will be gratifying if he lands a well placed kick to Starmer’s nuts in the early hours of Friday morning.

The one I really don’t want is that opportunistic sex-pest/expenses fraud Danczuk who has signed up to Tice/Farage’s oligarch-funded far-right racist Reform Party. I viewed him as a total prick previously, but I never thought he’s sink into fascism. I guess it pays grifters like him. I can’t stand Galloway, but the idea of the racist far-right Reform party getting a seat in what is a very diverse community makes me feel physically sick. This is a no-win scenario as the LD candidate hasn’t really got a chance. The bookies suggest it is between Rula Lenska’s cat and Ali, and I’ll take either over the far-right. It is a total mess.

 

[Spraggons Den]

Sunak landing blow after blow on Starmer at PMQ’s. Extraordinary that the weakest of Tory PM‘s can wipe the floor with the esteemed barrister and former head of Public Presecutions.

This is how the BBC main website reported the exchange:

There were angry clashes at Prime Minister's Questions, as the main party leaders rowed over the records of their predecessors. Labour's Keir Starmer said Rishi Sunak should take action over comments former PM Liz Truss made at a conference. Sir Keir accused her of "slagging off and undermining Britain" during an event in the United States.
In return, Mr Sunak called him "spineless" and "utterly shameless" for serving under Jeremy Corbyn.

and furthermore:

The Labour leader also accused the Conservatives of dancing to a "tune" set by former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, whose Reform UK party has been challenging the Tories from the right on issues including immigration.
"The prime minister has lost control of his party to the hordes of malcontents, the tin-foil-hat brigade over there," he added

Seems like the usual PMQs charade to me.

 

[Spraggons Den]

Sunak landing blow after blow on Starmer at PMQ’s. Extraordinary that the weakest of Tory PM‘s can wipe the floor with the esteemed barrister and former head of Public Presecutions.

The Grauniad also had a different take on events:

Starmer devoted all his questions to the Conservative party’s tin-foil-hat tendency. His first question was beautfully crafted.

Tory MPs spent last week claiming that Britain was being run by a shadowy cabal made up of activists, the deep state and, most chillingly of all, the Financial Times. At what point did his party give up on governing and become the political wing of the flat earth society?

He then attacked Liz Truss, who was elected PM by Conservative party members less than two years ago and who last week was in America spouting extremist deep state conspiracy theories that would have disbarred her from even being allowed on the CCHQ candidates list a decade ago.

[Truss] predecessor spent last week in America trying to flog her new book. In search of fame and wealth, she’s taken to slagging off … [As Tories heckled] They made her prime minister, now they can’t bear talking about her.
In search of fame and wealth, she’s taken to slagging off Britain at every opportunity. She claimed that as prime minister she was sabotaged by the deep state. She also remained silent as Tommy Robinson, that right-wing thug, was described as a hero. Why is he allowing her to stand as a Tory MP at the next election?

Starmer challenged Sunak to say that he did not want Nigel Farage back in the Conservative party. (Sunak dodged the question.) And Starmer concluded:

The truth is these are no longer the Tories your parents voted for and the public can see it. The prime minister has lost control of his party to the hordes of malcontents, the tin-foil-hat brigade over there, the extremists who wrecked the economy, all lining up to undermine him, humiliate him and eventually to get rid of him.
When will he ever stand up to them, and end the pathetic spectacle of a Tory party that used to try and beat Nigel Farage now giving up and dancing to his tune instead?

How you must pine for the bygone days when Corbyn would spend his time asking about Mrs Smiths cat.

 

[roman]

The Grauniad also had a different take on events:

Starmer devoted all his questions to the Conservative party’s tin-foil-hat tendency. His first question was beautfully crafted.


He then attacked Liz Truss, who was elected PM by Conservative party members less than two years ago and who last week was in America spouting extremist deep state conspiracy theories that would have disbarred her from even being allowed on the CCHQ candidates list a decade ago.


Starmer challenged Sunak to say that he did not want Nigel Farage back in the Conservative party. (Sunak dodged the question.) And Starmer concluded:



How you must pine for the bygone days when Corbyn would spend his time asking about Mrs Smiths cat.

Starmers a pretty poor public speaker, which shouldn't matter but does, but then so is Sunak.

I think sometimes he catches the eye only because he (over)commits. Some are taken in. I find him shrill and borderline hysterical.

On this occasion I agree with the grauniad. Starmers questions read quite well.

 

[Spraggons Den]

Starmers a pretty poor public speaker, which shouldn't matter but does

Agreed he is not in the same league as Blair but better than Brown, Corbyn, Kinnock, Foot and Miliband.

 

[roman]

Agreed he is not in the same league as Blair but better than Brown, Corbyn, Kinnock, Foot and Miliband.

Actually Kinnock was often very good indeed. I'll give you the others though I'm not sure starmer is better than them.

 

[ks.234]

He has no firm ground from which to throw a punch.

Yes, this is Labour's problem, they’ve done so many u turns that they’ve turned their foundations into quicksand.

 

[ks.234]

Sunak landing blow after blow on Starmer at PMQ’s. Extraordinary that the weakest of Tory PM‘s can wipe the floor with the esteemed barrister and former head of Public Presecutions.

Yes, Labour handed the Tories a stick to beat them with over Corbyn. Surprise, surprise, Sunak picked that stick up and started beating.

Tommorrow’s headlines will be interesting

 

[ks.234]

Not sure what words to use to describe Rachael Reeves? Venal? Corrupt? Friend of the venal and corrupt? In bed with venality and corruption? Or just full on neoliberal nutjob?

 

[mhv]

Somewhat hilariously the Tories might be about to nick what is pretty much Labour’s only money raising promise. Although, obviously, to be used for tax cuts rather than spending…

Tories explore scrapping non-dom tax status

The chancellor is exploring the idea of scrapping the status in order to deliver tax cuts for millions.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[ks.234]