26 Comments
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Rainbow Medicine-Walker's avatar

Sounds like things are coming to a head in the UK one way or another. Interesting times indeed.

Michelle Styles's avatar

They are. It is all very unsettling. Starmer and Reeves are deeply unserious. I get that someone had to do the job but Jarvis will not be able to square this particular circle. Britain is an island nation, we need a Royal Navy. Spending on defence will cut benefits as it gets people employed.

I could weep.

And Britain needs to start deporting people who have no right to be here. As someone said about the Pakistanis seeking asylum -- why given all the legal routes that they have to come to this country? What have they done?

Rainbow Medicine-Walker's avatar

So sorry to hear all this- perhaps things will hit bottom and start to improve.

Michelle Styles's avatar

One can only hope. I had hopes that Starmer would start to see sense but he is too weak. It looks like Al Carns will make a play for the leadership. It is worth reading what he is saying, particularly about the veterans who served in Northern Ireland. Hermer I suspect wants to punish them.

Casey Jones's avatar

To this dumb Yank things look pretty bottomed now.

Michelle Styles's avatar

Shrug who knows. Things can always get worse.

Casey Jones's avatar

True, but hardly comforting.

Bruce Miller's avatar

The resignation letters were actually quite pathetic. These fools are still in thrall to the precepts of Labour and continue to fawn over and kiss Starmer's ass. No wonder Britain is erupting in flames.

Michelle Styles's avatar

I disagree. They were actually very strong for government minister. They have both said -- they can't support Starmer and his plans.

Carns is mostly likely going to challenge for the leadership. https://x.com/AlistairCarns/status/2065386438955348361

Even the BBC have realised that there is a rabbit off with people seeking to defend Starmer. https://x.com/OldRoberts953/status/2065387977757302914

Bruce Miller's avatar

"I am proud of what we have done in less than two years as a Labour Government."

"You have led this as PM, earning wide respect at home and abroad. Like me, I know you are exceptionally proud of our Forces and all of those who work in UK Defence."

Oh please. Obsequious claptrap.

Michelle Styles's avatar

There is a certain form to the letters. You hold your nose as you wade through the BS. The real meat is why they resigned and the fact that neither would sign off on the DIP, calling it for what it is. It simply isn't done and they did as well as the two PPSes. Carns is also refusing to stay silent.

jt's avatar

Hello Northumberland! Good to see You, once again, on this fine Friday. Friday's are great, largely due to Your articles.

But I'm sorry to hear about the UK's defense position. Sir Richard Barron's article says it all. The ISW article was interesting also.

The FSU report on Henry Nowak's murder was interesting, too.

Kemi's speech was great. Equality under the law. Hard to be against it, but some are.

I'm sorry to read about how changed Belfast has become.

WellBN was horrific. Amazing even the BBC sees that.

I'm sorry to read about the betrayal of LGBs.

It's also interesting to hear about Your hens. And I'm glad to hear the bees and fruit are doing well. Paddy looks great, but blurry. And I'm looking forward to Your new book around November.

TY, Michelle. Always appreciate You and Your work.

Michelle Styles's avatar

Good to see you JT. I could weep about what Starmer and Reeves have done. One of Labour's big manifesto pledges was to fix defence after years of Tory cuts.

I suspect Al Carns will try to stand for the leadership. He is supposed to be one of the best British commanders of recent years.

The ISW report is interesting on Crimea and the GLOCs. Ukraine might be doing something but how long it can maintain superiority is a question. I was also interested about the Russian cognitive warfare and its increasing sophistication.

I am pleased about WellBN. Hannah Barnes has a series of tweets but I can't get her article on archive. Cass was shocked by the figures and questioned whether the care was adequate. . WellBN accounted for 17.6% of all prescriptions to under 25s. https://x.com/hannahsbee/status/2065358308811157836

jt's avatar

TY Michelle.

Celia M Paddock's avatar

It's interesting that Point-of-Lay is available in the UK. Here in the U.S., everyone raises hens from chicks. Occasionally someone might be getting rid of their laying hens for some reason, but those are all private sales, not company sales.

Michelle Styles's avatar

Mostly you can only buy PoL. It is how Durham Hens sell theirs and/or if I buy at auction. Different countries.

Bruce Miller's avatar

" I contend that trying to behead someone as well as stabbing their eyes out is the work of someone who is mentally ill."

Hmmmm....might some other factor be at play? Or perhaps a "religion" based on the rants of a 7th century pedophile has affected the sanity of its 2 billion adherents.

Michelle Styles's avatar

Religion might be a factor but it takes a special something to do what he did. Apparently he belongs to a well connected political family in North Sudan. He had the money to get out.

The victim remains in a coma.

It could be drugs were involved. The victim had previously been tortured by a drug gang.

But yes, Britain's lanyard class were naive in accepting these. There was a Sudanese who killed a worker at the migrant hotel with a screwdriver earlier this year. Real quality. We do not know who entered Britain and were given the right to remain. The fact that they feel they can abuse British hospitality in this fashion speaks volumes.

Bruce Miller's avatar

Don't blame the savages. The blame falls on the fools who invited them in and continue to shower them with privileges and look the other way at their crimes. The systemic raping of young British girls???? What cowardly fools allow such atrocities.....These are your daughters for God's sake. Just pathetic.

Michelle Styles's avatar

The reason people know about the grooming gangs is that the trials are ongoing. The Conservatives wrecking of the court system through limiting the sitting days caused huge delays. The inquiry is about getting the enablers and those who turned a blind eye in an effort to facilitate good community relations.

It is a known scandal.

Some of the men involved have been in this country for decades or were born here. They are mostly from a specific area of Pakistan. People from Pakistan because of the legacy from the British Empire have a number of legal routes into Britain.

The guilt at what happened during the Holocaust has cast a long shadow and continues to inform British policy re asylum seekers. I agree it has been abused in a major league way.

Bruce Miller's avatar

Tommy told the truth. And was silenced by the very people who continue to betray Britain and its people.

Michelle Styles's avatar

He didn't tell the truth about the person he was found guilty of libelling.

Many other better people such as the late Andrew Norfolk and indeed all the Crown Prosecutors involved in the cases have been working to bring people to justice. The trials are complex involving multiple defendants. His spectre if you will caused part of the silencing.

If it was just him shouting his mouth, it would have continued to be swept under the carpet, but it is not. His manner of protesting has taken the focus off some of the real problems. For example the riot in Southampton was unnecessary. The Nowak family wanted the discussion to be about changes to policing, changes to sentencing and changes to the ability to carry ceremonial knives. Instead they got -- people talking about the badly behaved thugs who are now doing jailtime. Deflection courtesy of the ever reliable Yaxley-Lennon.

Bruce Miller's avatar

As Paine said, these are the times that try men's souls." Polite discussion has led directly to these atrocities. Tommy did tell the truth. The trial was simply another effort to silence him by an establishment that hates their own people.

cocteau twin's avatar

thank you for the update, michelle, always appreciate your weekly roundup of the events and your take and insight on current events over there.

we are enjoying the latest season of clarkson's farm, too! the guinea fowl have gorgeous feathers though they are very noisy during daylight hours. the craftsmanship of the guinea fowl hutch is fully on display when there is that near-catastrophe when originally moving it. had it been from china, things would have ended differently.

i miss our urban chickens from when we lived in the pnw as does the rest of the family. we inherited our flock from a neighbor who was moving and couldn't take them with her. they were PoL and i completely understand not having to deal with the chicks and their teen years! however, the vance family has young children so their being able to experience the whole shebang is a wonderful opportunity for them that they will surely never forget. our own inherited urban flock was able to go back to the same neighbor who gave them to us. she had purchased a home on a large piece of property by the time we'd sold our house to move to the sw desert, so it was a wonderful full circle for all. our family cherishes the memories of having kept chickens and the fresh eggs!

Running Burning Man's avatar

:

I'm here and I will come back to read after workout. But what happened to the focus in the shot on Paddy?

Michelle Styles's avatar

I need to get a new phone basically. It will be happening soon. My children keep mentioning this problem.