@stephena77.bsky.social
'refined' pieces you have published. I'm sorry if that hits a nerve.
November 15, 2025 at 9:23 AM
'refined' pieces you have published. I'm sorry if that hits a nerve.
So my disagreeing with your interpretation of "dislike" and "hatred" means I have "boiled my brain"? You seem to take any disagreement with your views as a personal affront, and react accordingly. And to be honest it's your comments on here that reflect your more authentic feelings than the
November 15, 2025 at 9:23 AM
So my disagreeing with your interpretation of "dislike" and "hatred" means I have "boiled my brain"? You seem to take any disagreement with your views as a personal affront, and react accordingly. And to be honest it's your comments on here that reflect your more authentic feelings than the
That comment cuts both ways, Stephen.
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 PM
That comment cuts both ways, Stephen.
It has been noted. Perhaps I'm not deferential enough.
November 14, 2025 at 11:24 PM
It has been noted. Perhaps I'm not deferential enough.
Not "shooting" you nor "going mad", just disagreeing with your definitions. And I also disagree that your feelings towards him are as ambivalent as you purport, given previous comments made on here. Perhaps there's a degree of confirmation bias in your discussions with others.
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Not "shooting" you nor "going mad", just disagreeing with your definitions. And I also disagree that your feelings towards him are as ambivalent as you purport, given previous comments made on here. Perhaps there's a degree of confirmation bias in your discussions with others.
vehemence against him, other than he hasn't fixed the issues with the countries in just over a year. Yes Comms have been poor, but there are commentators on here and the other place that will damn them irrsepective anything they do, and focus solely on negatives, without any attempt to offer balance
November 14, 2025 at 7:05 PM
vehemence against him, other than he hasn't fixed the issues with the countries in just over a year. Yes Comms have been poor, but there are commentators on here and the other place that will damn them irrsepective anything they do, and focus solely on negatives, without any attempt to offer balance
There is a difference between being disliked and "hated" as Stephen says. The poster above makes a valid point, Starmer hasn't done anything objectively worse than, say Johnson's parties during COVID or Truss' explosion of interest rates, so I am surprised at the lack of curiosity as to this
November 14, 2025 at 7:05 PM
There is a difference between being disliked and "hated" as Stephen says. The poster above makes a valid point, Starmer hasn't done anything objectively worse than, say Johnson's parties during COVID or Truss' explosion of interest rates, so I am surprised at the lack of curiosity as to this
And yet, people do speculate and damn the budget before it's even been announced. Moreso, it's been damned for raising the tax and equally damned for not doing so. And then people wonder why there is such negativity at the moment.
November 14, 2025 at 11:39 AM
And yet, people do speculate and damn the budget before it's even been announced. Moreso, it's been damned for raising the tax and equally damned for not doing so. And then people wonder why there is such negativity at the moment.
The speculation doesn't help as it only cherry picks certain parts to highlight. Even the scoop yesterday stated the "source" only knew a part of what may be in the budget
Without knowing what the whole package of measures are, it's impossible to speculate on the total effect on the population.
Without knowing what the whole package of measures are, it's impossible to speculate on the total effect on the population.
November 14, 2025 at 11:39 AM
The speculation doesn't help as it only cherry picks certain parts to highlight. Even the scoop yesterday stated the "source" only knew a part of what may be in the budget
Without knowing what the whole package of measures are, it's impossible to speculate on the total effect on the population.
Without knowing what the whole package of measures are, it's impossible to speculate on the total effect on the population.
So we've "Reeves is going to put up Income Tax and break the manifesto pledge, here's how that's bad for Labour", now it's "Reeves isn't going to put up Income Tax...... and here's how it's bad for Labour" so whatever she does now, the seed is sown that it's going to be a bad budget.
November 14, 2025 at 10:40 AM
So we've "Reeves is going to put up Income Tax and break the manifesto pledge, here's how that's bad for Labour", now it's "Reeves isn't going to put up Income Tax...... and here's how it's bad for Labour" so whatever she does now, the seed is sown that it's going to be a bad budget.
I appreciate your comment, but respectfully disagree.
November 14, 2025 at 10:29 AM
I appreciate your comment, but respectfully disagree.
Having had to deal with the implications of the speculation last year, I am more than aware of what "false" briefings can do to people's personal actions. Given we don't know the context of conversations, these "scoops" are the equivalent of Football gossip columns and should be treated as such.
November 14, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Having had to deal with the implications of the speculation last year, I am more than aware of what "false" briefings can do to people's personal actions. Given we don't know the context of conversations, these "scoops" are the equivalent of Football gossip columns and should be treated as such.
And you "know" this, how?
November 14, 2025 at 10:18 AM
And you "know" this, how?
they invent it. The Streeting furore (if Robert Peston is to be believed) is a prime example of this. At this time, I think it's best to get off Social media, people are too hooked on performative outrage.
November 14, 2025 at 10:17 AM
they invent it. The Streeting furore (if Robert Peston is to be believed) is a prime example of this. At this time, I think it's best to get off Social media, people are too hooked on performative outrage.
And this is the issue. Politics doesn't have to operate like this and it was one of the things that Starmer actually said on the steps of Downing Street after the election (to operate in a less obtrusive way) but the press/media need their clicks/views and have to have a drama. If there isn't one,
November 14, 2025 at 10:17 AM
And this is the issue. Politics doesn't have to operate like this and it was one of the things that Starmer actually said on the steps of Downing Street after the election (to operate in a less obtrusive way) but the press/media need their clicks/views and have to have a drama. If there isn't one,
Don't know. And neither does anyone else. I do know that there was speculation last year that was wildly inaccurate so whoever was "briefing" then was wrong.
November 14, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Don't know. And neither does anyone else. I do know that there was speculation last year that was wildly inaccurate so whoever was "briefing" then was wrong.
Imagine if we treated football gossip columns with the same fervour?
November 14, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Imagine if we treated football gossip columns with the same fervour?
political journalism and commentary at the moment.
November 14, 2025 at 10:04 AM
political journalism and commentary at the moment.
So far we have had "Reeves is definitely putting income tax up (not confirmed), and this is why it is bad for Labour" now it's "Revves is U Turning on a policy that she didn't announce, and this is now bad for Labour." I'm not into conspiracy theories, but there is something decidedly wrong with
November 14, 2025 at 10:04 AM
So far we have had "Reeves is definitely putting income tax up (not confirmed), and this is why it is bad for Labour" now it's "Revves is U Turning on a policy that she didn't announce, and this is now bad for Labour." I'm not into conspiracy theories, but there is something decidedly wrong with
The sub heading states she "explores" alternatives. That suggests not a fixed decision, which the main headline promotes. As one who had to deal with the fall out of previous (wrong) press scoops in the last budget, I'm going to wait to see what is actudlly announced first.
November 13, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The sub heading states she "explores" alternatives. That suggests not a fixed decision, which the main headline promotes. As one who had to deal with the fall out of previous (wrong) press scoops in the last budget, I'm going to wait to see what is actudlly announced first.
There is still a part of me that hopes for a form of Levesson 2, about journalistic integrity, but I know this has already been discounted.
November 13, 2025 at 3:42 PM
There is still a part of me that hopes for a form of Levesson 2, about journalistic integrity, but I know this has already been discounted.
To be fair, most of the public (like me) don't know how briefings like this occur. Would it be that all journalists were on a conference call to the "source" or did the "source" make separate calls to the journalists to pass on this story?
November 13, 2025 at 12:58 PM
To be fair, most of the public (like me) don't know how briefings like this occur. Would it be that all journalists were on a conference call to the "source" or did the "source" make separate calls to the journalists to pass on this story?
benefit of the doubt for a while longer yet.
November 13, 2025 at 10:58 AM
benefit of the doubt for a while longer yet.
As a (partial) counter to this, I would say he had a good eye for appointments to effect change (Hermer and Timpson being prone examples), and the change envisaged is not one that will happen overnight. There is a risk he could be another (second term) Biden, but I am willing to give him the
November 13, 2025 at 10:58 AM
As a (partial) counter to this, I would say he had a good eye for appointments to effect change (Hermer and Timpson being prone examples), and the change envisaged is not one that will happen overnight. There is a risk he could be another (second term) Biden, but I am willing to give him the
Similar to Johnson and Farage, really (though not in one particular aspect, obviously).
November 13, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Similar to Johnson and Farage, really (though not in one particular aspect, obviously).