Andy Wheeler

All depends on the motivation of Labour (and ex-) voters. If Burnham supporters don't want to undermine his new position, they will vote Labour. If they want to influence him to a wealth tax to restore services and infrastructure then they will vote Green. Starmer supporters may not vote. Binface?😆

We are all expecting, and hoping, that Andy Burnham will shake up the tax system to both raise the revenue he needs and make it fairer. A budget good for people, good for the economy and good for the planet.

Mike Tapp. Going against government policy or mentioning secret government policy? If the latter, does that make him a leaking Tapp?

Time to shake up the tax system.

Read this book. In the month we sadly remember the life of Jo Cox MP who worked to cross boundaries and get people to learn about each other. This book does just that. It shows us that all the boundaries are artificial and we need to touch each other as humans. We must touch each other.

Same could be said of difficulties for the SNP and Scottish flag. I may put up both England and Scotland flags as I wish both to do well. Let people make of that what they will...

For use with Large Language Models. i.e. Machine Learning general purpose AIs.

The only reasons that Blair has put his head over the parapet: 1. Scared that Labour might move to the left. Must stop that. 2. Seen the way the wind is blowing and if 1 cannot be achieved, disconnecting from Starmer and hoping for consultancy and influence with new government.

It is about time that someone called Andy becomes PM. !!!!

Small change government. This is the basic problem. Over promise, under deliver. Then say they have delivered. People don't see it and so don't believe it. Yougov poll.

This is why Streeting would be a bad alternative to Starmer. Has the same profile and problems. It would be no change. No policy difference or approach difference.

I'll wager that those five constituencies combined also avoided more inheritance tax (through offshore funds, etc.) than Scotland and Wales as well. And they spent more on specialist accountancy fees.

Two options as I see it. 1. Starmer finally really does "get it" and includes big policies in the speech - Big new NHS services, big new railway, water, power network. Paid for by wealth taxes. 2. Charlie simply says "My government will continue so you may sit in session." (short and sweet)

That speech is not enough by itself. Better, but still "small change". No mention of paying for change beyond incremental. Plenty of money out there, go tax those who wouldn't miss some (includes me and proud to pay more). King's speech Wednesday now last chance.

Zelenskyy permit for Putin to hold his parade. First class politics and comedy.

There is only so many times you should turn equipment off and then on again before you come to the conclusion that it is just knackered and needs replacing. Starmer Reset

Recent books by Jewish authors: Israel in Palestine, Jewish Rejection of Zionism - Yakov Rabkin. Israel, What Went Wrong - Omer Bartov. Selling Israel, Zionism Propaganda and the Uses of Hasbara - Harriet Malinowitz. and perhaps best of all: The Future is Peace - Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah.

Likely sequence: Starmer to McSweeney: "Make sure Peter gets the clearance he needs" (meaning "Check him out" or...?) McSweeney to Robbins: "Ensure Peter is cleared no matter what" (meaning "fix it") "and just tell us the result, keep the detail to yourself." Stinks of plausible deniability.

Weep that we are supporting this. We will be shamed forever.

Liberty arrested by cops. Irony meter on overload. (Photo by Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times)

Leaders who want and glorify war and violence are not followers of Jesus, even if they call themselves Christian. They are followers of the devil. What they say they believe is not important. Look at what they do.

Protection money. "That's a nice boat you have there. Pity if something were to happen to it." Showing mafia boss Trump how to do it.

Lots of programmes recently on empire. If you want an entertaining (but still informative) option, I recommend Al Murray: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

The first AI wars? Targetting by AI. What next? Deciding which country to declare war on?

At least it it has reached some of the main press. Make Armageddon Great Again. These nutcases sometimes talk of Islam as a "death cult", but their Rapturism is the ultimate death cult. I respond by offering Ragnarok.

Sheer insanity. I have often observed that there is a section of the evangelical right in the US that thinks this, but I didn't suspect that it also infested the leadership and military. newrepublic.com/post/207270/...

Stay "in charge" as long as you want Keir. Then the next one will be Zack.

Of course there will be a strong response. Israel was expecting Hezbollah to get involved. It makes an excuse for another incursion into Lebanon. They now have troops available freed up from Gaza. This time they will keep it. "Greater Israel"

Definition of "Elite": Any group of people who are better than you at something and who disagree with you about a topic you feel strongly about. Elites: Academic - too clever, no common sense Financial - too rich Sports - far too fit Political - another party that gets more votes etc., etc.

Cost of Living. New initiative. Please support. Inequality Tax Justice www.costoflivingaction.org.uk

Did Ratcliffe "colonise" Monaco? Is that wrong? So when is he coming home?

ICE at the Winter Olympics. Of course this could be cancelled, if the organisers award Trump a special Peace Medal.

How are comedians supposed to add humour to the news when the news is already funnier than anything? Trump Greenland Penguins

"Board of Peace"? No. Piece! As in Piece of the Action. Let's make me some money.

The deal will set up a new framework for the whole area around Greenland. It will be called the Arctic Resources Strategic Engagement. It will be led by the USA and Trump appointed to run it. Yes, he will be the Chief ARSE.

Until recently there has been a debate in America over whether Trump should be impeached for being "the most openly corrupt President" and breaches of US law. Now there is no debate, of course he should be impeached. The new debate is whether he should also be sectioned.

Elbit get the elbow. This needs more main news coverage. The hunger strikers didn't give in, they won a victory.

The one most important thing that Christ preached was unconditional love. He didn't say pick some people you like and just love them. He said love everyone.

I don't think most Iranians want that. This is far more than a choice between a theocracy and a monarchy. That would be a false dichotomy. Iran deserves democracy.

Is this just geographical or is it a long term memory of the old Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex? @profaliceroberts.bsky.social

Go Greens!

Put uniformed, armed thugs into a City to harass its population. Get protests and civil disobedience in response. A pressure cooker. What do you expect to happen? Another step towards the civil war that Trump wants, so that he can declare martial law and cancel elections. i.e. this is intentional.

Though whether they will engage if the Marinera is joined by a Russian military escort ship is not clear. The corvette Stoikiy is know to escort shadow tankers and nuclear submarines may be in the area.