General Election 2024

Who got your vote?

  • Labour

    Votes: 147 54.2%
  • Conservative

    Votes: 5 1.8%
  • Lib Dem

    Votes: 25 9.2%
  • Green

    Votes: 48 17.7%
  • Reform

    Votes: 11 4.1%
  • SNP

    Votes: 5 1.8%
  • Plaid Cymru

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Independent

    Votes: 8 3.0%
  • UK resident but not voting

    Votes: 18 6.6%
  • Spoiled my ballot

    Votes: 3 1.1%

  • Total voters
    271
  • Poll closed .
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:lol:BBC programming under Labour. Flogging Trash with David Dickinson: The popular antiques peddler presents live coverage of Gaza protestors being stoned to death.

Changing Rooms: join Carol Smilie and the team as they paint over all those pesky colourful murals in the childrens wing of the asylum centres around the country.
 
Do the ballots in the UK have the name of the party or the candidate?
 
Do the ballots in the UK have the name of the party or the candidate?
Both.The candidate is named first, then you are told if they are representing a party. Technically you vote for the individual here, not the party, meaning an MP can defect to another party and they don't have to get approval from the electorate.
 
Both.The candidate is named first, then you are told if they are representing a party. Technically you vote for the individual here, not the party, meaning an MP can defect to another party and they don't have to get approval from the electorate.
Cheers
 
I thought this was especially interesting.

You can see how labour is set for a massive majority despite atrocious approval ratings for starmer by seeing raw numbers of people actually prepared to vote for something rather than against something else.

 
"Join our Border Security Command as we rampage around Europe puncturing all inflatable boats!"

While there may be a lot of suppliers of inflatable boats, there probably aren't that many companies manufacturing outboard motors.
If you want to disrupt the people trafficking gangs, you are going to have to disrupt the supply of these outboard motors.
 
While there may be a lot of suppliers of inflatable boats, there probably aren't that many companies manufacturing outboard motors.
If you want to disrupt the people trafficking gangs, you are going to have to disrupt the supply of these outboard motors.

How can anyone stop other people having boats or motors? Most people are not part of a gang.
Starmer has no authority to work outside the UK. The authorities in numerous countries are working to stop the gangs and do so. He's no longer in the EU but still thinks he has the same powers and access that he did before.
 
While there may be a lot of suppliers of inflatable boats, there probably aren't that many companies manufacturing outboard motors.
If you want to disrupt the people trafficking gangs, you are going to have to disrupt the supply of these outboard motors.

So I'm told by a friend ( I refer to as Capt Birds Eye ;) ), he says the biggest available just now....Verado V12, 7.6 - Litre (600 hp)... it's a monster
 
How can anyone stop other people having boats or motors? Most people are not part of a gang.
Starmer has no authority to work outside the UK. The authorities in numerous countries are working to stop the gangs and do so. He's no longer in the EU but still thinks he has the same powers and access that he did before.

It has nothing to do with the EU.
What I am saying is that the UK government can get in touch with the manufacturers of outboard motors and work with them on identifying who they supply their products to. And then work with those suppliers to progressively identify the supplier base.

This is a global problem so they can work out their internal partners in order to reduce the ease by which the the gangs can acquire these.
Edit. I am not saying this is going to fix the problem overnight. But it should progressively reduce the ease of supply.
 
It has nothing to do with the EU.
What I am saying is that the UK government can get in touch with the manufacturers of outboard motors and work with them on identifying who they supply their products to. And then work with those suppliers to progressively identify the supplier base.

This is a global problem so they can work out their internal partners in order to reduce the ease by which the the gangs can acquire these.
Edit. I am not saying this is going to fix the problem overnight. But it should progressively reduce the ease of supply.

They should also do this with guns and drugs. Thank you for ending crime Buster15.
 
It has nothing to do with the EU.
What I am saying is that the UK government can get in touch with the manufacturers of outboard motors and work with them on identifying who they supply their products to. And then work with those suppliers to progressively identify the supplier base.

This is a global problem so they can work out their internal partners in order to reduce the ease by which the the gangs can acquire these.
Edit. I am not saying this is going to fix the problem overnight. But it should progressively reduce the ease of supply.

Or, they could just reopen legal routes for asylum seekers that the tories closed, take the French offer to host immigration facilities in Calais and deal with cases promptly, removing the market for people smugglers and stopping the kind of delays that mean we house people in hotels for months at the same time.

The immigration 'crisis' is entirely self created for political purposes. Both main parties know this, and both use it to fear monger because they are shite on a stick cnuts.
 
It has nothing to do with the EU.
What I am saying is that the UK government can get in touch with the manufacturers of outboard motors and work with them on identifying who they supply their products to. And then work with those suppliers to progressively identify the supplier base.

This is a global problem so they can work out their internal partners in order to reduce the ease by which the the gangs can acquire these.
Edit. I am not saying this is going to fix the problem overnight. But it should progressively reduce the ease of supply.

There are millions of people with boats and outboard motors. Just in our area which is on the edge of the equivalent of the Lake District, there are hundreds of lakes and thousands of boats just in a small area of France , nevermind elsewhere. There are hundreds and thousands of dealers throughout Europe. I can go and buy a motor or a boat in dozens of places within half an hour's drive; how do you stop that. Anyone can buy a boat or a motor.

The Uk government, being outside the EU do not have the right to have people's personal information.

Set up safe routes and the business is much less viable.
 
I thought this was especially interesting.

You can see how labour is set for a massive majority despite atrocious approval ratings for starmer by seeing raw numbers of people actually prepared to vote for something rather than against something else.



It's mad how much our system decides representation over actual will of the people.

The Lib Dems are such a pointless party with little actual backing yet they'll get many seats compared to the more backed Reform and Greens. You can see why so many give up on politics.
 
There are millions of people with boats and outboard motors. Just in our area which is on the edge of the equivalent of the Lake District, there are hundreds of lakes and thousands of boats just in a small area of France , nevermind elsewhere. There are hundreds and thousands of dealers throughout Europe. I can go and buy a motor or a boat in dozens of places within half an hour's drive; how do you stop that. Anyone can buy a boat or a motor.

The Uk government, being outside the EU do not have the right to have people's personal information.

Set up safe routes and the business is much less viable.

But there are not millions of companies that manufacture such outboard motors.
Each and every small boat that comes ashore in England or any other country has the boat and associated equipment impounded by the national boarder force.
So the motor will be available for investigation of the maker and any available part and individual serial numbers. Yes of course some will have been removed.
But it will be obvious who the manufacturer is in most cases.
So a database can be produced of maker and type.
The country can then work with Interpol for example to request from a supplier who they supply that type of motor to and so on down the various supply chains.

If anyone is serious about disrupting the criminal gangs, you should start with what they are selling.
Boats and outboard motors are their commodity. The rubber dinghies will be untraceable.
But the motors much less so.
The objective is to reduce and constrain the supply to the gangs.
 
If anyone is serious about disrupting the criminal gangs, you should start with what they are selling.

They are selling ways to get to the UK so people can -legally- claim asylum.

The answer is to reopen approved routes, so that people smugglers are redundant.
 
Or, they could just reopen legal routes for asylum seekers that the tories closed, take the French offer to host immigration facilities in Calais and deal with cases promptly, removing the market for people smugglers and stopping the kind of delays that mean we house people in hotels for months at the same time.

The immigration 'crisis' is entirely self created for political purposes. Both main parties know this, and both use it to fear monger because they are shite on a stick cnuts.

Quite agree.
There is not one single solution. But a range of options.
Legal routes, yes of course.

But as reported recently by the BBC, they have been able to identify members of the criminal gangs.
And so, restricting the supply of what they are providing is also an option.
 
They are selling ways to get to the UK so people can -legally- claim asylum.

The answer is to reopen approved routes, so that people smugglers are redundant.

Yes I agree with that. But there will always be a range of options, not just one.
 
Ouch, that's my Alma matter :lol:

I take your point though, it has a reputation for being a fallback for those deemed not smart enough or didn't bribe their way enough to an Oxbridge university.

My Brother went to Warwick. That seems like a fair take.
 
Quite agree.
There is not one single solution. But a range of options.
Legal routes, yes of course.

But as reported recently by the BBC, they have been able to identify members of the criminal gangs.
And so, restricting the supply of what they are providing is also an option.

Its an artificial problem deliberately created by politicians. They caused this by stopping people from travelling over on the train or ferry.

They can end it by allowing people to arrive by train or ferry.

It really is that simple.
 
But there are not millions of companies that manufacture such outboard motors.
Each and every small boat that comes ashore in England or any other country has the boat and associated equipment impounded by the national boarder force.
So the motor will be available for investigation of the maker and any available part and individual serial numbers. Yes of course some will have been removed.
But it will be obvious who the manufacturer is in most cases.
So a database can be produced of maker and type.
The country can then work with Interpol for example to request from a supplier who they supply that type of motor to and so on down the various supply chains.

If anyone is serious about disrupting the criminal gangs, you should start with what they are selling.
Boats and outboard motors are their commodity. The rubber dinghies will be untraceable.
But the motors much less so.
The objective is to reduce and constrain the supply to the gangs.

But as I said, there are millions of boats and motors which anyone can buy and do what they like with.
Some gang member could buy a boat in Hamburg. Someone could buy a motor in Rome. I could go and pay cash to a seller somewhere near me, sell it a year later or have it stolen. it's an impossible way of doing it.

Safe routes, so much easier but neither Labour or the Tories want to solve the scaremongering. It suits them. A tiny percentage of immigrants is the main cause of concern for both. Not one mention by either of actual illegal immigrants, visa overstayers, people working on the black market.

Furthermore Starmer talks as if nothing is happening unless he charges in on his white charger and solves the problem. Gangs and immigrants being trafficked are being stopped all the time.

This is why I'm so disappointed in Starmer. Absolutely nothing is going to change under him.
 
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While there may be a lot of suppliers of inflatable boats, there probably aren't that many companies manufacturing outboard motors.
If you want to disrupt the people trafficking gangs, you are going to have to disrupt the supply of these outboard motors.

Why bother with the motors, seeing as they could get the asylum seekers to row. Personally, I'd get rid of plugs, so when they get a hole in the boat, they're fecked
 
What is the relevance of the (small but still decent) possibility that a party other than Labour gets more seats than the Tories and therefore becomes the main opposition? Does this have any implications in the way the HoC functions, the shadow cabinets, etc?
 
But as I said, there are millions of boats and motors which anyone can buy and do what they like with.
Some gang member could buy a boat in Hamburg. Someone could buy a motor in Rome. I could go and pay cash to a seller somewhere near me, sell it a year later or have it stolen. it's an impossible way of doing it.

Safe routes, so much easier but neither Labour or the Tories want to solve the scaremongering. It suits them. A tiny percentage of immigrants is the main cause of concern for both. Not one mention by either of actual illegal immigrants, visa overstayers, people working on the black market.

This is why I'm so disappointed in Starmer. Absolutely nothing is going to change under him.

Don't disagree with any of that.
Nevertheless, the criminal gangs don't just go and buy a few outboard motors here and there. Like any organised business, as you know, they require a constant supply of items for sale. Some might be second hand motors. But that is unlikely to suffice.
In the year to end April, the number of small boats totalled 6265 gov.uk data.
And that is just the UK. Factor that for the whole of Europe.
You need a pretty robust supply chain to be able to acquire that number of motors.

I doubt even you would be able to provide that number without a proper supply chain.
 
What is the relevance of the (small but still decent) possibility that a party other than Labour gets more seats than the Tories and therefore becomes the main opposition? Does this have any implications in the way the HoC functions, the shadow cabinets, etc?

Have you heard of Reform UK?
 
Don't disagree with any of that.
Nevertheless, the criminal gangs don't just go and buy a few outboard motors here and there. Like any organised business, as you know, they require a constant supply of items for sale. Some might be second hand motors. But that is unlikely to suffice.
In the year to end April, the number of small boats totalled 6265 gov.uk data.
And that is just the UK. Factor that for the whole of Europe.
You need a pretty robust supply chain to be able to acquire that number of motors.

I doubt even you would be able to provide that number without a proper supply chain.

But there are millions, stored in warehouses, bought along the way, the supply is endless.
What is stopping the UK setting up safe routes, far far cheaper and far far easier.
 
What is the relevance of the (small but still decent) possibility that a party other than Labour gets more seats than the Tories and therefore becomes the main opposition? Does this have any implications in the way the HoC functions, the shadow cabinets, etc?

The largest party in opposition make up the official shadow cabinet and get the 6 questions to put to the PM< plus a few other benefits around how many motions they can table and that sort of thing.

If the tories have less seats than, say, reform, it would be reform sitting opposite government and leading PMQs and so on.
 
The largest party in opposition make up the official shadow cabinet and get the 6 questions to put to the PM< plus a few other benefits around how many motions they can table and that sort of thing.

If the tories have less seats than, say, reform, it would be reform sitting opposite government and leading PMQs and so on.

Indeed it would be a major platforming for them, not that it'll happen this parliament.

The shadow ministers usually carry out an important function to be fair. MPs like Yvette Cooper have done a lot from the sidelines. It's going to be a farce with the likes of Kemi treating committees as PR tools.

Hopefully the Libs can pip them to main opposition but doubt it.
 
Changing Rooms: join Carol Smilie and the team as they paint over all those pesky colourful murals in the childrens wing of the asylum centres around the country.
:lol:A nice shade of battleship grey.
 
What is stopping the UK setting up safe routes, far far cheaper and far far easier.

It simply not politically realistic... at this time anyway.

The GE is about to happen, Reform are on the rise and might indeed become the official opposition. A balanced and sensible and grown up discussion is needed on immigration as a whole, not just asylum seekers.

However it's simply not going to happen until the small boats issue is solved and seen to be solved. For a majority of people in this country it's about the fact that criminals can just force people onto the mainland of the UK, at a price. It's not even smuggling (which is in essence a secret enterprise and been going on for ages) because its now done openly and dangerously and which, whether we like it or not, the majority of people in this country want this illegal route closed properly and for many forcibly, if necessary.

The opening of legal routes is the place to start, but these will be limited to people arriving from specific areas/countries and not a free-for all, the great British tradition of 'queuing' will need to be put into action on a grand scale.

At this point the proper and grown up discussion can be held, because with an ageing population and an ever lower birth rate the UK does need immigrants, including their families, to set up home here and contribute to society. Not in 'ghetto-type' settings, where they can be used as slave-labour and open to being further exploited by criminals; not just in run down parts in City centers, or old dilapidated areas of provincial towns that are already suffering from almost economic shut down, but also in the leafy suburbs, the countryside, the coastal towns etc.

The fact that Sunak believed his Rwanda scheme, might deter people, or Starmer threatening to set the SAS on the criminal gangs, means both leaders know that they have to not only talk tough, but get results, otherwise the British public will look elsewhere for solutions.... and don't you know that's just what Farage is bidding to be asked to provide (among other things, like No TV licence, No tax < £20K income . etc.), and he's prepared to wait.
 
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