Am working on a project which covers the many hours of interviews I’ve recorded over the last few years, so posting here will be light for a bit. Might post parts of the recording transcripts where relevant.
Feel free to keep leaving comments. Also am still available via the contact form on the About page of this site if you want to get in touch etc.
Back soon.
Labour MPs should have the final say in who is party leader. They should have a veto on the final choice. That would end this once and for all.
I don’t see that anyone can give one good reason why Corbyn should even be party leader. Can you think of one ?
Democracy is democracy, Brad.
Brad, perhaps because his heart’s in the right place and he is a Socialist, after all the Labour Party is supposed to be Socialist.
Exactly, like the UN where there is a final veto.
I disagree, Jerry.
Looks like the Progress trolls have nothing better to do this Bank Holiday weekend.
Well Trev, you are answering them. So what have you got to do ?
I did gardening ALL day yesterday, I’m going to church and to have a cuppa with friends today, and tomorrow I volunteer at a coffee morning for old people. In between all that, I am sad enough to talk to you, but I notice there are not many Corbyn supporters sad enough to make endless comments on this forum.
Good for you Alison volunteering. So many people think only of themselves. You set an example.
I’m sure it is much appreciated.
speaking as a “old person” I would prefer the term “numerically challenged”
Thank you, Richard.
Three friends don’t know why Corbyn’s vegetarianism would put anyone off. Two are vegetarians themselves, though. One votes Tory, one LibDem and one Green.
so you admit they are trolls Andy.
p.s. I don’t have much to do this weekend other than take a break from jobsearching, as I have no money, no transport & nowhere to go. I’m sitting in my garden enjoying the Sun, which is still free.
You and your Momentum friends can criticise us all you like. We won’t be silenced. Tony showed us the way. Now it is up to us to get the Labour Party back on the path of Progress. #StayInLabour
Darren, Trev is not a member of Momentum, and he is entitled to have his say, without being accused of trying to silence people.
Have you tried to disagree with them in a local party meeting ? All you get is the usual stuff about neo-liberals / Tony /Iraq etc.
Oh those inconsequential little things like the Iraq War and the neoliberal infiltration of the Labour Party, yeah like why would anyone even mention any of that?
People are entitled to their different views, Paul.
well if Tony showed you the way then you are on the path of Rightwing neoliberalism, which is not Socialism, and seeing as the Labour Party is Socialist it is obviously not the place for you so why not go form your own Party?
Because we were here first, before Momentum and we won’t be driven out by fellow-travellers.
No you weren’t here first, the Labour Party has had Socialist principles for decades before Blair staged his Silent Coup. That’s why the Red Flag is sung at conference ffs.
So, Darren, when we have an election, does the old lot refuse to stand aside for the new lot?
Why don’t you go back to the Green Party Trevor ?
Along with the rest of the self-serving communists who deserted the party when Tony was in charge.
If the post-Blairite neoliberals ever succeed in taking control of the Labour Party then I will probably return to voting Green, or possibly SWP or Class War Party if they field any candidates in my area, but for the time being I think it is important to support Corbyn as he will deliver the sort of Socialist government we need to undo the appalling damage that the Tories have unleashed upon us, and to get the bastards out to begin with.
Darren, it seems to me that Trev is happy with Labour Party, whereas YOU are not. YOU are calling Labour members communists. So why don’t YOU get lost instead?
Sad lives.
Engaging political debate, surely Alison ?
Too repetitive, though, Alex. The same old whingeing about the Labour leader over and over and over again.
The same old baseless allegations about “red circles” as well.
Again we see the secret work of The Red Circle.
Nice Trolling Andrew, doesn’t make any sense but if it makes you feel better you keep it up mate, though you might want to think about getting a hobby, or something else, like a girlfriend or maybe a life…
…or boyfriend, as the case may be.
So you are anti-gay as well ‘Trev’ ?
And an anti-semite as well no doubt.
How the fuck can I be anti-gay (the word is Homophobic btw) when I included that possibility as an equally viable option. No I mostly certainly am not anti-Semetic, and you have absolutely no right to make such an allegation. So fuck you.
Trev, I have to chuckle at your typo. I’m sure you’re neither anti-SemItic, nor anti-semEtic. I’m sure you’re very semetic, or full of semen.
I am gay, but only in the happy way.
Surely anyone can be anti whatever they want as long as they do not try to impose their will on anyone else?
I’m not anti-gay though!.When I lived in Bradford I had as many gay friends & aquaintences as straight ones and often went to gay bars & clubs as did everyone else, it was a very mixed alternative scene. And certainly not antisemitic either, i have attended anti-Nazi League events, & Rock Against Racism gigs, even stewarded on a Unity festival
Not suggesting you was, you corrected I believe it to stop the oh your stereotyping men are you anti gay brigade, just saying that being anti anything should not be a crime in itself.
When Alison was talking about we had “become overcrowded” it took me back to when and why rock against racism was formed.
Fell in with a bunch of rastas during that time, as well as punk loved dub music king tubby, scientist, mad professor, eek a mouse,lynton kwesi jhonson to name a few, especially after a few bongs, takes me right back could go on and on.
Nostalgia is a blessing and a curse.
Eek-a-mouse, yes brilliant! I went to many dub nights etc. Dreadzone, Zion Train…ah, nostalgia’s not what it used to be.
Don’t let the trolls get to you, Trev. Most of what they say comes out of their brown circle anyway.
Andrew, there’s no excuse for calling people anti-Semitic just because they support Jeremy Corbyn.
Trev’s comment didn’t sound anti-gay to me.
I think this conspiracy theory may have come from the Brown Circle ?
Spot on, Paul!
Yep, I should’ve said something other than “old”…
A man who voted for the Conservative Party at yesterday’s local elections, as he has done in every election he’s voted in, is confused at why Britain seems to be becoming a worse place to live in.
Michael O’Sullivan, 48, voted for all three of the Conservative candidates in his area and was pleased to see each of them retain their seats.
‘Now is not the time for any sort of progress whatsoever,’ beamed Michael.
But Michael has also noted that Britain seems to have become a much worse place to live in over the last five-to-ten years.
‘Britain’s going to the dogs. My children are struggling to find decent jobs, it takes me two weeks to see my GP, I have no idea when I’ll be able to retire, Brexit has become a shambles, and everyone seems utterly miserable,’ Michael told us. However, Michael sees no correlation between who he votes for and the state of the nation.
‘It must be those immigrants causing all this. Who else could it be?‘ asked the Conservative voter.
Seriously Jasper? God help us. What a moron.
It’s hot today,
Too hot to wear my lovely Russian Hat,
Ushanka I shall miss you when the summer heat
is rising,
I shall miss our talks, our secret walks,
The snow and winter rain,
But I know when Summer is done
I can put you on again.
*Rolls eyes*
I was wondering where our mad hatters were…
Norman that’s really sweet.
That’s inspiring Norman. A man and his hat journeying through life, supporting each other. Finding solace in each other’s company.
Having one leg shorter than the other I naturally lean to the left.
But I try to remained balanced in my opinion.
As far as the near future is concerned if labour carry on this in fighting
they will split, then you end up with a one party rule/dictatorship for along time to come.
The conservatives although split on brexit do seem more aligned ideologically speaking than labour appear to be.
Personality politics is not the way forward, judging people by the cover not the content, we see how this is affecting the younger generation on Facebook, if you do not take a great selfie or captured at the wrong time, you are not worthy, it has to stop, it is killing people, it is bullying.
Not sure what the actual percentages would be if labour did split but no single party could ever then remove the conservatives without a coalition of at least 3 of the minor parties.
That’s the thing, Paul. A party needs mass public support, i.e. lots of votes from the public, in order to win power. Not votes from MPs, as some on this forum suggest. Jeremy Corbyn is the one commanding mass public support at the moment.
Alison, Corbyn has no real support outside the Labour Party. As the local elections have shown.
He wants to be Prime Minister, but the public are not keen. The Curse Of Kinnock, all over again.
Andrew, I know of several Green voters who support Corbyn, as well as people who don’t always vote Labour.
P.S. Labour made gains not losses in the local elections.
A new truly socialist party. Rising triumphant from the ashes of Labour. Centre-Left. Embracing all that is good about capitalism and the energy of the free market.
I give you……The Progress Party,
Forward to the future !
But what about redistributing the wealth equally among the people, and the Workers owning the means of Production? All important conditions of true Socialism.
John, what you describe does not count as “socialist”.
How wonderful, a man and his Ushanka. All they need is each other.
So sweet. Kisses to you both.
Love the hat poem Norman. Really sweet. Best wishes to you both.
Politics is personality, and presentation. In a media age, even more so .
The geek, the oddball, the weirdo are at significant disadvantage.
Well that’s alright then because from my perspective Jeremy Corbyn seems perfectly normal to me.
Nah, Trev, he’s a geek, an oddball and a weirdo, just like the rest of us!
This is why I propose we replace politicians with algorithms.
I can see no better place for AI.
The MayBot.
Ooh no, Politics is cold & clinical (ruthless) as it is, we need more compassion in Politics, human qualities like virtue , empathy. Intuition in equal measure with Intellect.I don’t think A I could do that.
Unlike humans who are not be subject to prejudices,lies, misinformation, collusion,greed ,self serving,immorality.
Algorithms can only operate within a set of parameters,how we choose to set those parameters is the key.
Open source code allows us to see into the soul, unlike most humans who hide behind obfuscation.
Some people seem to think like a bot, though, Paul. They think they’ll keep their job forever just by doing what management says and they think no one will do anything risky because there are bills to pay. What’s great about some of us humans is that will we do the unexpected.
Quite right, Trev. The problem with current welfare and immigration systems is the “computer says no” approach, with zero discretion and inadequate review by a human being.
Having been through the PIP criteria at the Citizens Advice Bureau, I can safely say that tick-boxes and computers can never replace qualified doctors.
Someone on TV pointed out that the Home Office must have had a hard time NOT noticing the cockney accents of some of the Windrush Generation, but of course that requires a human ear, not a computer.
Cor blimey Guv’nor, stone the crows. BTW, Cockney culture can be traced back to the Huguenots, an earlier group of immigrants (well, Asylum Seekers).
Harry Potter disproves your theory, Roger.
I think it’s wrong that someone as homophobic as ‘Trev’ is allowed to post on this blog. And as for his language…well.
To quote ‘Rude Kid’, “piss up a rope twatstick”.
This is the level of debate with these people. Quite dreadful.
I might not like what you say but I support your right to say it.
If your eyes or ears offend, rip them out !
“Cynthia”, if Trev is homophobic, you’re a partridge with a phone.
Alison my dear, his language is atrocious. There is no need for it at all. A rough, uncouth man.
Quite right. He’s not the kind of man we would want speaking to our local Ladies Group.
So typical of today, when standards have been lost.
in the immortal words of Frank Zappa, “Ram it up ya poop shute” (there’s one you don’t hear on Desert Island Discs)
‘ More than a million older people in England may be forced to pay National Insurance, despite having reached retirement age, according to proposals that could be accepted by the UK Government within the next month.
Plans to force pensioner workers are due to be disclosed next month in a report by the Intergenerational Commission, which could see pensioner workers in England having to pay a National Insurance tax for the first time in British history.’
And the next step after that, is making state pensioners work a certain number of hours per week.
The numbers of over 65s steadily increasing and the decline of the under 50s suggest this move highlights the need to have more children.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/july2017
Age distribution of the UK population, 1976 to 2046
We need a vast swathe of the population to start producing ASAP, the young should dictate our future not the over 65s
I question predictions that people will live ever longer. So-called experts are always wrong.
They’re bound to have underestimated immigration, as well as how many children the immigrants have when they get here.
If these experts turn out to be correct, it’s easy to solve: just let in more Africans.
For someone who puts more trust in blind faith, then your answer makes sense.
But they are not predicitons or theories they are statistics that clealy show the pouplation is running out of young people right now.
Paul, the EUROPEAN population is running out of young people, but Asia and Africa more than make up for it. Europe always has and always will have net inward migration, so the whole thing balances itself out in the end.
Yep, that is blind faith. Thing is, blind faith is right more often than all these so-called statistics. I learned that when house prices fell in 2008-10, after I was taught at school that house prices would keep on rising non-stop until at least 2027. Many of my generation believed these “facts” and invested in property, only to fall into negative equity a few years later.
Every three months, we were told the recession was about to end, but it carried on. When the so-called experts finally did predict the recession would keep going, it ended and the economy picked up.
Let’s look at the opinion polls. They’re supposed to be based on statistics, yet they’ve been wildly wrong for years now.
Yes, Paul, these are the sorts of things that have formed my faith in God/Jesus/blind faith. Millions of times, it’s been right and all these so-called facts and so-called experts have got it wrong.
Of course, there are many vested interests. Estate agents always told me I couldn’t afford to live in my own community, but they’ve been wrong three times now. Are they honestly mistaken or are they cunningly economical with the truth? It’s hard to say.
I think your mixing up predictions with empirical evidence.
Of course predictions can be wrong I would not argue with that.
Those statistics are based on observations and evidence rather than if the planets are aligned in a certain way, we have come a long way since humans could not make sense of the world around them.
Planets aligning? That’s not in the Bible, Paul.
Blind faith is blind faith whatever label it comes under.
The bible is the favoured tool in the devils arsenal, lord of the flies (lies) and you have fell hook line sinker into that lie.
If you don’t believe in God, you can’t believe in the Devil, Paul.
What happens when you get sanctioned and all the facts say you will die, but God reaches down and helps you out a bit? Good luck staying an atheist till the end of your sanction!
I am agnostic rather than an atheist and I was using your Christian concepts to make a point.
Religion is something that people to need to keep themselves rather than trying to impose it on others.
It is not your politicians that swear a oath to god or the queen head of the church that these sanctions came about in the first place, your gods will is it not ?
So it would be rather insulting for it to then hold its out hand to help.
Religion is fine as long as it is not imposed on others.
Christianity is one big fuck up, full of hate and intolerance I am glad its days and influence is waning.
“Christianity is one big fuck up, full of hate and intolerance I am glad its days and influence is waning.”
Amen to that.
Oh really? Christianity is evil? Who runs the food banks? Who runs the night shelters? You wouldn’t be talking to anybody in the food bank if it weren’t for Christianity and the people you speak to would be dead.
No gratitude. No manners.
Other people do it because it is right, not fear of damnation or to garner favour with some mystical being.
They probably looking for the vulnerable they can exploit with their lies!!!!
Christians do things because we think they’re the right thing to do. It’s not fair to say we don’t.
I could say you support free movement only because you want to get your weed, but that wouldn’t be fair on you either.
You have have said it already so no point stopping now.
It’s all very well being critical of Religion but if you used the same terminology specifically about religions other than Christianity (e.g. Islam or Judaism) you might be in deep shit – “Islam is full of hate”, “Jews are intolerant”, doesn’t sound so good.
The faith of most religious Jews is called Judaism, not all Jews are religious.
Judaism is intolerant does not imply all Jews are intolerant.
Yes, point taken, I was just using that as an example. Would it be possible for someone to be, or to describe themselves as, a secular Muslim? Probably not. One could be a non-practising Muslim, or a non-practising Christian…or could they? It’s very confusing.
Religion as far as I am concerned is the same as politics, they both want to impose their will on me.
They’re 5 miles high as the crow flies
Leavin’ vapour trails against a blood red sky
Movin’ in from the East toward the West
With Balaclava helmets over their heads, yes!
But if you think that Jesus Christ is coming
Honey you’ve got another thing coming
If he ever finds out who’s hi-jacked his name
He’ll cut out his heart and turn in his grave
Islam is rising
The Christians mobilising
The world is on its elbows and knees
It’s forgotten the message and worships the creeds
It’s war, she cried, It’s war, she cried, this is war
Drop your possessions, all you simple folk
You will fight them on the beaches in your underclothes
You will thank the good lord for raising the union jack
You’ll watch the ships out of harbour
And the bodies come floating back
If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today
He’d be gunned down cold by the C.I.A.
Oh, the lights that now burn brightest behind stained glass
Will cast the darkest shadows upon the human heart
But God didn’t build himself that throne
God doesn’t live in Israel or Rome
God belong to the yankee dollar
God doesn’t plant the bombs for Hezbollah
God doesn’t even go to church
And God won’t send us down to Allah to burn
No, God will remind us what we already know
That the human race is about to reap what it’s sown
The world is on its elbows and knees
It’s forgotten the message and worships the creeds
Armageddon days are here again
Paul, you keep saying Christianity is imposing itself on you, yet you are the one who keeps returning to the subject and posting anti-Christian messages. Why not leave people alone about their faith for a change?
Sorry, its just when you used your god to threaten me with starvation I felt the need to respond.
I think a “secular Christian” would be a contradiction in terms, but I suppose one could be from a Christian family or community.
Oh, good luck going down THAT road, Paul!
Thank you, Trev. That’s very true.
Well in the interests of balance, I’m thinking that if Islamophobia is a thing then surely there must be such a thing as Christophobia, but whether that applies to criticism of the Religion itself or to followers/practitioners of that Religion I’m not entirely sure.
Planets aligning are not part of the Christian beliefs, so perhaps you’d better find out more about our religion before judging it.
I never imposed my religion on you or anybody else. There’s a lot of anti-Christian venom floating about in these comments, though. It’s hardly as though our country has improved since Christianity went into decline.
Now we have the rise of Islam. So everybody thinks the same as you and turns to science, eh, Paul?
Science is the new God Alison.
Stop trying to drag us back to the dark ages with your mumbo jumbo.
God is the new science, Paul.
By the way, swearing on the Bible doesn’t mean a politician has started carrying out the will of God.
Not just a European problem at all.
In October 2015, the Chinese news agency Xinhua announced plans of the government to abolish the one-child policy, now allowing all families to have two children, citing from a communiqué issued by the Communist Party “to improve the balanced development of population”
Paul, that really is a misrepresentation of the situation in China. The Chinese population has been in decline only because of a government policy. The Chinese government still bans people from having more than two children. So they are still trying to keep the population from rising. They don’t have a crisis of low birth rate.
Alison it is not misrepresenting anything the 2 child policy is still not solving the problem, they have found to their costs that the state interfering with natural population growth bring with it more problems than it solves.
I think it’s debatable whetherpeople are living longer, stats can be skewed. It depends where you live & many other factors, inc. Poverty. It’s said that people in the South are living to average 85 I think i heard, but in Bradford average male life expectancy is only 58. In the last couple of yrs 5 people I’ve known have died, one aged 66 the rest in early 5o’s. A doctor told me to expect to live to 68 to 74. So not all that long left.
The ideas surrounding transhumanism are set to become reality you might be lucky and have few more years than you think.
We’ll all have to become transhuman to live through our never-ending sanctions and benefit-stops, Paul. What a lesson for Kate and Padi…
When they want to raise the retirement age, they tell us we’ll live to 100. When they want us to lose weight, they tell us we’ll die before our parents.
Why would anyone in receipt of a Pension want to continue working?
Reasons pensioners I KNOW keep working:
1) Bored
2) Worried about paying for care
3) Pension doesn’t cover mortgage/service charge/other bills
4) Love job
Fair enough.I can’t wait to Retire.
Don’t you ever think positive Trev ?
Yes, it’s the thought of reaching Pension age that keeps me going.
Tories think that thinking positive will pay bills.
Maybe the Jobcentre will condescend to grant you early retirement from your 35-hour weekly job search.
By the time I reach Pension age and am finally able to sign off the Jobcentre ought to present me with a gold clock for long service!
Ha-ha! How about your cv, framed with gold?
It’s not so long ago that the Tories seriously suggested OAP’s could be used for light agricultural work. Like picking fruit.
Shows how out of touch they are. Fruit picking is not light work, it’s arduous & back-breaking.
There’s someone at pensioners’ coffee morning who fancies setting up a pensioners’ allotment. An elderly neighbour harvests vegetables from her allotment. Someone I do volunteer gardening with is 86.
Yes there are some fit & active older people but pottering about in the garden, or going out for a stroll & picking a few blackberries, is different to doing commercial fruit picking, on your knees or bent double all day in a field of strawberries or working in an orchard, bending , reaching, lifting, carrying. Sounds like hard work to me.
There was an elderly couple on TV who refused to retire and carried on running their farm. Some people of whatever term you prefer to old would like to keep on working. Take it up with them, not me.
PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka has said about Universal Credit: “Universal Credit remains a disaster because it is driven by the Tories’ political choice to cut public spending and to denigrate people who rely on social security support. The misery being inflicted by the government’s mishandling of this disastrous programme must be stopped and the full roll-out should be suspended immediately.’ The question is when is Jeremy Corbyn going to something about Universal Credit ? Before it’s too late.
Well there’s not a whole lot he can do about it as he’s not PM yet. It’s the Government who need to do something about it.
He’s so-called Leader of The Opposition. At least he should be saying something about it. Or is that too much to ask ?
Jerry, it’s a bit like blaming cows for global warming. I mean who shall we blame next? Larry the Cat? CLEARLY, blame rests with the GOVERNMENT. If you try to blame Labour, you must be a Tory.
JEREMY CORBYN IS NOT IN POWER. So what the hell can he do about Universal Credit?
WHAT WILL MRS MAY DO ABOUT IT?
The PCS should have gone on strike years ago.
Once again we see the evil influence of The Red Circle.
Thomas, go on to Google and type in the words “psychology of trolling”, then read the results.
According to psychotherapist Dr Aaron Balick, author of The Psychodynamics of Social Networking, there is a valid argument that calling people trolls when they are expressing unpopular opinions is a way to shut down dialogue around a given topic.
“Trolling is about an intentional motivation to hurt or upset people, or to cause trouble. To paint those with minority opinions as trolls in order to maintain the status quo does indeed shut down the potential for dialogue,” he said.
That’s fine, but repeatedly posting random oneline comments about the existence of some mythical unsubstantiated “Red Circle”, or about Russian hats, does not really constitute debate does it?
Working pensioners should pay national insurance to pump £2.3billion into the NHS, experts advise today.
‘Silver Strivers’ hold the key to funding the service, says the Intergenerational Commission.
And if there are Silver Strivers, then there must Silver Skivers ?
I am a Silver skiver, so yes there must be.
You’re a puff of weed-smoke with a big silver lining, Paul.
N.B. I’m not keen on this “skiver” rhetoric. Old is old. Sick is sick. Give people a break.
How do you define old ? at what point in the scale ?
What is the moment in time when you start calling someone old ?
I was born old, I have memories of a past life in Ancient Egypt in 1350 BC !
So you don’t like the term old? It’s an adjective, like the colour blue. It’s relatively oldER than young – there is no fixed definition.
I’m supposed to put up with being called young, but how dare I use the word “old”, even in abstract terms.
Political correctness gone mad.
It might be more politically correct to say “political correctness suffering from mental illness”, or “political correctness classed as clinically insane”. “Gone mad” could be construed as discriminatory. Just saying.
A good point well made, Alison is clearly intent on outraging every section of our community with this flagrant abuse of language
Ha-ha. I don’t seem to need to try very hard.
Ha-ha!
You can’t say anything these days without someone taking offence. Might as well just speak your mind.
Political Correctness can be a bit of a minefield, even when no offence is intended. We’re all guilty of getting it wrong sometimes. I’m sure there’s been times in the past when I’ve described IDS as “barking mad”, but we shouldn’t really use such terms. In Victorian times they actually described people (often Workhouse inmates) as “imbeciles” on official Census records.
It was a philosophical question.