HeadNun

SHOCK HORROR! Writer tries to earn a modest living by... writing. And has the temerity to (ambush / guerilla market) try to enlist local readers and subscribers. I'm enjoying it. Good luck to you, Eats Dulwich.

It's real. I nearly crashed my car while rubbernecking at it yesterday.

Samuel Kasumu said Jenrick has the potential to be the most divisive figure in our political history (which is a slight over-reaction, when you look at the competition). "The ex Tory SPAD on the panel was disgusted by Jenrick going down the demonising Pakistani men" is your own summation of what Jenrick said. You also wrote, "I could stereotype and generalise about many cultures, races, nationalities and religions but I try not to. I'd rather hear in more detail from a Pakistani community leader and the like rather than a white privileged politician". Saying Jenrick's "going down the GB news route" IS stereotyping. Immorality is immorality, so why is the opinion of a "Pakistani community leader" worth more than a person of any other skin colour or class? As Wes Streeting said, this should be about the victims. Suggesting their rapists are being demonised for being Pakistani is the language of an apologist, who is afraid to confront the ugly truth of some cultural values towards women. Let's not be afraid to call this out. And, for what it's worth, I think Jenrick is a snake.

Sorry Malumbu, but to say that Pakistani men are being 'demonised' is disgraceful. The men in the rape gangs were predominantly from Pakistan - that is a fact. To suggest pointing this out is victimisation totally undermines the horror that the predominantly white young girls suffered at their hands. The men exploited this, using their nationality as a shield, and told their victims they wouldn't be believed. And they were right - some of he brave people who did call it out lost their jobs. To deny there is a strong cultural element to this, so as to protect your fear of being seen as anything other than liberal and progressive, is disingenuous at the very least. And to suggest that calling it out is far right is insane, I'm sure plenty women and girls of Pakistani heritage would agree. That Jenrick and Badenoch have picked this up and used it as a political football is a really disappointing start to the year, though at least today's debate in PMQs was respectful in its tone. But for the victims to have this glibly brought up and used to bait the other side just goes to show how little some of the protagonists really care about them.

This is terribly sad. Akif was a genuinely lovely man. I'm so shocked.

What would you have done differently, Rockets? I cannot, for the life of me, think of a financial strategy that would have satisfied 'working people' and businesses and driven growth and reduced the deficit. But I'm no economist. On another note, since we're bashing Labour, one thing that really got my goat was Labour's reaction to Kemi Badenoch being elected leader of the opposition. When our own dear Ellie Reeves was asked for her reaction to KB's election, the first thing she said was "I'm proud that she's the first black woman to lead a political party, but..." Congratulating someone for being black (she's Nigerian FFS, not 'black') and female is such an insult. You'd be forgiven for thinking that that's all Labour sees... and it completely detracts from her achievements as a politician. It's almost as if they were implying that she'd done well in spite of her race and sex. If that's not racist... I think Kemi is an absolute nut job. People in her own party have said she'd start a brawl in an empty room and would cross the street to bite your ankle. But that kind of makes me like her. And if anyone can hold Labour's feet to the fire, she can. (Ex labour party member here, who voted Keir for leader of the party, BTW, in case anyone wants to start a pile-on and call me a Tory lover).

There is no doubt that Labour's doom mongering when it came into office spooked the markets. Plenty of analysts and businesses said so pre-budget. And why the budget was leaked so much before its announcement, I do not know. Honestly, whoever is in charge of comms really needs to get the boot. I am so sick of hearing them bang on about 14 years of Tory decay - Labour repeatedly pressed the Tories for longer, more astringent lockdowns. It's largely thanks to the furlough scheme that we're in so much debt. I was such a staunch lockdown supporter at the time and now, looking back, it seems draconian. We're still paying the price in so many ways.

Labour was damned, no matter what it did, when it came to the budget. It loves go on about the black hole, but if Labour had had its way, we'd have been in lockdown for longer and the black hole would be even bigger. Am I only the one who thinks it's time the NHS became revenue-generating? Not private, but charging small fees for GP appts, x-rays etc? People who don't turn up for GP and out-patient appointments should definitely be charged a cancellation fee. When I lived in Norway I got incredible medical treatment, including follow up appointments, drugs, x-rays, all for £200. I was more than happy to pay it and could afford to. For fairness, make it somehow means-tested. I am sure there's a model in there somewhere that would be fair to everyone. It's time we stopped fetishising something that no longer works for patient or doctor. As for major growth, it's a thing of the past, no matter where in the world you live, unless it's China. Or unless you want a Truss-style, totally de-regulated economy and love capitalism with a large C.

I'm certainly not surly - it's Friday, so I'm in a delightful mood. As Earl Aelfheah said, the money has to come from somewhere. But Labour new that hiking fuel as well as employee NIC in would be a step too far - for businesses and consumers. It was the right decision for this moment in time. Suggesting that someone who's against fuel duty increase on this occasion is against and fuel duty full stop is quite a leap. Why do you demonise everyone who doesn't think that owning a car is a cardinal sin? I'm not sure using Clarkson as an example of your average farmer holds much weight as an argument, but you know that already, Mal.

Labour was right not to increase fuel duty - it's not just motorists it affects, but goods transport. Fuel goes up, inflation goes up. Inflation will go up now anyway, and growth will stagnate, because businesses will pass the employee NIC hikes onto customers. I think farms should be exempt from the 20% IHT. I don't know any rich famers, only ones who work their fingers to the bone. But it's in their blood and taking that, often multi-generation, legacy out of the family is heart-breaking. Many work to such low yields, and yet they'll often still bring a lamb to the vet, even if the fees are more than the lamb's life (or death) is worth. Food security should be made a top priority in this country. And, even tho the tax is only for farms over £1m, that's probably not much when you add it all up. I think every incentive should be given to young people who want to take up the mantle.

I know exactly who you're talking about. He recently remarked glibly, as he walked past me, that he 'would set his dogs on' something or other. Can't remember the context, but it confirmed the impression I already had that he weaponises his pets and likes that they intimidate people. I won't go outside with my dog if he's passing.

I've spent a fair bit of time living in the Nordics and they simply cannot understand why we use carpet in this country - they think it's unhygienic. I agree, I hate the bloody things (and yes, I have carpets). Better to mop three times a day than live with ground in dog / child vomit that, and various other nasty stains that, no matter how many times you scrub them with potions, you know will their remnants will always remain. Having said that, the houses are so well built there, they don't need to worry about drafts. I was living in a two hundred year old apartment block, no central heating - just one storage heater and underfloor in the bathroom, and a wee fire in the sitting room and I was toasty all winter long. Happy days.

No Sue - Sorry, I shouldn't have quoted your whole post. I was just referencing your point that there had been one or two arrests of people who weren't white, right-wingers. And then expanding it out to say that one of them was a Labour councillor. If you watch the video, what he said was appalling and no less toxic that any facist rant https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz074vyvjzvo My point was that it happens on the right, on the left and from people of all colour. None of is more right than the other. Genuinely, no offence to you was intended.

Ha! All I am saying is racism is racism, no matter what guise it comes in.