Current Affairs - 2026

[poole boy]

if you include the lies he tells just about true david

[Ray B]

Must have been watching a cinema film where America always win the war/battles on thier own, and now he believes the film makers.

[david63]

I am getting a bit worried about myself as I have to agree with the response to Trump from Prince Harry

"In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first—and only—time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.

"I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.

"Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.

"Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace."

[oldbluefox]

Described by Tom Tugendhat as the coward on Capitol Hill I wasn’t aware that Trump avoided being drafted to avoid going to Vietnam by paying his doctor to give him medical exemption. Donald has no entitlement to comment on the brave men and women who did serve their countries in whatever nation only to praise them.

[Ray B]

A very carefully crafted response to trumps foot in the mouth speech on our troops not fighting on the front line in Afghanistan.
No way he could say sorry, as people like him worm their way out of the crap he fell into don't do such things.

[david63]

A very carefully crafted response to trumps foot in the mouth speech on our troops not fighting on the front line in Afghanistan.
No way he could say sorry, as people like him worm their way out of the crap he fell into don't do such things.

I thought that it would have been better for him to keep his mouth shut than say what he did.

Far better to say nothing than prove you are an idiot.

[Clophill4]

What about the idiots that voted him in, and more so still support him.

[poole boy]

must be honest I would rather have trump as our prime minister than the liar sir Keir who has now changed his mind 14 times since being elected and changed all his promises to the electorate before the election

[david63]

must be honest I would rather have trump as our prime minister than the liar sir Keir who has now changed his mind 14 times since being elected and changed all his promises to the electorate before the election

And Trump doesn't tell lies and do u-turns?

At least Starmer does not condone government officials murdering on the streets!

[Onelife]

must be honest I would rather have trump as our prime minister than the liar sir Keir who has now changed his mind 14 times since being elected and changed all his promises to the electorate before the election

In political terms it's called adjusting one’s parameters… Keir Starmer has more going for him than some of the recent Conservative PM failures, and definitely has more going for him than the tangerine toddler from Disneyland.

[oldbluefox]

Just goes to show what a mess we’re in if he’s the best we can come up with.

[Mervyn and Trish]

must be honest I would rather have trump as our prime minister than the liar sir Keir who has now changed his mind 14 times since being elected and changed all his promises to the electorate before the election

In political terms it's called adjusting one’s parameters… Keir Starmer has more going for him than some of the recent Conservative PM failures, and definitely has more going for him than the tangerine toddler from Disneyland.

I'd love to know what that "more" is. The Tories were hampered by a small majority and recent history in their dying days. Starmer has a massive majority and a clean slate and has so far achieved the square root of bugger all!

[Onelife]

Shouldn't you be more concerned about your party's defectors…they seem to be jumping ship quicker than the BBC can make up stories.

[oldbluefox]

The more the merrier for me. I have no faith in the two main parties and that Green chap is off his trolley. So by a process of elimination…….

[Onelife]

It is as I’ve been saying for the past 4 years…our political system is broken and has been hijacked by self-interest rather than public good. The quest for power has overridden the expectation of honesty, and the marauding tribes within each party has made good policy unachievable.

I don’t think Reform is the answer but they could be the catalyst that brings this country into wanting a political system that works for the country and not against it.

[oldbluefox]

Reform does not come without risk but the main parties have systematically let us down by paying lip service to the needs of the country without addressing the problems. I would hope a strong vote for Reform will result in a major rethink of policies in the country and a realisation that saying one thing and doing something else will no longer suffice. One can but hope.

[CaroleF]

One of the political commentators said this morning that if many more Conservative MPs join Reform and Reform win the next General Election the new Front Bench will be mostly ex Conservative MPs so we'll have a Tory front bench in all but name.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Odd that recently two politicians "of colour " have joined a party with dubious racist credentials

[Ray B]

I'm all for banning politicians from abandoning a party to join a different party while in office. I think they should go to the electorate and be voted for in a proper election.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm all for banning politicians from abandoning a party to join a different party while in office. I think they should go to the electorate and be voted for in a proper election.

I agree.

[david63]

I'm all for banning politicians from abandoning a party to join a different party while in office. I think they should go to the electorate and be voted for in a proper election.

I agree, and have said so before.

The problem is that this is steeped in history. If you recall at one time there was no political party shown against a candidate on the ballot paper meaning that you voted for an individual and not a candidate/party. Therefore under the parliamentary rules an MP can sit wherever they want in the chamber.

Currently the only way that an MP can go back to the electorate is if the do the honourable thing and resign and seek re-election - and I cannot see the rules changing anytime soon.

[Onelife]

I'm all for banning politicians from abandoning a party to join a different party while in office. I think they should go to the electorate and be voted for in a proper election.

I agree, and have said so before.

The problem is that this is steeped in history. If you recall at one time there was no political party shown against a candidate on the ballot paper meaning that you voted for an individual and not a candidate/party. Therefore under the parliamentary rules an MP can sit wherever they want in the chamber.

Currently the only way that an MP can go back to the electorate is if the do the honourable thing and resign and seek re-election - and I cannot see the rules changing anytime soon.

Not while they’re on 93k + perks you can't

[CaroleF]

Until recently with the constituency border changes Suella was the MP for my borough. Some local people who are still within her boundaries are not pleased at being disenfranchised as they see it. They voted for a Conservative MP and now have a Reform MP. I'm told the trouble is that people vote for a person not a party. Maybe the rules need changing but as David says that's unlikely.

[david63]

What will be interesting is whether the MPs who have defected to Reform will retain their seats at the next GE - I have a feeling that not all, if any, of them will

[oldbluefox]

Daft question…..having put up business rates in the hospitality sector by an astronomical amount leading to many of them shutting their doors she is now giving some of them a 15% discount but not all of them.
Does she know what she is doing or is she determined to wreck the economy as we know it?