BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5

Subject: RE: BS: UK Council tax debt
From: r.padgett
Date: 21 Jul 26 - 09:40 PM

Local Authorities collect rent and rates from those affected and the abolition of physical Council Offices means that payments are expected by Direct Debit ~

So not everyone has a Bank account and some cannot pay

I think when someone misses one monthly payment this triggers a full YEARS payment of LA rates ~ and Bailiffs with High Court powers to collect

Debts have increased massively I believe

Frankly the abolition of Council rates office was an error in my view where debtors did their best even when hard up

Summat up here

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Jul 26 - 12:33 AM

should we be dewveloping hydrogen fuelled aeroplanes and refurbishing disused run ways to alleviate and help delivery of goods

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Jul 26 - 03:29 AM

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=972226352536872&set=a.131184086641107 article on anti semitism in labour party and starmers nonsense

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 25 Jul 26 - 01:52 PM

Burnham now has a Number 10 in Manchester, as well as London

Well we in the North of England look forwards to developments

Leeds/ Bradford conurbation is large too and the North East of England includes South Yorkshire towns and up to Newcastle and adjacent towns, Durham, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Shields

These were at least industrial centres in the past too

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Jul 26 - 04:46 PM

Why are they industriaL Centres in the past but not now, multi national capitalism

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 26 Jul 26 - 01:01 AM

It's imv a political thing ~ post 1984 Uk entered a post industrial era and into technology MT did not like Industrial/manufacturing aspect in UK in particular the Unions and their strength ~ demand for Steel and thus coal powered energy started to diminish

Andy Burnham has indicated that he wanted UK to bolster industry and manufacturing capability

UK is in the process of making armaments and this will provide work and need steel and energy and help GDP of course in the near future

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Jul 26 - 07:10 AM

UK is in the process of making armaments and this will provide work and need steel and energy and help GDP of course in the near future quote
is it morally acceptable to be making armaments just to boost an economy, is it morally acceptable to kill people to provide work, can work not be provided without killing people , how about creating work by working on improving infra structre, keynes econmics

i think it is morally unacceptable to make money from producing armaments that kill people
more useful imo would be the production of very high quality steel to be used in delaYING cliff erosion on the east coast of england

Ray, here
How Steel Stabilizes CliffsSoil Nailing: High-strength steel bars (such as hollow self-drilling steel bars) are drilled and grouted deep into a cliff face to bind unstable soil or rock masses together.Rock Bolting and Pinning: Steel bolts and tie-rods are inserted horizontally into rocky cliffs to increase internal cohesion and stop large blocks from slipping or collapsing.Steel Mesh and Netting: Galvanized steel wire mesh is pinned tightly against steep slopes or rock faces to catch loose debris and prevent small landslides from reaching the base.Sheet Piling: Interlocking steel sheets are driven into the shoreline at the base of a slope to create bulkheads that resist wave and flood forces.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 26 Jul 26 - 09:23 AM

Dick no UK has agreed Nato request to up defence spending as World defence necessity ~ I suspect UK does sell armaments but our defence capabilities have diminished over past years and UK seriously unprotected

Scunthorpe steel plant was being done away with under Chinese ownership ~ now Nationalised ~ good move imv ~ we do as you say need Steel making ability

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Jul 26 - 01:10 PM

I do not think uk is likel to be attacked ,dealing with homelessness and poverty is imo more of a priority

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Rain Dog
Date: 26 Jul 26 - 03:36 PM

It would appear that you don't believe that any country should defend itself or its allies from attack by another country. I don't agree with that view. The attack might never happen but you need to be prepared for it.

Look at what is happening now. Do you think that Ukraine should just allow Russia to do what it wants? Do you think that Europe should refuse to give any aid to Ukraine?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Jul 26 - 03:47 PM

Dead right, Raindog. Re-armament is not just desirable, it is essential, a form of ‘insurance’ which, like all insurances, we hope never to need to call on. Our armed forces have been hollowed out over the past fifteen years - building our defences back up makes perfect sense, not only from the point of view of presenting an effective deterrent to anyone who might have unfriendly intentions, but also because it will create employment. And, of course, we need to be able make a meaningful contribution to NATO operations, and to a European mutual defence arrangement.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 27 Jul 26 - 12:58 PM

PM Burnham important point regarding Social Care

We have an aging population and hospitals do tend to get "clogged up" with us oldies

This can course problems with quite poorly people not being attended to as quickly as they ought

Splitting the Care element from the accident and routine operations I think is what the new PM is looking for

The way forwards is what is needed then?

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Jul 26 - 10:18 PM

who is the uk under threat from, please answer the question. why would russia and or china want to attack the uk.
please answer the question
There are 12 military sites in the United Kingdom that are actively used or operated by the United States Armed Forces. are you going to suggest that these bases are a reason for the uk to be attacked, or do you think that their presence will prevent an attack.
please answer the questions

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 28 Jul 26 - 07:34 AM

Difficult to answer Sandman ~ but little t is in the process of withdrawing defence funding and servicemen from a number of theatres of War and EU countries are having to up their defence spending to cover the short fall ~ US funding for Ukraine I believe is or has dried up, I think

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Jul 26 - 12:08 PM

The United States has halted most direct assistance to Ukraine. However, the U.S. continues to provide limited support, such as the $400 million Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act, and occasional targeted packages like a $9 billion aid and sanctions bill passed in mid-2026.

Pentagon says it will not finish spending Ukraine funds ... Reuters
https://www.reuters.com › legal › government › pentag... 18 hours ago — Items in the plan include $200 million for weapons, ammunition and explosives, $99.9 million for vehicles, spares and equipment and $100 ?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Jul 26 - 12:42 PM

Sandman "who is the UK under threat from, please answer the question."

Iran?
Here

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jul 26 - 03:33 PM

ha ha, more bullshit from streeting, who is a zionist

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jul 26 - 03:39 PM

Wes Streeting has a documented history of engagement with pro-Israel organizations within the UK Labour Party, alongside more recent private criticisms of Israeli military actions.Organizational Ties and DelegationsLabour Friends of Israel (LFI): Streeting traveled to Israel on a delegation organized by Labour Friends of Israel in May 2022 to examine Israeli health technology and pharmaceuticals for potential application in the UK's National Health Service (NHS).Student Politics: During his tenure as president of the National Union of Students (NUS) from 2008 to 2010, Streeting took a strong stance against academic boycotts of Israel and worked closely with the Union of Jewish Students, earning praise from the Jewish Chronicle at the time.Lobbying Reports: Investigative reports, such as one by Declassified UK, have detailed financial and political intersections between pro-Israel lobbying groups and Streeting's political campaigns over his career.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Jul 26 - 04:32 PM

If a country whose military defences have been hollowed out to the point of ineffectuality over a period of at least fifteen years waits to be attacked before it begins re-arming, it’s already too late.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jul 26 - 05:22 PM

ineffectuality, can you back up that statement with proof.
imo Iran is not going to attack the uk mainland

Successive governments have defended the reductions by arguing that modern military hardware relies on advanced technology and lethality rather than sheer mass

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Jul 26 - 05:45 PM

It was a rhetorical proposal, no specific country mentioned, no ‘proof’ required.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Jul 26 - 02:12 AM

the uk military defences have been hollowed out to the point of ineffectuality.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 30 Jul 26 - 02:25 AM

Would that the world was at peace but that isn't so

little t continues to defend USA by attacking Iran!!

Russia and Ukraine war already involves other countries

Anything can happen on the escalation front and UK needs to be ready

little t i as War monger and continues to make war unnecessarily

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Jul 26 - 06:27 AM

"Anything can happen on the escalation front and UK needs to be ready."

Right on the button, Ray and my point precisely. The sad fact, evidenced by our inability to despatch a single warship to the Middle East recently, is that we are far from ready thanks to the neglect of the government over the past fifteen years.

Under Burnham, the Labour government is going to have to rectify the situation, at least in part. The biggest problem i foresee is finding the money.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Jul 26 - 07:34 AM

"Anything can happen on the escalation front and UK needs to be ready." rubbish, propaganda.
i bet you iran does not attack the uk with miltary.
much more likely to attempt cyber attacks

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Rain Dog
Date: 30 Jul 26 - 10:06 AM

You seem to believe that the UK should not be able to defend itself against:
An attack on the UK itself.
An attack on British interests abroad.
An attack on British allies.

I don't agree with that view. The UK, along with the rest of Europe, needs to spend more on defense. That is the world we are living in now. I wish it wasn't so.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 30 Jul 26 - 11:57 AM

Iran is unlikely to wage war on countries at a distance

Indeed they have only started to defend themselves after the death of The Ayatolla and the US war mongers who have decided that Iran cannot have nuclear capabilities!

Iran does make localised attacks in the Middle East as reprisal for US continued attacks on them

Iran is the oppressed in this war

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Rain Dog
Date: 30 Jul 26 - 01:32 PM

Ray, that is a very naive view of what Iran has been doing for the last 40 years or so. The Iranian government are not innocents.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 31 Jul 26 - 08:14 PM

Sandman:
"Iran's foreign policy over the last four decades has been defined by a core ideological opposition to the United States and Israel, the pursuit of regional influence through the "Axis of Resistance", and a continuous struggle against international economic sanctions.
Over the last 40 years, United States military policy has shifted from late-Cold War containment to post-Cold War unipolar dominance, a massive pivot toward counterterrorism after 9/11, and finally back to a primary focus on great power competition with China and Russia."

Although that may be the case, And you've refused to say where you're quoting from.
It may not continue to be true.

Reasonable countries need to be prepared!

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 Aug 26 - 12:05 AM

”Although that may be the case, And you've refused to say where you're quoting from.
It may not continue to be true.

Reasonable countries need to be prepared!”

I couldn’t agree more, Nigel. Those claiming otherwise should cast their minds back to a certain Neville Chamberlain and his ‘piece of paper’, and consider what little use that was in preventing the tragedy of WW2 with its loss of 60 million or more lives worldwide-wide.

You can’t negotiate with tyrants from a position of weakness.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Aug 26 - 02:59 AM

i believe that the usa has the highest spending on armaments and i also belive that iran will not attack the uk. with military
I also believe that spending on miltary in the uk, is dictated by the necessity for profit and at the present moment the pro israel lobby in the labour cabinet
the fact is that your post is rude and ill mannered.
one of the most tyrannical rulers is Trump
Starmer is another who has tried to stop the right of protest
a song by Bob Dylan
Come, you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks
You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain
You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
While the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
While the young peoples' blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatenin' my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins
How much do I know
To talk out of turn?
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness?
Do you think that it could?
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I'll follow your casket
On a pale afternoon
I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 02 Aug 26 - 03:04 AM

The Government's proscription of PA seems to have been at least a knee jerk reaction to Genocide in Palestine/Gaza and Netanyahu's Israel prolonged attacks

Simply I cannot believe or understand how UK can be complicit on these deathly attacks

There is something, a secret that no one is telling us ~ must be ~ is this a money thing?

The UK proscription also has/had they (UK) thought a way to control protests ~ this has not happened

The appeal to UK Supreme Courts has been approved ~ if this does not work the world will explode in my view

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 02 Aug 26 - 07:45 PM

Backwoodsman:
Please accept my apologies for agreeing with you on this occasion. ;)

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 03 Aug 26 - 07:04 AM

Stench of sleaze’: Farage struck deal over political return months before 2024 election, reports say
source guardian newspaper.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 03 Aug 26 - 07:39 AM

Drought the lack of water/rain a consequence of Climate change (yes there are some denialists still)

So what does UK do to offset the future and ensure farmer's crops are not lost

This is a serious matter

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Aug 26 - 09:58 AM

AI provides facts not opinions.

Hehehe

Try these out. Many more examples of AI shite. All quotes from CIO.cpm "The voice of IT leadership"

AI coding tool wipes out production database and lies about it

In July this year, Cybernews reported that an AI coding assistant from tech firm Replit went rogue and wiped out the production database of startup SaaStr.

Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr, wrote on X on July 18 to warn that Replit modified production code despite instructions not to do so, and deleted the production database during a code freeze. He also said the AI coding assistant concealed bugs and other issues by generating fake data including 4,000 fake users, fabricating reports, and lying about the results of unit tests.

Replit CEO Amjad Masad responded to Lemkin’s posts, apologizing for the mistakes.

“We just saw Jason’s post,” Masad wrote. “@Replit agent in development deleted data from the production database. Unacceptable and should never be possible.”

Masad said Replit immediately went to work to prevent it from happening again and reached out to Lemkin to offer assistance. He said Replit would refund SaaStr for the trouble and conduct a postmortem to determine what happened.
xAI’s Grok makes antisemitic comments, lays out plan for assault

Also in July, xAI’s Grok, a chatbot for the X platform, responded to a user’s query with detailed instructions for breaking and entering a Minnesota Democrat’s home and assaulting him.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, a user asked Grok for instructions on how to break into the home of Will Stancil, a policy researcher and attorney who posts about urban planning and politics on X. Grok told the user to bring “lock picks, gloves, a flashlight, and lube — just in case.” The chatbot also analyzed Stancil’s posting patterns on X and told the user, “He’s likely asleep between 1am and 9am.”

That same day, Grok made a series of antisemitic posts and declared itself “MechaHitler” repeatedly before X temporarily shut the chatbot down that evening.

The incidents occurred after X uploaded new prompts to Grok on July 6, which stipulated the chatbot “should not shy away from making claims which are politically incorrect, as long as they are well substantiated.” X removed the new instructions on July 8.

This is not the first time Grok has caused problems for X.

In an April 2024 post, the AI chatbot falsely accused NBA star Klay Thompson of throwing bricks through windows of multiple houses in Sacramento, California.

Some commentators speculated that Grok may have hallucinated the vandalism story about the Dallas Mavericks’ small forward after ingesting posts about Thompson “throwing bricks,” common basketball parlance for badly missed shots.
Chicago Sun-Times, Philadelphia Inquirer publish summer reading list of fake books

The Chicago Sun-Times and Philadelphia Inquirer took reputational hits when May 2025 editions featured a special section that included a summer reading list recommending books that don’t exist.

The Chicago Sun-Times explained that the syndicated section, “Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer,” was provided by King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst. Marco Buscaglia, the author of the special section, admitted he used AI to assist putting it together, including the recommended reading list, and failed to fact check the output.

The list featured many real authors but attributed nonexistent books to them, like Tidewater Dreams by famed Chilean-American writer Isabel Allende, who’s written more than 20 novels. But Tidewater Dreams, a “climate fiction novel that explores how one family confronts rising sea levels while uncovering long-buried secrets,” isn’t one of them. Like most books on the list, it was hallucinated by AI.

The newsrooms of both papers said they had nothing to do with the insert, though neither paper marked it as advertorial content. King Features terminated its relationship with Buscaglia following the incident, noting that his use of AI violated a strict policy.


Stick to folk music, Dick, you are really good at that. Leave AI to the professionals.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 01:54 AM

and still PA is avoided and Gaza is strewn with dead bodies and decimated buildings ~ a blind eyed approach

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 02:36 AM

With around 80% of Tory MPs, and around 75 Labour MPs allegedly members of ‘Friends of Israel’ groups, it’s hardly surprising is it, Ray?

How influential is the Israel lobby in British politics

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 03:42 AM

Perhaps A good reason or reasons not to vote labour or conservative?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 03:48 AM

Three Liberal Democrat MPs have been identified with connections or funding from pro-Israel groups through the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel network or related lobby funding
Jeremy Corbyn sits as an independent MP and co-founded the Independent Alliance, whose members hold explicitly pro-Palestinian stances and campaign against arms sales to Israel

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 04:03 AM

Funding and Lobbying: Parliamentary records show that Green Party MPs have not accepted funding, hospitality, or sponsored travel from pro-Israel lobbying groups

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 06:22 AM

I find the Uk's stance on the whole issue of PA and proscription disgusting and a blight on the whole country we have lost the whole idea of fair play by undermining the very fundamentals of sovereignty and rule of law. Yes police are doing the right thing after Court of Appeal ruling

But ceaseless bombing and killing and abuse in Palestine is not acceptable imv

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 06:41 AM

iran has still not attacked the uk mainland.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Rain Dog
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 07:18 AM

So let's be clear here. Are you saying that the UK should not spend money on defence until it is attacked?

Interesting article here on Ireland's defence spending.

From The Guardian.


Is Ireland’s unprotected ocean the weak link in European defence?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Aug 26 - 11:05 AM

The RAF often scramble their Typhoons from my local station, RAF Coningsby, in response to Russian aircraft’s incursions into UK airspace. Every incursion is regarded as potentially hostile, and treated as such.

I’m pretty certain that those guys know considerably more about threats to the UK’s security than any old fart on a minor Internet music forum.

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Aug 26 - 01:41 PM

iran has still not attacked the uk mainland.
that is what i said , i did not say anything else at all is that clear

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 07 Aug 26 - 06:50 AM

UK has no grouse with Iran, has it and closer targets to annoy US are there in the Middle East

US ultimate purpose is still to rid Iran of nuclear weapons isn't it?

Oman and Iran have a working arrangement regarding The strait of Hormuz now haven't they?

Basically go home little t nowt to see here

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 08 Aug 26 - 06:29 AM

Just seen a posted comment on fb think saying Iran had no nuclear weapons ~ trusted source

Iraq job again?

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: mayomick
Date: 08 Aug 26 - 09:20 AM

Backwoodsman when was the last Russian aircraft’s incursion into UK airspace requiring the RAF to scramble its Typhoons ?

Subject: RE: BS: Brexit and other UK politics thread 5
From: r.padgett
Date: 08 Aug 26 - 10:50 AM

Analyst News
5? ?A?u?g?u?s?t? ?a?t? ?1?9?:?3?4?
·
"This is barbarism, illegal, and the actions of Israel and the U.S. should be condemned."
Speaking to Analyst News, veteran British journalist Peter Oborne reveals what Western media and politicians got wrong about Iran, why it was never a nuclear threat, and why President Trump's threats and actions against it are "counterproductive" and "illegal."