Chris Whiteside's Blog

A statement by Shabana Mahmood, UK home secretary, explaining that she had a vision similar to Jeremy Bentham's idea of a prison called the " panopticon " where " the eyes of the state can be on you at all times. " Am I the only person who finds the idea of anyone with a vision like that as a minister responsible for either Britain's justice system or police to be both chilling and terrifying?  (Source:  Sam Ashworth-Hayes on X: "Shabana Mahmood, UK home secretary: her vision is a "panopticon" where "the eyes of the state can be on you at all times" https://t.co/S5JIJbm3i6" / X )

Yesterday Robert Jenrick criticised the leader of the Conservative party, Kemi Badenoch, for not having expelled Liz Truss from the party, implying that if he had won the leadership election he would have done so. Asked about this by a journalist, Kemi explained: “Well, I'm a fair-minded person. We have rules, and if people break the rules, they get kicked out of the party. Robert Jenrick broke the rules. That's why he got sacked, suspended, and kicked out. Whether or not you agree or disagree with what Liz Truss is saying, she's not breaking party membership rules." She added: "I believe in free speech. She can say whatever she likes. I'm focused now on the people who are actually in Parliament. And the fact that Robert Jenrick is spending time talking about kicking out Liz Truss and so on, this is all psychodrama. That's not what's going to get the country back on its feet.”

Reform UK are very far from the only people who take a very different view to people defecting to them from the view they take of any other form of MPs changing parties. In fact, very few people in any party who demand by-elections when someone defects away from that party have the consistency to also demand one when someone joins them. Nevertheless ... When you have a party which currently has seven MPs, an outright majority of whom, (four) were elected as Conservatives but changed parties in the course of  either the last parliament or this one with no by-election, who am I to resist the opportunity to point out such an obvious case of double standards as can be done by reminding them what their current deputy leader used to say about this ...  

Egremont Town council meets this evening (Tuesday 20th January) at 5.30pm in the Market Hall, Market Street, Egremont. The agenda includes a presentation on a proposed pilot scheme for a community youth project, to consider a draft Cumberland Council Licence regarding "the greasy pole, to consider setting up a basic Emergency Planning document for the community, and items raised (in advance) by members of the community.  

"The US National Security Strategy recognised both the importance of Europe to American interests and the sovereign rights of nations.  I urge President Trump to stick to the principles in his own strategy and withdraw the threat of tariffs, for the good of US & European security." (Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch , Conservative leader)

This morning Robert Jenrick criticised Kemi Badenoch for not kicking Liz Truss out of the Conservative party, implying that had he been elected leader of the Conservatives he would have done so. This lunchtime Nigel Farage, the leader of the party which Robert Jenrick joined last week, (after Kemi Badenoch did kick him out of the Conservative party on receiving proof he was planning to defect) hosted a lunch at which Liz Truss was one of the guests. Tom on X: "This morning, Robert Jenrick said that he would have kicked Liz Truss out of his former party. This afternoon, Nigel Farage hosted Liz Truss for lunch. https://t.co/GtuhrRBQGP" / X

A study published by the Resolution Foundation, (a think tank which is very far from being an uncritical supporter of the Conservatives or Reform UK,) into the cost of repeated U-turns and policy climbdowns during the course of this parliament, has found that chopping and changing by Chancellor Rachel Reeves has cost the exchequer £8.2 billion. This figure includes the impact of policy changes on the Winter Fuel payment, Personal Independence Payments, Universal Credit, and the two-child benefits cap. Figures were calculated using Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) data. There figures do not include the impact of the most recent U-turns on business rates for pubs, inheritance tax for family farms, Jury Trials or compulsory digital ID. The report finds that policy uncertainty is at the highest level since 1979 where an index measuring it was first introduced. Greg Thwaites, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation, said that the government had spent much of the past 18 months u...

 

Some extracts from a very interesting article which appeared in the Financial Times this week. I'm not endorsing every word of it, but I think it makes some points that are worth thinking about. In particular, most British people have traditionally been, particularly when voting, both moderate and "small-c" conservative. The part of the political spectrum referred to in the article as " a broad sweep of the electorate lying between supporters of the populist right and those who lean to the left. " is a description of the voters whose support put the Conservative party in power for most of the last hundred and fifty years - and the Liberals or Labour in power on those occasions when the Conservatives lost that support. As the FT correctly identifies, there is currently a gap in that part of the electoral market. And I predict that whoever eventually corners that market, possibly at the election after next rather than in 1929, will be in power a good chunk of the ...

Two final sets of quotes and responses on Greenland. John Bolton, who was President Trump's national security advisor in his first administration, has written an article for the Sunday Telegraph headlined " This is the worst move of his Presidency " which includes the following: " Donald Trump's extraordinary tariff threat against the united Kingdom and other countries for things they have said and done regarding Greenland is without doubt his most dangerous and destructive assertion during the five years of his presidency. To say it is without precedent radically understates how foolish and contrary to fundamental American interests it is. Apart from the ignorance of history and incoherence of Trump's social media post, it's ramifications for the special relationship and NATO alliance - indeed for the credibility and trust the United States has spent decades trying to establish - is incalculable. " I can only agree with John Bolton. The only people ...

"Most foreign policy issues are difficult and complicated. Greenland isn’t one of them. Let’s have a look at seven points: 1. The U.S. needs Greenland for its own defense - Golden Dome, radars, basing .  ▶️ The United States can do virtually anything it'd like in Greenland, security-wise, without taking possession of it . The 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement, which was renewed in 2004, allows the United States to build bases there, station troops, and more.  2. Greenland is about to fall into the hands of Russia and China, and the U.S. can’t let that happen . ▶️ The U.S. once had 10,000 U.S. troops in Greenland; now there are around 200 . If there is an imminent threat of Chinese or Russian takeover (there isn’t), perhaps start by increasing that number?  3. Russian and Chinese ships are swarming Greenland and the Danes can’t fend them off. ▶️ If Russian and Chinese ships are really menacing the island, the U.S. Navy could sail around it right now en masse. It isn’t....

The Conservative leader's response to the US President's announcement that he plans to impose tarffs on Britain and several other countries over Greenland:   "A terrible idea. President Trump is completely wrong to announce tariffs on the UK over Greenland. People in both UK and US will face higher costs. These tariffs will be yet another burden for businesses across our country.  The sovereignty of Greenland should only be decided by the people of Greenland.  On this, I agree with Keir Starmer." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch , Conservative leader and leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition.

Hat tip to Nick Tyrone, who I don't aften agree with, for posting this excellent description of Sir Keri Starmer by Ian Leslie:

 

'Monosyllabic' is not. ‘Abbreviation’ is 12 letters.  ‘Thesaurus’ doesn’t have a synonym.   'Non-hyphenated' is hyphenated. Say what you will about English, but it has a sense of humor. (Hat Tip to Merriam-Webster who posted this on X.)

Kemi on Jenrick and Reform UK: 'Reform is the party of traitors. You can’t trust them.' 'I realised he wasn’t just leaving because he was unhappy, he wanted to burn the Conservative Party to the ground. That is what Reform wants, not to hold Labour to account or transform this country for the better, but to destroy our party. I am never going to let that happen 'Here was someone who was woke when it was cool to hug a husky. Who was anti-immigration when that became the thing. Now he thinks that Reform is the new show in town. But he is wrong because they are a flash in the pan if I have anything to do with it.' 'We cannot have people running our country who lie and lie and lie so easily, deceive their colleagues and people around them. We need to have honest people and that is what I am doing.' (Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch , extracts from an interview with Alice Thompson at The Times. Also:)

"The public don't care about narcissistic defections. They care that our great country is starting to exude the halitotic stench of socialism." Boris Johnson on X (formerly Twitter) Boris Johnson on X: "The public don't care about narcissistic defections. They care that our great country is starting to exude the halitotic stench of socialism https://t.co/0bhHTMLAxV" / X Also in the Mail:

Journalist - “ Are you next, are you off to Reform UK ?” Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg -  “ No, I’m off home actually ...” (he added that he's he’s “still supporting the Tory Party”)

 

"The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I. They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in THIS government.  I will not repeat those mistakes." Kemi Badenoch , Conservative leader.

Kemi Badenoch, presented with evidence that Robert Jenrick was planning to defect, has sacked him from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the whip, and suspended his Conservative party membership. Here is what Stephen Pollard wrote about it today in the Spectator and on X. "The most important thing about Robert Jenrick’s sacking isn’t Robert Jenrick. It’s that it is yet another demonstration of Kemi Badenoch’s increasing stature as Tory leader.  For most of her first year – Badenoch Mark I, as it were – the mood music was all about when she would be deposed. The assumption was that her replacement would be Jenrick. That changed pretty much overnight at last year’s Tory conference, when Badenoch Mark II emerged. She made a stomper of a speech that was clear and convincing and told a story about her party, while Jenrick’s speech was a damp squib. That coincided with Badenoch’s PMQs performances moving from halting to dominant. They are now a weekly opportunity for her to display her streng...

'It couldn’t have been more off the mark if a plasticine dog was added to the cast and it was retitled William Wallace and Gromit.' ( John O'Farrell on the egregious disregard for historical accuracy of Mel Gibson's film "Braveheart" - not the only Gibson film which bears little resemblance to true history, of course. " The Patriot " was if anything even worse.)

For anyone who doesn't get the relevance, scrapping compulsory digital ID yesterday - which I welcome - was Keir Starmer's 13th major U-turn, so he has now passed the twelve for which he ridiculed Boris ...

From a  report on a speech this week at Policy Exchange by the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation , Jonathan Hall KC: Goodness knows it should be possible to criticise the actions of the present government of Israel - and some of their actions should be criticised - without stirring up hatred of all Israeli citizens, let alone all Jews, but we have all seen both those lines crossed again and again. Jonathan Hall was immediately accused of conflating Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism. I think that charge is both unfair and says a great deal about those who attacked him. The first response to those who accuse Mr Hall of conflating anti-Zionism and antisemitism is that in none of the quotes I have seen of his speech use the expression "Anti-Zionism." What he criticised, and pointed out is defined as racism under the Public Order act 1986, was stirring up hatred against Israel and Israeli citizens living in Britain.  Those who accuse him of conflating anti-Zionis...

 Well, thank God for that, Labour has actually done something sensible with their 13th major U-Turn. Compulsory Digital ID was always a solution in search of a problem, and likely to make things worse. Most commentators are welcoming this, but there are concerns that the government may try to reintroduce the idea via the back door. I think we have to look at any new proposals which may come forward on their own merits. It was always the "compulsory" part of "Compulsory Digital ID" which I objected to. We don't need to be luddite about this.  

I have been trying to get to the bottom of the story of the Jewish MP who was prevented from visiting a school in his constituency. Although the statement issued by the school concerned claims that the visit was only postponed rather than permanently banned, I have found sufficient evidence that left-wing activists connected with the National Education Union and pro-Palestine campaigners boasting about having prevented the visit, and read those boasts, to enable me to conclude that the essential point of the story - that antisemitic campaigners have successfully interfered with the ability of an elected politician to do his job because he is Jewish, married to a citizen of Israel, and they do not regard him as sufficiently critical of the government of Israel - is true. Here are some extracts from a piece by Stephen Daisley in the Spectator about this affair. You can read the whole piece at Why can’t a Jewish MP visit his local school? "Ruth Wisse defines anti-Semitism and anti-Zi...

The cartoonist and creator of "Dilbert," Scott Adams has died of cancer at the age of 68. He will be missed. Rest in Peace.

"The House of Lords can see that Labour's Chagos surrender weakens our national interest. It costs £35 billion when we should be spending that money on defence. Britain deserves better. If Starmer had a backbone he would change course." Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch , following yesterday's vote by the House of Lords to "regret" the proposed Chagos Islands deal.

Protesters who targeted a Jewish-owned restaurant in London shouting “get out of Notting Hill” have been criticised by Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader. Footage shared on social media showed several dozen protesters on Friday night standing behind a banner reading the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) outside Miznon, the restaurant. The restaurant chain was founded by Eyal Shani, a celebrity chef who was a judge on MasterChef Israel, and Shahar Segal. Kemi Badenoch was responding to the historian Simon Sebag Montefiore who said the protesters were “ a gang of bigots ” and had posted footage showing dozens of police standing nearby and watching the protest. He wrote:  “ This intimidation by a gang of bigots is frightening ordinary people, abusing the law, wasting police time, trying to ruin a small business and using the privileges of British freedom of speech to protect a mob of bullying brownshirts. It must be banned now. ” He added that he was “shocked to see...

The latest YouGov polling on who the public think would be the best PM show quite a change between August 2025 and January2026. Kemi Badenoch has closed what was a ten point gap and is now level pegging with Keir Starmer. She has overtaken Nigel Farage and gone from two points behind to ten points ahead. 

I was surprised to see that Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform. Here were his past words on the Reform UK leadership and on any suggestion that he might join a party led by Nigel Farage. When asked if he might defect to UKIP, the party Mr Farage was then leading, Nadhim Zahawi responded on 27th September 2014: "No chance. Been a Conservative all my life and will die a Conservative." On 12th March 2015, Nadhim Zahawi tweeted in response to comments from Nigel Farage that he is as British as Nigel Farage is, that Farage's comments were " offensive " and " racist " and that he would be frightened to live in a country run by Mr Farage. I think any further comment would be superfluous.

Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk delivered a moving speech at the final of the WTA tournament in Brisbane, which received a standing ovation from the audience. She said: "I want to say a few words about Ukraine. I play every day with pain in my heart. In Ukraine, thousands of people are without electricity and warm water right now. It’s minus 20 degrees outside, and it’s very, very painful to live in this reality every day. You know, it’s very hot here in Brisbane, so it’s difficult to imagine. But my sister is sleeping under three blankets because it’s so cold at home. I was incredibly moved and happy to see so many Ukrainian fans here this week. Thank you so much, everyone. Slava Ukraini!"

"I have worn this country’s uniform. I know what it means to place your trust - and your life - in the decisions taken by political leaders back home. Nigel Farage’s refusal to stand with the Prime Minister in supporting Ukraine tells us everything we need to know about the kind of leader he really is. When a brutal, authoritarian regime is attempting to redraw Europe’s borders by force, Mr Farage’s immediate declaration that he would vote against sending British troops to Ukraine as part of a peace settlement - is not principled restraint. It is an abdication of responsibility. It is walking away when leadership is required. Evading our moral duty to help secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is not patriotism - it is politics without courage. It is a failure to rise to the role he seeks to play. Those who have served do not talk lightly about deploying troops - because we are the ones who live with the consequences long after the headlines move on. But understanding the cos...

" The scrapping of an Eton-backed free sixth form in Middlesbrough tells us more about Labour than any manifesto ever could. A project designed to educate the brightest children from one of the poorest parts of the country was not stopped because it failed, cost too much, or lacked need. It was stopped because it threatened to succeed. And success, when it cannot be controlled, is intolerable to this government. This was not a fee-paying outpost or a vanity scheme. It was a free school, approved under the last government, partnered with a proven academy trust, aimed squarely at deprived pupils with high academic ability. The offer was simple: take children who show promise and give them an education equal to the best in the country. That should have been uncontroversial. Instead it triggered hostility, suspicion, and finally cancellation. Not because of what it would have done, but because of what it symbolised. The real offence was a four-letter word: Eton College. That name shor...

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said that, "The regime in Iran brutalises women, persecutes gay people, and spreads terror around the world. If the regime falls, the UK cannot be a sanctuary for enforcers of repression." This is a letter on the subject which she has sent t the Prime Minister.

Although this beautiful piece is normally considered to be Christmas music, it does refer to the Shepherds saying farewell to the Holy Family as they leave Bethlehem. Hence it was entirely appropriate that the Choir of Selby Abbey performed it this morning during the service for the Sunday after Epiphany. (Their performance was singled out for special praise and thanks by the priest who conducted the service and rightly so.) It is equally appropriate for me to post this version performed by the Royal Choral Society as my music spot for today.

"The fact that someone makes a stupid mistake does not mean that they are a stupid person. Every human being sometimes makes stupid mistakes. Indeed, the most catastrophic mistakes are nearly always made by highly intelligent people, because they are the ones who are most likely to be in a position to make them. You can identify the more intelligent human beings, not because they never make stupid mistakes, but because when they do make a stupid mistake and survive the experience, they learn from it. And you can identify the most intelligent human beings because they learn from everything. The most foolish thing you can do is not to make a stupid mistake, it's to make one and fail to take the opportunity to learn from it." Chris Whiteside See also: 1)  When clever people do stupid things 2)  Why clever people do stupid things

 

"Some Socialists seem to believe that people should be numbers in a State computer. We believe they should be individuals. We are all unequal. No one, thank heavens, is like anyone else, however much the Socialists may pretend otherwise. We believe that everyone has the right to be unequal but to us every human being is equally important." Margaret Thatcher

The fracture clinic where my wife works had 110 referrals yesterday rather than the usual 30 to 40. The high number largely due to people falling over on the ice. So if you are driving, or out and about on foot, anywhere subject to very cold weather, be careful!

The Labour government invited 63 councils which were due to hold elections in May this year to consider postponing them. A survey by the Daily Telegraph of which councils have taken up the offer or are considering doing so makes interesting reading. Of nine Conservative councils which replied, seven have voted to go ahead with elections this year and ruled out asking to postpone them, and only two have applied to put the polls back.  Of nine Lib/Dem controlled councils which replied, eight have voted to go ahead with elections this year and ruled out asking to postpone them, and only one has applied to put the polls back. Of the Labour councils which replied, those in Hyndburn, Chorley, Preston and Blackburn with Darwen told The Telegraph they had requested a delay to the poll. The Labour leadership in Exeter is also suggesting a delay, saying it would save money and allow officers to concentrate on the reorganisation. A formal decision will be taken in the next few days. In 17 Lab...

 

This post yesterday from Nick Timothy MP provides context to that from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch which forms my "Quote of the day" for today. " What was left of the credibility of West Midlands Police has been destroyed today. We learned earlier that their initial reason for banning Israelis from Villa Park was the danger *to* away fans *from* "armed” locals.  But to justify the ban they portrayed the Israelis as “uniquely violent” and military-trained. They used “intelligence” supposedly from Dutch police that has been utterly repudiated - by the Dutch police and other authorities. And when the Home Affairs Select Committee asked why the vital information about the danger *to* Israelis was kept secret, the Chief Constable ludicrously said it was because he had not been asked for it.  In other words: “We won’t tell you the truth because you didn’t ask a specific question about a thing you didn’t know because we hadn’t told you.” Yes. That was his defence...

"West Midlands Police capitulated to Islamists and then collaborated with them to cover it up. They knew extremists were planning to attack Jews for going to a football match, and their response was to blame and remove Jewish people instead. They presented an inversion of reality and misled a Parliamentary Committee. We have had enough of this in Britain. The Chief Constable’s position is untenable. The British Police serve the British public, not local sectarian interests." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader.

YouGov / Sky / Times voting intention Reform UK 26% (+1), CON 19% (no change),  LAB 17% (-3),  LDEM 16% (+1),  GRN 15%(nc) Note that Labour's voting intention score of  17% matches their lowest figure in this parliament if not ever,  (previously reached in October).

Two messages yesterday from the Conservative leader, Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch,  in respect of Venezuela: 1)  "The events in Venezuela have shown that the Prime Minister is on the outside looking in, not respected abroad or at home. I will be in Parliament later today to ask what Starmer's foreign policy strategy is in light of the US's actions. He should be telling us himself." ( Posted yesterday afternoon, Monday 5th January 2026 ) 2) "The Foreign Secretary was quite cross that I didn’t congratulate Labour for all the hard work they’d done in Venezuela which includes… *checks notes*…ringing up the opposition leader and asking people to be nice to each other. ↘️She had no answer when I asked her about UK defence spending.  ↘️No answer on any foreign policy changes after these extraordinary events.  ↘️No answer even to her own backbenchers who attacked her position.   This drifting Labour government and its self-inflicted wounds leave us VERY exposed in an incre...

Due to a points failure in the Selby area, Rail travel in and out of Selby station was blocked for part of this morning (January 6th 2026) causing significant disruption to all rail services between York and Leeds.   “ A points failure between Selby and Leeds and York means that some lines are blocked. As a result, trains running through these stations may be delayed by up to 50 minutes, revised, or diverted, ” said a spokesperson for Network Rail.  The initial statement was that disruption was expected until 8am, but at ten past eight and there was no news of the problem being fixed yet. Ticket restrictions have been lifted during this and Northern tickets will be accepted, at no extra cost, on TransPennine Express services via any reasonable route. SEE BELOW FOR UPDATE    POSTSCRIPT 9.00 am - NETWORK RAIL ANNOUNCEMENT Incident: Selby | National Rail The points failure between Selby and Leeds / York has been rectified, allowing trains to run again on all lines....

" Keir Starmer's authority within his own party is shot to hell "  Andrew Neil in a Times Radio interview shortly before Christmas. You can watch the entire interview below.

Today is Twelfth Night, the last official day of Christmas. If you have not already done so, remember to take all your Christmas decorations down!

I can recommend this Youtube Clip in Nick Cohen's "Lowdown" series, in which he interviews Charlotte Leslie, former Conservative MP for Bristol North West 2010 to 2017 and current Director f the Conservative Middle East Council. The issues they discuss include whether the Conservatives have a future in an environment fixated on Reform UK, what is happening to British Politics and what is happening in the Middle East. Nick Cohen is an openly-left-wing journalist but a very open-minded one and he is the sort of intelligent left-winger who right-wingers ought to listen to if we want to understand perspectives outside our own bubble. Charlotte Leslie is also intelligent and open-minded and I found her perspective very interesting too,

 

Because of the aftermath of the COVID-19 recession, the cost of dealing with COVID and with the economic effects of the war in Ukraine, particularly on Energy prices, Labour inherited a difficult economic position. All parties should probably have been more honest about how difficult the situation was during the last general election and even now only one party leader who is even coming close to being honest about how challenging the position is, which is Kemi Badenoch. However, after 18 month of Labour in office, economic optimism is now lower than during all previous recessions on record. It is lower than during the credit crunch or in the months following the Covid pandemic & Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And that is because Labour, despite their promises to raise growth, cut energy prices and not to put up taxes on working people, have imposed crippling tax rises on jobs, businesses and ordinary working people, and presided over rising energy costs. 

"The brave Iranians on the streets protesting against their despotic and oppressive government are a beacon of hope for us all. The Iranian regime denies its own people basic liberties while exporting terrorism and instability beyond its borders, threatening the UK and our allies. We stand with those risking everything for freedom." (Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch , leader of the Conservative party and of the opposition.)

We are still in the Christmas season until tomorrow, which is 12th Night. I posted a different version of the hymn "Angels from the Realms of Glory" about a month ago as part of the series of carols and Christmas tunes  posted during Advent. However, but as I enjoyed singing so much at Church this morning, and I really like this version, so I didn't think it would be excessive to use it again.  

"There’s a lot of noise from people who couldn’t find Venezuela on a map yesterday. This is clearly a fast-moving and extremely serious situation. I am not going to rush to judgement or speculate on incomplete reports. I’m more interested in what Venezuelans risking their lives for democracy have to say.  The UK’s responsibility is to understand the facts, assess where our national interest lies and consider the consequences for Venezuela’s people and for regional and global stability. It is not for us to second guess from afar the motives and evidence behind these events. Let’s hear what President Trump has to say shortly. I will also be watching closely what is said by Venezuela’s democratic opposition." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch

Whatever you think about Donald Trump's decision to depose President Maduro of Venezuela  - and I think it is perfectly possible at one and the same time to both consider the Maduro regime illegitimate and have concerns about the USA just unilaterally walking into someone else's country and removing him - it took pretty extraordinary cheek for the Russian Federation regime to condemn it in the language they did. This wasn't just a candidate for the Pot calling the Kettle Black award for the week, but for the decade and the century. The Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs have stated that " The US committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela, which gives rise to deep concern & warrants condemnation. The pretexts used to justify these actions are untenable. Russia reaffirms its solidarity with the Venezuelan people. " Seriously, these people should quit diplomacy and go into comedy. How can they possibly make that criticism of the US actions in Venezue...

A classic example of trying to eat your cake and have it from the PM today in response to the USA's attack on the Venezuelan government and kidnapping of the Venezuelan President - who had, admittedly, been widely believed to have fraudulently stolen the last couple of elections. Evidently trying to avoid annoying either the Trump administration or those who have concerns about the international law implications, Starmer commented that the UK Government will "shed no tears" about the end of Nicolás Maduro's regime. He wrote: " The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime. "  Referring to his earlier remark on upholding international law, Sir Keir continued: "I reiterated my support for international law this morning. "The UK Government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peace...

 

 

Margaret Thatcher predicting the course followed by Sir Keir Starmer's government decades before he was elected ... “You know, if you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything, wouldn't you, at any time? And you would achieve nothing!” — Margaret Thatcher

Here are some thoughts on what the New Year will bring. 1) Labour will take a massive beating in most of the UK in the May 2026 elections. Most of the other parties - Conservatives, Reform UK, Greens, Lib/Dems and Nationalists - will be able to point to at least some victories and encouraging signs but Labour will lose overall and very badly. 2) Following the May elections Keir Starmer will step down as PM or be forced out by the Labour party and the candidates to succeed him will include Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner, and Wes Streeting. 3) The UK economy will continue to suffer from the harmful policies of Rachel Reeves and if she is replaced by Starmer's successor, those of the new chancellor. 4) Attempts to set up peace negotiations to end the war which resulted from President Putin's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine will continue throughout the year but fail because Vladimir Putin is not interested in offering any peace deal which Ukraine would find acceptable. 5) Pu...

Phil King, who is an experienced Conservative councillor, has a superlative piece on Conservative Home about when local government reorganisation brings benefits and when it is vandalism. It includes some excellent quotes. Here are some extracts. " Over Christmas, many of us are reminded of what home really means. Time spent in our houses, villages, towns and neighbourhoods brings into focus the places, services and communities we rely on every day. Home is not an abstract concept. It is where people raise families, care for ageing parents, put down roots, and build a sense of belonging that no national slogan can replicate. For most people, politics only really matters when it touches their home: whether they can afford to live there, get a GP appointment nearby, feel safe on local streets, and trust that growth will not overwhelm the place they love. Yet across the country, we are failing at exactly that. Too often, decisions that shape homes and communities are taken far away f...

 "Britain is not destined for decline.  We are a GREAT country, full of potential, and there is so much to look forward to.  So bring on 2026, and don’t lose hope, because @Conservatives are building a plan to Get Britain Working Again." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch , Conservative leader.

 

Best wishes to everyone reading this for a happy healthy and prosperous New Year, whoever you are and wherever you are.