Bye bye Starmer

[Nefarious]

I could understand the magic money tree argument if the increase in defence had come from borrowing. *Then* you could say "why didn't they do that before for health/education/care". The fact that the money has had to come from the aid budget shows how hard against the wall the government is. Cutting the aid budget is all kinds of bad - that is the cheapest friend-buying, world-stabilising money you'll ever spend. So the fact that it got the chop demonstrates the level of desperation.

Sadly, and please forgive my pessimism, I think it also reflects the extent to which *they* believe it simply doesn't matter. Very very soon, it will appear a tiny drop in a very large ocean. 2.6% GDP doesn't even touch the sides. 6-8% in the near term in the best case scenario looks much more likely to me. And that's just to get to the point of not being the wounded gazelle.

What is going on is extortion, pure and simple. There are no loyalties, there are no ideologies, no promises that won't be broken for a different bag of gold, and nothing surer than the fact that a protection racket doesn't end when you make your first payment.

[Mito Man]

Important meeting going on now!

[Beany]

Important meeting going on now!

I'd like to hear that Starmer knocked his fucking spark out for trying to do international diplomacy via trolling, but I suspect what we'll find out is that starmer worked the shaft and stroked the balls.

[integrale_evo]

From the clips they played on the news earlier it looked like his tongue was a long way up.

[Mito Man]

Yep, chin deep. Sounded like he was nagging Trump to not put a tariff on us for the whole of their seabass lunch date
Maybe a post lunch massage can finally convince him.

[Gavster]

I think Starmer has actually played a blinder with Trump. Offering Trump a second state visit will stroke his vanity, because Trump adores anything that makes him an extra-special president. Trump is also saying how brilliant a negotiator Starmer is, and at the end of the day the point of the trip is to maintain a good relationship with the US. We're not in a position to order America around or burn bridges by telling Trump to get fucked. From a realpolitik position, massaging Trump's ego is far better than alienating him and freezing us out.

[Rich B]

Exactly - everything is in such a weird place at the moment and until it all settles down we just want to be sat pretty, not making enemies (though not necessarily totally aligning ourselves with the mental orange prick either).

[IanF]

Key points for me were Trump saying the US will always stand with the UK and possible trade deal.. Potus is still the leader of the free world (whether we like it or not), so it’d be crazy for our PM to do anything but pander to Trump’s ego and get the best possible deal for the UK. Imagine Starmer wanted a long shower after today though

[V8Granite]

That looked awful, Starmer is a very awkward looking person who doesn’t inspire confidence but that seems a pretty sensible discussion for us.

Dave!

[Mito Man]

As long as he keeps buttering up Trump and gets us a good trade deal. This may finally be the break we need after years of Brexit stagnation whilst the EU get shafted. Hopefully it all goes our way.

[Swervin_Mervin]

What's the obsession with a trade deal? We've never had a trade deal with the US, so why is it so important now?

[Nefarious]

What's the obsession with a trade deal? We've never had a trade deal with the US, so why is it so important now?

In Trump-speak, a trade deal means not slapping punitive tariffs on everything.

To demonstrate just how arse-about-face the world is, there is actually a conceivable scenario where Brexit plays to out favour. If Trump decided to tariff "Europe" (mostly for the sake of political leverage and domestic headlines), and the UK has a free trade deal, we might end up being a useful conduit for trade of the stuff people actually need to trade. Like Azerbaijan is to Russia. *I* feel like I need a shower after saying that.

[Mito Man]

To put it into perspective, the UK only exports 10% of it's steel to America, yet the steel tariff meant that the government had to already step in with a £2.5 billion support package. The economy would be utterly ruined if Trump puts tariffs on everything from here.

[dinny_g]

What's the obsession with a trade deal? We've never had a trade deal with the US, so why is it so important now?

In Trump-speak, a trade deal means not slapping punitive tariffs on everything.

To demonstrate just how arse-about-face the world is, there is actually a conceivable scenario where Brexit plays to out favour. If Trump decided to tariff "Europe" (mostly for the sake of political leverage and domestic headlines), and the UK has a free trade deal, we might end up being a useful conduit for trade of the stuff people actually need to trade. Like Azerbaijan is to Russia. *I* feel like I need a shower after saying that.

All over the Home Counties, the Gammon’s are emerging…



“See, I told you we were right!!!”

[ZedLeg]

Those trade deals will feel real good after we stand aside and watch them eradicate minorities in their country.

[Marv]

Will a trade deal with Trump, be any better than the ones Boris did with Australia and NZ? Given his current relations with Canada and Mexico, I doubt it!

Though as Gav has said, by giving Trump that second state visit, they are buttering him up nicely.

Whether a trade deal ever actually arises, and it actually benefits businesses and people who were negatively impacted by Brexit, remains to be seen.

[Beany]

I hear the government wants to do some reorganisation for efficiency.

This is broadly fine.

They're calling it Project Chainsaw, a direct reference to Musk, which has immediately made me have zero confidence in whomever is running their policy stuff and the government more broadly, because it's they're taking inspiration from the US at the moment, they're gibbering fucking morons.

So, well done kids.

[ZedLeg]

I’m sure it’ll go as well as Streeting’s efforts to streamline all responsiblity for healthcare into his own hands.

[Mito Man]

They can try the same “respond to this email within a week or you’re saying you have resigned” approach with council officers. That’ll be the whole lot of them gone

[V8Granite]

It’ll be bloody depressing if we find out someone got given 1 billion pounds to relocate confused grey squirrels though.

I have a feeling paying for an MP to have a new duck house or dredge his moat will feel pretty insignificant if they delve too deep.

Dave!