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Post by sanders on Sept 20, 2024 16:05:22 GMT
I have known Oxford Street nearly all my life and seen the steady deterioration in quality of the shops during the whole of that time. It is now a worthless, trashy, chav street selling garbage to the poor end of the tourist trade. I have not used it for purchases for decades. It would be improved by turning it into a linnear green space with flowers, trees, benches and new small cafes, pubs, bistros, galleries, and stalls selling high quality craft work. Served by slow eclectic vehicles for the old, infirm, unsighted and disabled. your verdict is true for a great part of the street, although I wouldn't use the word chav. It does however still have some very good stores & I do occasionally have cause to visit John Lewis there, even though we have a large branch in Kingston which is just a short bus ride away. It is also a street with only one pub, and that is unforgivable. It's near to some decent pubs, however. The Fitzroy Tavern isn't half bad. My father-in-law likes going to Oxford Street, and his parents used to stay in a hotel above Selfridge's back in the 1980s, apparently and they loved it too. I guess they are the tourists someone else talked about earlier. Speaking of pubs, maybe our next Vote UK drinks should be in Bloomsbury or Fitzrovia or Holborn. |
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Post by jakegb on Sept 20, 2024 18:53:28 GMT
It has been a while since the Tories have had a decent week at the polls, so credit where credit is due.
I try not to read too much into local (and indeed Westminster) by-elections. The Tories still have a mountain to climb, though there is some early evidence to suggest they have more opportunity than they did versus Blair in 97. There's no honeymoon for Starmer and co in 2024.
Reform remains a big thorn in the Tories' side, though this week's by-elections provide some evidence that both right wing partiesare putting resources where it matters. The Tories in Worthing and Stockton (successfully), and Reform in Hartlepool ( albeit narrowly unsuccessful).
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carlton43
Reform Party
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Post by carlton43 on Sept 20, 2024 20:02:04 GMT
I have known Oxford Street nearly all my life and seen the steady deterioration in quality of the shops during the whole of that time. It is now a worthless, trashy, chav street selling garbage to the poor end of the tourist trade. I have not used it for purchases for decades. It would be improved by turning it into a linnear green space with flowers, trees, benches and new small cafes, pubs, bistros, galleries, and stalls selling high quality craft work. Served by slow eclectic vehicles for the old, infirm, unsighted and disabled. your verdict is true for a great part of the street, although I wouldn't use the word chav. It does however still have some very good stores & I do occasionally have cause to visit John Lewis there, even though we have a large branch in Kingston which is just a short bus ride away. It is also a street with only one pub, and that is unforgivable. I bow to just criticism. There are a few good stores and some reasonable shops. It is busy and not entirely chav. But it has suffered a sad decline and with only that one pub. I am cut to the quick by the revelation it still has a John Lewis when Sheffield does not! |
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Post by batman on Sept 20, 2024 20:19:45 GMT
it's regarded as the flagship John Lewis store in the UK. It's a few yards from Oxford Circus station. There is of course also Selfridges a little further down. We have bought some excellent things from John Lewis, both for the kitchen & computer-related. The Kingston branch though now has an excellent franchised non-John Lewis teashop, not sure if the Oxford Street one does too! I wasn't criticising you, just putting in a bit more info. I haven't actually been down Oxford Street for some time, except between Oxford Circus & John Lewis, and if what David Boothroyd says is right (and I'm quite sure it is) it may be that the worst is over for Oxford Street & that better shops will start to return. (Selfridges is eminent enough to have its own named bus stop, an honour not afforded to many shops in London)
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Post by Adam in Stroud on Sept 20, 2024 20:40:05 GMT
your verdict is true for a great part of the street, although I wouldn't use the word chav. It does however still have some very good stores & I do occasionally have cause to visit John Lewis there, even though we have a large branch in Kingston which is just a short bus ride away. It is also a street with only one pub, and that is unforgivable. I bow to just criticism. There are a few good stores and some reasonable shops. It is busy and not entirely chav. But it has suffered a sad decline and with only that one pub. I am cut to the quick by the revelation it still has a John Lewis when Sheffield does not! Hard to argue with the thrust of your argument here. And I for one am all for slow eclectic vehicles. |
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Sept 21, 2024 9:05:09 GMT
But still, there is something unbalanced and frankly a bit disturbing about how the media in particular has turned on the new government do quickly. The media hasn't turned on Labour, Labour has just turned its back on the 'change' agenda we were all promised. This is the cancer of banal, lacklustre figures like Starmer whose only trade they peddle is anaemic status quo management bereft of any ideological commitment whatsoever. Load of buzzwords strung together without really understanding what they mean. Based just on what the government has announced in the last few months we have had scrapping the Rwanda scheme, taking rail back into public ownership, major planning reform to enable housebuilding, a new programme of workers rights, offering pay deals to end long running industrial disputes, and much more - is *that* "anaemic status quo management"? Of course, a common reply to this is "the government is carrying on austerity". On examination, "austerity" (or even, as some like to claim, "turbo charged austerity") turns out to mean some basically non-existent Tory scams being formally cancelled and rich pensioners being asked to pay a bit more. For all else, we are going to have to await the actual budget measures at the end of next month. As for Starmer, he has been relatively popular and unpopular at times since he became Labour leader - which reflects the fact he is good at certain aspects of the job but not so much at others. Your description just reflects your long standing personal dislike of him, and can thus be disregarded  |
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Post by sanders on Sept 21, 2024 10:49:47 GMT
The media hasn't turned on Labour, Labour has just turned its back on the 'change' agenda we were all promised. This is the cancer of banal, lacklustre figures like Starmer whose only trade they peddle is anaemic status quo management bereft of any ideological commitment whatsoever. Load of buzzwords strung together without really understanding what they mean. Based just on what the government has announced in the last few months we have had scrapping the Rwanda scheme, taking rail back into public ownership, major planning reform to enable housebuilding, a new programme of workers rights, offering pay deals to end long running industrial disputes, and much more - is *that* "anaemic status quo management"? Of course, a common reply to this is "the government is carrying on austerity". On examination, "austerity" (or even, as some like to claim, "turbo charged austerity") turns out to mean some basically non-existent Tory scams being formally cancelled and rich pensioners being asked to pay a bit more. For all else, we are going to have to await the actual budget measures at the end of next month. As for Starmer, he has been relatively popular and unpopular at times since he became Labour leader - which reflects the fact he is good at certain aspects of the job but not so much at others. Your description just reflects your long standing personal dislike of him, and can thus be disregarded Labour poster posts defence of Labour leader which is liked by other Labour posters. I think we know what can be disregarded |
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Post by batman on Sept 21, 2024 10:52:56 GMT
Of course Labour supporters don’t count, only Tories who switch to independent and Green have a right to be heard here.
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CatholicLeft
Labour
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Post by CatholicLeft on Sept 21, 2024 14:15:09 GMT
Load of buzzwords strung together without really understanding what they mean. Based just on what the government has announced in the last few months we have had scrapping the Rwanda scheme, taking rail back into public ownership, major planning reform to enable housebuilding, a new programme of workers rights, offering pay deals to end long running industrial disputes, and much more - is *that* "anaemic status quo management"? Of course, a common reply to this is "the government is carrying on austerity". On examination, "austerity" (or even, as some like to claim, "turbo charged austerity") turns out to mean some basically non-existent Tory scams being formally cancelled and rich pensioners being asked to pay a bit more. For all else, we are going to have to await the actual budget measures at the end of next month. As for Starmer, he has been relatively popular and unpopular at times since he became Labour leader - which reflects the fact he is good at certain aspects of the job but not so much at others. Your description just reflects your long standing personal dislike of him, and can thus be disregarded Labour poster posts defence of Labour leader which is liked by other Labour posters. I think we know what can be disregarded Perhaps a point by point rejoinder to The Bishop's quite salient points rather than a dismissal based on somebody being a Labour poster. As has been previously posted, I distrusted Kier Starmer long before most people heard of him, but that doesn't mean that The Bishop's response to your original attack post lacks validity. Ad hominen attacks, be it on Kier Starmer or Bishop, are weak broth, and suggest you have no challenge to the points he makes. |
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Post by sanders on Sept 21, 2024 15:41:10 GMT
Labour poster posts defence of Labour leader which is liked by other Labour posters. I think we know what can be disregarded Perhaps a point by point rejoinder to The Bishop's quite salient points rather than a dismissal based on somebody being a Labour poster. As has been previously posted, I distrusted Kier Starmer long before most people heard of him, but that doesn't mean that The Bishop's response to your original attack post lacks validity. Ad hominen attacks, be it on Kier Starmer or Bishop, are weak broth, and suggest you have no challenge to the points he makes. ”Israel does have that right” in relation to Israel after the October 7th attack. This was the turning point and I’ll admit with so many Muslim friends and a Muslim wife it’s hard for me to avoid outright rage about this one. However I will try to avoid personal attacks if others disapprove. Cutting winter fuel allowance. Two child benefit cap. Refusing to scrap tuition fees I also sticks in the throat. It’s hard to not make personal attacks against someone so lacking in sky redeeming qualities, and I say this as a steadfast supporter of Starmer’s 10 pledges from 2020. What are your reasons for distrusting him? Genuine question. batman I left the Tories because Rory Stewart didn’t win the leadership. |
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CatholicLeft
Labour
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Post by CatholicLeft on Sept 21, 2024 16:29:25 GMT
Perhaps a point by point rejoinder to The Bishop's quite salient points rather than a dismissal based on somebody being a Labour poster. As has been previously posted, I distrusted Kier Starmer long before most people heard of him, but that doesn't mean that The Bishop's response to your original attack post lacks validity. Ad hominen attacks, be it on Kier Starmer or Bishop, are weak broth, and suggest you have no challenge to the points he makes. ”Israel does have that right” in relation to Israel after the October 7th attack. This was the turning point and I’ll admit with so many Muslim friends and a Muslim wife it’s hard for me to avoid outright rage about this one. However I will try to avoid personal attacks if others disapprove. Cutting winter fuel allowance. Two child benefit cap. Refusing to scrap tuition fees I also sticks in the throat. It’s hard to not make personal attacks against someone so lacking in sky redeeming qualities, and I say this as a steadfast supporter of Starmer’s 10 pledges from 2020. What are your reasons for distrusting him? Genuine question. batman I left the Tories because Rory Stewart didn’t win the leadership. I worked in the HSE of the Prison Service whilst he was DPP. I was not a fan. |
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Post by sanders on Sept 21, 2024 23:25:38 GMT
”Israel does have that right” in relation to Israel after the October 7th attack. This was the turning point and I’ll admit with so many Muslim friends and a Muslim wife it’s hard for me to avoid outright rage about this one. However I will try to avoid personal attacks if others disapprove. Cutting winter fuel allowance. Two child benefit cap. Refusing to scrap tuition fees I also sticks in the throat. It’s hard to not make personal attacks against someone so lacking in sky redeeming qualities, and I say this as a steadfast supporter of Starmer’s 10 pledges from 2020. What are your reasons for distrusting him? Genuine question. batman I left the Tories because Rory Stewart didn’t win the leadership. I worked in the HSE of the Prison Service whilst he was DPP. I was not a fan. Fair enough. Anything he did that prompted that? I’ve often wondered, if Starmer wasn’t prosecuting the likes of Al Fayed because they “didn’t come across his desk”, then what on god’s green earth was he doing? He also got a very nice pension. I also sense that his budget will make the 2012 omnishambles look like a picnic. Anyway, I don’t want to rile the Keith’s Protection League on here. |
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Sibboleth
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Post by Sibboleth on Sept 22, 2024 0:34:53 GMT
As for Starmer, he has been relatively popular and unpopular at times since he became Labour leader - which reflects the fact he is good at certain aspects of the job but not so much at others. It also reflects the fact that people seem to struggle to quite get to form a firm picture of him: the image always fades before it is finished. His ratings have variously spiked and collapsed (with somewhat different patterns relating to the different ways the question is put, of course) depending on why he's in the news, but things don't ever quite stick either way. |
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CatholicLeft
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Post by CatholicLeft on Sept 22, 2024 7:34:13 GMT
I worked in the HSE of the Prison Service whilst he was DPP. I was not a fan. Fair enough. Anything he did that prompted that? I’ve often wondered, if Starmer wasn’t prosecuting the likes of Al Fayed because they “didn’t come across his desk”, then what on god’s green earth was he doing? He also got a very nice pension. I also sense that his budget will make the 2012 omnishambles look like a picnic. Anyway, I don’t want to rile the Keith’s Protection League on here. I am bound by the restrictions of the OSA, so can't really say. On your other comments, the DPP has very little to do with decisions over individual prosecutions,and I suspect that the Chief Crown Prosecutor for London South would be tbe one making the decision over Al-Fayed. Also, he gets a pension - so has every DPP before and since. Also, whilst not a fan of his, this constant misnaming of him is a classic act of bullies, and beneath you. As for the Budget, we shall see. Always play the ball, not the man. |
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Post by sanders on Sept 22, 2024 7:39:34 GMT
Fair enough. Anything he did that prompted that? I’ve often wondered, if Starmer wasn’t prosecuting the likes of Al Fayed because they “didn’t come across his desk”, then what on god’s green earth was he doing? He also got a very nice pension. I also sense that his budget will make the 2012 omnishambles look like a picnic. Anyway, I don’t want to rile the Keith’s Protection League on here. I am bound by the restrictions of the OSA, so can't really say. On your other comments, the DPP has very little to do with decisions over individual prosecutions,and I suspect that the Chief Crown Prosecutor for London South would be tbe one making the decision over Al-Fayed. Also, he gets a pension - so has every DPP before and since. Also, whilst not a fan of his, this constant misnaming of him is a classic act of bullies, and beneath you. As for the Budget, we shall see. Always play the ball, not the man. His pension is tax free, IIRC. That seems the issue. Re: 'Keith', I thought that was his original name, but focus groups suggested he change it to Keir to be more popular with the electorate. But we do have a record number of Keirs in Parliament so maybe I should respect that. The OG Keir might have had some issues with current Labour, however. |
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CatholicLeft
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Post by CatholicLeft on Sept 22, 2024 7:48:33 GMT
I am bound by the restrictions of the OSA, so can't really say. On your other comments, the DPP has very little to do with decisions over individual prosecutions,and I suspect that the Chief Crown Prosecutor for London South would be tbe one making the decision over Al-Fayed. Also, he gets a pension - so has every DPP before and since. Also, whilst not a fan of his, this constant misnaming of him is a classic act of bullies, and beneath you. As for the Budget, we shall see. Always play the ball, not the man. His pension is tax free, IIRC. That seems the issue. Re: 'Keith', I thought that was his original name, but focus groups suggested he change it to Keir to be more popular with the electorate. Lordy, where did you get that from? He has been in public life for years and was never called anything other than Kier. You need to get off social media fake news. In an interview I read yesterday, Janet Jackson said she'd read that Kamala Harris's father was a white man (he isn't, he's a well-known Jamaican Stanford economics professor), why do intelligent people believe obviously misleading claims?" |
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Post by batman on Sept 22, 2024 7:55:36 GMT
Sir Keir Starmer was born with the forenames Keir Rodney (the Rodney after his father). He has never been called Keith except by idiots who call themselves left-wing who think that only Keir Hardie should be allowed to have the name Keir (In fact there is also another Labour MP called Keir & fairly nearly was another) and that Starmer is somehow unfit to hold it. Keith as a name is supposed to betoken weakness or pusillanimity although I'm not sure that would apply to some other well-known Keiths e.g. the Rolling Stones' legendary lead guitarist, or the great Australian cricket all-rounder Keith Miller. It's totally pathetic & is a substitute for genuine political debate. I did vote for Keir Starmer to be Leader of the Labour Party as I saw him as someone who could win my party the next general election & be taken seriously by the electorate, even if they don't love him (they particularly don't appear to at the moment), and I think I made a much better choice than I did when I voted in the previous Labour Party leadership election. Of course criticism of him is fine, indeed in a democracy it's imperative, but let's not do all that stupid Keith stuff. I would add that someone calling themselves a democratic socialist should avoid the kind of elitist class snobbery we sometimes see.
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Post by batman on Sept 22, 2024 7:58:27 GMT
Incidentally it is not certain that he was named after Keir Hardie, although his parents were Labour supporters; Starmer himself has said that he doesn't think he was named after Keir Hardie. I have not met Starmer but my mother knows him slightly, and has a high opinion of him personally as well as as a lawyer.
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Post by sanders on Sept 22, 2024 8:07:57 GMT
I am obviously joking. I know he isn't Keith! Funnily enough I did hear someone call him that on the BBC and the presenter didn't challenge it! CatholicLeft , I'm flattered you think I'm intelligent - it's most decidedly not the case! It's all style and in the words of one poster "buzzwords". Maybe vis-a-vis US politics. I was a fan of Starmer's early work - I hope we get back the 10 pledges from the leadership bid soon. As for Keir Hardie, "Keir Hardie was a friend of mine, I served with Keir Hardie, Senator, you're no Keir Hardie" comes to mind! |
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Sept 22, 2024 9:46:56 GMT
The real hardcore don't use Keith but rather "Kieth" anyway.
And it is notable how many genuinely (as opposed to maliciously) misspell his *actual* name.
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