Starmer

Advisors advise, ministers decide. Sorry. As I did with Johnson I hold the man at the top responsible for pushing through mandelson despite knowing everything about him. He knew what he was doing. You don’t sack a senior civil servant for doing what you told them to do

Starmer has to go. He promised probity in public office and it’s been one things after another. Despite flaws of the civil service o didn’t like it when tories threw civil servants under the bus and I don’t like it now.

Note how he doesn't just define himself against an enemy but personifies the enemy by naming Ken Griffin and how much he paid for his penthouse.

This is how to create definition about what you stand for.

@stephenkb.bsky.social not sure if you remember but I was asking advice on whether my nephew should study engineering or business. Well he just got accepted to an engineering apprenticeship with National grid at 18. 31k starting salary, no student debt! Top 1% and their first choice. I’m so proud!

End of civilisation update

Have barely stopped drinking on the past 5 weeks. Life in Dubai.

* U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL FAILS TO APPROVE BAHRAINI RESOLUTION ON PROTECTING SHIPPING IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

* CHINA VETOES BAHRAINI U.N. RESOLUTION ON ENCOURAGING PROTECTION OF SHIPPING IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

@reuters.com

'inside the red-faced hawk is a dove, with an almost physical horror of violence'

'Trump is as close as a pacifist as we've seen in the White House'

Pure pundit brain from Ian Leslie in March 2025

They bloody are in Dubai. So backwards

This situation rather feels like a replay of 2016 and Raabs confession that he didn’t realise Calais was so important to trade…. ON FUCKING STEROIDS

All comes back to Mark Carney speech during the Brexit years. The UK is reliant on the kindness of strangers

I think I read she’s earned a fair whack on the speaking circuit so can probably pay it off!

When I lived in Spain nobody would have said you don’t pay British taxes so we will just leave you there you deserve nothing. I pay taxes in my country of residence and there are lots of hidden taxes in Dubai

Have paid for those flights

I did not move away to avoid tax! I’ve been here for 18 years and this is my home. And of course if I come back I will expect to contribute. And we aren’t expecting Brits to pay for us. Most that have left have taken emirates flights and those that have taken the repatriation flights (tourists)

Gulf tax exiles which I assume you mean me?!! Is not a great target. Most people think the state should protect British people as proved by the polling last week.

Again… cheers for that!

Brilliant. Lucky me

How lovely of you @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com

This is a radical idea but has the government tried going one week without committing an act of radical self harm?

Here we go again

What exactly are they going to do about it?!

Oh yay you listened to me!! You absolutely must, must do a day trip to the grenadines while there!

What

To be fair in the video of him speaking he really doesn’t sound upper class at all

Bluesky - You won’t believe what the UKs defence attaché to the UAE is??

Sandy Sandilands! They send him to the land of sand!

It's fascinating how Starmer talks about hard choices, not offering the politics of easy answers, will shroud-wave when it is *not* true, but is clearly incapable of delivering a serious 'so, the global backdrop has got much much worse' speech.

More and more stupid or Rachel Reeves and Labour to have gone into the election promising no tax raises eg reversing hunts cut to NI. Bloody idiots