Was Westmoreland Stupid? Chapter 16 - The Generals by Thomas E Ricks

He might not know how to resign tbf

Need to give him a resignation speech and let him read it out automatically like in Anchorman

*Lionel Hutz business card voice*

'No, pressure existed!'

Keir gave a very clear yes (which was a change in our policy which was the same as the US) and then after a few days of back and forth between Ukraine, UK & US it was decided that actually when he said yes he meant no.

Tbh you probably could predict this since Starmer does really love giving a very definitive answer on a tricky question that gets him into trouble.

Like that whole thing with the Ukraine where someone asked him if we were going to let Ukraine strike long range targets (which biden was saying no to)

genuinely think this is actually resignation worthy btw, like we fine with the Home Sec joking about tasering and deporting Jewish and dual-heritage political opponents?

Not to imply that it's more important but he's also not exactly leaving the Party in a good position either

It's not even ripping the copper out of the walls, it's boring holes in the foundations for no reason

To defend Keir, it's possible he didn't realise what he was saying and he was just reading what was in front of him like a very simple robot.

And the civil service should know that if it's been a day since a statement he has already u turned on it in his heart and it's for everyone else to catch up

CIA Report 18 March 1966 Memorandum for the Director Subject: Use of Nuclear Weapons in the Vietnam War https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0001166479.pdf

Best Case: Idk basically Nixon of escalating certain bits while trying to get out with a win before it all crumbles?

Worst Case:

Plus its easier for supporters in 3 years to defend "yes we broke our promises on tax, but we paid for public service improvements and our finances are doing better, let us finish the job" than
"yes I know things are still bad, but we kept our promises on tax, please reelect us to do it again."

I'll wait 6 years for the National Theatre production that takes the bold decision to not cast anyone as Starmer, simply having him as an empty chair in centre stage that everyone has to act around.

I think the main issue with it is that it's not the sort of thing the government should be doing when this is obviously something schools can handle themselves with their own policies.

First as Farce, then as Tragedy

Well you can't deny he punches above his weight

Instead, for the best part of two years, had the ridiculous situation where the prime minister had made the chief of staff hugely important to the direction of the government, but whenever a Cabinet minister disagrees with a decision, the PM would complain it was criticising the staff'.

Yeah Cambridge is in charge of that project. Uphill struggle.

Hey remember when Reeves bottled it on raising taxes because it would make the government unpopular?

When parliament burns down in 17 months and we have to rebuild it from scratch, I really hope they put multiple 8k cameras in the new chamber so its easier to tell who everyone is in the background in the wide shots (and whats on people's phones in the foreground)

The blunt truth is that if Karen Pierce had been a man, then she would still be US ambassador now and Keir Starmer's government would not be on the brink of death.

This could all have been avoided if that useless failed Labour prime minister hadn’t brought the fucker out of retirement to begin with, and now he has the audacity to pretend to be the victim? It’s pathetic

Keir Starmer was a 6 Year sociological study conducted by Oxford University to see if we could give Kemi a win. We are now complete with our study. Thank you for your time.

This isn’t the language of people trying weasel out of responsibility (which would be bad enough), they genuinely believe they are an aggrieved party. And that's so morally depraved I'm kinda lost for words

So many individual parts of this that are ludicrously offensive and obscene, but the overall underlying message is worse: Starmer and No.10 clearly think not only that they haven't done anything wrong but that they are the *victim* of this scandal

Not a fan of his Tommy Robinson policy but I am a fan of his jailing Boris policy

MPs are furious about this - especially the quotes from Epstein victims.

When Starmer finds out who announced Mandy as Ambassador he's going to have some very harsh words for them

Keir Starmer: I have changed the process so that the barn door must be closed before the horse has bolted

Does the door to Starmer's office shut on Day 2 of being PM and he spends 4 hours playing with the clicky ball thing until Lunch? Is he furiously doing reams of paperwork that's supposed to be done by 3 or 4 junior civil servants like Tsar Nicholas II?

Everything you hear about the inner workings of Starmer makes me think he needs to go ASAP before he accidentally destroys everything and fascinated about what a comprehensive biography is going to reveal about the day to day in Downing Street.