I lived through it, Lex.

I remember going to a union meeting at a local pub (late 70s), and was greeted with the phrase, "Good evening comrade!" The few members that had turned up were redder than a baboon's ar$e, politically. It was at that meeting that I understood why such silly and unrepresentative policies were being passed down to the rank and file.

Oddly enough, a few weeks later, the union (EETPU) were the very first to go with private health care, something I disagreed with.

I left my employment and went to work at a non union establishment. I tried to resign my union membership and they refused! I stopped paying my dues and was expelled after about 2 years!

I have never joined another union since.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti union, they have done a lot of good in the past. However, the members (all of them) need to take an active interest and participate or the looney fringes will take control.

Here we go. Phrases from my very young days come to mind - 'Looney Left', 'Militant Labour' etc.

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article- ... armer.html

Sickening for those amongst us who have any scruples and are not work-shy!

Looks like more tax rises are likely: https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/bu ... ews-62991/

A lot of people are rapidly coming to that conclusion, Lex.

I remember back in the 80s having similar discussions. Why bother working and grafting when you can sit on your lazy ar$e all day and be as well off?

I was discussing this with some friends in the pub this evening - we concluded that it's not worth trying to improve your lot in life.

It's time Labour grew up and realised that taxing everyone to death doesn't work; it does, however, destroy the initiative to create wealth and better oneself, and hence improve the country!

And Burnham's 'target market for tax', the really well off - the 1% who pay 28% of the national tax bill - are going to shift even more of their cash offshore.

Burnham will be a disaster for the country. I despise Starmer; Burnham isn't far behind. Those working for a living are about to be screwed over, yet again, by those who refuse to work.

It looks like Burnham's going to be crowned as the Dear Leader: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article- ... urden.html

I'm going to take the stuffing out of a mattress to save what little cash I'm going to have left after being taxed into poverty.

Same here. And it's only going to get worse.

I hope that we don't see a Burnham coronation. I want to see a real dirty scrap for the top job so the electorate can see just what a pile of excrement the PLP really is.

Also, whilst they're scrapping amongst themselves, they're not doing too much damage to the country, not to mention using up valuable time before they are obliged to hold a GE.

I really despise this pathetic and incompetent sixth-form debating society that calls itself a UK government with a mandate!

Could be the case, Rebbonk.

Stammer's on his way out, and this country's going to sink further into the **** with Burnham looking like he's going to take over: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ckger03mrl0t

I'm not so sure, Lex. Reform isn't really ready to run the country as yet, and I think Farage knows it.

One scenario could be that Labour deliberately lets Reform in knowing they would struggle, then after a few years of failure (because the first few years of undoing the crap that is in place will be difficult), make a comeback, crowing about things.

We definitely live in interesting times! I'm imagining Nigel Farage is rubbing his hands in glee.

Assuming that Burnham challenges and wins, which is by no means certain, I suspect he will believe his own invincibility and try a snap GE so he gets 5 years rather than 3. At this point, I think reality will bite as he sees the Labour majority heavily reduced, or even overturned.

We live in interesting times!