Yep basically. They’ll vote for something they don’t entirely hate but might not be exactly what they wanted in exchange for something else they wanted. Another thing to know about the Greens though, is most of their stuff again at least round where I am, is un-costed. So that means it’s no better than toddlerscribble and bears no reflection to what they can actually afford and eventually do. Invariably they don’t keep their promises because they couldn’t afford to. So check if your local lot have the little “*uncosted” on their campaign promises.
I misread the title as "electronics for five year olds" was going to suggest a Snap Circuits kit. Got a set for free on NextDoor and it was fun reliving old memories with my son. For the local election. I contacted all 3 of my locally elected council person last year regarding residential parking issue in my area (insufficient double yellow, whole area unable to drive out and causing bin day bins not collected). 2 got back to me. So I'm voting for those 2 again (labour and one defected from labour to greens). Picked a third one based on polling to ensure Tories and Status-quo party (Reform) have as little chance as possible.
Reform just put something through my door again. They're keen, I'll give them that. According to the latest, they will: Tackle the cost of living crisis (but don't say how) Stop illegal immigration Cut energy bills by scrapping net zero (how does this help?) End lawlessness on our streets (but don't say how, or how it will be funded, but this should be a given anyway) Put the British people first (in front of whom?) So this all sounds positive on the face of it. I haven't had anything new through from the other guys yet, but shouldn't everybody really be pulling in this direction, give or take? Only other things off the top of my head that I seem to remember seeing were cut council tax bills and don't build on green spaces. What's the machine by which we hold these parties to account if they don't deliver - simply don't vote them in again in four years' time (or whatever local election comes due)?Is there any form of "you lied on your application"?
‘Stop illegal immigration’ is just the latest ‘we should leave the EU’. They managed to poison everyone long enough on that and we’re worse off. Scrapping net zero - on a day when we’re generating two-thirds of our national electricity needs from solar and wind alone - is absolute insanity, and they only want it because they’re being paid by oil oligarchs. Nothing more nothing less.
My OH just had a Reform flyer sent to her saying 'put the Scottish people first' so does that mean Reform have a hierarchy in what they call 'British'. They just say whatever ambiguous stuff sounds good. The irony being they sent it to an EU national (who can vote in Scottish elections).
Foreigners, migrants, refugees. People who aren’t white, basically. Exactly what you just said: don’t vote for them next time. There are things like standards committees and codes of conduct for egregious violations, but generally your recourse for “you said you’d do X and you didn’t” is the ballot box. There is zero reason not to pursue solar, it is quite literally free energy… once you’ve paid for the panels... The sun is always there, and it doesn’t have to be “sunny” or cloud-free for solar to work. You don’t even have to worry about storing that energy - just supplementing the grid/your home in daylight hours is more than enough justification. The sooner electricity prices are “unbundled” from gas the better. Wales is among the top electricity exporters in the world, and more than two thirds of our domestic consumption is from renewables. One single pumped hydro power station in Eryri produces, and stores, at least a quarter of Wales’ electricity needs. [Angry Welsh noises about centuries of wealth extraction and exploitation of natural resources in order to enrich others intensifies…]
"Vote for facist, xenophobic, incompetent, self-serving, tax avoiding racists, you know it makes sense," might put people off...
The meaning hasn't changed, the association with they symbol have changed in Europe, whereas in other parts of the world it is not associated with National Socialism. Also worth pointing out, is that the swastika is not a European symbol or a German symbol, so there's no strong historical or cultural ties too it in the first place. No. The Cross Pattée is not a National Socialist symbol it never was, it is also in use by the German military today. Nation flags represent the country and the people of that country, in this case England and the English nation, that's the purpose of nation flags. Just like the flag of Scotland and the flag of Wales represents the Scottish and Welsh peoples.
The St George Cross has been made a symbol of racism, xenophobia and nationalism by the far right, including UKIP, ReformUK and other extremist/moron groups. If you can't see that, then you need to open your eyes.
I don't know if you're trying to be 'edgy' or pull a 'well ackshewally', but it sure as hell reads like you're actively defending Nazi symbology. This is a thread about politics, and specifically under discussion is a far-right political party that has many hateful and hate-filled people and policies. Context matters.
walle is not based in the UK. I can't remember if it's Canada or USA, but I'm 99.999% sure they're from North America. In which case, one doesn't need to even consider the St George Cross: the USA flag is a more than ample demonstration of why flags are not "just flags".
I agree with both sides on the issue of flags and symbols. They have been hijacked, they shouldn't have been and it's up to normal people to somehow reverse stuff. If even possible. Otherwise anything can be hijacked, given today's media age. Barbie could be a white supremacist next week, given the right Tik Tok exposure. Hell, the US, Russian, German, English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish flags can ALL take a share of blame for nationalist connotations, just off the top of my head (and I have experience of a few of those). But that's by the by, as the topic is "UK elections (near me) and associated thought process(es) at a basic age level so I don't waste a vote and/or have a hand in condemning us to eternal fascism". I got told off at the German border the other day for going in the EU passport queue. I had an inkling it might not be a valid action, but was politely yet firmly told "NEIN." He let me through after thorough fingerprinting and we debated the incoming restrictions that are now going to make EU travel for us limeys just like entering the US. Nice bloke in fairness, especially once he could see I was trying my hardest to recall GCSE Deutsche from about three and a half decades ago. Plus whatever vocab I've added since being in diese hier Alps on and off for some time. But Zoon has good points. Seems the Greens would be a somewhat wasted vote unless they can oust anybody at all. Sadly, in the last two years I've been let down so much by "the system" that in all honesty, IDGAF about even my kids' generation at this point. Let them fix it. Ring Greta. I am THAT done with it all and by the time it's a problem I won't even be here, so for anyone anti-religious you'll see why I have even less interest, if all I'm going to is a warm oven with no onward presence. So for Net Zero...meh. If it makes things cheaper for me till I pop, then I'll go with whatever that looks like, selfish as you may all now decry me to be. People are inherently tribal (it's why we're all here, partly) and selfish, but even more so these days. We'd all like to be less so (even me) but I'm hurting at the moment, so shields up. This may all change back to the way I was in the next couple of years, who knows?! We can hope. What about native UK blacks or other colours? Do Reform/UKIP have clauses for such and limit themselves to "non-passport holders" or something? I guess that might give them some non-racist legitimacy (for now...until they have more of a foothold, I guess). What's this bit? I know my supplier does both, but I don't think I have to take them both from said supplier...what am I missing? BUT! We've drifted slightly. So we think Reform is a No, but what's the deal with the others and what does that then leave? The corrupt goofs who might tax me less or the inept goofs who will take all my acres? Or do we think Les Ingleses might be switched on enough that a brief dose of Reform might make everyone go "WTF were we thinking?! We need a NEW party!". Maybe a bit-tech party...
I was giving you a bit of the historical background on the swastika with some added context, In no way was I defending the use of it. Context matters sure, and you would hope it wouldn't be misconstrued. Either way, the EDL do not own the English flag and the base representation and meaning of nation flags are as I pointed out, and it's what you would default to. The flag of England therefore represents England and the English nation i.e. people. Not the EDL. Now, If you wanna associate their nation flag with that group, or right out surrender it too them, I suppose you could. But don't use that association and or surrender to attack me.
To the best of my understanding, multi-fold: The price of electricity is set based on a baseline derived from the most expensive method of production, not the method of production used. That production method is, iirc, gas. So gas prices have an oversized effect on electricity prices. [EDIT to insert:] The UK has little to no gas storage capacity, leaving us more vulnerable to swings in gas prices. [/edit] Also most of the 'green taxes' [costs added to the bill to, in theory, help cover the costs of moving to greener stuff] is predominately levied on electricity bills, the thing they want you to move to, rather than gas, the thing they want you to move away from.
Here’s the part where I start to sound hypocritical and say that I am absolutely 100% fully on board with Welsh and Scottish nationalism. I won't presume to speak for Scots, but at least in Wales' case it does not implicitly mean 'boot the English out' or Welsh independence - I don't even think that Welsh independence would even be viable in my lifetime. But it is not an exaggeration to say that we are constantly shafted by Westminster. To pick just one example... We have a Secretary of State for Wales who is absolutely fine with a rail scheme between Oxford and Cambridge being classified as an "England and Wales" project, meaning that Wales gets absolutely zero proportional funding that we would be entitled to if it was correctly classified as an England-only project. I could go on for hours here, but as you've rightly pointed out, it's getting a little off-track. Suffice it to say that the only way I would ever want to sway someone's voting intentions is to plead strongly against voting for Reform. Were you, indeed? Let's try something else, a simple question perhaps. If there are no cultural ties between the swastika and Germany, why is the swastika banned in Germany except for very narrow and very specific purposes? No, I attack your arguments, as I always have done, and I have to work so incredibly hard stop myself from getting myself banned whenever you present yet another disingenuous "argument" or unfounded and demonstrably false assertion. This is not new, it dates back at least nine years: Did you ever tell us what you had for breakfast? It's been nine years and we're still interested.
Meibion Glyndŵr agree with you. As they frequently did in our area. And frequently hurt a lot of people. With life changing injuries. You ain't clear conscience, bruv, same as we ain't with the NF.
Only thing you've got going for you is NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE WELSH NF. Unless you've married into Welsh and are still getting spat on.
