Love it. As much as I despise what’s happening in America, I too feel surprisingly invigorated.
We’ve spent so many years, in my opinion, bringing shame upon our nation and binning what I think Britain should be about.
Farage Britain makes me lose all pride in where I’m from and our history. I’m not a big national pride guy, I generally think it’s kinda stupid, but I do have immense pride in what communities of humans have managed to achieve in the name of justice and “good”. It’s what separates us from animals and tells Hobbes to bugger off.
When Putin invaded Ukraine and everyone was scared about pushing back against a nuclear power, I was surprisingly chill on that point. My logic was… if we let Russia just take Ukraine, what’s the point of this world order anyway? Do we really want to live in that world? Screw it, bring on the nukes!
This is our chance to actually show up and be the types of humans we SHOULD be proud of. Macron, Merz and Starmer have such a clear route towards bringing pride back to our continent… reaffirming how things should be and how we act against tyrants.
The culture “war” is a pitiful term in this moment right now. It’s childlike, unserious nonsense of pathetic navel gazing bootlickers. Now it’s time for the serious people to deal with serious issues. What an opportunity for progressive democratic nations to kick populism in the balls.
well said Samuel. It is long past time that we show up and start defending what is important and ditch the phony "war on woke" and all the bullshit around weaponising immigration and scapegoating immigrants.
I think you describe Starmer’s opportunity very well. It’s also an opportunity for - dare I say it - putting the “Great” back into Great Britain.
I would remind Starmer that, just as in business, risk and reward in politics are positively correlated. I would also say that (cliche though it is) leadership is done from in front. It’s one thing to poll the population to get a feel for the broad tides of public opinion; it’s quite something else to micromanage one’s political outlook through focus groups and qualitative research as if considering the launch of a new brand of breakfast cereal. I wish Labour wouldn’t do it. It makes them look crass.
And Starmer doesn’t have to go it alone. In view of the recent statements of Macron, the likely new German chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the quite excellent speech at the UN of the Polish foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, Starmer has the right company to join, and also the means of demonstrating to the British public (already disillusioned with Brexit) that there are wider and more fundamental reasons for being “in” and “with” Europe than just trade.
It’s time to revisit Aesop's fable about the old man and his sons.
Thank you so much for this. Have so much respect/hope for KS. So many ridiculous comments about him not being Macron this morning. Soberness, intelligence and determination also required at this moment.
An excellent article. Closer ties with the EU should be hammered home by Starmer as the patriotic option now. This present Ukrainian crisis presents an opportunity to lambast Brexit leaning right wingers as outdated and appeasing Putin and Trump.
Yes, but. Starmer needs to lead, his own people and maybe a few more. That means he has to communicate, and to tell people where he wants to lead them to. No Moses without a Promised Land.
I feel strangely patriotic tonight, something I’ve not felt in a long time. Kier Starmer showed genuine warmth and support toward Zelensky which is exactly the way it should be. As others have said, he now has a real opportunity to show his qualities as both a Prime Minister, and as a leader who’s prepared to stand up and be counted when it matters.
Question: where should the money come from to fund the extra essential defence budget?
I have pondered long and hard on the above question today, and done a lot of internet scouring. There is no easy answer but I think the least awful would be to increase the standard rate of VAT to 22%. That would not affect the fundamental necessities but would raise around £17bn pa.
Many countries have higher sales taxes than that. Those with the highest disposable incomes pay out the most in VAT and that seems eminently fair.
I think I would also assess the possibility of generating additional revenue with a higher rate of VAT on luxury goods and services. It would be a palaver to define the lines of luxury for every product and service but it would probably be worth the effort. For example, hotel rooms costing under, say, £300 per night for double occupancy would stay at the standard VAT rate but over that would be luxury rate - possibly 30 or 35%. Shoes under £200 per pair would be standard rate; over that luxury rate. And no option to abscond abroad for cheap shopping: what you bring into the country you pay VAT on on entry.
This might appear draconian. It is. We’ve reached the point at which draconian measures are imperative to survival. P.S. I do not care about the government’s red lines/election promises/blah blah. Trump has obliterated honour.
P.P.S. I could get quite brutal here. Anything from a garden centre would command luxury tax. There is no need for the manicuring of gardens. Nature can garden unaided. And pets, in the overall scheme of things, are not necessities. I’d let pre-existing pets off the hook but expenses for any new ones would classify for luxury level VAT.
As long as Starmer doesn’t become a Chamberlain and pursue a policy of appeasement.
By the way, de Gaulle was no great leader. He was in the same position as Zelensky, Nazi tanks approaching Paris. Did he stay and lead his people? No. He high-tailed it to London and sat out the war in splendid exile exhorting his people to fight on from well behind the lines, while Marechal Petain led the Vichy puppet government in France.
Aside from all the challenges KS now faces, I am so relieved that we don’t have Johnson, Truss, Sunak or Badenoch in charge.
Hear hear my sentiments too
Love it. As much as I despise what’s happening in America, I too feel surprisingly invigorated.
We’ve spent so many years, in my opinion, bringing shame upon our nation and binning what I think Britain should be about.
Farage Britain makes me lose all pride in where I’m from and our history. I’m not a big national pride guy, I generally think it’s kinda stupid, but I do have immense pride in what communities of humans have managed to achieve in the name of justice and “good”. It’s what separates us from animals and tells Hobbes to bugger off.
When Putin invaded Ukraine and everyone was scared about pushing back against a nuclear power, I was surprisingly chill on that point. My logic was… if we let Russia just take Ukraine, what’s the point of this world order anyway? Do we really want to live in that world? Screw it, bring on the nukes!
This is our chance to actually show up and be the types of humans we SHOULD be proud of. Macron, Merz and Starmer have such a clear route towards bringing pride back to our continent… reaffirming how things should be and how we act against tyrants.
The culture “war” is a pitiful term in this moment right now. It’s childlike, unserious nonsense of pathetic navel gazing bootlickers. Now it’s time for the serious people to deal with serious issues. What an opportunity for progressive democratic nations to kick populism in the balls.
Let’s hope they seize it.
well said Samuel. It is long past time that we show up and start defending what is important and ditch the phony "war on woke" and all the bullshit around weaponising immigration and scapegoating immigrants.
Well said
Cometh the hour.....
I think you describe Starmer’s opportunity very well. It’s also an opportunity for - dare I say it - putting the “Great” back into Great Britain.
I would remind Starmer that, just as in business, risk and reward in politics are positively correlated. I would also say that (cliche though it is) leadership is done from in front. It’s one thing to poll the population to get a feel for the broad tides of public opinion; it’s quite something else to micromanage one’s political outlook through focus groups and qualitative research as if considering the launch of a new brand of breakfast cereal. I wish Labour wouldn’t do it. It makes them look crass.
And Starmer doesn’t have to go it alone. In view of the recent statements of Macron, the likely new German chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the quite excellent speech at the UN of the Polish foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, Starmer has the right company to join, and also the means of demonstrating to the British public (already disillusioned with Brexit) that there are wider and more fundamental reasons for being “in” and “with” Europe than just trade.
It’s time to revisit Aesop's fable about the old man and his sons.
Yet more to lift my despair thank you
Thank you so much for this. Have so much respect/hope for KS. So many ridiculous comments about him not being Macron this morning. Soberness, intelligence and determination also required at this moment.
An excellent article. Closer ties with the EU should be hammered home by Starmer as the patriotic option now. This present Ukrainian crisis presents an opportunity to lambast Brexit leaning right wingers as outdated and appeasing Putin and Trump.
Yes, but. Starmer needs to lead, his own people and maybe a few more. That means he has to communicate, and to tell people where he wants to lead them to. No Moses without a Promised Land.
I feel strangely patriotic tonight, something I’ve not felt in a long time. Kier Starmer showed genuine warmth and support toward Zelensky which is exactly the way it should be. As others have said, he now has a real opportunity to show his qualities as both a Prime Minister, and as a leader who’s prepared to stand up and be counted when it matters.
Thanks, an informative, refreshing, and thoughtful article to counter our current woes.
Question: where should the money come from to fund the extra essential defence budget?
I have pondered long and hard on the above question today, and done a lot of internet scouring. There is no easy answer but I think the least awful would be to increase the standard rate of VAT to 22%. That would not affect the fundamental necessities but would raise around £17bn pa.
Many countries have higher sales taxes than that. Those with the highest disposable incomes pay out the most in VAT and that seems eminently fair.
I think I would also assess the possibility of generating additional revenue with a higher rate of VAT on luxury goods and services. It would be a palaver to define the lines of luxury for every product and service but it would probably be worth the effort. For example, hotel rooms costing under, say, £300 per night for double occupancy would stay at the standard VAT rate but over that would be luxury rate - possibly 30 or 35%. Shoes under £200 per pair would be standard rate; over that luxury rate. And no option to abscond abroad for cheap shopping: what you bring into the country you pay VAT on on entry.
This might appear draconian. It is. We’ve reached the point at which draconian measures are imperative to survival. P.S. I do not care about the government’s red lines/election promises/blah blah. Trump has obliterated honour.
P.P.S. I could get quite brutal here. Anything from a garden centre would command luxury tax. There is no need for the manicuring of gardens. Nature can garden unaided. And pets, in the overall scheme of things, are not necessities. I’d let pre-existing pets off the hook but expenses for any new ones would classify for luxury level VAT.
Is a lower order benefit of this decision, to redirect funding from aid to defence, one that could also provide UK economic benefits?
“Darkest moment” … a bit much, surely?
"This is no time for soundbites, but I feel the Hand of History on our shoulders"
The brexit dividend…
A tooled up europe.
So…
Hard power increase…
For soft power decrease.
A soft power decrease that since 2016 our enemies have colluded with our corruptables to engineer.
This is not anything but symbolic of defeat.
As long as Starmer doesn’t become a Chamberlain and pursue a policy of appeasement.
By the way, de Gaulle was no great leader. He was in the same position as Zelensky, Nazi tanks approaching Paris. Did he stay and lead his people? No. He high-tailed it to London and sat out the war in splendid exile exhorting his people to fight on from well behind the lines, while Marechal Petain led the Vichy puppet government in France.