http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Politics/leadership en Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:12:40 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21968#post-384836 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:41:49 +0000 LaidBack 384836@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://fiftysixdegreesnorth.substack.com/p/the-starmer-syndrome" rel="nofollow">https://fiftysixdegreesnorth.substack.com/p/the-starmer-syndrome</a></p> <p><blockquote>The coverage was reminiscent of the OJ Simpson car chase coverage in 1994 in a White Bronco, though I think earnest pundits would have preferred us to consider the dramatic return of Vladimir Lenin to Russia from exile in Switzerland in 1917.</blockquote> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21968#post-384826 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 04:59:02 +0000 Yodhrin 384826@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well based on decades of polling on actual issues rather than the usual Team Red/Blue/Green/Yellow stuff, I'd wager quite a lot of people would like left populism at the next election. Higher taxes on the wealthy's assets and on corporations, nationalisation of key utilities, a social security system that lets people live with dignity(when you drill down with polling on the issue you find the right has successfully convinced most people that many in receipt of welfare are undeserving of it, but they remain in favour of the principle - that's not a problem with people disliking welfare it's a problem with foreign billionaire libertarians owning our media and shaping narratives that suit them), action on climate change(importantly, both prevention *and* adaptation, you need the latter to get people on board with the former), active travel - all these things consistently return well above 50% and often outright supermajorities of support among the British electorate.</p> <p>Mostly they simply don't believe any politician of any party will actually <em>deliver</em> those things. So if what we get is actual left populism not merely a performance of it during the election campaign, aye I think most people will be very happy indeed. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21968#post-384820 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:20:06 +0000 Baldcyclist 384820@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This is the UKs 7th attempt at 'new politics' in the last 10 years, and I don't think it will make much difference, might look a bit different arround the edges.</p> <p>That said, I don't think many will like what really will be the new politics that arrive at the next general election, whether that be left or right populists. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21968#post-384817 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:39:33 +0000 LaidBack 384817@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Both Anas Sarwar and John Swinney agreed that Starmer had to go.<br /> The former hasn't spoken yet. ;-)</p> <p>Moving resources and more powers to Manchester might pose other questions here.<br /> But if Burnham presides in a less imperial style and addresses deep concerns about the Labour Party's relationship with the Israeli Government and arms companies that would be a start. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21968#post-384810 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:53:34 +0000 chdot 384810@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This is not about Burnham, as such</p> <p>Not really about “Westminster”</p> <p>First reaction from someone who recently wrote quite a good book</p> <p>“</p> <p>The key ingredient that eludes them is courage. What does courage in leadership mean? First, what it isn’t: it has nothing to do with recklessness, shooting from the hip, courting short-term popularity.</p> <p>…</p> <p>Think of it another way. Given that the link between delivery and trust has been undermined, if mainstream politicians don’t think more imaginatively about the future, they won’t have a future. The old world is not coming back. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-lesson-for-burnham-before-its" rel="nofollow">https://johnkampfner.substack.com/p/the-lesson-for-burnham-before-its</a> </p>