NJS

Forest for me - unlikely but still.

Problem is there's a disconnect with the past when people were members of unions so sort of knew who would look after them. Not knowing history or having that association makes it easier to be influenced by the sun and the mail and sadly the BBC and think things are okay at best or think things can't really get better.

Preston struck me as a poorer man's Huddersfield - they tried to play a bit of football without really hurting us. I think we've been efficient this season but I don't like seeing the lesser teams having players more comfortable on the ball than ours. Without going full Noelie we'll need more footballers* next season. * By that I just mean people who can play.

I know it's an extreme longshot but I hope we sneak the title just to shove the "stumbling over the line" shit up sky's arse.

London specific on the latter - tourists who stand in front of the barriers looking clueless and/or stop immediately after the barriers.

People with the shit earphones you get with a phone blasting shit music with no noise cancellation whatsoever. People with laptops open who think their stupid work is more important than moving a couple of inches so people can actually get off at their fucking stop. People who put theirs bags between their legs preventing you from getting in to a space.

There is a jaundiced view I've had in the past that the way this country is set up with the entrenched establishment filled with inherited money and a cowed senior civil service that true change is impossible. I suppose that lends itself to a view of optimistic change through evolutionary stages rather than short term results. I think it was either HF or Chez who pointed out that the problem is you need the centre to get elected but then have to keep them happy to stay in power which limits the changes you could make. Without a sea change leftwards which is unlikely maybe an NL type government is the best we can hope for - depressing.

Some fair points though I would say civil partnerships were bottled because of Blair's religiosity and fox-hunting didn't go far enough. Some were a natural result of a booming economy which being honest, we were heading for under Major - Brown didn't stimulate that growth through policy. I would admit the minimum wage wouldn't have happened under a tory government but I also feel it hasn't been enforced well enough. Also the groundwork for the good Friday agreement was done under Major as well - fair play to both of them.

The fact that they didn't right any of her wrongs means though I wouldn't consider them Thatcherites (though Blair speaks fondly of her), they can't be considered even left of centre.

Deterrence to who though? I can accept their role in the cold war on a global level but I've never seen any scenario put forward that makes sense outside of that.

Money would be my main argument for giving it up - I know there are moral arguments but I see them as minor. If twenty, thirty or forty countries had them I could see your point regarding giving it up but as it's less than ten and apart from the other four big players, only isolated nations, I think you have to see what they mean compared to the big three (I think France are in the same boat as the UK) and also what they mean compared to other first world countries who don't seem to care about having them. They won't deter Russia or China or a terrorist state who acquired them which takes me back to the them being a waste of time as they aren't fit for purpose apart from grandising. To paraphrase Frankie Boyle it would be cheaper to write "We still matter" on the moon. I do realise the point you're making in that Corbyn should pander to public opinion on certain issues but if politicians have the "courage" to ignore them on things like the death penalty and until Cameron on the EU then they should have the courage to have a debate about what they are actually for. When we all realise it's an ego trip we might be able to move on.

If the available range is Thatcher to Blair then it is pointless and it is the same government.

Privatisations/ no renationalisations? CheckInvolving private finance and crippling the NHS with the debt? Check Encouraging a property bubble ensuring the poor struggle? Check Laissez-faire attitude to regulation bordering on worship of the city? Check Not one of Thatchers crimes corrected? Check Happy to sell arms to butchers? Check ATOS? Check Yeah achievements - not one thing Major or Cameron wouldn't have done.

He was electable by being a tory. That's the sad truth of this country.

Blair saying opposing Brexit is more important than voting for parties and people should vote on that basis.

He may be a charlatan but he isn't encouraging people to vote tory unlike your hero.

5th behind Germany and Japan who don't have their own nukes. Cock waving nonsense.

Have and two points due to GD. Otherwise correct

I'd rather have seen Forest lose - fuck Reading.

Going all Renton, a decent leader would have had a field day with her antics so far.

"Joe Public" wouldn't have used celebrity /fame to influence their victim which is another factor the thick cunt won't understand.

Thatcher started to really promote the notion of individuality and part of that was destroying cohesive organisations like unions because she knew that the baser instincts would come to the fore to their advantage. Blair did nothing to counter this so we've now had nearly forty years of blatant what can you for for me attitude to life and politics.

There's this notion of tories supporting the "aspirational" rather than labour keeping people down. I think it's partially down to a misguided belief in grammar schools which is why May backs them. The biggest step in "aspiration" in the 20th century was comprehensive education - introduced by labour - but try telling people that and they won't have it.

I think I've said before that I think people should vote with the greater good in mind rather than via personal circumstances. Maybe it's easier for me to say that as I'm doing okay but people who are struggling who think the tories will do anything for them are naive at best. I guess my view falls down if people who are ok don't think helping those off is the greater good but I suppose that's where we're at now.

The level of brazen stupidity is sad - someone says ukip isn't trusted after Farage lied about the 350m not realising that was actually the cunts you now say you're going to vote for. Morons.