Keith Y

I have been thinking about a Radical Democrat approach to HoL Reform and have written up some thoughts if anyone is interested. tinyurl.com/5bbuca24

@JuliaHB1 Ah. It's Lenin leading the masses.

This statue is the latest Banksy artwork. He's so trite and predictable, I'm surprised his stuff isn't sold as M&S cards.

@LucyTrims Where did he get the olives, peppers and courgettes?

Looks easy enough… For someone else to do for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@DreyfusJames But enough of this... How is Hobbes?

In these unbelievably crazy & polarising times, I remain supremely grateful to all who keep on keeping on, especially the small accounts who must sometimes think their voices aren’t heard or paid any heed to. Let me tell you, your support & loyalty means the world… every time.

We don't know what he thought he was doing. If I were his boss, I would present the evidence and I'd ask for his account. If his explanation isn't acceptable, I would request a copy of the video recorded by him (he has a camera/mic around his neck as is normal in Weatherspoons). I would also seek the opinions of other employees at the establishment. Assuming I cannot prove this one way or another, I would go through what is expected of him and any staff that he manages. I would then send a letter to all staff at that establishment, reminding of their duties. If I can prove it, he would get a formal warning that any further behaviour like this would result in instant dismissal.

@sciatika @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 Doesn't matter??? This is the basis of your argument.

🚨NEW: A Wetherspoons bar manager in Braintree has refused to serve supporters of Reform UK.

@IlkleyJohn @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 Doesn't matter. As the employer, I would want to know why my employee refused service to a customer.

@sciatika @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 How did he know that they were Reform?

@ncmyok @IlkleyJohn @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 I will trust the employer to investigate. But, if he is refusing customers and, therefore, damaging revenue, on the basis of them supporting a legal political party, I would expect him to be disciplined.

@sciatika @IlkleyJohn @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 ‘One of the problems in our society is the inability of may people to have a reasoned debate on any issue’, says Keith having made his mind up about a situation, he is otherwise unaware of, based on a 14 second clip and damning someone to the unemployment line, as a result.

@IlkleyJohn @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 You do know that Tim Martin, the owner of Weatherspoons, has supported Reform. Why would he want to lose these customers?

@sciatika @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 I doubt it. Employee of the month more like.

@ncmyok @IlkleyJohn @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 No. The implication is clear. The rest is sophistry.

@sciatika @IlkleyJohn @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 To be fair, he doesn’t say he is refusing to serve them BECAUSE they are reform supporters. He just confirms, when asked, that he is refusing to serve ‘reform supporters’, which at that moment he is.

One of the problems in our society is the inability of many people to have a reasoned debate on any issue. This is striking at the fundamental operating principles of liberal democracy, which is dependent on having reasoned debate (check out Locke, Mill, Madison, etc). Policing or cancelling other people's political views are destroying our society. Approving that behaviour is the problem not the solution. Fortunately, I suspect he will no longer have a job when his employer finds out. Good.

@sciatika @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 Yes, I’ve listened again and he does appear to say that to a question from someone else. His decision. Not a protected group so I’d say he is within his rights.

@IlkleyJohn @TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 The clip explicitly asks whether "Weatherspoons in Braintree are refusing to serve Reform supporters?" and he replies "Yes".

@TheMercianNews @kelly_kello13 I must have missed the bit where it is because you are Reform. He can refuse to serve whoever he wants and he doesn’t have to give an explanation.

@Ghostthatwalks9 @sophielouisecc Should be done by advocated sortition. No appointments, no elections, just democracy through lot combined with advocacy. That is the only way to achieve a house that reflects the experience of the people as a whole and provide the pluralism we need.

@sciatika @sophielouisecc My second point, political appointees also should be gone. If the people vote for someone not to bright that is on the people.

If we ban hereditary peers - we should ban the political appointments of peers as well A peer who is serving hereditarily is far far better than a peer who is serving because of corruption

@Ghostthatwalks9 @sophielouisecc You mean like most politicians including those elevated on party lines who also have the stink of corruption.

@sophielouisecc How? What if the person imheriting a peerage is as thick as mince? Agree political appointed ones should be next. Also fail to get elected....banned from becoming one the people have spoken.

@KemiBadenoch All so Starmer can pack the house with his cronies.

In the midst of all the news today, and with Parliament prorogued, many people may not have noticed that this was the final time the hereditary peers sat in Parliament before being forced out by Labour. I want to pay an extra special tribute to them. Combined they had 1784 years of parliamentary experience, wisdom and service to this country. That is not something easily replaced, and it should not be casually discarded. Most were Conservatives. All were public servants. They have brought to public life judgment shaped over decades, deep expertise, institutional memory, and a sense of duty that has strengthened Parliament and, very often, improved legislation in ways the public will never fully see. Their record speaks for itself. They have served in war and peace, in government and opposition, in defence, diplomacy, farming, business, science and public service. They have not merely occupied seats in the Lords, they have contributed to the life of the nation. That is why what has happened matters. Hereditary peers are a living part of Britain’s constitutional inheritance that Labour is casually tearing up. Labour has rubbed away another part of our heritage, not to strengthen Parliament but to replace it with political appointees, four of whom it has already had to suspend the whip from because they were so inappropriate. That contrast says rather a lot. At a time when public trust in politics is fragile, I think it is worth saying plainly that experience, seriousness and tradition still matter. Service still matters. Duty still matters. So today, as an era closes, I want to put on record my profound gratitude and admiration for our hereditary peers. Britain has been better governed because of them. The Conservative Party has been stronger because of them. And Parliament will be poorer without them. Their contribution will long outlast the petty politics that has brought this moment about.

@bphillipsonMP Another handmaiden.

Rupert Lowe is no supporter of women. His track record speaks for itself. Only Labour will tackle violence against women and girls.

@zatzi It's John McDonnell

👀 John McDonald’s point of order after PMQs. 💥 Labour Together allegations getting even more serious. Labour Together was Starmer’s backing group, highly influential on the Starmer-led Labour Party, and seen as an "incubator" of its 2024 manifesto. “nearly all the MPs credited with building Labour Together since 2017 — Reeves, Wes Streeting, Shabana Mahmood, Steve Reed, Bridget Phillipson, Lucy Powell and Lisa Nandy — now sit in Starmer's top team.” [source Politico] And of course, Morgan McSweeney…. 🧐

@CatharineHoey He needs the space to promote some more of his cronies.

Moving scenes in the Lords today as many long serving hereditary Peers said goodbye to staff in the House. Some of them have been serving the country for years and years Nasty of Starmer to throw them out before the end of this Parliament - they will be missed for their hard work and dedication to public service

@p7ulg @afneil The price of petrol is made up of: ~66% taxes (fuel duty and VAT). ~27% crude oil and wholesale costs. ~7% transport/retail expenses. Hardly any of the money goes to BP. The government bears a far greater responsibility for the cost of your fuel.

@afneil I am sure BP is benefiting from the profits brought about by the sale of its oil in the UK. Last time I filled up they weren't exactly giving it away. BP maybe global and while we aren't responsible for all of its profits we do contribute to them.

You’re the energy secretary. Yet you don’t seem to know that BP’s ‘excess profits’ come from its global oil trading division, which is not subject to UK ‘excess profits’ windfall tax, not from its North Sea activities, which are. Remarkable.

We are living in a time of cowards and liars. Abstaining just means either you don't care whether the PM lied or you would prefer to put yourself or your party before the national interest. The former is carte blanche for dictatorship. The latter makes the labour party a sectarian party, ignoring the need for the compromises necessary for democratic governance. They should be ashamed of themselves but are probably too dim to realise.

15 Labour MPs rebelled to vote for Starmer to face investigation by the privileges committee: Apsana Begum Richard Burgon Ian Byrne Mary Kelly Foy Imran Hussain Brian Leishman Emma Lewell Rebecca Long Bailey Andy McDonald John McDonell Grahame Morris Luke Myer Kate Osborne Cat Smith Nadia Whittome But *53* Labour MPs abstained/ were absent

@MarkOrmrod Yes, @Blesma

Do you support our Veterans? 🇬🇧

@TracyNeverLabor Probably paired

WHY is there only TWO members of Reform in the house today?! The day when MPs have to decide & vote for Labour or against The Tory’s request on whether to send #KeirTheCoward to the parliamentary committee to be investigated!!