Classic UK press language. ‘Sparked fury’ (i.e. in these offices and we hope we can spread that), £100k painting (huh? Says who? Could be more or less. A bit Dr Evil this, huh huh One hundred thousands pounds). Man moves old stuff in new office around would have done it.
In other news, one thing I've noticed quite a bit this past couple of weeks is an unusual obsession among the GB News / Daily Mail / Telegraph etc in highlighting Starmer's approval rating. I've only spotted it because the Edge browser on my work computer opens MSN as it's default page and there's a news aggregator thing on there. They keep writing hysterical stories with breathless headlines about his rating 'plummeting', hitting a 'record low' or whatever. Starmer had a small bounce after the election when very much unlike almost every other politician he limped into net positive. It was obviously never going to last but it's still pretty 'meh' rather than strongly favourable or otherwise. It's also completely and utterly irrelevant outside of an election or a leadership challenge. It's obviously political wishcasting rather than proper reporting and yet again they're trying to whip up a sentiment rather than report it. It's interesting because some pretty mainstream polls show people are generally more positive about Starmer's response to the riots than disapproving. Even the smoking thing announced yesterday got more people in favour than against in a YouGov poll.
I think this is a new normal. Right wingers on social media are quite hysterical about Starmer already and we’ve not even got Parliament back for them to make any laws. There’s an attempt to forge an enduring image of Starmer's character, rather in the way that reality TV builds an image of a person to like or dislike on Big Brother or Lurv Island. Starmer is to be the authoritarian killjoy, a desiccated soulless, Stalinist bureaucrat. Of course, to some extent the same was done for Johnson and Truss. That’s why I describe it as the ‘new normal.’ Two sides delineated completely, with nothing in common but antipathy for each other’s representatives. You can certainly argue that Truss and Johnson bought large amounts of it on themselves with their grossly irresponsible behaviour. You are right enough though. Most won’t care until an election and as much as there is terrible whingeing about the courts and free speech, the racist rioters couldn’t win nor can hate go unchallenged. People will mostly see that.
It's yet another tactic sourced from the US right wing media. Unfortunately it seems like the worst excesses of US right wing coverage continue to be imported into the UK. Of course, given that the PM isn't directly elected by the public it's an utterly meaningless statistic, instead of an almost completely useless one like in the US.
Yeah. I think it's a fair shout to highlight the other side did much the same with successive Tory leaders. But of course they're usually limited to shouting from the sidelines on social media or the like, rather than dominating a chunk of the news agenda. I suppose part of it is about the newspapers and GB News trying to make their readers feel better too. Helps their hurty feels if they're told bad ol' Starmer is a rotten stinker and no one likes him after all. It just annoys me as we know this sort of drivel from the right wing media sock puppets is only a step away from the Beeb solemnly reporting on Starmer's popularity on the 10 o'clock news after 'debate in various newspapers over the weekend' or whatever. Hopefully they see it for what it is but recent history makes me more than sceptical.
Over 900 healthcare workers gave their lives battling COVID under the most difficult and trying conditions says the inquiry. And in return we got a little green badge and some doorstep clapping. But this news must make way at the top of the news for a very lengthy and detailed report about some princess who had been ill, but is now feeling much better. Gord bless yer ma'am. So just rejoice at that news. REJOICE!
