Breaking Down Trump’s Controversial Cabinet Picks

[@restispolitics]

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[@adamstanway7720]

I love that you scammers are powered by green energy. Perfect

[@gobiwaq]

I love how you do the Fuse commercial in your coats like you don't have central heating

[@unbabunga229]

It’s because they use Fuse

[@ashley-o5e]

Go to be green when it comes to staying warm in winter to offset the hundreds of thousands of air miles they each clock up per year.

[@timapple9157]

​@@ashley-o5eEnvy much?

[@idcharles3739]

Lol

[@Nomoreanons]

I have always voted Labour so I'm sympathetic to Alistair's views but I feel his tribalism is clouding his judgment. I think Rory is right about the poor communication of the government. The general public obviously doesn't follow politics in the way that he does and need to be shown and told what is happening far more explicitly if they are going to have a hope of countering toxic social media. The populist right, in particular, is doing this much more effectively.

[@orionandersen9333]

This is so true. I want to cheer Starmer on, but their communication feels so drab

[@Newerasamearea]

I agree but it's far easier to Cherry pick and communicate populist themes (lock her up, stop the boats, take back control, cut tax) than it deal with the most pressing priorities (reform healthcare, reform penal system, solve income inequality, increase priductivity). I think labour is betting of competency and results to carry them through. But if those results don't materialise in 3y time they'll lose the election

[@andrewharrison7767]

take the winter fuel allowance as an example - did the policy need updating? Yes, the amount hasn't increased in 25 years, despite pension & energy cost increases; but instead of working with age uk on HOW to target in at below median pensioners income - circa £18-20k - they just sprang it, blamed the tories and tried to pretend it was saving a bigger chunk of the black hole than it was

[@RobinINSC-ob7bb]

Well said

[@RobinINSC-ob7bb]

​@@NewerasameareaBiden was betting on that as well

[@jmiller7209]

Centrists/Liberals mindset on the immigration debate is stuck in the 2010s, but things are so different now in regard to sheer numbers and the type of people coming, it's incomparable. The housing crisis simply isn't going to be solved if the population increases quicker than homes are built. Public finances are seeing a net negative impact from many migrant groups now as they bring dependents, work in informal employment and recieve council housing.

[@dylanburnett7928]

So build more housing. None of this is an argument against immigration or asylum except for the end and you have zero evidence of that.

[@andrewharrison7767]

try telling the same group of people that the gdp figures are meaningless if gdp per head is either 1 going down, 2 focussed so everyday folk don't feel it, 3 increasing wealth inequality - or ALL 4

[@RobinINSC-ob7bb]

The UK managed to build houses with far less technology and materials after the second world war

[@AndrewJSmith]

Neither clarified that many are international students, but mislabelled as 'immigrants' .....temporary border churn & free VAT etc. money

[@andrewharrison7767]

@@RobinINSC-ob7bb have you heard of the raac & asbestos issues from that time?

[@Gma2021]

Legal immigration is the real issue here. Whether it damages the economy or not it has to come down DRAMATICALLY. 900000 is absolutely ridiculous and unsustainable on our infrastructure and housing etc.

[@davebox588]

But doesn't it need to be more nuanced than that? And I'm sincerely welcoming discussion here. If the people coming in are doing jobs we need to be done, then are these people really who we're objecting to? I agree those numbers are high, and it appears to me that it's unsustainable, then what are the migrants doing now? Are they going onto jobseekers, are they picking our crops, are they our doctors and nurses? Do you see what I'm asking? It seems to me that for years we've (to my mind scandalously) not invested in medical education, sciences and other things we might be expected to think we'd grow at "home"? It seems to me we get distracted about The Boats, when we should be thinking about how our social infrastructure works. We have a housing shortage because we stopped building homes ages ago. People get upset about hearing groups of darker skinned people speaking a foreign language when those same people might well be sustaining a crumbling a population that on average is growing much older? For example, the average population of the UK is living longer and holding onto their houses for longer (as they have every right to) but that goes to part of why younger people can't get housing. It seems to me so often people are listening to soundbites when it's often more complex than that.

[@chrisohanlon69]

It needs to be reversed. Tinkering with immigration caps is like trying to fix holes in a boat that has already sunk to the bottom of the ocean. None of Starmers plans will come to anything unless the real problem is addressed.

[@erenmeatrider]

@@davebox588 I agree it needs to be more nuanced. For me, the bottom line is that as they mentioned on the podcast, the vast majority (around 2/3rds I think) of those legal immigrangts are not on work visas. Therein lies the problem. It's undeniable we need immigration for a functioning economy and society but with these high levels of non-working immigrants, our already stressed infrastructure is going to creak even more. I agree completely that the small boats is relatively unimportant in terms of immigration (aside from human rights issues and smuggling gangs) and little more than sensationalist, headline-making news as part of the whole 'culutral identity' debate. We should also be looking to, as you said, grow at home the skills for those jobs we rely on immigrants for. Realistically, I think there are some jobs (e.g., fruitpicking) that will always have to be done by immigrants, simply becasue British people won't do them. However, that does not mean we cannot improve in many areas. So, I would support immigration on a more skills-based system, with far fewer non-working visas being given, while at the same time attempting to encourage our workers into professions we typically rely on immigrants to do (which would take a long time, I imagine!).

[@mattyr40]

Train British kids to do jobs and pay them properly. We are going backwards as a nation rapidly.

[@erenmeatrider]

@@mattyr40 I agree that is part of the potential solution. Need to be able to be much better at making things ourselves.

[@davecap2641]

How can people tolerate 14 years of tory rule and yet demand it fixed in 5 minutes ?????

[@rickatatastan2695]

... many of the solutions DO look crap, though. Reynolds on QT saying we can't tax the rich, Starmer sucking up to wealth extractors and Reeves' spending review Austerity.

[@NeilOB9]

People aren’t complaining that it hasn’t been fixed, they’re complaining because they think the proposed solutions are immoral.

[@mattyr40]

Because they are showing all the signs of more of the same.

[@peterlinfield8707]

The thing is, Jeremy Hunt dropped Employee NI twice by 2p each time - 4p in total. Then tied Labour to not increasing Tax. He also hid a £20B black hole in public spending and hid it from the Office of Budget Responsibility. He laid a massive booby trap for the incoming Government. I want Jeremy Hunt charged with Treason. He is a Traitor.

[@nathanmitchell295]

@@davecap2641 People are not demanding it fixed in 5 minutes. They are demanding Labour don’t accelerate the decline in 5 minutes. Which they have done.

[@joestacey7793]

Rory was on fire this podcast! 🔥🔥🔥

[@philjameson292]

Im surprised at Rory's comments about sending boat migrants back to France What is France going to do with them, send them back to their neighbours? What do their neighbours do, send them back to Italy and Greece etc and leave them with the problem? His idea is literally kicking the can down the road The issues of asylum seekers and illegal migrants needs to be addressed on a European and EU basis

[@lakedistrict9450]

This is more like a bubble than a thoughtful discussion.

[@catrionaskivingtonskivingt4819]

The really weird thing about this is that even if Trump doesn’t do what he promised his supporters they’ll still support him & even make excuses for him.I think they’ll feel that stupid for believing him they’ll double down & pretend whatever he does is what he actually promised 🙇‍♀️

[@skeovkp48598]

The comments on The Rest is Politics are becoming more and more toxic. I've no idea why people bother to watch or comment if they hate it so much. Thanks for the video both. Enjoyed watching.

[@greghill7759]

This is a common trend on American podcasts since Trump's win.

[@skeovkp48598]

@@greghill7759 It's got worse since Rory predicted the outcome incorrectly. Which admittedly was a bit of a gaffe, but no reason for the torrent of hate it unleashed.

[@kityfitz]

We watch because it’s important to know what the enemy are up to and if you don’t recognise that Alistair is the enemy (just look back at his comments and rhetoric during Blair’s reign) then we’re really lost.

[@skeovkp48598]

@@kityfitz No you really don't.

[@greghill7759]

@@kityfitz "The enemy?" O.K. Got it.

[@robynnnthegreat2185]

I do check comments but really my blood pressure doesnt need it. I find their analysis thought provoking and they have valuable insights. No I dont always agree but so what?

[@amjster]

Alistair, you say how Trump got into power on the back of a "certainty" campaign, "Vote for me and everything will be great", but now they are confident about uncertainty. Isn't that the Labour Party perfectly described with their recent win as well ??

[@AZhangETH]

Poor comparison, the over promising from Labour is not even in the same universe as Trumps.

[@thepm3972]

Thought all those trying to get in power do it...we should have new elections the second they miss the promises made...that would make a difference 😂

[@Calmness123-f5k]

I always feel Cooper has a good attention to detail and is trying to sort out the problem rationally and plausibly. The Tories were fast asleep in so many areas for years and depleted so many areas of government, so it will take time.

[@gartbern]

Alastair Campbell seems to disregard our culture. With over 1 million immigrants arriving annually and 31.8% of births in 2023 to non-UK-born mothers (up from 30.3% in 2022), the demographic makeup of this country is changing rapidly. After 2,000 years of history, should we prioritize labor demands over preserving our cultural identity?

[@madmags969]

2000 years.. so.. what cultural identity has endured for 2000 years in this country? Saxon? Norman? Celt? Viking? Roman? Hugenot? etc etc etc. Which point in those 2000 years do you draw the line and say "THAT'S our cultural identity. Don't change it". I suspect, and I hope I'm way off, that you're talking about people who aren't the same colour or religion you consider to be 'British'. If I'm wrong I apologise profusely and mean no offence at all. Just that when people talk about cultural identity, that tends to be the subtext.

[@mattyr40]

It's nothing to do with racism it's the scale and speed of change. It's insane.

[@mat3714]

Russian b0t

[@richardbartlett6932]

Campbell etc al disregard our or the GBP culture because they live in an extremely small cosetted, predominantly upper middle class white world. They rarely come into contact with outsiders past their children's nanny or security guard. They genuinely don't see any issues with mass migration because it simply doesn't get anywhere near their gated community. They live an elitist life. Hence Campbell's constant puzzled confusion and bemusement of anything to do with slowing immigration.

[@dylanburnett7928]

"Our culture" what a joke. English culture isn't even English, it's mostly French.

[@shoelessjoe428]

As someone who doesn't give a toss about immigration, I get so fed up at the way immigration sucks all the oxygen out of debate. None of the more important subjects get proper consideration because we waste so much time on immigration. Also, people like Musk and Farage are on record talking about how we need people to have a lot more babies. This is how disingenuous & inconsistent the whole debate is. Those who are saying we're over populated and that public services are under threat from immigration, are also promoting more babies!

[@billysmith7686]

You're part of a relatively small minority of the electorate which doesn't consider immigration to be a major issue. In the same vein, I find the NHS utterly uninteresting and a cancer sucking the life out of British public finances. However, for the vast majority of people it is incredibly important as a political issue, and millions are utterly reliant on it. That is the salience of the immigration debate. And, if you don't care, then I'd suggest that restrictions on immigration would be something easy to tolerate as it's a low importance issue to you. Your comment, however, seems to lean more towards the notion that you don't care about this issue and therefore it's illegitimate that other people do.

[@shoelessjoe428]

@@billysmith7686 That's not my comment at all, friend. It's become more than legitimate, it's become all consuming! The front pages often dominated by it. Our 2 main political parties spend the majority of their time arguing over it. We've taken a massive turn away from long standing international allies, in the name of controlling immigration. One which has inadvertently had impacts beyond immigration. I think Farage has now been on BBCQT some 38 times if I recall correctly - despite losing most of the elections he's faced. But he has one ace up his sleeve which he plays regularly to stay relevant - immigration. Even though you and I have nothing in common with a multi-millionaire ex-city trader, he's always on TV somehow. For a man who whinges about being marginalised all the time, he gets a lot of support from the msm. As for the NHS, you have every right to not like/agree with it. But kindly don't use it if that is the case. Otherwise you risk being called out for hypocrisy. And be careful what you wish for ...the top reason for bankruptcy in the US is healthcare bills / co-pays / deductibles. The private system there is thousands of dollars per head per year more expensive than the UK system and yields a lower average life expectancy, as well as a higher infant mortality. These are the cold facts.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

Alistair is correct to say that 14 years of deliberately not doing anything to resolve issues have made them worse. Doing the job properly will move things forward. Propaganda can wait until there are results to present.

[@eliseleonard3477]

When you were discussing the inclination of NATO and other leaders to analyze and describe difficulties at great length rather than simply fixing them, this is what military and corporate consultants call “admiring the problem”.

[@Horsa-sr8oz]

I find it odd how so many ignore the underlying poverty levels that exist in the UK. The child poverty levels should illicit some concern. Instead the focus is everything but. What is going to happen to these children in 10 or 20 years. It seems hard to accept everyone's concern over immigration and overseas conflicts and total negligence to such horrendous problems at home.

[@ruthfrench]

I would like you to consider why outsiders find the UK so attractive and can this be changed without actively disadvantaging those of us who are already here?

[@marijo1951]

I'm sure it's because English is taught as second language in most countries. Yes, France is a free and safe country but most people haven't learned French, while they do know some English. In fact some immigrants speak excellent English without every having visited an Anglophone country before.

[@masonpetrosky]

Hey Rory, from an American perspective, not wanting to support Ukraine is not seen as an ‘eccentric’ position like you mentioned. I can see arguments for it both ways, but Trump won on, at the very least, an ‘anti-getting involved’ policy for the region and more probably like a ‘the fighting needs to stop, and it needs to stop soon’ policy for the region. Appreciate hearing your perspective though, which is why I keep coming back to listen in here and there. Always important to keep the conversation going!

[@karlfranz9373]

Someone named Neville Chamberlain used to try this policy and it was called the appeasement.

[@timapple9157]

Yeah Don the peacemaker, dream on.

[@davegold]

The 'avoid fighting' and 'fighting needs to stop policy' has a bitter pill to swallow. What are you willing to pay to stop the fighting? How can you deter someone from fighting again if your only response is to pay them off repeatedly?

[@mat3714]

Trump won on immigration and lies about the economy. Foreign policy had little impact. Just like brexit wasn't about money or eu relations. Just like this comment section is filled with stupid positions about immigration.

[@Jim070]

@@karlfranz9373wanting to end a conflict and naively believing that signing an agreement with the actual H1tler are apples and oranges.

[@MikeL8998]

While there is a few things about RJK jr that’s a bit worrying, I think his attack on food in America is great to see, he’s basically trying to make their food like Europes.

[@24-hours-in]

Labour has a four year mandate. It'll take at least three years to get things going and that's fast for the civil service. Come five or six years from now, that's when we start to see whether these programmes are successful or not. Pilot programs are a more agile way of testing. Being fast to fail and quick to scrap if they don't bring the intended results. That being said, there are successful immigration platforms across the world, just copy, copy, copy.

[@richardthingsilike9562]

Does this mean that Donald might may not be 100% sure what he's doing?

[@oneukum]

In case of immigration you can set goals. That won't change that if somebody arrives on an illegal boat, you'll need to do something. Boats may not be an issue in Britain. They are elsewhere, respectively countries have land borders. The issue is the Convention on Refugees itself. We are deluding ourselves.

[@jazy3091]

39:19 it's funny that the lady started with "you can't see a white face in here anymore" and then proceeded to "you only hear Polish at schools". Last time I checked, Poles are predominantly white so now I wonder, is there incredibly large community of non-white people who learnt Polish for funsies in Cambria?

[@jasonhaven7170]

look at the comments here

[@alma3787]

Hi guys, huge fan of your work 🎉. Happy holidays to you both and everyone. Love from France. Maria ❤

[@curtistim]

That 'genius' charm is classic MO for malignant narcissists

[@Manmadepack]

u guys need to interview gary stevenson, the idea that rich people could just leave is unproven and likely not true as the super rich are tied down to their british assets. they cant leave the country with their money with for example supermarkets and houses owned as an investment assets they would have to sell which should be taxed appropriately anyway as captial gains.

[@Ciarananthonymitchell844]

I watched Lebanese person on AL Jazeera complaining about immigration just like what we here in the UK

[@colincampbell4261]

About 4 million refugees in Lebanon, normal population about 8 million. Huge compared to the UK.

[@williamcharles7541]

Refugees in Lebanon are equivalent to 30% of total population. In the UK the same proportion would mean 20 million refugees.

[@andrewcoy1766]

You need to get out and see how people round the country are feeling. Living in South Yorkshire I would say the feeling is very pessimistic and getting worse week to week. There is no positivity about the government or the direction of the country. I don’t think it’s just that the government has lost public confidence/ support, the country itself is in danger of loosing the people and we are now entering a very dangerous time where people are stopping caring.

[@LaverLamont]

I think Labour aren’t just trying to get the “Tories left a mess”message across; they are trying to make sure we remember that message in 4 years time.

[@NeilOB9]

By which point people will get sick of it.

[@FRM101]

People already knew this, and proved it on election day. In other words, the people are answering, "We did our bit on election day and now it's time for you lot to do yours."

[@timapple9157]

UK govt has 5 year terms.btw.

[@christopheriles595]

Housing shortage and building .............follow many modern countries and introduce modern prefabricated houses. Better insulated with modern grey water systems Etc Etc; Reduce running costs and concrete pollution, building costs, ease, speed and quality build QED

[@robryan1933]

Western politicians fom Tony Blairs's time can only have been ignoring legal mass migration and the effects of that. From the same time period, lack of training has resulted in lack of skilled people for many occupations, doctors health workers engineers builders etc etc. Had there been the training the uk would not need to import as many skilled workers. Large numbers if migrants results in house prices going up and rents and the whole infrastructure breaking down so uk residents get less for more. Any wonder people are likely going to vote for right wing parties. Those in power fir the last 25 years must have thier heads in the sand.

[@jasonhaven7170]

the youth are going left, the old are going right

[@allexmyers4955]

Who says government is coherent? Too many changes at once keeps us in chaos.

[@Stigtoes]

Rory thinks that there are no reasons to come to the UK on small boats. What about those with relatives here or those that don't speak French but speak English? After all, we've spent the last 500 years forcing English on half the world.

[@Lucas-np3ru]

So they risk their lives rather than learn a few phrases and numbers in French?

[@skeovkp48598]

There may be other reasons, but I can't accept that it's worth risking your life to avoid learning French.

[@Lucas-np3ru]

@@skeovkp48598 Are those arriving on boats really that great at English? Would they give Salman Rushdie a run for his money in a public speaking contest?

[@skeovkp48598]

@@Lucas-np3ru Probably not. I agree with you. Having to learn French isn't a reason to risk your life crossing the channel on a tiny boat.

[@anselmdanker9519]

Ah the 2 clots who said Kemala Harris was going to win the election 😂😂😂😂

[@jonwalton4286]

Yh then two guys lol

[@carysnw1]

The Rome court put the kibosh on Meloni's Italy-Albania migration adjudication and detention plan in November, so it is a bit disingenuous of Rory to speak of it (and for TRIP to run the newspaper headline of this proposal) as if is a legitimate policy.

[@rmnair90]

There's some mention in there about "Britain being more densely populated than parts of India." What did you expect after "importing" so many people from the sub-continent.😂

[@enuclear]

On Trump’s nominations, it would be interesting to know how many of his appointees in 2017 survived the first, say, 12 months? My recollection is that turnover was huge partly because Trump changes his mind every 5 minutes. So I think there is a danger in reading too much into his picks and by implication too much into the policy that we might expect them to pursue. Extreme volatility as well as total nonsense will be the name of the game show in 2025.

[@neiljarrett6750]

You argued at the start that its total net migration that is the big issue and then at the end you say, yet again, the big problem is the smugglers. I've met them in prison. I assure you, they don't make much money amd this is a small part of the issue that headline makers love. Dont play the Farage game.

[@chrisohanlon69]

What were you in for?

[@MrSeebsy]

Not hard to see why even the Tories expelled Rory. Guy is a toady lefty. Absolutely no daylight between him & AC.

[@josephsimoncurran9994]

I hope you are not suggesting that those in the centre or centre-left should out-Reform Reform? It won't make any difference they will just push to further extremes

[@odi299]

Saying there are no reasons for someone to choose boarding a flimsy boat in the middle of winter is simply incorrect. There are plenty of reasons. For instance, many of those who make the crossing speak English, which makes settling in England far easier than in France. You’re mistaken, Rory. I agree with Alastair-migration shouldn’t be impeded.

[@Validifyed]

I fundamentally disagree. If the aim is to flee a dangerous or warring area, you have already achieved that aim. A small boat crossing is exceptionally dangerous, and the fact that so many people attempt it likely points to smugglers not being upfront about the true risks involved. It is not a journey worth the risk solely for an easier time communicating.

[@Richard-d1y]

Migration shouldn't be impeded? Any limit on that?

[@rickatatastan2695]

@@Validifyed The aim is to stop people talking about taxing the rich.

[@JohnDoe-lw2nm]

So there will be an English language test administered to each boat load?? Is a rough knowledge of the English language some kind of innoculation against religious intolerance?

[@NeilOB9]

Risking your life because you want to be in an English speaking country seems a bit silly to be honest.

[@bjrnhjjakobsen2174]

What about doing something about the illegal job market to remove the incentive for the boat migrants ?

[@gordonshrubb7155]

If you have lots of money, living is just fine in the UK.

[@adampascoe1084]

Alistair said “most of the public still have a positive feeling about the labour government” - the latest IPSOS poll “reveals continued public disappointment with the government”. Poll released on 3rd Dec shows that 53% of Britons say they are disappointed with what the Labour government have done, only 1 in 5 (19%) say they are pleased. Keir Starmer’s personal approval rating is now as low as Liz Truss’s. The poll goes on to say that the public believes that the government is doing a bad job in delivering their 5 missions. We are only just seeing the impact of the increases in employer’s NI, growth is slowing, small companies are struggling to take on new employees and grow their businesses. The universities are struggling to make ends meet, which has also been exacerbated by the NI increase, and the increase in student fees won’t cover these costs and will only put students further into debt. There is a lot of ill feeling about the attack on farmers and farming, the cost of living is still rising, car tax will go up next year, council tax is increasing, energy bills are increasing - none of this will facilitate breaking the class ceiling.

[@philjameson292]

I dont know where Rory is getting his immigration data from but the government data for 2023 is Total visas issued 3.3m Visitors 55% Student visas 20% or 0.66m Work visas 16% or 0.54m Family visas 3% Other 6% (inc Ukraine and HK) Work and student visas are issued on the basis that there are clear jobs and student places The solution to legal migration is to cut work and student visas and work through the consequences

[@muzi2672]

They are missing the point. People hear about boats and illegal immigration and record numbers, then see in their cities the rising numbers of people from places like sub Saharan Africa (and India, Pakistan etc), added to the higher birth rates among non white communities, and conclude the problem is illegal immigration. That needs sorting in a fair and humane way, for the reasons they outline, but it's LEGAL immigration which is the issue.

[@timapple9157]

Don will fix it!

[@PharmacadServices]

I find it frustrating that all the discussion about new housing focusses on bricks and mortar solutions. Very little is talked about the huge advances made with much cheaper, and less labour-intensive, modular housing. This will vastly facilitate the creation of affordable housing. Why isnt this being talked about?

[@grahamreddel5682]

@@PharmacadServices it’s a good idea to solve a present problem but if you go to Germany or Switzerland you will see houses are built to last hundreds of years. Modular housing today will be the ghettos of tomorrow. Poland still has vast number of socialist housing blocks falling apart because the builders didn’t design them to last more than 20 years.

[@Jack-yg7de]

Because housing is seen as much as an investment as a place to live. If you know your house isn't built to last who'll ever buy it from you? The reality is that there's plenty of housing sat empty. Brexit has been a disaster but if we're not going to revisit it why not use it as a way to force foreign property owners to forfeit the property they have here?

[@jungleboy1]

There were no modular housing pre ww2 and everyone was happy and needs were balanced. We've not had a major war since, therefore i cannot see why we cant make purpose built homes in volume.

[@PharmacadServices]

@@Jack-yg7de But the more modern modular housing solutions are better, and thats the point. Houses dont have to be built from bricks and mortar, and they can be modular and lasting.They also dont need armies of (often non-domestic) labour to build them. I think its just lack of imagination where the power is. Im not talking about postwar prefab builds. The technology and methods are better now, and the construction is more standardized. It just isnt true any more that the builds are shoddy. I also think its a solution for some farmers and some of their land if the regulations allowed it.

[@samscully3343]

And totally (further) ruin the aesthetic of the country. For a time we were renowned for our architecture and identifiable culture

[@bernhardfraser]

Alaistair can't understand that 900000 annual migrants is a little on the high side. "Yes, but we are not more densely populated than the most densely populated parts of India."

[@andrewlewis5077]

That's what happened to Biden that they did well on the economy, good job numbers, low unemployment, lowest inflation in the G7 but trump and the GOP kept telling people thst the country was in a recession and they believed them. You not only need to do the job but tell people that you've done it and keep telling them.

[@Bisqand]

lol how you can fail to leave out Hegseth’s multi tour military service and just go with ‘fox presenter and anti woke’

[@RobertThomson-y4m]

Easy for these biased Muppets.

[@joanne0]

36:31 The problem with the whole immigration debate / “no white faces” sentiment that I think is going understated is that you cannot “fix” it. Even if immigration falls to zero starting tomorrow, the demographics of the UK have permanently changed and will continue to do so. The immigrant groups the UK attracts have a birth rate that is extremely high compared to the native population , and since a lot of the recent immigrant women are economically inactive (look this up if you don’t believe me) they are likely to continue to have lots of children. From Labors perspective, there is no point trying to solve this because as the years go by, the share of the population who are upset about demographic changes will continue to shrink, whilst more and more of the electorate become non-UK born and so dont feel strongly about immigration (assuming something similar to the Latino red-wave doesn’t happen here)

[@WM-ln4dz]

Judge Judy would probably be a far better AG than Bondi

[@edfirth3135]

Yes but that’s the exact definician of a dictator-he can. Rack heads together and get things done

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

I thought that 62% of immigrants were coming in on skilled worker visas.

[@jonharvey6277]

Given we have a national grid and fuse is just a billing agent how do they stop non green energy getting to their customers?

[@Jedstop]

The bias these two have about Trump is completely blinding them.

[@janetsanders5356]

Disagree in the USA, He doesn't even really believe in democracy

[@bernardcollier1226]

He did say he was going to intrude less on peoples lives. I think he doesn’t want to replicate TB.

[@MsPaulathomas]

So according to Rory, the rich are paying too much tax and the poor aren't paying enough? Really Rory?

[@marijo1951]

He said it in such a quiet matter-of-fact way, when in fact it was pretty outrageous. And Alastair didn't challenge him!

[@sallyhenderson9159]

Is there not quite a fine line between "calm, unflappable" and stubborn and obtuse?

[@rextable2000]

Re the construction industry: it's famously... nay.... notoriously resistant to innovation and change around how buildings are constructed. There are mature, robust and labour efficient solutions to this problem (eg prefabrication). All that is needed is the will and finance to embrace it. If we want to build the housing we need without massively increasing the workforce (either via immigration or training) we need to reform the industry.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

Little Britain takes nobody.

[@thomasforster5615]

Rory's comment on how Britain is "already more densely populated than India" is surely incorrect? If you quickly do the maths India has over 1.5 times the population per square kilometre. Unless I am misunderstanding something here he is making an incorrect comparison.

[@lizhall431]

Why are EU tariffs OK and US tariffs not OK? And when the remainers made the case that they didn't want to import US food as it didn't meet the EU standards, why don't they support RFK in his aim to improve food standards.

[@Yakkahboo]

Because RFK is espouting the health benefits of raw milk, and although not food related, wants to axe the polio vaccine. In general people aren't supporting him because very clearly he is a fucking lunatic. If he makes the US increase animal welfare standards to remove the need to chlorine wash their food and then offers to trade, sure, but I'm not holding my breath.

[@PharmacadServices]

The reason why tarriffs are not OK for the UK generally is because we are out of both the US and the EU. It has worked for the EU and will likely work for the US in the long run, but if you are out of both, its a problem. Thats why remainers were for staying in, as I was. It wasnt an argument of principle and being "nice" to people, it was an argument of convenience and self interest, and because brexiteers got their way we are in a completely inconvenient position now. i dont know if youve noticed, but its pretty pointless for the UK to follow suit with tariffs, because we have little domestic industry to boost since we import almost all of our tech goods. Investment in the UK has also gone right down. Our answer will be to let everything in from China at zero rates, like EVs, but whether that makes sense geopolitically is another question. Our future is either to get closer to the EU, or get closer to the US and hope they dont tarriff us to death. We trade much more with the EU than the US, so id go with the former. All in all, we have no future alone.

[@lizhall431]

@@PharmacadServices EU tariffs are very bad for many countries - really screws over small suppliers in Africa. Also my point was on the fact that these two Blarites are very selective in how they talk about things. US =bad because they want tariffs, whilst don't talk about EU tariffs at all.

[@marijo1951]

RFK speaks some good sense about food standards, but unfortunately he mixes it with BS about vaccines, Covid origins, fluoride etc.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

England had the densest population in Europe.

[@LANU245]

I'm surprised he overlooked Judge Dread for Justice.

[@MP-mr8rj]

Blair did get us in this mess by telling everyone to go to university! There is absolutely no defence for it! Why are his ideas still being talked about?

[@Steelflex33]

more jobs now require a degree than ever in their job description, and this was happening before Blair did this. Given the changing nature of the job market, what would you have done?

[@unbabunga229]

@@Steelflex33no it wasn’t, he did it to lower young unemployment rates 😅 like all governments that extend education. Requiring a degree is a knock on effect, employers expect more people to have degrees because of this. I remember even up to 2005, degrees were barely needed outside of STEM and law etc

[@MP-mr8rj]

@@Steelflex33 What a load of nonsense the degrees that were offered to people who had no business in university were Mickey Mouse degrees! Not worth the paper they are written on!

[@mattyr40]

Iv had two funish degrees, and they and most of there freinds can't get anything other than low paid retail etc

[@MP-mr8rj]

@@Steelflex33 Absolute rubbish All those degrees were Mickey Mouse degrees handed out with no intention whatsoever of economic opportunities!

[@atmakali9599]

Haha imagine taking a blind bit of notice of these two. Made a show of themselves with the American landslide. Looks like their old persons energy allowance has been snatched by Starmer the way they’ve bundled up.

[@ghotio1927]

France is politically unstable however economically its a lot better than Germany. Germanys demographic is one of the worst in the western world and effectively this is the beginning of the end for Germany as we know it. France will now have to subsidise the EU like Germany has been doing, and the big question is will a protectionist country like France step in to save the EU ? Looks like brexit was a messy affair but ultimately we left the sinking ship first. Its time we realised that there is no saving grace of an answer for the UK, its the end for most of western Europe as a stable dominant force. We have to accept our insignificant position and make it work to the best possible outcome.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

They will in a year or so say what the figures were when they came in and what they are now.

[@sbwords]

AC is talking gibberish with the “show don’t tell” statement.

[@tonyinuae]

Interesting to hear Alastair pronounce 'etcetera' correctly (rare enough these days), and Rory use the common mispronunciation!

[@RobertThomson-y4m]

Campbell is so biased it's beyond a joke. This clown show of a government is appalling. If a tory government started off like this he'd be on their case 24 7. He needs to wake up and smell the cofffe.

[@catheadfisher]

27:15 Britain is not more densely populated than India, Rory. A quick Google tells you that's a gross overstatement: in fact it's around 50-60% depending on the numbers (90% if you just look at England).

[@billysmith7686]

The UK certainly isn't, that's almost solely because the Highlands, which represents around ~15% of the UK's land mass contains significantly less than 1% of its people. If we solely take England into account then population density is probably equal too or marginally higher than the subcontinent (I seen one figure on Wikipedia which was around 1,135 to India's 1,110).

[@lukmaes6290]

Where is he deporting people to ?

[@billshun3963]

England

[@lukmaes6290]

@ good luck

[@adrianlovett3483]

Alastair what madness are you thinking? We need more legal immigration to build infrastructure for all our immigration. Which bit of immigration reduction don’t you understand. We need less people in this country and those in it working harder / smarter .

[@damiantow]

I don't plan to work harder!

[@adrianlovett3483]

@@damiantow work smarter then , productivity cannot be sustained through more having people, it requires greater output per person. Otherwise we can cut state spending and accept lower GDP per capita . It's a binary choice.

[@damiantow]

@@adrianlovett3483 Yup understood, do you have examples of working smarter? Productivity tools, more use of AI, avoiding social media in the working day for example?

[@adrianlovett3483]

@@damiantow Depends on the sector you work in , that is the force of a market economy that incentivises people to find new ways of making more things in the same time. Ask Mr Ford and his Model T production Line.

[@odi299]

let open borders to asylum seekers. it’s a human right to seek asylum where they feel safe.

[@JohnDoe-lw2nm]

Hopefully they will all find a home in your neighborhood.

[@NeilOB9]

Regardless of what the UN might say, it is not a human right to have a free choice of any country to go too. We have a moral obligation as I see it to take in a reasonable and fair amount of refugees, but for no reason do we have to take in more than is proportionate relative to other countries.

[@c_nrad]

Dislike the xenophobia from Labour 😢

[@jerrycahill2447]

Alistair's bias towards Labour is becoming tiresome. Please try to be more objective and less partisan.

[@ojomojul]

Which category would you put these two into. 😩

[@surly60]

Top British cabinet including Reeves and Lamy what a Joke….

[@Samafterhours]

You got to know the tactics of a ties salesman to understand how Trump is approaching China and Ukraine "deals"

[@BugMateo]

The guys just discovered that Labour is high on talk and low on action. In the next podcast we will be discussing two new groundbreaking technological advantages: the wheel and fire...

[@damiantow]

What action do you expect to have been achieved since July?

[@BugMateo]

@@damiantow Well... they have been talking smack for years, haven't they? Is it too much to ask for at least the contours of an actionable plan ...for anything?

[@tl6537]

If you enter the country illegally then you won't be considered for residency ,no matter what your circumstances and will be sent back to the country you arrived from. Once that news gets around on tic tok who would want to try ?

[@damiantow]

So should that apply retrospectively to Musk who worked illegally under a student visa?

[@dliu115]

Trump has taken the Whig Party approach

[@robertlocock5636]

Aren't a lot those non-work visas for foreign students studying here?

[@tombombadil6483]

The UK does not have anywhere near the population density of India. It’s simply not true that we have higher population density than India at all.

[@greghill7759]

Correct. (Apparently 480 per sq km / 280 per sq km)

[@hardnormalcoyle]

So your plan is to make our beautiful islands homes part of an open prison

[@usforsarah]

Could you please upload Bill Clinton’s full interview?

[@streetdrummersinc4387]

😀,Thanks.

[@FRM101]

My parents (and grandparents) had 12 or more guns too... this is America, and for rural families (which are typically rather large) a dozen shotguns isn't at all unusual.

[@JohnDoe-lw2nm]

Those guns are total waste of money, but tuly, it may not be unusual.

[@FRM101]

@@JohnDoe-lw2nm How did you reach such an absurd conclusion? These weapons include rifles handed down by my father, and his father before him. They also serve to protect farm animals from predators, and put down those same animals if they go lame or become irreparably sick and are suffering in pain. And perhaps most important - rifles can be a great deal of fun. I'm not sure from where you and your folks come, but making a value judgement on me and mine does little more than demonstrate a profound intolerance for other people, places, and cultures.

[@ftumschk]

@@FRM101 Not even your average soldier has, or needs, twelve guns.

[@FRM101]

I value education over insults, so kindly pay attention - these guns include heirlooms handed down by my father, his father before him, and his before him. Unlike other tools (for tools they be) their applications tend not to diminish with time. I have five brothers and dozens of cousins, and we use these tools to protect farm animals from predators and put down those same animals when irreparably sick and suffering from pain. And then there's the sport. From hunting to sharpshooting contests they serve as a great source of fun. We're not soldiers, and crime in the rural country is near non existent. It's a way of life. Just because a people, place or culture appear alien to your eyes and ears, doesn't automatically make that culture worthy of scorn. Going forward I urge you to adapt a less judgemental, more open minded approach. Not only will you learn more, you'll enjoy life a great deal better.

[@ftumschk]

@@FRM101 Protecting animals from predators is fine, but it doesn't explain people who own arsenals in deepest suburbia.

[@sallyhenderson9159]

Unfortunate that Alastair said Rachel Reeves when he meant Yvette Cooper.

[@scottmcginn2169]

While Linda McMahon is "a woman who ran WWE," she also has 15 years of experience in various government positions, including the last Trump administration. By no means is she a good pick for any government position, but compared to many of the other picks, she is massively overqualified.

[@greghill7759]

"....compared to many of the other picks, she is massively overqualified." Hardly a ringing endorsement then, Scott. That description could apply to ME, and I'm an idiot!

[@scottmcginn2169]

​@@greghill7759 Lol, don't speak to soon, Trump may get you on the phone

[@davidrobertson9174]

WWE has successfully communicated and marketed ideas to children and adults for years, and worked with children's charities and communities through that time. I'm no fan of Linda at all, but credit where it's due!

[@lsb9073]

Agree with International figures for refugees,but why UK 35000 vs Canada 20000? A figure that takes into account current population and a % thereof is one thing, but surely population density has to be taken into a/c too. As do natural resources; A desert country cant carry as many ppl as a temperate country.

[@MP-mr8rj]

Rory you have to speak up, you seem to lack confidence in what you are saying, you are on the right track, you have to be tougher !!

[@miramichiboy101]

Nothing about Canada?!

[@FRM101]

the inherint nature of banking episodes

[@neiljarrett6750]

Another brilliant show. Just one comment. I'm liaising with the Albanians to get on a boat from France. Croatia has seized my passport so there is no other way! 😢