any belief (that you hold for more than a week)

'after keir starmer declared that plaid cymru leader liz saville roberts was talking “rubbish” 

– she asked if there was any belief that he held for more than a week...' 

good cuss (nice comeback). 

but of course sir keir does have political beliefs. he believes you need to be in power to effect political change but then he also believes a whole load of other things about not bucking the markets and the 'deserving poor'. 

result? he is in power (tick) but he can do no good for anyone (cross). 

of course it's a long time until the next election (wednesday 15th august 2029 at the latest) which 'will determine the composition of the house of commons, which determines the government of the united kingdom.'

well not quite. as a well-meaning bbc voiceover might say. we are currently living through an era of a massive labour majority and what has it changed? we are back with the policies of austerity. ultimately the financial markets do more to decide the government of the UK than the elected government. 

the labour party have four years to show people that the pain has been worth it and valuable and they can lead us into the sunny uplands etc. etc.

well not quite. as a well-meaning bbc voiceover might say. 

what is the alternative to labour? 

the grant-snatching lib dems? the so not racist cult of farage (aka. reform)?  the regional parties - the holed beneath the waterline SNP? plaid cymru? the 5 MPs to the left of labour? 

what's not an alternative to labour is the dead-in-the-water conservative party.

horsemouth predicts (and prediction is a dangerous business this far out) labour survival with a much reduced majority or in coalition. 

he predicts vast gains for reform which will fall apart at some point (it being just the cult of farage). 

he predicts small gains for MPs to the left of labour. 

the continuing growth of wealth inequality

horsemouth predicts the continuing growth of wealth inequality (aka. the poor will get poorer). he predicts the failure of the political class to get to grips with the economic changes coming down the pipe and he predicts their continued survival because of the nature of first past the post (though to be honest proportional representation would achieve almost exactly the same result). 

he expects things to be properly shit for the youth (sorry youth). 

his plan is to hide in the hills and grow potatoes. 

after a slightly cloud start it is a bright and beautiful morning out here. his mum is off to ewyas harold later (is it?) courtesy of dore community transport. 

horsemouth will go out in a bit and do the watering.