If your corruption is out in the open is it ocrruption
Recent comments
the special relationship is the tip of netanyahu's member and trumps rear end.
At some point the Americans will have to leave Europe and find a new way of projecting power into those theatres of interest that still concern them (i.e. the Middle East)
They seem to think Starmer and Merz are unpopular for the same reason. Merz has tried a Trumpian populism light, dividing society. But he constantly changes the target of his anger. Insulting every part of German society equally until everyone hated him equally.
No one has said on the local elections, what does it mean for the country.
There are no American troops or bases in France. They got it right.
guys, just ask the US to remove russia sanction if u want it so badly, stop leeching off of the US
I think Gary Stevenson would be better at maths
I have already agreed with Mark Gatiss but great you brought it up again
30% of UK homes have 2 or more spare bedrooms. We need to encourage people to downsize once their children have left home
Canada & Great Britain join the EU. The EU then supports Ukraine and destroys Russia and thank Trump for his beautiful leadership!
Nonsense? Bill said, "It depends on what the meaning of the word is is." Jesus God Trump created all things. Including words. Only atheists don't get it. American Evangelical Christians all get it. Biden is Satan. He destroyed America. Trump came along and made America great again. Fact. Fact? Keep the videos coming.
PS lads I'm a fuse energy customer and never received the trip plus membership ? not sure why. Hey ho
It really doesn't matter who the Labour Leader is. Jesus Christ could make a stunning return and if he was the Labour Leader the Daily Express, the Daily Fail, The Telegraph, The Times, The Sun; They would crucify him all over again. Our Press is Pathetic, a daily churn of Right Wing Propaganda full of hate and bile. I miss reading about er...The News, and reading facts not vibes and being allowed to use my own mind to draw my own conclusions. A small blessing I suppose that the written Press and it's influence will soon be a thing of the past having finally bored the nation with its right wing bias.
Using decisions made by a politician who left office 35 years ago to explain current difficulties says so much about political leaders since then. Especially as government debt was reduced to 27% of GDP before leaving office.
6,20 dollars a gallon in California… coming from under 3 dollars.. Hormuz strait mess hurts America as well. How can Pegseth say; it is not our problem? Let Europe open the Strait? Nonsense. And if German polls are correct and are done with trump, they should be done with AfD too. They got tons of money from trump and public support from this foreign power…
Looking at how the US are doing against Iran, I cannot help but think it is better to face the consequences and eject US forces from Europe completely and sever all ties with America. Since it is evident that the US will withdraw anyway and will not lift a finger in defense of Europe, now even pushing weapons deliveries back several years to resupply its depleted stocks of guided weapons, we can safely conclude that Trump cannot do any worse. It comes down to taking all of Trump's cards out of hands and end the blackmail. And at least it provides the clarity - and I hope the sense of urgency - required for Europe to maintain the illusion that America is our ally and retaliate to anything Trump threatens with next. It may even encourage more European countries to finally provide Ukraine with all it requires to defeat Russia decisively, which is - all else considered - our only genuine deterrence against Russia and it buys Europe time to forge its own alliance, with interoperable forces and all strategic assets needed to deter - and if necessary - take Russia head-on, should the Kremlin feel adventurous in the future.
I don't think Europe needs the US troops on its soil. Collectively, Europe has more than 1.5 million military personnel. All we need is the creation of a European army and to combine our technology to form a lethal force.
Have you ever noticed that when a European leader tells the US president the truth he's applauded for it but when Trump rightly points out all the issues Europe has he's considered a buffoon.
As a German living in 2026 I view Trumps threatened troop withdrawal as a plus. We're not really a sovereign country if our national "security" depends on a foreign army on our soil. Can you imagine if they really did a move on Greenland? Having all them troops within our borders would've been really awkward.
The Putin-Trump call that preceded the German base drawdown (and invitation to December's G20 at Doral, where Trump's golden statue now stands) came shortly after Orbán's defeat. No good result for Ukraine goes unpunished.
Close all the US bases in Europe. They are not for Europe's defense. They are supply chain nodes to commit war crimes in Africa and the Middle East.
Close the bases that the Americans use in the uk
Europe is still trying to find reason in an extremely unreasonable man. I said immediately when it was announced that the King is going there, that this will do absolutely nothing. The guy forgets this immediately, and so does all the other politicians that are now trying to bootlick the guy.
Yet again MORE LIES 😂LABOUR did NOT 🚫 WIN A LANDSLIDE THE VOTERS DIDN'T VOTE JEREMY CORBYN GOT THE SAME SHARE OF VOTES AS KIER STAMMER
One question I have regarding the local elections is how well prepared the new councillors are for the role. With big swings candidates with little to no experience will end up in posts they haven't prepared for. For example Bracknell Forest changed hands at the last election and where there had only been 1 or 2 labour councillors in the previous body they were now governing. People with no council experience now had portfolios, and it shows.
Why are these poll ratings collapsing...it happened to Starmer, Merts, Trump, probably happen to Farage or Polanski or Streeting, what do people expect or want from politics?
The only strategy that I can see to take on Reform is to make the election about how much of a disaster Brexit has been and the promise of referendum about rejoining the EU (conditional on agreeing terms with the EU). That hits Farage where he is at his weakest.
All four regions will be ran by nationalists ,,Reform are basically the English Nationalist Party
Really so bored with the bias of the UK's media. The liberal-left have had 56 years to devise a strategy around it. I always though Corbyn should have shunned the media and focussed solely on communicating via social media, but he didn't.
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it….Charles de Gaulle was spot on
Russia is not going to attack a NATO country in the foreseeable future. Now is the time to side step the USA who have treated us like dogs for 80 years while grabbing our money. Time to follow Canada's lead and break away from this 4 year cycle of love hate. They need us too. So grow a bloody spine UK and Europe.
I think, Germany and Europe do not need the cosa nostra style "protection" by the demented Don against an (possible) enemy who fails to take Kiev in 4 years.BTW: In ancient times the delivery boy of bad but true news was beheaded.😂I hope the orange Nero will end like his roman predecessor. Because of the orange shine out of Putin`s butt these Bases and Forces are useless,only infrastructure for insane and illlegal operations. Close them all. "Gute Reise"("Auf Wiedersehen" would be a lie)
I would love for this United States to leave Europe.
Well ssid about Starmer, Alistair! I’ve never voted labour but would vote for him. He has acted with such diplomacy over the situation in Europe and the US. Can you imagine what a mess Farage would make of this??
You must remember Donnie has dementia, so his opinion changes by the half hour
Our Ambassador was correct in what he said…..it MIGHT be uncomfortable for some but it’s TRUE
Nobody's scared of Grandpa Cankles.. The world is laughing at the US, nobody takes them seriously any more.
I swear those fuse energy sponsor talking points drive me mad. Because of that, I will not switch to them even if they are better for me (they're not).
Iran is a theocracy Israel is a theocracy And the US could became a theocracy soon
Countdown to "Whoops. Nobody knew the largest medical center outside of the US is in Germany? Is that hospital ship still floating around somewhere?"
He loves instructing his loyal minions what they are now to think, and they will do a brainwipe if need be to do it. Preferably several contradictory things at once. See Voltaire on absurdity & atrocity. See also covid or Jan 6th, & their tails.
The idiocy of this is these people haven't realised why prices went up...interest rates were lowered and buy to let mortgages were introduced...never before were interest rates so low so when you make the cost of borrowing so low this happens but the government had no choice the country had sold all its assets and the economy would have gone down so this was the only choice and then when lower interest rates stopped working they started printing money
Rory, your comment on Mertz, you forget that the German economy is in bad shape, so money for all the things are missing!!!
Trump has a reputation for free flowing flatulence, even in meetings. It may not be enough to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, but it can contribute.
Alistair and Rory have changed quite a bit.
Hiow are the rise of Reform, Rassemblement National, the AFD and the other right parties not being linked directly to Russian hybrid war influence? They should be outed as traitors. In Australia we have One Nation, every western country has a version. This is a coordinated assault on democracy. Sleepers Wake!
The most EXPENSIVE country in Western Europe, and lagging way behind the rest of the world, owing your own home is not for the population, pathetic!
Do you really think that Trump should matter in anyone’s government. He has destroyed our world’s economy while he and his family are continuing to make money on the backs of the world .
85% of uk born grandparents own a home mostly outright. Their kids and grandkids inherit housing for free
The problem with Merz is that his vanity is stronger than his strategic thinking. Even when he - finally - takes a stand, he doesn’t do the “Carney” or the “Charles”, instead he slip-fumble-tumbles into saying the right thing because we wanted to look decisive in front of some school kids. The cost is the same, but the benefit isn’t.
It is a known tactic, if you talk rubbish for long enough people will stop scrutinising your words. That's why Trump does what he does. He lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies
Germans will be happy to see the back of American GIs. For God's sake cutting out the Americans is not as difficult or as expensive as the British make it out to be. Britain has got too used to financialization. It is unbelievable that there was time when the country was full of industry making things. Get rid of this Chancellor and get someone who knows a out industrial investment..Sterling is still a socerign currency. Use MMT wisely to expand market capacity through investment in creating decent paying job. Setup production lines for military equipment and weapons. Import a copy of Grippen factory and stop paying for F-35.
It is fascinating and sad how quickly Trump is pissing away over 70 years of work that America has built up in growing its global power and influence. He thinks he is showing up his opponents by pulling all of his antics when infact he is weakening the US on a global scale immensely. He is directly pushing Europe away from the US, towards a closer bond within Europe itself. Which is good for Europe in the long term, but very bad for the US. He thinks he is somehow making the US stonger when in fact the US's enemies are happy to sit back and watch him dismantle 70 years of work
Starmer regime is corrupt. https://youtu.be/_nQeCCW7vHc?si=HsMaFPxRvJMmw0dC
I suddenly realized what bugs me about today's episode. You don't seem to realize that Trump does NOTHING for America. He only acts out of self interest or pique. "He doesn't seem to realize..." But that is only because he doesn't care if his actions damage America, as long as he gets to vent his anger, or make some money. Nothing else. It seems to me that it's important to acknowledge that, rather than blaming his ignorance or his bad math.
It isn't the elephant in the room. It's what everyone knows and says.
The other elephant in the room is that net migration has added roughly 7 million people since 1990.
Putin is the only successful “ Trump whisperer” I’ve seen, & it’s only because He’s just as self- interested & ruthless as Trump is.
What a fabulous house! What fabulous curtains and textiles! Every time I see your home, I pause the screen and drink it in...
Merz' strenght is what we in germany call "Maul aufreißen".
Question from swiss alps: Why did EU not predict this 10-8 years ago. The GOP seem to be as Putin friendly as Trump before trump arrived???
Merz is now backtracking it seems on saying that there is no plan.. spineless, guess he didn't know he was being filmed
There is no existential threat from Russia to us - if we Germans don't pi... in their garden. The little problem is, that we are in these western alliances, that forces us to do it. Germany needs Rapallo II. Merz will not have a chance, when he continues his current foreign policy. And positioning Germany against Russia will not be very popular, Rory.
imagine tak8ng Trump's fanboy Farage seriously, he has the same attitude to grift corruption and lies, which is proving disastrous in the US. Why copy ?
Will you ever begin to consider if perhaps growing wealth inequality and a lack of wealth tax commitment from Labour could be why they're doing so poorly?
Why aren’t European nations tapping the US Pres calls to Putin, so we can all get to hear his sedition.
You cannot appease Trump. He's a bully, his word means nothing and bullies like him only understand strength. He has no intention in keeping America in NATO and nothing will change that. The rest of NATO needs to stand up to him and if he pulls troops out of Europe, so be it. They wouldn't help Europe if his best pal Putin attacked anyway. Time to move on and look to the future, one without America.
Starmer supported the genocide in Gaza. Anybody who supports that is evil as far as I am concerned
“I have the best numbers”. Also, “I aced the cognitive -3 times!”
Keep Starmer in place. It'll destroy labour forever......
As a German, the first time I agree with Trump. Merz is useless. I do like that he finally sticks up to Trump although I am 100% convinced that he did it accidentally given that he regularly insults every part of the German population and his approval rating is at 20%. He just happened to accidentally Trump this time which is for once a good thing. Also your instinct is wrong. This guy cannot go one day without insulting the working class or immigrants or those inbetween jobs or the youth or threatening to cut pensions. He won't turn it around, he has no self control and he cannot be a strong leader. He can pretend to be one but its a facade
Starmer's rapidly becoming a joke. A bad joke but a joke nevertheless.
I feel that at some point the housing market will crash. They simply cannot continue to increase at that rate The next gen will be homeless forever
Sensible adults want Starmer to stay in order to really bury Labour for decades.😂
If Badinock is going to be on, seeing as you've both been MP's and you BOTH know how MPs will wriggle and sleaze their way out of answering questions, how about you BOTH FO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN. Worms could learn a lot from her about wriggling their way out of answering the questions asked. Or is it going to be (for this show) a rare waste of time even bothering to watch?
They shouldn't leave the children alone with Donald
"Merz is supposed to have noticed a wall of cameras..." Well, two things from Germany: a) Merz often talks without thinking, and then sends others to fix his gaffes. A few months ago, he insulted all second and third generation immigrants by calling immigration "a problem for our city scapes". Asked to clarify, he did not, but instead, he said "ask your daughter". b) Merz has tried the strategy from the 1990s to get voters back from the AfD by just parroting their talking points. It did not work back then, it does not work now. Instead of halving their vote as he stated as his intention, he has succeeded in doubling their votes. The general perception of Merz is basically that he is incapable. He cannot be a "strong communicator": He always comes across as very arrogant, while at the same time, not having deep insights to offer about anything. All the while, he thinks he oh so bloody clever (which, surprise, he isn't). We call him "Sauerland-Trump".
You two need to be balanced. I wish you would go after the far left as much as you go after the far right. They are both bat shit crazy. They are popular because the far left is left alone. .
Can anyone else not distinguish between Tom Holland and Rory? (not in looks)
Does this indecision about choosing a leader mean we don't have the very best people in politics? So are we choosing from the the second division, none of whom are truly great leaders.
The EU needs to become a political union and have ONE European defense policy and ONE army.
Please tell us about todays swim at the end!
All your criticism of Gary Stephenson - the exact points he was making in terms of billionaires taking everything and making everyone else fight for crumbs through decades of tax-raising policy, corporate dominance, terrible wages, not-very-good working benefits, taxing work and not wealth has led to alienated, bitter, disenfranchised voters. That leads to Trump and Farage. Trump and Farage are no accident. They are a reflector of the situation, not the cause
Hi from Germany. I didn’t vote for Friedrich Merz, and I don’t particularly like him either. But for that one moment, I was very proud of him. He explained the political situation in a nutshell—so simply that even primary school children could understand it. There was nothing wrong with it; it was plain, straightforward, and unvarnished truth. The truth is sometimes the hardest thing to face. This will age well, and history—if only in this one small point—will prove him right.
I know personal relationships matter in diplomacy, but did anyone seriously think that knowing the right way to shake Trump's hand would have even the slightest influence on how he would act internationally? Trump is nationalist, an isolationist and more than anything else a corrupt grifter. As long as you benefit him personally, he likes you, the moment you don't he will discard you.
American here. Remember the contrary to his cronies statements, he did not win the popular vote, he did not win the electoral college, and I’m pretty sure he won neither time in an appropriate manner. Please believe me when I say this: most of us think he’s a nut bag; most of us do not believe what he says; most of us wish he didn’t treat the rest of the world like a doormat. On behalf of those of us who have a soul and a brain in our heads, I’m sorry.
Merz is one of those vague finance guys - blanketly incompetent, much like the rest of the managerial class.
The media are sleepwalking us into a Reform Govt, in due course. it feels inevitable , People will be led by what they say. That's a fact., this is the tip of the iceberg. the media are all populist. Where is the investigative journalism? There barely is any in the mainstream... they're all chasing the same headlines, noone stopping to think about what they're doing. And you thought a Johnson Govt was bad.
Is it Ralph on The Simpsons that says "I'm scared"? That's how I feel right now. The Tories were evil. Reform is in a whole other level 😢
I'm under the impression that Germany still has two Nuclear power plants that could still be saved, that should be put on the table.
I don’t know that Labour Together’s shenanigans have been covered by mainstream media or your podcast either. Why not feature Paul Holden on your podcast. The fraud is a very good account of how Corbyn was undermined by his own party.
I am as amazed that you are only now outraged
👏👏! exchange of views, from Loch Ness
It is not true, that Polish President closer to russia,
Regarding the Merz:Trump row one might think that the German Chancellor is not elected to be the Commentator-in-Chief of the US president, no matter how crazy that one might be. Merz was ill-advised to touch the issue as he did. The automotive industry, mostly the German, do not like it at all for good reason. The continuing progressive and existentially destructive green policies on how to address climate change, and mass immigration into the social safety nets, are pushing Germany into the continuing stagnation/recession in 2026 and 2027, five years in the row. As long as Germany does for reasons of political stalemate not return to economic growth all of Europe will stay in economically and politically difficult times. Security and military independence from the US, desirable as it is, will not get anywhere without substantially improved economic performance of Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the rest.
It is a permanent historical scar on the American people that they elected these morons. Your worldwide embarrassment is cemented in place forever. Your national reputation will never recover
To understand why his polls are this bad you gotta hear how he treats his constituents. You are lazy, you need to earn less, you have to save up.for your retirement yourself, and btw we won't pay as much for all your social services. Well..... Might be the reason why nobody likes him. Old white man telling everyone we are not german enough. Screw him. Guy never got his hands dirty with work.
Give money to Trump family, this how you play Trump.
Surely American bases in NATO countries should only be deployed for NATO operations, and not sole-USA actions?
If your corruption is out in the open is it ocrruption
the special relationship is the tip of netanyahu's member and trumps rear end.
At some point the Americans will have to leave Europe and find a new way of projecting power into those theatres of interest that still concern them (i.e. the Middle East)
They seem to think Starmer and Merz are unpopular for the same reason. Merz has tried a Trumpian populism light, dividing society. But he constantly changes the target of his anger. Insulting every part of German society equally until everyone hated him equally.
No one has said on the local elections, what does it mean for the country.
There are no American troops or bases in France. They got it right.
guys, just ask the US to remove russia sanction if u want it so badly, stop leeching off of the US
I think Gary Stevenson would be better at maths
I have already agreed with Mark Gatiss but great you brought it up again
30% of UK homes have 2 or more spare bedrooms. We need to encourage people to downsize once their children have left home
Canada & Great Britain join the EU. The EU then supports Ukraine and destroys Russia and thank Trump for his beautiful leadership!
Nonsense? Bill said, "It depends on what the meaning of the word is is." Jesus God Trump created all things. Including words. Only atheists don't get it. American Evangelical Christians all get it. Biden is Satan. He destroyed America. Trump came along and made America great again. Fact. Fact? Keep the videos coming.
PS lads I'm a fuse energy customer and never received the trip plus membership ? not sure why. Hey ho
It really doesn't matter who the Labour Leader is. Jesus Christ could make a stunning return and if he was the Labour Leader the Daily Express, the Daily Fail, The Telegraph, The Times, The Sun; They would crucify him all over again. Our Press is Pathetic, a daily churn of Right Wing Propaganda full of hate and bile. I miss reading about er...The News, and reading facts not vibes and being allowed to use my own mind to draw my own conclusions. A small blessing I suppose that the written Press and it's influence will soon be a thing of the past having finally bored the nation with its right wing bias.
Using decisions made by a politician who left office 35 years ago to explain current difficulties says so much about political leaders since then. Especially as government debt was reduced to 27% of GDP before leaving office.
6,20 dollars a gallon in California… coming from under 3 dollars.. Hormuz strait mess hurts America as well. How can Pegseth say; it is not our problem? Let Europe open the Strait? Nonsense. And if German polls are correct and are done with trump, they should be done with AfD too. They got tons of money from trump and public support from this foreign power…
Looking at how the US are doing against Iran, I cannot help but think it is better to face the consequences and eject US forces from Europe completely and sever all ties with America. Since it is evident that the US will withdraw anyway and will not lift a finger in defense of Europe, now even pushing weapons deliveries back several years to resupply its depleted stocks of guided weapons, we can safely conclude that Trump cannot do any worse. It comes down to taking all of Trump's cards out of hands and end the blackmail. And at least it provides the clarity - and I hope the sense of urgency - required for Europe to maintain the illusion that America is our ally and retaliate to anything Trump threatens with next. It may even encourage more European countries to finally provide Ukraine with all it requires to defeat Russia decisively, which is - all else considered - our only genuine deterrence against Russia and it buys Europe time to forge its own alliance, with interoperable forces and all strategic assets needed to deter - and if necessary - take Russia head-on, should the Kremlin feel adventurous in the future.
I don't think Europe needs the US troops on its soil. Collectively, Europe has more than 1.5 million military personnel. All we need is the creation of a European army and to combine our technology to form a lethal force.
Have you ever noticed that when a European leader tells the US president the truth he's applauded for it but when Trump rightly points out all the issues Europe has he's considered a buffoon.
As a German living in 2026 I view Trumps threatened troop withdrawal as a plus. We're not really a sovereign country if our national "security" depends on a foreign army on our soil. Can you imagine if they really did a move on Greenland? Having all them troops within our borders would've been really awkward.
The Putin-Trump call that preceded the German base drawdown (and invitation to December's G20 at Doral, where Trump's golden statue now stands) came shortly after Orbán's defeat. No good result for Ukraine goes unpunished.
Close all the US bases in Europe. They are not for Europe's defense. They are supply chain nodes to commit war crimes in Africa and the Middle East.
Close the bases that the Americans use in the uk
Europe is still trying to find reason in an extremely unreasonable man. I said immediately when it was announced that the King is going there, that this will do absolutely nothing. The guy forgets this immediately, and so does all the other politicians that are now trying to bootlick the guy.
Yet again MORE LIES 😂LABOUR did NOT 🚫 WIN A LANDSLIDE THE VOTERS DIDN'T VOTE JEREMY CORBYN GOT THE SAME SHARE OF VOTES AS KIER STAMMER
One question I have regarding the local elections is how well prepared the new councillors are for the role. With big swings candidates with little to no experience will end up in posts they haven't prepared for. For example Bracknell Forest changed hands at the last election and where there had only been 1 or 2 labour councillors in the previous body they were now governing. People with no council experience now had portfolios, and it shows.
Why are these poll ratings collapsing...it happened to Starmer, Merts, Trump, probably happen to Farage or Polanski or Streeting, what do people expect or want from politics?
The only strategy that I can see to take on Reform is to make the election about how much of a disaster Brexit has been and the promise of referendum about rejoining the EU (conditional on agreeing terms with the EU). That hits Farage where he is at his weakest.
All four regions will be ran by nationalists ,,Reform are basically the English Nationalist Party
Really so bored with the bias of the UK's media. The liberal-left have had 56 years to devise a strategy around it. I always though Corbyn should have shunned the media and focussed solely on communicating via social media, but he didn't.
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it….Charles de Gaulle was spot on
Russia is not going to attack a NATO country in the foreseeable future. Now is the time to side step the USA who have treated us like dogs for 80 years while grabbing our money. Time to follow Canada's lead and break away from this 4 year cycle of love hate. They need us too. So grow a bloody spine UK and Europe.
I think, Germany and Europe do not need the cosa nostra style "protection" by the demented Don against an (possible) enemy who fails to take Kiev in 4 years.BTW: In ancient times the delivery boy of bad but true news was beheaded.😂I hope the orange Nero will end like his roman predecessor. Because of the orange shine out of Putin`s butt these Bases and Forces are useless,only infrastructure for insane and illlegal operations. Close them all. "Gute Reise"("Auf Wiedersehen" would be a lie)
I would love for this United States to leave Europe.
Well ssid about Starmer, Alistair! I’ve never voted labour but would vote for him. He has acted with such diplomacy over the situation in Europe and the US. Can you imagine what a mess Farage would make of this??
You must remember Donnie has dementia, so his opinion changes by the half hour
Our Ambassador was correct in what he said…..it MIGHT be uncomfortable for some but it’s TRUE
Nobody's scared of Grandpa Cankles.. The world is laughing at the US, nobody takes them seriously any more.
I swear those fuse energy sponsor talking points drive me mad. Because of that, I will not switch to them even if they are better for me (they're not).
Iran is a theocracy Israel is a theocracy And the US could became a theocracy soon
Countdown to "Whoops. Nobody knew the largest medical center outside of the US is in Germany? Is that hospital ship still floating around somewhere?"
He loves instructing his loyal minions what they are now to think, and they will do a brainwipe if need be to do it. Preferably several contradictory things at once. See Voltaire on absurdity & atrocity. See also covid or Jan 6th, & their tails.
The idiocy of this is these people haven't realised why prices went up...interest rates were lowered and buy to let mortgages were introduced...never before were interest rates so low so when you make the cost of borrowing so low this happens but the government had no choice the country had sold all its assets and the economy would have gone down so this was the only choice and then when lower interest rates stopped working they started printing money
Rory, your comment on Mertz, you forget that the German economy is in bad shape, so money for all the things are missing!!!
Trump has a reputation for free flowing flatulence, even in meetings. It may not be enough to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, but it can contribute.
Alistair and Rory have changed quite a bit.
Hiow are the rise of Reform, Rassemblement National, the AFD and the other right parties not being linked directly to Russian hybrid war influence? They should be outed as traitors. In Australia we have One Nation, every western country has a version. This is a coordinated assault on democracy. Sleepers Wake!
The most EXPENSIVE country in Western Europe, and lagging way behind the rest of the world, owing your own home is not for the population, pathetic!
Do you really think that Trump should matter in anyone’s government. He has destroyed our world’s economy while he and his family are continuing to make money on the backs of the world .
85% of uk born grandparents own a home mostly outright. Their kids and grandkids inherit housing for free
The problem with Merz is that his vanity is stronger than his strategic thinking. Even when he - finally - takes a stand, he doesn’t do the “Carney” or the “Charles”, instead he slip-fumble-tumbles into saying the right thing because we wanted to look decisive in front of some school kids. The cost is the same, but the benefit isn’t.
It is a known tactic, if you talk rubbish for long enough people will stop scrutinising your words. That's why Trump does what he does. He lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies
Germans will be happy to see the back of American GIs. For God's sake cutting out the Americans is not as difficult or as expensive as the British make it out to be. Britain has got too used to financialization. It is unbelievable that there was time when the country was full of industry making things. Get rid of this Chancellor and get someone who knows a out industrial investment..Sterling is still a socerign currency. Use MMT wisely to expand market capacity through investment in creating decent paying job. Setup production lines for military equipment and weapons. Import a copy of Grippen factory and stop paying for F-35.
It is fascinating and sad how quickly Trump is pissing away over 70 years of work that America has built up in growing its global power and influence. He thinks he is showing up his opponents by pulling all of his antics when infact he is weakening the US on a global scale immensely. He is directly pushing Europe away from the US, towards a closer bond within Europe itself. Which is good for Europe in the long term, but very bad for the US. He thinks he is somehow making the US stonger when in fact the US's enemies are happy to sit back and watch him dismantle 70 years of work
Starmer regime is corrupt. https://youtu.be/_nQeCCW7vHc?si=HsMaFPxRvJMmw0dC
I suddenly realized what bugs me about today's episode. You don't seem to realize that Trump does NOTHING for America. He only acts out of self interest or pique. "He doesn't seem to realize..." But that is only because he doesn't care if his actions damage America, as long as he gets to vent his anger, or make some money. Nothing else. It seems to me that it's important to acknowledge that, rather than blaming his ignorance or his bad math.
It isn't the elephant in the room. It's what everyone knows and says.
The other elephant in the room is that net migration has added roughly 7 million people since 1990.
Putin is the only successful “ Trump whisperer” I’ve seen, & it’s only because He’s just as self- interested & ruthless as Trump is.
What a fabulous house! What fabulous curtains and textiles! Every time I see your home, I pause the screen and drink it in...
Merz' strenght is what we in germany call "Maul aufreißen".
Question from swiss alps: Why did EU not predict this 10-8 years ago. The GOP seem to be as Putin friendly as Trump before trump arrived???
Merz is now backtracking it seems on saying that there is no plan.. spineless, guess he didn't know he was being filmed
There is no existential threat from Russia to us - if we Germans don't pi... in their garden. The little problem is, that we are in these western alliances, that forces us to do it. Germany needs Rapallo II. Merz will not have a chance, when he continues his current foreign policy. And positioning Germany against Russia will not be very popular, Rory.
imagine tak8ng Trump's fanboy Farage seriously, he has the same attitude to grift corruption and lies, which is proving disastrous in the US. Why copy ?
Will you ever begin to consider if perhaps growing wealth inequality and a lack of wealth tax commitment from Labour could be why they're doing so poorly?
Why aren’t European nations tapping the US Pres calls to Putin, so we can all get to hear his sedition.
You cannot appease Trump. He's a bully, his word means nothing and bullies like him only understand strength. He has no intention in keeping America in NATO and nothing will change that. The rest of NATO needs to stand up to him and if he pulls troops out of Europe, so be it. They wouldn't help Europe if his best pal Putin attacked anyway. Time to move on and look to the future, one without America.
Starmer supported the genocide in Gaza. Anybody who supports that is evil as far as I am concerned
“I have the best numbers”. Also, “I aced the cognitive -3 times!”
Keep Starmer in place. It'll destroy labour forever......
As a German, the first time I agree with Trump. Merz is useless. I do like that he finally sticks up to Trump although I am 100% convinced that he did it accidentally given that he regularly insults every part of the German population and his approval rating is at 20%. He just happened to accidentally Trump this time which is for once a good thing. Also your instinct is wrong. This guy cannot go one day without insulting the working class or immigrants or those inbetween jobs or the youth or threatening to cut pensions. He won't turn it around, he has no self control and he cannot be a strong leader. He can pretend to be one but its a facade
Starmer's rapidly becoming a joke. A bad joke but a joke nevertheless.
I feel that at some point the housing market will crash. They simply cannot continue to increase at that rate The next gen will be homeless forever
Sensible adults want Starmer to stay in order to really bury Labour for decades.😂
If Badinock is going to be on, seeing as you've both been MP's and you BOTH know how MPs will wriggle and sleaze their way out of answering questions, how about you BOTH FO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN. Worms could learn a lot from her about wriggling their way out of answering the questions asked. Or is it going to be (for this show) a rare waste of time even bothering to watch?
They shouldn't leave the children alone with Donald
"Merz is supposed to have noticed a wall of cameras..." Well, two things from Germany: a) Merz often talks without thinking, and then sends others to fix his gaffes. A few months ago, he insulted all second and third generation immigrants by calling immigration "a problem for our city scapes". Asked to clarify, he did not, but instead, he said "ask your daughter". b) Merz has tried the strategy from the 1990s to get voters back from the AfD by just parroting their talking points. It did not work back then, it does not work now. Instead of halving their vote as he stated as his intention, he has succeeded in doubling their votes. The general perception of Merz is basically that he is incapable. He cannot be a "strong communicator": He always comes across as very arrogant, while at the same time, not having deep insights to offer about anything. All the while, he thinks he oh so bloody clever (which, surprise, he isn't). We call him "Sauerland-Trump".
You two need to be balanced. I wish you would go after the far left as much as you go after the far right. They are both bat shit crazy. They are popular because the far left is left alone. .
Can anyone else not distinguish between Tom Holland and Rory? (not in looks)
Does this indecision about choosing a leader mean we don't have the very best people in politics? So are we choosing from the the second division, none of whom are truly great leaders.
The EU needs to become a political union and have ONE European defense policy and ONE army.
Please tell us about todays swim at the end!
All your criticism of Gary Stephenson - the exact points he was making in terms of billionaires taking everything and making everyone else fight for crumbs through decades of tax-raising policy, corporate dominance, terrible wages, not-very-good working benefits, taxing work and not wealth has led to alienated, bitter, disenfranchised voters. That leads to Trump and Farage. Trump and Farage are no accident. They are a reflector of the situation, not the cause
Hi from Germany. I didn’t vote for Friedrich Merz, and I don’t particularly like him either. But for that one moment, I was very proud of him. He explained the political situation in a nutshell—so simply that even primary school children could understand it. There was nothing wrong with it; it was plain, straightforward, and unvarnished truth. The truth is sometimes the hardest thing to face. This will age well, and history—if only in this one small point—will prove him right.
I know personal relationships matter in diplomacy, but did anyone seriously think that knowing the right way to shake Trump's hand would have even the slightest influence on how he would act internationally? Trump is nationalist, an isolationist and more than anything else a corrupt grifter. As long as you benefit him personally, he likes you, the moment you don't he will discard you.
American here. Remember the contrary to his cronies statements, he did not win the popular vote, he did not win the electoral college, and I’m pretty sure he won neither time in an appropriate manner. Please believe me when I say this: most of us think he’s a nut bag; most of us do not believe what he says; most of us wish he didn’t treat the rest of the world like a doormat. On behalf of those of us who have a soul and a brain in our heads, I’m sorry.
Merz is one of those vague finance guys - blanketly incompetent, much like the rest of the managerial class.
The media are sleepwalking us into a Reform Govt, in due course. it feels inevitable , People will be led by what they say. That's a fact., this is the tip of the iceberg. the media are all populist. Where is the investigative journalism? There barely is any in the mainstream... they're all chasing the same headlines, noone stopping to think about what they're doing. And you thought a Johnson Govt was bad.
Is it Ralph on The Simpsons that says "I'm scared"? That's how I feel right now. The Tories were evil. Reform is in a whole other level 😢
I'm under the impression that Germany still has two Nuclear power plants that could still be saved, that should be put on the table.
I don’t know that Labour Together’s shenanigans have been covered by mainstream media or your podcast either. Why not feature Paul Holden on your podcast. The fraud is a very good account of how Corbyn was undermined by his own party.
I am as amazed that you are only now outraged
👏👏! exchange of views, from Loch Ness
It is not true, that Polish President closer to russia,
Regarding the Merz:Trump row one might think that the German Chancellor is not elected to be the Commentator-in-Chief of the US president, no matter how crazy that one might be. Merz was ill-advised to touch the issue as he did. The automotive industry, mostly the German, do not like it at all for good reason. The continuing progressive and existentially destructive green policies on how to address climate change, and mass immigration into the social safety nets, are pushing Germany into the continuing stagnation/recession in 2026 and 2027, five years in the row. As long as Germany does for reasons of political stalemate not return to economic growth all of Europe will stay in economically and politically difficult times. Security and military independence from the US, desirable as it is, will not get anywhere without substantially improved economic performance of Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the rest.
It is a permanent historical scar on the American people that they elected these morons. Your worldwide embarrassment is cemented in place forever. Your national reputation will never recover
To understand why his polls are this bad you gotta hear how he treats his constituents. You are lazy, you need to earn less, you have to save up.for your retirement yourself, and btw we won't pay as much for all your social services. Well..... Might be the reason why nobody likes him. Old white man telling everyone we are not german enough. Screw him. Guy never got his hands dirty with work.
Give money to Trump family, this how you play Trump.
Surely American bases in NATO countries should only be deployed for NATO operations, and not sole-USA actions?