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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

Members can't remove a leader, only MPs can.

aug 26, 2025, 2:23 pm • 0 0

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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

And let's face it, why would the little people be entitled to have a view?

aug 26, 2025, 2:27 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

I don't think giving the labour party membership defact veto power over the prime minister of the united kingdom is a good idea, Norbert.

aug 26, 2025, 2:42 pm • 2 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

(a) It isn't a veto. It'd take a lot to make it happen. (b) There have been any number of Labour leaders who never made it to No 10. But more fundamentally, isn't it always amazing that what works really quite well in other countries in Europe should absolutely be out of the question here?

aug 26, 2025, 2:47 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

It is a veto. You want the membership of the labour party to be able tbring down the prime minister if they want. No. That isn't parliamentary democracy. It isn't democracy at all. I get b) but that isn't what we are talking about here, you don't want it just for opposition times.

aug 26, 2025, 2:49 pm • 0 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

Of course in the UK the leader of the party *must* be the Prime Minister so it must always be this way and cannot conceivably be any other way even though in other places it often is but let's not go there. He's elected to represent the views of those who *are* the party. If he stops doing that...

aug 26, 2025, 2:53 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

He isn't elected to represent the views of the people in the party. You don't understand our form of government.

aug 26, 2025, 2:57 pm • 0 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

Well, MA in PolSci but what do I know. Have a nice day.

aug 26, 2025, 3:01 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

I'm seriously worried that you didn't get an education worth the opportunity cost if you think giving labour party members the right to get rid of a sitting pm is compatible with our form of government. Your credentials don't mean anything if you are wrong.

aug 26, 2025, 3:03 pm • 0 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

You're quite the rude little shit, aren't you?

aug 26, 2025, 3:11 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

I have a PhD in civility actually, so that's apparently impossible.

aug 26, 2025, 3:21 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

He's elected to represent a constituency, and wins his status as pm because he commands the confidence of the house. What you want is to remove parliamentary sovereignty and replace it with the freaks of the labour party membership! Hell no.

aug 26, 2025, 2:57 pm • 0 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

Wonder if he'd get elected to a constituency if it wasn't for the Labour party. Digitalis: "the freaks of the labour party membership" Also Digitalis: "I am enraged as a labour party member, I feel totally powerless to affect change." 🤔 Democracy, eh? So messy.

aug 26, 2025, 3:00 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

Norbert, believe it or not. I am not so self centered as to belief that my feelings of frustration means that I should have a special privilege to tell the voters: no, I will choose your pm for you. And yes, the lab membership are freaks! We all are

aug 26, 2025, 3:02 pm • 0 0 • view
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Timo Betcke @timobetcke.me

That‘s something I agree with. The question now is whether MPs remain cowards in the face of the fascist right or whether they remember that their first duty is to the country and not to Starmer.

aug 26, 2025, 2:46 pm • 0 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

The PM has patronage. You want a government role, no matter how insignificant? Keep your mouth shut. They will not.

aug 26, 2025, 2:48 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

Patronage powers don't help when you don't have enough jobs to give out and your MPs don't think they have a chance of getting reelected.

aug 26, 2025, 2:51 pm • 0 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

Well, there's two options - either you have a small majority which means 40-50% are on the Government pay roll. Or you have a huge majority and then you don't really have to care about 40-50 rebellious MPs.

aug 26, 2025, 2:54 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

How can you be theoretically conscious and not recognise how what you are saying directly contradicts the lived experience of the last few months lol.

aug 26, 2025, 2:56 pm • 0 0 • view
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Timo Betcke @timobetcke.me

When Hitler passed the enablement act socialist MPs voted no, despite being threatened, despite knowing it would pass anyway. Many of them went into the first concentration camps. Being elected comes with great privileges but also with the duty to make the ultimate sacrifice when needed.

aug 26, 2025, 2:54 pm • 0 0 • view
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Norbert Lieckfeldt @lieckfeldt.net

Yes, but then you've got people like Torsten Bell who was a huge critic of the two child benefit policy and now he's an ardent defender. Funny how that works, isn't it?

aug 26, 2025, 2:56 pm • 0 0 • view
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Digitalis @buzzocular.bsky.social

Are you two seriously, seriously comparing the labour party to parties that passed the enabling act. Can you get a fucking grip.

aug 26, 2025, 2:58 pm • 0 0 • view
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Timo Betcke @timobetcke.me

In addition to my other comment, doing what Farage says requires passing something that is no less evil than Hitler‘s enablement act.

aug 26, 2025, 3:02 pm • 0 0 • view
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Timo Betcke @timobetcke.me

No. I am reminding that MPs have a higher purpose than aiming for government jobs.

aug 26, 2025, 3:00 pm • 0 0 • view
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Timo Betcke @timobetcke.me

I could also point to David Lammy. From saying in parliament that Brexit is a con to going fishing with American Nazis. And no, the holiday pictures with Vance were not a required part of the brief of a foreign secretary. Other Europeans did not debase themselves like this.

aug 26, 2025, 2:59 pm • 0 0 • view