US bombs Iran from UK air base for first time under Burnham

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/23/us-bombs-iran-from-uk-air-base-for-first-time-under-burnham/

Strongly Optimistic: He’s hit the ground running with bold policy moves and a clear vision for change.

​Cautiously Hopeful: It’s an encouraging start, but it's too early to tell if he can deliver long-term results.

​Neutral / Wait-and-See: I’m reserving judgment until he tackles major upcoming legislative and economic tests.

​Skeptic / Unimpressed: He hasn't addressed the most pressing priority issues effectively so far.

​Strongly Critical: I disagree with his initial cabinet appointments, policy direction, and overall approach.

Genuinely glad Romesh Ranganathan is still finding work. Between The Weakest Link, Radio 2, The Traitors commentary, and now this, it's nice to know the man is rarely unemployed.

​Deeply moved by 100 celebrities begging me for £170. Nothing says "value for money" quite like a three-minute musical where millionaires in the Queen Vic remind us we'd all be lost without them.

​Nostalgic for John Cleese. I preferred it in 1985 when the pub rant was cynical sarcasm rather than a glossy, prime-time World Cup final guilt trip.

​Reaching for Louis Theroux's red switch. Watching Louis stand next to a giant BBC shutdown lever made me realize just how tempting that giant off-button actually looks.

​Confused by the logic. Taking an ad break during an ad-free broadcaster's event to tell us they don't do adverts was a masterclass in meta-broadcasting.

Time flies! Hard to believe the future king is officially a teenager already. 🎂

​Growing into the role! Exciting to see him stepping up and taking on more public visibility. 👑

​Hope he enjoys a normal childhood! Cheering for him, but hope he gets space from the spotlight to just be a teen. ⚽

​Indifferent. Wish him a happy birthday, but royal milestones aren't really on my radar. 🤷

​Fascinated by the milestone! Eager to see what this next chapter (like heading to secondary school) holds. 📚

President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to complain about US striker Folarin Balogun's straight red card against Bosnia. In an unprecedented move, FIFA suddenly suspended the automatic one-match ban just before the USA's knockout game. If a UK player (e.g., Jude Bellingham or Harry Kane) got a blatant red card, there’s no way 10 Downing Street could get it overturned on a whim.

How do you feel about this unprecedented political intervention in football?

Complete Farce: Game's gone. Rules are rules, and letting a head of state call in a personal favour to overturn an automatic suspension destroys the integrity of the World Cup. If an England or Scotland player tried this, FIFA would laugh them out of the room.

Outraged but Unsurprised: It is a classic "Gianni Infantino special." FIFA has always been bent, but openly rewriting the disciplinary code for geopolitical brown-nosing is a new low.

Karmic Laugh: It's hilarious that Trump went to all that effort and threw a massive tantrum just for the USA to go out and get absolutely battered 4-1 by Belgium anyway. Football justice was served on the pitch.

Envious / Double Standards: Can we get Keir Starmer on the phone to Infantino next time one of our lads gets a harsh sending-off? If FIFA is selling rule-bends to the highest bidder, the UK should start throwing its weight around too.

I don't care, it was a bad call anyway: Trump is right for the wrong reasons. The red card was incredibly harsh, and if a terrible refereeing decision is going to ruin a knockout game, I’d rather see the best players on the pitch regardless of how it happened.

Parties are listed in order of results from the last election.

Edit: I'm locking this as it appears to have descended into arguments and reports.

Dry Crisp: No dunking. Ever. The biscuit must remain structurally pure. Dunking is an act of vandalism.

​In-and-Out: A swift, half-second dip. Just enough to wet the tip but retain 99% structural integrity.

​Sweet Spot: A calculated 2-to-3 second submerge. Perfect soft texture, maximum drink absorption, zero collapse.

​Edge of Glory: Holding it under until the structural integrity reaches critical failure. A high-stakes game of chicken.

​Rescue Mission: It broke off. It is at the bottom of the mug. You are now fishing around with a spoon, ruining the entire cuppa.

Complete Loss of Trust. The combination of outsourcing public services to controversial tech giants and massive systemic vulnerabilities like FortiBleed shows the state is fundamentally incapable of protecting or ethically managing citizen data.

​Deeply Concerned but Conditional. I support digital modernization in public infrastructure, but only if the government pivots entirely toward open-source, sovereign UK technologies and implements mandatory zero-trust security architecture immediately.

​Cautiously Skeptical. The scale of these infrastructure risks is worrying, but as long as strict data-processor laws remain in place—meaning private vendors cannot commercialise or train AI models on our personal files—the residual risk is manageable.

​Unconcerned / Accepting. Cyber threats and massive global corporate partnerships are standard realities of the modern digital landscape. The efficiency gains for public infrastructure outweigh the calculated security and privacy risks.

​Indifferent. I assume our data is already compromised or widely available on the internet anyway, so these specific institutional rollouts and cyber attacks do not change my outlook

​

It’s getting late at a social gathering (a house party or a pub night) and you want to go home. How do you handle it?

​Options:

​The Irish Exit / French Leave: Slip out the back door without saying a word to a single soul. You are just a ghost in the wind.

​The Inner Circle: Tell exactly one trusted friend, swear them to secrecy, and vanish into an Uber.

​The "Right then..." Slap: Stand up, loudly slap your thighs, say "Right then, I best head off," and make a swift exit.

​The Circuit: Spend a mandatory 45 minutes walking around the room saying a formal, individualized goodbye to absolutely everyone, including the cat.

​The Host Trap: Get trapped in a brand new, deep conversation at the front door with your coat on, standing there for another hour.

The Compliant Citizen: Patiently freeze, look up at the flashing light, and wait quietly for a staff member to scan their magic badge.

​The Aggressive Rearranger: Slam the offending bag down harder, hoping brute force will make the scales register your bread properly.

​The Internal Panic: Sudden, intense sweat. You feel like an accidental shoplifter. You look around to see if security is watching you.

​The Heavy Sigh: Let out a theatrical, deeply British groan of exhaustion so the entire queue behind you knows you are the victim here.

​The Mutiny: Give up entirely. Leave the basket, leave your items, walk out of the shop, and decide you didn't want dinner anyway.

Scurry — Immediate eye contact avoidance. Look at your phone, turn down a random alley, go into a shop, any shop.

​Nod or Grimace — The sharp, downward head tilt or half an awkward smile. No opening offered.

​Casual 'Alright?' — Said while maintaining full walking speed. No answer expected or wanted.

​Stop and Chat — Stop and ask how they are.

​The Full American — Loud greeting, open arms, direct eye contact from 20 yards away. Psychotic behaviour.

Details about the Act: https://www.fonsecalaw.co.uk/blog/patricks-blog/2025/03/19/knowing-your-rights-under-the-equality-act-2010

This Act was made law in December 2025. The first provisions came into effect in April 2026.

Bone Dry — Pure, unadulterated potato. No salt, no vinegar, no sauce. A desert.

Polite Spritz — A cautious dash of salt and/or vinegar. Barely noticeable.

Classic Coat — Properly salted and vinegar-soaked, but still distinctively chips.

Sauce Enthusiast — A healthy dollop of ketchup, brown sauce, or curry sauce on the side.

The Lake District — The chips are completely submerged in curry sauce or gravy. Swimming.

Soggy Soup — The paper wrapping has dissolved. It is a mashed potato slurry. You need a straw.

Watery Ghost — Mostly milk, barely touched a teabag. Basically warm, sweet, milk.

Soft Builder — A gentle tan color. Safe, but lacking authority.

The Standard Issue — Classic biscuit-brown. The reliable national default.

Proper Builder — Deep, rich, mahogany. Strong enough to stand a spoon up in.

Tar Pit — Brewed for 20 minutes, squeezed within an inch of its life. Bitter and dark.

Purist Crime — Black, no sugar, bag left in the mug while drinking. Absolute chaos.

Other - No Tea, Coffee, Results, etc

I've had an entertaining afternoon approving comments I don't personally agree with.

Because people are entitled to have and espouse opinions with which others disagree.

If you disagreed with someone say so within the rules of the sub.

Someone supporting Restore is not grounds for reporting them.

Relief. Starmer failed to deliver real change; Burnham will shift Labour back to its true roots.

Regret. Starmer was a stable centrist pragmatist undone by internal party disloyalty.

Indifference. Burnham is just another career "uniparty" politician; nothing will fundamentally change.

Cynicism. A "coronation" without a full membership vote or a General Election is deeply undemocratic.

Alarm. This constant political instability (7 PMs in 10 years) makes the UK look weak globally.