Labour's new leader

[flatandy]

By the way, those of us who live in Foreign that the previous rules no longer apply - we previously ran out of time and weren't allowed to vote after 10 or 15 years living outside the UK, but the rules have changed and we can now vote forever in parliamentary elections.

I will be voting in the 2024 election. My seat remains safe Labour so I will be voting for someone else - probably Green unless they're really vacuous - as a result of Starmer's shitness.

[voice]

When did the rule change?

[mids]

The left have been squealing about that here.

[flatandy]

Feb 16, 2024 15:31:24 GMT voice said:

When did the rule change?

It came in about a month ago. The Tories thought it would benefit them because foreign livers historically were either retirees on the Costa Gammon or high wealth educated voters who vote for low taxes, both historically fairly right-wing groups. But there are increasing numbers of the latter who are increasingly disenfranchised by the increasingly gammony, anti-travel, culture-warry, intolerant line from the Tory Party so in fact it might all wash out to be a bit of zero impact.

Here's an article, including a link on how to register:

yorkshirebylines.co.uk/politics/a-political-gamechanger-brits-abroad-given-uk-lifelong-voting-rights/

[mids]

It came in about a month ago, driven by the Tories obsession with making things more democratic. They realised that it could work against them but their moral fortitude left them with no choice.

[voice]

If even a word of that was true then they wouldn't have suspended the existing rules so ex-pats couldn't vote in the self suicided Brexit referendum.

[perrykneeham]

The selfish, self-interested establishment, smug-vote?

[voice]

easier to type 'tory vote' surely?

[moggyonspeed]

Feb 16, 2024 16:56:23 GMT perrykneeham said:

The selfish, self-interested establishment, smug-vote?

So lemme get this straight - the Right recognises selfishness, self-interestedness and smugness in others, but not in the Tories. Hmmm ... interesting.

In fact no - not interesting. Unbef*ckinglievable.

[perrykneeham]

Remainer reflections. Touching.

[voice]

Hey baloo, you back shitting on the big again I take it, how's the recovery going?

[perrykneeham]

Hi Voice, it's okay thanks. Had a miserable couple of days earlier in the week while an obstruction resolved itself, but back on track again now. Still feeling like I've been raped by an especially clumsy shirehorse, but all normal functions returning. Glad to be bag free, also cancer-free.

[flatandy]

Good news mostly.

Is this on this thread because Starmer's a bag of sh*t?

[voice]

Any chemo or radiation on the horizon?

[mids]

Feb 17, 2024 1:40:02 GMT perrykneeham said:

Hi Voice, it's okay thanks. Had a miserable couple of days earlier in the week while an obstruction resolved itself, but back on track again now. Still feeling like I've been raped by an especially clumsy shirehorse, but all normal functions returning. Glad to be bag free, also cancer-free.

"obstruction"

Ech.

A mate of mine is currently having to piss in a bag after a hernia op. That wasn't an expected outcome- the docs don't seem to know why it happened but he's having another op next month to fix it.

[perrykneeham]

Feb 17, 2024 3:12:18 GMT voice said:

Any chemo or radiation on the horizon?

No, that's it now. I was told some time ago that I was clear now, and would just be put on overwatch as a precaution. Mrs. B's clear too, so we should just be able to get on with our lives.

[mids]

I recently turned 60 and two health related things happened. I went to get an eye test only to be told it was free. Free! Next, a letter from the NHS came telling me I qualify for bowel cancer screening. I'm awaiting my test kit where I have to sh*t in a tray. I'm now officially a scrounger, getting all this free stuff from the state. I feel like an immigrant.

[perrykneeham]

Well worth doing. Mrs. B was picked up on screening and her journey, though grim, has been much easier than mine.

I worry a lot about modern medicine's reliance on blood tests. The range of tests is spectacular, and I'm sure it's a wonderful tool, but it strikes me that they only look at a range that they're interested in. I've had a couple of conversations recently where I've had to say "that's all well and good, but your colleagues missed this over for over five years when there was a f**k**g great sign shouting bowel cancer". They say that they were considering a number of other conditions - not good enough. Nowhere near it.

TBF, the surgical mob are a different breed to the GPs, who just come across as pisstaking hacks.

[flatandy]

We have no start shitting on a tray at 50. I just did mine last month. They said it's not particularly effective, not like a colonoscopy, but it's better than nothing and a lot less invasive.

I'm fine with the first-pass reliance on blood tests: you've got no symptoms but we'll look at your blood anyway to see if we find anything. If that's all they use once symptoms start, then there's a problem.

[voice]

We do the sh*t on a tray at 50 as well, they're looking for occult blood indicating bowel lesions, it's a good test for what it is, bowel cancer is a silent cancer, you can be cooking it for years before any symptoms and often when you do have symptoms it's too far along. While routine colonoscopy would be great, and better, it's just not practical.

Glad to hear you're through and clear.