UK British News Megathread - aka CWCissey's news thread

https://news.sky.com/story/row-over-new-greggs-vegan-sausage-rolls-heats-up-11597679 (https://archive.ph/5Ba6o)

A heated row has broken out over a move by Britain's largest bakery chain to launch a vegan sausage roll.

The pastry, which is filled with a meat substitute and encased in 96 pastry layers, is available in 950 Greggs stores across the country.

It was promised after 20,000 people signed a petition calling for the snack to be launched to accommodate plant-based diet eaters.


But the vegan sausage roll's launch has been greeted by a mixed reaction: Some consumers welcomed it, while others voiced their objections.

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spread happiness@p4leandp1nk
https://twitter.com/p4leandp1nk/status/1080767496569974785

#VEGANsausageroll thanks Greggs

7
10:07 AM - Jan 3, 2019
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Cook and food poverty campaigner Jack Monroe declared she was "frantically googling to see what time my nearest opens tomorrow morning because I will be outside".

While TV writer Brydie Lee-Kennedy called herself "very pro the Greggs vegan sausage roll because anything that wrenches veganism back from the 'clean eating' wellness folk is a good thing".

One Twitter user wrote that finding vegan sausage rolls missing from a store in Corby had "ruined my morning".

Another said: "My son is allergic to dairy products which means I can't really go to Greggs when he's with me. Now I can. Thank you vegans."

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pg often@pgofton
https://twitter.com/pgofton/status/1080772793774624768

The hype got me like #Greggs #Veganuary

42
10:28 AM - Jan 3, 2019
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TV presenter Piers Morgan led the charge of those outraged by the new roll.

"Nobody was waiting for a vegan bloody sausage, you PC-ravaged clowns," he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Morgan later complained at receiving "howling abuse from vegans", adding: "I get it, you're all hangry. I would be too if I only ate plants and gruel."

Another Twitter user said: "I really struggle to believe that 20,000 vegans are that desperate to eat in a Greggs."

"You don't paint a mustach (sic) on the Mona Lisa and you don't mess with the perfect sausage roll," one quipped.

Journalist Nooruddean Choudry suggested Greggs introduce a halal steak bake to "crank the fume levels right up to 11".

The bakery chain told concerned customers that "change is good" and that there would "always be a classic sausage roll".

It comes on the same day McDonald's launched its first vegetarian "Happy Meal", designed for children.

The new dish comes with a "veggie wrap", instead of the usual chicken or beef option.

It should be noted that Piers Morgan and Greggs share the same PR firm, so I'm thinking this is some serious faux outrage and South Park KKK gambiting here.

 

[East_Clintwood]

Wtf happened to the Tories though?

They just finished a decade and a half in power where they comprehensively shit the bed on literally every single issue their voter base cares about, combined with Reform's astronomic ascent in the face of their and Labour's continual fuck ups.

 

[diroama]

If any of the polls show that the ruling party is significantly down in approval then there should be no choice.

Fucking stupid idea. Our democracy doesn't work by whatever weighting algorithm YouGov is using this week.

Our governments are *always* opposed by a majority of voters. If we had an election every time polls shows most people wanted to vote for a different party we'd be having them every three months.

What you and others are really saying (whether you realise it or not) is 'we should have proportional representation'. You'd be far better off advocating for that than these frankly childish demands for a general election based on nothing but polls.

 

[teriyakiburns]

It was from 2011 but then in 2022 they repealed the law as it just made too much sense.

That act was a power-play by Clegg, in order to keep the coalition government in power longer than it might otherwise have been able to. Both party leaders knew the coalition was unstable and wouldn't last past the next election, so he brought the act forward to stave that inevitability off for as long as possible. The "but we can actually call an election early anyway" clause was used only two years after the first fixed-term election and the tories made repealing the act a specific manifesto issue for the 2019 election (which was also called under the "we changed our minds and want another go" clause). It was a deeply unpopular policy because it was perceived, rightly or wrongly, as the government attempting to insulate itself against the will of the people.

Brexit means Brexit.
Boris Johnson is clown man who pretends to be retarded to be endearing but is actually a sinister agent who invited infinity browns into the country and just acted like a cartoon character the entire time.

I never trusted the Turk and I never understood anyone who did. He was funny stupid politics man when he was London mayor, because that didn't affect me, but it was obvious he was gunning for PM even then and it was clear exactly what sort of PM he would be; a venal, ignorant, and lazy one, who wanted the trappings of office but didn't want to do the job.

 

[Made In Wales]

The tories doing musical chairs getting multiple PMs out of a single election has kinda sealed the deal for every party who win to cling on desperately for as long as possible. Expect just like the "tory leadership contest" the "Labour leadership contest" to have huge media coverage as tho it's an election you aren't invited to vote in.

Even the idea of calling or not calling an election is dumb, just set a date so it's every 4 years. I can tell when the 2026, 2030 and 2034 world cup dates are going to be but not even know what year an election will be held in.

This happened as recently as the 2010s with something called the Fixed Term Parliament Act, which meant that unless 2/3 of the house voted for a General Election at any point during the Parliamentary term the General Election was fixed at every five years.

Cameron (the PM at the time of this becoming law in 2011) probably never though it would be needed, but ironically two General Elections were called by the 2/3rds votes in 2017 (May calling a GE early due to Brexit) and 2019 (Boris needing a mandate to govern and get Brexit done).

Whilst I gather that some people are not in favour of GE's every other year, I'd counter that by saying that if the Government of the day is that bent and corrupt and against the people it is mandatory that a GE is held. Maybe it's not the Master's fault (us) maybe it's the Servants who should be serving us in Parliament who are wrong?

Of course, had Starmer done the right and proper things at the start, then there'd be no need to call for a GE and his removal - the fact is that this is all his and Labour's fault. Had he kept taxes and cost of living down, listened to the people and not have been so much of a pompous arsehole that now he is despised by his own party and the opposition... then there'd be no need to call for a GE.

I didn't much like Blair, but I didn't call for a GE just because 'Labour man bad'. Things under him were good until 2001 (he copied the Tories playbook) and then it went to shit for him and then the drive to get him removed really amped up on both sides. Blair and Brown did at least keep the cost of living low even if that's the only decent thing that they could achieve.

Calling for a GE now is not just something one side wants, it's fast becoming something that other people on other sides are also starting to demand. All sides other than Labour are now saying that Labour have to be removed and that change needs to happen.

Bad Politicians and baby's nappies often need changing, and for the same reason.

I would say the same thing if it were Nigel ruining the country - fairness and democracy comes first to any affiliation.

 

[diroama]

I'd counter that by saying that if the Government of the day is that bent and corrupt and against the people it is mandatory that a GE is held.

Who would decide that were the case, and based on what criteria?

 

[starborn427614]

Non brit here, can anyone explain to me brexit and why so many goddamn people hate Boris Johnson? I'm confused

Like others have said, he's a slimeball who acts like a goofy uncle.

 

[Made In Wales]

@diroama A good question - my take would be that every 4-6 months people of the UK get a say on whether or not the PM and the party of the day are in fact doing a good job of serving the people.

If over 55% of people agree that the Government is doing a good job, then fair enough, but if over 55% disagree then the Government will have until the next 'check' to put things right.

If the Government doesn't and wholly opposes any criticism and entrenches itself against the people, the people can call for a mass VONC which would have the same legal right and legitimacy of Parliament calling a VONC and the PM of the day would be made to go to the Palace.

'Oh but we'd have General Elections every year' - GOOD! If that is what is needed to root out corrupt bastards ruining parties and ruining the country then G-O-O-D! Be better politicians, do what we want (as is the expectancy) and we won't vote you out. Even if you want to introduce something which we might not agree with, explain it to us and meet us on the level - who knows, you might change our minds and if it is going to be beneficial then we'll have no issue with it providing you can prove it.

We're the Masters, they're the Servants - get on with serving us, waifs!

Be honest, be good, be kind and don't forget your roots and those you represent - is that too much to ask? It surely isn't that brain cripplingly difficult to ask for is it?

 

[femboy fart huffer]

Our governments are *always* opposed by a majority of voters. If we had an election every time polls shows most people wanted to vote for a different party we'd be having them every three months.

Yea it's always around 40-60% but that's just the nature of having more than two parties. If you look at polls though it normally stays around that level. The only time in the past 15 years it's been significantly above that level was with the brexit negotiations and the aftermath of boris partygate. And now. I didn't say majority. I said a significant change. Which we are seeing right now. The polls are so fucking bad that keir is one of the least liked politicians in our history and the entire country is predicted to have a full reform landslide. That should trigger fucking something. If you are the most hated pm in recent history then something should happen.

frankly childish demands for a general election based on nothing but polls.

How is the entire country hating the pm and wanting him gone childish? He does a shit job, he gets fired, just like any other job, hardly childish. And what is an election if not just a poll? Also the 3rd and 4th largest petition in our history have been essentially 'fuck keir sign here'. He is doing a dogshit job and everyone hates him. If democracy is about choosing our leaders and being able to choose who governs us then we have made it very fucking clear that we do not want him to govern us and thus he should at least give us the option to formally declare it. I said the same thing about boris too btw, him resigning should have been an instant ge called. If it's nothing but opinion polls and all that then there would be absolutely no issues at all right? He'd just win again right? We both know that if there was a ge today he loses, so do the tories. That is why there will never be one. Because we do not get to decide how we are governed. We get to vote for which corrupt faggot lied the best and hope that he is somewhat competent for the next half decade with no way to affect that if it turns out he isn't.

 

[Kofi Drinka]

'Oh but we'd have General Elections every year' - GOOD! If that is what is needed to root out corrupt bastards ruining parties and ruining the country then G-O-O-D! Be better politicians, do what we want (as is the expectancy) and we won't vote you out. Even if you want to introduce something which we might not agree with, explain it to us and meet us on the level - who knows, you might change our minds and if it is going to be beneficial then we'll have no issue with it providing you can prove it.

A vote every week wouldn't do anything to solve the corruption. You vote for who you're allowed to vote for and no one decent is getting in that position.

 

[diroama]

@Made In Wales @femboy fart huffer

You both seem to be advocating for the same thing - a mechanism for a swift removal of a government that is performing poorly in opinion polls, which would additionally trigger a general election.

It's clear you don't like the current government (and I dont blame you for that) and you sense that, based on current opinion polls, the outcome of a general election held now would have a result you find favourable.

I call this childish because it's the politics of immediate gratification with no forsight beyond the next news cycle. I'm sure you can appreciate that such a revolving door of the executive, each with a horizon limited to the next six months, hoping to cling on in the next "big brother" style election night eviction would not result in the sort of long term, grown up thinking this country has propered with in the past, and hopefully again will in the future. What Farage gives you this year would be taken away the next. A rapidly oscillating pendulum will do none of us any good.

I suggest you both develop some patience. You're angry because you think the government should not be the government. You're not the first to think this way, but for the time being you need to suck it up. You may see a change of PM but you will not get an early change of parliament. I doubt any Starmer replacement would suit you better either.

Personally I'm not confident that Reform has the foundations necessary to mount a genuine challenge for government. You'd be far better off putting your energies into something achievable and arguable: proportional respresentation. That is far more likely to result in an outcome you find acceptable, and parties and government that genuinely reflect your beliefs, rather than relying on a cult of personality.

 

[Kofi Drinka]

You can spot a smug labour supporter a mile off. "You just don't like the current government so you should sit and wait hoping the next ones better". As if we haven't spent our entire lives under corrupt wankers sucking the country dry and feeding it to third world garbage.

 

[diroama]

You can spot a smug labour supporter a mile off. "You just don't like the current government so you should sit and wait hoping the next ones better". As if we haven't spent our entire lives under corrupt wankers sucking the country dry and feeding it to third world garbage.

I assume this is directed at me.

You are going to have to sit and wait because demanding an early general election because you dont like the result of the one we had 18 months ago is not going to make any difference.

Apologies in advance if you're planning to either: get involved in politics yourself, emigrate, or start a revolution.

 

[Broadside]

A vote every week wouldn't do anything to solve the corruption. You vote for who you're allowed to vote for and no one decent is getting in that position.

There's no vote for NGOs, civil servants and all the associated ghouls who write the whitepapers

 

[Made In Wales]

@femboy fart huffer 100% bang on the money.

I said the same when Boris went - there should have been an Autumn GE in 2022 as the Tories weren't fit to govern, and neither are Labour now.

If Government no longer serves people, then the people should no longer serve it. Remember, that's how the USA got founded - no taxation without representation, and why the miners of South Wales went on strike - not a minute off the day and not a penny off our pay.

If Starmer wants a war on the people, then he can bring it - he will lose and I doubt that HM King Charles III wants the added burden of ruling the country whilst Parliament flounders.

Perhaps we need more 'Femboys' than 'Lying Faggots' in Parliament...

Personally, I will be delighted if Nigel becomes PM by the end of the year and the howling and wailing from Labour bods for 'we want a GE now' amplifies.

Just remember the way Labour bods have treated people (abysmally) will come back to bite them on the arse, and what they do when we say 'suck it up buttercup, things are provably better now?'

@Kofi Drinka My thoughts exactly - and weren't Labour voters actively howling on Social Media 'General Election NOW!' for years during Johnson, Truss and Sunak's reigns? Oh hypocrisy, thine name be a Labour voter:

'We screamed and shouted against what the nasty Tories were doing for years, but now that WE are doing the same things and worse it's ABSOLUTELY OKAY.'

 

[Eekum Bokum]

MP's should consider themselves lucky that we just want a GE, in the past they'd be strung up, set on fire and tossed into the Themes to be torn to shreds by whatever eldritch horror that lurks down there.

 

[Changed later]

I still strongly believe in the Dutch tradition of eating failed Prime Ministers. If you fail to serve the people, you will be served to the people.

 

[teriyakiburns]

I still strongly believe in the Dutch tradition of eating failed Prime Ministers. If you fail to serve the people, you will be served to the people.

I don't want to eat a lump of rubber and plastic.

 

[diroama]

My thoughts exactly - and weren't Labour voters actively howling on Social Media 'General Election NOW!' for years during Johnson, Truss and Sunak's reigns?

Many were. Horseshoe theory is real.

 

[femboy fart huffer]

I suggest you both develop some patience. You're angry because you think the government should not be the government. You're not the first to think this way, but for the time being you need to suck it up. You may see a change of PM but you will not get an early change of parliament. I doubt any Starmer replacement would suit you better either.

Yea I agree most times people are just being impatient retards. This is not one of those times. The government approval is at the lowest in 15 years and the country is on the verge of riots and governmental collapse.

MP's should consider themselves lucky that we just want a GE, in the past they'd be strung up, set on fire and tossed into the Themes to be torn to shreds by whatever eldritch horror that lurks down there.

Who said that's not what I want? That'd be the ideal solution. Systems should still have failsafes though.

Perhaps we need more 'Femboys' than 'Lying Faggots' in Parliament...

Those are synonyms.

Many were. Horseshoe theory is real.

That's not horseshoe theory. Horseshoe theory is both extremes hating jews one because hitler said so the other because hasan did. Wanting the removal of a non functional government is just people agreeing. The entire concept of horseshoe theory is both extremes being closer to each other than the average person, the average person right now agrees with the government being retarded. You're closer to saying horseshoe theory is real because both gay dragqueen onlyfans people and skinheads both love chocolate than what it actually is.

 

[diroama]

This is not one of those times. The government approval is at the lowest in 15 years and the country is on the verge of riots and governmental collapse.

It really, really isn't. This is just breathless hyperbole fueled by social media.

And if I'm wrong and the government *is* on the verge of collapse then you don't need to demand that it collapses itself, or invent weird new ways of turning YouGov polls into constitutional triggers. You just have to wait a few weeks.