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.

 

[evrae]

It's clear he doesn't want to resign after a major scandal that will taint his legacy forever (after the Mandleson news and after getting FUCKED in the locals)

The problem is that this IS his fucking legacy, and he has the chance to be known as the guy who straight up destroyed the Labour party in one term.

It's pretty crazy how he absolutely insists on clinging on and that he will totally have the 10 years in power he wants. Normally being this delusional gets you put on a ward.

Nothing quite like have 3 different nonce scandals when not even halfway through your term (rentboys, Mandelson, and now that bitch who was involved with the PIE). On top of all the other scandals.

He certainly is right about one thing though: his father is a toolmaker.

 

[diroama]

It's pretty crazy how he absolutely insists on clinging on and that he will totally have the 10 years in power he wants. Normally being this delusional gets you put on a ward.

The story emerging from the cabinet meeting is that he read a short statement then moved on to talking about Iran which was enough to stop anyone raising the issue of him resigning.

That's the strength of the internal opposition he's "clinging on" against.

 

[AssignedEva]

repeated Starmer's line about there being a process to challenge him and that no-one has challenged him

It's not just a line, though. There's 80 MPs telling him he needs to set a timetable to leave, but the process is:

Where there is no vacancy, nominations may be sought by potential challengers. In this case any nomination must be supported by 20 per cent of the Commons members of the PLP. Nominations not attaining this threshold shall be null and void. The sitting Leader or Deputy Leader shall not be required to seek nominations in the event of a challenge under this rule.

20% is 81 MPs, which is basically what we've got. But they all need to nominate someone, and nobody's put their name forward. Even if someone puts their name forward and gets all 81 nominations, it then just goes to a ballot and then they need to get over 50% of the membership vote (either by first preference or transferable vote). Starmer may well be calling their bluff on the basis e.g. Wes Streeting wouldn't fare well in a membership election.

The other levers they can pull are resigning the whip and depriving the PM of his parliamentary majority and then blocking Commons votes, making his position untenable, but they won't do that as it'd probably damage their reelection chances and they're also in the dilemma of "what if I resign but nobody else does?". Alternatively we could see more payroll resignations, but again, Starmer probably could ignore that and just appoint new ministers etc and then they've just relegated themselves to the backbenches with no payoff. Or the classic opposition calls a VoNC in the government, but if they support that it could result in a snap election and them losing their seats, so they won't do that. They're also not going to vote against the King's Speech, things have to be pretty dire for that to happen as it's a guarantee of getting the whip withdrawn and the last time a King's Speech vote didn't pass was 1924.

Basically, Starmer should go, but nobody can make him go. There's no mechanism to force a VoNC in their leader, and no meaningfully popular alternative leadership candidate. They can demand he resigns all they like, but he can just sit there and go "no".

 

[Kane Lives]

Basically, Starmer should go, but nobody can make him go. There's no mechanism to force a VoNC in their leader, and no meaningfully popular alternative leadership candidate. They can demand he resigns all they like, but he can just sit there and go "no".

It is darkly amusing that Starmer is in effect a dictator now, because nobody wanted to take the blame for the fall.

 

[diroama]

It is darkly amusing that Starmer is in effect a dictator now, because nobody wanted to take the blame for the fall.

Give over this "dictator" bullshit is so tedious.

 

[teriyakiburns]

I genuinely don't see the point of Starmer resigning. What difference would it make?

The point for Labour is that it rids them of an obvious focus of voter anger. Starmer has been fucking things up for the party since he stepped into office, and despite all the fawning questions the backbenchers ask him at PMQs, and all the public support they give him, enough of the PLP is aware of how damaging he is to realise that he's guaranteeing they're out at the next election. They'll be thinking get rid of Starmer, replace him with someone less ideologically driven, and start trying to compromise with the voters so they can maybe keep some seats.

The point for everyone else is that Starmer is personally driving the country over a cliff. They're thinking if they get rid of him, he might be replaced with someone more reasonable, because it's hard for him to be replaced by someone less reasonable.

Regardless of what happens, I suspect the current session is going to be a complete farce and very little new legislation will get passed before it ends. MPs can hold things up in committees without actively opposing them, as a way to gain some leverage against Starmer. The upper house is almost certainly going to delay every bill passing through.