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]

Isn't Declan Rice Irish?

Nah he's English. Played for Ireland as a kid as he was eligible under the "had a paddy grandparent" rule.


Also on an election related note, got my first piece of electoral advertising mail today from Reform. On the one hand it's nice someone bothered, this is a super safe Labour area so normally no-one, not even Labour themselves, bother sending out leaflets. On the other hand it was the shittest most generic leaflet I've ever seen. It has Farage and Tice on it, and then a bunch of generic platitudes like "stop the boats" and shit. The closest it comes to actually acknowledging the local candidate is the fact there's literally a box at the top that says "Constituency: xxx" Candidate: xxx". I know Reform are banking much more heavily on people voting for Farage/the party as a whole than most, but at least give me something about the individual I'm actually voting for, especially given Reform and it's predecessors like UKIP didn;t always have the best form in selecting candidates.

 

[FedPostalService]

Nah he's English. Played for Ireland as a kid as he was eligible under the "had a paddy grandparent" rule.


Also on an election related note, got my first piece of electoral advertising mail today from Reform. On the one hand it's nice someone bothered, this is a super safe Labour area so normally no-one, not even Labour themselves, bother sending out leaflets. On the other hand it was the shittest most generic leaflet I've ever seen. It has Farage and Tice on it, and then a bunch of generic platitudes like "stop the boats" and shit. The closest it comes to actually acknowledging the local candidate is the fact there's literally a box at the top that says "Constituency: xxx" Candidate: xxx". I know Reform are banking much more heavily on people voting for Farage/the party as a whole than most, but at least give me something about the individual I'm actually voting for, especially given Reform and it's predecessors like UKIP didn;t always have the best form in selecting candidates.

I think I’ve only had a Labour pamphlet. I think the other parties have given up in my constituency.

 

[EddyRooney]

Every member of the England National team is English.

English qualified, yes. But are they English - would you want them on your team ? They in no way, shape or form share my values.
As I've said before, a large part of the problem with the England team now is the disconnect between the players and the fans.
I have a bigger problem with 23 millionaires who would be either bin men or drug dealers, if they weren't absolutely blessed by the most niche genetics, lecturing me on what a racist transphobic sexist homophobe I am at every opportunity.
I mean you have Kane and Southgate, also known as dumb and dumber, lecturing everyone on equality.
Kane's agent is his brother - nepotism has to be the antithesis of equality.
Southgate took Pizza Hut's money and made light of letting everyone down at Euro 96. Some of us have long enough memories to remember what a cunt he was even before he became a patronising twat. He then expected us to follow him as a leader.....goes to show what a joke the FA really are.

Gareth making money out of letting us down

Good to know it was a joke to him and he made a few quid. Perhaps he'll be able get an advert with Toblerone after Saturday ?

 

[AssignedEva]

Didn't you already get your shit kicked in in the thread this week for your stupid posts? Do you want to keep being bullied for being completely fucking wrong?

Genuine, serious question: how old are you?

Also on an election related note, got my first piece of electoral advertising mail today from Reform. On the one hand it's nice someone bothered, this is a super safe Labour area so normally no-one, not even Labour themselves, bother sending out leaflets. On the other hand it was the shittest most generic leaflet I've ever seen. It has Farage and Tice on it, and then a bunch of generic platitudes like "stop the boats" and shit. The closest it comes to actually acknowledging the local candidate is the fact there's literally a box at the top that says "Constituency: xxx" Candidate: xxx". I know Reform are banking much more heavily on people voting for Farage/the party as a whole than most, but at least give me something about the individual I'm actually voting for, especially given Reform and it's predecessors like UKIP didn;t always have the best form in selecting candidates.

There's been a lot of those in various constituencies -

I think it's a symptom of Reform having to scramble to massively expand the number of constituencies they're standing in (which was rushed - hence the issues with candidate vetting). There'll be a lot of complete newbies to politics who simply don't have the resources or connections to do anything but put their names on the premade template.

I think I’ve only had a Labour pamphlet. I think the other parties have given up in my constituency.

I've had Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative flyers plus one independent candidate who's a bit of a local lolcow, but curiously no Reform (although they are standing in this constituency).

 

[Eekum Bokum]

View attachment 6143713
Fuck off London.

Didn't you already get your shit kicked in in the thread this week for your stupid posts? Do you want to keep being bullied for being completely fucking wrong?

English people are white. This is objectively provable. You cannot find a non-white English person because the English genetics are all white. If you claim anything different you may as well call a man a woman because he cuts his dick off. If you do not know who your people are (well I doubt they're your people with that avatar and your opinions) then you're a lost cause.

I actually thought you were doing a bit but turns out you actually are a spastic.

 

[EddyRooney]

I think it's a symptom of Reform having to scramble to massively expand the number of constituencies they're standing in (which was rushed - hence the issues with candidate vetting). There'll be a lot of complete newbies to politics who simply don't have the resources or connections to do anything but put their names on the premade template.

Do you think all of that is a bad thing ? Having witnessed the complete horlicks the previous Red and Blue governments have made of everything ( a lot of it being down to "career" self interested politicians, in my view ) is having a bit of new blood a bad thing ?
May be they might even be naive enought to give us some straight, honest answers to the questions put at them ?
A lof of this mess to me is down to snake oil salesmen ( and women ) not giving honest answers, but giving the answers they ( or their advisors ) think the electorate want to hear.
I've had pamphlets from all the parties except Labour. The Greens have sent through the most - which seems counter intuitive - I thought they were about saving resources ? Perhaps they expect me to do the work and recycle it for them ( now that would be truly inline with modern political thinking ). Trouble is they are all shiny, not sure that would make them useful for my intended purpose ( and it's not double ply )

 

[Amin Yasister]

English qualified, yes. But are they English - would you want them on your team ? They in no way, shape or form share my values.
As I've said before, a large part of the problem with the England team now is the disconnect between the players and the fans.
I have a bigger problem with 23 millionaires who would be either bin men or drug dealers, if they weren't absolutely blessed by the most niche genetics, lecturing me on what a racist transphobic sexist homophobe I am at every opportunity.
I mean you have Kane and Southgate, also known as dumb and dumber, lecturing everyone on equality.
Kane's agent is his brother - nepotism has to be the antithesis of equality.
Southgate took Pizza Hut's money and made light of letting everyone down at Euro 96. Some of us have long enough memories to remember what a cunt he was even before he became a patronising twat. He then expected us to follow him as a leader.....goes to show what a joke the FA really are.

Gareth making money out of letting us down

Good to know it was a joke to him and he made a few quid. Perhaps he'll be able get an advert with Toblerone after Saturday ?

Did you know the last time the FA Cup was won by a team with all English players was back in 1975?

 

[FedPostalService]

Do you think all of that is a bad thing ? Having witnessed the complete horlicks the previous Red and Blue governments have made of everything ( a lot of it being down to "career" self interested politicians, in my view ) is having a bit of new blood a bad thing ?
May be they might even be naive enought to give us some straight, honest answers to the questions put at them ?
A lof of this mess to me is down to snake oil salesmen ( and women ) not giving honest answers, but giving the answers they ( or their advisors ) think the electorate want to hear.
I've had pamphlets from all the parties except Labour. The Greens have sent through the most - which seems counter intuitive - I thought they were about saving resources ? Perhaps they expect me to do the work and recycle it for them ( now that would be truly inline with modern political thinking ). Trouble is they are all shiny, not sure that would make them useful for my intended purpose ( and it's not double ply )

I’ve never really liked the career politician criticism. I’ve never been on an aeroplane and though, fuck that career pilot, they need to get one of the cleaners to fly the plane, they have more life experience.

Although I did like the Corbyn mongs use it as an insult to his enemies. The same Corbyn who dropped out of university, was gifted a union job because he was from a family of rich Fabians, then got a post of a councillor then MP. Not only was he a career politician, he was bad at it until Andy Burham’s retarded 4d chess backfired on him because Labour members are utter spastics.

I really wish there was some rule about people needing an actual connection to an area to stand as an MP. Parachute MPs tend to be the most soulless no-where people that exist and don’t care if half of Africa gets dumped in their constituencies.

 

[Dr J]

As for the BBC article about the French election, if you remove the words "extreme" "far right" and "left wing" and read the article again, it sounds like the people simply voted for who they want as their government.

Yeah...funny that

 

[Broadside]

View attachment 6143976
How very English.

Gotta love leftists importing what they think are lots of easy votes only for the imports to turn and form their own party

 

[EddyRooney]

I’ve never really liked the career politician criticism. I’ve never been on an aeroplane and though, fuck that career pilot, they need to get one of the cleaners to fly the plane, they have more life experience.

Although I did like the Corbyn mongs use it as an insult to his enemies. The same Corbyn who dropped out of university, was gifted a union job because he was from a family of rich Fabians, then got a post of a councillor then MP. Not only was he a career politician, he was bad at it until Andy Burham’s retarded 4d chess backfired on him because Labour members are utter spastics.

I really wish there was some rule about people needing an actual connection to an area to stand as an MP. Parachute MPs tend to be the most soulless no-where people that exist and don’t care if half of Africa gets dumped in their constituencies.

I think your definition might be slightly different to mine.
There are career politicians and conviction politicians.
A career politician would do anything ( and sell his own grandmother ) to be elected and continue his career. In your analogy, they'll want to fly the plane, whether qualified or not - but you bet as they're crashing it they make sure they'll be the only fucker on board with a parachute - so they can land safely and crash the next one.
The conviction politician ( funnily enough I think mostly of the Left ) such as Tony Benn. He held opinions that were deeply unpopular to me, but I did at least respect him in the sense that everyone knew where he stood.
I'd rather have a man that speaks the truth and is my enemy than one who pretends to be my friend by lying and is nothing but the devil.

Totally agree with your last statement - I'm sure there was a period in history called the "golden age of parliament" - when MPs represented their constituencies first and foremost, voted with their conscience and the whip ( and so loyalty to the party ) wasn't so regularly employed.

 

[FedPostalService]

Gotta love leftists importing what they think are lots of easy votes only for the imports to turn and form their own party

One of Labour’s massive problems is it’s convinced that it’s entitled to votes of the certain sections of society. It bit them in the arse when the Red Wall fell. Sadly it’s going to bite the entire country in the arse when they lose the people they imported.

 

[3deadniggers]

Genuine, serious question: how old are you?

Old enough to know the difference between a nog and an Englishman unlike you apparently.

Gotta love leftists importing what they think are lots of easy votes only for the imports to turn and form their own party

Can't complain mate. They're entitled to their vote as British citizens. Absolutely nothing abnormal about them, no foreign take over. As British as Fish and Ch.. oops was almost racist. Goat vindaloo!

 

[FedPostalService]

I think your definition might be slightly different to mine.
There are career politicians and conviction politicians.

I totally concede this point. It’s such a cynical world we live in I often forget some people actually believe things.

Another “why I left the left” moment was when I went to a talk held by Tony Benn. He was great, despite being wrong about absolutely everything from 1975 onwards, but it struck me how culty the crowd were. It was a really creepy atmosphere.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

I've not really been following the French political news - I assume by 'far right' they mean they are the only party that doesn't actively invite immigrants over to gangrape the local girls?

Yep, standard journalist description. More right than the majority of Reform I'll concede.

As every the media need a reminder of the boy who cried wolf because much like "Nazi!" far-right is getting worn out and whatever they come up with next is going to sound stupid. I've heard extreme right be used recently and all it makes me do is giggle.

 

[FedPostalService]

Yep, standard journalist description. More right than the majority of Reform I'll concede.

As every the media need a reminder of the boy who cried wolf because much like "Nazi!" far-right is getting worn out and whatever they come up with next is going to sound stupid. I've heard extreme right be used recently and all it makes me do is giggle.

My favourite from Yank politics is “Christian nationalists” because they can’t call them racists but they’re actually not.

I don’t think these people realise Orwell wrote a warning and not a blueprint.

 

[Overly Serious]

It's very racist to call Nigerians "The gloom". But it fits.

I've known quite a few Nigerians. To a one, they're waaaay more cheerful and outgoing than the average Bong. Only the Finns can outdo Bongs when it comes to gloom. Hell, even Bosnians I've known are more cheerful than the Brits and they're Bosnian. Brits enjoy depression the way a Frenchman enjoys his wine.

I've heard extreme right be used recently and all it makes me do is giggle.

Ultra-right? Mega-right? Super-duper-extracallifragiliocious-right?

Nah, soon they'll redefine things in a more encompassing way that lets them group all their enemies in a way that can't be dissected. It'll be "anti-Left" or "anti-Progressive". Something like that. Once sufficient power has been reached that dissent from the group identity is punishable in itself the most useful terms is one that simply casts someone as being against it. Like being "anti-Revolution" in Soviet Russia. Because the Revolution is an inherent good that must not be denied. Wait - anti-Racist (different to being not racist!). Already happened. They just need to expand it with a word that sums up their entire movement.

 

[AssignedEva]

Here's a thought: despite all the grandeur from the outside and the fact they just redid Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster is crumbling.

It costs £2 million a week just to keep patching it up and it needs a proper redo. Originally the plan had been to move into a temporary chamber in Richmond House (the old Department for Education building):

but the Jacob Rees-Moggs of the world wouldn't stand for it. This full decant would have taken 12-20 years and cost £7 billion - £13 billion. A suggestion that the Lords can get kicked out while the Commons stay put and then nick the Lord's chambers would cost £18.5 billion and take 26-43 years... and the idea that the renovations are just done during extended recesses would take £22 billion and take 46-76 years.

Obviously there's no actual reason why Parliament needs to take place in Parliament other than MPs liking the pomp and circumstance (the magical mace that gives them the power of the King to make laws can just be carried to another building and put there while they vote), but I suspect this is going to become a more pressing issue after the election as this basically has been ignored since 2020. But what's got me thinking is if the plans are revived, are we going to see the same shaped chamber? The chamber as it exists now is too small to fit the number of MPs we have, and it's designed with opposing benches "a sword's width apart", which is how it's been for centuries.

But a lot of Parliaments have a more semicircular layout:

It's suggested that this reduces the argumentative "government vs opposition" structure to debates and reminds MPs they are all colleagues working together to represent the interests of their constituents and the country. Given there's a small chance we might actually see a Lib Dem opposition (and regardless, Labour can essentially do what they want and ignore the Conservatives on matters like this) are there odds on a more "modernised" layout, at least temporarily? Same deal with a more modernised voting system, rather than MPs having to walk into the Ayes or Noes division lobby (and then that ridiculous situation where 30p Lee changed his vote because some Labour MPs giggled at him and he got too embarassed).

Going off Politico, Keir spends most of his time working in the newbuild Labour offices rather than the Parliamentary estate.

 

[Vesperus]

Here's a thought: despite all the grandeur from the outside and the fact they just redid Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster is crumbling.

So, there's a chance the whole thing could collapse and bury the lot of them?

 

[FedPostalService]

With only a few occasional spergs it amazing what a chill this thread is considering we’re a country of people who absolutely hate each other.

Keep it up, fellow bongs.