UK British News Megathread - aka CWCissey's news thread

https://news.sky.com/story/row-over-new-greggs-vegan-sausage-rolls-heats-up-11597679

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.

View image on Twitter


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.

 

[FedPostalService]

Only the support of the Labour candidate outside my polling station. I think all the other parties gave up along time again.

 

[teriyakiburns]

protest thong

Now there's an idea.

So this Keir Starmer guy is going to wind the British election in a landslide.

I'm still holding my low majority (was minority but no longer) prediction. There's a lot of push-polling to try and generate a voter surge for Labour, and while the tories are doing their best to make sure they lose, I'm not sure that Labour are necessarily going to reap the benefits of that. I suppose I shall measure my accuracy in how much gin is left in the bottle tomorrow.

 

[FedPostalService]

Now there's an idea.


I'm still holding my low majority (was minority but no longer) prediction. There's a lot of push-polling to try and generate a voter surge for Labour, and while the tories are doing their best to make sure they lose, I'm not sure that Labour are necessarily going to reap the benefits of that. I suppose I shall measure my accuracy in how much gin is left in the bottle tomorrow.

We’ve seen how wrong pollsters are are. They’re sampling is way off. We saw that during the election. This is the strangest election I’ve lived through. Usually I have a little bet on elections but this one is too crazy. No one wants to win it and too many factions of the two main parties hate them so much currently they actively want them to lose.

I’m hoping big numbers for Reform. Rather than taking it as a warning, it will make a Labour government double down and push troons and migrants until they collapse early.

 

[Coccxys]

I stuck a tenner on a no overall majority at 8/1, worth a punt at those odds and known deficiencies in polling. Stuck a tenner on Lab/Lib coalition at 12/1 too, though that relies on my first bet working out.

I still expect a Labour majority in the end though.

I think all the other parties gave up along time again.

The Conservatives have been running on the platform of "Labour are winning this, so let's do damage control" for weeks.

These are all from emails I have received this week









I assume we'll be using this are our live discussion cope/seeth thread through the night.

 

[St.Davis]

I’m sure Labour will get in Again in our ward like they always do but my vote went to reform mainly as a protest.

It's basically the same here. I just arrived back from the polling station. The labour person has won about five times in a row, but I still voted Reform. Maybe we'll be lucky and get a nice surprise?

 

[The Noticer]

Your based candidates, sir:

Jesus Christ, what are you guys doing on that god-forsaken island?

 

[Almighty Space Duck]

Done my bit and voted Reform. My local seat will go to Labour but in small town norf that was always a given.
Anyway, kettle on and time to start making dinner.

 

[GratsTheat783]

I had something planned that's been delayed because the government verification department is focused on the election right now. I hate democracy.

 

[Miriam Margoyles]

Your based candidates, sir:

Tory:
View attachment 6153553

The big reveal was genuinely a jump scare for me.

 

[Coccxys]

Conservatives thinking high turn out is good for them.

An email they just sent out

 

[FedPostalService]

I had something planned that's been delayed because the government verification department is focused on the election right now. I hate democracy.

They’re using that as an excuse. My mate’s who work in the civil service all have apolitical roles and are bitching about having to do the work they’ve been paid to do.

 

[Feathers McGraw]

Done my bit and voted Reform. My local seat will go to Labour but in small town norf that was always a given.
Anyway, kettle on and time to start making dinner.

I'm in a small norf town too and Electoral Calculus have put Reform at ~20% likely to win, so it's not outside the realm of possibility they'll pick up a few seats round here. I suspect polling underreports right-wing parties anyway; if I were polled I wouldn't tell them I voted Reform or else I'd probably be forced to defend why I'm a transphobic racist bigot.

 

[Kane Lives]

I'm in a small norf town too and Electoral Calculus have put Reform at ~20% likely to win, so it's not outside the realm of possibility they'll pick up a few seats round here. I suspect polling underreports right-wing parties anyway; if I were polled I wouldn't tell them I voted Reform or else I'd probably be forced to defend why I'm a transphobic racist bigot.

One has to wonder how much "shy Reform voter" effect are we talking about here. 10%? 15%? A whole 25%?

 

[RisingPhoenix]

Ex-pat but just couldn't care to vote this time around. I'm team zero seats but a 4 year Labour run is gonna suck.

My main solace is at least Labour is mostly cleaned out of Corbyn and his chums. I'll take PM Starmer over Corbyn any day quite frankly

 

[FedPostalService]

Conservatives thinking high turn out is good for them.

An email they just sent out

View attachment 6154298

Usually it’s the exact opposite.

One has to wonder how much "shy Reform voter" effect are we talking about here. 10%? 15%? A whole 25%?

It’s hard to tell. The only people I’ve seen talking about this election are full on Tory Derangement Syndrome types. All normal people are acting like nothing is happening. It’s really weird.

 

[Overly Serious]

Conservatives thinking high turn out is good for them.

An email they just sent out

View attachment 6154298

Could backfire and encourage Labour voters to go out and vote if they think they're at risk.

Really, I'm reserving my opinions until at least the exit polls are in. One thing I do know is that the establishment media is largely trying to discourage Reform and one of the most effective ways to do that is to make people think they can't win. And the "right sort" of polling can create a distorted outcome. It does seem unlikely they'll win per se, but the average Tory voter is unlikely to defect to Labour. They're more likely to not vote than that. But the not voting is something they'll do because they feel there's no alternative. If they feel Reform has offered them one then they'll still vote. The ones that would switch from Tory to Labour are the "Red Wall" ones in the North who blipped over to the Tories and whom the Tories seem to have failed to hang onto. Will Reform eat into that rather than them all just flip back to Labour? We'll find out tonight.

 

[FedPostalService]

Any able to recommend a good cheap VPN that’s pay monthly given the next government will be actively looking for thought criminals?

 

[Overly Serious]

It’s hard to tell. The only people I’ve seen talking about this election are full on Tory Derangement Syndrome types. All normal people are acting like nothing is happening. It’s really weird.

Same. I've encountered three categories:
1. Labour supporters.
2. "I'm not interested in politics"
3. Old people who want Reform to win but don't bother voting.

I'll be watching attentively at 10pm tonight for the exit polls to be revealed. They were pretty accurate as I recall the time of Thersea May's terrible gamble. I remember the shocked faces going round on the Channel 4 coverage.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Usually it’s the exact opposite.

It’s hard to tell. The only people I’ve seen talking about this election are full on Tory Derangement Syndrome types. All normal people are acting like nothing is happening. It’s really weird.

Same here. Though admittedly I've not talked to many people today.

Even on Discord, the usually political places aren't saying much. The only one I saw it even hinted at was quickly overridden with people spamming American stuff before the mods shut down any political discussion.

 

[Overly Serious]

Any able to recommend a good cheap VPN that’s pay monthly given the next government will be actively looking for thought criminals?

Mulvad. No account, best we can tell no tracking. Just pay and get a code you can use on up to five devices for the purchased period which can be a single month.

EDIT: They have fewer servers than rivals like ExpressVPN or Nord and I'm not sure how good they are if you have some heavy use requirements like torrenting. But as a company and purchase model and security, very good. Their desktop client in particular is very thorough.