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.

 

[A-Logato]

Nobody is being deported, or even stopped from coming in. They've already played their hand when they said they want to allow immigrants, legal and otherwise, to have the ability to vote.

What do you mean? Of course were deporting people. We just deported *checks notes* 600 Brazilians 4 months ago?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/01/brazilians-deported-home-office-secret-flights-uk

 

[Whoopsie Daisy]

What do you mean? Of course were deporting people. We just deported *checks notes* 600 Brazilians 4 months ago?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/01/brazilians-deported-home-office-secret-flights-uk

Ah, the Brazilians. Known for their rape gangs, trucks of peace, loud backpacks and stabbing enthusiam...oh wait!

 

[Overly Serious]

Reform are a plant and controlled opposition. They'll be the worst mix of tory and labour and are positioned to be a release valve.

Further supporting evidence: the way grass roots original Reform supporters who did canvassing, stood as candidates, etc. have been and continue to be purged from the party if they don't fall in line with the new people from head office.

There's a view, which seems to be prevailing, that even though Reform may be controlled opposition, it's still better to vote for them than otherwise. This to me is playing to lose and ime, doesn't work. People are trading a 20% chance of winning for a 100% chance of losing more slowly. Anyone who plays chess or even any modern strategy game PC or tabletop, knows this mindset. It's when you're on the back foot and you see too high risks around you so you go for safe options even though you know they're moving you away from actual victory.

IMO, Reform supporters - or rather those who want the things Reform stood on initially - would be best placed to continue to push for what they want rather than let their efforts be redirected. But we'll see.

 

[Snekposter]

Ah, the Brazilians. Known for their rape gangs, trucks of peace, loud backpacks and stabbing enthusiam...oh wait!

Well, the favelas exist, and with no shortage of talented amateur gunsmiths.

Get enough Brazilians in the UK and you too can experience the joy known as school shootings.

 

[Smyrna]

To be clear, I was not endorsing Reform, and would not vote for them today if given the chance (Big Ange cancelled my elections) - I was giving my thoughts on why lots of other people will, even if they are not convinced (nor should they be) of Reform's sincerity or capability. It boils down to giving Labour and the Tories a kicking, and it doesn't matter (yet) how crap Reform councillors will be.

And for now, that's good enough. Anything that unsettles the legacy parties is a good thing. Reform will not need to be dealt with as they will eventually collapse under the weight of their own shit. I remain very confident that over the next 4 years many of the current Reform voters (and quite a few who are not Reform voters) will become open-minded towards a better alternative if one is built.

 

[Crunkle]

Vote for who empties your bins!
or, how I learned to stop worrying and love MPs who punch the people that vote for them

Alright chaps! Polling stations close in 4 hours.

Local elections are always good fun, so I'll shit this thread up for a few days. Nice autistic post from your resident numbers retard for anyone who isn't into this stuff. If any jannies want me to move this shit, will happily do so.

TL;DR: The local elections only decide what happens on a per-council/constituency level so there's no national power involved. It's seen similarly to a midterm over in America where you can usually predict the national mood based on the results.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c39jedewxp8t

(it's basically just pictures of dogs outside of churches)

https://archive.is/Txv7G

Council elections

Current poll from ElectoralCalculus has:

CON (21.4%)​

LAB (23.4%)​

LIB (13.7%)​

REF (25.5%)​

With our First Past The Post system that'd yield a hung parliament with Reform as the largest party but short of a workable majority. Nigel Farage as PM with the Tories as Junior Partners.

What does this mean for the local elections?
Not much, really, besides a basic thermometer on what could happen.

Spoiler: Detail on how locals work (skip unless you want a cure for insomnia)

Parts of each of the countries in the UK are split up into councils. Citizens pay taxes to councils for vital services like road works, rubbish collection etc... .

A council is made up of councillors who are elected during the local elections which usually happen every year or two depending on which part of the country you're in.

If a party has 20 councillors elected on a council with 30 seats, they have overall control. Shitty parties like the Greens or Lib Dems are usually seen as a good choice in the south of the country which doesn't have many votes today.

In the past 30 years, we've also decided to elect mayors which have more personal control over larger parts of the country like cities. Labour have been messing with this to try and give us more mayors and that's the entire reason the local elections have been so toxic this year, because Labour gave councils the right to postpone the elections to make changes. So about half of the country who should have voted for who spends their money today are not voting. The people they elected in 2023 have an extra year in power with no mandate.

A country-wide vote would likely weaken Labour and the Tories even further. Not having a vote would weaken Reform as they have the momentum on their side.

The current council layout is (mostly from the 2021 COVID results):


CON (57 councils - 1,420 total councillors)
LAB (69 - wahey with 341 total councillors)
LIB (13 with 274 total councillors)
GRN (12 with 47 total councillors)
REF (0 with 128 total councillors, almost all Tory and UKIP defectors)

A lot of pollsters don't seem to guess the council count but they do predict the number of councillors. Using ElectoralCalculus's polling which has been going from February up until now:

CON (688 - projected they'll lose about 50% of their councillors, catastrophic result especially if most of those go to the Lib Dems or Reform)
LAB (285 - very bad for a government that's barely 10 months old)
LIB (401)
REF (697)
GREEN (44)

The punch heard around the middle of England
Today, the kind people of Runcorn and Helsby are going to the polls to not only elect their local politicians but also their fucking Member of Parliament. Why? Because he drunkenly punched one of his voters in the face. Here's the video:

We'll find out results at about 10 - 11pm BST (19:00 EDT), but the polling is looking VERY close:

(Source: FindOutNow 12 - 14 March 2025)
LAB 33%
REF 36%
CON 12%

Can't find the poll I saw yesterday, but they are both at the same level and there's a few hundred votes between victory and loss here. If Reform manage to get within a percentage point of Labour's result then that will set the tone of this parliament until the next election.

Depending on how badly this goes for the Tories tonight will also determine whether Robert Jenrick begins his leadership pitch next week or next year.

 

[FedPostalService]

Hit me with the rainbows but voting Reform does send a message. Whilst they are controlled opposition they’re supposed to be a pressure valve and not the flood.

They get start threatening the two party system and the establishment have to start wondering what comes after Reform.

When populism fails death squads tend to pick up the slack.

Also, just another reminder, if you’re in a union you’re a fucking cuck who is directly funding the far left who want to replace you and destroy the country.

 

[Crunkle]

Hit me with the rainbows but voting Reform does send a message. Whilst they are controlled opposition they’re supposed to be a pressure valve and not the flood.

They get start threatening the two party system and the establishment have to start wondering what comes after Reform.

When populism fails death squads tend to pick up the slack.

Also, just another reminder, if you’re in a union you’re a fucking cuck who is directly funding the far left who want to replace you and destroy the country.

I personally dislike Farage, but it's all about sending a message.

Undermining the two party system is an important thing here even if Reform are a bunch of ex-Tory spackers.

 

[FedPostalService]

https://news.sky.com/story/fa-will-ban-transgender-women-from-womens-football-from-next-season-13359117

Since the FA know what a woman is now can we please stop them ruining football commentary?

 

[Overly Serious]

Get enough Brazilians in the UK and you too can experience the joy known as school shootings.

Traditionally, we've shot Brazillians rather them shoot us. Usually when they're electricians.

Current poll from ElectoralCalculus has:
CON (21.4%)LAB (23.4%)LIB (13.7%)REF (25.5%)

Oof. Rough day for Labour and Tories, but mainly the Tories as it's their lunch money that Reform will be taking.

Today, the kind people of Runcorn and Helsby are going to the polls to not only elect their local politicians but also their fucking Member of Parliament. Why? Because he drunkenly punched one of his voters in the face. Here's the video:

Two Jags Prescott did it better. Very swift left jab that man.

 

[FedPostalService]

Two Jags Prescott did it better. Very swift left jab that man.

This is really autistic but it’s just a jab. If he’d used his right hand it would have been a cross (unless he was a southpaw)

I’m sorry. I hate myself I felt the need to point that out. I will learn from this and promise to do better.

 

[Spud]

Hit me with the rainbows but voting Reform does send a message.

That milquetoast political parties who do nothing more than just chant catchy slogans, make videos for an foreign audience then throws any member who wants to actually solve an issue under the bus are more than enough to quell the masses into accepting the same politics repackaged and that nothing will happen?

 

[FedPostalService]

That milquetoast political parties who do nothing more than just chant catchy slogans, make videos for an foreign audience then throws any member who wants to actually solve an issue under the bus are more than enough to quell the masses into accepting the same politics repackaged and that nothing will happen?

We could all vote Homeland and go on gay camping trip with Special Branch handlers, and BBC cross dressing Irishmen instead I suppose.

 

[BongoMongo]

Interesting how neither the BBC nor the Daily Mail have their headlines about the council elections. Not even close to top of their respective pages.

Almost like they don't want people thinking about it, especially people in parts of the UK where council elections have been cancelled,thinking about it.

 

[Spud]

We could all vote Homeland and go on gay camping trip with Special Branch handlers, and BBC cross dressing Irishmen instead I suppose.

Can't be any gayer than what we currently have.

 

[Overly Serious]

This is really autistic but it’s just a jab. If he’d used his right hand it would have been a cross (unless he was a southpaw)

I’m sorry. I hate myself I felt the need to point that out. I will learn from this and promise to do better.

No, no. I'm glad you did. I originally wrote jab but I hadn't seen it in years and I searched online and found a reference to his left hook and thought "oh, I'm wrong" and changed it. Thanks, autistic boxing bro.

 

[FedPostalService]

Can't be any gayer than what we currently have.

Read my entire post that you quoted. I’d Reform fail then even Special Branch honey pots like Homeland, what’s left of the BNP, and the English Democrats will not save the establishment.

 

[Spud]

Special Branch honey pots like Homeland

I don't think they are. Cause it would lead to the conclusion that the government spends taxpayer money on a party that promotes cleaning you neighbourhood of trash and graffiti and general improving it. Why wouldn't they spend that money making it current government policy rather than associating it with the "far right"?

 

[BongoMongo]

I don't think they are. Cause it would lead to the conclusion that the government spends taxpayer money on a party that promotes cleaning you neighbourhood of trash and graffiti and general improving it. Why wouldn't they spend that money making it current government policy rather than associating it with the "far right"?

I agree. I kinda dislike this attitude of "any far right opposition party is a plant and it glows". It's kinda defeatist and it smacks of intentionally wanting to put people off anything other than the two party,no alternative system, which is itself, kinda glows. No wagies, drink your goyslop, anything outside the two main parties is a dangerous glowing plant, etc etc.

 

[Whoopsie Daisy]

Also, just another reminder, if you’re in a union you’re a fucking cuck who is directly funding the far left who want to replace you and destroy the country.

Unite hate current labour and like old labour. Plus, in a Union the gays, fags, niggers and trannies have no power over me. Plus, higher wages for contractors.

If you're shop floor and not in a union and don't know employment rights like the dialogue in your favour marvel movie, join a union.