Best Of
Re: What shall we read into this? – politicalbetting.com
Looking, in the wee small hours, at the previous discussion, I managed to focus on the fact that it is @boulay's birthday. IIRC it's a big one.
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Re: What shall we read into this? – politicalbetting.com
We don't need extra measures because we have the vaccine, and because many of us have already had the virus.It is indeed. And yet society operates as normal without lockdowns, without masks and with education. Hindsight is easy but I think the argument that we massively overreacted to a relatively moderate virus is now overwhelming. Of course, next time, we will have something far more severe and go the opposite way.The thing is still about. Had COVID last week.Only over 75s, care home residents and immunosuppressed to be given Covid vax this Autumn.Good morning
My wife and I have had a total of 10 covid vax, had covid itself twice and was really ill, and it looks like more to follow !!!!!!!!!!
If you really think that we 'massively overreacted' in early-mid 2020, or that the virus was 'relatively moderate', then you are being really, really silly, and also acting with a massive dollop of hindsight.
I recently watched the BBC 'Ambulance' series that was recorded in 2020/2021, and it was a shocking reminder of how much of a strain the NHS was under during even the second wave.
Re: What shall we read into this? – politicalbetting.com
Star turn from Gordon Brown on R4 Today this morning; a reminder that Labour have no performers in the same league. With 100% clarity and certainty about the point (gambling tax and child poverty) he wanted to make, he combined it with 100% unclarity about every other hard question, 100% support for the current government and 100% blame for the Tory ones. And he made it sounjd effortless and plausible.
The thought that we have had a Labour government for a year and still have all that child poverty when Labour could have taxed wealthier people and redirected the money to poor children was avoided entirely. Genius.
The thought that we have had a Labour government for a year and still have all that child poverty when Labour could have taxed wealthier people and redirected the money to poor children was avoided entirely. Genius.
Re: What shall we read into this? – politicalbetting.com
Pensions and debt interest, mostly.Taxes are higher than ever, so where's the money going?Morning allInequality is increasing, despite what politicians say. If you are retired, self employed, have a skilled trade or don’t have young children or a large mortgage, the chances are you will be comfortably off. If you are renting, have a young family, have no useful skills, or on minimum wage, you will be ever poorer.
As an aside, Goodwood reported a healthy increase in crowd numbers for its Festival meeting last week, The Public Enclosure (the cheap seats) had crowd numbers up 10% from 2024 while even the posh areas saw a 5% rise and that was despite last Thursdy's biblical deluge.
Attendances at race meetings are doing well and some evidence there's still plenty of discretionary income out there to be spent despite the notion we are on our knees, society is broken and we are one step away from anarchy and barbarism under Labour.
It's all much more nuanced than that - it always has been.
In the 80s, we had a very favourable dependency ratio, and any idiot could have made the fiscal sums work. Now we don't, and not even a genius could.
(Plus, most of the wealth generated in recent years seems to have gone into inflating house prices. Pay rises faster than prices for a bit, rents go up a lot. That's not going to be easy to fix.)
If you want healthy public finances, I wouldn't be starting from here, sir.
Re: What shall we read into this? – politicalbetting.com
Responding to ANI's question on US imports of Russian Uranium, chemical fertilisers while criticising their (Indian) energy imports', US President Donald Trump says, "I don't know anything about it. I have to check..."He very likely doesn't know anything about it.
https://x.com/ANI/status/1952877566047449426
Sure.
Whether he bothers to check or remembers he should check are different questions.
Saying "I don't know, I'll check" is a perfectly valid response which more politicians should use instead of pretending they know about an issue when they don't.
Re: Once again Reform voters show they are massive outliers – politicalbetting.com
…Happy Birthday boulay. To be honest I found hitting 40 tougher than hitting 50, but I basically tried to ignore both milestones and fitaloon and our boys knew better than to make any fuss. But I know what you mean about how weird a random year can make you think about life as I will be hitting the next big milestone birthday very soon. I always remember my parents phoning me to wish me a Happy Birthday when I was 40 and admitting to my Mum that I was feeling a bit down about it and being robustly told that was nothing compared to how old it made them feel that morning to realise that their oldest child had just turned 40. 😆
Ladies (?) and gentlemen of PB, this is my last hour of being in my forties, I’m moving into Joe Root batting territory so I could be out next ball or reach a ripe century. It’s weird how a random year can make you think about life but it does. Away from my personal weighing and measuring, I want to thank PB and you fuckers for making the odd moment since 2007 enjoyable/frustrating/amusing/bearable.
Whatever our conflicts, our petty enmities, spats, bemusements, thank you for the hours of absolute boredom you have made just slightly less boring.
Might be the last vaguely sober chance to thank you all over the next few days so had to get it out of the way.
Onwards.
fitalass
5
Re: Once again Reform voters show they are massive outliers – politicalbetting.com
Time to cut spending, Rachel.A general question.The Government is not on track to meet its ‘stability rule’, with our forecast suggesting a current deficit of £41.2 billion in the fiscal year 2029-30.
Is the alleged £41bn finance gap in the Govt single year or rest of Parliament (ie 4 years)?
I'm seeing articles written with both assumptions, and I can't find any articles linking to the source, that is the NIESR report.
https://niesr.ac.uk/publications/uk-economic-outlook-chancellors-trilemma?type=uk-economic-outlook&hss_channel=tw-870591852
MaxPB
5
Re: Once again Reform voters show they are massive outliers – politicalbetting.com
…
Ladies (?) and gentlemen of PB, this is my last hour of being in my forties, I’m moving into Joe Root batting territory so I could be out next ball or reach a ripe century. It’s weird how a random year can make you think about life but it does. Away from my personal weighing and measuring, I want to thank PB and you fuckers for making the odd moment since 2007 enjoyable/frustrating/amusing/bearable.
Whatever our conflicts, our petty enmities, spats, bemusements, thank you for the hours of absolute boredom you have made just slightly less boring.
Might be the last vaguely sober chance to thank you all over the next few days so had to get it out of the way.
Onwards.
Ladies (?) and gentlemen of PB, this is my last hour of being in my forties, I’m moving into Joe Root batting territory so I could be out next ball or reach a ripe century. It’s weird how a random year can make you think about life but it does. Away from my personal weighing and measuring, I want to thank PB and you fuckers for making the odd moment since 2007 enjoyable/frustrating/amusing/bearable.
Whatever our conflicts, our petty enmities, spats, bemusements, thank you for the hours of absolute boredom you have made just slightly less boring.
Might be the last vaguely sober chance to thank you all over the next few days so had to get it out of the way.
Onwards.
boulay
17
Re: Once again Reform voters show they are massive outliers – politicalbetting.com
I wouldn't call myself a leftie.FPT...lol. When I posted this claim yesterday then every lefty on here simply said “well, they are fascists”, “what do these fascists expect?”, “that’s good police work” etc etcThe original claim has now been debunked. The police office did not say "fascists". See https://x.com/EssexPoliceUK/status/1952848564847014000Not a good look for the policeNo shit, Sherlock !
A copper calls the asylum hotel protestors "fascists"
https://x.com/WesleyWinterYT/status/1952725444635095294
Did it have anything to do with all the people leading the Epping protests associated with The Homeland Party, Britain First, Blood and Honour, former Combat 18, former BNP, former National Front, British Democrats ... ?
(Clue: if you don't want to be described as a fascist, don't go to demonstrations they are running.)
You really DO need to wake up and smell some coffee.
Even the one in Ashfield, which was basically peaceful, was largely provoked by a guy called Alan Leggett, who was a sidekick of Ten Prison Terms Tommy, before he tried to go on his own.
And I did demonstrate the accuracy if the police (now) *had* called them fascists, in that the demo was animated by specific such groups - notably and most prominently the Homeland Party. They are a splinter group of Patriotic Alternative; their leader is a former BNP candidate. The chap on the pickup making a speech was from that group.
You need to take a serious look at just who you are fluffing, and for whom you are being a useful idiot.
But since you play a character here, you may not actually believe this stuff.
MattW
5
Re: Once again Reform voters show they are massive outliers – politicalbetting.com
This from Neidle is slightly less spectacular, but perhaps more important for the precedent it will set.
https://x.com/DanNeidle/status/1952648323229257812
In 2022, Nadhim Zahawi’s solicitor sent me a libel threat - and said I wasn’t even allowed to say he’d written to me.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruled that was improper.
Now he’s appealing.
A 🧵 on why it matters.
I sincerely hope Zahawi's side loses this appeal.
https://x.com/DanNeidle/status/1952648323229257812
In 2022, Nadhim Zahawi’s solicitor sent me a libel threat - and said I wasn’t even allowed to say he’d written to me.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruled that was improper.
Now he’s appealing.
A 🧵 on why it matters.
I sincerely hope Zahawi's side loses this appeal.
Nigelb
8