Best Of

Actually, very clever from England

Leave India totally dispirited. Knock a brisk 50 tomorrow

England 230 ahead, with almost two days to go

2 result game and India winning ain't one of them

If we lose from here, you and @Andy_JS are watching Mad Nad talking about Massive Johnson on a loop for 15 whole minutes.

If we lose from here I'm in the starting XI for the fifth test

It's hardly impossible if the pitch continues to deteriorate.

India scores 350 by early afternoon on Sunday. We get bowled out for 110 on a rapidly worsening pitch.

Still: 200 up, I'd reckon we'd be more likely to skittle India for 250 or so.

Well obviously its not 'impossible'. Its a two result game though. Any England loss would be due to gross ineptitude. We bat for an hour in the morning and India won't be declaring before tea on Sunday if they survive

Agree with the cause or not, it is unsustainable.

https://thecritic.co.uk/the-british-economy-cannot-sustain-its-contradictions/

I'm not sure whether I agree. There is evidence SEN referrals have risen exponentially since COVID and the system for assessment and the specialist accommodation required just hasn't existed to meet the huge new demand.

I'm not sure you can make a sweeping series of assertions about the economy and our capitalist model from this.

Around 15% of our medical students now claim to have some form of neurodivergence, so it must be at least that in schools. I don't see this as sustainable, and it takes resources away from the much smaller minority with major issues.

Rather than SEN transport, perhaps we need a return to special schools.

That's not necessarily true: the nueurodivergent might be more likely to end up going down the medical path than students in general.

In view of the high academic entrance requirements, Clinical Aptitude Tests etc in order to get in, it is hard to see how they have been held back by it.

Incidentally, there are legitimate concerns about those with dyslexia or dyscalculia rewriting prescription charts in independent practice.

Local Ashfield residents and ‘anti-racism’ protesters clash outside a church as demonstrators march to demand an end to illegal migration

https://x.com/GBPolitcs/status/1948784888682885315

I love the way "anti-racism" is in quotes, but 'local' is not. I bet many of these racist protestors won't be local...

They aren't all racist and many of them will be. And it's happening across the country. So they will be local to somewhere, you can't just dismiss them. There are millions who feel the same way

We need a law change on the small boats quickly

What do you mean, a law change? Presumably we wouldn't need legislation if it were to be decided ALL illegal migrants would be arrested and deported without any asylum request being processed.

Would that stop "the boats"? Not sure but the Greek option seems one which could be followed.

At the moment it would be against the law (for extremely good reasons) to deport anyone at all without a process to establish it is proper to do so. A moment's rational reflection shows this

It isn't possible to know that person X is in the UK unlawfully unless person X has the right be heard and to put in a defence to the suggestion that he is present unlawfully. This is not the USA under Trump where the rule of law only applies to some people.

Agree with the cause or not, it is unsustainable.

https://thecritic.co.uk/the-british-economy-cannot-sustain-its-contradictions/

I'm not sure whether I agree. There is evidence SEN referrals have risen exponentially since COVID and the system for assessment and the specialist accommodation required just hasn't existed to meet the huge new demand.

I'm not sure you can make a sweeping series of assertions about the economy and our capitalist model from this.

Around 15% of our medical students now claim to have some form of neurodivergence, so it must be at least that in schools. I don't see this as sustainable, and it takes resources away from the much smaller minority with major issues.

Rather than SEN transport, perhaps we need a return to special schools.

That's not necessarily true: the nueurodivergent might be more likely to end up going down the medical path than students in general.

Nice thought but no.

"More than 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for Birmingham Airport to be renamed as 'Ozzy Osbourne International'."

https://www.itv.com/news/central/2025-07-25/thousands-call-for-airport-to-be-renamed-ozzy-osbourne-international

It should be named Noddy Holder international airport. I know he’s a yam yam but all this revisionist twaddle about Black Sabbath. FFS

What revisionism has been happening about Black Sabbath?

That they’re in any way, shape, or form good.

Adam Boulton has had some good stuff about them on his Twitter.

Its all a matter of taste, but they were one of the most influential bands of the Seventies, and inspired a whole musical genre.

I don't think much of his solo stuff, but with Black Sabbath he was a true great. Not really well suited to the role of national treasure in those days.

I saw them on a couple of their farewell tours, including once at Download.

Of course it’s partly taste but it’s partly influential fans advocating for them.

Ozzy Osbourne was a boorish prat. His wife unlikeable. His son was a decent chap.

There is no way Brums airport. Which is not in Brum but Solihull, should be named after this old soak.

Maybe name it after Crackerjacks Don McLean

Name it after Richard Hammond, hes a Solihull lad. Hamster International Airport.

Then it would need to be restricted to very short planes.

Jaspar Carrot Airport?

Did you know that Dawn from The Office (the original, English Office) was played by Jasper Carrot's daughter?

I did indeed.

A family member of mine taught her at school.

Nice thought but no.

"More than 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for Birmingham Airport to be renamed as 'Ozzy Osbourne International'."

https://www.itv.com/news/central/2025-07-25/thousands-call-for-airport-to-be-renamed-ozzy-osbourne-international

It should be named Noddy Holder international airport. I know he’s a yam yam but all this revisionist twaddle about Black Sabbath. FFS

What revisionism has been happening about Black Sabbath?

That they’re in any way, shape, or form good.

Adam Boulton has had some good stuff about them on his Twitter.

Its all a matter of taste, but they were one of the most influential bands of the Seventies, and inspired a whole musical genre.

I don't think much of his solo stuff, but with Black Sabbath he was a true great. Not really well suited to the role of national treasure in those days.

I saw them on a couple of their farewell tours, including once at Download.

Of course it’s partly taste but it’s partly influential fans advocating for them.

Ozzy Osbourne was a boorish prat. His wife unlikeable. His son was a decent chap.

There is no way Brums airport. Which is not in Brum but Solihull, should be named after this old soak.

Maybe name it after Crackerjacks Don McLean

Name it after Richard Hammond, hes a Solihull lad. Hamster International Airport.

Then it would need to be restricted to very short planes.

Jaspar Carrot Airport?

Did you know that Dawn from The Office (the original, English Office) was played by Jasper Carrot's daughter?

She was once asked why she didn’t take her dad’s surname…

Local Ashfield residents and ‘anti-racism’ protesters clash outside a church as demonstrators march to demand an end to illegal migration

https://x.com/GBPolitcs/status/1948784888682885315

I love the way "anti-racism" is in quotes, but 'local' is not. I bet many of these racist protestors won't be local...

They aren't all racist and many of them will be. And it's happening across the country. So they will be local to somewhere, you can't just dismiss them. There are millions who feel the same way

We need a law change on the small boats quickly

I won't dismiss them, but I will call them racist if all they find interest in is abuse by the 'wrong' groups.

To be clear: this isn't about keeping women and kids safe.