Best Of

If the US wanted to destroy the whole of Kharg island they could so it seems like a game of chicken here .

Destroying the islands oil infrastructure will stop nearly all exports from Iran , this surely would cause a further oil spike .

Iran could retaliate with trying to cause further damage to the Gulf states oil refineries .

Apparently Trump has told Iran to open the Straights of Hormuz or he will destroy the oil facilities on Kharg island

High stakes, and two irrational and irresponsible leaders out of control

I don't think Iran are being irrational at all, they are playing a shit hand well.

A theocratic regime is by definition not entirely rational. Their strategy is also deeply flawed; if they'd spent the last decade semi-appeasing the US they'd be immeasurable more wealthy, could have built some genuinely useful armed forces with Chinese kit, and could probably have at some point acquired nuclear weapons.
They're responsible for their own shit hand.

But you're right that tactically they're way ahead of the imbeciles directing the US attack.

That 34% ethical is interesting in so much as it mirrors the Labour vote in 2024.

I don't believe the question "is Starmer unethical or ethical" is the best question. "Does Starmer appear ethical or unethical" would generate a much sharper divergence

I'd like him to fall on his sword, the level of hatred against the man is off the scale and a distraction for functional government. Some of that contempt is well deserved (he is shockingly bad at politics) but a great deal has been confected by the media due to his demand for a second Referendum and his undermining poor Boris.

Speaking of hatred, Miliband's doing his bit to stir up a little against the evil private sector, who are clearly raising fuel prices for reasons unrelated to any real world events. Ahem.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c626mdvn6d5o

Feel sorry for those working in petrol stations getting abuse because the green zealot's trying to blame the private sector ahead of a potential government hike in income tax because a moron in America didn't realise starting an unplanned, pointless war in the Middle East had the obvious consequence of a rise in oil prices.

We discussed this yesterday. Are the retailers price gouging? Some said yes, some said they are entitled to increase the retail price of their current stock in anticipation of the increased cost of the next delivery.

We did agree that those abusing minimum wage cashiers at petrol stations deserve their own place in idiot's corner/ Hell.

Besides- the free market selling price of everything is as much as the seller can get away with. Always has been, that's how the system is meant to work. The only question is what mechanisms stop that price being all but infinite.

(Same as the free market buying price of a thing is the lowest the seller can be persuaded/forced to swallow. Those two things don't have to overlap, but when they do, wonderful things can happen.)

Well yes, supply and demand enters the picture. One man's profiteering is another man's sound economics.

It's not quite as simple as that - it's long been known that competition in this sector is rather weak. There's considerable market power and the CMA has been investigating it for some time. In that case profiteering is sound economics.

This is one of those topics where PB is out of touch with public sentiment - just check out the comments on the BBC article. And blaming the government for abusive behaviour from some motorists to retail staff is just...mad.

Public sentiment is they dont like high energy prices.

Milibands policy of raining prices will bite Labour in the arse.

Miliband is the reason British forces didn't take part in the initial strike on Iran which has caused this mess in the first place. He's also advocating the kind of energy that isn't vulnerable to whims of the Iranian regime of Vladimir Putin. In the battle of political narratives, I think he's in a reasonably strong position.

(Though I must say I've been disappointed the government isn't pushing that point more forcefully).

Yep. Labour should definitely pin the UK energy situation on Miliband. Incredibly high and rising prices being down to him is just the ticket.

I expect Reeves will give in on North Sea licences as economic reality kicks in

What in the last eighteen months makes you think that Reeves has any connection to, or even awareness of, economic reality?

O&G only represents about 1% of the UK economy. Issuing some new licenses isn't going to boost that to any significant degree, and won't have a material effect for several years, and it's trending downwards anyway. Long term decisions aren't going to be made on a oil/gas price that we hope is only temporarily inflated.

Those suggesting this will solve our economic and fiscal woes in the face of an energy crisis are those with no connection to economic reality. #everylittlehelps though, I guess.

Who exactly has ever suggested that?

Quotation required.

Otherwise that's not even a strawman.

BigG. He seems to think opening up licences will solve this.

The whole response from those instinctively opposed to Net Zero, renewables etc has been risible - we're currently living through our second hydrocarbons crisis in four years and people are still clinging to the idea that our green energy policy is to blame for high prices.

There is a great deal of our green energy policy that is responsible for high prices. It’s just he “policy” but not the “green energy” bit.

Loading the cost of transition onto retail bills or pegging pricing to natural gas prices being two examples.

I’ve seen social media suggestions that at some point soon independent garages are going to start breaking down petrol prices.

Petrol: 60p
Garage: 10p (gross income)
Government: 80p
YOU PAY 150p.

Good morning

Interesting SNP offer

BBC News - Swinney pledges £10,000 deposit to support first-time buyers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2jz1gvz7no

And on Boris - no

So in other words Swinney has offered more taxes from long suffering middle and higher earning Scots pockets for a deposit of less than 10% of the average Scottish house price. Building more homes for first time buyers would be a better use of his time

It is solely for first time buyers and is the kind of incentive I could see Kemi being attracted to

Kemi sensibly proposed abolishing Stamp Duty instead

Neither of them is sensible.

Both of them will see house prices rise to absorb the incentive, so the money will accrue to sellers.

Remember that, in a free market, prices are the most that the purchaser can be forced to pay.

You don’t cut Stamp Duty because you think it will bring house prices down. You cut it because massive transaction taxes on people moving house are a terrible drag on your economy.

Stamp Duty is the worst tax on the books in terms of negative economic impact.

Tory defection to Green Party whispers.

SW groups

Former Junior Minister, lost seat to LD in July 2024,very passionate Environmentalist in Parliament and Government and out of Parliament.

Disgusted with Tory net zero stance.

Could be announced early next week.

Batman expletives incoming!

If any Tory defects to Polanski's near Marxist Green Party they should never have been in the Tory Party in the first place!

On one hand, fair point. (Though one of the interesting things to watch will be how far Green MPs and councillors feel the need to follow the ramblings of a man who hasn't been elected by the public.)

On the other, "they should go away and join another party" is not what healthy political parties say. Big tent, not pure tent.

'The new Archbishop of Canterbury will embark on a six-day pilgrimage to prepare for her installation service.

Dame Sarah Mullally, along with her husband Eamonn, will walk the 140km (87 mile) route from St Paul's Cathedral in London to Canterbury Cathedral before the service on 25 March.

It is the first time in modern history that an Archbishop of Canterbury has undertaken a pilgrimage of this nature in the lead-up to their installation.

While walking the Becket Way, her group will join prayer services at churches, cathedrals and abbeys, as well as meeting with other pilgrims and visiting schools.

The Archbishop will walk along stretches of the Thames Path, the Via Britannica and the Augustine Camino, which is the pilgrimage route celebrating the conversion of English-speaking people to Christianity.

Stops will include Southwark Cathedral, Aylesford Priory, the Shrine of St Jude in Faversham, Lesnes Abbey and Rochester Cathedral, Lambeth Palace says.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yjm9zdn8no

If I was at all Christian, and lived a not ridiculous distance from Kent, I'd definitely want to join in with that for at least one of the days.

The 25th is a Wednesday [Warhammer reveal show at Adepticon day] so the middle two days of the pilgrimage will be the weekend.

It'll be interesting to see whether many people join her on the pilgrimage.

Good morning

Interesting SNP offer

BBC News - Swinney pledges £10,000 deposit to support first-time buyers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2jz1gvz7no

And on Boris - no

So in other words Swinney has offered more taxes from long suffering middle and higher earning Scots pockets for a deposit of less than 10% of the average Scottish house price. Building more homes for first time buyers would be a better use of his time

It is solely for first time buyers and is the kind of incentive I could see Kemi being attracted to

Kemi sensibly proposed abolishing Stamp Duty instead

You can do both

Kemi has already led the way on student loans with a government committee now to review them, and she is correct to look at everything around NEETS and helping young people

Pensioners have had too much emphasis, and time to help the young and those striving to make a success of their lives

Speaking as a HENRY, Badenoch has been excellent on student loans and Stamp Duty (LBTT is even worse in Scotland). More of that and less of the "British ICE" stuff and she'll pick up some non-pensioner votes.

It's a big ask though - if you're under 50 and on a decent wage you're overwhelmingly likely to vote Labour/Green.

With their home airport out of bounds, Qatar Airways has operated a couple of flights overnight from Thailand to Manchester. How many passengers on board is an interesting question.

Loads of cranks at Manchester to see the A380 that has just landed.

Love an A380, on my constitutional yesterday evening, the Emirates big bird from Dubai into the last 20 odd miles towards Manchester Airport came over just a couple of hundred yards to my left. My taxi timings were such a year or two back that, as I headed out into the valleys in a Manchester ward direction, it would often overtake me, apparently following the stream of a particularly pastoral tributary of the Holme and seemingly just hanging there but still stretching into the distance and the moorlands. A contrast from the overhead in the terraces of central Hyde, much louder, much lower, similarly impressive but with a very different vibe.

A380

Pro_Rata: 100+ words of lyrical anecdote, placing the aircraft at a known point with detail to place, time, and feel.
Viewcode: BIG PLANE! PLANE GO BIG!

Good morning

Interesting SNP offer

BBC News - Swinney pledges £10,000 deposit to support first-time buyers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2jz1gvz7no

And on Boris - no

So in other words Swinney has offered more taxes from long suffering middle and higher earning Scots pockets for a deposit of less than 10% of the average Scottish house price. Building more homes for first time buyers would be a better use of his time

It is solely for first time buyers and is the kind of incentive I could see Kemi being attracted to

Kemi sensibly proposed abolishing Stamp Duty instead

You can do both

Kemi has already led the way on student loans with a government committee now to review them, and she is correct to look at everything around NEETS and helping young people

Pensioners have had too much emphasis, and time to help the young and those striving to make a success of their lives