Best Of

As @TSE says the poll seems to make little sense. What is troubling is that Maine is so close. It was supposed to be an easy Democratic pick up this time around.

Susan Collins deserves to win in my view, she is a highly experienced, competent and intelligent Senator who has stood up to Trump when needed and even voted to convict him after the 2021 riots.

While her Democratic opponent has plenty of scandals, little experience or backstory of significance and wouldn't look out of place at a Trump rally (which is why he picks up a few Trump voters when they find out more about him). If it wasn't for their party labels it wouldn't even be close

It's academic of course, Hyufd, but I think if I had to choose a dog in this fight, it would be Collins.

She hasn't been as rebellious as she once was. Knobbled by Team Trump?

Stayed for the insider trading ?

Susan Collins 30 years ago: “I’ve pledged that if I’m elected I will only serve two terms. 12 years is long enough to be in public service.”
https://x.com/HQNewsNow/status/2064491505423659149

Morning all

First, we need to condemn without reservation the mob violence in Belfast last night. It's a strange world where we think two wrongs make a right and whatever happened with the attack which by the way was heinous and, if proven, the perpetrator needs to feel the full weight of the law, doesn't in any way justify or condone forcing people out of their homes and burning said properties.

We know Northern Ireland has a history of "ethnic cleansing" in this manner and it's something with which the authorities need to take control and stop.

A "long hot summer" then it seems with anyone looking at anyone else in a funny way liable to bring the mobs out on the streets for a bit of impromptu street entertainment. That's the way it is now, apparently? People get angry at the slightest thing radicalised no doubt by the misinformation and disinformation on X and elsewhere and out they come thinking somehow, well, what are they thinking?

If I may say so, your last paragraph doesn't really fit with the first one. A decapitation attempt (which you rightly describe as heinous) cannot be categorised as a slight thing.

And speedily dealt with by the police, with the culprit in custody.

So why the pogrom?

Government policy is to put more people like the person who maimed Stephen Ogilvie or the person who murdered Rhiannon Whyte into our communities. They're not just unfortunate random incidents but the predictable consequence of choices made by the state.

The state made Wayne Cousins a law enforcement officer, not once but twice. Bad people are bad people irrespective of ethnicity or occupation.

That's true. Nevertheless the noble far-right aspiration that 100% of violent crime in Britain be committed by proper British born and bred thugs, rapists and murderers cannot be achieved without mass deportations and closing the borders.

You think that if the Sudanese man who tried to behead the unfortunate guy in Northern Ireland hadn't been given leave to remain that a native citizen would have taken up their kitchen knife to do the deed themselves?

Why would I believe something as absurd as that? Crime isn't a fungible pie to be shared out. Each one is unique and wouldn't have happened but for the things leading up to it.

Right. So it's not unreasonable for people to think that there might have been something that could have been done differently to prevent a foreign national from being in the country to commit such a crime.

Some people are going to be first-time offenders, but not all of them.

Yes, when a dreadful crime is perpetrated you need to look at the sequence of events preceding it. If the perpetrator had just been granted entry into the country that is a potentially relevant event. Absolutely no problem with any of that. My problem is with the idea that it's an argument for mass deportations, closing the borders and opting out of the asylum system.

Boo

An update on the future of Doctor Who

Today we’re announcing an update on plans for the future of Doctor Who.

As part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations, and in line with the BBC’s Charter and Agreement requirements, the BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.

After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.

The previously announced new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies is currently in production.

Details of the tender will be announced in due course.

The BBC retains all IP in Doctor Who. BBC Studios will continue to lead the global distribution of Doctor Who as well as licensing, consumer products, digital and immersive experiences on behalf of the BBC.

https://x.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/2064649001568543172?s=46

It's Starmer's fault.

• 2023 under Sunak: Fourteenth Doctor, three reasonable episodes, Tennant as Doctor. Not good, but OK. People watched it.
  
• 2024*1 under Starmer: Fifteenth Doctor, eighteen goodish episodes but four disastrous season enders (one of which was so bad it killed the series), Gatwa as Doctor, crying all the bloody time, drowning in its own continuity. You couldn't pay people to watch it.
  

This latter period was marked by the showrunner saying the show was doing really well whilst he made worse and worse decisions and it finally became apparent he didn't know what the fuck he was doing.

Sound familiar?

So yes, this is all Starmer's fault. Bad Starmer

*1 OK you have to stretch the chronology here, but this lines up reasonably well. Well, well-ish.

*Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey

Remember the former Tory MP on the Earthshock DVD. Tim Collins ?

The Cybermen were better under the Tories !!

As @TSE says the poll seems to make little sense. What is troubling is that Maine is so close. It was supposed to be an easy Democratic pick up this time around.

Susan Collins deserves to win in my view, she is a highly experienced, competent and intelligent Senator who has stood up to Trump when needed and even voted to convict him after the 2021 riots.

While her Democratic opponent has plenty of scandals, little experience or backstory of significance and wouldn't look out of place at a Trump rally (which is why he picks up a few Trump voters when they find out more about him). If it wasn't for their party labels it wouldn't even be close

It's academic of course, Hyufd, but I think if I had to choose a dog in this fight, it would be Collins.

Boo

An update on the future of Doctor Who

Today we’re announcing an update on plans for the future of Doctor Who.

As part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations, and in line with the BBC’s Charter and Agreement requirements, the BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.

After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.

The previously announced new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies is currently in production.

Details of the tender will be announced in due course.

The BBC retains all IP in Doctor Who. BBC Studios will continue to lead the global distribution of Doctor Who as well as licensing, consumer products, digital and immersive experiences on behalf of the BBC.

https://x.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/2064649001568543172?s=46

It's Starmer's fault.

• 2023 under Sunak: Fourteenth Doctor, three reasonable episodes, Tennant as Doctor. Not good, but OK. People watched it.
  
• 2024*1 under Starmer: Fifteenth Doctor, eighteen goodish episodes but four disastrous season enders (one of which was so bad it killed the series), Gatwa as Doctor, crying all the bloody time, drowning in its own continuity. You couldn't pay people to watch it.
  

This latter period was marked by the showrunner saying the show was doing really well whilst he made worse and worse decisions and it finally became apparent he didn't know what the fuck he was doing.

Sound familiar?

So yes, this is all Starmer's fault. Bad Starmer

*1 OK you have to stretch the chronology here, but this lines up reasonably well. Well, well-ish.

*Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey

Tensions in parliament.

https://x.com/SarahForRuncorn/status/2064633511156285679

This morning in Parliament, I was accosted by Lib Dem MP Angus MacDonald, who accused me and others of inciting violence. His aggressive approach and tone left me feeling threatened and shaken.

This kind of behaviour is unacceptable, especially from fellow MPs. We all have different views and should be able to disagree respectfully.

The Lib Dems support open borders, while Reform UK supports controlled immigration and putting the British people first.

That’s not inciting violence, that’s doing what’s best for the United Kingdom.

Perhaps he should just have pointed out that she is a liar. The Liberal Democrats do not support open borders.

Then he could have moved on to their incitement of violence.

That’s your take away from a woman reporting she’s been accosted by a man in a rude and aggressive manner ?

If they’ve incited violence, they haven’t, they would be prosecuted for it.

By the same logic, Pochin is free to complain to the police or the Commons' Authorities, and the offending MP would be investigated and prosecuted. Has she made such a complaint, beyond twitter, and has the MP been placed under investigation? If she does so, I will be less skeptical.

Is it like Farage's story - 'I was hacked by the Russians and they revealed my £5m from Harborne" - Did he report it to the authorities?

Having watched events, my view is that Farage was inciting violence.

On making things up to complain about, that is the embedded habit of Reform MPs.

I have one: I know. Back in mid 2024, Lee Anderson needed an asylum hotel to complain about here. There weren't any, so he invented one out of thin air, which turned out to be Sri Lankan NHS staff on holiday. He went straight to social media to do some stirring, rather than getting one of the many staff we provide him with to check the reality, which would have taken one phone call to the hotel.

Pochin is the same. Immediately after being elected she made fake claims about HMOs of asylum seekers causing violence and litter in a street where there weren't any. She has repeated the pattern since.

Reform are the Cry Wolf Party.

Politicians make exaggerated claims to reinforce a point. Well I’m stunned. Of course HMO dwellers are known for their devotion to,their communities and their social responsibility. It’s not only Reform but, you know, YMMV depending on how partisan you are.

So she hasn’t complained so there’s nothing to see

Women, know your place.

Her place is a member and MP for that party and as such should answer for it.

Your being a moron as usual Taz.

‘You’re’ 😉

That's true. Nevertheless the noble far-right aspiration that 100% of violent crime in Britain be committed by proper British born and bred thugs, rapists and murderers cannot be achieved without mass deportations and closing the borders.

You think that if the Sudanese man who tried to behead the unfortunate guy in Northern Ireland hadn't been given leave to remain that a native citizen would have taken up their kitchen knife to do the deed themselves?

This touches on a key differentiator, with nearly every tenet of the modern left resting on the premise that human beings are interchangeable blank slates. So yes, kinabalu genuinely believes that had Valdo Calocane not slaughtered three people in a fit of paranoid schizophrenia then a John Smith would have stepped seamlessly into his place.

That is a nonsense argument.

Calocane committed uniquely vile crimes. I can't comprehend the pain that the parents and families have gone through. The families' criticism of the authorities relates exclusively to the faure of mental health management in this country and the tardiness of authorities to conclude their findings and put in place remedial action to prevent it happening again. I don't believe the attacker's ethnicity has been discussed by the family.