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ICYMI: yesterday was a very dark day for the UK justice system.

Four people sentenced for a crime they were not convicted of, after a trial where the judge deliberately concealed that possibility from the jury and prevented the media from reporting on it.

I’ve not doubt they would have been acquitted had the jury been made aware of what crime they were convicting them off, so in effect trial by jury has ended in the UK.

The only logical response for jurors is to always acquit in the future.

I am not a lawyer so I don't understand how their sentencing can possibly be legal.

All four were convicted of criminal damage and sentenced for that crime. One other sentenced for twatting a WPC.

People are whining because. From the BBC site.

‘ The case is believed to be the first time that convictions for criminal damage have been classified as being connected to terrorism.’

Isn’t it the post hoc classification of terrorism that people have a problem with? If I get a speeding ticket I don’t want a dangerous driving charge coming down the line after I’ve (reluctantly) paid the fine.

One day into the World Cup, FIFA is doing “actually, the stadiums ARE full” posts stating that there are “ticketed fans… standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats”

https://bsky.app/profile/rodger.bsky.social/post/3mo4o2wcf622m

Three matches in and the first two big matches...two of the three host nations. Full stadiums is hardly surprising at this stage and tonights was only a 40k capacity.

Peter.

yeah, the point is the stadiums are not full. FIFA are claiming the empty seats belong to people who definitely bought the tickets and are definitely at the stadiums, you just can't see them on TV

I recall the same story from the opening days of London 2012, which they had to act quickly to resolve?

Start warming up the school busses!

America's flying start last night, beating a hapless Paraguay 4-1 (and Paraguay has form against Argentina and Brazil) might help sell a few tickets. Does anyone know any trillionaires who might subsidise tickets for schools?

Are you thinking of some pedo guy?

No. Musk is the ket guy.

You say ket? A mine of information you are, sir.

.

It's happened again. See social media for video footage of the incident.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gypqp0rp9o

Girl, 17, stabbed in the neck in street attack

The homicide rate in the UK is at its lowest since 1977.

A great comfort to us all.

Unless support for populist parties is not founded on careful statistical analysis but on visceral outrage at children being stabbed in the street, amplified by social media. Then it might make a difference.

So, what can we do about that?

We could round up everyone involved in social media companies, strap them to a rocket and fire it into the Sun, though that might be controversial.

Saw this yesterday, which rather implies that the distrust of government that fuels populism is one of the prices we pay for a free press. The graph looks convincing and the mechanism plausible.



https://bsky.app/profile/warringfictions.bsky.social/post/3mo3s54p45k2t

(See Peter Cook's line on how successful the satirical scene of 1930s Berlin was in stopping the Nazis.)

No 10 was braced for Reeves or Miliband to quit. Then Healey jumped ship
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-defence-strategy-john-healey-bsncps22n (£££)

Healy and Carns resigning, with blistering letters to the PM, was about the worst case scenario for No.10.

No-one would have mourned Reeves or Miliband walking away.

On what possible planet would Reeves have resigned? Her only hope of remaining as chancellor is for Starmer to stay on.

Does Reeves want to remain Chancellor for an extra few weeks or would she fancy three years of first class flights and state banquets as Foreign Secretary to a grateful Wes Streeting Andy Burnham? Or even, since this is Labour, a chance to build something running a spending department – whether you like what Miliband, Phillipson and Streeting have done or not, at least they've done something.

Too late - she’s too politically damaged and too closely associated with Starmer for Burnham to offer her a job.

We'll see. I'm not convinced Burnham will want to exacerbate party splits on day one.

Good morning

I suspect the bond market's patience is going to be stretched to breaking point in the next few weeks, especially if Burnham carries out his threat to nationalise water and energy

No 10 was braced for Reeves or Miliband to quit. Then Healey jumped ship
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-defence-strategy-john-healey-bsncps22n (£££)

Healy and Carns resigning, with blistering letters to the PM, was about the worst case scenario for No.10.

No-one would have mourned Reeves or Miliband walking away.

On what possible planet would Reeves have resigned? Her only hope of remaining as chancellor is for Starmer to stay on.

Does Reeves want to remain Chancellor for an extra few weeks or would she fancy three years of first class flights and state banquets as Foreign Secretary to a grateful Wes Streeting Andy Burnham? Or even, since this is Labour, a chance to build something running a spending department – whether you like what Miliband, Phillipson and Streeting have done or not, at least they've done something.

Too late - she’s too politically damaged and too closely associated with Starmer for Burnham to offer her a job.

We'll see. I'm not convinced Burnham will want to exacerbate party splits on day one.

Depends if he wants to excacerbate voter splits if he doesn't.

She's toxic.

.

It's happened again. See social media for video footage of the incident.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gypqp0rp9o

Girl, 17, stabbed in the neck in street attack

The homicide rate in the UK is at its lowest since 1977.

A great comfort to us all.

Unless support for populist parties is not founded on careful statistical analysis but on visceral outrage at children being stabbed in the street, amplified by social media. Then it might make a difference.

So, what can we do about that?

Dunno. The ban on buying pointy knives has not helped. Turns out mum keeps a set in the kitchen, ready for use.

It is surely only a question of time before the government, fresh from demanding phone cameras that can't photograph nudes, extends the bar to filming punch-ups.

.

It's happened again. See social media for video footage of the incident.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gypqp0rp9o

Girl, 17, stabbed in the neck in street attack

The homicide rate in the UK is at its lowest since 1977.

A great comfort to us all.

Unless support for populist parties is not founded on careful statistical analysis but on visceral outrage at children being stabbed in the street, amplified by social media. Then it might make a difference.

So, what can we do about that?

Well, when a hospital was shamed by patients being left so thirsty that they drank the water in flower vases, officialdom ensured it wouldn't happen again by banning flowers in hospitals.

So the obvious cure for this source of outrage is to prohibit any publication of the news. I think they call it a D notice.

Edit typo