OT any caviar experts? How much do you need for canapes for six? And what's the best way to serve? I was thinking Ritz crackers with smoked salmon and caviar on top but noticed James Bond had toast soldiers.
Serve on mother-of-pearl spoons and serve the eggs quite cold and neat
Good caviar is heaven. Diluting the taste with chunks of flatbread and salmon and sour cream is hellish and wrong
Ice cold shots of pure vodka are the best accompaniment. Vodka has no flavor. All you get is the caviar
I was taught this by the expert caviarologist at the Belmond Hotel, St Petersburg, so I know it is The Truth
As for quantity, just buy as much as you can comfortably afford. Caviar is like cocaine. People will always want more, once they get the taste
@helenlewis Tell me you've never worked behind a bar without telling me you've never worked behind a bar.
Johnson never does detail.
Even when pulling a pint.
Tbf he nails the ‘what the fuck is that who cares I’m slightly pissed’ gaze really well. And that is the gaze of the trainee barkeep at the student union bar on day 2 of the job, shortly before being sacked
Sunak looks much less believable
I wonder if this is a hidden aspect to Boris’ appeal. He always comes across as someone who has had a couple, and is sort-of trying to hide it, or is just letting rip and doesn’t care
The British do love a genial drunk
Yeah, we all make space for the genial drunk to sit next to us on the bus...don't we?
Emphasis on genial.
Otherwise agreed. For a bus journey I’d probably prefer Sunak in the next seat. He’d sit there quietly working then go. Without a word. Also he’s 2 foot 6 so he wouldn’t take up much space
But when I turn on the telly Or fire up the iPad i am always, in some form, seeking entertainment. Drunken Boris provides that
Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober. Keir Starmer is quintessentially sober. So he gets judged as such. Boris can say mad shit and many smile and say ‘well, he’s always half-cut, isn’t he? Who hasn’t been there?’
In this, if nothing else, he really does resemble Churchill
"Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober" is an unforgivable remark. Are you drunk!?
German cases are still rising vertically. It looks like they'll exceed the peak from last winter soon.
Remember Leon’s Second Golden Rule of Covid: if any state, region, province, or polity ever exhibits a hint of smugness about its handling of Covid, then Covid will inevitably turn on them, and then they don’t feel so smug any more
I can’t think of a single case where the rule has been truly broken. From Britain to Vietnam, from Florida to Ireland, from Hong Kong to Sweden to Kerala, all the boasters get their asses bitten, in the end. Look at Czechia now, and recall they had a Covid-is-beaten party in Prague
The ONE possible exception is South Korea. Which maintains an enviable record, and has done from the start. But then, they were never smug, they just saw Covid-19 for what it is: a new nasty version of SARS, and they put on their masks, and they got to work. No boasting
Well I've been smug about Covid since about March once the vaccine rollout was well underway and deaths were cratering, and since July we've smugly had no Covid restrictions.
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
It was mentioned earlier, it would lead to a hung parliament on the new boundaries but the Tories would still have most seats and could form a minority government if the DUP (or TUV) at least abstained and SF did not take their seats
Ladies and gentlemen, for your edification, I present the latest entrant in the crowded field for Hypocrite of the Year:
From the Graun, one week ago:
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA’s council chair, said plan B was devised to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed. “As doctors working on the frontline, we can categorically say that time is now,” he added.
...
He added: “It is wilfully negligent of the Westminster government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces."
And today:
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “The BMA fully supports the Covid vaccination rollout and, given the effectiveness of the vaccine, it’s important that every NHS worker is vaccinated, other than those who can’t for medical reasons.
“There is, however, an important distinction between believing every healthcare worker should be vaccinated and advocating for mandatory vaccinations; this comes with its own legal, ethical and practical implications that must be considered."
Summary: enforcement of masks and social distancing for the entire population by legislative diktat, every day until God alone knows when = urgent and necessary, should be done right now. Medical staff having an inoculation once every six months = an unacceptable infringement of personal choice.
Memo to Dr Nagpaul: If we are all to be forced to put up with an endless diet of miserable, destructive rules to please your members, then the least you can all fucking well do in return is co-operate with an initiative to crush this pandemic that is vastly more important and effective than having to go back to wrapping a stupid piece of cloth around your face every time you get out of your seat in a restaurant to take a damn piss, or deciding which five other members of your social circle are going to be invited to your birthday party at said restaurant. Besides which, I think we are all reasonably entitled to expect medical professionals employed by the state to follow good medical science, rather than digging their heels in because of bullshit they read on Facebook about Bill Gates's invisible microchips.
These bloody people.
He’s just doing his job - sticking up for his members. The issue is the media reporting him as having some more general perspective
OT any caviar experts? How much do you need for canapes for six? And what's the best way to serve? I was thinking Ritz crackers with smoked salmon and caviar on top but noticed James Bond had toast soldiers.
Serve on mother-of-pearl spoons and serve the eggs quite cold and neat
Good caviar is heaven. Diluting the taste with chunks of flatbread and salmon and sour cream is hellish and wrong
Ice cold shots of pure vodka are the best accompaniment. Vodka has no flavor. All you get is the caviar
I was taught this by the expert caviarologist at the Belmond Hotel, St Petersburg, so I know it is The Truth
As for quantity, just buy as much as you can comfortably afford. Caviar is like cocaine. People will always want more, once they get the taste
LOL. The difference in our advice is because you obviously love caviar.
I do. Adore it
It’s one of those luxury items which actually makes sense. It is a glorious foodstuff, the little eggs popping with salty zingy taste explosions
I never paid it much attention until I did a trip to Baku (!!) many years ago. And I was told you could buy it on the black market for pennies. So I went to Baku market, literally, and some woman beckoned me down an alley to a secret fridge and she sold me a KILO of the best wild stuff, from the Caspian, for about $5
A kilo of the best stuff now is $3000 or more
So I took it home to the family for Xmas. And we worked our way through it, developing a likening. And by the end we decided that neat and pure was definitely the way.
This was happily confirmed by the Belmond resident caviar expert in St Petersburg in 2018. On its own, if it’s good
I've been reflecting on the Budget, and have concluded that for the vast majority of the British public it is a complete non-event, with precisely zero ramifications for household budgets at a time of rising costs. By this, I mean that there is very little, if any, tangible impact from the measures announced in the here and now, which is unusual for a Budget. This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC, but for everybody else, I think it's "so what?" - particularly for the 'squeezed middle'. Even the alcohol duty changes, which I think are not very significant actually, don't come into effect until 2023. For voters, most of the measures are a bit abstract.
So, the budget is either:
a) clever politics by Rishi - steady as she goes, or b) a missed opportunity to make his stamp as an interesting and innovative Chancellor.
OT any caviar experts? How much do you need for canapes for six? And what's the best way to serve? I was thinking Ritz crackers with smoked salmon and caviar on top but noticed James Bond had toast soldiers.
Serve on mother-of-pearl spoons and serve the eggs quite cold and neat
Good caviar is heaven. Diluting the taste with chunks of flatbread and salmon and sour cream is hellish and wrong
Ice cold shots of pure vodka are the best accompaniment. Vodka has no flavor. All you get is the caviar
I was taught this by the expert caviarologist at the Belmond Hotel, St Petersburg, so I know it is The Truth
As for quantity, just buy as much as you can comfortably afford. Caviar is like cocaine. People will always want more, once they get the taste
If this caviarologist says that is the only way to eat caviar then what else does he actually do?
No wealth taxes and no student loan tinkering. Lots of pundits got this budget very wrong.
The ft implies that SL changes could be announced separately in a few weeks.
We’ll see.
@BlancheLivermore give us both barrels on the etymology of "pundit" please. I know you can
One of my favourite type of English etymology: our borrowed Indian words.
It means "a learned man" from the Hindi word पंडित - payndit, and came to Hindi from Sanskrit. We used it from around 1670 to mean "a learned Hindu", came to mean a more generally learned chap in about 1820.
And when were women permitted to be “generally learned”?
Tories grasping at straws, we'd never hear the end of it if it was a 10 point Tory lead
It's not grasping at straws if you claim/predict it wasn't mentioned and in fact it was. It not being mentioned enough was not the initial claim.
I recall the same claim awhile back about Matt Goodwin not mentioning the Labour lead poll when in fact he had (albeit somewhat sarcastically). That doesn't speak to his general output, but an untrue claim is still an untrue claim, and that's not a Tory/Labour matter.
@helenlewis Tell me you've never worked behind a bar without telling me you've never worked behind a bar.
Johnson never does detail.
Even when pulling a pint.
Tbf he nails the ‘what the fuck is that who cares I’m slightly pissed’ gaze really well. And that is the gaze of the trainee barkeep at the student union bar on day 2 of the job, shortly before being sacked
Sunak looks much less believable
I wonder if this is a hidden aspect to Boris’ appeal. He always comes across as someone who has had a couple, and is sort-of trying to hide it, or is just letting rip and doesn’t care
The British do love a genial drunk
Yeah, we all make space for the genial drunk to sit next to us on the bus...don't we?
Emphasis on genial.
Otherwise agreed. For a bus journey I’d probably prefer Sunak in the next seat. He’d sit there quietly working then go. Without a word. Also he’s 2 foot 6 so he wouldn’t take up much space
But when I turn on the telly Or fire up the iPad i am always, in some form, seeking entertainment. Drunken Boris provides that
Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober. Keir Starmer is quintessentially sober. So he gets judged as such. Boris can say mad shit and many smile and say ‘well, he’s always half-cut, isn’t he? Who hasn’t been there?’
In this, if nothing else, he really does resemble Churchill
"Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober" is an unforgivable remark. Are you drunk!?
No it isn't. There's a list as long as your arm of English law offences to which drunkenness is a defence.
It was mentioned earlier, it would lead to a hung parliament on the new boundaries but the Tories would still have most seats and could form a minority government if the DUP (or TUV) at least abstained and SF did not take their seats
No way Tories would stay on having lost so many voters, Keir Starmer would be PM and then another election
@helenlewis Tell me you've never worked behind a bar without telling me you've never worked behind a bar.
Johnson never does detail.
Even when pulling a pint.
Tbf he nails the ‘what the fuck is that who cares I’m slightly pissed’ gaze really well. And that is the gaze of the trainee barkeep at the student union bar on day 2 of the job, shortly before being sacked
Sunak looks much less believable
I wonder if this is a hidden aspect to Boris’ appeal. He always comes across as someone who has had a couple, and is sort-of trying to hide it, or is just letting rip and doesn’t care
The British do love a genial drunk
Yes, it may not be acting though...
Just honouring history - many great leaders frequently three sheets to the wind.
'a sheet in the wind' surely - or 'three sheets' if very pished.
@helenlewis Tell me you've never worked behind a bar without telling me you've never worked behind a bar.
Johnson never does detail.
Even when pulling a pint.
Tbf he nails the ‘what the fuck is that who cares I’m slightly pissed’ gaze really well. And that is the gaze of the trainee barkeep at the student union bar on day 2 of the job, shortly before being sacked
Sunak looks much less believable
I wonder if this is a hidden aspect to Boris’ appeal. He always comes across as someone who has had a couple, and is sort-of trying to hide it, or is just letting rip and doesn’t care
The British do love a genial drunk
Yeah, we all make space for the genial drunk to sit next to us on the bus...don't we?
Emphasis on genial.
Otherwise agreed. For a bus journey I’d probably prefer Sunak in the next seat. He’d sit there quietly working then go. Without a word. Also he’s 2 foot 6 so he wouldn’t take up much space
But when I turn on the telly Or fire up the iPad i am always, in some form, seeking entertainment. Drunken Boris provides that
Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober. Keir Starmer is quintessentially sober. So he gets judged as such. Boris can say mad shit and many smile and say ‘well, he’s always half-cut, isn’t he? Who hasn’t been there?’
In this, if nothing else, he really does resemble Churchill
"Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober" is an unforgivable remark. Are you drunk!?
No it isn't. There's a list as long as your arm of English law offences to which drunkenness is a defence.
Is that so? I genuinely didn't know that. Any examples?
I think it was posted earlier today CHB. Not gone unnoticed by this Tory anyway.
Hope you are well.
Keir Starmer is doing a good job.
The one thing we can say that by isolating today he gave Rachel Reeves the opportunity and she took it, as he would not have been nearly as good
Actually I think that's a bit unfair Big_G. I doubt RR would have done well if the Labour front bench was imploding. Admittedly I don't think she actually did that well anyway, but there was certainly a degree of confidence and that's certainly down to Starmer in part.
I don't see Starmer as doing terribly well overall, but I do think he's found a few people that he can trust on his front bench now.
It was mentioned earlier, it would lead to a hung parliament on the new boundaries but the Tories would still have most seats and could form a minority government if the DUP (or TUV) at least abstained and SF did not take their seats
No way Tories would stay on having lost so many voters, Keir Starmer would be PM and then another election
On the new boundaries I think that polling share means the Tories have ~315 seats which would be enough for a Tory minority government like 2017. Starmer couldn't be PM in that situation any more than Corbyn could be.
@DavidGHFrost It is very disappointing that France has felt it necessary to make threats late this evening against the UK fishing industry and seemingly traders more broadly.
We set out our position earlier this evening.
As we have had no formal communication from the French Government on this matter we will be seeking urgent clarification of their plans. We will consider what further action is necessary in that light.
@helenlewis Tell me you've never worked behind a bar without telling me you've never worked behind a bar.
Johnson never does detail.
Even when pulling a pint.
Tbf he nails the ‘what the fuck is that who cares I’m slightly pissed’ gaze really well. And that is the gaze of the trainee barkeep at the student union bar on day 2 of the job, shortly before being sacked
Sunak looks much less believable
I wonder if this is a hidden aspect to Boris’ appeal. He always comes across as someone who has had a couple, and is sort-of trying to hide it, or is just letting rip and doesn’t care
The British do love a genial drunk
Yeah, we all make space for the genial drunk to sit next to us on the bus...don't we?
Emphasis on genial.
Otherwise agreed. For a bus journey I’d probably prefer Sunak in the next seat. He’d sit there quietly working then go. Without a word. Also he’s 2 foot 6 so he wouldn’t take up much space
But when I turn on the telly Or fire up the iPad i am always, in some form, seeking entertainment. Drunken Boris provides that
Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober. Keir Starmer is quintessentially sober. So he gets judged as such. Boris can say mad shit and many smile and say ‘well, he’s always half-cut, isn’t he? Who hasn’t been there?’
In this, if nothing else, he really does resemble Churchill
"Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober" is an unforgivable remark. Are you drunk!?
No it isn't. There's a list as long as your arm of English law offences to which drunkenness is a defence.
Is that so? I genuinely didn't know that. Any examples?
Drunk in charge of a bicycle! (Or so I've always believed)
I think it was posted earlier today CHB. Not gone unnoticed by this Tory anyway.
Hope you are well.
Keir Starmer is doing a good job.
The one thing we can say that by isolating today he gave Rachel Reeves the opportunity and she took it, as he would not have been nearly as good
Actually I think that's a bit unfair Big_G. I doubt RR would have done well if the Labour front bench was imploding. Admittedly I don't think she actually did that well anyway, but there was certainly a degree of confidence and that's certainly down to Starmer in part.
I don't see Starmer as doing terribly well overall, but I do think he's found a few people that he can trust on his front bench now.
He has a more competent front bench than his predecessor for sure. I thought Reeves did okay but it wasn’t a stellar performance. Same with the chancellor.
I think it was posted earlier today CHB. Not gone unnoticed by this Tory anyway.
Hope you are well.
Keir Starmer is doing a good job.
The one thing we can say that by isolating today he gave Rachel Reeves the opportunity and she took it, as he would not have been nearly as good
That can play one of two ways.
One is that Boris is the Great Leader, and SKS isn't.
The other is that Starmer is surrounded by a circle of more than OK people. Much more so than BoJo. Reeves is good, EdM is good at his current level. Nandy's good. Symonds-Thomas is certainly no worse than Patel.
They're different ways of doing politics, and I don't know which one will work better with the public.
But Labour's team now is a lot less unconvincing than the one they put forward in 2019.
The trick for anyone trying to depose BoJo is finding a way of being fundamentally different to the incumbent. Otherwise, why make the change?
It was mentioned earlier, it would lead to a hung parliament on the new boundaries but the Tories would still have most seats and could form a minority government if the DUP (or TUV) at least abstained and SF did not take their seats
No way Tories would stay on having lost so many voters, Keir Starmer would be PM and then another election
Of course they would stay on, they would have more than Labour + SNP + LDs combined. Though if Labour squeeze the Greens they might have enough seats for a deal with the SNP and LDs even if the Tories win most seats.
Otherwise Labour need a lead of about 3%+ to win most seats absent a major SLab recovery in Scotland and a lead over the Tories of 10%+ for a majority.
@helenlewis Tell me you've never worked behind a bar without telling me you've never worked behind a bar.
Johnson never does detail.
Even when pulling a pint.
Tbf he nails the ‘what the fuck is that who cares I’m slightly pissed’ gaze really well. And that is the gaze of the trainee barkeep at the student union bar on day 2 of the job, shortly before being sacked
Sunak looks much less believable
I wonder if this is a hidden aspect to Boris’ appeal. He always comes across as someone who has had a couple, and is sort-of trying to hide it, or is just letting rip and doesn’t care
The British do love a genial drunk
Yeah, we all make space for the genial drunk to sit next to us on the bus...don't we?
Emphasis on genial.
Otherwise agreed. For a bus journey I’d probably prefer Sunak in the next seat. He’d sit there quietly working then go. Without a word. Also he’s 2 foot 6 so he wouldn’t take up much space
But when I turn on the telly Or fire up the iPad i am always, in some form, seeking entertainment. Drunken Boris provides that
Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober. Keir Starmer is quintessentially sober. So he gets judged as such. Boris can say mad shit and many smile and say ‘well, he’s always half-cut, isn’t he? Who hasn’t been there?’
In this, if nothing else, he really does resemble Churchill
"Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober" is an unforgivable remark. Are you drunk!?
No it isn't. There's a list as long as your arm of English law offences to which drunkenness is a defence.
Is that so? I genuinely didn't know that. Any examples?
Drunk in charge of a bicycle! (Or so I've always believed)
Hang on... being drunk is a recognised defence against the charge of being drunk in charge of a bicycle?
I've been reflecting on the Budget, and have concluded that for the vast majority of the British public it is a complete non-event, with precisely zero ramifications for household budgets at a time of rising costs. By this, I mean that there is very little, if any, tangible impact from the measures announced in the here and now, which is unusual for a Budget. This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC, but for everybody else, I think it's "so what?" - particularly for the 'squeezed middle'. Even the alcohol duty changes, which I think are not very significant actually, don't come into effect until 2023. For voters, most of the measures are a bit abstract.
So, the budget is either:
a) clever politics by Rishi - steady as she goes, or b) a missed opportunity to make his stamp as an interesting and innovative Chancellor.
At the moment, I'm running with the latter.
I think you are missing that benefits and pensions will rise by 3.1% on the 1st April and with the NLW rising by 6.6% to £9.50 then earnings in April will see quite an uplift but of course inflation will be in the mix
It was mentioned earlier, it would lead to a hung parliament on the new boundaries but the Tories would still have most seats and could form a minority government if the DUP (or TUV) at least abstained and SF did not take their seats
No way Tories would stay on having lost so many voters, Keir Starmer would be PM and then another election
Of course they would stay on, they would have more than Labour + SNP + LDs combined. Though if Labour squeeze the Greens they might have enough seats for a deal with the SNP and LDs even if the Tories win most seats.
Otherwise need a lead of about 3%+ to win most seats and a lead over the Tories of 10%+ for a majority.
Any labour deal with the SNP would probably have to include an Indy referendum as a part of it, with the risks that would entail. So would labour go for that.
So they should be entitled to demand what they want without providing proof they qualify? And unilaterally introduce trade sanctions despite the EU being the signatory to the agreement not them.
I've been reflecting on the Budget, and have concluded that for the vast majority of the British public it is a complete non-event, with precisely zero ramifications for household budgets at a time of rising costs. By this, I mean that there is very little, if any, tangible impact from the measures announced in the here and now, which is unusual for a Budget. This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC, but for everybody else, I think it's "so what?" - particularly for the 'squeezed middle'. Even the alcohol duty changes, which I think are not very significant actually, don't come into effect until 2023. For voters, most of the measures are a bit abstract.
So, the budget is either:
a) clever politics by Rishi - steady as she goes, or b) a missed opportunity to make his stamp as an interesting and innovative Chancellor.
At the moment, I'm running with the latter.
Indeed. Significant numbers of people won't even notice the increases in public spending.
Someone on here will be able to search the polls but from memory around 30% to 35% were completely unaware of Osborne's austerity at the time.
Now of course Con need more than that to win the GE but it does feel as if there was no need to be this generous with public spending - and if he hadn't been he could have ditched some of the tax rises previously announced.
Although borrowing forecasts have gone down so maybe he's planning to bin some of the tax rises next year, nearer the GE.
OT any caviar experts? How much do you need for canapes for six? And what's the best way to serve? I was thinking Ritz crackers with smoked salmon and caviar on top but noticed James Bond had toast soldiers.
Serve on mother-of-pearl spoons and serve the eggs quite cold and neat
Good caviar is heaven. Diluting the taste with chunks of flatbread and salmon and sour cream is hellish and wrong
Ice cold shots of pure vodka are the best accompaniment. Vodka has no flavor. All you get is the caviar
I was taught this by the expert caviarologist at the Belmond Hotel, St Petersburg, so I know it is The Truth
As for quantity, just buy as much as you can comfortably afford. Caviar is like cocaine. People will always want more, once they get the taste
If this caviarologist says that is the only way to eat caviar then what else does he actually do?
…. Is a very good question. He only made this admission after about an hour of faffing around with ‘special caviar pairings’ with vintage champagne and chopped boiled egg and weird shallots and the rest.
He kind of sighed and then made his confession. It was all bollocks, designed to fleece wealthy customers with additional flummery. He loved caviar and it distressed him to see it diluted with stupid blinis
Then we all got hammered on vodka. And mainlined the Beluga
It was mentioned earlier, it would lead to a hung parliament on the new boundaries but the Tories would still have most seats and could form a minority government if the DUP (or TUV) at least abstained and SF did not take their seats
No way Tories would stay on having lost so many voters, Keir Starmer would be PM and then another election
Of course they would stay on, they would have more than Labour + SNP + LDs combined. Though if Labour squeeze the Greens they might have enough seats for a deal with the SNP and LDs even if the Tories win most seats.
Otherwise need a lead of about 3%+ to win most seats and a lead over the Tories of 10%+ for a majority.
Any labour deal with the SNP would probably have to include an Indy referendum as a part of it, with the risks that would entail. So would labour go for that.
They would have to if the Tories win most seats, otherwise the SNP would abstain and Starmer would fail to become PM.
Most likely if the Tories win most seats in a hung parliament but Labour + SNP + LDs have more seats than the Tories and DUP (or TUV) then Starmer would offer the SNP indyref2 in return for confidence and supply with devomax as a carrot to Scots to again vote No
So they should be entitled to demand what they want without providing proof they qualify? And unilaterally introduce trade sanctions despite the EU being the signatory to the agreement not them.
Who was talking about good faith again?
That's an amusing point. I thought we could only negotiate with the EU as one, not have 27 different negotiations.
But now the French aren't happy they want us to deal with them directly? Funny how that works.
I've been reflecting on the Budget, and have concluded that for the vast majority of the British public it is a complete non-event, with precisely zero ramifications for household budgets at a time of rising costs. By this, I mean that there is very little, if any, tangible impact from the measures announced in the here and now, which is unusual for a Budget. This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC, but for everybody else, I think it's "so what?" - particularly for the 'squeezed middle'. Even the alcohol duty changes, which I think are not very significant actually, don't come into effect until 2023. For voters, most of the measures are a bit abstract.
So, the budget is either:
a) clever politics by Rishi - steady as she goes, or b) a missed opportunity to make his stamp as an interesting and innovative Chancellor.
At the moment, I'm running with the latter.
I think you are missing that benefits and pensions will rise by 3.1% on the 1st April and with the NLW rising by 6.6% to £9.50 then earnings in April will see quite an uplift but of course inflation will be in the mix
Have you read my post? "This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC...".
I've been reflecting on the Budget, and have concluded that for the vast majority of the British public it is a complete non-event, with precisely zero ramifications for household budgets at a time of rising costs. By this, I mean that there is very little, if any, tangible impact from the measures announced in the here and now, which is unusual for a Budget. This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC, but for everybody else, I think it's "so what?" - particularly for the 'squeezed middle'. Even the alcohol duty changes, which I think are not very significant actually, don't come into effect until 2023. For voters, most of the measures are a bit abstract.
So, the budget is either:
a) clever politics by Rishi - steady as she goes, or b) a missed opportunity to make his stamp as an interesting and innovative Chancellor.
At the moment, I'm running with the latter.
I think you are missing that benefits and pensions will rise by 3.1% on the 1st April and with the NLW rising by 6.6% to £9.50 then earnings in April will see quite an uplift but of course inflation will be in the mix
Have you read my post? "This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC...".
OT any caviar experts? How much do you need for canapes for six? And what's the best way to serve? I was thinking Ritz crackers with smoked salmon and caviar on top but noticed James Bond had toast soldiers.
Blinis, sour cream, sliced egg whites and raw onion
I've been reflecting on the Budget, and have concluded that for the vast majority of the British public it is a complete non-event, with precisely zero ramifications for household budgets at a time of rising costs. By this, I mean that there is very little, if any, tangible impact from the measures announced in the here and now, which is unusual for a Budget. This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC, but for everybody else, I think it's "so what?" - particularly for the 'squeezed middle'. Even the alcohol duty changes, which I think are not very significant actually, don't come into effect until 2023. For voters, most of the measures are a bit abstract.
So, the budget is either:
a) clever politics by Rishi - steady as she goes, or b) a missed opportunity to make his stamp as an interesting and innovative Chancellor.
At the moment, I'm running with the latter.
I think you are missing that benefits and pensions will rise by 3.1% on the 1st April and with the NLW rising by 6.6% to £9.50 then earnings in April will see quite an uplift but of course inflation will be in the mix
Have you read my post? "This is not the case for those on the minimum wage or UC...".
What changes do you expect to be made to affect people who are not directly by primary budgetary measures?
Tax rates can't realistically be (and shouldn't be) changed annually.
OT any caviar experts? How much do you need for canapes for six? And what's the best way to serve? I was thinking Ritz crackers with smoked salmon and caviar on top but noticed James Bond had toast soldiers.
No wealth taxes and no student loan tinkering. Lots of pundits got this budget very wrong.
The ft implies that SL changes could be announced separately in a few weeks.
We’ll see.
@BlancheLivermore give us both barrels on the etymology of "pundit" please. I know you can
One of my favourite type of English etymology: our borrowed Indian words.
It means "a learned man" from the Hindi word पंडित - payndit, and came to Hindi from Sanskrit. We used it from around 1670 to mean "a learned Hindu", came to mean a more generally learned chap in about 1820.
And when were women permitted to be “generally learned”?
Well they have the words Vidushi and Pandita for the more modern use of Pandit in Hindi, which is for the best classical Indian musicians.
But I don't think we ever needed a female English version!
German cases are still rising vertically. It looks like they'll exceed the peak from last winter soon.
Remember Leon’s Second Golden Rule of Covid: if any state, region, province, or polity ever exhibits a hint of smugness about its handling of Covid, then Covid will inevitably turn on them, and then they don’t feel so smug any more
I can’t think of a single case where the rule has been truly broken. From Britain to Vietnam, from Florida to Ireland, from Hong Kong to Sweden to Kerala, all the boasters get their asses bitten, in the end. Look at Czechia now, and recall they had a Covid-is-beaten party in Prague
The ONE possible exception is South Korea. Which maintains an enviable record, and has done from the start. But then, they were never smug, they just saw Covid-19 for what it is: a new nasty version of SARS, and they put on their masks, and they got to work. No boasting
Well I've been smug about Covid since about March once the vaccine rollout was well underway and deaths were cratering, and since July we've smugly had no Covid restrictions.
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Elderberries (with zinc) are very good against respiratory viral infections
@helenlewis Tell me you've never worked behind a bar without telling me you've never worked behind a bar.
Johnson never does detail.
Even when pulling a pint.
Tbf he nails the ‘what the fuck is that who cares I’m slightly pissed’ gaze really well. And that is the gaze of the trainee barkeep at the student union bar on day 2 of the job, shortly before being sacked
Sunak looks much less believable
I wonder if this is a hidden aspect to Boris’ appeal. He always comes across as someone who has had a couple, and is sort-of trying to hide it, or is just letting rip and doesn’t care
The British do love a genial drunk
Yeah, we all make space for the genial drunk to sit next to us on the bus...don't we?
Emphasis on genial.
Otherwise agreed. For a bus journey I’d probably prefer Sunak in the next seat. He’d sit there quietly working then go. Without a word. Also he’s 2 foot 6 so he wouldn’t take up much space
But when I turn on the telly Or fire up the iPad i am always, in some form, seeking entertainment. Drunken Boris provides that
Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober. Keir Starmer is quintessentially sober. So he gets judged as such. Boris can say mad shit and many smile and say ‘well, he’s always half-cut, isn’t he? Who hasn’t been there?’
In this, if nothing else, he really does resemble Churchill
"Note that we also forgive drunken people more than we forgive the sober" is an unforgivable remark. Are you drunk!?
No it isn't. There's a list as long as your arm of English law offences to which drunkenness is a defence.
Is that so? I genuinely didn't know that. Any examples?
Can't remember, they are called crimes of specific intent, or were when I was at law school. I believe in Japan, being drunk is a defence to a charge of drunk driving.
So they should be entitled to demand what they want without providing proof they qualify? And unilaterally introduce trade sanctions despite the EU being the signatory to the agreement not them.
Who was talking about good faith again?
That's an amusing point. I thought we could only negotiate with the EU as one, not have 27 different negotiations.
But now the French aren't happy they want us to deal with them directly? Funny how that works.
To be fair to them if the EU hadn’t told them to sod off they would have worked through the EU…
German cases are still rising vertically. It looks like they'll exceed the peak from last winter soon.
Remember Leon’s Second Golden Rule of Covid: if any state, region, province, or polity ever exhibits a hint of smugness about its handling of Covid, then Covid will inevitably turn on them, and then they don’t feel so smug any more
I can’t think of a single case where the rule has been truly broken. From Britain to Vietnam, from Florida to Ireland, from Hong Kong to Sweden to Kerala, all the boasters get their asses bitten, in the end. Look at Czechia now, and recall they had a Covid-is-beaten party in Prague
The ONE possible exception is South Korea. Which maintains an enviable record, and has done from the start. But then, they were never smug, they just saw Covid-19 for what it is: a new nasty version of SARS, and they put on their masks, and they got to work. No boasting
Well I've been smug about Covid since about March once the vaccine rollout was well underway and deaths were cratering, and since July we've smugly had no Covid restrictions.
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Elderberries (with zinc) are very good against respiratory viral infections
Not goat worming tablets? Hot broth with a bleach chaser?
German cases are still rising vertically. It looks like they'll exceed the peak from last winter soon.
Remember Leon’s Second Golden Rule of Covid: if any state, region, province, or polity ever exhibits a hint of smugness about its handling of Covid, then Covid will inevitably turn on them, and then they don’t feel so smug any more
I can’t think of a single case where the rule has been truly broken. From Britain to Vietnam, from Florida to Ireland, from Hong Kong to Sweden to Kerala, all the boasters get their asses bitten, in the end. Look at Czechia now, and recall they had a Covid-is-beaten party in Prague
The ONE possible exception is South Korea. Which maintains an enviable record, and has done from the start. But then, they were never smug, they just saw Covid-19 for what it is: a new nasty version of SARS, and they put on their masks, and they got to work. No boasting
Well I've been smug about Covid since about March once the vaccine rollout was well underway and deaths were cratering, and since July we've smugly had no Covid restrictions.
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Elderberries (with zinc) are very good against respiratory viral infections
German cases are still rising vertically. It looks like they'll exceed the peak from last winter soon.
Remember Leon’s Second Golden Rule of Covid: if any state, region, province, or polity ever exhibits a hint of smugness about its handling of Covid, then Covid will inevitably turn on them, and then they don’t feel so smug any more
I can’t think of a single case where the rule has been truly broken. From Britain to Vietnam, from Florida to Ireland, from Hong Kong to Sweden to Kerala, all the boasters get their asses bitten, in the end. Look at Czechia now, and recall they had a Covid-is-beaten party in Prague
The ONE possible exception is South Korea. Which maintains an enviable record, and has done from the start. But then, they were never smug, they just saw Covid-19 for what it is: a new nasty version of SARS, and they put on their masks, and they got to work. No boasting
Well I've been smug about Covid since about March once the vaccine rollout was well underway and deaths were cratering, and since July we've smugly had no Covid restrictions.
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Elderberries (with zinc) are very good against respiratory viral infections
Not goat worming tablets? Hot broth with a bleach chaser?
All part of a balanced diet… it helps at the margin as a preventative
Had it. Wasn't that impressed by it. Not had it again since.
I'd rather have good sushi.
We had caviar on two of our trips to Russia years ago, but neither of us were impressed
From the Russian side of the family, I've heard that the combination of high prices and foreigners has attracted the inevitable. The crooks are faking caviar in Russia by the ton...
Nick Macpherson @nickmacpherson2 · 6h Getting revenue in is a difficult business - one reason the tax take is so stable. Either HMRC will fail to secure this tax yield, as it has failed in the past. Or, if it succeeds, the Chancellor will feel obliged to cut taxes, consistent with the election timetable. 2/2
German cases are still rising vertically. It looks like they'll exceed the peak from last winter soon.
Remember Leon’s Second Golden Rule of Covid: if any state, region, province, or polity ever exhibits a hint of smugness about its handling of Covid, then Covid will inevitably turn on them, and then they don’t feel so smug any more
I can’t think of a single case where the rule has been truly broken. From Britain to Vietnam, from Florida to Ireland, from Hong Kong to Sweden to Kerala, all the boasters get their asses bitten, in the end. Look at Czechia now, and recall they had a Covid-is-beaten party in Prague
The ONE possible exception is South Korea. Which maintains an enviable record, and has done from the start. But then, they were never smug, they just saw Covid-19 for what it is: a new nasty version of SARS, and they put on their masks, and they got to work. No boasting
Well I've been smug about Covid since about March once the vaccine rollout was well underway and deaths were cratering, and since July we've smugly had no Covid restrictions.
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Elderberries (with zinc) are very good against respiratory viral infections
German cases are still rising vertically. It looks like they'll exceed the peak from last winter soon.
Remember Leon’s Second Golden Rule of Covid: if any state, region, province, or polity ever exhibits a hint of smugness about its handling of Covid, then Covid will inevitably turn on them, and then they don’t feel so smug any more
I can’t think of a single case where the rule has been truly broken. From Britain to Vietnam, from Florida to Ireland, from Hong Kong to Sweden to Kerala, all the boasters get their asses bitten, in the end. Look at Czechia now, and recall they had a Covid-is-beaten party in Prague
The ONE possible exception is South Korea. Which maintains an enviable record, and has done from the start. But then, they were never smug, they just saw Covid-19 for what it is: a new nasty version of SARS, and they put on their masks, and they got to work. No boasting
Well I've been smug about Covid since about March once the vaccine rollout was well underway and deaths were cratering, and since July we've smugly had no Covid restrictions.
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Elderberries (with zinc) are very good against respiratory viral infections
Had it. Wasn't that impressed by it. Not had it again since.
I'd rather have good sushi.
We had caviar on two of our trips to Russia years ago, but neither of us were impressed
From the Russian side of the family, I've heard that the combination of high prices and foreigners has attracted the inevitable. The crooks are faking caviar in Russia by the ton...
Can you even get the real wild caspian stuff any more? It’s all farmed now…
Had it. Wasn't that impressed by it. Not had it again since.
I'd rather have good sushi.
We had caviar on two of our trips to Russia years ago, but neither of us were impressed
From the Russian side of the family, I've heard that the combination of high prices and foreigners has attracted the inevitable. The crooks are faking caviar in Russia by the ton...
Isn't it one of the foundational principles of this blog that whatever anyone thinks of a budget, the real polling response does not even begin before the following weekend?
Comments
Keir Starmer is doing a good job.
Sure you'll all join me in sending Keir our best
No problems in that. No turning on us yet.
My attitude towards Covid now is a bit like the French Soldier in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
It’s one of those luxury items which actually makes sense. It is a glorious foodstuff, the little eggs popping with salty zingy taste explosions
I never paid it much attention until I did a trip to Baku (!!) many years ago. And I was told you could buy it on the black market for pennies. So I went to Baku market, literally, and some woman beckoned me down an alley to a secret fridge and she sold me a KILO of the best wild stuff, from the Caspian, for about $5
A kilo of the best stuff now is $3000 or more
So I took it home to the family for Xmas. And we worked our way through it, developing a likening. And by the end we decided that neat and pure was definitely the way.
This was happily confirmed by the Belmond resident caviar expert in St Petersburg in 2018. On its own, if it’s good
So, the budget is either:
a) clever politics by Rishi - steady as she goes, or
b) a missed opportunity to make his stamp as an interesting and innovative Chancellor.
At the moment, I'm running with the latter.
I recall the same claim awhile back about Matt Goodwin not mentioning the Labour lead poll when in fact he had (albeit somewhat sarcastically). That doesn't speak to his general output, but an untrue claim is still an untrue claim, and that's not a Tory/Labour matter.
Labour lead nailed on. I put another £500 on this evening.
Where is your lab polling lead 2021 bet?
I don't see Starmer as doing terribly well overall, but I do think he's found a few people that he can trust on his front bench now.
It is very disappointing that France has felt it necessary to make threats late this evening against the UK fishing industry and seemingly traders more broadly.
We set out our position earlier this evening.
As we have had no formal communication from the French Government on this matter we will be seeking urgent clarification of their plans. We will consider what further action is necessary in that light.
https://twitter.com/DavidGHFrost/status/1453449084245889032
Depending upon the odds I could be tempted to take the other side of the bet allowing you to get more value if the bookie is offering both sides.
One is that Boris is the Great Leader, and SKS isn't.
The other is that Starmer is surrounded by a circle of more than OK people. Much more so than BoJo. Reeves is good, EdM is good at his current level. Nandy's good. Symonds-Thomas is certainly no worse than Patel.
They're different ways of doing politics, and I don't know which one will work better with the public.
But Labour's team now is a lot less unconvincing than the one they put forward in 2019.
The trick for anyone trying to depose BoJo is finding a way of being fundamentally different to the incumbent. Otherwise, why make the change?
Otherwise Labour need a lead of about 3%+ to win most seats absent a major SLab recovery in Scotland and a lead over the Tories of 10%+ for a majority.
Struggling to make sense of that one tbh.
Who was talking about good faith again?
Someone on here will be able to search the polls but from memory around 30% to 35% were completely unaware of Osborne's austerity at the time.
Now of course Con need more than that to win the GE but it does feel as if there was no need to be this generous with public spending - and if he hadn't been he could have ditched some of the tax rises previously announced.
Although borrowing forecasts have gone down so maybe he's planning to bin some of the tax rises next year, nearer the GE.
He kind of sighed and then made his confession. It was all bollocks, designed to fleece wealthy customers with additional flummery. He loved caviar and it distressed him to see it diluted with stupid blinis
Then we all got hammered on vodka. And mainlined the Beluga
Most likely if the Tories win most seats in a hung parliament but Labour + SNP + LDs have more seats than the Tories and DUP (or TUV) then Starmer would offer the SNP indyref2 in return for confidence and supply with devomax as a carrot to Scots to again vote No
But now the French aren't happy they want us to deal with them directly? Funny how that works.
Tax rates can't realistically be (and shouldn't be) changed annually.
But I don't think we ever needed a female English version!
I'd rather have good sushi.
90% of the taste at a fraction of the cost
https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/sambucol-extra-defence-black-elderberry-liquid-60007416?skuid=007416&utm_campaign=shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIleX067Pr8wIV6YBQBh3bUQt8EAQYASABEgIAv_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
@nickmacpherson2
·
6h
Getting revenue in is a difficult business - one reason the tax take is so stable. Either HMRC will fail to secure this tax yield, as it has failed in the past. Or, if it succeeds, the Chancellor will feel obliged to cut taxes, consistent with the election timetable. 2/2
💼Over half of UK adults (53%) approve of the Chancellor's budget, including half of 2019 Lab voters (51%).
✅Approve 53%
❌Disapprove 15%
1,008 UK adults, 27 Oct https://twitter.com/SavantaComRes/status/1453456017195507715/photo/1
If so, are you not betting on an outlier as much as a Starmer renaissance?
I stand by my bet.
Smarkets offer a similar one but it ends on Tuesday not the end of the year.
Better than anything Salah has scored this season.
Economic credentials, shredded.
https://twitter.com/Kloppholic/status/1453458337639669761