Not wrong though. Most redwall voters only voted for Boris in 2019 to get Brexit done, repeat for Boris not the Tories.
If Boris goes most of the redwall will go back to voting Labour as it normally does
I think it is wrong, at least in some cases. Take some of the Nottinghamshire small town seats. Once there were coal mines but demographically these place are now very little different to Gainsborough over the Trent which has been Tory since the dinosaurs died. Labour might get them back in a very good year but otherwise I think they are blue.
Not wrong though. Most redwall voters only voted for Boris in 2019 to get Brexit done, repeat for Boris not the Tories.
If Boris goes most of the redwall will go back to voting Labour as it normally does
I think it is wrong, at least in some cases. Take some of the Nottinghamshire small town seats. Once there were coal mines but demographically these place are now very little different to Gainsborough over the Trent which has been Tory since the dinosaurs died. Labour might get them back in a very good year but otherwise I think they are blue.
Hmmm. They also voted for BJ to get levelling up done, and for BJ to keep his promises, and for the money for that not to mostly be spent on gold-plating the South-East.
BJ has managed imo to undermine his relationships with both halves of a potentially game-changing coalition. That's what needs to be recovered for the Tories.
And at this point in the Tory party I think it's a bit rich and a little funny for *anybody* to be complaining about "plots".
I think it may be pushing it comparing mining dominated (as opposed to places with a mining contribution) towns to Gainsborough - perhaps places like Newark, Retford, Belper and Ashby-de-la-Zouch are better comparators.
There are places where there were pits by the 10s and dozens. I don't think 30 years is enough to organically grow back a base, though a lot of places are well on the way, and there is a legacy of industrial disease and so on linked to mining. I would distinguish between older towns - Newark, for example, was already an important town 500 years ago or more, and those which grew rapidly in the mining era.
'Nobody told me that I was breaking the laws that I had just introduced and explained to the nation mere weeks ago' is by a distance the worst excuse I've ever heard.
That track is just genius. Better than anything he did in the Beatles in my opinion (as is Jealous Guy).
Yes he did some great stuff solo. With the Beatles too, of course, but on the whole I slightly prefer Macca's Beatles output. I once did a quick instinctive 'fav 20 Beatles songs', without thinking too much about it, then checked to see who'd written them, expecting to have like 12 Johns on there, him being the cool edgy one like me, 6 Pauls and 2 Georges, but No! - there were 2 Georges, sure enough, or maybe 3, but shock horror more Pauls than Johns in the rest.
This post doubling as a test of Ishmael's self-discipline.
I'm the opposite. I want to like Paul's stuff - he's been famous for 60-odd years, but at no time has come across as anything other than a nice bloke, whereas John Lennon came across as a right pain in the arse almost all of the time - but all my favourite Beatles stuff is by John. But in general my taste is to the shoutier and more discordant end of the spectrum rather than the melodious end - give me the Fall over the Las.
John Lennon is, however, responsible for one of the most egregious pieces of pap ever to besmirch the pop charts: Happy Xmas War is Over. Even typing it makes me cringe. 'Xmas*', for a start. I remember hearing it at the age of 6 and blanching not only at the piousness and self-righteousness of it, but also at the line 'So this is Christmas ... Another year over and a new one just begun'. No it hasn't. That would be January. I was a pedantic child and I have got no better.
*I don't mind 'Xmas' per se. But it has to be pronounced 'exmass'. If what you are saying is 'Christmas', write it in full. You lazy scouse bastard.
Well, if you want to be pedantic, the season of Christmas lasts from December 25th to January 6th. Also, the abbreviation "Xmas" (with the "X" representing the chi-rho logogram for Christ) dates back to at least the mid-18th century. Would you pronounce the abbreviation "King's X" as written or as "King's Cross"?
I would be tempted to pronounce it "King's ex" - but that it is because I am an insufferable pedant.
'Nobody told me that I was breaking the laws that I had just introduced and explained to the nation mere weeks ago' is by a distance the worst excuse I've ever heard.
That track is just genius. Better than anything he did in the Beatles in my opinion (as is Jealous Guy).
Yes he did some great stuff solo. With the Beatles too, of course, but on the whole I slightly prefer Macca's Beatles output. I once did a quick instinctive 'fav 20 Beatles songs', without thinking too much about it, then checked to see who'd written them, expecting to have like 12 Johns on there, him being the cool edgy one like me, 6 Pauls and 2 Georges, but No! - there were 2 Georges, sure enough, or maybe 3, but shock horror more Pauls than Johns in the rest.
This post doubling as a test of Ishmael's self-discipline.
I'm the opposite. I want to like Paul's stuff - he's been famous for 60-odd years, but at no time has come across as anything other than a nice bloke, whereas John Lennon came across as a right pain in the arse almost all of the time - but all my favourite Beatles stuff is by John. But in general my taste is to the shoutier and more discordant end of the spectrum rather than the melodious end - give me the Fall over the Las.
John Lennon is, however, responsible for one of the most egregious pieces of pap ever to besmirch the pop charts: Happy Xmas War is Over. Even typing it makes me cringe. 'Xmas*', for a start. I remember hearing it at the age of 6 and blanching not only at the piousness and self-righteousness of it, but also at the line 'So this is Christmas ... Another year over and a new one just begun'. No it hasn't. That would be January. I was a pedantic child and I have got no better.
*I don't mind 'Xmas' per se. But it has to be pronounced 'exmass'. If what you are saying is 'Christmas', write it in full. You lazy scouse bastard.
I don't like that one either and I like Imagine even less. What I do like - even more now than originally - is Give Peace A Chance. And his other simple chanty one, All You Need Is Love, that I also like.
That is because you, my friend, are an ageing hippy. Whereas I am an ageing punk.
He produced the best Beatles song (Something), the best post Beatles album (All Things Must Pass), and the last decent song by an ex-Beatle (Long Time Ago When We Were Fab).
'Nobody told me that I was breaking the laws that I had just introduced and explained to the nation mere weeks ago' is by a distance the worst excuse I've ever heard.
That track is just genius. Better than anything he did in the Beatles in my opinion (as is Jealous Guy).
Yes he did some great stuff solo. With the Beatles too, of course, but on the whole I slightly prefer Macca's Beatles output. I once did a quick instinctive 'fav 20 Beatles songs', without thinking too much about it, then checked to see who'd written them, expecting to have like 12 Johns on there, him being the cool edgy one like me, 6 Pauls and 2 Georges, but No! - there were 2 Georges, sure enough, or maybe 3, but shock horror more Pauls than Johns in the rest.
This post doubling as a test of Ishmael's self-discipline.
I'm the opposite. I want to like Paul's stuff - he's been famous for 60-odd years, but at no time has come across as anything other than a nice bloke, whereas John Lennon came across as a right pain in the arse almost all of the time - but all my favourite Beatles stuff is by John. But in general my taste is to the shoutier and more discordant end of the spectrum rather than the melodious end - give me the Fall over the Las.
John Lennon is, however, responsible for one of the most egregious pieces of pap ever to besmirch the pop charts: Happy Xmas War is Over. Even typing it makes me cringe. 'Xmas*', for a start. I remember hearing it at the age of 6 and blanching not only at the piousness and self-righteousness of it, but also at the line 'So this is Christmas ... Another year over and a new one just begun'. No it hasn't. That would be January. I was a pedantic child and I have got no better.
*I don't mind 'Xmas' per se. But it has to be pronounced 'exmass'. If what you are saying is 'Christmas', write it in full. You lazy scouse bastard.
Its one of my favourite Christmas songs. Its always such a relief from the wall to wall pap you get on playlists at that time of year.
I would argue that it is PART of the wall to wall pap. But this is an argument for next December. I shall bookmark it.
Personal news: a hospital checkup on last year's Leukemia, and according to the Consultant it is completely clear and all important blood measurements are back in the normal range. Given they did not use the routine treatment due to Covid, rather they were using something that was less risky for complications in the circs, they are very happy.
So it is a check-every-4-months regime until a retreatment or different treatment may be necessary in a few years.
He produced the best Beatles song (Something), the best post Beatles album (All Things Must Pass), and the last decent song by an ex-Beatle (Long Time Ago When We Were Fab).
Always been my favourite Beatle. Lots of love for George here. Last summer my go to album when sitting in the garden with a drink after work was All things Must Pass. He died a few years back, Isn’t it a Pity.
Personal news: a hospital checkup on last year's Leukemia, and according to the Consultant it is completely clear and all important blood measurements are back in the normal range. Given they did not use the routine treatment due to Covid, rather they were using something that was less risky for complications in the circs, they are very happy.
So it is a check-every-4-months regime until a retreatment or different treatment may be necessary in a few years.
Personal news: a hospital checkup on last year's Leukemia, and according to the Consultant it is completely clear and all important blood measurements are back in the normal range. Given they did not use the routine treatment due to Covid, rather they were using something that was less risky for complications in the circs, they are very happy.
So it is a check-every-4-months regime until a retreatment or different treatment may be necessary in a few years.
Officials at the U.K. Foreign Office have been told to be ready to move into “crisis mode” at very short notice, highlighting the increased concern that Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine could escalate into conflict, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Staff at the department were informed of the request this week, the person said. Triggering it would mean officials and diplomats are redeployed to work on Russia and Ukraine policy and to prioritize the U.K. response to any further spike in tensions, including deterrence and sanctions.
Personal news: a hospital checkup on last year's Leukemia, and according to the Consultant it is completely clear and all important blood measurements are back in the normal range. Given they did not use the routine treatment due to Covid, rather they were using something that was less risky for complications in the circs, they are very happy.
So it is a check-every-4-months regime until a retreatment or different treatment may be necessary in a few years.
Seems like a pretty interesting decision facing Boris at the moment - he either attacks fuel prices seriously, in the face of extinction rebellion, John Kerry, most young people who don't pay for their own electricity, the BBC etc., or he throws in the towel. I say that because it's the only thing imo with enough cut through to save his sorry hide.
Personal news: a hospital checkup on last year's Leukemia, and according to the Consultant it is completely clear and all important blood measurements are back in the normal range. Given they did not use the routine treatment due to Covid, rather they were using something that was less risky for complications in the circs, they are very happy.
So it is a check-every-4-months regime until a retreatment or different treatment may be necessary in a few years.
Lords watchdog launches inquiry into Michelle Mone over ‘VIP lane’ contract Investigation into Tory peer relates to PPE company awarded £203m in government contracts
The commissioner confirmed that the investigation would be for “alleged involvement in procuring contracts for PPE Medpro, leading to potential breaches” of three provisions of the Lords code, which cover the requirement that peers publicly register “all relevant interests”, and prohibit them from lobbying for a company or a person in which a peer “has a financial interest”.
The commissioner also stated that Mone would be investigated under the more general provisions of the code’s paragraph 9, which includes that peers “should always act on their personal honour”; must never accept “any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence”; and “must not seek to profit from membership of the house by accepting or agreeing to accept payment or other incentive or reward in return for providing parliamentary advice or services.”
Pretty sure Money will now be consigned to that ghastly Johnson type of Toryism with which the SCons have absolutely no connection.
Will be fascinating seeing the election material the Scottish Conservatives are shortly going to print up. They’ll use blue, but I bet the word “Conservative” is conspicuous by its absence, as will any reference to them being in power in London.
Will they continue with Ruth Davidson’s moderately successful ‘No Surrender’ strategy? Initial intelligence ( @Carnyx ) suggests not.
Certainly the List MSP leaflet I got the other day was a total contrast to the usual text of No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref even at parish council level (if we had parish councils up here) and with 'Conservative' in the smallest possible script compatible with Electoral Commission law and the wavelength of light.
It was all about roundabouts and only the fetching Sevco FC Blue colour scheme really drove it home it wasn't the local council's LD candidate.
Union? Us advocate union and subordination to that thing in No. 10? Oh no dear me, no siree.
Perhaps our other PBScots could report back on any other sightings?
The Union seems to have become a topic the principal Unionist party seems unwilling to advocate unless pressed. Klaxons should be sounding at BritNat central office.
Why? The UK Tory government just will refuse indyref2 as ever.
Whether the SCons manage to finally win 1 Scottish council outright or not or keep largest party in 1 or 2 Scottish councils has very little relevance if any to the Union
If the Union is to survive then your lot need to start targeting floating voters and capturing their hearts and minds. You are very good at appealing to core Con voters HY, but you are appallingly poor at lifting your eyes and addressing the centre ground. The Unionists are currently in the process of losing Middle Scotland.
I don't think even that's true.
Fair point.
HY only appeals to the core of the core. Or is even that being too generous to him?
Yes.
He has a very poor appeal factor probably to less than a handful of conservatives, if that
Seems like a pretty interesting decision facing Boris at the moment - he either attacks fuel prices seriously, in the face of extinction rebellion, John Kerry, most young people who don't pay for their own electricity, the BBC etc., or he throws in the towel. I say that because it's the only thing imo with enough cut through to save his sorry hide.
That may just hand Sunak an easier inheritance, though. I can't see that there's much he can really do.
He produced the best Beatles song (Something), the best post Beatles album (All Things Must Pass), and the last decent song by an ex-Beatle (Long Time Ago When We Were Fab).
Ambiguity checker required. He may have produced it, but your point is actually that he wrote it
This really is the weirdest time in politics and PB that I can remember. It’s really strange to see Conservatives let rip at their own leader. It’s doubly weird that none of these revelations about Boris’ character are news. It will be odd to see people snap back to support this bunch, who by and large will be the same people that have backed Boris as if nothing had happened and say it’s all new.
As far as I am concerned Boris achieved Brexit and has done well on covid
I had no problem with him until the Paterson debacle, coupled with wallpapergate and partygate, and he simply has to go
Let us not forget that labour's cabinet largely voted for Corbyn and Starmer was deeply involved in that cabinet
I will rejoin the conservatives once Boris has gone
The Corbyn comparison is interesting - will there be a similar mass disavowal of Johnson when he is gone? Will he find himself outside the Conservative party within a year, and his supporters be gradually shuffled out of positions of power? It's hard to tell whether he has changed the party for good.
Even Starmer was in Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet for goodness sake, as was Rayner, Ashworth etc.
McConnell, Abbott etc still Labour MPs.
Corbyn may have gone but his supporters have hardly been all expelled from Labour
I wasn't suggesting Corbyn's supporters have been expelled from the party, but it's generally accepted that each reshuffle by Starmer has moved a few more members of the previous Corbyn faction a bit further from power. There's been a very conscious effort to distance the party from the Corbyn era as soon as possible. Will the post-Johnson Conservative narrative be more like "excellent leader, did some good things which we are continuing, shame he screwed up" or "none of us ever really supported his dreadful policies"?
The Corbyn period wasn't in fact "Stalinist", as some sometimes like to caricature it here on PB, but in reality a mixture of the left and centre-left of the Labour Party. This is why figures like Ed Miliband were accepted by both the Corbyn and Starmer regimes. Similarly not all members of the Johnson administration have been very strongly on the rightwing, for instance, even though he conducted a purge beforehand.
I can't really think of a PM or LOTO who has enough genuine loyalists with enough ability to credibly even think of filling a the front bench. I mean, there's enough dead wood now, even without ruling out a vast list of potentials on ideological grounds. That's particularly true for Corbyn (who always relied on support in the membership rather than Parliament), and to a lesser but still very significant extent for Johnson who is not a traditional Conservative.
You'd also question why they'd want to even if they could - you need to have different parts of the party on the payroll to maintain cohesion, otherwise the only political future for those out in the cold is to get rid of you - there is no career path but revolution.
If you look at Thatcher, she gradually moved her cabinet towards her and eased wets out, but first term was notably balanced and there was always a range.
"I have not had an affair with Petronella. It is complete balderdash. It is an inverted pyramid of piffle. It is all completely untrue and ludicrous conjecture. I am amazed people can write this drivel."
I thought that - as the affair was ongoing - the statement was true, if misleading.
"I have not had an affair with Petronella. It is complete balderdash. It is an inverted pyramid of piffle. It is all completely untrue and ludicrous conjecture. I am amazed people can write this drivel."
I thought that - as the affair was ongoing - the statement was true, if misleading.
'Nobody told me that I was breaking the laws that I had just introduced and explained to the nation mere weeks ago' is by a distance the worst excuse I've ever heard.
That track is just genius. Better than anything he did in the Beatles in my opinion (as is Jealous Guy).
Yes he did some great stuff solo. With the Beatles too, of course, but on the whole I slightly prefer Macca's Beatles output. I once did a quick instinctive 'fav 20 Beatles songs', without thinking too much about it, then checked to see who'd written them, expecting to have like 12 Johns on there, him being the cool edgy one like me, 6 Pauls and 2 Georges, but No! - there were 2 Georges, sure enough, or maybe 3, but shock horror more Pauls than Johns in the rest.
This post doubling as a test of Ishmael's self-discipline.
I'm the opposite. I want to like Paul's stuff - he's been famous for 60-odd years, but at no time has come across as anything other than a nice bloke, whereas John Lennon came across as a right pain in the arse almost all of the time - but all my favourite Beatles stuff is by John. But in general my taste is to the shoutier and more discordant end of the spectrum rather than the melodious end - give me the Fall over the Las.
John Lennon is, however, responsible for one of the most egregious pieces of pap ever to besmirch the pop charts: Happy Xmas War is Over. Even typing it makes me cringe. 'Xmas*', for a start. I remember hearing it at the age of 6 and blanching not only at the piousness and self-righteousness of it, but also at the line 'So this is Christmas ... Another year over and a new one just begun'. No it hasn't. That would be January. I was a pedantic child and I have got no better.
*I don't mind 'Xmas' per se. But it has to be pronounced 'exmass'. If what you are saying is 'Christmas', write it in full. You lazy scouse bastard.
Well, if you want to be pedantic, the season of Christmas lasts from December 25th to January 6th. Also, the abbreviation "Xmas" (with the "X" representing the chi-rho logogram for Christ) dates back to at least the mid-18th century. Would you pronounce the abbreviation "King's X" as written or as "King's Cross"?
I would be tempted to pronounce it "King's ex" - but that it is because I am an insufferable pedant.
That Boris interview was the end, wasn't it? I can't see him recovering from that. My favourite bit was "I take full responsibility, but nobody told me..."
And there's bound to be more coming out.
So it's going to be an early leadership contest, or conceivably coronation. The question now is: can Rishi be stopped, and who amongst Tory MPs would want to stop him? My view is that he does look pretty unstoppable. Hunt has no chance amongst the members, too sane and not ideological on Brexit (nor, probably, is Rishi, but he's managed to conceal that). Liz? I don't think so, quite apart from anything else she's trying too hard. All the other names look too inexperienced or inconsequential to get the gig at a time like this.
Of course, Tory leadership contests can sometimes throw surprises, but my conclusion is Rishi vs Hunt. Rishi wins. (But as I mentioned a couple of days ago, Raab as a temporary PM is possible, indeed more likely now since it is looking increasingly difficult for Boris to stay on during a contest).
Comments?
Richard, I agree. That interview was brutal. I thought Boris did quite well at the last PMQs dealing with party-gate but he looked broken in that Rigby interview. Hard to see him surviving now, in my view.
I was persuaded by the case you made the other day for Raab as next Prime Minister and, although you state that this is "indeed more likely now", you sound less convinced. Is that because you are expecting a coronation for Rishi? Or are you now doubting whether Betfair would pay out on Raab as "interim" PM, prior to a leadership election?
I think it's possible for a Rishi coronation. Will depend on what feedback the nascent Truss campaign is getting from MPs and how quickly the Rishi campaign can obtain cabinet endorsements after Boris falls on his sword. Could all be done and dusted pretty quickly.
My thinking is that Boris might remain in post for his successor to be decided, not as the usual matter of honour, but because he needs to find somewhere to live.
His successor's going to need to find somewhere else to live while the decorators restore the flat.
No problem - plenty of whitewash to hand. Slap it on, let it dry, second coat, all ready the next day.
It'd need pebbledash to hide *that* wallpaper.
Please tell me that is a joke?
In a rental that - done more tastefully - will get you perhaps 15% or so more than Ikea chic.
He produced the best Beatles song (Something), the best post Beatles album (All Things Must Pass), and the last decent song by an ex-Beatle (Long Time Ago When We Were Fab).
Don't forget the Traveling Wilburys.
Great film enthusiast, supporting some very interesting productions.
In the end though it was George's musicality, John's acid wit and Paul's soppiness that made the Beatles formula work so well. They had a drummer too...
How does the EU go to war in the Ukraine without Germany, exactly? Are they going to rely on the French?
That's not what the article says. The EU says Europe is closer to war, etc.
Nobody is going to war in Ukraine except Russia. Even the normally demented tory couch commandos on here don't want British forces involved.
And yet a small contingent of UK troops are there. Is this wise?
If anything, letting Russia regain Ukraine by force with no consequence seems to me to be repeating the mistakes of the past…
“If we let them have this they’ll give up with any further demands”. Yeah, right
Spot on. If I were the UKPM, and Ukraine asked for help, I'd give it. Troops, equipment, bombs, planes. Anything. We need to contain Putin's aggression.
The UK has had C-17s shuttling back and forth between Kiev with anti-tank weapons since yesterday.
I just hope they're paying for them.
The projectile-anti-squid-tank-apparatus is the finest in the world. Twelve men, a week, and it's ready to shoot entirely ineffectively at any tank within 100 paces. So fearsome in fact that the first offence use is generally regarded as knocking on the tanks door and asking if they'd like to surrender.
The brave Generals of our armed services (nameless as well as nearly countless) have lunched night and day to deliver this. Only a few billion over budget, and we only have two rather than the 450 that had been envisaged.
But the Russian tanks are absolutely covered with explosive blocks to defeat those things. Unless there is something I don't know? They do have top attack mode, but that'd only get the engine decks.
Serendipitously this popped up on my twitter as a reminder of British or at least Commonwealth AT capabilities. 9 tanks picked of by a 2 pounder, how rubbish were Japanese tanks? That's a round less than 2/3 the size of the one that chap put up his bottom.
This really is the weirdest time in politics and PB that I can remember. It’s really strange to see Conservatives let rip at their own leader. It’s doubly weird that none of these revelations about Boris’ character are news. It will be odd to see people snap back to support this bunch, who by and large will be the same people that have backed Boris as if nothing had happened and say it’s all new.
As far as I am concerned Boris achieved Brexit and has done well on covid
I had no problem with him until the Paterson debacle, coupled with wallpapergate and partygate, and he simply has to go
Let us not forget that labour's cabinet largely voted for Corbyn and Starmer was deeply involved in that cabinet
I will rejoin the conservatives once Boris has gone
The Corbyn comparison is interesting - will there be a similar mass disavowal of Johnson when he is gone? Will he find himself outside the Conservative party within a year, and his supporters be gradually shuffled out of positions of power? It's hard to tell whether he has changed the party for good.
Even Starmer was in Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet for goodness sake, as was Rayner, Ashworth etc.
McConnell, Abbott etc still Labour MPs.
Corbyn may have gone but his supporters have hardly been all expelled from Labour
I wasn't suggesting Corbyn's supporters have been expelled from the party, but it's generally accepted that each reshuffle by Starmer has moved a few more members of the previous Corbyn faction a bit further from power. There's been a very conscious effort to distance the party from the Corbyn era as soon as possible. Will the post-Johnson Conservative narrative be more like "excellent leader, did some good things which we are continuing, shame he screwed up" or "none of us ever really supported his dreadful policies"?
I will be grateful to Boris for Brexit and generally his handling of covid but will condemn his lack of judgement and honesty over partygate etc
I will forever condemn him for the great act of national vandalism that was Brexit, engaged with by Johnson for the sole purpose of enhancing his credentials for the top job.
His Covid performance in March 2020 was slow and in Autumn 2020 downright poor. By accident, or design, the vaccination programme was a success. The Nightingale hospitals, had they been used, were also a triumph, so hats off to him for those.
His utter contempt for the voters of this country throughout periods of restrictions by work-eventing like it was 1999 and his overseeing of outrageous and corrupt PPE procurement contracts was shameful.
His hope is a Churchillian response to Putin in order to resurrect his shattered reputation. But will he be given the time?
How does the EU go to war in the Ukraine without Germany, exactly? Are they going to rely on the French?
That's not what the article says. The EU says Europe is closer to war, etc.
Nobody is going to war in Ukraine except Russia. Even the normally demented tory couch commandos on here don't want British forces involved.
And yet a small contingent of UK troops are there. Is this wise?
If anything, letting Russia regain Ukraine by force with no consequence seems to me to be repeating the mistakes of the past…
“If we let them have this they’ll give up with any further demands”. Yeah, right
Spot on. If I were the UKPM, and Ukraine asked for help, I'd give it. Troops, equipment, bombs, planes. Anything. We need to contain Putin's aggression.
The UK has had C-17s shuttling back and forth between Kiev with anti-tank weapons since yesterday.
I just hope they're paying for them.
The projectile-anti-squid-tank-apparatus is the finest in the world. Twelve men, a week, and it's ready to shoot entirely ineffectively at any tank within 100 paces. So fearsome in fact that the first offence use is generally regarded as knocking on the tanks door and asking if they'd like to surrender.
The brave Generals of our armed services (nameless as well as nearly countless) have lunched night and day to deliver this. Only a few billion over budget, and we only have two rather than the 450 that had been envisaged.
But the Russian tanks are absolutely covered with explosive blocks to defeat those things. Unless there is something I don't know? They do have top attack mode, but that'd only get the engine decks.
Serendipitously this popped up on my twitter as a reminder of British or at least Commonwealth AT capabilities. 9 tanks picked of by a 2 pounder, how rubbish were Japanese tanks? That's a round less than 2/3 the size of the one that chap put up his bottom.
They were pretty shit. The 2 poinder was an excellent gun rapidly out classed by increases in armour thickness. The Japanese didn't increase the armour thickness.
Lords watchdog launches inquiry into Michelle Mone over ‘VIP lane’ contract Investigation into Tory peer relates to PPE company awarded £203m in government contracts
The commissioner confirmed that the investigation would be for “alleged involvement in procuring contracts for PPE Medpro, leading to potential breaches” of three provisions of the Lords code, which cover the requirement that peers publicly register “all relevant interests”, and prohibit them from lobbying for a company or a person in which a peer “has a financial interest”.
The commissioner also stated that Mone would be investigated under the more general provisions of the code’s paragraph 9, which includes that peers “should always act on their personal honour”; must never accept “any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence”; and “must not seek to profit from membership of the house by accepting or agreeing to accept payment or other incentive or reward in return for providing parliamentary advice or services.”
Pretty sure Money will now be consigned to that ghastly Johnson type of Toryism with which the SCons have absolutely no connection.
Will be fascinating seeing the election material the Scottish Conservatives are shortly going to print up. They’ll use blue, but I bet the word “Conservative” is conspicuous by its absence, as will any reference to them being in power in London.
Will they continue with Ruth Davidson’s moderately successful ‘No Surrender’ strategy? Initial intelligence ( @Carnyx ) suggests not.
Certainly the List MSP leaflet I got the other day was a total contrast to the usual text of No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref No to Indyref even at parish council level (if we had parish councils up here) and with 'Conservative' in the smallest possible script compatible with Electoral Commission law and the wavelength of light.
It was all about roundabouts and only the fetching Sevco FC Blue colour scheme really drove it home it wasn't the local council's LD candidate.
Union? Us advocate union and subordination to that thing in No. 10? Oh no dear me, no siree.
Perhaps our other PBScots could report back on any other sightings?
The Union seems to have become a topic the principal Unionist party seems unwilling to advocate unless pressed. Klaxons should be sounding at BritNat central office.
I'd like to hear of other sightings before we draw conclusions - but there should be enough of us PBScots over a wide enough area with eg @RochdalePioneers@Farooq@Eabhal@malcolmg and @DavidL for instance to report back to confirm if there really is a change of approach. This is of interest well beyond individual affiliation.
I'm unlikely to help. In a tenement and seldom get any literature at all (even during the election last year).
What Ross does if Johnson doesn't go will be pivotal. The CSU idea. I just can't think of a good name - unionist is rubbish.
Surely if Johnson doesn’t go then Ross will have to go?
If the name “Unionist” isn’t inappropriate for the principal Unionist party then the movement is finished.
What’s the alternative? The Loyalist Party? I think not. The Britain Party? Perhaps.
I’ve genuinely got a great and novel suggestion, but I’m not going to give it. For obvious reasons.
Tories are not in abundance in North of Ayrshire at the best of times. Not seen or heard of them for long long time.
I do wonder if the BBC will start announcing the programs and things that will need to go. That may focus minds a bit but the fact it's a less than 50p a month that is being discussed shows how daft the BBC licence freeze is.
I gather the Tories have decided to pick a fight with Strictly Come Dancing and abolish Match of the Day. Brilliant. Why has this Culture Secretary been in obscurity so long? This is surely genius. https://twitter.com/PhilipJCollins1/status/1483370420241842177
Well the BBC could always hire MOTD presenters on more modest salaries. The talking heads on a million quid a year who are clueless about the modern game. You could hire the full Tifo football staff for that, who actually understand modern tactics, rather than the shit they talk of MOTD.
And of course they are going to junk the likes of Strictly, that thing that makes them masses of money.
I don't really understand the arguments that say the government will get rid of programme X or y through abolition of license fee where similar shows exist and are successful on commercial equivalents. Surely it is the niche TV and radio that would not have a home elsewhere that are threatened but these are largely unknown but highly valued by a small number of people. The audio stuff could probably move to podcasting but TV quality niche programming doesn't seem to work on YouTube for example
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BJ has managed imo to undermine his relationships with both halves of a potentially game-changing coalition. That's what needs to be recovered for the Tories.
And at this point in the Tory party I think it's a bit rich and a little funny for *anybody* to be complaining about "plots".
I think it may be pushing it comparing mining dominated (as opposed to places with a mining contribution) towns to Gainsborough - perhaps places like Newark, Retford, Belper and Ashby-de-la-Zouch are better comparators.
There are places where there were pits by the 10s and dozens. I don't think 30 years is enough to organically grow back a base, though a lot of places are well on the way, and there is a legacy of industrial disease and so on linked to mining. I would distinguish between older towns - Newark, for example, was already an important town 500 years ago or more, and those which grew rapidly in the mining era.
Whereas I am an ageing punk.
But this is an argument for next December. I shall bookmark it.
So it is a check-every-4-months regime until a retreatment or different treatment may be necessary in a few years.
Staff at the department were informed of the request this week, the person said. Triggering it would mean officials and diplomats are redeployed to work on Russia and Ukraine policy and to prioritize the U.K. response to any further spike in tensions, including deterrence and sanctions.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-18/u-k-officials-told-to-be-ready-for-crisis-mode-over-russia?sref=yYYRek8e
(((Dan Hodges)))
@DPJHodges
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Cabinet Minister: “It’s slipping away. We’re facing a leadership challenge”.
You'd also question why they'd want to even if they could - you need to have different parts of the party on the payroll to maintain cohesion, otherwise the only political future for those out in the cold is to get rid of you - there is no career path but revolution.
If you look at Thatcher, she gradually moved her cabinet towards her and eased wets out, but first term was notably balanced and there was always a range.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1483511038557532165
That explains Boris Johnson's demeanour today.
Douglas Ross called it right.
NEW THREAD
Ped Exing.
I’ve just seen the tape of the Bozza interview on C4 News. I was driving earlier and only heard the clip on the radio.
Far, far, worse in video.
Not sure if it works in Malmo.
On the "successor", Rishi can stay where he is
In the end though it was George's musicality, John's acid wit and Paul's soppiness that made the Beatles formula work so well. They had a drummer too...
FFS - pathetic.
https://twitter.com/rgpoulussen/status/1483340460563308549?s=20
His Covid performance in March 2020 was slow and in Autumn 2020 downright poor. By accident, or design, the vaccination programme was a success. The Nightingale hospitals, had they been used, were also a triumph, so hats off to him for those.
His utter contempt for the voters of this country throughout periods of restrictions by work-eventing like it was 1999 and his overseeing of outrageous and corrupt PPE procurement contracts was shameful.
His hope is a Churchillian response to Putin in order to resurrect his shattered reputation. But will he be given the time?