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Who’ll come out of May 5th best – Johnson or Starmer? – politicalbetting.com

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  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,190
    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:

    The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure.
    https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/


    So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.
    This is going to come as quite a shock to the Russian public, who have hitherto been told ‘around 500 have died’. The reality is 20 times that
    It also ignores the number of "private Russian subcontractors", which is probably another 5k dead.

    The British lost 255 servicemen in recapturing the Falkland Islands. The Russians have lost at least fifty times that number in - so far - failing to invade Ukraine.

    There were - apparently - 200k troops massed on the Ukrainian borders. But front line strength will probably be more like 125k. This means that adding together killed, wounded and captured, the Russians have lost maybe a quarter of their front line troops.

    Those numbers are utterly horrendous. And bear in mind, they still haven't captured Kiev or Kharkov or any city of more than about 100,000 people.

    Of course, the Ukrainians have probably lost just as many. But the Ukrainian forces are at home, fighting for their country, and they outnumber the Russians vastly.
  • Options
    JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,018

    TimT said:

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    Typically it is higher, but a US expert was saying Russian casualties will be at a low dead/injured ratio compared to expected Western rates as they neither have the forward field hospital concept so are not getting the seriously wounded treated in the 'golden hour', nor do they have, because of logistics problems, more general medical care available for the wounded, and so many will die from infected wounds.
    Plus many of the vehicles being taken out by these NATO weapons won't have any injured....several thousand degrees explosion inside a metal box tends to be terminal.
    And Russian military doctrine doesn't give a flying fuck about dead conscripts. Wrongly, as kamilkazani pointed out, they're gonna run out.
  • Options
    Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 60,447
    edited March 2022
    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tactics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,187
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:

    The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure.
    https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/


    So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.
    This is going to come as quite a shock to the Russian public, who have hitherto been told ‘around 500 have died’. The reality is 20 times that
    It also ignores the number of "private Russian subcontractors", which is probably another 5k dead.

    The British lost 255 servicemen in recapturing the Falkland Islands. The Russians have lost at least fifty times that number in - so far - failing to invade Ukraine.

    There were - apparently - 200k troops massed on the Ukrainian borders. But front line strength will probably be more like 125k. This means that adding together killed, wounded and captured, the Russians have lost maybe a quarter of their front line troops.

    Those numbers are utterly horrendous. And bear in mind, they still haven't captured Kiev or Kharkov or any city of more than about 100,000 people.

    Of course, the Ukrainians have probably lost just as many. But the Ukrainian forces are at home, fighting for their country, and they outnumber the Russians vastly.
    That would tally with the assessment of 24% of their tanks gone.

    It's like we went to war and lost the Guards, the Marines and 2 Para as fighting units. In 3 weeks.
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 28,040

    TimT said:

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    Typically it is higher, but a US expert was saying Russian casualties will be at a low dead/injured ratio compared to expected Western rates as they neither have the forward field hospital concept so are not getting the seriously wounded treated in the 'golden hour', nor do they have, because of logistics problems, more general medical care available for the wounded, and so many will die from infected wounds.
    Plus many of the vehicles being taken out by these NATO weapons won't have any injured....several thousand degrees explosion inside a metal box tends to be terminal.
    And Russian military doctrine doesn't give a flying fuck about dead conscripts. Wrongly, as kamilkazani pointed out, they're gonna run out.
    There is a credible argument that dead conscripts played a major part in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  • Options
    BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,489

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    That was my first thought.

    remember that in Afghanistan, they lost 15,000 in ten years. They have lost two-thirds of that in less than a month.

    Also: it'd be interesting to know their figures for POWs captured by the Ukrainians and deserters; not that they'd release such figures...

    (Actually, are these figures just for Russians, or do they include foreign troops such as the Chechens?)
    The Ukrainians are claiming (or where 3 days ago to have captured 'about 1,000' which in compared to the number of dead Russians feels quite low, Ill suggest 2 reasons but i don't know:

    Perhaps moral in Russian units is not quite as low as we think it is.
    Ukrainian tactics, phatically ambushes are not typically where you have lots of prisoners.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,190
    edited March 2022

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 11,380

    Roger said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Brexit has already significantly dented the underlying GDP growth rate, and foreign direct investment.

    Although this has been masked, first by Covid, and now by supply shocks relating to the Ukraine war, it’s still there - like rust underneath the surface.

    When Britain is once again the sick man of Europe, the "winners" of the referendum will be whining that the EU are making use of free trade and free movement to gain a competitive advantage against us...
    Britain is already the sick man of Europe.
    Again, it’s hidden because the day to day news is about the latest thing rather than long-term trends.

    The other thing is that old people - the bedrock of the Brexit vote - are less likely to notice the impact because they don’t work and house prices have continued to rise.

    We were told by Remainers - quite gleefully - that the City of London would wither on the vine, eclipsed by Paris and Frankfurt.

    Hur hur hur.....
    I notice your posts often take a strange gloating style. It is quite odd and says more about you than anything else.

    I think most analysts expected some loss of business from London, with the business going to various places - New York as well as some European cities.

    I don’t remember anyone predicting - let alone “gleefully” - that London would be eclipsed.

    Not that any city has a monopoly on such things, look at what the Chinese are doing to HK’s status as an entrepôt.
    If you don't remember it then you do have a very selective memory. These pages were filled with claims that it would be the end of the City and that would be a disaster for the country - often by people who had spent years previously claiming that the City was some terrible evil that needed to be brought to heel as it was a disaster for the country.
    It has been a disaster for the country in our loss of self respect. It'll take a long time to get over that. As a country we'll never be viewed the same again. The great cosmopolitan inclusive country that made us what we thought we were was a chimera. Farage turned out to be right.
    Is EU membership really the litmus test of cosmopolitanism?
    Not in itself.

    But anyone who thinks animus against immigrants and London’s cosmopolitan nature was not a significant feature of Brexit is fooling themselves.
    Resentment of London’s wealth and prosperity and how quickly it recovered post the Brown crash when other parts of the nation still hadn’t got back to where they were in 2008 was a factor I saw. Far more than its cosmopolitan nature.
  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,562
    edited March 2022

    Fishing said:

    Roger said:

    ping said:

    Tory Britain, 2022;

    “Indian agency workers hired to replace P&O Ferries crews in Dover are being paid £1.81 an hour”

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60821266

    As a country we're not easy to embarrass any more.
    How is it embarassing if Indian workers are allowed to provide a service for a wage they want to work at, benefiting our consumers in the process?
    Replace the word worker with slave and read the sentence back to yourself.
    It would make no sense, because slaves aren't paid a wage they want to work at.

    The Indian agency workers aren't slaves, they are working voluntarily, doubtless for more than they'd get in similar skilled jobs back home.

    We should be proud that we are helping to develop their country by providing them with employment - trade does much more for countries than aid.
  • Options
    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,066
    MrEd said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    You can probably add several thousand to the dead figures and multiply up the injured

    One key question here- why is the Russian MoD giving these numbers given they will prove a big shock to the public? Justification for a mass scaling up of firepower? Justification for a conscription call? Or is the Russian MoD looking to undermine Putin?
    The first two would have to be major fears. Scaling up firepower meaning what? Tactical nukes might mean Europe cuts off the gas. What else? Conscription is possible but is hugely risky from Putin's point of view. Don't forget his support base is amongst older Russians. Those afraid of protesting might change their minds if the alternative is being sent to the front line.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    I am unclear why the PB Tory response to P&O Ferries is to shrug and say “that’s the way the maritime law crumbles”.

    It’s one thing to deny Brexit is not to blame (fair; it seems to be only an indirect cause), it’s another to criticise the company and then just sigh and say life’s a bitch.

    As noted down thread, it is telling that other than Jezza "seize the ships and nationalise them", those people with some legal knowledge like Starmer are saying it boils my blood, we need to check that sacking procedure was followed correctly and the government shouldn't give them any public contracts....and....

    My presumption from such a response is that he thinks that there is limited options, because even if there was the slightest of chances the government could ban P&O from ports etc, I am pretty sure he would call for it.
    Well, I have got "some legal knowledge like Starmer," and he is talking about one thing (the position of the recently dismissed) while I am talking about another (introducing legislation to prevent this sort of shit in future).

    It would be nice to think that virtually all PBers understood the nuts and bolts of the UK constitution in particular, and the concept of the sovereign nation in general, but keeping the faith can be difficult.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,822
    IshmaelZ said:

    I am unclear why the PB Tory response to P&O Ferries is to shrug and say “that’s the way the maritime law crumbles”.

    It’s one thing to deny Brexit is not to blame (fair; it seems to be only an indirect cause), it’s another to criticise the company and then just sigh and say life’s a bitch.

    As noted down thread, it is telling that other than Jezza "seize the ships and nationalise them", those people with some legal knowledge like Starmer are saying it boils my blood, we need to check that sacking procedure was followed correctly and the government shouldn't give them any public contracts....and....

    My presumption from such a response is that he thinks that there is limited options, because even if there was the slightest of chances the government could ban P&O from ports etc, I am pretty sure he would call for it.
    Well, I have got "some legal knowledge like Starmer," and he is talking about one thing (the position of the recently dismissed) while I am talking about another (introducing legislation to prevent this sort of shit in future).

    It would be nice to think that virtually all PBers understood the nuts and bolts of the UK constitution in particular, and the concept of the sovereign nation in general, but keeping the faith can be difficult.
    Starmer is of course a proper lawyer. Accurate billing all the way.
  • Options

    Then there's this claim:

    "A former internal affairs minister of #Ukraine
    @AvakovArsen
    shared the intercepted Russian military summary for March 18: Rus. Army troops killed 12,814. Private company Liga (former Vagner) troops killed 4,451. Total number of service members killed at war in Ukraine: 17,265."

    https://twitter.com/MrKovalenko/status/1505961677371621379

    Bearing in mind Russian problems with supply and communications and you can anticipate some difficulty in them counting an accurate figure. So it could yet be higher.

    Heard on the radio earlier that the Ukrainian defence minister was in London today, praising our support in glowing terms.

    It does look as though the Trilateral Alliance between the UK, Poland and Ukraine has some real substance behind it.

    I can't say that I've often felt that I've had cause to say it, but I am proud of the role that Britain, and our government, has played in supporting Ukraine.

    Also, bearing in mind that this was started under PM Cameron, and continued following two changes of Prime Minister, and four or five Defence Secretaries - including disgraced security risk Gavin Williamson - then some credit is also due to the permanent civil service who would have provided continuity.
    The Ukrainian defence ministers speech today was the complete antidote to @Scott_xP

    Maybe some would benefit from listening to it
  • Options
    dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 28,040
    edited March 2022
    I am certainly uncomfortable with the same company owning both the port and the ferries running in and out of it.
    That is a monopoly.
    And nowt at all to do with any International Law whatsoever.
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,822
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
  • Options
    FairlieredFairliered Posts: 4,040
    HYUFD said:

    https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/sinn-fein-lord-hayward-elections_uk_623890d8e4b0f1e82c4c8e0b

    I don't know what poll this is referring to but it gives;

    SF 25%
    DUP 17%
    UUP 14%
    Alliance 14%
    SDLP 11%

    This would be a calamitous result for the DUP and a pretty decent result for the UUP although I still expect Alliance to come third in seats.

    Latest NI poll I can see has DUP on 19%, though either way they have still leaked votes to the TUV. Albeit less than 6 months ago

    https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2022/02/14/news/new-opinion-poll-puts-sinn-fe-in-in-pole-position-2588053/
    Or some of their less extreme sectarians have moved to the UUP.
  • Options
    Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 60,447
    edited March 2022
    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    Since Boris's speech this forum has seen a catalogue of posters inferring we are on the sidelines which was always silly and untrue
  • Options
    JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,018
    BigRich said:

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    That was my first thought.

    remember that in Afghanistan, they lost 15,000 in ten years. They have lost two-thirds of that in less than a month.

    Also: it'd be interesting to know their figures for POWs captured by the Ukrainians and deserters; not that they'd release such figures...

    (Actually, are these figures just for Russians, or do they include foreign troops such as the Chechens?)
    The Ukrainians are claiming (or where 3 days ago to have captured 'about 1,000' which in compared to the number of dead Russians feels quite low, Ill suggest 2 reasons but i don't know:

    Perhaps moral in Russian units is not quite as low as we think it is.
    Ukrainian tactics, phatically ambushes are not typically where you have lots of prisoners.
    As has been pointed out, you light up an AFV, no-one escapes. Not sure this is a big infantry war, not on the Russian side.

    Of course "no quarter" is an option but it's not in the Ukrainians' interest to invoke it yet.
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,021
    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:

    The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure.
    https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/


    So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.
    This is going to come as quite a shock to the Russian public, who have hitherto been told ‘around 500 have died’. The reality is 20 times that
    Sounds like some additional 25,000 Russian families with questions to ask Putin.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
  • Options
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Starmer is not a moron to be fair
  • Options
    BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,489
    TimT said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:

    The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure.
    https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/


    So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.

    Then there's this claim:

    "A former internal affairs minister of #Ukraine
    @AvakovArsen
    shared the intercepted Russian military summary for March 18: Rus. Army troops killed 12,814. Private company Liga (former Vagner) troops killed 4,451. Total number of service members killed at war in Ukraine: 17,265."

    https://twitter.com/MrKovalenko/status/1505961677371621379

    There is still a disparity between Russian admitted casualties and that 'leek' but here is my attempt to pece together:

    So if the Russians have had 17,265 killed but are only calming 9,861 killed that's an 75.1% difference.

    If we use the same ratio on wounded that would be 16,153 timed 1.751 implying total of 28,284 wounded.

    If we add that together with the 1000 POW Ukraine clamed to have taken:

    Killed: 17,265
    Wounded: 28,284
    POW: 1,000
    Total: 46,549

    Maybe that's not accurate, will we ever find out. but that's a summary for 18 march so probably only includes losses on or before 17 march, so add on 4 more days fighting to that
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,186
     

    BigRich said:

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    That was my first thought.

    remember that in Afghanistan, they lost 15,000 in ten years. They have lost two-thirds of that in less than a month.

    Also: it'd be interesting to know their figures for POWs captured by the Ukrainians and deserters; not that they'd release such figures...

    (Actually, are these figures just for Russians, or do they include foreign troops such as the Chechens?)
    The Ukrainians are claiming (or where 3 days ago to have captured 'about 1,000' which in compared to the number of dead Russians feels quite low, Ill suggest 2 reasons but i don't know:

    Perhaps moral in Russian units is not quite as low as we think it is.
    Ukrainian tactics, phatically ambushes are not typically where you have lots of prisoners.
    As has been pointed out, you light up an AFV, no-one escapes. Not sure this is a big infantry war, not on the Russian side.

    Of course "no quarter" is an option but it's not in the Ukrainians' interest to invoke it yet.
    What is a "no quarter" option, if I may ask?

  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,562
    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    I agree with that, except I'd move Germany from OK to poor. OK they have cancelled NS2, but they never should have built it in the first place as its main rationale was to shaft Ukraine. They have supplied some missiles that mostly don't work. And I understand they refused our planes permission to fly arms to the Ukranians when it might have made some difference.
  • Options
    algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 10,649
    SFAICS the various contributions suggest that the P+O matter is: A Dubai company, with Jersey law contracts with workers operating under international maritime law in ships registered in Cyprus. That this is not under the control of any individual government and is therefore without relation to English/UK law and government.

    I have no idea if all this is true. The absence of immediate legal action suggests it might be correct in part.

    If it is true this is as much a matter for the population of Dubai and the people of France to protest about as it is for us.
    Are we being misled by the traditional "P+O" name, which was once resonant with imperial splendour. If it was was called something lengthy and Danish we may feel differently.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,437
    So posters slate the government for not doing enough/ anything about P&O, but when the question is asked - what should they do? - no one answers.
    Still waiting.
  • Options
    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,667
    Fishing said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    I agree with that, except I'd move Germany from OK to poor. OK they have cancelled NS2, but they never should have built it in the first place as its main rationale was to shaft Ukraine. They have supplied some missiles that mostly don't work. And I understand they refused our planes permission to fly arms to the Ukranians when it might have made some difference.
    They've also blocked sanctions on Sberbank and made no attempt to reduce reliance on Russian energy imports, they're actually giving Putin more money today than they were before this all kicked off.
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,696
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    Come on, explain how. How do the UK government enforcement the minimum wage of Cyprus....for the record, in fact there isn't a a national minimum wage in Cyprus at the moment.
    By closing Dover to their ferries.

    Next?
    Once you close ports to foreign registered ships you close your economy
    So, you don't do that. You close your ports to foreign registered ferries which do not comply with whatever minimum wage legislation you choose to enforce.
    If its legal and trivial, you would have thought Starmer (being a lawyer) would called for this straight away. Instead, all the suggestions are based around if the sacking of existing employees followed the correct procedures and if a new law should be implemented that allowed fire / rehire.

    Again, can you provide any legal backing for your claims.
    A lot of ill-informed hang-wringing about P&O.

    Just don't give them your business.
    Exactly. and if a chimney sweep sends 8 year old children up chimneys, just give your custom to a chimney sweep who doesn't. When did we become a nation of dickless snowflakes which has to pass legislation about this kind of thing?

    [1834, but please don't complicate the issue by pointing this out]
    So Sam Plimsoll was a proto-woke waste of valuable space?

    Certainly what the proto-anti-wokes were saying back in his day. For fun and (esp) profit.
  • Options
    JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,018
    geoffw said:

     

    BigRich said:

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    That was my first thought.

    remember that in Afghanistan, they lost 15,000 in ten years. They have lost two-thirds of that in less than a month.

    Also: it'd be interesting to know their figures for POWs captured by the Ukrainians and deserters; not that they'd release such figures...

    (Actually, are these figures just for Russians, or do they include foreign troops such as the Chechens?)
    The Ukrainians are claiming (or where 3 days ago to have captured 'about 1,000' which in compared to the number of dead Russians feels quite low, Ill suggest 2 reasons but i don't know:

    Perhaps moral in Russian units is not quite as low as we think it is.
    Ukrainian tactics, phatically ambushes are not typically where you have lots of prisoners.
    As has been pointed out, you light up an AFV, no-one escapes. Not sure this is a big infantry war, not on the Russian side.

    Of course "no quarter" is an option but it's not in the Ukrainians' interest to invoke it yet.
    What is a "no quarter" option, if I may ask?

    No prisoners. Kill all surrendering enemy. Technically not accepting an enemy's surrender is not contrary to the laws of war, but a no quarter order is.
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,822
    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Starmer is not a moron to be fair
    No. Clever answer (I'm lying there), but you are. You pontificate away on subjects you know nothing about because your son in law this and your wife's mother that, whereas some of us know stuff because we actually, first hand, know it.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,190
    MaxPB said:

    Fishing said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    I agree with that, except I'd move Germany from OK to poor. OK they have cancelled NS2, but they never should have built it in the first place as its main rationale was to shaft Ukraine. They have supplied some missiles that mostly don't work. And I understand they refused our planes permission to fly arms to the Ukranians when it might have made some difference.
    They've also blocked sanctions on Sberbank and made no attempt to reduce reliance on Russian energy imports, they're actually giving Putin more money today than they were before this all kicked off.
    That's a mathematic consquence of higher oil and gas prices.
  • Options
    BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,489
    MrEd said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    You can probably add several thousand to the dead figures and multiply up the injured

    One key question here- why is the Russian MoD giving these numbers given they will prove a big shock to the public? Justification for a mass scaling up of firepower? Justification for a conscription call? Or is the Russian MoD looking to undermine Putin?
    My guess is that the propaganda people know that sooner or latter accurate fingers will leek, and its better to get ahead of the game, especially as this enables to come up with a number close but still down playing it.

  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    Come on, explain how. How do the UK government enforcement the minimum wage of Cyprus....for the record, in fact there isn't a a national minimum wage in Cyprus at the moment.
    By closing Dover to their ferries.

    Next?
    Once you close ports to foreign registered ships you close your economy
    So, you don't do that. You close your ports to foreign registered ferries which do not comply with whatever minimum wage legislation you choose to enforce.
    If its legal and trivial, you would have thought Starmer (being a lawyer) would called for this straight away. Instead, all the suggestions are based around if the sacking of existing employees followed the correct procedures and if a new law should be implemented that allowed fire / rehire.

    Again, can you provide any legal backing for your claims.
    A lot of ill-informed hang-wringing about P&O.

    Just don't give them your business.
    Exactly. and if a chimney sweep sends 8 year old children up chimneys, just give your custom to a chimney sweep who doesn't. When did we become a nation of dickless snowflakes which has to pass legislation about this kind of thing?

    [1834, but please don't complicate the issue by pointing this out]
    So Sam Plimsoll was a proto-woke waste of valuable space?

    Certainly what the proto-anti-wokes were saying back in his day. For fun and (esp) profit.
    Exactly, should never have signed up for the merchant navy if they couldn't take a joke. Snowflakes.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,190
    Fishing said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    I agree with that, except I'd move Germany from OK to poor. OK they have cancelled NS2, but they never should have built it in the first place as its main rationale was to shaft Ukraine. They have supplied some missiles that mostly don't work. And I understand they refused our planes permission to fly arms to the Ukranians when it might have made some difference.
    The Italians have been much worse than the Germans - with the decline of Libyan exports, they import a far larger portion of their primary energy from Russia, and have not cut back at all. They also were the only EU voice to oppose a number of sanctions - albeit ones that passed in the end. They have also made next to no military contribution to Ukrainian defence.
  • Options
    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,667
    rcs1000 said:

    MaxPB said:

    Fishing said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    I agree with that, except I'd move Germany from OK to poor. OK they have cancelled NS2, but they never should have built it in the first place as its main rationale was to shaft Ukraine. They have supplied some missiles that mostly don't work. And I understand they refused our planes permission to fly arms to the Ukranians when it might have made some difference.
    They've also blocked sanctions on Sberbank and made no attempt to reduce reliance on Russian energy imports, they're actually giving Putin more money today than they were before this all kicked off.
    That's a mathematic consquence of higher oil and gas prices.
    Of course, but they haven't done anything to reduce import volumes. Last I saw Russia's market share of German gas imports was pretty steady.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,187
    Russia may have been looking at the invasion of Ukraine as being akin to the 6 Day War.

    They were looking in the wrong column though for casualties....

    "The casualties of the war, far from Israel's anticipated heavy estimates, were quite low, with 338 soldiers lost on the Egyptian front, 300 on the Jordanian front, and 141 on the Syrian front.

    Egypt lost 80 percent of its military equipment, 10,000 soldiers and 1,500 officers killed, 5,000 soldiers and 500 officers captured,[51] and 20,000 wounded.

    Jordan suffered 6,000-7,000 killed and probably around 12,000 to 20,000 wounded.

    Syria lost 2,500 dead and 5,000 wounded; half the tanks and almost all the artillery positioned in the Golan Heights were destroyed.

    https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Six-Day_War
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,696
    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    In case your're wondering, I'm just flagged this as off topic.

    Must you be such a jackass, apparently 24-7?
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,186
     

    geoffw said:

     

    BigRich said:

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    That was my first thought.

    remember that in Afghanistan, they lost 15,000 in ten years. They have lost two-thirds of that in less than a month.

    Also: it'd be interesting to know their figures for POWs captured by the Ukrainians and deserters; not that they'd release such figures...

    (Actually, are these figures just for Russians, or do they include foreign troops such as the Chechens?)
    The Ukrainians are claiming (or where 3 days ago to have captured 'about 1,000' which in compared to the number of dead Russians feels quite low, Ill suggest 2 reasons but i don't know:

    Perhaps moral in Russian units is not quite as low as we think it is.
    Ukrainian tactics, phatically ambushes are not typically where you have lots of prisoners.
    As has been pointed out, you light up an AFV, no-one escapes. Not sure this is a big infantry war, not on the Russian side.

    Of course "no quarter" is an option but it's not in the Ukrainians' interest to invoke it yet.
    What is a "no quarter" option, if I may ask?

    No prisoners. Kill all surrendering enemy. Technically not accepting an enemy's surrender is not contrary to the laws of war, but a no quarter order is.
    Tx

  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,087
    MrEd said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    You can probably add several thousand to the dead figures and multiply up the injured

    One key question here- why is the Russian MoD giving these numbers given they will prove a big shock to the public? Justification for a mass scaling up of firepower? Justification for a conscription call? Or is the Russian MoD looking to undermine Putin?
    If the number of casualties is such that even the Putin authorities cannot reasonably contain their extent, then they may have felt little option but to go the other route and emphasise them, even potentially exaggerate them - as you say to jusitify additional measures, if they feel going scorched earth will be necessary for victory. They're already trying to play is the sequel to the Great Patriotic War, and if they can persuade people of that garbage the losses will anger the public against Ukraine, not the madman who sent them to their deaths pointlessly.
  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,562

    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    Since Boris's speech this forum has seen a catalogue of posters inferring we are on the sidelines which was always silly and untrue
    It MUST be true, though, because that's where the UK HAS to end up now we're out of the EU.

    In the same world in which we have 5 million unemployed, a house price crash, Scotland going independent ...
  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,562

    Russia may have been looking at the invasion of Ukraine as being akin to the 6 Day War.

    They were looking in the wrong column though for casualties....

    "The casualties of the war, far from Israel's anticipated heavy estimates, were quite low, with 338 soldiers lost on the Egyptian front, 300 on the Jordanian front, and 141 on the Syrian front.

    Egypt lost 80 percent of its military equipment, 10,000 soldiers and 1,500 officers killed, 5,000 soldiers and 500 officers captured,[51] and 20,000 wounded.

    Jordan suffered 6,000-7,000 killed and probably around 12,000 to 20,000 wounded.

    Syria lost 2,500 dead and 5,000 wounded; half the tanks and almost all the artillery positioned in the Golan Heights were destroyed.

    https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Six-Day_War

    Unfortunately the Ukrainian casualties have been more than 800 though ...
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,604

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    By contrast:16,000 German dead during the month-long "September Campaign" in Poland, 1939.
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,696
    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Pferdescheiße
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    In case your're wondering, I'm just flagged this as off topic.

    Must you be such a jackass, apparently 24-7?
    Thank God you came clean, I was losing sleep over that.

    The guy is a pompous, self satisfied windbag. And so are you, but without the age allowance.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,087

    Russia may have been looking at the invasion of Ukraine as being akin to the 6 Day War.

    They were looking in the wrong column though for casualties....

    "The casualties of the war, far from Israel's anticipated heavy estimates, were quite low, with 338 soldiers lost on the Egyptian front, 300 on the Jordanian front, and 141 on the Syrian front.

    Egypt lost 80 percent of its military equipment, 10,000 soldiers and 1,500 officers killed, 5,000 soldiers and 500 officers captured,[51] and 20,000 wounded.

    Jordan suffered 6,000-7,000 killed and probably around 12,000 to 20,000 wounded.

    Syria lost 2,500 dead and 5,000 wounded; half the tanks and almost all the artillery positioned in the Golan Heights were destroyed.

    https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Six-Day_War

    Throughout history it can be remarkable how one sided battle and war casualties can be, even in times when it would be easy to fudge the numbers (eg Did Cromwell really only lose 40 men at Dunbar?)
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,066
    kle4 said:

    MrEd said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    You can probably add several thousand to the dead figures and multiply up the injured

    One key question here- why is the Russian MoD giving these numbers given they will prove a big shock to the public? Justification for a mass scaling up of firepower? Justification for a conscription call? Or is the Russian MoD looking to undermine Putin?
    If the number of casualties is such that even the Putin authorities cannot reasonably contain their extent, then they may have felt little option but to go the other route and emphasise them, even potentially exaggerate them - as you say to jusitify additional measures, if they feel going scorched earth will be necessary for victory. They're already trying to play is the sequel to the Great Patriotic War, and if they can persuade people of that garbage the losses will anger the public against Ukraine, not the madman who sent them to their deaths pointlessly.
    That's the fear isn't it. But how does he explain it? A special military operation in the Donbass???? Can he really convince Russians that Ukrainians have become their mortal enemies?
  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,562
    edited March 2022
    rcs1000 said:

    Fishing said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Breaking news

    US - UK - France - Italian - and German leaders discussed the brutal tatics used by Russia including on civilians

    And in one announcement those saying UK was sidelined are completely wrong

    The UK is absolutely not side-lined. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of responding to Russian aggression alongside the Poles. France and the US have not done quite as much as us, but have generally done a good job. Germany has done OK. And Italy has been poor.
    I agree with that, except I'd move Germany from OK to poor. OK they have cancelled NS2, but they never should have built it in the first place as its main rationale was to shaft Ukraine. They have supplied some missiles that mostly don't work. And I understand they refused our planes permission to fly arms to the Ukranians when it might have made some difference.
    The Italians have been much worse than the Germans - with the decline of Libyan exports, they import a far larger portion of their primary energy from Russia, and have not cut back at all. They also were the only EU voice to oppose a number of sanctions - albeit ones that passed in the end. They have also made next to no military contribution to Ukrainian defence.
    Fair enough. Can I suggest a new category for Italy (and India) - very poor?

    Tbh Italy is such a military and diplomatic joke for a country of its size that its response hadn't even registered with me.
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,696
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    In case your're wondering, I'm just flagged this as off topic.

    Must you be such a jackass, apparently 24-7?
    Thank God you came clean, I was losing sleep over that.

    The guy is a pompous, self satisfied windbag. And so are you, but without the age allowance.
    That's a badge of honor, coming from a punk of your low caliber.
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,822
    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Well no. Surely any god has the patience to listen. There's never a place for rudeness in gods or otherwise. (And I apologise that I lapse in this)
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,021
    kle4 said:

    MrEd said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    You can probably add several thousand to the dead figures and multiply up the injured

    One key question here- why is the Russian MoD giving these numbers given they will prove a big shock to the public? Justification for a mass scaling up of firepower? Justification for a conscription call? Or is the Russian MoD looking to undermine Putin?
    If the number of casualties is such that even the Putin authorities cannot reasonably contain their extent, then they may have felt little option but to go the other route and emphasise them, even potentially exaggerate them - as you say to jusitify additional measures, if they feel going scorched earth will be necessary for victory. They're already trying to play is the sequel to the Great Patriotic War, and if they can persuade people of that garbage the losses will anger the public against Ukraine, not the madman who sent them to their deaths pointlessly.
    Plausible explanation of the approach they're trying to take. But the idealism of the Russian people which was still manifest in Stalin's day has been replaced by Putin's cynicism. And also the military threat to Russia itself was palpable then, whereas it's hypothetical this time round.

    So, in short, it won't work.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    DavidL said:

    So posters slate the government for not doing enough/ anything about P&O, but when the question is asked - what should they do? - no one answers.
    Still waiting.

    Some suggestions.
    Do not allow the employment of staff at less than the NMW in UK waters.
    Do not allow those without a permit to work in a UK port.
    Make sure that every bureaucratic requirement in P&O ports is enforced with the upmost rigour.
    End all State based contracts for their services on the basis that their employment arrangements are incompatible with UK standards.

    I am sure there is more we could do.
    A lawyer (quite correctly) writes. Thank you.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,604
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    In case your're wondering, I'm just flagged this as off topic.

    Must you be such a jackass, apparently 24-7?
    Thank God you came clean, I was losing sleep over that.

    The guy is a pompous, self satisfied windbag. And so are you, but without the age allowance.
    "You always were an asshole, Ishmael!"
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,843
    edited March 2022

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    By contrast:16,000 German dead during the month-long "September Campaign" in Poland, 1939.
    Here's where Brillo presumably got it from:



    Here's the article in Komsomolskaya Pravda (I think):

    https://www.kp.ru/online/news/4672522/

  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    In case your're wondering, I'm just flagged this as off topic.

    Must you be such a jackass, apparently 24-7?
    Thank God you came clean, I was losing sleep over that.

    The guy is a pompous, self satisfied windbag. And so are you, but without the age allowance.
    "You always were an asshole, Ishmael!"
    You know, Sunil, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    In case your're wondering, I'm just flagged this as off topic.

    Must you be such a jackass, apparently 24-7?
    Thank God you came clean, I was losing sleep over that.

    The guy is a pompous, self satisfied windbag. And so are you, but without the age allowance.
    That's a badge of honor, coming from a punk of your low caliber.
    Honour, calibre. Otherwise, whatever.
  • Options
    JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,018
    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Well no. Surely any god has the patience to listen. There's never a place for rudeness in gods or otherwise. (And I apologise that I lapse in this)
    He is quoting Goethe.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 92,087

    kle4 said:

    MrEd said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    You can probably add several thousand to the dead figures and multiply up the injured

    One key question here- why is the Russian MoD giving these numbers given they will prove a big shock to the public? Justification for a mass scaling up of firepower? Justification for a conscription call? Or is the Russian MoD looking to undermine Putin?
    If the number of casualties is such that even the Putin authorities cannot reasonably contain their extent, then they may have felt little option but to go the other route and emphasise them, even potentially exaggerate them - as you say to jusitify additional measures, if they feel going scorched earth will be necessary for victory. They're already trying to play is the sequel to the Great Patriotic War, and if they can persuade people of that garbage the losses will anger the public against Ukraine, not the madman who sent them to their deaths pointlessly.
    That's the fear isn't it. But how does he explain it? A special military operation in the Donbass???? Can he really convince Russians that Ukrainians have become their mortal enemies?
    Unlike ThomasNashe, I fear he can. Or at least convince enough and cow the rest. The problem is worse than feared, there is mass slaughter going on in Ukraine against Russian speakers (true, but he can ignore he is the source of that), now we must avenge the sacrifice of our brave boys, and if you say otherwise you're going to prison etc etc
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Well no. Surely any god has the patience to listen. There's never a place for rudeness in gods or otherwise. (And I apologise that I lapse in this)
    He is quoting Goethe.
    Schiller I thought?
  • Options
    JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,018

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Well no. Surely any god has the patience to listen. There's never a place for rudeness in gods or otherwise. (And I apologise that I lapse in this)
    He is quoting Goethe.
    Oops... Schiller.
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,021
    edited March 2022
    MattW said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    By contrast:16,000 German dead during the month-long "September Campaign" in Poland, 1939.
    Here's where Brillo presumably got it from:



    Here's the article in Komsomolskaya Pravda (I think):

    https://www.kp.ru/online/news/4672522/

    It's already been evaporated. God, those Russkies are quick!

    Edit: Well that's a bit weird.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,229
    edited March 2022
    MattW said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    By contrast:16,000 German dead during the month-long "September Campaign" in Poland, 1939.
    Here's where Brillo presumably got it from:

    Here's the article in Komsomolskaya Pravda (I think):

    https://www.kp.ru/online/news/4672522/

    If that’s the right link the figures have been removed.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,437
    DavidL said:

    So posters slate the government for not doing enough/ anything about P&O, but when the question is asked - what should they do? - no one answers.
    Still waiting.

    Some suggestions.
    Do not allow the employment of staff at less than the NMW in UK waters.
    Do not allow those without a permit to work in a UK port.
    Make sure that every bureaucratic requirement in P&O ports is enforced with the upmost rigour.
    End all State based contracts for their services on the basis that their employment arrangements are incompatible with UK standards.

    I am sure there is more we could do.
    Cheers. Some would require legislation?
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,822

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Well no. Surely any god has the patience to listen. There's never a place for rudeness in gods or otherwise. (And I apologise that I lapse in this)
    He is quoting Goethe.
    Yeah... and?
  • Options
    Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 7,625
    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.
  • Options
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Starmer is not a moron to be fair
    No. Clever answer (I'm lying there), but you are. You pontificate away on subjects you know nothing about because your son in law this and your wife's mother that, whereas some of us know stuff because we actually, first hand, know it.
    Talking of my son in law he has been summoned to his mothers bedside tonight as she is gravely ill

    You can try to overcome me with a self perceived arrogance but I will continue to express my views undaunted and unbowed
  • Options
    LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 15,549
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:

    The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure.
    https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/


    So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.
    This is going to come as quite a shock to the Russian public, who have hitherto been told ‘around 500 have died’. The reality is 20 times that
    It also ignores the number of "private Russian subcontractors", which is probably another 5k dead.

    The British lost 255 servicemen in recapturing the Falkland Islands. The Russians have lost at least fifty times that number in - so far - failing to invade Ukraine.

    There were - apparently - 200k troops massed on the Ukrainian borders. But front line strength will probably be more like 125k. This means that adding together killed, wounded and captured, the Russians have lost maybe a quarter of their front line troops.

    Those numbers are utterly horrendous. And bear in mind, they still haven't captured Kiev or Kharkov or any city of more than about 100,000 people.

    Of course, the Ukrainians have probably lost just as many. But the Ukrainian forces are at home, fighting for their country, and they outnumber the Russians vastly.
    I would take issue with many of those points. At least in detail.

    Firstly, we must recall that the Ukrainians have had a lot of success in ambushing Russian supply convoys. This means that a lot of Russian losses will be in support and logistics roles, rather than elite front line troops.

    Secondly, it also means that we would not expect Ukraine to necessarily have lost just as many troops, as they've often been able use their superior organisation to create a local superiority of forces at the point of contact - and so you would hope they would be able to cause more casualties than they've suffered.

    Thirdly, the pre-war population of Kherson was 289,000.

    I feel a bit more positive about Ukrainian prospects then I did a couple of days ago, though.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Starmer is not a moron to be fair
    No. Clever answer (I'm lying there), but you are. You pontificate away on subjects you know nothing about because your son in law this and your wife's mother that, whereas some of us know stuff because we actually, first hand, know it.
    Talking of my son in law he has been summoned to his mothers bedside tonight as she is gravely ill

    You can try to overcome me with a self perceived arrogance but I will continue to express my views undaunted and unbowed
    I am sorry to hear that.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.

    2. is just fantasy. We can regulate what ships enter our ports, and what they pay their crew while in our waters, and I don't understand why claims to the contrary are gaining traction. International (Maritime) Law is a big fat non-existent bogie.

    Channel ferries are never in international waters anyway btw, this is what makes rubber dinghies full of migrants extra tricky.
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,186
    @Big_G_NorthWales  I hope your wife recovers.
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,822
    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Oh well. I tried.
  • Options
    geoffw said:

    @Big_G_NorthWales  I hope your wife recovers.

    Actually it is my son in laws mother who is gravely ill tonight

    But thank you
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,369

    geoffw said:

     

    BigRich said:

    That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.

    Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?

    That was my first thought.

    remember that in Afghanistan, they lost 15,000 in ten years. They have lost two-thirds of that in less than a month.

    Also: it'd be interesting to know their figures for POWs captured by the Ukrainians and deserters; not that they'd release such figures...

    (Actually, are these figures just for Russians, or do they include foreign troops such as the Chechens?)
    The Ukrainians are claiming (or where 3 days ago to have captured 'about 1,000' which in compared to the number of dead Russians feels quite low, Ill suggest 2 reasons but i don't know:

    Perhaps moral in Russian units is not quite as low as we think it is.
    Ukrainian tactics, phatically ambushes are not typically where you have lots of prisoners.
    As has been pointed out, you light up an AFV, no-one escapes. Not sure this is a big infantry war, not on the Russian side.

    Of course "no quarter" is an option but it's not in the Ukrainians' interest to invoke it yet.
    What is a "no quarter" option, if I may ask?

    No prisoners. Kill all surrendering enemy. Technically not accepting an enemy's surrender is not contrary to the laws of war, but a no quarter order is.
    So back to 1944 then.
  • Options
    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,667

    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.

    Point 2 isn't true, there's lots of things we can do if we want to, the question is whether or not we want to. Enforcing UK working standards on foreign flagged ships docking in the UK will significantly raise the cost of shipping to/from the UK at a time when costs are already very high. Ultimately, the government will do nothing and they will be right to do nothing.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,302
    edited March 2022

    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.

    It appears the old employees aren't even employed in the UK, they are employed in Jersey. The new ones in Cyprus.

    Worth noting as well as apparently an realistic wage for old employees was in the £28/hr range, even enforcing minimum wage, those people aren't going to work for 40% of the old wage.
  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,562
    MaxPB said:

    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.

    Point 2 isn't true, there's lots of things we can do if we want to, the question is whether or not we want to. Enforcing UK working standards on foreign flagged ships docking in the UK will significantly raise the cost of shipping to/from the UK at a time when costs are already very high. Ultimately, the government will do nothing and they will be right to do nothing.
    I agree. The one thing they should do is to abolish Blair's minimum wage to allow UK workers to compete if they want to. But they won't. And the result is yet more jobs lost because of the minimum wage.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,187

    MattW said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    By contrast:16,000 German dead during the month-long "September Campaign" in Poland, 1939.
    Here's where Brillo presumably got it from:

    Here's the article in Komsomolskaya Pravda (I think):

    https://www.kp.ru/online/news/4672522/

    If that’s the right link the figures have been removed.
    As has the person who put them in.
  • Options
    Omnium said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    ping said:

    2022 and a British company turns to slavery as a business decision.

    But the rightwingers say “we can’t do anything”

    That’s complete bullshit.

    Take a long hard look at yourself.

    This is not a right wing issue it seems it is the law as it stands

    How would you change it ?
    Easy do what other countries do , make it illegal to pay people peanuts and be able to sack people on a whim. As previously said stop them trading in the country until they meet minimum levels. Did you see P&O sack anyone in their EU countries, hint , big fat NO.
    In that case you lose all the 4,000 jobs and are open to legal challenge
    A legal challenge which can be overturned by changing the law if necessary.
    Maritime Law is international law and needs countries across the world to change it
    I think in these post brexit days we can decide who we open our ports to.

    Even if a UK law was devised it would not help this dispute and anyway would have serious issues with Maritime Law

    I assume nobody is suggesting the UK acts outside the law
    Sorry, but this is mere windbaggery. The UK has various treaty obligations relating to navigation, but what this Maritime Law with the Spurious Capitalisation is that you are appealing to is, God knows. It doesn't exist.
    I therefore I expect Starmer to announce he demands UK ports close to all P & O ferries

    He is a lawyer to be fair
    Moron
    Big G is not a moron.
    Just confused and old, then.

    To clarify: the reason SKS is not calling for something to be done under a statute that doesn't yet exist is, the statute doesn't yet exist.

    It may be that in 20 years time I too will struggle with that, but I hope not.
    Great - you have a point.

    Rudeness? Really?
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens, and one gets bored of trying.
    Well no. Surely any god has the patience to listen. There's never a place for rudeness in gods or otherwise. (And I apologise that I lapse in this)
    He is quoting Goethe.
    Yeah... and?
    You could always quote him back:

    'du kannst mich im Arsche lecken! '

    Attributed to the late medieval German knight Götz von Berlichingen, known best as the title hero of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's drama.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    Apologies to anyone whose posts I've flagged or marked as off topic. Cat has been walking back and forth across my keyboard, hitting a bunch of F keys at random.
  • Options
    MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,321
    edited March 2022
    Has anyone commented on Council Tax bills?

    Just got my bill from Barnet Council - the Barnet element goes up 1% (the standard bit is actually zero change but there's 1% more for Adult Social Care).

    But the Greater London element rises by an astonishing 8.8%.

    How on earth has Sadiq Khan got away with this? Why didn't the Government stop him? I thought there had to be a referendum for rises above 5% (?). Doesn't that apply separately to the Greater London charge?
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    MikeL said:

    Has anyone commented on Council Tax bills?

    Just got my bill from Barnet Council - the Barnet element goes up 1% (the standard bit is actually zero change but there's 1% more for Adult Social Care).

    But the Greater London element rises by an astonishing 8.8%.

    How on earth has Sadiq Khan got away with this? Why didn't the Government stop him? I thought there had to be a referendum for rises above 5% (?). Doesn't that apply separately to the Greater London charge?

    That's the Barnet Formula for you. Leaching Scots.
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,843

    MattW said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    By contrast:16,000 German dead during the month-long "September Campaign" in Poland, 1939.
    Here's where Brillo presumably got it from:

    Here's the article in Komsomolskaya Pravda (I think):

    https://www.kp.ru/online/news/4672522/

    If that’s the right link the figures have been removed.
    As has the person who put them in.
    I think it's a rolling updates page, perhaps.
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 33,254

    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.

    The French and Dutch P&O workers are still employed...
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,480

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:

    The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure.
    https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/


    So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.
    This is going to come as quite a shock to the Russian public, who have hitherto been told ‘around 500 have died’. The reality is 20 times that
    It also ignores the number of "private Russian subcontractors", which is probably another 5k dead.

    The British lost 255 servicemen in recapturing the Falkland Islands. The Russians have lost at least fifty times that number in - so far - failing to invade Ukraine.

    There were - apparently - 200k troops massed on the Ukrainian borders. But front line strength will probably be more like 125k. This means that adding together killed, wounded and captured, the Russians have lost maybe a quarter of their front line troops.

    Those numbers are utterly horrendous. And bear in mind, they still haven't captured Kiev or Kharkov or any city of more than about 100,000 people.

    Of course, the Ukrainians have probably lost just as many. But the Ukrainian forces are at home, fighting for their country, and they outnumber the Russians vastly.
    I would take issue with many of those points. At least in detail.

    Firstly, we must recall that the Ukrainians have had a lot of success in ambushing Russian supply convoys. This means that a lot of Russian losses will be in support and logistics roles, rather than elite front line troops.

    Secondly, it also means that we would not expect Ukraine to necessarily have lost just as many troops, as they've often been able use their superior organisation to create a local superiority of forces at the point of contact - and so you would hope they would be able to cause more casualties than they've suffered.

    Thirdly, the pre-war population of Kherson was 289,000.

    I feel a bit more positive about Ukrainian prospects then I did a couple of days ago, though.
    Those logistical losses are why those front line troops are going nowhere fast. The scale of the Russian casualties, however you add it up, are truly remarkable. We hear lots of stories about half a dozen civilians killed here, another dozen somewhere else and these are indeed terrible. But outside the towns, away from the cameras, the most intensive war Europe has seen since WW2 has been being fought with incredible ferocity.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,302

    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.

    It appears the old employees aren't even employed in the UK, they are employed in Jersey. The new ones in Cyprus.

    Worth noting as well as apparently an realistic wage for old employees was in the £28/hr range, even enforcing minimum wage, those people aren't going to work for 40% of the old wage.
    Actually correction, I believe new employees are hired via Malta. The ships are registered in Crypus.
  • Options
    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 40,057
    IshmaelZ said:

    MikeL said:

    Has anyone commented on Council Tax bills?

    Just got my bill from Barnet Council - the Barnet element goes up 1% (the standard bit is actually zero change but there's 1% more for Adult Social Care).

    But the Greater London element rises by an astonishing 8.8%.

    How on earth has Sadiq Khan got away with this? Why didn't the Government stop him? I thought there had to be a referendum for rises above 5% (?). Doesn't that apply separately to the Greater London charge?

    That's the Barnet Formula for you. Leaching Scots.
    AIUI Mr Khan has reduced the increase from last year.
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,302
    Scott_xP said:

    1. The main driver for Brexit was sovereignty. We do not want anybody else making our laws - as a sovereign nation, we can decide our own laws, thank you very much, and refuse to be subject to others' laws.

    2. However, on P&O, although they are a disgrace, we can't do anything about it because we don't have the power. Our sovereignty is compromised by, er, international law.

    3. So Brexit is not enough. We still don't have sovereignty. We need to leave all those international organisations that make our laws for us, so that we are truly independent. Step forward, Nigel.

    The French and Dutch P&O workers are still employed...
    You advocating for French style labour laws? I thought you were a big Cameron / Osborne supporter?
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    TimT said:

    Andrew Neil
    @afneil
    Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.

    Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:

    The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure.
    https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/


    So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.
    This is going to come as quite a shock to the Russian public, who have hitherto been told ‘around 500 have died’. The reality is 20 times that
    It also ignores the number of "private Russian subcontractors", which is probably another 5k dead.

    The British lost 255 servicemen in recapturing the Falkland Islands. The Russians have lost at least fifty times that number in - so far - failing to invade Ukraine.

    There were - apparently - 200k troops massed on the Ukrainian borders. But front line strength will probably be more like 125k. This means that adding together killed, wounded and captured, the Russians have lost maybe a quarter of their front line troops.

    Those numbers are utterly horrendous. And bear in mind, they still haven't captured Kiev or Kharkov or any city of more than about 100,000 people.

    Of course, the Ukrainians have probably lost just as many. But the Ukrainian forces are at home, fighting for their country, and they outnumber the Russians vastly.
    I would take issue with many of those points. At least in detail.

    Firstly, we must recall that the Ukrainians have had a lot of success in ambushing Russian supply convoys. This means that a lot of Russian losses will be in support and logistics roles, rather than elite front line troops.

    Secondly, it also means that we would not expect Ukraine to necessarily have lost just as many troops, as they've often been able use their superior organisation to create a local superiority of forces at the point of contact - and so you would hope they would be able to cause more casualties than they've suffered.

    Thirdly, the pre-war population of Kherson was 289,000.

    I feel a bit more positive about Ukrainian prospects then I did a couple of days ago, though.
    Of the 1600+ vehicles the Russians are reported to have lost (Oryx photo confirmed), sure, 545 were supply trucks and jeeps. But 818 were tanks, AFVs, IFVs, APCs, and IMVs. Say 5 on average per vehicle, that is over 4000 right there.
  • Options
    OmniumOmnium Posts: 9,822
    IshmaelZ said:

    MikeL said:

    Has anyone commented on Council Tax bills?

    Just got my bill from Barnet Council - the Barnet element goes up 1% (the standard bit is actually zero change but there's 1% more for Adult Social Care).

    But the Greater London element rises by an astonishing 8.8%.

    How on earth has Sadiq Khan got away with this? Why didn't the Government stop him? I thought there had to be a referendum for rises above 5% (?). Doesn't that apply separately to the Greater London charge?

    That's the Barnet Formula for you. Leaching Scots.
    Fotsengesicht!

    (i've been working on my German in consultation with others here. And the above is our counclusion.)
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 63,025
    edited March 2022

    So posters slate the government for not doing enough/ anything about P&O, but when the question is asked - what should they do? - no one answers.
    Still waiting.

    It would be possible (though not trivial) to legally define ferry services, and legislate to say that such services using UK ports must employ domestic workers, for example.
    Orr that NMW applies.

    Whether that might be a sensible use of government time is debatable, but saying it’s not possible is untrue.
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,480

    DavidL said:

    So posters slate the government for not doing enough/ anything about P&O, but when the question is asked - what should they do? - no one answers.
    Still waiting.

    Some suggestions.
    Do not allow the employment of staff at less than the NMW in UK waters.
    Do not allow those without a permit to work in a UK port.
    Make sure that every bureaucratic requirement in P&O ports is enforced with the upmost rigour.
    End all State based contracts for their services on the basis that their employment arrangements are incompatible with UK standards.

    I am sure there is more we could do.
    Cheers. Some would require legislation?
    Almost certainly. But it could be passed in a day if the will was there. Come on Govester. You know when not to mess about.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    TimT said:

    Apologies to anyone whose posts I've flagged or marked as off topic. Cat has been walking back and forth across my keyboard, hitting a bunch of F keys at random.

    Oddly, Tim, I had noticed your posts were better than usual this evening. ;)
    LOL you old bastard.
  • Options
    Omnium said:

    geoffw said:

    @Big_G_NorthWales  I hope your wife recovers.

    Actually it is my son in laws mother who is gravely ill tonight

    But thank you
    Big G - you're a good guy, and have my best wishes and I imagine those of most others here.
    Thank you so much

    Strange that in just 48 hours our son and two other brave RNLI crew saved the life of a young lady, and tonight my son in law and his sister are holding their mother's hand as she is gravely ill

  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 33,254
    Ukrainian government ministers are now habitually joining EU council meetings of their 27 EU counterparts by video link.
    Today, Ukraine's agriculture minister Roman Leshchenko dialled into AGRIFISH. But he had to interrupt his address and leave early, due to an air raid
    siren.https://twitter.com/NaomiOhReally/status/1505984735666974734
This discussion has been closed.