I was with a friend from the Balkans yesterday. He told me in all seriousness that he had contacted the Ukrainian embassy about enlisting in the foreign legion but as he had no prior experience they said not to do so.
He's not the most obvious person to enlist. A fairly affluent 30 something professional with no direct Ukrainian connections. The fact they felt able to turn him down makes me wonder. How many troops do they have? Several weeks ago now I remember someone saying it had become impossible to get a tax in Warsaw - most taxi drivers in Warsaw are Ukrainians who have been heading home to enlist. But the mind boggles as to how many reservists they will have to throw in. Can they kit them all out? Give them necessary training in a few weeks?
That's the point, isn't it? Ukraine wants ex-forces types who don't need six weeks' square-bashing before they can hold a rifle the right way round.
My understanding is that 400,000 Ukrainian citizens' have retuned to Ukraine since the war started, (probably more now) 75% male, the vast majority of these will be expecting to fight, add that to the adult male members of family who have left the contrary. 6.5 million (I think) have left, but men of fighting age are not normally allowed to leave. Ukraine will have plenty of men to fight, but what it lacks are. 1) equipment from uniforms and Rifles up. 2) trained and experienced solders. A well trained and experienced solder is highly valuable and well worth using some of the limited uniforms, rifles and so on for. an inexperienced man in his mid 30s who doesn't even know the luggage, not so much. I did hear that if you made it in to Ukraine to the Forin Legion HQ in the city of Lviv then they would accept you anyway, probably on the basis that you had shoed enough imitative to get there then maybe you are worth it.
During Finland's winter war, the Swedish army let any of there men who whited to volunteer, to have an unpaid 6 month sabbatical. and frankly I think we should do the same now. The training they have received in the UK and possible experience in Conflicts, will make them, man for man some of the most effective people in Ukraines War. and the experience they come back with will help enhances the strength of the UK army. This is obviously very dangeracse for the volunteers, but its for them to decide whether or not to take that risk.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
London is one of my favourite places. A walk along the Regent's Canal is marvellous. I have seen, and experienced, much of life along that towpath.
I also think it's the greenest 'old' capital cities in the world, thanks to all the hunting parks that have been protected?
We're certainly lucky in this NW3/6/8 corner. Canal walks are great, yes. We do one quite regularly.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet
' "severe shock and stress" is typically what happens when you rail enough coke to give an elephant a heart attack'
While BigG is correct about mental health being a serious matter, and sympathy should therefore be offered, I think people can be forgiven for being at least a tad suspicious - if you've never encountered the situation of someone having done something wrong at, say, your employer, and very conincidentally suddenly they are signed off unwell at the very moment things would be looked into, well, lucky for you.
For me to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital shows he is very ill mentally and I just think it is appropriate to give him space
I would say that for not only any politician but anybody in those circumstances
And I've said the same. But I don't blame people if they are suspicious either, so won't judge them if they are.
What's the nature of this psychiatric hospital? Is it the kind of place where you can check yourself in for a fee, or is it run by people who will only admit a patient if there's an independently assessed clinical need? That's a good question to start with. Until then, all we've got is the word of an interested party.
Usually for patients who have been sectioned or have suicidal tendencies, together with complex mental health needs
Perhaps Rishi should book a summer holiday in a b and b in Skegness, Southend, Scarborough, Margate or Blackpool. Then he can try and restore his man of the people image as the cost of living rises after the damage of his Easter break in his multi million dollar California apartment
But the real question that raises is why are Blackpool and Skegness the punchline of a joke on PB rather than thriving coastal resorts?
Last few years I've spent one long weekend per year in Blackpool.
Staying at The Imperial is great for political geeks, last time my suite was the same suite that President Clinton had stayed in.
Took the other half up the Blackpool tower, there's a Sealife, and you cannot beat walking down the promenade whilst eating candy floss and phallic and breast shaped sweets.
I heartily recommend a break in Blackpool, had a great meal in the White Tower.
On a clear day I can see Blackpool Tower from my window.
You are Sarah Palin and I claim my £5!
If duelling were still a thing I'd be asking you to nominate your second. Honestly, I've never been so insulted in all my days.... !
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet
' "severe shock and stress" is typically what happens when you rail enough coke to give an elephant a heart attack'
While BigG is correct about mental health being a serious matter, and sympathy should therefore be offered, I think people can be forgiven for being at least a tad suspicious - if you've never encountered the situation of someone having done something wrong at, say, your employer, and very conincidentally suddenly they are signed off unwell at the very moment things would be looked into, well, lucky for you.
For me to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital shows he is very ill mentally and I just think it is appropriate to give him space
I would say that for not only any politician but anybody in those circumstances
And I've said the same. But I don't blame people if they are suspicious either, so won't judge them if they are.
What's the nature of this psychiatric hospital? Is it the kind of place where you can check yourself in for a fee, or is it run by people who will only admit a patient if there's an independently assessed clinical need? That's a good question to start with. Until then, all we've got is the word of an interested party.
Usually for patients who have been sectioned or have suicidal tendencies, together with complex mental health needs
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
Looking at the latest appalling images from Ukraine and the verified equipment losses if arms shipments from the West are upped so that Russian air cover is reduced further and the Ukrainians can move men and equipment around reasonably freely then Russia could be heading for cataclysmic battlefield defeat.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
Perhaps Rishi should book a summer holiday in a b and b in Skegness, Southend, Scarborough, Margate or Blackpool. Then he can try and restore his man of the people image as the cost of living rises after the damage of his Easter break in his multi million dollar California apartment
But the real question that raises is why are Blackpool and Skegness the punchline of a joke on PB rather than thriving coastal resorts?
Last few years I've spent one long weekend per year in Blackpool.
Staying at The Imperial is great for political geeks, last time my suite was the same suite that President Clinton had stayed in.
Took the other half up the Blackpool tower, there's a Sealife, and you cannot beat walking down the promenade whilst eating candy floss and phallic and breast shaped sweets.
I heartily recommend a break in Blackpool, had a great meal in the White Tower.
On a clear day I can see Blackpool Tower from my window.
This story will make you chuckle, where do Barclays find these people?
CS Venkatakrishnan is not a typical, cocksure chief executive of a major international bank. Popular with staff, he sports sober, dark suits, likes consensus – and is said to be genial and more low-key than his predecessor, Jes Staley.
The Indian native, known internally as Venkat, was thrust into the top job at Barclays following Staley’s sudden resignation in November over his ties to the late convicted paedophile and Wall Street financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Venkat was regarded as a safe pair of hands. He was promoted from chief risk officer, a role held since 2016 at the British lender, which he joined after more than two decades as a risk specialist at JP Morgan in New York.
But after a quiet first five months in the job, Barclays was once again propelled into the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons last week, causing shares to slump and shareholders to raise concerns.
On Monday, the bank revealed it was facing a £450m hit and a regulatory investigation after it mishandled the sale of basic trading products in the US. And to make matters worse, the error occurred while Venkat was managing the bank’s risk.
Onyx' Russian tank count now over 400. Closing in on 33% of the tanks that went in.
So 500 doesn't seem an unreasonable tally. 2 in every 5 tanks in the special operation are goners. That is less operation, more special needs.
And given the south has probably fared better than the operations in the north, that could realistically mean half of those that went into the north of Ukraine won't be going back.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Add in those those which Oryx doesn't know about it and it must be over 500, maybe over 600.
I can't help feeling after the pictures today there is going to be a sharp reduction in the number of Russians taken alive as prisoners of war going forward.
Reports from the field very early on were that there are basically no survivors from tanks hit with NLAWs etc...
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
I've done *alot* of walking around this country. And whilst I know what you mean, scenery becomes a little boring after a while. The great thing about London is the sheer variety, both in views and the people. This can be seen in (say) a seven-mile walk along the Regents Canal from Mile End to Paddington, seven miles along the Thames Path, or seven miles south from Greenwich.
If you want boring, try walking around Loch Long. Three days just to end up a couple of kilometres from where you began ...
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
I suspect the MP in question has checked himself in to some private facility. It strikes me as rather convenient on the day his alleged behaviour, or should I say, and let's not forget, his alleged criminality is busted by the Sunday Times.
I take nothing away from anyone struggling with mental health issues, but in this instance, colour me skeptical. Didn't Keith Vaz take a similarly convenient route when he found himself in a spot of bother?
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
If he struck an airfield and destroyed NATO planes then obviously NATO would respond in kind with airstrikes on a Russian base
There’s no way back from this - the Russians went straight from invading Ukraine to committing war crimes without breaking sweat. Ukrainians will never forgive them inside living memory.
When Ukraine takes back the cities in the south I fear they’re going to discover terrible things.
As someone has pointed out on Twitter - Russia bought 45,000 body bags in preparation for the invasion. It doesn’t look like those were intended for Russian army boys does it? They were going to slaughter the Ukrainian political class - a second Katyn.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
I suspect the MP in question has checked himself in to some private facility. It strikes me as rather convenient on the day his alleged behaviour, or should I say, and let's not forget, his alleged criminality is busted by the Sunday Times.
I take nothing away from anyone struggling with mental health issues, but in this instance, colour me skeptical. Didn't Keith Vaz take a similarly convenient route when he found himself in a spot of bother?
Even if he did I just do not understand how pilling onto him helps anyone
Onyx' Russian tank count now over 400. Closing in on 33% of the tanks that went in.
So 500 doesn't seem an unreasonable tally. 2 in every 5 tanks in the special operation are goners. That is less operation, more special needs.
And given the south has probably fared better than the operations in the north, that could realistically mean half of those that went into the north of Ukraine won't be going back.
"This is the tank column Crossing the border Reduced to scrap In very short order. Hit by an NLAW Hit by a drone. Those that are left Are heading back home."
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
If he struck an airfield and destroyed NATO planes then obviously NATO would respond in kind with airstrikes on a Russian base
So just tit for tat? Which NATO member would carry out the retaliation?
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
I suspect the MP in question has checked himself in to some private facility. It strikes me as rather convenient on the day his alleged behaviour, or should I say, and let's not forget, his alleged criminality is busted by the Sunday Times.
I take nothing away from anyone struggling with mental health issues, but in this instance, colour me skeptical. Didn't Keith Vaz take a similarly convenient route when he found himself in a spot of bother?
Probably also helps mollify his missus, who was *not* the lady he was snorting coke with.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
If he struck an airfield and destroyed NATO planes then obviously NATO would respond in kind with airstrikes on a Russian base
So just tit for tat? Which NATO member would carry out the retaliation?
Planes from all of them, as NATO is based on collective defence
The idea that someone could look at Russia right now and say "hmm, maybe what's needed is a dictator" boggles me. It's the stupidest thing I've read on here (and I was here for when HYUFD claimed that you couldn't get from London to Cambridge without entering Essex).
The M11, the main road route from London to Cambridge, goes through Essex. The Cambridge boat race crew may even use it tonight
Onyx' Russian tank count now over 400. Closing in on 33% of the tanks that went in.
So 500 doesn't seem an unreasonable tally. 2 in every 5 tanks in the special operation are goners. That is less operation, more special needs.
And given the south has probably fared better than the operations in the north, that could realistically mean half of those that went into the north of Ukraine won't be going back.
And that could become the fate of Russians around Kherson if the Ukrainians now have assets freed up from the north. Talk also of cutting off Russian supply routes by a push eastwards from Kharkhiv.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
The same courtesy should be extended to anyone 'accused' of some form of misconduct or criminality. It is not surprising that it would induce a breakdown. Better a psychiatric hospital than suicide.
This is not a 'Wayne Couzens banging his head against a cell wall' episode.
Onyx' Russian tank count now over 400. Closing in on 33% of the tanks that went in.
Do we know exactly or even approximately how many Russian Tanks are involved in this war? open soirees intel indicates that the Russians have around 3,000 Tanks in operation units and 9,000 in reserve. A lot of these probably don't work, but how many is surely just guesswork.
Perhaps Rishi should book a summer holiday in a b and b in Skegness, Southend, Scarborough, Margate or Blackpool. Then he can try and restore his man of the people image as the cost of living rises after the damage of his Easter break in his multi million dollar California apartment
But the real question that raises is why are Blackpool and Skegness the punchline of a joke on PB rather than thriving coastal resorts?
To be fair they were until cheap flights to Spain arrived in the 1970s. They may be again if the cost of living crisis and high cost air fares make foreign travel again too expensive for many, even if there is less guarantee of sun there than the Costas in summer
I don’t usually get involved in discussions with you. But a guarantee is binary. It is a guarantee or it is not.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
If he struck an airfield and destroyed NATO planes then obviously NATO would respond in kind with airstrikes on a Russian base
So just tit for tat? Which NATO member would carry out the retaliation?
Planes from all of them, as NATO is based on collective defence
You'd send in bombers from every NATO member in response to a single missile strike? What if not every NATO member agrees with that plan? Which Russian targets would you need that many planes for and how would you defend them?
There’s no way back from this - the Russians went straight from invading Ukraine to committing war crimes without breaking sweat. Ukrainians will never forgive them inside living memory.
When Ukraine takes back the cities in the south I fear they’re going to discover terrible things.
As someone has pointed out on Twitter - Russia bought 45,000 body bags in preparation for the invasion. It doesn’t look like those were intended for Russian army boys does it? They were going to slaughter the Ukrainian political class - a second Katyn.
Putin has to be stopped, but how?
Long-range heavy kit: artillery, AA, anti-ship. More drones.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
The same courtesy should be extended to anyone 'accused' of some form of misconduct or criminality. It is not surprising that it would induce a breakdown. Better a psychiatric hospital than suicide.
This is not a 'Wayne Couzens banging his head against a cell wall' episode.
Onyx' Russian tank count now over 400. Closing in on 33% of the tanks that went in.
Do we know exactly or even approximately how many Russian Tanks are involved in this war? open soirees intel indicates that the Russians have around 3,000 Tanks in operation units and 9,000 in reserve. A lot of these probably don't work, but how many is surely just guesswork.
The original estimate was 1250 tanks and that this constituted 75% of their total operational forces.
Onyx' Russian tank count now over 400. Closing in on 33% of the tanks that went in.
Do we know exactly or even approximately how many Russian Tanks are involved in this war? open soirees intel indicates that the Russians have around 3,000 Tanks in operation units and 9,000 in reserve. A lot of these probably don't work, but how many is surely just guesswork.
A problem for the Russians is that it is probably guesswork for them as well...
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
Bit different, we are. I really like the sea too, also open countryside, either rugged or manicured, but only to visit. I actually get to feeling a bit 'funny' if I spend a long time away from an urban setting with buildings and sundry strangers.
My plan A idea for ending my life - which is actually plan Z since I bet I never would - is to go for a walk along a high Cornwall cliff and totter over onto the rocks below.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
If he struck an airfield and destroyed NATO planes then obviously NATO would respond in kind with airstrikes on a Russian base
So just tit for tat? Which NATO member would carry out the retaliation?
Unpredictable retaliation with an implicit escalation if iterations are needed, but with occasional 'forgiving' deescalation is what theory would recommend.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
If he struck an airfield and destroyed NATO planes then obviously NATO would respond in kind with airstrikes on a Russian base
So just tit for tat? Which NATO member would carry out the retaliation?
Planes from all of them, as NATO is based on collective defence
You'd send in bombers from every NATO member in response to a single missile strike? What if not every NATO member agrees with that plan? Which Russian targets would you need that many planes for and how would you defend them?
Unless every NATO state agrees and is ready to participate in NATO action then NATO is redundant to defend its member states and their armed forces. If Russia bombed NATO jets it should prepare for NATO jets to bomb an airfield with Russian jets.
Otherwise NATO would then collapse and Russia could invade every individual NATO nation in turn. China would also take note of the inability and unwillingness of western nations to defend themselves when looking at Taiwan and the broader Far East
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
Bit different, we are. I really like the sea too, also open countryside, either rugged or manicured, but only to visit. I actually get to feeling a bit 'funny' if I spend a long time away from an urban setting with buildings and sundry strangers.
My plan A idea for ending my life - which is actually plan Z since I bet I never would - is to go for a walk along a high Cornwall cliff and totter over onto the rocks below.
I once walked from Cape Cornwall towards Zennor in a storm, and came across a man (I think he was American) who had been coming the other way. A wave had swept him off the path, and he had a big gash on his head. He insisted on walking on. And I took to the road...
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
There’s no way back from this - the Russians went straight from invading Ukraine to committing war crimes without breaking sweat. Ukrainians will never forgive them inside living memory.
When Ukraine takes back the cities in the south I fear they’re going to discover terrible things.
As someone has pointed out on Twitter - Russia bought 45,000 body bags in preparation for the invasion. It doesn’t look like those were intended for Russian army boys does it? They were going to slaughter the Ukrainian political class - a second Katyn.
Putin has to be stopped, but how?
I believe that Russia is again claiming that the Katyn massacres were carried out by 'Hitlerites'.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
He's a bit rubbish.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
For the record theses are not 'German APC' that are APCs that where ones sold to GDR, who post unification sold them to Sweden who then decided that as there cold war was over they did not need them and therefor put them in storage for 25 years. then sold them to a company in the Czech republic. They are BMP1s which is an old design, but would be very good for Ukraine right now as Ukraine has Esperance operating the BMP1, and these particular BMP1s have not been used very much but were well loaded after in Swedish storage. so are in good working order.
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
Bit different, we are. I really like the sea too, also open countryside, either rugged or manicured, but only to visit. I actually get to feeling a bit 'funny' if I spend a long time away from an urban setting with buildings and sundry strangers.
My plan A idea for ending my life - which is actually plan Z since I bet I never would - is to go for a walk along a high Cornwall cliff and totter over onto the rocks below.
I once walked from Cape Cornwall towards Zennor in a storm, and came across a man (I think he was American) who had been coming the other way. A wave had swept him off the path, and he had a big gash on his head. He insisted on walking on. And I took to the road...
Sounds a lot more dramatic than my walk to St Ives where all that happened was meeting a man with seven wives.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
Bit different, we are. I really like the sea too, also open countryside, either rugged or manicured, but only to visit. I actually get to feeling a bit 'funny' if I spend a long time away from an urban setting with buildings and sundry strangers.
My plan A idea for ending my life - which is actually plan Z since I bet I never would - is to go for a walk along a high Cornwall cliff and totter over onto the rocks below.
I once walked from Cape Cornwall towards Zennor in a storm, and came across a man (I think he was American) who had been coming the other way. A wave had swept him off the path, and he had a big gash on his head. He insisted on walking on. And I took to the road...
Sounds a lot more dramatic than my walk to St Ives where all that happened was meeting a man with seven wives.
I thought it was meant to be Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Add in those those which Oryx doesn't know about it and it must be over 500, maybe over 600.
I can't help feeling after the pictures today there is going to be a sharp reduction in the number of Russians taken alive as prisoners of war going forward.
Downed Russian pilots who have bombed hospitals, schools and theatres - especially tough times ahead.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
He's a bit rubbish.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
No. The Commons controls the finances and the Chancellor must be directly accountable to the Commons.
I don't think he is rubbish. I think that he is clever and articulate. But his priorities? Jeez. As a centre right instinctively Tory supporter they just make me cringe and this was by far his worst effort to date.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
He's a bit rubbish.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
No. The Commons controls the finances and the Chancellor must be directly accountable to the Commons.
I don't think he is rubbish. I think that he is clever and articulate. But his priorities? Jeez. As a centre right instinctively Tory supporter they just make me cringe and this was by far his worst effort to date.
Damn, I was hoping for Lord Clarke of Nottingham as Chancellor.
That's a man with impeccable Thatcherite credentials and knows how to run an economy.
There’s no way back from this - the Russians went straight from invading Ukraine to committing war crimes without breaking sweat. Ukrainians will never forgive them inside living memory.
When Ukraine takes back the cities in the south I fear they’re going to discover terrible things.
As someone has pointed out on Twitter - Russia bought 45,000 body bags in preparation for the invasion. It doesn’t look like those were intended for Russian army boys does it? They were going to slaughter the Ukrainian political class - a second Katyn.
Putin has to be stopped, but how?
i think they will discover more than terrible things. I dont doubt many ukrainians in the southern cities have been tortured to death
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
The pretending to be 'normal' rarely works.
Being 'normal' sometimes does.
But to be 'normal' its better to try it out before the media follow you around everywhere.
Because there's multiple types of 'normal' and different people will like or dislike different varieties.
So a politician (or family) attempting 'normal' will likely look pretty bloody miserable if they choose the wrong type of 'normal' to play at.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
Bit different, we are. I really like the sea too, also open countryside, either rugged or manicured, but only to visit. I actually get to feeling a bit 'funny' if I spend a long time away from an urban setting with buildings and sundry strangers.
My plan A idea for ending my life - which is actually plan Z since I bet I never would - is to go for a walk along a high Cornwall cliff and totter over onto the rocks below.
I once walked from Cape Cornwall towards Zennor in a storm, and came across a man (I think he was American) who had been coming the other way. A wave had swept him off the path, and he had a big gash on his head. He insisted on walking on. And I took to the road...
Sounds a lot more dramatic than my walk to St Ives where all that happened was meeting a man with seven wives.
I thought it was meant to be Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
That was my walk in Norfolk - one delightful set of 14 siblings.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
He's a bit rubbish.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
No. The Commons controls the finances and the Chancellor must be directly accountable to the Commons.
I don't think he is rubbish. I think that he is clever and articulate. But his priorities? Jeez. As a centre right instinctively Tory supporter they just make me cringe and this was by far his worst effort to date.
Damn, I was hoping for Lord Clarke of Nottingham as Chancellor.
That's a man with impeccable Thatcherite credentials and knows how to run an economy.
I would be very happy to see Ken back in that role
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
Disgusting behaviour from Putin. There really needs to be a way to find a ceasefire now by any means possible and end this war
Hmm, not completely sure about that. I want a lot more of these murderers going home in wooden boxes and as much equipment stripped off the Russian army as possible so they can't come back. Allowing the Russians to regroup and rearm might be a major mistake.
Edit, but welcome by the way. New voices always welcome.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 3h If the atrocities being reported are verified, and there's evidence they're still being perpetrated, then we need to intervene directly and militarily in Ukraine. Whether a country is part of NATO is irrelevant. We don't stand back and allow the perpetration of genocide.
How long before national newspapers and broadcasters are demanding something is done.
He seems to have forgotten Rwanda, Syria, much of Bosnia, Cambodia etc where we did very little when genocide was committed.
If a NATO nation is invaded then yes we have to take military action but in terms of Ukraine we just keep sending supplies, we don't go to WW3
The problem with the argument about "not going to WW3" is that it sets an arbitrary threshold that hands escalation dominance to Putin. Are you going to let him decide what level of support is acceptable?
No. The red line remains if he invades a NATO nation
Only an invasion? And the red line for what specifically?
NATO military response
Then you're still in a discussion of what kind of response, by whom, what retaliation risks to avoid, etc.
There are already NATO troops and jets based in Estonia and Latvia as NATO states bordering Russia.
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
What if Putin struck an airfield as a warning against NATO weapons shipments?
If he struck an airfield and destroyed NATO planes then obviously NATO would respond in kind with airstrikes on a Russian base
So just tit for tat? Which NATO member would carry out the retaliation?
Planes from all of them, as NATO is based on collective defence
You'd send in bombers from every NATO member in response to a single missile strike? What if not every NATO member agrees with that plan? Which Russian targets would you need that many planes for and how would you defend them?
Unless every NATO state agrees and is ready to participate in NATO action then NATO is redundant to defend its member states and their armed forces. If Russia bombed NATO jets it should prepare for NATO jets to bomb an airfield with Russian jets.
Otherwise NATO would then collapse and Russia could invade every individual NATO nation in turn. China would also take note of the inability and unwillingness of western nations to defend themselves when looking at Taiwan and the broader Far East
If you read NATO Article 5, that's not what collective defence is based on.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
I suspect the MP in question has checked himself in to some private facility. It strikes me as rather convenient on the day his alleged behaviour, or should I say, and let's not forget, his alleged criminality is busted by the Sunday Times.
I take nothing away from anyone struggling with mental health issues, but in this instance, colour me skeptical. Didn't Keith Vaz take a similarly convenient route when he found himself in a spot of bother?
Even if he did I just do not understand how pilling onto him helps anyone
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
The contrast between increasing NI while promising an income tax cut was not good for Sunak's credibility.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Perhaps, though, Sunak's great wealth and privileged lifestyle has a bearing, in that he doesn't really understand what it is like to scrape through life under a constant financial struggle? Same with Osborne and his 'austerity' (for the poor) programme. Certainly Sunak seems to lack genuine empathy with, for example, those who have no choice but to subsist on benefits.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
He's a bit rubbish.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
No. The Commons controls the finances and the Chancellor must be directly accountable to the Commons.
I don't think he is rubbish. I think that he is clever and articulate. But his priorities? Jeez. As a centre right instinctively Tory supporter they just make me cringe and this was by far his worst effort to date.
Damn, I was hoping for Lord Clarke of Nottingham as Chancellor.
That's a man with impeccable Thatcherite credentials and knows how to run an economy.
I would be very happy to see Ken back in that role
Trying to be an optimist am I being silly in hoping that China has seen how bad invading Ukraine is that they think invading Taiwan will be a hundred times harder and abandon all plans to do so?
I mean Taiwan is much better defended and harder to invade given they have to cross the sea, rather than a border?
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
I've done *alot* of walking around this country. And whilst I know what you mean, scenery becomes a little boring after a while. The great thing about London is the sheer variety, both in views and the people. This can be seen in (say) a seven-mile walk along the Regents Canal from Mile End to Paddington, seven miles along the Thames Path, or seven miles south from Greenwich.
If you want boring, try walking around Loch Long. Three days just to end up a couple of kilometres from where you began ...
I agree re London walks. They are interesting. But I never find scenery boring because there is so much to notice - the plants, the trees, the light, the shadows on rocks, the animals etc.
One of the things I was told by an old gardening hand was to walk round your garden every single day and simply look closely. You'd think that there would be no change from day to day but you'd be wrong. And learning how to really see has been a blessing. And once you start doing it there is so much to observe. Partly because of my asthma I rarely walks for long periods without stopping. But also because I am always seeing all sorts of things up close - even the beauty of a gorse bush - or moss or lichen on a stone- or the pattern of a dry stone wall or ferns growing out the ground or a wall.
Honestly I could bore you all for hours about it. Don't worry. I won't.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
Disgusting behaviour from Putin. There really needs to be a way to find a ceasefire now by any means possible and end this war
Hello PaulD, and welcome to PB
A ceasefire would be the best ting imaginable, but a ceasefire by any means possible means giving in to Putin. Whiles I would understand if the Ukrainians wanted to give in, and would not blamed them, the lack of support from much in the west (looking at you germane) is shameful. however for as long as they what to fight we sould support and help them do that.
Will add any decent result sites with maps if I find them.
Well done if you got Orban at 1.25 on Betfair for next PM - will be very surprised if Fidesz don't win, still think the current 1.14 is value, anywhere from a comfortable win in seats to outside chance of 2/3 majority maybe, gut feel is 4-5% vote lead for Fidesz although one recent poll was a tie.
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
Bit different, we are. I really like the sea too, also open countryside, either rugged or manicured, but only to visit. I actually get to feeling a bit 'funny' if I spend a long time away from an urban setting with buildings and sundry strangers.
My plan A idea for ending my life - which is actually plan Z since I bet I never would - is to go for a walk along a high Cornwall cliff and totter over onto the rocks below.
I once walked from Cape Cornwall towards Zennor in a storm, and came across a man (I think he was American) who had been coming the other way. A wave had swept him off the path, and he had a big gash on his head. He insisted on walking on. And I took to the road...
Sounds a lot more dramatic than my walk to St Ives where all that happened was meeting a man with seven wives.
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
I suspect the MP in question has checked himself in to some private facility. It strikes me as rather convenient on the day his alleged behaviour, or should I say, and let's not forget, his alleged criminality is busted by the Sunday Times.
I take nothing away from anyone struggling with mental health issues, but in this instance, colour me skeptical. Didn't Keith Vaz take a similarly convenient route when he found himself in a spot of bother?
Getting a mental health bed in under 24 hours would be some kind of NHS record.
Looking at the latest appalling images from Ukraine and the verified equipment losses if arms shipments from the West are upped so that Russian air cover is reduced further and the Ukrainians can move men and equipment around reasonably freely then Russia could be heading for cataclysmic battlefield defeat.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Perhaps, though, Sunak's great wealth and privileged lifestyle has a bearing, in that he doesn't really understand what it is like to scrape through life under a constant financial struggle? Same with Osborne and his 'austerity' (for the poor) programme. Certainly Sunak seems to lack genuine empathy with, for example, those who have no choice but to subsist on benefits.
I can see the argument. But someone that clever really should have a bit more imagination.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
Disgusting behaviour from Putin. There really needs to be a way to find a ceasefire now by any means possible and end this war
Hmm, not completely sure about that. I want a lot more of these murderers going home in wooden boxes and as much equipment stripped off the Russian army as possible so they can't come back. Allowing the Russians to regroup and rearm might be a major mistake.
Edit, but welcome by the way. New voices always welcome.
You don’t want them going back in wooden boxes - you want them going back missing limbs as they will be a clear and indisputable “truth” to the Russian people of the cost of the war they support.
If there are 20,000 young men who are visibly ruined by the war it cannot be hidden and also they will be able to tell their families and friends about what they saw and how bad the Russian military really is.
Also injured soldiers use up more resources than dead soldiers along the line….
The Somerset and Frome MP David Warburton - suspended by the @Conservatives from the parliamentary party following allegations about his conduct in the #sundaytimes -has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital suffering from severe shock and stress, according to his wife Harriet https://twitter.com/iainjwatson/status/1510618374883225610
Mental health is a serious issue and sadly is becoming very common
Maybe give him some space
What about his alleged victim?
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
He has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital which requires serious mental health issues, sectioning, or suicide tendency
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
The same courtesy should be extended to anyone 'accused' of some form of misconduct or criminality. It is not surprising that it would induce a breakdown. Better a psychiatric hospital than suicide.
This is not a 'Wayne Couzens banging his head against a cell wall' episode.
Indeed
If he has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital with the current state of NHS mental health provision then it must have been extremely serious. Beds are like absolute gold dust.
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Perhaps, though, Sunak's great wealth and privileged lifestyle has a bearing, in that he doesn't really understand what it is like to scrape through life under a constant financial struggle? Same with Osborne and his 'austerity' (for the poor) programme. Certainly Sunak seems to lack genuine empathy with, for example, those who have no choice but to subsist on benefits.
put it in perspective sunaks worth around £500 million. For him an extra £100 is equivalent to an extra 10p for someone with £500000 net worth (ie not remotely poor themselves)
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
He's a bit rubbish.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
No. The Commons controls the finances and the Chancellor must be directly accountable to the Commons.
I don't think he is rubbish. I think that he is clever and articulate. But his priorities? Jeez. As a centre right instinctively Tory supporter they just make me cringe and this was by far his worst effort to date.
Damn, I was hoping for Lord Clarke of Nottingham as Chancellor.
That's a man with impeccable Thatcherite credentials and knows how to run an economy.
That might have come as a surprise to Mrs Thatcher.
Trying to be an optimist am I being silly in hoping that China has seen how bad invading Ukraine is that they think invading Taiwan will be a hundred times harder and abandon all plans to do so?
I mean Taiwan is much better defended and harder to invade given they have to cross the sea, rather than a border?
Easier to reclaim Haishenwai ( Vladivostok ) its closer to home and the other sides army has no tanks left
Anyway, I am back up North tomorrow am. I have been a city girl most of my life - Naples, London, Bristol, Paris - with childhood holidays in very rural Ireland. I love cities.
And, yet, I feel trapped in London in a way I have never done before. I look out of the window and see buildings. Even though on the top floor I can see across London to the Surrey hills the view is still of buildings. And my soul dies a little. Everywhere I look out of my home up North I see sea and sky and mountains and valleys so sumptuous in their colours it makes my heart fit to burst. And the bird song. Plus the moon at night and stars, lots of them. I really miss it. I cannot wait to get back.
I never thought I would feel this way. Can people change quite so much? Or maybe I have secretly always been a solitary misanthrope?
There is something about the natural world which my mind, my soul needs, I think, to feel whole. No other way to explain it.
Plus - mad as it is - I love driving by myself. Nothing better than to have the music on very loud - and have some really strong music on to get the blood racing. Just f***ing awesome.
Still in May I shall be speaking at a big conference in London. If you're very good I may tell you about it and you can come and enthusiastically applaud. 😀
What about the Heath and Regents Park? Doesn't that work for you when you're here in NL?
The Heath does - for a walk. But it's the sense of enclosure which is what is different. I have horizons there. I have always loved being near the sea. In Naples - which is urban to the nth degree - it was a 5 minute walk down to the sea. If I had to end my life I would go into the sea, not bloody Dignitas.
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
I've done *alot* of walking around this country. And whilst I know what you mean, scenery becomes a little boring after a while. The great thing about London is the sheer variety, both in views and the people. This can be seen in (say) a seven-mile walk along the Regents Canal from Mile End to Paddington, seven miles along the Thames Path, or seven miles south from Greenwich.
If you want boring, try walking around Loch Long. Three days just to end up a couple of kilometres from where you began ...
I agree re London walks. They are interesting. But I never find scenery boring because there is so much to notice - the plants, the trees, the light, the shadows on rocks, the animals etc.
One of the things I was told by an old gardening hand was to walk round your garden every single day and simply look closely. You'd think that there would be no change from day to day but you'd be wrong. And learning how to really see has been a blessing. And once you start doing it there is so much to observe. Partly because of my asthma I rarely walks for long periods without stopping. But also because I am always seeing all sorts of things up close - even the beauty of a gorse bush - or moss or lichen on a stone- or the pattern of a dry stone wall or ferns growing out the ground or a wall.
Honestly I could bore you all for hours about it. Don't worry. I won't.
london walks are great but the air pollution means you benefit a lot more from country walks
That's not a very nice thing to say TSE. From what I read of your comments on this article and many others it seems I am being insulted by someone with a less than stellar intellect.
Trying to be an optimist am I being silly in hoping that China has seen how bad invading Ukraine is that they think invading Taiwan will be a hundred times harder and abandon all plans to do so?
I mean Taiwan is much better defended and harder to invade given they have to cross the sea, rather than a border?
Maybe, but Taiwan is much smaller in both space and population and much harder for outside would to help, at least with equipment. amongst other things China will be looking at the cost to Russia in the form of western sanctions. sadly they may be concluding that if Europe will not even stop importing gas from Russia when war Crimes are committed in Europe, then there is no Chace of meaningful sanctions if Taiwan is invaded
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Rishi simply was wrong in ignoring those in real fuel poverty and showed an uncaring side which disappointed me
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
And in a time of truly extraordinary stress on our public finances, reeling from the worst pandemic in 100 years, an energy crisis seriously aggravated by necessary steps taken against those scumbags and criminals in Russia and our first serious bout of inflation in 20 years his priority is to budget for 1p off IT before the next election? I mean, FFS, get a grip.
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
He's a bit rubbish.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
No. The Commons controls the finances and the Chancellor must be directly accountable to the Commons.
I don't think he is rubbish. I think that he is clever and articulate. But his priorities? Jeez. As a centre right instinctively Tory supporter they just make me cringe and this was by far his worst effort to date.
Damn, I was hoping for Lord Clarke of Nottingham as Chancellor.
That's a man with impeccable Thatcherite credentials and knows how to run an economy.
That might have come as a surprise to Mrs Thatcher.
Policy wise he was a staunch Thatcherite during her premiership.
Whenever she had a problem she sent Ken Clarke to fix it.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
Disgusting behaviour from Putin. There really needs to be a way to find a ceasefire now by any means possible and end this war
Hmm, not completely sure about that. I want a lot more of these murderers going home in wooden boxes and as much equipment stripped off the Russian army as possible so they can't come back. Allowing the Russians to regroup and rearm might be a major mistake.
Edit, but welcome by the way. New voices always welcome.
You don’t want them going back in wooden boxes - you want them going back missing limbs as they will be a clear and indisputable “truth” to the Russian people of the cost of the war they support.
If there are 20,000 young men who are visibly ruined by the war it cannot be hidden and also they will be able to tell their families and friends about what they saw and how bad the Russian military really is.
Also injured soldiers use up more resources than dead soldiers along the line….
That’s why the Azov battalion shot those Russian POWs in the legs. Much more militarily effective than murder
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Perhaps, though, Sunak's great wealth and privileged lifestyle has a bearing, in that he doesn't really understand what it is like to scrape through life under a constant financial struggle? Same with Osborne and his 'austerity' (for the poor) programme. Certainly Sunak seems to lack genuine empathy with, for example, those who have no choice but to subsist on benefits.
I can see the argument. But someone that clever really should have a bit more imagination.
It isn't a lack of imagination. It's his ideology.
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
Disgusting behaviour from Putin. There really needs to be a way to find a ceasefire now by any means possible and end this war
Hmm, not completely sure about that. I want a lot more of these murderers going home in wooden boxes and as much equipment stripped off the Russian army as possible so they can't come back. Allowing the Russians to regroup and rearm might be a major mistake.
Edit, but welcome by the way. New voices always welcome.
You don’t want them going back in wooden boxes - you want them going back missing limbs as they will be a clear and indisputable “truth” to the Russian people of the cost of the war they support.
If there are 20,000 young men who are visibly ruined by the war it cannot be hidden and also they will be able to tell their families and friends about what they saw and how bad the Russian military really is.
Also injured soldiers use up more resources than dead soldiers along the line….
yes but these may be ordinary russian conscipts....we have to maintain our sense of morality here
I remember SamCam looking pretty bloody miserable when DC dragged her away for some holiday bash on Easyjet pretending to be "normal" whilst Osborne had no problem at all going to an exclusive skiing resort with his then missus.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
Perhaps, though, Sunak's great wealth and privileged lifestyle has a bearing, in that he doesn't really understand what it is like to scrape through life under a constant financial struggle? Same with Osborne and his 'austerity' (for the poor) programme. Certainly Sunak seems to lack genuine empathy with, for example, those who have no choice but to subsist on benefits.
I can see the argument. But someone that clever really should have a bit more imagination.
Well, you're assuming he's "that clever". I'm not so sure. And I see little sign of Sunak having imaginative solutions to the current mess.
Perhaps Rishi should book a summer holiday in a b and b in Skegness, Southend, Scarborough, Margate or Blackpool. Then he can try and restore his man of the people image as the cost of living rises after the damage of his Easter break in his multi million dollar California apartment
But the real question that raises is why are Blackpool and Skegness the punchline of a joke on PB rather than thriving coastal resorts?
To be fair they were until cheap flights to Spain arrived in the 1970s. They may be again if the cost of living crisis and high cost air fares make foreign travel again too expensive for many, even if there is less guarantee of sun there than the Costas in summer
When I was in Felixstowe in the 1950s/1960s for family holidays, there was a big notice board on the prom, listing sunshine hours by resort. Felixstowe was always first, except when pipped to the post by Southend, or occasionally Margate. They never seemed to show Palma, Magaluf or Las Palmas!
Reuters - Ukrainian prosecutors investigating possible war crimes by Russia have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv and 140 of them had been examined. Russia denied allegations that its forces killed civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv.
Disgusting behaviour from Putin. There really needs to be a way to find a ceasefire now by any means possible and end this war
Hmm, not completely sure about that. I want a lot more of these murderers going home in wooden boxes and as much equipment stripped off the Russian army as possible so they can't come back. Allowing the Russians to regroup and rearm might be a major mistake.
Edit, but welcome by the way. New voices always welcome.
You don’t want them going back in wooden boxes - you want them going back missing limbs as they will be a clear and indisputable “truth” to the Russian people of the cost of the war they support.
If there are 20,000 young men who are visibly ruined by the war it cannot be hidden and also they will be able to tell their families and friends about what they saw and how bad the Russian military really is.
Also injured soldiers use up more resources than dead soldiers along the line….
That’s why the Azov battalion shot those Russian POWs in the legs. Much more militarily effective than murder
I seem to remember from the Ken Burns Vietnam doc that whilst the American public were shocked by deaths the effect of seeing the wounded and traumatised soldiers around them every day brought the war home much more viscerally than stats of dead soldiers.
If you are a Russian mother and you see young men come home missing limbs and traumatised in your town and then you look at your son who might get called up then you might start questioning the propaganda.
Comments
During Finland's winter war, the Swedish army let any of there men who whited to volunteer, to have an unpaid 6 month sabbatical. and frankly I think we should do the same now. The training they have received in the UK and possible experience in Conflicts, will make them, man for man some of the most effective people in Ukraines War. and the experience they come back with will help enhances the strength of the UK army. This is obviously very dangeracse for the volunteers, but its for them to decide whether or not to take that risk.
This smacks of the Prince Andrew defence. "The Falklands War changed me..."
Oh dear, how sad, what a shame...
https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1510603614783426562
So if Putin invaded those states then at that point we would be at war
Perhaps the Ukraine's clime to have killed over 17,000 might be right also.
And I normally fly to Dublin anyway ...
And you can stare at the sea for hours. It is never ever boring.
He must face justice in due course but as with all mental health issues nobody benefits from lack of understanding
And given the south has probably fared better than the operations in the north, that could realistically mean half of those that went into the north of Ukraine won't be going back.
Personally, I have no problem with politicians being who they are and not apologising for it. Rishi is a very rich man married to an extremely rich woman and can go wherever the hell he likes on holiday so far as I am concerned.
I am more concerned about a budget that did not do anything to help those facing serious real terms cuts in their already poor living standards as the increase in benefits is dwarfed by the current rise in inflation, who reduced VAT on home improvements for privately owned properties but didn't on heating costs. Who still thinks, despite the increase in the reliefs on NI, that earned income should still bear a higher tax rate than unearned income. Whose idea of help for those unable to heat their homes was a ridiculous loan available in several months time.
And no Labour, the answer to all of this is not some ridiculous windfall tax.
https://twitter.com/robinalexander_/status/1510629460508393487
If you want boring, try walking around Loch Long. Three days just to end up a couple of kilometres from where you began ...
I expect he will be in the frame as Boris successor but he has not helped his chances in this budget
I take nothing away from anyone struggling with mental health issues, but in this instance, colour me skeptical. Didn't Keith Vaz take a similarly convenient route when he found himself in a spot of bother?
There’s no way back from this - the Russians went straight from invading Ukraine to committing war crimes without breaking sweat. Ukrainians will never forgive them inside living memory.
When Ukraine takes back the cities in the south I fear they’re going to discover terrible things.
As someone has pointed out on Twitter - Russia bought 45,000 body bags in preparation for the invasion. It doesn’t look like those were intended for Russian army boys does it? They were going to slaughter the Ukrainian political class - a second Katyn.
Putin has to be stopped, but how?
Crossing the border
Reduced to scrap
In very short order.
Hit by an NLAW
Hit by a drone.
Those that are left
Are heading back home."
This is not a 'Wayne Couzens banging his head against a cell wall' episode.
You can’t have a “less guarantee”
My plan A idea for ending my life - which is actually plan Z since I bet I never would - is to go for a walk along a high Cornwall cliff and totter over onto the rocks below.
https://twitter.com/alextomo/status/1510652531290128387
Otherwise NATO would then collapse and Russia could invade every individual NATO nation in turn. China would also take note of the inability and unwillingness of western nations to defend themselves when looking at Taiwan and the broader Far East
Disappointed? Yeah, doesn't quite cover it though.
Do we think it is possible to be Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Lords?
Errrrr Germany, what are you playing at.
For the record theses are not 'German APC' that are APCs that where ones sold to GDR, who post unification sold them to Sweden who then decided that as there cold war was over they did not need them and therefor put them in storage for 25 years. then sold them to a company in the Czech republic. They are BMP1s which is an old design, but would be very good for Ukraine right now as Ukraine has Esperance operating the BMP1, and these particular BMP1s have not been used very much but were well loaded after in Swedish storage. so are in good working order.
I don't think he is rubbish. I think that he is clever and articulate. But his priorities? Jeez. As a centre right instinctively Tory supporter they just make me cringe and this was by far his worst effort to date.
And welcome to PB
That's a man with impeccable Thatcherite credentials and knows how to run an economy.
Being 'normal' sometimes does.
But to be 'normal' its better to try it out before the media follow you around everywhere.
Because there's multiple types of 'normal' and different people will like or dislike different varieties.
So a politician (or family) attempting 'normal' will likely look pretty bloody miserable if they choose the wrong type of 'normal' to play at.
Edit, but welcome by the way. New voices always welcome.
I mean Taiwan is much better defended and harder to invade given they have to cross the sea, rather than a border?
One of the things I was told by an old gardening hand was to walk round your garden every single day and simply look closely. You'd think that there would be no change from day to day but you'd be wrong. And learning how to really see has been a blessing. And once you start doing it there is so much to observe. Partly because of my asthma I rarely walks for long periods without stopping. But also because I am always seeing all sorts of things up close - even the beauty of a gorse bush - or moss or lichen on a stone- or the pattern of a dry stone wall or ferns growing out the ground or a wall.
Honestly I could bore you all for hours about it. Don't worry. I won't.
A ceasefire would be the best ting imaginable, but a ceasefire by any means possible means giving in to Putin. Whiles I would understand if the Ukrainians wanted to give in, and would not blamed them, the lack of support from much in the west (looking at you germane) is shameful. however for as long as they what to fight we sould support and help them do that.
Polls close 6pm UK time, TV links below:
https://hirado.hu/elo/m1/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK49GwyksTk
Will add any decent result sites with maps if I find them.
Well done if you got Orban at 1.25 on Betfair for next PM - will be very surprised if Fidesz don't win, still think the current 1.14 is value, anywhere from a comfortable win in seats to outside chance of 2/3 majority maybe, gut feel is 4-5% vote lead for Fidesz although one recent poll was a tie.
Hope you are all keeping well.
Many thanks,
DC
The 167th Boat Race took place today on the Thames.
Many congratulations to Cambridge for a strong second place. Well done!
(Commiserations to Oxford for coming last but one.)
https://twitter.com/DXWQC/status/1510635220759945227
If there are 20,000 young men who are visibly ruined by the war it cannot be hidden and also they will be able to tell their families and friends about what they saw and how bad the Russian military really is.
Also injured soldiers use up more resources than dead soldiers along the line….
Whenever she had a problem she sent Ken Clarke to fix it.
It's his ideology.
If you are a Russian mother and you see young men come home missing limbs and traumatised in your town and then you look at your son who might get called up then you might start questioning the propaganda.