I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
Why are trams good?
With the advent of cheaper and cheaper battery powered electric buses, is the extra expense worth it? Considering the vast amounts of money that tram lines apparently cost.....
Trams are popular and have priority (in most cases). It's true that you could have a similar system with buses but are there any such exemplars in the UK? Buses outside London are almost universally shite due largely to their deregulation.
Buses make far more sense than trams in most of the country. My wife doesn't drive so goes to work every day on a bus, no issues with that.
In fact while many city snobs will look their nose down at buses, they are the number one form of public transport in most of the country, used by even more people than trains let alone trams in suburban England.
There is no problem with buses and cars sharing roads and with proper investment in roads there is no reason why improvements can't improve both public and private transport.
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
I assume by 'down here' you mean London because in the rest of the SE it is non existent unless you want to go to London.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
The Tories need to free themselves. It's obvious to all concerned that Brexit is going nowhere - they can't spend the next fifty years banging on about the engravings on pint glasses and claiming that's the panacea. Dump Boris, dump the Brexit baggage and look to the future. There might be some pain initially but the outcome will be more than worth it. It'll be like giving birth!
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
Interesting thread on some of the history of Crimea and Mariupol.
https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1517259121724112898 Mariupol was founded by the Crimean Christians deported by Russia in 1770s. Deportation of Christians from Crimea received surprisingly little international coverage. So let's discuss it. Until XVIII century Muslim Tatar Crimean Khanate was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire...
Since we're talking NIMBYs, here's a piece I read recently suggesting that car-dependent suburbia tends to create NIMBY residents in a way that more traditional, higher density urbanism doesn't. It's American, but it's plausible;
The problem with a car-dependent place is that any development at all may be a net negative for the established residents of a neighborhood. There is effectively no concession the developer can offer that turns it into a net positive in the short run. In the long run, infill development is needed to improve the fiscal solvency of these places and to create opportunities to transition away from car-dependence. But in the short run? I get more traffic in front of my house, and with me on the roads I have to drive to the businesses I patronize or work at.
"Transitioning away from car-dependence" is not required.
But investment in better roads can improve existing roads for existing residents while freeing up land to be constructed upon to build more homes.
Case in point, Warrington has had major house building for decades and a lot of that has come with improved transport links. The M62 Junction 8 was opened only in 2002 and that freed up traffic for construction and redevelopment of the old RAF Burtonwood base while opening up a new access point to the motorway for existing residents. From memory, thousands if not more of new homes have been able to be constructed on that repurposed land.
Near to where I live was used as a rat-run to Liverpool which was heavily congested in rush hour. A new bypass has been built and traffic where I live has collapsed as they're now using the bypass instead and now new houses are getting constructed along where the extra transport links have been added.
All that is required is proper investment in roads, not thinking how do we drive people off the roads.
Driving people off the roads is very much the mentality of the urban rich and/or those who believe in increased state control of people's lives.
If people had viable alternative options, like regular and affordable public transport and better cycling infrastructure, and if our towns were designed better, then car use would be lower and everyone would be happier. It's not about driving people off the roads, or at least it shouldn't be.
So says an anti-car zealot.
I think you will find that cars are the #1 transport choice in the overwhelming majority of the country precisely because people are happiest having their own transport that they can go from wherever they are, to wherever they want to be in. With their own private space.
Driving on open roads from A to B is a far more pleasant experience than doing so in public transport for many people.
Yes traffic, especially on badly designed roads, may be an issue but so is congestion on public transport - and I'd be far happier sat in traffic in my own vehicle listening to my own music with my own space than stood in a crowded public vehicle crammed next to somebody's sweaty armpit.
For the vast majority of the time I drive, traffic is not a problem. Anti-car zealots seem to think that life is nothing other than traffic jams for drivers, it normally isn't.
I much prefer to use public transport. I get to knit, or read, instead of having to concentrate on driving.
If I'm going for a walk I can do a linear walk, instead of having to return to where I parked my car.
It's one of the great things about visiting London, the absolute freedom to go anywhere across a huge city using frequent public transport.
Yes , if only they had spent a fraction of the money spent on London transport/infrastructure in other areas of the countries we could all say that.
It's also untrue. Despite the subsidies the tube is quite pricey - the buses often late or missing and for many, many trips you're talking slow and awkward trips that take for ever. It is almost impossible for public transport to match the convenience of door to door car/bike/m-bike journeys even in many towns and cities. And let's not forget the issue of the weather and carrying shopping,. etc., etc.
Wrong. London buses are awesome and how you ascertain they are "late or missing" when one comes past every 3-5 minutes is beyond me. Nobody ever looks at the timetable, why would you? There's a very accurate GPS system which sends live times straight to a smartphone app, and they cost £1.65 to go any distance on one route. The vast Night Bus network runs 24/7.
Admittedly, bus services are beyond shite outside London – largely because of their deregulation outside the capital, one of the biggest blunders in UK transport history.
Even if your one point was accurate from which I demur - you failed to answer the rest.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
The Tories need to free themselves. It's obvious to all concerned that Brexit is going nowhere - they can't spend the next fifty years banging on about the engravings on pint glasses and claiming that's the panacea. Dump Boris, dump the Brexit baggage and look to the future. There might be some pain initially but the outcome will be more than worth it. It'll be like giving birth!
No it isn't. The Brexit Leavers have ie regained sovereignty and tighter immigration controls, is what they voted for. That is why the Conservatives are still polling 34% even now and RefUK on no more than 3%.
Abandon that for closer alignment with the EU again, so the Tories become just an echo of Starmer Labour or the LDs on the EU then Leavers will abandon them en masse for RefUK. The Tories would collapse back to the 20 to 25% they were polling at the end of the May period after she failed to deliver Brexit and not just face the narrow defeat they are now but annihilation.
Farage would return as RefUK leader and end up Leader of the Opposition to PM Starmer. The Tories would face a wipe out close to the scale of that suffered by the Canadian Tories in 1993 when they not only lost power to the Liberals but Reform overtook them as the main party of the right
Since we're talking NIMBYs, here's a piece I read recently suggesting that car-dependent suburbia tends to create NIMBY residents in a way that more traditional, higher density urbanism doesn't. It's American, but it's plausible;
The problem with a car-dependent place is that any development at all may be a net negative for the established residents of a neighborhood. There is effectively no concession the developer can offer that turns it into a net positive in the short run. In the long run, infill development is needed to improve the fiscal solvency of these places and to create opportunities to transition away from car-dependence. But in the short run? I get more traffic in front of my house, and with me on the roads I have to drive to the businesses I patronize or work at.
"Transitioning away from car-dependence" is not required.
But investment in better roads can improve existing roads for existing residents while freeing up land to be constructed upon to build more homes.
Case in point, Warrington has had major house building for decades and a lot of that has come with improved transport links. The M62 Junction 8 was opened only in 2002 and that freed up traffic for construction and redevelopment of the old RAF Burtonwood base while opening up a new access point to the motorway for existing residents. From memory, thousands if not more of new homes have been able to be constructed on that repurposed land.
Near to where I live was used as a rat-run to Liverpool which was heavily congested in rush hour. A new bypass has been built and traffic where I live has collapsed as they're now using the bypass instead and now new houses are getting constructed along where the extra transport links have been added.
All that is required is proper investment in roads, not thinking how do we drive people off the roads.
Driving people off the roads is very much the mentality of the urban rich and/or those who believe in increased state control of people's lives.
If people had viable alternative options, like regular and affordable public transport and better cycling infrastructure, and if our towns were designed better, then car use would be lower and everyone would be happier. It's not about driving people off the roads, or at least it shouldn't be.
So says an anti-car zealot.
I think you will find that cars are the #1 transport choice in the overwhelming majority of the country precisely because people are happiest having their own transport that they can go from wherever they are, to wherever they want to be in. With their own private space.
Driving on open roads from A to B is a far more pleasant experience than doing so in public transport for many people.
Yes traffic, especially on badly designed roads, may be an issue but so is congestion on public transport - and I'd be far happier sat in traffic in my own vehicle listening to my own music with my own space than stood in a crowded public vehicle crammed next to somebody's sweaty armpit.
For the vast majority of the time I drive, traffic is not a problem. Anti-car zealots seem to think that life is nothing other than traffic jams for drivers, it normally isn't.
I much prefer to use public transport. I get to knit, or read, instead of having to concentrate on driving.
If I'm going for a walk I can do a linear walk, instead of having to return to where I parked my car.
It's one of the great things about visiting London, the absolute freedom to go anywhere across a huge city using frequent public transport.
Yes , if only they had spent a fraction of the money spent on London transport/infrastructure in other areas of the countries we could all say that.
It's also untrue. Despite the subsidies the tube is quite pricey - the buses often late or missing and for many, many trips you're talking slow and awkward trips that take for ever. It is almost impossible for public transport to match the convenience of door to door car/bike/m-bike journeys even in many towns and cities. And let's not forget the issue of the weather and carrying shopping,. etc., etc.
Wrong. London buses are awesome and how you ascertain they are "late or missing" when one comes past every 3-5 minutes is beyond me. Nobody ever looks at the timetable, why would you? There's a very accurate GPS system which sends live times straight to a smartphone app, and they cost £1.65 to go any distance on one route. The vast Night Bus network runs 24/7.
Admittedly, bus services are beyond shite outside London – largely because of their deregulation outside the capital, one of the biggest blunders in UK transport history.
The bus service in Brighton is fabulous. One company runs around 99% of routes - a monopoly, really. Works closely with the council. They ignored deregulation, to great benefit.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
The Tories need to free themselves. It's obvious to all concerned that Brexit is going nowhere - they can't spend the next fifty years banging on about the engravings on pint glasses and claiming that's the panacea. Dump Boris, dump the Brexit baggage and look to the future. There might be some pain initially but the outcome will be more than worth it. It'll be like giving birth!
No it isn't. The Brexit Leavers have ie regained sovereignty and tighter immigration controls, is what they voted for. That is why the Conservatives are still polling 34% even now and RefUK on no more than 3%.
Abandon that for closer alignment with the EU again, so the Tories become just an echo of Starmer Labour or the LDs on the EU then Leavers will abandon them en masse for RefUK. The Tories would collapse back to the 20 to 25% they were polling at the end of the May period after she failed to deliver Brexit and not just face the narrow defeat they are now but annihilation.
Farage would return as RefUK leader and end up Leader of the Opposition to PM Starmer. The Tories would fave a wipe out close to the scale of that suffered by the Canadian Tories in 1993 when they not only lost power to the Liberals but Reform overtook them as the main party of the right
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
Leeds hasn't got a tram because the coalition cancelled it, IIRC. Think Labour in their dog days gave it the go-ahead but it was sacrificed on the alter of austerity. I expect Labour knew it would probably get the chop.
EDIT - it might have been a trolleybus scheme, not a tram, that was scrapped. The trolleybus scheme being put forward after a previous tram scheme was scrapped, I think.
An indicator of the, with hindsight, inevitable fate of the Leeds leg of HS2. 'Levelling up'.
I commuted 15 miles into Leeds using Northern Rail for a decade, after moving back oop north from a decade living in a city with excellent public transport. The experience eventually ground me down and I belatedly got a driving licence and started driving into Leeds instead.
All pre-covid, of course.
They're slashing services now, 'cos usage is still well down. Turbulent times ahead for the rail industry, I think. People who commuted into Leeds by train are generally the people who can work from home, and don't miss the commute. I certainly don't.
I do such little mileage now I think when my lease on my boring, 1 litre, fuel-efficient commuter buggy expires next year I'm gonna get a big gas-guzzling 4x4. Sod it, why not. I don't have kids and not reproducing is the greenest thing you can do, so I have credit in the climate change bank.
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
Why are trams good?
With the advent of cheaper and cheaper battery powered electric buses, is the extra expense worth it? Considering the vast amounts of money that tram lines apparently cost.....
Trams are popular and have priority (in most cases). It's true that you could have a similar system with buses but are there any such exemplars in the UK? Buses outside London are almost universally shite due largely to their deregulation.
there is no reason why improvements can't improve....
Finally some sense! Although they would be pretty iffy improvements if they didn't improve.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
The Tories need to free themselves. It's obvious to all concerned that Brexit is going nowhere - they can't spend the next fifty years banging on about the engravings on pint glasses and claiming that's the panacea. Dump Boris, dump the Brexit baggage and look to the future. There might be some pain initially but the outcome will be more than worth it. It'll be like giving birth!
No it isn't. The Brexit Leavers have ie regained sovereignty and tighter immigration controls, is what they voted for. That is why the Conservatives are still polling 34% even now and RefUK on no more than 3%.
Abandon that for closer alignment with the EU again, so the Tories become just an echo of Starmer Labour or the LDs on the EU then Leavers will abandon them en masse for RefUK. The Tories would collapse back to the 20 to 25% they were polling at the end of the May period after she failed to deliver Brexit and not just face the narrow defeat they are now but annihilation.
Farage would return as RefUK leader and end up Leader of the Opposition to PM Starmer. The Tories would face a wipe out close to the scale of that suffered by the Canadian Tories in 1993 when they not only lost power to the Liberals but Reform overtook them as the main party of the right
This doesn’t sound like the worst possible turn of events for the country.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Cheers from the “Redneck Riviera” - Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee
Superb
At five past seven in the morning. That's pretty impressive.
Well he does have the young pretender @BlancheLivermore to fend off.
While I’m happily amused that others seem to be making it a competition, I’d thought that Leon and I were just enjoying the fact that we’d each look relatively less debauched!
On which note, I’m happy to report that the four cans of Moritz (Barcelona lager) that I bought in a little shop around the corner cost less than one of the cans of Estrella from my room’s fridge. I’m going to enjoy the last sun on my balcony before a siesta, then more exploring..
- senior EU official said the PM’s remark was “ridiculous” and would “make Kyiv irate” https://on.ft.com/3rKKgVm
Is that the same EU official who, a few days ago, suggested that Russia would take the Donbas in a few months followed by a stalemate and Europe would then lose interest?
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
Since we're talking NIMBYs, here's a piece I read recently suggesting that car-dependent suburbia tends to create NIMBY residents in a way that more traditional, higher density urbanism doesn't. It's American, but it's plausible;
The problem with a car-dependent place is that any development at all may be a net negative for the established residents of a neighborhood. There is effectively no concession the developer can offer that turns it into a net positive in the short run. In the long run, infill development is needed to improve the fiscal solvency of these places and to create opportunities to transition away from car-dependence. But in the short run? I get more traffic in front of my house, and with me on the roads I have to drive to the businesses I patronize or work at.
"Transitioning away from car-dependence" is not required.
But investment in better roads can improve existing roads for existing residents while freeing up land to be constructed upon to build more homes.
Case in point, Warrington has had major house building for decades and a lot of that has come with improved transport links. The M62 Junction 8 was opened only in 2002 and that freed up traffic for construction and redevelopment of the old RAF Burtonwood base while opening up a new access point to the motorway for existing residents. From memory, thousands if not more of new homes have been able to be constructed on that repurposed land.
Near to where I live was used as a rat-run to Liverpool which was heavily congested in rush hour. A new bypass has been built and traffic where I live has collapsed as they're now using the bypass instead and now new houses are getting constructed along where the extra transport links have been added.
All that is required is proper investment in roads, not thinking how do we drive people off the roads.
Driving people off the roads is very much the mentality of the urban rich and/or those who believe in increased state control of people's lives.
If people had viable alternative options, like regular and affordable public transport and better cycling infrastructure, and if our towns were designed better, then car use would be lower and everyone would be happier. It's not about driving people off the roads, or at least it shouldn't be.
So says an anti-car zealot.
I think you will find that cars are the #1 transport choice in the overwhelming majority of the country precisely because people are happiest having their own transport that they can go from wherever they are, to wherever they want to be in. With their own private space.
Driving on open roads from A to B is a far more pleasant experience than doing so in public transport for many people.
Yes traffic, especially on badly designed roads, may be an issue but so is congestion on public transport - and I'd be far happier sat in traffic in my own vehicle listening to my own music with my own space than stood in a crowded public vehicle crammed next to somebody's sweaty armpit.
For the vast majority of the time I drive, traffic is not a problem. Anti-car zealots seem to think that life is nothing other than traffic jams for drivers, it normally isn't.
I much prefer to use public transport. I get to knit, or read, instead of having to concentrate on driving.
If I'm going for a walk I can do a linear walk, instead of having to return to where I parked my car.
It's one of the great things about visiting London, the absolute freedom to go anywhere across a huge city using frequent public transport.
Yes , if only they had spent a fraction of the money spent on London transport/infrastructure in other areas of the countries we could all say that.
It's also untrue. Despite the subsidies the tube is quite pricey - the buses often late or missing and for many, many trips you're talking slow and awkward trips that take for ever. It is almost impossible for public transport to match the convenience of door to door car/bike/m-bike journeys even in many towns and cities. And let's not forget the issue of the weather and carrying shopping,. etc., etc.
Wrong. London buses are awesome and how you ascertain they are "late or missing" when one comes past every 3-5 minutes is beyond me. Nobody ever looks at the timetable, why would you? There's a very accurate GPS system which sends live times straight to a smartphone app, and they cost £1.65 to go any distance on one route. The vast Night Bus network runs 24/7.
Admittedly, bus services are beyond shite outside London – largely because of their deregulation outside the capital, one of the biggest blunders in UK transport history.
Edinburgh buses are really rather good in my experience
Might well be different in Scotland, I'm really talking from an anglocentric POV.
I was going to make the same point as Farooq (strictly speaking, Edinburgh and much of Lothian). Still owned by the local authorities involved. Includes the trams. Integrated ticketing for the buses at least, with day or week passes. Commerical firms can and do operate esp on the routes to outside Lothian.
- senior EU official said the PM’s remark was “ridiculous” and would “make Kyiv irate” https://on.ft.com/3rKKgVm
Is that the same EU official who, a few days ago, suggested that Russia would take the Donbas in a few months followed by a stalemate and Europe would then lose interest?
If it was, then that's not a whole lot different from what BoJo was saying (could last until the end of next year).
You are posting it as though it is transparent rubbish.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
But you're wilfully ignoring the simple facts that
(a0 they are in negotiation (b) Mr Modi gave his later date after Mr Johnson had spoken.
Either that or Mr Johnson is so incompetent as not to know what day it is, pretty much, if he thinks Diwali and Hogmanay are the same festival.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
But you're wilfully ignoring the simple facts that
(a0 they are in negotiation (b) Mr Modi gave his later date after Mr Johnson had spoken.
Either that or Mr Johnson is so incompetent as not to know what day it is, pretty much, if he thinks Diwali and Hogmanay are the same festival.
(c) Boris likes colourful language and was being respectful to his hosts picking a date associated with India/Indians, while Modi was being respectful to his guest using a very similar date more familiar to Brits.
Leaders are mutually respectful to each other shocker.
- senior EU official said the PM’s remark was “ridiculous” and would “make Kyiv irate” https://on.ft.com/3rKKgVm
Is that the same EU official who, a few days ago, suggested that Russia would take the Donbas in a few months followed by a stalemate and Europe would then lose interest?
If it was, then that's not a whole lot different from what BoJo was saying (could last until the end of next year).
You are posting it as though it is transparent rubbish.
Zelensky has been saying, ever since it became clear that the war was lengthening, that Russia could still win - that the outcome is not determined.
And asking for more and heavier weapons to fight it.
- senior EU official said the PM’s remark was “ridiculous” and would “make Kyiv irate” https://on.ft.com/3rKKgVm
Is that the same EU official who, a few days ago, suggested that Russia would take the Donbas in a few months followed by a stalemate and Europe would then lose interest?
If it was, then that's not a whole lot different from what BoJo was saying (could last until the end of next year).
You are posting it as though it is transparent rubbish.
My post was to call out "senior EU officials" for taking a pot shot at a "realistic" assessment because it comes from the mouth of Boris Johnson, when their own people were making a similar assessment and portraying it as "likely" a few days ago.
I've got nothing against what's being said, I'm just against hypocrisy.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you).
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
I assume by 'down here' you mean London because in the rest of the SE it is non existent unless you want to go to London.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
Pretty sure I'm going to regret getting into a PB Dates Debate, but Diwali is demonstrably not the end of the year, it's on 24 October. What is the argument about this?
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
- senior EU official said the PM’s remark was “ridiculous” and would “make Kyiv irate” https://on.ft.com/3rKKgVm
Is that the same EU official who, a few days ago, suggested that Russia would take the Donbas in a few months followed by a stalemate and Europe would then lose interest?
If it was, then that's not a whole lot different from what BoJo was saying (could last until the end of next year).
You are posting it as though it is transparent rubbish.
Zelensky has been saying, ever since it became clear that the war was lengthening, that Russia could still win - that the outcome is not determined.
And asking for more and heavier weapons to fight it.
He has been playing it exactly right. For every Putin pronouncement he has responded with an equally "fight them on the beaches" statement. To his great credit.
But the war is far from won or lost.
Contrary (sorry to bang on about it) to the Official PB Assessment on Day 2 of the invasion.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
I assume by 'down here' you mean London because in the rest of the SE it is non existent unless you want to go to London.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
Pretty sure I'm going to regret getting into a PB Dates Debate, but Diwali is demonstrably not the end of the year, it's on 24 October. What is the argument about this?
The argument is whether "by the end of the year" and "by Diwali" are mutually exclusive.
- senior EU official said the PM’s remark was “ridiculous” and would “make Kyiv irate” https://on.ft.com/3rKKgVm
Is that the same EU official who, a few days ago, suggested that Russia would take the Donbas in a few months followed by a stalemate and Europe would then lose interest?
If it was, then that's not a whole lot different from what BoJo was saying (could last until the end of next year).
You are posting it as though it is transparent rubbish.
Zelensky has been saying, ever since it became clear that the war was lengthening, that Russia could still win - that the outcome is not determined.
And asking for more and heavier weapons to fight it.
He has been playing it exactly right. For every Putin pronouncement he has responded with an equally "fight them on the beaches" statement. To his great credit.
But the war is far from won or lost.
Contrary (sorry to bang on about it) to the Official PB Assessment on Day 2 of the invasion.
True indeed. Although that every day is a victory for Ukraine remains a truism.
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
Why are trams good?
With the advent of cheaper and cheaper battery powered electric buses, is the extra expense worth it? Considering the vast amounts of money that tram lines apparently cost.....
Simple: they have a fixed infrastructure that means once built, potential passengers can be confident that the service will be there to stay, and won’t suddenly get re-routed away at the tram operator’s whim.
The “flexibility” of the bus is its achilles heel. Sure you can spin up a route or even a network of routes quickly and cheaply, but what route planners giveth route planners can taketh away, so it’s risky for passengers to expect it’ll still be around in a few years. Bus Rapid Transit schemes could bridge the gap, but the failed Cambridge Guided Busway scheme shows that even those with a high degree of fixed infrastructure are vulnerable.
Since we're talking NIMBYs, here's a piece I read recently suggesting that car-dependent suburbia tends to create NIMBY residents in a way that more traditional, higher density urbanism doesn't. It's American, but it's plausible;
The problem with a car-dependent place is that any development at all may be a net negative for the established residents of a neighborhood. There is effectively no concession the developer can offer that turns it into a net positive in the short run. In the long run, infill development is needed to improve the fiscal solvency of these places and to create opportunities to transition away from car-dependence. But in the short run? I get more traffic in front of my house, and with me on the roads I have to drive to the businesses I patronize or work at.
"Transitioning away from car-dependence" is not required.
But investment in better roads can improve existing roads for existing residents while freeing up land to be constructed upon to build more homes.
Case in point, Warrington has had major house building for decades and a lot of that has come with improved transport links. The M62 Junction 8 was opened only in 2002 and that freed up traffic for construction and redevelopment of the old RAF Burtonwood base while opening up a new access point to the motorway for existing residents. From memory, thousands if not more of new homes have been able to be constructed on that repurposed land.
Near to where I live was used as a rat-run to Liverpool which was heavily congested in rush hour. A new bypass has been built and traffic where I live has collapsed as they're now using the bypass instead and now new houses are getting constructed along where the extra transport links have been added.
All that is required is proper investment in roads, not thinking how do we drive people off the roads.
Driving people off the roads is very much the mentality of the urban rich and/or those who believe in increased state control of people's lives.
If people had viable alternative options, like regular and affordable public transport and better cycling infrastructure, and if our towns were designed better, then car use would be lower and everyone would be happier. It's not about driving people off the roads, or at least it shouldn't be.
So says an anti-car zealot.
I think you will find that cars are the #1 transport choice in the overwhelming majority of the country precisely because people are happiest having their own transport that they can go from wherever they are, to wherever they want to be in. With their own private space.
Driving on open roads from A to B is a far more pleasant experience than doing so in public transport for many people.
Yes traffic, especially on badly designed roads, may be an issue but so is congestion on public transport - and I'd be far happier sat in traffic in my own vehicle listening to my own music with my own space than stood in a crowded public vehicle crammed next to somebody's sweaty armpit.
For the vast majority of the time I drive, traffic is not a problem. Anti-car zealots seem to think that life is nothing other than traffic jams for drivers, it normally isn't.
I much prefer to use public transport. I get to knit, or read, instead of having to concentrate on driving.
If I'm going for a walk I can do a linear walk, instead of having to return to where I parked my car.
It's one of the great things about visiting London, the absolute freedom to go anywhere across a huge city using frequent public transport.
Yes , if only they had spent a fraction of the money spent on London transport/infrastructure in other areas of the countries we could all say that.
It's also untrue. Despite the subsidies the tube is quite pricey - the buses often late or missing and for many, many trips you're talking slow and awkward trips that take for ever. It is almost impossible for public transport to match the convenience of door to door car/bike/m-bike journeys even in many towns and cities. And let's not forget the issue of the weather and carrying shopping,. etc., etc.
Wrong. London buses are awesome and how you ascertain they are "late or missing" when one comes past every 3-5 minutes is beyond me. Nobody ever looks at the timetable, why would you? There's a very accurate GPS system which sends live times straight to a smartphone app, and they cost £1.65 to go any distance on one route. The vast Night Bus network runs 24/7.
Admittedly, bus services are beyond shite outside London – largely because of their deregulation outside the capital, one of the biggest blunders in UK transport history.
Had a major argument with my step-mother over Easter because of her bizarre aversion to ever using a bus in London. Only explanation I could think of was that it was a class thing. Poor people used the bus, but she could afford to use the suburban trains, etc, even if they were less convenient.
Re: Leon's invasion of Tennessee, years ago yours truly was also traveling, and ended up at the Nashville Greyhound bus station with a four-hour layover. So decided that I would take a stroll around town.
Until I walked out the front door to the sidewalk in front of the station. Where first thing I saw was some semi-crazed redneck cold-cock another semi-crazed redneck- BAM!
That was enough site seeing for me. Turned right around, found a seat in the station and stayed there reading a book until my bus left for greener pastures.
Pity really, have always hear Nashville is a great place to visit!
BTW, Leon, make a point of paying your respects (I hope) at RYMAN AUDITORIUM the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.
FYI (and BTW) I have a Franklin Mint model of the "Mother Church" of country music in my very own rumpus room.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
It is on exactly the same day it always has been, namely the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the Spring Equinox. Everyone knows that - it's simple, clear, and there's no scope whatsoever for confusion (unless you're Orthodox).
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
Sorry you were right on the reading comprehension.
You did say "as that.."
But the point remains: Diwali and End of the Year are not the same and are not close. One is in October and one in December. That is five or seven months (ie a 40% difference).
It's just Boris (whom you now despise and think should stand down) being Boris.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
24 October.
A good two months and more difference in deadline.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
Sorry you were right on the reading comprehension.
You did say "as that.."
But the point remains: Diwali and End of the Year are not the same and are not close. One is in October and one in December. That is five or seven months (ie a 40% difference).
It's just Boris (whom you now despise and think should stand down) being Boris.
Quite. And only recently on PB there was a looong dispute over when springt begins. I had no idea there was such a variety of definitions, or of their calendrical range.
At least Diwali and the end of the year are clear.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike them, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right.
The only 2 centre right leaders in Western G20 nations at the moment outside Japan are Boris and Scott Morrison, precisely as they have kept the right united behind them while also still winning enough swing voters in the middle in 2019
Cheers from the “Redneck Riviera” - Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee
Superb
Woke cultural appropriation!
Seeing as how the "true' Redneck Riviera is on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama & Mississippi. Tennessee sadly NOT having any salt-water beaches.
Just saying, for purposes of pungent punditry.
That. And Biden got 64.5% of the vote in Davidson County. The biggest Dem share since 1944.
Which is why Republican legislature and governor of the great Volunteer State have gerrymandered the heck out of Davidson Co, splintering it so that godless Socialists that Leon is currently cavorting among, will be swamped on Election Day by right-minded rural hordes.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
You seriously believe that? Those dates spoken in India have key polotical and economic importance. We're talking about on e of the glories of the Brexiter treasure box, and you sound like your namesake claiming that EPNS is every bit as good as sterling silver when it comes to sharing out the loot. No wonder if the crew gets stroppy.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike then, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right
Because a UK general election works exactly like a French presidential election?
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
You seriously believe that? Those dates spoken in India have key polotical and economic importance. We're talking about on e of the glories of the Brexiter treasure box, and you sound like your namesake claiming that EPNS is every bit as good as sterling silver when it comes to sharing out the loot. No wonder if the crew gets stroppy.
Of course I seriously believe that, if I didn't seriously believe that, I wouldn't have said it.
They've just been engaged in face-to-face negotiations and have both come out and said this year. That's normally an indication that they're pretty close to an agreement and it is is relatively close to being wrapped up, not that they're still stuck on discussing vague generalities and there's years of negotiating still to go.
If its not, then that's a shame, but it will be a shame to both parties and both dates will be missed. If it is, then no I don't think by the end of the year or by Diwali is a great difference of opinion.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
I tend to agree with you that the argument is making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike then, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right
Because a UK general election works exactly like a French presidential election?
We saw how well the Tories did in early 2019 under a Pecresse style May leadership, heading for third behind the Brexit Party
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
I assume by 'down here' you mean London because in the rest of the SE it is non existent unless you want to go to London.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
Pretty sure I'm going to regret getting into a PB Dates Debate, but Diwali is demonstrably not the end of the year, it's on 24 October. What is the argument about this?
The argument is whether "by the end of the year" and "by Diwali" are mutually exclusive.
Well the former means by 31 December and the latter by 24 October, a difference in timetable of some 68 days.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike then, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right
Because a UK general election works exactly like a French presidential election?
We saw how well the Tories did in early 2019 under a Pecresse style May leadership, heading for third behind the Brexit Party
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
Why are trams good?
With the advent of cheaper and cheaper battery powered electric buses, is the extra expense worth it? Considering the vast amounts of money that tram lines apparently cost.....
Simple: they have a fixed infrastructure that means once built, potential passengers can be confident that the service will be there to stay, and won’t suddenly get re-routed away at the tram operator’s whim.
The “flexibility” of the bus is its achilles heel. Sure you can spin up a route or even a network of routes quickly and cheaply, but what route planners giveth route planners can taketh away, so it’s risky for passengers to expect it’ll still be around in a few years. Bus Rapid Transit schemes could bridge the gap, but the failed Cambridge Guided Busway scheme shows that even those with a high degree of fixed infrastructure are vulnerable.
So we spend billions to create a sunk cost fallacy?
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
I assume by 'down here' you mean London because in the rest of the SE it is non existent unless you want to go to London.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
Pretty sure I'm going to regret getting into a PB Dates Debate, but Diwali is demonstrably not the end of the year, it's on 24 October. What is the argument about this?
The argument is whether "by the end of the year" and "by Diwali" are mutually exclusive.
Well the former means by 31 December and the latter by 24 October, a difference in timetable of some 68 days.
And if you've just had a meeting and are both thinking that this could be wrapped up in 2-3 months then both dates work depending upon what language you want to use, they're not contradictory.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike then, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right
Because a UK general election works exactly like a French presidential election?
We saw how well the Tories did in early 2019 under a Pecresse style May leadership, heading for third behind the Brexit Party
That was when Brexit hadn't happened yet...
Stark was arguing for the Tories pushing for closer alignment with the EU again ie plus free movement and more EU regulations etc.
Down that path lies only a Farage revival at Tory expense
Since we're talking NIMBYs, here's a piece I read recently suggesting that car-dependent suburbia tends to create NIMBY residents in a way that more traditional, higher density urbanism doesn't. It's American, but it's plausible;
The problem with a car-dependent place is that any development at all may be a net negative for the established residents of a neighborhood. There is effectively no concession the developer can offer that turns it into a net positive in the short run. In the long run, infill development is needed to improve the fiscal solvency of these places and to create opportunities to transition away from car-dependence. But in the short run? I get more traffic in front of my house, and with me on the roads I have to drive to the businesses I patronize or work at.
"Transitioning away from car-dependence" is not required.
But investment in better roads can improve existing roads for existing residents while freeing up land to be constructed upon to build more homes.
Case in point, Warrington has had major house building for decades and a lot of that has come with improved transport links. The M62 Junction 8 was opened only in 2002 and that freed up traffic for construction and redevelopment of the old RAF Burtonwood base while opening up a new access point to the motorway for existing residents. From memory, thousands if not more of new homes have been able to be constructed on that repurposed land.
Near to where I live was used as a rat-run to Liverpool which was heavily congested in rush hour. A new bypass has been built and traffic where I live has collapsed as they're now using the bypass instead and now new houses are getting constructed along where the extra transport links have been added.
All that is required is proper investment in roads, not thinking how do we drive people off the roads.
Driving people off the roads is very much the mentality of the urban rich and/or those who believe in increased state control of people's lives.
If people had viable alternative options, like regular and affordable public transport and better cycling infrastructure, and if our towns were designed better, then car use would be lower and everyone would be happier. It's not about driving people off the roads, or at least it shouldn't be.
So says an anti-car zealot.
I think you will find that cars are the #1 transport choice in the overwhelming majority of the country precisely because people are happiest having their own transport that they can go from wherever they are, to wherever they want to be in. With their own private space.
Driving on open roads from A to B is a far more pleasant experience than doing so in public transport for many people.
Yes traffic, especially on badly designed roads, may be an issue but so is congestion on public transport - and I'd be far happier sat in traffic in my own vehicle listening to my own music with my own space than stood in a crowded public vehicle crammed next to somebody's sweaty armpit.
For the vast majority of the time I drive, traffic is not a problem. Anti-car zealots seem to think that life is nothing other than traffic jams for drivers, it normally isn't.
I much prefer to use public transport. I get to knit, or read, instead of having to concentrate on driving.
If I'm going for a walk I can do a linear walk, instead of having to return to where I parked my car.
It's one of the great things about visiting London, the absolute freedom to go anywhere across a huge city using frequent public transport.
Yes , if only they had spent a fraction of the money spent on London transport/infrastructure in other areas of the countries we could all say that.
It's also untrue. Despite the subsidies the tube is quite pricey - the buses often late or missing and for many, many trips you're talking slow and awkward trips that take for ever. It is almost impossible for public transport to match the convenience of door to door car/bike/m-bike journeys even in many towns and cities. And let's not forget the issue of the weather and carrying shopping,. etc., etc.
Wrong. London buses are awesome and how you ascertain they are "late or missing" when one comes past every 3-5 minutes is beyond me. Nobody ever looks at the timetable, why would you? There's a very accurate GPS system which sends live times straight to a smartphone app, and they cost £1.65 to go any distance on one route. The vast Night Bus network runs 24/7.
Admittedly, bus services are beyond shite outside London – largely because of their deregulation outside the capital, one of the biggest blunders in UK transport history.
Had a major argument with my step-mother over Easter because of her bizarre aversion to ever using a bus in London. Only explanation I could think of was that it was a class thing. Poor people used the bus, but she could afford to use the suburban trains, etc, even if they were less convenient.
Bizarre. Pretty much all demographics use the buses in London in my experience. They are just so convenient on certain trips.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Why don't they compromise on Christmas? Or Hanukkah? Or Guy Fawkes night? How about the first Sunday in Advent?
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
I tend to agree with you that the argument is making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
Easter being a movable feast, using to mark the season is tad problematic.
Re: Leon's invasion of Tennessee, years ago yours truly was also traveling, and ended up at the Nashville Greyhound bus station with a four-hour layover. So decided that I would take a stroll around town.
Until I walked out the front door to the sidewalk in front of the station. Where first thing I saw was some semi-crazed redneck cold-cock another semi-crazed redneck- BAM!
That was enough site seeing for me. Turned right around, found a seat in the station and stayed there reading a book until my bus left for greener pastures.
Pity really, have always hear Nashville is a great place to visit!
BTW, Leon, make a point of paying your respects (I hope) at RYMAN AUDITORIUM the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.
FYI (and BTW) I have a Franklin Mint model of the "Mother Church" of country music in my very own rumpus room.
Right next to my model of Windsor Castle!
At one point, early eighties, my wife was the only female music producer in the world, working out of Nashville.
She has some stories. Generally around the misogyny. Little ladies were only good for two things - "having babies or singing back-up....". Until she miked up a drum kit to make it sound exactly like Phil Collins. That got their attention.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
Christmas and New year are not technically the same but Christmas Marks the end of the year as most people finish work by then. October and December are entirely different.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Why don't they compromise on Christmas? Or Hanukkah? Or Guy Fawkes night? How about the first Sunday in Advent?
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
2019 was all about getting Brexit "done". What does he (or his successor) do in 2024?
Brexit will have been neutralised at best. For every voter singing the praises of Brexit and its benefits I reckon there will be 10 moaning about the consequences and why "levelling up" has mysteriously failed to materialise.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
I tend to agree with you that the argument is making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
Agreed that the argument is a mountain out of a molehill. But we like to explore molehills on PedanticBetting.com and therefore those who claim that New Year's Eve and Diwali are the same date must be publicly chastised for their schoolboy error.
I have never grasped this ludicrous dichotomy between the road lobby and public transport lobby. We need both. Good public transport makes for better roads, and many people use both modes.
I have a big SUV and love driving it, in the right context. I also like using buses and tubes as they offer freedom to drink and not faff around parking that cars lack. Meanwhile, the reason why so many people use public transport down here is that it's generally pretty good.
The reason why its eschewed by many northerners is that, outside the likes of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield, which have decent rapid transit systems, it's bloody awful.
Why hasn't Leeds got a tram, for instance? Pathetic.
I assume by 'down here' you mean London because in the rest of the SE it is non existent unless you want to go to London.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
Pretty sure I'm going to regret getting into a PB Dates Debate, but Diwali is demonstrably not the end of the year, it's on 24 October. What is the argument about this?
The argument is whether "by the end of the year" and "by Diwali" are mutually exclusive.
Well the former means by 31 December and the latter by 24 October, a difference in timetable of some 68 days.
And if you've just had a meeting and are both thinking that this could be wrapped up in 2-3 months then both dates work depending upon what language you want to use, they're not contradictory.
Crikey. You sound like some of the so-called 'schedulers' in my old job.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Why don't they compromise on Christmas? Or Hanukkah? Or Guy Fawkes night? How about the first Sunday in Advent?
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
I tend to agree with you that the argument is making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
Agreed that the argument is a mountain out of a molehill. But we like to explore molehills on PedanticBetting.com and therefore those who claim that New Year's Eve and Diwali are the same date must be publicly chastised for their schoolboy error.
Since this is PedanticBetting.com it must be pointed out that nobody did that and therefore those who claim anyone did should be chastised.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
I tend to agree with you that the argument is making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
Easter being a movable feast, using to mark the season is tad problematic.
Diwali is also moves around, but less so?
According to this page it moves around about the same amount, from October 12 to November 14 between 2018 and 2040.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
Christmas and New year are not technically the same but Christmas Marks the end of the year as most people finish work by then. October and December are entirely different.
Indeed. And New Year's Eve is one of the Twelve Days of Christmas so is very much part and parcel of that festival. Diwali is in mid-autumn!
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
Sorry you were right on the reading comprehension.
You did say "as that.."
But the point remains: Diwali and End of the Year are not the same and are not close. One is in October and one in December. That is five or seven months (ie a 40% difference).
It's just Boris (whom you now despise and think should stand down) being Boris.
Quite. And only recently on PB there was a looong dispute over when springt begins. I had no idea there was such a variety of definitions, or of their calendrical range.
At least Diwali and the end of the year are clear.
Boris might have meant Chaitra Navratri, in deference to Modi. Or of course Awal Muharram to troll him.
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike then, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right
Because a UK general election works exactly like a French presidential election?
We saw how well the Tories did in early 2019 under a Pecresse style May leadership, heading for third behind the Brexit Party
That was when Brexit hadn't happened yet...
Stark was arguing for the Tories pushing for closer alignment with the EU again ie plus free movement and more EU regulations etc.
Down that path lies only a Farage revival at Tory expense
No, the Tories have to be nimble and give every impression of sticking to spirit of the Brexit vote. But there's plenty of room for manoeuvre when forging the new European settlement. What they can't do is spend the rest of their days fretting over the ghosts of Boris and Farage. Either the Tories show some inventiveness or Sir Keir will.
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Why don't they compromise on Christmas? Or Hanukkah? Or Guy Fawkes night? How about the first Sunday in Advent?
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
2019 was all about getting Brexit "done". What does he (or his successor) do in 2024?
Brexit will have been neutralised at best. For every voter singing the praises of Brexit and its benefits I reckon there will be 10 moaning about the consequences and why "levelling up" has proved a hollow slogan.
How about vote Tory to keep superwoke lefty Sir Keir Sanity Starmer, former DPP, out of number 10?
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike then, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right
Because a UK general election works exactly like a French presidential election?
We saw how well the Tories did in early 2019 under a Pecresse style May leadership, heading for third behind the Brexit Party
That was when Brexit hadn't happened yet...
Stark was arguing for the Tories pushing for closer alignment with the EU again ie plus free movement and more EU regulations etc.
Down that path lies only a Farage revival at Tory expense
No, the Tories have to be nimble and give every impression of sticking to spirit of the Brexit vote. But there's plenty of room for manoeuvre when forging the new European settlement. What they can't do is spend the rest of their days fretting over the ghosts of Boris and Farage. Either the Tories show some inventiveness or Sir Keir will.
If by 'inventivess' you mean aligning closer to the EU again then forget merely narrowly losing the next general election, the Tories would risk collapsing to third behind a revived Farage and RefUK
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike them, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right.
The only 2 centre right leaders in Western G20 nations at the moment outside Japan are Boris and Scott Morrison, precisely as they have kept the right united behind them while also still winning enough swing voters in the middle in 2019
That's a total misunderstanding of how Pecresse's campaign faltered.
She initially prospered as an "echo of Macron" as you put it, and appeared late last year to have a good chance of at least making the run off. However, she tacked right to try to soak up Le Pen and Zemmour supporters, going so far as to allude to the Great Replacement theory (a far right, white supremacist standard). That was inauthentic to the real far right, whilst driving the centre to Macron.
She was also a bloody useless campaigner - rather like May, she was stilted and low energy to say the least.
The strangest thing about the media coverage of Boris' Indian jaunt is that no-one seems to be worrying about the increasingly worrying human-rights record of the Modi government. I have a feeling that cosying up to Modi is going to be another of those big long-term mistakes. (And that's without even factoring in India being Putin apologists).
It's looking bad for Johnson if anyone's listening to the 1.00 BBC News. Lord Hayward thinks hes a gonner. Let's hope so. My hope is that if he goes his whole sycophantic Cabinet go with him
If the Tories wish to maximise their chances for next GE they need a reset and the strong appearance of a reset.
The Tories need to ditch Boris and get a Remainer as leader. Brexit is looking stale and a Rees-Mogg or a Truss would merely prolong the sense of drift and managed decline. The new leader, whilst not advocating a reversal of Brexit, must nevertheless promise to rebuild the European consensus with Britain as its beating heart. That would completely take the wind out of Sir Keir's sails.
No it would lead to mass defections of Leavers from the Tories to RefUK while winning back virtually no Remainers from Starmer Labour and the LDs.
The Tories would risk falling to 3rd as they were at the end of the May era behind Labour and the Brexit Party
Oh, FFS. At the end of the May era, Remain was still an option and it isn't now. RefUK is a joke - which is a pity, because there's space there for a sensible party.
It is only a joke as the Tories effectively became the Brexit Party with Boris.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
Utter garbage
No it isn't, look at how well Pecresse did as an echo of Macron, just 5%.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike them, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right.
The only 2 centre right leaders in Western G20 nations at the moment outside Japan are Boris and Scott Morrison, precisely as they have kept the right united behind them while also still winning enough swing voters in the middle in 2019
That's a total misunderstanding of how Pecresse's campaign faltered.
She initially prospered as an "echo of Macron" as you put it, and appeared late last year to have a good chance of at least making the run off. However, she tacked right to try to soak up Le Pen and Zemmour supporters, going so far as to allude to the Great Replacement theory (a far right, white supremacist standard). That was inauthentic to the real far right, whilst driving the centre to Macron.
She was also a bloody useless campaigner - rather like May, she was stilted and low energy to say the least.
She was squeezed by losing Fillon voters to her right to Zemmour and Le Pen and to the centre to Macron then to keep out Le Pen.
Fillon did better in 2017 on a more socially conservative and traditional right agenda than Pecresse had this year, getting 20%, 4 times what Pecresse got
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
I tend to agree with you that the argument is making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
Easter being a movable feast, using to mark the season is tad problematic.
Diwali is also moves around, but less so?
I think the variability is almost exactly the same because both are determined by lunar calendars. So the maximum difference between earliest and latest is essentially a lunar month (but a shade more for Easter as it has to be a Sunday).
Surely it's high time we revived the classic First Day of Spring debate?
A true exemplar of the genre.
I don’t believe I’ve ever been involved in a debate over it, but I don’t think there should be a national one. I believe I learnt from an episode of QI that it happens botanically up the British isles at about an average of walking speed. Puts a spring in my step!
BoZo says he wants a trade deal done by October. The Indians said no
Talking of lies - the Indians did not say no
You're unfair to Scott. They did. They can see a desperate Brexiter coming a kilometre off. Hence the holdout.
'The pair appeared to differ on how rapidly an agreement could be made – Johnson suggested it could be ready by the festival of Diwali in late October, but Modi pointed to the end of the year.
Johnson said: “As the next round of talks begin here next week, we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October.”
Modi said there had been “good progress and we have decided to make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year”. Three rounds of talks had already been held.'
Scott could have quoted as you have done but he wanted to paint it as a failure as he cannot help himself
You wouldn't, would you? This was a joint press release all about agreement. The fact that Mr M immediately corrected Mr J is the key point. Mr J is in a panic. Mr M can screw what he likes out of Mr J.
Nonsense. There is no meaningful difference between saying an ambition by Diwali and an ambition by year end. Ambition doesn't mean deadline.
Boris was being respectful naming a date associated with his hosts. That isn't panic or differences apart from those like Scott driven mad by Brexit.
You're absolutely frantic to interpret it every way other than the obvious - that Mr M has, metaphorically, got Mr J by the sphericals and is yanking just a little to remind him.
Bollocks.
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
They are not exactly the same. They are roughly the same but they are not exactly the same. And in the context used they are quite far apart.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you.
You need to check your reading comprehension I'm afraid.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
When is Diwali?
Near the end of the year.
When is Easter?
And at least you accept that Diwali and the end of the year are not the same.
And Easter and the end of Spring aren't the same, but they're used as synonyms frequently.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
I tend to agree with you that the argument is making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
Easter being a movable feast, using to mark the season is tad problematic.
Diwali is also moves around, but less so?
Hindu New Year is 15th April. Has various names, for example down in Kerala it's known as Vishu. The Sikhs call it Vaisakhi.
The strangest thing about the media coverage of Boris' Indian jaunt is that no-one seems to be worrying about the increasingly worrying human-rights record of the Modi government. I have a feeling that cosying up to Modi is going to be another of those big long-term mistakes. (And that's without even factoring in India being Putin apologists).
Modi is not perfect but he is still better than Xi and Putin so we need him in the western orbit rather than theirs.
He is less a Putin apologist than neutral on Russia, India is however still not on good terms with China
The strangest thing about the media coverage of Boris' Indian jaunt is that no-one seems to be worrying about the increasingly worrying human-rights record of the Modi government. I have a feeling that cosying up to Modi is going to be another of those big long-term mistakes. (And that's without even factoring in India being Putin apologists).
Modi was in charge of Gujarat State during the seriously violent anti-Muslim riots of 2002.
"Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat and later Prime Minister of India, was accused of condoning the violence, as were police and government officials who allegedly directed the rioters and gave lists of Muslim-owned properties to them."
The strangest thing about the media coverage of Boris' Indian jaunt is that no-one seems to be worrying about the increasingly worrying human-rights record of the Modi government. I have a feeling that cosying up to Modi is going to be another of those big long-term mistakes. (And that's without even factoring in India being Putin apologists).
For years now, through controversy after controversy, House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY has bent over backward to stay in former President DONALD TRUMP’s good graces, all to serve one major purpose: He wants to be speaker someday.
That hope may have just blown up on the launchpad.
On Thursday night, NYT’s Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns delivered an absolute stunner of a scoop: an audio recording of a phone call on Jan. 10, 2021, in which McCarthy is heard clearly and unambiguously saying that Trump should resign. Listen for yourself
What happens on the tape: McCarthy essentially conspires with Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) about how to get Trump to step down as president after the Jan. 6 insurrection. On the call, Cheney — now Trump’s Enemy No. 1, but at the time, the House GOP’s No. 3 leader — asks McCarthy if Trump is going to resign. McCarthy responds: “I mean, you guys all know him, too — do you think he’d ever back away? But what I think I’m going to do is I’m going to call him … The only discussion I would have with him is that I think this [impeachment resolution] will pass and it would be my recommendation you should resign.”
Making this all the more explosive is the backstory to the recording’s release:
Early Thursday morning, the NYT published a piece by Martin and Burns drawing on the reporting for their forthcoming book, “This Will Not Pass.” They revealed that McCarthy (1) described Trump’s conduct related to Jan. 6 as “atrocious and totally wrong,” (2) called on Trump to resign and (3) “inquired about the mechanism for invoking the 25th Amendment” to remove him from power. McCarthy’s office denied Martin and Burns’ reporting. In a statement, the GOP leader called it “totally false and wrong.” Then, on Thursday night, Martin and Burns went on RACHEL MADDOW’s MSNBC show with audio proof that their reporting was correct — making McCarthy look silly in the process.
US does not agree w/Boris Johnson that there is a “realistic possibility” that Putin may win, deputy nat sec adviser Daleep Singh told @jimsciutto. “No. The assessment from where we stand is that ...ultimately Putin will see that this is not the end game that he bargained for." https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/1517508111329857536
Comments
In fact while many city snobs will look their nose down at buses, they are the number one form of public transport in most of the country, used by even more people than trains let alone trams in suburban England.
There is no problem with buses and cars sharing roads and with proper investment in roads there is no reason why improvements can't improve both public and private transport.
https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1517259121724112898
Mariupol was founded by the Crimean Christians deported by Russia in 1770s. Deportation of Christians from Crimea received surprisingly little international coverage. So let's discuss it. Until XVIII century Muslim Tatar Crimean Khanate was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire...
Abandon that for closer alignment with the EU again, so the Tories become just an echo of Starmer Labour or the LDs on the EU then Leavers will abandon them en masse for RefUK. The Tories would collapse back to the 20 to 25% they were polling at the end of the May period after she failed to deliver Brexit and not just face the narrow defeat they are now but annihilation.
Farage would return as RefUK leader and end up Leader of the Opposition to PM Starmer. The Tories would face a wipe out close to the scale of that suffered by the Canadian Tories in 1993 when they not only lost power to the Liberals but Reform overtook them as the main party of the right
EDIT - it might have been a trolleybus scheme, not a tram, that was scrapped. The trolleybus scheme being put forward after a previous tram scheme was scrapped, I think.
An indicator of the, with hindsight, inevitable fate of the Leeds leg of HS2. 'Levelling up'.
I commuted 15 miles into Leeds using Northern Rail for a decade, after moving back oop north from a decade living in a city with excellent public transport. The experience eventually ground me down and I belatedly got a driving licence and started driving into Leeds instead.
All pre-covid, of course.
They're slashing services now, 'cos usage is still well down. Turbulent times ahead for the rail industry, I think. People who commuted into Leeds by train are generally the people who can work from home, and don't miss the commute. I certainly don't.
I do such little mileage now I think when my lease on my boring, 1 litre, fuel-efficient commuter buggy expires next year I'm gonna get a big gas-guzzling 4x4. Sod it, why not. I don't have kids and not reproducing is the greenest thing you can do, so I have credit in the climate change bank.
If the Tories returned to May's Tories part 2 except with even closer alignment to the EU Farage would return as RefUK leader and they would surge in the polls at the Tories expense
- senior EU official said the PM’s remark was “ridiculous” and would “make Kyiv irate”
https://on.ft.com/3rKKgVm
On which note, I’m happy to report that the four cans of Moritz (Barcelona lager) that I bought in a little shop around the corner cost less than one of the cans of Estrella from my room’s fridge. I’m going to enjoy the last sun on my balcony before a siesta, then more exploring..
Cheers!
For the last time, if someone says "by next Easter" and someone else says "by next Spring" are those contradictory statements?
By Diwali and by the end of the year are exactly the same as that.
You are posting it as though it is transparent rubbish.
(a0 they are in negotiation
(b) Mr Modi gave his later date after Mr Johnson had spoken.
Either that or Mr Johnson is so incompetent as not to know what day it is, pretty much, if he thinks Diwali and Hogmanay are the same festival.
Seeing as how the "true' Redneck Riviera is on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama & Mississippi. Tennessee sadly NOT having any salt-water beaches.
Just saying, for purposes of pungent punditry.
Leaders are mutually respectful to each other shocker.
And asking for more and heavier weapons to fight it.
Perez is 15 (16 with boost) each way to top qualifying. Worth backing if you have a free bet.
Qualifying is at 4pm UK time.
Anyway, I am off.
I've got nothing against what's being said, I'm just against hypocrisy.
One is at the end of October and one is at the end of December. That is not exactly the same (and if you think it is I have some Oct puts and calls to sell you).
And Biden got 64.5% of the vote in Davidson County. The biggest Dem share since 1944.
Great time to defenestrate the PM. Not.
There will always be a reason to delay. The only time to do it is now. Everything else is make believe.
"By Diwali" and "by the end of the year" are exactly the same as that "by next Easter" and "by next Spring".
But the war is far from won or lost.
Contrary (sorry to bang on about it) to the Official PB Assessment on Day 2 of the invasion.
When is Easter?
Although that every day is a victory for Ukraine remains a truism.
The “flexibility” of the bus is its achilles heel. Sure you can spin up a route or even a network of routes quickly and cheaply, but what route planners giveth route planners can taketh away, so it’s risky for passengers to expect it’ll still be around in a few years. Bus Rapid Transit schemes could bridge the gap, but the failed Cambridge Guided Busway scheme shows that even those with a high degree of fixed infrastructure are vulnerable.
Until I walked out the front door to the sidewalk in front of the station. Where first thing I saw was some semi-crazed redneck cold-cock another semi-crazed redneck- BAM!
That was enough site seeing for me. Turned right around, found a seat in the station and stayed there reading a book until my bus left for greener pastures.
Pity really, have always hear Nashville is a great place to visit!
BTW, Leon, make a point of paying your respects (I hope) at RYMAN AUDITORIUM the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.
FYI (and BTW) I have a Franklin Mint model of the "Mother Church" of country music in my very own rumpus room.
Right next to my model of Windsor Castle!
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-legal-obligation-jacob-rees-mogg-b2063343.html
Handy when negotiating a trade deal in India to renege on a trade deal you signed and trumpeted as a masterstroke...
You did say "as that.."
But the point remains: Diwali and End of the Year are not the same and are not close. One is in October and one in December. That is five or seven months (ie a 40% difference).
It's just Boris (whom you now despise and think should stand down) being Boris.
A good two months and more difference in deadline.
At least Diwali and the end of the year are clear.
Heck if someone says "by Christmas" and someone else says "by the end of the Year" then those aren't technically the same and if you're doing put/call options you'd need to be careful about that, but they can still be used as synonyms for political speeches.
Boris being respectful to his Indian hosts and picking a well known Indian date (Diwali) while Modi is respectful to his British guest and picks a well known British date (end of the Year) is not some great difference of opinion except to the most fevered and deranged on Twitter.
If the Tories become an echo of Starmer Labour and a merely slightly centre right pro EU Party they will be squeezed by Farage and the populist right again exactly as Pecresse was squeezed by Zemmour and Le Pen.
In the US too it is still Trumpites providing the energy on the right even if we may dislike them, the establishment right has been squeezed to a small minority in the GOP behind Trump and the populist right.
The only 2 centre right leaders in Western G20 nations at the moment outside Japan are Boris and Scott Morrison, precisely as they have kept the right united behind them while also still winning enough swing voters in the middle in 2019
They've just been engaged in face-to-face negotiations and have both come out and said this year. That's normally an indication that they're pretty close to an agreement and it is is relatively close to being wrapped up, not that they're still stuck on discussing vague generalities and there's years of negotiating still to go.
If its not, then that's a shame, but it will be a shame to both parties and both dates will be missed. If it is, then no I don't think by the end of the year or by Diwali is a great difference of opinion.
However, I've never heard Easter used as a synonym for the end of Spring... indeed, it's always in early Spring (even this year, when it fell pretty late).
Will Leon be having grits this morning for breakfast?
Note it's now just past 8.30am Nashville time, so reckon the question is (or will soon be) germane.
Down that path lies only a Farage revival at Tory expense
Diwali is also moves around, but less so?
She has some stories. Generally around the misogyny. Little ladies were only good for two things - "having babies or singing back-up....". Until she miked up a drum kit to make it sound exactly like Phil Collins. That got their attention.
The Ride - David Allan Coe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2hJLa0T-Sw
Brexit will have been neutralised at best. For every voter singing the praises of Brexit and its benefits I reckon there will be 10 moaning about the consequences and why "levelling up" has mysteriously failed to materialise.
*Shudders*
Stir Up Sunday would be particularly apt.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stir-up_Sunday
A true exemplar of the genre.
She initially prospered as an "echo of Macron" as you put it, and appeared late last year to have a good chance of at least making the run off. However, she tacked right to try to soak up Le Pen and Zemmour supporters, going so far as to allude to the Great Replacement theory (a far right, white supremacist standard). That was inauthentic to the real far right, whilst driving the centre to Macron.
She was also a bloody useless campaigner - rather like May, she was stilted and low energy to say the least.
Fillon did better in 2017 on a more socially conservative and traditional right agenda than Pecresse had this year, getting 20%, 4 times what Pecresse got
He is less a Putin apologist than neutral on Russia, India is however still not on good terms with China
"Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat and later Prime Minister of India, was accused of condoning the violence, as were police and government officials who allegedly directed the rioters and gave lists of Muslim-owned properties to them."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_riots
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2022/04/22/is-kevin-mccarthy-toast-00027137
For years now, through controversy after controversy, House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY has bent over backward to stay in former President DONALD TRUMP’s good graces, all to serve one major purpose: He wants to be speaker someday.
That hope may have just blown up on the launchpad.
On Thursday night, NYT’s Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns delivered an absolute stunner of a scoop: an audio recording of a phone call on Jan. 10, 2021, in which McCarthy is heard clearly and unambiguously saying that Trump should resign. Listen for yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhbSLdAO3Do
What happens on the tape: McCarthy essentially conspires with Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) about how to get Trump to step down as president after the Jan. 6 insurrection. On the call, Cheney — now Trump’s Enemy No. 1, but at the time, the House GOP’s No. 3 leader — asks McCarthy if Trump is going to resign. McCarthy responds: “I mean, you guys all know him, too — do you think he’d ever back away? But what I think I’m going to do is I’m going to call him … The only discussion I would have with him is that I think this [impeachment resolution] will pass and it would be my recommendation you should resign.”
Making this all the more explosive is the backstory to the recording’s release:
Early Thursday morning, the NYT published a piece by Martin and Burns drawing on the reporting for their forthcoming book, “This Will Not Pass.” They revealed that McCarthy (1) described Trump’s conduct related to Jan. 6 as “atrocious and totally wrong,” (2) called on Trump to resign and (3) “inquired about the mechanism for invoking the 25th Amendment” to remove him from power.
McCarthy’s office denied Martin and Burns’ reporting. In a statement, the GOP leader called it “totally false and wrong.”
Then, on Thursday night, Martin and Burns went on RACHEL MADDOW’s MSNBC show with audio proof that their reporting was correct — making McCarthy look silly in the process.
THE BIG QUESTION NOW: IS MCCARTHY TOAST? . . .
“No. The assessment from where we stand is that ...ultimately Putin will see that this is not the end game that he bargained for."
https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/1517508111329857536
Though Tricky Dick did NOT bumble and fumble during THAT visit, the way just BoJo did.
Not that it helped the former any.