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How will the BoJo survival betting look next Friday morning? – politicalbetting.com

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  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070
    kjh said:

    Sounds like there's a 2nd MP in PornGate.

    What did we call stuff before Watergate?
    Business as usual.
  • Neil Parish named as Tory MP caught watching pornography. The MP for Tiverton and Honiton has had the whip removed after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/04/29/revealed-neil-parish-named-tory-mp-caught-watching-pornography/

    Lib Dems will like the look of that (the seat, not the "material") if he has to stand down. They were a narrow third last time, but will have the stronger case as challengers with a reasonable local government base.

    A few steps before that, though - he's presumably looking at retirement next time anyway given his age, and there is some incentive for both him and the Conservatives to try to see out the term (albeit without the whip etc).
    LD's were a very close 2nd in 1997, but there have been boundary changes.
    I don't think it really matters what the majority was 25 years ago. The thing that matters in a by-election is establishing your position as challenger, and building momentum. Lib Dems had never really been close in North Shropshire but, in the special case of a by-election, they very clearly established they were the people to vote for to deliver a message to the Government.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153
    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    Hang on... the F16 from the 1970s is very different to a modern Block 70/72 F16. Which ones are they being trained on?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070
    Carnyx said:

    To leaven the Member of P**n jokes - a nice Friday afternoon cheer-up story: Constable painting cleaned up. Looks like Constable was painting from Chelsea? Nice view up the Westminster reach....

    That's a new euphemism.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838
    Nigelb said:

    Carnyx said:

    To leaven the Member of P**n jokes - a nice Friday afternoon cheer-up story: Constable painting cleaned up. Looks like Constable was painting from Chelsea? Nice view up the Westminster reach....

    That's a new euphemism.
    Oh dear, so it is. Hadn't occurred to me ...
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,565
    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    Now that depends how we insert it into the conversation on the doorsteps.... 😉
  • BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,492


    The Moscow Times
    @MoscowTimes
    · 4h
    The Kremlin said Friday that no foreign dignitaries have been invited to attend the May 9 parade.

    :lol:

    Do they normality have foreign dignitaries to the 9 may parade?

    There are still some pro-Russia places in the would, Belorussia for starters, but I guess, might have decided its better to have nobody, rather than scrape the barrel and highlight how out of friends they are?
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,506
    I don’t want to come all over the thick of it, but I’ve already ordered the Dump Dirty Dom t-shirts for the demo 🫢
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838
    edited April 2022

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    Now that depends how we insert it into the conversation on the doorsteps.... 😉
    It's an interesting reflection on the moral standards of Conservative politics that their campaigning campaigning is based on a strategy resembling the farmer and his rotary muckspreader in the field behind my house.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,913
    edited April 2022

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    You are always so complacent Roger!
    No. The story is without legs anyway. People have a very simple idea of how easy it is to capture the public's imagination. After a lifetime in advertising I can vouch for the fact that it's difficult and the headline in the Mail yesterday hasn't a snowball in Hell's chance of doing it. Not that that It was intended as anything other than a diversion. But there are problems with that too.

    OT. Poor Boris (Becker) A much better and nicer man than the other one

    One I did earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSYKXQvrZo
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310
    Interesting that a pervy old nobody MP has the whip withdrawn for peeking at some porn in the HoC, while the PM gets away with being fined and also lying to the house. One can only assume that if Bozo had been on the floor of the chamber watching porn while simultaneously jerking off, a lot of his more dense followers would just shrug and say, oh well we can't get rid of him because of Ukraine.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,497
    Nigelb said:

    ping said:

    ping said:

    Btw how the hell is Geoffrey Cox’s behaviour remotely acceptable?

    If he wants to take the dime for defending the indefensible, resign from parliament, ffs.

    Good morning

    What has he done ?
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61266526.amp
    Cox is a barrister. Barristers are required to work on the cab rank principle - if someone wants your services in an area of law in which you have expertise at a time when you are available and are willing to pay your standard rate, you are required to represent them. Failure to do so can result in you being struck off......
    Just returning to this, as it's been troubling me all day.

    The principle is an admirable one, and serves as much to protect lawyers from persecution for doing their job, as it does prospective defendants.

    However:
    https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/the-cab-rank-rule-ethical-choices
    ...However, the cab rank rule only applies to proceedings within England and Wales. It does not apply ‘if accepting the instructions would require you to do any foreign work’ (r C30.5 of the Bar Code of Conduct). ‘Foreign work’ means legal services of whatsoever nature relating to (a) court or other legal proceedings taking place or contemplated to take place outside England and Wales; or (b) if no court or other legal proceedings are taking place or contemplated, any matter or contemplated matter not subject to the law of England and Wales (s 6 of the Bar Code of Conduct). ...

    https://www.offshorebvi.com/british-virgin-islands.php
    ...The BVI has an independent legal and judicial system based on English Common Law, with a right of final appeal to the Privy Council in London. While the legal system is primarily based on that of the Great Britain, all domestic matters are legislated locally, by the Legislative Council. This includes taxation, company laws, banking, insurance and commercial regulations, etc. Laws and regulations are often developed in consultation with the private sector....

    So I call bullshit on the invocation of this principle, especially considering Cox, as a sitting MP, could easily said he was not available owing to Parliamentary commitments.
    The cab rank principle exists only to protect the barrister. It can be invoked, quite rightly, to protect the practitioner who undertakes work no normal person would want to touch or is currently an unfashionable cause; but the idea it obliges any practitioner to actually do stuff they don't actually want to (for whatever reason) is fanciful. You can always be too busy, too ignorant, too expensive or unavailable.



  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,585
    rcs1000 said:

    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    Hang on... the F16 from the 1970s is very different to a modern Block 70/72 F16. Which ones are they being trained on?
    Whichever one that a hundred of are about to turn up in Ukraine.

    It’s going to be better than their competition, and will be armed to take out the known Russian positions.
  • BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,492
    rcs1000 said:

    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    Hang on... the F16 from the 1970s is very different to a modern Block 70/72 F16. Which ones are they being trained on?
    Good question, I don't know, you tell me?

    But even accepting the Ukraine clams of 170 Russian planes shot down, they still have a lot of descent plains, are we expecting the Ukraine to beet them all, or to die coragiasly, while weeking the Russians a bit?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,565
    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    On the other hand, 230+ T-72M(1) tanks does look a handy contribution for when Ukraine starts on the task of regaining turf....

    https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/04/answering-call-heavy-weaponry-supplied.html
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070
    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    No.

    Typhoon would be far more difficult and costly to operate and maintain. And recent F16s have radar and electronics far superior to the ageing ex Soviet kit Ukraine is operating, and likely superior to anything Russia is flying over Ukraine. They will be a big upgrade to their capability - and there are plenty of them around, and friendly immediate neighbours who also fly them:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon_operators#Europe
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310

    Neil Parish named as Tory MP caught watching pornography. The MP for Tiverton and Honiton has had the whip removed after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/04/29/revealed-neil-parish-named-tory-mp-caught-watching-pornography/

    Why can't he just come to the house, lie to it, make a half empty apology, then claim to his friends that he didn't think he had broken any rules?
    I did not have sexual relations with that woman watch pornographic material, it was a short film of an artistic nature crucial to my understanding of the matter being debated.
    Research.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,506
    JACK_W said:

    Does anyone know what genre of porn Neil Parish is accused of viewing?

    Dockside hookers giving head to pineapple pizza. Shocking !!
    You have no idea what you are playing with old man

    image
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,990
    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,361
    Western officials: "we're...seeing an awful lot of the Russian forces using quite antiquated mapping, and in some cases using mapping from the 1970s which of course doesn't in any way represent the sort of target set that they're attempting to prosecute in Ukraine"

    https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1520050206993272835

    Everything about the Russian invasion is a shambles. Bearing in mind all the things that they're doing terribly incompetently, they could be really quite effective if they got their act together.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431

    Neil Parish named as Tory MP caught watching pornography. The MP for Tiverton and Honiton has had the whip removed after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/04/29/revealed-neil-parish-named-tory-mp-caught-watching-pornography/

    Lib Dems will like the look of that (the seat, not the "material") if he has to stand down. They were a narrow third last time, but will have the stronger case as challengers with a reasonable local government base.

    A few steps before that, though - he's presumably looking at retirement next time anyway given his age, and there is some incentive for both him and the Conservatives to try to see out the term (albeit without the whip etc).
    LD's were a very close 2nd in 1997, but there have been boundary changes.
    I don't think it really matters what the majority was 25 years ago. The thing that matters in a by-election is establishing your position as challenger, and building momentum. Lib Dems had never really been close in North Shropshire but, in the special case of a by-election, they very clearly established they were the people to vote for to deliver a message to the Government.
    Agree; all I'm suggesting is that they've a better base here than N Shropshire, IIRC.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,565
    Carnyx said:

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    Now that depends how we insert it into the conversation on the doorsteps.... 😉
    It's an interesting reflection on the moral standards of Conservative politics that their campaigning campaigning is based on a strategy resembling the farmer and his rotary muckspreader in the field behind my house.
    Don't knock it, works for the LibDems!
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,589
    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    It would not surprise me if the 11 was just the first tranche. It would also not surprise me if others, currently in combat, were rotated out to 'R&R' at the training facility. I would also be unsurprised if good simulators were being placed very near to the Ukrainian border to ease training.

    If this is all true...
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070
    rcs1000 said:

    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    Hang on... the F16 from the 1970s is very different to a modern Block 70/72 F16. Which ones are they being trained on?
    Take a look at what Poland and Romania are operating. Poland is replacing its F16s, so a transfer of a number of the existing ones is possible.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,565
    Carnyx said:

    Nigelb said:

    Carnyx said:

    To leaven the Member of P**n jokes - a nice Friday afternoon cheer-up story: Constable painting cleaned up. Looks like Constable was painting from Chelsea? Nice view up the Westminster reach....

    That's a new euphemism.
    Oh dear, so it is. Hadn't occurred to me ...
    Couldn't be more tailor-made for the Rayner situation!
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838
    edited April 2022
    Okay, trying again for a feelgood Friday story - no euphemisms for MPs here I hope. Baby red-bellied lemurs born in a conservation programme at Chester. Sweet video.

    https://twitter.com/chesterzoo/status/1519689842212360196
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310
    Carnyx said:

    Okay, trying again for a feelgood Friday story - no euphemisms for MPs here I hope. Baby red-bellied lemurs born in a conservation programme at Chester. Sweet video.

    https://twitter.com/chesterzoo/status/1519689842212360196

    You keep your red bellied lemur to yourself!
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838

    Carnyx said:

    Nigelb said:

    Carnyx said:

    To leaven the Member of P**n jokes - a nice Friday afternoon cheer-up story: Constable painting cleaned up. Looks like Constable was painting from Chelsea? Nice view up the Westminster reach....

    That's a new euphemism.
    Oh dear, so it is. Hadn't occurred to me ...
    Couldn't be more tailor-made for the Rayner situation!
    Mendaciously alleged situation ...
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    ping said:

    ping said:

    Btw how the hell is Geoffrey Cox’s behaviour remotely acceptable?

    If he wants to take the dime for defending the indefensible, resign from parliament, ffs.

    Good morning

    What has he done ?
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61266526.amp
    Cox is a barrister. Barristers are required to work on the cab rank principle - if someone wants your services in an area of law in which you have expertise at a time when you are available and are willing to pay your standard rate, you are required to represent them. Failure to do so can result in you being struck off......
    Just returning to this, as it's been troubling me all day.

    The principle is an admirable one, and serves as much to protect lawyers from persecution for doing their job, as it does prospective defendants.

    However:
    https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/the-cab-rank-rule-ethical-choices
    ...However, the cab rank rule only applies to proceedings within England and Wales. It does not apply ‘if accepting the instructions would require you to do any foreign work’ (r C30.5 of the Bar Code of Conduct). ‘Foreign work’ means legal services of whatsoever nature relating to (a) court or other legal proceedings taking place or contemplated to take place outside England and Wales; or (b) if no court or other legal proceedings are taking place or contemplated, any matter or contemplated matter not subject to the law of England and Wales (s 6 of the Bar Code of Conduct). ...

    https://www.offshorebvi.com/british-virgin-islands.php
    ...The BVI has an independent legal and judicial system based on English Common Law, with a right of final appeal to the Privy Council in London. While the legal system is primarily based on that of the Great Britain, all domestic matters are legislated locally, by the Legislative Council. This includes taxation, company laws, banking, insurance and commercial regulations, etc. Laws and regulations are often developed in consultation with the private sector....

    So I call bullshit on the invocation of this principle, especially considering Cox, as a sitting MP, could easily said he was not available owing to Parliamentary commitments.
    The cab rank principle exists only to protect the barrister. It can be invoked, quite rightly, to protect the practitioner who undertakes work no normal person would want to touch or is currently an unfashionable cause; but the idea it obliges any practitioner to actually do stuff they don't actually want to (for whatever reason) is fanciful. You can always be too busy, too ignorant, too expensive or unavailable.

    I'm aware that it's often honoured in the breach.
    But it simply doesn't apply to this particular bit of Cox wallet lining on behalf of the dodgy BVI administration.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    You are always so complacent Roger!
    No. The story is without legs anyway. People have a very simple idea of how easy it is to capture the public's imagination. After a lifetime in advertising I can vouch for the fact that it's difficult and the headline in the Mail yesterday hasn't a snowball in Hell's chance of doing it. Not that that It was intended as anything other than a diversion. But there are problems with that too.

    OT. Poor Boris (Becker) A much better and nicer man than the other one

    One I did earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSYKXQvrZo
    It has no inherent value, but what it does do is give bojo a shield against SKS's most effective attack lines whenever he has to go to the House to apologise for the latest fpn.

    And what a completye unforced error, lying about Ange being there. Whoever thought that was a good plan should be fired.
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,747
    I don’t know about you gang, but I’ll pleased to wake up on 10th May and see everything still where it should be.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,497
    kjh said:

    Sounds like there's a 2nd MP in PornGate.

    What did we call stuff before Watergate?
    We used to call then scandals, as in 'The Profumo scandal', 'Lambton scandal' etc. Happy and innocent days in which politicians acted exactly as they do now.

  • BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,492
    algarkirk said:

    From Neil Parish's Wikipedia entry, I don't suppose it will be up there for long:


    In April 2022, Parish had the whip withdrawn after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons chamber.[18]

    Personal life
    Parish is married to Susan, has two children and two grandchildren, and a Platinum+ Brazzers Membership.[19]

    I remember Neil Parish form when I worked in the EU parliament nearly 20 years ago. I remember him as one of the good ones, a bit of a sense of hummer, much less argent than most MEPs.

    No Idea if this story is accurate, but one memory do have is showing him how to use Expida, to book a flight, it took a long time, as he was not very good with computers. I could well imagine him getting a WhatsApp message and opining it to find its a video and not knowing how to stop it.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,220

    Neil Parish named as Tory MP caught watching pornography. The MP for Tiverton and Honiton has had the whip removed after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/04/29/revealed-neil-parish-named-tory-mp-caught-watching-pornography/

    Why can't he just come to the house, lie to it, make a half empty apology, then claim to his friends that he didn't think he had broken any rules?
    I did not have sexual relations with that woman watch pornographic material, it was a short film of an artistic nature crucial to my understanding of the matter being debated.
    Research.
    You see, there was this political blog which referenced the difficult issues facing stepmothers, so it was my duty, really.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,431
    Carnyx said:

    Okay, trying again for a feelgood Friday story - no euphemisms for MPs here I hope. Baby red-bellied lemurs born in a conservation programme at Chester. Sweet video.

    https://twitter.com/chesterzoo/status/1519689842212360196

    Mr Jessop will be interested, if no-one else, but we now appear to have five eggs in our camera-fitted nest-box. Mr & Mrs Blue-tit have been busy, although Mrs probably busier than Mr.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838
    BigRich said:

    algarkirk said:

    From Neil Parish's Wikipedia entry, I don't suppose it will be up there for long:


    In April 2022, Parish had the whip withdrawn after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons chamber.[18]

    Personal life
    Parish is married to Susan, has two children and two grandchildren, and a Platinum+ Brazzers Membership.[19]

    I remember Neil Parish form when I worked in the EU parliament nearly 20 years ago. I remember him as one of the good ones, a bit of a sense of hummer, much less argent than most MEPs.

    No Idea if this story is accurate, but one memory do have is showing him how to use Expida, to book a flight, it took a long time, as he was not very good with computers. I could well imagine him getting a WhatsApp message and opining it to find its a video and not knowing how to stop it.
    But was he trying to switch the app or the whole phone off? I would in that situation - instant response without thinking.

  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,506
    algarkirk said:

    From Neil Parish's Wikipedia entry, I don't suppose it will be up there for long:


    In April 2022, Parish had the whip withdrawn after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons chamber.[18]

    Personal life
    Parish is married to Susan, has two children and two grandchildren, and a Platinum+ Brazzers Membership.[19]

    That’s up very quickly.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    edited April 2022
    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Here is an obvious answer to Mr Parish's local difficulty " I was unaware I was watching pornography" would seem to work just fine. "I was unaware I was attending a party" cut the mustard after all.

    I feel we are being rather prudish. I don't look at pornography at work (or anywhere else for that matter) but I am illicitly posting on PB at work, which seems much, much worse?
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    edited April 2022
    I for one am disappointed the Tories haven’t doubled down and claimed that the MP for Tiverton was so engorged by the sight of Ms Rayner’s gusset that he had no choice but to dialup Pornhub for relief.

    Perhaps it didn’t cut the mustard in the focus groups.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    Was Allegra a stepmom?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368

    I for one am disappointed the Tories haven’t doubled down and claimed that the MP for Tiverton was so engorged by the sight of Ms Rayner’s gusset that he had no choice but to dialup Pornhub for relief.

    Perhaps it didn’t cut the mustard in the focus groups.

    I am surprised anyone needed to use their phones for light relief at all, what with the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party legs akimbo on the benches opposite.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,565
    Carnyx said:

    Okay, trying again for a feelgood Friday story - no euphemisms for MPs here I hope. Baby red-bellied lemurs born in a conservation programme at Chester. Sweet video.

    https://twitter.com/chesterzoo/status/1519689842212360196

    Only because it is Friday afternoon:

    Cute baby-elephant-hasn't-quite-mastered-drinking.

    https://twitter.com/FortWorthZoo/status/1519805900994891780
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,262
    edited April 2022
    Nigelb said:

    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    No.

    Typhoon would be far more difficult and costly to operate and maintain. And recent F16s have radar and electronics far superior to the ageing ex Soviet kit Ukraine is operating, and likely superior to anything Russia is flying over Ukraine. They will be a big upgrade to their capability - and there are plenty of them around, and friendly immediate neighbours who also fly them:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon_operators#Europe
    Depends on which F16s - the Americans have a poor version describing system for aircraft. Block 52????

    The New Zealand government turned down (quite sensibly, IMHO) some original F16s that had been in storage (blocked deal with Pakistan) for years. because they were so utterly obsolete.

    The latest ones are a completely different beast - fully competitive in the modern world.
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    edited April 2022
    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Bullying is much more serious than viewing legal porn.

    So, I agree -- of course, the real question is whether Byrne really should have got just 2 days. Given the damage bullying causes, it seems a ludicrously short suspension.

    On another matter of agreement. I see the police have charged Dr Jamie.

    In fact, I have become increasingly distressed at how much we are in agreement these days -- I do hope our normal snarling interactions can be resumed shortly.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    He was furious...she got caught.

    P.S. BigG. was on here demanding Starmer's nuts in a vice for Beergate not long ago, unless I am mistaken his silence on the matter of the MP for Tiverton is deafening.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    edited April 2022
    The Tories seem to suffer one loss of MP per month for various sex offences.

    It really is the mid 90s redux.
  • TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,454
    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    It would be grounds for summary dismissal in many places.

    Byrne's punishment was effectively reduced by the fact that the body responsible doesn't hear complaints regarding bullying during campaigning incidents.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    moonshine said:

    I don’t know about you gang, but I’ll pleased to wake up on 10th May and see everything still where it should be.

    You'll get accused of, sorry, "called out" for "shilling for Putin" by the local special needs fraternity if you say that sort of thing. I do agree though.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    What a fall . Boris Becker going to prison . And particularly annoying for no 10 and their media arm the DM that their story isn’t getting the major headlines they hoped for !
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    He was furious...she got caught.

    P.S. BigG. was on here demanding Starmer's nuts in a vice for Beergate not long ago, unless I am mistaken his silence on the matter of the MP for Tiverton is deafening.
    He’s too busy deleting his browser history.
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310
    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Does one "read" porn? Watch or consume, or maybe even participate, but read? Lady Chatterley perhaps?
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Is it? It seems such a bizarre thing to do I wouldn't expect there to be specific rules to deal with it.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,716

    Western officials: "we're...seeing an awful lot of the Russian forces using quite antiquated mapping, and in some cases using mapping from the 1970s which of course doesn't in any way represent the sort of target set that they're attempting to prosecute in Ukraine"

    https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1520050206993272835

    Everything about the Russian invasion is a shambles. Bearing in mind all the things that they're doing terribly incompetently, they could be really quite effective if they got their act together.

    The foreign end of the FSB seemed to have no idea what kind of country Ukr had become, telling Putin that the people would welcome his invasion with open arms because they were living under a Nazi dictatorship of gays.

    And now it seems the RU mapping people had no idea what kind of country Ukr has become!



  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310
    Carnyx said:

    BigRich said:

    algarkirk said:

    From Neil Parish's Wikipedia entry, I don't suppose it will be up there for long:


    In April 2022, Parish had the whip withdrawn after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons chamber.[18]

    Personal life
    Parish is married to Susan, has two children and two grandchildren, and a Platinum+ Brazzers Membership.[19]

    I remember Neil Parish form when I worked in the EU parliament nearly 20 years ago. I remember him as one of the good ones, a bit of a sense of hummer, much less argent than most MEPs.

    No Idea if this story is accurate, but one memory do have is showing him how to use Expida, to book a flight, it took a long time, as he was not very good with computers. I could well imagine him getting a WhatsApp message and opining it to find its a video and not knowing how to stop it.
    But was he trying to switch the app or the whole phone off? I would in that situation - instant response without thinking.

    It was difficult because his other hand was otherwise occupied.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    The Russians still presumably believe that Middlesbrough is part of Yorkshire.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,990

    I for one am disappointed the Tories haven’t doubled down and claimed that the MP for Tiverton was so engorged by the sight of Ms Rayner’s gusset that he had no choice but to dialup Pornhub for relief.

    Perhaps it didn’t cut the mustard in the focus groups.

    "I thought it was a message from a constituent who needed help with her window cleaner..."
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,405
    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Absolutely.

    There may be a greyer area about private offices etc, but even so. Doing it in full view of others begs me to wonder if they 'wanted' to get caught. Cry for help? Otherwise its so far from normal, rational behaviour.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 22,822
    nico679 said:

    What a fall . Boris Becker going to prison . And particularly annoying for no 10 and their media arm the DM that their story isn’t getting the major headlines they hoped for !

    Boris jailed for dishonesty and misrepresentation?
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,716

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Does one "read" porn? Watch or consume, or maybe even participate, but read? Lady Chatterley perhaps?
    Don't start all that again. Chatterley was settled in 1960.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,565

    Western officials: "we're...seeing an awful lot of the Russian forces using quite antiquated mapping, and in some cases using mapping from the 1970s which of course doesn't in any way represent the sort of target set that they're attempting to prosecute in Ukraine"

    https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1520050206993272835

    Everything about the Russian invasion is a shambles. Bearing in mind all the things that they're doing terribly incompetently, they could be really quite effective if they got their act together.

    The foreign end of the FSB seemed to have no idea what kind of country Ukr had become, telling Putin that the people would welcome his invasion with open arms because they were living under a Nazi dictatorship of gays.

    And now it seems the RU mapping people had no idea what kind of country Ukr has become!



    "Why are we driving this tank over this muddy farm track - when there is a shiny new motorway to Kyiv over there?"

    "Oh fuck - tractor! Run away!"
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,990
    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    I think watching it in front of colleagues is considered sexual abuse, but in any case is not tolerated in most workplaces
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,716
    edited April 2022
    nico679 said:

    What a fall . Boris Becker going to prison . And particularly annoying for no 10 and their media arm the DM that their story isn’t getting the major headlines they hoped for !

    Wow!

    What a fall. Worthy of a Tom Wolfe novel.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070

    Nigelb said:

    BigRich said:

    Has this been done yet?

    "11 Ukrainian pilots are currently taking F-16 training courses.
    "It is just a pleasure to operate such a machine! Absolutely new philosophy of flight, incredible avionics, everything the pilot may need," says one of the Ukrainian pilots."

    https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/status/1519801775905284096

    And a followup:
    "A lot of F-16s to be provided to Ukraine within the frameworks of Lend-Lease Act of 2022.
    Game changers on the way to Ukraine."

    Quite big news atm, in several ways: training has already started; it looks as though the US are willing to let them fly F16s; and the Ukrainians can spare pilots.

    I'm all for giving Ukraine whatever it needs, but 11 F16 I don't think will change the air war, the F16 is good but its not that good that 11 would be able to defeat the hole of the Russian Airforce.

    Assuming that the Ukrainians only have 11 pilots that they can send away to retrain on a new airframe, would it not be better to train them on EuroFigter/Typhoon, or something a bit better than the F16?

    No.

    Typhoon would be far more difficult and costly to operate and maintain. And recent F16s have radar and electronics far superior to the ageing ex Soviet kit Ukraine is operating, and likely superior to anything Russia is flying over Ukraine. They will be a big upgrade to their capability - and there are plenty of them around, and friendly immediate neighbours who also fly them:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon_operators#Europe
    Depends on which F16s - the Americans have a poor version describing system for aircraft. Block 52????

    The New Zealand government turned down (quite sensibly, IMHO) some original F16s that had been in storage (blocked deal with Pakistan) for years. because they were so utterly obsolete.

    The latest ones are a completely different beast - fully competitive in the modern world.
    Block 50/52, I think - though that doesn't really tell you, as upgrades have been variously applied to some of those.

    But bear in mind the relative success the Ukraine AF has had with Russian kit that's a generation older, and with greatly inferior radar and missiles, even a couple of decades old F16 is going to be a massive upgrade in capability.
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    It would be grounds for summary dismissal in many places.

    Byrne's punishment was effectively reduced by the fact that the body responsible doesn't hear complaints regarding bullying during campaigning incidents.
    At one of my workplaces a number of years ago, someone took their own life because of bullying.

    It is way more serious than viewing legal porn.

    In fact, sustained bullying is a criminal offence. Viewing legal porn is not.

    It is certainly wrong to be watching legal porn at the HoC -- but Byrne's offence is the greater & more serious one.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838
    edited April 2022
    IshmaelZ said:

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Is it? It seems such a bizarre thing to do I wouldn't expect there to be specific rules to deal with it.
    Well, bizarre things ... that's why there is a general principle.

    "Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual behaviour that makes someone feel upset, scared, offended or humiliated, or is meant to make them feel that way." Rape Crisis definition. [Edsit] but pretty much what HR anywhere sensible applies. (Quite apart from whether the porn is even legal, and the use of organization resources and time.)

    And the female MPs didn't like it at all.

  • Jim_MillerJim_Miller Posts: 2,998
    It occurs to me that the 2025 Belarus presidential election might be, uh, interesting, considering what happened in 2020: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Belarusian_presidential_election

    I have no idea what the odds should be on Alexander Lukashenko versus a reformist challenger, but don't doubt that there are regulars here who could make semi-informed guesses.

    Of course it is possible that the results are already in, as in the old joke:
    "Bad news, President Lukashenko. There was a burglary at the Central Election Commission."

    "What did they steal?"

    "The results of the 2025 election."
    Seeing the results of the Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it is easy to believe that Belarusians might prefer a leader less associated with Putin.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,565
    nico679 said:

    What a fall . Boris Becker going to prison . And particularly annoying for no 10 and their media arm the DM that their story isn’t getting the major headlines they hoped for !

    "BORIS GOING TO JAIL" is still a headline many will frame.....
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838

    Carnyx said:

    BigRich said:

    algarkirk said:

    From Neil Parish's Wikipedia entry, I don't suppose it will be up there for long:


    In April 2022, Parish had the whip withdrawn after being accused of watching pornography in the Commons chamber.[18]

    Personal life
    Parish is married to Susan, has two children and two grandchildren, and a Platinum+ Brazzers Membership.[19]

    I remember Neil Parish form when I worked in the EU parliament nearly 20 years ago. I remember him as one of the good ones, a bit of a sense of hummer, much less argent than most MEPs.

    No Idea if this story is accurate, but one memory do have is showing him how to use Expida, to book a flight, it took a long time, as he was not very good with computers. I could well imagine him getting a WhatsApp message and opining it to find its a video and not knowing how to stop it.
    But was he trying to switch the app or the whole phone off? I would in that situation - instant response without thinking.

    It was difficult because his other hand was otherwise occupied.
    Now that really is unkind.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,506
    edited April 2022
    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    You are always so complacent Roger!
    No. The story is without legs anyway. People have a very simple idea of how easy it is to capture the public's imagination. After a lifetime in advertising I can vouch for the fact that it's difficult and the headline in the Mail yesterday hasn't a snowball in Hell's chance of doing it. Not that that It was intended as anything other than a diversion. But there are problems with that too.

    OT. Poor Boris (Becker) A much better and nicer man than the other one

    One I did earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSYKXQvrZo
    Nutella sells itself Roger. 🥰 Nutella.

    Lots of opinion on PB today that this is a smear on Labour, but can work, because the implication it’s the same as partygate is easy to make, the explanation it’s different to Partygate is harder to explain. And it’s now all over the mainstream media so as news story it is getting on a roll.

    But yes, fingers crossed on what polling shows the voters think after being bombarded by it in the days to come.

    I do like the use of colour in that video Roger, as it reaches out and grabs attention. Was it a conscious decision to use such a vivid orange exposure to sell a chocolate product?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,002
    edited April 2022
    Boris Becker been sent down.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yqnMrOTJ70
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,716
    Johnson cares not a jot.

    He couldn't care less about Brexit and never did. It was all a vehicle to win the leadership and always was.

    One day we will see the 2nd essay (perhaps after he is dead) on why he is voting to Remain and it will carefully lay out all the shit things that are now happening to this country thanks to leaving with a dollop of good humour.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Here is an obvious answer to Mr Parish's local difficulty " I was unaware I was watching pornography" would seem to work just fine. "I was unaware I was attending a party" cut the mustard after all.

    I feel we are being rather prudish. I don't look at pornography at work (or anywhere else for that matter) but I am illicitly posting on PB at work, which seems much, much worse?
    He is very into greenery and recycling, and I think it is fairly clear he thought he was watching an earnest docudrama about the advantage of extending the life of white goods by calling the repairman, vs buying new.
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310

    nico679 said:

    What a fall . Boris Becker going to prison . And particularly annoying for no 10 and their media arm the DM that their story isn’t getting the major headlines they hoped for !

    "BORIS GOING TO JAIL" is still a headline many will frame.....
    JAILED - BORIS'S LIES FINALLY CATCH UP WITH HIM
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Does one "read" porn? Watch or consume, or maybe even participate, but read? Lady Chatterley perhaps?
    OKay, "watch", if that is the right verb. You obviously know more than I do about such things.
  • IshmaelZ said:

    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    You are always so complacent Roger!
    No. The story is without legs anyway. People have a very simple idea of how easy it is to capture the public's imagination. After a lifetime in advertising I can vouch for the fact that it's difficult and the headline in the Mail yesterday hasn't a snowball in Hell's chance of doing it. Not that that It was intended as anything other than a diversion. But there are problems with that too.

    OT. Poor Boris (Becker) A much better and nicer man than the other one

    One I did earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSYKXQvrZo
    It has no inherent value, but what it does do is give bojo a shield against SKS's most effective attack lines whenever he has to go to the House to apologise for the latest fpn.

    And what a completye unforced error, lying about Ange being there. Whoever thought that was a good plan should be fired.
    The problem for labour is they have been caught lying and may yet even be subject to a FPN

    The mail will not let it go and it is already featuring on the BBC, Sky and the telegraph

    Labour supporters are trying to close the story down but it may not be quite as easy as they hope

  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Does one "read" porn? Watch or consume, or maybe even participate, but read? Lady Chatterley perhaps?
    OKay, "watch", if that is the right verb. You obviously know more than I do about such things.
    I am going to put together a thesis. Would you like to supervise?
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,329

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    He was furious...she got caught.

    P.S. BigG. was on here demanding Starmer's nuts in a vice for Beergate not long ago, unless I am mistaken his silence on the matter of the MP for Tiverton is deafening.
    He’s too busy deleting his browser history.
    Trouser history perhaps
  • ApplicantApplicant Posts: 3,379
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Does one "read" porn? Watch or consume, or maybe even participate, but read? Lady Chatterley perhaps?
    OKay, "watch", if that is the right verb. You obviously know more than I do about such things.
    Sure, you can read porn. Literotica is a thing. But I don't think that's what this MP is accused of.

    Still, at least you didn't say "use" porn, which is just silly.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070

    IshmaelZ said:

    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    You are always so complacent Roger!
    No. The story is without legs anyway. People have a very simple idea of how easy it is to capture the public's imagination. After a lifetime in advertising I can vouch for the fact that it's difficult and the headline in the Mail yesterday hasn't a snowball in Hell's chance of doing it. Not that that It was intended as anything other than a diversion. But there are problems with that too.

    OT. Poor Boris (Becker) A much better and nicer man than the other one

    One I did earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSYKXQvrZo
    It has no inherent value, but what it does do is give bojo a shield against SKS's most effective attack lines whenever he has to go to the House to apologise for the latest fpn.

    And what a completye unforced error, lying about Ange being there. Whoever thought that was a good plan should be fired.
    The problem for labour is they have been caught lying and may yet even be subject to a FPN

    The mail will not let it go and it is already featuring on the BBC, Sky and the telegraph

    Labour supporters are trying to close the story down but it may not be quite as easy as they hope

    If you're explaining, you're losing, Big_G. :smile:
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310

    Johnson cares not a jot.

    He couldn't care less about Brexit and never did. It was all a vehicle to win the leadership and always was.

    One day we will see the 2nd essay (perhaps after he is dead) on why he is voting to Remain and it will carefully lay out all the shit things that are now happening to this country thanks to leaving with a dollop of good humour.
    He will perhaps reveal that he actually voted Remain !
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    It would be grounds for summary dismissal in many places.

    Byrne's punishment was effectively reduced by the fact that the body responsible doesn't hear complaints regarding bullying during campaigning incidents.
    At one of my workplaces a number of years ago, someone took their own life because of bullying.

    It is way more serious than viewing legal porn.

    In fact, sustained bullying is a criminal offence. Viewing legal porn is not.

    It is certainly wrong to be watching legal porn at the HoC -- but Byrne's offence is the greater & more serious one.
    Without diminishing the Byrne case, one should bear in mind that watching porn in front of people who don't like it - who are often women - is an increasingly well-recognised form of bullying.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,329

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Absolutely.

    There may be a greyer area about private offices etc, but even so. Doing it in full view of others begs me to wonder if they 'wanted' to get caught. Cry for help? Otherwise its so far from normal, rational behaviour.
    He is a Tory , arrogance unbounded. They all think they can get away with anything now Big Dog has no problem with crriminal activities etc and anything goes.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    edited April 2022
    ...

    The Tories seem to suffer one loss of MP per month for various sex offences.

    It really is the mid 90s redux.

    Conservative Party shills came up with some great stories of their own to counter their own scandals back in the day. Someone called Charles Lynton- a convenient name- they alleged was found guilty at Bow St Magistrates Court for importuning, and this same character was allegedly a cross dresser known as Miranda at University. Scandalously the court papers to confirm the conviction were lost. It must have been a cover-up.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838

    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Does one "read" porn? Watch or consume, or maybe even participate, but read? Lady Chatterley perhaps?
    OKay, "watch", if that is the right verb. You obviously know more than I do about such things.
    I am going to put together a thesis. Would you like to supervise?
    No. I don't have the required understanding of the methodology and cuirrent state of sociological or legal or psychopathological [delete as required] science, or the specific understanding of smut, even to be a referee of the finished thing - let alone a supervisor.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,039
    edited April 2022

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    He was furious...she got caught.

    P.S. BigG. was on here demanding Starmer's nuts in a vice for Beergate not long ago, unless I am mistaken his silence on the matter of the MP for Tiverton is deafening.
    I did no such thing but there is a problem with beergate for labour

    We have been asked this pm to look after our grandchildren tonight, so I have been out buying turkey dinosaurs and strawberries to cook their tea and therefore your comment on Parish is unfair as I had not heard the news and should be withdrawn

    I condemn him and anyone who looks at porn at work and losing the whip is correct and should have happened earlier

    Anyway, off to cook tea for the children
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,329
    Nigelb said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    You are always so complacent Roger!
    No. The story is without legs anyway. People have a very simple idea of how easy it is to capture the public's imagination. After a lifetime in advertising I can vouch for the fact that it's difficult and the headline in the Mail yesterday hasn't a snowball in Hell's chance of doing it. Not that that It was intended as anything other than a diversion. But there are problems with that too.

    OT. Poor Boris (Becker) A much better and nicer man than the other one

    One I did earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSYKXQvrZo
    It has no inherent value, but what it does do is give bojo a shield against SKS's most effective attack lines whenever he has to go to the House to apologise for the latest fpn.

    And what a completye unforced error, lying about Ange being there. Whoever thought that was a good plan should be fired.
    The problem for labour is they have been caught lying and may yet even be subject to a FPN

    The mail will not let it go and it is already featuring on the BBC, Sky and the telegraph

    Labour supporters are trying to close the story down but it may not be quite as easy as they hope

    If you're explaining, you're losing, Big_G. :smile:
    Nobody gives a F*** about Starmer having one beer. He did not attend loads of very large parties he organised , brought in bevy by the suitcase load , is a criminal, etc.
  • BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,492

    It occurs to me that the 2025 Belarus presidential election might be, uh, interesting, considering what happened in 2020: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Belarusian_presidential_election

    I have no idea what the odds should be on Alexander Lukashenko versus a reformist challenger, but don't doubt that there are regulars here who could make semi-informed guesses.

    Of course it is possible that the results are already in, as in the old joke:

    "Bad news, President Lukashenko. There was a burglary at the Central Election Commission."

    "What did they steal?"

    "The results of the 2025 election."
    Seeing the results of the Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it is easy to believe that Belarusians might prefer a leader less associated with Putin.

    I think the idea that the 2025 Belarusian election will in any way reflect the will of the Belarusian people is the silliest post on here today, and that's on a day when somebody posted a screenshot of google searcher for 'pineapple pizza porn' !
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,506

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Here is an obvious answer to Mr Parish's local difficulty " I was unaware I was watching pornography" would seem to work just fine. "I was unaware I was attending a party" cut the mustard after all.

    I feel we are being rather prudish. I don't look at pornography at work (or anywhere else for that matter) but I am illicitly posting on PB at work, which seems much, much worse?
    That’s a filthy admission Pete. Filthy.
  • Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    He was furious...she got caught.

    P.S. BigG. was on here demanding Starmer's nuts in a vice for Beergate not long ago, unless I am mistaken his silence on the matter of the MP for Tiverton is deafening.
    He’s too busy deleting his browser history.
    That is uncalled for
  • Nigel_ForemainNigel_Foremain Posts: 14,310
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Thinking about this porn thing, it is harder and harder, fnaaar, to see what the offence is. If looking at stuff on your phone is allowed, if this was legal porn with properly paid, non exploited actors, if the member for tiverton was not visibly aroused and/or being attended to, what are we complaining about? Ok it might be a bit of a contempt of the House, but doing wordle is neither more nor less discourteous. If Byrne's persistent bullying of an underling is worth 2 days this scores about 90 minutes on the same scale.

    Visibly reading porn in front of colleagues who don't like it is a serious offence in any sensible workplace.
    Does one "read" porn? Watch or consume, or maybe even participate, but read? Lady Chatterley perhaps?
    OKay, "watch", if that is the right verb. You obviously know more than I do about such things.
    I am going to put together a thesis. Would you like to supervise?
    No. I don't have the required understanding of the methodology and cuirrent state of sociological or legal or psychopathological [delete as required] science, or the specific understanding of smut, even to be a referee of the finished thing - let alone a supervisor.
    lol. great response!
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838
    malcolmg said:

    Nigelb said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Roger said:

    Roger said:

    MrEd said:

    Beergate now reported on both BBC and Sky

    BBC News - Angela Rayner was at a lockdown event with Starmer, Labour admits
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61271050

    https://news.sky.com/story/angela-rayner-was-with-sir-keir-starmer-at-lockdown-beers-labour-confirm-12601519

    I don't see the benefit in Labour earlier denying Rayner's presence. Particularly as the pair can't stand the sight of each other. The event still has all the hallmarks of a working late lunch with beer whether she was there or not, unless she was the one wheeling the suitcase of ale and karaoke machine from Tesco Extra...now there's a thought.

    This ten times worse than Boris Johnson's lame cake incident is certainly exercising BigG. and Moonrabbit.

    Maybe Sue Gray should investigate.
    It’s the Labour head in the sand approach to this test that gets my goat. They want to be in government and protect our security, but they can’t even rebutt this tripe? God help them in a proper general election against Boris and his dirty trick unit.
    It’s been a bit of a revelation this morning seeing the more pro-Labour voices on here saying this story was overblown, the Tories were risking having the story boomerang, everyone would see the difference etc etc. Almost as though, because BJ did something far worse, the story will get swept away. Now the BBC and Sky are on to it, others will push more
    But the story IS overblown. What are the public to take from it?

    "Guess what!! The deputy leader of the Labour Party -you know the one who crossed her legs- was in the room when Keir Starmer was photographed having a beer!!"

    What response would the canvassers get do you suppose?
    You are always so complacent Roger!
    No. The story is without legs anyway. People have a very simple idea of how easy it is to capture the public's imagination. After a lifetime in advertising I can vouch for the fact that it's difficult and the headline in the Mail yesterday hasn't a snowball in Hell's chance of doing it. Not that that It was intended as anything other than a diversion. But there are problems with that too.

    OT. Poor Boris (Becker) A much better and nicer man than the other one

    One I did earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSYKXQvrZo
    It has no inherent value, but what it does do is give bojo a shield against SKS's most effective attack lines whenever he has to go to the House to apologise for the latest fpn.

    And what a completye unforced error, lying about Ange being there. Whoever thought that was a good plan should be fired.
    The problem for labour is they have been caught lying and may yet even be subject to a FPN

    The mail will not let it go and it is already featuring on the BBC, Sky and the telegraph

    Labour supporters are trying to close the story down but it may not be quite as easy as they hope

    If you're explaining, you're losing, Big_G. :smile:
    Nobody gives a F*** about Starmer having one beer. He did not attend loads of very large parties he organised , brought in bevy by the suitcase load , is a criminal, etc.
    Malky, yoiu might want to add the 'not' accidentally missing ...
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    ...

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    He was furious...she got caught.

    P.S. BigG. was on here demanding Starmer's nuts in a vice for Beergate not long ago, unless I am mistaken his silence on the matter of the MP for Tiverton is deafening.
    I did no such thing but there is a problem with beergate for labour

    We have been asked this pm to look after our grandchildren tonight, so I have been out buying turkey dinosaurs and strawberries to cook their tea and therefore your comment on Parish is unfair as I had not heard the news and should be withdrawn

    I condemn him and anyone who looks at porn at work and losing the whip is correct and should have happened earlier

    Anyway, off to cook tea for the children
    A full apology is duly made.

    Turkey dinosaurs is a euphemism surely?
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,896

    Johnson cares not a jot.

    He couldn't care less about Brexit and never did. It was all a vehicle to win the leadership and always was.

    One day we will see the 2nd essay (perhaps after he is dead) on why he is voting to Remain and it will carefully lay out all the shit things that are now happening to this country thanks to leaving with a dollop of good humour.
    He will perhaps reveal that he actually voted Remain !
    It would not surprise me. However, back to Jacob Rees-Mogg. He was Chief Brexiteer at the ERG. That is why he was appointed to the Cabinet — to give cover to Boris for non-Brexity actions like this. Boris was not appointing a clown; he appointed a human shield.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,589

    Carnyx said:

    Okay, trying again for a feelgood Friday story - no euphemisms for MPs here I hope. Baby red-bellied lemurs born in a conservation programme at Chester. Sweet video.

    https://twitter.com/chesterzoo/status/1519689842212360196

    Mr Jessop will be interested, if no-one else, but we now appear to have five eggs in our camera-fitted nest-box. Mr & Mrs Blue-tit have been busy, although Mrs probably busier than Mr.
    @OldKingCole I don't know if you saw it, but I posted a picture of one of our visitors on this morning's thread. We have two eggs.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838

    ...

    Scott_xP said:

    Here is Mr Parish earlier this week telling us that he hopes they catch the offender!
    Like the murderer that appears at the police missing persons press conference…


    https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1520051214964215812/video/1

    Like Boris who assured us he was furious about the Allegra video.
    He was furious...she got caught.

    P.S. BigG. was on here demanding Starmer's nuts in a vice for Beergate not long ago, unless I am mistaken his silence on the matter of the MP for Tiverton is deafening.
    I did no such thing but there is a problem with beergate for labour

    We have been asked this pm to look after our grandchildren tonight, so I have been out buying turkey dinosaurs and strawberries to cook their tea and therefore your comment on Parish is unfair as I had not heard the news and should be withdrawn

    I condemn him and anyone who looks at porn at work and losing the whip is correct and should have happened earlier

    Anyway, off to cook tea for the children
    A full apology is duly made.

    Turkey dinosaurs is a euphemism surely?
    No, rather an upgrade for turkey twizzlers I believe.

    https://www.brake.co.uk/meat-poultry/frozen-processed-poultry/turkey/coated-turkey/bernard-matthews-turkey-dinosaurs/p/460594

  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,838
    This thread has had its favourite whip extracted and locked away.
This discussion has been closed.