I know very little about the modern Church, but its internal politics have historically been titanically vicious over the centuries, with a great many popes very unpopular with the bureaucracy, but this piece full of accusations of the current pope's alleged cruelty, bullying and vindictiveness (of his church opponents) is certainly not something I had stumbled across before.
No surprise, as its author is Damian Thomson, an arch conservative, traditionalist and loyalist to Pope Benedict who has long been very critical of the more liberal approach taken by Pope Francis
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
Never heard of it, if I'm honest. If it's anything like Blackpool, though, it can fuck right off.
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
But it is where the nativity story is set:
"They wrapped him in Swadlincote and laid him in a manger."
How damaging to the Tories is this coming announcement on Farming, Food and Environment?
With a bit of skin in this game I think it’s a bit dangerous for Tories not to follow through on Brexit promises on farming and food production and fishing etc - there’s lots of constituency’s that could change hands if the policy is as much a dogs dinner as now being reported, much more than they think.
It's beyond embarrassing now. Every day another announcement plucked out of thin air or from the wastebasket of stupid ideas rejected for the next manifesto. Anything. Literally anything to give the press something to print.
One bonkers idea after another.
No direction. No vision. No purpose. No point.
The albatross continues to rot around the party's neck.
Eat more Venison to save the planet seems to be the headline they want out there. Which is odd for HUGE policy announcement across several important industries wanting reassurance post Brexit, and not getting it.
I think I am saying same thing as you, but I’ve never been much of a drama queen 😇
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
But it is where the nativity story is set:
"They wrapped him in Swadlincote and laid him in a manger."
Goodnight!
The story I think you should have dome is of the woman on the island doing such good work for God he blessed the well so it’s the best beer in world from the water 🍺
From 3% last time you are referring to? And admitting the 34 and 33 Tory % in last two polls from this firm have swing back built in that possibly might never happen if Johnson is still there splitting the party?
How more helpful and polite can I say this? 😆
What exactly have Opinium done to the headline figures?
They've got new methodology.
They call it building in swingback. They get the raw figures sort of in line with the 6 7 8’s everyone else reporting, and work under the bonnet on idea governments “always” get a certain swing back once elections are announced and campaigns underway, this firm reckon they can say know how much and adjust it into the figures their survey actually returned. I think the mainstream media are more grown up about this these days so you won’t see any silly “labour lead slashed to two” headlines from them like some posts here this evening.
I love this poll, and the fact it’s two a month, because it’s always so predictable for the better and smarter poll analysts (like I was spot on tonight) so I really feel if the headline figures for each party show a consistent shift in this one we can believe it’s going on.
Yes. In that sense it is showing no change. The stability of the polling is actually the great mystery right now.
Not to dixiedean who posts here, he’s always talking about this mysterious 2 / 3 week lag.
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
Never heard of it, if I'm honest. If it's anything like Blackpool, though, it can fuck right off.
Seriously? She's from Swadlincote? No fecking offence, but if she thinks her dull, shitey e mids market town is a better than Birmingham then she was born blind.
It's never occurred to me before now just how tiny the Labour vote is in my constituency. I mean, I knew they are basically non-existent here, but I never really compared it with other places. Outside Orkney & Shetland (which has half the electorate) and Northern Ireland where Labour don't stand, it's the second-worst Labour vote in the country. Only North-East Fife beats it (1707 votes in NE Fife, 1734 in B&B).
Don't know why it's taken me this long to notice quite how remarkably low that is compared to other places.
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
Never heard of it, if I'm honest. If it's anything like Blackpool, though, it can fuck right off.
It's not that far from me. An old pit village, but quite gentrified now.
What can we expect with the Protocol bill come Monday? Failure in the Commons? It's difficult to see how a PM who's had 40% of his MPs no confidence him can pass controversial legislation.
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
Never heard of it, if I'm honest. If it's anything like Blackpool, though, it can fuck right off.
It's not that far from me. An old pit village, but quite gentrified now.
Aye, I'm looking at the map there and it's amazing how close all those towns/cities are to each other. Derby, Nottingham, Leicester. It's not a part of the world I've spent much time in, so all these little places in the gaps between are a total mystery to me. Shepshed? Hinckley? Polesworth? 🤷
What can we expect with the Protocol bill come Monday? Failure in the Commons? It's difficult to see how a PM who's had 40% of his MPs no confidence him can pass controversial legislation.
Lords will block it presumably but who cares if Big Rot gets another day's headlines.
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
Never heard of it, if I'm honest. If it's anything like Blackpool, though, it can fuck right off.
Birmingham is a lot nicer than Swadlincote in my opinion. Haven't spent enough time in Blackpool to comment.
How damaging to the Tories is this coming announcement on Farming, Food and Environment?
With a bit of skin in this game I think it’s a bit dangerous for Tories not to follow through on Brexit promises on farming and food production and fishing etc - there’s lots of constituency’s that could change hands if the policy is as much a dogs dinner as now being reported, much more than they think.
This is in my area of professional interest, and in my opinion there's quite a lot to like in the statement from the animal welfare angle in particular. In particular, the plan to have mandatory labelling of meat showing animal welfare level, including for imports - which has been a major concern for farmers (because if you raise standards and allow low-standard imports, you simply undercut British farming).
Obviously the big farmers want the massive subsidies they had under the CAP, and they're not happy. But the combination of Minette fighting the farmers' corner (which in fairness is her job - rather as the RMT leadership's job is to fight for train staff) and the Observer looking for Boris-bashing material, the result is a one-sided article. The report is not perfect by any means, but it's not really a dog's dinner.
The problem with Heather Wheeler's comments is that the main town in her constituency is Swadlincote in Derbyshire which isn't exactly known for its beauty.
Never heard of it, if I'm honest. If it's anything like Blackpool, though, it can fuck right off.
Birmingham is a lot nicer than Swadlincote in my opinion. Haven't spent enough time in Blackpool to comment.
Birmingham's brilliant in my limited experience. I can really get on with these big cities in small doses. Manchester, Glasgow. Wouldn't want to live there, but fun to dip in every so often.
How damaging to the Tories is this coming announcement on Farming, Food and Environment?
With a bit of skin in this game I think it’s a bit dangerous for Tories not to follow through on Brexit promises on farming and food production and fishing etc - there’s lots of constituency’s that could change hands if the policy is as much a dogs dinner as now being reported, much more than they think.
This is in my area of professional interest, and in my opinion there's quite a lot to like in the statement from the animal welfare angle in particular. In particular, the plan to have mandatory labelling of meat showing animal welfare level, including for imports - which has been a major concern for farmers (because if you raise standards and allow low-standard imports, you simply undercut British farming).
Obviously the big farmers want the massive subsidies they had under the CAP, and they're not happy. But the combination of Minette fighting the farmers' corner (which in fairness is her job - rather as the RMT leadership's job is to fight for train staff) and the Observer looking for Boris-bashing material, the result is a one-sided article. The report is not perfect by any means, but it's not really a dog's dinner.
Oh that’s interesting. You are not towing your own parties message, Johnny Owls style. Opposition parties have been calling it far worse than a dogs dinner, and it’s not just Observer running negative stories. Sky seemed bewildered by the eat more venison sound bite. There’s a lot more going on than animal welfare Nick - I was clipping ears, docking tails and castrating little fluffy things for their own good last month you will be pleased to know - but contentious things like sugar tax are gone. Environmentalists not happy. Still much fear of getting undercut by imports right across the food production industry, and the so called hidden Brexit costs for exports that never made it on t side of any bus.
Are you in favour of Taxing Cow Farts Nick? My girlfriend accuses me of farting like a cow sometimes, would I be liable to pay in each case or does it just pick on actual cows, not farting styles?
Clear proof, if any was needed, that Ed Davey is heading for Downing Street at the next election.
I am amazed the polls are so close. Is it because to get any substantial difference the LDs need to squeeze the Tories and they aren't really doing it yet, although they have made a little progress.
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
The fact that 148 Conservatives MPs voted No in the confidence vote last Monday must indicate that there is a good chance of reaching a target 65 constituency chairmen's signatures?
The fact that 148 Conservatives MPs voted No in the confidence vote last Monday must indicate that there is a good chance of reaching a target 65 constituency chairmen's signatures?
Yeh, but iirc this 65 chairperson's thing is non binding, so Johnson will sail on.
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
I'm lost.
"ignore law" means they will face the law surely?
And who are all these trained drivers sitting in agent's office just waiting for a strike?
The Tories are fine because they don't really want to hold an election until the new boundaries are in place, which won't be until around autumn next year, which gives plenty of time for another leadership contest if the polls don't improve.
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
I'm lost.
"ignore law" means they will face the law surely?
And who are all these trained drivers sitting in agent's office just waiting for a strike?
It’s on front of Telegraph. Maybe it’s me explaining poorly, or maybe not. I’ll try again. But it’s likely we will here more of it in next twelve hours!
Labour Party Government legal restriction agency staff can’t break strikes, but both Shapps and Karteng working hard for us passengers (personally I hate trains never go in them - pleb wagons) and now have plans to remove that legal restriction in time to break strike in the coming week of what will otherwise be rail travel chaos. So agency staff can now replace all strikers and render impact of strikes negatory - except saving on paying strikers pay.
In the email below I surmised the only possible quibble with this action is if your love ones a travelling that day, is it all still 100% safe?
The fact that 148 Conservatives MPs voted No in the confidence vote last Monday must indicate that there is a good chance of reaching a target 65 constituency chairmen's signatures?
Yeh, but iirc this 65 chairperson's thing is non binding, so Johnson will sail on.
Mike Smithson noted in his article that it was non binding, but as he also points out 'it would clearly have a huge impact and its symbolism would be huge'. I would be hoping that as constituency chairman announced their signatures, it would then gather some momentum and like the no confidence letters it would end up exceeding the threshold required. This in turn could trigger some of the leadership contenders in Government to resign.
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
I'm lost.
"ignore law" means they will face the law surely?
And who are all these trained drivers sitting in agent's office just waiting for a strike?
It’s on front of Telegraph. Maybe it’s me explaining poorly, or maybe not. I’ll try again. But it’s likely we will here more of it in next twelve hours!
Labour Party Government legal restriction agency staff can’t break strikes, but both Shapps and Karteng working hard for us passengers (personally I hate trains never go in them - pleb wagons) and now have plans to remove that legal restriction in time to break strike in the coming week of what will otherwise be rail travel chaos. So agency staff can now replace all strikers and render impact of strikes negatory - except saving on paying strikers pay.
In the email below I surmised the only possible quibble with this action is if your love ones a travelling that day, is it all still 100% safe?
Dont know about using agency staff but they are currently asking rail company managers to commit to working (i.e strike-breaking) on mooted strike days.
The Tories are fine because they don't really want to hold an election until the new boundaries are in place, which won't be until around autumn next year, which gives plenty of time for another leadership contest if the polls don't improve.
Just another reason why the Boris camp's threat to hold an early GE was complete mince, even the lemmings still backing him would think twice about throwing the whole party under a bus unnecessarily.
The fact that 148 Conservatives MPs voted No in the confidence vote last Monday must indicate that there is a good chance of reaching a target 65 constituency chairmen's signatures?
Yeh, but iirc this 65 chairperson's thing is non binding, so Johnson will sail on.
Mike Smithson noted in his article that it was non binding, but as he also points out 'it would clearly have a huge impact and its symbolism would be huge'. I would be hoping that as constituency chairman announced their signatures, it would then gather some momentum and like the no confidence letters it would end up exceeding the threshold required. This in turn could trigger some of the leadership contenders in Government to resign.
Maybe. Or maybe if there are people serious about their career taking them to the party leadership they prefer to wait till after Boris had to go after losing eighty seat majority for their time to take over, rather like with Major it soon started to move into the territory of the next election so contests put on hold.
Or maybe big dog finds 66 chairpersons to endorse him? Touché as Mogg would say 😂
Or maybe, and here’s a very plausible one I don’t think anyone has raised yet. There’s another vonc and Boris loses by one, so can’t stand can he? Think again PB, because you know MoonRabbit is right again 😁 If all these rules can be changed then let me offer the change where Boris is allowed to stand, and he wins, doesn’t he, in the membership vote.
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
Kwarsi Kwarteng.
As you are PBs shadow minister for Transport, and I Merely sport, I bow to your area of expertise. Like I nearly bowed to Nicks.
It's never occurred to me before now just how tiny the Labour vote is in my constituency. I mean, I knew they are basically non-existent here, but I never really compared it with other places. Outside Orkney & Shetland (which has half the electorate) and Northern Ireland where Labour don't stand, it's the second-worst Labour vote in the country. Only North-East Fife beats it (1707 votes in NE Fife, 1734 in B&B).
Don't know why it's taken me this long to notice quite how remarkably low that is compared to other places.
Shall I tell you something else slightly unique about B&B: it is one of an incredibly small list of seats where the LDs moved ahead of Labour between 2010 and 2019.
It's also the only seat in Scotland which the SNP held in 2010 (before the Independence referendum)... But which they did not win in 2019.
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
That doesn't logically follow.
Agency staff can be incredibly specialised; they can be train drivers with twenty years experience, or cardiothoracic specialist nurses. Very few agency staff are "John from Streatham who usually works in data input" these days.
Grant Shapps and Karsi Karteng are promising to ignore law that prevents agency workers from busting the coming train strikes.
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
The Tories are fine because they don't really want to hold an election until the new boundaries are in place, which won't be until around autumn next year, which gives plenty of time for another leadership contest if the polls don't improve.
The economy will be in full recession by next year. No government will choose to go the country in those circumstances.
But unless oil and gas prices come down in the next 6 months, a winter election this year (which suppresses Labour and under 30 turnout) is tricky.
I expect Boris will choose to go this autumn - if he can turn around his personal ratings.
It's never occurred to me before now just how tiny the Labour vote is in my constituency. I mean, I knew they are basically non-existent here, but I never really compared it with other places. Outside Orkney & Shetland (which has half the electorate) and Northern Ireland where Labour don't stand, it's the second-worst Labour vote in the country. Only North-East Fife beats it (1707 votes in NE Fife, 1734 in B&B).
Don't know why it's taken me this long to notice quite how remarkably low that is compared to other places.
Shall I tell you something else slightly unique about B&B: it is one of an incredibly small list of seats where the LDs moved ahead of Labour between 2010 and 2019.
It's also the only seat in Scotland which the SNP held in 2010 (before the Independence referendum)... But which they did not win in 2019.
Comments
If it's anything like Blackpool, though, it can fuck right off.
"They wrapped him in Swadlincote and laid him in a manger."
Goodnight!
I think I am saying same thing as you, but I’ve never been much of a drama queen 😇
Don't know why it's taken me this long to notice quite how remarkably low that is compared to other places.
As he has attacked or broken or fecked up every single other institution then why not the ultimate one, the monarchy?
When will Tory members wake up to the destruction this man is wreaking across everything they believe in?
Express has similar headline about Charles.
The government now appears to be at war with the monarchy only days after the Jubilee (they got bored of attacking judges and lawyers).
I doubt this will end well for the fat albatross and his Australian advisors.
I don’t like the sound of this lot messing with such laws to be honest.
Tonight I just want this government gone now, the next two and a half years are going to drag.
Obviously the big farmers want the massive subsidies they had under the CAP, and they're not happy. But the combination of Minette fighting the farmers' corner (which in fairness is her job - rather as the RMT leadership's job is to fight for train staff) and the Observer looking for Boris-bashing material, the result is a one-sided article. The report is not perfect by any means, but it's not really a dog's dinner.
Possibly even Boris Becker.
https://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/22SPECPRIM/index.php
Note - deadline for in-person voting is Saturday 8pm Alaska time= Sunday 5am UK time
Are you in favour of Taxing Cow Farts Nick? My girlfriend accuses me of farting like a cow sometimes, would I be liable to pay in each case or does it just pick on actual cows, not farting styles?
Just shows how overpaid rail staff have become, if agency workers can simply swan in on first day to engineering, driving and signalling to break this strike? Anyone have a problem with that? Other than maybe a little bit about safety?
"ignore law" means they will face the law surely?
And who are all these trained drivers sitting in agent's office just waiting for a strike?
Labour Party Government legal restriction agency staff can’t break strikes, but both Shapps and Karteng working hard for us passengers (personally I hate trains never go in them - pleb wagons) and now have plans to remove that legal restriction in time to break strike in the coming week of what will otherwise be rail travel chaos. So agency staff can now replace all strikers and render impact of strikes negatory - except saving on paying strikers pay.
In the email below I surmised the only possible quibble with this action is if your love ones a travelling that day, is it all still 100% safe?
Or maybe big dog finds 66 chairpersons to endorse him? Touché as Mogg would say 😂
Or maybe, and here’s a very plausible one I don’t think anyone has raised yet. There’s another vonc and Boris loses by one, so can’t stand can he? Think again PB, because you know MoonRabbit is right again 😁 If all these rules can be changed then let me offer the change where Boris is allowed to stand, and he wins, doesn’t he, in the membership vote.
It's also the only seat in Scotland which the SNP held in 2010 (before the Independence referendum)... But which they did not win in 2019.
Agency staff can be incredibly specialised; they can be train drivers with twenty years experience, or cardiothoracic specialist nurses. Very few agency staff are "John from Streatham who usually works in data input" these days.
But unless oil and gas prices come down in the next 6 months, a winter election this year (which suppresses Labour and under 30 turnout) is tricky.
I expect Boris will choose to go this autumn - if he can turn around his personal ratings.
He'll probably scrape back in as well.