Sunak must be in a better position tonight with the Hunt endorsement. Of course it doesn’t mean that all his supporters will move over in one blob, but possibly helps to shore up his support which might have been a bit wobbly after the first ballot.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
What right does she have to tell how private companies conduct their affairs?
Not much, but it's fairly boilerplate as a American Republican talking point.
Doesn't really chime in the UK- heck we have a supermarket chain that is literally connected to a political organisation with Labour links.
Do wonder if the time Wikipedia claims she spent growing up in the US was more formative than she lets on.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Let's do a deal: nobody can say anything in public anyone disagrees with.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Why is the right so sensitive?
Imagine getting uppity about an advert that is against sexism against women. Good grief.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
My attitude towards companies peddling adverts of this nature, proclaiming their commitment to Pride, their concern for the environment, their support for equality and diversity is:
"the louder he spoke of his honour, the faster we counted our spoons."
You just know they'll be employing children in the Third World for a pittance, routing their profits through tax havens, and half their executives will have their hands up womens' skirts.
Exactly my kind of company: two faced double dealing bastards. Where do I sign up?
OK, so I'm officially scared about conditions on Tuesday - my train from Kings Cross to Inverness departs at 12pm (I return on Friday evening).
12pm is meaningless. Midnight or midday? And why not do the sleeper, if you aren't?
12pm i Ds midday 12am is midnight
Both are ambiguous. Say 12 noon or 12 midnight. We used to schedule work for 5 to or 5 past twelve to avoid ambiguity as to which day is intended, since does midnight Sunday mean the start or end of that day? The 24-hour clock is not much better, with 00:00 and 24:00 being the same time but on which day?
They are NOT ambiguous - 12pm has ALWAYS meant midday, and 12am has always meant midnight.
Are you going to Wick Thurso and Kyle? If so enjoy it! 👍
Hopefully, yes, and thanks! Got a seat booked on the Thurso/Wick train for Wednesday, and Kyle for Thursday.
I can imagine you do need to book ahead to get a seat on those services. Standing room only at popular commuter times.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
A business has the right to determine what it's priorities are, does it not?
Nah, Kemi has decided it's maximise shareholder return or bust.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Why is the right so sensitive?
It's not the right, it's just these people, just like some weirdos on the left. Too much free time?
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
A business has the right to determine what it's priorities are, does it not?
Of course not
I just said "No" to the the question about whether she had said "she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness" and quoted her to demonstrate that.
Surprised at Hunt going to Sunak, I had him down as Mordaunt. Funny.
Of course Hunt doesn't have many votes to swing, and they may not all follow him, but it will be good news for Sunak on a day dominated by Mordaunt until now. This is still all to play for and too close to call after today, there's plausible paths now for four different people to make the final 2.
What there doesn't seem to be a plausible path towards is an acclamation. Today's showing was not remotely good enough for that.
Sunak must be in a better position tonight with the Hunt endorsement. Of course it doesn’t mean that all his supporters will move over in one blob, but possibly helps to shore up his support which might have been a bit wobbly after the first ballot.
I don't think Hunt is a very helpful endorsement tbh. Kemi or even Bravermann would have helped him. Hunt not so much.
OK, so I'm officially scared about conditions on Tuesday - my train from Kings Cross to Inverness departs at 12pm (I return on Friday evening).
12pm is meaningless. Midnight or midday? And why not do the sleeper, if you aren't?
12pm is midday 12am is midnight
Both are ambiguous. Say 12 noon or 12 midnight. We used to schedule work for 5 to or 5 past twelve to avoid ambiguity as to which day is intended, since does midnight Sunday mean the start or end of that day? The 24-hour clock is not much better, with 00:00 and 24:00 being the same time but on which day?
12 noon is neither ante meridian nor post meridian. It is ... meridian.
meridiem. Or rather meridies. meridians is lines of longitude.
So the heatwave has been downgraded…. Only to be upgraded
40C now forecast for Tuesday across parts of central, eastern England (as far north as Yorkshire)
That’s a mind-boggling temp. And now just 6 days away it is within the reasonably likely timeframe (tho it could still be derailed, natch)
You wonder if schools will be able to open in those temperatures. The appalling build quality - cramped, badly ventilated, too much glass and concrete - that was such a curse during Covid is not less of an issue in high temperatures.
They’re not alone.
https://twitter.com/DougChapmanSNP/status/1547270996541014018 Just been ejected from the HoC for not wearing a tie/jacket in the Chamber. It’s above 28C+ and a call was put out yesterday on the internal Parliament site regarding well-being during this heatwave. To cap it all, I signed and EDM on the Maximum Temperature in the Workplace.
Though some fool is proposing to spend £22bn on that…
100% with the MP on this topic. Quite apart from the fact that making people boil to death for the sake of observing Edwardian period etiquette isn't really on, these dress codes are ludicrously sexist.
I'm in favour of MPs being required to wear formal attire whilst in the Commons. I just think it's more professional, though I know some will disagree. However, any reasonable chair would apply any such rules in relaxed fashion during a period of such intense uncomfort.
But I find that story strange for another reason- Erskine May is clear a tie is not a requirement.
Members should dress in business-like attire; this need not include a tie.
Erskine May is 1844. The tie was not ubiquitous then. Cravats and scarves were still about. Also. There weren't women in Parliament then. A dress code from 1844 is ludicrous. As is compulsory tie wearing. It's dying out, not before time.
Erskine May has been reviewed and updated many times, my hard copy was the 24th edition and released during Bercow's tenure as Speaker, the most recent is from 2019.
I don't know why you are complaining about the rules though, the rules seem to be pretty clear a dress code from 1844 is not mandated - quite the opposite, it is clear 'Formerly it was the custom for gentlemen Members to wear jackets and ties, but this was not enforced in all circumstances'. And it absolutely says ties are not compulsory.
So this is another example where people are moaning about the rules or archaic customs, but neither are the cause here since they allow for circumstances where people do not have to wear jackets and ties.
Either there was another reason for the suspension, or whoever made the ruling was being an arse.
So why has someone been ejected for not wearing one then? And why shouldn't they be able to wear what they want? They are the elected representatives. Not employees.
To the first question, I have no idea - as I said, either something else is going on or the Chair was being an arse and has applied the rules incorrectly.
I mean, are you disputing that it is not in the rules that you have to wear a jacket and tie at all times? I linked to the rulebook and it is crystal clear about that
As for being able to wear whatever they want, that's obviously something MPs could agree to if they want.
But your point about representatives not employees is just dumb. Deliberative assemblies adopt rules, about interests, speaking, procedures, and yes, attire. The members have complete control and can review those procedures at any time, and do (for instance, they maintain people should not generally read a speech verbatim - though they do not enforce that rigorously - but its ok for people to use phones and tablets as an aide memoire). It's not unfair for an assembly to have procedural rules which representatives adhere to - they just need to keep it updated, and do. I think it has a good balance - you must be in business like attire, but it is flexible and should not be enforced in all circumstances (Jared O'Mara did not have to wear a shirt for instance, due to disability).
It's right there in black and white that you do not have to wear a tie - so if you want to have a rant about how wrong it is for rules to require a tie, I think you are looking in the wrong place. Someone applying the rules incorrectly doesn't magically make the rule the opposite of what it says.
I'm not having a rant at all my friend. Just curious as to why they need rules on attire at all (beyond decency and legality)? People bang on about freedom of speech and expression, yet our elected representatives can't wear t-shirt and jeans, simply because a majority of their peers say so. Why? But it really isn't important at all in the scheme of things.
That's your answer - it isn't massively important, so those who do want things to be formal win out, since they care more.
It's good we're past the days of morning suits and the like, but it's probably a rare assembly that doesn't have any rules about how representatives present themselves.
I mean, as you've noted there are reasons of decency for a start, so there's a line even in a more permissive setting (probably no wearing shorts without underwear, to distract those opposite like that episode of Friends), so it's a question of where you draw that line.
Just be glad Rees-Mogg isn't the one deciding things.
Hunt backing Sunak is in my view about squeezing out Liz. There must have been real worry this evening that Rishi was going to tank and we’d have a final two of PM vs Truss, with the risk of either Penny self destruct or members being silly.
Hunt has kept some momentum with Rishi, Penny has enough momentum out of today for the ball to be rolling fast down the hill.
Sunak vs Mordaunt. With the polls indicating PM wins, albeit no public hustings yet.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
My attitude towards companies peddling adverts of this nature, proclaiming their commitment to Pride, their concern for the environment, their support for equality and diversity is:
"the louder he spoke of his honour, the faster we counted our spoons."
You just know they'll be employing children in the Third World for a pittance, routing their profits through tax havens, and half their executives will have their hands up womens' skirts.
Exactly my kind of company: two faced double dealing bastards. Where do I sign up?
Surprised at Hunt going to Sunak, I had him down as Mordaunt. Funny.
Of course Hunt doesn't have many votes to swing, and they may not all follow him, but it will be good news for Sunak on a day dominated by Mordaunt until now. This is still all to play for and too close to call after today, there's plausible paths now for four different people to make the final 2.
What there doesn't seem to be a plausible path towards is an acclamation. Today's showing was not remotely good enough for that.
Without that acclimation Sunak's bid is dead. It doesn't matter how far ahead he is with the MPs, if it goes to the membership he is toast.
Suppose Mordaunt wins. She offers Sunak a Cabinet job, but it's a demotion. Does he take it? I would have almost certainly said no, but given what ultimately happened to Hunt I think he might well do now. The King over the Water strategy doesn't seem to work.
He's had a meteoric rise in politics, a Chancellor before he was 40, and is richer than God - if he doesn't think he will remain at the top table will he stick around beyond the next election?
I cannot see another winner offering him the same job, they'll want an ally there, but if he's sensible he'd take a meaty mid level Cabinet position.
If they offer you DCMS you know they want to humiliate you. If they offer you Northern Ireland, you know they hate you.
I would create a role for him - almost like an ambassador job - to liaise with tech companies etc globally to find ways to bring elements of the companies to the UK and work with the gov to find the best incentives to attract them whilst maximalising what the country gets out of them being here.
Best utilises his treasury experience. His investment experience, his global contacts and global outlook.
Make him go begging to Nick Clegg? You are a cruel man.
Can't we make Boris something in the Metaverse? I wouldn't go for Ambassador - too risky.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Why is the right so sensitive?
Imagine getting uppity about an advert that is against sexism against women. Good grief.
OK, so I'm officially scared about conditions on Tuesday - my train from Kings Cross to Inverness departs at 12pm (I return on Friday evening).
12pm is meaningless. Midnight or midday? And why not do the sleeper, if you aren't?
12pm is midday 12am is midnight
Both are ambiguous. Say 12 noon or 12 midnight. We used to schedule work for 5 to or 5 past twelve to avoid ambiguity as to which day is intended, since does midnight Sunday mean the start or end of that day? The 24-hour clock is not much better, with 00:00 and 24:00 being the same time but on which day?
They are NOT ambiguous - 12pm has ALWAYS meant midday, and 12am has always meant midnight.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Just ban all advertising. I hate advertising full stop. It's all just lies, and we are exposed to it thousands of times a day until we are desensitised to it. Get rid of it all, then we can all be happy, left, right and everyone in between.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
Not quite. Banning Ben and Jerrys would at least mean Badenoch committing to some coherent outcome. Instead of which we get a stream of verbiage and soundbites:
I'm in no doubts about the scale of the challenge any new prime minister will have to deal with. The underlying economic problems we face have been exacerbated by Covid and by war. But what makes the situation worse is that the answers to our problems, conservative answers, haven't been articulated or delivered in a way appropriate to the modern age. We have been in the grip of an underlying economic, social, cultural and intellectual malaise. The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. The truth that limited government – doing less for better – is the best way to restore faith in government has been forgotten, as we've piled into pressure groups and caved in to every campaigner with a moving message. And that has made the government agenda into a shopping list of disconnected, unworkable and unsustainable policies.
This after saying she will tell the truth and will make tough choices! Badenoch offers only a void.
Sunak must be in a better position tonight with the Hunt endorsement. Of course it doesn’t mean that all his supporters will move over in one blob, but possibly helps to shore up his support which might have been a bit wobbly after the first ballot.
I don't think Hunt is a very helpful endorsement tbh. Kemi or even Bravermann would have helped him. Hunt not so much.
Not sure what could turn it around for him. He's doing ok with MPs, and should get to the Members, so how to improve with them? Is there anything he can do?
Being a leaver hasn't stopped him being labelled as part of a remainer plot against the king, lots of remainers backing him won't help that, they probably want tax cuts and know he won't offer that, not to the extent or enthusiasm of others, and experience won't be a winning argument since he's still youthful and his likely opponents have been at Cabinte level, if not for long with Mordaunt.
A narrative has developed members don't like him. That sort of thing builds even among those who previously were only lukewarm.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
What right does she have to tell how private companies conduct their affairs?
Given that said companies want to lecture me about how I conduct my affairs, I think you, I, and she have exactly that right.
Why do you care so much? I just do not get it
Because it’s unpleasant to be constantly hectored? Because being told you're a bad person is tiresome? Because living in the 2020s feels like being fed a constant tirade of identity politics? I suppose if you agree with the positions being put out you don't notice. If your initial reaction though is "well things are more complex than that" - it makes things exhausting. I come here for my dose of political debate. I don't want it everywhere. We used to be quite good at separating out the political from the non political.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
What right does she have to tell how private companies conduct their affairs?
Not much, but it's fairly boilerplate as a American Republican talking point. Doesn't really chime in the UK- heck we have a
supermarket chain that is literally connected to a political organisation with Labour links.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
What right does she have to tell how private companies conduct their affairs?
Given that said companies want to lecture me about how I conduct my affairs, I think you, I, and she have exactly that right.
Why do you care so much? I just do not get it
Because it’s unpleasant to be constantly hectored? Because being told you're a bad person is tiresome? Because living in the 2020s feels like being fed a constant tirade of identity politics? I suppose if you agree with the positions being put out you don't notice. If your initial reaction though is "well things are more complex than that" - it makes things exhausting. I come here for my dose of political debate. I don't want it everywhere. We used to be quite good at separating out the political from the non political.
I think it is a lot more complicated than the BT sign says. I think BT is probably wrong/too simple.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Why is the right so sensitive?
Imagine getting uppity about an advert that is against sexism against women. Good grief.
Probably because they've lost every single public vote since 2005.. Hang on.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
Not quite. Banning Ben and Jerrys would at least mean Badenoch committing to some coherent outcome. Instead of which we get a stream of verbiage and soundbites:
I'm in no doubts about the scale of the challenge any new prime minister will have to deal with. The underlying economic problems we face have been exacerbated by Covid and by war. But what makes the situation worse is that the answers to our problems, conservative answers, haven't been articulated or delivered in a way appropriate to the modern age. We have been in the grip of an underlying economic, social, cultural and intellectual malaise. The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. The truth that limited government – doing less for better – is the best way to restore faith in government has been forgotten, as we've piled into pressure groups and caved in to every campaigner with a moving message. And that has made the government agenda into a shopping list of disconnected, unworkable and unsustainable policies.
This after saying she will tell the truth and will make touch choices! Badenoch offers only a void.
A massively unimpressive candidate.
There are a lot of people like Badenoch above whom I am huge fans of, but who had the common sense to stop after student politics and stick to making money or in a few cases writing for entertainment. I have to admit, part of me would be thrilled to see one in high office, if it's not just words.
Sunak must be in a better position tonight with the Hunt endorsement. Of course it doesn’t mean that all his supporters will move over in one blob, but possibly helps to shore up his support which might have been a bit wobbly after the first ballot.
I don't think Hunt is a very helpful endorsement tbh. Kemi or even Bravermann would have helped him. Hunt not so much.
Not sure what could turn it around for him. He's doing ok with MPs, and should get to the Members, so how to improve with them? Is there anything he can do?
Being a leaver hasn't stopped him being labelled as part of a remainer plot against the king, lots of remainers backing him won't help that, they probably want tax cuts and know he won't offer that, not to the extent or enthusiasm of others, and experience won't be a winning argument since he's still youthful and his likely opponents have been at Cabinte level, if not for long with Mordaunt.
A narrative has developed members don't like him. That sort of thing builds even among those who previously were only lukewarm.
The only way I seem him winning with the members is to get a very considerable vote lead in the MPs votes and then many of the members choose to respect and follow the MPs guidance. Oh, and doing very well in the hustings.
Whether that can be pulled off? Not looking promising.
One minister quoted in this FT profile of Penny Mordaunt: “I worked with her for five years and still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.” Oh lord.
Hunt backing Sunak is bad news for Mordaunt - and good news for Truss.
Sunak can’t win.
Will he take his supporters with him though?
How important do you think the TV debates will be? Will many of the public watch them? I suppose they could damage Penny if she performs badly and help one or more of the trailing pack?
It’s going to be sweltering hot, so I imagine TV audiences will be well down.
Surprised at Hunt going to Sunak, I had him down as Mordaunt. Funny.
Of course Hunt doesn't have many votes to swing, and they may not all follow him, but it will be good news for Sunak on a day dominated by Mordaunt until now. This is still all to play for and too close to call after today, there's plausible paths now for four different people to make the final 2.
What there doesn't seem to be a plausible path towards is an acclamation. Today's showing was not remotely good enough for that.
It's going to the members and they will vote for PM.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Just ban all advertising. I hate advertising full stop. It's all just lies, and we are exposed to it thousands of times a day until we are desensitised to it. Get rid of it all, then we can all be happy, left, right and everyone in between.
Hunt backing Sunak is bad news for Mordaunt - and good news for Truss.
Sunak can’t win.
Will he take his supporters with him though?
He couldn't get those who nominated him to vote for him
He has very little influence
I suspect he is after a job with Sunak, however I suspect most of his supporters will be looking to see which candidate is now best placed to stop Truss
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
What right does she have to tell how private companies conduct their affairs?
Not much, but it's fairly boilerplate as a American Republican talking point.
Doesn't really chime in the UK- heck we have a supermarket chain that is literally connected to a political organisation with Labour links.
Do wonder if the time Wikipedia claims she spent growing up in the US was more formative than she lets on.
I feel like Ben and Jerrys was the red flag there. Perhaps I'm wrong, as I know they do sell their stuff in the UK, but it feels like a much more american brand to me, and surely there are some woke more British brands to moan about.
Is Ronseal 5 year wood stain now doing exactly as it says on the tin, whilst also standing up for trans rights or something?
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Of course its free speech.
And so too is Steve Bray incidentally.
Even dickheads have a right to free speech.
Steve Bray pretends that causing a public nuisance is free speech.
It is not. The right to protest should not extend to wrecking the lives of ordinary people going about their lawful business.
The man needs an ASBO. And if he ends up putting himself in prison by breaching the criminal or common law, so be it.
For me it's exactly the same argument as for the hypocritical numpties from Extinction Rebellion.
One minister quoted in this FT profile of Penny Mordaunt: “I worked with her for five years and still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.” Oh lord.
One minister quoted in this FT profile of Penny Mordaunt: “I worked with her for five years and still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.” Oh lord.
I think Sunak needs to try and get Truss to the membership to face him instead of Mordaunt. That's his best chance.
In which case we likely get Truss as PM, which I fear guarantees a Labour majority at the next general election and Starmer PM. Probably would be an even worse defeat than keeping Boris would have led to
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
No
"The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. "
What right does she have to tell how private companies conduct their affairs?
Not much, but it's fairly boilerplate as a American Republican talking point. Doesn't really chime in the UK- heck we have a
supermarket chain that is literally connected to a political organisation with Labour links.
Isn't the critique of crony capitalism bog standard Wealth of Nations ((c) A. Smith)? A bit one of the Thatcherite gurus edited out from a 1980s edition, as I recall dimly.
One minister quoted in this FT profile of Penny Mordaunt: “I worked with her for five years and still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.” Oh lord.
She is literally the Keir Starmer of the Tories.
That doesn't surprise me. She seems *very* guarded, and a bit sad (sad tragic, not uncool) . But still a woman of great ability.
Being honest, I'll be a bit disappointed when Kemi goes out of this race. But Penny will do great.
As someone who suffered years of pain that the NHS caused and utterly failed to sort out, I am going to say something controversial:
I think homeopathy is mostly rubbish, but there is a place for it. Much healing is mental, and if someone thinks it works, then it may help their mood if nothing else.
But it should be complementary, not the only 'cure' (see Steve Jobs), and it probably should not be available on the NHS, unless there is nothing else the NHS can do.
When you are in pain, and the doctors can do nothing to help you, you will try anything. (note: I did not try homeopathy, but I wish I had if it had made me *feel* better).
Homeopathy is a very specific subset of alternative medicine. I don't know a huge amount about it, but I believe it entails taking small amount of the 'active' ingredient (I think a poison or a disease) and diluting it to a vast extent before administering it. Protesters against homeopathy have committed mass homeopathic suicide (taking an excess of the recommended dose) and nothing has happened. Therefore it appears to me thaf homeopathy is indeed mostly quackery, though you're correct to say that it can still be beneficial if you believe it.
By contrast, naturopathy is simply the belief that the chemicals you ingest each day (what we call food and drink) as well as other environmental factors, are going to have a huge impact on health. Which of course is entirely correct. I never know when someone is being accused of 'believing in homeopathy', whether they are being accused of the former, or the latter.
Homeopathy is clearly bollocks. Yet it has worked for me in the past. As a teenager, I suffered from terrible hay-fever from late April through to September. Nothing seemed to alleviate it. My mum got me some homeopathic pills. I didn't know what homeopathy was - I guess I thought it just meant 'natural' - but they worked, and stopping taking them brought back the symptoms. I suppose what I was taking was a placebo, but a remarkably effective one.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Of course its free speech.
And so too is Steve Bray incidentally.
Even dickheads have a right to free speech.
Steve Bray pretends that causing a public nuisance is free speech.
It is not.
The man needs an ASBO.
It is free speech. Nuisances are part of the price of free speech, if you take away dickheads free speech you can take away anyone else's too.
The law should not get involved in preventing speech that hurts people's feelings. Unless there's incitement to violence etc, its not or shouldn't be criminal behaviour.
Selling more than a penny of Penny after her big shortening of odds not looking quite such a smart move at the moment - I thought the market had overreacted to the YouGov poll, but maybe it was me who underreacted. And yet... I could buy back at little more than the price I sold at, but something is stopping me. Mordaunt may yet have skeletons in the closet or do something silly or the big beasts may have some dirt up their sleeves. She still looks a bit short to me. I may well be wrong.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Just ban all advertising. I hate advertising full stop. It's all just lies, and we are exposed to it thousands of times a day until we are desensitised to it. Get rid of it all, then we can all be happy, left, right and everyone in between.
As someone who suffered years of pain that the NHS caused and utterly failed to sort out, I am going to say something controversial:
I think homeopathy is mostly rubbish, but there is a place for it. Much healing is mental, and if someone thinks it works, then it may help their mood if nothing else.
But it should be complementary, not the only 'cure' (see Steve Jobs), and it probably should not be available on the NHS, unless there is nothing else the NHS can do.
When you are in pain, and the doctors can do nothing to help you, you will try anything. (note: I did not try homeopathy, but I wish I had if it had made me *feel* better).
Homeopathy is a very specific subset of alternative medicine. I don't know a huge amount about it, but I believe it entails taking small amount of the 'active' ingredient (I think a poison or a disease) and diluting it to a vast extent before administering it. Protesters against homeopathy have committed mass homeopathic suicide (taking an excess of the recommended dose) and nothing has happened. Therefore it appears to me thaf homeopathy is indeed mostly quackery, though you're correct to say that it can still be beneficial if you believe it.
By contrast, naturopathy is simply the belief that the chemicals you ingest each day (what we call food and drink) as well as other environmental factors, are going to have a huge impact on health. Which of course is entirely correct. I never know when someone is being accused of 'believing in homeopathy', whether they are being accused of the former, or the latter.
Homeopathy is clearly bollocks. Yet it has worked for me in the past. As a teenager, I suffered from terrible hay-fever from late April through to September. Nothing seemed to alleviate it. My mum got me some homeopathic pills. I didn't know what homeopathy was - I guess I thought it just meant 'natural' - but they worked, and stopping taking them brought back the symptoms. I suppose what I was taking was a placebo, but a remarkably effective one.
The mind and body are very powerful.
There was a study a few years ago with diet pills.
They gave one set of people diet pills and the other sugar pills.
So the heatwave has been downgraded…. Only to be upgraded
40C now forecast for Tuesday across parts of central, eastern England (as far north as Yorkshire)
That’s a mind-boggling temp. And now just 6 days away it is within the reasonably likely timeframe (tho it could still be derailed, natch)
You wonder if schools will be able to open in those temperatures. The appalling build quality - cramped, badly ventilated, too much glass and concrete - that was such a curse during Covid is not less of an issue in high temperatures.
They’re not alone.
https://twitter.com/DougChapmanSNP/status/1547270996541014018 Just been ejected from the HoC for not wearing a tie/jacket in the Chamber. It’s above 28C+ and a call was put out yesterday on the internal Parliament site regarding well-being during this heatwave. To cap it all, I signed and EDM on the Maximum Temperature in the Workplace.
Though some fool is proposing to spend £22bn on that…
100% with the MP on this topic. Quite apart from the fact that making people boil to death for the sake of observing Edwardian period etiquette isn't really on, these dress codes are ludicrously sexist.
I'm in favour of MPs being required to wear formal attire whilst in the Commons. I just think it's more professional, though I know some will disagree. However, any reasonable chair would apply any such rules in relaxed fashion during a period of such intense uncomfort.
But I find that story strange for another reason- Erskine May is clear a tie is not a requirement.
Members should dress in business-like attire; this need not include a tie.
Erskine May is 1844. The tie was not ubiquitous then. Cravats and scarves were still about. Also. There weren't women in Parliament then. A dress code from 1844 is ludicrous. As is compulsory tie wearing. It's dying out, not before time.
Erskine May has been reviewed and updated many times, my hard copy was the 24th edition and released during Bercow's tenure as Speaker, the most recent is from 2019.
I don't know why you are complaining about the rules though, the rules seem to be pretty clear a dress code from 1844 is not mandated - quite the opposite, it is clear 'Formerly it was the custom for gentlemen Members to wear jackets and ties, but this was not enforced in all circumstances'. And it absolutely says ties are not compulsory.
So this is another example where people are moaning about the rules or archaic customs, but neither are the cause here since they allow for circumstances where people do not have to wear jackets and ties.
Either there was another reason for the suspension, or whoever made the ruling was being an arse.
So why has someone been ejected for not wearing one then? And why shouldn't they be able to wear what they want? They are the elected representatives. Not employees.
To the first question, I have no idea - as I said, either something else is going on or the Chair was being an arse and has applied the rules incorrectly.
I mean, are you disputing that it is not in the rules that you have to wear a jacket and tie at all times? I linked to the rulebook and it is crystal clear about that
As for being able to wear whatever they want, that's obviously something MPs could agree to if they want.
But your point about representatives not employees is just dumb. Deliberative assemblies adopt rules, about interests, speaking, procedures, and yes, attire. The members have complete control and can review those procedures at any time, and do (for instance, they maintain people should not generally read a speech verbatim - though they do not enforce that rigorously - but its ok for people to use phones and tablets as an aide memoire). It's not unfair for an assembly to have procedural rules which representatives adhere to - they just need to keep it updated, and do. I think it has a good balance - you must be in business like attire, but it is flexible and should not be enforced in all circumstances (Jared O'Mara did not have to wear a shirt for instance, due to disability).
It's right there in black and white that you do not have to wear a tie - so if you want to have a rant about how wrong it is for rules to require a tie, I think you are looking in the wrong place. Someone applying the rules incorrectly doesn't magically make the rule the opposite of what it says.
I'm not having a rant at all my friend. Just curious as to why they need rules on attire at all (beyond decency and legality)? People bang on about freedom of speech and expression, yet our elected representatives can't wear t-shirt and jeans, simply because a majority of their peers say so. Why? But it really isn't important at all in the scheme of things.
That's your answer - it isn't massively important, so those who do want things to be formal win out, since they care more.
It's good we're past the days of morning suits and the like, but it's probably a rare assembly that doesn't have any rules about how representatives present themselves. I mean, as you've noted there are reasons of decency for a start, so there's a line even in a more permissive setting (probably no wearing shorts without underwear, to distract those opposite like that episode of Friends), so it's a question of where you draw that line. Just be glad Rees-Mogg isn't the one deciding
Hunt backing Sunak is in my view about squeezing out Liz. There must have been real worry this evening that Rishi was going to tank and we’d have a final two of PM vs Truss, with the risk of either Penny self destruct or members being silly.
Hunt has kept some momentum with Rishi, Penny has enough momentum out of today for the ball to be rolling fast down the hill.
Sunak vs Mordaunt. With the polls indicating PM wins, albeit no public hustings yet.
Yes, a strategic gambit by the moderates. But will it work?
Surprised at Hunt going to Sunak, I had him down as Mordaunt. Funny.
Of course Hunt doesn't have many votes to swing, and they may not all follow him, but it will be good news for Sunak on a day dominated by Mordaunt until now. This is still all to play for and too close to call after today, there's plausible paths now for four different people to make the final 2.
What there doesn't seem to be a plausible path towards is an acclamation. Today's showing was not remotely good enough for that.
Without that acclimation Sunak's bid is dead. It doesn't matter how far ahead he is with the MPs, if it goes to the membership he is toast.
Absolutely right.
The next prime minister, short of a complete meltdown in the runoff, is either Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt or Kemi Bandenoch.
The question is whether Rishi makes the runoff and if so who gets the free pass to the leadership by being there with him.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
We can always choose Kemi Badenoch as PM as she will ban Ben and Jerrys ice-cream on grounds of wokeness. Focusing on the priorities, clearly.
She didn't really say that, did she? Goodness me.
Not quite. Banning Ben and Jerrys would at least mean Badenoch committing to some coherent outcome. Instead of which we get a stream of verbiage and soundbites:
I'm in no doubts about the scale of the challenge any new prime minister will have to deal with. The underlying economic problems we face have been exacerbated by Covid and by war. But what makes the situation worse is that the answers to our problems, conservative answers, haven't been articulated or delivered in a way appropriate to the modern age. We have been in the grip of an underlying economic, social, cultural and intellectual malaise. The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. The truth that limited government – doing less for better – is the best way to restore faith in government has been forgotten, as we've piled into pressure groups and caved in to every campaigner with a moving message. And that has made the government agenda into a shopping list of disconnected, unworkable and unsustainable policies.
This after saying she will tell the truth and will make touch choices! Badenoch offers only a void.
A massively unimpressive candidate.
There are a lot of people like Badenoch above whom I am huge fans of, but who had the common sense to stop after student politics and stick to making money or in a few cases writing for entertainment. I have to admit, part of me would be thrilled to see one in high office, if it's not just words.
So you might choose a leader because their ideas excite you; they have a programme you want to see implemented; they have a track record of getting things done; or because they are a safe pair of hands and good in a crisis. Badenoch is a void. She doesn't offer anything.
If Penny is a non-entity, she will gracefully take the Tories into opposition, the Tories go back to being sensible and we'll all benefit. It's a win-win for her to take over
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
So boycott them (whoever it was, I didn't view a big image). If the silent majority are big enough then they'll pick up that such campaigns hurt sales and ditch them. It really is the only way to change behaviour if you find it troubling.
(For me, this would neither make me more or less likely to buy. It's an irrelevance. It's just advertising afterall, ACMEcorp might be horribly sexist but running ads like this)
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
BIG BROTHER IS JUDGING YOU
Everywhere. I loathe it
If I move out of the UK, and that looks increasingly possible, Woke will be a major reason
What woke things actually have any impact on your life in any material way? I loath this sort of stuff, but rarely come across it. The occasions I come across it I think 'pillocks' and move on.
I really don't like the way secondary schools appear to be proposing to indoctrinate my daughters with values which in some cases seek to be getting pretty close to CRT. That's a specific example.
Mordaunt could turn out to be a vacuous non-entity. She could be a lot worse than that. She could be great. We simply don't know. Has she ever done a long interview with a serious interviewer? It's a huge gamble.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Of course its free speech.
And so too is Steve Bray incidentally.
Even dickheads have a right to free speech.
Steve Bray pretends that causing a public nuisance is free speech.
It is not.
The man needs an ASBO.
It is free speech. Nuisances are part of the price of free speech, if you take away dickheads free speech you can take away anyone else's too.
The law should not get involved in preventing speech that hurts people's feelings. Unless there's incitement to violence etc, its not or shouldn't be criminal behaviour.
I disagree. It is not free speech. It is a nuisance.
Breaching the Peace is criminal behaviour (yes, we can argue about technicalities).
Steve Bray does not need an amplified public address system interfering with people trying to do their normal jobs in adjacent office buildings. Him being silent holding a sign is a protest, without interfering with other people.
While I clearly think that homeopathy is bullshit quackery, I do think it's probably one of the best ways of "treating" people with no discernible ailments, but lots of complaints.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
So boycott them (whoever it was, I didn't view a big image). If the silent majority are big enough then they'll pick up that such campaigns hurt sales and ditch them. It really is the only way to change behaviour if you find it troubling.
(For me, this would neither make me more or less likely to buy. It's an irrelevance. It's just advertising afterall, ACMEcorp might be horribly sexist but running ads like this)
Are you old enough to remember the looong stream of female underwear ads on the London Underground? It was like being trapped in the lingerie part of one of those mail order catalogues. The current ad is at least a change.
One minister quoted in this FT profile of Penny Mordaunt: “I worked with her for five years and still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.” Oh lord.
She is literally the Keir Starmer of the Tories.
That doesn't surprise me. She seems *very* guarded, and a bit sad (sad tragic, not uncool) . But still a woman of great ability.
Being honest, I'll be a bit disappointed when Kemi goes out of this race. But Penny will do great.
No one has any idea what Johnson believes in other than himself.
So, worse case is we are no worse off and perhaps PM wont lie as much or be so corrupt with the old cronies and old mates links?
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
I think he's saying the Government should regulate what private enterprises do so he doesn't have to look at ads he doesn't like in Waterloo Station. Very authoritarian
What's clever about it is the way it sort of gets the Left to defend private enterprise.
Wokescreening. It's actually quite clever.
Divisive of course, and socially damaging, but clever.
One minister quoted in this FT profile of Penny Mordaunt: “I worked with her for five years and still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.” Oh lord.
While I clearly think that homeopathy is bullshit quackery, I do think it's probably one of the best ways of "treating" people with no discernible ailments, but lots of complaints.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Just ban all advertising. I hate advertising full stop. It's all just lies, and we are exposed to it thousands of times a day until we are desensitised to it. Get rid of it all, then we can all be happy, left, right and everyone in between.
Surprised at Hunt going to Sunak, I had him down as Mordaunt. Funny.
Of course Hunt doesn't have many votes to swing, and they may not all follow him, but it will be good news for Sunak on a day dominated by Mordaunt until now. This is still all to play for and too close to call after today, there's plausible paths now for four different people to make the final 2.
What there doesn't seem to be a plausible path towards is an acclamation. Today's showing was not remotely good enough for that.
It's going to the members and they will vote for PM.
Don't rule out some dirty tricks. E.g. someone spills the beans on one of the two final candidates so that the other one has to withdraw.
I could see Johnson's team doing that to ensure Truss gets it.
She looks very “fresh” with her hair style makeover - shorter, lighter and more lob like, which gets my thumbs up - the extra slap on her face, and big beaming smile from her fine result.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Let's do a deal: nobody can say anything in public anyone disagrees with.
Sigh, that's not the issue with Steve Bray. And you know it's not.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Of course its free speech.
And so too is Steve Bray incidentally.
Even dickheads have a right to free speech.
Steve Bray pretends that causing a public nuisance is free speech.
It is not.
The man needs an ASBO.
It is free speech. Nuisances are part of the price of free speech, if you take away dickheads free speech you can take away anyone else's too.
The law should not get involved in preventing speech that hurts people's feelings. Unless there's incitement to violence etc, its not or shouldn't be criminal behaviour.
I suppose this touches on a more general point that I have long believed.
'Freedoms' such as freedom of speech and 'rights' should apply to people not organisations. It is one of the great failings of corporatism - more so in the US than in the UK but still bad here - that we allow companies and corporations to claim the same rights as apply to individuals under the law.
I don't believe this has to be the case, or do I believe it should be the case. Freedoms and rights should apply to individuals, not to corporate entities.
Mordaunt could turn out to be a vacuous non-entity. She could be a lot worse than that. She could be great. We simply don't know. Has she ever done a long interview with a serious interviewer? It's a huge gamble.
I think we do know. Mordaunt has been a minister for 8 years in several departments. She achieved essentially nothing in any of them and was responsible for a number of medium sized blow-ups. Not a great track record, but she was also slightly unlucky - unfair that she should be sacked as Defence Sec after just 3 months when her predecessor was Gavin WIlliamson who managed to last two years.
But she is personable. If I were a Conservative Party member looking for a campaigner, I could do worse than Penny Mordaunt. And would do worse if I chose almost any of the alternatives.
Mordaunt could turn out to be a vacuous non-entity. She could be a lot worse than that. She could be great. We simply don't know. Has she ever done a long interview with a serious interviewer? It's a huge gamble.
There’s a seven week campaign ahead of her. Admittedly it’s taking place in the middle of summer when lots of the public are away, but you’d expect her and the other finalist to be grilled several times.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
I think he's saying the Government should regulate what private enterprises do so he doesn't have to look at ads he doesn't like in Waterloo Station. Very authoritarian
What's clever about it is the way it sort of gets the Left to defend private enterprise.
Wokescreening. It's actually quite clever.
Divisive of course, and socially damaging, but clever.
If Penny is a non-entity, she will gracefully take the Tories into opposition, the Tories go back to being sensible and we'll all benefit. It's a win-win for her to take over
Pretty fair analysis there CHB. I certainly think we see a different style of government with Penny (assuming she wins) and that hopefully lends itself to a better standard of political discourse than we have had in recent times.
I understand why Labour supporters are having some fun with the Tories' choices, but their last three selections didn't make hearts leap with joy.
Starmer is passibly competent when presented with an open goal but struggles otherwise. Five out of ten. Jeremy Corbyn was a joke, designed to implode at the first opportunity. Zero out of ten, and that's being kind. Ed Milliband. Couldn't eat a sausage roll on his own, and they probably mixed up his Christian name. But forever engraved on my heart for stuffing my mouth with gold by massively inflating the payments for solar panels. Just when I received my retirement lump sum. Three out of ten for that alone.
In fact, their last decent choice was Neil Kinnock.
You , like a lot of people, underestimate Starmer. Against the odds he saw of Corbyn and his persistence over party gate was instrumental in seeing off Boris.
Corbyn saw himself off by being an anti-Semitic fool, and the country realising it in 2019 (and against Boris!). Starmer 'saw him off' by bravely remaining in cabinet with him.
That's not exactly 'seeing him off', is it?
If Starmer hadn't served under Corbyn, he wouldn't have been able to win the leadership and then destroy the left from the inside.
Anyone sane can see that was a good decision.
Somewhere, Jeremy Hunt is nodding in agreement as he weeps with frustrated ambition...
Hunt is sensible and not a moron - therefore he has no place in today's Tory party
Starmer is sensible and not an anti-Semite - therefore his place was at Corbyn’s side.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Just ban all advertising. I hate advertising full stop. It's all just lies, and we are exposed to it thousands of times a day until we are desensitised to it. Get rid of it all, then we can all be happy, left, right and everyone in between.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Of course its free speech.
And so too is Steve Bray incidentally.
Even dickheads have a right to free speech.
Steve Bray pretends that causing a public nuisance is free speech.
It is not.
The man needs an ASBO.
It is free speech. Nuisances are part of the price of free speech, if you take away dickheads free speech you can take away anyone else's too.
The law should not get involved in preventing speech that hurts people's feelings. Unless there's incitement to violence etc, its not or shouldn't be criminal behaviour.
I disagree. It is not free speech. It is a nuisance.
Breaching the Peace is criminal behaviour (yes, we can argue about technicalities).
Steve Bray does not need an amplified public address system interfering with people trying to do their normal jobs in adjacent office buildings. Him being silent holding a sign is a protest, without interfering with other people.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
Let's do a deal: nobody can say anything in public anyone disagrees with.
Do have anything to say that bears on the question in debate?
I understand why Labour supporters are having some fun with the Tories' choices, but their last three selections didn't make hearts leap with joy.
Starmer is passibly competent when presented with an open goal but struggles otherwise. Five out of ten. Jeremy Corbyn was a joke, designed to implode at the first opportunity. Zero out of ten, and that's being kind. Ed Milliband. Couldn't eat a sausage roll on his own, and they probably mixed up his Christian name. But forever engraved on my heart for stuffing my mouth with gold by massively inflating the payments for solar panels. Just when I received my retirement lump sum. Three out of ten for that alone.
In fact, their last decent choice was Neil Kinnock.
You , like a lot of people, underestimate Starmer. Against the odds he saw of Corbyn and his persistence over party gate was instrumental in seeing off Boris.
Corbyn saw himself off by being an anti-Semitic fool, and the country realising it in 2019 (and against Boris!). Starmer 'saw him off' by bravely remaining in cabinet with him.
That's not exactly 'seeing him off', is it?
If Starmer hadn't served under Corbyn, he wouldn't have been able to win the leadership and then destroy the left from the inside.
Anyone sane can see that was a good decision.
Somewhere, Jeremy Hunt is nodding in agreement as he weeps with frustrated ambition...
Hunt is sensible and not a moron - therefore he has no place in today's Tory party
Starmer is sensible and not an anti-Semite - therefore his place was at Corbyn’s side.
Double standards much?
He threw Corbyn out of the party. And like I said without being in the cabinet he'd never have been able to do that, or do you think RLB would?
Has she ever done a long interview with a serious interviewer?
I think those with an eye on serious political office do what they can to avoid such nowadays.
Now I think about it, I'm not really clear how any of them are expected to prepare for high office. They'll be someone's bag carrier for a bit, then anonymous as a junior minister somewhere where you might have to do a short set of questions sometimes if the department has cocked up, but not being questioned by anyone seems the intention.
Then if you make it to the top you'll discover if you have an inherent talent for it. You had better hope so.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
So, you’re saying because of your hurt feelings, we should do away with free speech?
It's not "free speech". This isn't about denying an individual the ability to freely express their views without fear or censure: this is about a megacorporation exploiting its financial muscle to buy up a massive public space and scream it in your face every day, day in day out.
We've all agreed Steve Bray is a dickhead, and what he does can't just be defended with "free speech".
This is the corporate Steve Bray.
So boycott them (whoever it was, I didn't view a big image). If the silent majority are big enough then they'll pick up that such campaigns hurt sales and ditch them. It really is the only way to change behaviour if you find it troubling.
(For me, this would neither make me more or less likely to buy. It's an irrelevance. It's just advertising afterall, ACMEcorp might be horribly sexist but running ads like this)
Oh I will. I absolutely will.
And it did hurt Gillette. They were unrepentant, I think, because the religion is now stronger than the bottom line.
I understand why Labour supporters are having some fun with the Tories' choices, but their last three selections didn't make hearts leap with joy.
Starmer is passibly competent when presented with an open goal but struggles otherwise. Five out of ten. Jeremy Corbyn was a joke, designed to implode at the first opportunity. Zero out of ten, and that's being kind. Ed Milliband. Couldn't eat a sausage roll on his own, and they probably mixed up his Christian name. But forever engraved on my heart for stuffing my mouth with gold by massively inflating the payments for solar panels. Just when I received my retirement lump sum. Three out of ten for that alone.
In fact, their last decent choice was Neil Kinnock.
You , like a lot of people, underestimate Starmer. Against the odds he saw of Corbyn and his persistence over party gate was instrumental in seeing off Boris.
Corbyn saw himself off by being an anti-Semitic fool, and the country realising it in 2019 (and against Boris!). Starmer 'saw him off' by bravely remaining in cabinet with him.
That's not exactly 'seeing him off', is it?
If Starmer hadn't served under Corbyn, he wouldn't have been able to win the leadership and then destroy the left from the inside.
Anyone sane can see that was a good decision.
Somewhere, Jeremy Hunt is nodding in agreement as he weeps with frustrated ambition...
Hunt is sensible and not a moron - therefore he has no place in today's Tory party
Starmer is sensible and not an anti-Semite - therefore his place was at Corbyn’s side.
Double standards much?
He threw Corbyn out of the party. And like I said without being in the cabinet he'd never have been able to do that, or do you think RLB would?
Pedant's note, Corbyn has been unsuspended from the party, I believe, though Starmer will not let him back in the group.
As someone who suffered years of pain that the NHS caused and utterly failed to sort out, I am going to say something controversial:
I think homeopathy is mostly rubbish, but there is a place for it. Much healing is mental, and if someone thinks it works, then it may help their mood if nothing else.
But it should be complementary, not the only 'cure' (see Steve Jobs), and it probably should not be available on the NHS, unless there is nothing else the NHS can do.
When you are in pain, and the doctors can do nothing to help you, you will try anything. (note: I did not try homeopathy, but I wish I had if it had made me *feel* better).
Is there not loads of evidence for the placebo effect? Things that aren't true work only if you believe them and all that. (Like atheism works for Dawkins).
The NHS regularly prescribes placebo (sugar pills). I have no issue with them prescribing homeopathic treatments. But NICE should reimburse them at the same price as placebo.
She looks very “fresh” with her hair style makeover - shorter, lighter and more lob like, which gets my thumbs up - the extra slap on her face, and big beaming smile from her fine result.
Woke isn't a thing. It's all made up. Massively exaggerated etc.
Tonight's hectoring at Waterloo station - taken on my phone.
It is strangely totalitarian.
You find yourself starting to criticise it (ie: is 'sexist hate' really only a male phenomenon?), but then you realise that the act of criticism is defined as an act of denial or oppression, so whatever you try and do, you can't win.
The only viable solution is actually just to shrug your shoulders and ignore it.
Totalitarian? To have a poster suggesting that men could do something about stopping sexist hate? It’s not exactly Kristallnacht.
I don't want to be hectored by a corporation on what I need to do as a man on my way to work and home again. It's sanctimonious and patronising.
The reason no-one says anything is they know the response would be: "if people don't want to buy a contract from an inclusive phone company then they are welcome to shop elsewhere".
So, people ignore it. And quietly simmer.
My attitude towards companies peddling adverts of this nature, proclaiming their commitment to Pride, their concern for the environment, their support for equality and diversity is:
"the louder he spoke of his honour, the faster we counted our spoons."
You just know they'll be employing children in the Third World for a pittance, routing their profits through tax havens, and half their executives will have their hands up womens' skirts.
Exactly my kind of company: two faced double dealing bastards. Where do I sign up?
Trafigura offer all of that, no ads required.
Bah - if I want to mess around with dodgy commodity traders, then I want to work with proper dodgy commodity traders like Glencore.
Comments
Doesn't really chime in the UK- heck we have a supermarket chain that is literally connected to a political organisation with Labour links.
Do wonder if the time Wikipedia claims she spent growing up in the US was more formative than she lets on.
LAB: 46% (=)
CON: 32% (-3)
LDM: 10% (+2)
REF: 7% (+4)
GRN: 4% (=)
via @RedfieldWilton, 11 Jul
(Changes with 27 Jun)
https://twitter.com/OprosUK/status/1547326936686395392
Penny Mordaunt will be the next Prime Minister of Great Britain and NI.
Sunak is still hampered by the polling data. And that is more influential than Hunt.
Imagine getting uppity about an advert that is against sexism against women. Good grief.
I didn't make that assertion though.
Of course Hunt doesn't have many votes to swing, and they may not all follow him, but it will be good news for Sunak on a day dominated by Mordaunt until now. This is still all to play for and too close to call after today, there's plausible paths now for four different people to make the final 2.
What there doesn't seem to be a plausible path towards is an acclamation. Today's showing was not remotely good enough for that.
It's good we're past the days of morning suits and the like, but it's probably a rare assembly that doesn't have any rules about how representatives present themselves.
I mean, as you've noted there are reasons of decency for a start, so there's a line even in a more permissive setting (probably no wearing shorts without underwear, to distract those opposite like that episode of Friends), so it's a question of where you draw that line.
Just be glad Rees-Mogg isn't the one deciding things.
Hunt has kept some momentum with Rishi, Penny has enough momentum out of today for the ball to be rolling fast down the hill.
Sunak vs Mordaunt. With the polls indicating PM wins, albeit no public hustings yet.
And so too is Steve Bray incidentally.
Even dickheads have a right to free speech.
It's A View klaxon.
I'm in no doubts about the scale of the challenge any new prime minister will have to deal with. The underlying economic problems we face have been exacerbated by Covid and by war. But what makes the situation worse is that the answers to our problems, conservative answers, haven't been articulated or delivered in a way appropriate to the modern age. We have been in the grip of an underlying economic, social, cultural and intellectual malaise. The right has lost its confidence and courage and ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism for special interests. It's been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry's tendency, those who say a business's main priority is social justice, not productivity and profits, and it's been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists, who collude with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs. The truth that limited government – doing less for better – is the best way to restore faith in government has been forgotten, as we've piled into pressure groups and caved in to every campaigner with a moving message. And that has made the government agenda into a shopping list of disconnected, unworkable and unsustainable policies.
This after saying she will tell the truth and will make tough choices! Badenoch offers only a void.
A massively unimpressive candidate.
The scale of that gamble hasn't been fully appreciated.
Being a leaver hasn't stopped him being labelled as part of a remainer plot against the king, lots of remainers backing him won't help that, they probably want tax cuts and know he won't offer that, not to the extent or enthusiasm of others, and experience won't be a winning argument since he's still youthful and his likely opponents have been at Cabinte level, if not for long with Mordaunt.
A narrative has developed members don't like him. That sort of thing builds even among those who previously were only lukewarm.
I suppose if you agree with the positions being put out you don't notice. If your initial reaction though is "well things are more complex than that" - it makes things exhausting.
I come here for my dose of political debate. I don't want it everywhere. We used to be quite good at separating out the political from the non political.
But I don't, care...
Hang on.
He has very little influence
Whether that can be pulled off? Not looking promising.
One minister quoted in this FT profile of Penny Mordaunt: “I worked with her for five years and still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.” Oh lord.
She is literally the Keir Starmer of the Tories.
It’s going to be sweltering hot, so I imagine TV audiences will be well down.
Is Ronseal 5 year wood stain now doing exactly as it says on the tin, whilst also standing up for trans rights or something?
It is not. The right to protest should not extend to wrecking the lives of ordinary people going about their lawful business.
The man needs an ASBO. And if he ends up putting himself in prison by breaching the criminal or common law, so be it.
For me it's exactly the same argument as for the hypocritical numpties from Extinction Rebellion.
Being honest, I'll be a bit disappointed when Kemi goes out of this race. But Penny will do great.
Yet it has worked for me in the past.
As a teenager, I suffered from terrible hay-fever from late April through to September. Nothing seemed to alleviate it. My mum got me some homeopathic pills. I didn't know what homeopathy was - I guess I thought it just meant 'natural' - but they worked, and stopping taking them brought back the symptoms.
I suppose what I was taking was a placebo, but a remarkably effective one.
The law should not get involved in preventing speech that hurts people's feelings. Unless there's incitement to violence etc, its not or shouldn't be criminal behaviour.
https://www.southwesternrailway.com/other/news-and-media/news/2020/june/swr-launches-new-trainbow-to-mark-pride-month
There was a study a few years ago with diet pills.
They gave one set of people diet pills and the other sugar pills.
The people with sugar pills lost more weight.
The next prime minister, short of a complete meltdown in the runoff, is either Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt or Kemi Bandenoch.
The question is whether Rishi makes the runoff and if so who gets the free pass to the leadership by being there with him.
(For me, this would neither make me more or less likely to buy. It's an irrelevance. It's just advertising afterall, ACMEcorp might be horribly sexist but running ads like this)
She could be great.
We simply don't know.
Has she ever done a long interview with a serious interviewer?
It's a huge gamble.
Breaching the Peace is criminal behaviour (yes, we can argue about technicalities).
Steve Bray does not need an amplified public address system interfering with people trying to do their normal jobs in adjacent office buildings. Him being silent holding a sign is a protest, without interfering with other people.
Take away the nuisance, and he can still protest.
So, worse case is we are no worse off and perhaps PM wont lie as much or be so corrupt with the old cronies and old mates links?
Wokescreening. It's actually quite clever.
Divisive of course, and socially damaging, but clever.
I could see Johnson's team doing that to ensure Truss gets it.
She looks very “fresh” with her hair style makeover - shorter, lighter and more lob like, which gets my thumbs up - the extra slap on her face, and big beaming smile from her fine result.
Why does this always go reducto ad absurdium?
'Freedoms' such as freedom of speech and 'rights' should apply to people not organisations. It is one of the great failings of corporatism - more so in the US than in the UK but still bad here - that we allow companies and corporations to claim the same rights as apply to individuals under the law.
I don't believe this has to be the case, or do I believe it should be the case. Freedoms and rights should apply to individuals, not to corporate entities.
But she is personable. If I were a Conservative Party member looking for a campaigner, I could do worse than Penny Mordaunt. And would do worse if I chose almost any of the alternatives.
Double standards much?
Now I think about it, I'm not really clear how any of them are expected to prepare for high office. They'll be someone's bag carrier for a bit, then anonymous as a junior minister somewhere where you might have to do a short set of questions sometimes if the department has cocked up, but not being questioned by anyone seems the intention.
Then if you make it to the top you'll discover if you have an inherent talent for it. You had better hope so.
And it did hurt Gillette. They were unrepentant, I think, because the religion is now stronger than the bottom line.