Andrew Bridgens wife speaking from the heart here.
grew up in a dictatorship, I came to England to live in a democracy, but what I am experiencing for quite sometime now in the UK is very close to China’s regime. What they are doing to my husband
Andrew Bridgens wife speaking from the heart here.
grew up in a dictatorship, I came to England to live in a democracy, but what I am experiencing for quite sometime now in the UK is very close to China’s regime. What they are doing to my husband
Andrew Bridgens wife speaking from the heart here.
grew up in a dictatorship, I came to England to live in a democracy, but what I am experiencing for quite sometime now in the UK is very close to China’s regime. What they are doing to my husband
Andrew Bridgens wife speaking from the heart here.
grew up in a dictatorship, I came to England to live in a democracy, but what I am experiencing for quite sometime now in the UK is very close to China’s regime. What they are doing to my husband
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
His genius was spotting this. Easy to see that in hindsight. He spotted it when it wasn't at all clear
Edit. His real skill was to get millions of Tory voters not to bother turning out.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
Serious informations about bigger riots to come in France. Police is getting ready for much larger scale protests. This is what happens when elected officials work against people, when President don’t go trough referendum and uses executive decrees.
They did just re-elect Macron convincingly when Pension reform was a big part of his efforts for years, what did they expect? And apparently French presidents have used that decree power quite a bit over the years.
Sure, there'll be lots of protests, and I'm not fan of decree powers (I've not actually looked up the times the French President can use this one), but they've left that power on the books for a reason I guess.
This is why constitutional monarchies are more democratic than republucs.
Serious informations about bigger riots to come in France. Police is getting ready for much larger scale protests. This is what happens when elected officials work against people, when President don’t go trough referendum and uses executive decrees.
They did just re-elect Macron convincingly when Pension reform was a big part of his efforts for years, what did they expect? And apparently French presidents have used that decree power quite a bit over the years.
Sure, there'll be lots of protests, and I'm not fan of decree powers (I've not actually looked up the times the French President can use this one), but they've left that power on the books for a reason I guess.
Plus Macron has a majority in the legislature with centre right support
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
His genius was spotting this. Easy to see that in hindsight. He spotted it when it wasn't at all clear
Andrew Bridgens wife speaking from the heart here.
grew up in a dictatorship, I came to England to live in a democracy, but what I am experiencing for quite sometime now in the UK is very close to China’s regime. What they are doing to my husband
Disagreeing with him. Honestly, what is it with these losers? It's not enough that they find themselves in a minority, we've all been there, but they have to make themselves bloody martyrs in some absurd conspiracy drama.
It's such an ego trip for people like him and the official worst person named Piers or Corbyn - Piers Corbyn.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!" And won a Labour majority in 2005. Long after peak rimming. I reckon he'd have won in 2010.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
Actually Iraq can now elect its own government and Saddam is no more.
Ironically it turned out better than Afghanistan which is back under Taliban rule. Even Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan not there
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
Andrew Bridgens wife speaking from the heart here.
grew up in a dictatorship, I came to England to live in a democracy, but what I am experiencing for quite sometime now in the UK is very close to China’s regime. What they are doing to my husband
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
Blair was the most successful non Tory election winning PM this country has had since Palmerston, who he resembled in many respects
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Not from all of us.
Fair enough. Far more Labour dissent about Iraq than Tory.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
Blair was the most successful non Tory election winning PM this country has had since Palmerston, who he resembled in many respects
You sure that Gladstone wasn't ahead of them? I'm not forgetting the splits in the party...but...
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!" And won a Labour majority in 2005. Long after peak rimming. I reckon he'd have won in 2010.
No it would still have been a hung parliament Cameron most seats but he might have been able to do a deal with Clegg unlike Brown
I think these three paragraphs are important, for anyone who wants to understand the article: "Even with new equipment and training, U.S. military officials consider Ukraine’s force insufficient to attack all along the giant front, where Russia has erected substantive defenses, so troops are being trained to probe for weak points that allow them to break through with tanks and armored vehicles.
Britain is also training Ukrainian recruits, including about 10,000 last year, with another 20,000 expected this year. The European Union has said it will train 30,000 Ukrainians in 2023.
Ukraine has been holding back soldiers for a spring offensive and training them as part of newly assembled assault brigades. Kyiv is also organizing battalions around the new fighting vehicles and tanks that Western nations are providing."
(I am disappointed that our "friend" has so far not come up with one good Russian joke -- but he may have reasons for that refusal.)
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
Actually Iraq can now elect its own government and Saddam is no more.
Ironically it turned out better than Afghanistan which is back under Taliban rule. Even Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan not there
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
Blair was the most successful non Tory election winning PM this country has had since Palmerston, who he resembled in many respects
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!" And won a Labour majority in 2005. Long after peak rimming. I reckon he'd have won in 2010.
He decided to make money instead.
Eye-watering amounts of money.
(And I'm not sure that Brown would have gone quietly into that night if Blair had decided to stick around....)
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
UBS shareholders should talk to Lloyds TSB shareholders.
To be fair, Credit Suisse' private bank has a very desirable client list. The investment bank is the dysfunctional bit. UBS will do well if they can get their hands on the first while not being dragged down by the second.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
Blair was the most successful non Tory election winning PM this country has had since Palmerston, who he resembled in many respects
You sure that Gladstone wasn't ahead of them? I'm not forgetting the splits in the party...but...
Gladstone was defeated in 1874 by Disraeli.
Palmerston and Blair won 3 general elections and never lost a general election to the Tories
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
Blair was the most successful non Tory election winning PM this country has had since Palmerston, who he resembled in many respects
You sure that Gladstone wasn't ahead of them? I'm not forgetting the splits in the party...but...
Gladstone was defeated in 1870 by Disraeli.
Palmerston and Blair won 3 general elections and never lost a general election to the Tories
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Blair completed the process begun by Kinnock and continued by John Smith. By 1997 he had convinced millions of former Conservative supporters they could safely vote for his Labour Party, a non-socialist (or social democratic party) of the centre or centre-left.
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
His genius was spotting this. Easy to see that in hindsight. He spotted it when it wasn't at all clear
Edit. His real skill was to get millions of Tory voters not to bother turning out.
Apparently he was so good at getting people not to turnout that GE turnout plummeted after his first term and still has not recovered to the same level as 1997 and before!
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Shock and War - a series on R4 by Gordon Corera (also on BBC Sounds), 20 years after Iraq. It's worth a listen - very good, well balanced, with good interviews with Blair and lots of other key players. It contains some stuff I didn't know, or couldn't recollect. It allows one to draw one's own conclusions.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
VP Dick Cheney however met IDS several times but was suspicious of Blair
Dont want to go on about the ukraine war too much but this is in the telegraph. Us officials estimate 120,000 casualties for ukrainian army and 200000 for Russians. So 320000 in total.
Ukraine has demoted a top battlefield commander after he admitted his unit had been decimated in fighting around the city of Bakhmut.
The battalion commander, known by his call sign Kupol, gave an unusually frank assessment of Ukrainian losses in an interview from the front lines earlier this week.
He revealed that all of the original 500 soldiers in his unit had either been killed or injured, a rare acknowledgement from inside the Ukrainian ranks, where losses are kept strictly confidential.
The Ukrainian high command is at pains to present a positive spin on the increasingly bloody defence of the east of the country. US officials have estimated that the Ukrainian army may have taken 120,000 casualties compared with 200,000 by the Russian army.
Kupol told the Washington Post this week that the Ukrainian army training was often poor and that some of the rookie replacements didn’t know how to throw a hand grenade or fire a rifle.
Others had abandoned their positions shortly after arriving at the front line, he said.
One of the things that doesn't often get mentioned about the Iraq series of conflicts was Obama's admission -- early in his first presidential campaign -- that, if he were elected and we followed his proposals -- genocide might result. (To be fair, he said he thought it unlikely.)
We elected him, we followed his policies, and genocide resulted.
If he, or anyone else on the left, feels any guilt over that genocide, I missed them saying so.
Dont want to go on about the ukraine war too much but this is in the telegraph. Us officials estimate 120,000 casualties for ukrainian army and 200000 for Russians. So 320000 in total.
Ukraine has demoted a top battlefield commander after he admitted his unit had been decimated in fighting around the city of Bakhmut.
The battalion commander, known by his call sign Kupol, gave an unusually frank assessment of Ukrainian losses in an interview from the front lines earlier this week.
He revealed that all of the original 500 soldiers in his unit had either been killed or injured, a rare acknowledgement from inside the Ukrainian ranks, where losses are kept strictly confidential.
The Ukrainian high command is at pains to present a positive spin on the increasingly bloody defence of the east of the country. US officials have estimated that the Ukrainian army may have taken 120,000 casualties compared with 200,000 by the Russian army.
Kupol told the Washington Post this week that the Ukrainian army training was often poor and that some of the rookie replacements didn’t know how to throw a hand grenade or fire a rifle.
Others had abandoned their positions shortly after arriving at the front line, he said.
Amazing it took you so long to get to Ukraine.
And still no mention of the ICC or vaccines/pilots/respected-doctors. Has PB been promoted to RuisskiPT-4?
Dont want to go on about the ukraine war too much but this is in the telegraph. Us officials estimate 120,000 casualties for ukrainian army and 200000 for Russians. So 320000 in total.
Ukraine has demoted a top battlefield commander after he admitted his unit had been decimated in fighting around the city of Bakhmut.
The battalion commander, known by his call sign Kupol, gave an unusually frank assessment of Ukrainian losses in an interview from the front lines earlier this week.
He revealed that all of the original 500 soldiers in his unit had either been killed or injured, a rare acknowledgement from inside the Ukrainian ranks, where losses are kept strictly confidential.
The Ukrainian high command is at pains to present a positive spin on the increasingly bloody defence of the east of the country. US officials have estimated that the Ukrainian army may have taken 120,000 casualties compared with 200,000 by the Russian army.
Kupol told the Washington Post this week that the Ukrainian army training was often poor and that some of the rookie replacements didn’t know how to throw a hand grenade or fire a rifle.
Others had abandoned their positions shortly after arriving at the front line, he said.
Amazing it took you so long to get to Ukraine.
I'm just waiting for his take on Bridgen's vaccine views...
Is this Tory government unlucky as well as inept? Brexit, Covid, Ukraine War, and now a banking crisis.
Ok the first was self-inflicted but they do seem to be having a bad run of 'events'.
I say: time to elect lucky Labour and avoid future catastrophes.
As a matter of interest how would Labour have avoided brexit, covid, Ukraine and this banking issue ?
Brexit was a confection cooked up exclusively by the Conservative Party, the rest, of course merely events, except the banking crisis which hasn't happened yet.
UBS shareholders should talk to Lloyds TSB shareholders.
To be fair, Credit Suisse' private bank has a very desirable client list. The investment bank is the dysfunctional bit. UBS will do well if they can get their hands on the first while not being dragged down by the second.
Not that desirable when you look into it.
Probably some decent bullion reserves from the early 1940s.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Shock and War - a series on R4 by Gordon Corera (also on BBC Sounds), 20 years after Iraq. It's worth a listen - very good, well balanced, with good interviews with Blair and lots of other key players. It contains some stuff I didn't know, or couldn't recollect. It allows one to draw one's own conclusions.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Shock and War - a series on R4 by Gordon Corera (also on BBC Sounds), 20 years after Iraq. It's worth a listen - very good, well balanced, with good interviews with Blair and lots of other key players. It contains some stuff I didn't know, or couldn't recollect. It allows one to draw one's own conclusions.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Tony blair is a genius at lining his pockets other than that he is just a run of the mill corrupt politician
Comic Relief was dire on BBC1 tonight. They should just raise funds not to show it again next year and kill it off!
We stand on different sides of the political divide, but on this we agree.
Was there ever a time when it wasn't dire?
I found it amusing enough when I was a child. I think I'd rather get the opinion of some children before condemning it now.
I don't think I've ever watched it, but it is possible for things to be enjoyable for kids and also enjoyed by adults, or at least tolerable for adults. Parents just have to hope whatever stuff their child gets into is the tolerable kind. So if it is bad that's still a knock against it even if kids like it well enough.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Tony blair is a genius at lining his pockets other than that he is just a run of the mill corrupt politician
I don't think you achieve such sustained electoral success by being run of the mill.
Spring 2023 will not commence, astronomically speaking, until next Monday. But here in Seattle, after a long, wet, below-average cold Winter, today looks, feels and even smells like the First Day of Spring.
Temperature has hit 60F the warmest of the year so far, with sunny skies and light winds. Earlier this afternoon, went to pick up a Hawai'an (aka Aloha) shirt I'd ordered by mail . . . wearing another Hawai'ian shirt!
Bit later went to the bank to visit some of my money, just after kids were being let out of school, daycare, whatever. As a Fenian and an American, found it heartwarming that, even in this super-hip city, most of the girls & boys I saw, where wearing green, somewhere. Cutest were two little sisters, say 4 or 5, both with identical green skirts that looked specially homemade. Both sporting "look at us!" looks as coyly as they could.
Someone might whisper into Napper Tandy's ear, that these kids in green in Seattle, were from a rainbow of different colors, ethnic origins, religions, backgrounds.
Because in America, on St Patrick's Day EVERYONE is Irish.
That's the way it was in my schooldays, long ago. And it's still the same today - even more so.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Shock and War - a series on R4 by Gordon Corera (also on BBC Sounds), 20 years after Iraq. It's worth a listen - very good, well balanced, with good interviews with Blair and lots of other key players. It contains some stuff I didn't know, or couldn't recollect. It allows one to draw one's own conclusions.
If Al Gore had had his way Saddam Hussein would still be in charge in Iraq.
In that link he stresses staying the course in Afghanistan but Biden, who he endorsed in 2020, handed it back to the Taliban. So he was wrong on both fronts!
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Shock and War - a series on R4 by Gordon Corera (also on BBC Sounds), 20 years after Iraq. It's worth a listen - very good, well balanced, with good interviews with Blair and lots of other key players. It contains some stuff I didn't know, or couldn't recollect. It allows one to draw one's own conclusions.
If Al Gore had had his way Saddam Hussein would still be in charge in Iraq.
In that link he stresses staying the course in Afghanistan but Biden, who he endorsed in 2020, handed it back to the Taliban. So he was wrong on both fronts!
Iraq would have had a better time of it with Hussein in charge
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Shock and War - a series on R4 by Gordon Corera (also on BBC Sounds), 20 years after Iraq. It's worth a listen - very good, well balanced, with good interviews with Blair and lots of other key players. It contains some stuff I didn't know, or couldn't recollect. It allows one to draw one's own conclusions.
If Al Gore had had his way Saddam Hussein would still be in charge in Iraq.
In that link he stresses staying the course in Afghanistan but Biden, who he endorsed in 2020, handed it back to the Taliban. So he was wrong on both fronts!
Iraq would have had a better time of it with Hussein in charge
No it wouldn't, he would still be killing his own people, especially the Kurds and Marsh Arabs. He would probably be actively supporting and supplying Putin now too.
Instead Iraqis can now elect their own government and have a Kurdish President
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
Tony Blair is a genius. He took the UK's alpha party by the throat and kicked its arse up and down the Main Street in full public view. And then kicked it again just for fun. And again just because he could. If he'd joined the Tories he'd still have been PM.
Perhaps Tony Blair was a genius.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
To a chorus of Tory "Higher!!"
Indeed. Though according to a snippet of an R4 programme I listened to today, Dubya offered to let Britain off joining the US in Iraq because he said he would prefer to keep Blair in office above the British assisting with the invasion. Quite what issue he had with IDS who as you say was an even more passionate supporter, we may never know.
Shock and War - a series on R4 by Gordon Corera (also on BBC Sounds), 20 years after Iraq. It's worth a listen - very good, well balanced, with good interviews with Blair and lots of other key players. It contains some stuff I didn't know, or couldn't recollect. It allows one to draw one's own conclusions.
If Al Gore had had his way Saddam Hussein would still be in charge in Iraq.
In that link he stresses staying the course in Afghanistan but Biden, who he endorsed in 2020, handed it back to the Taliban. So he was wrong on both fronts!
Iraq would have had a better time of it with Hussein in charge
No it wouldn't, he would still be killing his own people, especially the Kurds and Marsh Arabs. He would probably be actively supporting and supplying Putin now too.
Instead Iraqis can now elect their own government and have a Kurdish President
No, he wouldn't. There were no fly zones over the north of the country. Who the hell cares if these tin pot places support Putin?
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
The Irish slave raids off the British coast somewhat conflict with the Irish victim mentality.
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
On the other hand, people are normally very keen to point out that St George wasn't English.
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
St. Patrick was from what we today call "England" but he was NOT English, rather he was British Celt.
He wasn't regaling his Irish "hosts" with "Knees Up Mother" or even "Beowulf".
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
On the other hand, people are normally very keen to point out that St George wasn't English.
Not people in America. Where few are aware of St George except for some English majors.
Whereas everyone from sea to shining sea has heard of St Patrick. Who indeed hailed from Britain NOT Ireland.
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
The Irish slave raids off the British coast somewhat conflict with the Irish victim mentality.
Judging by just this board - and the views of Tory Party members as surveyed recently - the English have MORE than caught up with the Irish in the victim mentality rankings.
I am starting to wonder if the SNP are trying to destroy themselves. They've found I think the only possible way to make the Murray Foote story worse.
The party was asked a specific question about loss of members as a direct result of the GRR [gender recognition reform] Bill and Indyref2. The answer given was intended to make clear that these two reasons had not been the cause of significant numbers of members leaving. "The membership figure is normally produced annually and is not produced in response to individual media queries, including in this instance. "In retrospect, however, we should not have relied on an understanding of people's reasons for leaving as the basis of the information given to Murray and, thereafter, the media.
To say 'we lied and we got caught but we misunderstood the question so technically we are just thick' isn't exactly a great look.
The 'We're idiots' defence is always the last refuge for politicians.
That response and justification is just woeful. And distinctly implausible. I think given the media guy has gone they'd have been better off just admitting it was a lie.
Edit: I do love it though when someone quits but their people talk about how great they are or deny wrongdoing, leading to the obvious question of why they are leaving. Like when Cabinet Minister resign and are fulsome in praise of the PM, making it bemusing why they quit.
"Mr Foote said he issued agreed party responses to the media which "created a serious impediment" to his role." = "I was told to lie - or I'd lose my job...."
Says man who has lost his job but acquired the reputation of being a clown in the process.
So, I recall asking SNP HQ if man charged with threats against @joannaccherry was a member & told no. I asked subtle supplementary - was he at time of threats. Got angry diatribe, about how dare I question press officer’s integrity & veracity blah, blah… Reader, he was a member.
Liz Lloyd, who was Ms Sturgeon’s chief of staff between 2015 and 2021 and later became her “strategic adviser”, said she plans to pursue new opportunities outside of politics.
It was previously reported that Ms Lloyd has been advising the campaign team of Humza Yousaf, one of three candidates vying to replace Ms Sturgeon, in her own time. Mr Yousaf is seen as the establishment-backed candidate in the SNP leadership race.
I am starting to wonder if the SNP are trying to destroy themselves. They've found I think the only possible way to make the Murray Foote story worse.
The party was asked a specific question about loss of members as a direct result of the GRR [gender recognition reform] Bill and Indyref2. The answer given was intended to make clear that these two reasons had not been the cause of significant numbers of members leaving. "The membership figure is normally produced annually and is not produced in response to individual media queries, including in this instance. "In retrospect, however, we should not have relied on an understanding of people's reasons for leaving as the basis of the information given to Murray and, thereafter, the media.
To say 'we lied and we got caught but we misunderstood the question so technically we are just thick' isn't exactly a great look.
The 'We're idiots' defence is always the last refuge for politicians.
That response and justification is just woeful. And distinctly implausible. I think given the media guy has gone they'd have been better off just admitting it was a lie.
Edit: I do love it though when someone quits but their people talk about how great they are or deny wrongdoing, leading to the obvious question of why they are leaving. Like when Cabinet Minister resign and are fulsome in praise of the PM, making it bemusing why they quit.
"Mr Foote said he issued agreed party responses to the media which "created a serious impediment" to his role." = "I was told to lie - or I'd lose my job...."
Says man who has lost his job but acquired the reputation of being a clown in the process.
So, I recall asking SNP HQ if man charged with threats against @joannaccherry was a member & told no. I asked subtle supplementary - was he at time of threats. Got angry diatribe, about how dare I question press officer’s integrity & veracity blah, blah… Reader, he was a member.
On topic, Rishi is about to betray Boris Johnson, this will not go down well with the members.
Rishi Sunak will give Conservative MPs a free vote on Boris Johnson’s future if the privileges committee finds that he deliberately misled parliament about Downing Street pandemic parties.
Almost a year after the investigation began, Johnson faces a marathon televised hearing on Wednesday afternoon in which he must convince seven MPs that he was not in contempt of the Commons when he denied claims about lockdown rulebreaking.
If the committee finds against Johnson, he may be suspended from the Commons. A suspension of more than ten days would automatically trigger a recall petition, allowing Johnson’s constituents to force a by-election.
The privileges committee’s verdict would have to be approved by a vote of MPs, and Johnson’s allies are already preparing to use the moment to proclaim his innocence.
Sunak is understood to have decided that he will not whip MPs to protect his predecessor, allowing them instead to make their own decisions.
He is thought to be wary of repeating Johnson’s own approach in 2021, when he tried to overturn a 30-day suspension imposed on Owen Paterson, a former cabinet minister. “There is no way that we are going to get stuck in the hell that is Owen Paterson again,” a government source said.
A national shortage of bellringers could leave many churches silent on coronation day.
With seven weeks to go before Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey, a drive to recruit and train 8,000 bellringers has fallen well short.
Traditionally church bells all over Britain ring out to mark the crowning of a new monarch. It is hoped that all the nation’s 38,000 church bells will be rung, as they were for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
However, the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) has warned that there are only 30,000 trained bellringers in the UK. Its recruitment drive — “Ring for the King” — has attracted about 1,500 inquiries.
A police constable has kept her job despite being found guilty of gross misconduct for using excessive force when she repeatedly struck the former footballer Dalian Atkinson with her baton as he lay dying.
An independent tribunal found that Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, a West Mercia police officer, acted wrongly when she hit the former Aston Villa striker three times during an incident in August 2016.
Atkinson, who retired from football in 2001, later died in hospital aged 48.
However, Bettley-Smith, 32, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was allowed to keep her job after an intervention from West Mercia’s deputy chief constable. She was instead given a written warning.
Elaine Atkinson, Dalian’s sister, spoke of her disappointment at the ruling and accused the force of “looking after its own”.
On topic, Rishi is about to betray Boris Johnson, this will not go down well with the members.
Rishi Sunak will give Conservative MPs a free vote on Boris Johnson’s future if the privileges committee finds that he deliberately misled parliament about Downing Street pandemic parties.
Almost a year after the investigation began, Johnson faces a marathon televised hearing on Wednesday afternoon in which he must convince seven MPs that he was not in contempt of the Commons when he denied claims about lockdown rulebreaking.
If the committee finds against Johnson, he may be suspended from the Commons. A suspension of more than ten days would automatically trigger a recall petition, allowing Johnson’s constituents to force a by-election.
The privileges committee’s verdict would have to be approved by a vote of MPs, and Johnson’s allies are already preparing to use the moment to proclaim his innocence.
Sunak is understood to have decided that he will not whip MPs to protect his predecessor, allowing them instead to make their own decisions.
He is thought to be wary of repeating Johnson’s own approach in 2021, when he tried to overturn a 30-day suspension imposed on Owen Paterson, a former cabinet minister. “There is no way that we are going to get stuck in the hell that is Owen Paterson again,” a government source said.
A national shortage of bellringers could leave many churches silent on coronation day.
With seven weeks to go before Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey, a drive to recruit and train 8,000 bellringers has fallen well short.
Traditionally church bells all over Britain ring out to mark the crowning of a new monarch. It is hoped that all the nation’s 38,000 church bells will be rung, as they were for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
However, the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) has warned that there are only 30,000 trained bellringers in the UK. Its recruitment drive — “Ring for the King” — has attracted about 1,500 inquiries.
So Suella Braverman has been advising the President of Tunisia.
Hours after Tunisia’s president ordered the expulsion of all illegal migrants, claiming they were bringing violent crime to his country, knife-wielding mobs gathered on the streets of the capital Tunis looking for black people.
“That night about 40 people broke into our house, took our phones and money and beat me with sticks until I managed to crawl outside and hide under a car, covered in blood,” said Ousman Sisi, 20, from Sierra Leone. He was nursing his wounds with dozens of terrified migrants in a makeshift camp outside a UN building this week.
As well as triggering a campaign of arrests and evictions targeting Tunisia’s 21,000 undocumented migrants last month, President Saied alleged they had been sent by mysterious plotters determined to “change the demographic make-up” of Tunisia.
The autocratic leader was echoing the “great replacement” theory touted by the Italian and Hungarian leaders, Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orban, with the irony that they use it to condemn migration into Europe from countries like Tunisia.
So Suella Braverman has been advising the President of Tunisia.
Hours after Tunisia’s president ordered the expulsion of all illegal migrants, claiming they were bringing violent crime to his country, knife-wielding mobs gathered on the streets of the capital Tunis looking for black people.
“That night about 40 people broke into our house, took our phones and money and beat me with sticks until I managed to crawl outside and hide under a car, covered in blood,” said Ousman Sisi, 20, from Sierra Leone. He was nursing his wounds with dozens of terrified migrants in a makeshift camp outside a UN building this week.
As well as triggering a campaign of arrests and evictions targeting Tunisia’s 21,000 undocumented migrants last month, President Saied alleged they had been sent by mysterious plotters determined to “change the demographic make-up” of Tunisia.
The autocratic leader was echoing the “great replacement” theory touted by the Italian and Hungarian leaders, Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orban, with the irony that they use it to condemn migration into Europe from countries like Tunisia.
I think actually a Great Replacement is a fantastic idea. Replacing Orban, Meloni, Saed, Braverman with people who have functioning brains and a modicum of integrity would be great.
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
St. Patrick was from what we today call "England" but he was NOT English, rather he was British Celt.
He wasn't regaling his Irish "hosts" with "Knees Up Mother" or even "Beowulf".
St Patrick was not English - or from what we today call England. He was from Wales. Born in Banwen near Neath. Arguably the most famous Welshman of all time.
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
St. Patrick was from what we today call "England" but he was NOT English, rather he was British Celt.
He wasn't regaling his Irish "hosts" with "Knees Up Mother" or even "Beowulf".
St Patrick was not English - or from what we today call England. He was from Wales. Born in Banwen near Neath. Arguably the most famous Welshman of all time.
Liz Lloyd, who was Ms Sturgeon’s chief of staff between 2015 and 2021 and later became her “strategic adviser”, said she plans to pursue new opportunities outside of politics.
Our news folks almost never mention, during the US celebration of St. Patrick's Day, that St. Patrick was English, and that his first visit to Ireland was not entirely voluntary.
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
St. Patrick was from what we today call "England" but he was NOT English, rather he was British Celt.
He wasn't regaling his Irish "hosts" with "Knees Up Mother" or even "Beowulf".
Liz Lloyd, who was Ms Sturgeon’s chief of staff between 2015 and 2021 and later became her “strategic adviser”, said she plans to pursue new opportunities outside of politics.
Comments
When that fails call up the Mrs.
Bit strange they've turned on their own lobby fodder
In my view, this was essentially "One Nation" Labourism. He faced a politically exhausted Conservative Party, bereft of ideas and so used to being in power it couldn't grasp the concept of Opposition.
Easy to see that in hindsight.
He spotted it when it wasn't at all clear
Edit.
His real skill was to get millions of Tory voters not to bother turning out.
Then he crawled up Dubya's lower colon - and destroyed his reputation. Forever.
It's such an ego trip for people like him and the official worst person named Piers or Corbyn - Piers Corbyn.
And won a Labour majority in 2005. Long after peak rimming.
I reckon he'd have won in 2010.
Ironically it turned out better than Afghanistan which is back under Taliban rule. Even Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan not there
Far more Labour dissent about Iraq than Tory.
I think these three paragraphs are important, for anyone who wants to understand the article:
"Even with new equipment and training, U.S. military officials consider Ukraine’s force insufficient to attack all along the giant front, where Russia has erected substantive defenses, so troops are being trained to probe for weak points that allow them to break through with tanks and armored vehicles.
Britain is also training Ukrainian recruits, including about 10,000 last year, with another 20,000 expected this year. The European Union has said it will train 30,000 Ukrainians in 2023.
Ukraine has been holding back soldiers for a spring offensive and training them as part of newly assembled assault brigades. Kyiv is also organizing battalions around the new fighting vehicles and tanks that Western nations are providing."
(I am disappointed that our "friend" has so far not come up with one good Russian joke -- but he may have reasons for that refusal.)
Coming to a tourism board soon.
Eye-watering amounts of money.
(And I'm not sure that Brown would have gone quietly into that night if Blair had decided to stick around....)
Palmerston and Blair won 3 general elections and never lost a general election to the Tories
Written by a Lucy Hooker!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64994801
We elected him, we followed his policies, and genocide resulted.
If he, or anyone else on the left, feels any guilt over that genocide, I missed them saying so.
Faith and begorah!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/17/robin-cook-stop-iraq-war-speech
Which has aged pretty well, as he was the only minister who didn’t deliberately deceive the country, either actively or by omission.
If so, welcome back.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/transcripts/gore_text092302.html
Temperature has hit 60F the warmest of the year so far, with sunny skies and light winds. Earlier this afternoon, went to pick up a Hawai'an (aka Aloha) shirt I'd ordered by mail . . . wearing another Hawai'ian shirt!
Bit later went to the bank to visit some of my money, just after kids were being let out of school, daycare, whatever. As a Fenian and an American, found it heartwarming that, even in this super-hip city, most of the girls & boys I saw, where wearing green, somewhere. Cutest were two little sisters, say 4 or 5, both with identical green skirts that looked specially homemade. Both sporting "look at us!" looks as coyly as they could.
Someone might whisper into Napper Tandy's ear, that these kids in green in Seattle, were from a rainbow of different colors, ethnic origins, religions, backgrounds.
Because in America, on St Patrick's Day EVERYONE is Irish.
That's the way it was in my schooldays, long ago. And it's still the same today - even more so.
In that link he stresses staying the course in Afghanistan but Biden, who he endorsed in 2020, handed it back to the Taliban. So he was wrong on both fronts!
Instead Iraqis can now elect their own government and have a Kurdish President
Which is too bad, because it's an interesting story.
Swiss authorities press for merger to stem crisis of confidence in country’s banking sector"
https://www.ft.com/content/17892f24-4ca0-417f-9093-289b019a0852
He wasn't regaling his Irish "hosts" with "Knees Up Mother" or even "Beowulf".
Whereas everyone from sea to shining sea has heard of St Patrick. Who indeed hailed from Britain NOT Ireland.
Reader, he was a member.
https://twitter.com/holyroodmandy/status/1636852247530287107?s=20
Also curious that The SNP don't know how many members they've got, while in 2014 Peter Murrell was able to give a minute by minute update:
21h00 update, @theSNP membership stands at 45,310. Ooops, no make that 45,313, no 45, 317... just can't keep up!! https://my.snp.org/join
https://twitter.com/PeterMurrell/status/514142867070390273?s=20
https://twitter.com/euanmccolm/status/1636805208712806417?s=20
Liz Lloyd, who was Ms Sturgeon’s chief of staff between 2015 and 2021 and later became her “strategic adviser”, said she plans to pursue new opportunities outside of politics.
It was previously reported that Ms Lloyd has been advising the campaign team of Humza Yousaf, one of three candidates vying to replace Ms Sturgeon, in her own time. Mr Yousaf is seen as the establishment-backed candidate in the SNP leadership race.
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeons-close-adviser-liz-lloyd-announces-she-will-quit-scottish-government-4069715
Data collected from market in Wuhan provides ‘strongest evidence’ yet that animals susceptible to Sars-Cov-2 were at traded at the site
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/covid-origins-new-genetic-material-china-points-raccoon-dogs/ (£££)
I find that difficult to imagine. Wouldn't it be more of a blancmangy flop?
File under "NS,S...."
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/17/deer-destroying-habitats-venison-uk-food-banks
It isn't going to happen.
Rishi Sunak will give Conservative MPs a free vote on Boris Johnson’s future if the privileges committee finds that he deliberately misled parliament about Downing Street pandemic parties.
Almost a year after the investigation began, Johnson faces a marathon televised hearing on Wednesday afternoon in which he must convince seven MPs that he was not in contempt of the Commons when he denied claims about lockdown rulebreaking.
If the committee finds against Johnson, he may be suspended from the Commons. A suspension of more than ten days would automatically trigger a recall petition, allowing Johnson’s constituents to force a by-election.
The privileges committee’s verdict would have to be approved by a vote of MPs, and Johnson’s allies are already preparing to use the moment to proclaim his innocence.
Sunak is understood to have decided that he will not whip MPs to protect his predecessor, allowing them instead to make their own decisions.
He is thought to be wary of repeating Johnson’s own approach in 2021, when he tried to overturn a 30-day suspension imposed on Owen Paterson, a former cabinet minister. “There is no way that we are going to get stuck in the hell that is Owen Paterson again,” a government source said.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-privileges-committee-partygate-q7677lk20
A national shortage of bellringers could leave many churches silent on coronation day.
With seven weeks to go before Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey, a drive to recruit and train 8,000 bellringers has fallen well short.
Traditionally church bells all over Britain ring out to mark the crowning of a new monarch. It is hoped that all the nation’s 38,000 church bells will be rung, as they were for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
However, the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) has warned that there are only 30,000 trained bellringers in the UK. Its recruitment drive — “Ring for the King” — has attracted about 1,500 inquiries.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bell-ring-for-king-charles-coronation-recruit-call-out-uk-2023-59qzgzrss
A police constable has kept her job despite being found guilty of gross misconduct for using excessive force when she repeatedly struck the former footballer Dalian Atkinson with her baton as he lay dying.
An independent tribunal found that Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, a West Mercia police officer, acted wrongly when she hit the former Aston Villa striker three times during an incident in August 2016.
Atkinson, who retired from football in 2001, later died in hospital aged 48.
However, Bettley-Smith, 32, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was allowed to keep her job after an intervention from West Mercia’s deputy chief constable. She was instead given a written warning.
Elaine Atkinson, Dalian’s sister, spoke of her disappointment at the ruling and accused the force of “looking after its own”.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dalian-atkinson-death-mary-ellen-bettley-smith-2hj6qcs7x
Hours after Tunisia’s president ordered the expulsion of all illegal migrants, claiming they were bringing violent crime to his country, knife-wielding mobs gathered on the streets of the capital Tunis looking for black people.
“That night about 40 people broke into our house, took our phones and money and beat me with sticks until I managed to crawl outside and hide under a car, covered in blood,” said Ousman Sisi, 20, from Sierra Leone. He was nursing his wounds with dozens of terrified migrants in a makeshift camp outside a UN building this week.
As well as triggering a campaign of arrests and evictions targeting Tunisia’s 21,000 undocumented migrants last month, President Saied alleged they had been sent by mysterious plotters determined to “change the demographic make-up” of Tunisia.
The autocratic leader was echoing the “great replacement” theory touted by the Italian and Hungarian leaders, Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orban, with the irony that they use it to condemn migration into Europe from countries like Tunisia.
Paul Gascoigne's just turned up outside SNP HQ with two cans of lager and a fishing rod.
Live scenes as Suella Braverman arrives in Rwanda:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tunisia-migrants-saied-persecution-mz0868d00