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Round-up – how punters see the next general election – politicalbetting.com

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  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,154
    Andy_JS said:

    Around 120 top legal professionals are set to sign a 'Declaration of Conscience' vowing to refuse their services in prosecuting protesters from eco-groups such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.

    Amid accusations of virtue signalling, the group – who call themselves 'Lawyers are Responsible' – will also refuse to act on behalf of clients involved in oil and gas on the grounds that they are destroying the environment.

    Prominent lawyers understood to be involved are Jolyon Maugham KC, founder of the Good Law Project, and Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC, chairman of the British Institute of Human Rights.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11896725/Fury-woke-barristers-refusing-prosecute-eco-warriors.html

    This sounds like a really bad idea, because lawyers with the opposite opinions may start doing the same sort of thing.
    Indeed, the would principle of lawyers is that that act in their clients' interests.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,103
    edited March 2023
    I know it's a story to show how hard he worked and how valuable the FM found him and it is all very nice and touching, but I still find the phrasing odd. At the end of the day he could have insisted if he wanted so he didn't try very hard, as he would no doubt claim there must have been lots of good replacements even if Sturgeon begged him to stay on.

    Deputy first minister John Swinney has revealed that he repeatedly tried to leave the Scottish government over the last seven years.

    Mr Swinney told the BBC that Nicola Sturgeon "wouldn't countenance" his offers to make way in 2016 and 2021.

    He also came "incredibly close" to resigning over the controversial system of exam moderation during the pandemic.

    Ms Sturgeon said she had always done everything in her power to keep Mr Swinney in government.

    The first minister described her long-serving deputy as "the most important person in my adult life outside my husband and family"


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65055457
  • fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,300
    The Times Scotland - SNP leadership candidates unpopular with voters
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/snp-leadership-candidates-unpopular-with-voters-gkxmj5hwj
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,103
    fitalass said:

    The Times Scotland - SNP leadership candidates unpopular with voters
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/snp-leadership-candidates-unpopular-with-voters-gkxmj5hwj

    I've been very disappointed in them this week, I cannot recall any juicy infighting or insulting talk.
  • fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,300
    kle4 said:

    I know it's a story to show how hard he worked and how valuable the FM found him and it is all very nice and touching, but I still find the phrasing odd. At the end of the day he could have insisted if he wanted so he didn't try very hard, as he would no doubt claim there must have been lots of good replacements even if Sturgeon begged him to stay on.

    Deputy first minister John Swinney has revealed that he repeatedly tried to leave the Scottish government over the last seven years.

    Mr Swinney told the BBC that Nicola Sturgeon "wouldn't countenance" his offers to make way in 2016 and 2021.

    He also came "incredibly close" to resigning over the controversial system of exam moderation during the pandemic.

    Ms Sturgeon said she had always done everything in her power to keep Mr Swinney in government.

    The first minister described her long-serving deputy as "the most important person in my adult life outside my husband and family"


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65055457

    Agreed. John Swinney was Nicola Sturgeon's Norman Tebbit.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,012
    edited March 2023
    I don't know any leader of France ever really reforms the country if the public won't even accept the most modest and sensible of reforms like a small increase in pension age to ensure their pension scheme doesn't go pop in the near future.

    When we did it here, although people weren't exactly celebrating, the general consensus I think was yes that is something that just has to happen. We live a lot longer, when state pension was introduced people on average only lived a handful of years in retirement, now its much more common to get 20+ years. Thus, something has to give.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,267

    I don't know any leader of France ever really reforms the country if the public won't even accept the most modest and sensible of reforms like a small increase in pension age to ensure their pension scheme doesn't go pop in the near future.

    When we did it here, although people weren't exactly celebrating, the general consensus I think was yes that is something that just has to happen. We live a lot longer, when state pension was introduced people on average only lived a handful of years in retirement, now its much more common to get 20+ years. Thus, something has to give.

    The utter failure of previous French Presidents to tackle such things is part of the reason that Macron got elected in the first place.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,103

    I don't know any leader of France ever really reforms the country if the public won't even accept the most modest and sensible of reforms like a small increase in pension age to ensure their pension scheme doesn't go pop in the near future.

    When we did it here, although people weren't exactly celebrating, the general consensus I think was yes that is something that just has to happen. We live a lot longer, when state pension was introduced people on average only lived a handful of years in retirement, now its much more common to get 20+ years. Thus, something has to give.

    The utter failure of previous French Presidents to tackle such things is part of the reason that Macron got elected in the first place.
    They won't thank him for it, but from the outside it looks like what they needed.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,267
    kle4 said:

    I don't know any leader of France ever really reforms the country if the public won't even accept the most modest and sensible of reforms like a small increase in pension age to ensure their pension scheme doesn't go pop in the near future.

    When we did it here, although people weren't exactly celebrating, the general consensus I think was yes that is something that just has to happen. We live a lot longer, when state pension was introduced people on average only lived a handful of years in retirement, now its much more common to get 20+ years. Thus, something has to give.

    The utter failure of previous French Presidents to tackle such things is part of the reason that Macron got elected in the first place.
    They won't thank him for it, but from the outside it looks like what they needed.
    There is actually a large constituency for such reforms in France. Just that the opposition is also large and very vocal.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,012
    OpenAI are "winning" so hard...

    We are adding support for plugins to ChatGPT — extensions which integrate it with third-party services or allow it to access up-to-date information. We’re starting small to study real-world use, impact, and safety and alignment challenges:

    And one of the first plugins,

    https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2023/03/chatgpt-gets-its-wolfram-superpowers/
  • eekeek Posts: 28,370
    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65057249

    A 250 year old building too, all as the French retirement age is rising to 64.

    An absolute disgrace. I hope Macron orders the gendarmes to crush these rioters using all necessary force!
    Far more important - yesterday we got to `Guadeloupe but our bags didn’t.

    There was no flight today from either Orly or CDG so we won’t see our bags until Saturday lunchtime.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,557
    eek said:

    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65057249

    A 250 year old building too, all as the French retirement age is rising to 64.

    An absolute disgrace. I hope Macron orders the gendarmes to crush these rioters using all necessary force!
    Far more important - yesterday we got to `Guadeloupe but our bags didn’t.

    There was no flight today from either Orly or CDG so we won’t see our bags until Saturday lunchtime.
    Isn't it illegal to not include someone's bags on their flight?
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,929
    .
    Andy_JS said:

    eek said:

    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65057249

    A 250 year old building too, all as the French retirement age is rising to 64.

    An absolute disgrace. I hope Macron orders the gendarmes to crush these rioters using all necessary force!
    Far more important - yesterday we got to `Guadeloupe but our bags didn’t.

    There was no flight today from either Orly or CDG so we won’t see our bags until Saturday lunchtime.
    Isn't it illegal to not include someone's bags on their flight?
    I think the opposite is not allowed. They won’t fly someone’s bags if they are a no show.
  • WillGWillG Posts: 2,366

    I don't know any leader of France ever really reforms the country if the public won't even accept the most modest and sensible of reforms like a small increase in pension age to ensure their pension scheme doesn't go pop in the near future.

    When we did it here, although people weren't exactly celebrating, the general consensus I think was yes that is something that just has to happen. We live a lot longer, when state pension was introduced people on average only lived a handful of years in retirement, now its much more common to get 20+ years. Thus, something has to give.

    The problem is that not everyone is living longer, if you look at the working class. They also work more years because of no university. They should change it to 45 years of work.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,154
    Andy_JS said:

    eek said:

    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65057249

    A 250 year old building too, all as the French retirement age is rising to 64.

    An absolute disgrace. I hope Macron orders the gendarmes to crush these rioters using all necessary force!
    Far more important - yesterday we got to `Guadeloupe but our bags didn’t.

    There was no flight today from either Orly or CDG so we won’t see our bags until Saturday lunchtime.
    Isn't it illegal to not include someone's bags on their flight?
    Sadly, I've had my bags not fly with me all too often.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,154

    OpenAI are "winning" so hard...

    We are adding support for plugins to ChatGPT — extensions which integrate it with third-party services or allow it to access up-to-date information. We’re starting small to study real-world use, impact, and safety and alignment challenges:

    And one of the first plugins,

    https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2023/03/chatgpt-gets-its-wolfram-superpowers/

    These LLMs are pretty amazing.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,799

    TERF

    Sir Keir Starmer will lose the general election campaign "on day one" unless he shifts his position on transgender rights, party strategists have warned.

    Advisers have been telling the Labour leader since late 2021 to "deal with" the issue and explain to voters that "self-ID is not going to happen".

    Sir Keir's position has evolved in recent days. At an event in Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday, he said: "I think that if we reflect on what's happened in Scotland, the lesson I take from that is that if you're going to make reforms, you have to carry the public with you.

    "And I think that's a very important message, and I think that's why it's clear that in Scotland there should be a reset of the situation."

    This contrasts with a commitment two years ago to introduce "self-declaration for trans people".


    https://news.sky.com/story/keir-starmer-will-lose-election-campaign-on-day-one-over-his-trans-rights-position-labour-strategists-warn-12841099

    The tide is turning. At the risk of mixing metaphors, I hope the pendulum doesn't swing too far the other way but some of the nonsense expounded by extreme trans-rights campaigners is clearly not going not going to get implemented, nor should it.
    I don't think the tide is turning. I think the tide is still swinging transwards, it's just that it has become more acceptable to question it, a bit.
    e.g. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/23/dont-know-who-fancy-queer-schools-tell-children/
  • eekeek Posts: 28,370
    RobD said:

    .

    Andy_JS said:

    eek said:

    HYUFD said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65057249

    A 250 year old building too, all as the French retirement age is rising to 64.

    An absolute disgrace. I hope Macron orders the gendarmes to crush these rioters using all necessary force!
    Far more important - yesterday we got to `Guadeloupe but our bags didn’t.

    There was no flight today from either Orly or CDG so we won’t see our bags until Saturday lunchtime.
    Isn't it illegal to not include someone's bags on their flight?
    I think the opposite is not allowed. They won’t fly someone’s bags if they are a no show.
    Yep the obvious check is that the person was happy to travel with their bag on the plane - if they aren’t happy to be on the plane what is wrong with the baggage?
This discussion has been closed.