Good morning all. I’m sure everyone will join me in relief that the enforced TV bible bashing is behind us and we can settle into a proper weekend day of cooking programmes and football. And the rain has gone. Hurray!
Shortly off for a bit of live Bible Bashing!
Presumably entirely voluntary and not blanket broadcast across every main telly channel at the expense of Saturday Morning Kitchen and Football Focus? If so, enjoy!
TV channels did not have to cover it (apart from BBC presumably).
And get with the times grandad, its all YouTube and streaming nowadays.
A useful reminder of the last time @Leon did this to us
Brilliant and a certain entry for most barking post of the year. But it seems unfair that Leon shouldn't share it with the three posters who 'liked' it.
So dont beat about the bush.... Name and Shame!
(My guess is HYUFD Sandpit and Big G)
Lol! I hadn’t seen this! Superb.
I doubt it was @HYUFD by the way, indeed he warned against THE TRUSS from the start.
“While this might not elicit a great deal of sympathy in many quarters, we must remember that similar dynamics are affecting all incomes. And this can create serious disincentives to career and wage progression — why work harder if marginal tax effects are so severe and the things one might aspire to are too expensive anyway?”
The article is paywalled so I can't read it in full but from the quote, as a former high-earner myself, I find this argument baffling.
What drove me to become a high-earner was a combination of things, some luck of course (working in the right industry), but also: some skills, a desire to make things happen, a pursuit of high standards, a willingness to work hard & long hours. The rewards were almost incidental.
I suffered from marginal tax rates at times but thought of 'not working so hard as there's no point in paying 60% on the bonus I might get' never entered into the equation.
My conjecture is that most people would work harder/longer, not less, if their tax rate goes up, to maintain their income if they can.
The really simple answer is it's the housing market, that's as brutal for someone in their 30s/40s on 100k a year as it is for anyone else. The fact is that for all income brackets, pay hasn't kept up with house prices, so if you want a "middle class" four bedroom detached house in a leafy area within commuting distance of your office (even if you only go in twice a week), the house is going to cost circa a million quid and that mortgage is going to suck up 50-70% of your household income.
The housing market is a vampire that sucks all the surplus money out of the economy, makes everyone with a mortgage poorer with less disposable income, and redistributes wealth upwards towards the elderly who bought property for a song and are mortgage free.
House prices need to fall, but to do that we need to build an extra 500k homes a year, or get immigration under control. The government appears incapable of doing either.
People on high incomes do make decisions about whether and how much to work based on pay and marginal tax. That doesn’t mean we should feel sorry for them, but they do, and it has implications for the economy and productivity.
They do this at significant life stages: when children are born and they are deciding whether to work part time; into the 50s when they’ve reached their earnings peak and are planning the glide path towards retirement; in their late 30s if they work in very long hours high pay jobs like investment banking or engineering on offshore rigs, and consider a second more healthy occupation like opening up a deli or going back to do a postgrad.
Of all of these, to me the main issue is around children in the 30s and 40s. Were some of the marginal rates and tapers combined with the massive cost of childcare force a lot of mainly female earners out of the workforce.
“While this might not elicit a great deal of sympathy in many quarters, we must remember that similar dynamics are affecting all incomes. And this can create serious disincentives to career and wage progression — why work harder if marginal tax effects are so severe and the things one might aspire to are too expensive anyway?”
The article is paywalled so I can't read it in full but from the quote, as a former high-earner myself, I find this argument baffling.
What drove me to become a high-earner was a combination of things, some luck of course (working in the right industry), but also: some skills, a desire to make things happen, a pursuit of high standards, a willingness to work hard & long hours. The rewards were almost incidental.
I suffered from marginal tax rates at times but thought of 'not working so hard as there's no point in paying 60% on the bonus I might get' never entered into the equation.
My conjecture is that most people would work harder/longer, not less, if their tax rate goes up, to maintain their income if they can.
The really simple answer is it's the housing market, that's as brutal for someone in their 30s/40s on 100k a year as it is for anyone else. The fact is that for all income brackets, pay hasn't kept up with house prices, so if you want a "middle class" four bedroom detached house in a leafy area within commuting distance of your office (even if you only go in twice a week), the house is going to cost circa a million quid and that mortgage is going to suck up 50-70% of your household income.
The housing market is a vampire that sucks all the surplus money out of the economy, makes everyone with a mortgage poorer with less disposable income, and redistributes wealth upwards towards the elderly who bought property for a song and are mortgage free.
House prices need to fall, but to do that we need to build an extra 500k homes a year, or get immigration under control. The government appears incapable of doing either.
Faced with two possible outcomes, would you rather hold on to office with Boris, or go down to a narrow defeat with Rishi?
I suspect HY is right that Johnson enthuses RedWall hard of thinking voters, but does he repell even more BlueWall feudal Tories? I suspect he does.
The Conservatives can go in one of two directions to make themselves electable at the next GE. By installing caring, one nation Conservative serial foodbank openers like Penny Mordaunt as PM or to promote the Conservative Party of 30p Lee Anderson ("if you don't like the Coronation, leave the country") in the corpulent shape of Johnson.
Even if the second option is enough to win the next GE, I suspect it dooms the party in the longer term.
It really is amazing that if you give away free food there's an unlimited number of people willing to take it.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
Neither in my case, sadly.
Re The Graduate, it has an interesting UK ratings history reflecting changing attitudes: 1968 - X, 1970 - AA, 2007 - 15, 2017 - 12A, 2023 - 12.
At this rate is will be a U by 2030.
The Graduate is the epitome of what changed in the Sixties in terms of fashion. In the film even the young people dress old. The breaking away from that is visible now with the Peter Pan approach to clothes. Outside work I dress much as I did 40 years ago, only with less hair.
When I was a nipper there were a few adding teddy boys round here, with very thin DAs and the big jackets. I used to think they were sad old men, desperate to cling on to their youth.
Now, like you, I still dress pretty much like I did in the 90s and I’m in my mid-40s. Doesn’t seem so incongruous now. My dad’s 70 and wears jeans, t-shirts and trainers. At that age his dad was wearing beige slacks and a tie.
There's really no need to suddenly start to dress differently just because old people when we grew up looked different to us. A positive development indeed.
Good morning all. I’m sure everyone will join me in relief that the enforced TV bible bashing is behind us and we can settle into a proper weekend day of cooking programmes and football. And the rain has gone. Hurray!
Shortly off for a bit of live Bible Bashing!
Presumably entirely voluntary and not blanket broadcast across every main telly channel at the expense of Saturday Morning Kitchen and Football Focus? If so, enjoy!
TV channels did not have to cover it (apart from BBC presumably).
And get with the times grandad, its all YouTube and streaming nowadays.
Faffing around with apps and computers when I can just press 532 and go straight to Sky Sports Main Event UHD. Why?
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
Neither in my case, sadly.
Re The Graduate, it has an interesting UK ratings history reflecting changing attitudes: 1968 - X, 1970 - AA, 2007 - 15, 2017 - 12A, 2023 - 12.
At this rate is will be a U by 2030.
The Graduate is the epitome of what changed in the Sixties in terms of fashion. In the film even the young people dress old. The breaking away from that is visible now with the Peter Pan approach to clothes. Outside work I dress much as I did 40 years ago, only with less hair.
When I was a nipper there were a few adding teddy boys round here, with very thin DAs and the big jackets. I used to think they were sad old men, desperate to cling on to their youth.
Now, like you, I still dress pretty much like I did in the 90s and I’m in my mid-40s. Doesn’t seem so incongruous now. My dad’s 70 and wears jeans, t-shirts and trainers. At that age his dad was wearing beige slacks and a tie.
There was a Great Pub Attire shift at some point in the mid-90s, at which men entering their forties at the time decided not to emulate their elders and did not dress up with a shirt and tie for their evening bevvy.
You only have to look at Panini stickers from the 80s to see how aging has changed. Footballers in their early 30s already looked like they were in their 50s. Whether it was diet, smoking, drinking or what - people today tend to look more youthful, and dress more youthfully.
A useful reminder of the last time @Leon did this to us
Brilliant and a certain entry for most barking post of the year. But it seems unfair that Leon shouldn't share it with the three posters who 'liked' it.
So dont beat about the bush.... Name and Shame!
(My guess is HYUFD Sandpit and Big G)
Lol! I hadn’t seen this! Superb.
I doubt it was @HYUFD by the way, indeed he warned against THE TRUSS from the start.
It was Fishing (predictable), vik (who?) and DecreipterJohnL
“While this might not elicit a great deal of sympathy in many quarters, we must remember that similar dynamics are affecting all incomes. And this can create serious disincentives to career and wage progression — why work harder if marginal tax effects are so severe and the things one might aspire to are too expensive anyway?”
The article is paywalled so I can't read it in full but from the quote, as a former high-earner myself, I find this argument baffling.
What drove me to become a high-earner was a combination of things, some luck of course (working in the right industry), but also: some skills, a desire to make things happen, a pursuit of high standards, a willingness to work hard & long hours. The rewards were almost incidental.
I suffered from marginal tax rates at times but thought of 'not working so hard as there's no point in paying 60% on the bonus I might get' never entered into the equation.
My conjecture is that most people would work harder/longer, not less, if their tax rate goes up, to maintain their income if they can.
The really simple answer is it's the housing market, that's as brutal for someone in their 30s/40s on 100k a year as it is for anyone else. The fact is that for all income brackets, pay hasn't kept up with house prices, so if you want a "middle class" four bedroom detached house in a leafy area within commuting distance of your office (even if you only go in twice a week), the house is going to cost circa a million quid and that mortgage is going to suck up 50-70% of your household income.
The housing market is a vampire that sucks all the surplus money out of the economy, makes everyone with a mortgage poorer with less disposable income, and redistributes wealth upwards towards the elderly who bought property for a song and are mortgage free.
House prices need to fall, but to do that we need to build an extra 500k homes a year, or get immigration under control. The government appears incapable of doing either.
A useful reminder of the last time @Leon did this to us
Brilliant and a certain entry for most barking post of the year. But it seems unfair that Leon shouldn't share it with the three posters who 'liked' it.
So dont beat about the bush.... Name and Shame!
(My guess is HYUFD Sandpit and Big G)
Lol! I hadn’t seen this! Superb.
I doubt it was @HYUFD by the way, indeed he warned against THE TRUSS from the start.
It was Fishing (predictable), vik (who?) and DecreipterJohnL
Truly a post for the ages. @Leon at his magnificent best.
Fair point that holding a sword well doesn’t directly translate into being a good PM.
However, I think it’s safe to say Truss would have done it in a weird and slightly flustered way, and Johnson would have blundered around with it like a circus clown. So maybe there’s some predictive skill here. May on the other hand would have done a good job.
Other prime ministerial pretenders who might have struggled: Corbyn, Ed Miliband, IDS, Redwood.
There was a Great Pub Attire shift at some point in the mid-90s, at which men entering their forties at the time decided not to emulate their elders and did not dress up with a shirt and tie for their evening bevvy.
You only have to look at Panini stickers from the 80s to see how aging has changed. Footballers in their early 30s already looked like they were in their 50s. Whether it was diet, smoking, drinking or what - people today tend to look more youthful, and dress more youthfully.
I'm constantly surprised how young some major movie stars were when they made it big back then when they looked 40 at least. And they are the ones who mostly likely looked great for their age compared to normal people.
There coud be a leadership challenge, but I think Sunak would still win it. Saner MPs may bear in mind that the dysfunction of a leadership change or simply a leadership election is likely to damage their electoral prospects more. Why should we vote for Conservative MPs if they can't even decide who to lead them for longer than a few months at a time?
Johnson is a destructive and unpredictable force resorted to by his party in a time of extreme desperation - the danger then was not simply a Brexit reversal and a mere election loss, but a Corbyn government; we forget how possible it was seen at times in the 2017-19 parliament that Corbyn become PM after the next election. Tory MPs (most of them anyway) may share the view of Tory voters that Starmer is not a frightening enough prospect - not worth another Johnson leadership.
The one who potentially could be a challenger before the next election could be Mordaunt - who stole the show yesterday, looking like a cross between Themis and Lady Dimitrescu (though I also liked Charlotte and Louis looking a bit like the Skywalker twins). She undoubtedly has charisma and appeal but, like Johnson, there is the prospect of a great campaigner and speaker with a dysfunctional management style.
Temperatures hitting 40C in Bangkok right about now. Yesterday was the hottest day ever recorded in the city
The Carolean age: drought, floods, heatwaves, famine, death.
Can't say he didn't warn us.
Feels hotter due to the humidity there too.
Also I note power consumption was up about 22% there. People cranking up the Aircon will just add to the overall heat.
The rooftop swimming pool is basically deserted (and the hotel is full)
It is that hot in Bangkok: it is too hot to go outside and take a dip in a pool. Never seen that before
The wet bulb temperatures are up to 30-32C in a few places. That's seriously high. Above 35C and it starts killing healthy young people.
In Bangkok???
it did feel really fucking weird up by the pool this morning. Not good
OK I just checked. It is right now 40C in Bangkok with humidity of 54%
I just fed that in to a machine
This wet bulb calculator is designed to help you estimate the wet bulb temperature based on only two pieces of data - the temperature 🌡️ and the relative humidity 💧. Temperature
40°C
Relative humidity
54%
Wet-bulb temperature 31.75°C
Wet-bulb temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) pose potential fatal danger to humans outside. It's also very uncomfortable. In these conditions, you should avoid direct sunlight and drink lots of water.
If she had been wearing Naval uniform it would have been inappropriate, but she wasn't.
She's trying to have it both ways here. If she's a civvie and has been given permission to wear it then her only crime is vanity. If she's an officer, a role she occasionally cosplays, then she shouldn't wear it out of respect for those who have earned it and it's a regulation violation to put it on civvies. I don't wear my albatross wings on my Black Flag t-shirt for that very reason.
British military dress etiquette is as arcane and obscurantist as anything that the orders of chivalry on totally Hogwarts Island could come up with.
I have just realised on the military fancy dress stuff I am a complete hypocrite. When I see the North Koreans, or such like, in their military uniforms I think it is absolutely ridiculous, yet I love our stuff and in terms of ridiculousness we have the rest of world beaten into a cocked hat. Beefeaters, Busbies, Horseguards, the list goes on. Who can remember at the Queens funeral we seemed to have a Cossack with the biggest sword ever made. That was a new one on me.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
I read Deneuve's autobiography, she was a bit of a girl back in the day. I look forward to similarly racy stories from ex- PM Mordaunt.
Faced with two possible outcomes, would you rather hold on to office with Boris, or go down to a narrow defeat with Rishi?
I suspect HY is right that Johnson enthuses RedWall hard of thinking voters, but does he repell even more BlueWall feudal Tories? I suspect he does.
The Conservatives can go in one of two directions to make themselves electable at the next GE. By installing caring, one nation Conservative serial foodbank openers like Penny Mordaunt as PM or to promote the Conservative Party of 30p Lee Anderson ("if you don't like the Coronation, leave the country") in the corpulent shape of Johnson.
Even if the second option is enough to win the next GE, I suspect it dooms the party in the longer term.
It really is amazing that if you give away free food there's an unlimited number of people willing to take it.
What a dreary and implicitly unpleasant comment.
Rather like your comment up thread then about the red wall and it’s voters. Physician, heal thyself
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
Neither in my case, sadly.
Re The Graduate, it has an interesting UK ratings history reflecting changing attitudes: 1968 - X, 1970 - AA, 2007 - 15, 2017 - 12A, 2023 - 12.
At this rate is will be a U by 2030.
The Graduate is the epitome of what changed in the Sixties in terms of fashion. In the film even the young people dress old. The breaking away from that is visible now with the Peter Pan approach to clothes. Outside work I dress much as I did 40 years ago, only with less hair.
When I was a nipper there were a few adding teddy boys round here, with very thin DAs and the big jackets. I used to think they were sad old men, desperate to cling on to their youth.
Now, like you, I still dress pretty much like I did in the 90s and I’m in my mid-40s. Doesn’t seem so incongruous now. My dad’s 70 and wears jeans, t-shirts and trainers. At that age his dad was wearing beige slacks and a tie.
There was a Great Pub Attire shift at some point in the mid-90s, at which men entering their forties at the time decided not to emulate their elders and did not dress up with a shirt and tie for their evening bevvy.
You only have to look at Panini stickers from the 80s to see how aging has changed. Footballers in their early 30s already looked like they were in their 50s. Whether it was diet, smoking, drinking or what - people today tend to look more youthful, and dress more youthfully.
I think a lot of the shift also came when bars and nightclubs stopped refusing entry to people wearing trainers (as trainers became more fashionable) and collarless tops.
Then as dress-down Fridays took off fewer people were going out straight after work in their suits and so whereas before you might have walked into bars and clubs in a city after work on a Friday everyone would still be suited and booted it was more casual.
Temperatures hitting 40C in Bangkok right about now. Yesterday was the hottest day ever recorded in the city
The Carolean age: drought, floods, heatwaves, famine, death.
Can't say he didn't warn us.
Feels hotter due to the humidity there too.
Also I note power consumption was up about 22% there. People cranking up the Aircon will just add to the overall heat.
The rooftop swimming pool is basically deserted (and the hotel is full)
It is that hot in Bangkok: it is too hot to go outside and take a dip in a pool. Never seen that before
The wet bulb temperatures are up to 30-32C in a few places. That's seriously high. Above 35C and it starts killing healthy young people.
In Bangkok???
it did feel really fucking weird up by the pool this morning. Not good
OK I just checked. It is right now 40C in Bangkok with humidity of 54%
I just fed that in to a machine
This wet bulb calculator is designed to help you estimate the wet bulb temperature based on only two pieces of data - the temperature 🌡️ and the relative humidity 💧. Temperature
40°C
Relative humidity
54%
Wet-bulb temperature 31.75°C
Wet-bulb temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) pose potential fatal danger to humans outside. It's also very uncomfortable. In these conditions, you should avoid direct sunlight and drink lots of water.
Suspect Penny Mordaunt is a significant factor in increasing the wet bulb quotient this weekend.
Faced with two possible outcomes, would you rather hold on to office with Boris, or go down to a narrow defeat with Rishi?
I suspect HY is right that Johnson enthuses RedWall hard of thinking voters, but does he repell even more BlueWall feudal Tories? I suspect he does.
The Conservatives can go in one of two directions to make themselves electable at the next GE. By installing caring, one nation Conservative serial foodbank openers like Penny Mordaunt as PM or to promote the Conservative Party of 30p Lee Anderson ("if you don't like the Coronation, leave the country") in the corpulent shape of Johnson.
Even if the second option is enough to win the next GE, I suspect it dooms the party in the longer term.
It really is amazing that if you give away free food there's an unlimited number of people willing to take it.
What a dreary and implicitly unpleasant comment.
But true nevertheless. Have youbever been to a wedding with a free bar..
Faced with two possible outcomes, would you rather hold on to office with Boris, or go down to a narrow defeat with Rishi?
I suspect HY is right that Johnson enthuses RedWall hard of thinking voters, but does he repell even more BlueWall feudal Tories? I suspect he does.
The Conservatives can go in one of two directions to make themselves electable at the next GE. By installing caring, one nation Conservative serial foodbank openers like Penny Mordaunt as PM or to promote the Conservative Party of 30p Lee Anderson ("if you don't like the Coronation, leave the country") in the corpulent shape of Johnson.
Even if the second option is enough to win the next GE, I suspect it dooms the party in the longer term.
It really is amazing that if you give away free food there's an unlimited number of people willing to take it.
What a dreary and implicitly unpleasant comment.
Its true though isn't it.
Talk to a school dinner lady about foodbanks and you'll hear tales.
The people who deserve sympathy are those who work hard for low pay but never get given all the free stuff.
Yet those people were drearily and unpleasantly criticised on here when their pay rates began to rise after covid.
If she had been wearing Naval uniform it would have been inappropriate, but she wasn't.
She's trying to have it both ways here. If she's a civvie and has been given permission to wear it then her only crime is vanity. If she's an officer, a role she occasionally cosplays, then she shouldn't wear it out of respect for those who have earned it and it's a regulation violation to put it on civvies. I don't wear my albatross wings on my Black Flag t-shirt for that very reason.
British military dress etiquette is as arcane and obscurantist as anything that the orders of chivalry on totally Hogwarts Island could come up with.
I have just realised on the military fancy dress stuff I am a complete hypocrite. When I see the North Koreans, or such like, in their military uniforms I think it is absolutely ridiculous, yet I love our stuff and in terms of ridiculousness we have the rest of world beaten into a cocked hat. Beefeaters, Busbies, Horseguards, the list goes on. Who can remember at the Queens funeral we seemed to have a Cossack with the biggest sword ever made. That was a new one on me.
The North Koreans play it dead straight so slight silliness looks ridiculous. Ours is so over the top campy the silliness curves back around to awesome since there's no way they dont know they look silly.
Good morning all. I’m sure everyone will join me in relief that the enforced TV bible bashing is behind us and we can settle into a proper weekend day of cooking programmes and football. And the rain has gone. Hurray!
You assume far too.much.
The relief among the people is palpable, on this bright spring morn. The rainy sermon is over, and just rejoice at that news.
The relief will be the hope that eventually you run out if nasty things to say.
If she had been wearing Naval uniform it would have been inappropriate, but she wasn't.
She's trying to have it both ways here. If she's a civvie and has been given permission to wear it then her only crime is vanity. If she's an officer, a role she occasionally cosplays, then she shouldn't wear it out of respect for those who have earned it and it's a regulation violation to put it on civvies. I don't wear my albatross wings on my Black Flag t-shirt for that very reason.
British military dress etiquette is as arcane and obscurantist as anything that the orders of chivalry on totally Hogwarts Island could come up with.
I have just realised on the military fancy dress stuff I am a complete hypocrite. When I see the North Koreans, or such like, in their military uniforms I think it is absolutely ridiculous, yet I love our stuff and in terms of ridiculousness we have the rest of world beaten into a cocked hat. Beefeaters, Busbies, Horseguards, the list goes on. Who can remember at the Queens funeral we seemed to have a Cossack with the biggest sword ever made. That was a new one on me.
The North Koreans play it dead straight so slight silliness looks ridiculous. Ours is so over the top campy the silliness curves back around to awesome since there's no way they dont know they look silly.
Temperatures hitting 40C in Bangkok right about now. Yesterday was the hottest day ever recorded in the city
The Carolean age: drought, floods, heatwaves, famine, death.
Can't say he didn't warn us.
Feels hotter due to the humidity there too.
Also I note power consumption was up about 22% there. People cranking up the Aircon will just add to the overall heat.
The rooftop swimming pool is basically deserted (and the hotel is full)
It is that hot in Bangkok: it is too hot to go outside and take a dip in a pool. Never seen that before
The wet bulb temperatures are up to 30-32C in a few places. That's seriously high. Above 35C and it starts killing healthy young people.
In Bangkok???
it did feel really fucking weird up by the pool this morning. Not good
OK I just checked. It is right now 40C in Bangkok with humidity of 54%
I just fed that in to a machine
This wet bulb calculator is designed to help you estimate the wet bulb temperature based on only two pieces of data - the temperature 🌡️ and the relative humidity 💧. Temperature
40°C
Relative humidity
54%
Wet-bulb temperature 31.75°C
Wet-bulb temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) pose potential fatal danger to humans outside. It's also very uncomfortable. In these conditions, you should avoid direct sunlight and drink lots of water.
The other somewhat unusual weather in SE Asia this coming week is a “summer cyclone” (as opposed to monsoon cyclone) Mocha.
The immigration issue is interesting in that article. The anti-woke table thumpers seem to believe it's a vote winner and if you look at Mike's issues chart from the other day, you'd think it matters (unlike, say, trans bashing which doesn't).
But we're also all a lot more savvy these days. We can see all around us that there is a chronic staff shortage. In short, we NEED immigrants! The entertainment industry is collapsing because we chased out all those brilliant eastern European workers. White Brits don't want to get up at 3.30 am to go and pick potatoes in a muddy Lincolnshire field. And the NHS is falling apart because staff are leaving in droves.
I'm not sure Starmer could dare to go head-on about this, because the Hate Mail would be jabbering and screeching, but perhaps the anti-immigration right wing lurch of the current tory party is doing to their chances exactly what John Major did with his Back to Basics nonsense.
They're doomed. I know it. Most people know it. Just a few refuseniks for whom the scales are yet to fall.
The majority of workers in the jobs that immigrants do are actually UK citizens. There are a couple of exceptions - bar staff in core central London - but in general, this is true.
The idea that the British are too lazy to do the jobs should be consigned to the bin Oriental Lassitude went in. Remember that?
Good morning all. I’m sure everyone will join me in relief that the enforced TV bible bashing is behind us and we can settle into a proper weekend day of cooking programmes and football. And the rain has gone. Hurray!
You assume far too.much.
The relief among the people is palpable, on this bright spring morn. The rainy sermon is over, and just rejoice at that news.
The relief will be the hope that eventually you run out if nasty things to say.
I am celebrating life, and freedom to enjoy proper weekend telly, on this beautiful spring weekend morning. If only yesterday had been this way. But thankfully that is in the past, and I know you will join me I rejoicing at that.
Good morning all. I’m sure everyone will join me in relief that the enforced TV bible bashing is behind us and we can settle into a proper weekend day of cooking programmes and football. And the rain has gone. Hurray!
21 degrees in the London area! I think it's the first time this year we've got above 20!
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
However, even worse was Drakeford. What a fucking shambles. Check it out:
He hasn’t even done his tie up, and he looks like he’s been on the Lidl brandy since 8am. Twat
Temperatures hitting 40C in Bangkok right about now. Yesterday was the hottest day ever recorded in the city
The Carolean age: drought, floods, heatwaves, famine, death.
Can't say he didn't warn us.
Feels hotter due to the humidity there too.
Also I note power consumption was up about 22% there. People cranking up the Aircon will just add to the overall heat.
The rooftop swimming pool is basically deserted (and the hotel is full)
It is that hot in Bangkok: it is too hot to go outside and take a dip in a pool. Never seen that before
The wet bulb temperatures are up to 30-32C in a few places. That's seriously high. Above 35C and it starts killing healthy young people.
In Bangkok???
it did feel really fucking weird up by the pool this morning. Not good
OK I just checked. It is right now 40C in Bangkok with humidity of 54%
I just fed that in to a machine
This wet bulb calculator is designed to help you estimate the wet bulb temperature based on only two pieces of data - the temperature 🌡️ and the relative humidity 💧. Temperature
40°C
Relative humidity
54%
Wet-bulb temperature 31.75°C
Wet-bulb temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) pose potential fatal danger to humans outside. It's also very uncomfortable. In these conditions, you should avoid direct sunlight and drink lots of water.
Suspect Penny Mordaunt is a significant factor in increasing the wet bulb quotient this weekend.
..there is more than one wet quotient that has increased.
Look no further for why the Tories are finished and need time out of Government, than somebody who you voted against twice suddenly being PM material because she wore a nice dress and held a sword for half an hour.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
1902, 1911, 1937, 1953. I make that four times last century.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
For once I am going to come to Boris's defence as a Boris lookalike. If like me (which I think is the case) he has short limbs and a long body, it is bloody hard not to look a mess. Your shirt always comes out and the sleeves hang below your suit and short legs are not an elegant look. I am quite extreme. If my body was in proportion to my legs I would be one of the seven dwarfs. When I tried to drive a single seat racing car I exceeded the height limit for the roll bar by quite a bit which was 6 feet, even though I am under that, yet my feet could not reach the pedals.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
1902, 1911, 1937, 1953. I make that four times last century.
Come on give Leon so leeway, that was bloody close for him
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
For once I am going to come to Boris's defence as a Boris lookalike. If like me (which I think is the case) he has short limbs and a long body, it is bloody hard not to look a mess. Your shirt always comes out and the sleeves hang below your suit and short legs are not an elegant look. I am quite extreme. If my body was in proportion to my legs I would be one of the seven dwarfs. When I tried to drive a single seat racing car I exceeded the height limit for the roll bar by quite a bit which was 6 feet, even though I am under that, yet my feet could not reach the pedals.
I’m also in the short-limb-long-torso club and can empathise, but Spaffer is well-heeled enough to get something tailor made. The beauty of the suit is that it can be made to look great on any body type, if done properly.
I have springy and unruly hair as well (black, not blonde) but I’d bloody well do something with it instead of having a head that looks like a steaming ball of horse manure.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
However, even worse was Drakeford. What a fucking shambles. Check it out:
He hasn’t even done his tie up, and he looks like he’s been on the Lidl brandy since 8am. Twat
The immigration issue is interesting in that article. The anti-woke table thumpers seem to believe it's a vote winner and if you look at Mike's issues chart from the other day, you'd think it matters (unlike, say, trans bashing which doesn't).
But we're also all a lot more savvy these days. We can see all around us that there is a chronic staff shortage. In short, we NEED immigrants! The entertainment industry is collapsing because we chased out all those brilliant eastern European workers. White Brits don't want to get up at 3.30 am to go and pick potatoes in a muddy Lincolnshire field. And the NHS is falling apart because staff are leaving in droves.
I'm not sure Starmer could dare to go head-on about this, because the Hate Mail would be jabbering and screeching, but perhaps the anti-immigration right wing lurch of the current tory party is doing to their chances exactly what John Major did with his Back to Basics nonsense.
They're doomed. I know it. Most people know it. Just a few refuseniks for whom the scales are yet to fall.
The majority of workers in the jobs that immigrants do are actually UK citizens. There are a couple of exceptions - bar staff in core central London - but in general, this is true.
The idea that the British are too lazy to do the jobs should be consigned to the bin Oriental Lassitude went in. Remember that?
Bar and restaurant staff everywhere.
Not outside very central London.
If you venture past the Circle Line, dodging the dragons and flying sea serpents*, it’s a strange new world out there.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
There are people outside my hotel working away - tuk tuk drivers, hawkers, construction workers - in apparent wet bulb temperatures - 31.75 - which will be fatal after a few hours
Woman has key role in Coronation. Woman carries out role with considerable aplomb and looks terrific. Woman is particularly adept at carrying a sword for ages. Therefore woman should be next leader of the Tory Party prior to being PM.
It's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? I don't think some PBers would be quite so excited if Woman had been Man but done just as well, somehow.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
Neither in my case, sadly.
Re The Graduate, it has an interesting UK ratings history reflecting changing attitudes: 1968 - X, 1970 - AA, 2007 - 15, 2017 - 12A, 2023 - 12.
At this rate is will be a U by 2030.
The Graduate is the epitome of what changed in the Sixties in terms of fashion. In the film even the young people dress old. The breaking away from that is visible now with the Peter Pan approach to clothes. Outside work I dress much as I did 40 years ago, only with less hair.
When I was a nipper there were a few adding teddy boys round here, with very thin DAs and the big jackets. I used to think they were sad old men, desperate to cling on to their youth.
Now, like you, I still dress pretty much like I did in the 90s and I’m in my mid-40s. Doesn’t seem so incongruous now. My dad’s 70 and wears jeans, t-shirts and trainers. At that age his dad was wearing beige slacks and a tie.
There was a Great Pub Attire shift at some point in the mid-90s, at which men entering their forties at the time decided not to emulate their elders and did not dress up with a shirt and tie for their evening bevvy.
You only have to look at Panini stickers from the 80s to see how aging has changed. Footballers in their early 30s already looked like they were in their 50s. Whether it was diet, smoking, drinking or what - people today tend to look more youthful, and dress more youthfully.
I think a lot of the shift also came when bars and nightclubs stopped refusing entry to people wearing trainers (as trainers became more fashionable) and collarless tops.
Then as dress-down Fridays took off fewer people were going out straight after work in their suits and so whereas before you might have walked into bars and clubs in a city after work on a Friday everyone would still be suited and booted it was more casual.
I’m 42 so my early clubbing days still had the collar-and-shoes rule - one of the reasons I quickly switched to rock/metal and then indie nights, so I could wear trainers.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
I read Deneuve's autobiography, she was a bit of a girl back in the day. I look forward to similarly racy stories from ex- PM Mordaunt.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
However, even worse was Drakeford. What a fucking shambles. Check it out:
He hasn’t even done his tie up, and he looks like he’s been on the Lidl brandy since 8am. Twat
Can’t shake THE DRAKE.
Described yesterday as an ‘otherworldly’ politician.
Look no further for why the Tories are finished and need time out of Government, than somebody who you voted against twice suddenly being PM material because she wore a nice dress and held a sword for half an hour.
The next Conservative leadership contest should feature these questions:
Are house prices too high ?
Do too many people go to university ?
Should the UK continue to have a trade deficit ?
Do you prefer taxes on work or taxes on property ?
I got through yesterday without watching any of the coronation circus. But after the Penny Mourdant hyperbole, I had to watch her - but honestly what is the fuss all about. It was just like a kids xmas play where the biggest thickest child is told to stand still at the back holding a big candle. Monty Python quotes seem most appropriate.
Woman has key role in Coronation. Woman carries out role with considerable aplomb and looks terrific. Woman is particularly adept at carrying a sword for ages. Therefore woman should be next leader of the Tory Party prior to being PM.
It's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? I don't think some PBers would be quite so excited if Woman had been Man but done just as well, somehow.
In absolute fairness I don’t think many people are actually saying that, on here anyway. More that she looks a bit more prime-ministerial (and @TheScreamingEagles would note, stepmom-ish) than many previous actual prime ministers.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
However, even worse was Drakeford. What a fucking shambles. Check it out:
He hasn’t even done his tie up, and he looks like he’s been on the Lidl brandy since 8am. Twat
Give him some slack, his wife died recently.
Quite so. Been there , got the t shirt. He will be struggling big time.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
For once I am going to come to Boris's defence as a Boris lookalike. If like me (which I think is the case) he has short limbs and a long body, it is bloody hard not to look a mess. Your shirt always comes out and the sleeves hang below your suit and short legs are not an elegant look. I am quite extreme. If my body was in proportion to my legs I would be one of the seven dwarfs. When I tried to drive a single seat racing car I exceeded the height limit for the roll bar by quite a bit which was 6 feet, even though I am under that, yet my feet could not reach the pedals.
I’m also in the short-limb-long-torso club and can empathise, but Spaffer is well-heeled enough to get something tailor made. The beauty of the suit is that it can be made to look great on any body type, if done properly.
I have springy and unruly hair as well (black, not blonde) but I’d bloody well do something with it instead of having a head that looks like a steaming ball of horse manure.
The most annoying thing is I was once mistaken for a Boris lookalike. Really depressing as the lookalike was obviously exaggerating the appearance with shirt out and definitely looking a bit drunk.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
For once I am going to come to Boris's defence as a Boris lookalike. If like me (which I think is the case) he has short limbs and a long body, it is bloody hard not to look a mess. Your shirt always comes out and the sleeves hang below your suit and short legs are not an elegant look. I am quite extreme. If my body was in proportion to my legs I would be one of the seven dwarfs. When I tried to drive a single seat racing car I exceeded the height limit for the roll bar by quite a bit which was 6 feet, even though I am under that, yet my feet could not reach the pedals.
But he can afford Savile Row, very easily
And they can adjust to disguise any ungainliness. That’s why they are so expensive
Incidentally I have a similar problem. Short legs, longer torso, barrel chest
The only thing that makes me look OK (apart from a very good suit) is skinny jeans, which make my legs look longer (or other strides narrowed to give the same effect). A waistcoat covers the barrel chest, or at least makes it look vigorously bombastic and male
I have to get all my leg wear narrowed, even swimmers, which is tiresome
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
However, even worse was Drakeford. What a fucking shambles. Check it out:
He hasn’t even done his tie up, and he looks like he’s been on the Lidl brandy since 8am. Twat
Give him some slack, his wife died recently.
Meh. My Dad died 3 weeks ago and I can still be at the Nana Plaza go-go bars on the dot. 8pm. The moment they open
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Boris was a disappointment indeed. FFS man it’s The Coronation of the Monarch. Happens about 3 times a century. LOOK SMARTER
However, even worse was Drakeford. What a fucking shambles. Check it out:
He hasn’t even done his tie up, and he looks like he’s been on the Lidl brandy since 8am. Twat
Give him some slack, his wife died recently.
Meh. My Dad died 3 weeks ago and I can still be at the Nana Plaza go-go bars on the dot. 8pm. The moment they open
Personal bereavement is no excuse
As far as I understand it, he was very distressed by it. I think you have no right to judge how others grieve or how they respond to it. Shame on you.
On topic. I don't understand why anyone is surprised by this red wall shigft back to Labour.
It was always blindingly obvious that once Brexit had been acheved most of those votes were going to go back to Labour. The electorate - contrary to what TSE and others on PB apparently think - are nuanced and discerning. Just because they leant their votes to Johnson for the purposes of achieving their Brexit ambitions in no way implies those votes were ever going to stay with the Tories once that job was done. Even if Johnson had stayed as PM, much of the Red Wall vote would have shifted back to Labour.
Using this as an indicator of satisfaction or otherwise with Brexit is rather desperate. Voters are moving back to Labour not because of their stance on Brexit but because of their stance on wider politics - and particularly the basic issues of competence and the economy.
Votes were leant and the debt is now going to be called in.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
For once I am going to come to Boris's defence as a Boris lookalike. If like me (which I think is the case) he has short limbs and a long body, it is bloody hard not to look a mess. Your shirt always comes out and the sleeves hang below your suit and short legs are not an elegant look. I am quite extreme. If my body was in proportion to my legs I would be one of the seven dwarfs. When I tried to drive a single seat racing car I exceeded the height limit for the roll bar by quite a bit which was 6 feet, even though I am under that, yet my feet could not reach the pedals.
But he can afford Savile Row, very easily
And they can adjust to disguise any ungainliness. That’s why they are so expensive
Incidentally I have a similar problem. Short legs, longer torso, barrel chest
The only thing that makes me look OK (apart from a very good suit) is skinny jeans, which make my legs look longer (or other strides narrowed to give the same effect). A waistcoat covers the barrel chest, or at least makes it look vigorously bombastic and male
I have to get all my leg wear narrowed, even swimmers, which is tiresome
Agree he can afford to make the effort. I can't do skinny trousers. I have big thighs. The other issue with the single seat car was I couldn't get the steering wheel on because of my thighs and I was too wide. Other than my width, thighs, short legs and long body I was a perfect fit.
Look no further for why the Tories are finished and need time out of Government, than somebody who you voted against twice suddenly being PM material because she wore a nice dress and held a sword for half an hour.
The next Conservative leadership contest should feature these questions:
Are house prices too high ?
Do too many people go to university ?
Should the UK continue to have a trade deficit ?
Do you prefer taxes on work or taxes on property ?
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
On topic. I don't understand why anyone is surprised by this red wall shigft back to Labour.
It was always blindingly obvious that once Brexit had been acheved most of those votes were going to go back to Labour. The electorate - contrary to what TSE and others on PB apparently think - are nuanced and discerning. Just because they leant their votes to Johnson for the purposes of achieving their Brexit ambitions in no way implies those votes were ever going to stay with the Tories once that job was done. Even if Johnson had stayed as PM, much of the Red Wall vote would have shifted back to Labour.
Using this as an indicator of satisfaction or otherwise with Brexit is rather desperate. Voters are moving back to Labour not because of their stance on Brexit but because of their stance on wider politics - and particularly the basic issues of competence and the economy.
Votes were leant and the debt is now going to be called in.
I'd agree, but as well as competence and the economy I'd suggest that all the levelling-up rhetoric and promises has proved to be a damp squib. They might have hung on to more of their pro-Brexit voters if real (rather than cosmetic) change had been delivered.
On topic, Sunak won't go anywhere because other factions are too small/disorganised/comedy to be able to get anywhere against him. However, I do expect them to increase their sniping now - which will go all the way down to the general.
The Brexit link weakening doesn't surprise me. Once Brexit was "done" it was always going to be the case that voters would then want delivery and that's where the Tories are perceived to be failing.
I can't see Sunak surviving a defeat where Starmer gets an overall majority, indeed it is difficult to see him sruviving any defeat where Labour takes over. The Tories are ruthless with their leaders
In which case who succeeds Rishi?
This is where Mordaunt has a chance, simply because she has name recognition and a kind of brand. Apart from her there's Kemi Badenoch. Maybe Cleverley, like @SouthamObserver says?
Jeremy Hunt will go down with the ship
The bookies have Badenoch as favourite, Boris 2nd favorite (just not going to happen, surely) then Mordaunt next, then Wallace
Who can pin the most blame on Rishi whilst looking like a fresh-ish face? Kemi and Mordaunt have a decent shot, and if Wallace wanted the job he'd have it by now.
It's worth thinking about seats when it comes to a future LOTO.
Badenoch is in a seat where if there were a 100 Tory MPs left she would be one of them. Mordaunt would be under pressure on current polls but ought to be alright with a modest closing of the gap. Boris is currently underwater in Uxbridge so needs a much larger closing of the gap or he needs to chicken run. Wallace's problem is that his nice safe seat is being abolished so he either needs to go against the MPs for Fylde or Ribble Valley, or try and find a new seat elsewhere.
It's also worth noting that Hunt's SW Surrey is going and he has been adopted for the successor Godalming and Ash, which is quite a bit safer (though not rock solid)
On topic. I don't understand why anyone is surprised by this red wall shigft back to Labour.
It was always blindingly obvious that once Brexit had been acheved most of those votes were going to go back to Labour. The electorate - contrary to what TSE and others on PB apparently think - are nuanced and discerning. Just because they leant their votes to Johnson for the purposes of achieving their Brexit ambitions in no way implies those votes were ever going to stay with the Tories once that job was done. Even if Johnson had stayed as PM, much of the Red Wall vote would have shifted back to Labour.
Using this as an indicator of satisfaction or otherwise with Brexit is rather desperate. Voters are moving back to Labour not because of their stance on Brexit but because of their stance on wider politics - and particularly the basic issues of competence and the economy.
Votes were leant and the debt is now going to be called in.
True but the Conservatives have still not handled things well politically.
They should be proclaiming that they've achieved full employment and that the extra £350m is being spent every week on the NHS.
Good morning all. I’m sure everyone will join me in relief that the enforced TV bible bashing is behind us and we can settle into a proper weekend day of cooking programmes and football. And the rain has gone. Hurray!
You assume far too.much.
The relief among the people is palpable, on this bright spring morn. The rainy sermon is over, and just rejoice at that news.
I am much happier rejoicing at the fact that we have reconfirmed Constitutional Monarchy as the Settlement for this country until long after all of us on PB are dead and buried. Yesterday showed that perfectly and will have done us no harm in the soft power stakes around the world.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
For once I am going to come to Boris's defence as a Boris lookalike. If like me (which I think is the case) he has short limbs and a long body, it is bloody hard not to look a mess. Your shirt always comes out and the sleeves hang below your suit and short legs are not an elegant look. I am quite extreme. If my body was in proportion to my legs I would be one of the seven dwarfs. When I tried to drive a single seat racing car I exceeded the height limit for the roll bar by quite a bit which was 6 feet, even though I am under that, yet my feet could not reach the pedals.
But he can afford Savile Row, very easily
And they can adjust to disguise any ungainliness. That’s why they are so expensive
Incidentally I have a similar problem. Short legs, longer torso, barrel chest
The only thing that makes me look OK (apart from a very good suit) is skinny jeans, which make my legs look longer (or other strides narrowed to give the same effect). A waistcoat covers the barrel chest, or at least makes it look vigorously bombastic and male
I have to get all my leg wear narrowed, even swimmers, which is tiresome
Agree he can afford to make the effort. I can't do skinny trousers. I have big thighs. The other issue with the single seat car was I couldn't get the steering wheel on because of my thighs and I was too wide. Other than my width, thighs, short legs and long body I was a perfect fit.
Sympathies
The male leg - I am discovering from Simon Sebag Montefiore’s World History - was for centuries regarded as an vital erotic component of maleness. Having a fine calf or good thighs was vitally important (pity the scrawny). Hence upper class males wearing tights or hosiery. To show off their shapely yet manly legs
Then the English came along and introduced trousers (descended from hunting attire, I think? And Celtic trews?) and men with misshapen legs all over the world breathed a sigh of relief
One very happy observation from yesterday for me was the beautiful new music that was introduced into the coronation that still managed to sound traditional.
My personal favourite: Sanctus by Roxanna Panufnik.
That's the way to do it. Brand new music dosn't need to reject everything from the past and lose its reverannce and dignity in the context within which it is set and due to be performed.
It's perfectly possible for renewal to be of things that add and build without taking anything away. In fact, I'd say that essential.
Seems to me that Penny Mordaunt's chances of being the next Tory Leader depends on what state the party is in post the next election.
Lost but at over 270 seats: I think that Rishi will come out of that with the gratitude of his party for getting them out of a very deep hole. While trusting in the gratitude of Tory MPs is a bit like investing your life savings into Dogecoin there are compelling reasons for Rishi to stay on as leader. In this scenario SKS is only in power as a coalition or bare majority government that could flounder at any time.
230-270: The Blue Wall stays mostly intact but the result is bad enough that Sunak has to fall on his sword. The old guard, Raab, Hunt, Dowden, Gove, Shapps would be seen as yesterday's men and think that the remaining MPs would make it Mordaunt v Badenoch and Mordaunt would have her best chance in this range.
190-230: I fear that the message of an election result in this range that Tory members will take is "We weren't anti-woke enough". Remember that in the Labour leadership election SKS had to promise to take on almost all the defeated 2019 manifesto to appease the electorate. If this is the case then Badenoch's almost a certainty.
Less than 190: If the result is this bad then Mordaunt will most likely lose her seat so any chance gone.
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
The probability is still on the low side because of some local election (LE) weakness in parts of the Midlands, but the overall Labour majority bet still looks good value to me. Based on those LE results Labour gained council areas (e.g. Dover, Thanet, Medway, Amber Valley, Swindon and others) which are way down their target list on a UNS assuming no gains in Scotland.
Hard to discern the LE results in Basingstoke and its read across, if any, to the GE because of the independent vote, but they are mostly a local Labour splinter group. So still not sold on 'Labour gains Basingstoke' which may be a shame for a former Horse on this site and his bet.
Losing one’s father is nothing like losing a wife. It’s probably 40+ years since Papa Drakeford commented on his offspring’s clothes, whereas his wife would have said something immediately before he left the house. That’s if my experience is anything to go by!
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
I don’t think that’s necessarily true if we became a parliamentary replublic, like Ireland or Germany, None of the recent taoisigh in Ireland have gone on to become President, nor German Chancellors.
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
There are ways of electing a head of state that avoid division. How about the President being elected by combined Houses of Parliament (House of Commons and Senate) with a 2/3rds or 3/4ths majority being required. That would force Conservative and Labour to agree on very inoffensive candidates, We could be living under the rule of President Attenborough right now.
Mark Drakeford seems a rather angry man to me who looks like he's escaped from a 1970s Wilson cabinet, possibly as an undersecretary to Tony Benn. He is governing Wales in a generally, crap, incompetent and useless way, but for some reason seems to stimulate the erogenous zone of Corbynites.
One very happy observation from yesterday for me was the beautiful new music that was introduced into the coronation that still managed to sound traditional.
My personal favourite: Sanctus by Roxanna Panufnik.
That's the way to do it. Brand new music dosn't need to reject everything from the past and lose its reverannce and dignity in the context within which it is set and due to be performed.
It's perfectly possible for renewal to be of things that add and build without taking anything away. In fact, I'd say that essential.
If they were looking for someone to re-use ideas from the past would it be very wrong to suggest Ed Sheeran.....
Good morning all. I’m sure everyone will join me in relief that the enforced TV bible bashing is behind us and we can settle into a proper weekend day of cooking programmes and football. And the rain has gone. Hurray!
You assume far too.much.
The relief among the people is palpable, on this bright spring morn. The rainy sermon is over, and just rejoice at that news.
I am much happier rejoicing at the fact that we have reconfirmed Constitutional Monarchy as the Settlement for this country until long after all of us on PB are dead and buried. Yesterday showed that perfectly and will have done us no harm in the soft power stakes around the world.
Yes, I know the @Anabobazina’s of this world will find this bewildering and the @malcolmg’s will find it loathsome and yada yada but yesterday made me happier about things in quite an important way
My national identity is quite important to me (not quite fundamental but certainly profound). For quite a few years an air of decline and malaise - sometimes almost terminal - has surrounded Britishness and Englishness, a form of slow but debilitating sickness, a kind of scurvy of the soul
Yesterday in all its nonsensical pageantry and glorious music and matchless history and predictable drizzle and architectural spleandour and ridiculous boring horsey marching and - most of all - its mysterious, pointless, luminous ritual which goes back ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED YEARS - if not longer - with an English king being anointed in the Abbey built by Anglo Saxon kings 1200 years ago - made me put all of our recent travails in perspective. The deep perspective of enormous time
We are such an ancient nation, wreathed in legend and myth, assailed and venerated, reviled and revered, broken and blighted in places, yet bright and thriving in others: the last few years are NOTHING in comparison to all of that. They are a passing fever, soon forgotten
We do not repine. We are the English, we are the British. We’re still here
Only monarchy, I suspect, can enact this peculiar and reviving magic
Mark Drakeford seems a rather angry man to me who looks like he's escaped from a 1970s Wilson cabinet, possibly as an undersecretary to Tony Benn. He is governing Wales in a generally, crap, incompetent and useless way, but for some reason seems to stimulate the erogenous zone of Corbynites.
I have no idea how or why.
Not sure if what you say is true or not, but the link between appreciation of crap and incompentence and Corbynism is bleeding obvious.
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
I don’t think that’s necessarily true if we became a parliamentary replublic, like Ireland or Germany, None of the recent taoisigh in Ireland have gone on to become President, nor German Chancellors.
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
I don’t think that’s necessarily true if we became a parliamentary replublic, like Ireland or Germany, None of the recent taoisigh in Ireland have gone on to become President, nor German Chancellors.
It's extremely unlikely that the whole system of parliamentary democracy would be thrown out just because we ditch the monarchy. It is strange to see an otherwise intelligent poster like R_T writing such nonsense.
A useful reminder of the last time @Leon did this to us
Brilliant and a certain entry for most barking post of the year. But it seems unfair that Leon shouldn't share it with the three posters who 'liked' it.
So dont beat about the bush.... Name and Shame!
(My guess is HYUFD Sandpit and Big G)
Lol! I hadn’t seen this! Superb.
I doubt it was @HYUFD by the way, indeed he warned against THE TRUSS from the start.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
An interesting comment as PennyMordaunt has both the look and hairstyle of Catherine Deneuve.
Looking at her Rubensesque figure, I’d say Ms Mordaunt has gone for fending off the wrinkles - as did Catherine Deneuve
Not my sort of politician, but she really did look fabulous. A brilliant cut of dress, and tbh regardless of politics it’s great to see all these sad pervy tongues lolling out at a full-figured woman in her 50s. Balancing out, I thought Rishi looked very smart and youthful indeed too; a very subtly smart suit. Quite classy.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
For once I am going to come to Boris's defence as a Boris lookalike. If like me (which I think is the case) he has short limbs and a long body, it is bloody hard not to look a mess. Your shirt always comes out and the sleeves hang below your suit and short legs are not an elegant look. I am quite extreme. If my body was in proportion to my legs I would be one of the seven dwarfs. When I tried to drive a single seat racing car I exceeded the height limit for the roll bar by quite a bit which was 6 feet, even though I am under that, yet my feet could not reach the pedals.
But he can afford Savile Row, very easily
And they can adjust to disguise any ungainliness. That’s why they are so expensive
Incidentally I have a similar problem. Short legs, longer torso, barrel chest
The only thing that makes me look OK (apart from a very good suit) is skinny jeans, which make my legs look longer (or other strides narrowed to give the same effect). A waistcoat covers the barrel chest, or at least makes it look vigorously bombastic and male
I have to get all my leg wear narrowed, even swimmers, which is tiresome
Agree he can afford to make the effort. I can't do skinny trousers. I have big thighs. The other issue with the single seat car was I couldn't get the steering wheel on because of my thighs and I was too wide. Other than my width, thighs, short legs and long body I was a perfect fit.
Sympathies
The male leg - I am discovering from Simon Sebag Montefiore’s World History - was for centuries regarded as an vital erotic component of maleness. Having a fine calf or good thighs was vitally important (pity the scrawny). Hence upper class males wearing tights or hosiery. To show off their shapely yet manly legs
Then the English came along and introduced trousers (descended from hunting attire, I think? And Celtic trews?) and men with misshapen legs all over the world breathed a sigh of relief
As far as I remember from some radio4 thing or podcast, trousers came about from the ever more 'racy' fashion of mens tunics becoming ever shorter, leading to tights and eventually 'shorts' to avoid frightening the neighbours. And then the fashion changed and in came longer and longer 'shorts' until we settled on 'trousers'.
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
There are ways of electing a head of state that avoid division. How about the President being elected by combined Houses of Parliament (House of Commons and Senate) with a 2/3rds or 3/4ths majority being required. That would force Conservative and Labour to agree on very inoffensive candidates, We could be living under the rule of President Attenborough right now.
Yes, I don’t think the “you’d have president Boris now” argument is the strongest because we’d almost certainly have a purely ceremonial presidency. With ageing national treasures as head of state.
Would still lose the fun Harry Potter style flummery though, which would be a shame.
On topic, Sunak won't go anywhere because other factions are too small/disorganised/comedy to be able to get anywhere against him. However, I do expect them to increase their sniping now - which will go all the way down to the general.
The Brexit link weakening doesn't surprise me. Once Brexit was "done" it was always going to be the case that voters would then want delivery and that's where the Tories are perceived to be failing.
I can't see Sunak surviving a defeat where Starmer gets an overall majority, indeed it is difficult to see him sruviving any defeat where Labour takes over. The Tories are ruthless with their leaders
In which case who succeeds Rishi?
This is where Mordaunt has a chance, simply because she has name recognition and a kind of brand. Apart from her there's Kemi Badenoch. Maybe Cleverley, like @SouthamObserver says?
Jeremy Hunt will go down with the ship
The bookies have Badenoch as favourite, Boris 2nd favorite (just not going to happen, surely) then Mordaunt next, then Wallace
Who can pin the most blame on Rishi whilst looking like a fresh-ish face? Kemi and Mordaunt have a decent shot, and if Wallace wanted the job he'd have it by now.
It's worth thinking about seats when it comes to a future LOTO.
Badenoch is in a seat where if there were a 100 Tory MPs left she would be one of them. Mordaunt would be under pressure on current polls but ought to be alright with a modest closing of the gap. Boris is currently underwater in Uxbridge so needs a much larger closing of the gap or he needs to chicken run. Wallace's problem is that his nice safe seat is being abolished so he either needs to go against the MPs for Fylde or Ribble Valley, or try and find a new seat elsewhere.
It's also worth noting that Hunt's SW Surrey is going and he has been adopted for the successor Godalming and Ash, which is quite a bit safer (though not rock solid)
The Johnsonian Imprimatur will be very important to anybody wanting to be the future LotO. Nobody will give a fuck what Sunak thinks about his successor. Will the Culture Warrior Princess get it? Mordaunt surely won't.
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
There are ways of electing a head of state that avoid division. How about the President being elected by combined Houses of Parliament (House of Commons and Senate) with a 2/3rds or 3/4ths majority being required. That would force Conservative and Labour to agree on very inoffensive candidates, We could be living under the rule of President Attenborough right now.
Yes, I don’t think the “you’d have president Boris now” argument is the strongest because we’d almost certainly have a purely ceremonial presidency. With ageing national treasures as head of state.
Would still lose the fun Harry Potter style flummery though, which would be a shame.
How much would we get if we auctioned the role off to global billionaires? £10bn for a 1 year stint?
Why not sell it off like we do our companies and housing instead of having a productive economy.
I am sure it has already been done ... but here we are again...
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Surely one of the arguments - if slightly tonugue in cheek - in favour of Monarchy is the fact that without it we would almost inevitably have President Boris. Having followed on from President Thatcher and President Blair.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
There are ways of electing a head of state that avoid division. How about the President being elected by combined Houses of Parliament (House of Commons and Senate) with a 2/3rds or 3/4ths majority being required. That would force Conservative and Labour to agree on very inoffensive candidates, We could be living under the rule of President Attenborough right now.
Yes, I don’t think the “you’d have president Boris now” argument is the strongest because we’d almost certainly have a purely ceremonial presidency. With ageing national treasures as head of state.
Would still lose the fun Harry Potter style flummery though, which would be a shame.
How much would we get if we auctioned the role off to global billionaires? £10bn for a 1 year stint?
Why not sell it off like we do our companies and housing instead of having a productive economy.
I think that being King would be outside my means but how about all the other minor offices. I would quite like to be the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod.
If the Tories replace Sunak, they would be declaring themselves a fundamentally unserious party and would suffer the consequences at the subsequent election. They would be destroyed. He’s the best hope they have - by a long distance.
The Mordaunt love really perplexes me. I thought she looked really peculiar. Her outfit was utterly bizarre. Her whole set-up and demeanour screamed high camp, nothing more. But I am clearly in the minority - at least on here!
Doesn't do much for me, either - other than recall some of the outfits in Disney's Alice in Wonderland - though I didn't actually watch the ceremony, so WDIK ? Lot of middle aged men on PB probably explains it.
I was a bit surprised to see Mordaunt is 50, I must be getting old as she seems quite young looking to me. ..
Catherine Deneuve once remarked that you can stay slim, or keep away the wrinkles. Not both.
Neither in my case, sadly.
Re The Graduate, it has an interesting UK ratings history reflecting changing attitudes: 1968 - X, 1970 - AA, 2007 - 15, 2017 - 12A, 2023 - 12.
At this rate is will be a U by 2030.
The Graduate is the epitome of what changed in the Sixties in terms of fashion. In the film even the young people dress old. The breaking away from that is visible now with the Peter Pan approach to clothes. Outside work I dress much as I did 40 years ago, only with less hair.
Another blast from the past which would need only the odd tweek.....
When I saw the header I thought there had been more developments on this:
EXCLUSIVE: Officers from the National Crime Agency, which leads the fight to cut serious and organised crime, were commissioned several months before Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, was arrested
Comments
Like the Lottery In Babylon, it’s probably as good a way of determining a winner as any.
And get with the times grandad, its all YouTube and streaming nowadays.
I doubt it was @HYUFD by the way, indeed he warned against THE TRUSS from the start.
They do this at significant life stages: when children are born and they are deciding whether to work part time; into the 50s when they’ve reached their earnings peak and are
planning the glide path towards retirement; in their late 30s if they work in very long hours high pay jobs like investment banking or engineering on offshore rigs, and consider a second more healthy occupation like opening up a deli or going back to do a postgrad.
Of all of these, to me the main issue is around children in the 30s and 40s. Were some of the marginal rates and tapers combined with the massive cost of childcare force a lot of mainly female earners out of the workforce.
You only have to look at Panini stickers from the 80s to see how aging has changed. Footballers in their early 30s already looked like they were in their 50s. Whether it was diet, smoking, drinking or what - people today tend to look more youthful, and dress more youthfully.
Lol.
However, I think it’s safe to say Truss would have done it in a weird and slightly flustered way, and Johnson would have blundered around with it like a circus clown. So maybe there’s some predictive skill here. May on the other hand would have done a good job.
Other prime ministerial pretenders who might have struggled: Corbyn, Ed Miliband, IDS, Redwood.
Johnson is a destructive and unpredictable force resorted to by his party in a time of extreme desperation - the danger then was not simply a Brexit reversal and a mere election loss, but a Corbyn government; we forget how possible it was seen at times in the 2017-19 parliament that Corbyn become PM after the next election. Tory MPs (most of them anyway) may share the view of Tory voters that Starmer is not a frightening enough prospect - not worth another Johnson leadership.
The one who potentially could be a challenger before the next election could be Mordaunt - who stole the show yesterday, looking like a cross between Themis and Lady Dimitrescu (though I also liked Charlotte and Louis looking a bit like the Skywalker twins). She undoubtedly has charisma and appeal but, like Johnson, there is the prospect of a great campaigner and speaker with a dysfunctional management style.
it did feel really fucking weird up by the pool this morning. Not good
OK I just checked. It is right now 40C in Bangkok with humidity of 54%
I just fed that in to a machine
This wet bulb calculator is designed to help you estimate the wet bulb temperature based on only two pieces of data - the temperature 🌡️ and the relative humidity 💧.
Temperature
40°C
Relative humidity
54%
Wet-bulb temperature
31.75°C
Wet-bulb temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) pose potential fatal danger to humans outside. It's also very uncomfortable. In these conditions, you should avoid direct sunlight and drink lots of water.
Polly Toynbee will lead the way
Betting PostF1: in possibly the least exciting F1 bet I've ever made, I've backed the man on pole to take the win, Perez 1.99 on Betfair: https://enormo-haddock.blogspot.com/2023/05/miami-pre-race-2023.html
Nothing at all in the markets really caught my eye.
Boris once again a f’n disgrace though.
Then as dress-down Fridays took off fewer people were going out straight after work in their suits and so whereas before you might have walked into bars and clubs in a city after work on a Friday everyone would still be suited and booted it was more casual.
Talk to a school dinner lady about foodbanks and you'll hear tales.
The people who deserve sympathy are those who work hard for low pay but never get given all the free stuff.
Yet those people were drearily and unpleasantly criticised on here when their pay rates began to rise after covid.
https://weather.com/en-IN/india/news/news/2023-05-06-cyclone-mocha-heavy-rain-over-andaman-nicobar-from-may-8
Won’t get into Indochina though.
However, even worse was Drakeford. What a fucking shambles. Check it out:
He hasn’t even done his tie up, and he looks like he’s been on the Lidl brandy since 8am. Twat
I have springy and unruly hair as well (black, not blonde) but I’d bloody well do something with it instead of having a head that looks like a steaming ball of horse manure.
If you venture past the Circle Line, dodging the dragons and flying sea serpents*, it’s a strange new world out there.
*No, not the same thing.
Quite a sobering thought
Woman carries out role with considerable aplomb and looks terrific.
Woman is particularly adept at carrying a sword for ages.
Therefore woman should be next leader of the Tory Party prior to being PM.
It's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? I don't think some PBers would be quite so excited if Woman had been Man but done just as well, somehow.
Described yesterday as an ‘otherworldly’ politician.
Some call him a hero.
Others a god.
To those that know him, he is simply THE DRAKE.
Are house prices too high ?
Do too many people go to university ?
Should the UK continue to have a trade deficit ?
Do you prefer taxes on work or taxes on property ?
And they can adjust to disguise any ungainliness. That’s why they are so expensive
Incidentally I have a similar problem. Short legs, longer torso, barrel chest
The only thing that makes me look OK (apart from a very good suit) is skinny jeans, which make my legs look longer (or other strides narrowed to give the same effect). A waistcoat covers the barrel chest, or at least makes it look vigorously bombastic and male
I have to get all my leg wear narrowed, even swimmers, which is tiresome
Personal bereavement is no excuse
It was always blindingly obvious that once Brexit had been acheved most of those votes were going to go back to Labour. The electorate - contrary to what TSE and others on PB apparently think - are nuanced and discerning. Just because they leant their votes to Johnson for the purposes of achieving their Brexit ambitions in no way implies those votes were ever going to stay with the Tories once that job was done. Even if Johnson had stayed as PM, much of the Red Wall vote would have shifted back to Labour.
Using this as an indicator of satisfaction or otherwise with Brexit is rather desperate. Voters are moving back to Labour not because of their stance on Brexit but because of their stance on wider politics - and particularly the basic issues of competence and the economy.
Votes were leant and the debt is now going to be called in.
The old boy ran a good race
(That’s my contribution to the script for Carry On Betting done for this morning. I’ll be heading back to the 1970s now.)
Peasant Woman: Well, how’d you become king, then?
King Charles: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Charles, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
Boris: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical coronation ceremony.
Charles: Be quiet!
Boris: You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Charles: Shut up!
Boris: I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Badenoch is in a seat where if there were a 100 Tory MPs left she would be one of them. Mordaunt would be under pressure on current polls but ought to be alright with a modest closing of the gap. Boris is currently underwater in Uxbridge so needs a much larger closing of the gap or he needs to chicken run. Wallace's problem is that his nice safe seat is being abolished so he either needs to go against the MPs for Fylde or Ribble Valley, or try and find a new seat elsewhere.
It's also worth noting that Hunt's SW Surrey is going and he has been adopted for the successor Godalming and Ash, which is quite a bit safer (though not rock solid)
They should be proclaiming that they've achieved full employment and that the extra £350m is being spent every week on the NHS.
But instead they seem to be embarrassed about it.
The male leg - I am discovering from Simon Sebag Montefiore’s World History - was for centuries regarded as an vital erotic component of maleness. Having a fine calf or good thighs was vitally important (pity the scrawny). Hence upper class males wearing tights or hosiery. To show off their shapely yet manly legs
Then the English came along and introduced trousers (descended from hunting attire, I think? And Celtic trews?) and men with misshapen legs all over the world breathed a sigh of relief
My personal favourite: Sanctus by Roxanna Panufnik.
That's the way to do it. Brand new music dosn't need to reject everything from the past and lose its reverannce and dignity in the context within which it is set and due to be performed.
It's perfectly possible for renewal to be of things that add and build without taking anything away. In fact, I'd say that essential.
Lost but at over 270 seats: I think that Rishi will come out of that with the gratitude of his party for getting them out of a very deep hole. While trusting in the gratitude of Tory MPs is a bit like investing your life savings into Dogecoin there are compelling reasons for Rishi to stay on as leader. In this scenario SKS is only in power as a coalition or bare majority government that could flounder at any time.
230-270: The Blue Wall stays mostly intact but the result is bad enough that Sunak has to fall on his sword. The old guard, Raab, Hunt, Dowden, Gove, Shapps would be seen as yesterday's men and think that the remaining MPs would make it Mordaunt v Badenoch and Mordaunt would have her best chance in this range.
190-230: I fear that the message of an election result in this range that Tory members will take is "We weren't anti-woke enough". Remember that in the Labour leadership election SKS had to promise to take on almost all the defeated 2019 manifesto to appease the electorate. If this is the case then Badenoch's almost a certainty.
Less than 190: If the result is this bad then Mordaunt will most likely lose her seat so any chance gone.
In one stroke we move from one of the most uniting constitutional arrangements in this country to one of the most divisive.
Reminds me of a ditty from my card-school days:
Out on the frozen Yukon
Where all men are men
The Reckless Kid went solo
On Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten.
Hard to discern the LE results in Basingstoke and its read across, if any, to the GE because of the independent vote, but they are mostly a local Labour splinter group. So still not sold on 'Labour gains Basingstoke' which may be a shame for a former Horse on this site and his bet.
That’s if my experience is anything to go by!
Why would that be a problem?
I have no idea how or why.
My national identity is quite important to me (not quite fundamental but certainly profound). For quite a few years an air of decline and malaise - sometimes almost terminal - has surrounded Britishness and Englishness, a form of slow but debilitating sickness, a kind of scurvy of the soul
Yesterday in all its nonsensical pageantry and glorious music and matchless history and predictable drizzle and architectural spleandour and ridiculous boring horsey marching and - most of all - its mysterious, pointless, luminous ritual which goes back ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED YEARS - if not longer - with an English king being anointed in the Abbey built by Anglo Saxon kings 1200 years ago - made me put all of our recent travails in perspective. The deep perspective of enormous time
We are such an ancient nation, wreathed in legend and myth, assailed and venerated, reviled and revered, broken and blighted in places, yet bright and thriving in others: the last few years are NOTHING in comparison to all of that. They are a passing fever, soon forgotten
We do not repine. We are the English, we are the British. We’re still here
Only monarchy, I suspect, can enact this peculiar and reviving magic
Would still lose the fun Harry Potter style flummery though, which would be a shame.
Why not sell it off like we do our companies and housing instead of having a productive economy.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=monty+python+tv+blackmail#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:3f2d7679,vid:7xlNc5inymo
EXCLUSIVE: Officers from the National Crime Agency, which leads the fight to cut serious and organised crime, were commissioned several months before Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, was arrested
https://twitter.com/timesscotland/status/1654916438887395329?s=20
Craig Murray has a slightly different take:
https://twitter.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1655066353877786625?s=20