Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
No views on this specifically, but it is worth asking why we need a massive Dept of Health admin when there is a gigantic NHS administration as well, and whether it would be better if the government's task was limited to writing an annual cheque for £200 billion.
At the moment the NHS is praised for all that is good, and the government blamed for all that is bad in the NHS. This is nonsense.
I think Steve Barclay has one eye on the Conservative leadership. He is a Cambridge-educated lawyer, has an army background, is a Brexiteer but has been soft-pedalling that so as not to be tied to the bonkers wing, and is now cos-playing both the small state Conservative and efficient administrator.
Barclay's problem is keeping his seat at the next election.
Sunak has now decided after some fluke by-election win to become the motorists champion !
The poor thing seems to flailing around trying to find any cause where he can dupe the thick section of the public that he’s on their side.
Anyone believing his latest guff should be kept away from the polling booth and sterilized to stop the rising idiocy amongst the countries gene pool .
Too many educated people are having too few kids whilst Shazza keeps popping out babies at an alarming rate.
This is distorting the country moving forward . The government needs to start handing out sweeteners for those with a decent IQ to have more kids .
It’s a race against time !
The day before yesterday you were talking about Nazi ovens. Yesterday you were complaining post-brexit immigrants are less likely to be white. Today you are pushing eugenics.
Are you ok?
I’m fine thanks . The day before I was criticizing the stain on humanity Braverman. Yesterday my comments shouldn’t be seen as having a problem with non EU immigration , I was merely pointing out that the Remain side didn’t have their own shock jock as in Farage , and could have done with someone to be controversial . As for today’s post which might seem unsavoury . It’s rather melodramatic I admit , I don’t really support eugenics but there’s a problem with birth rates for more educated people. I do believe the gene pool is being eroded by too many thick people having too many babies . So that needs to be re- balanced .
Excellent report on @Channel4News We export 80% of N Sea oil. We import 4% of our gas from Russia. And we buy & sell both on the international market which we can’t control. Today’s Govt/Sunak announcements aren’t even spin - they’re total bullshit.
Which is even more damning. The public (and I speak with authority as a member of the public) is often wrong because their leaders keep bullshitting them - as here. Populism is telling people what they want to hear. Leadership is telling them what they need to hear.
At the moment they want cheaper fuel bills and a UK energy sector less reliant on Putin.
They also know that unless the US, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia and China drastically reduce fossil fuel usage what we do is largely irrelevant on climate change and we have less fossil fuel use than the G20 average anyway
As detailed above we import a massive 4% of our gas from Russia.
What happened to “Global Britain”? Are we not supposed to be setting an example? Are other countries not taking notice of what we do? Your sneering at our great country is a disgrace and tantamount to treason.
We already have more renewables than average but our oil and gas centres in the North Sea especially ensure we are more self reliant, less vulnerable to foreign wars cutting energy supplies and creates more well paid oil and gas jobs in both England and Scotland. As well as increasing domestic energy supplies to cut fuel bills
We are currently on holiday in Aberdeenshire. I think today’s announcement should keep your seats safe in the North East Scotland. You may also gain Aberdeen South and Angus. The feelings about SNP/Green policies are very different in rural Scotland than they are in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The SNP could face a double whammy, losing urban seats to Labour, as voters try to get the Tories out, whilst losing rural seats to the Tories, as voters try to get the SNP out (and send a message to their Green pals). Any Scotland only polls will need to differentiate between these two types of constituency in order to provide meaningful information.
I didn't realise the Aussies lost their last 7 wickets for just 70 runs
A collapse of Herculean England-ean proportions.
That’s what made it such fun. A mirror to several England 4th innings in the 1990s. I remember several where Atherton, Thorpe, Stewart or Hussain had helped us to something like 220 for 3, and then kaboom. Down went the wickets.
We are currently on holiday in Aberdeenshire. I think today’s announcement should keep your seats safe in the North East Scotland. You may also gain Aberdeen South and Angus. The feelings about SNP/Green policies are very different in rural Scotland than they are in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The SNP could face a double whammy, losing urban seats to Labour, as voters try to get the Tories out, whilst losing rural seats to the Tories, as voters try to get the SNP out (and send a message to their Green pals). Any Scotland only polls will need to differentiate between these two types of constituency in order to provide meaningful information.
Yes Sunak could gain seats in Scotland as Major in 1992 and May did in 2017 also against the trend in England.
Put simply: I don't trust those who are pushing air-source heat pumps; they all have an agenda.
I'm not risking the comfort and wellbeing of my family and a warm home until I go round to a trusted friend or neighbours house (on a cold and dark night) and feel it for myself, including having a hot bath.
I now have an image in my head of a bloke of a certain age turning up on doorsteps in a frayed shorty terrycloth bathrobe and a towel over his arm, angrily demanding a bath. Not good.
Who's in the bathroom? That angry bloke from next door. He took a picture of the old queen and a cucumber in with him.
I've just cried myself silly laughing. My wife and dog thought I was having a breakdown.
To be fair, even I laughed at that one!
At least @Dura_Ace would offer me a bath, even if not a cucumber.
Picture of a cucumber and the Queen wasn't it?
Or was there a missing Oxford comma?
Not required.
I always carry a picture of the Queen with me.
Paging @Anabobazina - we've got another cash user!
Cash only at the Fairlop Waters fun fair!
My local Thai restaurant (very good, btw) has a sign saying they prefer cash, as the charges on card payments are many hundreds a month.
That's funny because typical card handling charges dropped to less than cash handling charges about a decade ago.
If a business is trying to avoid card transactions nowadays its probably because they're seeking to evade (not avoid) HMRC rather than avoid bank charges.
Let's not associate cash with dodgy practices when most fraud these days is probably electronic.
Seen at Fairlop Waters fun fair a few days ago:
We keep 100% of cash probably means they don’t give any to HMRC.
The counter revolution has begun. There was a thing a few days ago about traders in Suffolk suggesting use of cash.
It's a particular issue which divides opinion, including PB opinion, with no middle ground SFAICS.
Basically I think that up to amount £X (£500?) it ought to be compulsory to take cash in face to face transactions; the other side is happy to see the stuff abolished.
Why the hell should it ever be compulsory to take cash?
People get killed over cash. I had a friend, pregnant, working in retail in Liverpool who had a machete held to her throat by armed robbers to get the Manager to open the safe.
If both sides want to handle cash, that's their choice. If either side does not, then respect free choice.
Well that is a very good point I hadn't thought of. As someone who lived through the 60s and 70s bank robberies and wages snatches with sawn off shotguns were a thing. Not now. All internet fraud now.
Not now? You're kidding yourself.
Armed robberies happen routinely across Merseyside - and presumably elsewhere - all the time. That they don't get attention is sad, but it happens and only makes the news if someone actually dies and even then it doesn't typically stay in the news for long.
An average of 200 robberies a day happened last year, 365 days a year. Actual robberies with the threat of force involved, not simple theft.
And people here wonder why businesses don't want the burden of handling cash.
Well that will teach me to agree with you 😀
Seriously though I assume you weren't around in the 60s and 70s. Much safer now. I think the stats support that or I might be basing it on reruns of the Sweeney.
LOL. I don't know, the Sweeney is long before my time.
All I know is that robberies are very, very real. I've had 4 close friends who work in hospitality held up in separate armed robberies in the Merseyside area. One was a store I'd personally been in half an hour earlier.
Unfortunately there don't seem to have been serious data collected on it from the 60s and 70s to compare. None that I could find from Google anyway. But either way even nowadays its a very real threat to life, and a hassle far more serious than a mild inconvenience, especially when a much less deadly and more reliable alternative exists.
I think that the misunderstanding is about scale.
The robberies you are talking of are for a few hundred pounds. Done by nutters who should have, as De Niro put it a “Born To Lose” tattoo.
The robberies he is thinking of were the major armed robberies. The equivalent, in todays money of a million or more. Done by semi competent criminals.
The later were made extinct by better security, and the modern armed police wiping out several gangs. MP5 vs sawn off….
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
Well we have to hope Stokes knee op is a success...Bairstow is 34 in a few weeks and T20 is his best game, does he play in another 2+ years? Foakes isn't the replacement, so they have might have to find somebody else by then.
I am not convinced by Robinson at all, in the slightest and he will be 30 by the time we go to India. Wood is 33, Woakes, 34 (and is no good away from home). Ahmed looks promising, but we really have no idea if he can do it, particularly test level batting, having played a total of 10 FC games.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I was a bit shocked by the anti-cyclist sentiment of normally erudite PBers earlier today. I'm firmly of the view that cycling can help with three of the great challenges of our times (obesity, climate change, air pollution), as well as reducing road traffic collisions, and their impact on QALYs in particular, noise pollution, congestion, cleaning up the public realm and so on.
But I'm delighted to report that this is not a PB phenomenon - being anti-cycling is a curiously British trait. So those posters might well be representative of the wider population.
But why? We hold fairly average views of all other forms of transport. We are keen on walking. Not so keen on driving.
My eldest son (57) was a very competitive mountain biker as was his younger brother (48) and we have lots of trophies they won
My grandchildren also are very good on their bicycles and I always respect cyclists on the road, giving then plenty of space, and often giving way to them
Where I do have an issue is when the car driver is seen as the enemy and car use should be dramatically reduced in favour of cyclists and pedestrians
Each user should respect each other
You claimed that a 5 mile cycle across Edinburgh was only achievable for Tour de France riders. You can't expect not to be called out for that.
I lived there and I could not have riden to and from work especially from Morningside up to Fairmilehead every day
Cut across to Mortonhall - easy in the morning, downhill all the way. In the afternoon, easy enough with geared bike after the first few days.
I grant you going in would be easy but coming home was not even considered
Additionally in the winter the Braids can be one long frozen skid pan
TBF bikes have improved, and in the winter there are buses and salt. Maybe more of the latter these days is my impression.
I am of course talking about the year 1962 to 1964 when bicycles were very different and I can remember many times in winter when the Braids was impossible even for buses
However, the wider point is I am not anti cyclists not least from my own children's trophy cabinet and the way my grandchildren use their bikes but I do push back at the suggestion car drivers are an enemy and roads should actively be given over to cyclists
Cyclists do deserve to have some consideration, even if some are nasty shites. The way things are going, with te tax on petrol disappearing, the cyclists will be paying almost as much tax to use the roads as the motorists. Probably rather more, per unit of space actually occupied.
Since 80-90% of people who ride bikes also drive cars, we already pay the same to use the roads; although the principle is flawed as roads are funded out of Council Tax (local roads) and General Taxation (Trunk / National Roads) anyway.
As it is, I pay exactly the same amount for VED for my cycle as does the owner of a 2 ton Electric Tonka Behemoth, ie nothing, because VED is a tailpipe emissions tax at present.
Were each mode of transport to pay with hypothecated taxes for the costs they impose, taxes on private vehicles would probably double - since the amount raised for the general pot barely meets the cost of collisions, never mind the cost of roads.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
Don't forget Jofra Archer.
Assuming he can actually recover from the latest elbow injury, he may still never play test cricket again. And will he ever be able to bowl 95mph?
He can earn squillions playing T20 and never be asked to bowl more than 3-4 overs a match at 85-90 mph, which once you have suffered such serious injuries might well be too tempting to say no to.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
SSI - and tomorrow, August 1, is date of Washington State Primary
As from some judicial races, local candidates and measures only, including all seven district members of Seattle City Council with only two incumbents running for reelection.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Woakes doesn't scare anybody outside of England and is 34. Mark Wood, he can't bowl like he does for a full test series, injured again in this game and 33 years of age (and isn't like a Broad or Anderson who are always bowling within themselves with lots of variation and control).
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
I was a bit shocked by the anti-cyclist sentiment of normally erudite PBers earlier today. I'm firmly of the view that cycling can help with three of the great challenges of our times (obesity, climate change, air pollution), as well as reducing road traffic collisions, and their impact on QALYs in particular, noise pollution, congestion, cleaning up the public realm and so on.
But I'm delighted to report that this is not a PB phenomenon - being anti-cycling is a curiously British trait. So those posters might well be representative of the wider population.
But why? We hold fairly average views of all other forms of transport. We are keen on walking. Not so keen on driving.
My eldest son (57) was a very competitive mountain biker as was his younger brother (48) and we have lots of trophies they won
My grandchildren also are very good on their bicycles and I always respect cyclists on the road, giving then plenty of space, and often giving way to them
Where I do have an issue is when the car driver is seen as the enemy and car use should be dramatically reduced in favour of cyclists and pedestrians
Each user should respect each other
You claimed that a 5 mile cycle across Edinburgh was only achievable for Tour de France riders. You can't expect not to be called out for that.
I lived there and I could not have riden to and from work especially from Morningside up to Fairmilehead every day
Cut across to Mortonhall - easy in the morning, downhill all the way. In the afternoon, easy enough with geared bike after the first few days.
I grant you going in would be easy but coming home was not even considered
Additionally in the winter the Braids can be one long frozen skid pan
TBF bikes have improved, and in the winter there are buses and salt. Maybe more of the latter these days is my impression.
I am of course talking about the year 1962 to 1964 when bicycles were very different and I can remember many times in winter when the Braids was impossible even for buses
However, the wider point is I am not anti cyclists not least from my own children's trophy cabinet and the way my grandchildren use their bikes but I do push back at the suggestion car drivers are an enemy and roads should actively be given over to cyclists
Cyclists do deserve to have some consideration, even if some are nasty shites. The way things are going, with te tax on petrol disappearing, the cyclists will be paying almost as much tax to use the roads as the motorists. Probably rather more, per unit of space actually occupied.
Since 80-90% of people who ride bikes also drive cars, we already pay the same to use the roads; although the principle is flawed as roads are funded out of Council Tax (local roads) and General Taxation (Trunk / National Roads) anyway.
As it is, I pay exactly the same amount for VED for my cycle as does the owner of a 2 ton Electric Tonka Behemoth, ie nothing, because VED is a tailpipe emissions tax at present.
Were each mode of transport to pay with hypothecated taxes for the costs they impose, taxes on private vehicles would probably double - since the amount raised for the general pot barely meets the cost of collisions, never mind the cost of roads.
Assuming drivers don’t drive through red lights and zebra crossings when in their cars, why do they do it when on their bikes?
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Put simply: I don't trust those who are pushing air-source heat pumps; they all have an agenda.
I'm not risking the comfort and wellbeing of my family and a warm home until I go round to a trusted friend or neighbours house (on a cold and dark night) and feel it for myself, including having a hot bath.
I now have an image in my head of a bloke of a certain age turning up on doorsteps in a frayed shorty terrycloth bathrobe and a towel over his arm, angrily demanding a bath. Not good.
Who's in the bathroom? That angry bloke from next door. He took a picture of the old queen and a cucumber in with him.
I've just cried myself silly laughing. My wife and dog thought I was having a breakdown.
To be fair, even I laughed at that one!
At least @Dura_Ace would offer me a bath, even if not a cucumber.
Picture of a cucumber and the Queen wasn't it?
Or was there a missing Oxford comma?
Not required.
I always carry a picture of the Queen with me.
Paging @Anabobazina - we've got another cash user!
Cash only at the Fairlop Waters fun fair!
My local Thai restaurant (very good, btw) has a sign saying they prefer cash, as the charges on card payments are many hundreds a month.
That's funny because typical card handling charges dropped to less than cash handling charges about a decade ago.
If a business is trying to avoid card transactions nowadays its probably because they're seeking to evade (not avoid) HMRC rather than avoid bank charges.
Let's not associate cash with dodgy practices when most fraud these days is probably electronic.
Seen at Fairlop Waters fun fair a few days ago:
We keep 100% of cash probably means they don’t give any to HMRC.
The counter revolution has begun. There was a thing a few days ago about traders in Suffolk suggesting use of cash.
It's a particular issue which divides opinion, including PB opinion, with no middle ground SFAICS.
Basically I think that up to amount £X (£500?) it ought to be compulsory to take cash in face to face transactions; the other side is happy to see the stuff abolished.
Why the hell should it ever be compulsory to take cash?
People get killed over cash. I had a friend, pregnant, working in retail in Liverpool who had a machete held to her throat by armed robbers to get the Manager to open the safe.
If both sides want to handle cash, that's their choice. If either side does not, then respect free choice.
Well that is a very good point I hadn't thought of. As someone who lived through the 60s and 70s bank robberies and wages snatches with sawn off shotguns were a thing. Not now. All internet fraud now.
Not now? You're kidding yourself.
Armed robberies happen routinely across Merseyside - and presumably elsewhere - all the time. That they don't get attention is sad, but it happens and only makes the news if someone actually dies and even then it doesn't typically stay in the news for long.
An average of 200 robberies a day happened last year, 365 days a year. Actual robberies with the threat of force involved, not simple theft.
And people here wonder why businesses don't want the burden of handling cash.
Well that will teach me to agree with you 😀
Seriously though I assume you weren't around in the 60s and 70s. Much safer now. I think the stats support that or I might be basing it on reruns of the Sweeney.
LOL. I don't know, the Sweeney is long before my time.
All I know is that robberies are very, very real. I've had 4 close friends who work in hospitality held up in separate armed robberies in the Merseyside area. One was a store I'd personally been in half an hour earlier.
Unfortunately there don't seem to have been serious data collected on it from the 60s and 70s to compare. None that I could find from Google anyway. But either way even nowadays its a very real threat to life, and a hassle far more serious than a mild inconvenience, especially when a much less deadly and more reliable alternative exists.
I think that the misunderstanding is about scale.
The robberies you are talking of are for a few hundred pounds. Done by nutters who should have, as De Niro put it a “Born To Lose” tattoo.
The robberies he is thinking of were the major armed robberies. The equivalent, in todays money of a million or more. Done by semi competent criminals.
The later were made extinct by better security, and the modern armed police wiping out several gangs. MP5 vs sawn off….
The major gangs have moved to drugs and fraud.
And of course the disappearance of cash. Banks don't have the volume of the cash and there aren't wages deliveries anymore. However lorry hijacks have also stopped and that wasn't cash related. So the lack of cash isn't the answer to all of the changes as you point out.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Brydon Carse is perhaps somebody who could play the Mark Wood role. When fit, he is extremely rapid and can bat a bit, and although been used so far in ODI games, I could see playing the "enforcer" role.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Woakes doesn't scare anybody outside of England and is 34. Mark Wood, he can't bowl like he does for a full test series, injured again in this game and 33 years of age (and isn't like a Broad or Anderson who are always bowling within themselves with lots of variation and control).
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
Sam Cooke should get an overdue chance now. He's not ultra-quick but he's been consistently successful for a few years in what passes for the County Championship these days.
We are currently on holiday in Aberdeenshire. I think today’s announcement should keep your seats safe in the North East Scotland. You may also gain Aberdeen South and Angus. The feelings about SNP/Green policies are very different in rural Scotland than they are in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The SNP could face a double whammy, losing urban seats to Labour, as voters try to get the Tories out, whilst losing rural seats to the Tories, as voters try to get the SNP out (and send a message to their Green pals). Any Scotland only polls will need to differentiate between these two types of constituency in order to provide meaningful information.
As in Scottish sub-sub-samples?
Attempted humor aside, your point seems plausible.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
I don't think that counts.
I am reminded of the narrative on here of Starmer's guilt over Beergate and Johnson's Partygate innocence.
I think Will Jacks is one that the England setup like a lot. He could play the Moeen Ali role as sort of all-rounder who is allowed to try and be particularly destructive with the bat at 7.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
So, back to the massive U-turn of your lot. I know you say "I'm not a Tory" and that's fine. But you do *ramp* the Tories. And peddled the Starmer curry nonsense endlessly.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
If it's good enough for zero carbon Rishi, why shouldn't Rochdale let the plane take the strain too? Take your blinkers off!
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
I thought you were currently a holidayman?
Been back at work a week. Long weekend in London working/ doing formula e. Now home. Then day trip to Manchester on Thursday...
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
And he's right. The issue may be that the ministerial code demands he use scheduled flights...
We are currently on holiday in Aberdeenshire. I think today’s announcement should keep your seats safe in the North East Scotland. You may also gain Aberdeen South and Angus. The feelings about SNP/Green policies are very different in rural Scotland than they are in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The SNP could face a double whammy, losing urban seats to Labour, as voters try to get the Tories out, whilst losing rural seats to the Tories, as voters try to get the SNP out (and send a message to their Green pals). Any Scotland only polls will need to differentiate between these two types of constituency in order to provide meaningful information.
I think this could prove very prescient. It's difficult to over-estimate the importance of oil and gas politically in the North of Scotland. SNP will be in a real bind over the Sunak announcement. Moreover Yousaf and his woke/green agenda seems almost custom-built to repel voters outside the Central Belt who are older and socially conservative. SNP could end up second in an awful lot of seats next year.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
So, back to the massive U-turn of your lot. I know you say "I'm not a Tory" and that's fine. But you do *ramp* the Tories. And peddled the Starmer curry nonsense endlessly.
The more important question is why Starmer has reversed so many policies he had promised
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
So, back to the massive U-turn of your lot. I know you say "I'm not a Tory" and that's fine. But you do *ramp* the Tories. And peddled the Starmer curry nonsense endlessly.
The more important question is why Starmer has reversed so many policies he had promised
Starmer is the opposition. He isn't in government. Your lot are the government. Their u-turns and policy disasters like opposing CCS actually matter.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
If it's good enough for zero carbon Rishi, why shouldn't Rochdale let the plane take the strain too? Take your blinkers off!
People still seem to confuse the purpose of the ULEZ and think it’s about carbon emissions. It’s about clean street level air. In London. Zero relevance to which method of transport one takes to Aberdeen.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take! And London to Southampton, doubly so.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
Well we have to hope Stokes knee op is a success...Bairstow is 34 in a few weeks and T20 is his best game, does he play in another 2+ years? Foakes isn't the replacement, so they have might have to find somebody else by then.
I am not convinced by Robinson at all, in the slightest and he will be 30 by the time we go to India. Wood is 33, Woakes, 34 (and is no good away from home). Ahmed looks promising, but we really have no idea if he can do it, particularly test level batting, having played a total of 10 FC games.
A lot of people are very excited by young James Rew as a future batter-keeper for England. And someone called Jamie Smith might keep competition for places in the batting line-up high. I don't think the batting is going to be as much of a problem as the bowling.
I agree about Robinson. The England bowlers in this match are shockingly old as a collective. There are quite a few promising possibilities, if they can keep fit - Potts, Carse, J Overton, Tongue - but changing the entire bowling attack in next to no time is going to be tough.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
And he's right. The issue may be that the ministerial code demands he use scheduled flights...
As I understand the flights are declared and not at taxpayers expense
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take!
No views on this specifically, but it is worth asking why we need a massive Dept of Health admin when there is a gigantic NHS administration as well, and whether it would be better if the government's task was limited to writing an annual cheque for £200 billion.
At the moment the NHS is praised for all that is good, and the government blamed for all that is bad in the NHS. This is nonsense.
I think Steve Barclay has one eye on the Conservative leadership. He is a Cambridge-educated lawyer, has an army background, is a Brexiteer but has been soft-pedalling that so as not to be tied to the bonkers wing, and is now cos-playing both the small state Conservative and efficient administrator.
Barclay's problem is keeping his seat at the next election.
No, it really isn't. He's completely safe in North East Cambridgeshire. I know it pretty well and it would be one of the very last Tory seats to fall.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
And he's right. The issue may be that the ministerial code demands he use scheduled flights...
As I understand the flights are declared and not at taxpayers expense
I don't have a problem with it. But the ministerial code apparently does. It may be daft, but it's the rules. So change the rules or actually follow them as he is mandated to do.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
So, back to the massive U-turn of your lot. I know you say "I'm not a Tory" and that's fine. But you do *ramp* the Tories. And peddled the Starmer curry nonsense endlessly.
The more important question is why Starmer has reversed so many policies he had promised
Starmer is the opposition. He isn't in government. Your lot are the government. Their u-turns and policy disasters like opposing CCS actually matter.
Indeed. An actual government in power for 13 years has made u-turns into an art form. It’s even u-turned 4 times on its choice of PM.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
Well we have to hope Stokes knee op is a success...Bairstow is 34 in a few weeks and T20 is his best game, does he play in another 2+ years? Foakes isn't the replacement, so they have might have to find somebody else by then.
I am not convinced by Robinson at all, in the slightest and he will be 30 by the time we go to India. Wood is 33, Woakes, 34 (and is no good away from home). Ahmed looks promising, but we really have no idea if he can do it, particularly test level batting, having played a total of 10 FC games.
A lot of people are very excited by young James Rew as a future batter-keeper for England. And someone called Jamie Smith might keep competition for places in the batting line-up high. I don't think the batting is going to be as much of a problem as the bowling.
I agree about Robinson. The England bowlers in this match are shockingly old as a collective. There are quite a few promising possibilities, if they can keep fit - Potts, Carse, J Overton, Tongue - but changing the entire bowling attack in next to no time is going to be tough.
Jamie Overton is a bust now. Nearly 30, and a number of serious injuries have turned him into a shadow of the potential he had, in fact he isn't fit to bowl all summer.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
The last train from London to Aberdeen leaves Kings Cross at 16:30. The sleeper service doesn't get in until 07:40 the next morning.
Depending on your schedule sometimes the train isn't an option. It would help if it was faster, as the last train would depart later
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
If it's good enough for zero carbon Rishi, why shouldn't Rochdale let the plane take the strain too? Take your blinkers off!
People still seem to confuse the purpose of the ULEZ and think it’s about carbon emissions. It’s about clean street level air. In London. Zero relevance to which method of transport one takes to Aberdeen.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Woakes doesn't scare anybody outside of England and is 34. Mark Wood, he can't bowl like he does for a full test series, injured again in this game and 33 years of age (and isn't like a Broad or Anderson who are always bowling within themselves with lots of variation and control).
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
Sam Cooke should get an overdue chance now. He's not ultra-quick but he's been consistently successful for a few years in what passes for the County Championship these days.
Cook simply isn't fast enough to cut it at Test level. You don't have to be that fast to be good enough, but averaging 80 mph is too slow.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take!
Not if it does not include taxpayers money
Who is paying for them? If you say the Conservative Party, I will ask who funds the Conservative Party? Perhaps big petro-chem?
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Woakes doesn't scare anybody outside of England and is 34. Mark Wood, he can't bowl like he does for a full test series, injured again in this game and 33 years of age (and isn't like a Broad or Anderson who are always bowling within themselves with lots of variation and control).
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
Sam Cooke should get an overdue chance now. He's not ultra-quick but he's been consistently successful for a few years in what passes for the County Championship these days.
Cook simply isn't fast enough to cut it at Test level. You don't have to be that fast to be good enough, but averaging 80 mph is too slow.
In England, with the right conditions and the Duke ball, you can be useful at 80mph (for a limited window until it goes really soft). But outside of England, particular Australia with the Kookaburra ball, you are going to struggle sending down line and length trundlers.
Even the great Jimmy Anderson who is more closer to 85mph than 80mph and can make it bend like a banana, has his worst figures on the prisoners island.
Edit :- Actually he has tiny bit worse average in SA, but worse strike rate in Oz by a long way.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take!
Not if it does not include taxpayers money
It doesn't really demonstrate Rishi's green credentials irrespective of who is paying.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
If it's good enough for zero carbon Rishi, why shouldn't Rochdale let the plane take the strain too? Take your blinkers off!
People still seem to confuse the purpose of the ULEZ and think it’s about carbon emissions. It’s about clean street level air. In London. Zero relevance to which method of transport one takes to Aberdeen.
Weather looks on course for a proper u-turn from around the 10th August. Not before time.
I hope you're right but the Met Office is currently saying:
During the second half of August, changeable weather is expected across the UK. Unsettled at times, with a mixture of rain and showers for many areas. Some shorter-lived periods of drier, more settled weather are also likely, particularly later in the month. These may bring some warmer days, however any prolonged dry and hot spells appear to be unlikely.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take!
Not if it does not include taxpayers money
Who is paying for them? If you say the Conservative Party, I will ask who funds the Conservative Party? Perhaps big petro-chem?
He has declared his sponsor in the register of interests
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take!
Not if it does not include taxpayers money
Who is paying for them? If you say the Conservative Party, I will ask who funds the Conservative Party? Perhaps big petro-chem?
He has declared his sponsor in the register of interests
Anyway the good news for our children is every teachers union has accepted the government's pay deal
Also my daughter, who is a civil servant, had an extra £1,000 pounds in her pay cheque this month which I assume is a result of the pay review body recommendations
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take!
Not if it does not include taxpayers money
Who is paying for them? If you say the Conservative Party, I will ask who funds the Conservative Party? Perhaps big petro-chem?
He has declared his sponsor in the register of interests
So who is it?
I have no idea and if it wasn't appropriate the media would be all over it
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Woakes doesn't scare anybody outside of England and is 34. Mark Wood, he can't bowl like he does for a full test series, injured again in this game and 33 years of age (and isn't like a Broad or Anderson who are always bowling within themselves with lots of variation and control).
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
Sam Cooke should get an overdue chance now. He's not ultra-quick but he's been consistently successful for a few years in what passes for the County Championship these days.
Cook simply isn't fast enough to cut it at Test level. You don't have to be that fast to be good enough, but averaging 80 mph is too slow.
In England, with the right conditions and the Duke ball, you can be useful at 80mph (for a limited window until it goes really soft). But outside of England, particular Australia with the Kookaburra ball, you are going to struggle sending down line and length trundlers.
Unless you can make it move off the seam, or swing it prodigiously in all conditions, or be hyper accurate. Jacques Kallis managed it, Glenn McGrath was never fast. What we really need as a new innovation is a fast (or at least fast-medium) spinner. Has such a creature ever existed? Someone sending down off breaks or better still leg breaks at 80mph+.
Weather looks on course for a proper u-turn from around the 10th August. Not before time.
I hope you're right but the Met Office is currently saying:
During the second half of August, changeable weather is expected across the UK. Unsettled at times, with a mixture of rain and showers for many areas. Some shorter-lived periods of drier, more settled weather are also likely, particularly later in the month. These may bring some warmer days, however any prolonged dry and hot spells appear to be unlikely.
What's the source for your comment?
The same models the Met office look at. Particularly the ECMWF 15 day and 35 day ensembles. They plus other models all show a shift to the Azores high ridging over NW Europe from early next week.
I’m not promising a wall to wall sunfest and 40C, but it’s going to become settled and drier, and warmer by day. The Met Office are always a bit hedgy unless they’re absolutely sure because they get ridiculed if they predict a barbecue summer and it rains.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
It is fair comment, and exactly how Sunak responded to the same question from journalists in Aberdeen
London to Aberdeen by scheduled fight is fair enough. London to Birmingham by helicopter on the other hand is a p*** take!
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Woakes doesn't scare anybody outside of England and is 34. Mark Wood, he can't bowl like he does for a full test series, injured again in this game and 33 years of age (and isn't like a Broad or Anderson who are always bowling within themselves with lots of variation and control).
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
Sam Cooke should get an overdue chance now. He's not ultra-quick but he's been consistently successful for a few years in what passes for the County Championship these days.
Cook simply isn't fast enough to cut it at Test level. You don't have to be that fast to be good enough, but averaging 80 mph is too slow.
In England, with the right conditions and the Duke ball, you can be useful at 80mph (for a limited window until it goes really soft). But outside of England, particular Australia with the Kookaburra ball, you are going to struggle sending down line and length trundlers.
Unless you can make it move off the seam, or swing it prodigiously in all conditions, or be hyper accurate. Jacques Kallis managed it, Glenn McGrath was never fast. What we really need as a new innovation is a fast (or at least fast-medium) spinner. Has such a creature ever existed? Someone sending down off breaks or better still leg breaks at 80mph+.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
And they take 7 hours plus to do so. I'm a businessman - I can't waste all that time.
So, back to the massive U-turn of your lot. I know you say "I'm not a Tory" and that's fine. But you do *ramp* the Tories. And peddled the Starmer curry nonsense endlessly.
You don't have to live in Aberdeenshire ... nice though it is. Surely that's the bit that wastes time.
Not sure if this has been posted but Moeen Ali confirms his retirement from test cricket
Re-retirement.....Don't blame him as he is still top class in T20 and big money available to go and play that 12 months a year around the world (and for England).
The worry for England is so many of the stand out players from this Ashes are retiring or have at most have a year or two left, with the replacements a definite step down.
Batting line up less affected by that. Finally seem to have found a top three, Root is still imperious, and Brook is the new Root. Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure). Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment. Overall, not a terrible place to be.
I reckon Wood, Woakes, Tongue and Robinson can be a pretty fearsome attack for a few years yet
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Woakes doesn't scare anybody outside of England and is 34. Mark Wood, he can't bowl like he does for a full test series, injured again in this game and 33 years of age (and isn't like a Broad or Anderson who are always bowling within themselves with lots of variation and control).
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
Sam Cooke should get an overdue chance now. He's not ultra-quick but he's been consistently successful for a few years in what passes for the County Championship these days.
Cook simply isn't fast enough to cut it at Test level. You don't have to be that fast to be good enough, but averaging 80 mph is too slow.
In England, with the right conditions and the Duke ball, you can be useful at 80mph (for a limited window until it goes really soft). But outside of England, particular Australia with the Kookaburra ball, you are going to struggle sending down line and length trundlers.
Unless you can make it move off the seam, or swing it prodigiously in all conditions, or be hyper accurate. Jacques Kallis managed it, Glenn McGrath was never fast. What we really need as a new innovation is a fast (or at least fast-medium) spinner. Has such a creature ever existed? Someone sending down off breaks or better still leg breaks at 80mph+.
Would that work? The faster you bowl the less spin does for you.
And if you've got the ability to spin it at 80mph, you could probably bowl it at 95mph.
In antiquity, Sydney Barnes is supposed to have been a fast spinner.
Put simply: I don't trust those who are pushing air-source heat pumps; they all have an agenda.
I'm not risking the comfort and wellbeing of my family and a warm home until I go round to a trusted friend or neighbours house (on a cold and dark night) and feel it for myself, including having a hot bath.
I now have an image in my head of a bloke of a certain age turning up on doorsteps in a frayed shorty terrycloth bathrobe and a towel over his arm, angrily demanding a bath. Not good.
Who's in the bathroom? That angry bloke from next door. He took a picture of the old queen and a cucumber in with him.
I've just cried myself silly laughing. My wife and dog thought I was having a breakdown.
To be fair, even I laughed at that one!
At least @Dura_Ace would offer me a bath, even if not a cucumber.
Picture of a cucumber and the Queen wasn't it?
Or was there a missing Oxford comma?
Not required.
I always carry a picture of the Queen with me.
Paging @Anabobazina - we've got another cash user!
Cash only at the Fairlop Waters fun fair!
My local Thai restaurant (very good, btw) has a sign saying they prefer cash, as the charges on card payments are many hundreds a month.
That's funny because typical card handling charges dropped to less than cash handling charges about a decade ago.
If a business is trying to avoid card transactions nowadays its probably because they're seeking to evade (not avoid) HMRC rather than avoid bank charges.
Let's not associate cash with dodgy practices when most fraud these days is probably electronic.
Seen at Fairlop Waters fun fair a few days ago:
We keep 100% of cash probably means they don’t give any to HMRC.
The counter revolution has begun. There was a thing a few days ago about traders in Suffolk suggesting use of cash.
It's a particular issue which divides opinion, including PB opinion, with no middle ground SFAICS.
Basically I think that up to amount £X (£500?) it ought to be compulsory to take cash in face to face transactions; the other side is happy to see the stuff abolished.
Why the hell should it ever be compulsory to take cash?
People get killed over cash. I had a friend, pregnant, working in retail in Liverpool who had a machete held to her throat by armed robbers to get the Manager to open the safe.
If both sides want to handle cash, that's their choice. If either side does not, then respect free choice.
Well that is a very good point I hadn't thought of. As someone who lived through the 60s and 70s bank robberies and wages snatches with sawn off shotguns were a thing. Not now. All internet fraud now.
Not now? You're kidding yourself.
Armed robberies happen routinely across Merseyside - and presumably elsewhere - all the time. That they don't get attention is sad, but it happens and only makes the news if someone actually dies and even then it doesn't typically stay in the news for long.
An average of 200 robberies a day happened last year, 365 days a year. Actual robberies with the threat of force involved, not simple theft.
And people here wonder why businesses don't want the burden of handling cash.
Well that will teach me to agree with you 😀
Seriously though I assume you weren't around in the 60s and 70s. Much safer now. I think the stats support that or I might be basing it on reruns of the Sweeney.
LOL. I don't know, the Sweeney is long before my time.
All I know is that robberies are very, very real. I've had 4 close friends who work in hospitality held up in separate armed robberies in the Merseyside area. One was a store I'd personally been in half an hour earlier.
Unfortunately there don't seem to have been serious data collected on it from the 60s and 70s to compare. None that I could find from Google anyway. But either way even nowadays its a very real threat to life, and a hassle far more serious than a mild inconvenience, especially when a much less deadly and more reliable alternative exists.
I think that the misunderstanding is about scale.
The robberies you are talking of are for a few hundred pounds. Done by nutters who should have, as De Niro put it a “Born To Lose” tattoo.
The robberies he is thinking of were the major armed robberies. The equivalent, in todays money of a million or more. Done by semi competent criminals.
The later were made extinct by better security, and the modern armed police wiping out several gangs. MP5 vs sawn off….
The major gangs have moved to drugs and fraud.
And of course the disappearance of cash. Banks don't have the volume of the cash and there aren't wages deliveries anymore. However lorry hijacks have also stopped and that wasn't cash related. So the lack of cash isn't the answer to all of the changes as you point out.
At my first job, one of my duties was writing out pay packets to be filled with cash. Every medium-sized factory or large office would have had enough cash on premises once a week to tempt armed criminals into a raid on either the wages department or the security van delivering the money. Maybe schoolchildren should be forced to watch The Sweeney re-runs as part of a social history course in old-fashioned crime.
Just heard Labour confirm on ITV it will not cancel Sunak's new North Sea licences even though it is against them
Gift to the Greens and SNP no doubt
But that's not news. Labour has always said they won't rescind any licences in place when/if they come to power; they just won't grant any more. So, no change in policy.
Are you saying labour are in favour of these new licences or is it just another fudge
Anything to blame Labour, eh? "They won't cancel the changes my lot made, baaaaad!"
It would be good to have an honest position from Labour but they already have 34 policy reversals and counting
Are you actually an employee of the Conservative Party?
Nope - not a member either
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Even if they are - so what? The PM flew to Aberdeen to announce a stack of government policy u-turns and you're saying the story is a Labour U-turn?
Labour oppose new North Sea licences, but not yet then
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
I had to do that route for the RSS conference last year.
London to Aberdeen is a long way. It can be done by train (see below) but it is an overnight job, and if the sleeper is booked you'd have to do it in two stages. Flights from Gatwick are far quicker, although security at the Gatwick end is long and tiring. Aberdeen airport is wee, basically a long shed with a Costa and a pub at one end. Security there is less crowded. Planes are way more fun than trains but the packing and security is far more involved and unpleasant.
With regards to Sunak and new drilling licenses. As we transition to net zero we will still need oil.
Does it make sense for that to be our own oil, or oil bought from the middle east and shipped by supertanker?
Of course Labour aren't reversing the decision. Sunak has done them a favour.
Sunak has done the right thing then
Yes, he has done the right thing, but only against a background of Labour's policy - a policy that is loony bordering on treasonous (as well as being terrible for net global carbon emissions). Sunak and Hunt's use of windfall taxes and their changes to the regulations concerning oil exploration had already resulted in the industry cratering. Aberdeen should be booming in an energy price crisis with a natural resource like that. The choice is between bad and cataclysmic.
Comments
Bowling, yes replacing Anderson and broad is tough, although I think Robinson will lead the attack for a few years, plus there is some serious talent coming. Ahmed for the spinning all rounder, Tongue - incredibly unlucky to only play once against the Aussies. We would have been better with him rather than Anderson (on these pitches for sure).
Oddly Pope, seen as the next Skipper, may be struggling for his place at the moment.
Overall, not a terrible place to be.
Barclay's problem is keeping his seat at the next election.
The robberies you are talking of are for a few hundred pounds. Done by nutters who should have, as De Niro put it a “Born To Lose” tattoo.
The robberies he is thinking of were the major armed robberies. The equivalent, in todays money of a million or more. Done by semi competent criminals.
The later were made extinct by better security, and the modern armed police wiping out several gangs. MP5 vs sawn off….
The major gangs have moved to drugs and fraud.
I am not convinced by Robinson at all, in the slightest and he will be 30 by the time we go to India. Wood is 33, Woakes, 34 (and is no good away from home). Ahmed looks promising, but we really have no idea if he can do it, particularly test level batting, having played a total of 10 FC games.
As it is, I pay exactly the same amount for VED for my cycle as does the owner of a 2 ton Electric Tonka Behemoth, ie nothing, because VED is a tailpipe emissions tax at present.
Were each mode of transport to pay with hypothecated taxes for the costs they impose, taxes on private vehicles would probably double - since the amount raised for the general pot barely meets the cost of collisions, never mind the cost of roads.
He can earn squillions playing T20 and never be asked to bowl more than 3-4 overs a match at 85-90 mph, which once you have suffered such serious injuries might well be too tempting to say no to.
And we'll have some decent young bowlers graduating from the county game to try out in rotation with those guys
I'm interested to see which spinners we take to India
Days until the Mississippi primary: 8
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Days until the RI-01 and UT-02 special election primaries: 36
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Days until the Louisiana primary: 75
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Louisiana_gubernatorial_election
Days until the 2023 election: 99
SSI - and tomorrow, August 1, is date of Washington State Primary
As from some judicial races, local candidates and measures only, including all seven district members of Seattle City Council with only two incumbents running for reelection.
So highly unlikely they are playing in Australia in 2 years time.
Olly Stone was the other ultra-rapid hope, but he is permanently injured.
Is there anybody in country cricket that can bowl way over 90 mph consistently? The big problem with the idiotic way the 4-day game is scheduled is it doesn't encourage any team to play a Mark Wood type bowler.
Saqib Mahmood was another hope that he could kick on and add a bit more pace, but again, permanently injured.
Fabinho: Liverpool midfielder joins Saudi side Al-Ittihad
@Bigjohnowls posted the 34 policy reversals by Starmer and the question is are any of them untrue ?
Attempted humor aside, your point seems plausible.
And why when you are so pro ULEZ and drive a Tesla are you flying to Aberdeen
Trains run from London to Aberdeen as far as I am aware
I am reminded of the narrative on here of Starmer's guilt over Beergate and Johnson's Partygate innocence.
So, back to the massive U-turn of your lot. I know you say "I'm not a Tory" and that's fine. But you do *ramp* the Tories. And peddled the Starmer curry nonsense endlessly.
I agree about Robinson. The England bowlers in this match are shockingly old as a collective. There are quite a few promising possibilities, if they can keep fit - Potts, Carse, J Overton, Tongue - but changing the entire bowling attack in next to no time is going to be tough.
Depending on your schedule sometimes the train isn't an option. It would help if it was faster, as the last train would depart later
Even the great Jimmy Anderson who is more closer to 85mph than 80mph and can make it bend like a banana, has his worst figures on the prisoners island.
Edit :- Actually he has tiny bit worse average in SA, but worse strike rate in Oz by a long way.
During the second half of August, changeable weather is expected across the UK. Unsettled at times, with a mixture of rain and showers for many areas. Some shorter-lived periods of drier, more settled weather are also likely, particularly later in the month. These may bring some warmer days, however any prolonged dry and hot spells appear to be unlikely.
What's the source for your comment?
Also my daughter, who is a civil servant, had an extra £1,000 pounds in her pay cheque this month which I assume is a result of the pay review body recommendations
I’m not promising a wall to wall sunfest and 40C, but it’s going to become settled and drier, and warmer by day. The Met Office are always a bit hedgy unless they’re absolutely sure because they get ridiculed if they predict a barbecue summer and it rains.
Dodgier still.
And if you've got the ability to spin it at 80mph, you could probably bowl it at 95mph.
In antiquity, Sydney Barnes is supposed to have been a fast spinner.
London to Aberdeen is a long way. It can be done by train (see below) but it is an overnight job, and if the sleeper is booked you'd have to do it in two stages. Flights from Gatwick are far quicker, although security at the Gatwick end is long and tiring. Aberdeen airport is wee, basically a long shed with a Costa and a pub at one end. Security there is less crowded. Planes are way more fun than trains but the packing and security is far more involved and unpleasant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonian_Sleeper
Looks like Mr Farage will still be banking at Coutts,
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/31/city-regulator-urges-stability-at-natwest-over-nigel-farage-row