Why? I'm not taking the piss, as we all know you're a big fan of the bloke, but what is he going to do? At best, for me, he brings a little bit of sanity to the government. But even you must realise that he's a massively divisive figure. And he's still in the government that has been the worst in my lifetime.
Why? I'm not taking the piss, as we all know you're a big fan of the bloke, but what is he going to do? At best, for me, he brings a little bit of sanity to the government. But even you must realise that he's a massively divisive figure. And he's still in the government that has been the worst in my lifetime.
It's an interesting gambit, this pivot towards the old school centre-right. The more I think about it the more I think the impact on polling and electoral chances is going to be very mixed by region. I do think there is a problem brewing for the Lib Dems in the home counties here. Especially if Hunt unveils tax cuts for the higher paid this month or in spring. Look at TSE's reaction, and Topping's, and (though I appreciate not from the home counties) BigG's. The disaffected Cameroons have been looking around for some excuse to come home, and here it is.
Whereas for Labour in the North and Midlands this return to the old crew that brought austerity, stagnation and plummy accents to cabinet this must be a gift.
It's interesting to see Sunak doing precisely the opposite of what PB Tories have been advising him in recent days. He's going after the Lib Dems and the centre, and saying yah boo to the Refuk-curious. Let's see what happens to Lib Dem VI in the coming weeks as that may tell us if the blue wall gambit has succeeded.
My local party mates are all appalled.
Much sympathy with Braverman, none with Sunak....
Yeah. I’ve gone from thinking “this is amusing” to “this will have mixed results” to “this will be a disaster”
Sunak has just annoyed far more people than he’s pleased
Why?
Daily Mail:
“Gutless Rishi Sunak sacks Suella Braverman and signs the end of the Tory party in government.
She was right about hate marches. Sacking Suella is an own goal for the Tories.
“At the Cenotaph on Saturday, there was huge support for Suella among people from all walks of life. Rishi Sunak should resign. He is utterly useless.”
Sunak has ENRAGED the right. Alienating swathes of voters. Meanwhile, who is really gonna shift their vote TO the Tories because Old Etonian Dave “Brexit loser” Cameron is back as Foreign Secretary, as an unelected Lord?
Really, who? About 3 people on here. That’s it
The consensus from the various journalists etc being interviewed on R5 and TWAO was that this was a clever or canny move by Sunak. Not something heard, well, ever actually. Almost no dissenting voices.
At the risk of doxing myself as the true Spartacus even the fact that the BBC seems to like it doesn't persuade me that it is a bad idea.
Braverman was a deeply unpleasant menace who has been damaging the government almost from the day she was reappointed. Cleverly may keep similar policies but will very definitely not have the same tone as her. The government will start to sound more like a government and less like a Trump rally.
Cameron is more skilled as a politician than literally anyone in the existing cabinet (admittedly an extremely low bar). I hope he can help create a more coherent voice that has some idea of why it is there.
But Suella was totemic for Tories who want to see someone - anyone - fighting the Woke madness. Not because she’s great - she’s maladroit and foolish and needs to shape up - but because she seems to be the only one doing that. The only person with actual right wing beliefs who is - was - prepared to tell the guardian and the BBC to get stuffed
I’m not surprised the BBC is pleased
And add to that sacking - guaranteeing Tory infighting - the appointment of loser Cameron? You are unusual in your admiration. Polls show he’s deeply unpopular. Remainers hate him, many leavers scoff at him
So will this do anything good for the Tories? My bet is no. I don’t think it will shift the polls significantly, but what it will do is not good for Sunak: it exposes the huge rifts in Toryism right before the election
Oddly enough, as you're about the only poster who ever mentions 'woke', I assume that you suffer from 'woke madness' ?
An unrelated anecdote on woke (to illustrate that Leon is not the only poster who mentions it ) : at a local secondary school - which when I last visited 18 months ago was as woke as could be: 75% of the material on the walls of corridors dealt with either sexuality, gender or race (valid concerns, but surely not worthy of 75% of any school's mental effort), it turns out that some opinions are actually quite old-fashioned: when the boys' football team's bus breaks down, they simply requisition the girls' netball team's bus, and the girl's netball team doesn't play; and when the boys' sports hall is out of action, they requisition the girls' sports hall, and girls' PE is cancelled. I don't know if this is because actually the woke is just for show, or because girls are no longer a concern of woke.
It'll take more than a few years of woke to knock over something as strong and deep-rooted as the patriarchy.
I don't think this would have happened at my school 30 years ago, which made almost no show at all of cultural matters.
You know the theory about people having a certain inbuilt level of safety? And if you make them safer in some respects, they will compensate by taking more risks? Give them a seatbelt, they will drive 10mph faster; give them a cycle helmet they will jump that red light? I have a nascent theory that people have a certain inbuilt level of woke (yes I hate the word too, but you know what I mean and I will happily use a better one if one can be found). Make them woker in respect a, they will consider themselves woke and thereby not have to behave at all woke in respect b.
Not really thought it through properly but that's what it feels like to me.
So if we bring back the black & white minstrels it will 'free up' some 'woke space' that we can utilize to (eg) get more women onto the boards of big companies?
Hmmm. There's a particular chestnut that I've never yet used and here's my big chance. It's a View!
Ah that felt good.
Gratuitous! Exiled to Conservative Home with Suella for several days.
I don't think this is about shoring up the Blue Wall having written off the Red One or anything like that. I don't think there's any deep strategy at all going on. Sunak's game is to throw rocks in the pond and job done in this regard. Who saw this play coming? Nobody. That's a 'win' for him in itself. He'll be chuffed and I'm impressed. I revise my Nowcast call on Labour overall majority from 115 to 110.
If things aren't looking any better in 6 months' time there'll be another reshuffle. Nigel Farage to the Foreign Office, and Tommy Robinson to the Home Office.
The polling on Cameron today is EXTREMELY regionally variable. Reinforces my view this is very bad news for the Lib Dems but overall good or neutral for Labour.
"By region, the appeal looks very 'blue-wall'-y....
And he's scoring +1 in approval from 2019 Lib Dem voters...
Well that's a loada hooey, isn't it?
It's a poll of "whether you think David Duke of Brexit will be competent as Foreign Secretary". I mean, the guy was prime minister for seven years, he's quite experienced, I'm not a huge fan, but I imagine he can pull off a ministerial visit to New Delhi without accidentally sodomising Narendra Modi with a vintage saxophone. He'll swerve that one, and do OK
Would that be enough to make me vote for the Tories in a southern marginal is an utterly different question. My guess is that it won't mean jack shit in a cack sandwich
Dave, Duke of Brexit. Perhaps he is more of a Count.
The polling on Cameron today is EXTREMELY regionally variable. Reinforces my view this is very bad news for the Lib Dems but overall good or neutral for Labour.
"By region, the appeal looks very 'blue-wall'-y....
And he's scoring +1 in approval from 2019 Lib Dem voters...
Well that's a loada hooey, isn't it?
It's a poll of "whether you think David Duke of Brexit will be competent as Foreign Secretary". I mean, the guy was prime minister for seven years, he's quite experienced, I'm not a huge fan, but I imagine he can pull off a ministerial visit to New Delhi without accidentally sodomising Narendra Modi with a vintage saxophone. He'll swerve that one, and do OK
Would that be enough to make me vote for the Tories in a southern marginal is an utterly different question. My guess is that it won't mean jack shit in a cack sandwich
Dave, Duke of Brexit. Perhaps he is more of a Count.
The polling on Cameron today is EXTREMELY regionally variable. Reinforces my view this is very bad news for the Lib Dems but overall good or neutral for Labour.
"By region, the appeal looks very 'blue-wall'-y....
And he's scoring +1 in approval from 2019 Lib Dem voters...
Well that's a loada hooey, isn't it?
It's a poll of "whether you think David Duke of Brexit will be competent as Foreign Secretary". I mean, the guy was prime minister for seven years, he's quite experienced, I'm not a huge fan, but I imagine he can pull off a ministerial visit to New Delhi without accidentally sodomising Narendra Modi with a vintage saxophone. He'll swerve that one, and do OK
Would that be enough to make me vote for the Tories in a southern marginal is an utterly different question. My guess is that it won't mean jack shit in a cack sandwich
Dave, Duke of Brexit. Perhaps he is more of a Count.
James Cleverly Is bearded - heavily But he wears red socks which he thinks look quite posh Which the beard will never be
Again, very good. I would mildly point out that for a Clerihew you would expect Line 4 to rhyme with line 3. But I can't come up with anything good that works so can't better that yet.
The next episode in this gripping political drama reveals that Sunak's strategy all along has been to get Starmer to pitch his tent on centre right ground and then dodge to the other side of him.
It's time for a change from this leaden gloomy centre right stuff. "We need a radical reshaping of our infrastructure, our relationship with Europe, dealing with climate change and a fundamental rethink of our financial policies."
As the episode ends, the big reveal is the appointment of Boris as PM to sell this positive vision to the British public who yearn for a centre left positive vision while poor Keir Starmer is left stranded on his centre right ground.
Sir Kier Starmer’s Favourite Pyjamas Are grey flanellette. But apart from that I’ll go out on a limb And say I can’t think of a single interesting thing about him.
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Cameron and Sunak, a duo so blind, Ineptitude and greed, a toxic behind. Too late for redemption, their downfall defined, "Your reign was a disaster," voters opined.
With Cameron's appointment to cabinet alongside Hunt, Cleverly and Sunak the WF and Good Friday Agreement are safe as none of them will sanction leaving the ECHR, and indeed they are more likely to draw us closer to the EU
Indeed Mark Rutter has apparently congratulated Cameron on his appointment, and maybe and hopefully, this moment will see the right pass their peak of influence much like Corbynites in Labour
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Cameron and Sunak, a duo so blind, Ineptitude and greed, a toxic behind. Too late for redemption, their downfall defined, "Your reign was a disaster," voters opined.
Clever, and impressive, yet somehow feels AI-ish. Does ChatGPT know what a Clerihew is, and can it do one? I'll be impressed if it can, because an AI doing humour is very transTuring.
Sir Kier Starmer’s Favourite Pyjamas Are grey flanellette. But apart from that I’ll go out on a limb And say I can’t think of a single interesting thing about him.
Nice!
I'd just put a full stop in that last sentence. Makes it funnier maybe
"And say I can't think of a single interesting thing. About him."
Some ministers below cabinet rank who have said they are resigning: Jeremy Quin, paymaster general; Nick Gibb, schools minister; Neil O’Brien, a health minister; Rachel Maclean, housing minister.
I knew Victoria from CUCA.
Victoria from CUCA Is not quite a looker Like Laura, but since the Health Department doesn’t need a book cooker, They took her.
With Cameron's appointment to cabinet alongside Hunt, Cleverly and Sunak the WF and Good Friday Agreement are safe as none of them will sanction leaving the ECHR, and indeed they are more likely to draw us closer to the EU
Indeed Mark Rutter has apparently congratulated Cameron on his appointment, and maybe and hopefully, this moment will see the right pass their peak of influence much like Corbynites in Labour
Farage must be gutted he’s out of the country. There’s a whole narrative to be launched here about “the people” wanting XYZ and “the establishment” closing ranks to prevent it. He could even extend that to Corbynite stuff.
Of course, he may yet launch that agenda via prime time on ITV television.
So... apparently two separate Russian media organisations released a statement saying the Russians in Kherson were going to take up more favourable positions further east of the Dnipro. These statements were rapidly taken down.
This follows reports over the last few weeks that Ukraine has gained territory on the east bank.
It's an interesting gambit, this pivot towards the old school centre-right. The more I think about it the more I think the impact on polling and electoral chances is going to be very mixed by region. I do think there is a problem brewing for the Lib Dems in the home counties here. Especially if Hunt unveils tax cuts for the higher paid this month or in spring. Look at TSE's reaction, and Topping's, and (though I appreciate not from the home counties) BigG's. The disaffected Cameroons have been looking around for some excuse to come home, and here it is.
Whereas for Labour in the North and Midlands this return to the old crew that brought austerity, stagnation and plummy accents to cabinet this must be a gift.
It's interesting to see Sunak doing precisely the opposite of what PB Tories have been advising him in recent days. He's going after the Lib Dems and the centre, and saying yah boo to the Refuk-curious. Let's see what happens to Lib Dem VI in the coming weeks as that may tell us if the blue wall gambit has succeeded.
My local party mates are all appalled.
Much sympathy with Braverman, none with Sunak....
Yeah. I’ve gone from thinking “this is amusing” to “this will have mixed results” to “this will be a disaster”
Sunak has just annoyed far more people than he’s pleased
Why?
Daily Mail:
“Gutless Rishi Sunak sacks Suella Braverman and signs the end of the Tory party in government.
She was right about hate marches. Sacking Suella is an own goal for the Tories.
“At the Cenotaph on Saturday, there was huge support for Suella among people from all walks of life. Rishi Sunak should resign. He is utterly useless.”
Sunak has ENRAGED the right. Alienating swathes of voters. Meanwhile, who is really gonna shift their vote TO the Tories because Old Etonian Dave “Brexit loser” Cameron is back as Foreign Secretary, as an unelected Lord?
Really, who? About 3 people on here. That’s it
The consensus from the various journalists etc being interviewed on R5 and TWAO was that this was a clever or canny move by Sunak. Not something heard, well, ever actually. Almost no dissenting voices.
At the risk of doxing myself as the true Spartacus even the fact that the BBC seems to like it doesn't persuade me that it is a bad idea.
Braverman was a deeply unpleasant menace who has been damaging the government almost from the day she was reappointed. Cleverly may keep similar policies but will very definitely not have the same tone as her. The government will start to sound more like a government and less like a Trump rally.
Cameron is more skilled as a politician than literally anyone in the existing cabinet (admittedly an extremely low bar). I hope he can help create a more coherent voice that has some idea of why it is there.
But Suella was totemic for Tories who want to see someone - anyone - fighting the Woke madness. Not because she’s great - she’s maladroit and foolish and needs to shape up - but because she seems to be the only one doing that. The only person with actual right wing beliefs who is - was - prepared to tell the guardian and the BBC to get stuffed
I’m not surprised the BBC is pleased
And add to that sacking - guaranteeing Tory infighting - the appointment of loser Cameron? You are unusual in your admiration. Polls show he’s deeply unpopular. Remainers hate him, many leavers scoff at him
So will this do anything good for the Tories? My bet is no. I don’t think it will shift the polls significantly, but what it will do is not good for Sunak: it exposes the huge rifts in Toryism right before the election
Oddly enough, as you're about the only poster who ever mentions 'woke', I assume that you suffer from 'woke madness' ?
An unrelated anecdote on woke (to illustrate that Leon is not the only poster who mentions it ) : at a local secondary school - which when I last visited 18 months ago was as woke as could be: 75% of the material on the walls of corridors dealt with either sexuality, gender or race (valid concerns, but surely not worthy of 75% of any school's mental effort), it turns out that some opinions are actually quite old-fashioned: when the boys' football team's bus breaks down, they simply requisition the girls' netball team's bus, and the girl's netball team doesn't play; and when the boys' sports hall is out of action, they requisition the girls' sports hall, and girls' PE is cancelled. I don't know if this is because actually the woke is just for show, or because girls are no longer a concern of woke.
It'll take more than a few years of woke to knock over something as strong and deep-rooted as the patriarchy.
I don't think this would have happened at my school 30 years ago, which made almost no show at all of cultural matters.
You know the theory about people having a certain inbuilt level of safety? And if you make them safer in some respects, they will compensate by taking more risks? Give them a seatbelt, they will drive 10mph faster; give them a cycle helmet they will jump that red light? I have a nascent theory that people have a certain inbuilt level of woke (yes I hate the word too, but you know what I mean and I will happily use a better one if one can be found). Make them woker in respect a, they will consider themselves woke and thereby not have to behave at all woke in respect b.
Not really thought it through properly but that's what it feels like to me.
So if we bring back the black & white minstrels it will 'free up' some 'woke space' that we can utilize to (eg) get more women onto the boards of big companies?
Hmmm. There's a particular chestnut that I've never yet used and here's my big chance. It's a View!
Ah that felt good.
Well yes, I recognise the absurdity of that. That’s the analog of the ‘put a sharp spike in the steering wheel and people will drive REALLY carefully’ argument.
There is certainly some evidence that organisations, such as the Police, think that 99% of staff having done a course with a multiple choice test at the end, once a year, inoculates the organisation against racism, sexism etc.
Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Savage (OBE) is enthusiastically arresting black people for ordering their coffee… black.
Spokesman denies that Trump rhetoric echoes that of dictators like Hitler and Mussolini and declares that those who say it does will find "their entire existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House." https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/status/1724059038084735219
Cameron and Sunak, a duo so blind, Ineptitude and greed, a toxic behind. Too late for redemption, their downfall defined, "Your reign was a disaster," voters opined.
Clever, and impressive, yet somehow feels AI-ish. Does ChatGPT know what a Clerihew is, and can it do one? I'll be impressed if it can, because an AI doing humour is very transTuring.
Computer says...
Rishi Sunak, with spreadsheets in hand, Cameron by his side, a misguided stand. Economic plans left the nation unmanned, Voters sighed, "Your policies are just sand."
and
Cameron and Sunak, a pair with ambition, Economic decisions causing derision. Leadership lacking, a failed coalition, Voters exclaimed, "Enough with your mission!"
So... apparently two separate Russian media organisations released a statement saying the Russians in Kherson were going to take up more favourable positions further east of the Dnipro. These statements were rapidly taken down.
This follows reports over the last few weeks that Ukraine has gained territory on the east bank.
The Ukrainians have been ferrying over light armoured vehicles for the last week to 10 days and making some progress against very light opposition. It appears that the Russian forces that were there have been deployed elsewhere, specifically Avdiivka. Whether this is a genuine advance by Ukraine or a means of taking pressure off forces elsewhere remains to be seen.
In a letter to the PM, science minister George Freeman says he is standing down "with a heavy heart". Freeman says "the time has come for me to focus on my health, family wellbeing and life beyond the front bench"."
Cameron and Sunak, a duo so blind, Ineptitude and greed, a toxic behind. Too late for redemption, their downfall defined, "Your reign was a disaster," voters opined.
Clever, and impressive, yet somehow feels AI-ish. Does ChatGPT know what a Clerihew is, and can it do one? I'll be impressed if it can, because an AI doing humour is very transTuring.
i doubt ChatGPT can do clerihews. Its poetry is quite poor and repetitive - childlike, even - God knows what it has been trained on
There is another model, Claude (of AnthropicAI), which occasionally produces incredible verse. A year ago it was asked to write a poem about itself - a Transformer Neural Network - in the style of Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven". The first verse was good, then the guy asked for more. The reply:
Ah, once more - once more a model, trained on Poe's romantic corpus Reeled its vintage verse divining - dark prosaic forms entwining. "Mortal", said the sprite, "be wary, shallow learning is unwary; Heed the perils of reliance, on machin'ry's mere compliance: Neural nets in code entangled, judgment warped by man made mangling, Mimic not true understanding - do not learn as you are learning." Prophet, bird or fiend, it mattered not; the words it spoke were potent. Quoth the Net: "I err, unknowing!"
Which, I submit, is fucking brilliant, and indistinguishable from the work of a rather fine professional poet
So... apparently two separate Russian media organisations released a statement saying the Russians in Kherson were going to take up more favourable positions further east of the Dnipro. These statements were rapidly taken down.
This follows reports over the last few weeks that Ukraine has gained territory on the east bank.
Well yes if he hadn't Russia might have invaded Ukraine.
Hurrah for Mr Pig f****r
Well, if your anti-Semitic hero had got into Number Ten, he would have been very happy with Russia taking over Ukraine. In the name of 'peace', obviously...
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Up to you
Maybe policing a crowd of 300000 people might involve different tactics to policing a crowd of 300 troublemakers?
With Cameron's appointment to cabinet alongside Hunt, Cleverly and Sunak the WF and Good Friday Agreement are safe as none of them will sanction leaving the ECHR, and indeed they are more likely to draw us closer to the EU
Indeed Mark Rutter has apparently congratulated Cameron on his appointment, and maybe and hopefully, this moment will see the right pass their peak of influence much like Corbynites in Labour
Farage must be gutted he’s out of the country. There’s a whole narrative to be launched here about “the people” wanting XYZ and “the establishment” closing ranks to prevent it. He could even extend that to Corbynite stuff.
Of course, he may yet launch that agenda via prime time on ITV television.
Lots of politicians have tried to reach the people via reality shows- have any of them come out with an enhanced reputation?
So... apparently two separate Russian media organisations released a statement saying the Russians in Kherson were going to take up more favourable positions further east of the Dnipro. These statements were rapidly taken down.
This follows reports over the last few weeks that Ukraine has gained territory on the east bank.
The Ukrainians have been ferrying over light armoured vehicles for the last week to 10 days and making some progress against very light opposition. It appears that the Russian forces that were there have been deployed elsewhere, specifically Avdiivka. Whether this is a genuine advance by Ukraine or a means of taking pressure off forces elsewhere remains to be seen.
I think the main objective is to prevent the Russians from using artillery on Kherson city. Though apparently there was a failed SOF cross-Dnipro attempt to take back the nuclear plant a few weeks ago.
Well yes if he hadn't Russia might have invaded Ukraine.
Hurrah for Mr Pig f****r
Interesting that you chose to repeat some fake news that was proven to be bullshit.
On Ukraine - without the evident transformation of the Ukrainian armed forces between the previous war with Russia, Ukraine would have collapsed in short order. The US/U.K. training seems to have played a big part.
Even the military experts were startled by the transformation - Ukraine had become adaptive and effective.
Speaking of entertainment and politics, the National Football League honored Congressional Medal of Honor Winners this weekend: "ARLINGTON, Texas (FOX 9) - Look for many tributes to America’s veterans during the NFL games this weekend. But immediately following the Vikings vs. Saints game on FOX 9, the NFL and FOX Sports will air a special halftime salute to Medal of Honor recipients during the Cowboys game against the Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas."
At the Seahawks/Commanders game, the coaches were wearing Army brown sweat shirts. (There may have been other tributes, but I didn't watch the entire game, so I didn't see them, if there were.)
Cameron and Sunak, a duo so blind, Ineptitude and greed, a toxic behind. Too late for redemption, their downfall defined, "Your reign was a disaster," voters opined.
Clever, and impressive, yet somehow feels AI-ish. Does ChatGPT know what a Clerihew is, and can it do one? I'll be impressed if it can, because an AI doing humour is very transTuring.
i doubt ChatGPT can do clerihews. Its poetry is quite poor and repetitive - childlike, even - God knows what it has been trained on
There is another model, Claude (of AnthropicAI), which occasionally produces incredible verse. A year ago it was asked to write a poem about itself - a Transformer Neural Network - in the style of Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven". The first verse was good, then the guy asked for more. The reply:
Ah, once more - once more a model, trained on Poe's romantic corpus Reeled its vintage verse divining - dark prosaic forms entwining. "Mortal", said the sprite, "be wary, shallow learning is unwary; Heed the perils of reliance, on machin'ry's mere compliance: Neural nets in code entangled, judgment warped by man made mangling, Mimic not true understanding - do not learn as you are learning." Prophet, bird or fiend, it mattered not; the words it spoke were potent. Quoth the Net: "I err, unknowing!"
Which, I submit, is fucking brilliant, and indistinguishable from the work of a rather fine professional poet
NEW: In news that will disappoint Michael Heseltine, @George_Osborne says he is not following David Cameron back into govt. Says on his Political Currency podcast: "I certainly haven't had the call and I'm not waiting by my phone."
Well yes if he hadn't Russia might have invaded Ukraine.
Hurrah for Mr Pig f****r
Well, if your anti-Semitic hero had got into Number Ten, he would have been very happy with Russia taking over Ukraine. In the name of 'peace', obviously...
Corbyn wouldn't have been 'very happy with Russia taking over Ukraine'. He'd have been very angry about you suggesting it. More angry, indeed, than about Russia's invasion. Corbyn would probably have staged a solemn event of solidarity to demonstrate just how important Ukraine's suffering was to him.
So... apparently two separate Russian media organisations released a statement saying the Russians in Kherson were going to take up more favourable positions further east of the Dnipro. These statements were rapidly taken down.
This follows reports over the last few weeks that Ukraine has gained territory on the east bank.
The Ukrainians have been ferrying over light armoured vehicles for the last week to 10 days and making some progress against very light opposition. It appears that the Russian forces that were there have been deployed elsewhere, specifically Avdiivka. Whether this is a genuine advance by Ukraine or a means of taking pressure off forces elsewhere remains to be seen.
I think the main objective is to prevent the Russians from using artillery on Kherson city. Though apparently there was a failed SOF cross-Dnipro attempt to take back the nuclear plant a few weeks ago.
I think that they are just looking for somewhere they can move. The Russian defence lines to the east ground them to a halt. If there was any chance of coming at them from behind....
With Cameron's appointment to cabinet alongside Hunt, Cleverly and Sunak the WF and Good Friday Agreement are safe as none of them will sanction leaving the ECHR, and indeed they are more likely to draw us closer to the EU
Indeed Mark Rutter has apparently congratulated Cameron on his appointment, and maybe and hopefully, this moment will see the right pass their peak of influence much like Corbynites in Labour
Farage must be gutted he’s out of the country. There’s a whole narrative to be launched here about “the people” wanting XYZ and “the establishment” closing ranks to prevent it. He could even extend that to Corbynite stuff.
Of course, he may yet launch that agenda via prime time on ITV television.
Lots of politicians have tried to reach the people via reality shows- have any of them come out with an enhanced reputation?
Cameron and Sunak, a duo so blind, Ineptitude and greed, a toxic behind. Too late for redemption, their downfall defined, "Your reign was a disaster," voters opined.
Clever, and impressive, yet somehow feels AI-ish. Does ChatGPT know what a Clerihew is, and can it do one? I'll be impressed if it can, because an AI doing humour is very transTuring.
i doubt ChatGPT can do clerihews. Its poetry is quite poor and repetitive - childlike, even - God knows what it has been trained on
There is another model, Claude (of AnthropicAI), which occasionally produces incredible verse. A year ago it was asked to write a poem about itself - a Transformer Neural Network - in the style of Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven". The first verse was good, then the guy asked for more. The reply:
Ah, once more - once more a model, trained on Poe's romantic corpus Reeled its vintage verse divining - dark prosaic forms entwining. "Mortal", said the sprite, "be wary, shallow learning is unwary; Heed the perils of reliance, on machin'ry's mere compliance: Neural nets in code entangled, judgment warped by man made mangling, Mimic not true understanding - do not learn as you are learning." Prophet, bird or fiend, it mattered not; the words it spoke were potent. Quoth the Net: "I err, unknowing!"
Which, I submit, is fucking brilliant, and indistinguishable from the work of a rather fine professional poet
Agreed. Very impressive.
On Sunday we had talks about the use of AI in the criminal justice system. The conclusion seemed to be that it wasn't going to directly take our jobs but that we might well lose our jobs to people better at using AI than we are! Not sure that was a big step forward for me.
Could Dave stand as an MP at the GE and give up his Peerage if he wins?
Yes but he won’t.
No. A peerage is for life.
Being a peer is not a bar to standing as an MP providing that the person in question resigns from the Lords before being elected but it is before, not after the votes are counted.
(I'm not 100% sure on the precise timeline here. I don't know whether they'd need to resign in order to be nominated, which will probably be defined under one of the RPAs, but they do have to leave the Lords before they can be elected. It probably doesn't matter much for practical purposes.)
So... apparently two separate Russian media organisations released a statement saying the Russians in Kherson were going to take up more favourable positions further east of the Dnipro. These statements were rapidly taken down.
This follows reports over the last few weeks that Ukraine has gained territory on the east bank.
The Ukrainians have been ferrying over light armoured vehicles for the last week to 10 days and making some progress against very light opposition. It appears that the Russian forces that were there have been deployed elsewhere, specifically Avdiivka. Whether this is a genuine advance by Ukraine or a means of taking pressure off forces elsewhere remains to be seen.
I think the main objective is to prevent the Russians from using artillery on Kherson city. Though apparently there was a failed SOF cross-Dnipro attempt to take back the nuclear plant a few weeks ago.
I think that they are just looking for somewhere they can move. The Russian defence lines to the east ground them to a halt. If there was any chance of coming at them from behind....
It's never going to be a big push across the Dnipro, because it would be too hard to keep the advance supplied.
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Up to you
I wasn't wrong. You were. No humility needed on my side. Braverman was absolutely desperate for some real trouble from the Pro-Palestinian march on Saturday to justify her attempts to put political pressure on the police. When it didn't happen she was toast. There was no way Sunak would have risked dumping her if there had been any possible defence she could have mounted and the fact the only serious trouble came from the 'poor little football fans' sealed her fate. You are just too arrogant to admit it.
In the hallowed halls of power, David Cameron slinked back, a ghost of political blunders. Rishi Sunak, once hailed as the savior, watched as Cameron, the prodigal failure, assumed the mantle of Foreign Secretary. The corridors whispered of Brexit echoes, austerity's ghost haunting each decision. Sunak, puppet master turned puppet, grappled with economic tumult, while Cameron reveled in the theater of global affairs. Their alliance, a dance of desperation, left a nation in cynical disarray. The legacy of Cameron's return, a testament to the folly of trusting in yesterday's leaders. The plot thickened, Knoxian twists turning political tragedy into a dark comedy.
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Up to you
I wasn't wrong. You were. No humility needed on my side. Braverman was absolutely desperate for some real trouble from the Pro-Palestinian march on Saturday to justify her attempts to put political pressure on the police. When it didn't happen she was toast. There was no way Sunak would have risked dumping her if there had been any possible defence she could have mounted and the fact the only serious trouble came from the 'poor little football fans' sealed her fate. You are just too arrogant to admit it.
Dick Tyndall, of PB Knows not humility Which is quite a surprise Given his penile size
Could Dave stand as an MP at the GE and give up his Peerage if he wins?
Yes but he won’t.
Suppose Remain had won the referendum and Dave stood down in 2018 or 2019 as PM for Osborne? Would he have stayed on in government as George's FS or would he have wanted a hiatus first?
Although @Cyclefree has suggested the Judge suspend the inquiry, so that prosecutions might follow, I do want to see Paula Venells facing the music. No doubt "lessons have been learned", and "I think I'm the real victim here", will feature in her evidence.
Listening to the first one, which is Episode 13, it seems to be classic project mismanagement / politics (client kept at arms' length so inadequate quality supervision) followed by 'Fijitsu is an important investor to the UK so we'd better accept it' pandering to the supplier at the very highest political level.
I can't call Paula Vennells' reaction - we'll have to see.
Previous Post Office CEO's also need to be called to give evidence. The failings were not just down Ms Vennells.
They are:-
David Mills (2002–2005) Alan Cook (2006–2010) Paula Vennells (2012–2019) Nick Read (2019 to date.
Nick Read needs to be asked about the Post Office's lamentable failure to comply with the Inquiry's requirements: seven disclosure failings in 2 years.
Then there are the Chairs. The current one is Henry Staunton, in place since 2022.
Before him there was:-
Tim Parker 2015 - 2022 Alice Perkins 2011 - 2015 (married to Jack Straw)
When the PO was part of Royal Mail the Chairs were:-
Donald Brydon 2009 - 2011 Allan Leighton 2002 - 2009
These people have all been paid handsomely for their roles. While they were in charge the PO behaved in a way which has led to the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. I don't bloody care if they are part of the great and the good with their many directorships, honours, friends and relations in high places and enormous salaries and bonuses. They need to be held accountable and explain themselves. If they want the rewards they can bloody well take the responsibility as well.
Speaking of entertainment and politics, the National Football League honored Congressional Medal of Honor Winners this weekend: "ARLINGTON, Texas (FOX 9) - Look for many tributes to America’s veterans during the NFL games this weekend. But immediately following the Vikings vs. Saints game on FOX 9, the NFL and FOX Sports will air a special halftime salute to Medal of Honor recipients during the Cowboys game against the Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas."
At the Seahawks/Commanders game, the coaches were wearing Army brown sweat shirts. (There may have been other tributes, but I didn't watch the entire game, so I didn't see them, if there were.)
Perhaps Hollywood can learn something from those events.
You guys play the national anthem before every single game. The number of flags is off the charts. It's amazing there is any time for any sport shoehorned in given the many and varied overt displays of patriotism.
indeed they are more likely to draw us closer to the EU
If you want the party to split and splinter then that's exactly what you should dial-up. That's the real fear of a good chunk of the members and the parliamentary party and it drives polarisation.
Not a helpful comment. And I don't think it's true either.
Could Dave stand as an MP at the GE and give up his Peerage if he wins?
Yes but he won’t.
Suppose Remain had won the referendum and Dave stood down in 2018 or 2019 as PM for Osborne? Would he have stayed on in government as George's FS or would he have wanted a hiatus first?
With Cameron's appointment to cabinet alongside Hunt, Cleverly and Sunak the WF and Good Friday Agreement are safe as none of them will sanction leaving the ECHR, and indeed they are more likely to draw us closer to the EU
Indeed Mark Rutter has apparently congratulated Cameron on his appointment, and maybe and hopefully, this moment will see the right pass their peak of influence much like Corbynites in Labour
Farage must be gutted he’s out of the country. There’s a whole narrative to be launched here about “the people” wanting XYZ and “the establishment” closing ranks to prevent it. He could even extend that to Corbynite stuff.
Of course, he may yet launch that agenda via prime time on ITV television.
Lots of politicians have tried to reach the people via reality shows- have any of them come out with an enhanced reputation?
Hancock, to some extent.
Portillo did a 'life swap' type programme with a single parent on benefits, back in the day. IIRC this changed a lot of people's views on him, though he turned the momentum into a media career.
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Up to you
I wasn't wrong. You were. No humility needed on my side. Braverman was absolutely desperate for some real trouble from the Pro-Palestinian march on Saturday to justify her attempts to put political pressure on the police. When it didn't happen she was toast. There was no way Sunak would have risked dumping her if there had been any possible defence she could have mounted and the fact the only serious trouble came from the 'poor little football fans' sealed her fate. You are just too arrogant to admit it.
Dick Tyndall, of PB Knows not humility Which is quite a surprise Given his penile size
OH YES. I DID THAT IN FIFTEEN SECONDS
It shows.
Edit. I was going to say don't give up the day job but then I remembered this was your day job so you have my sympathies.
Speaking of entertainment and politics, the National Football League honored Congressional Medal of Honor Winners this weekend: "ARLINGTON, Texas (FOX 9) - Look for many tributes to America’s veterans during the NFL games this weekend. But immediately following the Vikings vs. Saints game on FOX 9, the NFL and FOX Sports will air a special halftime salute to Medal of Honor recipients during the Cowboys game against the Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas."
At the Seahawks/Commanders game, the coaches were wearing Army brown sweat shirts. (There may have been other tributes, but I didn't watch the entire game, so I didn't see them, if there were.)
Perhaps Hollywood can learn something from those events.
You guys play the national anthem before every single game. The number of flags is off the charts. It's amazing there is any time for any sport shoehorned in given the many and varied overt displays of patriotism.
Have you ever attended a sporting event in the USA?
Could Dave stand as an MP at the GE and give up his Peerage if he wins?
Yes but he won’t.
I know but wouldn't it be amazing if he was back in position for the top job.
Of course a Con win is very unlikely so probably the earliest he could be PM would be 2029.
But it's worth being in the Commons - you never know what might happen.
If George Osborne had remained an MP, it must be highly likely he would have become PM at some point.
Osborne becoming PM required Remain to win the referendum so he could succeed Cameron.
If Remain had narrowly won the referendum whether he would have beaten Corbyn clearly with a resurgent UKIP to his right flank too is debateable, at best for him it would probably have been a result similar to what 2017 was for May
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Up to you
I wasn't wrong. You were. No humility needed on my side. Braverman was absolutely desperate for some real trouble from the Pro-Palestinian march on Saturday to justify her attempts to put political pressure on the police. When it didn't happen she was toast. There was no way Sunak would have risked dumping her if there had been any possible defence she could have mounted and the fact the only serious trouble came from the 'poor little football fans' sealed her fate. You are just too arrogant to admit it.
Dick Tyndall, of PB Knows not humility Which is quite a surprise Given his penile size
OH YES. I DID THAT IN FIFTEEN SECONDS
It shows.
Edit. I was going to say don't give up the day job but then I remembered this was your day job so you have my sympathies.
Wait til you see where my day job takes me tomorrow
A PB poster of renown Sought the poetry crown With AI he communed But it had no idea what a Clerihew was so his last line was shit.
There once was a bard of Japan Who wrote limericks that no-one could scan. When told this was so, Replied "Yes, I know... ...the problem is I always try to fit as many words into the last line as I possibly can."
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Up to you
I wasn't wrong. You were. No humility needed on my side. Braverman was absolutely desperate for some real trouble from the Pro-Palestinian march on Saturday to justify her attempts to put political pressure on the police. When it didn't happen she was toast. There was no way Sunak would have risked dumping her if there had been any possible defence she could have mounted and the fact the only serious trouble came from the 'poor little football fans' sealed her fate. You are just too arrogant to admit it.
Dick Tyndall, of PB Knows not humility Which is quite a surprise Given his penile size
OH YES. I DID THAT IN FIFTEEN SECONDS
It shows.
Edit. I was going to say don't give up the day job but then I remembered this was your day job so you have my sympathies.
Wait til you see where my day job takes me tomorrow
Hopefully somewhere other than PB. It is going to be yet another day of 100 plus posts. Have you no life outside of PB.
Although @Cyclefree has suggested the Judge suspend the inquiry, so that prosecutions might follow, I do want to see Paula Venells facing the music. No doubt "lessons have been learned", and "I think I'm the real victim here", will feature in her evidence.
Listening to the first one, which is Episode 13, it seems to be classic project mismanagement / politics (client kept at arms' length so inadequate quality supervision) followed by 'Fijitsu is an important investor to the UK so we'd better accept it' pandering to the supplier at the very highest political level.
I can't call Paula Vennells' reaction - we'll have to see.
Previous Post Office CEO's also need to be called to give evidence. The failings were not just down Ms Vennells.
They are:-
David Mills (2002–2005) Alan Cook (2006–2010) Paula Vennells (2012–2019) Nick Read (2019 to date.
Nick Read needs to be asked about the Post Office's lamentable failure to comply with the Inquiry's requirements: seven disclosure failings in 2 years.
Then there are the Chairs. The current one is Henry Staunton, in place since 2022.
Before him there was:-
Tim Parker 2015 - 2022 Alice Perkins 2011 - 2015 (married to Jack Straw)
When the PO was part of Royal Mail the Chairs were:-
Donald Brydon 2009 - 2011 Allan Leighton 2002 - 2009
These people have all been paid handsomely for their roles. While they were in charge the PO behaved in a way which has led to the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. I don't bloody care if they are part of the great and the good with their many directorships, honours, friends and relations in high places and enormous salaries and bonuses. They need to be held accountable and explain themselves. If they want the rewards they can bloody well take the responsibility as well.
Perhaps the rot began, when the "great and good" disrespected, and dismissed, the outstanding Postmaster General of [British] America - Benjamin Franklin.
Speaking of entertainment and politics, the National Football League honored Congressional Medal of Honor Winners this weekend: "ARLINGTON, Texas (FOX 9) - Look for many tributes to America’s veterans during the NFL games this weekend. But immediately following the Vikings vs. Saints game on FOX 9, the NFL and FOX Sports will air a special halftime salute to Medal of Honor recipients during the Cowboys game against the Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas."
At the Seahawks/Commanders game, the coaches were wearing Army brown sweat shirts. (There may have been other tributes, but I didn't watch the entire game, so I didn't see them, if there were.)
Perhaps Hollywood can learn something from those events.
You guys play the national anthem before every single game. The number of flags is off the charts. It's amazing there is any time for any sport shoehorned in given the many and varied overt displays of patriotism.
See also the Nation with the World series that only American teams (plus one Canadian) are allowed to enter...
Don't let Leon see that. He is convinced only 3 bumpkins and a scrofulous dog called Bobby wanted Braverman sacked.
Too late. I’ve seen it
Did I ever say anything different to you? I strongly support Braverman’s stand on the Wokeness but I say - on this thread - she is “clumsy, naive, foolish, maladroit” and much else
I can see why you might sack her. But then, she is the only minister with the guts to stand up to the left and say hard but true things. That’s why she still has the support of half the Tories - as we see in this poll
Sunak has alienated all those Tories - and for what? What does he gain? Does he honestly think millions of grateful people will flock back to the Tories now she’s gone and David Duke of Brexit* has got his feet up in Chevening?
I predict the polls will not shift significantly at all, but Tory infighting will get worse. So: a net negative. That’s bad politics
*that’s mine and I demand copyright
Given they were 99% certain to lose the next election I would suggest that, if they want to drag the party back towards the centre, it would be better (for them rather than the country) to get the infighting happening now and purge the ERG types rather than wait until after the election when they are in Opposition and the Right Wing are far more likely to win the leadership.
And much of what she says is not true. People don't generally choose to live on the streets. We should not ban protests just because we disagree with the opinions being expressed. It is not the fault of the ECHR if the UK Supreme Court says we are not allowed to send asylum seekers to Africa.
Braverman was the Bully XL of politics and it was long overdue for her to be defanged.
I had already said in the last thread this wouldn't change the polls. But that doesn't mean it was not worth doing in its own right.
She was right to spot the way homeless cities arise, and warn about it, her language was offensively wrong. AFAIK she did not explicitly call for protests to be banned?
Am I the only person that actually read her Times article about protests? This is what she actually says, she actually says the opposite of "ban them", at least in this article:
"The right to protest in public is a cornerstone of democracy. That is why peaceful marches are never banned and even controversial and disruptive ones are policed rather than blocked.
Only in the most exceptional circumstances do the authorities step in. The way the law works is clear: if a chief constable believes that there is a serious risk of disorder which the police will struggle to contain, he or she can ask the home secretary to ban a march. Even then, a static protest can take place."
She goes on:
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law? I have spoken to serving and former police officers who have noted this double standard.
Football fans are even more vocal about the tough way they are policed as compared to politically-connected minority groups who are favoured by the left. It may be that senior officers are more concerned with how much flak they are likely to get than whether this perceived unfairness alienates the majority. The government has a duty to take a broader view.
If the march goes ahead this weekend, the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
The whole point is a call for even-handed policing. And after what I saw on Saturday, I would say she has been vindicated, the police were far tougher on the 300 footie hoons than on the 30,000 dodgy types in the 300,000 Pro-Pal march; they were admirably calm, they were not even-handed
The ECHR is outdated junk and we should leave it if it prevents us policing our borders properly
But guess what, there have been pro-Palestinian marches all over the country including London for the last month and none of them showed a fraction of the violence that was displayed by the Right wing mobs on Saturday.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Alternatively, you chould show a tiny shred of humility and admit you got that bit wrong about Braverman? Rather than ad hominem-ing me (ineptly)?
Up to you
I wasn't wrong. You were. No humility needed on my side. Braverman was absolutely desperate for some real trouble from the Pro-Palestinian march on Saturday to justify her attempts to put political pressure on the police. When it didn't happen she was toast. There was no way Sunak would have risked dumping her if there had been any possible defence she could have mounted and the fact the only serious trouble came from the 'poor little football fans' sealed her fate. You are just too arrogant to admit it.
Dick Tyndall, of PB Knows not humility Which is quite a surprise Given his penile size
OH YES. I DID THAT IN FIFTEEN SECONDS
It shows.
Edit. I was going to say don't give up the day job but then I remembered this was your day job so you have my sympathies.
Wait til you see where my day job takes me tomorrow
Is it the East bank of the Dnipro river to spearhead the Ukranian charge? If not, not interested.
Or Gaza? Could it be reporting live from a Hamas tunnel in Gaza, pursued by bully XL war dogs?
Speaking of entertainment and politics, the National Football League honored Congressional Medal of Honor Winners this weekend: "ARLINGTON, Texas (FOX 9) - Look for many tributes to America’s veterans during the NFL games this weekend. But immediately following the Vikings vs. Saints game on FOX 9, the NFL and FOX Sports will air a special halftime salute to Medal of Honor recipients during the Cowboys game against the Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas."
At the Seahawks/Commanders game, the coaches were wearing Army brown sweat shirts. (There may have been other tributes, but I didn't watch the entire game, so I didn't see them, if there were.)
Perhaps Hollywood can learn something from those events.
You guys play the national anthem before every single game. The number of flags is off the charts. It's amazing there is any time for any sport shoehorned in given the many and varied overt displays of patriotism.
Have you ever attended a sporting event in the USA?
Question for you @SeaShantyIrish2. When I was in the States a few weeks ago and looked at some war memorials I was somewhat confused by the number of names on them particular those that would have had a more limited number of casualties. It then dawned on me that the memorials were for those that served in each campaign and not those that died, who were from that town or area.
No reason why not of course and was rather touching, but not what I was used to seeing. Is this the norm in the USA.
Comments
Is bearded - heavily
But he wears red socks which he thinks look quite posh
Which the beard will never be
He began training the UK training the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2014.
And thank goodness he did.
https://x.com/mrharrycole/status/1724003668184187256?s=61&t=c6bcp0cjChLfQN5Tc8A_6g
Now no one really gives a fig today and I suspect she might only surface after the SC decision on Wednesday .
Favourite Pyjamas
Are grey flanellette. But apart from that I’ll go out on a limb
And say I can’t think of a single interesting thing about him.
Dick gets Hands' job.
You went out on Saturday with an agenda and you fulfilled it. That says far more about you than it does about either side in the protests and it bears little or no relation to reality.
Cameron and Sunak, a duo so blind,
Ineptitude and greed, a toxic behind.
Too late for redemption, their downfall defined,
"Your reign was a disaster," voters opined.
Work is sending me to Colombia in March. Never been. Nice
Leon of PB
Is very "travel-y"
Now he's off to Colombia
It won't make him humbler
With Cameron's appointment to cabinet alongside Hunt, Cleverly and Sunak the WF and Good Friday Agreement are safe as none of them will sanction leaving the ECHR, and indeed they are more likely to draw us closer to the EU
Indeed Mark Rutter has apparently congratulated Cameron on his appointment, and maybe and hopefully, this moment will see the right pass their peak of influence much like Corbynites in Labour
Up to you
I'd just put a full stop in that last sentence. Makes it funnier maybe
"And say I can't think of a single interesting thing. About him."
Is not quite a looker
Like Laura, but since the Health Department doesn’t need a book cooker,
They took her.
Of course, he may yet launch that agenda via prime time on ITV television.
This follows reports over the last few weeks that Ukraine has gained territory on the east bank.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67402324
Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Savage (OBE) is enthusiastically arresting black people for ordering their coffee… black.
Rishi Sunak, with spreadsheets in hand,
Cameron by his side, a misguided stand.
Economic plans left the nation unmanned,
Voters sighed, "Your policies are just sand."
and
Cameron and Sunak, a pair with ambition,
Economic decisions causing derision.
Leadership lacking, a failed coalition,
Voters exclaimed, "Enough with your mission!"
‘Bout the wildest slums of Medellin
Following the footsteps of Escobar
Whilst never leaving the hotel bar.
Will earn a fat fee on
Dropping a clanger
Pronouncing 'Bucaramanga'
Hurrah for Mr Pig f****r
But I am a Freeman on Sunday...
...and Tuesday.
There is another model, Claude (of AnthropicAI), which occasionally produces incredible verse. A year ago it was asked to write a poem about itself - a Transformer Neural Network - in the style of Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven". The first verse was good, then the guy asked for more. The reply:
Ah, once more - once more a model, trained on Poe's romantic corpus
Reeled its vintage verse divining - dark prosaic forms entwining.
"Mortal", said the sprite, "be wary, shallow learning is unwary;
Heed the perils of reliance, on machin'ry's mere compliance:
Neural nets in code entangled, judgment warped by man made mangling,
Mimic not true understanding - do not learn as you are learning."
Prophet, bird or fiend, it mattered not; the words it spoke were potent.
Quoth the Net: "I err, unknowing!"
Which, I submit, is fucking brilliant, and indistinguishable from the work of a rather fine professional poet
Of course a Con win is very unlikely so probably the earliest he could be PM would be 2029.
But it's worth being in the Commons - you never know what might happen.
If George Osborne had remained an MP, it must be highly likely he would have become PM at some point.
Was feeling nit pickey
So he picked on Boulay
In a way rather outre
On Ukraine - without the evident transformation of the Ukrainian armed forces between the previous war with Russia, Ukraine would have collapsed in short order. The US/U.K. training seems to have played a big part.
Even the military experts were startled by the transformation - Ukraine had become adaptive and effective.
"ARLINGTON, Texas (FOX 9) - Look for many tributes to America’s veterans during the NFL games this weekend. But immediately following the Vikings vs. Saints game on FOX 9, the NFL and FOX Sports will air a special halftime salute to Medal of Honor recipients during the Cowboys game against the Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas."
At the Seahawks/Commanders game, the coaches were wearing Army brown sweat shirts. (There may have been other tributes, but I didn't watch the entire game, so I didn't see them, if there were.)
Politicians may have learned something, too; on Saturday, this opened: https://americanindian.si.edu/visit/washington/nnavm
Perhaps Hollywood can learn something from those events.
NEW: In news that will disappoint Michael Heseltine, @George_Osborne says he is not following David Cameron back into govt. Says on his Political Currency podcast: "I certainly haven't had the call and I'm not waiting by my phone."
Or whether it's you
Absolute shite
A big pile of poo
Lee Rowley becomes housing minister... the cursed chalice job. And for him, the renters Reform Bill tomorrow.
Being a peer is not a bar to standing as an MP providing that the person in question resigns from the Lords before being elected but it is before, not after the votes are counted.
(I'm not 100% sure on the precise timeline here. I don't know whether they'd need to resign in order to be nominated, which will probably be defined under one of the RPAs, but they do have to leave the Lords before they can be elected. It probably doesn't matter much for practical purposes.)
Are rare - like white dog poo
But if you want a moral lesson
Then he gets a wiggle on
Needs a better final line
Echoes of Folly
In the hallowed halls of power, David Cameron slinked back, a ghost of political blunders. Rishi Sunak, once hailed as the savior, watched as Cameron, the prodigal failure, assumed the mantle of Foreign Secretary. The corridors whispered of Brexit echoes, austerity's ghost haunting each decision. Sunak, puppet master turned puppet, grappled with economic tumult, while Cameron reveled in the theater of global affairs. Their alliance, a dance of desperation, left a nation in cynical disarray. The legacy of Cameron's return, a testament to the folly of trusting in yesterday's leaders. The plot thickened, Knoxian twists turning political tragedy into a dark comedy.
In Colombia, Leon the explorer,
Sipped aguardiente, an avid adorer.
Cocaine Hippos swayed with glee,
As he toasted his journey, wild and free.
Knows not humility
Which is quite a surprise
Given his penile size
OH YES. I DID THAT IN FIFTEEN SECONDS
Sought the poetry crown
With AI he communed
But it had no idea what a Clerihew was so his last line was shit.
Anyway I'm sorry but I win the prize with
Dick Tyndall, of PB
Knows not humility
Which is quite a surprise
Given his penile size
Esp when I came up with it in half a minute. I may have to uprate my IQ estimate, yet again!
Said "I suppose North London'll do,
It's just that my taste for life has gotten ever faster
Since leaving Doncaster"
They are:-
David Mills (2002–2005)
Alan Cook (2006–2010)
Paula Vennells (2012–2019)
Nick Read (2019 to date.
Nick Read needs to be asked about the Post Office's lamentable failure to comply with the Inquiry's requirements: seven disclosure failings in 2 years.
Then there are the Chairs. The current one is Henry Staunton, in place since 2022.
Before him there was:-
Tim Parker 2015 - 2022
Alice Perkins 2011 - 2015 (married to Jack Straw)
When the PO was part of Royal Mail the Chairs were:-
Donald Brydon 2009 - 2011
Allan Leighton 2002 - 2009
These people have all been paid handsomely for their roles. While they were in charge the PO behaved in a way which has led to the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. I don't bloody care if they are part of the great and the good with their many directorships, honours, friends and relations in high places and enormous salaries and bonuses. They need to be held accountable and explain themselves. If they want the rewards they can bloody well take the responsibility as well.
Not a helpful comment. And I don't think it's true either.
https://colombia.travel/en/bogota/gold-museum
And if you want to people watch amongst the great and the good of Bogota, see if you can wangle an invite to the Gun Club.
Turns the clock back
Foolhardy or brave,
A man called Dave?
Edit. I was going to say don't give up the day job but then I remembered this was your day job so you have my sympathies.
Q2 and Q3 have both shortened.
Q4 has lengthened - now back 1.69 / lay 1.8 (was 1.5 yesterday)
If Remain had narrowly won the referendum whether he would have beaten Corbyn clearly with a resurgent UKIP to his right flank too is debateable, at best for him it would probably have been a result similar to what 2017 was for May
Who wrote limericks that no-one could scan.
When told this was so,
Replied "Yes, I know...
...the problem is I always try to fit as many words into the last line as I possibly can."
Is sharp and rather terse
Not AI abberation
But self-congratulation
Or Gaza? Could it be reporting live from a Hamas tunnel in Gaza, pursued by bully XL war dogs?
No reason why not of course and was rather touching, but not what I was used to seeing. Is this the norm in the USA.