"Cheshire East council says it faces bankruptcy due to HS2 link cancellation Local authority covering some of richest areas in England says it spent £11m preparing for rail line
Josh Halliday North of England correspondent Thu 14 Dec 2023 13.35 GMT A council in one of the wealthiest parts of the UK has warned it faces potential bankruptcy due to the “devastating” impact of cancelling the northern leg of HS2.
Leaders of Cheshire East council in north-west England said the authority had spent £11m preparing for the high-speed rail link, and this would now have to be written off. Most of this money – £8.6m – had been funded by borrowing and would now have to be funded from the council’s already stretched revenue budget.
As a result, the council, which is a unitary authority covering Crewe and Macclesfield, could be forced to trigger a section 114 notice, in effect declaring bankruptcy, according to a report by council officers."
It would be entirely typical of Sunak if his bungled and incoherent attempt to get rid of HS2 ended up costing more than building the railway itself would have done.
I find myself increasingly Green - in the old fashioned sense - as I age. The damage we do to nature, our mother planet, distresses me intensely. Two weeks ago I was on a near-wilderness Cambodian island - probably the most beautiful beach was destroyed by plastic litter
Ugh
And the cruelty we inflict on animals: eeesh. They are our brothers and sisters, born at the same moment of Creation. I now eschew red meat unless it can be absolutely and ethically sourced, otherwise I eat sustainable fish, game, veg
On the other hand I’m all up for a hard right populist government ready to deport everyone to Burundi. So it’s swings and roundabouts
You have no idea how ethical the grub you're eating is. That dog you were chowing down on a couple of weeks ago, how ethically sourced was that poor fucker?
I wrote about this earlier today
The dog restaurant I went to is known for going to rural villages outside the capital and either capturing strays or buying pets, so the dog almost certainly had a better life than most industrially farmed animals in the UK
Cambodia doesn't have the dog farm industry of Korea, it is a much more niche taste (and dying out)
Peak PB. Arguing how to eat dogs ethically.
Mind, they are at the higher end of the trophic chain, so ecologicall unsounds for that alone (and, also, concentrating pollutants in themselves, like tuna and whale and so on).
Come on! You know that eating a feral dog that has spent its life subsisting on the very best that a Cambodian town dump has to offer is both ethical and nutrious.
Couple of them I might actually hunt out. Die Hard is only at 15.
The Silent Partner I have to see, if only for this: ...The only ever dramatic theatrical feature film to be scored by Jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson who, coincidentally, was a schoolmate of lead actor Christopher Plummer...
Ah, Christopher Plummer. The best Duke of Wellington on film.
Just had to pay parenthood penalty twice in as many days - watching the kids nativity plays when I could have been down the pub with the lads. It’s soooo unfair
I find myself increasingly Green - in the old fashioned sense - as I age. The damage we do to nature, our mother planet, distresses me intensely. Two weeks ago I was on a near-wilderness Cambodian island - probably the most beautiful beach was destroyed by plastic litter
Ugh
And the cruelty we inflict on animals: eeesh. They are our brothers and sisters, born at the same moment of Creation. I now eschew red meat unless it can be absolutely and ethically sourced, otherwise I eat sustainable fish, game, veg
On the other hand I’m all up for a hard right populist government ready to deport everyone to Burundi. So it’s swings and roundabouts
You have no idea how ethical the grub you're eating is. That dog you were chowing down on a couple of weeks ago, how ethically sourced was that poor fucker?
I wrote about this earlier today
The dog restaurant I went to is known for going to rural villages outside the capital and either capturing strays or buying pets, so the dog almost certainly had a better life than most industrially farmed animals in the UK
Cambodia doesn't have the dog farm industry of Korea, it is a much more niche taste (and dying out)
Peak PB. Arguing how to eat dogs ethically.
Mind, they are at the higher end of the trophic chain, so ecologicall unsounds for that alone (and, also, concentrating pollutants in themselves, like tuna and whale and so on).
Come on! You know that eating a feral dog that has spent its life subsisting on the very best that a Cambodian town dump has to offer is both ethical and nutrious.
The best bacon I have ever eaten came from the Zabaleen butchers of Moqqatam, Cairo
The Zabaleen are Coptic Christians, forced to spend their lives clearing the garbage of the city, which they then sort and sell or recycle; their pigs wander around eating the most disgusting stuff, amidst the piles of rotting dreck
That is what pigs are meant to do, of course, scavenge for anything. The bacon therefore is - or was (I believe the tradition may have died out) the very best in the world. Chefs from top Egyptian hotels would travel for hours to get it
Just had to pay parenthood penalty twice in as many days - watching the kids nativity plays when I could have been down the pub with the lads. It’s soooo unfair
Likewise. I just had to spend 20 minutes whatsapping with my older daughter about the arrangements for Christmas, and what she wants for a present, when I could have been doing Ketamine with Hollywood celebs in Sexy Fish
I find myself increasingly Green - in the old fashioned sense - as I age. The damage we do to nature, our mother planet, distresses me intensely. Two weeks ago I was on a near-wilderness Cambodian island - probably the most beautiful beach was destroyed by plastic litter
Ugh
And the cruelty we inflict on animals: eeesh. They are our brothers and sisters, born at the same moment of Creation. I now eschew red meat unless it can be absolutely and ethically sourced, otherwise I eat sustainable fish, game, veg
On the other hand I’m all up for a hard right populist government ready to deport everyone to Burundi. So it’s swings and roundabouts
You have no idea how ethical the grub you're eating is. That dog you were chowing down on a couple of weeks ago, how ethically sourced was that poor fucker?
I wrote about this earlier today
The dog restaurant I went to is known for going to rural villages outside the capital and either capturing strays or buying pets, so the dog almost certainly had a better life than most industrially farmed animals in the UK
Cambodia doesn't have the dog farm industry of Korea, it is a much more niche taste (and dying out)
Peak PB. Arguing how to eat dogs ethically.
Mind, they are at the higher end of the trophic chain, so ecologicall unsounds for that alone (and, also, concentrating pollutants in themselves, like tuna and whale and so on).
Come on! You know that eating a feral dog that has spent its life subsisting on the very best that a Cambodian town dump has to offer is both ethical and nutrious.
The best bacon I have ever eaten came from the Zabaleen butchers of Moqqatam, Cairo
The Zabaleen are Coptic Christians, forced to spend their lives clearing the garbage of the city, which they then sort and sell or recycle; their pigs wander around eating the most disgusting stuff, amidst the piles of rotting dreck
That is what pigs are meant to do, of course, scavenge for anything. The bacon therefore is - or was (I believe the tradition may have died out) the very best in the world. Chefs from top Egyptian hotels would travel for hours to get it
Perhaps dog meat is similar
Presumably it’s not filled with water to bulk it out so you don’t get that white residue on it.
"Cheshire East council says it faces bankruptcy due to HS2 link cancellation Local authority covering some of richest areas in England says it spent £11m preparing for rail line
A council in one of the wealthiest parts of the UK has warned it faces potential bankruptcy due to the “devastating” impact of cancelling the northern leg of HS2.
Leaders of Cheshire East council in north-west England said the authority had spent £11m preparing for the high-speed rail link, and this would now have to be written off. Most of this money – £8.6m – had been funded by borrowing and would now have to be funded from the council’s already stretched revenue budget.
As a result, the council, which is a unitary authority covering Crewe and Macclesfield, could be forced to trigger a section 114 notice, in effect declaring bankruptcy, according to a report by council officers."
£100k Council tax surcharge for Premier League players only should sort it.
Reading the story, it is one of those where it feels like a lot has been left out. What isn't clear is:
1) Why a local council had to spend money on a national transport project? 2) Why the money was spent years in advance of the railway being built?
It quite simply cannot be correct that a Council with a 400k population would be bankrupted by a mere £11m of (presumably) capital spend. It wouldn't have helped, but it reeks of a cover story.
Someone else looking after her kids all day, and she’s moaning that she can’t get out on the piss after work because of them. Bet they’ll love seeing this when they’re older
As I walk past everyone going to Christmas parties and drinks on my way to get the kids from nursery, yet again acutely aware the motherhood penalty is just a gift that keeps giving….
Not just flexible working we need but flexible networking too….
I'm struggling to see the problem with Creasey's comment. It is hard for parents of young children to balance work and family commitments. It gets harder at this time of year when work schedules events outside of normal working hours. Because women still do more than their fair share of childcare duties, and because these after hours events matter, they do face a penalty in the workplace. All seems quite self evident and worth remarking upon.
She's a rich, privileged upper middle class woman. From her Wiki
Creasy was born on 5 April 1977 in Sutton Coldfield,[n 1][2] and is the daughter of Corinna Frances Avril (née Martin) and Philip Charles Creasy; her father is a trained opera singer and her mother a headteacher of a special needs school.[2][3] Her elder brother, Matthew Henry Creasy (born 1974), is an academic.[4] Creasy's mother described her own parents as "very aristocratic" and herself as "enormously privileged", which contributed to her decision to join the Labour Party.[2]
She can easily afford child care. She can shove her whining up her "aristocratic" XXXXXX
You're quite into identity politics for a woke-finder.
It's more about class politics.
She wants society to be organsied so that she can have it all without any trade-offs, but it's clearly impossible for everyone to have it all, so in effect she's demanding privileges for herself.
She's saying that there are ways of ordering things around work that could make things easier to balance childcare and work responsibilities. You could call that her requesting privileges or you could call it a reasonable suggestion for making things easier for a whole load of people. I do find it weird that people on the right complain about immigration and falling birth rates but also seem to be against improving work-life balance, which would help on both fronts. So much easier just to tell women to shut up I suppose.
Aren’t office parties planned well in advance? I’d have thought it would have been easy to arrange a childminder for one evening with sufficient notice.
When you’ve got young children, you just can’t go out as much as you could when you had none.
My partner & I have two preschool age children and as a result have been out together about twice in three years! I used to like going and getting drunk sometimes, but never drink enough to get a hangover now, because I’ve got two young Kids. My girlfriend went out last week for a drink with friends for the first time since before the pandemic! Because we’ve got young kids.
It’s not societies fault, it’s the result of decisions we made knowing the consequences, and the good outweighs the bad.
And here is someone on big money, who doesn’t even look after the kids during the day, moaning about missing a Christmas jolly because she’s got to pick her children up??? If I even thought it I’d tell myself off
Are you dumbfounded by the gall of it? Does it reach that bar?
No, it’s par for the course from whiny, rich lefties
To be both wealthy and left wing is to win life's lottery and so any irritations felt by such people should be kept to themselves - would this be a fair summary of your feelings here?
Oh mate, if I said grass was green you’d probably find a way to disagree in a pseudo intellectual, patronising way - think what you like
Also, of course, the government's favoured solution of unitarising bankrupt authorities won't work with Cheshire East...
Up to now, most councils have just about been able to squeeze into the too tight trousers of budgetary constraints. Declaring S114 has been shameful enough to make the unpleasantness worthwhile.
Once the first blameless council (Woking, Thurrock etc brought it on themselves, really) falls, the domino effect could be fast and extensive.
Sort of like the rash of tricky bottoms after a week or two of lockdown. Only question is who goes first, and when?
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
On topic: After reading this Karen Tumulty column, I am less positive about Nikki Haley's chances in Iowa. Mostly because Trump appears to have the better organization in that state:
"This time, Trump’s campaign has tapped captains — sometimes multiple — for every one of the roughly 1,700 caucus locations, and each will be outfitted with a gold-embroidered cap. It has also produced a slick 18-page how-to manual so that Trump caucus-goers, especially first-timers, will know what to do when they get there.
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
Also, of course, the government's favoured solution of unitarising bankrupt authorities won't work with Cheshire East...
Up to now, most councils have just about been able to squeeze into the too tight trousers of budgetary constraints. Declaring S114 has been shameful enough to make the unpleasantness worthwhile.
Once the first blameless council (Woking, Thurrock etc brought it on themselves, really) falls, the domino effect could be fast and extensive.
Sort of like the rash of tricky bottoms after a week or two of lockdown. Only question is who goes first, and when?
Reality is we don’t know - but we know there are a lot of councils in dire straits.
As I said before come June next year I expect to see a lot because new leadership will want the bad news out the way while it can be pinned on the leadership who were just removed.
I enjoyed that Kenneth Clarke quote: "All living things are our brothers and sisters."
It reminded me of this central claim from "Parasite Rex": About 60 percent of all known animal species are parasites. Little bit of sibling rivalry in our enviornment? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasite_Rex
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
Seattle Times ($) - Reforms coming to WA elections after 3 counties settle lawsuit
Washington state’s signature-verification procedures are meant to root out rare cases of voter fraud. [WA State is vote-by-mail for all elections.] But what they’ve typically done is get a lot of innocent legal votes tossed out. In 2020 alone, the state rejected more than 24,000 ballots. . . .
In the eight counties with the highest number of Latino voters, InvestigateWest’s data analysis concluded back in 2021 that voters with Hispanic-sounding names were four times more likely to have their votes discarded than other voters. And while there’s a procedure for “curing” your ballot — going online or showing up in person to fix your signature — your vote can still get rejected if your signature fails the second time. The percent of challenged ballots that get fixed are also lower for Latino voters.
After that report, UCLA’s Voting Rights Project sued three central Washington counties — Benton, Yakima and Chelan — where the disparities were particularly large, alleging racial discrimination. After years of litigation, the counties have settled, under an agreement that requires them to hold semiannual signature-verification training for county election staff and volunteers, as well as cultural competency training.
The ballot materials will also now include Spanish language instructions on the ballot’s security sleeve outlining exactly how your signature will be verified and how to fix your ballot if your signature is rejected.
The case was not without its hiccups. The original federal judge presiding over the case — Salvador Mendoza — had to recuse himself in 2021 because one of his ballot signatures had initially been rejected.
Handwriting comparisons are always prone to error. Signatures can change for a variety of reasons. . . .
In February 2022, the Washington State Auditor’s Office released its own study, in which it said that a sample review of 7,200 ballots showed that 98% of the ballots were appropriately accepted or rejected.
Yet the study still found that Black, Native American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander voters had their 2020 election votes rejected at almost twice the rate of white voters. It also found that younger voters and male voters were more likely to have their signature rejected.. . .
If anything, the report found, some signatures that probably should have been flagged for review were allowed more often in different counties.
. . . .InvestigateWest’s previous reporting found multiple races where the number of rejected signatures could have altered the outcome of the race, including the 2020 razor-thin matchup in King County between moderate Democratic state Sen. Mark Mullet and his Democratic challenger, Ingrid Anderson.
In that race, 400 votes were rejected because of failed signature verification. The race was decided by only 58.
Also, of course, the government's favoured solution of unitarising bankrupt authorities won't work with Cheshire East...
Up to now, most councils have just about been able to squeeze into the too tight trousers of budgetary constraints. Declaring S114 has been shameful enough to make the unpleasantness worthwhile.
Once the first blameless council (Woking, Thurrock etc brought it on themselves, really) falls, the domino effect could be fast and extensive.
Sort of like the rash of tricky bottoms after a week or two of lockdown. Only question is who goes first, and when?
Reality is we don’t know - but we know there are a lot of councils in dire straits.
As I said before come June next year I expect to see a lot because new leadership will want the bad news out the way while it can be pinned on the leadership who were just removed.
Fairly quiet but of the council cycle though- it's unitaries, mets and second tier districts electing by thirds. No counties or London boroughs. So relatively few all out councils at risk of flipping.
The harder bit is the current budget debate. Havering for example, needs to find £24 million in savings and has only identified about half of that.
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
Local Government finance is one of those issues we could and should talk about ad infinitum and ad nauseam - certainly far more interesting than AI, aliens or foreigh travel.
Section 114 notices - in truth, they are an admission of failure but it's not always a political failure by members. More often than not it's a failure of the central relationship between Officers and Members. This usually happens when Officers think they are Members and Members think they are Officers. It's a nuanced relationship and doesn't parallel that between civil servants and Ministers.
The other problem is the Cabinet structure which means Officers prioritise relationships with Cabinet members rather then with other Councillors and it can become a bit comfortable especially as the Council Leader can change the Cabinet at a whim.
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
OT. Just been listening to David Milliband being interviewed by Evan Davis. If anyone could have changed history for the better it would have been those few Labour members who gave the leadership to Ed instead of David.
He was excellent. He is as articulate as Blair and considerably more principled. Had he been leader I've no doubt we would have avoided Brexit and Johnson and all the shit that has accompanied them
OT. Just been listening to David Milliband being interviewed by Evan Davis. If anyone could have changed history for the better it would have been those few Labour members who gave the leadership to Ed instead of David.
He was excellent. He is as articulate as Blair and considerably more principled. Had he been leader I've no doubt we would have avoided Brexit and Johnson and all the shit that has accompanied them
There's a reason he was Hillary Clinton's favourite.
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
With respect to court case in WA State re: validation of voter signatures on (outside envelope) of returned postal ballots cast by voters, FYI (also BTW) yours truly was an observer at the 2020 state senate mandatory hand recount. Which confirmed the original result.
Issue of voter signatures did NOT arise, because under state law the recount was limited to retabulating ballots accepted for counting - NOT revisiting the decision to accept. Anyway, when the ballots were originally counted, and subsequently recounted, they'd been separated from the outer envelope including voter sigs.
The losing candidate COULD have gone to court IF she wanted to challenge the result; that's precisely what what the losing candidate for WA State governor did in 2004.
Reason she did not, was because likelihood that she'd have won a court case was at least 99.46% against. And court challenge would cost a LOT of money.
However, IF there is another razor-thin margin in a statewide office for Governor OR US Senator, or for US House, that might well be a different kettle of fish. With the whole issue of signature verification of returned ballot voter signatures being a potentially VERY hot topic.
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
On October 29th, the Seattle Times published an example of DEI in action. Titled "An Adventure in Belonging", the article described a group "women of color" who decided to practice by traveling to Alaska to see some scenery and do some trail running. The group practiced "diversity, equity, and inclusion" by excluding men and whites from the excursion. (They almost certainly excluded the poor, too, however unintentionaly, since such trips are expensive in both money and time.)
The article was not intended as a parody -- as best as I can tell.
It has, however, made me try of think of other possible meanings for DEI. The best I have come up with so far is: Division, Exclusion, and Inequity. I would be grateful to anyone who can come up with something better.
For the record: I am skeptical about DEI, because those claiming to practice it often violate our civil rights laws, in spirit and letter.
On topic: After reading this Karen Tumulty column, I am less positive about Nikki Haley's chances in Iowa. Mostly because Trump appears to have the better organization in that state:
"This time, Trump’s campaign has tapped captains — sometimes multiple — for every one of the roughly 1,700 caucus locations, and each will be outfitted with a gold-embroidered cap. It has also produced a slick 18-page how-to manual so that Trump caucus-goers, especially first-timers, will know what to do when they get there.
Someone else looking after her kids all day, and she’s moaning that she can’t get out on the piss after work because of them. Bet they’ll love seeing this when they’re older
As I walk past everyone going to Christmas parties and drinks on my way to get the kids from nursery, yet again acutely aware the motherhood penalty is just a gift that keeps giving….
Not just flexible working we need but flexible networking too….
I'm struggling to see the problem with Creasey's comment. It is hard for parents of young children to balance work and family commitments. It gets harder at this time of year when work schedules events outside of normal working hours. Because women still do more than their fair share of childcare duties, and because these after hours events matter, they do face a penalty in the workplace. All seems quite self evident and worth remarking upon.
She's a rich, privileged upper middle class woman. From her Wiki
Creasy was born on 5 April 1977 in Sutton Coldfield,[n 1][2] and is the daughter of Corinna Frances Avril (née Martin) and Philip Charles Creasy; her father is a trained opera singer and her mother a headteacher of a special needs school.[2][3] Her elder brother, Matthew Henry Creasy (born 1974), is an academic.[4] Creasy's mother described her own parents as "very aristocratic" and herself as "enormously privileged", which contributed to her decision to join the Labour Party.[2]
She can easily afford child care. She can shove her whining up her "aristocratic" XXXXXX
You're quite into identity politics for a woke-finder.
It's more about class politics.
She wants society to be organsied so that she can have it all without any trade-offs, but it's clearly impossible for everyone to have it all, so in effect she's demanding privileges for herself.
She's saying that there are ways of ordering things around work that could make things easier to balance childcare and work responsibilities. You could call that her requesting privileges or you could call it a reasonable suggestion for making things easier for a whole load of people. I do find it weird that people on the right complain about immigration and falling birth rates but also seem to be against improving work-life balance, which would help on both fronts. So much easier just to tell women to shut up I suppose.
Aren’t office parties planned well in advance? I’d have thought it would have been easy to arrange a childminder for one evening with sufficient notice.
When you’ve got young children, you just can’t go out as much as you could when you had none.
My partner & I have two preschool age children and as a result have been out together about twice in three years! I used to like going and getting drunk sometimes, but never drink enough to get a hangover now, because I’ve got two young Kids. My girlfriend went out last week for a drink with friends for the first time since before the pandemic! Because we’ve got young kids.
It’s not societies fault, it’s the result of decisions we made knowing the consequences, and the good outweighs the bad.
And here is someone on big money, who doesn’t even look after the kids during the day, moaning about missing a Christmas jolly because she’s got to pick her children up??? If I even thought it I’d tell myself off
Quick question: are your partner and your girlfriend two different people, or are they the same person?
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
OT. Just been listening to David Milliband being interviewed by Evan Davis. If anyone could have changed history for the better it would have been those few Labour members who gave the leadership to Ed instead of David.
He was excellent. He is as articulate as Blair and considerably more principled. Had he been leader I've no doubt we would have avoided Brexit and Johnson and all the shit that has accompanied them
Sorry Roger, I voted Ed. I have no idea why.
Just as well I left, who knows? Corbyn could have become leader
OT - Note that in New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed Nikki Haley for POTUS in the upcoming (January 8, 2024) NH Republican presidential Primary.
Personally think this endorsement has some heft with Granite State voters, more so than endorsement by Iowa Gov of Ron DeSantis in the upcoming (January 15, 2024) Iowa Republican precinct caucuses.
Perhaps worth noting that, back in 1988, it was endorsement and active support of then-Gov. John Sununu, the current gov's father, of George Bush (nobody called him "George Herbert Walker Bush" back then) that saved Bush the Elder's campaign after he lost the Iowa precinct caucus vote to Bob Dole.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Also note that New Hampshire Democrats led by former Gov. and current US Senator Jeanne Shaheen have just launched their campaign of support for Joe Biden as a WRITE IN candidate for POTUS in the Democratic presidential primary.
Because due to DNC rule change, advocated by Biden, New Hampshire was replaced (officially anyway) as initial primary of the 2024 nomination season by South Carolina. A decision greeted with virtually universal condemnation, dismay, etc., etc. by New Hampshireites of all political persuasion besides anarchist.
Why? Because the New Hampshire presidential primary is not just a beloved state institution and one of the few things the state is known for (beside it's "Live Free or Die" license plate motto) but also because the NH Primary is an important quadrennial cottage industry.
So much so, that it's "First in the Nation" status is enshrined in state law - a statute that only the most foolhardy of NH secretaries of state would dare to violate.
New Hampshire is also the only State in the US that does not require either seatbelts (for adults) in cars or car insurance.
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
ITV has a new miniseries on the slate for 2024: Mr Bates vs The Post Office. It's a biopic of the Post Office scandal in which an IT fuck-up saw hundreds of employees wrongly accused of theft and fraud, a saga generally considered to be one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK history.
A quick look at the cast list shows they've found someone to play Paula Vennells, the CEO of Post Office Ltd at the time, but there's no-one playing Adam Crozier, who was CEO of Royal Mail Ltd.
Crozier played a significant role in the real-life scandal, but looks to have been snipped out of the dramatisation. Maybe it was just too tricky to write the scene where Crozier left Royal Mail to become CEO of... ITV.
ITV has a new miniseries on the slate for 2024: Mr Bates vs The Post Office. It's a biopic of the Post Office scandal in which an IT fuck-up saw hundreds of employees wrongly accused of theft and fraud, a saga generally considered to be one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK history.
A quick look at the cast list shows they've found someone to play Paula Vennells, the CEO of Post Office Ltd at the time, but there's no-one playing Adam Crozier, who was CEO of Royal Mail Ltd.
Crozier played a significant role in the real-life scandal, but looks to have been snipped out of the dramatisation. Maybe it was just too tricky to write the scene where Crozier left Royal Mail to become CEO of... ITV.
The royal mail had very little to do with this Post Office scandal - so the likely change is because the writer wished to keep things simple...
Everton's new ownership group isn't just ringing alarm bells with fans. Fellow Premier League bosses were horrified by 777's Josh Wander's attitude at their recent meeting, shocking his besuited peers by keeping his baseball cap on the whole time.
Josh Halliday North of England correspondent Thu 14 Dec 2023 13.35 GMT A council in one of the wealthiest parts of the UK has warned it faces potential bankruptcy due to the “devastating” impact of cancelling the northern leg of HS2.
Leaders of Cheshire East council in north-west England said the authority had spent £11m preparing for the high-speed rail link, and this would now have to be written off. Most of this money – £8.6m – had been funded by borrowing and would now have to be funded from the council’s already stretched revenue budget.
As a result, the council, which is a unitary authority covering Crewe and Macclesfield, could be forced to trigger a section 114 notice, in effect declaring bankruptcy, according to a report by council officers."
It would be entirely typical of Sunak if his bungled and incoherent attempt to get rid of HS2 ended up costing more than building the railway itself would have done.
That was a given on the day that he announced it. It genuinely WILL cost more than the nominal saving, It is almost funny and the prefect epitaph for this fiasco of a government.
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
Belgium's Foreigners' Office has instructed dozens of municipalities to strip children born in Belgium to Palestinian parents of their Belgian nationality, L'Echo reports.
Ummmm: that might well fall foul of Belgium's obligations under the 1954 treaty regarding making people stateless.
ITV has a new miniseries on the slate for 2024: Mr Bates vs The Post Office. It's a biopic of the Post Office scandal in which an IT fuck-up saw hundreds of employees wrongly accused of theft and fraud, a saga generally considered to be one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK history.
A quick look at the cast list shows they've found someone to play Paula Vennells, the CEO of Post Office Ltd at the time, but there's no-one playing Adam Crozier, who was CEO of Royal Mail Ltd.
Crozier played a significant role in the real-life scandal, but looks to have been snipped out of the dramatisation. Maybe it was just too tricky to write the scene where Crozier left Royal Mail to become CEO of... ITV.
I remember Crozier. One of those people who say very little, and leave you wondering how and why they ever got into such senior positions.
Someone else looking after her kids all day, and she’s moaning that she can’t get out on the piss after work because of them. Bet they’ll love seeing this when they’re older
As I walk past everyone going to Christmas parties and drinks on my way to get the kids from nursery, yet again acutely aware the motherhood penalty is just a gift that keeps giving….
Not just flexible working we need but flexible networking too….
I'm struggling to see the problem with Creasey's comment. It is hard for parents of young children to balance work and family commitments. It gets harder at this time of year when work schedules events outside of normal working hours. Because women still do more than their fair share of childcare duties, and because these after hours events matter, they do face a penalty in the workplace. All seems quite self evident and worth remarking upon.
She's a rich, privileged upper middle class woman. From her Wiki
Creasy was born on 5 April 1977 in Sutton Coldfield,[n 1][2] and is the daughter of Corinna Frances Avril (née Martin) and Philip Charles Creasy; her father is a trained opera singer and her mother a headteacher of a special needs school.[2][3] Her elder brother, Matthew Henry Creasy (born 1974), is an academic.[4] Creasy's mother described her own parents as "very aristocratic" and herself as "enormously privileged", which contributed to her decision to join the Labour Party.[2]
She can easily afford child care. She can shove her whining up her "aristocratic" XXXXXX
You're quite into identity politics for a woke-finder.
It's more about class politics.
She wants society to be organsied so that she can have it all without any trade-offs, but it's clearly impossible for everyone to have it all, so in effect she's demanding privileges for herself.
She's saying that there are ways of ordering things around work that could make things easier to balance childcare and work responsibilities. You could call that her requesting privileges or you could call it a reasonable suggestion for making things easier for a whole load of people. I do find it weird that people on the right complain about immigration and falling birth rates but also seem to be against improving work-life balance, which would help on both fronts. So much easier just to tell women to shut up I suppose.
Aren’t office parties planned well in advance? I’d have thought it would have been easy to arrange a childminder for one evening with sufficient notice.
When you’ve got young children, you just can’t go out as much as you could when you had none.
My partner & I have two preschool age children and as a result have been out together about twice in three years! I used to like going and getting drunk sometimes, but never drink enough to get a hangover now, because I’ve got two young Kids. My girlfriend went out last week for a drink with friends for the first time since before the pandemic! Because we’ve got young kids.
It’s not societies fault, it’s the result of decisions we made knowing the consequences, and the good outweighs the bad.
And here is someone on big money, who doesn’t even look after the kids during the day, moaning about missing a Christmas jolly because she’s got to pick her children up??? If I even thought it I’d tell myself off
Quick question: are your partner and your girlfriend two different people, or are they the same person?
Couple of them I might actually hunt out. Die Hard is only at 15.
The Silent Partner I have to see, if only for this: ...The only ever dramatic theatrical feature film to be scored by Jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson who, coincidentally, was a schoolmate of lead actor Christopher Plummer...
While clearly the list is spot on to put "A Muppet Christmas Carol" top*. Tangerine at Number 2 is a weird one. I have actually seen it, and it really is about Trans sex workers and shot on an iPhone. Worth seeing, but perhaps not with all the family.
*apart from the glaring continuity error as in reality Tiny Tim should be a weird Frog-pig hybrid.
Also, of course, the government's favoured solution of unitarising bankrupt authorities won't work with Cheshire East...
Up to now, most councils have just about been able to squeeze into the too tight trousers of budgetary constraints. Declaring S114 has been shameful enough to make the unpleasantness worthwhile.
Once the first blameless council (Woking, Thurrock etc brought it on themselves, really) falls, the domino effect could be fast and extensive.
Sort of like the rash of tricky bottoms after a week or two of lockdown. Only question is who goes first, and when?
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
On Topic - Gotta say that the photo on Nikki Haley's brochure (or whatever) which shows her with her husband (he's on active duty with National Guard) is pretty bad, as a picture.
Surprised that her campaign could NOT come up with a better pic.
Do have some experience when it comes to campaign brochures, and it's often difficult to get reasonably decent photos of the candidate.
In the one shown, the portrait is pretty good - though some voters MIGHT think Haley's Palmetto State necklace is sporting some kind of satanic symbol (shades of Liz Truss?)
But the other photo is just bad, and the look on her face - head turned away from hubby - is worse; she appears to have just been given some bad news, or been startled, or something?
May sound nit-picky . . . but Nikki Haley is running for POTUS not dogcatcher.
Meanwhile, in "it might be a good thing, but do you really think you're going to make this happen" news,
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s - Consultation to begin as soon as January - Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook via twseal and me
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
How can they rebel when big pharma funds both sides of their politics?
I guess that must be the reason, or something close to it
But it seems incredible: the dysfunction. And it's not like the American health system is the best in the world in outcomes, which might justify these insane prices. Life expectancy is one of the lowest in the OECD, they have terrible infant mortality, massive obesity issues, and so on and so forth
American Healthcare is an object lesson in capitalist failure
OT. Just been listening to David Milliband being interviewed by Evan Davis. If anyone could have changed history for the better it would have been those few Labour members who gave the leadership to Ed instead of David.
He was excellent. He is as articulate as Blair and considerably more principled. Had he been leader I've no doubt we would have avoided Brexit and Johnson and all the shit that has accompanied them
I voted for Ed. It was about Iraq. It felt important at the time to turn a page on that whole disgraceful episode.
Someone else looking after her kids all day, and she’s moaning that she can’t get out on the piss after work because of them. Bet they’ll love seeing this when they’re older
As I walk past everyone going to Christmas parties and drinks on my way to get the kids from nursery, yet again acutely aware the motherhood penalty is just a gift that keeps giving….
Not just flexible working we need but flexible networking too….
I'm struggling to see the problem with Creasey's comment. It is hard for parents of young children to balance work and family commitments. It gets harder at this time of year when work schedules events outside of normal working hours. Because women still do more than their fair share of childcare duties, and because these after hours events matter, they do face a penalty in the workplace. All seems quite self evident and worth remarking upon.
She's a rich, privileged upper middle class woman. From her Wiki
Creasy was born on 5 April 1977 in Sutton Coldfield,[n 1][2] and is the daughter of Corinna Frances Avril (née Martin) and Philip Charles Creasy; her father is a trained opera singer and her mother a headteacher of a special needs school.[2][3] Her elder brother, Matthew Henry Creasy (born 1974), is an academic.[4] Creasy's mother described her own parents as "very aristocratic" and herself as "enormously privileged", which contributed to her decision to join the Labour Party.[2]
She can easily afford child care. She can shove her whining up her "aristocratic" XXXXXX
You're quite into identity politics for a woke-finder.
It's more about class politics.
She wants society to be organsied so that she can have it all without any trade-offs, but it's clearly impossible for everyone to have it all, so in effect she's demanding privileges for herself.
She's saying that there are ways of ordering things around work that could make things easier to balance childcare and work responsibilities. You could call that her requesting privileges or you could call it a reasonable suggestion for making things easier for a whole load of people. I do find it weird that people on the right complain about immigration and falling birth rates but also seem to be against improving work-life balance, which would help on both fronts. So much easier just to tell women to shut up I suppose.
Aren’t office parties planned well in advance? I’d have thought it would have been easy to arrange a childminder for one evening with sufficient notice.
When you’ve got young children, you just can’t go out as much as you could when you had none.
My partner & I have two preschool age children and as a result have been out together about twice in three years! I used to like going and getting drunk sometimes, but never drink enough to get a hangover now, because I’ve got two young Kids. My girlfriend went out last week for a drink with friends for the first time since before the pandemic! Because we’ve got young kids.
It’s not societies fault, it’s the result of decisions we made knowing the consequences, and the good outweighs the bad.
And here is someone on big money, who doesn’t even look after the kids during the day, moaning about missing a Christmas jolly because she’s got to pick her children up??? If I even thought it I’d tell myself off
Are you dumbfounded by the gall of it? Does it reach that bar?
No, it’s par for the course from whiny, rich lefties
To be both wealthy and left wing is to win life's lottery and so any irritations felt by such people should be kept to themselves - would this be a fair summary of your feelings here?
Oh mate, if I said grass was green you’d probably find a way to disagree in a pseudo intellectual, patronising way - think what you like
I wasn't disagreeing I was seeking to understand. You talked about "rich whiny lefties". Therefore it's something about that precise combination of attributes that gets your goat no?
Ok so I postulated a theory that fits. I don't see anything intellectual (pseudo or otherwise) or patronising about it. But you tell me then. Why are you so down on rich lefties who complain about things that irritate them?
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
So if you get Ozempic on your health insurance it will cost the same as in the UK?
But if your insurance won't cover it (which seems to be an issue for many?) then you have to pay the insane price
Presumably there are Americans coming over to Europe to buy it here, or Japan, or whatever. Given that a year's supply of Ozempic in the UK is about £2500 and in America it is nearer £20,000 the trip would justify itself, pricewise
Tho my guess is that other companies are about to flood the market with similar drugs, the demand is so huge
Just had to pay parenthood penalty twice in as many days - watching the kids nativity plays when I could have been down the pub with the lads. It’s soooo unfair
Likewise. I just had to spend 20 minutes whatsapping with my older daughter about the arrangements for Christmas, and what she wants for a present, when I could have been doing Ketamine with Hollywood celebs in Sexy Fish
The Parenthood Penalty is REAL
I'm going to see the panto at Catford at least three times, because my daughter is in it.
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
How can they rebel when big pharma funds both sides of their politics?
I guess that must be the reason, or something close to it
But it seems incredible: the dysfunction. And it's not like the American health system is the best in the world in outcomes, which might justify these insane prices. Life expectancy is one of the lowest in the OECD, they have terrible infant mortality, massive obesity issues, and so on and so forth
American Healthcare is an object lesson in capitalist failure
On the contrary, American health care is a capitalist triumph.
You have the Socialist mindset of someone brought up in a welfare state. The point of American Healthcare is not to prolong life or alleviate suffering but rather to make maximum profits for its shareholders and employees. At that it has no equals.
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Big Pharma kicks butt. Then charges though the ass to alleviate the pain in the ass.
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
How can they rebel when big pharma funds both sides of their politics?
I guess that must be the reason, or something close to it
But it seems incredible: the dysfunction. And it's not like the American health system is the best in the world in outcomes, which might justify these insane prices. Life expectancy is one of the lowest in the OECD, they have terrible infant mortality, massive obesity issues, and so on and so forth
American Healthcare is an object lesson in capitalist failure
On the contrary, American health care is a capitalist triumph.
You have the Socialist mindset of someone brought up in a welfare state. The point of American Healthcare is not to prolong life or alleviate suffering but rather to make maximum profits for its shareholders and employees. At that it has no equals.
Indeed. From the perspective of the pharma companies it is Utopian
That TV series about the Sacklers and opioids - Dopesick - was very powerful on this issue. A must watch
Couple of them I might actually hunt out. Die Hard is only at 15.
Their number 1 is right and the list rightly has no place for the excretion that is Love Actually, but It's a Wonderful Life should be in the top 3. Also, where is Bad Santa?
Local Government finance is one of those issues we could and should talk about ad infinitum and ad nauseam - certainly far more interesting than AI, aliens or foreigh travel.
Section 114 notices - in truth, they are an admission of failure but it's not always a political failure by members. More often than not it's a failure of the central relationship between Officers and Members. This usually happens when Officers think they are Members and Members think they are Officers. It's a nuanced relationship and doesn't parallel that between civil servants and Ministers.
The other problem is the Cabinet structure which means Officers prioritise relationships with Cabinet members rather then with other Councillors and it can become a bit comfortable especially as the Council Leader can change the Cabinet at a whim.
"Bradford Council will issue a Section 114 notice - effectively declaring itself bankrupt - without "exceptional" government help, a report has said."
Someone else looking after her kids all day, and she’s moaning that she can’t get out on the piss after work because of them. Bet they’ll love seeing this when they’re older
As I walk past everyone going to Christmas parties and drinks on my way to get the kids from nursery, yet again acutely aware the motherhood penalty is just a gift that keeps giving….
Not just flexible working we need but flexible networking too….
I'm struggling to see the problem with Creasey's comment. It is hard for parents of young children to balance work and family commitments. It gets harder at this time of year when work schedules events outside of normal working hours. Because women still do more than their fair share of childcare duties, and because these after hours events matter, they do face a penalty in the workplace. All seems quite self evident and worth remarking upon.
She's a rich, privileged upper middle class woman. From her Wiki
Creasy was born on 5 April 1977 in Sutton Coldfield,[n 1][2] and is the daughter of Corinna Frances Avril (née Martin) and Philip Charles Creasy; her father is a trained opera singer and her mother a headteacher of a special needs school.[2][3] Her elder brother, Matthew Henry Creasy (born 1974), is an academic.[4] Creasy's mother described her own parents as "very aristocratic" and herself as "enormously privileged", which contributed to her decision to join the Labour Party.[2]
She can easily afford child care. She can shove her whining up her "aristocratic" XXXXXX
You're quite into identity politics for a woke-finder.
It's more about class politics.
She wants society to be organsied so that she can have it all without any trade-offs, but it's clearly impossible for everyone to have it all, so in effect she's demanding privileges for herself.
She's saying that there are ways of ordering things around work that could make things easier to balance childcare and work responsibilities. You could call that her requesting privileges or you could call it a reasonable suggestion for making things easier for a whole load of people. I do find it weird that people on the right complain about immigration and falling birth rates but also seem to be against improving work-life balance, which would help on both fronts. So much easier just to tell women to shut up I suppose.
Aren’t office parties planned well in advance? I’d have thought it would have been easy to arrange a childminder for one evening with sufficient notice.
When you’ve got young children, you just can’t go out as much as you could when you had none.
My partner & I have two preschool age children and as a result have been out together about twice in three years! I used to like going and getting drunk sometimes, but never drink enough to get a hangover now, because I’ve got two young Kids. My girlfriend went out last week for a drink with friends for the first time since before the pandemic! Because we’ve got young kids.
It’s not societies fault, it’s the result of decisions we made knowing the consequences, and the good outweighs the bad.
And here is someone on big money, who doesn’t even look after the kids during the day, moaning about missing a Christmas jolly because she’s got to pick her children up??? If I even thought it I’d tell myself off
Are you dumbfounded by the gall of it? Does it reach that bar?
No, it’s par for the course from whiny, rich lefties
To be both wealthy and left wing is to win life's lottery and so any irritations felt by such people should be kept to themselves - would this be a fair summary of your feelings here?
Oh mate, if I said grass was green you’d probably find a way to disagree in a pseudo intellectual, patronising way - think what you like
I wasn't disagreeing I was seeking to understand. You talked about "rich whiny lefties". Therefore it's something about that precise combination of attributes that gets your goat no?
Ok so I postulated a theory that fits. I don't see anything intellectual (pseudo or otherwise) or patronising about it. But you tell me then. Why are you so down on rich lefties who complain about things that irritate them?
There is something admirable about people whose political interests override their economic interests. Whether wealthy leftists or working class Tories, voting to make yourself poorer because of your desire to have a better country is a credit to their consciences. A rich Tory or a poor Socialist merely trying to increase their own wealth is a much more callow and venal person.
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Big Pharma kicks butt. Then charges though the ass to alleviate the pain in the ass.
How come there isns't a US politician saying Fuck this, I will make the pharma companies grovel and act more like European pharma? We've had enough of being ripped off
Surely that would be wildly popular?
i am not claiming we are much better. The British worship of the mediocre NHS is absurd, surreal and embarrassing, but at least we aren't charged squillions for it
. . . at risk of lighting a fire under Anabob . . . the wonders of monetary technology . . .
Seattle Times ($) - WA ferries’ fare system is down, causing backups
Washington State Ferries is slowly restoring its electronic fare collection system after a systemwide outage early Thursday.
Technology staffers are working to bring the system back online one terminal at a time, beginning with those on the east side of Puget Sound — meaning it could be some time before things are back to normal.
Credit and ORCA [regional transit fare] cards are being accepted, but ferry staff must HAND RECORD [my emphasis] each transaction to be entered into the electronic system later, a slow process likely to cause delays.
The cause of the outage, which occurred just before 5 a.m., is under investigation. . . .
. . . at risk of lighting a fire under Anabob . . . the wonders of monetary technology . . .
Seattle Times ($) - WA ferries’ fare system is down, causing backups
Washington State Ferries is slowly restoring its electronic fare collection system after a systemwide outage early Thursday.
Technology staffers are working to bring the system back online one terminal at a time, beginning with those on the east side of Puget Sound — meaning it could be some time before things are back to normal.
Credit and ORCA [regional transit fare] cards are being accepted, but ferry staff must HAND RECORD [my emphasis] each transaction to be entered into the electronic system later, a slow process likely to cause delays.
The cause of the outage, which occurred just before 5 a.m., is under investigation. . . .
What you're saying is, they have notes for each transaction?
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Big Pharma kicks butt. Then charges though the ass to alleviate the pain in the ass.
How come there isns't a US politician saying Fuck this, I will make the pharma companies grovel and act more like European pharma? We've had enough of being ripped off
Surely that would be wildly popular?
i am not claiming we are much better. The British worship of the mediocre NHS is absurd, surreal and embarrassing, but at least we aren't charged squillions for it
Perhaps you've never heard of Bernie Sanders and/or Elizabeth Warren??
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Big Pharma kicks butt. Then charges though the ass to alleviate the pain in the ass.
How come there isns't a US politician saying Fuck this, I will make the pharma companies grovel and act more like European pharma? We've had enough of being ripped off
Surely that would be wildly popular?
i am not claiming we are much better. The British worship of the mediocre NHS is absurd, surreal and embarrassing, but at least we aren't charged squillions for it
Biden did that for modern insulins, capping costs at $35 per month. Previously American diabetics could be paying $1 000 a month, or skipping doses, often with tragic consequences:
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Big Pharma kicks butt. Then charges though the ass to alleviate the pain in the ass.
How come there isns't a US politician saying Fuck this, I will make the pharma companies grovel and act more like European pharma? We've had enough of being ripped off
Surely that would be wildly popular?
i am not claiming we are much better. The British worship of the mediocre NHS is absurd, surreal and embarrassing, but at least we aren't charged squillions for it
Perhaps you've never heard of Bernie Sanders and/or Elizabeth Warren??
I vaguely heard that Sanders was minded this way (not Warren, I confess)
I'd probaby vote for a Sanders type if I lived in the USA
Why don't mainstream Democrats adopt this position?
OT - Note that in New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed Nikki Haley for POTUS in the upcoming (January 8, 2024) NH Republican presidential Primary.
Personally think this endorsement has some heft with Granite State voters, more so than endorsement by Iowa Gov of Ron DeSantis in the upcoming (January 15, 2024) Iowa Republican precinct caucuses.
Perhaps worth noting that, back in 1988, it was endorsement and active support of then-Gov. John Sununu, the current gov's father, of George Bush (nobody called him "George Herbert Walker Bush" back then) that saved Bush the Elder's campaign after he lost the Iowa precinct caucus vote to Bob Dole.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Also note that New Hampshire Democrats led by former Gov. and current US Senator Jeanne Shaheen have just launched their campaign of support for Joe Biden as a WRITE IN candidate for POTUS in the Democratic presidential primary.
Because due to DNC rule change, advocated by Biden, New Hampshire was replaced (officially anyway) as initial primary of the 2024 nomination season by South Carolina. A decision greeted with virtually universal condemnation, dismay, etc., etc. by New Hampshireites of all political persuasion besides anarchist.
Why? Because the New Hampshire presidential primary is not just a beloved state institution and one of the few things the state is known for (beside it's "Live Free or Die" license plate motto) but also because the NH Primary is an important quadrennial cottage industry.
So much so, that it's "First in the Nation" status is enshrined in state law - a statute that only the most foolhardy of NH secretaries of state would dare to violate.
New Hampshire is also the only State in the US that does not require either seatbelts (for adults) in cars or car insurance.
The US often confounds doesn't it. You'd have thought that would be somewhere deep red and duelling banjos.
. . . at risk of lighting a fire under Anabob . . . the wonders of monetary technology . . .
Seattle Times ($) - WA ferries’ fare system is down, causing backups
Washington State Ferries is slowly restoring its electronic fare collection system after a systemwide outage early Thursday.
Technology staffers are working to bring the system back online one terminal at a time, beginning with those on the east side of Puget Sound — meaning it could be some time before things are back to normal.
Credit and ORCA [regional transit fare] cards are being accepted, but ferry staff must HAND RECORD [my emphasis] each transaction to be entered into the electronic system later, a slow process likely to cause delays.
The cause of the outage, which occurred just before 5 a.m., is under investigation. . . .
What you're saying is, they have notes for each transaction?
They could have a kind of universal token, like we used to for the milkman's daily delivery at the front door. Only accepted by all firms. In strong indestructible flexiblke plastic. Maybe with a nice patriotic picture of G. Washington, or perhaps not - too likely to be cancelled for his economic activities.
OT - Note that in New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed Nikki Haley for POTUS in the upcoming (January 8, 2024) NH Republican presidential Primary.
Personally think this endorsement has some heft with Granite State voters, more so than endorsement by Iowa Gov of Ron DeSantis in the upcoming (January 15, 2024) Iowa Republican precinct caucuses.
Perhaps worth noting that, back in 1988, it was endorsement and active support of then-Gov. John Sununu, the current gov's father, of George Bush (nobody called him "George Herbert Walker Bush" back then) that saved Bush the Elder's campaign after he lost the Iowa precinct caucus vote to Bob Dole.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Also note that New Hampshire Democrats led by former Gov. and current US Senator Jeanne Shaheen have just launched their campaign of support for Joe Biden as a WRITE IN candidate for POTUS in the Democratic presidential primary.
Because due to DNC rule change, advocated by Biden, New Hampshire was replaced (officially anyway) as initial primary of the 2024 nomination season by South Carolina. A decision greeted with virtually universal condemnation, dismay, etc., etc. by New Hampshireites of all political persuasion besides anarchist.
Why? Because the New Hampshire presidential primary is not just a beloved state institution and one of the few things the state is known for (beside it's "Live Free or Die" license plate motto) but also because the NH Primary is an important quadrennial cottage industry.
So much so, that it's "First in the Nation" status is enshrined in state law - a statute that only the most foolhardy of NH secretaries of state would dare to violate.
New Hampshire is also the only State in the US that does not require either seatbelts (for adults) in cars or car insurance.
The US often confounds doesn't it. You'd have thought that would be somewhere deep red and duelling banjos.
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Big Pharma kicks butt. Then charges though the ass to alleviate the pain in the ass.
How come there isns't a US politician saying Fuck this, I will make the pharma companies grovel and act more like European pharma? We've had enough of being ripped off
Surely that would be wildly popular?
i am not claiming we are much better. The British worship of the mediocre NHS is absurd, surreal and embarrassing, but at least we aren't charged squillions for it
Biden did that for modern insulins, capping costs at $35 per month. Previously American diabetics could be paying $1 000 a month, or skipping doses, often with tragic consequences:
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
By law, the US government (which is by a significant margin the biggest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world), is not allowed to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Big Pharma kicks butt. Then charges though the ass to alleviate the pain in the ass.
How come there isns't a US politician saying Fuck this, I will make the pharma companies grovel and act more like European pharma? We've had enough of being ripped off
Surely that would be wildly popular?
i am not claiming we are much better. The British worship of the mediocre NHS is absurd, surreal and embarrassing, but at least we aren't charged squillions for it
Biden did that for modern insulins, capping costs at $35 per month. Previously American diabetics could be paying $1 000 a month, or skipping doses, often with tragic consequences:
I just discovered that Ozempic is FOUR times as expensive in the USA as it is in the UK/EU
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Why is this? Why do medications cost so much in America?
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
How can they rebel when big pharma funds both sides of their politics?
I guess that must be the reason, or something close to it
But it seems incredible: the dysfunction. And it's not like the American health system is the best in the world in outcomes, which might justify these insane prices. Life expectancy is one of the lowest in the OECD, they have terrible infant mortality, massive obesity issues, and so on and so forth
American Healthcare is an object lesson in capitalist failure
It’s more a case of buyer vs producer power. In the US there are hundreds (possibly thousands) of insurance companies and private hospitals all buying medicines from a small number of suppliers, and with patients who can be advertised to so do not like to be prescribed generics.
In Europe there is one monopoly buyer in most countries (or a few, eg in Germany where prices have traditionally been higher), able to turn the screw on the pharma companies, and patients can’t be advertised to so don’t so often push for a particular product.
Comments
A long read on the HS2 fiasco focusing on the issues around London.
Camden Council must be rather concerned about the on off Euston station development and potential loss of the s106 moneys.
https://youtu.be/raJe_bVEeVQ?si=zaVqWikE_aWpTzKG
The Zabaleen are Coptic Christians, forced to spend their lives clearing the garbage of the city, which they then sort and sell or recycle; their pigs wander around eating the most disgusting stuff, amidst the piles of rotting dreck
That is what pigs are meant to do, of course, scavenge for anything. The bacon therefore is - or was (I believe the tradition may have died out) the very best in the world. Chefs from top Egyptian hotels would travel for hours to get it
Perhaps dog meat is similar
The Parenthood Penalty is REAL
Once the first blameless council (Woking, Thurrock etc brought it on themselves, really) falls, the domino effect could be fast and extensive.
Sort of like the rash of tricky bottoms after a week or two of lockdown. Only question is who goes first, and when?
Jeremy speaks out against anti semitic hate crimes
EXC: Rishi Sunak's government considers crackdown on young teens' social media use 🧵
- Possible legal ban on use of social media by under-16s
- Consultation to begin as soon as January
- Currently industry standard is for 13+ on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook
via twseal and me
https://twitter.com/kitty_donaldson/status/1735325201372520899
"This time, Trump’s campaign has tapped captains — sometimes multiple — for every one of the roughly 1,700 caucus locations, and each will be outfitted with a gold-embroidered cap. It has also produced a slick 18-page how-to manual so that Trump caucus-goers, especially first-timers, will know what to do when they get there.
But the real key, a source with access to the campaign’s internal information claims, is a list of 200,000 Iowans who over the past eight years have attended a Trump rally, donated to him, signed up online or caucused for him."
source$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/12/12/trump-iowa-caucuses-gop-primaries-2024/
And because Haley and DeSantis are attacking each other there.
(The only positive is this reminder: The Iowa caucuses are not a good predictor of nomination swinners, wehn there is no incumbent.)
As I said before come June next year I expect to see a lot because new leadership will want the bad news out the way while it can be pinned on the leadership who were just removed.
One possibility may be Middlesbrough because this otherwise makes less sense than the other stupid things Ben Houchen is doing https://x.com/leighsus/status/1735344448354013236?s=46&t=cxkq0jndvkhIwWZCCEL3QQ
It reminded me of this central claim from "Parasite Rex": About 60 percent of all known animal species are parasites. Little bit of sibling rivalry in our enviornment?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasite_Rex
Washington state’s signature-verification procedures are meant to root out rare cases of voter fraud. [WA State is vote-by-mail for all elections.] But what they’ve typically done is get a lot of innocent legal votes tossed out. In 2020 alone, the state rejected more than 24,000 ballots. . . .
In the eight counties with the highest number of Latino voters, InvestigateWest’s data analysis concluded back in 2021 that voters with Hispanic-sounding names were four times more likely to have their votes discarded than other voters. And while there’s a procedure for “curing” your ballot — going online or showing up in person to fix your signature — your vote can still get rejected if your signature fails the second time. The percent of challenged ballots that get fixed are also lower for Latino voters.
After that report, UCLA’s Voting Rights Project sued three central Washington counties — Benton, Yakima and Chelan — where the disparities were particularly large, alleging racial discrimination. After years of litigation, the counties have settled, under an agreement that requires them to hold semiannual signature-verification training for county election staff and volunteers, as well as cultural competency training.
The ballot materials will also now include Spanish language instructions on the ballot’s security sleeve outlining exactly how your signature will be verified and how to fix your ballot if your signature is rejected.
The case was not without its hiccups. The original federal judge presiding over the case — Salvador Mendoza — had to recuse himself in 2021 because one of his ballot signatures had initially been rejected.
Handwriting comparisons are always prone to error. Signatures can change for a variety of reasons. . . .
In February 2022, the Washington State Auditor’s Office released its own study, in which it said that a sample review of 7,200 ballots showed that 98% of the ballots were appropriately accepted or rejected.
Yet the study still found that Black, Native American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander voters had their 2020 election votes rejected at almost twice the rate of white voters. It also found that younger voters and male voters were more likely to have their signature rejected.. . .
If anything, the report found, some signatures that probably should have been flagged for review were allowed more often in different counties.
. . . .InvestigateWest’s previous reporting found multiple races where the number of rejected signatures could have altered the outcome of the race, including the 2020 razor-thin matchup in King County between moderate Democratic state Sen. Mark Mullet and his Democratic challenger, Ingrid Anderson.
In that race, 400 votes were rejected because of failed signature verification. The race was decided by only 58.
The harder bit is the current budget debate. Havering for example, needs to find £24 million in savings and has only identified about half of that.
Local Government finance is one of those issues we could and should talk about ad infinitum and ad nauseam - certainly far more interesting than AI, aliens or foreigh travel.
Section 114 notices - in truth, they are an admission of failure but it's not always a political failure by members. More often than not it's a failure of the central relationship between Officers and Members. This usually happens when Officers think they are Members and Members think they are Officers. It's a nuanced relationship and doesn't parallel that between civil servants and Ministers.
The other problem is the Cabinet structure which means Officers prioritise relationships with Cabinet members rather then with other Councillors and it can become a bit comfortable especially as the Council Leader can change the Cabinet at a whim.
He was excellent. He is as articulate as Blair and considerably more principled. Had he been leader I've no doubt we would have avoided Brexit and Johnson and all the shit that has accompanied them
The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova.
#EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.
A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.
https://twitter.com/CharlesMichel/status/1735350188883968000
Issue of voter signatures did NOT arise, because under state law the recount was limited to retabulating ballots accepted for counting - NOT revisiting the decision to accept. Anyway, when the ballots were originally counted, and subsequently recounted, they'd been separated from the outer envelope including voter sigs.
The losing candidate COULD have gone to court IF she wanted to challenge the result; that's precisely what what the losing candidate for WA State governor did in 2004.
Reason she did not, was because likelihood that she'd have won a court case was at least 99.46% against. And court challenge would cost a LOT of money.
However, IF there is another razor-thin margin in a statewide office for Governor OR US Senator, or for US House, that might well be a different kettle of fish. With the whole issue of signature verification of returned ballot voter signatures being a potentially VERY hot topic.
I thank everyone who worked for this to happen and everyone who helped. I congratulate every Ukrainian on this day.
I also congratulate Moldova and personally @SanduMaiamd.
History is made by those who don’t get tired of fighting for freedom.
https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1735355805283606832
On October 29th, the Seattle Times published an example of DEI in action. Titled "An Adventure in Belonging", the article described a group "women of color" who decided to practice by traveling to Alaska to see some scenery and do some trail running. The group practiced "diversity, equity, and inclusion" by excluding men and whites from the excursion. (They almost certainly excluded the poor, too, however unintentionaly, since such trips are expensive in both money and time.)
The article was not intended as a parody -- as best as I can tell.
It has, however, made me try of think of other possible meanings for DEI. The best I have come up with so far is: Division, Exclusion, and Inequity. I would be grateful to anyone who can come up with something better.
For the record: I am skeptical about DEI, because those claiming to practice it often violate our civil rights laws, in spirit and letter.
(Alaska is a peculiarly odd place to claim you are for diversity, equity, and inclusion, given so much of its present and history, for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race
Trigger warning: There are dogs in the article.)
I can't get past Level 42.
Just as well I left, who knows? Corbyn could have become leader
Post-truth
An interesting omission
ITV has a new miniseries on the slate for 2024: Mr Bates vs The Post Office. It's a biopic of the Post Office scandal in which an IT fuck-up saw hundreds of employees wrongly accused of theft and fraud, a saga generally considered to be one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK history.
A quick look at the cast list shows they've found someone to play Paula Vennells, the CEO of Post Office Ltd at the time, but there's no-one playing Adam Crozier, who was CEO of Royal Mail Ltd.
Crozier played a significant role in the real-life scandal, but looks to have been snipped out of the dramatisation. Maybe it was just too tricky to write the scene where Crozier left Royal Mail to become CEO of... ITV.
Americans really do get ripped off when it comes to medications and medical treatments. Ridic
Everton's new ownership group isn't just ringing alarm bells with fans. Fellow Premier League bosses were horrified by 777's Josh Wander's attitude at their recent meeting, shocking his besuited peers by keeping his baseball cap on the whole time.
Everything about their health system seems designed to fuck the average punter. Why don't they rebel?
*apart from the glaring continuity error as in reality Tiny Tim should be a weird Frog-pig hybrid.
This means that the retail and government price is inflated, while the prices paid by private insurers are negotiated (and won't be that different to the UK).
Surprised that her campaign could NOT come up with a better pic.
Do have some experience when it comes to campaign brochures, and it's often difficult to get reasonably decent photos of the candidate.
In the one shown, the portrait is pretty good - though some voters MIGHT think Haley's Palmetto State necklace is sporting some kind of satanic symbol (shades of Liz Truss?)
But the other photo is just bad, and the look on her face - head turned away from hubby - is worse; she appears to have just been given some bad news, or been startled, or something?
May sound nit-picky . . . but Nikki Haley is running for POTUS not dogcatcher.
But it seems incredible: the dysfunction. And it's not like the American health system is the best in the world in outcomes, which might justify these insane prices. Life expectancy is one of the lowest in the OECD, they have terrible infant mortality, massive obesity issues, and so on and so forth
American Healthcare is an object lesson in capitalist failure
Ok so I postulated a theory that fits. I don't see anything intellectual (pseudo or otherwise) or patronising about it. But you tell me then. Why are you so down on rich lefties who complain about things that irritate them?
But if your insurance won't cover it (which seems to be an issue for many?) then you have to pay the insane price
Presumably there are Americans coming over to Europe to buy it here, or Japan, or whatever. Given that a year's supply of Ozempic in the UK is about £2500 and in America it is nearer £20,000 the trip would justify itself, pricewise
Tho my guess is that other companies are about to flood the market with similar drugs, the demand is so huge
You have the Socialist mindset of someone brought up in a welfare state. The point of American Healthcare is not to prolong life or alleviate suffering but rather to make maximum profits for its shareholders and employees. At that it has no equals.
That TV series about the Sacklers and opioids - Dopesick - was very powerful on this issue. A must watch
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-67715898
Surely that would be wildly popular?
i am not claiming we are much better. The British worship of the mediocre NHS is absurd, surreal and embarrassing, but at least we aren't charged squillions for it
Seattle Times ($) - WA ferries’ fare system is down, causing backups
Washington State Ferries is slowly restoring its electronic fare collection system after a systemwide outage early Thursday.
Technology staffers are working to bring the system back online one terminal at a time, beginning with those on the east side of Puget Sound — meaning it could be some time before things are back to normal.
Credit and ORCA [regional transit fare] cards are being accepted, but ferry staff must HAND RECORD [my emphasis] each transaction to be entered into the electronic system later, a slow process likely to cause delays.
The cause of the outage, which occurred just before 5 a.m., is under investigation. . . .
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/02/fact-sheet-president-bidens-cap-on-the-cost-of-insulin-could-benefit-millions-of-americans-in-all-50-states/#:~:text=As part of President Biden's,dollars for a month's supply.
Of course he gets no credit or thanks for that.
I'd probaby vote for a Sanders type if I lived in the USA
Why don't mainstream Democrats adopt this position?
In Europe there is one monopoly buyer in most countries (or a few, eg in Germany where prices have traditionally been higher), able to turn the screw on the pharma companies, and patients can’t be advertised to so don’t so often push for a particular product.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/dale-benkenstein-joins-lancashire-as-head-coach-1412681