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London is becoming a no go area for the Tories – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,159
edited March 12 in General
London is becoming a no go area for the Tories – politicalbetting.com

Westminster Voting Intention [Greater London]:LAB: 52% (-3)CON: 17% (-3)LDM: 10% (+1)GRN: 10% (+1)RFM: 10% (+6)Via @YouGov, 12-19 Feb.Changes w/ 12-17 Oct.

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  • As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,239
    On topic: I just want to report that I am in the new Air France Business Class 777 Dreamliner thingy, and the seats apparently move automatically


    WHOAHHHH
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,239

    Leon said:

    On topic: I just want to report that I am in the new Air France Business Class 777 Dreamliner thingy, and the seats apparently move automatically


    WHOAHHHH

    It's the doors moving automatically you need to keep an eye out for, especially at 30,000 feet.
    UPDATE: THEY DON’T MOVE AUTOMATICALLY

    I just accidentally squished the move-seat button with my iPad

    Je suis idiot

    However, I can report that their new Biz Class offering is very good, so far. Lovely little cabinettes, vintage champagne in the lounge and on the plane, slightly disappointing “bags of things” but not dismal

    Yet to try the food tho. I know PB is agog so I’ll keep you all updated
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627
    edited February 28

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549
    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(
  • @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
    IANAL, but I fear that they'll squirrel their money away and declare bankruptcy, and attempts to get the money will take years and cost more than the actual rebuild.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549
    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 3,883

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
    Do you think they have to build it with all the crooked bits? or is that against H&S?
  • @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
    Do you think they have to build it with all the crooked bits? or is that against H&S?
    I believe using what was knocked down. The original bricks and various bits were stored
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,767
    Leon said:

    On topic: I just want to report that I am in the new Air France Business Class 777 Dreamliner thingy, and the seats apparently move automatically


    WHOAHHHH

    Do you mean 787?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
    Do you think they have to build it with all the crooked bits? or is that against H&S?
    I believe using what was knocked down. The original bricks and various bits were stored
    To my knowledge, that's not quite the full story with these sorts of rebuilds. Bricks get damaged during machine demolition (it's hard enough if you dismantle a building to move it...), and non-engineering bricks, particularly old bricks, don't cope well with heat. I reckon they'll be needing to raid a fair few savage yards if they ever actually rebuild it.

    The building's suffered a serious fire and a machine demolition. Some bits will be salvageable, but it won't be as it was.

    Given that, there's a question: how much can you alter the building (e.g. include insulation and modern regulations) as long as you keep the 'character' of the original.

    There's a very thin line between rebuilding, altering, and creating a crummy pastiche.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549

    Leon said:

    On topic: I just want to report that I am in the new Air France Business Class 777 Dreamliner thingy, and the seats apparently move automatically


    WHOAHHHH

    Do you mean 787?
    I don't think Leon knows what he means. ;)
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,767

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
    Yes. London median age 36, UK 41.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/367796/uk-median-age-by-region/

    I'm London 63% of employees are graduates, higher than any other country/region.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022/graduatesandnongraduatesingraduaterolesandnongraduaterolesintheuk2021to2022.xlsx
  • Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
    From the 2021 Census:

    Median age in London is 35.9 years, 4.8 years younger than the UK average. The next youngest is NI at 39.8 years. Oldest is SW England

    46.7% of Londoners are tertiary educated, with the UK average being 33.8%, with the West Midlands the lowest at 21%.

    Knowing such demographics, and their trends is a key part of Constituency betting. Age and education being big predictors.

    The map of educational qualifications here does a lot to explain regional variation in economic prospects.

    https://news.sky.com/story/a-third-of-adults-now-have-degrees-or-similar-as-area-with-highest-proportion-with-no-qualifications-revealed-12783674

    The "left behind areas" have a dearth of educational qualifications, while the regions that are prospering have the most with tertiary education . This rather contradicts the PB bias against high rates of tertiary education.
  • swing_voterswing_voter Posts: 1,464
    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
    Yes. London median age 36, UK 41.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/367796/uk-median-age-by-region/

    I'm London 63% of employees are graduates, higher than any other country/region.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022/graduatesandnongraduatesingraduaterolesandnongraduaterolesintheuk2021to2022.xlsx
    Thanks. I'd expected London to be younger, but the graduate disparity is much greater than I expected.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,239

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    Sure it wouldn’t pass muster with the building inspectors…
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627
    edited February 28

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    That's a rather old survey, being 2015, and I suspect is mostly down to homophobia and transphobia amongst some socially conservative communities overrepresented in London demographics. To keep perspective only 13% of Londoners would reject a gay child and 20% a Trans one, so the vast majority are tolerant. Those figures mean that those attitudes are far from universal even in minority communities.

    London is a city of extremes, so has both the most liberal and iliberal communities.

    https://www.thepinknews.com/2015/03/18/exclusive-londoners-are-least-likely-to-accept-a-gay-or-transgender-child/

  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    Sure it wouldn’t pass muster with the building inspectors…
    I understand grandfather rights apply to old buildings - for instance, insulation requirements for windows do not necessarily have to apply to some listed buildings, which can be a pain for homeowners who want the extra insulation double-glazing gives. Or an even bigger pain if the planners insist on wooden-frame double-glazing.

    I've no idea if grandfather rights would apply to this sort of rebuild - I'd have guessed they would. It'd probably be a negotiation, and what we'll end up with is something that we'll be told has the 'character' of the original building. Despite 'character' often being granted from the age...

    (I'm not even sure 'grandfather rights' is the correct term...)
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,174

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
    Do you think they have to build it with all the crooked bits? or is that against H&S?
    I believe using what was knocked down. The original bricks and various bits were stored
    To my knowledge, that's not quite the full story with these sorts of rebuilds. Bricks get damaged during machine demolition (it's hard enough if you dismantle a building to move it...), and non-engineering bricks, particularly old bricks, don't cope well with heat. I reckon they'll be needing to raid a fair few savage yards if they ever actually rebuild it.

    The building's suffered a serious fire and a machine demolition. Some bits will be salvageable, but it won't be as it was.

    Given that, there's a question: how much can you alter the building (e.g. include insulation and modern regulations) as long as you keep the 'character' of the original.

    There's a very thin line between rebuilding, altering, and creating a crummy pastiche.
    Originally the building had no tilt. Looking up, the tilt came about because of a water wheel churning the foundations beneath a cellar; the rigidity of which avoided a sudden collapse.

    So the first question I'd ask is what exactly the authorities want built.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,576
    Pulpstar said:

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
    Do you think they have to build it with all the crooked bits? or is that against H&S?
    I believe using what was knocked down. The original bricks and various bits were stored
    To my knowledge, that's not quite the full story with these sorts of rebuilds. Bricks get damaged during machine demolition (it's hard enough if you dismantle a building to move it...), and non-engineering bricks, particularly old bricks, don't cope well with heat. I reckon they'll be needing to raid a fair few savage yards if they ever actually rebuild it.

    The building's suffered a serious fire and a machine demolition. Some bits will be salvageable, but it won't be as it was.

    Given that, there's a question: how much can you alter the building (e.g. include insulation and modern regulations) as long as you keep the 'character' of the original.

    There's a very thin line between rebuilding, altering, and creating a crummy pastiche.
    Originally the building had no tilt. Looking up, the tilt came about because of a water wheel churning the foundations beneath a cellar; the rigidity of which avoided a sudden collapse.

    So the first question I'd ask is what exactly the authorities want built.
    Do the authorities care much about what actually gets built, so long as the people involved have to bear the considerable expense of trying to build something close to what was there before?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,859
    edited February 28

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    Indeed - and the sight this morning of Tory MPs trying to stall or sabotage the promised protection for renters from arbitrary eviction - many of those MPs being landlords themselves - will do nothing for Tory support among working age people in places like London.

    If that were a local council, elected representatives who were themselves private landlords would have to declare a prejudicial interest, and stay away from the decision.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,767

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
    Yes. London median age 36, UK 41.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/367796/uk-median-age-by-region/

    I'm London 63% of employees are graduates, higher than any other country/region.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022/graduatesandnongraduatesingraduaterolesandnongraduaterolesintheuk2021to2022.xlsx
    Thanks. I'd expected London to be younger, but the graduate disparity is much greater than I expected.
    London is where the graduate jobs are. It is full of people who have moved here for work, from all over the UK and further afield. Two groups are over-represented in London's population: the educated middle class and minorities (these two groups overlap of course). One group is under-represented: the white working class. This explains much about London, including its politics, its successful state schools, its housing market, its cultural dominance, the fact that so many other English people seem to hate it so much...
  • sbjme19sbjme19 Posts: 194
    The Tories will retain some seats on the outer fringes where there's a kind of anti-metropolitan trope and of course anti-ULEZ viz Uxbridge result and they weren't under any threat in the other by-election in Bexley.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627
    edited February 28

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,767
    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627
    Sandpit said:

    Pulpstar said:

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    It should be enforced though, disgraceful pair of £ grabbing charlatans that were responsible.
    Do you think they have to build it with all the crooked bits? or is that against H&S?
    I believe using what was knocked down. The original bricks and various bits were stored
    To my knowledge, that's not quite the full story with these sorts of rebuilds. Bricks get damaged during machine demolition (it's hard enough if you dismantle a building to move it...), and non-engineering bricks, particularly old bricks, don't cope well with heat. I reckon they'll be needing to raid a fair few savage yards if they ever actually rebuild it.

    The building's suffered a serious fire and a machine demolition. Some bits will be salvageable, but it won't be as it was.

    Given that, there's a question: how much can you alter the building (e.g. include insulation and modern regulations) as long as you keep the 'character' of the original.

    There's a very thin line between rebuilding, altering, and creating a crummy pastiche.
    Originally the building had no tilt. Looking up, the tilt came about because of a water wheel churning the foundations beneath a cellar; the rigidity of which avoided a sudden collapse.

    So the first question I'd ask is what exactly the authorities want built.
    Do the authorities care much about what actually gets built, so long as the people involved have to bear the considerable expense of trying to build something close to what was there before?
    Quite right, a facsimile is fine, better still accompanied by a lengthy sentence for the arsonists and their enablers as a lesson to other unscrupulous people.
  • Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    I also like Leenoch.
  • HMRC slammed as phone line waits get even longer
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68413088

    HMRC lets wealthy use VIP helpline to avoid long waits
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hmrc-vip-helpline-high-earners-nine-times-faster-8rdjfb99n (£££)

    A tale of two headlines. PBers will be shocked to learn that ministers and senior civil servants get the VIP number.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    Not my neologism, and a little unfair on our neanderthal ancestors, but it works as a nickname.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,362
    Susan Hall must be an asset to the Tories as she is polling a far higher number than her party.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,362
    edited February 28

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    Actually it was pinched from Rory Bremner on Twitter who was using it a few days ago.

    It is hardly very good, just more infantilisation of our politics. Many of our politicians are transient and in the next parliament it will be different politicians but the same crap. As a society we are truly getting the politicians and society we deserve.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,362

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.

    Facts versus opinion/guess.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 11,044
    Will we see a lot of anti-Conservative tactical voting in the Mayoral contest? I suspect not that much. Khan is so far ahead that LibDem and Green voters aren’t going to be scared of letting in the Tories.

    There’s also the London Assembly elections to consider. Presumably Labour will make gains at the Tories’ expense. Could Labour achieve an overall majority? Could the Tories even cease to be the official opposition? There are opportunities for the Greens or LibDems to shine. I would guess Reform UK will also get at least one Assembly member.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,354

    HMRC slammed as phone line waits get even longer
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68413088

    HMRC lets wealthy use VIP helpline to avoid long waits
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hmrc-vip-helpline-high-earners-nine-times-faster-8rdjfb99n (£££)

    A tale of two headlines. PBers will be shocked to learn that ministers and senior civil servants get the VIP number.

    They have no incentive to improve things when they can simply exist in a Potemkin reality where everything works.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,061
    Without googling, who was Benjamin Civiletti, and why does he matter so much for US politics ?
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627
    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.

    Facts versus opinion/guess.
    Certainly so, and shows the futility of the Tories "Culture War" electoral strategy.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,767
    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    Actually it was pinched from Rory Bremner on Twitter who was using it a few days ago.

    It is hardly very good, just more infantilisation of our politics. Many of our politicians are transient and in the next parliament it will be different politicians but the same crap. As a society we are truly getting the politicians and society we deserve.
    Are you kidding? This kind of thing has been a feature of our politics for ever, take a look at some of Gillray's work from the 18th century. Leanderthal - which is so close to the man's actual name while capturing what most people think of his views - is a great piece of satirical piss-taking of the kind this country excels at.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,417

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
    Yes. London median age 36, UK 41.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/367796/uk-median-age-by-region/

    I'm London 63% of employees are graduates, higher than any other country/region.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022/graduatesandnongraduatesingraduaterolesandnongraduaterolesintheuk2021to2022.xlsx
    Thanks. I'd expected London to be younger, but the graduate disparity is much greater than I expected.
    London is where the graduate jobs are. It is full of people who have moved here for work, from all over the UK and further afield. Two groups are over-represented in London's population: the educated middle class and minorities (these two groups overlap of course). One group is under-represented: the white working class. This explains much about London, including its politics, its successful state schools, its housing market, its cultural dominance, the fact that so many other English people seem to hate it so much...
    To be fair, it always has been. To some extent, anyway. Classic example: Dick Whittington!
    Not that I want to live in London, or ever have done!

    And good morning one and all. Rather misty here this morning.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 12,984
    Foxy said:

    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.

    Facts versus opinion/guess.
    Certainly so, and shows the futility of the Tories "Culture War" electoral strategy.
    And some of the strongest votes for the Conservatives are in “rest of South”.
  • Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
    Yes. London median age 36, UK 41.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/367796/uk-median-age-by-region/

    I'm London 63% of employees are graduates, higher than any other country/region.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022/graduatesandnongraduatesingraduaterolesandnongraduaterolesintheuk2021to2022.xlsx
    Thanks. I'd expected London to be younger, but the graduate disparity is much greater than I expected.
    London is where the graduate jobs are. It is full of people who have moved here for work, from all over the UK and further afield. Two groups are over-represented in London's population: the educated middle class and minorities (these two groups overlap of course). One group is under-represented: the white working class. This explains much about London, including its politics, its successful state schools, its housing market, its cultural dominance, the fact that so many other English people seem to hate it so much...
    It also explains the parts of London where the Conservatives remain strong- essentially the fringes that don't want to see themselves as part of London. Which in turn explains why Susan Hall is their candidate.

    And yes, the Conservatives can win nationwide without London. But it's not easy. In 2019, they won 21 London constituencies. Take those away, and BoJo's majority goes from 80 to 38. And that was a very good year for the Conservatives and a very bad year for everyone else.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,362
    edited February 28

    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    Actually it was pinched from Rory Bremner on Twitter who was using it a few days ago.

    It is hardly very good, just more infantilisation of our politics. Many of our politicians are transient and in the next parliament it will be different politicians but the same crap. As a society we are truly getting the politicians and society we deserve.
    Are you kidding? This kind of thing has been a feature of our politics for ever, take a look at some of Gillray's work from the 18th century. Leanderthal - which is so close to the man's actual name while capturing what most people think of his views - is a great piece of satirical piss-taking of the kind this country excels at.
    Of course I am not kidding. And, not, it has not been a feature of our politics at the level it is in the modern era of social media. American politics is far worse for it and the Dems seem to be far more on the receiving end than the GOP.

    As for it being "great" :weary: I also doubt it is what most people think of his views.

    It's a disposable comment for cheap laughs on social media and excites those who are titilated by such witless nonsense. It will go down a storm here with the people who think Bliar and Bad Enoch are the height of political satire.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,061
    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.

    Facts versus opinion/guess.
    So much for the 'liberal elite', too.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,239
    edited February 28
    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,362
    Foxy said:

    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.

    Facts versus opinion/guess.
    Certainly so, and shows the futility of the Tories "Culture War" electoral strategy.
    And the futility of those, on the left, who simply think the red wall is full of bigots and homophobes for daring to vote against them. Two cheeks of the same arse.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,061
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    Actually it was pinched from Rory Bremner on Twitter who was using it a few days ago.

    It is hardly very good, just more infantilisation of our politics. Many of our politicians are transient and in the next parliament it will be different politicians but the same crap. As a society we are truly getting the politicians and society we deserve.
    Are you kidding? This kind of thing has been a feature of our politics for ever, take a look at some of Gillray's work from the 18th century. Leanderthal - which is so close to the man's actual name while capturing what most people think of his views - is a great piece of satirical piss-taking of the kind this country excels at.
    Of course I am not kidding. And, not, it has not been a feature of our politics at the level it is in the modern era of social media.

    "great" :weary: I also doubt it is what most people think of his views.
    Since Anderson is apparently more than happy to smear his political opponents, you could argue that in this case, he's fair game.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,362

    Will we see a lot of anti-Conservative tactical voting in the Mayoral contest? I suspect not that much. Khan is so far ahead that LibDem and Green voters aren’t going to be scared of letting in the Tories.

    There’s also the London Assembly elections to consider. Presumably Labour will make gains at the Tories’ expense. Could Labour achieve an overall majority? Could the Tories even cease to be the official opposition? There are opportunities for the Greens or LibDems to shine. I would guess Reform UK will also get at least one Assembly member.

    If it was close in the polls I think there would be a fair amount of anti Tory voting, given Khan is miles ahead I cannot see there being a great deal of it.

    Effectively a foregone conclusion. The turnout will be interesting.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    edited February 28

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    Sure it wouldn’t pass muster with the building inspectors…
    I understand grandfather rights apply to old buildings - for instance, insulation requirements for windows do not necessarily have to apply to some listed buildings, which can be a pain for homeowners who want the extra insulation double-glazing gives. Or an even bigger pain if the planners insist on wooden-frame double-glazing.

    I've no idea if grandfather rights would apply to this sort of rebuild - I'd have guessed they would. It'd probably be a negotiation, and what we'll end up with is something that we'll be told has the 'character' of the original building. Despite 'character' often being granted from the age...

    (I'm not even sure 'grandfather rights' is the correct term...)
    I suspect it would be seen as a historical renovation rather than a new build, overseen by maybe English heritage as well as South Staffs Council. I doubt it will happen once all the planning appeals are done.

    The last pub in Ogmore by Sea was the Sea Lawns Hotel, bought and closed for redevelopment into old people's flats. The demolition couldn't pass planning as the Hotel was the last village. One Easter weekend it was bulldozed. The planning appeal went on for a year or two. The developer won his planning appeal eventually on the grounds that as it didn't exist anymore the demand that it shouldn't be developed because it was a public amenity was no longer relevant. Old people's flats sit on the footprint.
  • eekeek Posts: 28,366

    HMRC slammed as phone line waits get even longer
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68413088

    HMRC lets wealthy use VIP helpline to avoid long waits
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hmrc-vip-helpline-high-earners-nine-times-faster-8rdjfb99n (£££)

    A tale of two headlines. PBers will be shocked to learn that ministers and senior civil servants get the VIP number.

    They have no incentive to improve things when they can simply exist in a Potemkin reality where everything works.
    HMRC can leave things for decades provided they get the first piece of paperwork done in time.

    They have also been dollar and dimed for years and the last re-organization resulted in a lot of people leaving as the offices were merged into (badly located) regional offices
  • Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    But it is Air France.

    Air France pilots are under scrutiny after a series of incidents that have raised concerns over safety protocols on flights operated by the French flagship carrier, prompting aviation investigators to reprimand the airline last week.

    The latest incident to come to light involved two pilots who were suspended after a physical fight in the cockpit of an A320 plane in flight from Geneva to Paris in June, a spokesman for Air France said Monday, confirming a report in the French newspaper La Tribune. He added that the flight continued on and landed safely.

    The news of the fight has come amid broader concerns about flight safety at Air France. A few days ago, French investigators issued a report saying the airline’s pilots lacked rigor in following safety procedures.

    Investigators said several recent incidents suggested “that a certain culture has been established among some Air France crews, favoring a propensity to underestimate the benefits of a strict application of procedures for safety.”


    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/world/europe/air-france-safety.html
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 11,044

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    Does London really have a "young university educated population" compared to other cities? I'd have guessed not.
    Yes. London median age 36, UK 41.

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/367796/uk-median-age-by-region/

    I'm London 63% of employees are graduates, higher than any other country/region.

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022/graduatesandnongraduatesingraduaterolesandnongraduaterolesintheuk2021to2022.xlsx
    Thanks. I'd expected London to be younger, but the graduate disparity is much greater than I expected.
    London is where the graduate jobs are. It is full of people who have moved here for work, from all over the UK and further afield. Two groups are over-represented in London's population: the educated middle class and minorities (these two groups overlap of course). One group is under-represented: the white working class. This explains much about London, including its politics, its successful state schools, its housing market, its cultural dominance, the fact that so many other English people seem to hate it so much...
    To be fair, it always has been. To some extent, anyway. Classic example: Dick Whittington!
    Not that I want to live in London, or ever have done!

    And good morning one and all. Rather misty here this morning.
    Dick Whittington would presumably be accepting of trans people.

    (Oh no, he isn’t!)
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    You're showing off again.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,952
    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.

    Facts versus opinion/guess.
    According to @Foxy, the bigotry is:

    "mostly down to homophobia and transphobia amongst some socially conservative communities overrepresented in London demographics"

    Whatever that means.
  • Nigelb said:

    Without googling, who was Benjamin Civiletti, and why does he matter so much for US politics ?

    I know he was a former AG under Carter and absolutely socked it to the Teamsters so I am guessing it might be something to do with RICO, politics, and Trump?
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    Actually it was pinched from Rory Bremner on Twitter who was using it a few days ago.

    It is hardly very good, just more infantilisation of our politics. Many of our politicians are transient and in the next parliament it will be different politicians but the same crap. As a society we are truly getting the politicians and society we deserve.
    Are you kidding? This kind of thing has been a feature of our politics for ever, take a look at some of Gillray's work from the 18th century. Leanderthal - which is so close to the man's actual name while capturing what most people think of his views - is a great piece of satirical piss-taking of the kind this country excels at.
    Of course I am not kidding. And, not, it has not been a feature of our politics at the level it is in the modern era of social media.

    "great" :weary: I also doubt it is what most people think of his views.
    It's a great nickname, not just because it is an effective semi-pun on his name, but also it encapsulates his unsubtle approach to political debate.

    If there is anything dragging down British politics it isn't a few nicknames, it is a former deputy chair of the Conservative Party using language like this.

    https://news.sky.com/story/tory-deputy-chairman-lee-anderson-refuses-to-apologise-for-go-back-to-france-comment-but-says-government-has-failed-to-tackle-illegal-immigration-12936297
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,061

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    But it is Air France.

    Air France pilots are under scrutiny after a series of incidents that have raised concerns over safety protocols on flights operated by the French flagship carrier, prompting aviation investigators to reprimand the airline last week.

    The latest incident to come to light involved two pilots who were suspended after a physical fight in the cockpit of an A320 plane in flight from Geneva to Paris in June, a spokesman for Air France said Monday, confirming a report in the French newspaper La Tribune. He added that the flight continued on and landed safely.

    The news of the fight has come amid broader concerns about flight safety at Air France. A few days ago, French investigators issued a report saying the airline’s pilots lacked rigor in following safety procedures.

    Investigators said several recent incidents suggested “that a certain culture has been established among some Air France crews, favoring a propensity to underestimate the benefits of a strict application of procedures for safety.”


    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/world/europe/air-france-safety.html
    Let us console ourselves, should the worst happen, that at least Leon went down in comfort.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,239
    edited February 28
    But look at the space you get. You could literally hide two children in here

    And this is Biz, not First

    Speaking as the Knappers’ Gazette travel journo, this is an impressive offering, and the first time I’ve seen a European carrier try and match the rich Arabian/East Asian standard

    Only imbeciles or Americans fly on American carriers


  • So, when is the optimal time for 20p Lee to announce his defection to FUKU?

    11:30?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,061

    Nigelb said:

    Without googling, who was Benjamin Civiletti, and why does he matter so much for US politics ?

    I know he was a former AG under Carter and absolutely socked it to the Teamsters so I am guessing it might be something to do with RICO, politics, and Trump?
    Very good.

    But not quite - it was his opinion on Congressional powers over government debt obligations.

    https://www.npr.org/2011/04/08/135247483/who-raised-the-stakes-in-government-shutdown
    These days, when many people argue for a literal interpretation of the Constitution, the idea that government can't operate until Congress agrees on a spending bill seems obvious. But it wasn't obvious at all until 1980, when Benjamin Civiletti, Jimmy Carter's attorney general, said so.

    "Attorney General Civiletti let the genie out of the bottle," said Charles Tiefer, a professor at the University of Baltimore Law School.

    In the three decades before 1980, there were at least a half-dozen occasions when Congress failed to pass a spending bill on time. In each case, the routine functions of government just kept going, more or less on autopilot. Civiletti put a stop to that..

  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,952
    Leon said:

    But look at the space you get. You could literally hide two children in here

    And this is Biz, not First

    Speaking as the Knappers’ Gazette travel journo, this is an impressive offering, and the first time I’ve seen a European carrier try and match the rich Arabian/East Asian standard

    Only imbeciles or Americans fly on American carriers


    I was told by a cabin crew once you should NEVER touch the hot towels they give you on airlines.

    They go everywhere and I don't mean from Las Vegas to Luton Airport.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,549

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    You're showing off again.
    It's all he's got in life. ;)
  • TOPPING said:

    Leon said:

    But look at the space you get. You could literally hide two children in here

    And this is Biz, not First

    Speaking as the Knappers’ Gazette travel journo, this is an impressive offering, and the first time I’ve seen a European carrier try and match the rich Arabian/East Asian standard

    Only imbeciles or Americans fly on American carriers


    I was told by a cabin crew once you should NEVER touch the hot towels they give you on airlines.

    They go everywhere and I don't mean from Las Vegas to Luton Airport.
    How else do you think they make them hot...?
  • Taz said:

    Susan Hall must be an asset to the Tories as she is polling a far higher number than her party.

    Couple of factors, I reckon.

    One is that the leakage to Reform is weaker for the Mayoral poll than the Westminster poll. What's causing that, I'm not sure.

    The other is that I suspect the race has barely begun for normal voters and the effective demise of the Standard as a citywide paper weakens coverage a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if most voters couldn't describe Susan Hall yet.
  • El_CapitanoEl_Capitano Posts: 4,239
    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    Actually it was pinched from Rory Bremner on Twitter who was using it a few days ago.

    It is hardly very good, just more infantilisation of our politics. Many of our politicians are transient and in the next parliament it will be different politicians but the same crap. As a society we are truly getting the politicians and society we deserve.
    It’s a Private Eye coinage, I believe.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,576
    edited February 28
    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    Well you’re either on AF253 from Ho Chi Min to Paris, currently over NW India, or you’re on AF153 from Bangkok to Paris, a few hundred miles behind it - which are a 777-200 and 777-300 respectively today. No Dreamliner for Leon.

    Oh, and it’s Air France, which is good enough reason to choose another airline. I’ll perhaps fly with them in another lifetime, when they’ve changed their culture and stopped killing their customers.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,653
    Looks like the Sun are preparing the ground to support Labour...

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26194047/labour-rachel-ellie-reeves-sisters-cabinet/


    ...As predicted in a very astute thread header back in January, might I add:

    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/11909/why-it-won-t-be-the-sun-wot-won-it-in-2024-politicalbetting-com#latest
  • Sandpit said:

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    Well you’re either on AF253 from Ho Chi Min to Paris, currently over NW India, or you’re on AF153 from Bangkok to Paris, a few hundred miles behind it - which are a 777-200 and 777-300 respectively today. No Dreamliner for Leon.

    Oh, and it’s Air France, which is good enough reason to choose another airline.
    I did warn him last week.

    I’d rather see Max Verstappen win another title than fly Air France.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,239
    Sandpit said:

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    Well you’re either on AF253 from Ho Chi Min to Paris, currently over NW India, or you’re on AF153 from Bangkok to Paris, a few hundred miles behind it - which are a 777-200 and 777-300 respectively today. No Dreamliner for Leon.

    Oh, and it’s Air France, which is good enough reason to choose another airline.
    I’m on the latter. And, TBH, I am as Francophobe as the next red-blooded Englishman (paging @TSE) but this is a genuinely world class biz offering. And I do a lot of biz class flights

    BA needs to step up to match this
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,239

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    Sure it wouldn’t pass muster with the building inspectors…
    I understand grandfather rights apply to old buildings - for instance, insulation requirements for windows do not necessarily have to apply to some listed buildings, which can be a pain for homeowners who want the extra insulation double-glazing gives. Or an even bigger pain if the planners insist on wooden-frame double-glazing.

    I've no idea if grandfather rights would apply to this sort of rebuild - I'd have guessed they would. It'd probably be a negotiation, and what we'll end up with is something that we'll be told has the 'character' of the original building. Despite 'character' often being granted from the age...

    (I'm not even sure 'grandfather rights' is the correct term...)
    It’s not usually “grandfather rights” but “grandfathering”

    You are technically in breach of the regulations but because you pre-existed you are deemed in compliance. It’s important that they aren’t “rights” because deemed compliance can be withdrawn by regulatory action

    The idea of a rebuild probably falls between two regulators and will be a negotiation. I hope the owners don’t try to exploit it


  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,061
    Leon said:

    But look at the space you get. You could literally hide two children in here...

    That really doesn't pass muster for the glorified ad copy expected of you.

    It sounds almost as bad as "the loudest sound you can hear at 30,000 feet is the ticking of the bomb under your seat".
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,952
    Leon said:

    Sandpit said:

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    Well you’re either on AF253 from Ho Chi Min to Paris, currently over NW India, or you’re on AF153 from Bangkok to Paris, a few hundred miles behind it - which are a 777-200 and 777-300 respectively today. No Dreamliner for Leon.

    Oh, and it’s Air France, which is good enough reason to choose another airline.
    I’m on the latter. And, TBH, I am as Francophobe as the next red-blooded Englishman (paging @TSE) but this is a genuinely world class biz offering. And I do a lot of biz class flights

    BA needs to step up to match this
    Apart from the fact that you were in the AF queue for check in for so long that you actually caught the plane which was one after the one you wanted to catch.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 8,721

    Looks like the Sun are preparing the ground to support Labour...

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26194047/labour-rachel-ellie-reeves-sisters-cabinet/


    ...As predicted in a very astute thread header back in January, might I add:

    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/11909/why-it-won-t-be-the-sun-wot-won-it-in-2024-politicalbetting-com#latest

    I consider myself quite politically aware, but I'd never heard of Ellie Reeves and had no idea RR had a sister, let alone one who was an MP!
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,239
    TOPPING said:

    Leon said:

    Sandpit said:

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    Well you’re either on AF253 from Ho Chi Min to Paris, currently over NW India, or you’re on AF153 from Bangkok to Paris, a few hundred miles behind it - which are a 777-200 and 777-300 respectively today. No Dreamliner for Leon.

    Oh, and it’s Air France, which is good enough reason to choose another airline.
    I’m on the latter. And, TBH, I am as Francophobe as the next red-blooded Englishman (paging @TSE) but this is a genuinely world class biz offering. And I do a lot of biz class flights

    BA needs to step up to match this
    Apart from the fact that you were in the AF queue for check in for so long that you actually caught the plane which was one after the one you wanted to catch.
    Truth? I missed it. That’s the god honest truth. Got the timing wrong and I arrived about 10 minutes before the Etihad airplane took off (bit late to check in)

    So I bought the next available Biz Class seat. Which turns out to be Air France and rather nice

    It is indeed fortunate that flint knapping pays well
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,128
    edited February 28
    Good morning everyone.

    The latest Chump is that his lawyers are trying to exclude many of the prosecution witnesses in the Stormy Daniels trial - quite funny.

    10 minute vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JcrgpJ6ki0
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,627
    edited February 28

    Looks like the Sun are preparing the ground to support Labour...

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26194047/labour-rachel-ellie-reeves-sisters-cabinet/


    ...As predicted in a very astute thread header back in January, might I add:

    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/11909/why-it-won-t-be-the-sun-wot-won-it-in-2024-politicalbetting-com#latest

    Rupert can't afford to back a loser. It's business not politics.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,128
    TOPPING said:

    Leon said:

    Sandpit said:

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    Well you’re either on AF253 from Ho Chi Min to Paris, currently over NW India, or you’re on AF153 from Bangkok to Paris, a few hundred miles behind it - which are a 777-200 and 777-300 respectively today. No Dreamliner for Leon.

    Oh, and it’s Air France, which is good enough reason to choose another airline.
    I’m on the latter. And, TBH, I am as Francophobe as the next red-blooded Englishman (paging @TSE) but this is a genuinely world class biz offering. And I do a lot of biz class flights

    BA needs to step up to match this
    Apart from the fact that you were in the AF queue for check in for so long that you actually caught the plane which was one after the one you wanted to catch.
    Did they have good tea - which is the most important question to ask of Air France?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,653
    Selebian said:

    Looks like the Sun are preparing the ground to support Labour...

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26194047/labour-rachel-ellie-reeves-sisters-cabinet/


    ...As predicted in a very astute thread header back in January, might I add:

    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/11909/why-it-won-t-be-the-sun-wot-won-it-in-2024-politicalbetting-com#latest

    I consider myself quite politically aware, but I'd never heard of Ellie Reeves and had no idea RR had a sister, let alone one who was an MP!
    Snap. (Checks date, no it's not April 1st - Ellie Reeves really is RR's sister and an MP.)

    From a quick dip into Wiki I see that RR was once the British women's under-14 chess champion. Has she moved onto 3D chess I wonder?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,653
    Foxy said:

    Looks like the Sun are preparing the ground to support Labour...

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26194047/labour-rachel-ellie-reeves-sisters-cabinet/


    ...As predicted in a very astute thread header back in January, might I add:

    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/11909/why-it-won-t-be-the-sun-wot-won-it-in-2024-politicalbetting-com#latest

    Rupert can't afford to back a loser. It's business not politics.
    He must know how his readership split, and I suspect it's Lab 60, Tories 15, RefUK 15, others 10, or thereabouts.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,700
    Morning all,

    Worrying result for Biden in Michigan. He needs a ceasefire asap.
  • HeathenerHeathener Posts: 7,084
    edited February 28

    Looks like the Sun are preparing the ground to support Labour...

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26194047/labour-rachel-ellie-reeves-sisters-cabinet/


    ...As predicted in a very astute thread header back in January, might I add:

    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/11909/why-it-won-t-be-the-sun-wot-won-it-in-2024-politicalbetting-com#latest

    Just a bit of a friendly advice.

    Be a bit more modest and self effacing when pointing out to PBers that you were right.
    :smiley:

    Post of the year @TSE assuming the irony was intended
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,653

    Morning all,

    Worrying result for Biden in Michigan. He needs a ceasefire asap.

    As someone else (truly!) pointed out yesterday, those pro-Palestine Dems are never going to vote for Trump nor abstain for that matter.
  • 148grss148grss Posts: 4,155
    Foxy said:

    Looks like the Sun are preparing the ground to support Labour...

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/26194047/labour-rachel-ellie-reeves-sisters-cabinet/


    ...As predicted in a very astute thread header back in January, might I add:

    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/11909/why-it-won-t-be-the-sun-wot-won-it-in-2024-politicalbetting-com#latest

    Rupert can't afford to back a loser. It's business not politics.
    I agree that this is backing the right horse rather than tipping it to labour - but I wonder if more positive press of SKS in the Murdoch papers will see the VI gap increase even more, or have no effect? It will be interesting to see what influence the likes of the Sun still has.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,098

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    However, a Conservative majority in Parliament does not rely on any London seats.... admittedly it doesnt look good but their route to power lies elsewhere.... does make for entertaining watching. The attempt to introduce FPTP (and possibly improve their Mayoral electoral chance may even make things worse for their performance)
    No, it seems London is lost to the Tories, and increasingly those values are spreading though the Home Counties and wider. Leanderthal doesn't appeal much to them.

    Since Brexit the Tories have tried to ride two horses, being simultaneously the party of the super rich, non-dom free market Libertarians and of socially conservative nativist pensioners with few qualifications.

    Sunak is clearly the former, and Reform the latter, hence the current difficulties for the Tories. Neither group likes the other, and both dislike middle class working age Britons.

    They cannot ride both horses much longer, and may well fall off both at the GE.


    Leanderthal, very good.
    That's his Private Eye name. Somebody bought me a sub for it for Christmas so I'm getting it for a year.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,522

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    Sure it wouldn’t pass muster with the building inspectors…
    I understand grandfather rights apply to old buildings - for instance, insulation requirements for windows do not necessarily have to apply to some listed buildings, which can be a pain for homeowners who want the extra insulation double-glazing gives. Or an even bigger pain if the planners insist on wooden-frame double-glazing.

    I've no idea if grandfather rights would apply to this sort of rebuild - I'd have guessed they would. It'd probably be a negotiation, and what we'll end up with is something that we'll be told has the 'character' of the original building. Despite 'character' often being granted from the age...

    (I'm not even sure 'grandfather rights' is the correct term...)
    It’s not usually “grandfather rights” but “grandfathering”

    You are technically in breach of the regulations but because you pre-existed you are deemed in compliance. It’s important that they aren’t “rights” because deemed compliance can be withdrawn by regulatory action

    The idea of a rebuild probably falls between two regulators and will be a negotiation. I hope the owners don’t try to exploit it


    Impoverished elderly friends live on the rural edge of my old patch in the old estate which was the scene for Lady Chatterley's Lover, in a tumbledown rented cottage facing onto empty scrubland. Literally nobody ever walks by. They asked for permission to double-glaze a window as the cottage gets cold, with the landlord's support. It was refused, because out of character with the building.

    I see the point of protection of history, and nobdy is suggesting tearing down St Paul's Cathedral to make room for another KFC. But really, don't we carry it a bit far? Shouldn't "probability that anyone will be disturbed by the change" be a major factor allowing exemptions if the probability is under say 5%?
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,708

    Morning all,

    Worrying result for Biden in Michigan. He needs a ceasefire asap.

    Gazans need a ceasefire ASAP.

    Biden is clearly over 80%, and "uncommitted" seems to be not much higher than it was when Obama ran for reelection?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,128

    Will we see a lot of anti-Conservative tactical voting in the Mayoral contest? I suspect not that much. Khan is so far ahead that LibDem and Green voters aren’t going to be scared of letting in the Tories.

    There’s also the London Assembly elections to consider. Presumably Labour will make gains at the Tories’ expense. Could Labour achieve an overall majority? Could the Tories even cease to be the official opposition? There are opportunities for the Greens or LibDems to shine. I would guess Reform UK will also get at least one Assembly member.

    Are there local elections in London?

    I'm interested in Kensington & Chelsea adopting a sane strategy wrt mobility infrastructure.
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,239
    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.


    Facts versus opinion/guess.
    To be fair u suspect the circles most posters move in are pretty socially liberal.

    They just fail to recognise that multiculturalism has facilitated the implantation of less tolerant cultures
  • HeathenerHeathener Posts: 7,084
    Sandpit said:

    Leon said:

    Am I in a 787 or a 777, i dunno

    PB travel boffs please decide

    However I just asked the dude here serving my seat and he says this is a whole new Biz Class configuration for Air France. I am on one of the first ever flights. And it is bloody good

    Rather private, endless excellent booze, good selection of movies, Michelin one-rosette food (if not quite Eva), this is the first European flyer that, to me, stands toe to toe with the Emirates/East Asian airlines

    Definitely ahead of BA, miles better than Lufthansa/SwissAir etc

    The French are going for it

    Well you’re either on AF253 from Ho Chi Min to Paris, currently over NW India, or you’re on AF153 from Bangkok to Paris, a few hundred miles behind it - which are a 777-200 and 777-300 respectively today. No Dreamliner for Leon.

    Oh, and it’s Air France, which is good enough reason to choose another airline. I’ll perhaps fly with them in another lifetime, when they’ve changed their culture and stopped killing their customers.
    Many of us globetrot without being so needy as to trumpet it on pb.

    Perhaps I’m the only one who finds it tiresome and irrelevant to the purposes of this forum. But objectively, and for the benefit of attracting a younger newer audience, it turns it into a saddo’s facebook, which is also for people of a certain age.

    One of the great lessons in life is to learn when it’s time to leave the stage.
  • 148grss148grss Posts: 4,155

    Morning all,

    Worrying result for Biden in Michigan. He needs a ceasefire asap.

    As someone else (truly!) pointed out yesterday, those pro-Palestine Dems are never going to vote for Trump nor abstain for that matter.
    They might abstain - if they think that there is little difference between Biden and Trump on this and they are unenthused by the Biden admin due to other issues (student debt, abortion, social spending, his age, etc) then they could just stay home. I think that the Dems are, once again, taking their base for granted and hoping that continuing a campaign based on negative polarisation will be enough. The problem with that being, saying this is the most important election and it's vital to the fabric of the country that we beat Trump is undercut by having Joe Biden, walking corpse and extremely unpopular president, still on the ballot. If I were a Dem voter I'd say I am taking the election seriously and it's the national party that isn't.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,174
    Looks like Trump has had his best primary yet.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 11,044
    MattW said:

    Will we see a lot of anti-Conservative tactical voting in the Mayoral contest? I suspect not that much. Khan is so far ahead that LibDem and Green voters aren’t going to be scared of letting in the Tories.

    There’s also the London Assembly elections to consider. Presumably Labour will make gains at the Tories’ expense. Could Labour achieve an overall majority? Could the Tories even cease to be the official opposition? There are opportunities for the Greens or LibDems to shine. I would guess Reform UK will also get at least one Assembly member.

    Are there local elections in London?

    I'm interested in Kensington & Chelsea adopting a sane strategy wrt mobility infrastructure.
    No, they’re on a different cycle. Next ones are in 2026, during the new Labour government’s honeymoon period perhaps?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,061

    @Leon : I don't know if you saw this, r if it was covered on PB yesterday, but the owners of the Crooked House have been ordered to rebuild it.

    https://twitter.com/andy4wm/status/1762442547220099419

    Not that I think it'll happen, though... :(

    Sure it wouldn’t pass muster with the building inspectors…
    I understand grandfather rights apply to old buildings - for instance, insulation requirements for windows do not necessarily have to apply to some listed buildings, which can be a pain for homeowners who want the extra insulation double-glazing gives. Or an even bigger pain if the planners insist on wooden-frame double-glazing.

    I've no idea if grandfather rights would apply to this sort of rebuild - I'd have guessed they would. It'd probably be a negotiation, and what we'll end up with is something that we'll be told has the 'character' of the original building. Despite 'character' often being granted from the age...

    (I'm not even sure 'grandfather rights' is the correct term...)
    It’s not usually “grandfather rights” but “grandfathering”

    You are technically in breach of the regulations but because you pre-existed you are deemed in compliance. It’s important that they aren’t “rights” because deemed compliance can be withdrawn by regulatory action

    The idea of a rebuild probably falls between two regulators and will be a negotiation. I hope the owners don’t try to exploit it

    Impoverished elderly friends live on the rural edge of my old patch in the old estate which was the scene for Lady Chatterley's Lover, in a tumbledown rented cottage facing onto empty scrubland. Literally nobody ever walks by. They asked for permission to double-glaze a window as the cottage gets cold, with the landlord's support. It was refused, because out of character with the building.

    I see the point of protection of history, and nobdy is suggesting tearing down St Paul's Cathedral to make room for another KFC. But really, don't we carry it a bit far? Shouldn't "probability that anyone will be disturbed by the change" be a major factor allowing exemptions if the probability is under say 5%?
    Can they not get consent to fit internal secondary glazing ?
    That's the usual compromise.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 11,044

    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    As long as the Cons fail to see the multiple issues ordinary people face in just getting by daily then they will continue to decline, and going "full Trump" is certainly not going to arrest that decline. Susan Hall is an awful, harsh sounding candidate and will fail. In the GE they may hang on in a couple of seats, but it's not going to be good for them at all.

    The longer they leave it the worse it will be for them.

    The Tories hate everything about London: it's young university educated population, its cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, its liberality, its impoverished poor, its culture. They offer nothing to alleviate the hardship of the housing situation, or to support the people. Why would they get votes here with their neanderthal nativism?
    I hate London's homophobia

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londoners-less-tolerant-of-gay-or-transgender-children-polls-reveals-10119183.html
    I see those of us in the North, and the Scots, are the most accepting. Listening to some people here you'd think us northerners were a mass of hatred and bigotry and the south were the enlightened ones.


    Facts versus opinion/guess.
    To be fair u suspect the circles most posters move in are pretty socially liberal.

    They just fail to recognise that multiculturalism has facilitated the implantation of less tolerant cultures
    … who usually rapidly assimilate and take on the social norms of the host culture.
This discussion has been closed.