Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
From what I read, the problem with the photo wasn’t the BBC not having their finger on the pulse; the problem was Princess Charlotte having her finger on the pulse, her finger on the chair, her finger on the ceiling and her finger outside the window.
Notts TV @Notts_TV Nottinghamshire Police is now in Special measures, after an announcement this morning from the policing watchdog. His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services has told the force to "urgently produce an improvement plan" and say big changes must be made by September.
Any reason? The only recent big crime story I can remember from Nottingham is the murders of Grace and Barnaby, and Ian Coates, although Nottingham did use to have a lot of gun crime.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Note that it doesn't say he wouldn't give them weapons. Trump favours using lend-lease to finance it.
You seriously think Trump will even go that far. Putin will be celebrating if Trump is elected . There is no middle ground here , you either support Trump or Ukraine . You can’t do both .
I think it's very unlikely that Trump will continue the current policy of giving Ukraine just enough support to keep the war smouldering - he will change the policy. He'll want to be seen to have 'sorted it out', rather than continuing the conflict because a continuation is perceived to be in the USA's geostrategic interests.
I do think it's possible that his re-election could be a net good for Ukraine though, because he's an unknown quantity in the negotiations. Ukraine faces a real issue in negotiating any kind of peace with Russia because Russia has the upper hand and Biden can't really threaten to give Ukraine anything that menaces the Russians if they don't co-operate, because politically he's prevented from doing so. Trump can make those sorts of threats, and perhaps be believed, because much as I do think he admires Putin, he could also turn on him easily - this is Trump; he doesn't do loyalty.
I don't 'want' Russia to gain from its invasion, but I do want people to stop dying, Ukraine to stop being turned into the Somme, and for gas to fall in price. Therefore, I want the smouldering war to be quenched, a new iron curtain wherever it goes, and for the rest of Ukraine to be garrisoned heavily as a protection against any future Russian territorial ambitions. So I prefer what I perceive to be Trump's solution, thab what I perceive to be Biden's.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Think how many wars and how much strife would have been avoided if nature had decreed that all men were going to be born "equal" in the trouser department.
No need for dictators to have to make up for their inadequacies with violence which means we'd possible have avoided Napoleon, Hitler, Putin, etc...
Think how many wars and how much strife would have been avoided if nature had decreed that all men were going to be born "equal" in the trouser department.
No need for dictators to have to make up for their inadequacies with violence which means we'd possible have avoided Napoleon, Hitler, Putin, etc...
Recently heard eminent British historian (via an old clip on YouTube) say that, based on her correspondence - not sure with who(m) - that Napoleon's 2nd Empress (at least that HE wed) Marie Louise, was MOST impressed with Boney's (ahem) sexual prowess.
And another Marie, namely Marie Walewska, was another satisfied customer (except where Poland was concerned) and even visited Napoleon on Elba just to get a bit more sugar-sugar from the Corsican Ogre.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
I think it was always going to be a bumpy time after QEII long reign.
Obviously it's also very bad luck that King Charles has developed cancer just months into his reign and Princess Catherine has become unwell at the same time.
By not being honest and transparent about Kate, RF have definitely helped make things far worse than they needed to be, though.
Think how many wars and how much strife would have been avoided if nature had decreed that all men were going to be born "equal" in the trouser department.
No need for dictators to have to make up for their inadequacies with violence which means we'd possible have avoided Napoleon, Hitler, Putin, etc...
Recently heard eminent British historian (via an old clip on YouTube) say that, based on her correspondence - not sure with who(m) - that Napoleon's 2nd Empress (at least that HE wed) Marie Louise, was MOST impressed with Boney's (ahem) sexual prowess.
And another Marie, namely Marie Walewska, was another satisfied customer (except where Poland was concerned) and even visited Napoleon on Elba just to get a bit more sugar-sugar from the Corsican Ogre.
Well as the old saying goes, it's not what you've got but how you use it, that counts!
I first had them at a breakfast on a balcony overlooking Bangkok, at the house of the King's personal secretary, with a man so famous that his name had become a euphemism for "condom".
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
I think a good chunk of it is anger from the U.K. papers about the restrictions on reporting. Both William, Harry and their wives have used the law against media intrusion. In addition, as I understand it, it has been made clear that if U.K. papers use paparazzi long lens shots etc, the Royal family would blacklist the paper in question. No cooperation, no press conference invites.
I first had them at a breakfast on a balcony overlooking Bangkok, at the house of the King's personal secretary, with a man so famous that his name had become a euphemism for "condom".
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Can’t they get Andrew and Fergie’s kids in to do some of the hospital openings etc, the ones of crazy wedding hat fame? I get that they have morally questionable parents but it’s not their fault, and they seem decent enough?
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
It's silly, but not as silly as Featherstonehaugh.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
I think it was always going to be a bumpy time after QEII long reign.
Obviously it's also very bad luck that King Charles has developed cancer just months into his reign and Princess Catherine has become unwell at the same time.
By not being honest and transparent about Kate, RF have definitely helped make things far worse than they needed to be, though.
Well known people get ill all the time - the great and good, celebrities, people noted in their field. Some are not so famous or only periodically in the public eye and are able to say nothing, some say nothing and there is a rumour mill (Pete Kay's health springs to mind), some are ill in the public eye. But the Royal way of dealing with it seems increasingly archaic - it would seem better to give a basic diagnosis, an idea of treatment, and then update periodically if it is long term. Not the gory details, just the basics I mean unless William is engaging in domestic abuse, which would be a tricky explanation.
There will still be a rumour mill, but it would be much more bounded by established fact if the Royals decided to furnish the basics as ill MPs generally do.
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
Coffeeshop across street from my humble abode features a Frappuccino knock-off (hence) knock-off of knock-off, called a "Chumley".
Also name of old-time US cartoon character, sidekick of Tennessee Tuxedo.
Also name of celebrity "reality" show pawn-shop lard-ass employee.
"Chumley" being to "Cholmondeley" as Wooster, Ohio is to Worcester, Mass & Eng.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
The algarve is the area of Portugal most impacted by illegal migrants, legal migrants, street crime, etc (along with Lisbon)
It is not surprising the far right now does well there
On then to tonight's polling and both Deltapoll and R&W have large Labour leads of 17 and 18 points respetively with no immediate sign of a "bounce" from the Budget.
The Con/Ref vs Lab/LD/Green split is 38-58 with Deltapoll and 39-58 with R&W compared with 48-47 in December 2019 so the swing is 10.5% since the last GE. The swing from Conservative to Labour is between 14.5 and 15% on tonight's polls which would leave 160-180 Conservative MPs so not an extinction event but still a substantial event.
The R&W breakdown of the 2019 Conservative vote shows just 45% still loyal to the blue rosette with 21% (equal to 9.5% of the entire electorate) now supporting Reform and 17% (or 7.5%) now intending to vote Labour.
Clearly, IF (and I think that's probably become a bigger IF after today) the Conservatives can get a lot of those supporters back they can mitigate the impending defeat to a considerable extent.
Think how many wars and how much strife would have been avoided if nature had decreed that all men were going to be born "equal" in the trouser department.
No need for dictators to have to make up for their inadequacies with violence which means we'd possible have avoided Napoleon, Hitler, Putin, etc...
Recently heard eminent British historian (via an old clip on YouTube) say that, based on her correspondence - not sure with who(m) - that Napoleon's 2nd Empress (at least that HE wed) Marie Louise, was MOST impressed with Boney's (ahem) sexual prowess.
And another Marie, namely Marie Walewska, was another satisfied customer (except where Poland was concerned) and even visited Napoleon on Elba just to get a bit more sugar-sugar from the Corsican Ogre.
Well as the old saying goes, it's not what you've got but how you use it, that counts!
"It ain't the meat, it's the motion" - Empress Josephine
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
That’s because the Portuguese government offered EU passports to anyone willing to buy a house there, and now has a pretty generous digital nomad scheme
Portugal is a rather nice place to live if you don’t mind a bit of tedium and humdrum food
Great climate, some wild landscapes, genuinely untouched coastline, lovely wines, pleasant towns and cities, low crime
For an American on an American income it is absolute paradise compared to the dystopia of many modern American cities
Note that it doesn't say he wouldn't give them weapons. Trump favours using lend-lease to finance it.
You seriously think Trump will even go that far. Putin will be celebrating if Trump is elected . There is no middle ground here , you either support Trump or Ukraine . You can’t do both .
I think it's very unlikely that Trump will continue the current policy of giving Ukraine just enough support to keep the war smouldering - he will change the policy. He'll want to be seen to have 'sorted it out', rather than continuing the conflict because a continuation is perceived to be in the USA's geostrategic interests.
I do think it's possible that his re-election could be a net good for Ukraine though, because he's an unknown quantity in the negotiations. Ukraine faces a real issue in negotiating any kind of peace with Russia because Russia has the upper hand and Biden can't really threaten to give Ukraine anything that menaces the Russians if they don't co-operate, because politically he's prevented from doing so. Trump can make those sorts of threats, and perhaps be believed, because much as I do think he admires Putin, he could also turn on him easily - this is Trump; he doesn't do loyalty.
I don't 'want' Russia to gain from its invasion, but I do want people to stop dying, Ukraine to stop being turned into the Somme, and for gas to fall in price. Therefore, I want the smouldering war to be quenched, a new iron curtain wherever it goes, and for the rest of Ukraine to be garrisoned heavily as a protection against any future Russian territorial ambitions. So I prefer what I perceive to be Trump's solution, thab what I perceive to be Biden's.
I guess that Trump will try and do some kind of 'deal', it might work for a short period. But long term the problem with Russia is going to persist. Unfortunately, I don't think Eastern Europe can really be garrisoned, the war will just start up somewhere else again. It will be like whack a mole for the indefinite future.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
A strangely forgotten country, Portugal, outside of tourism.
It has a population of 10 million and GDP of 376 billion. That’s very similar on both metrics to Hungary or Czechia, and similar population to Sweden (though poorer). Much more people than Austria, Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, all of the Baltics combined, Bulgaria
It has former colonies and people speaking its language on 3 continents, and strategically positioned oceanic islands in the Atlantic… yet is geopolitically invisible.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
The algarve is the area of Portugal most impacted by illegal migrants, legal migrants, street crime, etc (along with Lisbon)
It is not surprising the far right now does well there
Cf marine le pen in Provence and languedoc
MY experience of the Algarve is it took a big hit after 2008 when the Irish golfers stopped coming. The British always had a strong presence there - now Germans, Russians and Swedes. I get the point about illegal migrants as well as the legal ones. I strongly suspect Reform's strongest results here will be in southern and eastern coastal towns (of which Ashfield isn't one unless theories about the timing and extent of climate change prove to be somewhat inaccurate).
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Can’t they get Andrew and Fergie’s kids in to do some of the hospital openings etc, the ones of crazy wedding hat fame? I get that they have morally questionable parents but it’s not their fault, and they seem decent enough?
They could, but it would go against the plan to shrink the size of the Royal Family.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
A strangely forgotten country, Portugal, outside of tourism.
It has a population of 10 million and GDP of 376 billion. That’s very similar on both metrics to Hungary or Czechia, and similar population to Sweden (though poorer). Much more people than Austria, Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, all of the Baltics combined, Bulgaria
It has former colonies and people speaking its language on 3 continents, and strategically positioned oceanic islands in the Atlantic… yet is geopolitically invisible.
It’s always been peripheral - literally
It was the accidentally enormous empire which changed that for a while
It’s remarkable it survives at all. Several times it has nearly been absorbed into Spain
Note that it doesn't say he wouldn't give them weapons. Trump favours using lend-lease to finance it.
You seriously think Trump will even go that far. Putin will be celebrating if Trump is elected . There is no middle ground here , you either support Trump or Ukraine . You can’t do both .
I think it's very unlikely that Trump will continue the current policy of giving Ukraine just enough support to keep the war smouldering - he will change the policy. He'll want to be seen to have 'sorted it out', rather than continuing the conflict because a continuation is perceived to be in the USA's geostrategic interests.
I do think it's possible that his re-election could be a net good for Ukraine though, because he's an unknown quantity in the negotiations. Ukraine faces a real issue in negotiating any kind of peace with Russia because Russia has the upper hand and Biden can't really threaten to give Ukraine anything that menaces the Russians if they don't co-operate, because politically he's prevented from doing so. Trump can make those sorts of threats, and perhaps be believed, because much as I do think he admires Putin, he could also turn on him easily - this is Trump; he doesn't do loyalty.
I don't 'want' Russia to gain from its invasion, but I do want people to stop dying, Ukraine to stop being turned into the Somme, and for gas to fall in price. Therefore, I want the smouldering war to be quenched, a new iron curtain wherever it goes, and for the rest of Ukraine to be garrisoned heavily as a protection against any future Russian territorial ambitions. So I prefer what I perceive to be Trump's solution, thab what I perceive to be Biden's.
I guess that Trump will try and do some kind of 'deal', it might work for a short period. But long term the problem with Russia is going to persist. Unfortunately, I don't think Eastern Europe can really be garrisoned, the war will just start up somewhere else again. It will be like whack a mole for the indefinite future.
It can’t be garrisoned fully while Russia has its toes in Transdniester, an enclave in Kaliningrad and Russian speaking minorities in the Baltics. Whatever happens at the end of this war though Ukraine will need to be bristling with its own and foreign troops for years.
I was fascinated by Lee Anderson's comment in his defection (or similar) speech this morning:
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
Sendembackism in the GE won't benefit Labour. If Lee "Let 'Em All Faaack Orfff" Anderson still belonged to CCHQ while representing Reform, things wouldn't look much different. It's Labour he'll take votes from. The GE won't be like the EU election in 2019 when the Tories came 5th. It's quite funny that so many "experts" are saying that Reform could realise Aneurin Bevan's dream and annihilate the Tory party forever.
The missing ingredient is the imminent replacement of Sunak with Swordgirl, the forces' darling.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
That’s because the Portuguese government offered EU passports to anyone willing to buy a house there, and now has a pretty generous digital nomad scheme
Portugal is a rather nice place to live if you don’t mind a bit of tedium and humdrum food
Great climate, some wild landscapes, genuinely untouched coastline, lovely wines, pleasant towns and cities, low crime
For an American on an American income it is absolute paradise compared to the dystopia of many modern American cities
I spent two months in the winter during Covid in a cheap hotel at Monte Estoril (one very short train ride from Cascais) and it was delightful.
Hilarious gossip in the lobby. A northern Iraqi grandmother threatening, in perfect English, to disown her grandson because he'd taken up with a Portuguese boy. It seemed clear that if it had been an Iraqi boy - especially a Northern Iraqi boy - the transgression would have been forgiven.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Can’t they get Andrew and Fergie’s kids in to do some of the hospital openings etc, the ones of crazy wedding hat fame? I get that they have morally questionable parents but it’s not their fault, and they seem decent enough?
Neither are working Royals, and both have partners have careers - which is seen to disqualify them from doing Royal-type stuff. A bit too oikish, or something.
I was fascinated by Lee Anderson's comment in his defection (or similar) speech this morning:
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
Echoing MAGA-maniac, nativists-gone-nuts rhetoric from USA.
Sendembackism in the GE won't benefit Labour. If Lee Anderson still belonged to CCHQ things wouldn't look much different. It's Labour he'll take votes from. The GE won't be like the EU election in 2019 when the Tories came 5th. It's quite funny that so many "experts" are saying that Reform could realise Aneurin Bevan's dream and annihilate the Tory party forever.
The missing ingredient is the imminent replacement of Sunak with swordgirl, the forces' darling.
So far the recent rise in Reform polling pretty much exactly mirrors the Conservative decline. Labour have stayed steady. When it unwinds I therefore expect it will unwind in the Tories’ favour.
You could make the argument that this rise has been at the expense of direct Con-Lab switchers, and a further rise might be too. Certainly comparing now with autumn 2022 when Truss plummeted and Labour almost entirely benefited, the polling does look different. But Lab-Ref switchers? No evidence that’s a thing so far.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
It's only a matter of time before Catherine Replacement Theory begins to gain traction amongst the internet conspiracist community. It may already have started.
I was fascinated by Lee Anderson's comment in his defection (or similar) speech this morning:
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
He couldn't describe it to you except in slogans, because inciting racial hatred is unlawful.
I was fascinated by Lee Anderson's comment in his defection (or similar) speech this morning:
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
Echoing MAGA-maniac, nativists-gone-nuts rhetoric from USA.
This is where AR headsets could help in future, if they can be made more comfortable and ergonomic.
If you’re like our Lee you get to tune your headset so it screens out people with funny foreign accents or boys holding hands with each other. Or if you’re far left you can apply an empty shelves filter to your trips to the supermarket.
Politics UK @PolitlcsUK 🚨 NEW: A top Tory close to No 10 has told parliamentary colleagues that Rishi Sunak will call an election if 10 Tory MPs defect to Reform UK
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Can’t they get Andrew and Fergie’s kids in to do some of the hospital openings etc, the ones of crazy wedding hat fame? I get that they have morally questionable parents but it’s not their fault, and they seem decent enough?
They could, but it would go against the plan to shrink the size of the Royal Family.
A plan Charles probably formulated back in 1972 and has not revised since, despite the Royal Family having recently shrunk organically as documented earlier in this thread.
Politics UK @PolitlcsUK 🚨 NEW: A top Tory close to No 10 has told parliamentary colleagues that Rishi Sunak will call an election if 10 Tory MPs defect to Reform UK
Politics UK @PolitlcsUK 🚨 NEW: A top Tory close to No 10 has told parliamentary colleagues that Rishi Sunak will call an election if 10 Tory MPs defect to Reform UK
If they suspect 10 Tories are going to defect wouldn't it be better to call the election before the defections, that way Reform are denied the publicity?
On topic, I note that the Conservative line on Anderson is that a vote for Reform makes a Labour government more likely, which is probably undeniable. But they make no criticism whatsoever of Reform's (batshit crazy) policy platform.
One would have thought that the governing party would have a political argument with their rival on the right and seek to persuade voters that voting Tory is a better policy choice than voting Reform. But they don't. I've never heard a leading Tory tear into Reform's policies. I wonder why?
The Conservatives dont criticise Labour policies either.
But then that may be because Labour dont have any.
Apart from the ones that the Conservatives criticise then adopt.
As for the Conservative-Reform thing, there's a proportion who desire the same thing, and the rest of the Conservative party is terrified of the ones who want to go full-on Faragist.
Remember, They're Not Called Wets For Nothing.
Why would anyone care ? The Conservatives dont have any conservative policies either. Sir continuity Sunak will just do the same wibble job for the next five years.
Could you remind us the basis on which something is called 'a conservative policy?'. Examples would help too.
small government fiscal responsibility people in charge of their own lives
So, nothing like the current Tory Party at all... Not sure Lee Anderthal is fishing in that pool either.
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
It's silly, but not as silly as Featherstonehaugh.
I’m taking consolation for our royal troubles in the ancient Catedral de Catalina de Alejandria, where Bolivar prayed
It is soothing. Join me for a custard apple in the cloisters
What the fuck is a custard apple.
I enjoy it when minor details like semi-obscure fruit accelerates pb.com to quite surprising levels of anger.
It’s because @TOPPING likes to consider himself as urbane and worldly, a well travelled hombre - and he is - just not when compared to me. Evidence of this irks him
A custard apple is a magnificent fruit of the Caribbean tropics, also known as the cherimoya. Creamy and delicious
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
It's silly, but not as silly as Featherstonehaugh.
I was fascinated by Lee Anderson's comment in his defection (or similar) speech this morning:
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
Bog standard reactionary politics, which has always been the preserve of ageing men who think life was better in their youth.
Which it probably was in many ways, irrespective of politics and society. "I want my country back" is really "I want my hair and potency back", however you want to interpret that one.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Can’t they get Andrew and Fergie’s kids in to do some of the hospital openings etc, the ones of crazy wedding hat fame? I get that they have morally questionable parents but it’s not their fault, and they seem decent enough?
They could, but it would go against the plan to shrink the size of the Royal Family.
A plan Charles probably formulated back in 1972 and has not revised since, despite the Royal Family having recently shrunk organically as documented earlier in this thread.
Has it shrunk organically?
Yes the previous generation have gone, but there's another generation growing up currently who presumably will get involved when they're old enough: George, Charlotte etc
If they suspect 10 Tories are going to defect wouldn't it be better to call the election before the defections, that way Reform are denied the publicity?
Or they might defect on day two of the election campaign and really create pandemonium.
I’m taking consolation for our royal troubles in the ancient Catedral de Catalina de Alejandria, where Bolivar prayed
It is soothing. Join me for a custard apple in the cloisters
What the fuck is a custard apple.
I enjoy it when minor details like semi-obscure fruit accelerates pb.com to quite surprising levels of anger.
It’s because @TOPPING likes to consider himself as urbane and worldly, a well travelled hombre - and he is - just not when compared to me. Evidence of this irks him
A custard apple is a magnificent fruit of the Caribbean tropics, also known as the cherimoya. Creamy and delicious
Politics UK @PolitlcsUK 🚨 NEW: A top Tory close to No 10 has told parliamentary colleagues that Rishi Sunak will call an election if 10 Tory MPs defect to Reform UK
I was fascinated by Lee Anderson's comment in his defection (or similar) speech this morning:
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
Curiously enough the last time I actually saw a vicar on a bicycle was in the rural fastness of Hackney.
John Major's vision was, IIRC, of maiden ladies on bicycles cycling to early Holy Communion. There isn't a polite way of finding out when you last saw one of those, you just have to guess, but I think they may be fairly uncommon.
Putinsts are on same page, or rather line of BS, re: UKR.
Trump wants to help Ukraine out, as Al Capone helped out Chicago.
EXCEPT Capone did NOT support Stalin annexing Chicago, the way Trump supports Putin annexing Ukraine.
Do you condemn the way the US took advantage of Britain during WW2?
Roosevelt had to battle right wing isolationists to intervene at all. How little has changed.
There has always been a substantial isolationist streak in the US based upon the ludicrous belief that being bordered by two oceans mean they don't have to worry about things outside of their country. You would think that after Covid-19 even the dopiest MAGA-hatted Republicans would realise that the world is more interconnected than ever before, but apparently not. God help us all if Trump is re-elected.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
A strangely forgotten country, Portugal, outside of tourism.
It has a population of 10 million and GDP of 376 billion. That’s very similar on both metrics to Hungary or Czechia, and similar population to Sweden (though poorer). Much more people than Austria, Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, all of the Baltics combined, Bulgaria
It has former colonies and people speaking its language on 3 continents, and strategically positioned oceanic islands in the Atlantic… yet is geopolitically invisible.
It’s always been peripheral - literally
It was the accidentally enormous empire which changed that for a while
It’s remarkable it survives at all. Several times it has nearly been absorbed into Spain
And since Portugal shipped more African slaves to the Americas than Britain, it must pay even more than the UK in reparations.
If they suspect 10 Tories are going to defect wouldn't it be better to call the election before the defections, that way Reform are denied the publicity?
Or they might defect on day two of the election campaign and really create pandemonium.
In such a scenario, there would end up being a lot of people (with various coloured rosettes) who ended up becoming MPs when the didn't really expect it.
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
Ten years ago the Royal Family had QEII and DoE, all four of QEII's children, William and Harry as active royals, plus some of their spouses, and the other ones that everyone forgets, the Gloucester's.
Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
Can’t they get Andrew and Fergie’s kids in to do some of the hospital openings etc, the ones of crazy wedding hat fame? I get that they have morally questionable parents but it’s not their fault, and they seem decent enough?
They could, but it would go against the plan to shrink the size of the Royal Family.
A plan Charles probably formulated back in 1972 and has not revised since, despite the Royal Family having recently shrunk organically as documented earlier in this thread.
You somehow doubt that the York sisters would be any more interested in getting embroiled in all that nonsense than Princess Anne's kids, but in any case it's immaterial. Until William and Kate's children grow up there are only six box office royals left and two of those are in permanent exile in California. Which means there's no adequate substitute for the King, the Queen and the Waleses.
A very small royal family is doable: George VI managed and he was in worse physical shape than his grandson. But he didn't have to feed the round the clock news monster either...
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
It's silly, but not as silly as Featherstonehaugh.
Talliaferro. Menzies.
If Menz-zeez want it pronounced Ming-geez they should spell it that way.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
A strangely forgotten country, Portugal, outside of tourism.
It has a population of 10 million and GDP of 376 billion. That’s very similar on both metrics to Hungary or Czechia, and similar population to Sweden (though poorer). Much more people than Austria, Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, all of the Baltics combined, Bulgaria
It has former colonies and people speaking its language on 3 continents, and strategically positioned oceanic islands in the Atlantic… yet is geopolitically invisible.
It’s always been peripheral - literally
It was the accidentally enormous empire which changed that for a while
It’s remarkable it survives at all. Several times it has nearly been absorbed into Spain
And since Portugal shipped more African slaves to the Americas than Britain, it must pay even more than the UK in reparations.
Brazil was a massively bigger importer of slaves than the US.
I was fascinated by Lee Anderson's comment in his defection (or similar) speech this morning:
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
There's a wonderful line in a Show of Hands song, about the Union Jack, along the lines of "it's my flag too, and I want it back".
We're all different, and no one person's vision of the country is "definitive", so we have to learn to live together.
Unfortunate. Why did they have no system of checks ?
"Colorado’s star DNA scientist intentionally manipulated evidence for years, calling into question all of the criminal cases she worked on." She "omitted material facts in records, tampered with DNA testing results, and violated a variety of lab policies." https://twitter.com/AjitPai/status/1767241479481696436
Politics UK @PolitlcsUK 🚨 NEW: A top Tory close to No 10 has told parliamentary colleagues that Rishi Sunak will call an election if 10 Tory MPs defect to Reform UK
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
It's silly, but not as silly as Featherstonehaugh.
Talliaferro. Menzies.
If Menz-zeez want it pronounced Ming-geez they should spell it that way.
On the contrary, it was the southron who misunderstood the yogh as a Z. Vide Hjaltland becoming Shetland via Zetland.
If they suspect 10 Tories are going to defect wouldn't it be better to call the election before the defections, that way Reform are denied the publicity?
It sounds more like a threat to keep everyone in line. Certain Tories who never had much loyalty to the institutional Conservative Party in seats like Anderson's might see Reform as a handy temporary lifeboat. Defect, get 6 months in the sun on GB News, and maybe have a chance of holding your seat if you believe it's the Tory brand and Sunak that's in the toilet rather than the right in general. Win or put up a good showing and you'll be invited to feast on the carcass after.
Calling a GE there's a risk you lose 6 months pay with nothing lined up and become an unpleasant footnote in a Tory Civil War.
"Behave, or I'll crash the car with all of us in it."
Politics UK @PolitlcsUK 🚨 NEW: A top Tory close to No 10 has told parliamentary colleagues that Rishi Sunak will call an election if 10 Tory MPs defect to Reform UK
This is one of Trump's tweets that his lawyers want to keep from a jury, on the theory of immunity that posting it was an "official act" of his presidency.
Princess of wales seen in car with her husband, as he goes to westminster abbey. She’s just gone for the drive apparently. So she’s not dead!
So why the f**k can't she arrange an independent, unedited photo!
I'm just curious about one detail. Is it even possible to get your fingers into the position of those of Louis's right hand without using your left hand to force them there?
Just how bad are the Royal Family's PR team that they thought releasing this photo was a good idea? And then to release a statement saying Kate likes to do photoshop in her spare time?
🤦♀️
The government should be stepping in as Blair did when they totally misread the mood after Diana's death. But Sunak does not have the authority and probably would not know what to do even if he had it.
FWIW she’s said in the past that she edits photos. The press release was just repeating the truth.
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
It's not widely known, but the Portuguese economy was already on its knees before the financial crisis: they had a big bust in, IIRC 2001, related to the dot com boom. So it's more than 20 years of pain now.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
A strangely forgotten country, Portugal, outside of tourism.
It has a population of 10 million and GDP of 376 billion. That’s very similar on both metrics to Hungary or Czechia, and similar population to Sweden (though poorer). Much more people than Austria, Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, all of the Baltics combined, Bulgaria
It has former colonies and people speaking its language on 3 continents, and strategically positioned oceanic islands in the Atlantic… yet is geopolitically invisible.
It’s always been peripheral - literally
It was the accidentally enormous empire which changed that for a while
It’s remarkable it survives at all. Several times it has nearly been absorbed into Spain
And since Portugal shipped more African slaves to the Americas than Britain, it must pay even more than the UK in reparations.
Brazil was a massively bigger importer of slaves than the US.
Kept it going much later than the US too. One of the last major countries, if not the last, to abolish it.
If they suspect 10 Tories are going to defect wouldn't it be better to call the election before the defections, that way Reform are denied the publicity?
Parliament doesn't dissolve automatically as soon as the PM announces a GE and its date. The 10 MPs could turn up the next morning and flounce across the floor of the House
Maybe I am becoming thick in my old age but why is it a seemingly massive deal that Princess Katherine edited a photo? Its the main headline on the BBC not just the Express . Anyone else find this a bit unnerving that they are losing their finger on the pulse
From what I read, the problem with the photo wasn’t the BBC not having their finger on the pulse; the problem was Princess Charlotte having her finger on the pulse, her finger on the chair, her finger on the ceiling and her finger outside the window.
I must be old fashioned. All this fuss is no way to discuss a perfectly OK photo of three children, who appear absolutely delightful and who didn't ask for all this and whose mum has not been well.
If they suspect 10 Tories are going to defect wouldn't it be better to call the election before the defections, that way Reform are denied the publicity?
Parliament doesn't dissolve automatically as soon as the PM announces a GE and its date. The 10 MPs could turn up the next morning and flounce across the floor of the House
Sure, but they wouldn't be the only news item of the day.
The circle Reform seem to be trying to square is the one where you cut taxes, raise public spending, especially on defence and policing and don't increase the deficit or debt.
I'm also far from convinced whether Reform or any other party has got any answers to the current problems of under employment.
A surname that, unfortunately, I can never take seriously since learning as a small boy that Gerald Durrell had a chimp called Cholmondeley St John, and having my mother explain the pronunciation.
It's silly, but not as silly as Featherstonehaugh.
Talliaferro. Menzies.
If Menz-zeez want it pronounced Ming-geez they should spell it that way.
On the contrary, it was the southron who misunderstood the yogh as a Z. Vide Hjaltland becoming Shetland via Zetland.
They used to have a monopoly in newspaper distribution, even as far as Zetland. If the Daily Beast failed to arrive in Norwick for breakfast Menzies would get the blame, but they rarely got any praise when it did. Needless to say it was mispronounced all the way back to Fleet Street.
Princess of wales seen in car with her husband, as he goes to westminster abbey. She’s just gone for the drive apparently. So she’s not dead!
So why the f**k can't she arrange an independent, unedited photo!
I'm just curious about one detail. Is it even possible to get your fingers into the position of those of Louis's right hand without using your left hand to force them there?
Just how bad are the Royal Family's PR team that they thought releasing this photo was a good idea? And then to release a statement saying Kate likes to do photoshop in her spare time?
🤦♀️
The government should be stepping in as Blair did when they totally misread the mood after Diana's death. But Sunak does not have the authority and probably would not know what to do even if he had it.
FWIW she’s said in the past that she edits photos. The press release was just repeating the truth.
Define edit.
Your phone auto edits. The raw image from the sensors is quite often unusable. The image you get when you press the button is already a rework.
Red eye?
Then you change the contrast. That’s editing and will set off editing detection.
The you use an automask to make the dark shaded area lighter without changing the rest.
Then you use multiple shots taken a fraction of a second apart to create one better image
The circle Reform seem to be trying to square is the one where you cut taxes, raise public spending, especially on defence and policing and don't increase the deficit or debt.
I'm also far from convinced whether Reform or any other party has got any answers to the current problems of under employment.
None of the parties has any answers to any problems at all. Not really.
The circle Reform seem to be trying to square is the one where you cut taxes, raise public spending, especially on defence and policing and don't increase the deficit or debt.
I'm also far from convinced whether Reform or any other party has got any answers to the current problems of under employment.
None of the parties has any answers to any problems at all. Not really.
Yes but I'm not sure any of the rest of us do either or at least solutions which would be legal and viable.
Unfortunate. Why did they have no system of checks ?
"Colorado’s star DNA scientist intentionally manipulated evidence for years, calling into question all of the criminal cases she worked on." She "omitted material facts in records, tampered with DNA testing results, and violated a variety of lab policies." https://twitter.com/AjitPai/status/1767241479481696436
This has happened before, in the US. It does make me wonder what has happened here.
{Dr Freddy Patel has entered the chat and delivered a report saying that that the guy with the bullet holes died of natural causes}
The circle Reform seem to be trying to square is the one where you cut taxes, raise public spending, especially on defence and policing and don't increase the deficit or debt.
I'm also far from convinced whether Reform or any other party has got any answers to the current problems of under employment.
Reform have the advantage that, for the foreseeable future, they don't need workable answers, because they won't be required to enact them.
The circle Reform seem to be trying to square is the one where you cut taxes, raise public spending, especially on defence and policing and don't increase the deficit or debt.
I'm also far from convinced whether Reform or any other party has got any answers to the current problems of under employment.
None of the parties has any answers to any problems at all. Not really.
Yes but I'm not sure any of the rest of us do either or at least solutions which would be legal and viable.
Well, we could look at productivity. And invest, steadily, in quiet fashion, over decades, in slowly improving processes and equipment.
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Now, KCIII has cancer, Andrew is disgraced, Harry estranged, William hiding, the Gloucester's winding down. Only Anne and Edward are doing the work of being seen.
Kate hasn't been seen for ages and then the photo that is released is a fake. People are losing their heads because the Royal family need to be seen, and right now they seem to be missing.
I do think it's possible that his re-election could be a net good for Ukraine though, because he's an unknown quantity in the negotiations. Ukraine faces a real issue in negotiating any kind of peace with Russia because Russia has the upper hand and Biden can't really threaten to give Ukraine anything that menaces the Russians if they don't co-operate, because politically he's prevented from doing so. Trump can make those sorts of threats, and perhaps be believed, because much as I do think he admires Putin, he could also turn on him easily - this is Trump; he doesn't do loyalty.
I don't 'want' Russia to gain from its invasion, but I do want people to stop dying, Ukraine to stop being turned into the Somme, and for gas to fall in price. Therefore, I want the smouldering war to be quenched, a new iron curtain wherever it goes, and for the rest of Ukraine to be garrisoned heavily as a protection against any future Russian territorial ambitions. So I prefer what I perceive to be Trump's solution, thab what I perceive to be Biden's.
No need for dictators to have to make up for their inadequacies with violence which means we'd possible have avoided Napoleon, Hitler, Putin, etc...
And another Marie, namely Marie Walewska, was another satisfied customer (except where Poland was concerned) and even visited Napoleon on Elba just to get a bit more sugar-sugar from the Corsican Ogre.
Obviously it's also very bad luck that King Charles has developed cancer just months into his reign and Princess Catherine has become unwell at the same time.
By not being honest and transparent about Kate, RF have definitely helped make things far worse than they needed to be, though.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/sarah-rose-hanbury-duchess-cholmondeley-william-kate-b2510472.html
Plenty to chew over in the past 24 hours or so but I'll start with Portugal which produced a surprising result.
The surprise wasn't the fall of the Socialists but the mediocre performance of the Social Democrats and the strong polling by Chega (doing a bit better than VOX in Spain).
With the four overseas seats to be declared, the Democratic Alliance, led by Montenegro's Social Democrats, leads the Socialists 79-77 (needing the three Madeira seats to get them over the line). Chega went from 7% to 18% and gained 36 seats (the Socialists lost 43 and the Democratic Alliance gained just two).
Not much change among the minor parties with the Greens gaining three and the Communists losing two.
Interesting to see the Algarve or Faro District, was the only one won by Chega (albeit narrowly).
Chega's 48 seats mean they can form a majority with either the Democratic Alliance or the Socialists but both the two major party blocs have refused to go into coalition with Ventura and his party.
I suspect Montenegro will be invited to form a Government - he might be able to cut a deal with Liberal Initiative to get their eight seats but basically without Chega the only majority coalition would be a "grand" coalition of Socialists and Democratic Alliance and that won't happen.
I thought the Socialists were quick overnight to hand the mess over to Montenegro - could be a shrewd move.
Many portuguese have moved - often to France and the UK. At the same time, city property prices have gone nuts. In Lisbon now, a one bed flat can cost more in rent than an entire minimum wage income.
There will still be a rumour mill, but it would be much more bounded by established fact if the Royals decided to furnish the basics as ill MPs generally do.
That pic looks NOTHING like her. Coffeeshop across street from my humble abode features a Frappuccino knock-off (hence) knock-off of knock-off, called a "Chumley".
Also name of old-time US cartoon character, sidekick of Tennessee Tuxedo.
Also name of celebrity "reality" show pawn-shop lard-ass employee.
"Chumley" being to "Cholmondeley" as Wooster, Ohio is to Worcester, Mass & Eng.
It is not surprising the far right now does well there
Cf marine le pen in Provence and languedoc
The Con/Ref vs Lab/LD/Green split is 38-58 with Deltapoll and 39-58 with R&W compared with 48-47 in December 2019 so the swing is 10.5% since the last GE. The swing from Conservative to Labour is between 14.5 and 15% on tonight's polls which would leave 160-180 Conservative MPs so not an extinction event but still a substantial event.
The R&W breakdown of the 2019 Conservative vote shows just 45% still loyal to the blue rosette with 21% (equal to 9.5% of the entire electorate) now supporting Reform and 17% (or 7.5%) now intending to vote Labour.
Clearly, IF (and I think that's probably become a bigger IF after today) the Conservatives can get a lot of those supporters back they can mitigate the impending defeat to a considerable extent.
Portugal is a rather nice place to live if you don’t mind a bit of tedium and humdrum food
Great climate, some wild landscapes, genuinely untouched coastline, lovely wines, pleasant towns and cities, low crime
For an American on an American income it is absolute paradise compared to the dystopia of many modern American cities
Ok it was the 2nd affogato of my life but still. Impressive coffee. Again
It has a population of 10 million and GDP of 376 billion. That’s very similar on both metrics to Hungary or Czechia, and similar population to Sweden (though poorer). Much more people than Austria, Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, all of the Baltics combined, Bulgaria
It has former colonies and people speaking its language on 3 continents, and strategically positioned oceanic islands in the Atlantic… yet is geopolitically invisible.
It was the accidentally enormous empire which changed that for a while
It’s remarkable it survives at all. Several times it has nearly been absorbed into Spain
"I want my country back".
What was his country? When did it exist? Could he describe it to me or will it end up a romanticised idyll like John Major's notions of the local vicar cycling to the village church on a Sunday morning?
In any case, where does he get off demanding I live in the same country as him? I might not want to - my country is probably very different to his (it may not be). The truth is societies and countries are constantly evolving and changing - as the song has it "don't look back, you can never look back".
The missing ingredient is the imminent replacement of Sunak with Swordgirl, the forces' darling.
Hilarious gossip in the lobby. A northern Iraqi grandmother threatening, in perfect English, to disown her grandson because he'd taken up with a Portuguese boy. It seemed clear that if it had been an Iraqi boy - especially a Northern Iraqi boy - the transgression would have been forgiven.
You could make the argument that this rise has been at the expense of direct Con-Lab switchers, and a further rise might be too. Certainly comparing now with autumn 2022 when Truss plummeted and Labour almost entirely benefited, the polling does look different. But Lab-Ref switchers? No evidence that’s a thing so far.
If you’re like our Lee you get to tune your headset so it screens out people with funny foreign accents or boys holding hands with each other. Or if you’re far left you can apply an empty shelves filter to your trips to the supermarket.
Politics UK
@PolitlcsUK
🚨 NEW: A top Tory close to No 10 has told parliamentary colleagues that Rishi Sunak will call an election if 10 Tory MPs defect to Reform UK
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@joncraig
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Menzies.
Which it probably was in many ways, irrespective of politics and society. "I want my country back" is really "I want my hair and potency back", however you want to interpret that one.
Yes the previous generation have gone, but there's another generation growing up currently who presumably will get involved when they're old enough: George, Charlotte etc
Is that just not how life goes?
How little has changed.
John Major's vision was, IIRC, of maiden ladies on bicycles cycling to early Holy Communion. There isn't a polite way of finding out when you last saw one of those, you just have to guess, but I think they may be fairly uncommon.
A very small royal family is doable: George VI managed and he was in worse physical shape than his grandson. But he didn't have to feed the round the clock news monster either...
We're all different, and no one person's vision of the country is "definitive", so we have to learn to live together.
Why did they have no system of checks ?
"Colorado’s star DNA scientist intentionally manipulated evidence for years, calling into question all of the criminal cases she worked on." She "omitted material facts in records, tampered with DNA testing results, and violated a variety of lab policies."
https://twitter.com/AjitPai/status/1767241479481696436
Calling a GE there's a risk you lose 6 months pay with nothing lined up and become an unpleasant footnote in a Tory Civil War.
"Behave, or I'll crash the car with all of us in it."
It's a tweet apparently showing Trump's knowledge of the system of reimbursements at the center of his criminal charges.
https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1767247368380903860
e^(iπ) + 1
I'm also far from convinced whether Reform or any other party has got any answers to the current problems of under employment.
Your phone auto edits. The raw image from the sensors is quite often unusable. The image you get when you press the button is already a rework.
Red eye?
Then you change the contrast. That’s editing and will set off editing detection.
The you use an automask to make the dark shaded area lighter without changing the rest.
Then you use multiple shots taken a fraction of a second apart to create one better image
Etc
At what point is The Truth lost?
{Dr Freddy Patel has entered the chat and delivered a report saying that that the guy with the bullet holes died of natural causes}