It is the End of Days. The only question is what will kill us first: the heat, the aliens, the robots or the Wokeness
HISTORIC For the first time in March a minimum temperature >30C in recorded in South America TMIN 30.4C Las Lomitas ARGENTINA TMIN 29.0 Mariscal Estigarribia and Concepcion HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT IN PARAGUAY Hundreds of records are being brutalized from Colombia to Argentina tbc
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
I thought burning stuff wasn't threatening - just a bit of the rich tapestry of the People sticking it to The Man.
The Festival Day 3 🐎 having assembled a team of returning Cheltenham winners and up and coming future megastars, I feel much more confident about my chances of adding to my 3 winners today, Cheltenham 1.30 - Colonel Harry Cheltenham 2.10 - Gaoth Chuil Cheltenham 2.50 - Stage Star Cheltenham 3:30 - Teahupoo Cheltenham 4:10 - In Excelsis Deo Cheltenham 4:50 - Jade De Grugy* Cheltenham 5.30 - Whacker Clan
*I never pick horses just because of my or family names in it, this horse will finish somewhere in the top 2, call me out if it doesn’t
Have a good day.
Mine for today , not much time so will just have trixie/singles on 1:30, 2:50 and 3:30 Cheltenham 1.30 - Iroko Cheltenham 2.10 - Cuthbert Dibble Cheltenham 2.50 - Stage Star Cheltenham 3:30 - Sire Du Berlais Cheltenham 4:10 - Crebilly Cheltenham 4:50 - Jade De Grugy Cheltenham 5.30 - Where it all Began
Great days racing yesterday, Malc - what a Champion Chase. Rachel Blackmore is a monster. She has joined that group of jocks who people know will get every last inch out of their horse and find the win if it is anywhere in there. Awesome.
They might have changed the name but yesterday really was Ladies' Day and Rachel was the lady.
Glad you enjoyed it Topping. I was too busy yesterday and did not even get a chance to get a bet.
As an aside my ticket for Scottish National meeting has arrived, looking forward to that.
“Ayahuasca was found to speed up the extinction of fear memories in rats by affecting serotonin receptors in the brain. This effect, consistent across new and old memories, points to potential therapeutic uses for anxiety and trauma-related conditions.”
Yes that is leafy Bromley council (in south London/ Kent) getting money from the cancellation of train route from Manchester to North London
They're using some of the money to resurface the road by Orpington War Memorial. How could you object to that?
And also, what a contrast of ambition. On the one hand a new, modern, fast rail line connecting the capital to Manchester. On the other hand, resurfacing the road by a suburban war memorial.
That news item is extraordinary. For opinions, they went to CAGE, 5Pillars and Friends of Al Aqsa, which is like writing an article on immigration law then seeking out the wisdom of the KKK, the BNP and Friends of Andrew Tate
I think the technique there is “allow the extremists some rope and they will find a tree branch to throw it over, tie an noose and place it round their own necks”
Perhaps inviting them back for the Xth time might suggest this isn't an entirely efficent strategy.
I am not aware of Melanie Phillips being shown to be a racist - she does have very firm right wing views. This shows the danger of the 'extremism' tag - we are apparently never again supposed to hear from people who express anything more than anodyne central office approved platitudes. Both Melanie Phillips and Diane Abbot should continue to be heard, and screw the stupid people who imply otherwise.
The establishment are pretty terrified I think of the free speech on twitter and tiktok now. Hence this move and the move to ban tiktok in the US.
The Tories are absolutely doomed but to be honest a campaign led by Mordaunt might be their best chance of avoiding oblivion right now. She surely can’t do any worse.
Does she know what a woman or, or more to the point would that issue become a millstone around her neck in the campaign ?
Also why would she take it to lead them to oblivion unless she was going to stay as leader post election on the assumption she holds her seat.
Re your second paragraph, well, that would be the potential prize for her.
I’m not saying this is at all likely, but I do wonder if strategically she might be the best shot they’ve got. She stands a very good chance of losing her seat on current polling, so doesn’t have much to lose right now. She’s not running a government department so doesn’t have a lot of record to attack. And she is by far the Tories’ best communicator. She could make a play for the contrast against Starmer. She’s also the only one who could plausibly run a “we’ve messed up and we need to do better” narrative.
I mean, look, nobody’s going to stop the Tories from losing the next election and it’s entirely plausible the whole thing would backfire and they go down to a humongous defeat. But given it’s staring them in the face anyway, what’s the harm in trying?
The Penny d'Arc scenario? By far the best communicator is the key factor. It's not true that nobody can stop the Tories from losing. Probably half the polling gap disappears the moment she takes over.
There is also the chance that the rapid process of putting together a manifesto and presenting it to the country shows her up as out of her depth, befuddled, inconsistent.
She has a turn of phrase, a waving generality, a manner, and a relationship with fact that makes her the closest thing to a replacement Boris the Conservatives have, but I'm not sure she has the outright feral self-centred self-preservation instinct that brought Boris to the top.
Her ceiling is higher than Sunak's, but her floor a lot, lot lower.
At worst she could prove herself to be a pale imitation of Jo Swinson.
She has been accused of wearing military medals to which she was not entitled - I do not recall if this was proved, or disproved, but there always seem to have been suggestions that she might have some rather ugly skeletons in her cupboard,
I think the medals thing turned out to be misinformation:
No, she's admitted it for the submarine dolphins, but did say it was with permission for RN related events. She's MP for Pompey, remember, which is still (just about) a naval base with rather more in the way of HM Ships than Victory, Warrior and Mary Rose, if much reduced from the glory days.
Service medals is different, though there was a tradition where widows/relatives could wear their deceased relatives' medals (as miniatures?) on the right breast I think (was something in the 1920s I believe, with all the Armistice Day services)
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
I thought burning stuff wasn't threatening - just a bit of the rich tapestry of the People sticking it to The Man.
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
“Ayahuasca was found to speed up the extinction of fear memories in rats by affecting serotonin receptors in the brain. This effect, consistent across new and old memories, points to potential therapeutic uses for anxiety and trauma-related conditions.”
£3,000? To go to Rwanda? Leon - how much would you charge the Flintknapper's Gazette to go on a reporting mission? Can't we just hire asylum seekers like that?
I would absolutely go to Rwanda for £3k!
You could fly out Business (£1500 one way on Turkish airlines) then have a nice week of holiday; fly back Economy (£500) and still have a couple of hundred left
Who said anything about you coming back?
The whole point is you stay there. Get processed. And then what? Given a work permit to do… what?
Knap flints obviously.
The whole point is to send the dirty foreign invasion away. What they do there is their problem not ours. Etc.
“The whole point is to send the dirty foreign invasion away.”
Community flag for Dale. That’s not true. They can only process 200 at £1.5 million each - we Can’t send the whole dirty foreign invasion away - and there’s another thirty thousand coming across between now and Autumn!
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
The Festival Day 3 🐎 having assembled a team of returning Cheltenham winners and up and coming future megastars, I feel much more confident about my chances of adding to my 3 winners today, Cheltenham 1.30 - Colonel Harry Cheltenham 2.10 - Gaoth Chuil Cheltenham 2.50 - Stage Star Cheltenham 3:30 - Teahupoo Cheltenham 4:10 - In Excelsis Deo Cheltenham 4:50 - Jade De Grugy* Cheltenham 5.30 - Whacker Clan
*I never pick horses just because of my or family names in it, this horse will finish somewhere in the top 2, call me out if it doesn’t
Have a good day.
Mine for today , not much time so will just have trixie/singles on 1:30, 2:50 and 3:30 Cheltenham 1.30 - Iroko Cheltenham 2.10 - Cuthbert Dibble Cheltenham 2.50 - Stage Star Cheltenham 3:30 - Sire Du Berlais Cheltenham 4:10 - Crebilly Cheltenham 4:50 - Jade De Grugy Cheltenham 5.30 - Where it all Began
Great days racing yesterday, Malc - what a Champion Chase. Rachel Blackmore is a monster. She has joined that group of jocks who people know will get every last inch out of their horse and find the win if it is anywhere in there. Awesome.
They might have changed the name but yesterday really was Ladies' Day and Rachel was the lady.
Glad you enjoyed it Topping. I was too busy yesterday and did not even get a chance to get a bet.
As an aside my ticket for Scottish National meeting has arrived, looking forward to that.
Yes that is leafy Bromley council (in south London/ Kent) getting money from the cancellation of train route from Manchester to North London
They're using some of the money to resurface the road by Orpington War Memorial. How could you object to that?
And also, what a contrast of ambition. On the one hand a new, modern, fast rail line connecting the capital to Manchester. On the other hand, resurfacing the road by a suburban war memorial.
Not just Orpy's memorial, though, so it's not the usual Tory thing of grabbing a very sad episode of history (which we should all remember) and making it into death and UJ cult stuff. Crystal Parade is being done up, so we can get to the dinos more quickly. .
It is the End of Days. The only question is what will kill us first: the heat, the aliens, the robots or the Wokeness
HISTORIC For the first time in March a minimum temperature >30C in recorded in South America TMIN 30.4C Las Lomitas ARGENTINA TMIN 29.0 Mariscal Estigarribia and Concepcion HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT IN PARAGUAY Hundreds of records are being brutalized from Colombia to Argentina tbc
That news item is extraordinary. For opinions, they went to CAGE, 5Pillars and Friends of Al Aqsa, which is like writing an article on immigration law then seeking out the wisdom of the KKK, the BNP and Friends of Andrew Tate
I think the technique there is “allow the extremists some rope and they will find a tree branch to throw it over, tie an noose and place it round their own necks”
Perhaps inviting them back for the Xth time might suggest this isn't an entirely efficent strategy.
I am not aware of Melanie Phillips being shown to be a racist - she does have very firm right wing views. This shows the danger of the 'extremism' tag - we are apparently never again supposed to hear from people who express anything more than anodyne central office approved platitudes. Both Melanie Phillips and Diane Abbot should continue to be heard, and screw the stupid people who imply otherwise.
You think 'Londonistan' doesn't have certain connotations? In any case I've no problem with the being heard bit, it's the endless amplification. People like Phillips don't get repeatedly invited onto QT for the measured insights, it's her contributions to the freak show that she's there for.
That news item is extraordinary. For opinions, they went to CAGE, 5Pillars and Friends of Al Aqsa, which is like writing an article on immigration law then seeking out the wisdom of the KKK, the BNP and Friends of Andrew Tate
I think the technique there is “allow the extremists some rope and they will find a tree branch to throw it over, tie an noose and place it round their own necks”
Perhaps inviting them back for the Xth time might suggest this isn't an entirely efficent strategy.
I am not aware of Melanie Phillips being shown to be a racist - she does have very firm right wing views. This shows the danger of the 'extremism' tag - we are apparently never again supposed to hear from people who express anything more than anodyne central office approved platitudes. Both Melanie Phillips and Diane Abbot should continue to be heard, and screw the stupid people who imply otherwise.
But only one gets the BBC platform and it's not the one that's actually democratically elected.
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
Patriotic Alternative are supposed to be non violent. They are certainly no EDL. It is better i think to allow groups fighting for the interests of the ethnic majority in the uk.
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
D'you mean Life of Brian, or is that a rather obscure reference to the Knights Who Say Ni?
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
They allowed the far right at your university. Where was that.
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
They allowed the far right at your university. Where was that.
We banned them as they popped up. The University authorities didn't want us to ban the head choppers. And they got irate when the Far Left got claimed by the Polish Society.
It is the End of Days. The only question is what will kill us first: the heat, the aliens, the robots or the Wokeness
HISTORIC For the first time in March a minimum temperature >30C in recorded in South America TMIN 30.4C Las Lomitas ARGENTINA TMIN 29.0 Mariscal Estigarribia and Concepcion HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT IN PARAGUAY Hundreds of records are being brutalized from Colombia to Argentina tbc
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
D'you mean Life of Brian, or is that a rather obscure reference to the Knights Who Say Ni?
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
They allowed the far right at your university. Where was that.
We banned them as they popped up. The University authorities didn't want us to ban the head choppers. And they got irate when the Far Left got claimed by the Polish Society.
Now imagine that, but for the population born in Britain, and you have a sense of the catastrofuck that would have followed the creation of a National ID card database.
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
They allowed the far right at your university. Where was that.
We banned them as they popped up. The University authorities didn't want us to ban the head choppers. And they got irate when the Far Left got claimed by the Polish Society.
Did they take a shine to them?
Gave them a dusting, more like, by the sound of it.
Lord Ashcroft has published a poll. I missed it if it was shared here. Fieldwork 7-11th March, changes with 8-12th Feb CON 23% (-4) LAB 45% (+2) LDM 6% (-1) GRN 8% (nc) RFM 11% (+1)
Good lord!
We know what is going on, but do we know why? Why down and down against backdrop of giveaway budget warmly received, and inflation beaten, report yesterday of economic growth and mortgage costs falling?
Is it electorate anger at not getting spring election, or is it Sunak is so not rated now it’s pulling the party to new depths?
If you know why, let number 10 know, because they can’t do anything about it unless they know why.
Fwiw I think a backdrop of somewhat better economic news in the next couple of quarters will lift the Tory fortunes enough to rule out some of the more lurid electoral outcomes but not enough to prevent a significant defeat.
Okay.
Can you be more specific on the good economic news that shifts the dial upwards for Tories, that’s actually being forecasted and expected?
Correct me where wrong,
the growth forecasts are to blip out of technical recession but only by the odd blip we blipped into it - up mere blips hardly supports “we have turned a corner and achieved growth” slogans. In fact the OBR 0.8 growth in 2024 is cherry picking the most optimistic of other forcasts for less, such as by BoE. Also, as we go on through summer and autumn, there is even danger of blipping down into recession again for election day - if it wasn’t for Taylor Swift coming. What if she slipped off stage in typical English summer, could we still expect economic growth. The way you are telling it, her visit is vital to Tory polling, they need to wrap Tay in cotton wool between performances, and Sunak stand with an umbrella over her, like the scene in WALL-E.
Interest rate cuts. Correct me where wrong, 5.25 to 5 in June. Rejoice! And 4.5 by years end. That doesn’t shift the political dial on switching to higher mortgage deals quickly enough though does it? in fact quite the opposite those higher deals will have on voters. And even those forecasts could go pear shaped. The interest rate forecast is 3 cuts this year, first one in June, taking it from 5.25 to 4.50. But to what extent does this help a government having an election this year, not next spring or next summer, as the switching to higher painful payment plans pissing people properly off happening this year. And that’s even if change isn’t slower than forecast.When it comes to setting internet rates they won’t look solely at inflation moves. Other data to consider is core inflation, wage inflation, and at the moment the £ is too strong, beating 90% of currencies, and this is a problem for the government because our economy is weak at the same time meaning inflationary over demand. One of the problems with economic forecasting is forecasting lag. Like knowing how long will the impact of reboot after covid, like a big cost of living crisis how long till it works out the system with things like wages (inflationary) still going up.
Energy prices and inflation. Both forecast to be at their sweetest this spring and early summer, and showing upward trends in time for late autumn election.
What good economic news are you predicting outside of these measures?
I'm not predicting the broad sunlit uplands! But I'm guessing we will have seen a couple of quarters of low but positive growth, lower inflation than currently, and one rate cut, maybe two. That's not going to move the needle much but to the extent it does it will probably be in the government's favour.
As you describe it, why not.
However, what about things moving the needle the other way, to compete with your positive news? Waiting for autumn election for this economic news, it doesn’t come alone. You hold on till later in the year to enjoy the months of better economic news, but it comes with record boat crossings, an interim Covid report, and a million more households saying “how much bigger my mortgage deal?”
How does it balance on the scales?
I know the country's full of screwballs but is there any evidence that a single vote will be altered by whether or not these rubber boats get stopped?
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
They allowed the far right at your university. Where was that.
We banned them as they popped up. The University authorities didn't want us to ban the head choppers. And they got irate when the Far Left got claimed by the Polish Society.
Did they take a shine to them?
The Polish Society thing was funny. The leader of the Tankies knew I had Polish ancestry, so on the day that later became the Katyn Massacre anniversary (IIRC), he tried coming up to me in the student union and making jokes about murdering Poles. I kept on asking him to speak up.
Sadly, it turned out the head of the Polish Society was having a quiet drink with a number of friends, just behind the Tankie. guy. Sadly for said Tankies, that is.
Now imagine that, but for the population born in Britain, and you have a sense of the catastrofuck that would have followed the creation of a National ID card database.
I don't think the HO quite understand.
'Such errors are described in the internal Home Office documents as “reputationally damaging for the Home Office and worrying for affected customers when presented with a stranger’s facial image and personal details”.'
And remember the discussion we had some months back over similar crossed lines when it comes to NI and state pension, and how it was seemingly impossible to un-cross.
Lord Ashcroft has published a poll. I missed it if it was shared here. Fieldwork 7-11th March, changes with 8-12th Feb CON 23% (-4) LAB 45% (+2) LDM 6% (-1) GRN 8% (nc) RFM 11% (+1)
The LibDem overall national share is meaningless in prediction terms.
A. If it were 6% in every seat they would get zero seats. cf Greens and Reform
B. If it were 50% in 50 seats and 5% in the other 600, then the average would still be around 6% but they would get about 50 seats.
That news item is extraordinary. For opinions, they went to CAGE, 5Pillars and Friends of Al Aqsa, which is like writing an article on immigration law then seeking out the wisdom of the KKK, the BNP and Friends of Andrew Tate
I think the technique there is “allow the extremists some rope and they will find a tree branch to throw it over, tie an noose and place it round their own necks”
Perhaps inviting them back for the Xth time might suggest this isn't an entirely efficent strategy.
I am not aware of Melanie Phillips being shown to be a racist - she does have very firm right wing views. This shows the danger of the 'extremism' tag - we are apparently never again supposed to hear from people who express anything more than anodyne central office approved platitudes. Both Melanie Phillips and Diane Abbot should continue to be heard, and screw the stupid people who imply otherwise.
But only one gets the BBC platform and it's not the one that's actually democratically elected.
Diane Abbott appeared around 20 times on Question Time in the last decade, and co-hosted a politics programme with Andrew Neil and Michael Portillo from 2003 to 2010.
She stopped appearing on Question Time because she had a falling out with the BBC over the amount of heckling, not because she was not invited.
Lord Ashcroft has published a poll. I missed it if it was shared here. Fieldwork 7-11th March, changes with 8-12th Feb CON 23% (-4) LAB 45% (+2) LDM 6% (-1) GRN 8% (nc) RFM 11% (+1)
Good lord!
We know what is going on, but do we know why? Why down and down against backdrop of giveaway budget warmly received, and inflation beaten, report yesterday of economic growth and mortgage costs falling?
Is it electorate anger at not getting spring election, or is it Sunak is so not rated now it’s pulling the party to new depths?
If you know why, let number 10 know, because they can’t do anything about it unless they know why.
Fwiw I think a backdrop of somewhat better economic news in the next couple of quarters will lift the Tory fortunes enough to rule out some of the more lurid electoral outcomes but not enough to prevent a significant defeat.
Okay.
Can you be more specific on the good economic news that shifts the dial upwards for Tories, that’s actually being forecasted and expected?
Correct me where wrong,
the growth forecasts are to blip out of technical recession but only by the odd blip we blipped into it - up mere blips hardly supports “we have turned a corner and achieved growth” slogans. In fact the OBR 0.8 growth in 2024 is cherry picking the most optimistic of other forcasts for less, such as by BoE. Also, as we go on through summer and autumn, there is even danger of blipping down into recession again for election day - if it wasn’t for Taylor Swift coming. What if she slipped off stage in typical English summer, could we still expect economic growth. The way you are telling it, her visit is vital to Tory polling, they need to wrap Tay in cotton wool between performances, and Sunak stand with an umbrella over her, like the scene in WALL-E.
Interest rate cuts. Correct me where wrong, 5.25 to 5 in June. Rejoice! And 4.5 by years end. That doesn’t shift the political dial on switching to higher mortgage deals quickly enough though does it? in fact quite the opposite those higher deals will have on voters. And even those forecasts could go pear shaped. The interest rate forecast is 3 cuts this year, first one in June, taking it from 5.25 to 4.50. But to what extent does this help a government having an election this year, not next spring or next summer, as the switching to higher painful payment plans pissing people properly off happening this year. And that’s even if change isn’t slower than forecast.When it comes to setting internet rates they won’t look solely at inflation moves. Other data to consider is core inflation, wage inflation, and at the moment the £ is too strong, beating 90% of currencies, and this is a problem for the government because our economy is weak at the same time meaning inflationary over demand. One of the problems with economic forecasting is forecasting lag. Like knowing how long will the impact of reboot after covid, like a big cost of living crisis how long till it works out the system with things like wages (inflationary) still going up.
Energy prices and inflation. Both forecast to be at their sweetest this spring and early summer, and showing upward trends in time for late autumn election.
What good economic news are you predicting outside of these measures?
I'm not predicting the broad sunlit uplands! But I'm guessing we will have seen a couple of quarters of low but positive growth, lower inflation than currently, and one rate cut, maybe two. That's not going to move the needle much but to the extent it does it will probably be in the government's favour.
As you describe it, why not.
However, what about things moving the needle the other way, to compete with your positive news? Waiting for autumn election for this economic news, it doesn’t come alone. You hold on till later in the year to enjoy the months of better economic news, but it comes with record boat crossings, an interim Covid report, and a million more households saying “how much bigger my mortgage deal?”
How does it balance on the scales?
I know the country's full of screwballs but is there any evidence that a single vote will be altered by whether or not these rubber boats get stopped?
Good question, serious answer - as a political party on 24% in the polls it’s not 76% of voters you are concentrating on, just the the 8% of them whose votes can still be altered over this. On the last forced choice poll, the Conservatives are on 31% - so pollsters already giving these 8% back, but cheese off that 8% this summer and you stay at 25% for the election.
I don’t think I can describe how it’s going to work, any better than that.
It looks like Starship didn't survive reentry. Not too surprising, I think. It must be very difficult to accurately simulate the conditions that a large, unusually shaped vehicle will encounter at reentry speeds, and is obviously impossible to recreate them experimentally.
Edit: Hopefully they got enough data during reentry to be able to figure out why the ship didn't manage it.
Are they planning on clearing up all the mess they've made?
If Sunak was going to be pushed, why wait? And calling an election you're going to get hammered in is an odd way of 'not being pushed', given that he would be pushed by both country and party.
Plus, she's completely wrong on the second point. If Sunak did call an election, MPs would rally to the flag; they wouldn't really have an option.
It is deeply uncomfortable. It is also profoundly strange because I am 100 yards from the sea. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such intense heat right by the ocean. It should always be a cooling influence?
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
It is deeply uncomfortable. It is also profoundly strange because I am 100 yards from the sea. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such intense heat right by the ocean. It should always be a cooling influence?
Fuck knows what it is like inland
SSTs off the northern coast of Colombia are ~28C, so the air temperature certainly isn't much warmer.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
It is deeply uncomfortable. It is also profoundly strange because I am 100 yards from the sea. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such intense heat right by the ocean. It should always be a cooling influence?
Fuck knows what it is like inland
Keep us posted on how you feel as the day goes on. Or maybe better, bottle it all up. FFS!
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
If Sunak was going to be pushed, why wait? And calling an election you're going to get hammered in is an odd way of 'not being pushed', given that he would be pushed by both country and party.
Plus, she's completely wrong on the second point. If Sunak did call an election, MPs would rally to the flag; they wouldn't really have an option.
I fear you've fallen into the trap of thinking that anything tweeted by Dorries is even worthy of a response. It isn't.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
In all seriousness that is a very possible scenario if the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation collapses.
One plus point of Britain's location is that we're close enough to Greenland that we won't suffer much sea level rise from it melting (because the gravitational effect will cancel out).
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
If Sunak was going to be pushed, why wait? And calling an election you're going to get hammered in is an odd way of 'not being pushed', given that he would be pushed by both country and party.
Plus, she's completely wrong on the second point. If Sunak did call an election, MPs would rally to the flag; they wouldn't really have an option.
I fear you've fallen into the trap of thinking that anything tweeted by Dorries is even worthy of a response. It isn't.
The only slightly interesting question is whether she's stirring the pot at the behest of Boris.
It is deeply uncomfortable. It is also profoundly strange because I am 100 yards from the sea. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such intense heat right by the ocean. It should always be a cooling influence?
Fuck knows what it is like inland
Keep us posted on how you feel as the day goes on. Or maybe better, bottle it all up. FFS!
Wilko
It’s still 31C as of now but I’ll let you know as soon as it changes
It’s so hot the locals are just “standing in the sea”. Not swimming or disporting, just trying to keep cool
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
I know its weather and not climate but my god we could do with some sunshine in the UK right now. Feels like its been grey and overcast for months.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
In all seriousness that is a very possible scenario if the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation collapses.
One plus point of Britain's location is that we're close enough to Greenland that we won't suffer much sea level rise from it melting (because the gravitational effect will cancel out).
I think more recent work has cast doubt on the AMOC overturning any time soon (and 2012 was very out).
Businessman Frank Hester allegedly told staff that the MP made him "want to hate all black women" and "should be shot". Mr Hester said he was "deeply sorry" for the remarks, but insisted they had "nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin".
Mr Hester clearly believes that the phrase "black women" has nothing to do with gender or colour of skin. Baffling.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
I know its weather and not climate but my god we could do with some sunshine in the UK right now. Feels like its been grey and overcast for months.
You’re not wrong, if you live England or Wales.
This page shows just how wet and cloudy it’s been this winter, despite (or indeed contributing to) the unusual warmth.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
One of the worst drives of my life was in the desert north of lima stuck with a mad driver driving like a maniac on a narrow road and swerving at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. And yes its bleak and the locals are miserable.
Lord Ashcroft has published a poll. I missed it if it was shared here. Fieldwork 7-11th March, changes with 8-12th Feb CON 23% (-4) LAB 45% (+2) LDM 6% (-1) GRN 8% (nc) RFM 11% (+1)
The LibDem overall national share is meaningless in prediction terms.
A. If it were 6% in every seat they would get zero seats. cf Greens and Reform
B. If it were 50% in 50 seats and 5% in the other 600, then the average would still be around 6% but they would get about 50 seats.
The reality is nearer B than A.
Given that the Lib Dem share of the vote in that poll is about half of what it was in 2019, when the Lib Dems won just 11 seats, perhaps you need to provide some evidence to back up your clain.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
I know its weather and not climate but my god we could do with some sunshine in the UK right now. Feels like its been grey and overcast for months.
You’re not wrong, if you live in the South or Midlands.
This page shows just how wet and cloudy it’s been this winter, despite (or indeed contributing to) the unusual warmth.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
I know its weather and not climate but my god we could do with some sunshine in the UK right now. Feels like its been grey and overcast for months.
You’re not wrong, if you live England or Wales.
This page shows just how wet and cloudy it’s been this winter, despite (or indeed contributing to) the unusual warmth.
If Sunak was going to be pushed, why wait? And calling an election you're going to get hammered in is an odd way of 'not being pushed', given that he would be pushed by both country and party.
Plus, she's completely wrong on the second point. If Sunak did call an election, MPs would rally to the flag; they wouldn't really have an option.
I fear you've fallen into the trap of thinking that anything tweeted by Dorries is even worthy of a response. It isn't.
The only slightly interesting question is whether she's stirring the pot at the behest of Boris.
I'd have thought so. Or at least what she guesses would be his behest even if he hasn't actually behested. Nadine Dorries has a Great Love for Boris. Such a love does not behave within rational parameters. It is wild. An unchained melody.
Hester made page one of private eye this week. His company has a profit margin of circa 50% and most (if not all) of its revenue is from the NHS. Funnily enough he has enough cash to punt to the party of Government.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
One of the worst drives of my life was in the desert north of lima stuck with a mad driver driving like a maniac on a narrow road and swerving at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. And yes its bleak and the locals are miserable.
I took this photo on a beach in deserty northern Peru as it seemed to summarise the whole place
However the little colonial towns do have a certain charm, under those sparkling blue skies
If Sunak was going to be pushed, why wait? And calling an election you're going to get hammered in is an odd way of 'not being pushed', given that he would be pushed by both country and party.
Plus, she's completely wrong on the second point. If Sunak did call an election, MPs would rally to the flag; they wouldn't really have an option.
I fear you've fallen into the trap of thinking that anything tweeted by Dorries is even worthy of a response. It isn't.
The only slightly interesting question is whether she's stirring the pot at the behest of Boris.
I'd have thought so. Or at least what she guesses would be his behest even if he hasn't actually behested. Nadine Dorries has a Great Love for Boris. Such a love does not behave within rational parameters. It is wild. An unchained melody.
Yes, the love between Dorries and Boris is only rivalled in modern times by that between our very own TSE and Dave Cameron.
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
They allowed the far right at your university. Where was that.
They allow the far right in every university. What tends to happen, though, is that universities tend to be excessively cautious about renting out facilities to more right wing organizations.
OT. A few weeks ago I recommended 'Zone of Interest' as one of my favourite films of the year. A film about the holocaust without actually seeing any direct horror. A particularly intelligent and thought provoking film which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and a Best Foreign Language Oscar. I would put it in the top two films about the holocaust that I've seen.
The English director Jonathan Glazer made what most people would consider a very passionate acceptance speech where he asked people to remember October 7th and what the Gazans are going through now. Jonathan Glazer being Jewish has apparently not understood his own film and the Jewish lobby and fellow travellers are now metaphorically crucifying him
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
I know its weather and not climate but my god we could do with some sunshine in the UK right now. Feels like its been grey and overcast for months.
You’re not wrong, if you live in the South or Midlands.
This page shows just how wet and cloudy it’s been this winter, despite (or indeed contributing to) the unusual warmth.
*notices how much of Scotland has been actually sunnier and drier than usual, pace Glaswegist abuse on PB*
“Than usual” being an important qualifier here.
Actual sunshine hours for Scotland 138.4, vs 153.3 for England. Both abject of course, though not as bad as Wales’ 122.7. Duller even than 20mph zone discourse.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
One of the worst drives of my life was in the desert north of lima stuck with a mad driver driving like a maniac on a narrow road and swerving at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. And yes its bleak and the locals are miserable.
I took this photo on a beach in deserty northern Peru as it seemed to summarise the whole place
However the little colonial towns do have a certain charm, under those sparkling blue skies
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
I know its weather and not climate but my god we could do with some sunshine in the UK right now. Feels like its been grey and overcast for months.
You’re not wrong, if you live in the South or Midlands.
This page shows just how wet and cloudy it’s been this winter, despite (or indeed contributing to) the unusual warmth.
*notices how much of Scotland has been actually sunnier and drier than usual, pace Glaswegist abuse on PB*
“Than usual” being an important qualifier here.
Actual sunshine hours for Scotland 138.4, vs 153.3 for England. Both abject of course, though not as bad as Wales’ 122.7. Duller even than 20mph zone discourse.
I just read your MetOffice link. So I’m not imagining it. The British climate is actually getting WORSE
lol
On the other hand I have only spent 2 days there since the end of December so I should perhaps not moan
And it is still nicer than northern Peru. Visit Britain should use that as a slogan
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
One of the worst drives of my life was in the desert north of lima stuck with a mad driver driving like a maniac on a narrow road and swerving at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. And yes its bleak and the locals are miserable.
I took this photo on a beach in deserty northern Peru as it seemed to summarise the whole place
However the little colonial towns do have a certain charm, under those sparkling blue skies
Very Quantum of Solace.
Imagine living on that street in the second photo. Wake up, put your head out of the door, hang yourself
A pre-Colombian culture flourished there. The Moche. The most hideous of all South American civilisations. They used to mutilate themselves by cutting off their own lips, noses, feet
They would have prolonged gay anal sex in groups while watching their own relatives get slowly sacrificed. Also fond of forcing pumas to rape their women
I’ve always wondered how much influence the climate played in this. If Britain does develop the climate of northern Peru we can expect a lot more forced bestiality, it will probably start in Oban or Ullapool
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
We are also getting hotter. And moderately sunnier, but from a low base. But slightly rainier though in more intense bursts.
I know its weather and not climate but my god we could do with some sunshine in the UK right now. Feels like its been grey and overcast for months.
You’re not wrong, if you live in the South or Midlands.
This page shows just how wet and cloudy it’s been this winter, despite (or indeed contributing to) the unusual warmth.
*notices how much of Scotland has been actually sunnier and drier than usual, pace Glaswegist abuse on PB*
“Than usual” being an important qualifier here.
Actual sunshine hours for Scotland 138.4, vs 153.3 for England. Both abject of course, though not as bad as Wales’ 122.7. Duller even than 20mph zone discourse.
By this point last year my panels had generated roughly 540 kwh of leccy. This year we're at 380.
However, if you FORCE a puma to rape your wife, is that technically rape? The puma doesn’t WANT to rape your wife so there is no mens rea, your wife is only “raped” by the puma because you bullied the puma into doing the rape thing
Tricky. Perhaps @DavidL can enlighten us on the legal technicalities, he may have encountered a similar case in Dundee
Hester made page one of private eye this week. His company has a profit margin of circa 50% and most (if not all) of its revenue is from the NHS. Funnily enough he has enough cash to punt to the party of Government.
Yes, and this illustrates why another PM would not help the Tories. It is quite incredible that the PM apparently sees nothing wrong with accepting money and even free helicopter ride from someone who has done so well out of contracts awarded by the public sector. There really has been nothing like this in British politics since the 18th century - government has become an exercise in ripping off the public for the personal enrichment of those on the inside track. And the public has rumbled them and is about to take revenge.
However, if you FORCE a puma to rape your wife, is that technically rape? The puma doesn’t WANT to rape your wife so there is no mens rea, your wife is only “raped” by the puma because you bullied the puma into doing the rape thing
Tricky. Perhaps @DavidL can enlighten us on the legal technicalities, he may have encountered a similar case in Dundee
The Puma isn't considered to be criminally responsible (but would probably be summarily destroyed regardless) but you would be considered to have committed the rape using the Puma as your means of doing so.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
One of the worst drives of my life was in the desert north of lima stuck with a mad driver driving like a maniac on a narrow road and swerving at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. And yes its bleak and the locals are miserable.
I took this photo on a beach in deserty northern Peru as it seemed to summarise the whole place
However the little colonial towns do have a certain charm, under those sparkling blue skies
Very Quantum of Solace.
Or Fistful of Dollars. I was looking for Clint and his mule.
However, if you FORCE a puma to rape your wife, is that technically rape? The puma doesn’t WANT to rape your wife so there is no mens rea, your wife is only “raped” by the puma because you bullied the puma into doing the rape thing
Tricky. Perhaps @DavidL can enlighten us on the legal technicalities, he may have encountered a similar case in Dundee
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
One of the worst drives of my life was in the desert north of lima stuck with a mad driver driving like a maniac on a narrow road and swerving at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. And yes its bleak and the locals are miserable.
I took this photo on a beach in deserty northern Peru as it seemed to summarise the whole place
However the little colonial towns do have a certain charm, under those sparkling blue skies
There is absolutely nothing charming about either picture. The bottom one looks like a set for some dystopian mini-series.
Hester made page one of private eye this week. His company has a profit margin of circa 50% and most (if not all) of its revenue is from the NHS. Funnily enough he has enough cash to punt to the party of Government.
Yes, and this illustrates why another PM would not help the Tories. It is quite incredible that the PM apparently sees nothing wrong with accepting money and even free helicopter ride from someone who has done so well out of contracts awarded by the public sector. There really has been nothing like this in British politics since the 18th century - government has become an exercise in ripping off the public for the personal enrichment of those on the inside track. And the public has rumbled them and is about to take revenge.
18th Century Britannia? Nah. This is Soviet Union gangsterism.
However, if you FORCE a puma to rape your wife, is that technically rape? The puma doesn’t WANT to rape your wife so there is no mens rea, your wife is only “raped” by the puma because you bullied the puma into doing the rape thing
Tricky. Perhaps @DavidL can enlighten us on the legal technicalities, he may have encountered a similar case in Dundee
The Puma isn't considered to be criminally responsible (but would probably be summarily destroyed regardless) but you would be considered to have committed the rape using the Puma as your means of doing so.
Anyway. I'm suddenly very glad you're divorced.
So you actually get the rap even tho the puma did the rape??
Wow. That seems brutal. But better to know now than when it’s too late and I’m up in front of the beak. Again
Hester made page one of private eye this week. His company has a profit margin of circa 50% and most (if not all) of its revenue is from the NHS. Funnily enough he has enough cash to punt to the party of Government.
Yes, and this illustrates why another PM would not help the Tories. It is quite incredible that the PM apparently sees nothing wrong with accepting money and even free helicopter ride from someone who has done so well out of contracts awarded by the public sector. There really has been nothing like this in British politics since the 18th century - government has become an exercise in ripping off the public for the personal enrichment of those on the inside track. And the public has rumbled them and is about to take revenge.
But the political row is about a racist statement, not a rake-off. Perhaps the real moral of this issue is that the public hasn't cottoned on to the corruption, but is more interested in the things that excite interest on social media (which is probably no more than stating the obvious).
I see Patriotic Alternative are one of the far-right groups being labelled as extremist today. I have no sympathy with their politics, but as far as I've been able to tell they've pursued an entirely peaceful electoral strategy, which they've persisted with despite achieving very little success. In a way they're a bit endearingly naive*.
Do we really want to drive such a group underground? What does the government designating then as extremist achieve?
It's better to have this sort of group as part of the democratic process (where I'd hope they'd continue to fail miserably) rather than shut out and driven to further extremes.
Does this mean they won't qualify for a free mailshot at the general election?
And really, can we really hold Patriotic Alternative responsible for making our public debate more extreme? Surely the way in which we've tolerated more mainstream voices in the media who have completely disregarded the difference between fact and fiction has had more of an impact.
* Although it's possible I've confused them with some other group. There are a lot out there.
PA like to peddle that they're just an electoral movement, but they are just street fash. I've been at demos opposing PA where their members are swinging fists and sieg heiling - they aren't just another further right wing group. They have also been associated heavily with the riots outside hotels hosting migrants, and the burning of cop cars and the like.
Yes. Looks like I mixed them up with my memory of this former party, so quite a lot of what I said was wrong, where it applied to that group specifically.
When I was at university, the Spontaneously Exploding Community did Death To The West quite openly. The Far Right kept on rebranding themselves every five minutes. It was like the scene in Holy Grail - each new organisation had a name that was a variation on the last one.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
They allowed the far right at your university. Where was that.
They allow the far right in every university. What tends to happen, though, is that universities tend to be excessively cautious about renting out facilities to more right wing organizations.
IIRC we banned organisation from using Student Union facilities. Non students were individually banned.
Banning students was more complicated and quite rare.
So my take on climate change is this: everywhere in the world is going to get hotter and hotter… apart from the UK which will, uniquely, contrive to get greyer and rainier and even more dismal
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
I agree. Our winters are getting warmer but wetter and more miserable and our summers warmer but cloudier. Still one of the most dismal climates for its latitude in the world is Lima which despite being in the Tropics manages to be under constant grey 8 months of the year.
Indeed. Lima manages to be climatically way more miserable than anywhere in the UK, which is quite a feat given its location. It always annoys me when I read history books or guide books that reference Lima and don’t mention this fairly notable affliction
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
One of the worst drives of my life was in the desert north of lima stuck with a mad driver driving like a maniac on a narrow road and swerving at the last minute to avoid oncoming traffic. And yes its bleak and the locals are miserable.
I took this photo on a beach in deserty northern Peru as it seemed to summarise the whole place
However the little colonial towns do have a certain charm, under those sparkling blue skies
There is absolutely nothing charming about either picture. The bottom one looks like a set for some dystopian mini-series.
However, if you FORCE a puma to rape your wife, is that technically rape? The puma doesn’t WANT to rape your wife so there is no mens rea, your wife is only “raped” by the puma because you bullied the puma into doing the rape thing
Tricky. Perhaps @DavidL can enlighten us on the legal technicalities, he may have encountered a similar case in Dundee
What happens if your wife is a bit of a cougar?
Hahahah
Actual proper chuckle here on the sweltering Colombian coast
However, if you FORCE a puma to rape your wife, is that technically rape? The puma doesn’t WANT to rape your wife so there is no mens rea, your wife is only “raped” by the puma because you bullied the puma into doing the rape thing
Tricky. Perhaps @DavidL can enlighten us on the legal technicalities, he may have encountered a similar case in Dundee
The Puma isn't considered to be criminally responsible (but would probably be summarily destroyed regardless) but you would be considered to have committed the rape using the Puma as your means of doing so.
Anyway. I'm suddenly very glad you're divorced.
In Scots law it would not actually be rape because rape is the insertion of the male penis without consent. It would of course be bestiality. I don't recall a case with a puma. An Alsatian, on the other hand...
Comments
HISTORIC
For the first time in March a minimum temperature >30C in recorded in South America
TMIN 30.4C Las Lomitas ARGENTINA
TMIN 29.0 Mariscal Estigarribia and Concepcion HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT IN PARAGUAY
Hundreds of records are being brutalized from Colombia to Argentina
tbc
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1768043128550727768?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw
Or was that a different memo?
And also, what a contrast of ambition. On the one hand a new, modern, fast rail line connecting the capital to Manchester. On the other hand, resurfacing the road by a suburban war memorial.
Service medals is different, though there was a tradition where widows/relatives could wear their deceased relatives' medals (as miniatures?) on the right breast I think (was something in the 1920s I believe, with all the Armistice Day services)
Sir Iain Duncan Smith backs 'blade runner' ULEZ vandals: Tory MP says he is 'happy' for residents of his east London constituency to destroy cameras because they have been 'lied to'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12458065/Sir-Iain-Smith-ULEZ-vandals-Tory-MP.html
Police hunt 'blade runner' vigilante who blew up ULEZ camera using a home made bomb - sending metal shrapnel blasting into cars and homes
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12836717/Mystery-ULEZ-camera-EXPLODES-street-cut-vigilantes-police-launch-probe.html
(for some reason, the Mail is the only source for about 90% of anti-Ulez stories...)
Community flag for Dale. That’s not true. They can only process 200 at £1.5 million each - we Can’t send the whole dirty foreign invasion away - and there’s another thirty thousand coming across between now and Autumn!
https://twitter.com/psp_sw
In any case I've no problem with the being heard bit, it's the endless amplification. People like Phillips don't get repeatedly invited onto QT for the measured insights, it's her contributions to the freak show that she's there for.
We used to keep a list of the variations - both lots were trying to recruit students, so we tried to keep up with the latest fashions in fuckwittery.
So this is genuinely unusual. It’s fucking HOT
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/14/home-office-immigration-database-errors-hit-more-than-76000-people
Now imagine that, but for the population born in Britain, and you have a sense of the catastrofuck that would have followed the creation of a National ID card database.
I'm pretty sure it's a hoax.
Sadly, it turned out the head of the Polish Society was having a quiet drink with a number of friends, just behind the Tankie. guy. Sadly for said Tankies, that is.
'Such errors are described in the internal Home Office documents as “reputationally damaging for the Home Office and worrying for affected customers when presented with a stranger’s facial image and personal details”.'
And remember the discussion we had some months back over similar crossed lines when it comes to NI and state pension, and how it was seemingly impossible to un-cross.
A. If it were 6% in every seat they would get zero seats.
cf Greens and Reform
B. If it were 50% in 50 seats and 5% in the other 600, then the average would still be around 6% but they would get about 50 seats.
The reality is nearer B than A.
She stopped appearing on Question Time because she had a falling out with the BBC over the amount of heckling, not because she was not invited.
https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/excl-diane-abbott-could-boycott-bbc-question-time-over-abuse-row
Shame.
We were half way to getting rid of the Mark Anthonys
I don’t think I can describe how it’s going to work, any better than that.
https://x.com/jameslucasit/status/1764356873564594511?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw
“Photographs taken in the right place at the right time, intentionally or by chance - a thread 🧵
1. Wilma Hurskainen”
Rumours are spreading that Rishi about to call a GE. Could be Westminster frenzy or maybe he’s going to jump before he’s pushed?
If he did jump, MPs would move against him before he reached the palace gates.
https://x.com/NadineDorries/status/1768254046488428706?s=20
If Sunak was going to be pushed, why wait? And calling an election you're going to get hammered in is an odd way of 'not being pushed', given that he would be pushed by both country and party.
Plus, she's completely wrong on the second point. If Sunak did call an election, MPs would rally to the flag; they wouldn't really have an option.
It is deeply uncomfortable. It is also profoundly strange because I am 100 yards from the sea. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such intense heat right by the ocean. It should always be a cooling influence?
Fuck knows what it is like inland
Phew. That was hard work though.
Thursday afternoon for just my 4th winner of the festival. 🫣 This is hard work.
Oh well. At least it should discourage the boat people
Taken up by Sky:
https://news.sky.com/story/frank-hester-tories-given-further-5m-from-controversial-donor-embroiled-in-race-row-claims-report-13094609
Or maybe better, bottle it all up.
FFS!
One plus point of Britain's location is that we're close enough to Greenland that we won't suffer much sea level rise from it melting (because the gravitational effect will cancel out).
It’s still 31C as of now but I’ll let you know as soon as it changes
It’s so hot the locals are just “standing in the sea”. Not swimming or disporting, just trying to keep cool
FFS.
It also demonstrates that there's no firewall between fundraising and the leadership - Sunak clearly knew about this.
Why the fuck did the Spanish build their capital there? The incans very sensibly chose sunny and refreshing Cusco
Possibly the worst “place” I have ever been - in terms of climate meeting geography - is the desert north of Lima. The Sechura. It’s a dismal grey sand desert, strewn with trash, and cursed with that same cruel and depressing climate - chilly grey cloud like Glasgow but without the chirpy locals
Also shit food and a history of urgent child sacrifice
Businessman Frank Hester allegedly told staff that the MP made him "want to hate all black women" and "should be shot".
Mr Hester said he was "deeply sorry" for the remarks, but insisted they had "nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin".
Mr Hester clearly believes that the phrase "black women" has nothing to do with gender or colour of skin. Baffling.
Now if I could just get Command & F working again for PB.com in Safari, I'd be nearly as happy as I hope to be on election night.
This page shows just how wet and cloudy it’s been this winter, despite (or indeed contributing to) the unusual warmth.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2024/february-2024-warm-and-wet-for-the-uk
(This hasn't been Kated. Source: https://news.sky.com/story/healthcare-tycoon-hester-swells-tory-election-warchest-with-5m-donation-12955621 ).
However the little colonial towns do have a certain charm, under those sparkling blue skies
What happens if instead of fighting a no confidence vote (or even before the letters are in) Rishi walks away
The English director Jonathan Glazer made what most people would consider a very passionate acceptance speech where he asked people to remember October 7th and what the Gazans are going through now. Jonathan Glazer being Jewish has apparently not understood his own film and the Jewish lobby and fellow travellers are now metaphorically crucifying him
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/jonathan-glazer-oscar-speech-israel-hamas-b2512400.html
Actual sunshine hours for Scotland 138.4, vs 153.3 for England. Both abject of course, though not as bad as Wales’ 122.7. Duller even than 20mph zone discourse.
lol
On the other hand I have only spent 2 days there since the end of December so I should perhaps not moan
And it is still nicer than northern Peru. Visit Britain should use that as a slogan
A pre-Colombian culture flourished there. The Moche. The most hideous of all South American civilisations. They used to mutilate themselves by cutting off their own lips, noses, feet
They would have prolonged gay anal sex in groups while watching their own relatives get slowly sacrificed. Also fond of forcing pumas to rape their women
I’ve always wondered how much influence the climate played in this. If Britain does develop the climate of northern Peru we can expect a lot more forced bestiality, it will probably start in Oban or Ullapool
Tricky. Perhaps @DavidL can enlighten us on the legal technicalities, he may have encountered a similar case in Dundee
Anyway. I'm suddenly very glad you're divorced.
"My mistake. Four coffins."
Wow. That seems brutal. But better to know now than when it’s too late and I’m up in front of the beak. Again
He'll take a helicopter.
Banning students was more complicated and quite rare.
Actual proper chuckle here on the sweltering Colombian coast
Only on PB