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The thinnest of thin gruels – politicalbetting.com

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  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,195
    edited April 16

    Interesting how when nearly everyone smoked people looked much healthier

    https://x.com/Wejolyn/status/1779942841629966819

    I thnk it depends on whther one equates consumpitive with healthy...

    (facile comment of course. But restrictive diets do appear to have been the basis for a healthier population)
    In the USA the diet was not restrictive, food was highly plentiful and the diet was full of dairy and beef. They recorded their first heart attack (afaicr) in the late 1910s or early 1920s.
    I suspect that 'recorded' and 'suffered' are very different things. Just because they were not recorded before that time does not mean they were not happening.

    Indeed about 5 seconds on Professor Google came up with:

    "The American College of Cardiology reports that the earliest documented case of coronary atherosclerosis – a build-up of plaque in the arteries that can cause a heart attack – was in an Egyptian princess who lived between 1580 and 1550 B.C. The study found that heart disease was more common in ancient times than previously thought".
    I think in the USA the diet for very many has always been, and still is, very restrictive - due to more widespread, and more extreme than elsewhere in the developed world, poverty.

    That I think feeds in to the life expectancy impacts we were discussing the other day.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    .
    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,625
    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Foxy said:

    Selebian said:

    Heathener said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Has anyone ever had gruel? I haven't, and I don't know anyone that has. And you don't often see it in restaurants these days, as a main or even a starter - "Gruel"

    Also, why don't they just thicken it a bit? With some cornflour? Does it have to be thin? The gruel industry just needs some imagination and it could make a major comeback

    If you thicken it you couldn't drink it.
    Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. ..

    Think of it as a very boring smoothie.
    I’m reminded about Grape Nuts. They have been extremely popular as a breakfast cereal in the US. The one thing you can say about Grape Nuts is that they contain neither grapes nor nuts.

    https://www.mashed.com/371854/the-untold-truth-of-grape-nuts/

    "created in Battle Creek, Michigan, by Charles W Post, who also thought up the rather unusual name" (that's from memory - I was big into them as a kid once I graduated from soggy rice krispies or cornflakes). Haven't had them in years, though.
    I have them most days as a top-up to muesli (I only need sandals and I can qualify to be a LibDem). They're amazingly expensive for the small packets, but still quite distinctive.
    I love grape nuts, and I don't quite know why. I generally eat them with raisins and a small spoonful of sugar.

    The only other cereal I really like is Weetabix (also with raisins). I could never stand Shredded Wheat, and am not a massive fan of porridge.
    I enjoy them immensely, but find them hard to find.
    Try the vegan section...
    Grape Nuts have been my go to breakfast cereal for decades. Roast in his range cooker, and ground up in his own coffee-grinder iirc.

    Recently dropped from the Morrisons lineup, and a reason why I go there less.

    Everything comes from Battle Creek, including Mr Kellogg iirc.

    I am now graduating to a decent granola.
    I got a box from my local Mozzies last week.
    That's interesting. My local Morrisons is BIG - I make it more than 600 parking spaces, and having asked several times over months they are answering like Manuel.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiThRIHwQDE
    Yeah, they often don't have them - or put them in random places on the shelves. But this week they did, so I got a couple of boxes. Yum yum!

    (They're also shown on the Mozzies website: https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/post-grape-nuts-236526011
    - not that that means they're actually available!)
    Personally, I've been shopping at Morrisons since I went to University aged 18, at the original one in Bradford.

    Their customers imo don't want an imitation ASDA, and it will hurt them. But we know that.

    If I want to out-ASDA ASDA, I go to Aldi - which imo generally has higher quality product at better prices, to boot.
    For me it's simply convenience - they're in the village within walking distance. For everyday shopping I go to the Co-Op that's only a couple of minutes away. I don't really need to go out of the town for everyday essentials, which is nice.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,418
    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Foxy said:

    Selebian said:

    Heathener said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Has anyone ever had gruel? I haven't, and I don't know anyone that has. And you don't often see it in restaurants these days, as a main or even a starter - "Gruel"

    Also, why don't they just thicken it a bit? With some cornflour? Does it have to be thin? The gruel industry just needs some imagination and it could make a major comeback

    If you thicken it you couldn't drink it.
    Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. ..

    Think of it as a very boring smoothie.
    I’m reminded about Grape Nuts. They have been extremely popular as a breakfast cereal in the US. The one thing you can say about Grape Nuts is that they contain neither grapes nor nuts.

    https://www.mashed.com/371854/the-untold-truth-of-grape-nuts/

    "created in Battle Creek, Michigan, by Charles W Post, who also thought up the rather unusual name" (that's from memory - I was big into them as a kid once I graduated from soggy rice krispies or cornflakes). Haven't had them in years, though.
    I have them most days as a top-up to muesli (I only need sandals and I can qualify to be a LibDem). They're amazingly expensive for the small packets, but still quite distinctive.
    I love grape nuts, and I don't quite know why. I generally eat them with raisins and a small spoonful of sugar.

    The only other cereal I really like is Weetabix (also with raisins). I could never stand Shredded Wheat, and am not a massive fan of porridge.
    I enjoy them immensely, but find them hard to find.
    Try the vegan section...
    Grape Nuts have been my go to breakfast cereal for decades. Roast in his range cooker, and ground up in his own coffee-grinder iirc.

    Recently dropped from the Morrisons lineup, and a reason why I go there less.

    Everything comes from Battle Creek, including Mr Kellogg iirc.

    I am now graduating to a decent granola.
    I got a box from my local Mozzies last week.
    That's interesting. My local Morrisons is BIG - I make it more than 600 parking spaces, and having asked several times over months they are answering like Manuel.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiThRIHwQDE
    Since I'm slightly having a rant, the cycle parking (as normal round here) is the exact definition of "how to force people into motor vehicles", despite decent infrastructure nearby:

    That is shocking.

    The easiest and best way to encourage cycling is not dedicated cycle lanes: it's simply having places to park bikes which are secure.

    Bedford has bugger all cycle lanes as far as I'm aware. But since they put proper secure bike parking at the station, the number of people cycling there has increased from "negligible" to "there are more bikes parked there than cars".
    At my local supermarket I have to lock my bike to the trolley rack.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,559
    Surprising how little coverage Derek Underwood's death has had so far.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,625
    edited April 16
    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Foxy said:

    Selebian said:

    Heathener said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Has anyone ever had gruel? I haven't, and I don't know anyone that has. And you don't often see it in restaurants these days, as a main or even a starter - "Gruel"

    Also, why don't they just thicken it a bit? With some cornflour? Does it have to be thin? The gruel industry just needs some imagination and it could make a major comeback

    If you thicken it you couldn't drink it.
    Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. ..

    Think of it as a very boring smoothie.
    I’m reminded about Grape Nuts. They have been extremely popular as a breakfast cereal in the US. The one thing you can say about Grape Nuts is that they contain neither grapes nor nuts.

    https://www.mashed.com/371854/the-untold-truth-of-grape-nuts/

    "created in Battle Creek, Michigan, by Charles W Post, who also thought up the rather unusual name" (that's from memory - I was big into them as a kid once I graduated from soggy rice krispies or cornflakes). Haven't had them in years, though.
    I have them most days as a top-up to muesli (I only need sandals and I can qualify to be a LibDem). They're amazingly expensive for the small packets, but still quite distinctive.
    I love grape nuts, and I don't quite know why. I generally eat them with raisins and a small spoonful of sugar.

    The only other cereal I really like is Weetabix (also with raisins). I could never stand Shredded Wheat, and am not a massive fan of porridge.
    I enjoy them immensely, but find them hard to find.
    Try the vegan section...
    Grape Nuts have been my go to breakfast cereal for decades. Roast in his range cooker, and ground up in his own coffee-grinder iirc.

    Recently dropped from the Morrisons lineup, and a reason why I go there less.

    Everything comes from Battle Creek, including Mr Kellogg iirc.

    I am now graduating to a decent granola.
    I got a box from my local Mozzies last week.
    That's interesting. My local Morrisons is BIG - I make it more than 600 parking spaces, and having asked several times over months they are answering like Manuel.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiThRIHwQDE
    Since I'm slightly having a rant, the cycle parking (as normal round here) is the exact definition of "how to force people into motor vehicles", despite decent infrastructure nearby:

    That is shocking.

    The easiest and best way to encourage cycling is not dedicated cycle lanes: it's simply having places to park bikes which are secure.

    Bedford has bugger all cycle lanes as far as I'm aware. But since they put proper secure bike parking at the station, the number of people cycling there has increased from "negligible" to "there are more bikes parked there than cars".
    Before the renovations a few years ago, the joke about Cambridge railway station was that you could never park your bike there as all the racks were filled with abandoned bikes. There used to be regular sales of the abandoned bikes.

    Edit: it's apparently still happening, despite the vastly greater storage:

    "More than one in every 20 bikes at the 2,850-capacity park were removed"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-46077089
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,662
    Andy_JS said:

    Surprising how little coverage Derek Underwood's death has had so far.

    Stumps me as well.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,306

    DavidL said:

    Trump Media stock down nearly 9% again this morning (US time): https://www.google.com/finance/quote/DJT:NASDAQ

    Its almost as if the principal owner appearing in a criminal court is not a good thing for the stock.

    Trump Social "stock" just a means to an end . . . which is for various international bad-actors to shovel (yet more) money in Donald Trump's direction . . . in hope of future non-stock dividends.

    At least that's MY hypothesis.

    Anybody think that is NOT happening, or NOT the main aim of this "free enterprise" scam?

    It’s no worse than any other SPAC. They are all scams.
    It’s several things - partly a way for Big Money MAGA to donate via layering and offshore, so they can buy into Round 2

    Partly a way of grifting Small and Medium MAGA

    Also a way for Trump to create a lie that he is an expert in media/tech
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,418
    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Interesting.

    Nethanyahu and the Israeli regime will do as they please, they are not going to heed the views of the man and woman in the street.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,559
    "Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

    Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage"

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/belgian-mayor-natcon-conference-braverman-farage-brussels
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    The Tories refused to accept a Lords amendment on the Rwanda Bill which would exempt those who served for or with the British army from being sent to Rwanda .

    #ToryScum
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,195
    edited April 16
    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Foxy said:

    Selebian said:

    Heathener said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Has anyone ever had gruel? I haven't, and I don't know anyone that has. And you don't often see it in restaurants these days, as a main or even a starter - "Gruel"

    Also, why don't they just thicken it a bit? With some cornflour? Does it have to be thin? The gruel industry just needs some imagination and it could make a major comeback

    If you thicken it you couldn't drink it.
    Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. ..

    Think of it as a very boring smoothie.
    I’m reminded about Grape Nuts. They have been extremely popular as a breakfast cereal in the US. The one thing you can say about Grape Nuts is that they contain neither grapes nor nuts.

    https://www.mashed.com/371854/the-untold-truth-of-grape-nuts/

    "created in Battle Creek, Michigan, by Charles W Post, who also thought up the rather unusual name" (that's from memory - I was big into them as a kid once I graduated from soggy rice krispies or cornflakes). Haven't had them in years, though.
    I have them most days as a top-up to muesli (I only need sandals and I can qualify to be a LibDem). They're amazingly expensive for the small packets, but still quite distinctive.
    I love grape nuts, and I don't quite know why. I generally eat them with raisins and a small spoonful of sugar.

    The only other cereal I really like is Weetabix (also with raisins). I could never stand Shredded Wheat, and am not a massive fan of porridge.
    I enjoy them immensely, but find them hard to find.
    Try the vegan section...
    Grape Nuts have been my go to breakfast cereal for decades. Roast in his range cooker, and ground up in his own coffee-grinder iirc.

    Recently dropped from the Morrisons lineup, and a reason why I go there less.

    Everything comes from Battle Creek, including Mr Kellogg iirc.

    I am now graduating to a decent granola.
    I got a box from my local Mozzies last week.
    That's interesting. My local Morrisons is BIG - I make it more than 600 parking spaces, and having asked several times over months they are answering like Manuel.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiThRIHwQDE
    Since I'm slightly having a rant, the cycle parking (as normal round here) is the exact definition of "how to force people into motor vehicles", despite decent infrastructure nearby:

    That is shocking.

    The easiest and best way to encourage cycling is not dedicated cycle lanes: it's simply having places to park bikes which are secure.

    Bedford has bugger all cycle lanes as far as I'm aware. But since they put proper secure bike parking at the station, the number of people cycling there has increased from "negligible" to "there are more bikes parked there than cars".
    I might have a go at a letter to the manager, but the hospital next door is more concerning on scale - the hospital generates 3-4m trips per annum, not including visitors.

    Today there was a staff car parked across a dropped-kerb-for-disabled-access in a Doctor space. Yes they both have staff permits.

    It is a very well rated hospital, but they have much work to do on this issue.

    Three weeks ago I went on the e-folder and had to take it all the way into the consulting room with me.

  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,440
    Andy_JS said:

    Surprising how little coverage Derek Underwood's death has had so far.

    There’s quite a bit in the Guardian. The BBC, though, has taken against cricket.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,418
    Liz Truss on Sue Gray.

    Liz is not a hugger !!

    https://x.com/patrickkmaguire/status/1780161677251461300?s=61
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    Andy_JS said:

    "Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

    Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage"

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/belgian-mayor-natcon-conference-braverman-farage-brussels

    I would have gone further and tear gassed the event .
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,684
    edited April 16
    rcs1000 said:

    Interesting how when nearly everyone smoked people looked much healthier

    https://x.com/Wejolyn/status/1779942841629966819

    They also looked like they were twenty years older.
    The reason that young people look old in old clips is that older people have hairstyles and clothing tastes that they developed when young. My turned up jeans, boots and Ben Sherman shirts would be very familiar to my twenty-something self, and what remains of my hair too.

    The style has aged with me, and in future years old folks homes will be full of trackie wearing tattooed older men, and old ladies in athleisure gym kit.
  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 3,883
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    algarkirk said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    DavidL said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Truss labels government smoking ban bill 'virtue-signalling' and 'un-conservative'

    Former prime minister Liz Truss is making a rare Commons intervention to speak against the government's legislation to ban smoking."

    https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-uk-politics-sunak-starmer-general-election-vote-labour-tories-sky-news-politics-hub-12593360

    I started smoking at 14 and only stopped when my daughter told both myself and her husband we could not hold her first born daughter (now 21)

    I stopped immediately and it was the most difficult thing I have done but my COPD nurse told me 4 years ago that that action most certainly was a life saver for me

    I cannot stand the smell or smoke, including from vapes, anywhere near me and as some have said, if this ban is Sunak's legacy then it is one he can be proud of

    Of course we have the likes of Johnson and Truss furious about it, but with 71% of the public in favour we have another demonstration of how out of touch they are

    I am pleased Starmer supports it so it will become law and in time save the NHS billions and very many lives

    https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1780157811575452069?t=DqsqEa5MZFrCLEr8YS7zvQ&s=19
    My daughter and her husband stopped smoking at the beginning of February and are both keeping at it. One thing that I thought was interesting was that she stopped drinking then too. Apparently drink is pretty much the most common reason for those seeking to give up smoking to fail.

    (I am also beginning to wonder if I might become a granddad at some point in the not too distant future).

    Both my parents and my brother died prematurely with tobacco playing a major role in their demise. It is an evil thing and I would be delighted if we got rid of it.
    Cigs are unusual - a drug with no upside. They make you smell, get crinkly face, get yellow fingers, make you anxious, cost you a small fortune, ruin your health, shorten your life. They'll be gone here within 20 years, I think, and I support this law which will provide a helping boot towards the door.

    I've quit at last but only by cheating - I do vapes now which leaves me still a slave to nicotine. Have to deal with it at some point. Can't go into old age using these stupid things. If I do have grandkids that's all they'll remember me as - a silly old geezer forever sucking on a fluorescent tube.
    if nicotine has no upside how was it that three-quarters of the male population at one point used the drug? There has to be some benefit.
    No, it feels great as you puff but that 'pleasure' is just the relief of the withdrawal pangs from the addiction itself (to nicotine). Why do people get hooked in the first place? Image, I'd say is the main thing. That's why I started. The perception of looking cool, which the marketing cleverly plays into. It's insidious and powerful. Eg I still think it looks cool.
    I gave up decades ago by the trick of becoming addicted for quite a time to the delights of not smoking. However I still remember just how enjoyable it was. And, at a certain age, its combination effect was compelling. One has to recall just how insecure the arrogant young usually were and are. Smoking was all of: cool, highly addictive, grown up, (in those days) much cheaper than alcohol, and gave you something to do and to share in social situations. "Filthy, injurious and vile", but also magic.
    You have to get it kicked by forty. You did - well done.
    I was 59
    Yes but look what it took. A major intervention by your daughter.

    Nevertheless, well done you too.
    I've never smoked, but I don't claim credit for it. As a boy in a large family we all had our house jobs to do. My job was to empty ash trays and sweep up cig ends on the hearth in the living room, even after we had a gas fire installed!! So disgusting it used to make me heave. I suppose I have to thank the elder smokers in my family.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    Taz said:

    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Interesting.

    Nethanyahu and the Israeli regime will do as they please, they are not going to heed the views of the man and woman in the street.
    I find it quite heartening that so many Israelis understand how things could go badly wrong if the IDF miscalculate . The western alliance which defended Israel should not have sand kicked in their face .
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,684
    Andy_JS said:

    "Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

    Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage"

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/belgian-mayor-natcon-conference-braverman-farage-brussels

    Would this be the same Sunak that wanted divisive public gatherings banned?
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    Foxy said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

    Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage"

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/belgian-mayor-natcon-conference-braverman-farage-brussels

    Would this be the same Sunak that wanted divisive public gatherings banned?
    Typical Tory hypocrisy . The right bleat about freedom of speech but only when it agrees with them .
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,440
    Foxy said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

    Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage"

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/belgian-mayor-natcon-conference-braverman-farage-brussels

    Would this be the same Sunak that wanted divisive public gatherings banned?
    This was a right-wing gathering; obviously harmless!
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,090
    .

    Interesting how when nearly everyone smoked people looked much healthier

    https://x.com/Wejolyn/status/1779942841629966819

    I thnk it depends on whther one equates consumpitive with healthy...

    (facile comment of course. But restrictive diets do appear to have been the basis for a healthier population)
    In the USA the diet was not restrictive, food was highly plentiful and the diet was full of dairy and beef. They recorded their first heart attack (afaicr) in the late 1910s or early 1920s.
    They recorded events which were not diagnosed as such, because the diagnosis did not exist.

    http://www.epi.umn.edu/cvdepi/essay/history-of-heart-attack-diagnosis-and-understanding/
    … The communication most recognized as a starting point for the modern history of coronary artery disease is the presentation by William Heberden before the College of Physicians in London on July 21, 1768, titled, “Some Account of a Disorder of the Breast.” There he gave an incomplete picture but one that Leibowitz and other historians consider adequate to accept his claim about a “morbid entity not hitherto named in the history of diseases . . . ” Heberden and his younger colleague, Edward Jenner, related the cause of angina pectoris to insufficient coronary circulation; and Jenner was the first to mention, in a letter to Heberden, the finding of a thrombus in a coronary artery at autopsy and to tie it to a clinical history in the patient of angina pectoris. Charles Parry, in a reading before the Royal Society in July 1788, also attributed angina to partial obstruction of the coronaries (ibid., 4-5).

    René Marie in France in 1896 provided a classical description of clinical coronary disease, and George Dock in the U.S. the same year reported having made the clinical diagnosis during life in a patient with an anatomical myocardial infarction at autopsy. Even as the literature expanded and became more sophisticated during this period, however, the “medical profession at large was,” according to Leibowitz, “not yet prepared to accept and absorb these discoveries which ultimately led to the diagnosis of myocardial infarction..
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,345
    nico679 said:

    Taz said:

    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Interesting.

    Nethanyahu and the Israeli regime will do as they please, they are not going to heed the views of the man and woman in the street.
    I find it quite heartening that so many Israelis understand how things could go badly wrong if the IDF miscalculate . The western alliance which defended Israel should not have sand kicked in their face .
    I expect an Israeli attack is likely tonight. The longer they wait the more time they give Iran to prepare. eg if they are aiming for the nuke sites that need to do it ASAP

    But I suppose it is possible that they see advantage in keeping the Iranians on edge...
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,286
    edited April 16
    Is Kemi on maneuvers for a leadership push post-May 2nd? Or just trying to show a bit of leg to the Tory right for the leadership election to become LOTO after the general election?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,090
    Foxy said:

    Andy_JS said:

    "Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

    Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage"

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/belgian-mayor-natcon-conference-braverman-farage-brussels

    Would this be the same Sunak that wanted divisive public gatherings banned?
    Pretty stupid if the mayor, but why is this a matter for Sunak ?
    It’s a foreign jurisdiction, and really up to them to deal with - unless he thinks it a matter for the European Court ?
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    edited April 16
    Leon said:

    nico679 said:

    Taz said:

    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Interesting.

    Nethanyahu and the Israeli regime will do as they please, they are not going to heed the views of the man and woman in the street.
    I find it quite heartening that so many Israelis understand how things could go badly wrong if the IDF miscalculate . The western alliance which defended Israel should not have sand kicked in their face .
    I expect an Israeli attack is likely tonight. The longer they wait the more time they give Iran to prepare. eg if they are aiming for the nuke sites that need to do it ASAP

    But I suppose it is possible that they see advantage in keeping the Iranians on edge...
    I think they might hit the missile sites that were used at the weekend . I don’t see anyway they’ll attack the nuclear sites as that would be a huge escalation. At some point in the future though I expect the west will take them out as clearly no one wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,416
    nico679 said:

    Leon said:

    nico679 said:

    Taz said:

    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Interesting.

    Nethanyahu and the Israeli regime will do as they please, they are not going to heed the views of the man and woman in the street.
    I find it quite heartening that so many Israelis understand how things could go badly wrong if the IDF miscalculate . The western alliance which defended Israel should not have sand kicked in their face .
    I expect an Israeli attack is likely tonight. The longer they wait the more time they give Iran to prepare. eg if they are aiming for the nuke sites that need to do it ASAP

    But I suppose it is possible that they see advantage in keeping the Iranians on edge...
    I think they might hit the missile sites that were used at the weekend . I don’t see anyway they’ll attack the nuclear sites as that would be a huge escalation. At some point in the future though I expect the west will take them out as clearly no one wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
    Including quite a lot of the Iranian people, to judge from this article:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68823348

    That said, the Iraqis were delighted when the West toppled Saddam. At first...
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 28,902
    Entertaining leaflet just received from local Tory MP David Duguid. 7/8ths of which is "You have to vote for me or the evil SNP will win". Though I can't complain about the bar chart - not at all dodgy.

    Does make me laugh though. Only a single panel which talks about what he and his government stand for. And the first two - Brexit is brilliant for farming and fishing - is directly contradicted by farmers and fishermen.






  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,662
    GIN1138 said:

    Is Kemi on maneuvers for a leadership push post-May 2nd? Or just trying to show a bit of leg to the Tory right for the leadership election to become LOTO after the general election?

    What has she done?
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,226
    GIN1138 said:

    Is Kemi on maneuvers for a leadership push post-May 2nd? Or just trying to show a bit of leg to the Tory right for the leadership election to become LOTO after the general election?

    Or both.

    Vote passed 383-67, which is quite a bit of unenthusiasm on the government side. Was it always going to be a free vote, or was that a bodge to spare Sunak's blushes?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    AP (via Seattle Times) - House Speaker Mike Johnson pushes towards a vote on aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan

    House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing toward action this week on aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, unveiling an elaborate plan Monday to break the package into separate votes to squeeze through the House’s political divides on foreign policy.

    Facing an outright rebellion from conservatives fiercely opposed to aiding Ukraine, the Republican speaker’s move on the foreign aid package was a potentially watershed moment, the first significant action on the bill after more than two months of delay. But Johnson’s intention to hold four separate votes on parts of the package also left it open to being significantly altered from the $95 billion aid package the Senate passed in February.

    It’s unclear if the House could end up with a package that is similar to the Senate’s bill or something significantly different, which could complicate the months-long, painstaking effort to get Congress to approve military funding for Ukraine. . . .

    President Joe Biden, hosting Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the White House, called on the House to take up the Senate funding package immediately. “They have to do it now,” he said.

    Johnson and Biden spoke Monday, according to a person familiar with the call and granted anonymity to discuss it.

    Democrats in the House could be open to helping Johnson pass the aid in parts, and may even be agreeable to some of the additional measures being discussed by Republicans, such as providing some of the Ukraine economic assistance as loans.

    But Johnson would lose the Democratic support he needs if he strays too far into Republican-only priorities. Any overhaul to the package also risks setbacks in the Senate, where a bulk of Republicans oppose the aid for Ukraine and Democrats have become increasingly alarmed at Israel’s campaign in Gaza. . . .

    As House members returned to the Capitol Monday evening, Johnson huddled with fellow GOP lawmakers to lay out his strategy to gain House approval for the funding package. He said he would push to get the package to the House floor under a single debate rule that allows for separate votes on aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other foreign policy proposals.

    Johnson said those proposals would structure some of the funding for Kyiv as loans, allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets and place other sanctions on Iran.

    The GOP meeting was filled with lawmakers at odds in their approach to the conflict with Russia: Republican defense hawks, including the top lawmakers on national security committees, are pitted against populist conservatives who are fiercely opposed to continued support for Kyiv’s fight. . . .
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,171
    Taz said:

    rcs1000 said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Foxy said:

    Selebian said:

    Heathener said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Has anyone ever had gruel? I haven't, and I don't know anyone that has. And you don't often see it in restaurants these days, as a main or even a starter - "Gruel"

    Also, why don't they just thicken it a bit? With some cornflour? Does it have to be thin? The gruel industry just needs some imagination and it could make a major comeback

    If you thicken it you couldn't drink it.
    Gruel is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. ..

    Think of it as a very boring smoothie.
    I’m reminded about Grape Nuts. They have been extremely popular as a breakfast cereal in the US. The one thing you can say about Grape Nuts is that they contain neither grapes nor nuts.

    https://www.mashed.com/371854/the-untold-truth-of-grape-nuts/

    "created in Battle Creek, Michigan, by Charles W Post, who also thought up the rather unusual name" (that's from memory - I was big into them as a kid once I graduated from soggy rice krispies or cornflakes). Haven't had them in years, though.
    I have them most days as a top-up to muesli (I only need sandals and I can qualify to be a LibDem). They're amazingly expensive for the small packets, but still quite distinctive.
    I love grape nuts, and I don't quite know why. I generally eat them with raisins and a small spoonful of sugar.

    The only other cereal I really like is Weetabix (also with raisins). I could never stand Shredded Wheat, and am not a massive fan of porridge.
    I enjoy them immensely, but find them hard to find.
    Try the vegan section...
    Grape Nuts have been my go to breakfast cereal for decades. Roast in his range cooker, and ground up in his own coffee-grinder iirc.

    Recently dropped from the Morrisons lineup, and a reason why I go there less.

    Everything comes from Battle Creek, including Mr Kellogg iirc.

    I am now graduating to a decent granola.
    I got a box from my local Mozzies last week.
    That's interesting. My local Morrisons is BIG - I make it more than 600 parking spaces, and having asked several times over months they are answering like Manuel.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiThRIHwQDE
    Since I'm slightly having a rant, the cycle parking (as normal round here) is the exact definition of "how to force people into motor vehicles", despite decent infrastructure nearby:

    That is shocking.

    The easiest and best way to encourage cycling is not dedicated cycle lanes: it's simply having places to park bikes which are secure.

    Bedford has bugger all cycle lanes as far as I'm aware. But since they put proper secure bike parking at the station, the number of people cycling there has increased from "negligible" to "there are more bikes parked there than cars".
    At my local supermarket I have to lock my bike to the trolley rack.
    In England, I have a Brompton, so I half fold it, and use it (and it's basket) as my shopping trolley.

    It gets some funny looks, but hey ho.
  • Peter_the_PunterPeter_the_Punter Posts: 14,342

    Andy_JS said:

    Surprising how little coverage Derek Underwood's death has had so far.

    There’s quite a bit in the Guardian. The BBC, though, has taken against cricket.
    It'scoverage has become noticeably poorer in recent years, but be grateful for what you get. It took against horseracing years ago and now treats it as a minority sport.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,978
    edited April 16
    .

    Entertaining leaflet just received from local Tory MP David Duguid. 7/8ths of which is "You have to vote for me or the evil SNP will win". Though I can't complain about the bar chart - not at all dodgy.

    Does make me laugh though. Only a single panel which talks about what he and his government stand for. And the first two - Brexit is brilliant for farming and fishing - is directly contradicted by farmers and fishermen.






    Nice Kippery purple..
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    edited April 16
    ydoethur said:

    nico679 said:

    Leon said:

    nico679 said:

    Taz said:

    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Interesting.

    Nethanyahu and the Israeli regime will do as they please, they are not going to heed the views of the man and woman in the street.
    I find it quite heartening that so many Israelis understand how things could go badly wrong if the IDF miscalculate . The western alliance which defended Israel should not have sand kicked in their face .
    I expect an Israeli attack is likely tonight. The longer they wait the more time they give Iran to prepare. eg if they are aiming for the nuke sites that need to do it ASAP

    But I suppose it is possible that they see advantage in keeping the Iranians on edge...
    I think they might hit the missile sites that were used at the weekend . I don’t see anyway they’ll attack the nuclear sites as that would be a huge escalation. At some point in the future though I expect the west will take them out as clearly no one wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
    Including quite a lot of the Iranian people, to judge from this article:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68823348

    That said, the Iraqis were delighted when the West toppled Saddam. At first...
    Interesting thanks . In terms of economics the hope is if things do escalate they won’t effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz as that could have a big impact on their own economy .
  • No_Offence_AlanNo_Offence_Alan Posts: 4,521
    Andy_JS said:

    Surprising how little coverage Derek Underwood's death has had so far.

    It made the front page of the Daily Star.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,418

    Andy_JS said:

    Surprising how little coverage Derek Underwood's death has had so far.

    There’s quite a bit in the Guardian. The BBC, though, has taken against cricket.
    It'scoverage has become noticeably poorer in recent years, but be grateful for what you get. It took against horseracing years ago and now treats it as a minority sport.
    They do get some Hundred games. Their coverage of the couple I’ve endured has been mediocre.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,885
    Evening all :)

    Just to comment on the R&W polling in the West Midlands. The swing from Conservative to Labour in the GE polling is 14% - the seats, rather like the vote in 2019, split evenly with 14 for both Conservative and Labour and I've not looked at the impact of boundary changes but on the 2019 boundaries seats like Stourbridge woukd become marginal.

    The top line Conservative to Labour swing in the latest national R&W poll is 17.5% and R&W recorded just a 6% swing in London so there's growing evidence the swing to Labour (and possibly the strongest Reform shares) are in the strongest Conservative areas.

    As an example and back to the West Midlands, the new seat of Meriden & Solihull East is the 72nd safest Conservative seat on notional 2019 figures with a 20,270 majority requiring a swing to Labour of 20.25%. We have 14% on the headline regional polling UNS but if we allow for the possibility of tactical voting and stronger anti-Conservative voting in the safer seats, then even the likes of Meriden & Solihiull East come into range.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,090
    Which he voted against.

    Sen. Cruz Applauds Major Investment in Texas Semiconductor Industry.
    https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1780264894224576613
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,195

    Entertaining leaflet just received from local Tory MP David Duguid. 7/8ths of which is "You have to vote for me or the evil SNP will win". Though I can't complain about the bar chart - not at all dodgy.

    Does make me laugh though. Only a single panel which talks about what he and his government stand for. And the first two - Brexit is brilliant for farming and fishing - is directly contradicted by farmers and fishermen.






    I do like the sound (Wikipedia) of:

    Succeeded by The Lord Offord of Garvel

    Not sure what position that is for, though it should be for Offal-Czar, or similar.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,286

    GIN1138 said:

    Is Kemi on maneuvers for a leadership push post-May 2nd? Or just trying to show a bit of leg to the Tory right for the leadership election to become LOTO after the general election?

    What has she done?
    Voted against Rishi's smoking ban.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,731
    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,385
    Derek Underwood anecdote. When I was a little kid, I spent all my summers at Headingley collecting autographs. I still have them - Sobers (my prize one), Pollock, Boycott (yes, even Geoffrey), Graveney, Dexter, Cowdrey and loads more of the greats. But not Derek Underwood's. He was obnoxious, and told us to go away in the rudest terms. He went from hero to zero in seconds, and I've never forgotten or forgiven.
    RIP.
  • nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Sounds like quite an impressive push poll.
  • Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,286

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,074
    edited April 16
    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    As David Baddiel says, Jews don't count.
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541
    GIN1138 said:

    Is Kemi on maneuvers for a leadership push post-May 2nd? Or just trying to show a bit of leg to the Tory right for the leadership election to become LOTO after the general election?

    Would anyone want to lead the Conservatives into the upcoming GE if they didn’t have to?
  • StonehengeStonehenge Posts: 80

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    Why are you so gung ho for war. War is horrible.
  • DougSeal said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Is Kemi on maneuvers for a leadership push post-May 2nd? Or just trying to show a bit of leg to the Tory right for the leadership election to become LOTO after the general election?

    Would anyone want to lead the Conservatives into the upcoming GE if they didn’t have to?
    Yes.

    Lead the Conservatives into the upcoming GE and history records your name forever as having been Prime Minister.

    There likely won't be another Tory Prime Minister for a generation. The next Tory PM probably isn't in Parliament yet.
  • StonehengeStonehenge Posts: 80
    nico679 said:

    ydoethur said:

    nico679 said:

    Leon said:

    nico679 said:

    Taz said:

    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Interesting.

    Nethanyahu and the Israeli regime will do as they please, they are not going to heed the views of the man and woman in the street.
    I find it quite heartening that so many Israelis understand how things could go badly wrong if the IDF miscalculate . The western alliance which defended Israel should not have sand kicked in their face .
    I expect an Israeli attack is likely tonight. The longer they wait the more time they give Iran to prepare. eg if they are aiming for the nuke sites that need to do it ASAP

    But I suppose it is possible that they see advantage in keeping the Iranians on edge...
    I think they might hit the missile sites that were used at the weekend . I don’t see anyway they’ll attack the nuclear sites as that would be a huge escalation. At some point in the future though I expect the west will take them out as clearly no one wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
    Including quite a lot of the Iranian people, to judge from this article:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68823348

    That said, the Iraqis were delighted when the West toppled Saddam. At first...
    Interesting thanks . In terms of economics the hope is if things do escalate they won’t effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz as that could have a big impact on their own economy .
    Oil in a complete holding pattern at present. So clearly no insider info has leaked.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,090
    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    We didn't; we helped shoot them down.
  • Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    Why are you so gung ho for war. War is horrible.
    I'm not gung ho but when the enemy attacks, they need to be defeated.

    I don't want any wars of aggression, but when it comes to defence if you are attacked then put the attacker down.

    Whether that be Hamas, Russia or Iran.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,090

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    You believe significant escalation is sensible, then ?
  • Nigelb said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    You believe significant escalation is sensible, then ?
    Yes.

    Time for regime change in Iran.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,286
    edited April 16
    Nigelb said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    We didn't; we helped shoot them down.
    Yes, but whether the drones and missiles were shot down or landed on their targets, there would be a significant response against the country staging the attack, wouldn't there?

    Particularly if it was America that was attacked. In fact, is someone had tried to fire 300 drones and missiles against New York, Washington, etc we'd never hear the end of it.
  • StonehengeStonehenge Posts: 80
    U.S., NOT ISRAEL, SHOT DOWN MOST IRAN DRONES AND MISSILES

    More than half of the Iranian drones and missiles that were downed were in fact shot down by the U.S. Navy and Air Force, and Israel would likely have struggled tremendously without direct U.S. intervention – U.S. Officials

    https://x.com/Megatron_ron/status/1780284346345140362
  • GIN1138 said:

    Nigelb said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    We didn't; we helped shoot them down.
    Yes, but whether they were shot down or landed on their targets, there would be a singiifcant response against the country staging the attack, wouldn't there?

    Particularly is it was America that was attacked.
    If it was America that was attacked, the Mullahs would be gone by now.
  • StonehengeStonehenge Posts: 80

    U.S., NOT ISRAEL, SHOT DOWN MOST IRAN DRONES AND MISSILES

    More than half of the Iranian drones and missiles that were downed were in fact shot down by the U.S. Navy and Air Force, and Israel would likely have struggled tremendously without direct U.S. intervention – U.S. Officials

    https://x.com/Megatron_ron/status/1780284346345140362

    Likely explains why israel is eager to retaliate.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,459
    EPG said:

    Interesting this on x.

    There are so many “Pro-Ukrainians” and not enough Pro-Ukrainians.

    Ukraine is like an old fighter in the MMA, his true fans want him to retire and stop fighting for his health and longevity. His “true fans” want him to die on his shield for their entertainment. They’re both Pro-Ukrainian but only one actually cares about the future of the country.

    Ps not necessarily my views.

    https://x.com/squatsons/status/1780280818616664247

    You're gonna have to explain why Zelenskyy is not demanding permission from the big bad Nato to unconditionally surrender.
    "to surrender unconditionally" would sound better.

    Interesting how when nearly everyone smoked people looked much healthier

    https://x.com/Wejolyn/status/1779942841629966819

    I thnk it depends on whther one equates consumpitive with healthy...

    (facile comment of course. But restrictive diets do appear to have been the basis for a healthier population)
    In the USA the diet was not restrictive, food was highly plentiful and the diet was full of dairy and beef. They recorded their first heart attack (afaicr) in the late 1910s or early 1920s.
    I suspect that 'recorded' and 'suffered' are very different things. Just because they were not recorded before that time does not mean they were not happening.

    Indeed about 5 seconds on Professor Google came up with:

    "The American College of Cardiology reports that the earliest documented case of coronary atherosclerosis – a build-up of plaque in the arteries that can cause a heart attack – was in an Egyptian princess who lived between 1580 and 1550 B.C. The study found that heart disease was more common in ancient times than previously thought".
    I don't see how that's really relevant to the discussion - if anything it undermines your own point that a heart attack would not have been recognised by late 19th and early 20th century physicians in the USA rather than reinforcing it.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,646
    The police investigation into Angela Rayner is examining multiple allegations and is not merely limited to potential electoral law offences, The Times has learnt.

    At least a dozen officers at Greater Manchester police are investigating the Labour deputy leader over where she lived in the 2010s and the sale of her former council house in Stockport.

    The Times understands that police are examining tax matters and other issues on top of the question of whether Rayner gave false information for the electoral register when she lived between two former council houses in Stockport in the 2010s.

    While she has insisted she lived primarily in her own home, former neighbours said she was living with her husband just over a mile away.

    The issue is likely to overshadow the local elections next month as the investigation is expected to take weeks rather than days. A source said: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

    Stephen Watson, the chief constable, told local radio on Tuesday that “there are a number of assertions knocking about” and “we are going to get to the bottom of what has happened.”


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-rayner-police-investigate-multiple-allegations-tax-matters-living-g6dt9sjqt
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,226

    nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Sounds like quite an impressive push poll.
    Any reason to think it's a push poll, rather than an example of Smithson's Law of Rogue Polling?

    Some more details here:

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-74-of-israelis-oppose-counterstrike-on-iran-if-it-harms-security-alliances/
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,885
    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    If 299 of the 300 missiles were successfully intercepted and one fell harmlessly in a field, yes. I know that's not quite what happened in Israel - there were civilian injuries.

    Iran made their intentions clear - this was a gesture, nothing more. They knew they would be lucky if one missile got through against one of the strongest air defences in the world backed by US, UK and French jets. To save face, they had to respond for the Israeli attack on the consulate building in Damascus but the nature of the response not only illustrated military impotence but a clear determination to draw a line under the event.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,723
    edited April 16
    Oh Dear.. it would appear that the Rayner investigation has broadened to her tax affairs.....

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6f4bad48-23bb-4754-a76c-0d6009208396?shareToken=d91d6cfdc8274a000d5e9bc242cb1c41
  • nico679 said:

    .

    Taz said:

    ITV News reporting Israeli War cabinet has just finished meeting and their decision is unanimous and it is a strike on Iranian soil.

    Kleenex time for Bart.

    That Israeli poll was interesting . 52% don’t want an attack on Iran . That went up to 74% if it caused a problem with the western alliance which supported the country in defending itself at the weekend .
    Sounds like quite an impressive push poll.
    Any reason to think it's a push poll, rather than an example of Smithson's Law of Rogue Polling?

    Some more details here:

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-74-of-israelis-oppose-counterstrike-on-iran-if-it-harms-security-alliances/
    "If it harms alliances" is a classic push poll.

    We need the perfect balanced sample. https://youtu.be/ahgjEjJkZks?feature=shared
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,853
    edited April 16

    EPG said:

    Interesting this on x.

    There are so many “Pro-Ukrainians” and not enough Pro-Ukrainians.

    Ukraine is like an old fighter in the MMA, his true fans want him to retire and stop fighting for his health and longevity. His “true fans” want him to die on his shield for their entertainment. They’re both Pro-Ukrainian but only one actually cares about the future of the country.

    Ps not necessarily my views.

    https://x.com/squatsons/status/1780280818616664247

    You're gonna have to explain why Zelenskyy is not demanding permission from the big bad Nato to unconditionally surrender.
    "to surrender unconditionally" would sound better.

    Interesting how when nearly everyone smoked people looked much healthier

    https://x.com/Wejolyn/status/1779942841629966819

    I thnk it depends on whther one equates consumpitive with healthy...

    (facile comment of course. But restrictive diets do appear to have been the basis for a healthier population)
    In the USA the diet was not restrictive, food was highly plentiful and the diet was full of dairy and beef. They recorded their first heart attack (afaicr) in the late 1910s or early 1920s.
    I suspect that 'recorded' and 'suffered' are very different things. Just because they were not recorded before that time does not mean they were not happening.

    Indeed about 5 seconds on Professor Google came up with:

    "The American College of Cardiology reports that the earliest documented case of coronary atherosclerosis – a build-up of plaque in the arteries that can cause a heart attack – was in an Egyptian princess who lived between 1580 and 1550 B.C. The study found that heart disease was more common in ancient times than previously thought".
    I don't see how that's really relevant to the discussion - if anything it undermines your own point that a heart attack would not have been recognised by late 19th and early 20th century physicians in the USA rather than reinforcing it.
    "Documented" means by modern researchers [edit] on the basis of archaeological remains. Not written up in hieroglyphs.
  • StonehengeStonehenge Posts: 80
    BREAKING: The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage in the US rises to 7.43%, a new 2024 high.

    We have not seen mortgage rates this high since early-December 2023, when the Fed said rate cut talks were "premature."

    This means that the monthly mortgage payment on a $500,000 house with 20% down is now $3,500/month.

    The $3,500/month figure also does not include property taxes, insurance, or maintenance.

    Meanwhile, the median US home is now selling for a whopping $417,700.

    Who's still buying a home?

    https://x.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1780276630268563853
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541

    Oh Dear.. it would appear that the Rayner investigation has broadened to her tax affairs.....

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6f4bad48-23bb-4754-a76c-0d6009208396?shareToken=d91d6cfdc8274a000d5e9bc242cb1c41

    Broadened? The complainant has refused to say what he complained about so we don’t know how “narrow” it was to start with. It’s possible, even likely, that he threw all this into his initial complainant and the police are obliged to look into it.
  • RattersRatters Posts: 1,076

    GIN1138 said:

    Nigelb said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    We didn't; we helped shoot them down.
    Yes, but whether they were shot down or landed on their targets, there would be a singiifcant response against the country staging the attack, wouldn't there?

    Particularly is it was America that was attacked.
    If it was America that was attacked, the Mullahs would be gone by now.
    True, but the difference here is that, while Israel is strong, I do not think is it powerful enough to defeat the Iranian regime in Iran without direct US involvement (and probably leadership).

    That puts them at the mercy of a third party nation wanting to take part in another major war in the Middle East far from home. That won't be politically popular in either party.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,090

    Nigelb said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    You believe significant escalation is sensible, then ?
    Yes.

    Time for regime change in Iran.
    Fool.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,853
    edited April 16
    MattW said:

    Entertaining leaflet just received from local Tory MP David Duguid. 7/8ths of which is "You have to vote for me or the evil SNP will win". Though I can't complain about the bar chart - not at all dodgy.

    Does make me laugh though. Only a single panel which talks about what he and his government stand for. And the first two - Brexit is brilliant for farming and fishing - is directly contradicted by farmers and fishermen.






    I do like the sound (Wikipedia) of:

    Succeeded by The Lord Offord of Garvel

    Not sure what position that is for, though it should be for Offal-Czar, or similar.
    Garvel is a place [edit] somewhere in the Wild West of the Scottish Central Belt, beyond the Great Central Desert beloved of PBScotch Experts, and the expression has the effect of implying that he has had his family seat there since it was property-transferred from the locals about 700 years ago. But I am sure it is purely accidental. In reality, this is what happened. I'm not sure what was wrong with the existing Scon MPs that they weren't considered worthy of promotion instead.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/30/tory-donor-made-life-peer-and-appointed-as-government-minister
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    Wash Post (via Sea Times) - A hockey puck hurtled toward her son’s head. A fan jumped to block it.

    Just over a minute was left on the clock during a [minor league] hockey game in Cleveland on Thursday when a player struck the puck, sending it barreling into the stands and toward Asia Davis’s 4-year-old son. That’s when another fan jumped and extended his right arm to block the puck from hitting the boy’s head. . . .

    Davis and Nasir met Andrew
    Podolak when they sat next to him a few rows from the ice . . . [Then near the end of the game] a Cleveland player deflected a pass, hitting the puck into the air. . . .

    Podolak, sitting on the other side of Nasir, leaped up and held out his arm, changing the puck’s trajectory and sending it over Nasir’s head. Nasir didn’t even see the puck, Davis said, but ice chips landed in his hair.

    “The kids behind us, they picked up the puck and gave it to my son,” Davis said. “And, you know, I held the puck up and realized what he just escaped.” . . . .

    “I had a couple of other kids sitting behind me as well, so I just tried jumping in front of it,” Podolak told Fox 8 News.

    While Davis said she still has “PTSD” from the incident, Podolak’s efforts helped make . . . a memorable night for Nasir for a different reason. He was so excited fans gave him the puck that flew by him, he has since been holding it while he sleeps.

    SSI - The right man was at the right place at the right time. And instinctively did the right thing.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,098

    The police investigation into Angela Rayner is examining multiple allegations and is not merely limited to potential electoral law offences, The Times has learnt.

    At least a dozen officers at Greater Manchester police are investigating the Labour deputy leader over where she lived in the 2010s and the sale of her former council house in Stockport.

    The Times understands that police are examining tax matters and other issues on top of the question of whether Rayner gave false information for the electoral register when she lived between two former council houses in Stockport in the 2010s.

    While she has insisted she lived primarily in her own home, former neighbours said she was living with her husband just over a mile away.

    The issue is likely to overshadow the local elections next month as the investigation is expected to take weeks rather than days. A source said: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

    Stephen Watson, the chief constable, told local radio on Tuesday that “there are a number of assertions knocking about” and “we are going to get to the bottom of what has happened.”


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-rayner-police-investigate-multiple-allegations-tax-matters-living-g6dt9sjqt

    I have to ask: has she bought a mobile home recently?
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,092

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    Quite the opposite

    'Blessed are the peacemakers' and he is in line with all the G7 leaders plus Saudi and Jordan

    You seem intent on a catastrophic Middle Eastern war which is doing you no favours
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,885
    There's a Savanta poll out this evening in the Telegraph which has Labour on 43%, Conservatives 25%, LDs 10% and Reform on 9%. That widens the Labour lead from 15 to 18 (Labour +1, Conservatives -2., Reform -1).

  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,021

    The police investigation into Angela Rayner is examining multiple allegations and is not merely limited to potential electoral law offences, The Times has learnt.

    At least a dozen officers at Greater Manchester police are investigating the Labour deputy leader over where she lived in the 2010s and the sale of her former council house in Stockport.

    The Times understands that police are examining tax matters and other issues on top of the question of whether Rayner gave false information for the electoral register when she lived between two former council houses in Stockport in the 2010s.

    While she has insisted she lived primarily in her own home, former neighbours said she was living with her husband just over a mile away.

    The issue is likely to overshadow the local elections next month as the investigation is expected to take weeks rather than days. A source said: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

    Stephen Watson, the chief constable, told local radio on Tuesday that “there are a number of assertions knocking about” and “we are going to get to the bottom of what has happened.”


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-rayner-police-investigate-multiple-allegations-tax-matters-living-g6dt9sjqt

    They must have coppers sat on their arses with nowt to do if they can devote a dozen to Raynergate.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,286
    stodge said:

    There's a Savanta poll out this evening in the Telegraph which has Labour on 43%, Conservatives 25%, LDs 10% and Reform on 9%. That widens the Labour lead from 15 to 18 (Labour +1, Conservatives -2., Reform -1).

    First impacts of TRUSS being all over the media yesterday?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,853

    The police investigation into Angela Rayner is examining multiple allegations and is not merely limited to potential electoral law offences, The Times has learnt.

    At least a dozen officers at Greater Manchester police are investigating the Labour deputy leader over where she lived in the 2010s and the sale of her former council house in Stockport.

    The Times understands that police are examining tax matters and other issues on top of the question of whether Rayner gave false information for the electoral register when she lived between two former council houses in Stockport in the 2010s.

    While she has insisted she lived primarily in her own home, former neighbours said she was living with her husband just over a mile away.

    The issue is likely to overshadow the local elections next month as the investigation is expected to take weeks rather than days. A source said: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

    Stephen Watson, the chief constable, told local radio on Tuesday that “there are a number of assertions knocking about” and “we are going to get to the bottom of what has happened.”


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-rayner-police-investigate-multiple-allegations-tax-matters-living-g6dt9sjqt

    They must have coppers sat on their arses with nowt to do if they can devote a dozen to Raynergate.
    Investigating whether she forgot to bring in her blue bin on 17 February 2013, presumably.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,723
    DougSeal said:

    Oh Dear.. it would appear that the Rayner investigation has broadened to her tax affairs.....

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6f4bad48-23bb-4754-a76c-0d6009208396?shareToken=d91d6cfdc8274a000d5e9bc242cb1c41

    Broadened? The complainant has refused to say what he complained about so we don’t know how “narrow” it was to start with. It’s possible, even likely, that he threw all this into his initial complainant and the police are obliged to look into it.
    I don't think the Times has been misled.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,723
    Carnyx said:

    The police investigation into Angela Rayner is examining multiple allegations and is not merely limited to potential electoral law offences, The Times has learnt.

    At least a dozen officers at Greater Manchester police are investigating the Labour deputy leader over where she lived in the 2010s and the sale of her former council house in Stockport.

    The Times understands that police are examining tax matters and other issues on top of the question of whether Rayner gave false information for the electoral register when she lived between two former council houses in Stockport in the 2010s.

    While she has insisted she lived primarily in her own home, former neighbours said she was living with her husband just over a mile away.

    The issue is likely to overshadow the local elections next month as the investigation is expected to take weeks rather than days. A source said: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

    Stephen Watson, the chief constable, told local radio on Tuesday that “there are a number of assertions knocking about” and “we are going to get to the bottom of what has happened.”


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-rayner-police-investigate-multiple-allegations-tax-matters-living-g6dt9sjqt

    They must have coppers sat on their arses with nowt to do if they can devote a dozen to Raynergate.
    Investigating whether she forgot to bring in her blue bin on 17 February 2013, presumably.
    Weak. Weak Weak
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,885
    GIN1138 said:

    stodge said:

    There's a Savanta poll out this evening in the Telegraph which has Labour on 43%, Conservatives 25%, LDs 10% and Reform on 9%. That widens the Labour lead from 15 to 18 (Labour +1, Conservatives -2., Reform -1).

    First impacts of TRUSS being all over the media yesterday?
    As the fieldwork for the poll was Friday to Sunday, no. It's probably just noise.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,853
    edited April 16
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Entertaining leaflet just received from local Tory MP David Duguid. 7/8ths of which is "You have to vote for me or the evil SNP will win". Though I can't complain about the bar chart - not at all dodgy.

    Does make me laugh though. Only a single panel which talks about what he and his government stand for. And the first two - Brexit is brilliant for farming and fishing - is directly contradicted by farmers and fishermen.






    I do like the sound (Wikipedia) of:

    Succeeded by The Lord Offord of Garvel

    Not sure what position that is for, though it should be for Offal-Czar, or similar.
    Garvel is a place [edit] somewhere in the Wild West of the Scottish Central Belt, beyond the Great Central Desert beloved of PBScotch Experts, and the expression has the effect of implying that he has had his family seat there since it was property-transferred from the locals about 700 years ago. But I am sure it is purely accidental. In reality, this is what happened. I'm not sure what was wrong with the existing Scon MPs that they weren't considered worthy of promotion instead.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/30/tory-donor-made-life-peer-and-appointed-as-government-minister
    PS JUst remembered what Garvel is. It's an island off Greenock. Subsumed into the dock complex. Excellent views of the Clyde. Makes sense as The Lord Offord of Garvel was born and educated etc at Greenock.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,625
    stodge said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    If 299 of the 300 missiles were successfully intercepted and one fell harmlessly in a field, yes. I know that's not quite what happened in Israel - there were civilian injuries.

    Iran made their intentions clear - this was a gesture, nothing more. They knew they would be lucky if one missile got through against one of the strongest air defences in the world backed by US, UK and French jets. To save face, they had to respond for the Israeli attack on the consulate building in Damascus but the nature of the response not only illustrated military impotence but a clear determination to draw a line under the event.
    I agree with the thrust of your point, but there's something else to be said about the missile attacks on Israel, which have been going for years. Every time even one missile is fired, even if it kills no-one or does no damage, large swathes of Israel has to essentially shut down and get to shelters. Kids get woken up at night and go to shelters. Businesses close. They cause disruption and chaos; and what is more, psychological damage. Then there's the cost of Iron Dome and other systems.

    Yes, these may be minor factors. Until you have to live with it.

    The missiles from Hezbollah and Hamas (i.e. Iran...) over the years are a significant factor in the embattled psychology of Israel.

    (This is not to excuse the settlers or other poor Israeli behaviour.)
  • StonehengeStonehenge Posts: 80

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    Quite the opposite

    'Blessed are the peacemakers' and he is in line with all the G7 leaders plus Saudi and Jordan

    You seem intent on a catastrophic Middle Eastern war which is doing you no favours
    Biggest warmonger on the site whether israel or russia ukraine.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,853

    Carnyx said:

    The police investigation into Angela Rayner is examining multiple allegations and is not merely limited to potential electoral law offences, The Times has learnt.

    At least a dozen officers at Greater Manchester police are investigating the Labour deputy leader over where she lived in the 2010s and the sale of her former council house in Stockport.

    The Times understands that police are examining tax matters and other issues on top of the question of whether Rayner gave false information for the electoral register when she lived between two former council houses in Stockport in the 2010s.

    While she has insisted she lived primarily in her own home, former neighbours said she was living with her husband just over a mile away.

    The issue is likely to overshadow the local elections next month as the investigation is expected to take weeks rather than days. A source said: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

    Stephen Watson, the chief constable, told local radio on Tuesday that “there are a number of assertions knocking about” and “we are going to get to the bottom of what has happened.”


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-rayner-police-investigate-multiple-allegations-tax-matters-living-g6dt9sjqt

    They must have coppers sat on their arses with nowt to do if they can devote a dozen to Raynergate.
    Investigating whether she forgot to bring in her blue bin on 17 February 2013, presumably.
    Weak. Weak Weak
    Exactly. That's the point.

    I look forward to similar harassing expeditions being mounted against MPs from all parties. Especially the Tories.
  • WillGWillG Posts: 2,366
    Ratters said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Nigelb said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    We didn't; we helped shoot them down.
    Yes, but whether they were shot down or landed on their targets, there would be a singiifcant response against the country staging the attack, wouldn't there?

    Particularly is it was America that was attacked.
    If it was America that was attacked, the Mullahs would be gone by now.
    True, but the difference here is that, while Israel is strong, I do not think is it powerful enough to defeat the Iranian regime in Iran without direct US involvement (and probably leadership).

    That puts them at the mercy of a third party nation wanting to take part in another major war in the Middle East far from home. That won't be politically popular in either party.
    Also, the United States isn't actively in the middle of colonizing land in the region for a perpetual occupation. Once Israel stops doing that, we can be a bit more willing to help.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,459

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    Tony Blair would have done exactly what the US told him to do, as Rishi Sunak is doing.
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541

    DougSeal said:

    Oh Dear.. it would appear that the Rayner investigation has broadened to her tax affairs.....

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6f4bad48-23bb-4754-a76c-0d6009208396?shareToken=d91d6cfdc8274a000d5e9bc242cb1c41

    Broadened? The complainant has refused to say what he complained about so we don’t know how “narrow” it was to start with. It’s possible, even likely, that he threw all this into his initial complainant and the police are obliged to look into it.
    I don't think the Times has been misled.
    I didn’t say it was. I was, rightly, pointing out you misread the article. The word “broadened” isn’t in there. You don’t like her, a cursory glance at your posting history makes that clear, but the police are obliged to look into what is put in front of them and it’s pretty clear that the Tories, in their desperation, have flung any old shite at the GMP
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,104
    edited April 16
    nico679 said:

    The Tories refused to accept a Lords amendment on the Rwanda Bill which would exempt those who served for or with the British army from being sent to Rwanda .

    #ToryScum

    I would be fascinated to know what reasoning is behind that, if not simply truculence against any amendment. Did it do something else as well?
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,104
    edited April 16

    Nigelb said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    You believe significant escalation is sensible, then ?
    Yes.

    Time for regime change in Iran.
    I bow to no one in my ignorance of foreign affairs, but a major regional power of 90 million people which has been ruled by an autocratic regime for the last 45 years (well, this particular autocratic regime at least) seems like it would be tricky to dislodge in so cavalier a fashion, no matter if it is unpopular with many of its people.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,418

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    Quite the opposite

    'Blessed are the peacemakers' and he is in line with all the G7 leaders plus Saudi and Jordan

    You seem intent on a catastrophic Middle Eastern war which is doing you no favours
    Biggest warmonger on the site whether israel or russia ukraine.
    He’s forgotten about Ukraine now, barely mentions it, there’s a bigger war to get excited about. Poor Old Zelenskyy, our resident warmonger doesn’t want to be friends anymore. He’s got Bibi and his combover as a chum now 😢
  • DougSealDougSeal Posts: 12,541
    edited April 16
    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    Once again showing he's not fit for office.

    Tony Blair wouldn't have been so pissweak.
    You believe significant escalation is sensible, then ?
    Yes.

    Time for regime change in Iran.
    I bow to no one in my ignorance of foreign affairs, but a major regional power of 90 million people which has been ruled by a an autocratic regime for the last 45 years (well, this particular autocratic regime at least) seems like it would be tricky to dislodge in so cavalier a fashion, no matter if it is unpopular with many of its people.
    Barty reckons it’s a piece of piss and if it goes wrong the west can “rinse and repeat” (his exact words) for so long as it takes to get a regime that works for the West. The naivety and callousness is breathtaking.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,978
    Since the Israel stans seem convinced that Hamas are sock puppets of Iran, couldn’t the IDF killing 11 kids in a Gaza playground today be considered payback for Saturday? Everyone happy, except the parents of the kids obvs.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,851
    Andy_JS said:

    "Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

    Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage"

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/16/belgian-mayor-natcon-conference-braverman-farage-brussels

    National Conservative German Workers' Party :lol:
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 3,792
    GIN1138 said:

    stodge said:

    There's a Savanta poll out this evening in the Telegraph which has Labour on 43%, Conservatives 25%, LDs 10% and Reform on 9%. That widens the Labour lead from 15 to 18 (Labour +1, Conservatives -2., Reform -1).

    First impacts of TRUSS being all over the media yesterday?
    I listened to the interview with her and Chris Mason on the Newscast podcast this morning. She came across, possibly unsurprisingly, as ... a bit deaf eared and odd. Like the person your pub landlord vaguely hints that you don't want to sit beside. Just... a bit odd.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,662

    BREAKING: The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage in the US rises to 7.43%, a new 2024 high.

    The Truss effect.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,684
    edited April 16

    stodge said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    If 299 of the 300 missiles were successfully intercepted and one fell harmlessly in a field, yes. I know that's not quite what happened in Israel - there were civilian injuries.

    Iran made their intentions clear - this was a gesture, nothing more. They knew they would be lucky if one missile got through against one of the strongest air defences in the world backed by US, UK and French jets. To save face, they had to respond for the Israeli attack on the consulate building in Damascus but the nature of the response not only illustrated military impotence but a clear determination to draw a line under the event.
    I agree with the thrust of your point, but there's something else to be said about the missile attacks on Israel, which have been going for years. Every time even one missile is fired, even if it kills no-one or does no damage, large swathes of Israel has to essentially shut down and get to shelters. Kids get woken up at night and go to shelters. Businesses close. They cause disruption and chaos; and what is more, psychological damage. Then there's the cost of Iron Dome and other systems.

    Yes, these may be minor factors. Until you have to live with it.

    The missiles from Hezbollah and Hamas (i.e. Iran...) over the years are a significant factor in the embattled psychology of Israel.

    (This is not to excuse the settlers or other poor Israeli behaviour.)
    Not only that but I imagine the Israeli tourist trade must be pretty defunct this year. Who fancies a holiday there at the moment? About 6% of GNP in normal times.

  • RattersRatters Posts: 1,076
    WillG said:

    Ratters said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Nigelb said:

    GIN1138 said:

    Barak Ravid
    @BarakRavid
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday that a significant escalation with Iran was in no one's interest and would only deepen insecurity in the Middle East. "This was a moment for calm heads to prevail," he said according to a statement by the British Prime Minister's office

    https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1780300462824034601

    If someone decided to fire 300 missiles and drones to us or USA would we be expected to "keep calm and carry on" ?
    We didn't; we helped shoot them down.
    Yes, but whether they were shot down or landed on their targets, there would be a singiifcant response against the country staging the attack, wouldn't there?

    Particularly is it was America that was attacked.
    If it was America that was attacked, the Mullahs would be gone by now.
    True, but the difference here is that, while Israel is strong, I do not think is it powerful enough to defeat the Iranian regime in Iran without direct US involvement (and probably leadership).

    That puts them at the mercy of a third party nation wanting to take part in another major war in the Middle East far from home. That won't be politically popular in either party.
    Also, the United States isn't actively in the middle of colonizing land in the region for a perpetual occupation. Once Israel stops doing that, we can be a bit more willing to help.
    Is it not?

    Surely it just 'colonised' the land a few hundred years' ago, rather than 70 years ago.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,723
    edited April 16
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    The police investigation into Angela Rayner is examining multiple allegations and is not merely limited to potential electoral law offences, The Times has learnt.

    At least a dozen officers at Greater Manchester police are investigating the Labour deputy leader over where she lived in the 2010s and the sale of her former council house in Stockport.

    The Times understands that police are examining tax matters and other issues on top of the question of whether Rayner gave false information for the electoral register when she lived between two former council houses in Stockport in the 2010s.

    While she has insisted she lived primarily in her own home, former neighbours said she was living with her husband just over a mile away.

    The issue is likely to overshadow the local elections next month as the investigation is expected to take weeks rather than days. A source said: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

    Stephen Watson, the chief constable, told local radio on Tuesday that “there are a number of assertions knocking about” and “we are going to get to the bottom of what has happened.”


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-rayner-police-investigate-multiple-allegations-tax-matters-living-g6dt9sjqt

    They must have coppers sat on their arses with nowt to do if they can devote a dozen to Raynergate.
    Investigating whether she forgot to bring in her blue bin on 17 February 2013, presumably.
    Weak. Weak Weak
    Exactly. That's the point.

    I look forward to similar harassing expeditions being mounted against MPs from all parties. Especially the Tories.
    Your defence is Weak Weak Weak. Any MP... who is there to set an example.... and lead with integrity, if found, after an investigation to have broken the rules needs to be called to account. The shill cries of support from.the left are hollow...
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,684

    BREAKING: The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage in the US rises to 7.43%, a new 2024 high.

    The Truss effect.
    I knew they would regret getting her over there to speak!
This discussion has been closed.