Damn. Just lost a whole day's profit by fat-fingering an extra digit to the stake on a losing bet.
What do you mainly bet on?
Horses.
Ah ok. A view on Troy v Rosalion in the 2G?
MY view, for what little it's worth, is ROSALLION looks the better option currently - the Hannon horses are running really well (I actually think HAATEM, the Craven winner, is the each way value at 20s) while the Ballydoyle horses have been slower to come to hand and it's only been 12 months since AUGUSTE RODIN was supposed to be the next big thing and ran a stinker in the Guineas.
It may be 4/6 will look the steal of the century (so far) if CITY OF TROY is that good but many a bookie's holiday has bene funded by those who thought they saw a champion at two who turned out to be nothing like at three.
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Small stones in Carnac, but many, many acres of them
It’s disappointing isn’t it? I got zero vibes from Carnac and I was super receptive
Try the Outer Hebrides. Or at any rate the Uists. There are prehistoric monuments dotted around but you need to tramp across the moors with compass and OS map to find them. Very rewarding when you do. Last time I did that the only company I had was a golden eagle. Its a remarkable landscape.
I know them well and love them all. Though for insular Scottish megaltihs the Orkneys are possibly even better
They are all better than the rubbish French ones. But that’s partly because - as I say - France is nicer
It’s like scandi-noir. It works because the climate is bleak and the context harsh
Try setting a gritty thriller in Monte Carlo or Collioure. Its hard
Huge misjudgment by Sunak. The lure of a free flight to beautiful Rwanda (plus maybe a bit of a financial bribe) is clearly going to lead to a huge increase in the number of people seeking to arrive in small boats or even swimming across the Channel.
Sky reported from a refugee centre in Derby and every refugee there said that had they thought they were going to be sent to Rwanda they would not have come to the UK
How about if they thought there just a tiny chance they would be sent to Rwanda - say 300 out of 30,000 or so?
On topic, i've just been looking at who is left after a bad Tory GE performance (c.120 seats).
Wonder if John Redwood might be the fiscal hawk that we'd need after a Labour government reverting to its old tricks.....
Tories are in no position to lecture anyone on fiscal rectitude.
I remember old Spock advocating Trussonomics (then called Reaganomics) shortly after his resignation and failed leadership bid. Ken Clarke absolutely wiped the floor with him in the discussion, which surprised me at the time.
He's recently discovered autarchy too, so his economic philosophy references are eclectic to say the least. Keeps banging the drum for Britain making and growing everything here.
Had autarchy ever been successfully implemented.
I mean, implemented in a way that didn't impoverish the population.
Only cos it hasn’t been done properly up till now. Cometh the hour..
On topic, i've just been looking at who is left after a bad Tory GE performance (c.120 seats).
Wonder if John Redwood might be the fiscal hawk that we'd need after a Labour government reverting to its old tricks.....
Tories are in no position to lecture anyone on fiscal rectitude.
I remember old Spock advocating Trussonomics (then called Reaganomics) shortly after his resignation and failed leadership bid. Ken Clarke absolutely wiped the floor with him in the discussion, which surprised me at the time.
He's recently discovered autarchy too, so his economic philosophy references are eclectic to say the least. Keeps banging the drum for Britain making and growing everything here.
Had autarchy ever been successfully implemented.
I mean, implemented in a way that didn't impoverish the population.
Only cos it hasn’t been done properly up till now. Cometh the hour..
Hmm, soya free. And some without nasty vegan stuff. Definitely straight to the bowls of our more carnivorous PBers. Just think how convenient the granules are in the morning, basically breakfast food.
I met someone in the pub the other night who was investing in a dog food that used insect protein. His reasoning was that people don't want to eat it but dogs don't have the choice. I'm not sure I'd buy it for dogs either, but I nodded and smiled politely.
Perfectly normal canid dietary element in the wild, in all seriousness. You shouldn't knock it for the insect component alone.
I ate insects in Mexico this year. They were fine. Sort of earthy and crunchy and tasted like bovril.
But I don't think anyone, if offered them or a steak, would choose the bug.
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
Hard to say, since many former European colonies are among the highest-income countries. Relatively like-for-like comparisons, such as Ethiopia versus Kenya, also do not draw out stark differences. More clearly, you could say that Thailand has done better than (e.g.) Vietnam or Myanmar. However, Afghanistan is a major confounder.
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
Hard to say, since many former European colonies are among the highest-income countries. Relatively like-for-like comparisons, such as Ethiopia versus Kenya, also do not draw out stark differences. More clearly, you could say that Thailand has done better than (e.g.) Vietnam or Myanmar. However, Afghanistan is a major confounder.
Also both those countries received serious inputs of $$ for various reasons.
On topic, i've just been looking at who is left after a bad Tory GE performance (c.120 seats).
Wonder if John Redwood might be the fiscal hawk that we'd need after a Labour government reverting to its old tricks.....
Tories are in no position to lecture anyone on fiscal rectitude.
I remember old Spock advocating Trussonomics (then called Reaganomics) shortly after his resignation and failed leadership bid. Ken Clarke absolutely wiped the floor with him in the discussion, which surprised me at the time.
He's recently discovered autarchy too, so his economic philosophy references are eclectic to say the least. Keeps banging the drum for Britain making and growing everything here.
Had autarchy ever been successfully implemented.
I mean, implemented in a way that didn't impoverish the population.
Only cos it hasn’t been done properly up till now. Cometh the hour..
On topic, i've just been looking at who is left after a bad Tory GE performance (c.120 seats).
Wonder if John Redwood might be the fiscal hawk that we'd need after a Labour government reverting to its old tricks.....
Tories are in no position to lecture anyone on fiscal rectitude.
I remember old Spock advocating Trussonomics (then called Reaganomics) shortly after his resignation and failed leadership bid. Ken Clarke absolutely wiped the floor with him in the discussion, which surprised me at the time.
He's recently discovered autarchy too, so his economic philosophy references are eclectic to say the least. Keeps banging the drum for Britain making and growing everything here.
Had autarchy ever been successfully implemented.
I mean, implemented in a way that didn't impoverish the population.
Only cos it hasn’t been done properly up till now. Cometh the hour..
Hmm, soya free. And some without nasty vegan stuff. Definitely straight to the bowls of our more carnivorous PBers. Just think how convenient the granules are in the morning, basically breakfast food.
I met someone in the pub the other night who was investing in a dog food that used insect protein. His reasoning was that people don't want to eat it but dogs don't have the choice. I'm not sure I'd buy it for dogs either, but I nodded and smiled politely.
Perfectly normal canid dietary element in the wild, in all seriousness. You shouldn't knock it for the insect component alone.
I ate insects in Mexico this year. They were fine. Sort of earthy and crunchy and tasted like bovril.
But I don't think anyone, if offered them or a steak, would choose the bug.
I had sirloin for tea, with onion rings, fried onions, asparagus and potatoes in onions. If there were any bugs there I didn't see them and wouldn't want to.
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
Bit disappointed by today, but I did climb about 1200 metres which makes it rather harder work! And I'm not far behind my 40 km per day target
Jeez that’s a lot of walking. I thought my 10 miles around Paris to see if it is in mortal decay (spoiler: see next week’s Gazette) was impressive
Serious question: have you done training for this? I guess your job IS training
You must love walking to do it for work and for fun!
I've walked twelve to fifteen miles a day, five days a week, for the last year at work, which I guess is pretty good training!
I don't love the walking itself; at work it's just work, but I love walking through a country - I don't think there's a better way for me to experience it
I loved my tour of Brittany last year, my walk from Girona to Perpignan the year before, and I think I'm going to do this kind of walking holiday from now on. Until I can't
I'm considering the Pyrenean route next year, from where I hopefully finish in a few weeks, Saint Jean Pied de Port, on to Perpignan then Montpellier, to start joining bits together
Don’t waste too many odd opportunities walking like a demon. Time it for Easter in Burgos. This is only a snippet. The drumming in the squares is quite scary. ( Would suit a demon. )
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
Bit disappointed by today, but I did climb about 1200 metres which makes it rather harder work! And I'm not far behind my 40 km per day target
Jeez that’s a lot of walking. I thought my 10 miles around Paris to see if it is in mortal decay (spoiler: see next week’s Gazette) was impressive
Serious question: have you done training for this? I guess your job IS training
You must love walking to do it for work and for fun!
I asked you if you were doing an article on "Paris to the dogs" and you flat out denied it.
Once trust has gone it's hard to get it back.
No I became inspired to write it after I’d experienced it
You thought I’d come pre-armed with an opinion. I really hadn’t. Indeed if you read my comments that day I started with an honest desire to compare the cities - london and Paris - why would I lie about that on here? Pointless
I arrived at gare du nord and it was tatty. But it always is. It was only when I went onwards that I kept finding surprising grot and then real menace
And then about hour 5 I did think: yes this is an article - but only when I’d accumulated sufficient evidence (otherwise the piece would not work)
Ok plausible, I suppose. It wouldn't have been lying anyway. More just inhabiting the part. Which we all do to varying degrees.
I readily confess I seek out stories. But I don’t invent them from broad cloth let alone go somewhere intent on proving a contentious opinion. That’s not how it works, it would be like you the accountant starting with a taxable sum of annual income then afterwards trying to get the real income to fit that. You’d either end up lying or looking a fool and you’d soon lose your job
And remember, I am LITERALLY the “Jay Rayner of Place”
Well you do get bent accountants (even chartered) but ethical standards are higher there than in journalism. So I don't know. Fact is, you will know that only certain 'takes' get published so there'll be pressure to come up with one of those. Way of the world. Don't expect you to fight it. Bills to pay etc.
That prompts me to remember this story.
https://www.honest-broker.com/p/what-is-really-inside-the-briefcase ..I’m reminded of a favorite passage in a David Foster Wallace story, when a burnt-out young man—he describes himself as a wastoid—is shaken out of his complacency by (of all people) an accounting professor.
This teacher berates his students, demanding that they aspire to heroism—but “not heroism as you might know it from films or the tales of childhood. . . . The truth is that the heroism of your childhood entertainments was not true valor. It was theater.”
Grown-ups, he continues, must learn what real heroism is. The professor goes on to define it—in a way that both unsettled and inspired me when I first read it:
“Welcome to the world of reality—there is no audience. No one to applaud, to admire. No one to see you. Do you understand? Here is the truth—actual heroism receives no ovation, entertains no one. . . . True heroism is minutes, hours, weeks, year upon year of the quiet, precise, judicious exercise of probity and care—with no one there to see and cheer. This is the world.”
The ‘wastoid protagonist eventually finds fulfillment as a Certified Public Account working for the IRS...
That describes someone entirely unlike Donald Trump.
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
Bit disappointed by today, but I did climb about 1200 metres which makes it rather harder work! And I'm not far behind my 40 km per day target
Jeez that’s a lot of walking. I thought my 10 miles around Paris to see if it is in mortal decay (spoiler: see next week’s Gazette) was impressive
Serious question: have you done training for this? I guess your job IS training
You must love walking to do it for work and for fun!
I asked you if you were doing an article on "Paris to the dogs" and you flat out denied it.
Once trust has gone it's hard to get it back.
No I became inspired to write it after I’d experienced it
You thought I’d come pre-armed with an opinion. I really hadn’t. Indeed if you read my comments that day I started with an honest desire to compare the cities - london and Paris - why would I lie about that on here? Pointless
I arrived at gare du nord and it was tatty. But it always is. It was only when I went onwards that I kept finding surprising grot and then real menace
And then about hour 5 I did think: yes this is an article - but only when I’d accumulated sufficient evidence (otherwise the piece would not work)
Ok plausible, I suppose. It wouldn't have been lying anyway. More just inhabiting the part. Which we all do to varying degrees.
I readily confess I seek out stories. But I don’t invent them from broad cloth let alone go somewhere intent on proving a contentious opinion. That’s not how it works, it would be like you the accountant starting with a taxable sum of annual income then afterwards trying to get the real income to fit that. You’d either end up lying or looking a fool and you’d soon lose your job
And remember, I am LITERALLY the “Jay Rayner of Place”
Well you do get bent accountants (even chartered) but ethical standards are higher there than in journalism. So I don't know. Fact is, you will know that only certain 'takes' get published so there'll be pressure to come up with one of those. Way of the world. Don't expect you to fight it. Bills to pay etc.
That prompts me to remember this story.
https://www.honest-broker.com/p/what-is-really-inside-the-briefcase ..I’m reminded of a favorite passage in a David Foster Wallace story, when a burnt-out young man—he describes himself as a wastoid—is shaken out of his complacency by (of all people) an accounting professor.
This teacher berates his students, demanding that they aspire to heroism—but “not heroism as you might know it from films or the tales of childhood. . . . The truth is that the heroism of your childhood entertainments was not true valor. It was theater.”
Grown-ups, he continues, must learn what real heroism is. The professor goes on to define it—in a way that both unsettled and inspired me when I first read it:
“Welcome to the world of reality—there is no audience. No one to applaud, to admire. No one to see you. Do you understand? Here is the truth—actual heroism receives no ovation, entertains no one. . . . True heroism is minutes, hours, weeks, year upon year of the quiet, precise, judicious exercise of probity and care—with no one there to see and cheer. This is the world.”
The ‘wastoid protagonist eventually finds fulfillment as a Certified Public Account working for the IRS...
True and beautifully put. Accountancy has saved the life of many a young boy and me I know, I'm one.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
The name that matters there is Kate Forbes. That is a declaration of war.
I find it interesting that her approach to winning the leadership is to be pretty confrontational. The SNP, since Sturgeon took over, has been wedded to a weird kind of authoritarian progressivism. Forbes is signalling she will have none of it and would kick the table over given a chance. There must be quite a hunt on in the SNP establishment for a credible Yousaf successor wedded to their orthodoxies. But is there one?
Would the membership vote for another establishment successor? I would have thought they would want a change.
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
Mr Sunak has been in 'election mode' since at least the day he took office as PM. I suspect that is one of the key resons why he is doomed to defeat and qute possibly a very heavy one.
We want Governments to govern and to govern well - this Westminster bubble crap can't be the be all and end all
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
You could visit the Channel Islands for a couple of days.
I always think if you want decent summer weather but not too hot La Rochelle in France is ideal.
It's official. My loathing of Sunak has now surpassed that of Johnson.
Why?
This defence thing. He literally had a Budget not a month ago and increasing defence was ruled out.
Now he is off to Warsaw suddenly he plucks 2.5% out of the air without a hint of how it will be funded. Defence don't even know what the amounts are for 2025 apparently. This is on top of saying they will get rid of NI and then blaming the disabled and their doctors for costing too much when there are waiting lists for NHS as long as a very very long thing.
Even with all the climbing today, I think day one was the hardest
I woke up early, feeling fine, and made really good progress all morning. Early in the afternoon I started to feel really tired; not physically, but like I might fall asleep on my feet
It occurred to me that I'd had less than ten hours sleep over the previous two nights. I had quite a late night Thursday, then woke up stupidly early on Friday. I could have sworn that my alarm woke me and I'd turned it off. I went downstairs, filled my coffee pot and was about to turn on the heat when I glanced at the clock
3:15!
I tried to get back to sleep but only managed about ten minutes before giving up. Then in Santiago I stayed up until after midnight before getting up at half past five
I stopped for a break mid afternoon under a tree and was in serious danger of falling asleep right there, when Saint Michel appeared
Michel is a 64yo Swiss French guy who's walking from Lisbon to France. We walked together for about an hour and a half, chatting all the way. It woke me right back up
He was wearing a cap, and looked almost exactly like Larry David wearing a cap. He had a full head of hair underneath, and had never heard of Larry David
I showed him a picture of Larry in a cap. Michel laughed hard and said "Fuckeeng 'ell, ees like a fucking mirreur"
Michel will love CYE
I had about two hours' walk to go after parting ways, and I made it. But when I got to my hotel just after seven, I didn't make it dinner. I went to my room, fell face down on the bed straight to sleep, fully clothed, for ten hours
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
As has been pointed out elsewhere, it's not how much you spend but what that spending gets you that is the key. It's curious to hear Conservatives lauding throwing money at defence and then criticising throwing money at the NHS.
As for Rwanda, we're nowhere near getting a plane in the air it would seem and the only people gaining in the short term will be the legal profession from all the challenges to the legislation.
The Conservatives are now so desperate they are promising the sun, the moon and the stars without a scintilla of an idea how all this will be paid for.
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
Splendid- though I remember curtain-twitchers here and elsewhere who were tenacious in asking where Labour would find the money for a green plan a third of the size of this.
Sunak undoubtedly is moving into election mode. But the curious sort of election mode that only makes sense if he knows he is going to lose.
Because there is no way on Earth that his sums are adding up.
Bit disappointed by today, but I did climb about 1200 metres which makes it rather harder work! And I'm not far behind my 40 km per day target
Jeez that’s a lot of walking. I thought my 10 miles around Paris to see if it is in mortal decay (spoiler: see next week’s Gazette) was impressive
Serious question: have you done training for this? I guess your job IS training
You must love walking to do it for work and for fun!
I asked you if you were doing an article on "Paris to the dogs" and you flat out denied it.
Once trust has gone it's hard to get it back.
No I became inspired to write it after I’d experienced it
You thought I’d come pre-armed with an opinion. I really hadn’t. Indeed if you read my comments that day I started with an honest desire to compare the cities - london and Paris - why would I lie about that on here? Pointless
I arrived at gare du nord and it was tatty. But it always is. It was only when I went onwards that I kept finding surprising grot and then real menace
And then about hour 5 I did think: yes this is an article - but only when I’d accumulated sufficient evidence (otherwise the piece would not work)
Ok plausible, I suppose. It wouldn't have been lying anyway. More just inhabiting the part. Which we all do to varying degrees.
I readily confess I seek out stories. But I don’t invent them from broad cloth let alone go somewhere intent on proving a contentious opinion. That’s not how it works, it would be like you the accountant starting with a taxable sum of annual income then afterwards trying to get the real income to fit that. You’d either end up lying or looking a fool and you’d soon lose your job
And remember, I am LITERALLY the “Jay Rayner of Place”
Well you do get bent accountants (even chartered) but ethical standards are higher there than in journalism. So I don't know. Fact is, you will know that only certain 'takes' get published so there'll be pressure to come up with one of those. Way of the world. Don't expect you to fight it. Bills to pay etc.
That prompts me to remember this story.
https://www.honest-broker.com/p/what-is-really-inside-the-briefcase ..I’m reminded of a favorite passage in a David Foster Wallace story, when a burnt-out young man—he describes himself as a wastoid—is shaken out of his complacency by (of all people) an accounting professor.
This teacher berates his students, demanding that they aspire to heroism—but “not heroism as you might know it from films or the tales of childhood. . . . The truth is that the heroism of your childhood entertainments was not true valor. It was theater.”
Grown-ups, he continues, must learn what real heroism is. The professor goes on to define it—in a way that both unsettled and inspired me when I first read it:
“Welcome to the world of reality—there is no audience. No one to applaud, to admire. No one to see you. Do you understand? Here is the truth—actual heroism receives no ovation, entertains no one. . . . True heroism is minutes, hours, weeks, year upon year of the quiet, precise, judicious exercise of probity and care—with no one there to see and cheer. This is the world.”
The ‘wastoid protagonist eventually finds fulfillment as a Certified Public Account working for the IRS...
True and beautifully put. Accountancy has saved the life of many a young boy and me I know, I'm one.
What are the figures for the same question if the Tories win?
Unless we have a lot of LD true-believers they should be more or less the reverse! But I suspect they wouldn't be - people answering whether they expect to be better or worse off after the election, rather than compared to the Tories winning the election.
Not necessarily, many people might anticipate being worse off whoever wins. They are likely to be correct.
The 'otherwise' means Labour don't win, which realistically* means the Tories win? If it was better or worse off than 'now' then I'd agree (and I do think that's probably how people are answering the question, but it's not how I read the question)
*in normal times. this time, who knows - the most plausible otherwise might be a coalition, I guess
Found the figures in the New Statesman article if the Cons win*.
Better off 14% Worse off 46% About the same 34%
So Labour has the lead.
*stop laughing at the back!
I imagine the 14% better off are the top 3 to 5% and wealthy pensioners.
I don't think 10% of the population are "wealthy pensioners".
To me that sounds like a definition based on fairly lazy prejudicial assumptions, tbh.
There are 12.6 million receiving the State Pension, so for 10% of the population to be "wealthy pensioners" that is half of them.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
The Brexit Party (as was) was the first party to have its manifesto costed independently, so that's not terribly fair. I'd imagine Reform will do the same before the GE.
It's official. My loathing of Sunak has now surpassed that of Johnson.
Why?
This defence thing. He literally had a Budget not a month ago and increasing defence was ruled out.
Now he is off to Warsaw suddenly he plucks 2.5% out of the air without a hint of how it will be funded. Defence don't even know what the amounts are for 2025 apparently. This is on top of saying they will get rid of NI and then blaming the disabled and their doctors for costing too much when there are waiting lists for NHS as long as a very very long thing.
It is all utter crap.
Even his St George's day tweet was utterly crap.
Yes at least Johnson whilst totally useless could be entertaining at times. Sunak doesnt even give you that.
Bit disappointed by today, but I did climb about 1200 metres which makes it rather harder work! And I'm not far behind my 40 km per day target
Jeez that’s a lot of walking. I thought my 10 miles around Paris to see if it is in mortal decay (spoiler: see next week’s Gazette) was impressive
Serious question: have you done training for this? I guess your job IS training
You must love walking to do it for work and for fun!
I asked you if you were doing an article on "Paris to the dogs" and you flat out denied it.
Once trust has gone it's hard to get it back.
No I became inspired to write it after I’d experienced it
You thought I’d come pre-armed with an opinion. I really hadn’t. Indeed if you read my comments that day I started with an honest desire to compare the cities - london and Paris - why would I lie about that on here? Pointless
I arrived at gare du nord and it was tatty. But it always is. It was only when I went onwards that I kept finding surprising grot and then real menace
And then about hour 5 I did think: yes this is an article - but only when I’d accumulated sufficient evidence (otherwise the piece would not work)
Ok plausible, I suppose. It wouldn't have been lying anyway. More just inhabiting the part. Which we all do to varying degrees.
I readily confess I seek out stories. But I don’t invent them from broad cloth let alone go somewhere intent on proving a contentious opinion. That’s not how it works, it would be like you the accountant starting with a taxable sum of annual income then afterwards trying to get the real income to fit that. You’d either end up lying or looking a fool and you’d soon lose your job
And remember, I am LITERALLY the “Jay Rayner of Place”
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
As has been pointed out elsewhere, it's not how much you spend but what that spending gets you that is the key. It's curious to hear Conservatives lauding throwing money at defence and then criticising throwing money at the NHS.
As for Rwanda, we're nowhere near getting a plane in the air it would seem and the only people gaining in the short term will be the legal profession from all the challenges to the legislation.
The Conservatives are now so desperate they are promising the sun, the moon and the stars without a scintilla of an idea how all this will be paid for.
Strange mixture of desperation and utter self indulgence. If the party was already in opposition, we could all point and laugh indulgently, in the way that people did at Labour in the Corbyn era. But, for all that Sunak is behaving like a niche opposition politician, he is the actual blooming Prime Minister. He needs to have a connection with reality.
"The Labour Party scheme their schemes, The Liberal Party dream their dreams, But we have work to do.” Sentiments like that are why I tend to turn right politically. What would the ghost of Ian Macleod make of this shower?
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
Sunak did say in his announcement that it would be investment in British jobs
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
There's a thing I call "silly politics". In "silly politics" a course of action, usually involving great cost, is adopted without any thought of why it is being done, what is to be achieved, and how to achieve it.
It does not matter whether we spend 1%, 2.5% or 50% of GDP on defence. What does matter is to build an armed forces that can defeat Britain's enemies. You work out how to do that, then you pay the bill.
Sunak is indulging in "silly politics". I don't care if it's electorally popular or not, he needs to stop doing it, act like an adult, and do his job.
It's official. My loathing of Sunak has now surpassed that of Johnson.
Why?
This defence thing. He literally had a Budget not a month ago and increasing defence was ruled out.
Now he is off to Warsaw suddenly he plucks 2.5% out of the air without a hint of how it will be funded. Defence don't even know what the amounts are for 2025 apparently. This is on top of saying they will get rid of NI and then blaming the disabled and their doctors for costing too much when there are waiting lists for NHS as long as a very very long thing.
It is all utter crap.
Even his St George's day tweet was utterly crap.
Rishi Sunak is former Freaking Chancellor of the Fecking Exchequer? And visa-versa??
Clearly he was totally faking back then. Doubt he could do sums EVEN with aid of matchsticks?
There does seem to have been a slight uptick in Tory support recently.
I'm to be convinced. Both Deltapoll and Savanta often show higher Conservative shares than Redfield & Wilton and YouGov and moves of one or two points are within margin of error. The Conservatives are oscillating around 25-27% generally (R&W looks an outlier)
The local elections next week will be more informative I suspect.
As to whether today's pronouncements will have an impact (as some of the Tories on here clearly hope) time will tell - it always does,
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
Sunak did say in his announcement that it would be investment in British jobs
British Jobs for British Workers? I've heard that before somewhere....
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
Sunak did say in his announcement that it would be investment in British jobs
British Jobs for British Workers? I've heard that before somewhere....
BREAKING 210 migrants have arrived in four small boats today in Dover, reports @markwhiteTV for @GBNEWS, with two more small boats on the way right now, containing as many as 100 more migrants.
So, a Rwanda full in one day. Where are they going to send tomorrow's boats?
From the news on BBC this morning - a boat launched, was turned around by the French, came back to shore, picked up more and then launched again (no French vessel in sight). Clearly if we want to stop desperate people risking their lives crossing the channel we need to beef up the patrols (pay the French more?) but also provide a realistic route that people can claim asylum into the UK from places that these people are from. I don't think Northern France is the right place - we need to have arrangements much closer to the countries people are fleeing.
But ultimately, the real issue is that in the UK we are extremely lucky. Most of us live a life far beyond what most of the planet can ever hope to. The way to end the migrant issue is to raise the standard of living everywhere else. Much of Africa is stunning, yet also can be desperately poor. The disparity between the life of Turbotubbs in SW Wiltshire and someone from many African states is what is driving the issue.
Oodles of cash has been sent to Africa as long as I can remember and it makes little difference, the corruption is unbridled and they seem to like shooting , raping and pillaging far too much.
There's a wonderful book on economic growth in third world countries, that starts with the awesome line: there's only one thing worse than aid to the people of developing economies, and that's the discovery of oil.
But that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can do that can make a real difference, such as free trade and support of democratic systems and the rule of law.
Statistically, having been colonised by the Portuguese, Spanish, Belgians, French or British is probably worse than either of those things.
It's not as though S Korea and Taiwan never received foreign aid when they were developing counties...
Just look at the disaster of Singapore.
Singapore was effectively a British depot for resource extraction from the hinterland; similarly Hong Kong. They don’t really figure in the same category.
There does seem to have been a slight uptick in Tory support recently.
I'm to be convinced. Both Deltapoll and Savanta often show higher Conservative shares than Redfield & Wilton and YouGov and moves of one or two points are within margin of error. The Conservatives are oscillating around 25-27% generally (R&W looks an outlier)
The local elections next week will be more informative I suspect.
As to whether today's pronouncements will have an impact (as some of the Tories on here clearly hope) time will tell - it always does,
On topic, i've just been looking at who is left after a bad Tory GE performance (c.120 seats).
Wonder if John Redwood might be the fiscal hawk that we'd need after a Labour government reverting to its old tricks.....
Tories are in no position to lecture anyone on fiscal rectitude.
I remember old Spock advocating Trussonomics (then called Reaganomics) shortly after his resignation and failed leadership bid. Ken Clarke absolutely wiped the floor with him in the discussion, which surprised me at the time.
He's recently discovered autarchy too, so his economic philosophy references are eclectic to say the least. Keeps banging the drum for Britain making and growing everything here.
Had autarchy ever been successfully implemented.
I mean, implemented in a way that didn't impoverish the population.
Only cos it hasn’t been done properly up till now. Cometh the hour..
On topic, i've just been looking at who is left after a bad Tory GE performance (c.120 seats).
Wonder if John Redwood might be the fiscal hawk that we'd need after a Labour government reverting to its old tricks.....
Tories are in no position to lecture anyone on fiscal rectitude.
I remember old Spock advocating Trussonomics (then called Reaganomics) shortly after his resignation and failed leadership bid. Ken Clarke absolutely wiped the floor with him in the discussion, which surprised me at the time.
He's recently discovered autarchy too, so his economic philosophy references are eclectic to say the least. Keeps banging the drum for Britain making and growing everything here.
Had autarchy ever been successfully implemented.
I mean, implemented in a way that didn't impoverish the population.
Only cos it hasn’t been done properly up till now. Cometh the hour..
Hmm, soya free. And some without nasty vegan stuff. Definitely straight to the bowls of our more carnivorous PBers. Just think how convenient the granules are in the morning, basically breakfast food.
I met someone in the pub the other night who was investing in a dog food that used insect protein. His reasoning was that people don't want to eat it but dogs don't have the choice. I'm not sure I'd buy it for dogs either, but I nodded and smiled politely.
Perfectly normal canid dietary element in the wild, in all seriousness. You shouldn't knock it for the insect component alone.
I ate insects in Mexico this year. They were fine. Sort of earthy and crunchy and tasted like bovril.
But I don't think anyone, if offered them or a steak, would choose the bug.
I had sirloin for tea, with onion rings, fried onions, asparagus and potatoes in onions. If there were any bugs there I didn't see them and wouldn't want to.
I agree but there's no real logic in it. I happily eat prawns and shrimps which are pretty much sea insects when you think about it.
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Small stones in Carnac, but many, many acres of them
It’s disappointing isn’t it? I got zero vibes from Carnac and I was super receptive
Try the Outer Hebrides. Or at any rate the Uists. There are prehistoric monuments dotted around but you need to tramp across the moors with compass and OS map to find them. Very rewarding when you do. Last time I did that the only company I had was a golden eagle. Its a remarkable landscape.
I know them well and love them all. Though for insular Scottish megaltihs the Orkneys are possibly even better
They are all better than the rubbish French ones. But that’s partly because - as I say - France is nicer
It’s like scandi-noir. It works because the climate is bleak and the context harsh
Try setting a gritty thriller in Monte Carlo or Collioure. Its hard
For sheer volume of stones the NE of Scotland is hard to beat, not much obviously grandiose but hunners of them. My helicopter mechanic pal who died of MND spent the last 15 years of his life photographing them, drawing them, trudging through muddy fields to find them and even wrote a poem about how he imagined the Neolithic folk might have used them. He like the idea that he might have been the only person from one year to the next that might have visited some of them.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
As has been pointed out elsewhere, it's not how much you spend but what that spending gets you that is the key. It's curious to hear Conservatives lauding throwing money at defence and then criticising throwing money at the NHS.
As for Rwanda, we're nowhere near getting a plane in the air it would seem and the only people gaining in the short term will be the legal profession from all the challenges to the legislation.
The Conservatives are now so desperate they are promising the sun, the moon and the stars without a scintilla of an idea how all this will be paid for.
Strange mixture of desperation and utter self indulgence. If the party was already in opposition, we could all point and laugh indulgently, in the way that people did at Labour in the Corbyn era. But, for all that Sunak is behaving like a niche opposition politician, he is the actual blooming Prime Minister. He needs to have a connection with reality.
"The Labour Party scheme their schemes, The Liberal Party dream their dreams, But we have work to do.” Sentiments like that are why I tend to turn right politically. What would the ghost of Ian Macleod make of this shower?
He’d say they’ve had a decade and a half to do their work, and fully deserve the electorate’s judgment on its quality.
And they’ve had more than their fair share of schemers.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
If everyone goes onto a war footing there'll be a big war.
There does seem to have been a slight uptick in Tory support recently.
I'm to be convinced. Both Deltapoll and Savanta often show higher Conservative shares than Redfield & Wilton and YouGov and moves of one or two points are within margin of error. The Conservatives are oscillating around 25-27% generally (R&W looks an outlier)
The local elections next week will be more informative I suspect.
As to whether today's pronouncements will have an impact (as some of the Tories on here clearly hope) time will tell - it always does,
Events at the protest and counter-protest in London on Saturday could have an effect too.
The Templar-caped Millwall types who graced Whitehall today are receiving big publicity for their contention that the London police are wickedly biased against white patriots such as themselves, but awfully supportive of the pro-Palestinian "lot". That's a message that's going into millions of heads, right now...
It's official. My loathing of Sunak has now surpassed that of Johnson.
Why?
This defence thing. He literally had a Budget not a month ago and increasing defence was ruled out.
Now he is off to Warsaw suddenly he plucks 2.5% out of the air without a hint of how it will be funded. Defence don't even know what the amounts are for 2025 apparently. This is on top of saying they will get rid of NI and then blaming the disabled and their doctors for costing too much when there are waiting lists for NHS as long as a very very long thing.
It is all utter crap.
Even his St George's day tweet was utterly crap.
Rishi Sunak is former Freaking Chancellor of the Fecking Exchequer? And visa-versa??
Clearly he was totally faking back then. Doubt he could do sums EVEN with aid of matchsticks?
He was of course Chancellor when Boris promised exactly the same 2.5% of GDP plan a couple of years ago,
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
If everyone goes onto a war footing there'll be a big war.
With regard to what Sunak said today just seen this depressing article from Richard Kemp in the telegraph.
Ukraine has only six months left It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through sheer determination
RICHARD KEMP 23 April 2024 • 5:04pm
The combination of huge Ukrainian losses and starvation in munitions allowed Russian forces to return to the offensive and seize the strategic initiative across the war zone. In incremental advances they have made limited but concrete gains at the front, forcing Ukraine to give up ground, as well as causing severe damage to Ukrainian infrastructure through air attacks.
Now the US and UK have both announced substantial aid packages including air defence systems, long range strike missiles and ammunition. Provided delivery of these munitions is rapid, they could enable Ukraine to stabilise the front line while protecting infrastructure on the home front. This may prove critical in the face of a major Russian offensive in the summer.
While the new aid packages might allow that to be blunted, they will not enable Ukraine to seize the initiative and go back onto the offensive. One reason for this is that Russia has achieved air supremacy in many areas while ground based air defences will remain inadequate. Another is that a war-weary Ukraine simply doesn’t have enough troops and after more than two years hard fighting seems reluctant to launch the major mobilisation it needs.
The challenges ahead are almost insurmountable. Russia has a rapidly growing wartime economy and has now built up huge force levels that it is willing to sacrifice to achieve Putin’s goals. If Moscow is able to achieve significant success in the summer, perhaps including taking Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, there will be no appetite for more Western spending come the winter.
This bleak outlook will be worsened by the added uncertainty surrounding general elections in both the US and UK. It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through a level of determination so badly lacking among Ukraine’s allies in the West.
About twenty miles east of Sarria in Galicia, near a village called Viduedo
I'm near the top
When I saw the photo I assumed Lake District (UK).
Reminds me of where I live in very exotic South Wales
There's a look isn't there: mild, wet Western coastal hills. Rich green hillsides of grass and bracken, purple-hazed moors, thick hedgerows, well fed cattle. Similar sights to be had in Wicklow or Kerry and parts of Devon too. Makes me quite fancy visiting Northern Galicia. I've only seen Rias Baixas which is a bit drier and more Southerly looking.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
If everyone goes onto a war footing there'll be a big war.
With regard to what Sunak said today just seen this depressing article from Richard Kemp in the telegraph.
Ukraine has only six months left It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through sheer determination
RICHARD KEMP 23 April 2024 • 5:04pm
The combination of huge Ukrainian losses and starvation in munitions allowed Russian forces to return to the offensive and seize the strategic initiative across the war zone. In incremental advances they have made limited but concrete gains at the front, forcing Ukraine to give up ground, as well as causing severe damage to Ukrainian infrastructure through air attacks.
Now the US and UK have both announced substantial aid packages including air defence systems, long range strike missiles and ammunition. Provided delivery of these munitions is rapid, they could enable Ukraine to stabilise the front line while protecting infrastructure on the home front. This may prove critical in the face of a major Russian offensive in the summer.
While the new aid packages might allow that to be blunted, they will not enable Ukraine to seize the initiative and go back onto the offensive. One reason for this is that Russia has achieved air supremacy in many areas while ground based air defences will remain inadequate. Another is that a war-weary Ukraine simply doesn’t have enough troops and after more than two years hard fighting seems reluctant to launch the major mobilisation it needs.
The challenges ahead are almost insurmountable. Russia has a rapidly growing wartime economy and has now built up huge force levels that it is willing to sacrifice to achieve Putin’s goals. If Moscow is able to achieve significant success in the summer, perhaps including taking Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, there will be no appetite for more Western spending come the winter.
This bleak outlook will be worsened by the added uncertainty surrounding general elections in both the US and UK. It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through a level of determination so badly lacking among Ukraine’s allies in the West.
Election in the UK brings this into doubt? He can go and fucking boil his brains in hydrofluoric fucking acid the absolute fucking twatfaced shithorse.
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Small stones in Carnac, but many, many acres of them
It’s disappointing isn’t it? I got zero vibes from Carnac and I was super receptive
Try the Outer Hebrides. Or at any rate the Uists. There are prehistoric monuments dotted around but you need to tramp across the moors with compass and OS map to find them. Very rewarding when you do. Last time I did that the only company I had was a golden eagle. Its a remarkable landscape.
While I enjoy the reportage of Leon and Blanche Livermore and others sending words and pictures from around the globe - the paragraph above really made me lament the brevity of life and all the years of my youth when I could have been doing things like that, but didn't.
It's very hard to see the world from BJO's perspective. He cheers every slight narrowing of the polls - one can only conclude he will be happy to see the Tories scrape home again.
After all, what does another 5 years of Tory cuts, corruption and incompetence matter so long as it comes with VINDICATION!
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Spoiler: it’s not. Carnac and pont aven are the only bits of Brittany I’ve been before
Carnac is weirdly crap. I dunno why but it is and I love megaliths. There is no spirituality. Think of Callanish or Avebury or Grey Wethers - they all have an intensity
Carnac feels like megaliths by committee. It doesn’t help that it is surrounded by housing in that sprawling French way (ie pleasant but boring)
I am actually on the hunt for resonant Breton megaliths for my article so if you know any please tell! I hear there might be some at the end of the crozon peninsula
Great. I now don’t have to go there which is a nice time saver. Shame though as always looks interesting. Definitely check out La Baule, Dinard, and Dinan. La B is like the south of France without the wankers.
It’s still worth seeing just as a box ticker and because of its scale - I guess - but don’t expect to be emotionally moved. Tres suburban
Context is all for megaliths. Here is a stone row I found in Ireland and it nearly made me cry
That’s the Uragh configuration. Magnificent. Four lonely stones staring at a forlorn and poetic lough
I wonder if the relative bleakness of the British Isles makes them better for megaliths. Much of France is “nice”. Much of Brittany is “nice”. You don’t want fucking niceness in a Neolithic monument. You want the sense some Druid might turn you into amber and tear out your spleen to make a purse for angel’s teeth
I didn't think there was any public access to Uragh. Did you simply climb over the fence?
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Small stones in Carnac, but many, many acres of them
It’s disappointing isn’t it? I got zero vibes from Carnac and I was super receptive
Try the Outer Hebrides. Or at any rate the Uists. There are prehistoric monuments dotted around but you need to tramp across the moors with compass and OS map to find them. Very rewarding when you do. Last time I did that the only company I had was a golden eagle. Its a remarkable landscape.
While I enjoy the reportage of Leon and Blanche Livermore and others sending words and pictures from around the globe - the paragraph above really made me lament the brevity of life and all the years of my youth when I could have been doing things like that, but didn't.
Mass graves have been found close to two hospitals in Gaza now - Nasser and al-Shifa. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk is calling for an independent investigation:
"The latest images of a premature child taken from the womb of her dying mother, of the adjacent two houses where 15 children and five women were killed - this is beyond warfare."...
"The intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat is a war crime."
The Lemkin institute (who helped expose Iraqi crimes against the Yazidis and Azerbaijani crimes against Armenians) has issued a genocide alert:
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Small stones in Carnac, but many, many acres of them
It’s disappointing isn’t it? I got zero vibes from Carnac and I was super receptive
Try the Outer Hebrides. Or at any rate the Uists. There are prehistoric monuments dotted around but you need to tramp across the moors with compass and OS map to find them. Very rewarding when you do. Last time I did that the only company I had was a golden eagle. Its a remarkable landscape.
While I enjoy the reportage of Leon and Blanche Livermore and others sending words and pictures from around the globe - the paragraph above really made me lament the brevity of life and all the years of my youth when I could have been doing things like that, but didn't.
Do it all when you're retired Cookie!
Thanks Ben. That's the hope! Or even just after the kids have grown up. I'll be 57 when my youngest reaches 18. Hopefully there will still be plenty of life left in my legs by then!
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Small stones in Carnac, but many, many acres of them
It’s disappointing isn’t it? I got zero vibes from Carnac and I was super receptive
Try the Outer Hebrides. Or at any rate the Uists. There are prehistoric monuments dotted around but you need to tramp across the moors with compass and OS map to find them. Very rewarding when you do. Last time I did that the only company I had was a golden eagle. Its a remarkable landscape.
While I enjoy the reportage of Leon and Blanche Livermore and others sending words and pictures from around the globe - the paragraph above really made me lament the brevity of life and all the years of my youth when I could have been doing things like that, but didn't.
Don't beat yourself up. Most people do what they can when they can. Your choices are only ever as good as your options at the time.
Exhumed by who? If it’s Hamas I have little faith in the evidence.
I have listened to Scott Ritter on the Ukraine War a number of times. He has consistently been up his butt asserting his own BS, which heavily consists of outright fictions.
When we have a reputable, independent source I will develop a view based on what I think to be reliable evidence.
(Is Waterfall our new Putin-bot? I'll treat that as a rebuttable presumption for now.)
Its not a trend, we are waiting for YG and PP who show higher leads, but hey doesnt stop aforesaid poster claiming otherwise when its a few polls over 22
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
If everyone goes onto a war footing there'll be a big war.
I was struck by Mike Johnson's new resolve to push the Ukraine funding through Congress. He had evidently been sobered up by a briefing ftom the CIA about Russia's intentions. Makes you wonder whst Rishi is hearing. Could explain the "war footing" announcement and his appearance in Poland with Shapps.
Wow. Biden in Tampa on Trump: "He said there has to be punishment for women exercising their reproductive freedom ... maybe it's coming from that bible he's trying to sell. I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hell is in it."
IMO The final result will be Lab 37 to 39 Con 32 to 35
Which still results with SKS as PM
A combined "big two" of 72% looks pretty unlikely to me, especially with the LibDems marooned at 11-12%. (Unless you believe that the Reform vote is going to hold up really well. But if you believe that, it's hard to work out how the Conservative voter gets up to 34%.)
I would be very surprised if Labour doesn't break through 40%.
Dear god elon musk has now tweeted agreeing the west is on the verge of civil war.
He agreed with this tweet from Gad Saad
For many years now, I have warned that the path that the West is taking will result in civil war. It might take 5 years, 50 years, or 100 years but it is inevitable. The West could have repeatedly resolved these issues peacefully but it refuses to auto-correct from its path of civilizational suicide. Many Western men who are currently asleep at the wheel will wake up, and realize that they don't like being pushed around in their homelands; they don't like their women attacked; they don't like their freedoms curtailed; they don't like their faiths disrespected. Once this happens, prepare for some gargantuan ugliness. Those who think that they are gaining inroads in the West will soon find out that not all Western men are invertebrate castrati. Save this tweet and never forget who warned you. 7:49 PM · Apr 23, 2024 · 2.9M Views
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
If everyone goes onto a war footing there'll be a big war.
With regard to what Sunak said today just seen this depressing article from Richard Kemp in the telegraph.
Ukraine has only six months left It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through sheer determination
RICHARD KEMP 23 April 2024 • 5:04pm
The combination of huge Ukrainian losses and starvation in munitions allowed Russian forces to return to the offensive and seize the strategic initiative across the war zone. In incremental advances they have made limited but concrete gains at the front, forcing Ukraine to give up ground, as well as causing severe damage to Ukrainian infrastructure through air attacks.
Now the US and UK have both announced substantial aid packages including air defence systems, long range strike missiles and ammunition. Provided delivery of these munitions is rapid, they could enable Ukraine to stabilise the front line while protecting infrastructure on the home front. This may prove critical in the face of a major Russian offensive in the summer.
While the new aid packages might allow that to be blunted, they will not enable Ukraine to seize the initiative and go back onto the offensive. One reason for this is that Russia has achieved air supremacy in many areas while ground based air defences will remain inadequate. Another is that a war-weary Ukraine simply doesn’t have enough troops and after more than two years hard fighting seems reluctant to launch the major mobilisation it needs.
The challenges ahead are almost insurmountable. Russia has a rapidly growing wartime economy and has now built up huge force levels that it is willing to sacrifice to achieve Putin’s goals. If Moscow is able to achieve significant success in the summer, perhaps including taking Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, there will be no appetite for more Western spending come the winter.
This bleak outlook will be worsened by the added uncertainty surrounding general elections in both the US and UK. It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through a level of determination so badly lacking among Ukraine’s allies in the West.
Dear god elon musk has now tweeted agreeing the west is on the verge of civil war.
He agreed with this tweet from Gad Saad
For many years now, I have warned that the path that the West is taking will result in civil war. It might take 5 years, 50 years, or 100 years but it is inevitable. The West could have repeatedly resolved these issues peacefully but it refuses to auto-correct from its path of civilizational suicide. Many Western men who are currently asleep at the wheel will wake up, and realize that they don't like being pushed around in their homelands; they don't like their women attacked; they don't like their freedoms curtailed; they don't like their faiths disrespected. Once this happens, prepare for some gargantuan ugliness. Those who think that they are gaining inroads in the West will soon find out that not all Western men are invertebrate castrati. Save this tweet and never forget who warned you. 7:49 PM · Apr 23, 2024 · 2.9M Views
Dear god elon musk has now tweeted agreeing the west is on the verge of civil war.
He agreed with this tweet from Gad Saad
For many years now, I have warned that the path that the West is taking will result in civil war. It might take 5 years, 50 years, or 100 years but it is inevitable. The West could have repeatedly resolved these issues peacefully but it refuses to auto-correct from its path of civilizational suicide. Many Western men who are currently asleep at the wheel will wake up, and realize that they don't like being pushed around in their homelands; they don't like their women attacked; they don't like their freedoms curtailed; they don't like their faiths disrespected. Once this happens, prepare for some gargantuan ugliness. Those who think that they are gaining inroads in the West will soon find out that not all Western men are invertebrate castrati. Save this tweet and never forget who warned you. 7:49 PM · Apr 23, 2024 · 2.9M Views
Mass graves have been found close to two hospitals in Gaza now - Nasser and al-Shifa. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk is calling for an independent investigation:
"The latest images of a premature child taken from the womb of her dying mother, of the adjacent two houses where 15 children and five women were killed - this is beyond warfare."...
"The intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat is a war crime."
The Lemkin institute (who helped expose Iraqi crimes against the Yazidis and Azerbaijani crimes against Armenians) has issued a genocide alert:
Nobody should say afterwards they didn't know, oh dear, how sad, what a shame.
We all know what’s happened behind the scenes . The west have agreed to go easy and not say much about the atrocities in return Netenyahu didn’t go full tonto on Iran .
Dear god elon musk has now tweeted agreeing the west is on the verge of civil war.
He agreed with this tweet from Gad Saad
For many years now, I have warned that the path that the West is taking will result in civil war. It might take 5 years, 50 years, or 100 years but it is inevitable. The West could have repeatedly resolved these issues peacefully but it refuses to auto-correct from its path of civilizational suicide. Many Western men who are currently asleep at the wheel will wake up, and realize that they don't like being pushed around in their homelands; they don't like their women attacked; they don't like their freedoms curtailed; they don't like their faiths disrespected. Once this happens, prepare for some gargantuan ugliness. Those who think that they are gaining inroads in the West will soon find out that not all Western men are invertebrate castrati. Save this tweet and never forget who warned you. 7:49 PM · Apr 23, 2024 · 2.9M Views
The French, in the end, will not surrender French civilisation. But at the moment the barbarians are close to the gate and still they scoff crème brûlée - and look away
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
Sunak did say in his announcement that it would be investment in British jobs
Ignore, on reflection - waste of time to try and parse his policy programme for anything coherent and rational.
Good analysis, but questionable headlines. At least this one does not mention that the chap is the famous "David Pecker".
Interesting commentary on how the prosecution seek to frame the Jury perceptions. Mr Trump's lawyers seem to be washing away their potential for credibility, such as it is.
Brittany is great fun. I can see why you’d come here on holiday if you’re prepared to risk shit weather (I wouldn’t, if it was my only family holiday - it’s also quite pricey)
Observations: it can be very bleak. Rundown towns with dying industries. Rows of post covid shuttered shops (as bad as British towns for sure)
Bretons are short dark and hairy. Not tall red haired blonde Celts. But which is the true Celtic type?!
Cornouaille really is like Cornwall. Maybe not as intensely pretty in its best spots, but with a greater sense of space and urbanity
I have spent millions of days there over my life - haven’t done the part you are in. I Mostly go to Dinan, Dinard and St Malo in the north and La Baule in the south (it’s technically Loire Atlantique now but very much considered Breton).
Dinan is a beautiful medieval river port, Dinard is a very relaxed but actually v preppy/wealthy beach town which is packed with upper class frenchies in the summer, St Malo you probs know anyway and La Baule is very smart beach resort, very few Brits etc, wealthy French for the beaches and casino. Love them all whatever the weather tbh.
I don’t know them at all so Oooh
How exciting to have a whole new region of France to discover! I feel like I’m starting an unexpected and highly regarded new season of the Sopranos
I also need to get my arse to Carnac and might do it this summer as it looks bloody impressive - you will love it, bazillions of big carved stones.
Also if you are into spas they are big into their thalassotherapy spas on the coast in Brittany.
Spoiler: it’s not. Carnac and pont aven are the only bits of Brittany I’ve been before
Carnac is weirdly crap. I dunno why but it is and I love megaliths. There is no spirituality. Think of Callanish or Avebury or Grey Wethers - they all have an intensity
Carnac feels like megaliths by committee. It doesn’t help that it is surrounded by housing in that sprawling French way (ie pleasant but boring)
I am actually on the hunt for resonant Breton megaliths for my article so if you know any please tell! I hear there might be some at the end of the crozon peninsula
Great. I now don’t have to go there which is a nice time saver. Shame though as always looks interesting. Definitely check out La Baule, Dinard, and Dinan. La B is like the south of France without the wankers.
It’s still worth seeing just as a box ticker and because of its scale - I guess - but don’t expect to be emotionally moved. Tres suburban
Context is all for megaliths. Here is a stone row I found in Ireland and it nearly made me cry
That’s the Uragh configuration. Magnificent. Four lonely stones staring at a forlorn and poetic lough
I wonder if the relative bleakness of the British Isles makes them better for megaliths. Much of France is “nice”. Much of Brittany is “nice”. You don’t want fucking niceness in a Neolithic monument. You want the sense some Druid might turn you into amber and tear out your spleen to make a purse for angel’s teeth
I didn't think there was any public access to Uragh. Did you simply climb over the fence?
God it was ten years ago. I don’t remember a fence. If there was I jumped it. No one was there to object I was utterly alone (writing about the wild Atlantic way)
Huge misjudgment by Sunak. The lure of a free flight to beautiful Rwanda (plus maybe a bit of a financial bribe) is clearly going to lead to a huge increase in the number of people seeking to arrive in small boats or even swimming across the Channel.
Sky reported from a refugee centre in Derby and every refugee there said that had they thought they were going to be sent to Rwanda they would not have come to the UK
How about if they thought there just a tiny chance they would be sent to Rwanda - say 300 out of 30,000 or so?
The one thing a free country cannot prevent you doing is leaving. If Rwanda is safe this must be true of Rwanda. Suppose if you get to UK there is a 5% max chance of being sent to such a country, where you can always start again on a route to somewhere. This can't work.
It's a very Reform type manifesto of mutually exclusive promises (lower taxes and higher spending).
Listening to Sunak yesterday and today he is clearly moving into election mode with the passing of the Rwanda Bill and the announcement in Warsaw of the increase in defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 which has apparently delighted his party
There was a Budget a month ago. Defence wasn't mentioned iirc.
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
You can say that but his defence commitment costing 75 billion to 2030 and his statement he is putting UK on a war footing will be popular with the conservative party and begs the question does Starmer match it and how
What does "putting the UK on a war footing" actually mean? Are we actually going to be fighting Russia, Iran or C hina anytime soon? Of course not but a little bit of fear helps keep the voters in line. I suspect the hope is all this defence investment will somehow lead to economic growth and prosperity. History shows us it can do for a while but eventually the music stops.
Sunak did say in his announcement that it would be investment in British jobs
Think, please think.
How much of it would be on British jobs? In what factories? What production lines active right now?
As opposed to industry elsewhere?
If the MoD pulled its head out of its arse and did something like order 500 Archer artillery systems, you’d get a factory to build them as part of the deal (made by a BAe subsidiary already).
Comments
It may be 4/6 will look the steal of the century (so far) if CITY OF TROY is that good but many a bookie's holiday has bene funded by those who thought they saw a champion at two who turned out to be nothing like at three.
They are all better than the rubbish French ones. But that’s partly because - as I say - France is nicer
It’s like scandi-noir. It works because the climate is bleak and the context harsh
Try setting a gritty thriller in Monte Carlo or Collioure. Its hard
But I don't think anyone, if offered them or a steak, would choose the bug.
@steverichards14
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25m
Tax cuts…tax cuts… increase defence spending by £75 billion…tax cuts..tax cuts…tax cuts.
https://twitter.com/steverichards14/status/1782834681244721440
Time it for Easter in Burgos. This is only a snippet. The drumming in the squares is quite scary. ( Would suit a demon. )
I suspect this may swing things just enough in Labour's direction for Labour to have a chance...
LBC
@LBC
‘She is by far the most dangerous candidate I have ever faced.’
‘That is an outrageous comment.’
Sadiq Khan and Susan Hall go head-to-head.
https://twitter.com/LBC/status/1782823523716657279
And where is the spending review to provide the extra for defence.
Sunak is a joke.
We want Governments to govern and to govern well - this Westminster bubble crap can't be the be all and end all
Now he is off to Warsaw suddenly he plucks 2.5% out of the air without a hint of how it will be funded. Defence don't even know what the amounts are for 2025 apparently. This is on top of saying they will get rid of NI and then blaming the disabled and their doctors for costing too much when there are waiting lists for NHS as long as a very very long thing.
It is all utter crap.
Even his St George's day tweet was utterly crap.
I woke up early, feeling fine, and made really good progress all morning. Early in the afternoon I started to feel really tired; not physically, but like I might fall asleep on my feet
It occurred to me that I'd had less than ten hours sleep over the previous two nights. I had quite a late night Thursday, then woke up stupidly early on Friday. I could have sworn that my alarm woke me and I'd turned it off. I went downstairs, filled my coffee pot and was about to turn on the heat when I glanced at the clock
3:15!
I tried to get back to sleep but only managed about ten minutes before giving up. Then in Santiago I stayed up until after midnight before getting up at half past five
I stopped for a break mid afternoon under a tree and was in serious danger of falling asleep right there, when Saint Michel appeared
Michel is a 64yo Swiss French guy who's walking from Lisbon to France. We walked together for about an hour and a half, chatting all the way. It woke me right back up
He was wearing a cap, and looked almost exactly like Larry David wearing a cap. He had a full head of hair underneath, and had never heard of Larry David
I showed him a picture of Larry in a cap. Michel laughed hard and said "Fuckeeng 'ell, ees like a fucking mirreur"
Michel will love CYE
I had about two hours' walk to go after parting ways, and I made it. But when I got to my hotel just after seven, I didn't make it dinner. I went to my room, fell face down on the bed straight to sleep, fully clothed, for ten hours
As for Rwanda, we're nowhere near getting a plane in the air it would seem and the only people gaining in the short term will be the legal profession from all the challenges to the legislation.
The Conservatives are now so desperate they are promising the sun, the moon and the stars without a scintilla of an idea how all this will be paid for.
Sunak undoubtedly is moving into election mode. But the curious sort of election mode that only makes sense if he knows he is going to lose.
Because there is no way on Earth that his sums are adding up.
To me that sounds like a definition based on fairly lazy prejudicial assumptions, tbh.
There are 12.6 million receiving the State Pension, so for 10% of the population to be "wealthy pensioners" that is half of them.
According to the ONS stats, the median income for all pensioners is £387 per week, which by definition is the halfway point on the pensioner income scale.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/pensioners-incomes-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2023/pensioners-incomes-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2023
£387 per week - just under half of median earnings - means a wealthy pensioner, does it? Really?
It's time for not a few people on PB to re-examine their kneejerk assumptions.
Latest Savanta numbers:
LAB: 43% (=)
CON: 27% (+2)
RFM: 10% (+1)
LDM: 9% (-1)
GRN: 4% (=)
SNP: 2% (-1)
Britain Elects
@BritainElects
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12m
📊 Labour lead at 16pts
Westminster voting intention
LAB: 43% (-)
CON: 27% (+2)
REF: 10% (+1)
LDEM: 9% (-1)
GRN: 4% (-)
via
@Savanta_UK
, 19 Apr
"The Labour Party scheme their schemes, The Liberal Party dream their dreams, But we have work to do.” Sentiments like that are why I tend to turn right politically. What would the ghost of Ian Macleod make of this shower?
It does not matter whether we spend 1%, 2.5% or 50% of GDP on defence. What does matter is to build an armed forces that can defeat Britain's enemies. You work out how to do that, then you pay the bill.
Sunak is indulging in "silly politics". I don't care if it's electorally popular or not, he needs to stop doing it, act like an adult, and do his job.
Clearly he was totally faking back then. Doubt he could do sums EVEN with aid of matchsticks?
The local elections next week will be more informative I suspect.
As to whether today's pronouncements will have an impact (as some of the Tories on here clearly hope) time will tell - it always does,
Election on the horizon !!!!!
Hundreds of bodies of civilian men, women, and children are being exhumed in Gaza.
All were shot by the Israeli military.
Many had their hands tied behind their back.
Direct evidence of a war crime.
And yet America is getting ready to send billions in military aid.
We are complicit in this criminal enterprise we call Israel.
7:23 PM · Apr 22, 2024
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403.2K
Views
https://x.com/RealScottRitter/status/1782475391820538085
And they’ve had more than their fair share of schemers.
The Templar-caped Millwall types who graced Whitehall today are receiving big publicity for their contention that the London police are wickedly biased against white patriots such as themselves, but awfully supportive of the pro-Palestinian "lot". That's a message that's going into millions of heads, right now...
Ukraine has only six months left
It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through sheer determination
RICHARD KEMP
23 April 2024 • 5:04pm
The combination of huge Ukrainian losses and starvation in munitions allowed Russian forces to return to the offensive and seize the strategic initiative across the war zone. In incremental advances they have made limited but concrete gains at the front, forcing Ukraine to give up ground, as well as causing severe damage to Ukrainian infrastructure through air attacks.
Now the US and UK have both announced substantial aid packages including air defence systems, long range strike missiles and ammunition. Provided delivery of these munitions is rapid, they could enable Ukraine to stabilise the front line while protecting infrastructure on the home front. This may prove critical in the face of a major Russian offensive in the summer.
While the new aid packages might allow that to be blunted, they will not enable Ukraine to seize the initiative and go back onto the offensive. One reason for this is that Russia has achieved air supremacy in many areas while ground based air defences will remain inadequate. Another is that a war-weary Ukraine simply doesn’t have enough troops and after more than two years hard fighting seems reluctant to launch the major mobilisation it needs.
The challenges ahead are almost insurmountable. Russia has a rapidly growing wartime economy and has now built up huge force levels that it is willing to sacrifice to achieve Putin’s goals. If Moscow is able to achieve significant success in the summer, perhaps including taking Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, there will be no appetite for more Western spending come the winter.
This bleak outlook will be worsened by the added uncertainty surrounding general elections in both the US and UK. It looks like, as in previous wars, Russia will have begun badly but finished well through a level of determination so badly lacking among Ukraine’s allies in the West.
Keir Starmer, eh? What a disaster that man is.
After all, what does another 5 years of Tory cuts, corruption and incompetence matter so long as it comes with VINDICATION!
UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk is calling for an independent investigation:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2023/10/comment-un-human-rights-chief-unfolding-situation-israel-and-gaza
"The latest images of a premature child taken from the womb of her dying mother, of the adjacent two houses where 15 children and five women were killed - this is beyond warfare."...
"The intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat is a war crime."
The Lemkin institute (who helped expose Iraqi crimes against the Yazidis and Azerbaijani crimes against Armenians) has issued a genocide alert:
https://www.lemkininstitute.com/active-genocide-alert-1/israel-is-committing-genocide-across-palestine:-active-genocide-alert-condemning-ongoing-violence-in-the-west-bank
Nobody should say afterwards they didn't know, oh dear, how sad, what a shame.
IMO The final result will be
Lab 37 to 39
Con 32 to 35
Which still results with SKS as PM
Exhibit 1: Sky News reporting Rishi Sunk wibbling over the Head of NATO when a journalist asks him to comment on the prospect of a Labour Government.
'It would not be appropriate to draw Jens into domestic politics."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jGaf_1jpIQ&t=32s
This is the same Prime Minister who sent his Foreign Secretary to Washington via Mar-a-Lago to talk to the possible next POTUS.
Coward.
When we have a reputable, independent source I will develop a view based on what I think to be reliable evidence.
(Is Waterfall our new Putin-bot? I'll treat that as a rebuttable presumption for now.)
9–22 Apr Deltapoll N/A GB 1,525 27% 43% 9% 3% 5% 12% 1% 16
21 Apr Redfield & WiltonN/2,000 20% 43% 12% 3% 6% 14% 1% 23
19–21 Apr Savanta Teleg GB 2,332 27% 43% 9% 2% 4% 10% 4% 16
18–19 AprWe Think N/A GB 1,266 26% 43% 9% 2% 7% 11% 2% 17
17–19 AprOpinium The Obs 1,431 25% 41% 10% 2% 7% 13% 3% 16
17–18 AprSurvation N/A UK 1,010 26% 44% 11% 3% 4% 8% 4% 18
Its not a trend, we are waiting for YG and PP who show higher leads, but hey doesnt stop aforesaid poster claiming otherwise when its a few polls over 22
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1782852277780304221
I would be very surprised if Labour doesn't break through 40%.
He agreed with this tweet from Gad Saad
For many years now, I have warned that the path that the West is taking will result in civil war. It might take 5 years, 50 years, or 100 years but it is inevitable. The West could have repeatedly resolved these issues peacefully but it refuses to auto-correct from its path of civilizational suicide. Many Western men who are currently asleep at the wheel will wake up, and realize that they don't like being pushed around in their homelands; they don't like their women attacked; they don't like their freedoms curtailed; they don't like their faiths disrespected. Once this happens, prepare for some gargantuan ugliness. Those who think that they are gaining inroads in the West will soon find out that not all Western men are invertebrate castrati. Save this tweet and never forget who warned you.
7:49 PM · Apr 23, 2024
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2.9M
Views
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1782848959993774350
The French, in the end, will not surrender French civilisation. But at the moment the barbarians are close to the gate and still they scoff crème brûlée - and look away
Good analysis, but questionable headlines. At least this one does not mention that the chap is the famous "David Pecker".
Interesting commentary on how the prosecution seek to frame the Jury perceptions. Mr Trump's lawyers seem to be washing away their potential for credibility, such as it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCqtMDDYVy4
"Trump Co-Conspirator SCREWS HIM to HIS FACE at Trial"
Since then I've had four beers, three glasses of red, and a pork steak, chips and salad
I've just got to my room at ten and the lovely host, Julian, and his wife Maria have got all my washing done and left by the door
All for eighty euros