I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
On that we can agree; one of my concerns. The hassle of making your home safe and secure against the damage random guests could do is considerable.
My brother runs a restaurant with rooms in Surrey, and does well from it. But I always remember that his very first overnight guest left having taken every single lightbulb from the room away with him. In your own home, you don’t want to risk people like that.
True. But quite a lot of that is down to trade craft.
eg when renting to students you make sure that common area bulbs are screw fit and room bulbs are bayonet. Or vice versa.
A new ULTRA low in wokery at the BBC where Antiques Roadshow isn't about antiques...it's about hospitals and those who worked there where no item is given a valuation. It might be interesting but its not the fffing Antiques Fffing Roadshow. It means more Fiona Bruce too. I switched off.
Ah for the good old days of Hugh Scully stroking a rather tedious bureau. What has happened to this once great country?
Good job people are switching off, don’t want the NHS being overwhelmed by a load of old red faced blokes with seizures.
TBF it's become noticeably harder to dispose of furniture when a house is cleared, as I know from dealing with elderly relatives (deceased). Just not the space. More and more folk live in houses that would shock a Barbie doll for dimensional reasons. Even a collection of Barbie dolls would push some of the more modern maisonettes.
I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
People can be beasts. My partner Airb&b-ed her apartment in Rothesay for a few years and the crap (sometimes literally) she had to put up with..
On a mildly connected note, with some competition today’s most depressing tweet
Hope they brought their trunks. Its getting wet up there.
Interesting historical titbit. At least one of the German merchant raiders in WW2 went the North Of Russia route to the Pacific, escorted by Stalin's Navy, to avoid the Royal Navy blockade. For a cash consideration, of course.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Well, down the south of France in the leading case.
Evening all, did we cover the Telegraph interview with Farags where he strongly hints he is NOT getting involved in the GE? Probably wise after Reforms 2 participation certificates and a top up performance this week.
I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
People can be beasts. My partner Airb&b-ed her apartment in Rothesay for a few years and the crap (sometimes literally) she had to put up with..
On a mildly connected note, with some competition today’s most depressing tweet
That really is dismal. Maddening. The bothy/shelter network in the Highlands is a brilliant resource, maintained largely by volunteers and the estates. They will simply close them if they are abused like that. And who can blame them if they do?
Bothies will probably be OK because they are sufficiently isolated that they don't get the footfall and volume of crud that Ben Nevis or Snowdon do.
Yep. Ben Nevis is a big old draw as the highest in the land, and accessible via a long but easy walk (until the weather comes in and you really need that compass and the ability to use it). I stayed in Fort William once on the way to climbing it, and chatted with the landlady. The Locharber mafia (local mountain rescue) often encounter people very under equipped. I think most genuine hill walkers take care not to leave rubbish, but the idiots doing the three peaks and those doing the Ben on a whim not so much.
That really is shitty (so to speak). A bothy once saved my bacon in really bad weather in the Cuillin.
Mount Washington is even worse. You slog your way up to the summit (6288 ft) only to find a theme park at the top full of people who drove there. I appreciate that fat-shaming is frowned upon these days so I won't attempt to describe them.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Well, down the south of France in the leading case.
Just thinking of what he did with the Scotsman. Edit: and/or his owners. Let me not be unfair.
Evening all, did we cover the Telegraph interview with Farags where he strongly hints he is NOT getting involved in the GE? Probably wise after Reforms 2 participation certificates and a top up performance this week.
I did read that but also he says he is more interested in the US election where he was talking from
A new ULTRA low in wokery at the BBC where Antiques Roadshow isn't about antiques...it's about hospitals and those who worked there where no item is given a valuation. It might be interesting but its not the fffing Antiques Fffing Roadshow. It means more Fiona Bruce too. I switched off.
Ah for the good old days of Hugh Scully stroking a rather tedious bureau. What has happened to this once great country?
Good job people are switching off, don’t want the NHS being overwhelmed by a load of old red faced blokes with seizures.
TBF it's become noticeably harder to dispose of furniture when a house is cleared, as I know from dealing with elderly relatives (deceased). Just not the space. More and more folk live in houses that would shock a Barbie doll for dimensional reasons. Even a collection of Barbie dolls would push some of the more modern maisonettes.
Not only that, the colour doesn't match up. I have an old house so decent furniture is welcome.
A new ULTRA low in wokery at the BBC where Antiques Roadshow isn't about antiques...it's about hospitals and those who worked there where no item is given a valuation. It might be interesting but its not the fffing Antiques Fffing Roadshow. It means more Fiona Bruce too. I switched off.
Ah for the good old days of Hugh Scully stroking a rather tedious bureau. What has happened to this once great country?
Furniture is less represented as it less interesting to modern tastes. People come onto the shoe to fing out what their antiques are (if not obvious) and their worth. There is far too much of the presenter and not enough about antiques. Its also not imho down to any presenter to decide not to give a valuation. I refuse to watch it live anymore. For me its been ruined by wokery. Record and fast forward are huge blessings
You should get one of those new-fangled on/off buttons.
It's the same with a lot of stuff on tv. No need for on off.. just fast forward thro Fiona Bruce, Adverts, trailers, intros. Most of the more interesting items on the Antiques Roadshow end up as clips on you tube. One just has to be more selective. All this shite will lead to the license fee going which hopefully will fuck the BBC good and proper and it will be soooo richly deserved.
You want to see the ned of the BBC because you're unhappy with a programme you like on... the BBC. Right.
What pisses me off is when I see a recommendation for an interesting programme and it's on whichever of Netflix/Prime/Sky/Disney+/AppleTV/etc/etc I don't currently subscribe to.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really? Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
People can be beasts. My partner Airb&b-ed her apartment in Rothesay for a few years and the crap (sometimes literally) she had to put up with..
On a mildly connected note, with some competition today’s most depressing tweet
That really is dismal. Maddening. The bothy/shelter network in the Highlands is a brilliant resource, maintained largely by volunteers and the estates. They will simply close them if they are abused like that. And who can blame them if they do?
Bothies will probably be OK because they are sufficiently isolated that they don't get the footfall and volume of crud that Ben Nevis or Snowdon do.
Yep. Ben Nevis is a big old draw as the highest in the land, and accessible via a long but easy walk (until the weather comes in and you really need that compass and the ability to use it). I stayed in Fort William once on the way to climbing it, and chatted with the landlady. The Locharber mafia (local mountain rescue) often encounter people very under equipped. I think most genuine hill walkers take care not to leave rubbish, but the idiots doing the three peaks and those doing the Ben on a whim not so much.
Correct. Bothies are usually found in pristine condition, especially if they are more than 20k from the road. I usually make a point of cleaning them and walking out with any rubbish left by others.
However, there is evidence that the increased popularity is a causing issues with casual use and refusal of entry (eg a lone male comes across a group of women, stag dos etc). They are primarily emergency shelters and in crap weather you should expect to be crammed in like sardines. I think we will end up with a NZ system of huts managed by SG if things continue like that.
The Tories are saying that Labour can only form a government with a coalition of chaos.
Are they really? Lack of original ideas or sheer brazenness?
Mental retreat to Happy Place, I reckon.
It's going to be a long six months for everyone.
Nah. The sun is shining (albeit briefly, between the showers), the lilac is in bloom, the glorious succession of flowers is continuing apace. Longer nights, warmer temps, holidays, and I may even get a kitchen back by August (if the builders keep up the pace). There’s more to life than endlessly worrying over politics. At least for normal people…
On PB, on the other hand!
I did take my first dip in the sea of the summer yesterday. A fantastically sunny afternoon in Crookhaven.
I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
People can be beasts. My partner Airb&b-ed her apartment in Rothesay for a few years and the crap (sometimes literally) she had to put up with..
On a mildly connected note, with some competition today’s most depressing tweet
I rented out an apartment on Airbnb for 6 years (2010-2016), it was in a remote village, was quite basic but not expensive, and we never had any problems; apart from some guests having unrealistic expectations towards the end.
Evening all, did we cover the Telegraph interview with Farags where he strongly hints he is NOT getting involved in the GE? Probably wise after Reforms 2 participation certificates and a top up performance this week.
I did read that but also he says he is more interested in the US election where he was talking from
He won't get involved. Reform are going to dramatically underperform outside a handful of seats they work, any breakthrough for them is 2029. They need to build a ground operation in a few areas over the next couple of years, target some county council wards, throw the works at the Welsh lists, work out where they are strong and build out
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
Anecdote: Chatting to a couple of fellow lefties today, and the conversation turned to Gaza. I decided that silence would be prudent, as it was clear that my views are somewhat out of step with theirs. Plenty of talk of Israeli genocide, not a single mention of the murderous, rapist, hostage taking terrorists responsible for initiating the war and ensuring its continuation.
Anecdote: Chatting to a group of fellow lefties today, and the conversation turned to Gaza. All agreed that the Hamas attack on October 7 was a total outrage and had no justification. All agreed that Netanyahu's response in killing thousands of innocent Gazans as collateral was also a total outrage. All wanted a peaceful outcome that included a Palestnian state and security for Israel, and that the future should exclude both Hamas and Netanyahu.
Any ideas how to reach that end point?
Stop funding Israel.
The following countries have severed diplomatic ties with Israel or imposed sanctions in response to the crimes against humanity that Israel is committing in Gaza:
Colombia Turkey Bolivia Belize
The list needs to lengthen.
Have they also done it with Russia, or do only certain crimes against humanity count?
Colombia, Turkey and Belize did condemn Russia. Bolivia did not. Colombia under Petro has been a strong critic both of Russia and IsraeI; now Petro is thinking to send army doctors to Gaza. To me he appeaes to be proving a much better role model for the left than Chavez or Maduro.
My wife's pet Chihuahua is a better role model to the left than Chavez or Maduro.
The Tories are saying that Labour can only form a government with a coalition of chaos.
Are they really? Lack of original ideas or sheer brazenness?
Mental retreat to Happy Place, I reckon.
It's going to be a long six months for everyone.
Nah. The sun is shining (albeit briefly, between the showers), the lilac is in bloom, the glorious succession of flowers is continuing apace. Longer nights, warmer temps, holidays, and I may even get a kitchen back by August (if the builders keep up the pace). There’s more to life than endlessly worrying over politics. At least for normal people…
On PB, on the other hand!
I did take my first dip in the sea of the summer yesterday. A fantastically sunny afternoon in Crookhaven.
McCormick couldn't even become FM even in the unlikely event he beat Swinney as he is not an MSP let alone declare UDI.
However even if he did become SNP leader, the SNP won a majority of MPs at the next general election and had more seats than Unionists at Holyrood still and he became an MSP and FM and then declare UDI that would be constitutionally illegal without Westminster consent as Holyrood's powers are devolved from Westminster and the Crown. Direct rule would be imposed in such an event from London until such time as the matter was resolved, just as Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia when the Catalan nationalist government declared UDI in 2017
Anecdote: Chatting to a couple of fellow lefties today, and the conversation turned to Gaza. I decided that silence would be prudent, as it was clear that my views are somewhat out of step with theirs. Plenty of talk of Israeli genocide, not a single mention of the murderous, rapist, hostage taking terrorists responsible for initiating the war and ensuring its continuation.
Anecdote: Chatting to a group of fellow lefties today, and the conversation turned to Gaza. All agreed that the Hamas attack on October 7 was a total outrage and had no justification. All agreed that Netanyahu's response in killing thousands of innocent Gazans as collateral was also a total outrage. All wanted a peaceful outcome that included a Palestnian state and security for Israel, and that the future should exclude both Hamas and Netanyahu.
Any ideas how to reach that end point?
Stop funding Israel.
The following countries have severed diplomatic ties with Israel or imposed sanctions in response to the crimes against humanity that Israel is committing in Gaza:
Colombia Turkey Bolivia Belize
The list needs to lengthen.
Have they also done it with Russia, or do only certain crimes against humanity count?
Colombia, Turkey and Belize did condemn Russia. Bolivia did not. Colombia under Petro has been a strong critic both of Russia and IsraeI; now Petro is thinking to send army doctors to Gaza. To me he appeaes to be proving a much better role model for the left than Chavez or Maduro.
My wife's pet Chihuahua is a better role model to the left than Chavez or Maduro.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Hope they brought their trunks. Its getting wet up there.
Interesting historical titbit. At least one of the German merchant raiders in WW2 went the North Of Russia route to the Pacific, escorted by Stalin's Navy, to avoid the Royal Navy blockade. For a cash consideration, of course.
Drop in the bucket (though quite interesting drop) of total Nazi-Soviet cooperation & commerce prior to Barbarosa.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
The Tories are saying that Labour can only form a government with a coalition of chaos.
Are they really? Lack of original ideas or sheer brazenness?
Mental retreat to Happy Place, I reckon.
It's going to be a long six months for everyone.
Nah. The sun is shining (albeit briefly, between the showers), the lilac is in bloom, the glorious succession of flowers is continuing apace. Longer nights, warmer temps, holidays, and I may even get a kitchen back by August (if the builders keep up the pace). There’s more to life than endlessly worrying over politics. At least for normal people…
On PB, on the other hand!
I did take my first dip in the sea of the summer yesterday. A fantastically sunny afternoon in Crookhaven.
Where's Crook Haven?
Do they do nominative determinism?
(Asking for a friend !!)
It's a bad English translation of the Irish for "peak", a fairly obvious name for a rocky little isthmus on the Mizen peninsula. Crookstown on the other hand...
McCormick couldn't even become FM even in the unlikely event he beat Swinney as he is not an MSP let alone declare UDI.
However even if he did become SNP leader, the SNP won a majority of MPs at the next general election and had more seats than Unionists at Holyrood still and he became an MSP and FM and then declare UDI that would be constitutionally illegal without Westminster consent as Holyrood's powers are devolved from Westminster and the Crown. Direct rule would be imposed in such an event from London until such time as the matter was resolved, just as Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia when the Catalan nationalist government declared UDI in 2017
And of course Westminster imposed Direct Rule on Stormont in Spring 1972. It is not something the UK government would willingly do , but under the conditions of UDI Holyrood would have provoked such a response.
McCormick couldn't even become FM even in the unlikely event he beat Swinney as he is not an MSP let alone declare UDI.
However even if he did become SNP leader, the SNP won a majority of MPs at the next general election and had more seats than Unionists at Holyrood still and he became an MSP and FM and then declare UDI that would be constitutionally illegal without Westminster consent as Holyrood's powers are devolved from Westminster and the Crown. Direct rule would be imposed in such an event from London until such time as the matter was resolved, just as Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia when the Catalan nationalist government declared UDI in 2017
What about the tanks? It’s not an HYUFD comment on Scottish UDI without mention of tanks.
I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
People can be beasts. My partner Airb&b-ed her apartment in Rothesay for a few years and the crap (sometimes literally) she had to put up with..
On a mildly connected note, with some competition today’s most depressing tweet
That really is dismal. Maddening. The bothy/shelter network in the Highlands is a brilliant resource, maintained largely by volunteers and the estates. They will simply close them if they are abused like that. And who can blame them if they do?
Bothies will probably be OK because they are sufficiently isolated that they don't get the footfall and volume of crud that Ben Nevis or Snowdon do.
Yep. Ben Nevis is a big old draw as the highest in the land, and accessible via a long but easy walk (until the weather comes in and you really need that compass and the ability to use it). I stayed in Fort William once on the way to climbing it, and chatted with the landlady. The Locharber mafia (local mountain rescue) often encounter people very under equipped. I think most genuine hill walkers take care not to leave rubbish, but the idiots doing the three peaks and those doing the Ben on a whim not so much.
I saw a story re a review of some punter from England who said Ben Nevis was too steep and had no shops or toilets at the top so not worth visiting
That’s where Snowdon sorry Yr Wyddfa scores. A cafe, you can buy souvenirs and a railway station. Really the Scots just aren’t trying hard enough… I do recall scaling Snowdon (Pyg Trcak? Can’t recall) and being unable to reach the summit as too many people had slogged their way up from the summit station and were blocking the way, taking their summit photos.
But did you have your ironing board? A red one, too?
Shit, I think I remember where I left it!
Try under the stairs. Or, if you have no stairs, behind a door.
McCormick couldn't even become FM even in the unlikely event he beat Swinney as he is not an MSP let alone declare UDI.
However even if he did become SNP leader, the SNP won a majority of MPs at the next general election and had more seats than Unionists at Holyrood still and he became an MSP and FM and then declare UDI that would be constitutionally illegal without Westminster consent as Holyrood's powers are devolved from Westminster and the Crown. Direct rule would be imposed in such an event from London until such time as the matter was resolved, just as Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia when the Catalan nationalist government declared UDI in 2017
What about the tanks? It’s not an HYUFD comment on Scottish UDI without mention of tanks.
Also very odd to see him talking about any Hispanic regime without getting excited about nuking it.
UDI would be a case of 10 old men outwitting the English devils who control the polling companies, seizing the cafeteria in Edinburgh Castle causing only minimal injuries to the staff, and making their way at least 30 metres down Castlehill shouting "Freeeeedom!" and "Remember 1320!" Craig Murray would probably be one of them. Another hero would be that guy who dressed up in a chemical warfare suit and harassed English motorists at the border during Covid restrictions.
Strong indications are that the SNP's star is waning.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Section 3 gives them the power to change the pension arrangements for the FO and Presiding Officer amongst other things but so far as I can see they haven't and the provisions I quoted remain in force. When do you say the scheme I have quoted, which is still on the legislation.gov.uk website was changed?
The current salary of the FM is £104,584 so half of that would be just over £52k.
Yousaf is only 39. If he is getting that, and he is entitled to it, it will be worth in excess of £2m for 14 months as FM.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Section 3 gives them the power to change the pension arrangements for the FO and Presiding Officer amongst other things but so far as I can see they haven't and the provisions I quoted remain in force. When do you say the scheme I have quoted, which is still on the legislation.gov.uk website was changed?
The current salary of the FM is £104,584 so half of that would be just over £52k.
Yousaf is only 39. If he is getting that, and he is entitled to it, it will be worth in excess of £2m for 14 months as FM.
Doesn't need legislation to change, now the powers were put in the 2009 Act. Evidently has changed.
UDI would be a case of 10 old men outwitting the English devils who control the polling companies, seizing the cafeteria in Edinburgh Castle causing only minimal injuries to the staff, and making their way at least 30 metres down Castlehill shouting "Freeeeedom!" and "Remember 1320!" Craig Murray would probably be one of them. Another hero would be that guy who dressed up in a chemical warfare suit and harassed English motorists at the border during Covid restrictions.
Strong indications are that the SNP's star is waning.
Okay, not a CW suit but at least the kind of garb worn when the local council wants to spray some invasive weeds. This guy's service will come in useful, because there's no point in UDI if you don't secure the border.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Section 3 gives them the power to change the pension arrangements for the FO and Presiding Officer amongst other things but so far as I can see they haven't and the provisions I quoted remain in force. When do you say the scheme I have quoted, which is still on the legislation.gov.uk website was changed?
The current salary of the FM is £104,584 so half of that would be just over £52k.
Yousaf is only 39. If he is getting that, and he is entitled to it, it will be worth in excess of £2m for 14 months as FM.
The Guido Fawkes website ran a story on Tuesday – which has now been removed – claiming Yousaf would receive a pension of £52,000 per year for life, starting with immediate effect.
But the Scottish Parliament authorities have warned reporters against spreading this information which bosses say is factually incorrect.
The Parliament has said the First Minister’s pension would actually be “in the order of” £2000 per annum, payable from age 65.
In a statement sent to the media, the Parliament said: “Humza Yousaf’s First Minister pension will be either 1/40 or 1/50 of his final salary of £104,584 (depending on which funding option he chose) for each year in office (ie one year in office).
“His First Minister pension will therefore be in the order of £2k per annum, payable from age 65.”
The Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009 removed any future entitlement to a pension of the type described in the story, bosses added.
UDI would be a case of 10 old men outwitting the English devils who control the polling companies, seizing the cafeteria in Edinburgh Castle causing only minimal injuries to the staff, and making their way at least 30 metres down Castlehill shouting "Freeeeedom!" and "Remember 1320!" Craig Murray would probably be one of them. Another hero would be that guy who dressed up in a chemical warfare suit and harassed English motorists at the border during Covid restrictions.
Strong indications are that the SNP's star is waning.
Okay, not a CW suit but at least the kind of garb worn when the local council wants to spray some invasive weeds. This guy's service will come in useful, because there's no point in UDI if you don't secure the border.
You do realise that this is IIRC a group which harassed everyone, including Ms Sturgeon and the SNP, as well as Iain Gray of very late lamented memory (think Subway sandwich shops)? It seems to be a Labour offshoot if anything. Seems to hasve gone quiet lately, thank goodness.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Section 3 gives them the power to change the pension arrangements for the FO and Presiding Officer amongst other things but so far as I can see they haven't and the provisions I quoted remain in force. When do you say the scheme I have quoted, which is still on the legislation.gov.uk website was changed?
The current salary of the FM is £104,584 so half of that would be just over £52k.
Yousaf is only 39. If he is getting that, and he is entitled to it, it will be worth in excess of £2m for 14 months as FM.
Doesn't need legislation to change, now the powers were put in the 2009 Act. Evidently has changed.
Not so. I have checked Westlaw. The current provision in force is as follows:
S1.— Pension for First Minister and Presiding Officer (1) Any person who has held the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer shall, on ceasing to hold that office and subject to paragraph (2), be entitled to receive a pension under this article. (2) No pension shall be payable under this article to any person so long as he is in receipt of any salary charged or payable out of– (a) the Scottish Consolidated Fund other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the Parliament; or (b) the Consolidated Fund or out of monies provided by Parliament other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the House of Commons. (3) The annual amount of a pension payable under this article shall be equal to one half of the salary payable in respect of the office in question at the rate in force on the person's ceasing to hold that office.
So, if Yousaf was in the cabinet and drawing a salary as a minister the pension would not be payable until he had no income other than his income as an MSP. But if he goes to the backbenches he will get the £52K pension.
Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme) Order 1999/1082
Evening all, did we cover the Telegraph interview with Farags where he strongly hints he is NOT getting involved in the GE? Probably wise after Reforms 2 participation certificates and a top up performance this week.
I did read that but also he says he is more interested in the US election where he was talking from
He won't get involved. Reform are going to dramatically underperform outside a handful of seats they work, any breakthrough for them is 2029. They need to build a ground operation in a few areas over the next couple of years, target some county council wards, throw the works at the Welsh lists, work out where they are strong and build out
Except Reform don't have the time for that. If their breakout election has been pushed back to 2028/9, by which time Farage will be 65, Tice 64 and Anderson 62. Even if they then gloriously take over the smoldering remains of the Conservatives, power won't be theirs for another four or five years, by which time they are very much in Last of the Summer Wine territory (since we're talking Sunday night on BBC One.)
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
What do you mean by the average of 24mph?
The police are not prosecuting anyone under 26 mph so 24 mph is becoming quite common apart from some who hold to 20mph and end up with queues and impatient drivers. Indeed I was overtaken last week at this speed
I would just add that all go safe camera locations are announced to the public each month so most drivers can find out which roads and where are being monitored
Evening all, did we cover the Telegraph interview with Farags where he strongly hints he is NOT getting involved in the GE? Probably wise after Reforms 2 participation certificates and a top up performance this week.
I did read that but also he says he is more interested in the US election where he was talking from
He won't get involved. Reform are going to dramatically underperform outside a handful of seats they work, any breakthrough for them is 2029. They need to build a ground operation in a few areas over the next couple of years, target some county council wards, throw the works at the Welsh lists, work out where they are strong and build out
Except Reform don't have the time for that. If their breakout election has been pushed back to 2028/9, by which time Farage will be 65, Tice 64 and Anderson 62. Even if they then gloriously take over the smoldering remains of the Conservatives, power won't be theirs for another four or five years, by which time they are very much in Last of the Summer Wine territory (since we're talking Sunday night on BBC One.)
It's pretty much now or never for Nige.
He's not interested. It's a simple case of revealed preference. If he was interested he would have been working on it full-time since Boris Johnson was forced out.
It's the same as with GRR Martin and the final Game of Thrones books. They're both having more fun doing other things.
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
What do you mean by the average of 24mph?
The police are not prosecuting anyone under 26 mph so 24 mph is becoming quite common apart from some who hold to 20mph and end up with queues and impatient drivers. Indeed I was overtaken last week at this speed
I would just add that all go safe camera locations are announced to the public each month so most drivers can find out which roads and where are being monitored
I took the decision a while ago to optimise my driving to increase my odds of survival, rather than solely to minimise my travel time. I really do not understand many other drivers.
The “Ferrari / HP” title sponsorship deal is unbelievable. I was going to ask if Ferrari had lost their mind. Putting the sponsor on equal footing. With their blue colour all over the car. The overalls. And 407 HP logos on the car.
Then I remembered. They need someone to pay Adrian Newey’s salary and development budget. And it all makes sense.
Like Houchen yesterday I think we can expect that Ferrari will forget the blue if it brings them the title. Whoops. Forgot to add blue onto all the Tifosi flags and fan gear. Sorry.
Evening all, did we cover the Telegraph interview with Farags where he strongly hints he is NOT getting involved in the GE? Probably wise after Reforms 2 participation certificates and a top up performance this week.
I did read that but also he says he is more interested in the US election where he was talking from
He won't get involved. Reform are going to dramatically underperform outside a handful of seats they work, any breakthrough for them is 2029. They need to build a ground operation in a few areas over the next couple of years, target some county council wards, throw the works at the Welsh lists, work out where they are strong and build out
Except Reform don't have the time for that. If their breakout election has been pushed back to 2028/9, by which time Farage will be 65, Tice 64 and Anderson 62. Even if they then gloriously take over the smoldering remains of the Conservatives, power won't be theirs for another four or five years, by which time they are very much in Last of the Summer Wine territory (since we're talking Sunday night on BBC One.)
It's pretty much now or never for Nige.
I think Reform need 2025 to break the Conservatives and then 2029 to subsume them. Tice should focus on having a Reform candidate in every seat to shaft the Conservative candidate. Their FPTP disaster is then a launch pad for Nige & the gang.
Jack Surfleet @jacksurfleet · 3m Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak #TomorrowsPapersToday
At this point you have to think he's a double agent for Keir Starmer, so dumb is this. Coments that couldn't be better designed to boost Labour's vote and if CCHQ think that they're going to get their resource allocation very wrong.
The Tories are saying that Labour can only form a government with a coalition of chaos.
Are they really? Lack of original ideas or sheer brazenness?
Mental retreat to Happy Place, I reckon.
It's going to be a long six months for everyone.
Nah. The sun is shining (albeit briefly, between the showers), the lilac is in bloom, the glorious succession of flowers is continuing apace. Longer nights, warmer temps, holidays, and I may even get a kitchen back by August (if the builders keep up the pace). There’s more to life than endlessly worrying over politics. At least for normal people…
On PB, on the other hand!
I did take my first dip in the sea of the summer yesterday. A fantastically sunny afternoon in Crookhaven.
Surely you can't do your first anything of the summer until summer has actually started?
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
The “Ferrari / HP” title sponsorship deal is unbelievable. I was going to ask if Ferrari had lost their mind. Putting the sponsor on equal footing. With their blue colour all over the car. The overalls. And 407 HP logos on the car.
Then I remembered. They need someone to pay Adrian Newey’s salary and development budget. And it all makes sense.
Like Houchen yesterday I think we can expect that Ferrari will forget the blue if it brings them the title. Whoops. Forgot to add blue onto all the Tifosi flags and fan gear. Sorry.
Jack Surfleet @jacksurfleet · 3m Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak #TomorrowsPapersToday
“People who want rid of me had better vote to get it done” says Sunak.
Ass
Everything they say or do at the moment is focused on getting back Reform supporters. I’ve no idea if that’s a good idea or not, but it’s certainly putting all eggs in one basket.
Jack Surfleet @jacksurfleet · 3m Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak #TomorrowsPapersToday
Sure it is, Rishi, sure it is.
Already walking back his internal optimism of 'greatest comeback in history' to something more realistic, even if still not the most probable.
It's a desperate attempt to try and raise the fear that SNP will have the whip hand in a hung parliament I suspect.
Utterly pathetic.
Well sure, the coalition of chaos line and all that. Won't work, people don't fear that outcome now, but it still shows he knows they cannot plausible say they believe they will win, at least not right now.
Jack Surfleet @jacksurfleet · 3m Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak #TomorrowsPapersToday
At this point you have to think he's a double agent for Keir Starmer, so dumb is this. Coments that couldn't be better designed to boost Labour's vote and if CCHQ think that they're going to get their resource allocation very wrong.
I know, it's bonkers and pathetically desperate.
If anyone actually believes this rubbish they will be more determined to vote Labour to make sure they have a good majority.
The Tories are saying that Labour can only form a government with a coalition of chaos.
Are they really? Lack of original ideas or sheer brazenness?
Mental retreat to Happy Place, I reckon.
It's going to be a long six months for everyone.
Nah. The sun is shining (albeit briefly, between the showers), the lilac is in bloom, the glorious succession of flowers is continuing apace. Longer nights, warmer temps, holidays, and I may even get a kitchen back by August (if the builders keep up the pace). There’s more to life than endlessly worrying over politics. At least for normal people…
On PB, on the other hand!
I did take my first dip in the sea of the summer yesterday. A fantastically sunny afternoon in Crookhaven.
Surely you can't do your first anything of the summer until summer has actually started?
Which occurs on 1st June, of course.
Irish summer starts on May 1st. I like the five-month definitions of summer/winter that have short single month spring/autumn of April and October.
The Tories are saying that Labour can only form a government with a coalition of chaos.
Are they really? Lack of original ideas or sheer brazenness?
Mental retreat to Happy Place, I reckon.
It's going to be a long six months for everyone.
Nah. The sun is shining (albeit briefly, between the showers), the lilac is in bloom, the glorious succession of flowers is continuing apace. Longer nights, warmer temps, holidays, and I may even get a kitchen back by August (if the builders keep up the pace). There’s more to life than endlessly worrying over politics. At least for normal people…
On PB, on the other hand!
I did take my first dip in the sea of the summer yesterday. A fantastically sunny afternoon in Crookhaven.
Surely you can't do your first anything of the summer until summer has actually started?
Which occurs on 1st June, of course.
Irish summer starts on May 1st. I like the five-month definitions of summer/winter that have short single month spring/autumn of April and October.
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
Welsh trans cyclists speeding along at more than 20mph in order to dump their rubbish at the top of Ben Nevis before declaring UDI. I think that covers this evening’s discussions.
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
You are really out of touch with the situation in Wales over the change and whether you like it or not the Welsh government itself is implementing changes in their advice that will see some roads revert back from September
Furthermore, it is go safe official policy not to prosecute under 26mph and it has nothing to do with the GE as it is Labour in Wales who accept the implementation was badly handled and by September the policy should actually work
My older daughter, all of 17, has just this minute sternly dismissed “The Tempest” because it exhibits “colonial attitudes”
What a generation
Jeez.
Isn't that partly the point of studying Shakespeare? His imagination was fired by the world around and much of what was going on in Elizabethan/Stuart times is in the plays in some way or other. But also he managed to write about universal human truths and conditions that have stood the test of centuries.
That's the point. It's whether listening to their parents wins out over their peer group at that age.
She might think very differently in a few years.
She might *think* in a few years.
If she looks at where her father’s pitiful efforts in that direction have taken him, she might better decide not to bother?
Well, shall we have a look at that?
Tomorrow I’m off to a beautiful part of Italy. A sequence of lovely hotels in a famously scenic part of the country. Everything is paid for, I won’t need to spend a cent - wine food rooms planes. Then after my eight days of luxury and fun I will write about it and get paid for having a free holiday
You however are on your own in Italy having to pay for a holiday spent entirely with your long suffering dog, your only friend
If my daughter’s fate turns out closer to mine than yours I will be very happy
The pertinent point, however, is that she won’t be.
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Section 3 gives them the power to change the pension arrangements for the FO and Presiding Officer amongst other things but so far as I can see they haven't and the provisions I quoted remain in force. When do you say the scheme I have quoted, which is still on the legislation.gov.uk website was changed?
The current salary of the FM is £104,584 so half of that would be just over £52k.
Yousaf is only 39. If he is getting that, and he is entitled to it, it will be worth in excess of £2m for 14 months as FM.
Doesn't need legislation to change, now the powers were put in the 2009 Act. Evidently has changed.
Not so. I have checked Westlaw. The current provision in force is as follows:
S1.— Pension for First Minister and Presiding Officer (1) Any person who has held the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer shall, on ceasing to hold that office and subject to paragraph (2), be entitled to receive a pension under this article. (2) No pension shall be payable under this article to any person so long as he is in receipt of any salary charged or payable out of– (a) the Scottish Consolidated Fund other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the Parliament; or (b) the Consolidated Fund or out of monies provided by Parliament other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the House of Commons. (3) The annual amount of a pension payable under this article shall be equal to one half of the salary payable in respect of the office in question at the rate in force on the person's ceasing to hold that office.
So, if Yousaf was in the cabinet and drawing a salary as a minister the pension would not be payable until he had no income other than his income as an MSP. But if he goes to the backbenches he will get the £52K pension.
Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme) Order 1999/1082
That's the 1999 legislation. The 2009 legislation modifies it.
'491.Paragraph 3 prevents a current (or any former) Presiding Officer and a current (or any former) First Minister participating in the scheme as an office-holder member on new rules day or thereafter. Such persons are all in receipt of or entitled to special pension arrangements under Part S of the 1999 scheme rules (one half of the salary payable in respect of the office when the person ceases to hold that office). Under the Act there is no such special provision for future Presiding Officers or First Ministers, who are instead treated as office-holders and allowed to join the scheme in terms of rule 22 of Schedule 1. This transitional provision prevents individuals from being entitled under both old and new arrangements.'
And as quoted in the news story:
'The Parliament has said the First Minister’s pension would actually be “in the order of” £2000 per annum, payable from age 65.
In a statement sent to the media, the Parliament said: “Humza Yousaf’s First Minister pension will be either 1/40 or 1/50 of his final salary of £104,584 (depending on which funding option he chose) for each year in office (ie one year in office).
“His First Minister pension will therefore be in the order of £2k per annum, payable from age 65.”
The Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009 removed any future entitlement to a pension of the type described in the story, bosses added.'
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
Welsh trans cyclists speeding along at more than 20mph in order to dump their rubbish at the top of Ben Nevis before declaring UDI. I think that covers this evening’s discussions.
I shall compile it into a hardbacked low-volume book using a dissertation/thesis binding service such as this one: https://www.ryman.co.uk/services/bind.
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
Welsh trans cyclists speeding along at more than 20mph in order to dump their rubbish at the top of Ben Nevis before declaring UDI. I think that covers this evening’s discussions.
I shall compile it into a hardbacked low-volume book using a dissertation/thesis binding service such as this one: https://www.ryman.co.uk/services/bind.
Quoting Cecil Rhodes, presumably either approvingly or ironically, came into it somewhere.
Jack Surfleet @jacksurfleet · 3m Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak #TomorrowsPapersToday
At this point you have to think he's a double agent for Keir Starmer, so dumb is this. Coments that couldn't be better designed to boost Labour's vote and if CCHQ think that they're going to get their resource allocation very wrong.
I know, it's bonkers and pathetically desperate.
If anyone actually believes this rubbish they will be more determined to vote Labour to make sure they have a good majority.
Have we had a "Rishi in X's pocket" photoshop yet?
The ludicrous Sky analysis by Thrasher has resulted in this nonsense.
Encouraging to see even the BTL commenters aren't buying this ludicrous argument. Every mention of the danger of a hung Parliament is an incentive to vote Labour. Who pays these people?
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Sounds like the Barnett Formula
Yes we send down a 100 billion and get 52 billion back
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
You are really out of touch with the situation in Wales over the change and whether you like it or not the Welsh government itself is implementing changes in their advice that will see some roads revert back from September
Furthermore, it is go safe official policy not to prosecute under 26mph and it has nothing to do with the GE as it is Labour in Wales who accept the implementation was badly handled and by September the policy should actually work
I remember when Conservatives like yourself respected the law of the land.
As we've seen with wilful breaking of 20mph limits in Wales and the vandalism of ULEZ cameras in London, the right have abandoned the rule of law. Shame on them.
The ludicrous Sky analysis by Thrasher has resulted in this nonsense.
Whereas the Tories are NOT in a coalition of chaos. Coalition implies a degree of organisation.
Nevertheless I think this is just Sunak clutching at a straw named Michael Thrasher and his prediction of NOM based on the Council results.
My non professor of politics with subject expertise in psephology take is you only need one more vote than the other guy under FPTP in every seat to win them all. Which isn't far from what Labour achieved in the council elections.
The Tories are saying that Labour can only form a government with a coalition of chaos.
Are they really? Lack of original ideas or sheer brazenness?
Mental retreat to Happy Place, I reckon.
It's going to be a long six months for everyone.
Nah. The sun is shining (albeit briefly, between the showers), the lilac is in bloom, the glorious succession of flowers is continuing apace. Longer nights, warmer temps, holidays, and I may even get a kitchen back by August (if the builders keep up the pace). There’s more to life than endlessly worrying over politics. At least for normal people…
On PB, on the other hand!
I did take my first dip in the sea of the summer yesterday. A fantastically sunny afternoon in Crookhaven.
Surely you can't do your first anything of the summer until summer has actually started?
Which occurs on 1st June, of course.
Irish summer starts on May 1st. I like the five-month definitions of summer/winter that have short single month spring/autumn of April and October.
Summer starts for me when I start wearing shorts. Did this a few weeks ago. Shame the temperature hasn’t realised it’s summer…
I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
People can be beasts. My partner Airb&b-ed her apartment in Rothesay for a few years and the crap (sometimes literally) she had to put up with..
On a mildly connected note, with some competition today’s most depressing tweet
That really is dismal. Maddening. The bothy/shelter network in the Highlands is a brilliant resource, maintained largely by volunteers and the estates. They will simply close them if they are abused like that. And who can blame them if they do?
Bothies will probably be OK because they are sufficiently isolated that they don't get the footfall and volume of crud that Ben Nevis or Snowdon do.
Yep. Ben Nevis is a big old draw as the highest in the land, and accessible via a long but easy walk (until the weather comes in and you really need that compass and the ability to use it). I stayed in Fort William once on the way to climbing it, and chatted with the landlady. The Locharber mafia (local mountain rescue) often encounter people very under equipped. I think most genuine hill walkers take care not to leave rubbish, but the idiots doing the three peaks and those doing the Ben on a whim not so much.
Correct. Bothies are usually found in pristine condition, especially if they are more than 20k from the road. I usually make a point of cleaning them and walking out with any rubbish left by others.
However, there is evidence that the increased popularity is a causing issues with casual use and refusal of entry (eg a lone male comes across a group of women, stag dos etc). They are primarily emergency shelters and in crap weather you should expect to be crammed in like sardines. I think we will end up with a NZ system of huts managed by SG if things continue like that.
I usually camp rather than using bothies but sometimes pop in for a brew if the weather is crap. Not found any hen parties yet...
Given the preponderance of idiots razzing round the countyside on ATVs round here, I do wonder how long it will take for them to start turning up in remoter areas.
The Norwegian (DNT) key system seems to work OK, although no doubt once everyone has a key it becomes less effective.
Jack Surfleet @jacksurfleet · 3m Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak #TomorrowsPapersToday
At this point you have to think he's a double agent for Keir Starmer, so dumb is this. Coments that couldn't be better designed to boost Labour's vote and if CCHQ think that they're going to get their resource allocation very wrong.
I know, it's bonkers and pathetically desperate.
If anyone actually believes this rubbish they will be more determined to vote Labour to make sure they have a good majority.
Have we had a "Rishi in X's pocket" photoshop yet?
Difficult to make it work. I don't think more than 1% know who the current leader of the DUP is, let alone recognise the face.
UDI would be a case of 10 old men outwitting the English devils who control the polling companies, seizing the cafeteria in Edinburgh Castle causing only minimal injuries to the staff, and making their way at least 30 metres down Castlehill shouting "Freeeeedom!" and "Remember 1320!" Craig Murray would probably be one of them. Another hero would be that guy who dressed up in a chemical warfare suit and harassed English motorists at the border during Covid restrictions.
Strong indications are that the SNP's star is waning.
Jack Surfleet @jacksurfleet · 3m Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak #TomorrowsPapersToday
At this point you have to think he's a double agent for Keir Starmer, so dumb is this. Coments that couldn't be better designed to boost Labour's vote and if CCHQ think that they're going to get their resource allocation very wrong.
I know, it's bonkers and pathetically desperate.
If anyone actually believes this rubbish they will be more determined to vote Labour to make sure they have a good majority.
One reason the wipeout scenario is more plausible than it otherwise would be is that No. 10/CCHQ are so inept they don't appear to understand their predicament or that they need to engage in the usual self-righting mechanisms that make it difficult for one of the big two to drop into disaster territory. Work that ideally Sunak should've began in autumn 2022.
Even in the Corbyn years, when Labour appeared close to it, a leadership not renowned for its nous knew when they were facing a dire picture and to change course to some extent to shore things up.
Do the current Tories? Or do they actually believe this stuff. If they do then woah boy.
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
You are really out of touch with the situation in Wales over the change and whether you like it or not the Welsh government itself is implementing changes in their advice that will see some roads revert back from September
Furthermore, it is go safe official policy not to prosecute under 26mph and it has nothing to do with the GE as it is Labour in Wales who accept the implementation was badly handled and by September the policy should actually work
I remember when Conservatives like yourself respected the law of the land.
As we've seen with wilful breaking of 20mph limits in Wales and the vandalism of ULEZ cameras in London, the right have abandoned the rule of law. Shame on them.
Shameful comment
I respect the law of the land and it is the lawmakers themselves who are changing and amending their own law with widespread approval across the political divide in Wales
Indeed from a practical sense it is impossible to keep to 20mph when most everyone else is driving at 25mph and tailgating or overtaking the few who stay at 20mph
I would just say I have never received a ticket for any driving offence at all since I received my licence in 1961 nor have I ever been prosecuted for anything whatsoever and you should apologise
Snigger. The SNP are more broke than a broken thing. They need a contested election with all the costs of that like a hole in the head. They will also have to give an update on their membership numbers again which they could do without.
Yousaf has left a complete shambles behind him. In fairness to him he inherited exactly the same. What we need now are some more charges. A small soupcon of misery added to the dish.
Perhaps Humza will be contributing a handy chunk of his £52k pa pension to party coffers?
I rather think your satire has gone over the heads of PB ...
Went over mine.
BTW, has anyone ever seen @malcolmg in the same room as Graeme McCormick?
You do realise the 52k pension was a lie from the usual suspects down south? Evidently not.
Really?
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
'4(1)The SPCB must pay a grant (an “office-holder resettlement grant”) to an individual who— (a)stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and
(b)is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.
(2)The amount of an office-holder resettlement grant is to be equal to the appropriate percentage of the annual office-holder salary payable to the individual when the individual left office.
“appropriate percentage” means— (a) in the case of the Presiding Officer or First Minister, the higher of—
(i) 50%, and
(ii) X%, “X” being equal to—
where “A” is the number of complete continuous years for which the individual has been Presiding Officer or First Minister (up to a maximum of 12),'
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
Section 3 gives them the power to change the pension arrangements for the FO and Presiding Officer amongst other things but so far as I can see they haven't and the provisions I quoted remain in force. When do you say the scheme I have quoted, which is still on the legislation.gov.uk website was changed?
The current salary of the FM is £104,584 so half of that would be just over £52k.
Yousaf is only 39. If he is getting that, and he is entitled to it, it will be worth in excess of £2m for 14 months as FM.
Doesn't need legislation to change, now the powers were put in the 2009 Act. Evidently has changed.
Not so. I have checked Westlaw. The current provision in force is as follows:
S1.— Pension for First Minister and Presiding Officer (1) Any person who has held the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer shall, on ceasing to hold that office and subject to paragraph (2), be entitled to receive a pension under this article. (2) No pension shall be payable under this article to any person so long as he is in receipt of any salary charged or payable out of– (a) the Scottish Consolidated Fund other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the Parliament; or (b) the Consolidated Fund or out of monies provided by Parliament other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the House of Commons. (3) The annual amount of a pension payable under this article shall be equal to one half of the salary payable in respect of the office in question at the rate in force on the person's ceasing to hold that office.
So, if Yousaf was in the cabinet and drawing a salary as a minister the pension would not be payable until he had no income other than his income as an MSP. But if he goes to the backbenches he will get the £52K pension.
Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme) Order 1999/1082
That's the 1999 legislation. The 2009 legislation modifies it.
'491.Paragraph 3 prevents a current (or any former) Presiding Officer and a current (or any former) First Minister participating in the scheme as an office-holder member on new rules day or thereafter. Such persons are all in receipt of or entitled to special pension arrangements under Part S of the 1999 scheme rules (one half of the salary payable in respect of the office when the person ceases to hold that office). Under the Act there is no such special provision for future Presiding Officers or First Ministers, who are instead treated as office-holders and allowed to join the scheme in terms of rule 22 of Schedule 1. This transitional provision prevents individuals from being entitled under both old and new arrangements.'
And as quoted in the news story:
'The Parliament has said the First Minister’s pension would actually be “in the order of” £2000 per annum, payable from age 65.
In a statement sent to the media, the Parliament said: “Humza Yousaf’s First Minister pension will be either 1/40 or 1/50 of his final salary of £104,584 (depending on which funding option he chose) for each year in office (ie one year in office).
“His First Minister pension will therefore be in the order of £2k per annum, payable from age 65.”
The Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009 removed any future entitlement to a pension of the type described in the story, bosses added.'
The quotations I made earlier are from the 2009 Act. It is possible that these are transitional but i cannot find any evidence of that.
The ludicrous Sky analysis by Thrasher has resulted in this nonsense.
Whereas the Tories are NOT in a coalition of chaos. Coalition implies a degree of organisation.
Nevertheless I think this is just Sunak clutching at a straw named Michael Thrasher and his prediction of NOM based on the Council results.
My non professor of politics with subject expertise in psephology take is you only need one more vote than the other guy under FPTP in every seat to win them all. Which isn't far from what Labour achieved in the council elections.
How can no 10 talk about a coalition of chaos with a straight face. We have had non stop chaos since 2016.
This afternoon I drove into Llandudno and half way down the Little Orme the speed changes from 40mph to 20mph
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
It would appear that you are well aware that it's 20mph. The police can use discretion on a decision to prosecute, but if you're above 20mph and get a fine then you can have no complaints.
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
You are really out of touch with the situation in Wales over the change and whether you like it or not the Welsh government itself is implementing changes in their advice that will see some roads revert back from September
Furthermore, it is go safe official policy not to prosecute under 26mph and it has nothing to do with the GE as it is Labour in Wales who accept the implementation was badly handled and by September the policy should actually work
I remember when Conservatives like yourself respected the law of the land.
As we've seen with wilful breaking of 20mph limits in Wales and the vandalism of ULEZ cameras in London, the right have abandoned the rule of law. Shame on them.
I remember when motorists of a certain generation didn't think the law of the land applied to them, from the howling when the breathalysers came in. Evidently they haven't changed.
I’m soon going to be letting out my place in France as a holiday rental, and planning to do things properly ie nice toiletries in the bathrooms, crisp linens, welcome packs and so on.
One thing I’d like to do is a glossy illustrated coffee table style book containing all the local information about walks, places to visit, history of the area etc. Much more appealing than a stapled together set of sheets with the WiFi code and number for the local vets.
Does anyone know a good company for printing books like this in very short runs? I probably only need a dozen or so to start with. I’ve seen sone good self publishing businesses online but they tend to have very large minimum runs of several hundred, or be one off holiday snap printers like photo box that don’t quite have the quality.
It will get stolen. Seriously. I have friends in this business and at one point I was gonna Airbnb my flat - due to travelling so much - and they all said: don’t leave anything which you care about too much, it will get nicked
This is esp true of holiday homes - apparently - where guests presume “you won’t mind”
People can be beasts. My partner Airb&b-ed her apartment in Rothesay for a few years and the crap (sometimes literally) she had to put up with..
On a mildly connected note, with some competition today’s most depressing tweet
Jesus Christ, that is bleak. I despair of these people that litter and graffiti. I see grown adults do in London and I have to suppress my murderous desires
Bring on the Chinese style surveillance if it means we can taser these fuckers
Comments
eg when renting to students you make sure that common area bulbs are screw fit and room bulbs are bayonet. Or vice versa.
However, best plan on staying WAY more than a day IF you plan on leaving MY place spotless!
What pisses me off is when I see a recommendation for an interesting programme and it's on whichever of Netflix/Prime/Sky/Disney+/AppleTV/etc/etc I don't currently subscribe to.
556.Part S of the 1999 pensions order established a separate pension scheme for holders of the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer. This scheme is unfunded in that payments are charged on and paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as opposed to the funded scheme (for which the Pension Fund was established by article B1 of the 1999 pensions order). The First Minister and Presiding Officer scheme is not a tax-registered scheme in terms of section 150(2) of the Finance Act 2004 and therefore, the rules for tax-registered schemes and consequent tax treatment do not apply to it (as an unregistered scheme the benefits paid under it are subject to income tax and other taxes).
557.Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50% of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age. There is also provision for a pension for surviving widows, civil partners and children or any person entitled to benefits (with any pension payable based on the relevant office-holder pension entitlement).
558.Paragraph 21(1) specifies that the rules in the 1999 pensions order covering First Ministers and Presiding Officers will continue in respect of any individual who holds or has held those offices on the new rules day, i.e. those already entitled to or receiving that pension. This applies also in respect of any surviving spouses, civil partners or children relating to that individual. Corresponding transitional provision is made in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to exclude individuals entitled under this paragraph from also being office-holder members in the funded scheme.
However, there is evidence that the increased popularity is a causing issues with casual use and refusal of entry (eg a lone male comes across a group of women, stag dos etc). They are primarily emergency shelters and in crap weather you should expect to be crammed in like sardines. I think we will end up with a NZ system of huts managed by SG if things continue like that.
Tooooo easy to envision the diagonal morphing to horizontal!
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/1
[edit - sorry, pasted wrong section]
So AUIU Mr Y gets 2K pa increment to his pension. Not 52K.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/24291168.scottish-parliament-calls-massively-wrong-story-humza-yousaf/
And I fucking hate that dog.
Do they do nominative determinism?
(Asking for a friend !!)
However even if he did become SNP leader, the SNP won a majority of MPs at the next general election and had more seats than Unionists at Holyrood still and he became an MSP and FM and then declare UDI that would be constitutionally illegal without Westminster consent as Holyrood's powers are devolved from Westminster and the Crown. Direct rule would be imposed in such an event from London until such time as the matter was resolved, just as Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia when the Catalan nationalist government declared UDI in 2017
50%....this surely implies the minimum is 52k
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/1/notes/division/5/29/21#:~:text=Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension,of service in the post or their age.
The provision you are referring to is concerned with the resettlement grant, not the pension. The resettlement grant is in addition to the pension.
Oh god.
Just heard someone say Genny Lec organically… in the wild.
Unprompted.
😩
Edit: And I see Mr Neil has sort of retracted.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/24291858.andrew-neil-red-faced-claim-yousaf-will-get-52k-year/
@HuffPostUK
·
3h
Exclusive: Two More Tory MPs Could Defect To Labour Before The Election
https://twitter.com/KevinASchofield
Strong indications are that the SNP's star is waning.
The current salary of the FM is £104,584 so half of that would be just over £52k.
Yousaf is only 39. If he is getting that, and he is entitled to it, it will be worth in excess of £2m for 14 months as FM.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/24291168.scottish-parliament-calls-massively-wrong-story-humza-yousaf/
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5774957/coronavirus-scotland-scots-nats-protest-fury/
But the Scottish Parliament authorities have warned reporters against spreading this information which bosses say is factually incorrect.
The Parliament has said the First Minister’s pension would actually be “in the order of” £2000 per annum, payable from age 65.
In a statement sent to the media, the Parliament said: “Humza Yousaf’s First Minister pension will be either 1/40 or 1/50 of his final salary of £104,584 (depending on which funding option he chose) for each year in office (ie one year in office).
“His First Minister pension will therefore be in the order of £2k per annum, payable from age 65.”
The Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009 removed any future entitlement to a pension of the type described in the story, bosses added.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/24291168.scottish-parliament-calls-massively-wrong-story-humza-yousaf/
However, the 20 mph signs had been vandalised and my dash did not show the change to 20mph for the first time remaining at 40mph
Now I know the speed is 20mph and adjusted to the now average of 24mph but what is the legal position?
S1.— Pension for First Minister and Presiding Officer
(1) Any person who has held the office of First Minister or Presiding Officer shall, on ceasing to hold that office and subject to paragraph (2), be entitled to receive a pension under this article.
(2) No pension shall be payable under this article to any person so long as he is in receipt of any salary charged or payable out of–
(a) the Scottish Consolidated Fund other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the Parliament; or
(b) the Consolidated Fund or out of monies provided by Parliament other than a salary payable in respect of his membership of the House of Commons.
(3) The annual amount of a pension payable under this article shall be equal to one half of the salary payable in respect of the office in question at the rate in force on the person's ceasing to hold that office.
So, if Yousaf was in the cabinet and drawing a salary as a minister the pension would not be payable until he had no income other than his income as an MSP. But if he goes to the backbenches he will get the £52K pension.
Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme) Order 1999/1082
It's pretty much now or never for Nige.
https://x.com/triggerpod/status/1787165373424390400
I would just add that all go safe camera locations are announced to the public each month so most drivers can find out which roads and where are being monitored
It's the same as with GRR Martin and the final Game of Thrones books. They're both having more fun doing other things.
Jack Surfleet
@jacksurfleet
·
3m
Monday's TIMES: UK heading for a hung parliament, says Sunak
#TomorrowsPapersToday
Then I remembered. They need someone to pay Adrian Newey’s salary and development budget. And it all makes sense.
Like Houchen yesterday I think we can expect that Ferrari will forget the blue if it brings them the title. Whoops. Forgot to add blue onto all the Tifosi flags and fan gear. Sorry.
Which occurs on 1st June, of course.
Already walking back his internal optimism of 'greatest comeback in history' to something more realistic, even if still not the most probable.
Both views show they know the party is doing very badly right not, so they are not totally in denial.
Ass
8 months till the GE folks. Lots more of this to come. Already had Trans and cyclists.
Utterly pathetic.
Very saucy!
If anyone actually believes this rubbish they will be more determined to vote Labour to make sure they have a good majority.
The Telegraph
@Telegraph
·
2h
🔴 Labour would have to enter a “coalition of chaos” with other parties to win office, No 10 sources have suggested, after an analysis said the general election could produce a hung parliament
https://telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/05/05/labour-coalition-of-chaos-analysis-of-local-elections-torie/
===
The ludicrous Sky analysis by Thrasher has resulted in this nonsense.
Furthermore, it is go safe official policy not to prosecute under 26mph and it has nothing to do with the GE as it is Labour in Wales who accept the implementation was badly handled and by September the policy should actually work
Just curious
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/1/notes
'491.Paragraph 3 prevents a current (or any former) Presiding Officer and a current (or any former) First Minister participating in the scheme as an office-holder member on new rules day or thereafter. Such persons are all in receipt of or entitled to special pension arrangements under Part S of the 1999 scheme rules (one half of the salary payable in respect of the office when the person ceases to hold that office). Under the Act there is no such special provision for future Presiding Officers or First Ministers, who are instead treated as office-holders and allowed to join the scheme in terms of rule 22 of Schedule 1. This transitional provision prevents individuals from being entitled under both old and new arrangements.'
And as quoted in the news story:
'The Parliament has said the First Minister’s pension would actually be “in the order of” £2000 per annum, payable from age 65.
In a statement sent to the media, the Parliament said: “Humza Yousaf’s First Minister pension will be either 1/40 or 1/50 of his final salary of £104,584 (depending on which funding option he chose) for each year in office (ie one year in office).
“His First Minister pension will therefore be in the order of £2k per annum, payable from age 65.”
The Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009 removed any future entitlement to a pension of the type described in the story, bosses added.'
Every mention of the danger of a hung Parliament is an incentive to vote Labour.
Who pays these people?
As we've seen with wilful breaking of 20mph limits in Wales and the vandalism of ULEZ cameras in London, the right have abandoned the rule of law. Shame on them.
Nevertheless I think this is just Sunak clutching at a straw named Michael Thrasher and his prediction of NOM based on the Council results.
My non professor of politics with subject expertise in psephology take is you only need one more vote than the other guy under FPTP in every seat to win them all. Which isn't far from what Labour achieved in the council elections.
Given the preponderance of idiots razzing round the countyside on ATVs round here, I do wonder how long it will take for them to start turning up in remoter areas.
The Norwegian (DNT) key system seems to work OK, although no doubt once everyone has a key it becomes less effective.
Even in the Corbyn years, when Labour appeared close to it, a leadership not renowned for its nous knew when they were facing a dire picture and to change course to some extent to shore things up.
Do the current Tories? Or do they actually believe this stuff. If they do then woah boy.
I respect the law of the land and it is the lawmakers themselves who are changing and amending their own law with widespread approval across the political divide in Wales
Indeed from a practical sense it is impossible to keep to 20mph when most everyone else is driving at 25mph and tailgating or overtaking the few who stay at 20mph
I would just say I have never received a ticket for any driving offence at all since I received my licence in 1961 nor have I ever been prosecuted for anything whatsoever and you should apologise
Bring on the Chinese style surveillance if it means we can taser these fuckers