Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
In fairness, it is worth noting that Finnish tax levels as a share of income are higher than the UK by roughly 8p in the pound, according to the OECD. E.g., VAT is 24% instead of 20%. Though I don't think that matters for new gyms etc - I suspect land values and overall residential desirability is the story - the UK will get warmer this century, but Finland will always be dark for months. Ideally one would earn a UK income and live among people who get Finnish incomes, which appears to be the arrangement here.
I could see us in the UK raise tax to those levels and still not achieve the output.
It'd go on higher public sector salaries, and non-jobs.
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
Long winters, no cricket, not much sport generally, higher taxes, 9% unemployment and Russia next door.
There are advantages and disadvantages to everywhere.
Its just a matter of making best use of the advantages while minimising the disadvantages.
So after having walked around a lake and gone to a restaurant at lunch time I'm now off to see some cricket, walk through a park and then have a swim.
Two have moved to America One has moved to France One moved to America but is now moving to Spain One is in the process of moving to Thailand
That’s five out of ten. All late middle aged men who either earn good money (and pay the tax on it) or they earn amazing money (and pay insane tax)
All gone or going from the UK
*cough*BREXIT*cough*
What ARE you talking about? None of them quit for reasons due to Brexit. Two got job offers, two went for taxes/finances, one for his wife, and all five cited the British climate as a further reason
I have several other friends considering it. The fact is Britain is a high tax country with mediocre public services, mass migration is fast transforming the nation in a way many don't like, and the weather is shite. You can say the people leaving are greedy racist fucks overworried by rain, but they are leaving
More pertinently, technology and allied changes make working elsewhere MUCH more feasible, and the people that are tempted to go tend to be high income earners with skilled cognitive jobs. It's not cab drivers or check out girls
We are going to lose our crucial higher bracket taxpayers, like @Casino_Royale
I genuinely hope not as this is a wonderful country with lots of good things to be proud off and living abroad does not guarantee happiness anyway
I like @Casino_Royale and admire his resolute defence of his positions though he does go a wee bit over the top at times
This forum needs lots of views and at present conservative views are really irrelevant but it will not be long before the focus will turn to Labour and we will see just how they cope in very difficult times
Is Britain still a wonderful country? Compared to others? These days I am not entirely sure, and that grieves me
Compared to most of the world it is still a more developed country and wealthy country yes (and the sun is even making a rare appearance today).
Compared to Singapore, Australia, Canada, NZ, parts of the US, Monaco, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Dubai though even Ireland there are reasons to move to get a higher income and often with lower tax and better weather.
Though if you go to Singapore or the UAE be sure to follow the strict drugs and morality laws otherwise you could spend a lengthy time in jail
We all want different things. I have absolutely NO desire to live in NZ, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Dubai, Canada (except just maybe BC)
Personally, my list would be Spain, Thailand, Cambodia, possibly Oz, perhaps Italy or Portugal (all on nomad visas or similar), maybe Greece if they fix their toilets (I'm serious). America is seductive in ways - the sun! - but the guns, the drugs, the politics, they are too bleak. France also, if they ever do the nomad visa thing
I'm not saying these countries are better/worse than the UK, these are simply the places that entice me, and which I am seriously considering (tho whatever I do I want to keep travelling as long as my bones can hack it)
One of my exes, who is really the love of my life, is trying to persuade me to move to Oz to be with her. As much as I would be happy spending the rest of my life with her, she is a thing of beauty, a talented collected artist, a crazy French Berber with Aussie nationality and just has never stopped loving me, I really don’t want to move to the other side of the world.
We were talking at about 4 this morning and I was explaining that I have my family and friends here and the UK, I need Christmas to be in dark cold conditions and I’m not sure I would really enjoy the constant warmth and sunshine where she lives (about 6 hours north of Brisbane by a beach). It could sound idyllic but I like seasons, I don’t like the brown snakes she finds in her garden.
She can’t really do half the year there and half here because she has her two children living out there as well as her siblings and she’s an Aussie Army Veteran and gets treatment for her PTSD from their amazing veterans services and has a dog provided by them to help her.
So sadly we will probably have to leave it - I think if I had no family I could uproot there but it’s a very long way to go.
Some of the most depressed people I've ever met was a bunch of Aussies living in an idyllic beach resort in Queensland, a long way north of Brissie
Prima facie, it was Edenic. Endless empty beaches, loads of sunshine, high incomes and safe neighbourhoods, lots of fresh seafood, etc etc etc, all the great things about Australia - America without the guns and madness
They were all bored SHITLESS. And turning into alcoholics thereby. Their kids loved it, of course - spending all day frolicking in the waves
It was then that I realised that places that are "great for kids" are often "terrible for adults"
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
I feel like a surprising amount of the developed world is actually like this, just hardly anywhere in the UK which is close killing itself off via its dysfunctional planning and development system.
Sadly, people will scoff. But Helsinki has more daylight hours per year (1838) than London (1633), Edinburgh (1427), or Manchester (1265).
Related question, why can Finland deliver this and Britain CAN’T? It’s demographics are probably worse abs it’s proximity to Russia implies they can’t avoid spending a decent amount of money on defence.
It's degenerated into corporate "rainbow washing" - where companies are "brave" where they don't need to be, and cowards where gay people are persecuted:
A lesbian philosopher writes:
Pride Month began yesterday. I know what you’re thinking: haven’t we already had it? Perhaps you’re thinking of LGBT+ History month in February. Or maybe you’re remembering the Tolkienesque-sounding IDAHOBIT — otherwise known as International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia — a fortnight ago. Later in the year there will be Ace (asexual) Week and Transgender Awareness Week; and don’t forget the Pride and Trans Pride parades scattered throughout the summer. The Catholic church has fewer holy days of obligation than the modern LGBTQI+ movement, and is arguably a lot less guilt-tripping.
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
Long winters, no cricket, not much sport generally, higher taxes, 9% unemployment and Russia next door.
There are advantages and disadvantages to everywhere.
Its just a matter of making best use of the advantages while minimising the disadvantages.
So after having walked around a lake and gone to a restaurant at lunch time I'm now off to see some cricket, walk through a park and then have a swim.
Yeah, I’ve been to Finland a couple of times and while I can see the logic of everything here the fact is - Finland??? Fuck no
Two have moved to America One has moved to France One moved to America but is now moving to Spain One is in the process of moving to Thailand
That’s five out of ten. All late middle aged men who either earn good money (and pay the tax on it) or they earn amazing money (and pay insane tax)
All gone or going from the UK
*cough*BREXIT*cough*
What ARE you talking about? None of them quit for reasons due to Brexit. Two got job offers, two went for taxes/finances, one for his wife, and all five cited the British climate as a further reason
I have several other friends considering it. The fact is Britain is a high tax country with mediocre public services, mass migration is fast transforming the nation in a way many don't like, and the weather is shite. You can say the people leaving are greedy racist fucks overworried by rain, but they are leaving
More pertinently, technology and allied changes make working elsewhere MUCH more feasible, and the people that are tempted to go tend to be high income earners with skilled cognitive jobs. It's not cab drivers or check out girls
We are going to lose our crucial higher bracket taxpayers, like @Casino_Royale
I genuinely hope not as this is a wonderful country with lots of good things to be proud off and living abroad does not guarantee happiness anyway
I like @Casino_Royale and admire his resolute defence of his positions though he does go a wee bit over the top at times
This forum needs lots of views and at present conservative views are really irrelevant but it will not be long before the focus will turn to Labour and we will see just how they cope in very difficult times
Is Britain still a wonderful country? Compared to others? These days I am not entirely sure, and that grieves me
Compared to most of the world it is still a more developed country and wealthy country yes (and the sun is even making a rare appearance today).
Compared to Singapore, Australia, Canada, NZ, parts of the US, Monaco, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Dubai though even Ireland there are reasons to move to get a higher income and often with lower tax and better weather.
Though if you go to Singapore or the UAE be sure to follow the strict drugs and morality laws otherwise you could spend a lengthy time in jail
We all want different things. I have absolutely NO desire to live in NZ, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Dubai, Canada (except just maybe BC)
Personally, my list would be Spain, Thailand, Cambodia, possibly Oz, perhaps Italy or Portugal (all on nomad visas or similar), maybe Greece if they fix their toilets (I'm serious). America is seductive in ways - the sun! - but the guns, the drugs, the politics, they are too bleak. France also, if they ever do the nomad visa thing
I'm not saying these countries are better/worse than the UK, these are simply the places that entice me, and which I am seriously considering (tho whatever I do I want to keep travelling as long as my bones can hack it)
One of my exes, who is really the love of my life, is trying to persuade me to move to Oz to be with her. As much as I would be happy spending the rest of my life with her, she is a thing of beauty, a talented collected artist, a crazy French Berber with Aussie nationality and just has never stopped loving me, I really don’t want to move to the other side of the world.
We were talking at about 4 this morning and I was explaining that I have my family and friends here and the UK, I need Christmas to be in dark cold conditions and I’m not sure I would really enjoy the constant warmth and sunshine where she lives (about 6 hours north of Brisbane by a beach). It could sound idyllic but I like seasons, I don’t like the brown snakes she finds in her garden.
She can’t really do half the year there and half here because she has her two children living out there as well as her siblings and she’s an Aussie Army Veteran and gets treatment for her PTSD from their amazing veterans services and has a dog provided by them to help her.
So sadly we will probably have to leave it - I think if I had no family I could uproot there but it’s a very long way to go.
Some of the most depressed people I've ever met was a bunch of Aussies living in an idyllic beach resort in Queensland, a long way north of Brissie
Prima facie, it was Edenic. Endless empty beaches, loads of sunshine, high incomes and safe neighbourhoods, lots of fresh seafood, etc etc etc, all the great things about Australia - America without the guns and madness
They were all bored SHITLESS. And turning into alcoholics thereby. Their kids loved it, of course - spending all day frolicking in the waves
It was then that I realised that places that are "great for kids" are often "terrible for adults"
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
My very first ever work business trip was to Helsinki at the age of 22 in December of 2016. I got up, it was dark. I got a taxi to a meeting, it was dark. We broke for lunch, and the sun peeked above the horizon. I went back to the airport (in the early afternoon), it was dark.
I appreciate that there are other times of year. But it is kinda dark in winter.
If I was going to be in that part of the world, I think I would follow @Cicero and head to Estonia.
So, a little meditation on relative levels of cheerfulness of the English and French, and a brief look at weather and the election.
For the second time this year I’ve been struck returning from France by something I don’t remember noticing before. The French are becoming more taciturn, more serious, less given to joie de vivre than they used to be. Certainly that’s the impression I get in Northern France, and whilst community spirit seems to be alive and well down in Sud Bourgogne the way locals talk about the state of the world is decidedly downbeat.
Then I return here and it’s palpably different. There is a bustle. More chatting. People in shops and cafes more eager to please, everyone seemingly more gregarious. I don’t know if they’re happier, but they’re certainly louder. This despite the obvious fact that everything works better in France and the place is generally much prettier.
This might partly be a big city vs provincial thing but I noticed it a few months ago stopping at a standard chain restaurant somewhere near Ashford after the tunnel. And the cities of France seem to have the same hush.
If there’s that sort of energy here then maybe it bodes well. Maybe Britain can be an optimistic and dynamic place again. Maybe it is already so.
Then there’s the weather. It didn’t escape my notice that today on our return the bustle and chatting around town (even in Lee high Road Lidl) coincides with a rather lovely, surprise, warm sunny day. This country is at its most optimistic during the early warm spells of summer when decent weather and light levels are a novelty. By the end of a hot sunny summer, when we get them, everyone’s inured to it.
Which brings me on to the election. It’s statistically true that good weather affects people’s behaviour and optimism about the future. So what would the ideal weather for the election campaign be for Labour? I would say dull, chilly, wet and generally miserable for the first 2 or 3 weeks, to make everyone really angry at the government and generally depressed. Then towards the end a sudden change to warm and sunny, but not too hot and with a light breeze. “Maybe a better country is possible” they think as they walk to the polls on a balmy summer early evening. Things can only get better.
For the Tories surely the opposite is true. Start things sunny and pleasant. Life’s not too bad after all. We should be thankful for what we have. Then as a Labour term gets ominously closer, dark storm clouds gather. It looks like the final stages of ghostbusters. A chill wind pierces the grey June skies. A Starmer victory starts to look a tad worrying.
For the Lib Dems clearly there’s a need for warm sunny weather all the way as that’s best for outdoor activities like paddle boarding and water slides.
The start of the campaign has been cool and wet. Next week starts OK then goes cool again. The long term model ensembles show a tantalising glimpse of much more summery weather towards the end of the month.
It’s not a new thing, the French being downbeat. Don’t they have a word for it - La morosite?
However I have also noted that the difference in outlook between the French and British is becoming more noticeable not less
The British have a mustn’t grumble and matey cheeriness which the French do not. And a much better sense of humour (tho we probably obsess about that too much). Along with our superior noom it’s one thing that makes Britain more desirable than France in certain ways - despite France being considerably more beautiful, with more space, better weather, lovelier towns
The difference is also noticeable vis a vis the Italians. From French gloom to Italian vivacity is quite a journey
Polls also show this. The French are some of the most pissed off people in Europe, despite being some of the luckiest. This presumably explains Le Pen etc
Would this be an opportune moment to observe that Calais is the French equivalent of Wick?
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
In fairness, it is worth noting that Finnish tax levels as a share of income are higher than the UK by roughly 8p in the pound, according to the OECD. E.g., VAT is 24% instead of 20%. Though I don't think that matters for new gyms etc - I suspect land values and overall residential desirability is the story - the UK will get warmer this century, but Finland will always be dark for months. Ideally one would earn a UK income and live among people who get Finnish incomes, which appears to be the arrangement here.
I could see us in the UK raise tax to those levels and still not achieve the output.
It'd go on higher public sector salaries, and non-jobs.
Correct, because the UK has an astonishing systemic aversion to capital investment. So more money goes on labour, and badly trained labour at that (because training costs money).
To quote Trump, We need to stop everything until we can figure out what’s going on.
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
Long winters, no cricket, not much sport generally, higher taxes, 9% unemployment and Russia next door.
There are advantages and disadvantages to everywhere.
Its just a matter of making best use of the advantages while minimising the disadvantages.
So after having walked around a lake and gone to a restaurant at lunch time I'm now off to see some cricket, walk through a park and then have a swim.
Yeah, I’ve been to Finland a couple of times and while I can see the logic of everything here the fact is - Finland??? Fuck no
Have you been to algeria? Would you do so on Richard Collett's advice? I am tempted
It only took 12 years but SKS has decided to pick up the Blue Labour movement that Ed Milliband temporarily tried.
This has to be a pitch to the Sun right?
There's something about SKS that's very insincere: like he knows he has to say all the right things to win, but does he actually believe them?
With Blair, you never had a doubt. With Sir Keir "I am a socialist" Starmer you simply don't know.
I actually think Starmer is more sincere than Blair was. These things are highly relative.
I also think Sunak more sincere than Starmer. It doesn't do him any good. He's probably just as weirdly hard right ideological as he appears to be. He genuinely thinks government is there to make billionaires like him even richer and doesn't understand why people might see that as a problem.
My sincerity list of recent prime ministers, where sincerity sadly doesn't always correlate to whether they are any good.
1. Major 2. May 3. Brown 4. Sunak 5. Cameron 6. Thatcher 7. Blair 8. Truss 9. Johnson
Thatcher too low. You might not have liked what she said, but she was sincere.
Brown way too high. Hard to know whether insincere or deluded, but I'd mark him down anyway.
Agree on Thatcher. Disagree on Brown. The poor guy is one of the most earnest people I've seen. May is too high, Truss is too low.
1 Major/Thatcher/Brown 4 Truss/Blair/Sunak/May 8 Cameron 1,000,000 Johnson
I think May generally tried to do the right thing. The big blot on her copybook was the hostile immigration policy mainly before she became prime minister. She did try to row back a bit on it later.
The question with Truss is whether she is sincerely bonkers, or whether it is to some extent an act, playing to the gallery to her perceived advantage. Johnson is in a category of insincerity of his own, so I just had to decide whether Truss or Blair was more insincere. I am OK with putting Truss below Blair.
Truss started out as an anti-monarchist Young Liberal then decided she fancied a political career and adjusted accordingly. As the Tory party has required more and more extreme nuttiness for survival and preferment, she's adjusted accordingly. There's not much sincerity in all of that.
I think Liz Truss was the only Remain supporter who voted against the Windsor agreement.
Which IMO showed an unpleasant bitterness towards Sunak.
Also, IMO, her whining sense of entitlement and refusal to take responsibility for her government contradicts the concept of self-responsibility that Conservative politicians advocate for others.
It's degenerated into corporate "rainbow washing" - where companies are "brave" where they don't need to be, and cowards where gay people are persecuted:
A lesbian philosopher writes:
Pride Month began yesterday. I know what you’re thinking: haven’t we already had it? Perhaps you’re thinking of LGBT+ History month in February. Or maybe you’re remembering the Tolkienesque-sounding IDAHOBIT — otherwise known as International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia — a fortnight ago. Later in the year there will be Ace (asexual) Week and Transgender Awareness Week; and don’t forget the Pride and Trans Pride parades scattered throughout the summer. The Catholic church has fewer holy days of obligation than the modern LGBTQI+ movement, and is arguably a lot less guilt-tripping.
The excommunications are a lot more brutal and permanent too. The Catholic Church might eventually forgive you and restore you to the communion of the saints, the LGBTQ+ cultists never forgive or forget.
Whatever Labour does with the NHS, it must not fuck up our pharma industry, which is still pretty strong. Biotechnology has the potential to make healthcare much more efficient.
Everything crossed.
Cancer is fucking horrible in every single possible way, and has claimed two members of my family as I'm sure it has for countless others.
It needs to be destroyed and consigned to the dustbin of history. Let's just die peacefully in our sleep in our 90s, please.
In many of our lifetimes HIV has gone from a death sentence to an eminently manageable condition - one senior Dr remarked he'd rather have HIV than diabetes!
Through the worst of it I visited a friend in San Francisco, en-route from Asia to corporate HQ. The obituary page in the weekly Bay Area Reporter went from a page and a half down to a quarter of a page, then a single column.
NZ has pretty good food, if you like fresh produce. But anything “fancy” (say, Stilton) has to be imported.
Obviously it’s cultural attractions, such as they are, pall against London’s. But I think that’s true of anywhere. I think generally on culture London edges New York and Paris.
Sadiq Khan wants to have bays to park the rental bikes in from Lime etc.
I am conflicted about this. I like the convenience but I can't doubt that people just dump them all over the place.
Are any of those companies actually profitable?
Lime are there or thereabouts - doing $90m EBITDA globally in the last year, and have committed to investing another £25m in growing their London network.
The others are still reliant on VC funding - I believe HumanForest extended their Series A by £5m to £17m total at the end of last year, and are currently working on funding for an expansion into Europe.
The scooter specialists are doing less well - Emtransit/dott have pulled out of the latest round of the London scooter trial, but it feels like with 3 (or 4?) remaining providers in the UK that there's still at least one player too many.
I see we are in the phase of a General Election where "patriotic" Brits continually run down the country and talk of their immenent departure as the country goes to the dogs.
I see we are in the phase of a General Election where "patriotic" Brits continually run down the country and talk of their immenent departure as the country goes to the dogs.
I remember it well from 1997.
1997! I was told to buy a new kitchen and get the deal done before the election, because Labour would bring inflation ... not sure that line would work today.
Fresh Direct, which is New York’s (inferior) answer to Ocado, texted me yesterday with “LGBTQ+ deals”.
I remarked to my wife that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some gay bacon.
Fruitcake alert!
Their products rather than you GW
Who's complaining, if it's cheaper? Though I suppose some gammons might moan about cutprice gammon.
Edit: I get emails from a (very good) military bookseller/publisher in the States. Sometimes he has special deals to mark Veterans' Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. etc. I'm sure not a Usonian let alone ex-GI but am happy to accept ...
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
So, a little meditation on relative levels of cheerfulness of the English and French, and a brief look at weather and the election.
For the second time this year I’ve been struck returning from France by something I don’t remember noticing before. The French are becoming more taciturn, more serious, less given to joie de vivre than they used to be. Certainly that’s the impression I get in Northern France, and whilst community spirit seems to be alive and well down in Sud Bourgogne the way locals talk about the state of the world is decidedly downbeat.
Then I return here and it’s palpably different. There is a bustle. More chatting. People in shops and cafes more eager to please, everyone seemingly more gregarious. I don’t know if they’re happier, but they’re certainly louder. This despite the obvious fact that everything works better in France and the place is generally much prettier.
This might partly be a big city vs provincial thing but I noticed it a few months ago stopping at a standard chain restaurant somewhere near Ashford after the tunnel. And the cities of France seem to have the same hush.
If there’s that sort of energy here then maybe it bodes well. Maybe Britain can be an optimistic and dynamic place again. Maybe it is already so.
Then there’s the weather. It didn’t escape my notice that today on our return the bustle and chatting around town (even in Lee high Road Lidl) coincides with a rather lovely, surprise, warm sunny day. This country is at its most optimistic during the early warm spells of summer when decent weather and light levels are a novelty. By the end of a hot sunny summer, when we get them, everyone’s inured to it.
Which brings me on to the election. It’s statistically true that good weather affects people’s behaviour and optimism about the future. So what would the ideal weather for the election campaign be for Labour? I would say dull, chilly, wet and generally miserable for the first 2 or 3 weeks, to make everyone really angry at the government and generally depressed. Then towards the end a sudden change to warm and sunny, but not too hot and with a light breeze. “Maybe a better country is possible” they think as they walk to the polls on a balmy summer early evening. Things can only get better.
For the Tories surely the opposite is true. Start things sunny and pleasant. Life’s not too bad after all. We should be thankful for what we have. Then as a Labour term gets ominously closer, dark storm clouds gather. It looks like the final stages of ghostbusters. A chill wind pierces the grey June skies. A Starmer victory starts to look a tad worrying.
For the Lib Dems clearly there’s a need for warm sunny weather all the way as that’s best for outdoor activities like paddle boarding and water slides.
The start of the campaign has been cool and wet. Next week starts OK then goes cool again. The long term model ensembles show a tantalising glimpse of much more summery weather towards the end of the month.
It’s not a new thing, the French being downbeat. Don’t they have a word for it - La morosite?
However I have also noted that the difference in outlook between the French and British is becoming more noticeable not less
The British have a mustn’t grumble and matey cheeriness which the French do not. And a much better sense of humour (tho we probably obsess about that too much). Along with our superior noom it’s one thing that makes Britain more desirable than France in certain ways - despite France being considerably more beautiful, with more space, better weather, lovelier towns
The difference is also noticeable vis a vis the Italians. From French gloom to Italian vivacity is quite a journey
Polls also show this. The French are some of the most pissed off people in Europe, despite being some of the luckiest. This presumably explains Le Pen etc
Would this be an opportune moment to observe that Calais is the French equivalent of Wick?
There are some excellent bars and restaurants in Calais.
It only took 12 years but SKS has decided to pick up the Blue Labour movement that Ed Milliband temporarily tried.
This has to be a pitch to the Sun right?
There's something about SKS that's very insincere: like he knows he has to say all the right things to win, but does he actually believe them?
With Blair, you never had a doubt. With Sir Keir "I am a socialist" Starmer you simply don't know.
I actually think Starmer is more sincere than Blair was. These things are highly relative.
I also think Sunak more sincere than Starmer. It doesn't do him any good. He's probably just as weirdly hard right ideological as he appears to be. He genuinely thinks government is there to make billionaires like him even richer and doesn't understand why people might see that as a problem.
My sincerity list of recent prime ministers, where sincerity sadly doesn't always correlate to whether they are any good.
1. Major 2. May 3. Brown 4. Sunak 5. Cameron 6. Thatcher 7. Blair 8. Truss 9. Johnson
Thatcher too low. You might not have liked what she said, but she was sincere.
Brown way too high. Hard to know whether insincere or deluded, but I'd mark him down anyway.
Agree on Thatcher. Disagree on Brown. The poor guy is one of the most earnest people I've seen. May is too high, Truss is too low.
1 Major/Thatcher/Brown 4 Truss/Blair/Sunak/May 8 Cameron 1,000,000 Johnson
I think May generally tried to do the right thing. The big blot on her copybook was the hostile immigration policy mainly before she became prime minister. She did try to row back a bit on it later.
The question with Truss is whether she is sincerely bonkers, or whether it is to some extent an act, playing to the gallery to her perceived advantage. Johnson is in a category of insincerity of his own, so I just had to decide whether Truss or Blair was more insincere. I am OK with putting Truss below Blair.
Truss started out as an anti-monarchist Young Liberal then decided she fancied a political career and adjusted accordingly. As the Tory party has required more and more extreme nuttiness for survival and preferment, she's adjusted accordingly. There's not much sincerity in all of that.
I think Liz Truss was the only Remain supporter who voted against the Windsor agreement.
Which IMO showed an unpleasant bitterness towards Sunak.
Also, IMO, her whining sense of entitlement and refusal to take responsibility for her government contradicts the concept of self-responsibility that Conservative politicians advocate for others.
Not accepting personally what you advocate for and impose upon others would seem to have been the defining essence of conservatism for some time now?
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
My thoughts too.
I do not understand why the NEC have prevented her from re-standing. I find the accusation of anti-semitism maddening as on the evidence in the public sphere it is without foundation. It must be infuriating for Shaheen.
So, a little meditation on relative levels of cheerfulness of the English and French, and a brief look at weather and the election.
For the second time this year I’ve been struck returning from France by something I don’t remember noticing before. The French are becoming more taciturn, more serious, less given to joie de vivre than they used to be. Certainly that’s the impression I get in Northern France, and whilst community spirit seems to be alive and well down in Sud Bourgogne the way locals talk about the state of the world is decidedly downbeat.
Then I return here and it’s palpably different. There is a bustle. More chatting. People in shops and cafes more eager to please, everyone seemingly more gregarious. I don’t know if they’re happier, but they’re certainly louder. This despite the obvious fact that everything works better in France and the place is generally much prettier.
This might partly be a big city vs provincial thing but I noticed it a few months ago stopping at a standard chain restaurant somewhere near Ashford after the tunnel. And the cities of France seem to have the same hush.
If there’s that sort of energy here then maybe it bodes well. Maybe Britain can be an optimistic and dynamic place again. Maybe it is already so.
Then there’s the weather. It didn’t escape my notice that today on our return the bustle and chatting around town (even in Lee high Road Lidl) coincides with a rather lovely, surprise, warm sunny day. This country is at its most optimistic during the early warm spells of summer when decent weather and light levels are a novelty. By the end of a hot sunny summer, when we get them, everyone’s inured to it.
Which brings me on to the election. It’s statistically true that good weather affects people’s behaviour and optimism about the future. So what would the ideal weather for the election campaign be for Labour? I would say dull, chilly, wet and generally miserable for the first 2 or 3 weeks, to make everyone really angry at the government and generally depressed. Then towards the end a sudden change to warm and sunny, but not too hot and with a light breeze. “Maybe a better country is possible” they think as they walk to the polls on a balmy summer early evening. Things can only get better.
For the Tories surely the opposite is true. Start things sunny and pleasant. Life’s not too bad after all. We should be thankful for what we have. Then as a Labour term gets ominously closer, dark storm clouds gather. It looks like the final stages of ghostbusters. A chill wind pierces the grey June skies. A Starmer victory starts to look a tad worrying.
For the Lib Dems clearly there’s a need for warm sunny weather all the way as that’s best for outdoor activities like paddle boarding and water slides.
The start of the campaign has been cool and wet. Next week starts OK then goes cool again. The long term model ensembles show a tantalising glimpse of much more summery weather towards the end of the month.
It’s not a new thing, the French being downbeat. Don’t they have a word for it - La morosite?
However I have also noted that the difference in outlook between the French and British is becoming more noticeable not less
The British have a mustn’t grumble and matey cheeriness which the French do not. And a much better sense of humour (tho we probably obsess about that too much). Along with our superior noom it’s one thing that makes Britain more desirable than France in certain ways - despite France being considerably more beautiful, with more space, better weather, lovelier towns
The difference is also noticeable vis a vis the Italians. From French gloom to Italian vivacity is quite a journey
Polls also show this. The French are some of the most pissed off people in Europe, despite being some of the luckiest. This presumably explains Le Pen etc
Would this be an opportune moment to observe that Calais is the French equivalent of Wick?
There are some excellent bars and restaurants in Calais.
And Wick is a very fine place. I'd point out that the account of it here was not, erm, entirely complete (Pulteneytown for a start: same chap as Pulteney Bridge in Bath).
Fresh Direct, which is New York’s (inferior) answer to Ocado, texted me yesterday with “LGBTQ+ deals”.
I remarked to my wife that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some gay bacon.
Fruitcake alert!
Their products rather than you GW
Who's complaining, if it's cheaper? Though I suppose some gammons might moan about cutprice gammon.
No, no, not cutprice gammon! I've met his brother!
PS: It's so dispiriting that someone chose to flag my post. I presume because they thought it was wrong in some way. Just post your criticism or PM me.
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
My very first ever work business trip was to Helsinki at the age of 22 in December of 2016. I got up, it was dark. I got a taxi to a meeting, it was dark. We broke for lunch, and the sun peeked above the horizon. I went back to the airport (in the early afternoon), it was dark.
I appreciate that there are other times of year. But it is kinda dark in winter.
If I was going to be in that part of the world, I think I would follow @Cicero and head to Estonia.
Finland in the summer, Italy in the spring and autumn, and southern Spain in the winter would suit me just fine.
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
My very first ever work business trip was to Helsinki at the age of 22 in December of 2016. I got up, it was dark. I got a taxi to a meeting, it was dark. We broke for lunch, and the sun peeked above the horizon. I went back to the airport (in the early afternoon), it was dark.
I appreciate that there are other times of year. But it is kinda dark in winter.
If I was going to be in that part of the world, I think I would follow @Cicero and head to Estonia.
Anywhere that far North is going to be pretty horrible in the winter. For me the UK was bad enough, going to work in the dark at 8am and coming home in the dark at 5pm, for what always felt like months on end.
(You’re a lot younger than I thought you were as well, or did you mean you were 22 in 1996 )
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
Long winters, no cricket, not much sport generally, higher taxes, 9% unemployment and Russia next door.
There are advantages and disadvantages to everywhere.
Its just a matter of making best use of the advantages while minimising the disadvantages.
So after having walked around a lake and gone to a restaurant at lunch time I'm now off to see some cricket, walk through a park and then have a swim.
Yeah, I’ve been to Finland a couple of times and while I can see the logic of everything here the fact is - Finland??? Fuck no
Have you been to algeria? Would you do so on Richard Collett's advice? I am tempted
Fresh Direct, which is New York’s (inferior) answer to Ocado, texted me yesterday with “LGBTQ+ deals”.
I remarked to my wife that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some gay bacon.
Fruitcake alert!
Their products rather than you GW
Who's complaining, if it's cheaper? Though I suppose some gammons might moan about cutprice gammon.
No, no, not cutprice gammon! I've met his brother!
PS: It's so dispiriting that someone chose to flag my post. I presume because they thought it was wrong in some way. Just post your criticism or PM me.
Well, I wasn't the one making with the bunting, I promise!
More generally the transatlantics seem to have a sale at the drop of an excuse - having one for their pet dachshund's birthday wouldn't surprise me at the least. Slightly disconcerting at first but one gets used to it.
Just on this subject. A year ago I moved my wife and son to Finland although I still live in the UK. The determining factor was problems we had with state schooling in the UK. It wasn't actually bad, just not what we want, and this was really a problem with the structural context of education in the UK rather than the school itself. I mentioned before that the tax levels are very similar, only slightly higher in Finland.
My son finished his first school year in Finland. Without exception he has said every day is 'great'. The class size is 24. There are some troubled children but they have one on one help. In the UK he got mediocre reports and was way under the radar of the teaching staff. In Finland we just got back his report and it was exceptional in every category, the only thing that came back as 'good' was Finnish language, which was perhaps unsurprising given that it is his second language.
On the question of 'quality of life' Finland is so much better than the UK it is almost laughable. We have a brand new gym 5 minutes walk away, 2x supermarkets (one of which is 24 hours), a beach at the end of the road, sea swimming spots within 10 -30 mins cycle ride away (all on purpose built cycle paths), various protected areas of forest with paths through it (in summer), nordic ski trails in winter. A city within 20 mins walk away with a beautiful library, a massive mall, a recently landscaped town square, multiple universities, concert halls, theatres. World class restaurants. There are 2 outdoor lidos in walking distance, one olympic size swimming pool. In the winter you have indoor swimming pools with saunas and steam rooms etc. The roads have no congestion. There is very little crime, children walk around freely by themselves. There are playgrounds every few hundred meters.
We live in a desirable neighbourhood it is true but you can go and buy a flat at the bottom of the road in a 1990's block for less than 200k Euros. There are also subsidised housing and several thousand public housing flats within 5 minutes walk. Where would it be possible to find anything like this in the UK?
Long winters, no cricket, not much sport generally, higher taxes, 9% unemployment and Russia next door.
There are advantages and disadvantages to everywhere.
Its just a matter of making best use of the advantages while minimising the disadvantages.
So after having walked around a lake and gone to a restaurant at lunch time I'm now off to see some cricket, walk through a park and then have a swim.
Yeah, I’ve been to Finland a couple of times and while I can see the logic of everything here the fact is - Finland??? Fuck no
Have you been to algeria? Would you do so on Richard Collett's advice? I am tempted
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
As angry and disappointed as she no doubt is, depending on local candidates maybe she could still be persuaded Labour are the best choice! I mean, would she prefer Duncan-Smith win?
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
My thoughts too.
I do not understand why the NEC have prevented her from re-standing. I find the accusation of anti-semitism maddening as on the evidence in the public sphere it is without foundation. It must be infuriating for Shaheen.
But she is not coming across well.
Oh I don’t think the NEC comes out of this mess brilliantly. They are fortunate that Fazia went totally off the reservation over it, but they probably were sufficiently aware of her to know how she would likely take things. Brutal bit of housecleaning, but when Sir Keir is carried into Downing St over the prone corpses of 70% of the parliamentary Tory party nobody will much care about the mouth foaming of one purged candidate.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
To be fair, you are never not livid.
I am often not livid....you don't consider any party political or commercial having info on who lives at an address disconcerting? Where did they get the info for a start?
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
I am not on the voters register at all as no plan to vote
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
She’s been poorly treated but this is shifty especially posting a pic of the canvasser.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
All parties will have that ability, it’s basically the electoral roll information in usable format. The only way to avoid it is for your entire household to sacrifice their ability to vote.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
You can opt out of the open register. This is the version of the register that’s available to anyone who wants to buy a copy.
To opt out, either:
use the register to vote service (even if you’re already registered) contact your local Electoral Registration Office if you live in England, Scotland or Wales contact the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) if you live in Northern Ireland
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
It's electoral roll data, and all political parties use it. If you don't want that, you can take yourself off the electoral register.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
All parties will have that ability, it’s basically the electoral roll information in usable format. The only way to avoid it is for your entire household to sacrifice their ability to vote.
Why would you see it as a sacrifice there is no one worth voting for
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
My thoughts too.
I do not understand why the NEC have prevented her from re-standing. I find the accusation of anti-semitism maddening as on the evidence in the public sphere it is without foundation. It must be infuriating for Shaheen.
It only took 12 years but SKS has decided to pick up the Blue Labour movement that Ed Milliband temporarily tried.
This has to be a pitch to the Sun right?
There's something about SKS that's very insincere: like he knows he has to say all the right things to win, but does he actually believe them?
With Blair, you never had a doubt. With Sir Keir "I am a socialist" Starmer you simply don't know.
I actually think Starmer is more sincere than Blair was. These things are highly relative.
I also think Sunak more sincere than Starmer. It doesn't do him any good. He's probably just as weirdly hard right ideological as he appears to be. He genuinely thinks government is there to make billionaires like him even richer and doesn't understand why people might see that as a problem.
My sincerity list of recent prime ministers, where sincerity sadly doesn't always correlate to whether they are any good.
1. Major 2. May 3. Brown 4. Sunak 5. Cameron 6. Thatcher 7. Blair 8. Truss 9. Johnson
Thatcher too low. You might not have liked what she said, but she was sincere.
Brown way too high. Hard to know whether insincere or deluded, but I'd mark him down anyway.
Agree on Thatcher. Disagree on Brown. The poor guy is one of the most earnest people I've seen. May is too high, Truss is too low.
1 Major/Thatcher/Brown 4 Truss/Blair/Sunak/May 8 Cameron 1,000,000 Johnson
On the original list, just move Thatcher above Sunak and Cammo, and it's there. How Sunak can be considered sincere when he's tried so many positionings since he got the job is a mystery. Like Hague, he's been pushed into insincerity because his party needs a lifeboat strategy for desperate times
Sunak seems quite naturally insincere to me.
Think about his lies about Strava and Parkrun, for instance - they're such trivial things to have lied about, and yet he did it anyway for what appears to have been purely narcissistic reasons. That's Johnson-level behaviour.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
Won’t help, political parties get the unredacted version.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
Won’t help, political parties get the unredacted version.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
I am not on the voters register at all as no plan to vote
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
Won’t help, political parties get the unredacted version.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
Won’t help, political parties get the unredacted version.
Which is a good reason not to be on it
I wouldn't for a start trust any political party not to sell the unredacted list
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
Won’t help, political parties get the unredacted version.
They also combine the electoral roll with further, purchasable, data.
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
She’s been poorly treated but this is shifty especially posting a pic of the canvasser.
If she’d been quicker she could have recorded a video of her asking the canvasser, “Do you know who I am?!!!”
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
I am not on the voters register at all as no plan to vote
Of course you don’t.
Last time I bothered was 2010 so thats the last 3 elections I didnt bother with
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
All parties will have that ability, it’s basically the electoral roll information in usable format. The only way to avoid it is for your entire household to sacrifice their ability to vote.
Why would you see it as a sacrifice there is no one worth voting for
But next time there might be. Or a great independent at a local election or PCC race.
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
My thoughts too.
I do not understand why the NEC have prevented her from re-standing. I find the accusation of anti-semitism maddening as on the evidence in the public sphere it is without foundation. It must be infuriating for Shaheen.
But she is not coming across well.
Oh I don’t think the NEC comes out of this mess brilliantly. They are fortunate that Fazia went totally off the reservation over it, but they probably were sufficiently aware of her to know how she would likely take things. Brutal bit of housecleaning, but when Sir Keir is carried into Downing St over the prone corpses of 70% of the parliamentary Tory party nobody will much care about the mouth foaming of one purged candidate.
Streeting's seat is just next door; I would expect he knows her very well.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
You should move to Indiana (if you can cope with the wind and rain cutting through you).
It only took 12 years but SKS has decided to pick up the Blue Labour movement that Ed Milliband temporarily tried.
This has to be a pitch to the Sun right?
There's something about SKS that's very insincere: like he knows he has to say all the right things to win, but does he actually believe them?
With Blair, you never had a doubt. With Sir Keir "I am a socialist" Starmer you simply don't know.
I actually think Starmer is more sincere than Blair was. These things are highly relative.
I also think Sunak more sincere than Starmer. It doesn't do him any good. He's probably just as weirdly hard right ideological as he appears to be. He genuinely thinks government is there to make billionaires like him even richer and doesn't understand why people might see that as a problem.
My sincerity list of recent prime ministers, where sincerity sadly doesn't always correlate to whether they are any good.
1. Major 2. May 3. Brown 4. Sunak 5. Cameron 6. Thatcher 7. Blair 8. Truss 9. Johnson
Thatcher too low. You might not have liked what she said, but she was sincere.
Brown way too high. Hard to know whether insincere or deluded, but I'd mark him down anyway.
Agree on Thatcher. Disagree on Brown. The poor guy is one of the most earnest people I've seen. May is too high, Truss is too low.
1 Major/Thatcher/Brown 4 Truss/Blair/Sunak/May 8 Cameron 1,000,000 Johnson
On the original list, just move Thatcher above Sunak and Cammo, and it's there. How Sunak can be considered sincere when he's tried so many positionings since he got the job is a mystery. Like Hague, he's been pushed into insincerity because his party needs a lifeboat strategy for desperate times
Sunak seems quite naturally insincere to me.
Think about his lies about Strava and Parkrun, for instance - they're such trivial things to have lied about, and yet he did it anyway for what appears to have been purely narcissistic reasons. That's Johnson-level behaviour.
What are the Strava lies?
Mind you I’ve had him down as a total narcissist since that little social media campaign he started running about himself when he was Chancellor, which included the creation of a logo.
There’s still this vague sense that he’s technocratically gifted, but all the evidence we have is that he’s smarmy git who’d be better placed on the board of Thames Water.
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
She’s been poorly treated but this is shifty especially posting a pic of the canvasser.
Shaheen was presumably perfectly fine with the canvassing arrangements when trying to get herself elected.
I see we are in the phase of a General Election where "patriotic" Brits continually run down the country and talk of their immenent departure as the country goes to the dogs.
I remember it well from 1997.
And the Brexit vote, and SindyRef.....if the result didn't go their way.....
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
All parties will have that ability, it’s basically the electoral roll information in usable format. The only way to avoid it is for your entire household to sacrifice their ability to vote.
Why would you see it as a sacrifice there is no one worth voting for
But next time there might be. Or a great independent at a local election or PCC race.
In which case I will register......I am not holding out much hope however....I might register to vote for the mlrp but not going to vote ld,con,lab,green,reform etc. When a serious party with a plan emerges I will reconsider
I can't keep up. Is the plus sizeism? What about the hidden carriage return - is that carriage-return-ism?
I just flipped open YouTube Music, for which I pay £10.99 a month, and was faced with reams of "Pride Anthems" which I couldn't get rid of on my homepage but I have no way to divest. Despite me paying for the service! I assume I now have this for an entire month. Very tricky not to accidentally click on it as well, and thus reinforce it's 'popularity'.
Clearly they feel a need to promote it, and to be seen to promote it, but it's this sort of overreach that winds people up - particularly when the only riposte is "homophobe".
Is YT music any good? I don't see the point of it.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
To be fair, you are never not livid.
I am often not livid....you don't consider any party political or commercial having info on who lives at an address disconcerting? Where did they get the info for a start?
I hate that commercial interests can get it, I see no reason they should, but political parties? It's part of how our democracy functions. I don't know how long that has been the case, but certainly a long time.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
You should move to Indiana (if you can cope with the wind and rain cutting through you).
Yeah that’s definitely letting the mask slip. It’s pretty grim to be essentially inviting a pile on for what is a) a normal part of democracy and b) at most an honest mistake. Also how fragile do you have to be to be so violently triggered by someone ringing your doorbell. It’s not making Fazia look entirely hinged.
She’s been poorly treated but this is shifty especially posting a pic of the canvasser.
If she’d been quicker she could have recorded a video of her asking the canvasser, “Do you know who I am?!!!”
She could, but anyone who ever asks that question ends up looking like an utter dick.
On the basis of what's publicly known, she may well have been badly treated.
Who knows what was going on behind the scenes.
On the basis of what's happened since, Labour dodged a bullet. (Or perhaps better, they took a bullet somewhere less fatal.)
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
To be fair, you are never not livid.
I am often not livid....you don't consider any party political or commercial having info on who lives at an address disconcerting? Where did they get the info for a start?
I hate that commercial interests can get it, I see no reason they should, but political parties? It's part of how our democracy functions. I don't know how long that has been the case, but certainly a long time.
If I had a choice of it going to commercial interests or political parties as an either or I would choose the former as they are more trustworthy
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
All parties will have that ability, it’s basically the electoral roll information in usable format. The only way to avoid it is for your entire household to sacrifice their ability to vote.
Why would you see it as a sacrifice there is no one worth voting for
For almost everyone, it is. (And as others have noted, you don't even have to make your data public.)
I realise you hold sincere beliefs over this, but they are a very long way from commonly held.
If nothing else, we cherish the right to vote the bastards out.
Fresh Direct, which is New York’s (inferior) answer to Ocado, texted me yesterday with “LGBTQ+ deals”.
I remarked to my wife that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some gay bacon.
Fruitcake alert!
Their products rather than you GW
Who's complaining, if it's cheaper? Though I suppose some gammons might moan about cutprice gammon.
No, no, not cutprice gammon! I've met his brother!
PS: It's so dispiriting that someone chose to flag my post. I presume because they thought it was wrong in some way. Just post your criticism or PM me.
I dunno, maybe you using a homophobic slur in a conversation about pride month is what cause it?
Anything approaching a slur or insult was very far from my intent. I'm torn two ways here - I want to completely hear what you're saying, but I also want to be very clear that you and it seem at least one other are being wildly oversensitive and causing real harm to the people that you want to defend.
I see we are in the phase of a General Election where "patriotic" Brits continually run down the country and talk of their immenent departure as the country goes to the dogs.
I remember it well from 1997.
Yes, sounds like if we elect Labour we'll be losing many wealthy aspirational patriots.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
All parties will have that ability, it’s basically the electoral roll information in usable format. The only way to avoid it is for your entire household to sacrifice their ability to vote.
Why would you see it as a sacrifice there is no one worth voting for
For almost everyone, it is. (And as others have noted, you don't even have to make your data public.)
I realise you hold sincere beliefs over this, but they are a very long way from commonly held.
If nothing else, we cherish the right to vote the bastards out.
Voting the bastards out just means you get a different set of bastards in.
I can't keep up. Is the plus sizeism? What about the hidden carriage return - is that carriage-return-ism?
I just flipped open YouTube Music, for which I pay £10.99 a month, and was faced with reams of "Pride Anthems" which I couldn't get rid of on my homepage but I have no way to divest. Despite me paying for the service! I assume I now have this for an entire month. Very tricky not to accidentally click on it as well, and thus reinforce it's 'popularity'.
Clearly they feel a need to promote it, and to be seen to promote it, but it's this sort of overreach that winds people up - particularly when the only riposte is "homophobe".
Is YT music any good? I don't see the point of it.
I haven’t seen a Pride message from Spotify, or maybe I missed it.
Spotify are busy enshittifying themselves, though.
The algorithms used to be an astonishing way to find new music, but they seem to have decided that payola is more lucrative and are now just trying to foist unwanted content on users. Meanwhile, the UX team have obviously been told to be more like TikTok, which makes search generally less useful.
Mind you I’ve had him down as a total narcissist since that little social media campaign he started running about himself when he was Chancellor, which included the creation of a logo.
There’s still this vague sense that he’s technocratically gifted, but all the evidence we have is that he’s smarmy git who’d be better placed on the board of Thames Water.
He said he uses his Peloton a lot and always before 8AM but somebody found his profile and he's used it like once in the last six months and after 9AM.
@DanNeidle The best argument against VAT on private schools is that there’s no VAT on elevated house prices near good state schools.
University attendance is weighted toward the higher incomes so we should have vat on uni fees if the reason is that we should stop people buying connections. The further down the deciles you go the less likely kids are to goto uni.....seems the same to me
Mind you I’ve had him down as a total narcissist since that little social media campaign he started running about himself when he was Chancellor, which included the creation of a logo.
There’s still this vague sense that he’s technocratically gifted, but all the evidence we have is that he’s smarmy git who’d be better placed on the board of Thames Water.
He said he uses his Peloton a lot and always before 8AM but somebody found his profile and he's used it like once in the last six months and after 9AM.
It’s possible I suppose that being PM has messed with his scheduled, and the he used to be an early rising Pelotoniste.
I was more disturbed to discover that he does spin classes to Taylor Swift. He’s just incredibly naff.
Mind you I’ve had him down as a total narcissist since that little social media campaign he started running about himself when he was Chancellor, which included the creation of a logo.
There’s still this vague sense that he’s technocratically gifted, but all the evidence we have is that he’s smarmy git who’d be better placed on the board of Thames Water.
He said he uses his Peloton a lot and always before 8AM but somebody found his profile and he's used it like once in the last six months and after 9AM.
It’s possible I suppose that being PM has messed with his scheduled, and the he used to be an early rising Pelotoniste.
I was more disturbed to discover that he does spin classes to Taylor Swift. He’s just incredibly naff.
Being incredibly naff would make me more inclined to like him. But there are other negatives.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
I hope you got yourself on the concealed part of the voters' register.
Won’t help, political parties get the unredacted version.
Which is a good reason not to be on it
This whole question is tricky, and we currently live in the worst of all possible worlds.
Option 1 (which was the case till about 2002 IIRC) is that everyone has an ordinary right to know where every registered elector lives unless there are compelling reasons otherwise. Until about 2002 local lists could be found pinned up in the village hall.
Option 2 is that no-one apart from local officials in democratic services should be allowed to have sight of these lists.
Option 3 (as now since 2002) is that ordinary people can't see them, but your local fascist/Islamist/communist/loony candidate and their team can. And commercial outfits can buy them. This is not great.
I am for option 1. Option 2 is at least rational. Option 3 is just awful.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
You should move to Indiana (if you can cope with the wind and rain cutting through you).
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
You should move to Indiana (if you can cope with the wind and rain cutting through you).
Why indiana?
By repute it has a strong "piss off and leave me alone" ethic wrt government.
It only took 12 years but SKS has decided to pick up the Blue Labour movement that Ed Milliband temporarily tried.
This has to be a pitch to the Sun right?
There's something about SKS that's very insincere: like he knows he has to say all the right things to win, but does he actually believe them?
With Blair, you never had a doubt. With Sir Keir "I am a socialist" Starmer you simply don't know.
I actually think Starmer is more sincere than Blair was. These things are highly relative.
I also think Sunak more sincere than Starmer. It doesn't do him any good. He's probably just as weirdly hard right ideological as he appears to be. He genuinely thinks government is there to make billionaires like him even richer and doesn't understand why people might see that as a problem.
My sincerity list of recent prime ministers, where sincerity sadly doesn't always correlate to whether they are any good.
1. Major 2. May 3. Brown 4. Sunak 5. Cameron 6. Thatcher 7. Blair 8. Truss 9. Johnson
Thatcher too low. You might not have liked what she said, but she was sincere.
Brown way too high. Hard to know whether insincere or deluded, but I'd mark him down anyway.
Agree on Thatcher. Disagree on Brown. The poor guy is one of the most earnest people I've seen. May is too high, Truss is too low.
1 Major/Thatcher/Brown 4 Truss/Blair/Sunak/May 8 Cameron 1,000,000 Johnson
On the original list, just move Thatcher above Sunak and Cammo, and it's there. How Sunak can be considered sincere when he's tried so many positionings since he got the job is a mystery. Like Hague, he's been pushed into insincerity because his party needs a lifeboat strategy for desperate times
Sunak seems quite naturally insincere to me.
Think about his lies about Strava and Parkrun, for instance - they're such trivial things to have lied about, and yet he did it anyway for what appears to have been purely narcissistic reasons. That's Johnson-level behaviour.
What are the Strava lies?
Mind you I’ve had him down as a total narcissist since that little social media campaign he started running about himself when he was Chancellor, which included the creation of a logo.
There’s still this vague sense that he’s technocratically gifted, but all the evidence we have is that he’s smarmy git who’d be better placed on the board of Thames Water.
I think it's a reference to Peleton where he says he starts his day with a 6am spin class with a soundtrack of Britney Spears. I can't for the life of me think why he thought that was a cool claim, but at any rate it turns out to be a lie because Peloton profiles are public, and he's been on it about 5 times in his life, and never at 6am.
@DanNeidle The best argument against VAT on private schools is that there’s no VAT on elevated house prices near good state schools.
Oh - on the Telegraph story today. I know the school they cite and their story is full of the purest BS. They were badly hit by a poor Inspection and then lost over £500,000 trying to fight it through the courts. Student numbers were in decline for years and attempts to expand from just being a Prep School back-fired. The people running it were good people and were treated very badly by the Inspectors. However, they announced closure a month ago and did not mention any fears of Lab policies at the time.
The real reason for closure - West Norfolk has very old demographics and most of the rest are rather economically deprived. There just aren't enough potential students out there for the school to be viable whoever wins the GE. Another private school round here closed two years ago for the same reason and another was only rescued by being bought by new China-based owners.
Fresh Direct, which is New York’s (inferior) answer to Ocado, texted me yesterday with “LGBTQ+ deals”.
I remarked to my wife that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some gay bacon.
Fruitcake alert!
Their products rather than you GW
Who's complaining, if it's cheaper? Though I suppose some gammons might moan about cutprice gammon.
No, no, not cutprice gammon! I've met his brother!
PS: It's so dispiriting that someone chose to flag my post. I presume because they thought it was wrong in some way. Just post your criticism or PM me.
I dunno, maybe you using a homophobic slur in a conversation about pride month is what cause it?
Anything approaching a slur or insult was very far from my intent. I'm torn two ways here - I want to completely hear what you're saying, but I also want to be very clear that you and it seem at least one other are being wildly oversensitive and causing real harm to the people that you want to defend.
Ok, but you're whinnying like a horse with a cracked hoof over someone clicking "flag" on your post. Don't worry about it. You said something wrong, you had a conversation about it, it's over. You'll be ok.
Well as it's clear that it was you that flagged my post and that you seem devoid of sense then I'll not worry. Please do feel free to comment again.
Hang on the labour app knows who lives at the address....now I am fucking livid. (feel the same about any app giving info on lives in my house political party or commercial)
It's electoral roll data, and all political parties use it. If you don't want that, you can take yourself off the electoral register.
I am not on it
You do appreciate that you can be subject to a civil fine for not being on the register if you have been required to be by a Registration Officer: Representation of the People Act 1983 s9E
(4)A registration officer who gives a person an invitation under subsection (1) may subsequently require the person to make an application for registration by a specified date. (5)A requirement under subsection (4) is of no effect if the person is not entitled to be registered. (6)Regulations— (a)may make provision about requirements under subsection (4) (including provision for them to be cancelled in specified circumstances); (b)may specify steps that a registration officer must take before imposing a requirement. (7)A registration officer may impose a civil penalty on a person who fails to comply with a requirement imposed by the officer under subsection (4).
Mind you I’ve had him down as a total narcissist since that little social media campaign he started running about himself when he was Chancellor, which included the creation of a logo.
There’s still this vague sense that he’s technocratically gifted, but all the evidence we have is that he’s smarmy git who’d be better placed on the board of Thames Water.
He said he uses his Peloton a lot and always before 8AM but somebody found his profile and he's used it like once in the last six months and after 9AM.
It’s possible I suppose that being PM has messed with his scheduled, and the he used to be an early rising Pelotoniste.
I was more disturbed to discover that he does spin classes to Taylor Swift. He’s just incredibly naff.
If I was in the public eye, I'd certainly use an alias account on things like Strava
Although people like @Casino_Royale’s household income is objectively high compared to the average, it is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
VAT on private schools is absolutely inconsequential compared to something game changing like a proper wealth tax. Probably based on real property.
Still voting Labour though because F the Tories.
Thats ok fuck over those that rent because you know that is going to be tacked onto our rent
Well it would replace council tax and in any event rents are set by the market not purely on costs. I would also favour a massive building campaign.
But there are more people looking to rent than places to rent. When interest rates go up my rent goes up. You charge a landlord 2400 a year wealth tax then that will be 200 on my rent. Landlords know damn well these days in most places they can quickly replace tenants because there are more people looking for a place than their are places....last time I changed house it was a bidding war between potential tenants as there were ten of us looking to rent the place
Comments
It'd go on higher public sector salaries, and non-jobs.
There are advantages and disadvantages to everywhere.
Its just a matter of making best use of the advantages while minimising the disadvantages.
So after having walked around a lake and gone to a restaurant at lunch time I'm now off to see some cricket, walk through a park and then have a swim.
Sadly, people will scoff.
But Helsinki has more daylight hours per year (1838) than London (1633), Edinburgh (1427), or Manchester (1265).
Related question, why can Finland deliver this and Britain CAN’T? It’s demographics are probably worse abs it’s proximity to Russia implies they can’t avoid spending a decent amount of money on defence.
A lesbian philosopher writes:
Pride Month began yesterday. I know what you’re thinking: haven’t we already had it? Perhaps you’re thinking of LGBT+ History month in February. Or maybe you’re remembering the Tolkienesque-sounding IDAHOBIT — otherwise known as International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia — a fortnight ago. Later in the year there will be Ace (asexual) Week and Transgender Awareness Week; and don’t forget the Pride and Trans Pride parades scattered throughout the summer. The Catholic church has fewer holy days of obligation than the modern LGBTQI+ movement, and is arguably a lot less guilt-tripping.
https://archive.ph/2WToo#selection-2789.0-2791.607
I appreciate that there are other times of year. But it is kinda dark in winter.
If I was going to be in that part of the world, I think I would follow @Cicero and head to Estonia.
To quote Trump, We need to stop everything until we can figure out what’s going on.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bf11c198-d774-415c-a411-cf6ca4fb8978?shareToken=3d904bf5e3f75a2a9058369b44e69dd2
Which IMO showed an unpleasant bitterness towards Sunak.
Also, IMO, her whining sense of entitlement and refusal to take responsibility for her government contradicts the concept of self-responsibility that Conservative politicians advocate for others.
Through the worst of it I visited a friend in San Francisco, en-route from Asia to corporate HQ. The obituary page in the weekly Bay Area Reporter went from a page and a half down to a quarter of a page, then a single column.
But anything “fancy” (say, Stilton) has to be imported.
Obviously it’s cultural attractions, such as they are, pall against London’s. But I think that’s true of anywhere. I think generally on culture London edges New York and Paris.
The others are still reliant on VC funding - I believe HumanForest extended their Series A by £5m to £17m total at the end of last year, and are currently working on funding for an expansion into Europe.
The scooter specialists are doing less well - Emtransit/dott have pulled out of the latest round of the London scooter trial, but it feels like with 3 (or 4?) remaining providers in the UK that there's still at least one player too many.
I remarked to my wife that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some gay bacon.
I remember it well from 1997.
Their products rather than you GW
https://x.com/faizashaheen/status/1797260051339514009
Edit: I get emails from a (very good) military bookseller/publisher in the States. Sometimes he has special deals to mark Veterans' Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. etc. I'm sure not a Usonian let alone ex-GI but am happy to accept ...
I do not understand why the NEC have prevented her from re-standing. I find the accusation of anti-semitism maddening as on the evidence in the public sphere it is without foundation. It must be infuriating for Shaheen.
But she is not coming across well.
PS:
It's so dispiriting that someone chose to flag my post. I presume because they thought it was wrong in some way. Just post your criticism or PM me.
(You’re a lot younger than I thought you were as well, or did you mean you were 22 in 1996
I believe they have developed an aversion to Islamism after their hideous civil war
More generally the transatlantics seem to have a sale at the drop of an excuse - having one for their pet dachshund's birthday wouldn't surprise me at the least. Slightly disconcerting at first but one gets used to it.
The days are longer and it is mostly sunny.
The odd snow storm is fun.
Christmas is done very will.
I don’t miss the drear of London in February.
I think I had a mild SAD.
https://order-order.com/2024/05/20/tory-mps-accuse-bank-of-england-of-huge-losses-to-taxpayer/
When Starmer grows a testicle, perhaps he'll examine that situation. He shows no signs of even being aware of it though, so I won't hold my breath.
You can opt out of the open register. This is the version of the register that’s available to anyone who wants to buy a copy.
To opt out, either:
use the register to vote service (even if you’re already registered)
contact your local Electoral Registration Office if you live in England, Scotland or Wales
contact the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) if you live in Northern Ireland
Opting out does not affect your right to vote.
https://www.gov.uk/electoral-register/opt-out-of-the-open-register
Full version can still be used for campaigning activities however.
Think about his lies about Strava and Parkrun, for instance - they're such trivial things to have lied about, and yet he did it anyway for what appears to have been purely narcissistic reasons. That's Johnson-level behaviour.
Mind you I’ve had him down as a total narcissist since that little social media campaign he started running about himself when he was Chancellor, which included the creation of a logo.
There’s still this vague sense that he’s technocratically gifted, but all the evidence we have is that he’s smarmy git who’d be better placed on the board of Thames Water.
ie until the day before yesterday.
Luckily I didn't answer the door
On the basis of what's publicly known, she may well have been badly treated.
Who knows what was going on behind the scenes.
On the basis of what's happened since, Labour dodged a bullet. (Or perhaps better, they took a bullet somewhere less fatal.)
(And as others have noted, you don't even have to make your data public.)
I realise you hold sincere beliefs over this, but
they are a very long way from commonly held.
If nothing else, we cherish the right to vote the bastards out.
Labour was absolutely right to get rid.
Spotify are busy enshittifying themselves, though.
The algorithms used to be an astonishing way to find new music, but they seem to have decided that payola is more lucrative and are now just trying to foist unwanted content on users. Meanwhile, the UX team have obviously been told to be more like TikTok, which makes search generally less useful.
@DanNeidle
The best argument against VAT on private schools is that there’s no VAT on elevated house prices near good state schools.
I was more disturbed to discover that he does spin classes to Taylor Swift. He’s just incredibly naff.
VAT on private schools is absolutely inconsequential compared to something game changing like a proper wealth tax. Probably based on real property.
Still voting Labour though because F the Tories.
Option 1 (which was the case till about 2002 IIRC) is that everyone has an ordinary right to know where every registered elector lives unless there are compelling reasons otherwise. Until about 2002 local lists could be found pinned up in the village hall.
Option 2 is that no-one apart from local officials in democratic services should be allowed to have sight of these lists.
Option 3 (as now since 2002) is that ordinary people can't see them, but your local fascist/Islamist/communist/loony candidate and their team can. And commercial outfits can buy them. This is not great.
I am for option 1. Option 2 is at least rational. Option 3 is just awful.
The real reason for closure - West Norfolk has very old demographics and most of the rest are rather economically deprived. There just aren't enough potential students out there for the school to be viable whoever wins the GE. Another private school round here closed two years ago for the same reason and another was only rescued by being bought by new China-based owners.
(4)A registration officer who gives a person an invitation under subsection (1) may subsequently require the person to make an application for registration by a specified date.
(5)A requirement under subsection (4) is of no effect if the person is not entitled to be registered.
(6)Regulations—
(a)may make provision about requirements under subsection (4) (including provision for them to be cancelled in specified circumstances);
(b)may specify steps that a registration officer must take before imposing a requirement.
(7)A registration officer may impose a civil penalty on a person who fails to comply with a requirement imposed by the officer under subsection (4).