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A Portillo moment for a new generation? – politicalbetting.com

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  • Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 32,614

    Everybody should leave Richard Holden alone. Assuming he wins his seat, it's more than sufficient punishment to know that he will, presumably, be obliged to have a home in Basildon or Billericay. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

    I don't think it's a dead cert that he will win the seat. If Reform have a good, local candidate (and I agree it's a big if), he looks in serious trouble.
    The Reform candidate is here:
    https://www.reformparty.uk/basildon-and-billericay-constituency

    I confess to being mystified by one of his "what can we do for the constituency" aims:
    Keep local people local!
    What on earth does he mean, I wonder? Do they have to stay in Basildon/Billericay for their holidays?
    Oh, the irony:

    "Born in London and moving to Essex in the early 80’s...
    ...I would like to ringfence the constituency in respect of:-
    Local housing for local people first.
    All new build rental stock to be offered to local people first no exceptions.
    All new build property to be offered at a discounted rate minimum 5% to local people who wish to buy."
    Not defending him as such but only ironic if he moved into a new build property when he arrived. Otherwise he would be unaffected by his proposals.
    Er... 'Local housing for local people first'? Nothing about new builds there.
    You specifically quoted him saying he would achieve that by prioritising local access to New Builds.

    Read your own post.
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,884
    edited June 9
    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    I will almost always hire off personal recommendations, because the ability of developers to get along is much underrated.

    You can be the most amazing developer in the abstract, or even of an open source project where you are the sole cause, but if you have annoying habits that drive your colleagues crazy, then you're probably not going to be a net benefit to the team.
    You mean I always insist on programming naked is a negative?
    I'm afraid so.

    (Although most of the worst habits involve a refusal to adhere to testing standards, of single word git commit comments, and of littering code with commented out print statements.)
    I never leave comments in my code except about what an arsehole our architects are
    Yeah, that probably fails the "ability of developers to get along" criteria.
    Our architects arent developers or part of the team and we all agree they dont know their ass from their elbow. The running joke now is we dont bother with the first or second ticket on something on jira and wait for the third when they actually make their mind up
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267
    edited June 9
    Farooq said:

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    (£)
    What's the actual story?
    They were to reinstate the tax free pension limit the conservatives abolished but now, apparently, they agree with the conservatives decision

    Good for doctors and highly paid civil servants
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,884
    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    I will almost always hire off personal recommendations, because the ability of developers to get along is much underrated.

    You can be the most amazing developer in the abstract, or even of an open source project where you are the sole cause, but if you have annoying habits that drive your colleagues crazy, then you're probably not going to be a net benefit to the team.
    You mean I always insist on programming naked is a negative?
    I'm afraid so.

    (Although most of the worst habits involve a refusal to adhere to testing standards, of single word git commit comments, and of littering code with commented out print statements.)
    I never leave comments in my code except about what an arsehole our architects are
    Yeah, that probably fails the "ability of developers to get along" criteria.
    Our architects arent developers or part of the team and we all agree they dont know their ass from their elbow. The running joke now is we dont bother with the first or second ticket on something on jira and wait for the third when they actually make their mind up
    Note are current architects have never done software jobs they are generalists
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362
    CBS poll tonight has Trump and Biden neck and neck.

    Yet while Trump leads in the popular vote by a narrow 50% to 49% margin, Biden surprisingly now leads in the battleground states by an equally narrow 50% to 49%
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-trump-biden-neck-and-neck-06-09-2024/
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,884

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    It is a bit like nepotism. Lots of people can do a job but only a chosen handful will be given the chance. I recently posted here a 1970s advert for school-leavers to work for banks, back in the days when bank manager was pillar of the community and an A-level job. Taken in aggregate, I doubt limiting opportunity in this way is good for business or Britain.
    I was working at the British Geological Survey back in the mid 80s when a new directive came down that all the specialists had to reapply for their own jobs and that preference would be for those with doctorates. One of the ladies working there had been in post for many years and had been one of the original developers of the use of X-ray techniques for studying clay mineralogy. She did not have a doctorate but was one of the leading experts in her field. She was put into the pool and failed to get retained for her original job.

    I don't know what happened afterwards as my short term contract came to an end but I always remember the dispair amongst her colleagues that they were going to lose one of the real experts in their field because of an administrative decision based on the perceived value of qualificatins over experience.
    That sounds fairly typical frankly
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,423
    Why exactly should a Primary School teacher with a degree in English, Maths or Science take priority over someone who is basically literate and numerate, but is great with little kids?
    Or indeed one with a degree in Chinese? Who may or may not be adept with the little ones?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,756

    Everybody should leave Richard Holden alone. Assuming he wins his seat, it's more than sufficient punishment to know that he will, presumably, be obliged to have a home in Basildon or Billericay. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

    I don't think it's a dead cert that he will win the seat. If Reform have a good, local candidate (and I agree it's a big if), he looks in serious trouble.
    The Reform candidate is here:
    https://www.reformparty.uk/basildon-and-billericay-constituency

    I confess to being mystified by one of his "what can we do for the constituency" aims:
    Keep local people local!
    What on earth does he mean, I wonder? Do they have to stay in Basildon/Billericay for their holidays?
    Oh, the irony:

    "Born in London and moving to Essex in the early 80’s...
    ...I would like to ringfence the constituency in respect of:-
    Local housing for local people first.
    All new build rental stock to be offered to local people first no exceptions.
    All new build property to be offered at a discounted rate minimum 5% to local people who wish to buy."
    Not defending him as such but only ironic if he moved into a new build property when he arrived. Otherwise he would be unaffected by his proposals.
    Er... 'Local housing for local people first'? Nothing about new builds there.
    You specifically quoted him saying he would achieve that by prioritising local access to New Builds.

    Read your own post.
    I just quoted his own webpage. The bullet marks didn't come across but 'Local housing for local people first' is a standalone point. Read it yourself:

    https://www.reformparty.uk/basildon-and-billericay-constituency
  • RattersRatters Posts: 1,085
    Scott_xP said:

    @AllieHBNews

    Monday’s TIMES: “Tories must embrace Farage, says Braverman” #TomorrowsPapersToday

    https://x.com/AllieHBNews/status/1799913094933606730

    If they do, they deserve to be in opposition for a very long time.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,478
    HYUFD said:

    CBS poll tonight has Trump and Biden neck and neck.

    Yet while Trump leads in the popular vote by a narrow 50% to 49% margin, Biden surprisingly now leads in the battleground states by an equally narrow 50% to 49%
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-trump-biden-neck-and-neck-06-09-2024/

    Not that surprising if he's losing ground in New York and Virginia as suggested a few days ago.
  • GaussianGaussian Posts: 831

    Everybody should leave Richard Holden alone. Assuming he wins his seat, it's more than sufficient punishment to know that he will, presumably, be obliged to have a home in Basildon or Billericay. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

    I don't think it's a dead cert that he will win the seat. If Reform have a good, local candidate (and I agree it's a big if), he looks in serious trouble.
    The Reform candidate is here:
    https://www.reformparty.uk/basildon-and-billericay-constituency

    I confess to being mystified by one of his "what can we do for the constituency" aims:
    Keep local people local!
    What on earth does he mean, I wonder? Do they have to stay in Basildon/Billericay for their holidays?
    "Nobody has any intention of building a wall."
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,299

    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    EPG said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    Careers with that kind of accessible track record are pretty distinctive; it would make sense. I suppose the question is what better way you can signal your abilities than university. CVs, interviews, probably do not tell you enough about personal resilience or even the mere ability to work on thinking problems for more than a few hours. And then there are things like financial resilience - which you can signal pretty well by completing a degree - I know they used to look at the cut of your suit in some jobs.
    One of the best developers I ever hired came via Bedford jail and a Northampton cult called The Jesus Army.
    Developers on the whole tend to be odd people and quite often the better they are the more neurodivergent they are and the more quirks they seem to have
    This is very much true, but it's also true that other developers need to maintain their code. So I am perfectly fine with "cannot give a powerpoint presentation" neurodivergent, possibly tolerant of "refuses to document anything"* neurodivergent, but "invents their own framework and says figure it out for yourself" neurodivergent is probably out. Although not necessarily. I got my own position by doing the latter.

    *tbf this is a general dev trait regardless of spectrum spatial positioning
    My favorite was a developer used his own web server for a simple API because "it was easier".

    And when I say "own web server", I mean he'd coded a web server a decade earlier when things like WSGI weren't as ubiquitous as now.

    After 18 months, we had a bunch of critical processes running on an unmaintained web server that only one person understood.

  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 4,660

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,423
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    Nope. Me neither.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,478
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    I've never heard of him either.

    Indeed, for a moment I wondered if Farage had been saying something about Oswald Mosley.
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,884
    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    EPG said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    Careers with that kind of accessible track record are pretty distinctive; it would make sense. I suppose the question is what better way you can signal your abilities than university. CVs, interviews, probably do not tell you enough about personal resilience or even the mere ability to work on thinking problems for more than a few hours. And then there are things like financial resilience - which you can signal pretty well by completing a degree - I know they used to look at the cut of your suit in some jobs.
    One of the best developers I ever hired came via Bedford jail and a Northampton cult called The Jesus Army.
    Developers on the whole tend to be odd people and quite often the better they are the more neurodivergent they are and the more quirks they seem to have
    This is very much true, but it's also true that other developers need to maintain their code. So I am perfectly fine with "cannot give a powerpoint presentation" neurodivergent, possibly tolerant of "refuses to document anything"* neurodivergent, but "invents their own framework and says figure it out for yourself" neurodivergent is probably out. Although not necessarily. I got my own position by doing the latter.

    *tbf this is a general dev trait regardless of spectrum spatial positioning
    My favorite was a developer used his own web server for a simple API because "it was easier".

    And when I say "own web server", I mean he'd coded a web server a decade earlier when things like WSGI weren't as ubiquitous as now.

    After 18 months, we had a bunch of critical processes running on an unmaintained web server that only one person understood.

    When I started working as a coder a lot did that for job security...make it obscure and you cant sack me. They usually came a cropper because not even they could maintain their code base and it fell over
  • rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    I will almost always hire off personal recommendations, because the ability of developers to get along is much underrated.

    You can be the most amazing developer in the abstract, or even of an open source project where you are the sole cause, but if you have annoying habits that drive your colleagues crazy, then you're probably not going to be a net benefit to the team.
    I agree. I have met too many senior engineers who simply cannot work with people.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,478
    edited June 9
    Ratters said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @AllieHBNews

    Monday’s TIMES: “Tories must embrace Farage, says Braverman” #TomorrowsPapersToday

    https://x.com/AllieHBNews/status/1799913094933606730

    If they do, they deserve to be in opposition for a very long time.
    Peer, to Wilkes: 'You will die either of the pox or on the gallows!'

    Wilkes: 'That depends on whether I embrace your lordship's mistress or your principles.'

    Embracing Farage would give them a nasty STI *before* seeing them obliterated...
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 10,061
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    I don't watch TV really so I'd never heard of him
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,363
    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    EPG said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    Careers with that kind of accessible track record are pretty distinctive; it would make sense. I suppose the question is what better way you can signal your abilities than university. CVs, interviews, probably do not tell you enough about personal resilience or even the mere ability to work on thinking problems for more than a few hours. And then there are things like financial resilience - which you can signal pretty well by completing a degree - I know they used to look at the cut of your suit in some jobs.
    One of the best developers I ever hired came via Bedford jail and a Northampton cult called The Jesus Army.
    Developers on the whole tend to be odd people and quite often the better they are the more neurodivergent they are and the more quirks they seem to have
    A good bunch on the whole, computer programmers. Diligent, honest, grounded.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,756

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    That's a huge stretch Big_G.

    As the article points out Labour said they intended to reintroduce the Lifetime Allowance "but had not come up with details of how the allowance, a complex piece of tax legislation, could be reinstated."

    I know you are looking for a straw or two but really, this is not one.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,299
    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    EPG said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    Careers with that kind of accessible track record are pretty distinctive; it would make sense. I suppose the question is what better way you can signal your abilities than university. CVs, interviews, probably do not tell you enough about personal resilience or even the mere ability to work on thinking problems for more than a few hours. And then there are things like financial resilience - which you can signal pretty well by completing a degree - I know they used to look at the cut of your suit in some jobs.
    One of the best developers I ever hired came via Bedford jail and a Northampton cult called The Jesus Army.
    Developers on the whole tend to be odd people and quite often the better they are the more neurodivergent they are and the more quirks they seem to have
    This is very much true, but it's also true that other developers need to maintain their code. So I am perfectly fine with "cannot give a powerpoint presentation" neurodivergent, possibly tolerant of "refuses to document anything"* neurodivergent, but "invents their own framework and says figure it out for yourself" neurodivergent is probably out. Although not necessarily. I got my own position by doing the latter.

    *tbf this is a general dev trait regardless of spectrum spatial positioning
    My favorite was a developer used his own web server for a simple API because "it was easier".

    And when I say "own web server", I mean he'd coded a web server a decade earlier when things like WSGI weren't as ubiquitous as now.

    After 18 months, we had a bunch of critical processes running on an unmaintained web server that only one person understood.

    When I started working as a coder a lot did that for job security...make it obscure and you cant sack me. They usually came a cropper because not even they could maintain their code base and it fell over
    He came a cropper because he refused to check in the code for his web server because it was his IP he'd created before he started working here.

    Eventually even senior management realized that being dependent on something that no one knew anything about was a massive risk.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,652
    dixiedean said:

    Why exactly should a Primary School teacher with a degree in English, Maths or Science take priority over someone who is basically literate and numerate, but is great with little kids?
    Or indeed one with a degree in Chinese? Who may or may not be adept with the little ones?

    I think the problem is that a degree is in part a good signal of general intelligence, whereas it's very hard to credibly signal "great with little kids".
  • kinabalu said:

    A good bunch on the whole, computer programmers. Diligent, honest, grounded.

    Well that's very kind of you to say. But I am not so sure of all people.

    I prefer the term Software Engineer as it happens.
  • Pagan2Pagan2 Posts: 9,884

    rcs1000 said:

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    I will almost always hire off personal recommendations, because the ability of developers to get along is much underrated.

    You can be the most amazing developer in the abstract, or even of an open source project where you are the sole cause, but if you have annoying habits that drive your colleagues crazy, then you're probably not going to be a net benefit to the team.
    I agree. I have met too many senior engineers who simply cannot work with people.
    I got sacked once for refusing to work with people, in my case it was refusing to take part in the transfer of data from the home office because they insisted on sending personal details of vulnerable people via unencrypted email and when I refused to deal with that.....well
  • This must be the first leadership election to take place during a general election.

    The Tories must be trying to lose. I really do think now I am starting to consider that 150 seats might be too many.
  • novanova Posts: 692
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    He's presented a couple of dozen science docs and series on the BBC, and has had a few series on Channel 4 recently.

    If you've heard of the 5:2 diet, or intermittent fasting in the last few years, it's almost certainly because of him.

    He's not quite Brian Cox, but he's still one of the biggest science names on the BBC over the last couple of decades.

    Given the nature of his death, and the search, I'm not surprised it's considered a big story.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267
    edited June 9

    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    I don't watch TV really so I'd never heard of him
    He is credited with introducing the 5 - 2 diet that helps to address pre diabetes in patients and indeed help patients to lose the weight to return to non diabetic

    It is widely acclaimed and I believe he wrote a regular medical column in the daily mail

    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-52-diet
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,885
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    It is the Beeb once again trying to chase Daily Mail land.

    He's a medical journalist who has also appeared a lot on TV.

    This is apparently a bigger story than 100s of millions of europeans going to the polls and Macron calling elections.

    Labour need to sort out BBC senior management and board because it no longer does its actual remit.
  • FairlieredFairliered Posts: 4,968
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    No. I had to ask Mrs. F who he was and why he was deemed to be important. Even though I use the 5 2 diet on occasion.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,756
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    I've watched quite a few of his health programmes, mainly on BBC. Informative and entertaining, mainly based on sound medical science as far as I could tell. Always came across as a nice guy, inquisitive, self-effacing. I can see why he was popular with those who've seen his programmes.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362
    edited June 9

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Why? Mosley did some excellent docs on medical matters, was a regular on the One Show and C4 and produced some well followed diet programmes.

    I suspect the average BBC viewer is more interested in his sad passing than elections for an EU Parliament we no longer vote for and the resignation of an Israeli Cabinet Minister (though both were also covered in the News at 10)
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,885

    Bill Kristol
    @BillKristol
    ·
    2h
    Trump laying groundwork for pulling out of the debate.

    https://x.com/BillKristol/status/1799889223677292975
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,756

    This must be the first leadership election to take place during a general election.

    The Tories must be trying to lose. I really do think now I am starting to consider that 150 seats might be too many.

    Er... aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself now. Or am I watching the world on some weird time delay?
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,885
    edited June 9
    HYUFD said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Why? Mosley did some excellent docs on medical matters, was a regular on the One Show and C4 and produced some well followed diet programmes.

    I suspect the average BBC viewer is more interested in his sad passing than elections for an EU Parliament we no longer vote for and the resignation of an Israeli Cabinet Minister (though both were also covered in the News at 10)
    That's the point. Thinking they are pandering to the Mail side of the audience. What happened to 'inform'?

    No one is going to switch off because Mosley isn't the lead item. They are chasing phantom ratings.
  • FairlieredFairliered Posts: 4,968
    Gaussian said:

    Everybody should leave Richard Holden alone. Assuming he wins his seat, it's more than sufficient punishment to know that he will, presumably, be obliged to have a home in Basildon or Billericay. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

    I don't think it's a dead cert that he will win the seat. If Reform have a good, local candidate (and I agree it's a big if), he looks in serious trouble.
    The Reform candidate is here:
    https://www.reformparty.uk/basildon-and-billericay-constituency

    I confess to being mystified by one of his "what can we do for the constituency" aims:
    Keep local people local!
    What on earth does he mean, I wonder? Do they have to stay in Basildon/Billericay for their holidays?
    "Nobody has any intention of building a wall."
    I would have thought that a wall round Basildon would be a good idea. It would prevent innocent people straying there inadvertently.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    That's a huge stretch Big_G.

    As the article points out Labour said they intended to reintroduce the Lifetime Allowance "but had not come up with details of how the allowance, a complex piece of tax legislation, could be reinstated."

    I know you are looking for a straw or two but really, this is not one.
    Sorry but Reeves has abandoned the change and it has been welcomed by the BMA among others

    It will not be reinstated by Labour and it is not in their manifesto to do so
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362
    edited June 9
    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    CBS poll tonight has Trump and Biden neck and neck.

    Yet while Trump leads in the popular vote by a narrow 50% to 49% margin, Biden surprisingly now leads in the battleground states by an equally narrow 50% to 49%
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-trump-biden-neck-and-neck-06-09-2024/

    Why "surprisingly"?
    As if the election result was like that on polling day it would be the first time a Democrat candidate for President had won the election while losing the popular vote (albeit arguably JFK would have done in 1960 if not for dodgy votes being added for him by Mayor Daley in Chicago).

    Would also be amusing if after all this Trump did actually win 50% of the popular vote and the highest GOP voteshare since Bush in 2004 yet STILL lost the electoral college to Biden
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,031


    Bill Kristol
    @BillKristol
    ·
    2h
    Trump laying groundwork for pulling out of the debate.

    https://x.com/BillKristol/status/1799889223677292975

    This is presumably why

    https://x.com/harryjsisson/status/1799902111582613526
  • https://x.com/lewisUTBdenison/status/1799918648821535106/photo/2

    I asked the Conservative Party press office to explain why Richard Holden was dodging selection questions by talking about Emily Thornberry instead

    The response is remarkable

    The robot is broken.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,756

    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    It is the Beeb once again trying to chase Daily Mail land.

    He's a medical journalist who has also appeared a lot on TV.

    This is apparently a bigger story than 100s of millions of europeans going to the polls and Macron calling elections.

    Labour need to sort out BBC senior management and board because it no longer does its actual remit.
    I am not defending the BBC but Mosley was a TV celeb who has just died in unusual circumstances. That would always grab the news and is, I suspect, a lot more interesting to 90% of the population than Euro elections.
  • This must be the first leadership election to take place during a general election.

    The Tories must be trying to lose. I really do think now I am starting to consider that 150 seats might be too many.

    Er... aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself now. Or am I watching the world on some weird time delay?
    Not getting complacent, just that Braverman is welcoming Farage in, in a clear sign she wants to take over after the loss and join with him. Which is batty.

    I still have an inkling we could see a hung parliament but those fears have receded to a 10% chance.
  • FairlieredFairliered Posts: 4,968
    HYUFD said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Why? Mosley did some excellent docs on medical matters, was a regular on the One Show and C4 and produced some well followed diet programmes.

    I suspect the average BBC viewer is more interested in his sad passing than elections for an EU Parliament we no longer vote for and the resignation of an Israeli Cabinet Minister (though both were also covered in the News at 10)
    Which is sad, and demonstrates how shallow and insular too many Brits now are. Lord Reith would not have approved.
  • Scott_xP said:


    Bill Kristol
    @BillKristol
    ·
    2h
    Trump laying groundwork for pulling out of the debate.

    https://x.com/BillKristol/status/1799889223677292975

    This is presumably why

    https://x.com/harryjsisson/status/1799902111582613526
    He is mentally deficient.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,820

    Farooq said:

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    (£)
    What's the actual story?
    They were to reinstate the tax free pension limit the conservatives abolished but now, apparently, they agree with the conservatives decision

    Good for doctors and highly paid civil servants
    Probably better to limit tax relief to the basic rate rather than bring back a lifetime limit.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,885

    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    I don't watch TV really so I'd never heard of him
    He is credited with introducing the 5 - 2 diet that helps to address pre diabetes in patients and indeed help patients to lose the weight to return to non diabetic

    It is widely acclaimed and I believe he wrote a regular medical column in the daily mail

    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-52-diet
    He didn't introduce the pre-diabetic stuff.

    Roy Taylor - newcastle medical professor - did all the work and wrote papers and books for years when no one else believed him.

    Fellow academics literally refused to speak to him at conferences because they believed he was wrong.

    He deserves the nobel prize frankly.



  • Jesus Twitter is just awful now, Trump post replies are either nutters or prostitutes
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362
    edited June 9

    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    It is the Beeb once again trying to chase Daily Mail land.

    He's a medical journalist who has also appeared a lot on TV.

    This is apparently a bigger story than 100s of millions of europeans going to the polls and Macron calling elections.

    Labour need to sort out BBC senior management and board because it no longer does its actual remit.
    The last EU Parliament elections in 2019 saw just 37% of British voters bother to vote, we couldn't care much about EU elections when in the EU and the vast majority of us certainly could not care less about them now we are no longer in the EU.

    Macron called a mid term French legislative election, also I expect a yawn from the average British TV watchers sofa beyond political geeks like us.

    Michael Mosley though I can see gogglebox viewers going, 'Oh, how sad, he did some really interesting documentaries and seemed such a nice guy.'
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405
    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    I get spammed by Google twice a month with stories from the Oswestry Announcer and such about his one simple tip for living to 95. We will know fairly soon how ironic this is.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267

    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    It is the Beeb once again trying to chase Daily Mail land.

    He's a medical journalist who has also appeared a lot on TV.

    This is apparently a bigger story than 100s of millions of europeans going to the polls and Macron calling elections.

    Labour need to sort out BBC senior management and board because it no longer does its actual remit.
    It might be to you but he is a very important contributor to the health of the nation and in particular diabetics

    For many he has helped and this is a big story - of course the EU and French developments will feature far longer and in more depth on the BBC following the Mosley story

  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,708

    Jesus Twitter is just awful now, Trump post replies are either nutters or prostitutes

    They boost people who pay for twitter, which is specifically these two demographics.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,363

    kinabalu said:

    A good bunch on the whole, computer programmers. Diligent, honest, grounded.

    Well that's very kind of you to say. But I am not so sure of all people.

    I prefer the term Software Engineer as it happens.
    Yes. Or Developer.

    I tended to enjoy working with them.
  • Nunu5Nunu5 Posts: 971

    Jesus Twitter is just awful now, Trump post replies are either nutters or prostitutes

    The Republican base!
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,756

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    That's a huge stretch Big_G.

    As the article points out Labour said they intended to reintroduce the Lifetime Allowance "but had not come up with details of how the allowance, a complex piece of tax legislation, could be reinstated."

    I know you are looking for a straw or two but really, this is not one.
    Sorry but Reeves has abandoned the change and it has been welcomed by the BMA among others

    It will not be reinstated by Labour and it is not in their manifesto to do so
    Struggling to see the problem here.
  • kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    A good bunch on the whole, computer programmers. Diligent, honest, grounded.

    Well that's very kind of you to say. But I am not so sure of all people.

    I prefer the term Software Engineer as it happens.
    Yes. Or Developer.

    I tended to enjoy working with them.
    You seem a nice chap. What did you do?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    ydoethur said:

    Ratters said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @AllieHBNews

    Monday’s TIMES: “Tories must embrace Farage, says Braverman” #TomorrowsPapersToday

    https://x.com/AllieHBNews/status/1799913094933606730

    If they do, they deserve to be in opposition for a very long time.
    Peer, to Wilkes: 'You will die either of the pox or on the gallows!'

    Wilkes: 'That depends on whether I embrace your lordship's mistress or your principles.'

    Embracing Farage would give them a nasty STI *before* seeing them obliterated...
    IIRC the peer in question was the Earl of Sandwich. Noted ministerialist and horndog.

    AND punter. Credited with inventing the sandwich, to avoid leaving the gaming table but still eat a meal.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267

    https://x.com/lewisUTBdenison/status/1799918648821535106/photo/2

    I asked the Conservative Party press office to explain why Richard Holden was dodging selection questions by talking about Emily Thornberry instead

    The response is remarkable

    The robot is broken.

    On the subject of Emily Thornberry good to see she admitted today their vat on school places will result in children having to be accommodated in state schools
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,303

    Pagan2 said:

    dixiedean said:

    Pagan2 said:

    Foxy said:

    Pagan2 said:

    @Pagan2 quotes are borked but fair enough. I agree. However it is up to companies to rein in and reform their own HR departments.

    What is their incentive to do so?
    If they are missing out on cheap talent, that cannot easily go elsewhere then it isn't good business.
    How do you prove that to them when most companies that aren't advertising min wage jobs are...must have a degree in the advert.

    Hell I have applied for jobs in software engineering and been told that despite 30 years experience I am not qualified because no degree
    You'll be delighted to hear the Public Sector is leading the way here.
    Due to the shortage of teachers, classes are increasingly being covered (and increasingly permanently led) by non-graduate HLTA's.
    On as little as less than £23k.
    Though possibly a job where a higher level of education is relevant. Be clear here I am not saying degrees are necessarily worthless. I am merely saying there seems to be a lot of jobs that were quite happily done properly by people with o levels or a levels alone that suddenly require a degree and a load of student debt
    FWIW I will hire a software engineer based on their github/track record over their degree (or lack thereof).

    But my CEO will always have degree snobbery. And oxbridge snobbery, come to think of it. That will only last a short while until someone proves themselves however...
    It is a bit like nepotism. Lots of people can do a job but only a chosen handful will be given the chance. I recently posted here a 1970s advert for school-leavers to work for banks, back in the days when bank manager was pillar of the community and an A-level job. Taken in aggregate, I doubt limiting opportunity in this way is good for business or Britain.
    However, looked at some ways, an A-Level then was equivalent to a degree now.

    It's not that long ago that a meaningful number of people left school with no qualifications whatsoever. Skip school at Easter aged 16, no exams and walk into the entriest of entry level jobs. I was at school in the 1980s, and it still happened a bit. Fixing that by moving the leaving day to late June of GCSE year was one of the dying acts of the Major government. It only came into force for the class of 1998.

    From that point of view, taking A-Levels said "committed enough and academic enough to study for a couple of years beyond compulsory education". The important bit wasn't so much the content as the signalling of ability and effort.

    Now, the vast majority are in education until 18; everyone is educated more than they were a few decades ago. That's a good thing. But young people who do A-Levels and then stop now aren't the same people who did A-Levels and stopped then.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267

    Jesus Twitter is just awful now, Trump post replies are either nutters or prostitutes

    Why do you bother following it then ?
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    That's a huge stretch Big_G.

    As the article points out Labour said they intended to reintroduce the Lifetime Allowance "but had not come up with details of how the allowance, a complex piece of tax legislation, could be reinstated."

    I know you are looking for a straw or two but really, this is not one.
    Sorry but Reeves has abandoned the change and it has been welcomed by the BMA among others

    It will not be reinstated by Labour and it is not in their manifesto to do so
    Struggling to see the problem here.
    Just another u turn
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,303

    This must be the first leadership election to take place during a general election.

    The Tories must be trying to lose. I really do think now I am starting to consider that 150 seats might be too many.

    It was happening on the quiet in 1997. It is a bit louder now, but heaven only knows what it will be like if the Conservative campaign continues to flounder.

    Thing is, they're all so mediocre.
  • Nunu5Nunu5 Posts: 971

    OT fireworks! Not sure why.

    Monday tomorrow!
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,885
    emily m
    @maitlis
    ·
    1h
    Close ( French ) friend in Paris tonight tells me she’s not surprised … 🇫🇷
    “Someone told me in paris 3 weeks ago macron will dissolve parliament to put bardella in power so bardella can really mess up in the next 2 years and they ll loose the presidential.
    That s a tactic…”
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 4,660
    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    (£)
    What's the actual story?
    They were to reinstate the tax free pension limit the conservatives abolished but now, apparently, they agree with the conservatives decision

    Good for doctors and highly paid civil servants
    Probably better to limit tax relief to the basic rate rather than bring back a lifetime limit.
    Some government has to have the balls to do that eventually. Most people getting 40% tax relief on the way in will only be paying 0%/20% on the way out.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860

    Jesus Twitter is just awful now, Trump post replies are either nutters or prostitutes

    They boost people who pay for twitter, which is specifically these two demographics.
    “The world’s town hall”, according to its owner.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362
    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,423
    edited June 9
    EPG said:

    dixiedean said:

    Why exactly should a Primary School teacher with a degree in English, Maths or Science take priority over someone who is basically literate and numerate, but is great with little kids?
    Or indeed one with a degree in Chinese? Who may or may not be adept with the little ones?

    I think the problem is that a degree is in part a good signal of general intelligence, whereas it's very hard to credibly signal "great with little kids".
    Yes. But you don't need general intelligence to work Primary. Nor Ks3 tbh.
    You need to be good with kids.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267

    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    I don't watch TV really so I'd never heard of him
    He is credited with introducing the 5 - 2 diet that helps to address pre diabetes in patients and indeed help patients to lose the weight to return to non diabetic

    It is widely acclaimed and I believe he wrote a regular medical column in the daily mail

    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-52-diet
    He didn't introduce the pre-diabetic stuff.

    Roy Taylor - newcastle medical professor - did all the work and wrote papers and books for years when no one else believed him.

    Fellow academics literally refused to speak to him at conferences because they believed he was wrong.

    He deserves the nobel prize frankly.



    He most certainly is credited with making it popular with lots of tributes to him

    Not sure why you seem to be so upset by him and the coverage of his sad death
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,692
    Just seen that the Belgian PM has resigned. Will there be an early election there as well?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,756

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    That's a huge stretch Big_G.

    As the article points out Labour said they intended to reintroduce the Lifetime Allowance "but had not come up with details of how the allowance, a complex piece of tax legislation, could be reinstated."

    I know you are looking for a straw or two but really, this is not one.
    Sorry but Reeves has abandoned the change and it has been welcomed by the BMA among others

    It will not be reinstated by Labour and it is not in their manifesto to do so
    Struggling to see the problem here.
    Just another u turn
    Wheels are coming off Labour's campaign tonight, eh! ;-)
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267
    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362
    dixiedean said:

    EPG said:

    dixiedean said:

    Why exactly should a Primary School teacher with a degree in English, Maths or Science take priority over someone who is basically literate and numerate, but is great with little kids?
    Or indeed one with a degree in Chinese? Who may or may not be adept with the little ones?

    I think the problem is that a degree is in part a good signal of general intelligence, whereas it's very hard to credibly signal "great with little kids".
    Yes. But you don't need general intelligence to work Primary. Nor Ks3 tbh.
    You need to be good with kids.
    Yes, indeed you probably don't need a degree to teach secondary up to GCSE either, being able to connect with kids and keep them in order is probably more important.

    You only really need a degree as a teacher to teach A Levels or IB
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,692

    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
    Replace with an elected second chamber?
  • novanova Posts: 692

    https://x.com/lewisUTBdenison/status/1799918648821535106/photo/2

    I asked the Conservative Party press office to explain why Richard Holden was dodging selection questions by talking about Emily Thornberry instead

    The response is remarkable

    The robot is broken.

    On the subject of Emily Thornberry good to see she admitted today their vat on school places will result in children having to be accommodated in state schools
    I've never seen a Labour MP suggest that it wouldn't involve some children moving to state schools.

    The 40% and other high figures, have been dismissed, but usually with a comment about some children moving.

    The spare capacity in the state sector (about 1m places next year) is mentioned so often, that I assume Labour are briefing that whenever the topic comes up.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362

    emily m
    @maitlis
    ·
    1h
    Close ( French ) friend in Paris tonight tells me she’s not surprised … 🇫🇷
    “Someone told me in paris 3 weeks ago macron will dissolve parliament to put bardella in power so bardella can really mess up in the next 2 years and they ll loose the presidential.
    That s a tactic…”

    Even if RN win most seats I doubt they win a majority so may be some logic for Macron there
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,363
    nova said:

    carnforth said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Am I the only person who'd never heard of him? Given the outpourings he must have been a lovely guy, but really?
    He's presented a couple of dozen science docs and series on the BBC, and has had a few series on Channel 4 recently.

    If you've heard of the 5:2 diet, or intermittent fasting in the last few years, it's almost certainly because of him.

    He's not quite Brian Cox, but he's still one of the biggest science names on the BBC over the last couple of decades.

    Given the nature of his death, and the search, I'm not surprised it's considered a big story.
    Yes it's the way he died that's made it such a big (and tragic) story. I was very familiar with him. I've listened to loads of his Just One Thing podcasts and because of that felt I knew him slightly. For me, his body being found today merits being headline news.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,362

    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
    Mind you Biden is over 80 and the Trump nearly 80.

    We need an effective revising chamber still too
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    That's a huge stretch Big_G.

    As the article points out Labour said they intended to reintroduce the Lifetime Allowance "but had not come up with details of how the allowance, a complex piece of tax legislation, could be reinstated."

    I know you are looking for a straw or two but really, this is not one.
    Sorry but Reeves has abandoned the change and it has been welcomed by the BMA among others

    It will not be reinstated by Labour and it is not in their manifesto to do so
    Struggling to see the problem here.
    Just another u turn
    Wheels are coming off Labour's campaign tonight, eh! ;-)
    Don't be silly

    They are home and dry and likely in landslide territory

    However, it is still OK to critise them I hope, especially as they will come under 24/7 media scrutiny from the 5th July
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267
    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
    Mind you Biden is over 80 and the Trump nearly 80.

    We need an effective revising chamber still too
    Agreed but it is not the HOL which needs to be gone
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267
    Andy_JS said:

    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
    Replace with an elected second chamber?
    Yes
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,423
    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    EPG said:

    dixiedean said:

    Why exactly should a Primary School teacher with a degree in English, Maths or Science take priority over someone who is basically literate and numerate, but is great with little kids?
    Or indeed one with a degree in Chinese? Who may or may not be adept with the little ones?

    I think the problem is that a degree is in part a good signal of general intelligence, whereas it's very hard to credibly signal "great with little kids".
    Yes. But you don't need general intelligence to work Primary. Nor Ks3 tbh.
    You need to be good with kids.
    Yes, indeed you probably don't need a degree to teach secondary up to GCSE either, being able to connect with kids and keep them in order is probably more important.

    You only really need a degree as a teacher to teach A Levels or IB
    Actually. You can teach one level below your qualifications.
    So you can teach degree level if you have a Master's.
    You can teach A level if you have a degree in that subject.
    But then it stops. For no apparent reason.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,553

    This must be the first leadership election to take place during a general election.

    The Tories must be trying to lose. I really do think now I am starting to consider that 150 seats might be too many.

    Er... aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself now. Or am I watching the world on some weird time delay?
    Not getting complacent, just that Braverman is welcoming Farage in, in a clear sign she wants to take over after the loss and join with him. Which is batty.

    I still have an inkling we could see a hung parliament but those fears have receded to a 10% chance.
    I see her intervention more as hoping Reform might stand down in her seat.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267
    Farooq said:

    Another labour u turn

    FT headline

    Labour throws out proposal to bring back cap on tax - free pensions

    Can you trust anything they say ?

    That's a huge stretch Big_G.

    As the article points out Labour said they intended to reintroduce the Lifetime Allowance "but had not come up with details of how the allowance, a complex piece of tax legislation, could be reinstated."

    I know you are looking for a straw or two but really, this is not one.
    Sorry but Reeves has abandoned the change and it has been welcomed by the BMA among others

    It will not be reinstated by Labour and it is not in their manifesto to do so
    Struggling to see the problem here.
    Just another u turn
    Wheels are coming off Labour's campaign tonight, eh! ;-)
    Don't listen to Big G, he's just ardently campaigning for a Plaid Cymru victory.
    You will know I am voting Lib Dem in 10 days if you have followed my posts
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,968

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
    Mind you Biden is over 80 and the Trump nearly 80.

    We need an effective revising chamber still too
    Agreed but it is not the HOL which needs to be gone
    An elected revising chamber is a terrible idea. It’ll just end up like the US congress, forever in gridlock.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 3,846

    HYUFD said:

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Why? Mosley did some excellent docs on medical matters, was a regular on the One Show and C4 and produced some well followed diet programmes.

    I suspect the average BBC viewer is more interested in his sad passing than elections for an EU Parliament we no longer vote for and the resignation of an Israeli Cabinet Minister (though both were also covered in the News at 10)
    Which is sad, and demonstrates how shallow and insular too many Brits now are. Lord Reith would not have approved.
    I'm not exactly a cheerleader for him - but he clearly strove to educate and entertain. I'm not sure why Reith would have disapproved? He seemed like a public-minded person to me.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,267
    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
    Mind you Biden is over 80 and the Trump nearly 80.

    We need an effective revising chamber still too
    Agreed but it is not the HOL which needs to be gone
    An elected revising chamber is a terrible idea. It’ll just end up like the US congress, forever in gridlock.
    Depends on how it is set up and the powers it has
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,544

    emily m
    @maitlis
    ·
    1h
    Close ( French ) friend in Paris tonight tells me she’s not surprised … 🇫🇷
    “Someone told me in paris 3 weeks ago macron will dissolve parliament to put bardella in power so bardella can really mess up in the next 2 years and they ll loose the presidential.
    That s a tactic…”

    The problem with that is that National Ramblers have been in power at various levels in the French system for a while. They went through the “messing up and collapsing when in power” thing decades back.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,820

    HYUFD said:

    Labour to ban over 80 year olds from the House of Lords it is reported
    https://x.com/richardmarcj/status/1799810016465359099

    Excellent and should be younger

    Indeed abolish it altogether
    Perhaps do a reverse Sunak cigarette policy. Reduce the maximum age by 1 year every year until abolished. I suppose Boris's blond "SPAD" will be the last one left.
  • Isn't Johnson's alleged daughter in the HoL?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    edited June 9
    In Irish local elections, with 698 of 949 local council seat counted (source RTE)

    Fine Gail 27.8% +0.9% compared with 2019 locals
    Fianna Fail 24.5% - 4.9%
    Sinn Fein 9.9% +1.5%
    Labour 6.2% +0.2%
    Social Democrats 3.8% +1.8%
    Green 2.3% -2.9%
    Solidarity & People Before Profit 1.0% -0.2%
    Aontu 0.9% +0.5%
    Other parties 20.0% +0.5%
    Independents 3.5% +2.6%

    EDIT - note CORRECTION re: FG gain since last election.

    Biggest losers (so far) are FF and Green, with Independents, Labour and . . . SF!

    Note that SF was expected based on polling to do far better than 2019, which was NOT a good year for them. However, the recent failed referendums which they endorsed but their base did NOT really changed their trajectory.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,363

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    A good bunch on the whole, computer programmers. Diligent, honest, grounded.

    Well that's very kind of you to say. But I am not so sure of all people.

    I prefer the term Software Engineer as it happens.
    Yes. Or Developer.

    I tended to enjoy working with them.
    You seem a nice chap. What did you do?
    On the work front it sort of went Accounting, Consulting, Banking ... but it was all a long time ago now. I'm well out of touch.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,176
    Scott_xP said:


    Bill Kristol
    @BillKristol
    ·
    2h
    Trump laying groundwork for pulling out of the debate.

    https://x.com/BillKristol/status/1799889223677292975

    This is presumably why

    https://x.com/harryjsisson/status/1799902111582613526
    That's a bit he's been doing for years.

    Apparently in his mind electric vehicles are dangerous because then you have electric boats and if the boat gets wet then you'll get electrocuted.

    Nevermind that all modern boats and ships have electricity already and know how to handle it in the water.
  • LDLFLDLF Posts: 160
    edited June 9
    When Corbyn was Labour leader I stupidly dreamed of the Lib Dems overtaking the Labour Party. Now it looks like Farage could engineer the Lib Dems' replacing the Conservatives as main opposition, even if only for one parliament - something I had never even thought to dream of. A few thoughts that quickly descend into the surreal - sorry for the long list:

    1. Let's assume that Reform has a very good night. Not only does Farage win in Clacton, but up to ten other Reform MPs get elected. In such a scenario they still have fewer seats than not only the Lib Dems, but also the Rump Conservatives and the SNP. MPs from both Reform and the Rump Conservatives would have no influence on the policies shaping the nation, and would receive media attention only as a fascinating freak show.

    2. I strongly suspect that all the Reform MPs, aside from Farage himself, will not remain in that party by the end of the next parliament. Some will get into a disagreement with Farage and get thrown out; others will be revealed to have said ghastly things on social media; the rest could just be a bunch of Jared O'Maras and collapse out of parliament.

    3. Farage himself does not seem to have the political attention span to devise policy proposals. His use is as a destructive missile aimed at specific grievances. Anyone who attempts to work with him to devise policy will inevitably fall out with him unless they are utterly subservient.

    4. In such a parliament there is therefore no attraction for the Rump Conservatives to ally in parliament with Reform in any formal or long-term way.

    5. The Rump-Cons could on the other hand find themselves increasingly voting with the leader of the opposition, Sir Ed Davey, against an overwhelmingly powerful goverment that is likely to be instinctively statist, interventionist and authoritarian (I anticipate most Rump-Cons in opposition quickly to become more civil-libertarian). This seems more likely when one considers who the Rump-Con MPs are individually likely to be. One could even imagine a splinter group from one party joining other (Rump-Con to Lib Dem or vice versa).

    6. The centre-right therefore seems less likely to be captured by Farage's merry men and more likely to be captured by Orange Bookers. As an Orange Book fan myself (I think there are ver few in existence now, but thankfully one could still be Ed Davey), I'd be very happy with this. But I'm not sure that the nationalist right are fully thinking through their revolution under Nigel Farage's banner. They are forgetting that parliaments come in between elections, and they are forgetting the nature of Nigel Farage himself.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,692
    edited June 9

    FFS. BBC values.

    News at 10 leads on Mosley.

    So hard to defend the Beeb anymore as it constantly fails in its actual remit.

    Have to disagree with you on this. It was pretty much the only news I was interested in today. Still can't believe it. I listened to his radio shows very often.
  • kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    A good bunch on the whole, computer programmers. Diligent, honest, grounded.

    Well that's very kind of you to say. But I am not so sure of all people.

    I prefer the term Software Engineer as it happens.
    Yes. Or Developer.

    I tended to enjoy working with them.
    You seem a nice chap. What did you do?
    On the work front it sort of went Accounting, Consulting, Banking ... but it was all a long time ago now. I'm well out of touch.
    Don't seem it to me, you seem very in touch! Interesting career.
  • BatteryCorrectHorseBatteryCorrectHorse Posts: 3,732
    edited June 9
    Clare Short is an absolute snake.

    "I always opposed Iraq" she says, after voting for the war in Parliament.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,176
    @Scott_xP rather than simply malfuctioning, that weird boat/shark part is a part of his established routine now. He's doing it on purpose.

    Here's the Guardian talking about it a year ago.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/02/donald-trump-electrocution-campaign-event-iowa
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,176
    edited June 9

    Clare Short is an absolute snake.

    "I always opposed Iraq" she says, after voting for the war in Parliament.

    Maybe she voted for war because she opposed Iraq? ;)

    Though I thought Clare Short resigned with Robin Cook, from memory.
  • Clare Short is an absolute snake.

    "I always opposed Iraq" she says, after voting for the war in Parliament.

    Maybe she voted for war because she opposed Iraq? ;)

    Though I thought Clare Short resigned with Robin Cook, from memory.
    She didn't.
  • @Scott_xP rather than simply malfuctioning, that weird boat/shark part is a part of his established routine now. He's doing it on purpose.

    Here's the Guardian talking about it a year ago.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/02/donald-trump-electrocution-campaign-event-iowa

    He's mentally unwell.
This discussion has been closed.