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It’s not looking good for Suella Braverman – politicalbetting.com

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  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8

    Although I don’t doubt the fiscal jeopardy faced by the incoming French government, I note that the stock market rout predicted by various Telegraphy types, as well as Andrew Neill, simply hasn’t happened.

    It seems reasonably likely that Macron will pick someone from the Socialists or the Greens as PM.
    The idea that the election has delivered “ungovernability” doesn’t seem to hold much weight.

    Not just the stock market. The wide scale riots predicted by the usual suspects on here don't seem to have happened either.
    Given the French deployed 30,000 police, I don't think it was just PB who thought that there might be a spot of trouble...and that was under the presumption the RN would win.
    Yes, you were one of them last night.
    You're our very own virtual Neighbourhood Watch champion though, always managing to find a random tweet from dodgy sources showing disorder and mayhem.
    Huh, I made a single post making a joke about the French always rioting. It wasn't exactly wall to wall tweets showing disorder. I think you are confusing me with somebody else.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 28,900

    Main site has fallen over.

    Because the Lord Cameron has gone?
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921
    edited July 8

    Although I don’t doubt the fiscal jeopardy faced by the incoming French government, I note that the stock market rout predicted by various Telegraphy types, as well as Andrew Neill, simply hasn’t happened.

    It seems reasonably likely that Macron will pick someone from the Socialists or the Greens as PM.
    The idea that the election has delivered “ungovernability” doesn’t seem to hold much weight.

    Macron has cleverly asked his current PM, the centrist Attal to stay on in the role for now. Given neither the leftist New Popular Front nor RN have a majority neither have the votes to replace him as Ensemble and Les Republicains combined have more votes than either the left block or RN. NPF also cannot agree on a PM candidate at the moment anyway
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    edited July 8

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    Notable that Hunt is staying on as Shadow Chancellor.
    So much for Clare Coutinho.
    Why would we expect any shift in personnel when Sunak will be gone shortly? Isn't this just window dressing until the Tories have their big punch up over leadership and then selection of what is left will tell us something.
    Because Sunak *could* have used the opportunity to further promote his acolytes into key roles for better visibility.

    Labour promise a very active 100 days, and as it stands we won’t get a new Tory leader and therefore new shadows until 2/3 of that is over.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,631
    Muesli said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    @TSE u ok hun?
    No, thanks for asking though.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    Notable that Hunt is staying on as Shadow Chancellor.
    So much for Clare Coutinho.
    Why would we expect any shift in personnel when Sunak will be gone shortly? Isn't this just window dressing until the Tories have their big punch up over leadership and then selection of what is left will tell us something.
    Because Sunak *could* have used the opportunity to further promote his acolytes into key roles for better visibility.

    Labour promise a very active 100 days, and as it stands we won’t get a new Tory leader and therefore new shadows until 2/3 of that is over.
    Fair point.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,892

    Main site has fallen over.

    Vanilla claims to be fixing some problem or other.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,631

    Main site has fallen over.

    Yeah, some bellend just accidentally deleted the Suella thread.

    I was distraught by the Dave news.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,892
    Dopermean said:

    Foxy said:

    Mortimer said:

    Foxy said:

    Mortimer said:

    Jenrick is my tip for leader. Just pipping Badenoch in a campaign with members.

    Sufficiently established in parliamentary party. Called the Sunak horror show correctly.

    Coutinho gets nowhere as far as I can see.

    Don't see Cleverly running, wonder if Barclay might not either.

    Next but one leader is probably more likely to become PM, realistically.

    It's pretty slim pickings. At least Cleverly made an effort in the campaign nationally.

    The others were invisible, or like the unfortunate Penny no longer eligible.
    I think Jenrick probably hits Starmer harder on crime, immigration and growth of the state.

    All of which are likely to be the weak links of this govt.

    Badenoch would, I expect, make some loud noises in speeches and on twitter. Can't see it cutting through with voters.....
    A white male probably appeals more to Reform voters too.

    Though worth remembering that many Reform voters knew that their vote would most likely put Starmer in Number 10. They wanted to kick the Tories too.
    Not sure how any Conservative can attack Starmer on crime when their defunding of the court system led to massive numbers on remand, prison overcrowding and huge delays in getting cases to trial, effectively decriminalising sex offences.
    You must be new to politics, or new to shameless hypocrisy. Of course the Conservatives will attack Starmer on crime.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,663

    Main site has fallen over.

    Yeah, some bellend just accidentally deleted the Suella thread.

    I was distraught by the Dave news.
    Our thoughts are with you etc...
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405

    Main site has fallen over.

    Yeah, some bellend just accidentally deleted the Suella thread.

    I was distraught by the Dave news.
    Shadow For Sec job surely not worth a bucket of warm piss?
  • TresTres Posts: 2,695

    MJW said:

    148grss said:

    This is interesting; basically suggesting that lots of Reform UK candidates may have not been real people?

    https://bylinetimes.com/2024/07/03/reform-uks-invisible-candidates-who-are-they-hiding/

    Looking at the example given, Mark Matlock, I can't help but now see an AI version of Elon Musk made younger and a bit chubbier...

    I do hope someone is going to investigate this properly. If true, this is a crime, worthy of a prison sentence.
    I'm not sure you can imprison an AI-generated non-person.
    Anyway, the story appears not to be true - he's real.
    made up by enemies of reform . The fact that many on here seemed to think its true is depressing
    Not entirely 'made up' - but people being silly jumping to conclusions. When looking into some constituency betting I was thinking of going for a Reform candidate and genuinely couldn't find any online presence, nor even any generic quotes to local newspapers. Seems that was perhaps more common - a kind of ultra-paper candidate agreeing to run on the understanding they wouldn't have to do a thing. So appear oddly ghostly. Perhaps signed up to stand as a candidate but really couldn't in this election and were parcelled out nowhere near where they live to fill spots.

    In this case, I think Private Eye found the chap and turned out he'd used an AI image of 'himself' on his website.

    So some people have put the two things together and leapt on the idea that the strongly paper candidates are somehow made up rather than probably a Reform supporter sitting in their living room 200 miles away, but on the ballot to boost the party.
    yes but making up candidates is lllegal and the other is not - people should be careful of believing crap just becasue it is knocking reform
    I thought it was amusing if true, and less damaging than some of the undoubtedly true stuff about genuine flesh and blood Reform candidates.

    Which brings me back yet again to Mark's puzzling silence. You would have expected it to be impossible to restrain him from rebutting the slur on his estimable party.
    if you don't live on social media and are a genuine paper candidate then it's entirely possible the entire furore has passed him by
  • No_Offence_AlanNo_Offence_Alan Posts: 4,515

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    Notable that Hunt is staying on as Shadow Chancellor.
    So much for Clare Coutinho.
    Why would we expect any shift in personnel when Sunak will be gone shortly? Isn't this just window dressing until the Tories have their big punch up over leadership and then selection of what is left will tell us something.
    Because Sunak *could* have used the opportunity to further promote his acolytes into key roles for better visibility.

    Labour promise a very active 100 days, and as it stands we won’t get a new Tory leader and therefore new shadows until 2/3 of that is over.
    Sunak has "acolytes"? I don't think we will every see the terms 'Sunakism' or 'Sunakite' in widespread political use.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278
    Ah, we're back on the main site. TSE's must've pulled himself together! :D
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,218

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    Notable that Hunt is staying on as Shadow Chancellor.
    So much for Clare Coutinho.
    Two thoughts.

    First, as a senior Conservative with a pulse and a seat, Coutinho's odds ought to be better than 50/1. But not necessarily much better; it's hard to see the Conservatives going for Sunak in a blouse.

    Besides, Conservative Leader is very probably a duff job this time round, with four years of effort followed by a defeat and a resignation. Not for certain, but probably. MPs who want to be PM might make the calculation that this is one to sit out. Coutinho is Sunak's protégé after all, which is literally "one who is protected".
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,011
    Dick Holden out, Dick Fuller in.

    Conclusion: You have to be a Dick to chair the Conservatives.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8

    Main site has fallen over.

    Yeah, some bellend just accidentally deleted the Suella thread.

    I was distraught by the Dave news.
    Going to spend more time in his shepherds hut....lets hope he doesn't decide to write another book!

    TBH, I presumed that would always be the deal of him coming back. Although, I expect that he was under the impression it might be until the end of the year.
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405

    Business editor of the Telegraph:

    “The Conservative party watching on, slack jawed, as it realises you are in fact allowed to use the machinery of government to do things you want and don't have to care if your opponents scream about it.

    Now park a few newbuild estates in Tory seats to drive that point home.”

    Shocking how inept and inert the Tories were.

    Sunak could have used his first 72 hours to do identically, down to the smallest detail, what starmer has done in the last 72 hours. What a waste.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,921
    edited July 8

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    Notable that Hunt is staying on as Shadow Chancellor.
    So much for Clare Coutinho.
    Two thoughts.

    First, as a senior Conservative with a pulse and a seat, Coutinho's odds ought to be better than 50/1. But not necessarily much better; it's hard to see the Conservatives going for Sunak in a blouse.

    Besides, Conservative Leader is very probably a duff job this time round, with four years of effort followed by a defeat and a resignation. Not for certain, but probably. MPs who want to be PM might make the calculation that this is one to sit out. Coutinho is Sunak's protégé after all, which is literally "one who is protected".
    Might raise your profile and get you to the Lords and a future Foreign Sec though once your party returns to power. Ask Lord Hague who did the night shift for the Tories as Opposition Leader from 1997-2001.

    Ed Miliband did the same for Labour after it lost power in 2010 and is now back at his old job as Energy Secretary
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,277
    Still life. The Luberon. July 2024. Pixels on glass



  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 28,900
    If you think about it, the Lord Cameron is deserving of sympathy. He must have been promised a decent run in the role. Instead he gets dragged home from a tickertape parade in Tirana because the daft dwarf has gone mad and called a mental election he will get demolished in.
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,377

    Although I don’t doubt the fiscal jeopardy faced by the incoming French government, I note that the stock market rout predicted by various Telegraphy types, as well as Andrew Neill, simply hasn’t happened.

    It seems reasonably likely that Macron will pick someone from the Socialists or the Greens as PM.
    The idea that the election has delivered “ungovernability” doesn’t seem to hold much weight.

    Not just the stock market. The wide scale riots predicted by the usual suspects on here don't seem to have happened either.
    Given the French deployed 30,000 police, I don't think it was just PB who thought that there might be a spot of trouble...and that was under the presumption the RN would win.
    Yes, you were one of them last night.
    You're our very own virtual Neighbourhood Watch champion though, always managing to find a random tweet from dodgy sources showing disorder and mayhem.
    Huh, I made a single post making a joke about the French always rioting. It wasn't exactly wall to wall tweets showing disorder. I think you are confusing me with somebody else.
    Erm this was you, last night:

    Riots are now also breaking out in Paris as the far-left celebrates their victory in the parliamentary election

    https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1810062906840744284

    Riot when you lose, riot when you win, riot when its a day that ends in y.


    As I said. Dodgy tweet source included.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,663
    The Conservative party watching on, slack jawed, as it realises you are in fact allowed to use the machinery of government to do things you want and don't have to care if your opponents scream about it.

    Now park a few newbuild estates in Tory seats to drive that point home.


    https://x.com/SAshworthHayes/status/1810281718953251241
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8

    Although I don’t doubt the fiscal jeopardy faced by the incoming French government, I note that the stock market rout predicted by various Telegraphy types, as well as Andrew Neill, simply hasn’t happened.

    It seems reasonably likely that Macron will pick someone from the Socialists or the Greens as PM.
    The idea that the election has delivered “ungovernability” doesn’t seem to hold much weight.

    Not just the stock market. The wide scale riots predicted by the usual suspects on here don't seem to have happened either.
    Given the French deployed 30,000 police, I don't think it was just PB who thought that there might be a spot of trouble...and that was under the presumption the RN would win.
    Yes, you were one of them last night.
    You're our very own virtual Neighbourhood Watch champion though, always managing to find a random tweet from dodgy sources showing disorder and mayhem.
    Huh, I made a single post making a joke about the French always rioting. It wasn't exactly wall to wall tweets showing disorder. I think you are confusing me with somebody else.
    Erm this was you, last night:

    Riots are now also breaking out in Paris as the far-left celebrates their victory in the parliamentary election

    https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1810062906840744284

    Riot when you lose, riot when you win, riot when its a day that ends in y.


    As I said. Dodgy tweet source included.
    Yes that is was I said. I made a single post, with a jokey comment. The French do have a tad of a reputation for liking a good riot for any reason, among the left, right and the centre.

    Also visegrad24 isn't a dodgy source.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,218

    Business editor of the Telegraph:

    “The Conservative party watching on, slack jawed, as it realises you are in fact allowed to use the machinery of government to do things you want and don't have to care if your opponents scream about it.

    Now park a few newbuild estates in Tory seats to drive that point home.”

    Shocking how inept and inert the Tories were.

    The trick (in politics as in life) is to keep the process and paperwork clean, because then you can do pretty much what you like. Starmer and Gray are likely to get that in a way that Johnson and Cummings or Truss, Kwateng and the voices in their heads didn't.

    But yes. Government is power and Opposition is impotence, and giving up some of what you want to achieve most of what you want is always worth it.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,821

    Labour won about the same share of the vote (33.8%) as RN did in France (33%)

    Labour 412 seats
    RN 142 sièges
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,277
    Andy_JS said:

    Chris Arnade

    https://unherd.com/2024/07/can-european-cafe-culture-cure-america/

    "Of all the smallish towns I have stayed in along France’s Rhône Valley, Tournon-sur-Rhône is my least favourite. It’s a loud town with an old expressway, Route Nationale 86, running through it.

    Yet even in Tournon, on a boring Wednesday afternoon, there was an active social scene, a communal sense of needing to be, if not directly with other people, then at least near them. At one local café, friends, colleagues, couples, families came and went. Those who arrived alone, mostly older regulars, came to sit, watch the world and chat with waiters and fellow patrons. They were alone in name only. Each had their place, as I later found out when I realised I’d taken the corner seat of one regular. I offered to switch, but they declined with a smile, muttering something I hoped translated as “I may be set in my ways, but I’m not THAT set”.

    I stayed at that café for three hours, and though I was alone I never felt lonely. I didn’t order much, but I never felt rushed. The French understand the value of sitting for a long time around others, while seemingly doing nothing."

    Friend of mine, Chris Arnade. We are meeting in Cambodia/Vietnam this autumn
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278

    Business editor of the Telegraph:

    “The Conservative party watching on, slack jawed, as it realises you are in fact allowed to use the machinery of government to do things you want and don't have to care if your opponents scream about it.

    Now park a few newbuild estates in Tory seats to drive that point home.”

    Shocking how inept and inert the Tories were.

    Sunak could have used his first 72 hours to do identically, down to the smallest detail, what starmer has done in the last 72 hours. What a waste.
    Sunak never really had a mandate though as he only got the job after Loopy Lizzie was turfed out of Downing St and at the time of his appointment his only focus was to calm things down after *that* budget.

    Becoming PM after a 174 seat election landslide is a different scenario to becoming PM by default after both of your predecessors have ****** up.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,561

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    Notable that Hunt is staying on as Shadow Chancellor.
    So much for Clare Coutinho.
    Why would we expect any shift in personnel when Sunak will be gone shortly? Isn't this just window dressing until the Tories have their big punch up over leadership and then selection of what is left will tell us something.
    Because Sunak *could* have used the opportunity to further promote his acolytes into key roles for better visibility.

    Labour promise a very active 100 days, and as it stands we won’t get a new Tory leader and therefore new shadows until 2/3 of that is over.
    Sunak has "acolytes"? I don't think we will every see the terms 'Sunakism' or 'Sunakite' in widespread political use.
    Sunackered maybe...
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405

    Dick Holden out, Dick Fuller in.

    Conclusion: You have to be a Dick to chair the Conservatives.

    Contemplating a gag with Emptier in it. But I am better than that.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    Suspected people smugglers to be hit with travel bans in King’s Speech
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/07/08/people-smugglers-hit-travel-bans-kings-speech/

    People smugglers getting the football banning order treatment. I always presumed that the different ends of the chain didn't need to travel themselves?
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278
    edited July 8
    Why doesn't Sunak just quit now and go to California? That way we could get Penny into Richmond. :D
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,011

    Main site has fallen over.

    Yeah, some bellend just accidentally deleted the Suella thread.

    I was distraught by the Dave news.
    I'm sure he will be a dedicated, active back bencher in the Lords.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 51,821

    Andy_JS said:

    148grss said:

    This is interesting; basically suggesting that lots of Reform UK candidates may have not been real people?

    https://bylinetimes.com/2024/07/03/reform-uks-invisible-candidates-who-are-they-hiding/

    Looking at the example given, Mark Matlock, I can't help but now see an AI version of Elon Musk made younger and a bit chubbier...

    This is what is known as a conspiracy theory.
    It’s one of the peculiarities of English economic geography that Tunbridge Wells is fancy but East Grinstead is a bit of a dump.

    Yet they are both historic, Wealden towns.
    Admittedly Tunbridge had royal imprimatur at one stage but that doesn’t quite seem sufficient reason…
    East Grinstead has the famous Bluebell Railway, Tunbridge Wells has the inferior Spa Valley Railway.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    Mortimer said:

    Foxy said:

    Mortimer said:

    Jenrick is my tip for leader. Just pipping Badenoch in a campaign with members.

    Sufficiently established in parliamentary party. Called the Sunak horror show correctly.

    Coutinho gets nowhere as far as I can see.

    Don't see Cleverly running, wonder if Barclay might not either.

    Next but one leader is probably more likely to become PM, realistically.

    It's pretty slim pickings. At least Cleverly made an effort in the campaign nationally.

    The others were invisible, or like the unfortunate Penny no longer eligible.
    I think Jenrick probably hits Starmer harder on crime, immigration and growth of the state.

    All of which are likely to be the weak links of this govt.

    Badenoch would, I expect, make some loud noises in speeches and on twitter. Can't see it cutting through with voters.....
    If performative cruelty wins elections Honest Bob is your man.

    Performative cruelty didn't do too well on Thursday.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,663
    edited July 8

    HYUFD said:

    Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak announces his new Shadow Cabinet.

    Lord Cameron and Richard Holden step down and Andrew Mitchell becomes Shadow Foreign Secretary, Kemi Badenoch moves from Business to Housing otherwise it is the same Cabinet Ministers holding the Shadow Cabinet roles of those who were re elected
    https://news.sky.com/story/election-results-labour-keir-starmer-prime-minister-tory-reform-lib-dem-latest-news-12593360?postid=7943427

    Notable that Hunt is staying on as Shadow Chancellor.
    So much for Clare Coutinho.
    Why would we expect any shift in personnel when Sunak will be gone shortly? Isn't this just window dressing until the Tories have their big punch up over leadership and then selection of what is left will tell us something.
    Because Sunak *could* have used the opportunity to further promote his acolytes into key roles for better visibility.

    Labour promise a very active 100 days, and as it stands we won’t get a new Tory leader and therefore new shadows until 2/3 of that is over.
    Sunak has "acolytes"? I don't think we will every see the terms 'Sunakism' or 'Sunakite' in widespread political use.
    Deleted
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278
    Con leadership election should have been Penny Vs Kemi

    Darn those pesky voters...
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,401

    Business editor of the Telegraph:

    “The Conservative party watching on, slack jawed, as it realises you are in fact allowed to use the machinery of government to do things you want and don't have to care if your opponents scream about it.

    Now park a few newbuild estates in Tory seats to drive that point home.”

    Shocking how inept and inert the Tories were.

    Unfortunately, not enough Tory seats to fill our housing needs.
  • WillGWillG Posts: 2,366
    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278
    Wonder if David Davis feels like having another by election?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    WillG said:

    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.

    In other news, bears shit in the woods...
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,011
    Cookie said:

    Andy_JS said:

    148grss said:

    This is interesting; basically suggesting that lots of Reform UK candidates may have not been real people?

    https://bylinetimes.com/2024/07/03/reform-uks-invisible-candidates-who-are-they-hiding/

    Looking at the example given, Mark Matlock, I can't help but now see an AI version of Elon Musk made younger and a bit chubbier...

    This is what is known as a conspiracy theory.
    It’s one of the peculiarities of English economic geography that Tunbridge Wells is fancy but East Grinstead is a bit of a dump.

    Yet they are both historic, Wealden towns.
    Admittedly Tunbridge had royal imprimatur at one stage but that doesn’t quite seem sufficient reason…
    Nominative determinism? East Grinstead just sounds like a dump. Must be Viking. See also Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Skegness, Ratby, Goole.
    And East... places are always worse than west, north or south.
    Meanwhile 'Tunbridge' sounds ever so posh - and there is nowhere grim with 'Wells' in its name.
    Acton Wells begs to differ.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070
    Some clues to Thames Water’s fate.

    Poor state of Thames Water a ‘critical risk’ to UK, Starmer and Reeves told
    Exclusive: Whitehall warns firm’s deteriorating infrastructure and £15.6bn debt pose urgent problem
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jul/08/starmer-reeves-briefed-critical-risk-thames-water-whitehall-debt-infrastructure
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278
    WillG said:

    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.

    He'll be completely unbiased then...
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8
    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,723

    Why are there no odds on Nick Timothy? Clearly the most talented person in the parliamentary party.

    You cannot be serious
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8
    GIN1138 said:

    WillG said:

    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.

    He'll be completely unbiased then...
    Having a German ref a Dutch game is also an interesting choice....its a bit like letting TSE adjudicate any sport involving the French.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070
    Biden: “if you don’t allow me the chance to lose, I’ll make sure you lose..l””
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/08/biden-msnbc-interview-open-letter-democrats
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153
    Leon said:


    So after the counting in France

    RN 10 million votes - 36%
    NFP - 7.5 million - 25 %
    Macron - 7 million -23%

    https://www.lefigaro.fr/elections/legislatives/legislatives-pourquoi-le-rn-a-obtenu-plus-de-voix-mais-moins-de-sieges-que-le-nfp-20240708

    Wait. What?

    She won the popular vote by a canter?
    It's because of the two part voting, and the fact that she was in essentially every second round, while the Socialists / EM weren't.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,908
    edited July 8
    Leon said:

    Roger said:

    Mortimer said:

    Roger said:

    Leon said:

    I have reached my friend’s house in Provence. He’s gone off to talk to the Taliban in Kabul. For reals

    His house is in one of the most staggeringly beautiful French villages I have ever seen

    Oppède Le Vieux

    https://www.theluberon.com/villages/oppede-le-vieux/

    Dates to pre-Roman times (the word Oppède is Celtic-Roman for fort) yet for centuries it was basically abandoned. Then in the Second World War the author Saint Exupery (yes, him) and a bunch of artists all rescued it

    It has a brilliantly grumpy cafe owner

    You can go and irritate Hugh Grant just down the road in Eygalieres
    Stopped off there for an excellent coffee and brandy whilst cycling nearby; jazz band in attendance.

    Mediocre looking street brocante there; spotted a gem. I was busy trying to work out how best I could ship a for sure £5k (retail) antique bookcase and thought I had better check the price first. It was 15 thousand euros!!!!!!
    It's an interesting case of how the demand of a few rich people can turn a sleepy village into a classy well served little town.
    Any other cultural recommendations, for Provence? I have seen quite a lot of this region, so I need some new gems...
    My favourite place round there is Arles but I like busy towns. Also I think the Photographic festival is on at the moment so it's particularly lively. Les Beaux has a brilliant Cinema Lumiere which is the best anywhere which is always worth a visit.

    https://www.carrieres-lumieres.com/en
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,892
    WillG said:

    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.

    Well don't just sit there like a lemon, bribe him! It could be our best chance.
  • sarissasarissa Posts: 1,993
    Leon said:

    Roger said:

    Mortimer said:

    Roger said:

    Leon said:

    I have reached my friend’s house in Provence. He’s gone off to talk to the Taliban in Kabul. For reals

    His house is in one of the most staggeringly beautiful French villages I have ever seen

    Oppède Le Vieux

    https://www.theluberon.com/villages/oppede-le-vieux/

    Dates to pre-Roman times (the word Oppède is Celtic-Roman for fort) yet for centuries it was basically abandoned. Then in the Second World War the author Saint Exupery (yes, him) and a bunch of artists all rescued it

    It has a brilliantly grumpy cafe owner

    You can go and irritate Hugh Grant just down the road in Eygalieres
    Stopped off there for an excellent coffee and brandy whilst cycling nearby; jazz band in attendance.

    Mediocre looking street brocante there; spotted a gem. I was busy trying to work out how best I could ship a for sure £5k (retail) antique bookcase and thought I had better check the price first. It was 15 thousand euros!!!!!!
    It's an interesting case of how the demand of a few rich people can turn a sleepy village into a classy well served little town.
    Any other cultural recommendations, for Provence? I have seen quite a lot of this region, so I need some new gems...
    At the risk a busman’s holiday, what about a Côtes du Rhône cafe crawl? With 17(?) named ACs to get round, that should occupy you for, oh, 12 hours.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,070

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Read on - what they’re actually suggesting is extensions to existing urban areas.
    Done well, that could be a very good thing. Done badly….
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 26,589
    Does anyone think that Robert Jenrick looks like Matt Gaetz ?

    This is not a good thing.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8
    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Read on - what they’re actually suggesting is extensions to existing urban areas.
    Done well, that could be a very good thing. Done badly….
    I did. That was my point, that in the past both parties have had these visions of x new garden cities, instead this is a change of direction.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278
    Main headline on BBC News website: LORD CAMERON RESIGNS

    Poor TSE. 🌹
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,835
    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Read on - what they’re actually suggesting is extensions to existing urban areas.
    Done well, that could be a very good thing. Done badly….
    Castlemilk (at least the original scheme) waves hello.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,990
    @NadineDorries

    I’m calling it now.

    The plan is to install David Cameron as next leader of the party following defeat in the GE.


    oh, wait...
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Good.

    We don’t want new cities plunked in the middle of the countryside. We want new suburbs, attached to already successful urban agglomerations.

    This should not at all be controversial. It’s kind of how development works around the world.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278

    Does anyone think that Robert Jenrick looks like Matt Gaetz ?

    This is not a good thing.

    Yeah, he'll be a non-starter with the public...
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153
    I see Andrew Tate earned £21m from his online endeavors, but has paid exactly no income tax in either Romania or the UK.

    Whoops.
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405

    Suspected people smugglers to be hit with travel bans in King’s Speech
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/07/08/people-smugglers-hit-travel-bans-kings-speech/

    People smugglers getting the football banning order treatment. I always presumed that the different ends of the chain didn't need to travel themselves?

    Quite. Both ineffective and morally dubious

    "Like terrorism police, officers could get warrants to search suspected people smugglers’ premises and seize items before an offence was committed and apply to courts for early access to financial information on suspects."

    That will keep the precogs busy.

    My Nunulab honeymoon was great while it lasted. They can't help themselves, they think frighteningly illiberal things are great when they are Labour illiberal things. For starters I would like to see them unwind the disgustingly populist indefinite sentences they brought in last time.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083

    Does anyone think that Robert Jenrick looks like Matt Gaetz ?

    This is not a good thing.

    I can totally see that. Jenrick is notwhere near as slimy though.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,817
    WillG said:

    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.

    Beezelbub and Lucifer will be seriously offended by that comparison.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,990
    Carnyx said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Read on - what they’re actually suggesting is extensions to existing urban areas.
    Done well, that could be a very good thing. Done badly….
    Castlemilk (at least the original scheme) waves hello.
    Origin of one of the greatest of the many, many bands to come out of Glasgow in the 80s
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,723
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083
    Nigelb said:

    Biden: “if you don’t allow me the chance to lose, I’ll make sure you lose..l””
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/08/biden-msnbc-interview-open-letter-democrats

    That was basically Trump's pitch to the GOP, and it worked - now he's lucky enough that he will actually win.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083
    Nigelb said:

    Some clues to Thames Water’s fate.

    Poor state of Thames Water a ‘critical risk’ to UK, Starmer and Reeves told
    Exclusive: Whitehall warns firm’s deteriorating infrastructure and £15.6bn debt pose urgent problem
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jul/08/starmer-reeves-briefed-critical-risk-thames-water-whitehall-debt-infrastructure

    I thought things were privatised because they would be run so much better and infrastructure invested in so much more.

    What exactly was the positive here?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153
    WillG said:

    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.

    It is indeed. As is FIFA.

    It's what happens when you have a completely unaccountable body through which hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue flows.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,631
    rcs1000 said:

    I see Andrew Tate earned £21m from his online endeavors, but has paid exactly no income tax in either Romania or the UK.

    Whoops.

    Tax is for little people.

    Honestly, all you need is a good tax adviser with some decent tax minimisation strategies.
  • numbertwelvenumbertwelve Posts: 6,813
    In Washington, spare a thought for Karine Jean-Pierre who is having to go into bat for Biden at the press briefing right now. The media smell blood. This isn’t going away.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,578

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    What point is he trying to make there? Garden cities have been around for decades, and most are much smaller than Milton Keynes. Letchworth Garden City has a population of 33,000, for instance, and was started over a century ago. Welwyn Garden City is just over 100 years old and has about 50,000. I wonder what 'local facilities' he thinks they are missing?

    My own new town has about 12-13k people; and will likely be around 50k by 2050 when all the planned and rumoured extensions are built. But that expansion will *not* be properly planned as they add a thousand houses here, a few thousand more there, with little thought as to how they will all work together,

    The original plan for my town, from the mid-1990s, was IMO broadly successful. Just extending it without a central plan for facilities and other resources is ludicrous. But that is what happens.

    A planned large settlement will generally be better than piecemeal developments of the same size.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    kle4 said:

    Does anyone think that Robert Jenrick looks like Matt Gaetz ?

    This is not a good thing.

    I can totally see that. Jenrick is notwhere near as slimy though.
    He really is.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8
    rcs1000 said:

    I see Andrew Tate earned £21m from his online endeavors, but has paid exactly no income tax in either Romania or the UK.

    Whoops.

    You can say one thing about Tate, he isn't as rich as he says, but this grift has been incredibly profitable. As far as I understand, all this activity is about funnelling you to a membership to what is basically a set of discord chat servers, which others are employed to "teach" different training programmes.
  • DumbosaurusDumbosaurus Posts: 795
    Foxy said:

    Mortimer said:

    Mortimer said:

    Jenrick is my tip for leader. Just pipping Badenoch in a campaign with members.

    Sufficiently established in parliamentary party. Called the Sunak horror show correctly.

    Coutinho gets nowhere as far as I can see.

    Don't see Cleverly running, wonder if Barclay might not either.

    Next but one leader is probably more likely to become PM, realistically.

    Badenoch is the darling of the membership. She will win a Corbyn style landslide if they put her up in the final two.
    Disagree.

    Straws in wind in our whatsapp chat suggests Jenrick gets it.

    Members are less likely to have seen Badenoch on Twitter and more likely to have seen Jenrick on Sunday telly.
    Yikes. I am very red on Jenrick.
    Me too.

    I always do badly on Con leadership contests (though made a profit on Truss) mostly because I cannot believe that even Conservative members are that daft.
    Counter anecdote - I've stayed a Con member* to try to vote in someone I like, and that will almost certainly be Kemi. I think we need a Computer Scientist PM.

    But if either Kenrick or Braverman made the final two I would vote for the opponent 100%. If both of them do I will try to get a physical membership card (they no longer issue them routinely) on the basis that it might be valuable in the future as from the last parliament they had MPs...

    *I may or may not be a member of other political parties under similar reasoning o:)
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278
    Scott_xP said:

    @NadineDorries

    I’m calling it now.

    The plan is to install David Cameron as next leader of the party following defeat in the GE.


    oh, wait...

    Well to be fair to Nads, Cameron quitting the shadow Cabinet neither supports or goes against her theory.

    He would have to become an MP if he wished to lead the Tories again so him quitting the shadow cabinet would be the first step towards him quitting the Lords and getting a seat in Parliament.

    Not that any of that is going to happen but still...
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083
    Scott_xP said:

    @NadineDorries

    I’m calling it now.

    The plan is to install David Cameron as next leader of the party following defeat in the GE.


    oh, wait...

    I do feel Dorries got more shit than she deserved when in the Cabinet - which is not to say she deserved none - but she really did not take getting her peerage denied well, and seeing conspiracies like that demostrated it.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,153
    More likely 400,000 people who didn't realize they needed to bring ID to the polling station.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,835
    Scott_xP said:

    Carnyx said:

    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Read on - what they’re actually suggesting is extensions to existing urban areas.
    Done well, that could be a very good thing. Done badly….
    Castlemilk (at least the original scheme) waves hello.
    Origin of one of the greatest of the many, many bands to come out of Glasgow in the 80s
    No wonder, they must have been desperate to come out of it.
  • TweedledeeTweedledee Posts: 1,405
    Scott_xP said:

    @NadineDorries

    I’m calling it now.

    The plan is to install David Cameron as next leader of the party following defeat in the GE.


    oh, wait...

    Is it too much trouble to link this properly?
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083
    rcs1000 said:

    WillG said:

    The referee for the England-Netherland games previously got in trouble for match fixing, and sued Jude Bellingham when criticized for it.

    https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/felix-zwayer-england-holland-referee-semi-final-euro-2024-7clfddjz5

    UEFA is corrupt at hell.

    It is indeed. As is FIFA.

    It's what happens when you have a completely unaccountable body through which hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue flows.
    Being a Fifa Vice-President is basically an admission to running a criminal enterprise.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    Britain is full of these development opportunities, left to wither on the vine by successive governments.

    If Labour can address these, they deserve everyone’s support.

    https://x.com/john_stepek/status/1810258911523491848?s=46&t=L9g_woCIqbo1MTuBFCK0xg

    “Burnley has England's cheapest housing stock. It's less than an hour's commute from Manchester, but there's 1 fast train/hour and I don't know re reliability. Name me a policy that would work faster than doubling frequency and shaving 10 mins off the time”
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,631
    GIN1138 said:

    Main headline on BBC News website: LORD CAMERON RESIGNS

    Poor TSE. 🌹

    I suffering flashbacks/PTSD to the 24th of June 2016 when Dave announced his resignation as PM.

    Before the news broke publicly one of Dave's staffers rang me to let me know that was going to resign in the next hour or two, I rang OGH, and OGH wanted to know if I was okay, he said I didn't sound right.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,218

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Good.

    We don’t want new cities plunked in the middle of the countryside. We want new suburbs, attached to already successful urban agglomerations.

    This should not at all be controversial. It’s kind of how development works around the world.
    And we even have a couple of examples of how to make it work in the UK. Find the nice bits of your existing town, copy, update the standards (but not the look), add transit, and paste.

    Thank you, Your Majesty.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,420
    HYUFD said:

    Coutinho is too close to Sunak to win the members vote, Braverman and Patel lack support from Tory MPs as the header makes clear. Jenrick and Badenoch have more but probably not enough to make the last 2.

    At the moment Cleverly v Tugendhat is my prediction of the 2 the remaining Tory MPs will put to the members if Cleverly stands, if not then Barclay would take his place. Cleverly or Barclay then winning the members vote

    I agree Cleverly or Barclay are value.

    Cleverly is probably better.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083

    Main site has fallen over.

    Yeah, some bellend just accidentally deleted the Suella thread.

    I was distraught by the Dave news.
    I'm sure he will be a dedicated, active back bencher in the Lords.
    Now that his international contact list is refreshed after 8 months back in politics he should be happy as a pig in muck.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 3,783
    rcs1000 said:

    I see Andrew Tate earned £21m from his online endeavors, but has paid exactly no income tax in either Romania or the UK.

    Whoops.

    Making a video saying that you didn't need to pay tax is a bit of a red rag to the taxman bull.

    "Come and have a go if you're think you're hard enou....... oh."
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @NadineDorries

    I’m calling it now.

    The plan is to install David Cameron as next leader of the party following defeat in the GE.


    oh, wait...

    I do feel Dorries got more shit than she deserved when in the Cabinet - which is not to say she deserved none - but she really did not take getting her peerage denied well, and seeing conspiracies like that demostrated it.
    She’s a nut job and a lightweight, and Boris put her in Cabinet precisely BECAUSE she was a nut job and a lightweight.

    Thus was British governance utterly debauched and hollowed out.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,011
    Nigelb said:

    Nigelb said:
    This is an interesting comment,

    “It is no longer possible to build a garden city from scratch,” he said. “We just don’t have the ambition to build another Milton Keynes, so we end up proposing free-standing ‘garden cities’ that are small and unable to support local facilities.”

    As both parties in the past have always rallied calls for a new generation of garden cities as the solution.
    Read on - what they’re actually suggesting is extensions to existing urban areas.
    Done well, that could be a very good thing. Done badly….
    And what is on the edge of existing urban areas? Countryside.

    I will be opposing this bollocks all the way.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 3,783

    Scott_xP said:

    @NadineDorries

    I’m calling it now.

    The plan is to install David Cameron as next leader of the party following defeat in the GE.


    oh, wait...

    Is it too much trouble to link this properly?
    Really, don't ask.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 12,986

    rcs1000 said:

    I see Andrew Tate earned £21m from his online endeavors, but has paid exactly no income tax in either Romania or the UK.

    Whoops.

    Tax is for little people.

    Honestly, all you need is a good tax adviser with some decent tax minimisation strategies.
    It’s really nowhere near as simple as that. Unless he’s been very very careful with number of days spent in each country, he’s probably going to be Al-Caponed.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,860

    Why are there no odds on Nick Timothy? Clearly the most talented person in the parliamentary party.

    You cannot be serious
    I took it as a comment on the rest of them?
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 96,083
    edited July 8

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @NadineDorries

    I’m calling it now.

    The plan is to install David Cameron as next leader of the party following defeat in the GE.


    oh, wait...

    I do feel Dorries got more shit than she deserved when in the Cabinet - which is not to say she deserved none - but she really did not take getting her peerage denied well, and seeing conspiracies like that demostrated it.
    She’s a nut job and a lightweight, and Boris put her in Cabinet precisely BECAUSE she was a nut job and a lightweight.

    Thus was British governance utterly debauched and hollowed out.
    My favourite thing about Dorries being in the Cabinet is she was trusted to run a department a whole year before Jacob Rees-Mogg was, who only got to be Leader of the House under Boris (and was in fact demoted to a junior ministerial non-job).

    Indeed, that paragon of judgement Liz Truss was the first PM to think JRM should actually run a department.
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,679

    Andy_JS said:

    148grss said:

    This is interesting; basically suggesting that lots of Reform UK candidates may have not been real people?

    https://bylinetimes.com/2024/07/03/reform-uks-invisible-candidates-who-are-they-hiding/

    Looking at the example given, Mark Matlock, I can't help but now see an AI version of Elon Musk made younger and a bit chubbier...

    This is what is known as a conspiracy theory.
    It’s one of the peculiarities of English economic geography that Tunbridge Wells is fancy but East Grinstead is a bit of a dump.

    Yet they are both historic, Wealden towns.
    Admittedly Tunbridge had royal imprimatur at one stage but that doesn’t quite seem sufficient reason…
    To us Crawley boys, East Grinstead was the very embodiment of posh!
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,278

    HYUFD said:

    Coutinho is too close to Sunak to win the members vote, Braverman and Patel lack support from Tory MPs as the header makes clear. Jenrick and Badenoch have more but probably not enough to make the last 2.

    At the moment Cleverly v Tugendhat is my prediction of the 2 the remaining Tory MPs will put to the members if Cleverly stands, if not then Barclay would take his place. Cleverly or Barclay then winning the members vote

    I agree Cleverly or Barclay are value.

    Cleverly is probably better.
    They both come across as complete non-entities to me, especially Barclay?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,991
    edited July 8
    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I see Andrew Tate earned £21m from his online endeavors, but has paid exactly no income tax in either Romania or the UK.

    Whoops.

    Tax is for little people.

    Honestly, all you need is a good tax adviser with some decent tax minimisation strategies.
    It’s really nowhere near as simple as that. Unless he’s been very very careful with number of days spent in each country, he’s probably going to be Al-Caponed.
    From the reports, it doesn't seem it is even as sophisticated as that. Rather just lots and lots of bank accounts in the name of other people, then ignore any demands. No Jimmy Carr or Richard Branson-esque schemes being employed.
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