Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
I see that the unfortunate Mr Starmer has a new nickname
"No Beer Kier"
Another one that will stick. He really does himself no favours
Yup, for all of the denial from lefties around the nicknames, they are sticking. I can see it on Instagram, "Two Tier Kier" makes an appearance any time there's anything about politics on Instagram and this is among mostly politically unengaged people. Closing the pubs early has also made it to Instagram and I saw "No Beer Kier" as well so all of this is sticking to him.
Giving Dodgy Dave nicknames worked out well for the left in the 2015 general election.
David Chameleon was a classic of the genre, even better than the seminal Tony Bliar.
Some other notable monikers:
Theresa MayDay
Bozo Johnson
'Liz' TRUSS
While Labour haven't had the most surefooted of starts, the right seem to be making the same errors the left were back in the 2010s. Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag, screaming about how awful the government is good enough, doubling down on fringe issues (Palestine in the case of the left, Rwanda, ECHR, and culture war issues in the case of the right).
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Ban cash?
One thing you could do as a first step is ban people being paid in cash. There would be some edge cases with people who lack bank accounts but this can easily be overcome with 'cash cards' similar to those used in other countries.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
I see that the unfortunate Mr Starmer has a new nickname
"No Beer Kier"
Another one that will stick. He really does himself no favours
Yup, for all of the denial from lefties around the nicknames, they are sticking. I can see it on Instagram, "Two Tier Kier" makes an appearance any time there's anything about politics on Instagram and this is among mostly politically unengaged people. Closing the pubs early has also made it to Instagram and I saw "No Beer Kier" as well so all of this is sticking to him.
Giving Dodgy Dave nicknames worked out well for the left in the 2015 general election.
David Chameleon was a classic of the genre, even better than the seminal Tony Bliar.
Some other notable monikers:
Theresa MayDay
Bozo Johnson
'Liz' TRUSS
While Labour haven't had the most surefooted of starts, the right seem to be making the same errors the left were back in the 2010s. Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag, screaming about how awful the government is good enough, doubling down on fringe issues (Palestine in the case of the left, Rwanda, ECHR, and culture war issues in the case of the right).
"Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag" - Really? Who is saying this?
Nationwide - The new deals will enable a couple earning £50,000 between them to borrow £300,000.
6 * joint salary is absolute madness lol.
If they have steady jobs and can afford the monthly payments what’s the problem? Better than paying the same/more in rent and paying off someone else’s home loan
That is the exact mentality that led to 2008
If they have steady jobs - what happens if one of them loses their job? Or has to give it up to care for a family member? Or gets sick?
They can afford the monthly payments - interest rates are still very low, historically. What happens if they go up? In the next 20 years.
I got a 100% mortgage in the mid-00s. It worked me and my wife, so I'm loathe to moralise about others. The alternative is paying someone else's home loan at probably greater expense.
It’s not about moralising. It’s about risk management.
To a large extent, house prices are a function of what you can borrow. Increasing borrowing, like this, just allows house prices to rise further.
And creates an increased vulnerability for the people borrowing and the financial system.
That's a matter for the lender(s). I'm saying that if I were part of a young couple in those circumstances, I'd almost certainly go for it. Who can blame them? It's a better deal for them than renting.
It's good for the lender in the short term (More money lent = more customers, more income) and good for the couple (Can get on the ladder) - but it creates major issues and systemic risk long term as @Malmesbury and @LostPassword have pointed out. The next lever I guess that banks might pull is never actually worrying about the capital of a mortgage to be paid off for owner occupiers once a certain LTV is reached (This might already be the case, it's something I personally won't be looking at when I remortgage shortly though !)
The banks could perhaps parcel up their high risk property finance book and sell it off as bonds, rinse and repeat, thus freeing up capacity to make ever more and ever more riskier loans. Those bonds could then be hedged for credit risk in the CDS market so that investors are protected against default. And the income stream from the sellers of the CDSs could in turn be securitized and offered as bonds, which could in turn be hedged via CDS, kind of derivative upon derivative, meaning each £1 of original retail mortgage finance ends up supporting lots of capital markets activity and numerous assets and liabilities on many many balance sheets across the sector. Everyone a winner.
Ah, thank god for “The Big Short” allowing everyone to sound seemingly intelligent about the sub prime crisis.
Oi, snide little twat. I was in the thick of it. It's one of the few things I know more than the average bear about.
Haha! Sorry Kinabalu, so it was all your fault?
Yup. And before that I had a specialism in facilitating PFI contracts. My hands are as dirty as they come.
That's one of the reasons I'm on here busting a gut to win hearts and minds for the progressive left. Trying to balance up the ledger.
Well yes, and good for you. Unfortunately you are doing it by advocating for an authoritarian cheese-paring curtain-twitching government
Hmm, ok, noted. But I do think we should wait for a few policies and outcomes before writing the book.
Anyway, off to the Red Wall now. I might be some time.
Good luck. Keen to hear your report later.
Positive so far. Watford Gap as good as ever.
I presume you mean the service station, rather than the pleasant but slightly dull gap itself.
I love service stations. Even crappy ones. A sense of excitement of the journey, of existing outside the normal rules. Yes kids, we will stop for a KFC! Because we're on a road trip.
I also love that they are named after such tiny bits of geography. Watford Gap. Leicester Forest East. Trowell. Tibshelf. Woolley Edge. Birch. Charnock Richard. It's found poetry.
We used to do that with airports. Ringway. Speke. Dyce. No longer, sadly, apart from Heathrow and Gatwick. Happy that we are bloody-mindedly sticking with those at any rate, rather than follow the global trend of naming them after politicians or other notables.
Just listing service stations makes me feel like I'm on holiday.
* I don't recognise Stafford services. ** Always called South Gloucester in our family. I don't know why. Gloucester (which I think is its actual name) would be much less poetic. *** Bridgwater is poetic if a) you know nothing about the town, and b) you enjoy the slightly quirky lack of an 'e'. ****Taunton Deane is wonderful. "Where is Taunton Deane?" "Taunton" "So why not just call it Taunton?" "Because it's a British service station."
After Cullompton I consider myself on holiday. Just say it. "Cullompton."
Pronounce it C'lompton. Then sing along to NWA's "Straight Outta C'lompton"....
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Ban cash?
One thing you could do as a first step is ban people being paid in cash. There would be some edge cases with people who lack bank accounts but this can easily be overcome with 'cash cards' similar to those used in other countries.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
Yes, they are the anti-Anabob, and just love rolling around in notes...
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Ban cash?
One thing you could do as a first step is ban people being paid in cash. There would be some edge cases with people who lack bank accounts but this can easily be overcome with 'cash cards' similar to those used in other countries.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
But, but how would barbers fund ISIS without a cash only policy.
I see that the unfortunate Mr Starmer has a new nickname
"No Beer Kier"
Another one that will stick. He really does himself no favours
Yup, for all of the denial from lefties around the nicknames, they are sticking. I can see it on Instagram, "Two Tier Kier" makes an appearance any time there's anything about politics on Instagram and this is among mostly politically unengaged people. Closing the pubs early has also made it to Instagram and I saw "No Beer Kier" as well so all of this is sticking to him.
Giving Dodgy Dave nicknames worked out well for the left in the 2015 general election.
David Chameleon was a classic of the genre, even better than the seminal Tony Bliar.
Some other notable monikers:
Theresa MayDay
Bozo Johnson
'Liz' TRUSS
While Labour haven't had the most surefooted of starts, the right seem to be making the same errors the left were back in the 2010s. Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag, screaming about how awful the government is good enough, doubling down on fringe issues (Palestine in the case of the left, Rwanda, ECHR, and culture war issues in the case of the right).
"Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag" - Really? Who is saying this?
The Mail story answers it's own question in the final paragraph. The answer in "no".
You can't deny that all this fake news from the Telegraph and the Mail propagated on here by Leon, Urquhart and many more is damaging Starmer. It is cutting through.
Well it wasn't really fake news. It was reporting something that Andrew Gwynne actually said. I mean it's good news that it's bollocks, but the only reason the story started is because there were elements in government who were keen to hint it might happen.
Did you read the actual full quote from Gwynne last night, or just the clips in the Trashygraph?
The Mail story answers it's own question in the final paragraph. The answer in "no".
You can't deny that all this fake news from the Telegraph and the Mail propagated on here by Leon, Urquhart and many more is damaging Starmer. It is cutting through.
Well it wasn't really fake news. It was reporting something that Andrew Gwynne actually said. I mean it's good news that it's bollocks, but the only reason the story started is because there were elements in government who were keen to hint it might happen.
Did you read the actual full quote from Gwynne last night, or just the clips in the Trashygraph?
Well no, I haven't been watching the conference. If you don't like the Telegraph, the i reports that: Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Mr Gwynne is reported to have said there “are discussions that we have got to have – even if it’s just about tightening up on some of the hours of operation, particularly where there are concerns that people are drinking too much”.
Is this not what he said? Because it sounds fairly unequivocal to me. If you have an expanded quote which shows the above to be selective then I'm all ears.
I see that the unfortunate Mr Starmer has a new nickname
"No Beer Kier"
Another one that will stick. He really does himself no favours
Yup, for all of the denial from lefties around the nicknames, they are sticking. I can see it on Instagram, "Two Tier Kier" makes an appearance any time there's anything about politics on Instagram and this is among mostly politically unengaged people. Closing the pubs early has also made it to Instagram and I saw "No Beer Kier" as well so all of this is sticking to him.
Giving Dodgy Dave nicknames worked out well for the left in the 2015 general election.
David Chameleon was a classic of the genre, even better than the seminal Tony Bliar.
Some other notable monikers:
Theresa MayDay
Bozo Johnson
'Liz' TRUSS
While Labour haven't had the most surefooted of starts, the right seem to be making the same errors the left were back in the 2010s. Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag, screaming about how awful the government is good enough, doubling down on fringe issues (Palestine in the case of the left, Rwanda, ECHR, and culture war issues in the case of the right).
"Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag" - Really? Who is saying this?
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
Yes. But then I was in my late teens, which is often a good time in anyone's life. In my case, also (from 1992) at university, back when there were still grants, never mind loans, and living costs were very affordable (shared house £100pm each, beer 80p/pint).
Also, the world was very much going in the right direction. Sure, the economy was a mess though even there, interest rates and inflation were coming down from and, slightly later, so was unemployment.
Nationwide - The new deals will enable a couple earning £50,000 between them to borrow £300,000.
6 * joint salary is absolute madness lol.
If they have steady jobs and can afford the monthly payments what’s the problem? Better than paying the same/more in rent and paying off someone else’s home loan
That is the exact mentality that led to 2008
If they have steady jobs - what happens if one of them loses their job? Or has to give it up to care for a family member? Or gets sick?
They can afford the monthly payments - interest rates are still very low, historically. What happens if they go up? In the next 20 years.
I got a 100% mortgage in the mid-00s. It worked me and my wife, so I'm loathe to moralise about others. The alternative is paying someone else's home loan at probably greater expense.
It’s not about moralising. It’s about risk management.
To a large extent, house prices are a function of what you can borrow. Increasing borrowing, like this, just allows house prices to rise further.
And creates an increased vulnerability for the people borrowing and the financial system.
That's a matter for the lender(s). I'm saying that if I were part of a young couple in those circumstances, I'd almost certainly go for it. Who can blame them? It's a better deal for them than renting.
It's good for the lender in the short term (More money lent = more customers, more income) and good for the couple (Can get on the ladder) - but it creates major issues and systemic risk long term as @Malmesbury and @LostPassword have pointed out. The next lever I guess that banks might pull is never actually worrying about the capital of a mortgage to be paid off for owner occupiers once a certain LTV is reached (This might already be the case, it's something I personally won't be looking at when I remortgage shortly though !)
The banks could perhaps parcel up their high risk property finance book and sell it off as bonds, rinse and repeat, thus freeing up capacity to make ever more and ever more riskier loans. Those bonds could then be hedged for credit risk in the CDS market so that investors are protected against default. And the income stream from the sellers of the CDSs could in turn be securitized and offered as bonds, which could in turn be hedged via CDS, kind of derivative upon derivative, meaning each £1 of original retail mortgage finance ends up supporting lots of capital markets activity and numerous assets and liabilities on many many balance sheets across the sector. Everyone a winner.
Ah, thank god for “The Big Short” allowing everyone to sound seemingly intelligent about the sub prime crisis.
Oi, snide little twat. I was in the thick of it. It's one of the few things I know more than the average bear about.
Haha! Sorry Kinabalu, so it was all your fault?
Yup. And before that I had a specialism in facilitating PFI contracts. My hands are as dirty as they come.
That's one of the reasons I'm on here busting a gut to win hearts and minds for the progressive left. Trying to balance up the ledger.
Well yes, and good for you. Unfortunately you are doing it by advocating for an authoritarian cheese-paring curtain-twitching government
Hmm, ok, noted. But I do think we should wait for a few policies and outcomes before writing the book.
Anyway, off to the Red Wall now. I might be some time.
Good luck. Keen to hear your report later.
Positive so far. Watford Gap as good as ever.
I presume you mean the service station, rather than the pleasant but slightly dull gap itself.
I love service stations. Even crappy ones. A sense of excitement of the journey, of existing outside the normal rules. Yes kids, we will stop for a KFC! Because we're on a road trip.
I also love that they are named after such tiny bits of geography. Watford Gap. Leicester Forest East. Trowell. Tibshelf. Woolley Edge. Birch. Charnock Richard. It's found poetry.
We used to do that with airports. Ringway. Speke. Dyce. No longer, sadly, apart from Heathrow and Gatwick. Happy that we are bloody-mindedly sticking with those at any rate, rather than follow the global trend of naming them after politicians or other notables.
Just listing service stations makes me feel like I'm on holiday.
* I don't recognise Stafford services. ** Always called South Gloucester in our family. I don't know why. Gloucester (which I think is its actual name) would be much less poetic. *** Bridgwater is poetic if a) you know nothing about the town, and b) you enjoy the slightly quirky lack of an 'e'. ****Taunton Deane is wonderful. "Where is Taunton Deane?" "Taunton" "So why not just call it Taunton?" "Because it's a British service station."
After Cullompton I consider myself on holiday. Just say it. "Cullompton."
Pronounce it C'lompton. Then sing along to NWA's "Straight Outta C'lompton"....
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
Who thought cocaine was the bees knees and the cure for everything from depression to morphine addiction (really), and caused an epidemic of perfectly legal cocaine taking which, guess what, transformed the takers into arseholes.
I see that the unfortunate Mr Starmer has a new nickname
"No Beer Kier"
Another one that will stick. He really does himself no favours
Yup, for all of the denial from lefties around the nicknames, they are sticking. I can see it on Instagram, "Two Tier Kier" makes an appearance any time there's anything about politics on Instagram and this is among mostly politically unengaged people. Closing the pubs early has also made it to Instagram and I saw "No Beer Kier" as well so all of this is sticking to him.
Giving Dodgy Dave nicknames worked out well for the left in the 2015 general election.
David Chameleon was a classic of the genre, even better than the seminal Tony Bliar.
Some other notable monikers:
Theresa MayDay
Bozo Johnson
'Liz' TRUSS
While Labour haven't had the most surefooted of starts, the right seem to be making the same errors the left were back in the 2010s. Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag, screaming about how awful the government is good enough, doubling down on fringe issues (Palestine in the case of the left, Rwanda, ECHR, and culture war issues in the case of the right).
"Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag" - Really? Who is saying this?
Various PB Tories over the weekend
Quotes?
I'd say Max PB and Casino's Royale's assertion we're heading for an IMF bailout (despite the fact they made £22bn in cuts last month) under Labour counts. Leon's screeching as well.
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
He literally called the Hamas hostages “sausages”
He tripped over one word, have you never done so when public speaking? I public speak for work all the time, and often trip on a word. KBO.
The Mail story answers it's own question in the final paragraph. The answer in "no".
You can't deny that all this fake news from the Telegraph and the Mail propagated on here by Leon, Urquhart and many more is damaging Starmer. It is cutting through.
Water off a duck's back says Sir Keir. Liked that line.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
The Mail story answers it's own question in the final paragraph. The answer in "no".
You can't deny that all this fake news from the Telegraph and the Mail propagated on here by Leon, Urquhart and many more is damaging Starmer. It is cutting through.
Well it wasn't really fake news. It was reporting something that Andrew Gwynne actually said. I mean it's good news that it's bollocks, but the only reason the story started is because there were elements in government who were keen to hint it might happen.
Not just the government, this idea has been around for ages coming from the Chris Whitty types who see elected politicians as an obstacle to their perfect technocratic utopia. I wouldn't be surprised if he (or one of his cronies) was involved with briefing this out just after the 2/3rds pint stories.
You do realise that the research for the effects of smaller measures (2/3 pint) was carried out 18 months ago.
Or that 2023 saw the highest number of pub insolvencies in a decade.
Or that the 2023 tax changes on alcohol under teetotaller Sunak added 44p to a bottle of red wine, which was a massive shove to drink lower alcohol drinks.
I see that the unfortunate Mr Starmer has a new nickname
"No Beer Kier"
Another one that will stick. He really does himself no favours
Yup, for all of the denial from lefties around the nicknames, they are sticking. I can see it on Instagram, "Two Tier Kier" makes an appearance any time there's anything about politics on Instagram and this is among mostly politically unengaged people. Closing the pubs early has also made it to Instagram and I saw "No Beer Kier" as well so all of this is sticking to him.
Giving Dodgy Dave nicknames worked out well for the left in the 2015 general election.
David Chameleon was a classic of the genre, even better than the seminal Tony Bliar.
Some other notable monikers:
Theresa MayDay
Bozo Johnson
'Liz' TRUSS
While Labour haven't had the most surefooted of starts, the right seem to be making the same errors the left were back in the 2010s. Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag, screaming about how awful the government is good enough, doubling down on fringe issues (Palestine in the case of the left, Rwanda, ECHR, and culture war issues in the case of the right).
"Complacently thinking they've got the next election in the bag" - Really? Who is saying this?
Various PB Tories over the weekend
Quotes?
I'd say Max PB and Casino's Royale's assertion we're heading for an IMF bailout (despite the fact they made £22bn in cuts last month) under Labour counts. Leon's screeching as well.
By the way, very good header. We should pay more attention to Iran. It's one of the most important countries in the world because of its power as a disrupter and because of its potential to switch alliance groups (Moscow to Beijing would be the most likely, though if there is a revolution there, the nature of what comes next depends on whether the revolution is driven by the people - in which case freedom takes a higher priority - or from above by the military or other court officials, in which case stability and security are first for them).
On a similar note, Gareth rightly lists Russia among the autocracies to watch. Putin may be overthrown at some point but even if not, he's not young and has been rumoured to have health problems (though how accurate those rumours are is anyone's guess). As yet, there's no obvious successor and he doesn't seem keen to identify one, perhaps understandably in current circumstances.
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
Who thought cocaine was the bees knees and the cure for everything from depression to morphine addiction (really), and caused an epidemic of perfectly legal cocaine taking which, guess what, transformed the takers into arseholes.
As someone who was turned into an arsehole daily when you began drinking at 4pm in your former guise as @IshmaelZ , you'd know all about that.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I think having kids makes you feel old whatever your age
I think that there is a difference between a donation to a party, organisation, individual for campaigning purposes and a donation/gift in cash or kind for personal purposes.
We gift to charities, campaigning organisations that might not be charities, to benefit their activities. That is seen to be ok (although you can debate the worthiness of gifts to certain organisations).
But a personal gift to an individual could be seen as a bribe or at least compromising. This could be limited.
As said lots of professionals will have significant restrictions on the latter.
There is a gray area which could be both activity and personal. You could apply tax law as to what is wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the activity (eg clothing in the main would be personal).
The point no-one seems to be picking up on is the reason why Lord Ali provided clothing for the Starmers and other prominent members of the shadow cabinet, rather than say household furniture hidden from public view, is to enhance presentation for public speeches and TV interviews. People have mentioned the weirdness of accepting gifts of clothing from millionaires but if you see it as costume for performance it makes more sense.
The political mistake Labour made here was putting these through as personal gifts to Keir Starmer rather than as campaign expenses for the Labour Party, for which they could make a reasonable case.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I think having kids makes you feel old whatever your age
Currently sciatica (from bending at an odd angle to try to fix my Sky Glass TV on friday) plus chest infection (yet another gift from nursery). Feeling very old...
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
Who thought cocaine was the bees knees and the cure for everything from depression to morphine addiction (really), and caused an epidemic of perfectly legal cocaine taking which, guess what, transformed the takers into arseholes.
As someone who was turned into an arsehole daily when you began drinking at 4pm in your former guise as @IshmaelZ , you'd know all about that.
Look, I did not cause 2 tier Keir to be the way he is. I absolutely understand how disappointed as you are by that speech, but I didn't write it.
Keep going. Hope to see you at the bargaining stage by early October.
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
Who thought cocaine was the bees knees and the cure for everything from depression to morphine addiction (really), and caused an epidemic of perfectly legal cocaine taking which, guess what, transformed the takers into arseholes.
As someone who was turned into an arsehole daily when you began drinking at 4pm in your former guise as @IshmaelZ , you'd know all about that.
Look, I did not cause 2 tier Keir to be the way he is. I absolutely understand how disappointed as you are by that speech, but I didn't write it.
Keep going. Hope to see you at the bargaining stage by early October.
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Can I please get the job of heading the Malmesbury Commission- established in 2034, to look into the widespread abuse of seizure of accounts, cash and property without legal process. The bit about racial bias in the seizures will look especially bad.
The reason I want the job is that (a) it’s inevitable, (b) it will require the sense humour of a chainsaw (c) I want a nice, lucrative job to enjoy.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
I have a weird fascination with chains of connection such as that. How few people who actually met could you get back to say Roman Britain? Or 1066?
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Ban cash?
One thing you could do as a first step is ban people being paid in cash. There would be some edge cases with people who lack bank accounts but this can easily be overcome with 'cash cards' similar to those used in other countries.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
But, but how would barbers fund ISIS without a cash only policy.
My Wife's hairdresser is unlucky with her card reader. It is usually out of action when my wife goes to pay.
Luckily the hairdresser points out a cashpoint over the road so all is well.
Ban cash and how would this situation remedy itself I wonder !!!!!
Starmer is having a start not necessarily to his advantage.
But with a majority he gained himself from nowhere, does it matter? He can implement whatever he likes for the next four years, allowing for budget limitations, and opponents can only carp from the sidelines.
It's what Boris could have done as well had he any ideas of policies he wanted to implement beyond Brexit.
Starmer is having a start not necessarily to his advantage.
But with a majority he gained himself from nowhere, does it matter? He can implement whatever he likes for the next four years, allowing for budget limitations, and opponents can only carp from the sidelines.
It's what Boris could have done as well had he any ideas of policies he wanted to implement beyond Brexit.
I don't think that's fair on Johnson - any plans were destroyed by Covid. It may be there were no plans, but we don't really know.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I think having kids makes you feel old whatever your age
Currently sciatica (from bending at an odd angle to try to fix my Sky Glass TV on friday) plus chest infection (yet another gift from nursery). Feeling very old...
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Ban cash?
One thing you could do as a first step is ban people being paid in cash. There would be some edge cases with people who lack bank accounts but this can easily be overcome with 'cash cards' similar to those used in other countries.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
But, but how would barbers fund ISIS without a cash only policy.
My Wife's hairdresser is unlucky with her card reader. It is usually out of action when my wife goes to pay.
Luckily the hairdresser points out a cashpoint over the road so all is well.
Ban cash and how would this situation remedy itself I wonder !!!!!
Ha ha! I was in a mobile phone shop getting my phone repaired the other day. Their card machine "broke". I said well I don't have cash nor a card so I'll have to come back tomorrow and pay, or pay you now by banking app.
The man shuffled under the desk. What luck! The machine was back in action!
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
I have a weird fascination with chains of connection such as that. How few people who actually met could you get back to say Roman Britain? Or 1066?
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Ban cash?
One thing you could do as a first step is ban people being paid in cash. There would be some edge cases with people who lack bank accounts but this can easily be overcome with 'cash cards' similar to those used in other countries.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
But, but how would barbers fund ISIS without a cash only policy.
My Wife's hairdresser is unlucky with her card reader. It is usually out of action when my wife goes to pay.
Luckily the hairdresser points out a cashpoint over the road so all is well.
Ban cash and how would this situation remedy itself I wonder !!!!!
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm nearly 50 and thank God I'm not going through that now! Good luck and remember it gets easier.
Decent speech. Won’t change anyone’s minds about SKS, but competently delivered (sausages aside) and a few nice moments
To be fair, we've got the parade of the unelectables next week where no doubt the "pb Tories" will tell us we've been privileged to listen to three of the greatest orators of our generation (and Robert Jenrick).
Decent speech. Won’t change anyone’s minds about SKS, but competently delivered (sausages aside) and a few nice moments
To be fair, we've got the parade of the unelectables next week where no doubt the "pb Tories" will tell us we've been privileged to listen to three of the greatest orators of our generation (and Robert Jenrick).
Isn't the issue that people on benefits work cash in hand? How will this make any difference?
Ban cash?
One thing you could do as a first step is ban people being paid in cash. There would be some edge cases with people who lack bank accounts but this can easily be overcome with 'cash cards' similar to those used in other countries.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
But, but how would barbers fund ISIS without a cash only policy.
My Wife's hairdresser is unlucky with her card reader. It is usually out of action when my wife goes to pay.
Luckily the hairdresser points out a cashpoint over the road so all is well.
Ban cash and how would this situation remedy itself I wonder !!!!!
Ha ha! I was in a mobile phone shop getting my phone repaired the other day. Their card machine "broke". I said well I don't have cash nor a card so I'll have to come back tomorrow and pay, or pay you now by banking app.
The man shuffled under the desk. What luck! The machine was back in action!
True, but acts such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Climate Change Act 2008 and the Equality Act 2010 created bodies that outlast a government's term
I am sure that is now out of date. "Sausages" doesn't feature.
I am perplexed. Vain, boring, grey, corrupt, weak and greedy will be along to demand a recount for sure, but I don't particularly think of him as a liar. Perhaps I am too kind to him.
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
He literally called the Hamas hostages “sausages”
He tripped over one word, have you never done so when public speaking? I public speak for work all the time, and often trip on a word. KBO.
Maybe so. But it's quite an embarrassing and high profile one to trip up on - and to do so in such a comedic way. That clip will be replayed and replayed, Besides, senior politicians (and barristers) *don't* make blunders like that. Oratory is their stock-in-trade. Get it wrong too many times - and wrong in the wrong way - and they become a laughing-stock-in-trade.
Started a new career (at 52) as a hospital pharmacist, having been a community one since qualifying 30 years before. Should have switched years before.
I am sure that is now out of date. "Sausages" doesn't feature.
I am perplexed. Vain, boring, grey, corrupt, weak and greedy will be along to demand a recount for sure, but I don't particularly think of him as a liar. Perhaps I am too kind to him.
I agree. In all honesty, I think these word clouds say more about the electorate than the person they purport to describe.
The total flailing cringeworthy mediocrity of Skyr Toolmakersson is an unexpected but profound source of joy in a sometimes menacing world
It's a decent speech. You could/would have written that before you saw it. Try doing something else. You were interesting, intelligent and informed on drugs policy last night.
He literally called the Hamas hostages “sausages”
He tripped over one word, have you never done so when public speaking? I public speak for work all the time, and often trip on a word. KBO.
Maybe so. But it's quite an embarrassing and high profile one to trip up on - and to do so in such a comedic way. That clip will be replayed and replayed, Besides, senior politicians (and barristers) *don't* make blunders like that. Oratory is their stock-in-trade. Get it wrong too many times - and wrong in the wrong way - and they become a laughing-stock-in-trade.
We'll see – nobody on BBC has mentioned it so far.
By the way, very good header. We should pay more attention to Iran. It's one of the most important countries in the world because of its power as a disrupter and because of its potential to switch alliance groups (Moscow to Beijing would be the most likely, though if there is a revolution there, the nature of what comes next depends on whether the revolution is driven by the people - in which case freedom takes a higher priority - or from above by the military or other court officials, in which case stability and security are first for them).
On a similar note, Gareth rightly lists Russia among the autocracies to watch. Putin may be overthrown at some point but even if not, he's not young and has been rumoured to have health problems (though how accurate those rumours are is anyone's guess). As yet, there's no obvious successor and he doesn't seem keen to identify one, perhaps understandably in current circumstances.
Both the Russian and Iranian regimes appear brittle to me but the United States doesn't seem to want to confront either of them. Quite what their strategy is I don't know.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
I have a weird fascination with chains of connection such as that. How few people who actually met could you get back to say Roman Britain? Or 1066?
Chess players have a "Morphy number". Players who played Morphy have a Morphy number of 1, players who played that set of players have the number 2, and so on. My Morphy number is 5. There are a handful of very old chess players still alive with a Morphy number of 3, including Leonard Barden, chess columnist of the Guardian.
By the way, very good header. We should pay more attention to Iran. It's one of the most important countries in the world because of its power as a disrupter and because of its potential to switch alliance groups (Moscow to Beijing would be the most likely, though if there is a revolution there, the nature of what comes next depends on whether the revolution is driven by the people - in which case freedom takes a higher priority - or from above by the military or other court officials, in which case stability and security are first for them).
On a similar note, Gareth rightly lists Russia among the autocracies to watch. Putin may be overthrown at some point but even if not, he's not young and has been rumoured to have health problems (though how accurate those rumours are is anyone's guess). As yet, there's no obvious successor and he doesn't seem keen to identify one, perhaps understandably in current circumstances.
Both the Russian and Iranian regimes appear brittle to me but the United States doesn't seem to want to confront either of them. Quite what their strategy is I don't know.
They’re much more worried about China, which is where the next Cold War is coming from, but with the added dimension of the huge amounts of trade between the two countries.
In the discussions yesterday about Chinese electric cars, we all missed that the German manufacturers are lobbying against unilateral EU tarrifs on their largest export market. The UK car manufacturers will be even more biased towards selling into China, from Range Rover to Rolls Royce.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
I have a weird fascination with chains of connection such as that. How few people who actually met could you get back to say Roman Britain? Or 1066?
Chess players have a "Morphy number". Players who played Morphy have a Morphy number of 1, players who played that set of players have the number 2, and so on. My Morphy number is 5. There are a handful of very old chess players still alive with a Morphy number of 3, including Leonard Barden, chess columnist of the Guardian.
The last US Civil War widow’s pension was paid until 2020, 155 years after the war ended, to a lady who was 17 when she married a 93-year-old veteran. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War_widows_who_survived_into_the_21st_century This custom of young women marrying old veterans was widely practiced at the time, deliberately to screw the government on the lifetime pensions.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
I have a weird fascination with chains of connection such as that. How few people who actually met could you get back to say Roman Britain? Or 1066?
Probably already mentioned — one of the grandsons of US president from 1841 to 1845 John Tyler, who was born in 1790, is still alive.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
I have a weird fascination with chains of connection such as that. How few people who actually met could you get back to say Roman Britain? Or 1066?
Chess players have a "Morphy number". Players who played Morphy have a Morphy number of 1, players who played that set of players have the number 2, and so on. My Morphy number is 5. There are a handful of very old chess players still alive with a Morphy number of 3, including Leonard Barden, chess columnist of the Guardian.
My Morphy number is also 5 (at worst). Flatlander v Short, N.
Wasn't there a Holywood game for 'degrees of separation' involving Kevin Bacon?
I am shocked, HSBC who used to be the bankers of choice for terrorists and drug dealers, things haven’t changed since 2012 when the were fined $1.9 billion for this type of fail.
Yevgeny Prigozhin secretly used JPMorgan and HSBC for Wagner payments
JPMorgan also a noted center for (allegedly alleged) mis/mal-feasance and/or outright incompetence.
Though personally don't have any complaints (perhaps) since Jamie Diamond & his henchpeople took over my old bank went belly up (also allegedly/actually due to mis/mal-feasance and/or outright incompetence); then the biggest bank failure in US history.
Have been paying my rent with checks drawn in name of defunct bank for most of two decades, and no body - certainly not JPMorgan Chase - has ever batted an eye.
Does anyone have fond memories of the early 1990s?
First girlfriend? Does that count?
It was my favourite period musically. My most listened-to musical period is still 1990-1992. The Pixies and the Wedding Present were still extant and baggy was in its heyday.
Actually, ages 14-17 were a really good period of my life - I was starting to interact with girls and alcoholic drinks and other things I could do with my emerging freedom. It wasn't that the times were better than they are now, objectively; it was that the trajectory with which each year was better than the last was so good. And that, my friends, is the real key to happiness.
First year at Uni (1991-92). First girlfriend including you know. Played rugby for Uni first team including playing London Irish U21's, came top in year, learned to drive and acquired a first car, Swindon an established second tier team.
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
Heh, that's another PB age surprise for me - I'd have put you a similar age to me, i.e. ten years younger!
I'm old. Having a son at 50 is ok in theory but I wonder if its much easier when you are younger...
I'm old too. I remember going to my great grandmother's 90th birthday party in 1950. She was fiercely Irish with a shillelagh on the wall and played the fiddle. She was born in 1860.
She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
I have a weird fascination with chains of connection such as that. How few people who actually met could you get back to say Roman Britain? Or 1066?
Probably already mentioned — one of the grandsons of US president from 1841 to 1845 John Tyler, who was born in 1790, is still alive.
True, but acts such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Climate Change Act 2008 and the Equality Act 2010 created bodies that outlast a government's term
The bodies can be undone if a gov't has the mandate and stones to do so.
Nationwide - The new deals will enable a couple earning £50,000 between them to borrow £300,000.
6 * joint salary is absolute madness lol.
If they have steady jobs and can afford the monthly payments what’s the problem? Better than paying the same/more in rent and paying off someone else’s home loan
That is the exact mentality that led to 2008
If they have steady jobs - what happens if one of them loses their job? Or has to give it up to care for a family member? Or gets sick?
They can afford the monthly payments - interest rates are still very low, historically. What happens if they go up? In the next 20 years.
I got a 100% mortgage in the mid-00s. It worked me and my wife, so I'm loathe to moralise about others. The alternative is paying someone else's home loan at probably greater expense.
It’s not about moralising. It’s about risk management.
To a large extent, house prices are a function of what you can borrow. Increasing borrowing, like this, just allows house prices to rise further.
And creates an increased vulnerability for the people borrowing and the financial system.
That's a matter for the lender(s). I'm saying that if I were part of a young couple in those circumstances, I'd almost certainly go for it. Who can blame them? It's a better deal for them than renting.
It's good for the lender in the short term (More money lent = more customers, more income) and good for the couple (Can get on the ladder) - but it creates major issues and systemic risk long term as @Malmesbury and @LostPassword have pointed out. The next lever I guess that banks might pull is never actually worrying about the capital of a mortgage to be paid off for owner occupiers once a certain LTV is reached (This might already be the case, it's something I personally won't be looking at when I remortgage shortly though !)
The banks could perhaps parcel up their high risk property finance book and sell it off as bonds, rinse and repeat, thus freeing up capacity to make ever more and ever more riskier loans. Those bonds could then be hedged for credit risk in the CDS market so that investors are protected against default. And the income stream from the sellers of the CDSs could in turn be securitized and offered as bonds, which could in turn be hedged via CDS, kind of derivative upon derivative, meaning each £1 of original retail mortgage finance ends up supporting lots of capital markets activity and numerous assets and liabilities on many many balance sheets across the sector. Everyone a winner.
Ah, thank god for “The Big Short” allowing everyone to sound seemingly intelligent about the sub prime crisis.
Oi, snide little twat. I was in the thick of it. It's one of the few things I know more than the average bear about.
Haha! Sorry Kinabalu, so it was all your fault?
Yup. And before that I had a specialism in facilitating PFI contracts. My hands are as dirty as they come.
That's one of the reasons I'm on here busting a gut to win hearts and minds for the progressive left. Trying to balance up the ledger.
Well yes, and good for you. Unfortunately you are doing it by advocating for an authoritarian cheese-paring curtain-twitching government
Hmm, ok, noted. But I do think we should wait for a few policies and outcomes before writing the book.
Anyway, off to the Red Wall now. I might be some time.
Good luck. Keen to hear your report later.
Positive so far. Watford Gap as good as ever.
I presume you mean the service station, rather than the pleasant but slightly dull gap itself.
I love service stations. Even crappy ones. A sense of excitement of the journey, of existing outside the normal rules. Yes kids, we will stop for a KFC! Because we're on a road trip.
I also love that they are named after such tiny bits of geography. Watford Gap. Leicester Forest East. Trowell. Tibshelf. Woolley Edge. Birch. Charnock Richard. It's found poetry.
We used to do that with airports. Ringway. Speke. Dyce. No longer, sadly, apart from Heathrow and Gatwick. Happy that we are bloody-mindedly sticking with those at any rate, rather than follow the global trend of naming them after politicians or other notables.
Just listing service stations makes me feel like I'm on holiday.
* I don't recognise Stafford services. ** Always called South Gloucester in our family. I don't know why. Gloucester (which I think is its actual name) would be much less poetic. *** Bridgwater is poetic if a) you know nothing about the town, and b) you enjoy the slightly quirky lack of an 'e'. ****Taunton Deane is wonderful. "Where is Taunton Deane?" "Taunton" "So why not just call it Taunton?" "Because it's a British service station."
After Cullompton I consider myself on holiday. Just say it. "Cullompton." It has an air of finality to it - you've arrived. Let's not trouble ourselves with Exeter services, which is lazily named and which, unsatisfyingly, you arrive at through a regular junction on a motorway, and which we really don't need to trouble ourselves with unless someone really needs a wee.
It's the same coming home, with each successive service station building the anticipation of home, so by the time you see Knutsford you're almost giddy with the joy of your own bed at last and seeing the cats again.
I defy any red-blooded Brit not to be a tiny bit moved by the names of service stations.
Does "House of Bruar" count?
I would guess they must include a fuel stop.
Sure, why not? Doesn't have fuel but it has a poetic name. Unlike Stafford.
Tibshelf Trowell Leicester Forest East
Ugh.
More "mmm" for me. But the Burger King at Trowell isn't recommended. A slovenly offering.
Comments
Hell yes I remember the early 90's fondly.
If a tradesman/hairdresser etc insists on being paid in cash, it's fairly obvious why.
Sausages was the highlight for me.
If you don't like the Telegraph, the i reports that:
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Mr Gwynne is reported to have said there “are discussions that we have got to have – even if it’s just about tightening up on some of the hours of operation, particularly where there are concerns that people are drinking too much”.
Is this not what he said? Because it sounds fairly unequivocal to me. If you have an expanded quote which shows the above to be selective then I'm all ears.
Also, the world was very much going in the right direction. Sure, the economy was a mess though even there, interest rates and inflation were coming down from and, slightly later, so was unemployment.
Who thought cocaine was the bees knees and the cure for everything from depression to morphine addiction (really), and caused an epidemic of perfectly legal cocaine taking which, guess what, transformed the takers into arseholes.
Or that 2023 saw the highest number of pub insolvencies in a decade.
Or that the 2023 tax changes on alcohol under teetotaller Sunak added 44p to a bottle of red wine, which was a massive shove to drink lower alcohol drinks.
No beer Kier though.
On a similar note, Gareth rightly lists Russia among the autocracies to watch. Putin may be overthrown at some point but even if not, he's not young and has been rumoured to have health problems (though how accurate those rumours are is anyone's guess). As yet, there's no obvious successor and he doesn't seem keen to identify one, perhaps understandably in current circumstances.
The political mistake Labour made here was putting these through as personal gifts to Keir Starmer rather than as campaign expenses for the Labour Party, for which they could make a reasonable case.
Who is a few years older, and has memories of driving round the M25 for half the night trying to find the rave?
fashion editorsPB Tories analysing Lady Vic's ravishing red frock.She was born the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President just before the American Civil War. And I knew her and remember her. I've told my grandchildren so that in 2060, they can say my grandfather remembered etc etc.
Keep going. Hope to see you at the bargaining stage by early October.
In his first conference speech as PM Keir Starmer said the word ‘service’ 28 times (and sausage once)
The reason I want the job is that (a) it’s inevitable, (b) it will require the sense humour of a chainsaw (c) I want a nice, lucrative job to enjoy.
Very close election coming up in a few weeks' time in British Columbia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_British_Columbia_general_election#Opinion_polls
Luckily the hairdresser points out a cashpoint over the road so all is well.
Ban cash and how would this situation remedy itself I wonder !!!!!
He is as charismatic is Rishi.
But with a majority he gained himself from nowhere, does it matter? He can implement whatever he likes for the next four years, allowing for budget limitations, and opponents can only carp from the sidelines.
It's what Boris could have done as well had he any ideas of policies he wanted to implement beyond Brexit.
What do we reckon, that’s a good par score at this ground?
The man shuffled under the desk. What luck! The machine was back in action!
Should have switched years before.
In all honesty, I think these word clouds say more about the electorate than the person they purport to describe.
My Morphy number is 5.
There are a handful of very old chess players still alive with a Morphy number of 3, including Leonard Barden, chess columnist of the Guardian.
https://news.sky.com/video/prime-minister-sir-keir-starmer-calls-for-return-of-the-sausages-in-gaza-13221266
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/09/24/starmer-calls-for-sausages-return-gaza-labour-conference/
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/return-of-the-sausages-starmers-biden-moment-as-pm-falters-during-labour-party-c/
A lot of other news sources are available
I like LBC's "Biden moment" approach. 62 is not that young, after all.
In the discussions yesterday about Chinese electric cars, we all missed that the German manufacturers are lobbying against unilateral EU tarrifs on their largest export market. The UK car manufacturers will be even more biased towards selling into China, from Range Rover to Rolls Royce.
A TV programme called “I’ve got a secret” from 1956, featuring an old man who was a child in the theatre when Lincoln was shot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RPoymt3Jx4
The last US Civil War widow’s pension was paid until 2020, 155 years after the war ended, to a lady who was 17 when she married a 93-year-old veteran. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War_widows_who_survived_into_the_21st_century
This custom of young women marrying old veterans was widely practiced at the time, deliberately to screw the government on the lifetime pensions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Ruffin_Tyler
By US standards - why so little?
But this sort of thing happens a lot more in US politics than in UK politics. They’re all making massive bank Stateside.
Wasn't there a Holywood game for 'degrees of separation' involving Kevin Bacon?
Sounds like a forthcoming movie title?
Though personally don't have any complaints (perhaps) since Jamie Diamond & his henchpeople took over my old bank went belly up (also allegedly/actually due to mis/mal-feasance and/or outright incompetence); then the biggest bank failure in US history.
Have been paying my rent with checks drawn in name of defunct bank for most of two decades, and no body - certainly not JPMorgan Chase - has ever batted an eye.
“My husband’s first wife’s first husband knew Oliver Cromwell—and liked him well.”
https://www.charlesholloway.co.uk/2010/09/a-theory-of-relativity/