I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
I grew up in suburban Birmingham. Pleasant enough. The city centre wants another few decades of regeneration, though. People started moving back into the city centre in the 1990s with developments like Brindley Place, but it rather stalled.
The £130k flats can be found even walking distance from HS2.
Like all second tier British cities, it suffers from a fatal lack of local autonomy and therefore investment.
But even by British standards, it’s a bit shit.
Not sure what the urban version of “rizz” is, but Birmingham doesn’t have much of it. Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool are all better.
I quite like Brum. It has never been fashionable with the intellectual elite. It's a gritty city where there's muck and brass, hence when someone wants to have a crass neauvou riche character to laugh at they make them a Brummy, as per Harry Enfield.
It's a great and dynamic city. The British city most like America in its contempt for intellectual pretension and its social mobility.
The city demolishes and re-dos its centre a few times each century and sometimes gets it right.
I was there last week for a research meeting. It's a great city for people who want to give two fingers to English snobs,
Although when those of us who grew up there open our mouths we sound like blithering idiots. Head and shoulders the most offensive accent in the British Isles.
That is English snobbery writ large. It's the first place that I remember living too.
People from other regions hold onto their accents, Brummies much less so, also other parts of the Black Country.
It simply isn't fashionable in this country to make your money in manufacturing, unless it is heavy industry like coal and steel whence prolier than thou. It's much more genteel to make your money by course try estates, financial services or best of all inheriting.
Birmingham (and the Black Country) are places where it's nothing to be ashamed of.
Suddenly we are suggesting that anti-Brummagist feeling is mere snobbery.
No.
I posted that Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow are all better. None precisely have a snooty reputation.
So it is with the accent, for that matter. It sounds objectively crass, whereas most other regional accents are actually charming.
There's a great variety of West Midlands accents. Broad Nuneaton is nothing like Brummie.
I lived and worked in S Essex for 30 years. I never thought about the accent. Then I moved away, and I’ve lived in N Essex for 20 years. Today I went to S Essex to the funeral of an old friend. The S Essex accents grated!
S Essex considers itself greater East London, N Essex considers itself greater Suffolk!
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
A lot of commentators here have taken a particularly keen interest in the first lady's underwear.
It caused one overwrought poster (I won't name and shame) to type the word "panties".
A moment of deep cringe that took a while to dissipate.
“First Lady” is rather the mal mot here.
As for Lady Starmer’s panties, it could become a PB stock-in-phrase, if we try hard enough. A colourful variation to Sir Keir’s curry.
Mods!
"pant**s"
Ok, I remarked on this at the time but I'll ask again. What is wrong with the word "panties"? Is this some cultural taboo I am unaware of? Does this apply to other elements of womens underwear? Is "bra" still OK? Am genuinely puzzled.
I have no personal views about wrongness ot taboos, but I think the difficulty is that it is historically an American import.
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
I grew up in suburban Birmingham. Pleasant enough. The city centre wants another few decades of regeneration, though. People started moving back into the city centre in the 1990s with developments like Brindley Place, but it rather stalled.
The £130k flats can be found even walking distance from HS2.
Like all second tier British cities, it suffers from a fatal lack of local autonomy and therefore investment.
But even by British standards, it’s a bit shit.
Not sure what the urban version of “rizz” is, but Birmingham doesn’t have much of it. Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool are all better.
I quite like Brum. It has never been fashionable with the intellectual elite. It's a gritty city where there's muck and brass, hence when someone wants to have a crass neauvou riche character to laugh at they make them a Brummy, as per Harry Enfield.
It's a great and dynamic city. The British city most like America in its contempt for intellectual pretension and its social mobility.
The city demolishes and re-dos its centre a few times each century and sometimes gets it right.
I was there last week for a research meeting. It's a great city for people who want to give two fingers to English snobs,
Although when those of us who grew up there open our mouths we sound like blithering idiots. Head and shoulders the most offensive accent in the British Isles.
That is English snobbery writ large. It's the first place that I remember living too.
People from other regions hold onto their accents, Brummies much less so, also other parts of the Black Country.
It simply isn't fashionable in this country to make your money in manufacturing, unless it is heavy industry like coal and steel whence prolier than thou. It's much more genteel to make your money by course try estates, financial services or best of all inheriting.
Birmingham (and the Black Country) are places where it's nothing to be ashamed of.
Suddenly we are suggesting that anti-Brummagist feeling is mere snobbery.
No.
I posted that Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow are all better. None precisely have a snooty reputation.
So it is with the accent, for that matter. It sounds objectively crass, whereas most other regional accents are actually charming.
There's a great variety of West Midlands accents. Broad Nuneaton is nothing like Brummie.
Nor is RP Stratford upon Avon anything like either of the above
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
Are you still here?
Lady Victoria's pants purchased by Lord Alii. It caused grave concern amongst PB snowflakes.
No wonder they kept repeating it all day… and all night.
Must be dreadfully embarrassing for the poor woman. I wonder if her husband gets a regular earful about it.
Which would of course mean that nothing like it EVER happens again.
Hopefully, anyway!
I just find it distasteful, and the criticism was directed to dresses she wore given to her by Alli
Victoria’s Secret do not, to my knowledge, sell dresses…
As has been said you are the one continuing this rather distasteful nonsense and is utterly disrespectful to Lady Starmer
Eh? I knew nothing of it until about 20 minutes ago (I still don’t!!)
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
Are you still here?
Lady Victoria's pants purchased by Lord Alii. It caused grave concern amongst PB snowflakes.
No wonder they kept repeating it all day… and all night.
Must be dreadfully embarrassing for the poor woman. I wonder if her husband gets a regular earful about it.
Which would of course mean that nothing like it EVER happens again.
Hopefully, anyway!
I just find it distasteful, and the criticism was directed to dresses she wore given to her by Alli
Why were you not quite so outraged at Lady Bamford feeding Prime Minister Johnson and his family via multiple exclusive mail order grocery deliveries?
I have no idea what you are talking about but certainly, as much as I critise Starmer and his wife for accepting clothes and dresses, I am not someone who thinks it is acceptable to demean her with schoolboy titters
It is embarrassing, but I think the slapping down of their Minister is far more embarrassing than the Minister's original comments. P&O's action was disgusting. Furthermore, their 'investment' in a container port is not a favour to Britain - they are doing it to make more money by importing more goods into the country quicker. I would be shocked if they were stupid enough to cancel such an investment on the basis of a Government Minister throwing some insults at them. The Government clearly should have backed their Minister, and said that if P&O didn't want to attend the event, they could fuck off.
I am a huge pro-capitalist. I am *not* a fan of big corporations bossing our Goverment around. If they cave like this because P&O turned down their invitation to their fancy party, what are they going to do if Bill Gates gets on the blower?
Yes. We should be proud to stand up for the fair pay and strong employment rights of channel workers. And should not be beholden to the Sultan who cares for neither.
What is the point of Labour if not to help workers?
How does losing a one billion pound investment help the economy and workers ?
How does enabling the firing of skilled crew and hiring of below minimum wage migrants help the country? It is absurd that a UK government will not defend the rights of its workers against the whims of transient capital.
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
A lot of commentators here have taken a particularly keen interest in the first lady's underwear.
It caused one overwrought poster (I won't name and shame) to type the word "panties".
A moment of deep cringe that took a while to dissipate.
“First Lady” is rather the mal mot here.
As for Lady Starmer’s panties, it could become a PB stock-in-phrase, if we try hard enough. A colourful variation to Sir Keir’s curry.
Mods!
"pant**s"
Ok, I remarked on this at the time but I'll ask again. What is wrong with the word "panties"? Is this some cultural taboo I am unaware of? Does this apply to other elements of womens underwear? Is "bra" still OK? Am genuinely puzzled.
It’s a horrible Americanism.
The British English word is knickers.
"Knickers" are the grey things with stretched elastic you wear when you aren't bothered and prefer smooches and cuddles to sexy times. "Panties" are the black things you wore when younger and sexytime is scheduled. Or so Bridget Jones informs me. Was I misinformed?
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
I grew up in suburban Birmingham. Pleasant enough. The city centre wants another few decades of regeneration, though. People started moving back into the city centre in the 1990s with developments like Brindley Place, but it rather stalled.
The £130k flats can be found even walking distance from HS2.
Like all second tier British cities, it suffers from a fatal lack of local autonomy and therefore investment.
But even by British standards, it’s a bit shit.
Not sure what the urban version of “rizz” is, but Birmingham doesn’t have much of it. Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool are all better.
I quite like Brum. It has never been fashionable with the intellectual elite. It's a gritty city where there's muck and brass, hence when someone wants to have a crass neauvou riche character to laugh at they make them a Brummy, as per Harry Enfield.
It's a great and dynamic city. The British city most like America in its contempt for intellectual pretension and its social mobility.
The city demolishes and re-dos its centre a few times each century and sometimes gets it right.
I was there last week for a research meeting. It's a great city for people who want to give two fingers to English snobs,
Although when those of us who grew up there open our mouths we sound like blithering idiots. Head and shoulders the most offensive accent in the British Isles.
That is English snobbery writ large. It's the first place that I remember living too.
People from other regions hold onto their accents, Brummies much less so, also other parts of the Black Country.
It simply isn't fashionable in this country to make your money in manufacturing, unless it is heavy industry like coal and steel whence prolier than thou. It's much more genteel to make your money by course try estates, financial services or best of all inheriting.
Birmingham (and the Black Country) are places where it's nothing to be ashamed of.
Suddenly we are suggesting that anti-Brummagist feeling is mere snobbery.
No.
I posted that Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow are all better. None precisely have a snooty reputation.
So it is with the accent, for that matter. It sounds objectively crass, whereas most other regional accents are actually charming.
There's a great variety of West Midlands accents. Broad Nuneaton is nothing like Brummie.
Nor is RP Stratford upon Avon anything like either of the above
But RP is nothing like Stratgord upon Avon? Possibly there are some people on Stratford upon Avon who speak RP. But the accent of the town is more burry.
This is a flat out lie. We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger. - RC https://x.com/NC_Governor/status/1844813387764830351
In anticipation of the next US Presidential Election, now less than four weeks away, we at Redfield & Wilton Strategies have decided to poll two key states which could be critical in determining who becomes the next occupant of the White House – Georgia and Pennsylvania.
In our swing state voting intention poll conducted between 27 September and 2 October, Kamala Harris led Trump by 1% in Pennsylvania (48% to 47%), whilst both candidates were tied on 47% in Georgia. Trump now leads Harris by 2% in Pennsylvania (48% to 46%) and by 1% in Georgia (48% to 47%).
However, it is worth noting that in both states Donald Trump’s leads are within the margin of error.
For context, in the 2020 Presidential Election, Joe Biden carried Georgia by just 11,779 votes (0.2%) and Pennsylvania by 80,555 votes (1.2%)
'In both Georgia and Pennsylvania, the proportion of undecided voters (3% and 4%, respectively) is greater than Trump’s polling leads over Harris.
In a tight election, with several states likely to be settled by only a few thousand votes, any movement of 2020 Biden voters to Trump or 2020 Trump voters to Harris could make the key difference
In both states, more 2020 Biden voters say they will now vote for Trump than 2020 Trump voters say they will vote for Harris. The proportion of Biden 2020 voters who would now vote for Trump stands at 12% in Pennsylvania and 13% in Georgia. Conversely, just 6% of 2020 Trump voters now intend to vote for Harris in Pennsylvania, compared to 11% in Georgia.
Furthermore, a higher percentage of Trump 2020 voters say they will vote for Donald Trump in November than Biden 2020 voters say they will vote for Harris in both states. Trump retains 86% of his 2020 voters in Georgia, rising to 90% in Pennsylvania. Harris is supported by 82% of voters in Georgia who voted for Joe Biden in 2020, as well as 85% in Pennsylvania.'
Yes, I think Trump is slight favorite again: I'd put him in the 50s chance-wise right now.
With that said, the latest Jack Smith drop is the most damning thing I've seen yet. It's entirely possible that some of those undecideds find themselves deciding based on it.
Yes. We should be proud to stand up for the fair pay and strong employment rights of channel workers. And should not be beholden to the Sultan who cares for neither.
What is the point of Labour if not to help workers?
How does losing a one billion pound investment help the economy and workers ?
How does enabling the firing of skilled crew and hiring of below minimum wage migrants help the country? It is absurd that a UK government will not defend the rights of its workers against the whims of transient capital.
It doesn't, but there are times when tact and diplomacy are needed and that seems to be why no 10 have publicly rebuked Haigh
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
I grew up in suburban Birmingham. Pleasant enough. The city centre wants another few decades of regeneration, though. People started moving back into the city centre in the 1990s with developments like Brindley Place, but it rather stalled.
The £130k flats can be found even walking distance from HS2.
Like all second tier British cities, it suffers from a fatal lack of local autonomy and therefore investment.
But even by British standards, it’s a bit shit.
Not sure what the urban version of “rizz” is, but Birmingham doesn’t have much of it. Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool are all better.
I quite like Brum. It has never been fashionable with the intellectual elite. It's a gritty city where there's muck and brass, hence when someone wants to have a crass neauvou riche character to laugh at they make them a Brummy, as per Harry Enfield.
It's a great and dynamic city. The British city most like America in its contempt for intellectual pretension and its social mobility.
The city demolishes and re-dos its centre a few times each century and sometimes gets it right.
I was there last week for a research meeting. It's a great city for people who want to give two fingers to English snobs,
Although when those of us who grew up there open our mouths we sound like blithering idiots. Head and shoulders the most offensive accent in the British Isles.
I've been watching quite a few Belgian and Dutch TV shows lately - and the number of times I've thought 'Brum!' with the accents is quite noticeable.
Also, I really enjoyed some of the accents (over-done, but enjoyable) in the R4 dramatisation of JB Priestley's "Salt is Leaving":
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
A lot of commentators here have taken a particularly keen interest in the first lady's underwear.
It caused one overwrought poster (I won't name and shame) to type the word "panties".
A moment of deep cringe that took a while to dissipate.
“First Lady” is rather the mal mot here.
As for Lady Starmer’s panties, it could become a PB stock-in-phrase, if we try hard enough. A colourful variation to Sir Keir’s curry.
Mods!
"pant**s"
Ok, I remarked on this at the time but I'll ask again. What is wrong with the word "panties"? Is this some cultural taboo I am unaware of? Does this apply to other elements of womens underwear? Is "bra" still OK? Am genuinely puzzled.
It’s a horrible Americanism.
The British English word is knickers.
"Knickers" are the grey things with stretched elastic you wear when you aren't bothered and prefer smooches and cuddles to sexy times. "Panties" are the black things you wore when younger and sexytime is scheduled. Or so Bridget Jones informs me. Was I misinformed?
This is a flat out lie. We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger. - RC https://x.com/NC_Governor/status/1844813387764830351
Lies are very dangerous things. And sadly US politics has become absolutely infected by them. The damage one man can do to the structure of democracy is staggering.
There is something to be said for making the right decisions whatever their immediate popularity since the end results will swing the mood back in your direction when it matters.
I doubt that is what is happening here. Lab also badly need a Campbell type to establish some discipline in the ranks of the 'advisers'. Just like their Con versions they all think they are a lot cleverer than they really are.
The winter fuel allowance was an attempt to look "serious" about the deficit which backfired completely. It's not a bad policy to stop giving public money to those who don't need it when we are £100 billion in the hole but it's bad politically to do that, instigate a cliff-edge means test AND give big pay settlements to parts of the public sector and unionised workers at the same time. It makes you look a) vindictive b) in hock to your "friends" and c) not that serious about the deficit.
Only because you've an objection to people getting paid for working. The pay offers were recommended to the prior government, not a creation of this one or the unions.
If you want a job doing then the person doing it needs to be paid.
If you don't want to pay them, don't expect the work to be done. Or find someone willing to do it for cheaper.
Given the state of the labour market the latter is not currently an option. Pay rises are entirely appropriate and are what money should be getting spent on, so long as the people working are doing a job that needs doing.
Cut the fat where it doesn't need to be spent, like cutting unnecessary welfare or unnecessary employment. Don't cut pay below that which is required.
Yes. We should be proud to stand up for the fair pay and strong employment rights of channel workers. And should not be beholden to the Sultan who cares for neither.
What is the point of Labour if not to help workers?
How does losing a one billion pound investment help the economy and workers ?
How does enabling the firing of skilled crew and hiring of below minimum wage migrants help the country? It is absurd that a UK government will not defend the rights of its workers against the whims of transient capital.
You are assuming that the UK Government sees its mission as defending the people of the UK. I'm genuinely not sure it does anymore. Not in a nasty way (although there is an element of that), more than they're not in the success metrics.
This is a flat out lie. We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger. - RC https://x.com/NC_Governor/status/1844813387764830351
I was listening to a podcast today with a guy who lives in one of the affected areas. Podcast is programming/tech usually - but most of this episode was about how things are going post hurricane/flood. He was broadly positive towards the US government response, but a few little gotchas. The one that struck me was FEMA(?) helicopter pilots deliberately flying right down by people who were self-organising water/aid to locals. Blowing their tables and assorted stuff to kingdom come, then just flying off again.
In anticipation of the next US Presidential Election, now less than four weeks away, we at Redfield & Wilton Strategies have decided to poll two key states which could be critical in determining who becomes the next occupant of the White House – Georgia and Pennsylvania.
In our swing state voting intention poll conducted between 27 September and 2 October, Kamala Harris led Trump by 1% in Pennsylvania (48% to 47%), whilst both candidates were tied on 47% in Georgia. Trump now leads Harris by 2% in Pennsylvania (48% to 46%) and by 1% in Georgia (48% to 47%).
However, it is worth noting that in both states Donald Trump’s leads are within the margin of error.
For context, in the 2020 Presidential Election, Joe Biden carried Georgia by just 11,779 votes (0.2%) and Pennsylvania by 80,555 votes (1.2%)
'In both Georgia and Pennsylvania, the proportion of undecided voters (3% and 4%, respectively) is greater than Trump’s polling leads over Harris.
In a tight election, with several states likely to be settled by only a few thousand votes, any movement of 2020 Biden voters to Trump or 2020 Trump voters to Harris could make the key difference
In both states, more 2020 Biden voters say they will now vote for Trump than 2020 Trump voters say they will vote for Harris. The proportion of Biden 2020 voters who would now vote for Trump stands at 12% in Pennsylvania and 13% in Georgia. Conversely, just 6% of 2020 Trump voters now intend to vote for Harris in Pennsylvania, compared to 11% in Georgia.
Furthermore, a higher percentage of Trump 2020 voters say they will vote for Donald Trump in November than Biden 2020 voters say they will vote for Harris in both states. Trump retains 86% of his 2020 voters in Georgia, rising to 90% in Pennsylvania. Harris is supported by 82% of voters in Georgia who voted for Joe Biden in 2020, as well as 85% in Pennsylvania.'
Yes, I think Trump is slight favorite again: I'd put him in the 50s chance-wise right now.
With that said, the latest Jack Smith drop is the most damning thing I've seen yet. It's entirely possible that some of those undecideds find themselves deciding based on it.
There are undecideds? Incredible how some leave it so late.
This is a flat out lie. We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger. - RC https://x.com/NC_Governor/status/1844813387764830351
Lies are very dangerous things. And sadly US politics has become absolutely infected by them. The damage one man can do to the structure of democracy is staggering.
Perhaps the Joe Biden team might have considered that before they pressured Facebook and Twitter to lie about the greatest health catastrophe in 100 years of human history
The rather disturbing McCullough murders hearing ended today with a life sentence, minimum 36 years. The judge's remarks shed little light on the oddest feature: the defendant was the youngest of 5 daughters, and after she murdered her parents it was over 4 years before anyone noticed there were two missing from the ranks. The GP spotted something odd in the end. Funny old world.
Yep.... very odd. I don't agree with the sentence. It is another effective 'whole life' sentence (life with a minimum of 36 years). However she immediately confessed to the crimes, and pleaded guilty. The current sentencing regime for crimes like this panders to base popular instincts, and provides no incentive at all for anyone involved in those crimes to help the authorities with their inquiries.
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
Here speaks a man who has never been to Pristina, Kosova
Here speaks a man who does not know what the Western Hemisphere is.
Actually, I don't. Do you?
If it is just the New World then it does not include Birmigham
If it includes Europe then it includes Pristina. Or is there some weird fault-line related to communism?
For me the western hemisphere means the Americas plus Europe up to the Urals/Caucasus. Christendom, if you like
I'd be interested to hear a definition that manages to include Birmingham but excludes mainland Europe
Edit to add: Ah you mean technically anything west of the Prime meridian. Meaning that much of Kent is in the "eastern hemisphere", which is fucking ridiculous, no offense
To be fair, that's what I'd understand by weztern hemisphere. Just as by 'northern hemisphere' I'd infer the half above the equator.
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
Are you still here?
Lady Victoria's pants purchased by Lord Alii. It caused grave concern amongst PB snowflakes.
No wonder they kept repeating it all day… and all night.
Must be dreadfully embarrassing for the poor woman. I wonder if her husband gets a regular earful about it.
Which would of course mean that nothing like it EVER happens again.
Hopefully, anyway!
I just find it distasteful, and the criticism was directed to dresses she wore given to her by Alli
Victoria’s Secret do not, to my knowledge, sell dresses…
In case anyone was wondering, Victoria's secret is that she doesn't eat.
I know Victoria's secret And, girl, you wouldn't believe She's an old man who lives in Ohio Making money off of girls like me Cashin' in on body issues Sellin' skin and bones with big boobs I know Victoria's secret She was made up by a dude
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
I grew up in suburban Birmingham. Pleasant enough. The city centre wants another few decades of regeneration, though. People started moving back into the city centre in the 1990s with developments like Brindley Place, but it rather stalled.
The £130k flats can be found even walking distance from HS2.
Like all second tier British cities, it suffers from a fatal lack of local autonomy and therefore investment.
But even by British standards, it’s a bit shit.
Not sure what the urban version of “rizz” is, but Birmingham doesn’t have much of it. Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool are all better.
I quite like Brum. It has never been fashionable with the intellectual elite. It's a gritty city where there's muck and brass, hence when someone wants to have a crass neauvou riche character to laugh at they make them a Brummy, as per Harry Enfield.
It's a great and dynamic city. The British city most like America in its contempt for intellectual pretension and its social mobility.
The city demolishes and re-dos its centre a few times each century and sometimes gets it right.
I was there last week for a research meeting. It's a great city for people who want to give two fingers to English snobs,
Although when those of us who grew up there open our mouths we sound like blithering idiots. Head and shoulders the most offensive accent in the British Isles.
That is English snobbery writ large. It's the first place that I remember living too.
People from other regions hold onto their accents, Brummies much less so, also other parts of the Black Country.
It simply isn't fashionable in this country to make your money in manufacturing, unless it is heavy industry like coal and steel whence prolier than thou. It's much more genteel to make your money by course try estates, financial services or best of all inheriting.
Birmingham (and the Black Country) are places where it's nothing to be ashamed of.
Suddenly we are suggesting that anti-Brummagist feeling is mere snobbery.
No.
I posted that Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow are all better. None precisely have a snooty reputation.
So it is with the accent, for that matter. It sounds objectively crass, whereas most other regional accents are actually charming.
There's a great variety of West Midlands accents. Broad Nuneaton is nothing like Brummie.
Nor is RP Stratford upon Avon anything like either of the above
But RP is nothing like Stratgord upon Avon? Possibly there are some people on Stratford upon Avon who speak RP. But the accent of the town is more burry.
Stratgordavon sounds like a Scandi-Noir I'd watch the f**k out of.
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Also WFP will not raise anywhere near the savings with pensioners claiming pension credit
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
Are you still here?
Lady Victoria's pants purchased by Lord Alii. It caused grave concern amongst PB snowflakes.
No wonder they kept repeating it all day… and all night.
Must be dreadfully embarrassing for the poor woman. I wonder if her husband gets a regular earful about it.
Which would of course mean that nothing like it EVER happens again.
Hopefully, anyway!
I just find it distasteful, and the criticism was directed to dresses she wore given to her by Alli
Victoria’s Secret do not, to my knowledge, sell dresses…
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
Here speaks a man who has never been to Pristina, Kosova
Here speaks a man who does not know what the Western Hemisphere is.
Actually, I don't. Do you?
If it is just the New World then it does not include Birmigham
If it includes Europe then it includes Pristina. Or is there some weird fault-line related to communism?
For me the western hemisphere means the Americas plus Europe up to the Urals/Caucasus. Christendom, if you like
I'd be interested to hear a definition that manages to include Birmingham but excludes mainland Europe
Edit to add: Ah you mean technically anything west of the Prime meridian. Meaning that much of Kent is in the "eastern hemisphere", which is fucking ridiculous, no offense
To be fair, that's what I'd understand by weztern hemisphere. Just as by 'northern hemisphere' I'd infer the half above the equator.
Fair dos
For me "western hemisphere" is either a cultural thing - the West, Christendom, America plus Europe and maybe even Oz etc - or it is JUST the Americas. The New World
The idea that Newent is in the Western Hemisphere but Gravesend is in the Eastern Hemisphere makes no sense at all, and also has no ontological value
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Also WFP will not raise anywhere near the savings with pensioners claiming pension credit
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
This isn't an income tax increase. This is 'Rachel's Special Reserve'. Completely different!
Yes. We should be proud to stand up for the fair pay and strong employment rights of channel workers. And should not be beholden to the Sultan who cares for neither.
What is the point of Labour if not to help workers?
How does losing a one billion pound investment help the economy and workers ?
How does enabling the firing of skilled crew and hiring of below minimum wage migrants help the country? It is absurd that a UK government will not defend the rights of its workers against the whims of transient capital.
You are assuming that the UK Government sees its mission as defending the people of the UK. I'm genuinely not sure it does anymore. Not in a nasty way (although there is an element of that), more than they're not in the success metrics.
For sure.
It does seem that improving 'the economy' seems detached from improving the lives of 'the people'. Improving the economic metrics has become the goal. Far easier to say that the nebulous GDP has improved than we made the nation a little happier or healthier.
Forget the polls PB is such fun as the apologists led by chief moron Anabobazina are now begging posters to be nice. They should really be re-reading Animal Farm. Politics is a grubby business and as all good conservatives know the troughs tempt all the piggies with remarkable speed this time.
It's funny to see posters who acted all moral at pointing out failures by the Conservative Party and its MPs, who are suddenly blind to issues now Labour is in government. Especially whilst they still decry the Conservatives.
It sorta shows that it was not morality that drove their criticisms, but naked partisanship. (*)
Fortunately, not every posted suffers from this affliction.
(*) For some odd reason, I initially wrote that as parsnipship. Which opens up some intriguing possibilities. A ship made out of a parsnip? A ship carrying nothing but parsnips? The state of being a parsnip?
Aren’t you the poster who gives a green-ish card to Johnson while continuing to castigate Keir for his curry?
Was I giving a "green-ish card" to Johnson? I don't think so...
I was certainly the poster who was castigating Johnson back as far as his time as MoL, and stating that he would not be a good PM. I also stated well before the election that Starmer would probably be better than Sunak, but would have problems because he is not a salesman.
But currygate's interesting. One of my criticisms of Johnson was that he had a habit of not learning lessons: when he makes a mistake, he's either too stupid, too stubborn or too proud to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Currygate was a mistake from the optics POV at least; and Starmer's making similar mistakes again. And again.
I think Starmer fucked up the optics here badly.
But currygate really wasn’t interesting. It was a load of bollocks served up by alt-right journalists and the ever credulous BigG
Were you here for RAFgate? That one was a proper zinger. I only learned of it the other day thanks to @TheScreamingEagles 's explanation. Wow. Just wow.
Was that the same as torpedo gate?
On one level, you have to salute BigG’s indefatigabilty.
No wonder he was selected as special driver for Windsor Davies MP in 1948!
No, Torpedogate was a veritable flesh wound compared with RAFgate... one speaks only of the latter in hushed tones. It is simply not suitable for a family forum.
I always think it shows a weakness when a poster apologises for an error but then some still seem to delight in ignoring it
I corrected my mistake about taking down the ballistic missiles and replicated the Ministry of Defence statement tha RAF planes were involved in the action that night
Pity we are not all perfect but can correct our errors
In over 62,000 posts I have erred on occasions but try to convey accurate information often accompanied by quotes from Sky, Guardian, Independent and others
This is a Conservative blog and you are quite rightly all piling into the Commies.
BigG. you have been like a terrier in calling out the most egregious corruption of the last decade. Currygate, Goonergate, Glassesgate, Victoria'ssecretgate, RAFgate, Angie'shousegate and Torpedogate, to name but a few.
Anabob you are not playing nicely on BigG's gates. "Go, walk out the door,...you're not welcome anymore". It's all going a bit Correct Horse Battery with everyone piling in on you, I thought Felix was particularly vicious.
@Anabobazina they have tumbled your game and you need a really flamboyant flounce to go out in style! My anti- PBTory flounce a fortnight ago was a bit shite so I can't offer up any advice
I’ll survive! (What in the holy name of Aphrodite is Victoriassecretgate?)
A lot of commentators here have taken a particularly keen interest in the first lady's underwear.
It caused one overwrought poster (I won't name and shame) to type the word "panties".
A moment of deep cringe that took a while to dissipate.
“First Lady” is rather the mal mot here.
As for Lady Starmer’s panties, it could become a PB stock-in-phrase, if we try hard enough. A colourful variation to Sir Keir’s curry.
Mods!
"pant**s"
Ok, I remarked on this at the time but I'll ask again. What is wrong with the word "panties"? Is this some cultural taboo I am unaware of? Does this apply to other elements of womens underwear? Is "bra" still OK? Am genuinely puzzled.
I have no personal views about wrongness ot taboos, but I think the difficulty is that it is historically an American import.
The preciousness about American loan words, given the overwhelming influence of US culture over the last half century or so, is a bit sad.
I'm not sure why we should hang onto Gibraltar when it's clearly a colonial possession, like Hong Kong was..🧐
Because the population want us to and it's ours.
Honk Kong we had a lease on that was ending. That is completely different.
Chagos the population who lived there wanted their land back. That is completely different.
Self determination doesn't just mean people must choose to be independent, it also means if people choose to be British then their choice should be respected.
That applies to Gibraltar, the Falklands etc for as long as that is the desire of its residents.
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
Here speaks a man who has never been to Pristina, Kosova
Here speaks a man who does not know what the Western Hemisphere is.
Actually, I don't. Do you?
If it is just the New World then it does not include Birmigham
If it includes Europe then it includes Pristina. Or is there some weird fault-line related to communism?
For me the western hemisphere means the Americas plus Europe up to the Urals/Caucasus. Christendom, if you like
I'd be interested to hear a definition that manages to include Birmingham but excludes mainland Europe
Edit to add: Ah you mean technically anything west of the Prime meridian. Meaning that much of Kent is in the "eastern hemisphere", which is fucking ridiculous, no offense
To be fair, that's what I'd understand by weztern hemisphere. Just as by 'northern hemisphere' I'd infer the half above the equator.
Fair dos
For me "western hemisphere" is either a cultural thing - the West, Christendom, America plus Europe and maybe even Oz etc - or it is JUST the Americas. The New World
The idea that Newent is in the Western Hemisphere but Gravesend is in the Eastern Hemisphere makes no sense at all, and also has no ontological value
Hemispheres suggests geographic but for east west would clearly move depending which line is used, so makes little sense. Might as well just refer to the Western sphere to make it even clearer it's not literal.
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Also WFP will not raise anywhere near the savings with pensioners claiming pension credit
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
This isn't an income tax increase. This is 'Rachel's Special Reserve'. Completely different!
Sounds like whisky which probably will be drunk in litres or indeed gallons following her statement
I'm not sure why we should hang onto Gibraltar when it's clearly a colonial possession, like Hong Kong was..🧐
Because the population want us to and it's ours.
Honk Kong we had a lease on that was ending. That is completely different.
Chagos the population who lived there wanted their land back. That is completely different.
Self determination doesn't just mean people must choose to be independent, it also means if people choose to be British then their choice should be respected.
That applies to Gibraltar, the Falklands etc for as long as that is the desire of its residents.
1. The Chagossians have not got their land back
2. We've given it to Mauritius who never actually owned it
3. We had outright ownership of Hong Kong Island, not a lease, it was merely deemed unviable without Kowloon and the New Territories
I'm not sure why we should hang onto Gibraltar when it's clearly a colonial possession, like Hong Kong was..🧐
Because the population want us to and it's ours.
Honk Kong we had a lease on that was ending. That is completely different.
Chagos the population who lived there wanted their land back. That is completely different.
Self determination doesn't just mean people must choose to be independent, it also means if people choose to be British then their choice should be respected.
That applies to Gibraltar, the Falklands etc for as long as that is the desire of its residents.
If, in addition to permanent sovereignty of Gibraltar, we also had a 99 year lease on Andalusia that was coming to an end, would you give away the whole lot?
Can anyone actually name any wrong decisions *yet* Labour have made other than WFA cut that 1) Sunak and Hunt *wouldn't have done* and 2) are unpopular with the public? Because early release of prisoners, handing over sovereignty over the Chagos Islands etc. would have happened under Sunak anyway and coming to terms with the unions is broadly supported.
£22 bn on carbon capture.
1) Pretty crucial if we are serious about net zero (particularly industries who need natural gas and can't find an alternative) 2) It's over 25 years 3) Can't find much evidence of a public outcry outside the usual suspects (e.g partisan Tories, anti-woke grifters).
Very poorly thought out, shows Labour in thrawl to big oil.
Jumped within weeks of getting power, when there should have been far more consideration of our energy policy for the next 25 years.
2/10
In thrall to big oil? I thought Labour was killing the North Sea according to PB Tories. Make your mind up. How are glass production companies, for instance, going to decarbonise without CCUS by the way?
I am not a PB Tory but yes Labour - or at least Miliband - are doing their very best to kill off the North Sea.
And the basic problem is CCS doesn't work. At least not with current or planned technology.
This is a flat out lie. We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger. - RC https://x.com/NC_Governor/status/1844813387764830351
I was listening to a podcast today with a guy who lives in one of the affected areas. Podcast is programming/tech usually - but most of this episode was about how things are going post hurricane/flood. He was broadly positive towards the US government response, but a few little gotchas. The one that struck me was FEMA(?) helicopter pilots deliberately flying right down by people who were self-organising water/aid to locals. Blowing their tables and assorted stuff to kingdom come, then just flying off again.
Which seemed like pure spite.
North Carolina National Guard.
I'm guessing incompetence rather than anything else.
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
Here speaks a man who has never been to Pristina, Kosova
Here speaks a man who does not know what the Western Hemisphere is.
Actually, I don't. Do you?
If it is just the New World then it does not include Birmigham
If it includes Europe then it includes Pristina. Or is there some weird fault-line related to communism?
For me the western hemisphere means the Americas plus Europe up to the Urals/Caucasus. Christendom, if you like
I'd be interested to hear a definition that manages to include Birmingham but excludes mainland Europe
Edit to add: Ah you mean technically anything west of the Prime meridian. Meaning that much of Kent is in the "eastern hemisphere", which is fucking ridiculous, no offense
To be fair, that's what I'd understand by weztern hemisphere. Just as by 'northern hemisphere' I'd infer the half above the equator.
Fair dos
For me "western hemisphere" is either a cultural thing - the West, Christendom, America plus Europe and maybe even Oz etc - or it is JUST the Americas. The New World
The idea that Newent is in the Western Hemisphere but Gravesend is in the Eastern Hemisphere makes no sense at all, and also has no ontological value
Fair enough. I would describe tbe area that includes Newent, Pristina and Northern Peru as 'the west' - but I accept there may be some ambiguity over whether the west=the developed world and therefore whether it inckudes Peru. It dies for me, but maybe not for everyone.
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Also WFP will not raise anywhere near the savings with pensioners claiming pension credit
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
This isn't an income tax increase. This is 'Rachel's Special Reserve'. Completely different!
Sounds like whisky which probably will be drunk in litres or indeed gallons following her statement
I suspect I will need to go to the pub (along with a lot of others) assuming we can still afford a drink! 👿
Yes. We should be proud to stand up for the fair pay and strong employment rights of channel workers. And should not be beholden to the Sultan who cares for neither.
What is the point of Labour if not to help workers?
How does losing a one billion pound investment help the economy and workers ?
How does enabling the firing of skilled crew and hiring of below minimum wage migrants help the country? It is absurd that a UK government will not defend the rights of its workers against the whims of transient capital.
It doesn't, but there are times when tact and diplomacy are needed and that seems to be why no 10 have publicly rebuked Haigh
Maybe this was the right call at the right time who knows? But for me its poor politics.
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
The Government needs to reduce its costs, not try and squeeze more money out of people. The Bank of England has already curtailed its QT programme apparently, but Reeves could still revisit the agreement that the Treasury indemnifies the Banks QT losses, and also steal Reform's idea of the Bank ceasing to pay interest on Commercial Banks QE desposits with them. I think that's the only really low hanging fruit though.
They're hamstrung by their own stupid policies and platitudes. Everything that the economy needs to get it going, they oppose.
Ridiculously - as if it was 1998 - my local sub-suburb of my home suburb has just seen the opening of an Irish pub (by someone for whom the concept had worked in Dubai). I'd thought of wondering down there, but apparenty Guinness is £6 a pint.
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
London doesn't have to do it alone. The growth in Manchester over the past ten years jas been remarkable. Manchester is, if anything*, a younger city than London. It's hard, in Manchester, to recognise the story of national decline. Granted there is a lot of grot - but good grief it's a different city to 20 years ago. Which in turn was a very different city to 20 years before that.
*figure pulled out of my arse but feels right.
Birmingham is very similar; at one point recently it claimed to be the youngest city in Europe. It has everything and the potential is vast. Also housing is very cheap, you can buy a 1 bed flat in a nice area for £130k. People should quit London for Birmingham.
Birmingham is probably the most dismal urban experience in the Western hemisphere.
Here speaks a man who has never been to Pristina, Kosova
Here speaks a man who does not know what the Western Hemisphere is.
Actually, I don't. Do you?
If it is just the New World then it does not include Birmigham
If it includes Europe then it includes Pristina. Or is there some weird fault-line related to communism?
For me the western hemisphere means the Americas plus Europe up to the Urals/Caucasus. Christendom, if you like
I'd be interested to hear a definition that manages to include Birmingham but excludes mainland Europe
Edit to add: Ah you mean technically anything west of the Prime meridian. Meaning that much of Kent is in the "eastern hemisphere", which is fucking ridiculous, no offense
To be fair, that's what I'd understand by weztern hemisphere. Just as by 'northern hemisphere' I'd infer the half above the equator.
Fair dos
For me "western hemisphere" is either a cultural thing - the West, Christendom, America plus Europe and maybe even Oz etc - or it is JUST the Americas. The New World
The idea that Newent is in the Western Hemisphere but Gravesend is in the Eastern Hemisphere makes no sense at all, and also has no ontological value
Fair enough. I would describe tbe area that includes Newent, Pristina and Northern Peru as 'the west' - but I accept there may be some ambiguity over whether the west=the developed world and therefore whether it inckudes Peru. It dies for me, but maybe not for everyone.
Pristina is actually an interest use-case
It is right on the fault-line where east meets west, Christianity v Islam, the Occident and the Orient; it has a marvelloius mosque built by the Ottomans yet also a marvellous church built by the Serbians, both many centuries old
It has a largely Albanian Muslim population but they are very westernised, they are very like their neighbours, they drink, the women don't look "repressed", there are almost no hijabs let alone burqas, you could easily be in Split or Athens
It is JUST inside the West, but right on the frontier (hence all the wars thereabouts, these are the "shatterlands")
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
The Government needs to reduce its costs, not try and squeeze more money out of people. The Bank of England has already curtailed its QT programme apparently, but Reeves could still revisit the agreement that the Treasury indemnifies the Banks QT losses, and also steal Reform's idea of the Bank ceasing to pay interest on Commercial Banks QE desposits with them. I think that's the only really low hanging fruit though.
They're hamstrung by their own stupid policies and platitudes. Everything that the economy needs to get it going, they oppose.
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Also WFP will not raise anywhere near the savings with pensioners claiming pension credit
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
This isn't an income tax increase. This is 'Rachel's Special Reserve'. Completely different!
Sounds like whisky which probably will be drunk in litres or indeed gallons following her statement
I suspect I will need to go to the pub (along with a lot of others) assuming we can still afford a drink! 👿
And assuming Puritan Starmar doesn't close them all down...
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Also WFP will not raise anywhere near the savings with pensioners claiming pension credit
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
This isn't an income tax increase. This is 'Rachel's Special Reserve'. Completely different!
Sounds like whisky which probably will be drunk in litres or indeed gallons following her statement
I suspect I will need to go to the pub (along with a lot of others) assuming we can still afford a drink! 👿
And assuming Puritan Starmar doesn't close them all down...
It will be 2/3 pint glasses soon, whole pints won't be allowed!
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
Also WFP will not raise anywhere near the savings with pensioners claiming pension credit
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
This isn't an income tax increase. This is 'Rachel's Special Reserve'. Completely different!
Sounds like whisky which probably will be drunk in litres or indeed gallons following her statement
I suspect I will need to go to the pub (along with a lot of others) assuming we can still afford a drink! 👿
And assuming Puritan Starmar doesn't close them all down...
It will be 2/3 pint glasses soon, whole pints won't be allowed!
Still it will save me money. Possibly 😊
Zzzzz. Not going to happen. Never was. Enjoy your pint. I’ve had four. And now need to walk home!
Looks like after 9 years in Opposition the Canadian Conservatives are heading for most seats again (you can't really call them Tories as the party is a merger of Canadian Tories and Reform).
However Trudeau is so unpopular now if Harris wins having replaced Biden, Canadian Liberals might try and follow suit and replace him before the Federal election to try and at least prevent a Poilievre majority which looks odds on now
The Canadian media often refers to them as the Tories.
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
We should never forget the way the London-based government deliberately sabotaged the way that Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester were heading for economic dominance in the UK in the early 1960s.
Kamala HQ @KamalaHQ · 4h Gov. Walz: We just found out Trump had his branded Bibles printed in China. This dude will even outsource God. But hey, I don’t blame Trump for not noticing the ‘Made in China’ sticker. They put them on the inside, a part of the Bible that he’s never looked at
What a sad article, and while the Speccie's dedication to free speech is admirable, this is false and subversive. What next on the hit list? Proper puddings? Apple crumble? Custard?
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
We should never forget the way the London-based government deliberately sabotaged the way that Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester were heading for economic dominance in the UK in the early 1960s.
"The 16 telltale signs you’re more common than you think – according to an etiquette expert
After Lady Glenconner’s pronouncement that fish knives are for the unrefined, we asked William Hanson what else is par for the coarse
1. Tie clips 2. Liquid soap 3. Eating on the street 4. Holding a knife like a pen 5. Mounted televisions 6. Applying make-up in public 7. Gin and tonic 8. Prosecco in lieu of champagne 9. Eating on the Tube 10. Personalised number plates 11. Zoopla and Rightmove 12. Hot tubs 13. The Great British Bake Off 14. Trainers (in particular, Adidas) 15. Buying portraits 16. Salted caramel"
What a sad article, and while the Speccie's dedication to free speech is admirable, this is false and subversive. What next on the hit list? Proper puddings? Apple crumble? Custard?
FWIW I totally disagree with the ludicrous spectator. Roasts are superb. And the best comfort food when you’re sad or tired
Talking of sadness I’m watching the excellent Netflix documentary on Apollo 13. Miss that American and western optimism
"The 16 telltale signs you’re more common than you think – according to an etiquette expert
After Lady Glenconner’s pronouncement that fish knives are for the unrefined, we asked William Hanson what else is par for the coarse
1. Tie clips 2. Liquid soap 3. Eating on the street 4. Holding a knife like a pen 5. Mounted televisions 6. Applying make-up in public 7. Gin and tonic 8. Prosecco in lieu of champagne 9. Eating on the Tube 10. Personalised number plates 11. Zoopla and Rightmove 12. Hot tubs 13. The Great British Bake Off 14. Trainers (in particular, Adidas) 15. Buying portraits 16. Salted caramel"
"The 16 telltale signs you’re more common than you think – according to an etiquette expert
After Lady Glenconner’s pronouncement that fish knives are for the unrefined, we asked William Hanson what else is par for the coarse
1. Tie clips 2. Liquid soap 3. Eating on the street 4. Holding a knife like a pen 5. Mounted televisions 6. Applying make-up in public 7. Gin and tonic 8. Prosecco in lieu of champagne 9. Eating on the Tube 10. Personalised number plates 11. Zoopla and Rightmove 12. Hot tubs 13. The Great British Bake Off 14. Trainers (in particular, Adidas) 15. Buying portraits 16. Salted caramel"
Clickbait. This poor woman doesn’t like food, cannot cook, and knows nothing about the immaculate pairing of good rib with great claret.
Sunday lunch when done properly lifts the tired last day of the weekend into a joy. Sundays, and Sunday lunch, are difficult to get right though.
Agree. Currently my usual trad Sunday lunches are in the company, among others, of a three and six year old. This makes it easier never to allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good (Strimpel falls into this error). Ditto Christmas.
She also seems to believe that roast dinners are only the proper thing if the assembled company hate each other. This belief is indeed bad for the spirit.
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
We should never forget the way the London-based government deliberately sabotaged the way that Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester were heading for economic dominance in the UK in the early 1960s.
Cloughie once said that nobody had ever done anything in Leicester but make a jumper
"The 16 telltale signs you’re more common than you think – according to an etiquette expert
After Lady Glenconner’s pronouncement that fish knives are for the unrefined, we asked William Hanson what else is par for the coarse
1. Tie clips 2. Liquid soap 3. Eating on the street 4. Holding a knife like a pen 5. Mounted televisions 6. Applying make-up in public 7. Gin and tonic 8. Prosecco in lieu of champagne 9. Eating on the Tube 10. Personalised number plates 11. Zoopla and Rightmove 12. Hot tubs 13. The Great British Bake Off 14. Trainers (in particular, Adidas) 15. Buying portraits 16. Salted caramel"
I’m walking through Camden Market. The youthful energy is insane. No other city - not even New York - matches it. Something unique in the air. Far more dynamic than any city in the EU
London PULSATES. What is being hatched here in this crazy mash of energetic people from all over?
It may yet save us
We should never forget the way the London-based government deliberately sabotaged the way that Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester were heading for economic dominance in the UK in the early 1960s.
I've travelled a lot this year. The cities I've found to have most energy are London, Berlin, Barcelona and Athens. Rome and Paris are as beautiful as they always were, but somehow unchanging.
Kamala HQ @KamalaHQ · 4h Gov. Walz: We just found out Trump had his branded Bibles printed in China. This dude will even outsource God. But hey, I don’t blame Trump for not noticing the ‘Made in China’ sticker. They put them on the inside, a part of the Bible that he’s never looked at
Do the democrats think Jesus was American? Usually a Republican trait, that.
"The 16 telltale signs you’re more common than you think – according to an etiquette expert
After Lady Glenconner’s pronouncement that fish knives are for the unrefined, we asked William Hanson what else is par for the coarse
1. Tie clips 2. Liquid soap 3. Eating on the street 4. Holding a knife like a pen 5. Mounted televisions 6. Applying make-up in public 7. Gin and tonic 8. Prosecco in lieu of champagne 9. Eating on the Tube 10. Personalised number plates 11. Zoopla and Rightmove 12. Hot tubs 13. The Great British Bake Off 14. Trainers (in particular, Adidas) 15. Buying portraits 16. Salted caramel"
Well if Jenrick and his team was that organised and ruthless to get to the last round of the leadership election maybe he will be as ruthless to beat Badenoch and Starmer too.
Cleverly meanwhile spent the eve of the final round drinking at Boris' book launch
This is a flat out lie. We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger. - RC https://x.com/NC_Governor/status/1844813387764830351
Lies are very dangerous things. And sadly US politics has become absolutely infected by them. The damage one man can do to the structure of democracy is staggering.
Yes. But what on earth is going on such that almost half the population of America can be going along with this?
Many PMs have disavowed (through 'leaks' to press)unpopular budget measures , essentially claiming it was nowt to do with them.
It's always a complete lie, so a PM owning a budget more would be progress.
First Lord of the Treasury.
Who in this case knows nothing about economics.
Has any Prime Minister, other than Harold Wilson, ever actually known anything about economics?
I know several others had PPE degrees but that's not quite the same thing.
Gordon Brown, who I think has a PhD in Economics, as I remember it.
Even more Rishi who has a 1st class degree in PPE focusing on Economics and actually practised it in the City with Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund not just writing research papers on Marxist economics.
Thatcher also read Hayek and had top monetarist economists on her team
Well if Jenrick and his team was that organised and ruthless to get to the last round of the leadership election maybe he will be as ruthless to beat Badenoch and Starmer too.
Cleverly meanwhile spent the eve of the final round drinking at Boris' book launch
If they/you elect Jenrick then you will be voting again in two summer's time.
He will never face the electorate at a GE.
FFS. How is this even remotely happening? Conservatives are the modern Bourbons.
Well if Jenrick and his team was that organised and ruthless to get to the last round of the leadership election maybe he will be as ruthless to beat Badenoch and Starmer too.
Cleverly meanwhile spent the eve of the final round drinking at Boris' book launch
If they/you elect Jenrick then you will be voting again in two summer's time.
He will never face the electorate at a GE.
FFS. How is this even remotely happening? Conservatives are the modern Bourbons.
Yougov currently has Jenrick with a higher net favourable rating than Starmer who is the most unpopular general election winning new PM since Heath.
Comments
I am a huge pro-capitalist. I am *not* a fan of big corporations bossing our Goverment around. If they cave like this because P&O turned down their invitation to their fancy party, what are they going to do if Bill Gates gets on the blower?
It is absurd that a UK government will not defend the rights of its workers against the whims of transient capital.
Possibly there are some people on Stratford upon Avon who speak RP. But the accent of the town is more burry.
This is a flat out lie. We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger. - RC
https://x.com/NC_Governor/status/1844813387764830351
With that said, the latest Jack Smith drop is the most damning thing I've seen yet. It's entirely possible that some of those undecideds find themselves deciding based on it.
Also, I really enjoyed some of the accents (over-done, but enjoyable) in the R4 dramatisation of JB Priestley's "Salt is Leaving":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43NCFlJsxoU
(I'm surprised it's not made the telly of late. Seems like something that could be given a modern context quite easily).
If you want a job doing then the person doing it needs to be paid.
If you don't want to pay them, don't expect the work to be done. Or find someone willing to do it for cheaper.
Given the state of the labour market the latter is not currently an option. Pay rises are entirely appropriate and are what money should be getting spent on, so long as the people working are doing a job that needs doing.
Cut the fat where it doesn't need to be spent, like cutting unnecessary welfare or unnecessary employment. Don't cut pay below that which is required.
Which seemed like pure spite.
I don't agree with the sentence. It is another effective 'whole life' sentence (life with a minimum of 36 years). However she immediately confessed to the crimes, and pleaded guilty.
The current sentencing regime for crimes like this panders to base popular instincts, and provides no incentive at all for anyone involved in those crimes to help the authorities with their inquiries.
Looks like none of LAB's Budget plans will work.
The tax on non doms won't work because they will all leave
The CGT can't be increased because all of the assets will go abroad and no one will sell any assets
The possible pension tax changes can't happen as they will mainly affect LAB's public sector friends
So is it time to revisit the spirit of 2021 and the Health and Social Care levy? But this time 1% on everything, salaries, pensions, interest, rental income? Would raise around £10bn a year? Rachel's Special Reserve?
And, girl, you wouldn't believe
She's an old man who lives in Ohio
Making money off of girls like me
Cashin' in on body issues
Sellin' skin and bones with big boobs
I know Victoria's secret
She was made up by a dude
https://youtu.be/F9K5IS-inHs?feature=shared
As far as your last paragraph Reeves ruled out increase in income tax which was foolish
For me "western hemisphere" is either a cultural thing - the West, Christendom, America plus Europe and maybe even Oz etc - or it is JUST the Americas. The New World
The idea that Newent is in the Western Hemisphere but Gravesend is in the Eastern Hemisphere makes no sense at all, and also has no ontological value
It does seem that improving 'the economy' seems detached from improving the lives of 'the people'. Improving the economic metrics has become the goal. Far easier to say that the nebulous GDP has improved than we made the nation a little happier or healthier.
Honk Kong we had a lease on that was ending. That is completely different.
Chagos the population who lived there wanted their land back. That is completely different.
Self determination doesn't just mean people must choose to be independent, it also means if people choose to be British then their choice should be respected.
That applies to Gibraltar, the Falklands etc for as long as that is the desire of its residents.
2. We've given it to Mauritius who never actually owned it
3. We had outright ownership of Hong Kong Island, not a lease, it was merely deemed unviable without Kowloon and the New Territories
Otherwise, sound point
And the basic problem is CCS doesn't work. At least not with current or planned technology.
I'm guessing incompetence rather than anything else.
They're hamstrung by their own stupid policies and platitudes. Everything that the economy needs to get it going, they oppose.
I'd thought of wondering down there, but apparenty Guinness is £6 a pint.
It is right on the fault-line where east meets west, Christianity v Islam, the Occident and the Orient; it has a marvelloius mosque built by the Ottomans yet also a marvellous church built by the Serbians, both many centuries old
It has a largely Albanian Muslim population but they are very westernised, they are very like their neighbours, they drink, the women don't look "repressed", there are almost no hijabs let alone burqas, you could easily be in Split or Athens
It is JUST inside the West, but right on the frontier (hence all the wars thereabouts, these are the "shatterlands")
Still it will save me money. Possibly 😊
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/11/starmer-to-pledge-billions-for-transport-schools-and-hospitals-in-budget?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Labour considers up to £3bn tax raid on gambling firms
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/11/labour-tax-gambling-firms-treasury-public-finances
Does Reeves know about this budget?
"Zoe Strimpel
Admit it, roast dinners are bad
They depress both body and spirit"
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/admit-it-roast-dinners-are-bad/
Indeed good.
Who knew?
That is an entirely different problem with no answers
Kamala HQ
@KamalaHQ
·
4h
Gov. Walz: We just found out Trump had his branded Bibles printed in China. This dude will even outsource God. But hey, I don’t blame Trump for not noticing the ‘Made in China’ sticker. They put them on the inside, a part of the Bible that he’s never looked at
Sunday lunch when done properly lifts the tired last day of the weekend into a joy. Sundays, and Sunday lunch, are difficult to get right though.
After Lady Glenconner’s pronouncement that fish knives are for the unrefined, we asked William Hanson what else is par for the coarse
1. Tie clips
2. Liquid soap
3. Eating on the street
4. Holding a knife like a pen
5. Mounted televisions
6. Applying make-up in public
7. Gin and tonic
8. Prosecco in lieu of champagne
9. Eating on the Tube
10. Personalised number plates
11. Zoopla and Rightmove
12. Hot tubs
13. The Great British Bake Off
14. Trainers (in particular, Adidas)
15. Buying portraits
16. Salted caramel"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/11/the-16-telltale-signs-you-are-more-common-than-you-think/
Talking of sadness I’m watching the excellent Netflix documentary on Apollo 13. Miss that American and western optimism
It's always a complete lie, so a PM owning a budget more would be progress.
She also seems to believe that roast dinners are only the proper thing if the assembled company hate each other. This belief is indeed bad for the spirit.
How Jenrick’s team tricked five Cleverly supporters to reach Tory leadership last two
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-leadership-contest-jenrick-badenoch-cleverly-b2627773.html
Who in this case knows nothing about economics.
18. Compiling lists
19. Knowing that there are fish knives
20. Ever being owned by Conrad Black
Cleverly meanwhile spent the eve of the final round drinking at Boris' book launch
That would somehow be amusing.
I know several others had PPE degrees but that's not quite the same thing.
Don't they have schools over there?
I would rather they had a BA in Garden Gnome Management from Runcorn Tech than PPE from bloody Oxford as far as economics is concerned.*
Thatcher also read Hayek and had top monetarist economists on her team
He will never face the electorate at a GE.
FFS. How is this even remotely happening? Conservatives are the modern Bourbons.
https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/7136
I would not be so sure, this is NOT 1997!