Baffling that Leon should be the one who worries about being identified.
We all know he's Sean Trellis, works for the Oldie, lives in Camden above a disused sex-shop. 47e Artillery Terrace. If he's not at home then his local is the Edinboro Castle. And his barber is the one with the newly acquired Ferrari.
To be fair to Leon, the fear of having one's reputation (or career in local politics) ruined by a determined campaigner digging through old posts is not entirely unjustified. Imagine if Leon is up for Flintknapper of the Year and a rival digs up his holiday snaps showing more half-empty glasses than faux phalluses: instant disqualification! And jigsaw identification of other pseudonymous posters might easily be possible.
Of course I have a degree of sympathy with his thoughts on this. I'd forgotten his political aspirations. I'd almost forgotten the Natural Law party entirely. ChatGPT picks up on none of this by the way. Amazing!
I dimly recall in the early days a prospective councillor (or maybe an actual one) being thus undermined (and later turning out to have other skeletons).
Yogic flying featured in their manifesto I believe, surely at the expense of flint-knapping.
I remember that lot. IIRC they stood in every constancy and lost their deposit in every one. I don't think they got into four figure in any constituency.\
On topic, if someone, like me, uses a nom-de-guerre, then surely that should be respected? Even I, as an almost housebound pensioner, has better things to do than try and code-break such names.
He might not have invented the original one, but merely been involved with the manufacturing design of a specific model.
As an aside, you can buy breathalyzers on Amazon.
I have one.
I am staggered by how drunk I am before I pass the 0.08% level. There's no way I would go anywhere near a car even at the 0.06% or 0.04% levels.
How do they get a 0.08% number, which is the measurement for blood concentration - is it calibrated to the blood level from a breath test? Surely Joe Public won't be giving a blood sample to himself?
Everywhere else in Europe except Malta has their general drink driving limits set at 2/3, 1/2 or 1/4 of ours. Or zero.
BTW, going back to an earlier post I glanced at (cannot remember whose it was): there is zero way i would ever feed legal documents or confidential information into ChatGPT or any other AI platform.
Interesting listening to Starmer on front of the Liasion Committee.
Majority are Labour Committee Heads but still some tough questioning.
What comes across is how unflappable he is, the barrister in him undoubtedly. He also comes across as serious and determined to drive through on policies he believes in and to face the criticism down if he believes it's short term gain for long term gain.
He doesn't throw a strop like Sunak, is clearly far more credible than Truss, far more coherent and professional than the windbag.
More like May, Cameron and Major. Able to be held to account and to stand his corner.
Has he made mistakes = absolutely he has.
I've always believed the only people who don't make mistakes are those who do nothing.
The key is not making the same mistake over and over again.
They must be more politically aware, must stop the loose talk, realise that Government is much different to Opposition
I'm disappointed overall, but I'm disgusted at the incessant attacks from day 1 from much of the media. To hear Labour ministers attacked in the past few months in a way Tory Ministers were never attacked in 14 years is a stain on our allegedly free Press
It's darkest before dawn and I'm as confident now as I was on 5th July that by the Spring of 2029 the UK on every measure will be a more successful, fair, confident place than it was this past July and that the green shoots will be evident enough to ensure a second term with a substantial majority.
I'm off to Canaries tomorrow for 2 weeks, a total social media detox
I genuinely wish everyone on here a Happy Christmas and New Year.
New battles to fight and arguments to have in January
The last 12 months of the last Government it was comotose
I hope you're right about our Government.
Enjoy the Canaries; I envy you the warmth. I think La Gomera, although small, is my favourite, although if I could walk again might prefer Lanzarote.
I have to say that I can't get all that exercised about Trump doing away with jus solis, we did it over 40 years ago and it made sense then as it does now. It's just going to be difficult to get 60 senators to say yes to it and if he does it by EO then the next president can just undo it.
Jus solis is an antiquated idea that never took into account the ease at which people can travel for citizenship tourism when the idea was thought up.
You’re not concerned by a President taking away the citizenship of individuals by overturning the constitution ? It’s not a decision that is his to make.
This isn’t an abstract argument about the merits or otherwise of US citizenship laws. It’s about whether as president can take away constitutional rights without any check.
If he were to do it by the legal process for constitutional amendment, then plenty of people would be unhappy about it, but it wouldn’t undermine the basis of democracy in the US. But the chances of his succeeding in that are slim to none. Successfully doing so by executive order - which is blatantly unconstitutional - would put democracy at risk. If successful, it would effectively mean no limits at all on presidential power.
Although the birthright clause has TWO conditions. People tend to forget the second (although David mentioned it in passing) - “and are subject to US jurisdiction”
Could he make a case that the parents are illegal aliens. Therefore they are not subject to US jurisdiction - and have no protections as a result - but are simply automatically expelled (without die process) if apprehended. He can then further argue that the children of such individuals are not citizens
Although arguing that illegal aliens are not subject to US jurisdiction opens up a can of worms around (say) taxation.
And it would legitimise Musk’s scofflaw approach
If illegal aliens are judged not to be required to pay US taxes, Musk would be sitting very pretty without even needing an army of dubious accountants.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Baffling that Leon should be the one who worries about being identified.
We all know he's Sean Trellis, works for the Oldie, lives in Camden above a disused sex-shop. 47e Artillery Terrace. If he's not at home then his local is the Edinboro Castle. And his barber is the one with the newly acquired Ferrari.
To be fair to Leon, the fear of having one's reputation (or career in local politics) ruined by a determined campaigner digging through old posts is not entirely unjustified. Imagine if Leon is up for Flintknapper of the Year and a rival digs up his holiday snaps showing more half-empty glasses than faux phalluses: instant disqualification! And jigsaw identification of other pseudonymous posters might easily be possible.
Of course I have a degree of sympathy with his thoughts on this. I'd forgotten his political aspirations. I'd almost forgotten the Natural Law party entirely. ChatGPT picks up on none of this by the way. Amazing!
I dimly recall in the early days a prospective councillor (or maybe an actual one) being thus undermined (and later turning out to have other skeletons).
Yogic flying featured in their manifesto I believe, surely at the expense of flint-knapping.
I remember that lot. IIRC they stood in every constancy* and lost their deposit in every one. I don't think they got into four figure in any constituency.\
On topic, if someone, like me, uses a nom-de-guerre, then surely that should be respected? Even I, as an almost housebound pensioner, has better things to do than try and code-break such names.
*Constituency. Fat finger syndrome, predictive text and fourth-rate proof reading!
Interesting listening to Starmer on front of the Liasion Committee.
Majority are Labour Committee Heads but still some tough questioning.
What comes across is how unflappable he is, the barrister in him undoubtedly. He also comes across as serious and determined to drive through on policies he believes in and to face the criticism down if he believes it's short term gain for long term gain.
He doesn't throw a strop like Sunak, is clearly far more credible than Truss, far more coherent and professional than the windbag.
More like May, Cameron and Major. Able to be held to account and to stand his corner.
Has he made mistakes = absolutely he has.
I've always believed the only people who don't make mistakes are those who do nothing.
The key is not making the same mistake over and over again.
They must be more politically aware, must stop the loose talk, realise that Government is much different to Opposition
I'm disappointed overall, but I'm disgusted at the incessant attacks from day 1 from much of the media. To hear Labour ministers attacked in the past few months in a way Tory Ministers were never attacked in 14 years is a stain on our allegedly free Press
It's darkest before dawn and I'm as confident now as I was on 5th July that by the Spring of 2029 the UK on every measure will be a more successful, fair, confident place than it was this past July and that the green shoots will be evident enough to ensure a second term with a substantial majority.
I'm off to Canaries tomorrow for 2 weeks, a total social media detox
I genuinely wish everyone on here a Happy Christmas and New Year.
New battles to fight and arguments to have in January
The last 12 months of the last Government it was comotose
He might not have invented the original one, but merely been involved with the manufacturing design of a specific model.
As an aside, you can buy breathalyzers on Amazon.
I have one.
I am staggered by how drunk I am before I pass the 0.08% level. There's no way I would go anywhere near a car even at the 0.06% or 0.04% levels.
How do they get a 0.08% number, which is the measurement for blood concentration - is it calibrated to the blood level from a breath test? Surely Joe Public won't be giving a blood sample to himself?
Everywhere else in Europe except Malta has their general drink driving limits set at 2/3, 1/2 or 1/4 of ours. Or zero.
0.08% is the *usual* maximum in the US, with only Utah (0.05%) being different.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Local news had the new Stadler rolling stock for the Metro on last night.
Something we should have had years ago.
Crossing the river from the south of a weekend has been a nightmare with the restrictions on the tunnel and the bridge.
I find it staggering that both Musk and the official Twitter account for the Department for Government Efficiency claimed that Congressmen were voting themselves a 40% payrise rather than a 3.8% one.
It is also bears noting that this would be the first payrise for members of Congress since the financial crisis in 2009.
I presume the official Twitter account for the Department for Government Efficiency is just Musk. (The Department for Government Efficiency is a joke name; it's not actually a government department. It's just Musk and Ramaswamy's review, a presidential advisory committee.)
I am not surprised by Musk just posting misinformation.
Interesting listening to Starmer on front of the Liasion Committee.
Majority are Labour Committee Heads but still some tough questioning.
What comes across is how unflappable he is, the barrister in him undoubtedly. He also comes across as serious and determined to drive through on policies he believes in and to face the criticism down if he believes it's short term gain for long term gain.
He doesn't throw a strop like Sunak, is clearly far more credible than Truss, far more coherent and professional than the windbag.
More like May, Cameron and Major. Able to be held to account and to stand his corner.
Has he made mistakes = absolutely he has.
I've always believed the only people who don't make mistakes are those who do nothing.
The key is not making the same mistake over and over again.
They must be more politically aware, must stop the loose talk, realise that Government is much different to Opposition
I'm disappointed overall, but I'm disgusted at the incessant attacks from day 1 from much of the media. To hear Labour ministers attacked in the past few months in a way Tory Ministers were never attacked in 14 years is a stain on our allegedly free Press
It's darkest before dawn and I'm as confident now as I was on 5th July that by the Spring of 2029 the UK on every measure will be a more successful, fair, confident place than it was this past July and that the green shoots will be evident enough to ensure a second term with a substantial majority.
I'm off to Canaries tomorrow for 2 weeks, a total social media detox
I genuinely wish everyone on here a Happy Christmas and New Year.
New battles to fight and arguments to have in January
The last 12 months of the last Government it was comotose
Don’t disagree with the last sentence at all.
Have a great two weeks. Hope you have a lovely time.
He might not have invented the original one, but merely been involved with the manufacturing design of a specific model.
As an aside, you can buy breathalyzers on Amazon.
I have one.
I am staggered by how drunk I am before I pass the 0.08% level. There's no way I would go anywhere near a car even at the 0.06% or 0.04% levels.
How do they get a 0.08% number, which is the measurement for blood concentration - is it calibrated to the blood level from a breath test? Surely Joe Public won't be giving a blood sample to himself?
Everywhere else in Europe except Malta has their general drink driving limits set at 2/3, 1/2 or 1/4 of ours. Or zero.
Just looked it up (on ChatGPT, sue me), and a lot of the Eastern European countries are basically zero, while Western Europe is usually 0.05%.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland - at 0.08% - are definitely the outlier.
BTW, going back to an earlier post I glanced at (cannot remember whose it was): there is zero way i would ever feed legal documents or confidential information into ChatGPT or any other AI platform.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
He might not have invented the original one, but merely been involved with the manufacturing design of a specific model.
As an aside, you can buy breathalyzers on Amazon.
I have one.
I am staggered by how drunk I am before I pass the 0.08% level. There's no way I would go anywhere near a car even at the 0.06% or 0.04% levels.
How do they get a 0.08% number, which is the measurement for blood concentration - is it calibrated to the blood level from a breath test? Surely Joe Public won't be giving a blood sample to himself?
Everywhere else in Europe except Malta has their general drink driving limits set at 2/3, 1/2 or 1/4 of ours. Or zero.
0.08% is the *usual* maximum in the US, with only Utah (0.05%) being different.
Yes - but I was speculating on the mechanism, which afaik measures a breath sample in most devices for the public.
Usonia, as you say, is the same limit as the UK nearly everywhere.
He might not have invented the original one, but merely been involved with the manufacturing design of a specific model.
As an aside, you can buy breathalyzers on Amazon.
I have one.
I am staggered by how drunk I am before I pass the 0.08% level. There's no way I would go anywhere near a car even at the 0.06% or 0.04% levels.
How do they get a 0.08% number, which is the measurement for blood concentration - is it calibrated to the blood level from a breath test? Surely Joe Public won't be giving a blood sample to himself?
Everywhere else in Europe except Malta has their general drink driving limits set at 2/3, 1/2 or 1/4 of ours. Or zero.
0.08% is the *usual* maximum in the US, with only Utah (0.05%) being different.
Yes - but I was speculating on the mechanism, which afaik measures a breath sample in most devices for the public.
Usonia, as you say, is the same limit as the UK nearly everywhere.
Seems to be a rule of thumb between blood concentration and exhaled breath vapour. You'd expect them to equilibrate with each other fairly quickly in the alveoli, though there's then an adjustment needed for tidal volume [ie the part of the breath that doesn't get beyond the bronchi and brionchoiles, and therefore doesn't equilibrate with the blood]. I imagine they just lined up some students and some alcohol and kept measuring both blood and breath to get a correlation factor. Different countries use a slightly different factor, but it is very much within the same ballpark.
He might not have invented the original one, but merely been involved with the manufacturing design of a specific model.
As an aside, you can buy breathalyzers on Amazon.
I have one.
I am staggered by how drunk I am before I pass the 0.08% level. There's no way I would go anywhere near a car even at the 0.06% or 0.04% levels.
How do they get a 0.08% number, which is the measurement for blood concentration - is it calibrated to the blood level from a breath test? Surely Joe Public won't be giving a blood sample to himself?
Everywhere else in Europe except Malta has their general drink driving limits set at 2/3, 1/2 or 1/4 of ours. Or zero.
Just looked it up (on ChatGPT, sue me), and a lot of the Eastern European countries are basically zero, while Western Europe is usually 0.05%.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland - at 0.08% - are definitely the outlier.
My suggestion on that is that Eastern Europe had, and still has, the horrific legacy of 70 years of Russian Empire to recover from.
You can see that in many statistics, including that it is still only once 'occupied' Eastern European countries which have abortion rates above 300 abortions per 1000 live births. The boundaries are greying, but the category division is still there. https://www.statista.com/statistics/866423/abortion-rate-europe/
UK is pretty much the worst place in the world at building new infrastructure. The only other place that comes close is the US.
Sell RAF Northolt to Heathrow. Money for MoD and Heathrow has less planning appeals to get through.
Raff still needs it for Raff business, gubmint ministers, etc. And it's already used for civvies in the gaps. PLus what if one needs to change between flights?
Tulip Siddiq is surely toast. If she were in a less sensitive department she might ride this out but Caesar’s wife surely applies here. You can’t have the minister charged with rooting out corruption plausibly accused of large-scale corruption.
I'm surprised she was even appointed - or indeed allowed to be on the candidates' list. It is hardly a secret that she is part of an extremely corrupt family. While I would not accept responsibility for my brother's sins, I'm not a politician and short of her renouncing her family totally, if it had been my decision I would have kept her firmly on the rearmost of the back benches.
Tulip Siddiq being in government provides more evidence that Starmer is a lawyer, not a politician. After Boris and Rishi (but mainly Boris) Honest Keir Starmer was supposed to be the upright, reliable, adult in the room, but now this is undermined by freebiegate, Tulipgate, Waspigate and coming soon, croneys-in-ermingate.
I still think freebiegate was just very badly communicated as opposed to actually showing corruption. None has come out, still.
Waspigate, I mean it was a stupid idea and they’ve shut it down?
Waspigate is like tuition fees for Nick Clegg. You can't campaign one way and legislate the other without looking bad. The merits of the issue don't matter. Integrity does.
Likewise freebies. It is all within the rules so Starmer's inner lawyer says it's OK but again it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
The difference is Clegg put scrapping university tuition fees in their manifesto.
In fairness to Clegg, his manifesto didn't get him a majority in 2010 - it got him 57 MPs. So inevitably there were quite a lot of things in his manifesto he was in no position to get, and he had to do a deal to get some of them.
Pretty clearly, the results of the 2015 election indicated people didn't like the deal he'd done, and that's fair enough. But you can't sensibly expect a minority coalition partner to deliver all (or most) manifesto commitments - they just aren't in a position to do it because the electorate in their wisdom haven't furnished them with anything remotely resembling a majority.
"INDEPENDENCE support would rise to 59% from 54% if it meant Scotland would be a republic, a new poll shows."
(Which actually surprises me a bit. But maybe the Commonwealth is showing the way here. Jamaica and so on.)
(Excluding DKs.)
That’s the morning thread sorted.
Definitely striking polling. Outlier? Maybe, but for sure Starmer is going down like a lead balloon while Swinney/Forbes have steadied the ship for the SNP for the time being. So far as 2026 is concerned it will surely depend on whether Scots voters will prefer to cling to nurse Swinney for fear of worse, or whether it will be a "change" election. But change to whom (given Lab and SNP are both incumbents)??
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Local news had the new Stadler rolling stock for the Metro on last night.
Something we should have had years ago.
Crossing the river from the south of a weekend has been a nightmare with the restrictions on the tunnel and the bridge.
I saw one this morning in the flesh at Gateshead Stadium. They look good. Kind of pointless if they can’t go between Gateshead and Monument though!
I note the Northumberland line is having problems already due to the nature of the single track line, because no doubt the cost of duelling the railway wouldn’t have passed the business case. More half arsing.
I see water bills are going up again.Could anyone explain to me why, apart from selling the family silver, water was a) privatised and b) sold, and secondly why the companies need to run (presumably) expensive TV ads?
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
Because she despises borrowers and savers in equal measure.
To be clear, I am giving you a like because this made me laugh, not because I think this is true. (I get slightly riled by claims that politician x takes action y because he hates section of the electorate z.)
Taylor's vote (The only Reeves appointment so far) makes it clear she is likely more on the side of borrowers tbh.
As she's a borrower herself, on behalf of close to bankrupt Britain that is no surprise.
Growth forecast slashed for Q4 2024 to 0 %, so no growth, down from 0.3% estimated last month.
Well done Rachel, a winning economic strategy. All that doom and gloom and talking down the economy and the economic situation has really reaped rewards.
This is a quite catastrophic government. PB is right to bang on about it. The worst government of my entire life, I think
It's hard to know what Reeves thinks she's doing. Six months ago, I'd assumed that we would have respectable growth for the rest of the year and 2025. The government worked hard to choke it off.
Rachel from Accounts has no fucking clue what she’s doing. Nor does Sir Sheer Wanker. David fucking Lammy god help us
They’re all utter mediocrities with limited brains, woke ideas and the mindsets of confused county councillors and deputy head teachers from Newent
I read in the Spec yesterday that HMG is really worried about the collapsing Chagos deal and dearly want to see it through. Why? Not because it’s any good but because it’s “one of their few concrete achievements”
That’s it. The measure of their awfulness is that their main “concrete achievement” is giving away sovereign British territory, to a geopolitical enemy, and making us pay for it
I told you not to vote for them…
We're up to Taz and Leon with buyer's remorse I think from voting Labour at the last GE ?
Any more ?
I still think Starmer was the better option at the election and I strongly hope that the economy picks up, the NHS improves and all the other stuff. There was a very definite sense after Brexit that some remainers were actively (a) wanting things sush as the economy to go badly and (b) delighting in it if it did. Not all remainers for sure, but a goodly number. The danger is that we see that now amongst die hard Tories - almost wishing failure on the nation.
That's an uncomfortable aspect of political partisanship. If the other lot are in you want things to go to shit. The better side of you won't but a big part of you will.
The daily group therapy for the PB Tories is getting a bit much though. Not only is it depressing, it's also hypocritical – witness the ludicrous spectacle yesterday of their demanding the moderators stopped writing so-called "Kemi is Crap" threads. This is despite the data showing that she is indeed a dud.
The very same people lapped up the endless articles about Ed Miliband that were in a similar vein.
Oh do stop fucking whining. It’s democracy. Governments get viciously attacked. It’s just been so long since the Left was in power, you’re not used to it
It is you who is doing the whining. Every day. Monotonously. You spent a week complaining vocally about December sunset times FFS.
lol! I haven’t been on the site all week, for reasons given
Are you ok? Christmas can be a tough time
Does tens of posts a day rather than several hundred count as not being on the site all week?
Entire days have passed and I’ve barely glanced at PB
True story
1. Lurgy - ugh 2. Taxes - ugh 3. Remarkable new project, one of the most exciting creative projects I’ve ever encountered. Genuine mind-fuck 🕺🕺🍾🍾👏👏
You do know we can see your history don't you? Pages of posts every single day in December so far.
Honestly you aren't very good at this fibbing lark are you?
I said “barely glanced” not “didn’t post at all”
I’m a great multitasker - I can generally bang out 100 comments a day on PB even when I’m busy. If it goes below 30 I must be SERIOUSLY distracted. Below 10, call an ambulance or send flowers
God you are useless at lying.
Quote: 'I haven’t been on the site all week'
I’m glad you get this unique micro-erection policing the exactitude of my comments, but I’m not sure it’s healthy to deprive your wife her annual 3 seconds of sexual gratification
Rattled or what. Why go private if you weren't
No, I thought my account WAS private. It certainly was a few months ago - coz that’s how I like it. Maybe I bodged it when tipsy
Helpfully you made me check, so now it’s private again. Thankyou!
@TheScreamingEagles un-privatised you a while ago because of complaints by other posters. He did post that he had done it.
As I’ve said, I probably can’t continue commenting if I am unable to stay private, or - indeed - if the mods will make me public without even telling me
It won’t show your email address or anything like that.
Just your past comments and the ability to send you a private message.
That misconception possibly explains a number of posters who are oddly shy about their past comments.
I half wrote a site scraper to copy all the comments available into a database dimensioned by topic, user and various keywords. Then I thought that OGH might not approve.
There is a Vanilla API that allows you to pull comments.
I am sorely tempted to write a little web page that allows you to search for poster "HYUFD", date range 2015 to 2019, text "boris johnson greatest"... that kind of thing.
Tulip Siddiq is surely toast. If she were in a less sensitive department she might ride this out but Caesar’s wife surely applies here. You can’t have the minister charged with rooting out corruption plausibly accused of large-scale corruption.
I'm surprised she was even appointed - or indeed allowed to be on the candidates' list. It is hardly a secret that she is part of an extremely corrupt family. While I would not accept responsibility for my brother's sins, I'm not a politician and short of her renouncing her family totally, if it had been my decision I would have kept her firmly on the rearmost of the back benches.
Tulip Siddiq being in government provides more evidence that Starmer is a lawyer, not a politician. After Boris and Rishi (but mainly Boris) Honest Keir Starmer was supposed to be the upright, reliable, adult in the room, but now this is undermined by freebiegate, Tulipgate, Waspigate and coming soon, croneys-in-ermingate.
I still think freebiegate was just very badly communicated as opposed to actually showing corruption. None has come out, still.
Waspigate, I mean it was a stupid idea and they’ve shut it down?
Waspigate is like tuition fees for Nick Clegg. You can't campaign one way and legislate the other without looking bad. The merits of the issue don't matter. Integrity does.
Likewise freebies. It is all within the rules so Starmer's inner lawyer says it's OK but again it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
The difference is Clegg put scrapping university tuition fees in their manifesto.
In fairness to Clegg, his manifesto didn't get him a majority in 2010 - it got him 57 MPs. So inevitably there were quite a lot of things in his manifesto he was in no position to get, and he had to do a deal to get some of them.
Pretty clearly, the results of the 2015 election indicated people didn't like the deal he'd done, and that's fair enough. But you can't sensibly expect a minority coalition partner to deliver all (or most) manifesto commitments - they just aren't in a position to do it because the electorate in their wisdom haven't furnished them with anything remotely resembling a majority.
180 degree switch on tuition fees was a bit much though, even for this LibDem supporter.
Move Heathrow to the seaside. Use the concrete gravity structure the Norwegians perfected to build it in massive sections (500,000 tons each). 6 runaways,
Heathrow becomes a town - un-cursed vast areas of land for homes. Transport, power, sewerage all existing.
Just fucking do it.
I would support that. I think Heathrow is in the wrong place in relation to London and should just be closed. (Extra runways at Gatwick/Stansted to compensate if need be).
Actually I think all intercontinental flights should be based at a new 4-runway airport in the Midlands, as being more appropriately central to the UK, ideally Birmingham airport. That would remove the need for the busy SE to accommodate everyone arriving regardless of where in the UK they want to go. This would hardly inconvenience Londoners either, in fact until the Lizzie Line opened I could get to Birmingham Airport more quickly from where I live in east London than to Heathrow.
🚨#BREAKING: The FAA has just temporarily Banned drones over large portions of New Jersey, threatening dėadly force over imminent security threats
📌#NewJersey | #USA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily banned drone operations over parts of New Jersey until mid-January, warning that the government may respond with “deadly force” against drones posing a threat. Beginning today and lasting through January 17, unmanned aircraft are prohibited from flying within a one-nautical-mile radius of specific airspace outlined in an FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). According to the FAA, the government may use “deadly force” if a drone presents an “imminent security threat,” as stated in the NOTAM.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
TBF it *is* a castle - just modernised in the 18th century into a court hall, I think. Some intestinal tunnels in the sandstone crag below which just accidentally happen to come out next to a pub beside the canal. (Mrs C took me for a day out there once many years ago ...).
It may be that there are some rules about moderator infallibility that we slip in there.
Does this mean putting emails out to public view, if private posting is banned, please? (Sorry, just a bit confused about what 'private profile' means.)
Private profile means others not being able to see your past comments.
A public profile means your past comments are visible on your profile but your email address is not.
Unless you choose to make it so.
Mine is there, but to be fair, it's one I only use for a few things anyway (and never for professional purposes).
Hang on - we had you marked as a professional smarty-pants and clowner-around. And now you tell us it was all unprofessional!? Does PB have a compensation scheme?
At those, I'm a through amateur.
It's not about delivery, but about expectation! Will you argue in court that it was clear from your level of posts that you were a base amateur !? ....
I see water bills are going up again.Could anyone explain to me why, apart from selling the family silver, water was a) privatised and b) sold, and secondly why the companies need to run (presumably) expensive TV ads?
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
Walk from the castle to the Old Market Square: nice early 18th century, nice early 18th century, HORRIBLE BRUTALIST RING ROAD, nice early 18th century, nice city centre. I'm glad they're doing something about MMW. They are a bit daft about Robin Hood in Nottingham, mind. Very possessive. I remember the disquiet when Doncaster elected to name its airport after him. Not a happy Nottingham.
Tulip Siddiq is surely toast. If she were in a less sensitive department she might ride this out but Caesar’s wife surely applies here. You can’t have the minister charged with rooting out corruption plausibly accused of large-scale corruption.
I'm surprised she was even appointed - or indeed allowed to be on the candidates' list. It is hardly a secret that she is part of an extremely corrupt family. While I would not accept responsibility for my brother's sins, I'm not a politician and short of her renouncing her family totally, if it had been my decision I would have kept her firmly on the rearmost of the back benches.
Tulip Siddiq being in government provides more evidence that Starmer is a lawyer, not a politician. After Boris and Rishi (but mainly Boris) Honest Keir Starmer was supposed to be the upright, reliable, adult in the room, but now this is undermined by freebiegate, Tulipgate, Waspigate and coming soon, croneys-in-ermingate.
I still think freebiegate was just very badly communicated as opposed to actually showing corruption. None has come out, still.
Waspigate, I mean it was a stupid idea and they’ve shut it down?
Waspigate is like tuition fees for Nick Clegg. You can't campaign one way and legislate the other without looking bad. The merits of the issue don't matter. Integrity does.
Likewise freebies. It is all within the rules so Starmer's inner lawyer says it's OK but again it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
The difference is Clegg put scrapping university tuition fees in their manifesto.
In fairness to Clegg, his manifesto didn't get him a majority in 2010 - it got him 57 MPs. So inevitably there were quite a lot of things in his manifesto he was in no position to get, and he had to do a deal to get some of them.
Pretty clearly, the results of the 2015 election indicated people didn't like the deal he'd done, and that's fair enough. But you can't sensibly expect a minority coalition partner to deliver all (or most) manifesto commitments - they just aren't in a position to do it because the electorate in their wisdom haven't furnished them with anything remotely resembling a majority.
180 degree switch on tuition fees was a bit much though, even for this LibDem supporter.
Oh, it was deeply unpopular for sure.
But the premise I was challenging was that a minority party in a coalition can be held to manifesto pledges to the same extent as a party with a huge majority. Clearly, they can't - they haven't been put in a position to deliver their manifesto by the electorate, and have to negotiate for what they can get. So it's a false comparison even if you believe a particular compromise was very much the wrong one.
Tulip Siddiq is surely toast. If she were in a less sensitive department she might ride this out but Caesar’s wife surely applies here. You can’t have the minister charged with rooting out corruption plausibly accused of large-scale corruption.
I'm surprised she was even appointed - or indeed allowed to be on the candidates' list. It is hardly a secret that she is part of an extremely corrupt family. While I would not accept responsibility for my brother's sins, I'm not a politician and short of her renouncing her family totally, if it had been my decision I would have kept her firmly on the rearmost of the back benches.
Tulip Siddiq being in government provides more evidence that Starmer is a lawyer, not a politician. After Boris and Rishi (but mainly Boris) Honest Keir Starmer was supposed to be the upright, reliable, adult in the room, but now this is undermined by freebiegate, Tulipgate, Waspigate and coming soon, croneys-in-ermingate.
I still think freebiegate was just very badly communicated as opposed to actually showing corruption. None has come out, still.
Waspigate, I mean it was a stupid idea and they’ve shut it down?
Waspigate is like tuition fees for Nick Clegg. You can't campaign one way and legislate the other without looking bad. The merits of the issue don't matter. Integrity does.
Likewise freebies. It is all within the rules so Starmer's inner lawyer says it's OK but again it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
The difference is Clegg put scrapping university tuition fees in their manifesto.
In fairness to Clegg, his manifesto didn't get him a majority in 2010 - it got him 57 MPs. So inevitably there were quite a lot of things in his manifesto he was in no position to get, and he had to do a deal to get some of them.
Pretty clearly, the results of the 2015 election indicated people didn't like the deal he'd done, and that's fair enough. But you can't sensibly expect a minority coalition partner to deliver all (or most) manifesto commitments - they just aren't in a position to do it because the electorate in their wisdom haven't furnished them with anything remotely resembling a majority.
180 degree switch on tuition fees was a bit much though, even for this LibDem supporter.
Oh, it was deeply unpopular for sure.
But the premise I was challenging was that a minority party in a coalition can be held to manifesto pledges to the same extent as a party with a huge majority. Clearly, they can't - they haven't been put in a position to deliver their manifesto by the electorate, and have to negotiate for what they can get. So it's a false comparison even if you believe a particular compromise was very much the wrong one.
You're right, of course. But the minority party has a moral (I know, we're talking politics) duty to find lines over which it cannot step.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
Walk from the castle to the Old Market Square: nice early 18th century, nice early 18th century, HORRIBLE BRUTALIST RING ROAD, nice early 18th century, nice city centre. I'm glad they're doing something about MMW. They are a bit daft about Robin Hood in Nottingham, mind. Very possessive. I remember the disquiet when Doncaster elected to name its airport after him. Not a happy Nottingham.
We drove from the Motorway to Restaurant Sat Bains last September in rush hour.
I see water bills are going up again.Could anyone explain to me why, apart from selling the family silver, water was a) privatised and b) sold, and secondly why the companies need to run (presumably) expensive TV ads?
1) Misguided dogma that a private monopoly is any better than a state one. 2)Thatcher needed the cash for whatever at the time (see also council housing sale proceeds and N Sea oil. 3)The ads are to persuade you that the nice overseas owners deserve being bailed out with our cash.
Sacking a Chancellor is a very serious matter. Quite a lot of PMs who have forced Chancellors out have found themselves getting a P45 very shortly thereafter. Truss, Johnson, Thatcher, Macmillan, Eden all spring to mind. Brown didn't dare remove Darling even though he desperately wanted to. Indeed, I think the only one of recent times who survived for long after firing a Chancellor was Major.
There is a fun tension between Musk blowing up carefully negotiated bills because "spending" and Trump trying to preemptively remove the debt limit so he can run up trillions in debt. If this was a piece of fiction your English teacher would call it "foreshadowing" https://x.com/Fritschner/status/1869795868309942314
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Local news had the new Stadler rolling stock for the Metro on last night.
Something we should have had years ago.
Crossing the river from the south of a weekend has been a nightmare with the restrictions on the tunnel and the bridge.
I saw one this morning in the flesh at Gateshead Stadium. They look good. Kind of pointless if they can’t go between Gateshead and Monument though!
I note the Northumberland line is having problems already due to the nature of the single track line, because no doubt the cost of duelling the railway wouldn’t have passed the business case. More half arsing.
Gateshead flyover repeatedly turned down for funding by D of T. Unlike the Chiltern tunnel.
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
Walk from the castle to the Old Market Square: nice early 18th century, nice early 18th century, HORRIBLE BRUTALIST RING ROAD, nice early 18th century, nice city centre. I'm glad they're doing something about MMW. They are a bit daft about Robin Hood in Nottingham, mind. Very possessive. I remember the disquiet when Doncaster elected to name its airport after him. Not a happy Nottingham.
I may still have a half of (a spare one of) Robin Hood's bronze bow somewhere, as dad was once commissioned to make some spares out of grp as the real ones kept getting nicked.
Quite right to to be possessive, too - bloody cheek of it. Robin Hood is Nottingham, or Edwin's Toe.
The problem is that no one notable ever came from Sheffield, which is where the airport is located - apart from my mum.
The Peter Stringfellow Airport, or Emily Maitlis Airport, doesn't quite measure up.
I see water bills are going up again.Could anyone explain to me why, apart from selling the family silver, water was a) privatised and b) sold, and secondly why the companies need to run (presumably) expensive TV ads?
Not in any way to defend privatised water companies or the regulation of the industry. But I do always remind people that the biggest mass poisoning event in the UK, at Camelford in 1988, was pre-privatisation. The South West Water Board as it was then recklessly gambled with 20,000 lives, advising people to continue to drink what they knew was dangerously contaminated water.
I make that point not as a general defence of privatisation or attack on nationalised industry - there are serious debates to be had. But I'm afraid there's a knee-jerk view that publicly owned businesses care about customers and private ones don't, and it's much more complex than that.
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
The bottom line is that Rachel from Customer Complaints really isn't up to the job.
Though at some point one must wonder about why bother being Unionist? Or even Royalist.
“Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'
I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. There goes the shawl again!”
I have to say that I can't get all that exercised about Trump doing away with jus solis, we did it over 40 years ago and it made sense then as it does now. It's just going to be difficult to get 60 senators to say yes to it and if he does it by EO then the next president can just undo it.
Jus solis is an antiquated idea that never took into account the ease at which people can travel for citizenship tourism when the idea was thought up.
You’re not concerned by a President taking away the citizenship of individuals by overturning the constitution ? It’s not a decision that is his to make.
This isn’t an abstract argument about the merits or otherwise of US citizenship laws. It’s about whether as president can take away constitutional rights without any check.
If he were to do it by the legal process for constitutional amendment, then plenty of people would be unhappy about it, but it wouldn’t undermine the basis of democracy in the US. But the chances of his succeeding in that are slim to none. Successfully doing so by executive order - which is blatantly unconstitutional - would put democracy at risk. If successful, it would effectively mean no limits at all on presidential power.
Although the birthright clause has TWO conditions. People tend to forget the second (although David mentioned it in passing) - “and are subject to US jurisdiction”
Could he make a case that the parents are illegal aliens. Therefore they are not subject to US jurisdiction - and have no protections as a result - but are simply automatically expelled (without die process) if apprehended. He can then further argue that the children of such individuals are not citizens
Although arguing that illegal aliens are not subject to US jurisdiction opens up a can of worms around (say) taxation.
And it would legitimise Musk’s scofflaw approach
If illegal aliens are judged not to be required to pay US taxes, Musk would be sitting very pretty without even needing an army of dubious accountants.
Sacking a Chancellor is a very serious matter. Quite a lot of PMs who have forced Chancellors out have found themselves getting a P45 very shortly thereafter. Truss, Johnson, Thatcher, Macmillan, Eden all spring to mind. Brown didn't dare remove Darling even though he desperately wanted to. Indeed, I think the only one of recent times who survived for long after firing a Chancellor was Major.
The whole institution needs a P45. It's unfit for purpose.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
Walk from the castle to the Old Market Square: nice early 18th century, nice early 18th century, HORRIBLE BRUTALIST RING ROAD, nice early 18th century, nice city centre. I'm glad they're doing something about MMW. They are a bit daft about Robin Hood in Nottingham, mind. Very possessive. I remember the disquiet when Doncaster elected to name its airport after him. Not a happy Nottingham.
I may still have a half of (a spare one of) Robin Hood's bronze bow somewhere, as dad was once commissioned to make some spares out of grp as the real ones kept getting nicked.
Quite right to to be possessive, too - bloody cheek of it. Robin Hood is Nottingham, or Edwin's Toe.
The problem is that no one notable ever came from Sheffield, which is where the airport is located - apart from my mum.
The Peter Stringfellow Airport, or Emily Maitlis Airport, doesn't quite measure up.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
Walk from the castle to the Old Market Square: nice early 18th century, nice early 18th century, HORRIBLE BRUTALIST RING ROAD, nice early 18th century, nice city centre. I'm glad they're doing something about MMW. They are a bit daft about Robin Hood in Nottingham, mind. Very possessive. I remember the disquiet when Doncaster elected to name its airport after him. Not a happy Nottingham.
I may still have a half of (a spare one of) Robin Hood's bronze bow somewhere, as dad was once commissioned to make some spares out of grp as the real ones kept getting nicked.
Quite right to to be possessive, too - bloody cheek of it. Robin Hood is Nottingham, or Edwin's Toe.
The problem is that no one notable ever came from Sheffield, which is where the airport is located - apart from my mum.
The Peter Stringfellow Airport, or Emily Maitlis Airport, doesn't quite measure up.
Excuse me. The Joe Root airport would be fine.
Just as long as it isn't the Zak Crawley airport given how often he crashes.
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
The bottom line is that Rachel from Customer Complaints really isn't up to the job.
Another diversity hire gone wrong perhaps. Seems to be happening a lot.
I see water bills are going up again.Could anyone explain to me why, apart from selling the family silver, water was a) privatised and b) sold, and secondly why the companies need to run (presumably) expensive TV ads?
Treasury wasn’t willing to finance the necessary capital expenditure
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
The bottom line is that Rachel from Customer Complaints really isn't up to the job.
No, but if that rule were applied across the board, cabinet meetings could take place on a sofa.
The Gateshead Flyover shambles continues (for non locals this is the main dual carriageway approach to the Tyne Bridge from the south which is closed, possibly forever, due to structural problems) with the Metro off in Newcastle City Centre as a result of following the road underground, or something.
Country is falling to bits
Hasn't Anabob explained yet that Gateshead is actually part of Edinburgh?
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
I was in Nottingham for the first time recently. I laughed when I saw what the dual carriageway was called. And laughed again when I saw the statue of Robin Hood in front of the "castle". Otherwise the place didn't seem too bad from what I could make out from a brief inspection.
Walk from the castle to the Old Market Square: nice early 18th century, nice early 18th century, HORRIBLE BRUTALIST RING ROAD, nice early 18th century, nice city centre. I'm glad they're doing something about MMW. They are a bit daft about Robin Hood in Nottingham, mind. Very possessive. I remember the disquiet when Doncaster elected to name its airport after him. Not a happy Nottingham.
I may still have a half of (a spare one of) Robin Hood's bronze bow somewhere, as dad was once commissioned to make some spares out of grp as the real ones kept getting nicked.
Quite right to to be possessive, too - bloody cheek of it. Robin Hood is Nottingham, or Edwin's Toe.
The problem is that no one notable ever came from Sheffield, which is where the airport is located - apart from my mum.
The Peter Stringfellow Airport, or Emily Maitlis Airport, doesn't quite measure up.
Excuse me. The Joe Root airport would be fine.
Excuse *me*. The Henry Clifton Sorby Airport would be even better.
Wouldn't even exist but for his development of microscopy in metallurgical work - and geological for that matter.
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
The bottom line is that Rachel from Customer Complaints really isn't up to the job.
No, but if that rule were applied across the board, cabinet meetings could take place on a sofa.
I see water bills are going up again.Could anyone explain to me why, apart from selling the family silver, water was a) privatised and b) sold, and secondly why the companies need to run (presumably) expensive TV ads?
Treasury wasn’t willing to finance the necessary capital expenditure
What bugs me is the naivety of this 'put bills up so they can renew pipes and stop sewage spillages.'
If they haven't done that in 30 years while running up enormous debt everywhere, what will make this time different?
It really does look like throwing good money after bad, and it's not even the regulator's money.
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
The bottom line is that Rachel from Customer Complaints really isn't up to the job.
No, but if that rule were applied across the board, cabinet meetings could take place on a sofa.
The low quality of this labour cabinet is by turns amusing and terrifying.
A bit of tension between the neighbours has been a feature for decades - given how pivotal economic policy is, it isn't at all surprising. But those things to rumble on for years unless there is an economic crisis or very major play forcing the Chancellor to resign. So just in betting terms it's unlikely she'd be next out and would be unwise to bet simply based on a tension that is almost always there in British politics.
I see water bills are going up again.Could anyone explain to me why, apart from selling the family silver, water was a) privatised and b) sold, and secondly why the companies need to run (presumably) expensive TV ads?
Treasury wasn’t willing to finance the necessary capital expenditure
What bugs me is the naivety of this 'put bills up so they can renew pipes and stop sewage spillages.'
If they haven't done that in 30 years while running up enormous debt everywhere, what will make this time different?
It really does look like throwing good money after bad, and it's not even the regulator's money.
Quite so, if not even worse. It's "we need to put bills up so that we can do our basic job of providing clean water, as well as paying top whack to our executives and our shareholders, which we always thought was our real job".
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Pope Stephen VI had the rotting corpse of his predecessor exhumed, dressed it in papal robes, tried it on trumped up charges, chopped off its blessing fingers, and had it chucked in the Tiber.
Lacking a Y chromosome is quite mild by comparison. Whether TSE or RCS would do even worse as pope is a moot point - it really isn't for me to judge, and could go either way.
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
Spare a thought for political journalists- especially the writers of "what's really going on" long reads. Part of Starmer's appeal is the implied promise to Make Britain Boring Again. And in broad terms, he's delivering on that.
As for Reeves, there's probably some more unpleasantness to come to balance the national books. No point contaminating another politician with that.
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
It's all the BA pilots, isn't it?
Its a serious issue and you make a joke about it. I know people whose finances have been decimated by the cost of dementia care. Your reaction shows zero empathy but knowing you that figures.
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
UK is pretty much the worst place in the world at building new infrastructure. The only other place that comes close is the US.
Sell RAF Northolt to Heathrow. Money for MoD and Heathrow has less planning appeals to get through.
Raff still needs it for Raff business, gubmint ministers, etc. And it's already used for civvies in the gaps. PLus what if one needs to change between flights?
That's the point, isn't it? RAF Northolt is a perfectly good airport that the RAF hangs onto just to fly VIPs. Sell it to Heathrow and fly the VIPs from the same place, now called Heathrow.
Pope Stephen VI had the rotting corpse of his predecessor exhumed, dressed it in papal robes, tried it on trumped up charges, chopped off its blessing fingers, and had it chucked in the Tiber..
So he had a temper and a grudge - he might still have been an effective leader!
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
Reality looks like this
Widespread use of weight loss drugs may change that around significantly.
Pope Stephen VI had the rotting corpse of his predecessor exhumed, dressed it in papal robes, tried it on trumped up charges, chopped off its blessing fingers, and had it chucked in the Tiber.
Lacking a Y chromosome is quite mild by comparison. Whether TSE or RCS would do even worse as pope is a moot point - it really isn't for me to judge, and could go either way.
I would make a terrible Pope, the chastity would either get me in to trouble or turn me in to a psychopath.
I'd be a great successor to the Borgias.
The last Englishman who was Pope wasn't great for Ireland either.
Pope Stephen VI had the rotting corpse of his predecessor exhumed, dressed it in papal robes, tried it on trumped up charges, chopped off its blessing fingers, and had it chucked in the Tiber..
So he had a temper and a grudge - he might still have been an effective leader!
Fair point. Actually a lot of the job is about quietly efficient administration and being on top of the complex theological debates of the day. You can do that day in, day out as Pope. But you dig up one corpse, dress it up a bit, subject it to a show trial, mutilate it, and bung it in the river, and that's all people remember you for a millennium or so later. It's terribly unfair.
It's extraordinarily mild briefing against someone. The Tory version these days would be 'Everyone's f***g had it with Reeves sh****g all over the economy - the mood in the party is dire - don't know how long she can carry on.'
Spare a thought for political journalists- especially the writers of "what's really going on" long reads. Part of Starmer's appeal is the implied promise to Make Britain Boring Again. And in broad terms, he's delivering on that.
As for Reeves, there's probably some more unpleasantness to come to balance the national books. No point contaminating another politician with that.
For all their faults, the far left in Labour don't seem to go in for viscious anonymous briefing. And the centre have got their man in charge.
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
Reality looks like this
Widespread use of weight loss drugs may change that around significantly.
The biggest factor in the above graph is the number of old people. Lots of crumblies in Italy, per head of population.
Tried to find aged banded statistics. My suspicion is that the numbers across Europe are pretty flat when you compare 1000 80 year olds from each country, say.
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
Reality looks like this
Widespread use of weight loss drugs may change that around significantly.
Yes, it looks like we fatties are dying off before we can get dementure. And, we don't have the close-knit extended families to look after us when we do, unlike the italians.
Can we bet on Reeves' successor? How about a job swap with David Lammy? Yvette is too obvious.
You can lay Reeves to be next PM and/or leader as a proxy market.
If she is shuffled out of CoE next summer I very much doubt she'll be back in front line.
If Reeves is moved to another Great Office job, she can still become Prime Minister when Starmer resigns, as shown by John Major and Jim Callaghan.
You think that the Great Economist and Iron Chancellor will take a job swap with Yvette or Lammy?
I am sceptical.
Whilst I don't think it's at all likely in the near term, if it happened the question would not be framed as, "Would you like to be Foreign Secretary or Chancellor?" It would be, "Would you like to be Foreign Secretary or sacked?"
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
Reality looks like this
Widespread use of weight loss drugs may change that around significantly.
Except in the UK, where the NHS is rationing their use.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 6h A large part of what Trump and Musk are up to is simply showing congressional Republicans—vividly, dramatically, unpleasantly—who’s in charge for the next four years.
Many years ago, I had an opportunity to take a cruise, on a company tanker (smallish, specialist, diesel carrier I think), round the North Cape to the Yenisey (I think to the port of Dudinka). Should have gone.
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
Reality looks like this
Widespread use of weight loss drugs may change that around significantly.
Yes, it looks like we fatties are dying off before we can get dementure. And, we don't have the close-knit extended families to look after us when we do, unlike the italians.
Or it might be the other way around, we don't over treat those with dementia compared with our neighbours, thereby letting them slip away.
Pope Stephen VI had the rotting corpse of his predecessor exhumed, dressed it in papal robes, tried it on trumped up charges, chopped off its blessing fingers, and had it chucked in the Tiber.
Lacking a Y chromosome is quite mild by comparison. Whether TSE or RCS would do even worse as pope is a moot point - it really isn't for me to judge, and could go either way.
I would make a terrible Pope, the chastity would either get me in to trouble or turn me in to a psychopath.
You could always have a wank.*
* I've not checked canon law on this - have a word with one of your cardinals if uncertain.
Something is gping drastically wrong with dementia in this country. We have the second highest age standardised death rate in the world. Yes we are a high latitude country but other high latitude countries like germany have death rates a fraction of ours.
Our demented patients are dying faster, or simply of different causes?
Reality looks like this
Widespread use of weight loss drugs may change that around significantly.
Yes, it looks like we fatties are dying off before we can get dementure. And, we don't have the close-knit extended families to look after us when we do, unlike the italians.
Or it might be the other way around, we don't over treat those with dementia compared with our neighbours, thereby letting them slip away.
BTW is spelling dementia as "dementure" a bad sign? Asking for a friend...
Comments
On topic, if someone, like me, uses a nom-de-guerre, then surely that should be respected?
Even I, as an almost housebound pensioner, has better things to do than try and code-break such names.
Enjoy the Canaries; I envy you the warmth. I think La Gomera, although small, is my favourite, although if I could walk again might prefer Lanzarote.
Have a good Christmas and New Year.
Country is falling to bits
Fat finger syndrome, predictive text and fourth-rate proof reading!
Have a nice hol.
Something we should have had years ago.
Crossing the river from the south of a weekend has been a nightmare with the restrictions on the tunnel and the bridge.
I am not surprised by Musk just posting misinformation.
Have a great two weeks. Hope you have a lovely time.
Con 45%
Lib 20%
NDP 18%
BQ 8%
Grn 4%
PPC 4%
49% supporting right-of-centre parties is pretty high for Canada.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2025_Canadian_federal_election
England, Wales and Northern Ireland - at 0.08% - are definitely the outlier.
More seriously, I was planning to explain to Sabre Roads that it should be simply removed and a park created, as I just suggested to the Auto Shenangians channel about the Coventry Ring Road, but my style is cramped by the road traffic stats data website being offline.
In Nottingham we are gradually cutting out Maid Marian way - 4-6 lane urban dual carriageway - after the traffic on it fell by 40% in 20 years.
Usonia, as you say, is the same limit as the UK nearly everywhere.
You can see that in many statistics, including that it is still only once 'occupied' Eastern European countries which have abortion rates above 300 abortions per 1000 live births. The boundaries are greying, but the category division is still there.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/866423/abortion-rate-europe/
Pretty clearly, the results of the 2015 election indicated people didn't like the deal he'd done, and that's fair enough. But you can't sensibly expect a minority coalition partner to deliver all (or most) manifesto commitments - they just aren't in a position to do it because the electorate in their wisdom haven't furnished them with anything remotely resembling a majority.
So far as 2026 is concerned it will surely depend on whether Scots voters will prefer to cling to nurse Swinney for fear of worse, or whether it will be a "change" election. But change to whom (given Lab and SNP are both incumbents)??
I note the Northumberland line is having problems already due to the nature of the single track line, because no doubt the cost of duelling the railway wouldn’t have passed the business case. More half arsing.
Hmm
🚨#BREAKING: The FAA has just temporarily Banned drones over large portions of New Jersey, threatening dėadly force over imminent security threats
📌#NewJersey | #USA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily banned drone operations over parts of New Jersey until mid-January, warning that the government may respond with “deadly force” against drones posing a threat. Beginning today and lasting through January 17, unmanned aircraft are prohibited from flying within a one-nautical-mile radius of specific airspace outlined in an FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). According to the FAA, the government may use “deadly force” if a drone presents an “imminent security threat,” as stated in the NOTAM.
https://x.com/nypost/status/1869771027279974890
Which to my mind makes the shit end result worse.
I'm glad they're doing something about MMW.
They are a bit daft about Robin Hood in Nottingham, mind. Very possessive. I remember the disquiet when Doncaster elected to name its airport after him. Not a happy Nottingham.
But the premise I was challenging was that a minority party in a coalition can be held to manifesto pledges to the same extent as a party with a huge majority. Clearly, they can't - they haven't been put in a position to deliver their manifesto by the electorate, and have to negotiate for what they can get. So it's a false comparison even if you believe a particular compromise was very much the wrong one.
Will Rachel from accounts be the next cabinet minister out after her less than impressive performance so far
Looks like briefing against her.
https://x.com/johnrentoul/status/1869746290562875679?s=61
It was not a pleasant experience.
2)Thatcher needed the cash for whatever at the time (see also council housing sale proceeds and N Sea oil.
3)The ads are to persuade you that the nice overseas owners deserve being bailed out with our cash.
That do ?
https://x.com/Fritschner/status/1869795868309942314
Quite right to to be possessive, too - bloody cheek of it. Robin Hood is Nottingham, or Edwin's Toe.
The problem is that no one notable ever came from Sheffield, which is where the airport is located - apart from my mum.
The Peter Stringfellow Airport, or Emily Maitlis Airport, doesn't quite measure up.
I make that point not as a general defence of privatisation or attack on nationalised industry - there are serious debates to be had. But I'm afraid there's a knee-jerk view that publicly owned businesses care about customers and private ones don't, and it's much more complex than that.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/24808326.labours-jackie-baillie-blasts-uk-government-waspi-decision/?ref=ebbn&nid=1457&u=f140ec39d500193051a33e140c12bd95&date=191224
Though at some point one must wonder about why bother being Unionist? Or even Royalist.
“Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'
I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. There goes the shawl again!”
Wouldn't even exist but for his development of microscopy in metallurgical work - and geological for that matter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clifton_Sorby
If they haven't done that in 30 years while running up enormous debt everywhere, what will make this time different?
It really does look like throwing good money after bad, and it's not even the regulator's money.
ICO says allowing advertisers to track digital ‘fingerprints’ will undermine consumers’ control over information
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/19/google-advertisers-digital-fingerprints-ico-uk-data-regulator
A bit of tension between the neighbours has been a feature for decades - given how pivotal economic policy is, it isn't at all surprising. But those things to rumble on for years unless there is an economic crisis or very major play forcing the Chancellor to resign. So just in betting terms it's unlikely she'd be next out and would be unwise to bet simply based on a tension that is almost always there in British politics.
Lacking a Y chromosome is quite mild by comparison. Whether TSE or RCS would do even worse as pope is a moot point - it really isn't for me to judge, and could go either way.
As for Reeves, there's probably some more unpleasantness to come to balance the national books. No point contaminating another politician with that.
If she is shuffled out of CoE next summer I very much doubt she'll be back in front line.
Looks like a Blue Origin static fire for New Glenn in the next hour or so.
I am sceptical.
I'd be a great successor to the Borgias.
The last Englishman who was Pope wasn't great for Ireland either.
https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1869787923228569737
Tried to find aged banded statistics. My suspicion is that the numbers across Europe are pretty flat when you compare 1000 80 year olds from each country, say.
Or Chris Hopkins.
But, the three previous parliaments with a similar swing at this stage - 1979, 1983, 1992 - all ended very differently.
https://x.com/Dylan_Difford/status/1869760571236909405
Bill Kristol
@BillKristol
·
6h
A large part of what Trump and Musk are up to is simply showing congressional Republicans—vividly, dramatically, unpleasantly—who’s in charge for the next four years.
https://x.com/BillKristol
Many years ago, I had an opportunity to take a cruise, on a company tanker (smallish, specialist, diesel carrier I think), round the North Cape to the Yenisey (I think to the port of Dudinka). Should have gone.
* I've not checked canon law on this - have a word with one of your cardinals if uncertain.