See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
On current polls.
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories. A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
Good morning, everyone. Still misty here; I wonder how much solar power has been generated locally this December by those with roof-top panels. Not a lot of wind, either.
Congratulations to No Offence Alan and thanks to Benpointer; I'll try and sort myself out to enter the next competition, although as my forecast of the GE date would still be in the future, I'm not too confident. At the moment, too, my survival to 31/12/2025 has to be slightly doubtful.
Our solar panels have performed poorly this December
And the wind farm blades are barely turning today and for many days in December as well
This is why we will still need some dispatchable thermal generation in a net zero future. DESNZ is funding gas-fired CCGT capacity with CCS, but in my view hydrogen or ammonia fuelled plant would be a better option.
On topic: I'll take a 62-9-10 W D L record (vs other competitors) for the competition. Or joint 11th / 82, if you prefer. 20 points on the economic numbers saved me from the midfield.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
That won't be a problem at all as long as Farage continues the ritual obeisance toward DJT, which he surely will, then DJT won't give a fuck if Musk gives Farage money.
We are probably underestimating how much Musk will weigh in on the next British GE and what a profound effect it will have. He saw how the flattery and money formula worked with DJT and he clearly liked both the process and the outcome so why wouldn't he put his man in No.10?
I'm very much expecting it. Apparently we have a special place in Musk's heart as the "mothership of the English speaking peoples."
Good morning, everyone. Still misty here; I wonder how much solar power has been generated locally this December by those with roof-top panels. Not a lot of wind, either.
Congratulations to No Offence Alan and thanks to Benpointer; I'll try and sort myself out to enter the next competition, although as my forecast of the GE date would still be in the future, I'm not too confident. At the moment, too, my survival to 31/12/2025 has to be slightly doubtful.
Our solar panels have performed poorly this December
And the wind farm blades are barely turning today and for many days in December as well
This is why we will still need some dispatchable thermal generation in a net zero future. DESNZ is funding gas-fired CCGT capacity with CCS, but in my view hydrogen or ammonia fuelled plant would be a better option.
It needs less dogma and more practical thinking and certainly tidal and hydrogen should be considered
That was one of Cameron's biggest misjudgements. Saying that, and the reported comments of Lord Feldman, did a huge amount to alienate his base.
He was correct, though.
No, he wasn't.
It was his version of Hillary Clinton's deplorables.
It was substantially correct but poor politics. You can't diss the voters.
As Elon and Vivek are learning?
Yes there's a tension there by the sounds of it. Question is, is the typical Maga voter actually expecting Trump to make them better off or do they mainly just enjoy his persona?
I think the typical Trump voter is highly cynical and Trump both exploits and promotes that cynicism. These voters believe (wrongly in my view) it doesn't make any real difference who is in charge, so they will take the guy who panders to them.
Apart from all the shittery, the key creature of MAGA is self indulgence.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
Not to mention the contempt of those that think taking millions of dollars of foreign cash makes Farage at best disloyal ro Britain, and worst a treacherous %&*@. "What exactly is Musk buying?" is a question that needs to be made every single time the question is raised.
If Farage goes with Musk, then he is selling out the UK to China.
If he goes with Trump, then he is selling us out to Russia.
That was one of Cameron's biggest misjudgements. Saying that, and the reported comments of Lord Feldman, did a huge amount to alienate his base.
He was correct, though.
No, he wasn't.
It was his version of Hillary Clinton's deplorables.
It was substantially correct but poor politics. You can't diss the voters.
As Elon and Vivek are learning?
Yes there's a tension there by the sounds of it. Question is, is the typical Maga voter actually expecting Trump to make them better off or do they mainly just enjoy his persona?
I think the former.
I'm not so sure but if so his challenge is all the greater. Course he could get lucky. That does seem to be a theme.
Good morning, everyone. Still misty here; I wonder how much solar power has been generated locally this December by those with roof-top panels. Not a lot of wind, either.
Congratulations to No Offence Alan and thanks to Benpointer; I'll try and sort myself out to enter the next competition, although as my forecast of the GE date would still be in the future, I'm not too confident. At the moment, too, my survival to 31/12/2025 has to be slightly doubtful.
Our solar panels have performed poorly this December
And the wind farm blades are barely turning today and for many days in December as well
This is why we will still need some dispatchable thermal generation in a net zero future. DESNZ is funding gas-fired CCGT capacity with CCS, but in my view hydrogen or ammonia fuelled plant would be a better option.
It needs less dogma and more practical thinking and certainly tidal and hydrogen should be considered
I have carefully considered hydrogen, and my considered expert opinion is that it is bloody stupid and anybody who implements it should be torn apart by wolves. 😃
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Quite often he spouts rubbish which is jumped on by a pack of crazed commentators saying 'SEEEEEEE!!' like this Greenland thing, and he does something completely different.
Oh well that's great then. No-one has a clue what he's going to do until he does it. Excellent approach to the oval office.
Good morning, everyone. Still misty here; I wonder how much solar power has been generated locally this December by those with roof-top panels. Not a lot of wind, either.
Congratulations to No Offence Alan and thanks to Benpointer; I'll try and sort myself out to enter the next competition, although as my forecast of the GE date would still be in the future, I'm not too confident. At the moment, too, my survival to 31/12/2025 has to be slightly doubtful.
Our solar panels have performed poorly this December
And the wind farm blades are barely turning today and for many days in December as well
This is why we will still need some dispatchable thermal generation in a net zero future. DESNZ is funding gas-fired CCGT capacity with CCS, but in my view hydrogen or ammonia fuelled plant would be a better option.
It needs less dogma and more practical thinking and certainly tidal and hydrogen should be considered
I have carefully considered hydrogen, and my considered expert opinion is that it is bloody stupid and anybody who implements it should be torn apart by wolves. 😃
I cannot understand why tidal hasn't been at the forefront of energy production not least because its constant and unobtrusive
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
That won't be a problem at all as long as Farage continues the ritual obeisance toward DJT, which he surely will, then DJT won't give a fuck if Musk gives Farage money.
We are probably underestimating how much Musk will weigh in on the next British GE and what a profound effect it will have. He saw how the flattery and money formula worked with DJT and he clearly liked both the process and the outcome so why wouldn't he put his man in No.10?
Those expecting Trump and Musk to fall out are quite possibly mistaken.
The MAGA base, a large proportion of whom are relatively low earners, are due to be royally screwed by the administration's policies. A demonstration of the incoherence of the MAGA alliance is a greater threat to Reform than any falling out between Trump and Musk.
Good morning, everyone. Still misty here; I wonder how much solar power has been generated locally this December by those with roof-top panels. Not a lot of wind, either.
Congratulations to No Offence Alan and thanks to Benpointer; I'll try and sort myself out to enter the next competition, although as my forecast of the GE date would still be in the future, I'm not too confident. At the moment, too, my survival to 31/12/2025 has to be slightly doubtful.
Our solar panels have performed poorly this December
And the wind farm blades are barely turning today and for many days in December as well
This is why we will still need some dispatchable thermal generation in a net zero future. DESNZ is funding gas-fired CCGT capacity with CCS, but in my view hydrogen or ammonia fuelled plant would be a better option.
It needs less dogma and more practical thinking and certainly tidal and hydrogen should be considered
I have carefully considered hydrogen, and my considered expert opinion is that it is bloody stupid and anybody who implements it should be torn apart by wolves. 😃
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
On current polls.
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories. A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
At the moment the best way of predicting voters, parliament and government is to ask questions about perceived self interest (call it PSI for now).
There is, I think, an irreducable core of voters for whom Labour are in their PSI as the only bastion of both the consumer and the producer aspects of the social democratic welfare state.
I suspect the Tories have lost for now most of the automatic PSI vote, which they are sharing with/losing to Reform and others. In particular the Tories have lost their unique selling point of general competence on behalf of the middle and aspiring class.
Questions for 2025 and beyond: Can Reform get the PSI vote, as being the only political outfit appealing to the popular vote (unlike LDs) who haven't failed.
Is there a point where, say 20+ Tory MPs change the weather altogether by defecting together to Reform, because it is in their PSI to do so.
Footnote: Musk's intervention makes no difference to most voters. PSI is what counts.
That was one of Cameron's biggest misjudgements. Saying that, and the reported comments of Lord Feldman, did a huge amount to alienate his base.
He was correct, though.
No, he wasn't.
It was his version of Hillary Clinton's deplorables.
It was substantially correct but poor politics. You can't diss the voters.
As Elon and Vivek are learning?
Yes there's a tension there by the sounds of it. Question is, is the typical Maga voter actually expecting Trump to make them better off or do they mainly just enjoy his persona?
I think the typical Trump voter is highly cynical and Trump both exploits and promotes that cynicism. These voters believe (wrongly in my view) it doesn't make any real difference who is in charge, so they will take the guy who panders to them.
Apart from all the shittery, the key creature of MAGA is self indulgence.
Or to put it another way, MAGA will choose Trump over Musk every time. Those who cared about ways to be better off voted Democrat.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
On current polls.
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories. A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
At the moment the best way of predicting voters, parliament and government is to ask questions about perceived self interest (call it PSI for now).
There is, I think, an irreducable core of voters for whom Labour are in their PSI as the only bastion of both the consumer and the producer aspects of the social democratic welfare state.
I suspect the Tories have lost for now most of the automatic PSI vote, which they are sharing with/losing to Reform and others. In particular the Tories have lost their unique selling point of general competence on behalf of the middle and aspiring class.
Questions for 2025 and beyond: Can Reform get the PSI vote, as being the only political outfit appealing to the popular vote (unlike LDs) who haven't failed.
Is there a point where, say 20+ Tory MPs change the weather altogether by defecting together to Reform, because it is in their PSI to do so.
Footnote: Musk's intervention makes no difference to most voters. PSI is what counts.
£100m of propaganda might make a significant difference to PSI.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
On current polls.
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories. A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
At the moment the best way of predicting voters, parliament and government is to ask questions about perceived self interest (call it PSI for now).
There is, I think, an irreducable core of voters for whom Labour are in their PSI as the only bastion of both the consumer and the producer aspects of the social democratic welfare state.
I suspect the Tories have lost for now most of the automatic PSI vote, which they are sharing with/losing to Reform and others. In particular the Tories have lost their unique selling point of general competence on behalf of the middle and aspiring class.
Questions for 2025 and beyond: Can Reform get the PSI vote, as being the only political outfit appealing to the popular vote (unlike LDs) who haven't failed.
Is there a point where, say 20+ Tory MPs change the weather altogether by defecting together to Reform, because it is in their PSI to do so.
Footnote: Musk's intervention makes no difference to most voters. PSI is what counts.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
On current polls.
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories. A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
At the moment the best way of predicting voters, parliament and government is to ask questions about perceived self interest (call it PSI for now).
There is, I think, an irreducable core of voters for whom Labour are in their PSI as the only bastion of both the consumer and the producer aspects of the social democratic welfare state.
I suspect the Tories have lost for now most of the automatic PSI vote, which they are sharing with/losing to Reform and others. In particular the Tories have lost their unique selling point of general competence on behalf of the middle and aspiring class.
Questions for 2025 and beyond: Can Reform get the PSI vote, as being the only political outfit appealing to the popular vote (unlike LDs) who haven't failed.
Is there a point where, say 20+ Tory MPs change the weather altogether by defecting together to Reform, because it is in their PSI to do so.
Footnote: Musk's intervention makes no difference to most voters. PSI is what counts.
That was one of Cameron's biggest misjudgements. Saying that, and the reported comments of Lord Feldman, did a huge amount to alienate his base.
He was correct, though.
No, he wasn't.
It was his version of Hillary Clinton's deplorables.
It was substantially correct but poor politics. You can't diss the voters.
As Elon and Vivek are learning?
Yes there's a tension there by the sounds of it. Question is, is the typical Maga voter actually expecting Trump to make them better off or do they mainly just enjoy his persona?
I think the typical Trump voter is highly cynical and Trump both exploits and promotes that cynicism. These voters believe (wrongly in my view) it doesn't make any real difference who is in charge, so they will take the guy who panders to them.
Apart from all the shittery, the key creature of MAGA is self indulgence.
Or to put it another way, MAGA will choose Trump over Musk every time. Those who cared about ways to be better off voted Democrat.
But what if Trump chooses to stick with Musk ?
A ritual sacrifice of Ramaswamy (who appears seriously deficient in political skills) would do the trick.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
An intervention from a former Director of both CIA and FBI, of the type which we do not see here, warning about Mr Trump's nominations, on the basis that one shows 'personal loyalty' not 'loyalty to the law', and the other has no intelligence experience whatsoever.
A man called William Webster, who was Director of the FBI, and then the CIA, between 1978 and 1991m under both Carter and Reagan, and is now 100 years old. He had a position as chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council until 2020.
When was the last time we had an intervention from an eminent 100 year old?
Writing to senators, Webster, who is aged 100 and who was appointed by both Democrat and Republican presidents, called on them to “weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and experience” and suggested that Patel and Gabbard possessed neither attribute.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It’s funny. Assad would probably have led an entirely uneventful life, as an eye-doctor in the UK, had his brother not died in a car crash.
So what turned him to the Dark Side?
I think Frank Herbert was wrong, and Hannah Arendt and Christopher Browning were right.
Evil leaders are very rarely dark messiahs; they're ordinary men (and sometimes women), who quite suddenly find themselves in a position to do great harm, for their own gain, and they rationalise it to themselves. No doubt Assad persuaded himself that he was trying to make things better, when he took over from his father, and each act of cruelty was a necessary evil/for the greater good. And, of course, he found himself in charge of a multi-million pound property portfolio.
Totally O/T but at long, long last I've received my PDAL.... Provisional Disability Assessment Licence. This will enable me, the covering letter says, to undertake a period of retraining and an on-road assessment. So, just possibly, by Easter I will be able to drive myself about again without having to rely on my wife or taxis. Getting from the car to exactly where I want to be will be the next challenge!
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Quite often he spouts rubbish which is jumped on by a pack of crazed commentators saying 'SEEEEEEE!!' like this Greenland thing, and he does something completely different.
And do you think that’s a good thing? Do you think going on about Greenland like this has made the US or the world a better place?
I think it was probably a classic Trump shakedown - Denmark was perhaps uming and ahing over a lucrative US defence contract, and now after Trump's guff about Greenland, they will sign. I don't approve of it or think it's a good thing, but those of us who adore the US and want everyone to spend money keeping its defence companies in plentiful employment should be delighted.
Trump is all about the US balance of payments and their defence companies especially. He will do the same to us when it's our turn (he'll probably enjoy it especially because it's the loathed Starmer), but happily we will not be able to discern any difference, as we have always had the chequebook out with pen hovering where the US is concerned anyway.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
On current polls.
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories. A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
The Labour core is probably 20%, the Conservative core probably 10%.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Quite often he spouts rubbish which is jumped on by a pack of crazed commentators saying 'SEEEEEEE!!' like this Greenland thing, and he does something completely different.
And do you think that’s a good thing? Do you think going on about Greenland like this has made the US or the world a better place?
I think it was probably a classic Trump shakedown - Denmark was perhaps uming and ahing over a lucrative US defence contract, and now after Trump's guff about Greenland, they will sign. I don't approve of it or think it's a good thing, but those of us who adore the US and want everyone to spend money keeping its defence companies in plentiful employment should be delighted.
Trump is all about the US balance of payments and their defence companies especially. He will do the same to us when it's our turn (he'll probably enjoy it especially because it's the loathed Starmer), but happily we will not be able to discern any difference, as we have always had the chequebook out with pen hovering where the US is concerned anyway.
You’ve just made that up out of thin air. There is zero evidence of any such Danish-US defence contract.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Totally O/T but at long, long last I've received my PDAL.... Provisional Disability Assessment Licence. This will enable me, the covering letter says, to undertake a period of retraining and an on-road assessment. So, just possibly, by Easter I will be able to drive myself about again without having to rely on my wife or taxis. Getting from the car to exactly where I want to be will be the next challenge!
Really good news and hope your dream of driving again soon becomes a reality
When my cardiologist told me a year ago yesterday I needed an urgent pacemaker, he also said I had to stop driving until he had completed the operation and not before 7 days later
Earlier last year my wife stopped driving as her consultant confirmed she needed a replacement shoulder, and she decided at 84 she wasn't able to face the operation and the subsequent physiotherapy.
The result was 9 weeks without us being able to drive our car, and actually during that time I downsized our car and the new car sat on our drive for a few weeks until I got my licence back
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
Let's split the difference - give Greenland to Canada.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
On current polls.
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories. A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
The Labour core is probably 20%, the Conservative core probably 10%.
I think both those are low, particularly the Conservatives. I suspect even if Labour and the Conservatives unravel into Reform the Conservatives retain at least 20%.
Labour of course could implode completely with voters exiting to Green, LD, Reform, Con and Corbyn/Islam. Under that scenario Labour are more likely on ten percent. But I can't see it - yet.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It’s funny. Assad would probably have led an entirely uneventful life, as an eye-doctor in the UK, had his brother not died in a car crash.
So what turned him to the Dark Side?
I think Frank Herbert was wrong, and Hannah Arendt and Christopher Browning were right.
Evil leaders are very rarely dark messiahs; they're ordinary men (and sometimes women), who quite suddenly find themselves in a position to do great harm, for their own gain, and they rationalise it to themselves. No doubt Assad persuaded himself that he was trying to make things better, when he took over from his father, and each act of cruelty was a necessary evil/for the greater good. And, of course, he found himself in charge of a multi-million pound property portfolio.
And of course many of Assad's foes were, from his point of view, also the bad guys being bombed by Britain and America and Israel. It is not like he had an irrational hatred of librarians. The Middle East is complicated.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
I could see them ruling that "The Will of the President has the force of law."
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
The insanity of the judgement that President Trump is beyond any reproach suggests the SC can bend interpretation however they desire. The Founding Fathers never anticipated Trump.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Yep. Against a field of nearly a hundred of the best brains in the business. All of your posts and predictions will henceforth be pored over in the search for what's coming down the track. Will you be able to handle that level of scrutiny? This is the question.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
The SC looks dodgy to me but I do place some store in ACB. I'd hope she wouldn't completely disgrace her robes.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Quite often he spouts rubbish which is jumped on by a pack of crazed commentators saying 'SEEEEEEE!!' like this Greenland thing, and he does something completely different.
And do you think that’s a good thing? Do you think going on about Greenland like this has made the US or the world a better place?
I think it was probably a classic Trump shakedown - Denmark was perhaps uming and ahing over a lucrative US defence contract, and now after Trump's guff about Greenland, they will sign. I don't approve of it or think it's a good thing, but those of us who adore the US and want everyone to spend money keeping its defence companies in plentiful employment should be delighted.
Trump is all about the US balance of payments and their defence companies especially. He will do the same to us when it's our turn (he'll probably enjoy it especially because it's the loathed Starmer), but happily we will not be able to discern any difference, as we have always had the chequebook out with pen hovering where the US is concerned anyway.
You’ve just made that up out of thin air. There is zero evidence of any such Danish-US defence contract.
Big recent orders have been with Rheinmetal and BAE's Swedish subsidiary.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
The insanity of the judgement that President Trump is beyond any reproach suggests the SC can bend interpretation however they desire. The Founding Fathers never anticipated Trump.
On the contrary, the Constitution was specifically written in anticipation of potential tyrants.
The question is whether they are willing to enforce its meausures.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
“Key findings and takeaways from the Committee’s investigation include:
Justice Scalia accepted lavish gifts from billionaires and others with business before the Court for more than a decade, in violation of federal law, including 258 personal trips, dozens of which were never disclosed.
Justice Thomas chose to ignore legal obligations to disclose lavish gifts after media scrutiny over his disclosures in 2004, in violation of federal law.
Justice Alito misused the “personal hospitality exemption” when he did not disclose gifts of transportation and lodging he received for a luxury fishing trip to Alaska in 2008, in violation of federal law.
Justice Thomas failed to disclose gifts on two occasions never before known to the public until the Committee’s investigation, including a July 2021 private jet trip to Saranac, New York, and an October 2021 private jet and yacht trip to New York City sponsored by Harlan Crow.
The two well-established “Stop the Steal” symbols at two of the Alitos’ properties while Justice Alito actively participated in cases concerning the 2020 presidential election and January 6 create an appearance of partiality that can only be addressed by recusal.
Justice Alito’s unprecedented conduct when sitting for an interview with an attorney with a case pending before the Court raises a concern that he might be influenced to favor the party substantively or procedurally.
Justice Thomas has accepted largesse from benefactors in amounts that have no comparison in modern American history.
Ginni Thomas’s paid efforts involving the “Stop the Steal” movement and right-wing causes created a clear conflict of interest for Justice Thomas, as federal law prohibits justices from hearing cases where the interests of spouses are involved.
To date, the Judicial Conference of the United States has failed to adequately respond to the Supreme Court’s ethical challenges. The Judicial Conference’s September 2024 revisions to gift disclosure requirements are oddly specific in expanding the personal hospitality exemption and seem more likely to absolve past misconduct and facilitate the acceptance of future largesse than strengthen judicial ethics.”
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Quite often he spouts rubbish which is jumped on by a pack of crazed commentators saying 'SEEEEEEE!!' like this Greenland thing, and he does something completely different.
And do you think that’s a good thing? Do you think going on about Greenland like this has made the US or the world a better place?
I think it was probably a classic Trump shakedown - Denmark was perhaps uming and ahing over a lucrative US defence contract, and now after Trump's guff about Greenland, they will sign. I don't approve of it or think it's a good thing, but those of us who adore the US and want everyone to spend money keeping its defence companies in plentiful employment should be delighted.
Trump is all about the US balance of payments and their defence companies especially. He will do the same to us when it's our turn (he'll probably enjoy it especially because it's the loathed Starmer), but happily we will not be able to discern any difference, as we have always had the chequebook out with pen hovering where the US is concerned anyway.
You’ve just made that up out of thin air. There is zero evidence of any such Danish-US defence contract.
Big recent orders have been with Rheinmetal and BAE's Swedish subsidiary.
Denmark bought the F35, of course. In 2017.
F35 is the standard successor to the F16, which is what Denmark had, previously.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
Let's split the difference - give Greenland to Canada.
Denmark needs to send troops to defend Greenland's land border with Canada.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Anyone who supports or sanewashes Trump is a berk. It's not worth arguing the toss with these idiots.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
The insanity of the judgement that President Trump is beyond any reproach suggests the SC can bend interpretation however they desire. The Founding Fathers never anticipated Trump.
On the contrary, the Constitution was specifically written in anticipation of potential tyrants.
The question is whether they are willing to enforce its meausures.
And they had Aaron Burr to deal with, early on.
A bit later, there was a bit of unpleasantness regarding “Little Aleck” and “Little Jeff”
Thank you to @Benpointer for running the competition. It was also nice to see some familiar names among the entrants who maybe don't post as much as they used to, but still lurk?
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
[big block of text completely missing my point]
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
Well, congratulations on spectacularly missing my point.
You keep repeating the same assertion, but you don’t provide any evidence, you don’t specify any examples. Can you point to an error in the report? It appears not.
Good morning, everyone. Still misty here; I wonder how much solar power has been generated locally this December by those with roof-top panels. Not a lot of wind, either.
Congratulations to No Offence Alan and thanks to Benpointer; I'll try and sort myself out to enter the next competition, although as my forecast of the GE date would still be in the future, I'm not too confident. At the moment, too, my survival to 31/12/2025 has to be slightly doubtful.
65.9 kWh on a 4 kWh system for December so far. Last year was 78.9, 2022 135.5 kwh
That reminded me to run my numbers for the whole year - usage and specific usage accuracy is probably under by about 600 kWh or 10%, due to missing gas data from Jan 2024.
The one I notice below is the low gas usage. It is a 195 sqm house with an EPC of C74 without the solar panels or changes since I moved in taken into account (they would make it at least borderline A/B 91/92 imo).
That gives me a metric before adding in the missing data of 34 kWh of energy imported per sqm per year for 2024, or 38 with it included - which I'm very happy with. I don't think I can quite achieve financial breakeven with this setup at current prices but next year I get the benefit of a panel deep clean and next door having crown lifted the shading trees in October.
Gas imported plus Standing Charge Jan - Dec 2024: £343.87 * = 4049 kWh Elec imported plus Standing Charge Jan - Dec 2024: £851.62 = 2620 kWh
Elec Exported - 2130 kWh. (Note this is exported not generated; there is also solar generated self-use on top to get the generated number.)
Payments made: approx £1260 Payments received from Octopus: £0.15 per unit exported = £319.50
I'll also get a FIT payment at a rate of = £0.1849 / kWh generated **. That's likely to be around £600-700.
* I reckon that gas number is £67 or 10% under, as the analysis has a zero number for Jan 24.
** As others have commented, this is low compared to recent years. Here this is partly because I have pivoted to electric for most heating this year, which has reduced gas usage by several hundred, partly down to weather.
The FIT rate is for a (E/W facing, partly shaded, needs a clean) 10 kWp solar install, at March 2015 install Higher rate (ie EPC higher than a D) of 18.49p per kWh generated.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
[big block of text completely missing my point]
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
Well, congratulations on spectacularly missing my point.
You keep repeating the same assertion, but you don’t provide any evidence, you don’t specify any examples. Can you point to an error in the report? It appears not.
The error is yours - by portraying a partisan hit job as in any way worthy of consideration.
Maybe there is an "ethical crisis" in SCOTUS. If there is, a Democrat-majority committee that the public has just voted out of office which assumes the worst from the beginning isn't going to find it.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
[big block of text completely missing my point]
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
Well, congratulations on spectacularly missing my point.
You keep repeating the same assertion, but you don’t provide any evidence, you don’t specify any examples. Can you point to an error in the report? It appears not.
The error is yours - by portraying a partisan hit job as in any way worthy of consideration.
Maybe there is an "ethical crisis" in SCOTUS. If there is, a Democrat-majority committee that the public has just voted out of office which assumes the worst from the beginning isn't going to find it.
Or, in short: "Dems say GOP bad" is "well, duh".
Does it not matter that Justice Scalia accepted lavish gifts from billionaires and others with business before the Court for more than a decade, in violation of federal law, including 258 personal trips, dozens of which were never disclosed? Does it not matter that Justice Thomas chose to ignore legal obligations to disclose lavish gifts after media scrutiny over his disclosures in 2004, in violation of federal law? Does it not matter that Justice Alito misused the “personal hospitality exemption” when he did not disclose gifts of transportation and lodging he received for a luxury fishing trip to Alaska in 2008, in violation of federal law?
The actions of these Supreme Court Justices are the same whether they are pointed out by Democrats or Republicans.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
[big block of text completely missing my point]
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
Well, congratulations on spectacularly missing my point.
You keep repeating the same assertion, but you don’t provide any evidence, you don’t specify any examples. Can you point to an error in the report? It appears not.
The error is yours - by portraying a partisan hit job as in any way worthy of consideration.
Maybe there is an "ethical crisis" in SCOTUS. If there is, a Democrat-majority committee that the public has just voted out of office which assumes the worst from the beginning isn't going to find it.
Or, in short: "Dems say GOP bad" is "well, duh".
It’s hard to see the behaviour of Justices Alito and Thomas as not being highly improper, on the part of judges. That’s not a matter of partisanship.
Heavy rain forecast for later. So the sheep which graze on the marsh lands were being moved to higher ground this morning.
This is what passes for a traffic jam round here.
A few weeks ago we had roast leg of lamb from one of the lambs in this flock. The farmer sells us a lamb every year and we eat our way through the various delicious joints. In summer you can pick samphire which grows wild in the marsh lands. It is a quite magical place in summer - we often cycle or walk down there, pitch a small tent and sit out there until late.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
[big block of text completely missing my point]
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
Well, congratulations on spectacularly missing my point.
You keep repeating the same assertion, but you don’t provide any evidence, you don’t specify any examples. Can you point to an error in the report? It appears not.
The error is yours - by portraying a partisan hit job as in any way worthy of consideration.
Maybe there is an "ethical crisis" in SCOTUS. If there is, a Democrat-majority committee that the public has just voted out of office which assumes the worst from the beginning isn't going to find it.
Or, in short: "Dems say GOP bad" is "well, duh".
It’s hard to see the behaviour of Justices Alito and Thomas as not being highly improper, on the part of judges. That’s not a matter of partisanship.
don't be surprised if they decide to stand down in the next two years to allow the GOP senate chance to approve suitable younger replacements
Good morning, everyone. Still misty here; I wonder how much solar power has been generated locally this December by those with roof-top panels. Not a lot of wind, either.
Congratulations to No Offence Alan and thanks to Benpointer; I'll try and sort myself out to enter the next competition, although as my forecast of the GE date would still be in the future, I'm not too confident. At the moment, too, my survival to 31/12/2025 has to be slightly doubtful.
Our solar panels have performed poorly this December
And the wind farm blades are barely turning today and for many days in December as well
This is why we will still need some dispatchable thermal generation in a net zero future. DESNZ is funding gas-fired CCGT capacity with CCS, but in my view hydrogen or ammonia fuelled plant would be a better option.
It needs less dogma and more practical thinking and certainly tidal and hydrogen should be considered
You'll be delighted to find that CCGT capacity will be maintained at current levels well into the 2030s, and still be used into the 2050s and beyond.
I'm not sure my mental health could withstand getting all my news from the Telegraph. Must be absolutely terrifying.
Wells Cathedral appealing to refurbish/restore its street of choral houses - a lovely gem together with the Chapter House and staircase from the transept (and the Cathedral and Cloister as a whole too obvs).
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
There is also the possibility that the Republicans will lose control of the House of Representatives in special elections. Right now, I would see the chances of that happening as at least 1 in 100. (The 1930 precedent is worth a quick look, for anyone interested in that possibility.)
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
[big block of text completely missing my point]
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
Well, congratulations on spectacularly missing my point.
You keep repeating the same assertion, but you don’t provide any evidence, you don’t specify any examples. Can you point to an error in the report? It appears not.
The error is yours - by portraying a partisan hit job as in any way worthy of consideration.
Maybe there is an "ethical crisis" in SCOTUS. If there is, a Democrat-majority committee that the public has just voted out of office which assumes the worst from the beginning isn't going to find it.
Or, in short: "Dems say GOP bad" is "well, duh".
Does it not matter that Justice Scalia accepted lavish gifts from billionaires and others with business before the Court for more than a decade, in violation of federal law, including 258 personal trips, dozens of which were never disclosed? Does it not matter that Justice Thomas chose to ignore legal obligations to disclose lavish gifts after media scrutiny over his disclosures in 2004, in violation of federal law? Does it not matter that Justice Alito misused the “personal hospitality exemption” when he did not disclose gifts of transportation and lodging he received for a luxury fishing trip to Alaska in 2008, in violation of federal law?
The actions of these Supreme Court Justices are the same whether they are pointed out by Democrats or Republicans.
The problem is institutionalised corruption in American politics. All the very best and nicest politicians end up millionaires. Look at the share options stuff.
So when Trump and chums do their stuff - which is far, far worse - they can say that it is unfair to talk about it.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It is a foundation of politics to the right of the centre that regulation impedes growth, so presumably looking at what regulators do (or don't do) should be relevant to a growth agenda. If you're going to make changes in this area, then it makes sense to get input first from the regulators. So, I don't see what's so terrible about this.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It seems to me to be quite in order to ask regulators how regulation can be improved; they are the ones who are closest to their industries or sectors.
And it seems that it is in the remit:
Most of Britain's economic regulators already have a Growth Duty enshrined in their statute, having come into effect in March 2017 under the Deregulation Act of two years earlier.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
If God had intended politicians to think, He would have given them brains.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It’s funny. Assad would probably have led an entirely uneventful life, as an eye-doctor in the UK, had his brother not died in a car crash.
So what turned him to the Dark Side?
I know f-all about him. so I don't know if he was a 'good' person beforehand. But I guess the system he was working within would not have helped. His father was an atrocious dictator, and the system of government he inherited would have been built to handle citizens and events in a certain way. The path of least resistance was to continue his father's regime pretty much as it was. And it worked for a little over a decade.
The really scary version: would we be any different?
Of course, we'd all like to think we would be, but would we?
The way you've been raised might count for a great deal. I can imagine that he was raised somewhat in the lap of luxury; with the idea that his family are the rightful rulers of Syria. If we are raised in a different, but moderate, environment, then we might see things differently.
But even if we did see things differently, changing things is a different matter. The way places like Syria - or Russia - work is that the top remains in power because those immediately below him also have power and very good incomes. Changing things might imperil that, and therefore change becomes somewhat more difficult. A dictatorship isn't just one person at the top; it's the pyramid of power beneath. Many of whom will not be familiar names.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
That won't be a problem at all as long as Farage continues the ritual obeisance toward DJT, which he surely will, then DJT won't give a fuck if Musk gives Farage money.
We are probably underestimating how much Musk will weigh in on the next British GE and what a profound effect it will have. He saw how the flattery and money formula worked with DJT and he clearly liked both the process and the outcome so why wouldn't he put his man in No.10?
I'm very much expecting it. Apparently we have a special place in Musk's heart as the "mothership of the English speaking peoples."
Chest puffing out as I was typing there.
I fee left out; no one in Europe has had a threat of invasion yet.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Quite often he spouts rubbish which is jumped on by a pack of crazed commentators saying 'SEEEEEEE!!' like this Greenland thing, and he does something completely different.
And do you think that’s a good thing? Do you think going on about Greenland like this has made the US or the world a better place?
I think it was probably a classic Trump shakedown - Denmark was perhaps uming and ahing over a lucrative US defence contract, and now after Trump's guff about Greenland, they will sign. I don't approve of it or think it's a good thing, but those of us who adore the US and want everyone to spend money keeping its defence companies in plentiful employment should be delighted.
Trump is all about the US balance of payments and their defence companies especially. He will do the same to us when it's our turn (he'll probably enjoy it especially because it's the loathed Starmer), but happily we will not be able to discern any difference, as we have always had the chequebook out with pen hovering where the US is concerned anyway.
You’ve just made that up out of thin air. There is zero evidence of any such Danish-US defence contract.
Yes, I have made it up, as I clearly state when I use the word 'perhaps'.
However, I doubt it's far from the truth. Wasn't the new runway they have promised to build designed for F16s (or similar, I don’t know the makes)? Perhaps they will need a couple of F16s to go on them. Either way, I strongly suspect a large portion of that £1.5bn in Greenland defence spending will be tinkling into US coffers, so Trump will be happy. And everyone else will read it as 'humiliated Trump backs down on Greenland threats'.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
He certainly has. Which only puffs him up even more. This is uncharted territory for a mature western democracy, becoming the toy of an ageing despot, and unfortunately it's the biggest wealthiest most powerful one. I hope the checks and balances are resting up and eating well because they're about to face a hell of a battle.
It will be a real test of the Constitution.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
Majority Dem committee thinks majority Rep SCOTUS has an "ethical crisis"?
They provide evidence. It’s all detailed in the report.
I'm certain that they found things they could portray in such a way as to support the conclusion they started from, yes.
Here’s the summary:
[big block of text completely missing my point]
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
Well, congratulations on spectacularly missing my point.
You keep repeating the same assertion, but you don’t provide any evidence, you don’t specify any examples. Can you point to an error in the report? It appears not.
The error is yours - by portraying a partisan hit job as in any way worthy of consideration.
Maybe there is an "ethical crisis" in SCOTUS. If there is, a Democrat-majority committee that the public has just voted out of office which assumes the worst from the beginning isn't going to find it.
Or, in short: "Dems say GOP bad" is "well, duh".
It’s hard to see the behaviour of Justices Alito and Thomas as not being highly improper, on the part of judges. That’s not a matter of partisanship.
don't be surprised if they decide to stand down in the next two years to allow the GOP senate chance to approve suitable younger replacements
This is why charges of partisanship miss the point. Even if one or more justices are forced out over brown envelopes, their replacements will be appointed by a Republican President, ratified by a Republican Senate.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It is a foundation of politics to the right of the centre that regulation impedes growth, so presumably looking at what regulators do (or don't do) should be relevant to a growth agenda. If you're going to make changes in this area, then it makes sense to get input first from the regulators. So, I don't see what's so terrible about this.
Similarly every year my department has to come up with 4% savings as part of the "Cost Improvement Programme" each year.
Asking bodies to look at what they are doing and considering savings and efficiencies is pretty standard management practice.
As for the Greenland and Panama talk, consider the possibility that it may be -- in part -- intended to disguise this: "For a guy who hates to exercise, President-elect Donald Trump has been uncharacteristically active over the past few weeks. His fitness regimen: a grueling circuit of backpedals, climbdowns and walkbacks." He has already, Dana Milbank claims, abandoned most of his campaign promises. source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/12/27/trump-backtracking-campaign-promises/
(Milbank is a Democratic partisan but does live, mostly, in the real world.)
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It is a foundation of politics to the right of the centre that regulation impedes growth, so presumably looking at what regulators do (or don't do) should be relevant to a growth agenda. If you're going to make changes in this area, then it makes sense to get input first from the regulators. So, I don't see what's so terrible about this.
I think they're asking the wrong people, but at least they're asking someone.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
That won't be a problem at all as long as Farage continues the ritual obeisance toward DJT, which he surely will, then DJT won't give a fuck if Musk gives Farage money.
We are probably underestimating how much Musk will weigh in on the next British GE and what a profound effect it will have. He saw how the flattery and money formula worked with DJT and he clearly liked both the process and the outcome so why wouldn't he put his man in No.10?
I'm very much expecting it. Apparently we have a special place in Musk's heart as the "mothership of the English speaking peoples."
Chest puffing out as I was typing there.
I fee left out; no one in Europe has had a threat of invasion yet.
Trump has outsourced that to Putin and the North Koreans.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It is a foundation of politics to the right of the centre that regulation impedes growth, so presumably looking at what regulators do (or don't do) should be relevant to a growth agenda. If you're going to make changes in this area, then it makes sense to get input first from the regulators. So, I don't see what's so terrible about this.
Similarly every year my department has to come up with 4% savings as part of the "Cost Improvement Programme" each year.
Asking bodies to look at what they are doing and considering savings and efficiencies is pretty standard management practice.
The head of the FCA was previously the Private Secretary to Blair and Brown and then worked for the Treasury under Cameron and Osborne. Is that the best person to ask for fresh ideas on growth?
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
That won't be a problem at all as long as Farage continues the ritual obeisance toward DJT, which he surely will, then DJT won't give a fuck if Musk gives Farage money.
We are probably underestimating how much Musk will weigh in on the next British GE and what a profound effect it will have. He saw how the flattery and money formula worked with DJT and he clearly liked both the process and the outcome so why wouldn't he put his man in No.10?
I'm very much expecting it. Apparently we have a special place in Musk's heart as the "mothership of the English speaking peoples."
Chest puffing out as I was typing there.
I fee left out; no one in Europe has had a threat of invasion yet.
Trump has outsourced that to Putin and the North Koreans.
Maybe he should invite Ukraine to become an American state.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
That won't be a problem at all as long as Farage continues the ritual obeisance toward DJT, which he surely will, then DJT won't give a fuck if Musk gives Farage money.
We are probably underestimating how much Musk will weigh in on the next British GE and what a profound effect it will have. He saw how the flattery and money formula worked with DJT and he clearly liked both the process and the outcome so why wouldn't he put his man in No.10?
I'm very much expecting it. Apparently we have a special place in Musk's heart as the "mothership of the English speaking peoples."
Chest puffing out as I was typing there.
I fee left out; no one in Europe has had a threat of invasion yet.
Trump has outsourced that to Putin and the North Koreans.
Maybe he should invite Ukraine to become an American state.
We were talking about the UK becoming a US state the other day - @Leon I think was in favour. Whilst I could never be in favour as a patriot, I recognise that we would probably have more rights and powers against the Federal Government than we currently do in that situation, and they more responsibilities toward us.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It is a foundation of politics to the right of the centre that regulation impedes growth, so presumably looking at what regulators do (or don't do) should be relevant to a growth agenda. If you're going to make changes in this area, then it makes sense to get input first from the regulators. So, I don't see what's so terrible about this.
Similarly every year my department has to come up with 4% savings as part of the "Cost Improvement Programme" each year.
Asking bodies to look at what they are doing and considering savings and efficiencies is pretty standard management practice.
Sure, but this is about ideas for growth, not cost cutting.
An example in your bailiwick might be the NHS setting up a nationwide clinical trials system, and the regulator looking at ways to make clinical trials easier to implement ? The potential for both patient benefit, and the U.K. life science industry, if this were done well, could be huge.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It’s funny. Assad would probably have led an entirely uneventful life, as an eye-doctor in the UK, had his brother not died in a car crash.
Last time I was in hospital, with multiple broken ribs, the surgeon who assessed me was Syrian. He had that rather handsome, aristocratic bearing you get in some Levantine Arabs. I assume it was less stressful working the A&E late shift at Lewisham hospital than dealing with the aftermath of regime chemical attacks or Russian carpet bombing.
Doubt it. You ever been in Lewisham after the pubs close?
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It seems to me to be quite in order to ask regulators how regulation can be improved; they are the ones who are closest to their industries or sectors.
And it seems that it is in the remit:
Most of Britain's economic regulators already have a Growth Duty enshrined in their statute, having come into effect in March 2017 under the Deregulation Act of two years earlier.
I think we have a late winner for Freudian slip of the year.
As we are discussing the defence of the realm... BBC2 shows probably the best-known episode of Dad's Army at 8pm.
Mainwaring seizes the chance to contribute to the war effort by guarding a captured German U-boat crew and the platoon welcomes the first American troops to the area.
Former Trump ambassador to Denmark on Greenland: The idea that little Denmark can afford to defend Greenland is preposterous. They can't afford to defend and develop it... What President Trump is suggesting is common sense solution.
I have seen the future and it's four years of Donald Trump spouting rubbish which all the people seeking to curry favour with him pretend is the wisdom of Solomon.
Quite often he spouts rubbish which is jumped on by a pack of crazed commentators saying 'SEEEEEEE!!' like this Greenland thing, and he does something completely different.
And do you think that’s a good thing? Do you think going on about Greenland like this has made the US or the world a better place?
I think it was probably a classic Trump shakedown - Denmark was perhaps uming and ahing over a lucrative US defence contract, and now after Trump's guff about Greenland, they will sign. I don't approve of it or think it's a good thing, but those of us who adore the US and want everyone to spend money keeping its defence companies in plentiful employment should be delighted.
Trump is all about the US balance of payments and their defence companies especially. He will do the same to us when it's our turn (he'll probably enjoy it especially because it's the loathed Starmer), but happily we will not be able to discern any difference, as we have always had the chequebook out with pen hovering where the US is concerned anyway.
You’ve just made that up out of thin air. There is zero evidence of any such Danish-US defence contract.
Yes, I have made it up, as I clearly state when I use the word 'perhaps'.
However, I doubt it's far from the truth. Wasn't the new runway they have promised to build designed for F16s (or similar, I don’t know the makes)? Perhaps they will need a couple of F16s to go on them. Either way, I strongly suspect a large portion of that £1.5bn in Greenland defence spending will be tinkling into US coffers, so Trump will be happy. And everyone else will read it as 'humiliated Trump backs down on Greenland threats'.
You are still just making things up. Evidence should be rooted in reality, not fantasy. There is no evidence for any of your speculation.
The increased Greenland defence spending was planned before Trump said anything. The timing of its announcement was just coincidental.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
This is what's wrong with the government and its budget. Labour has no policies, just some vague aspirations. It wants savings but does not know from where. It wants growth but does not know how. This is a motherhood and apple pie government.
It's not the job of regulators to do this. Did no-one in Labour do any thinking at all while in opposition?
It is a foundation of politics to the right of the centre that regulation impedes growth, so presumably looking at what regulators do (or don't do) should be relevant to a growth agenda. If you're going to make changes in this area, then it makes sense to get input first from the regulators. So, I don't see what's so terrible about this.
No, it really doesn’t. You should start with those regulated, and ask them what the problems are.
But jeez, what on earth is OFGEM likely to contribute to the debate ?
The other two make slightly more sense. Though as we all know, planning is the area of regulation most ripe for change, as it has likely cost our economy hundreds of billions over the last couple of decades. But again, asking the planners is starting at the wrong end of the problem.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
Some of the last places I’d be seeking ideas.
Yes it's a bit bonkers. The job of regulators is to err (Well try and) ... regulate ?!?
And regulation has impacts, including potentially on growth. There's a whole body of regulatory science that considers how to optimise regulation to do the things you want and not do the things you don't want.
See this is why the NHS is in crisis. We don't allow the family of doctors to come to the UK.
It's Mrs Assad who has the UK citizenship surely?
Surely she should be allowed to return, albeit for trial on complicity in war crimes, embezzlement etc?
Oh yes, like Kemi Badenoch she is also a computer scientist.
Have the Tories tried switching Kemi off and back on again?
It's only a matter of time before they reboot the leadership.
Farage must be absolutely delighted with Kemi.
It's becoming increasingly easy to see how the Tories might collapse from here.
A few more MP, and big business donor defections - the latter don't even have great reasons of either loyalty or ideology not to jump - could become a self-reinforcing trend.
"You can't win a majority starting with only five seats" might be true - but what if it's thirty ? Or more ? And you have several years to spend £100m, before election restrictions ...
Yet the biggest gainers on seats on current polls will be the Tories from Labour due to big inroads Farage's party has made into the 2024 Labour vote while Kemi is holding the 2024 Tory vote
Good morning
I think that is fairly realistic, and I for one am quite happy with Kemi and not concerned she has Farage threatening legal action, as it is very important to this conservative that the two parties are not seen as one identity
There are many writing Kemi off , but they are not her audience and she has barely been in the job a few weeks
I expect that as 2025 progresses the extremes of the Trump Presidency and Musk's financial backing for Farage will not play as well for either him or Reform, but also I cannot see a boost for Labour as the dire economic position post Reeves miscalculated budget manifests itself
As long as Kemi retains the support of conservatives, [and she headed the last conhome table], then she will be OK
I expect reform to do well in red seats in the locals but it looks as if labour are considering cancelling some of these locals which is bizarre
Anyway, I may be a lone voice in support of Kemi, but I do think Farage and Reform during 2025 will face a difficult time with their support for Trump and Musk
Occurs to me that if Musk goes full-on Reform/Farage backing with cash and twitter, when Trump falls out with Musk it's going to leave Farage in a tricky spot. On the one hand - lovely cash and hordes of Musk fanboys, on the other - a constant barrage from the loyal MAGA hordes.
That won't be a problem at all as long as Farage continues the ritual obeisance toward DJT, which he surely will, then DJT won't give a fuck if Musk gives Farage money.
We are probably underestimating how much Musk will weigh in on the next British GE and what a profound effect it will have. He saw how the flattery and money formula worked with DJT and he clearly liked both the process and the outcome so why wouldn't he put his man in No.10?
I'm very much expecting it. Apparently we have a special place in Musk's heart as the "mothership of the English speaking peoples."
Chest puffing out as I was typing there.
I fee left out; no one in Europe has had a threat of invasion yet.
Trump has outsourced that to Putin and the North Koreans.
Maybe he should invite Ukraine to become an American state.
We were talking about the UK becoming a US state the other day - @Leon I think was in favour. Whilst I could never be in favour as a patriot, I recognise that we would probably have more rights and powers against the Federal Government than we currently do in that situation, and they more responsibilities toward us.
Do we think the people of Greenland would vote to become US citizens in a free and fair referendum? Or the people of Canada? Or Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela... The world is full of people who'd prefer to be Norteamericanos given half a chance.
And, of course, it's nothing new. The Washington establishment was quite sniffy about Californian statehood in the 1840s as most of the population consisted of Spanish-speaking 'Indians'. But the discovery of gold concentrated their minds.
Comments
I'm not saying it will happen, but Labour have an irreducible core, which I don't think is as true of the Tories.
A panic run from Tory to RefUK - both MPs and base - is quite possible.
What would you do, if it was clearly your best chance of another conservative-ish government ?
Chest puffing out as I was typing there.
Apart from all the shittery, the key creature of MAGA is self indulgence.
Trump marvels at embrace by CEOs, top tech bosses: ‘Everybody wants to be my friend!’
https://thehill.com/business/5054083-trump-embrace-ceos-friends/
If he goes with Trump, then he is selling us out to Russia.
Difficult one, eh?
The MAGA base, a large proportion of whom are relatively low earners, are due to be royally screwed by the administration's policies. A demonstration of the incoherence of the MAGA alliance is a greater threat to Reform than any falling out between Trump and Musk.
Many thanks to @Benpointer for the competition. What larks!!
At least I got Trump right.
There is, I think, an irreducable core of voters for whom Labour are in their PSI as the only bastion of both the consumer and the producer aspects of the social democratic welfare state.
I suspect the Tories have lost for now most of the automatic PSI vote, which they are sharing with/losing to Reform and others. In particular the Tories have lost their unique selling point of general competence on behalf of the middle and aspiring class.
Questions for 2025 and beyond:
Can Reform get the PSI vote, as being the only political outfit appealing to the popular vote (unlike LDs) who haven't failed.
Is there a point where, say 20+ Tory MPs change the weather altogether by defecting together to Reform, because it is in their PSI to do so.
Footnote: Musk's intervention makes no difference to most voters. PSI is what counts.
Can do to the P.
A ritual sacrifice of Ramaswamy (who appears seriously deficient in political skills) would do the trick.
Its a question of whether she can channel her scrappiness into fights that she can win, rather than constant distractions.
A man called William Webster, who was Director of the FBI, and then the CIA, between 1978 and 1991m under both Carter and Reagan, and is now 100 years old. He had a position as chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council until 2020.
When was the last time we had an intervention from an eminent 100 year old?
Writing to senators, Webster, who is aged 100 and who was appointed by both Democrat and Republican presidents, called on them to “weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and experience” and suggested that Patel and Gabbard possessed neither attribute.
“The safety of the American people – and your own families – depends on it,” he wrote, emphasising the importance of Senate confirmation hearings that will scrutinise the two nominees.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/27/william-webster-kash-patel-tulsi-gabbard
Evil leaders are very rarely dark messiahs; they're ordinary men (and sometimes women), who quite suddenly find themselves in a position to do great harm, for their own gain, and they rationalise it to themselves. No doubt Assad persuaded himself that he was trying to make things better, when he took over from his father, and each act of cruelty was a necessary evil/for the greater good. And, of course, he found himself in charge of a multi-million pound property portfolio.
So, just possibly, by Easter I will be able to drive myself about again without having to rely on my wife or taxis.
Getting from the car to exactly where I want to be will be the next challenge!
Trump is all about the US balance of payments and their defence companies especially. He will do the same to us when it's our turn (he'll probably enjoy it especially because it's the loathed Starmer), but happily we will not be able to discern any difference, as we have always had the chequebook out with pen hovering where the US is concerned anyway.
Part of America's political sclerosis is down the rigidities of the US Constitution, which has almost Holy Writ in US minds.
In particular, I think the Supreme Court will be a check on Trumps power. Theres only so far that they can bend interpretation.
When my cardiologist told me a year ago yesterday I needed an urgent pacemaker, he also said I had to stop driving until he had completed the operation and not before 7 days later
Earlier last year my wife stopped driving as her consultant confirmed she needed a replacement shoulder, and she decided at 84 she wasn't able to face the operation and the subsequent physiotherapy.
The result was 9 weeks without us being able to drive our car, and actually during that time I downsized our car and the new car sat on our drive for a few weeks until I got my licence back
Labour of course could implode completely with voters exiting to Green, LD, Reform, Con and Corbyn/Islam. Under that scenario Labour are more likely on ten percent. But I can't see it - yet.
Denmark bought the F35, of course. In 2017.
The question is whether they are willing to enforce its meausures.
Congratulations to @No_Offence_Alan and my fellow runners up!
And thank you to @Benpointer.
“Key findings and takeaways from the Committee’s investigation include:
Justice Scalia accepted lavish gifts from billionaires and others with business before the Court for more than a decade, in violation of federal law, including 258 personal trips, dozens of which were never disclosed.
Justice Thomas chose to ignore legal obligations to disclose lavish gifts after media scrutiny over his disclosures in 2004, in violation of federal law.
Justice Alito misused the “personal hospitality exemption” when he did not disclose gifts of transportation and lodging he received for a luxury fishing trip to Alaska in 2008, in violation of federal law.
Justice Thomas failed to disclose gifts on two occasions never before known to the public until the Committee’s investigation, including a July 2021 private jet trip to Saranac, New York, and an October 2021 private jet and yacht trip to New York City sponsored by Harlan Crow.
The two well-established “Stop the Steal” symbols at two of the Alitos’ properties while Justice Alito actively participated in cases concerning the 2020 presidential election and January 6 create an appearance of partiality that can only be addressed by recusal.
Justice Alito’s unprecedented conduct when sitting for an interview with an attorney with a case pending before the Court raises a concern that he might be influenced to favor the party substantively or procedurally.
Justice Thomas has accepted largesse from benefactors in amounts that have no comparison in modern American history.
Ginni Thomas’s paid efforts involving the “Stop the Steal” movement and right-wing causes created a clear conflict of interest for Justice Thomas, as federal law prohibits justices from hearing cases where the interests of spouses are involved.
To date, the Judicial Conference of the United States has failed to adequately respond to the Supreme Court’s ethical challenges. The Judicial Conference’s September 2024 revisions to gift disclosure requirements are oddly specific in expanding the personal hospitality exemption and seem more likely to absolve past misconduct and facilitate the acceptance of future largesse than strengthen judicial ethics.”
Which of these are misleading or wrong?
A bit later, there was a bit of unpleasantness regarding “Little Aleck” and “Little Jeff”
It was also nice to see some familiar names among the entrants who maybe don't post as much as they used to, but still lurk?
The one I notice below is the low gas usage. It is a 195 sqm house with an EPC of C74 without the solar panels or changes since I moved in taken into account (they would make it at least borderline A/B 91/92 imo).
That gives me a metric before adding in the missing data of 34 kWh of energy imported per sqm per year for 2024, or 38 with it included - which I'm very happy with. I don't think I can quite achieve financial breakeven with this setup at current prices but next year I get the benefit of a panel deep clean and next door having crown lifted the shading trees in October.
Gas imported plus Standing Charge Jan - Dec 2024: £343.87 * = 4049 kWh
Elec imported plus Standing Charge Jan - Dec 2024: £851.62 = 2620 kWh
Elec Exported - 2130 kWh. (Note this is exported not generated; there is also solar generated self-use on top to get the generated number.)
Payments made: approx £1260
Payments received from Octopus: £0.15 per unit exported = £319.50
I'll also get a FIT payment at a rate of = £0.1849 / kWh generated **. That's likely to be around £600-700.
* I reckon that gas number is £67 or 10% under, as the analysis has a zero number for Jan 24.
** As others have commented, this is low compared to recent years. Here this is partly because I have pivoted to electric for most heating this year, which has reduced gas usage by several hundred, partly down to weather.
The FIT rate is for a (E/W facing, partly shaded, needs a clean) 10 kWp solar install, at March 2015 install Higher rate (ie EPC higher than a D) of 18.49p per kWh generated.
Maybe there is an "ethical crisis" in SCOTUS. If there is, a Democrat-majority committee that the public has just voted out of office which assumes the worst from the beginning isn't going to find it.
Or, in short: "Dems say GOP bad" is "well, duh".
The actions of these Supreme Court Justices are the same whether they are pointed out by Democrats or Republicans.
This is what passes for a traffic jam round here.
A few weeks ago we had roast leg of lamb from one of the lambs in this flock. The farmer sells us a lamb every year and we eat our way through the various delicious joints. In summer you can pick samphire which grows wild in the marsh lands. It is a quite magical place in summer - we often cycle or walk down there, pitch a small tent and sit out there until late.
I'm not sure my mental health could withstand getting all my news from the Telegraph. Must be absolutely terrifying.
The PM, chancellor and business secretary have written to watchdogs including Ofgem, the FCA and CMA to demand ideas for growth
Wells Cathedral appealing to refurbish/restore its street of choral houses - a lovely gem together with the Chapter House and staircase from the transept (and the Cathedral and Cloister as a whole too obvs).
https://bsky.app/profile/antongerashchenko.bsky.social/post/3leeftjjnds2f
There is also the possibility that the Republicans will lose control of the House of Representatives in special elections. Right now, I would see the chances of that happening as at least 1 in 100. (The 1930 precedent is worth a quick look, for anyone interested in that possibility.)
(I am most interested in the election for King County executive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_King_County,_Washington_Executive_election )
Blue Origin have completed their static fire and got a launch license for New Glenn
So when Trump and chums do their stuff - which is far, far worse - they can say that it is unfair to talk about it.
And it seems that it is in the remit:
Most of Britain's economic regulators already have a Growth Duty enshrined in their statute, having come into effect in March 2017 under the Deregulation Act of two years earlier.
But even if we did see things differently, changing things is a different matter. The way places like Syria - or Russia - work is that the top remains in power because those immediately below him also have power and very good incomes. Changing things might imperil that, and therefore change becomes somewhat more difficult. A dictatorship isn't just one person at the top; it's the pyramid of power beneath. Many of whom will not be familiar names.
However, I doubt it's far from the truth. Wasn't the new runway they have promised to build designed for F16s (or similar, I don’t know the makes)? Perhaps they will need a couple of F16s to go on them. Either way, I strongly suspect a large portion of that £1.5bn in Greenland defence spending will be tinkling into US coffers, so Trump will be happy. And everyone else will read it as 'humiliated Trump backs down on Greenland threats'.
Asking bodies to look at what they are doing and considering savings and efficiencies is pretty standard management practice.
source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/12/27/trump-backtracking-campaign-promises/
(Milbank is a Democratic partisan but does live, mostly, in the real world.)
An example in your bailiwick might be the NHS setting up a nationwide clinical trials system, and the regulator looking at ways to make clinical trials easier to implement ?
The potential for both patient benefit, and the U.K. life science industry, if this were done well, could be huge.
Mainwaring seizes the chance to contribute to the war effort by guarding a captured German U-boat crew and the platoon welcomes the first American troops to the area.
The increased Greenland defence spending was planned before Trump said anything. The timing of its announcement was just coincidental.
You should start with those regulated, and ask them what the problems are.
But jeez, what on earth is OFGEM likely to contribute to the debate ?
The other two make slightly more sense. Though as we all know, planning is the area of regulation most ripe for change, as it has likely cost our economy hundreds of billions over the last couple of decades.
But again, asking the planners is starting at the wrong end of the problem.
Any paper cuts on your finger tips can be quickly discovered by groping around in a jar of vinegar to grab the last remaining pickled onion.
And, of course, it's nothing new. The Washington establishment was quite sniffy about Californian statehood in the 1840s as most of the population consisted of Spanish-speaking 'Indians'. But the discovery of gold concentrated their minds.