This is an opportunity for the LDs. Only 10% behind the two main established parties.
It’s an outlier poll. I may be wrong but I suspect this is the age old problem of over polling of politically engaged people. In the general election we saw the two fringe parties - Green and Reform - doing worse than polling suggested, in Reform’s case by quite a lot.
In Corbyn’s time those politically engaged people were boosting Labour polling. Now they’re boosting Green and Reform.
I can well believe Reform is now in the 20s, but 26%? Seems a push when you look at local by-elections. And the Greens at 10%? Nah.
The Tories are the world’s great survivors. Come 2029 they (and Labour) will be comfortably back up in the mid 30s.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
The existing Russia is very bad news, in all sorts of ways.
A totally collapsed Russia would be desirable and hopefully see the break-up and dismantling of Russia so that its regions no longer act as fodder for Moscow and can be developed individually instead.
Sometimes things need to fall apart before they can be rebuilt better.
Look at 1990"s Russia.
That was only a preamble to total collapse, and even then highly dangerous for the short-sighted West at the time. It's a cliche, but we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history, without the use of any knowledge.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
Indeed and the thing I find most weird are those utterly convinced Russia can't be defeated because they're "too big" to fail.
Was America too big to fail in Afghanistan? What the USSR too big to fail there too? Was America too big to fail in Vietnam? Were the Nazis too big to fail in WWII?
We should know by now that big can fail. The idea that anything is too big to fail doesn't work in business, economics, banking, politics or the military either.
See also Lehmans in 2008
Yes, there's a reason I threw in the banking and business reference.
REFUK are going to have the reintroduction of the death penalty as a policy, I suspect.
Will Farage be able to keep it just to hanging and lethal injection though? I suspect Lee Anderson could push for restoring hanging drawing and quartering and burnings at the stake
The way some opponents of the death penalty relish talking about life imprisonment as a form of mental torture that's actually a much harsher punishment, hanging could be presented as the more humane option.
People like #AxelRudakubana are put on suicide watch. He wants an easy way out. To him the death penalty is preferable to spending his whole life in a tiny brick box, being brutally bullied by others in jail. For that reason, I believe he must be kept alive to serve his sentence
Just to clarify, a minimum of 52 years in prison is worse than a death sentence. No hope, no one to talk to, in fear of being attacked, he will never have a family, spend every day in a small cell. Death would be an escape.
Well, if the one and only Jim Wells, with his 139 followers, says it, then I guess it must be true. You don't half link to some tripe.
The comments are just to illustrate an argument which is quite prevalent among ordinary people to justify their opposition to the death penalty.
The people in the criminal justice system to whom @TSE refers are more likely to use arguments based on personal vanity: we can't have the death penalty because it would make us as bad as them (where them can refer either to the criminals themselves or more often to foreigners who aren't as enlightened as us and still execute people).
See this is where you’re talking utter bollocks, again.
My friends in the CPS and defence teams would tell you because of serious number of miscarriages in the past, juries would be reluctant to convict where there was a chance of the death penalty.
You’d have dreadlocked juries and guilty people getting away with is a major concern.
That's the thing with the death penalty - very quickly you end up with cases where people are found innocent because their crime wasn't felt by one (or more) juror that the risk was too great. At the moment many jurors will require say a 80/90% confidence level before convicting, add the death penalty and that could shift the requirement to 95%+..
For me reasonable doubt is more like 1-2% than 10-20%. I'm probably right at the low end on that, but suspect you would get one or two thinking similarly on most juries.
There is already the suspicion that in some cases where children are victims, juries are prone to jump the other way and be too ready to convict.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
The existing Russia is very bad news, in all sorts of ways.
A totally collapsed Russia would be desirable and hopefully see the break-up and dismantling of Russia so that its regions no longer act as fodder for Moscow and can be developed individually instead.
Sometimes things need to fall apart before they can be rebuilt better.
Look at 1990"s Russia.
That was only a preamble to total collapse, and even then highly dangerous for the short-sighted West at the time. It's a cliche, but we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history, without the use of any knowledge.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
I couldn’t disagree more. Russia in its current form (ie as Putin’s personal project) is the single greatest geopolitical menace to Europe by some distance. A mafia state run on the basis of expansion and self-defining as the nemesis of Western democracy.
Back to those examples: Napoleon, Hirohito, Hitler. Or for that matter Genghis or any other historical conqueror. They cannot and will not be bargained with. Only total defeat rids the world of their danger.
The eclipse of the Tories by Reform will be very bad news for the right in this country, IMHO. The Tories has the most successful track record of any political party in Europe, while Reform are a ragtag collection of loonies and closet racists with an unfortunate record of attracting unsavoury candidates who depend completely on a single, ageing, politician for their popularity.
You’re in denial. Reform are taking the working class vote away from Labour and they’ve become much more than a Farage vehicle.
In many ways it is an action replay of France since about 2012. Remember France has a PR system which is less PR that FPTP by a long way. Anderson is much more telegenic that Farage. But the idea that it can be a commonplace on boards like this that the Right divided means more Marxism and it not be noticed either by the Conservatives or by Reform at a higher level is naive, and wrong.
Ummm:
I think the board agrees with you. The right will work out tactical voting, obviously, and it will become much more efficient over time.
But it is unlikely that the right wing vote in 2028 will be as efficient as the left wing one. For 2032/33, that is likely to be different.
Your analogy of France 2012 is a good one, albeit with the issue that we don't know how the world will pan out economically between now and 2032/33.
So... why do you think everyone disagrees with you?
Is a hypothetical party that wants to hang murderers and increase taxes on the rich to fund the NHS right or left wing?
Left wing.
Socially conservative populists
Taxing the rich is definitely left-wing. Hanging murderers is neither left nor right.
Trump’s ‘ice maiden’ freezes Elon Musk out of West Wing
Susie Wiles, the president’s chief of staff, has denied the billionaire touted as ‘the real vice-president’ a permanent office in the heart of the White House
There was another sign of Wiles’s determination to put some distance between Musk and Trump in the executive order setting up Doge, which stated that its chief administrator must report to her.
Wiles showed her loyalty to Trump when indicted in the classified documents case, and entirely coincidentally got a big pay rise from Trump around the same time...
In case you missed it, he posted right at the end of the last thread.
Although I don’t know him personally I’ve known him as a poster for all the time I’ve been here and it makes events like this all the more real when there’s someone you know, even peripherally, caught up in it. He seemed optimistic it would be okay. We all hope it will be.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
I couldn’t disagree more. Russia in its current form (ie as Putin’s personal project) is the single greatest geopolitical menace to Europe by some distance. A mafia state run on the basis of expansion and self-defining as the nemesis of Western democracy.
Back to those examples: Napoleon, Hirohito, Hitler. Or for that matter Genghis or any other historical conqueror. They cannot and will not be bargained with. Only total defeat rids the world of their danger.
True, but I would point out that Hirohito was allowed by the Allies to remain Emperor of Japan.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
I couldn’t disagree more. Russia in its current form (ie as Putin’s personal project) is the single greatest geopolitical menace to Europe by some distance. A mafia state run on the basis of expansion and self-defining as the nemesis of Western democracy.
Back to those examples: Napoleon, Hirohito, Hitler. Or for that matter Genghis or any other historical conqueror. They cannot and will not be bargained with. Only total defeat rids the world of their danger.
Russia has the biggest arsenal of nuclear missiles in the world, that would be highly risky. Russian total defeat is unlikely anyway, that would have required Zelensky to already have pushed them fully out of Ukraine, so is Ukranian total defeat as that would have meant Kyiv fell in 2022.
Most likely it will be a ceasefire on current boundaries
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
I couldn’t disagree more. Russia in its current form (ie as Putin’s personal project) is the single greatest geopolitical menace to Europe by some distance. A mafia state run on the basis of expansion and self-defining as the nemesis of Western democracy.
Back to those examples: Napoleon, Hirohito, Hitler. Or for that matter Genghis or any other historical conqueror. They cannot and will not be bargained with. Only total defeat rids the world of their danger.
But none of these possessed vast amounts of nuclear warheads, dispersed around a huge landmass.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
The existing Russia is very bad news, in all sorts of ways.
A totally collapsed Russia would be desirable and hopefully see the break-up and dismantling of Russia so that its regions no longer act as fodder for Moscow and can be developed individually instead.
Sometimes things need to fall apart before they can be rebuilt better.
Look at 1990"s Russia.
That was only a preamble to total collapse, and even then highly dangerous for the short-sighted West at the time. It's a cliche, but we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history, without the use of any knowledge.
Its a shame it didn't totally collapse.
Hopefully it does next time.
1990s Russia was their Weimar Republic. Russia was afforded all kinds of special privileges (including inheriting the USSR’s seat on the UNSC) which meant they got just the right mix to avoid any kind of self-reflection and cultivate their own stab in the back myth.
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened ... they'd have much better health coverage."
The Canadian Liberals can't believe their luck with Trump. Since taking office they have already gone from facing annihilation in the polls to already some showing a hung parliament. He is of course wrong anyway, Canada has universal healthcare coverage unlike USA
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened ... they'd have much better health coverage."
The Canadian Liberals can't believe their luck with Trump. Since taking office they have already gone from facing annihilation in the polls to already some showing a hung parliament. He is of course wrong anyway, Canada has universal healthcare coverage unlike USA
I would not dream of questioning a reputable pollster but who are Find out now, and they seem to be the only weekly poster and the most Reform friendly? Because of their frequency if their methodology is even just slightly out they will skew all the averages.
After Southport I can see Labour getting spanked but why the Tories, they have done nothing wrong? All the changes are within MoE.
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened ... they'd have much better health coverage."
The Canadian Liberals can't believe their luck with Trump. Since taking office they have already gone from facing annihilation in the polls to already some showing a hung parliament. He is of course wrong anyway, Canada has universal healthcare coverage unlike USA
Probably more to do with them dumping Trudeau.
Both, that got a small bounce, the big Liberal bounce came after Trump's inaugration
Reform making dramatic gains, from Barnsley to Basildon, Birmingham to Blackpool, Bolsover to Bradford and Burnley, Dagenham to Doncaster and Dudley, Grimsby to Harlow and Hartlepool, Hull to Llanelli and Merthyr Tydfil, Nuneaton to the Rhondda and Rotherham and South Thanet and Scunthorpe and Stoke, Thurrock to Tipton and Wednesbury and Torfaen, West Bromwich to Wolverhampton. All set to fall to Farage and Reform on that poll
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened ... they'd have much better health coverage."
Did Putin ever consider buying Ukraine?
He tried. Many of the people he tried to bribe into cooperating, pre-invasion, went straight to the Ukrainian authorities. Which is a big pat of the reason the invasion failed.
Labour are going to use the possible Runcorn by-election, as a testing ground for the stances to be taken to see off Reform.
If I were them, I'd be trying to make hay out of Nigel's ambivalent attitude to Russia.
And drawing attention to Reform's "Thatcherite" economic policies, which I don't believe are known or would appeal to many w-class Reform voters.
We'll see but I think trying to make a by-election into a referendum on Farage would be a mistake for them. Not because of Farage's popularity, but because it's not what voters would care about.
I didn't say Labour will make the by-election a "referendum on Farage"!!!
I said they'd use it to try out attack lines against Reform.
The word cloud shows one fundamental thing. The public being polled wants solutions to a number of well known problems but does not want to pay for them, and furthermore wants them a bit more quickly than is feasible anyway. Farage and Reform are the only outfit offering this (bogusly of course) who have not already recently been tried out. Just one year ago Labour and Starmer were in that pole position.
Went out for a drink last night with a couple of neighbours. Bit younger than me, but not that much. One of them said that he'd been watching a lot of GB news "because he was fed up with the bias shown by the BBC and wanted the truth." He then went on about the amount of grooming of young girls by men of Pakistani origin. When he'd gone my remaining friend and I shook our heads sadly over hm.
I work at Uni and I am surrounded by people who mostly vote Labour or Lib Dem. Hard to find a Tory (or at least someone who would admit to it). It leads people who work here to believe that the whole country thinks as they do and so the shock at Brexit, and when Corbyn lost in 2019 etc is profound. The lack of engagement with 'normal people' feeds into this.
PB is rather like this. We have some who are not of the herd, but most are rather similar in views/beliefs. We are lucky that there are some outspoken outliers, otherwise we would be even more of an echo chamber than BSkyBBlueSky or whatever its called.
I'm not surprised at your neighbours attitudes. Lots of people think as they do. And currently they are flocking to Reform.
I would say this site skews towards professional, managerial, AB Class individuals. In the time I’ve been on this site I think the prevailing wind when it comes to views and debate has shifted very much in line with how that class appears to have shifted (quite significantly leftwards on cultural topics, a slight nudge leftwards on economics).
Let's shift it further left economically
"Politicians claim countries must be run like households, and that’s completely wrong." Richard J Murphy, YouTube, 23Jan2025, 13 mins, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FZmhyKkFdU
I wonder if Murph has a 103% of annual income credit card balance .
It's longterm debt more akin to a mortgage and banks are more than happy to lend on a 400% of income basis. I think it would be a safe bet that all the homeowners on PB bought their first home with a mortgage that was >100% of their annual income.
doubt 100%, there will be some got them as gifts or had large part paid for them
Tulsi Gabbard growing less likely to be confirmed. I'd forgotten this one.
As we remember Japan’s aggression in the Pacific, we need to ask ourselves this question: is the remilitarization of Japan, which is presently underway, truly a good idea? We need to be careful that shortsighted, self-serving leaders do not end up bringing us again face-to-face with a remilitarized Japan. #PearlHarbor82.. https://x.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1732690475482755422
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
They don’t deserve a deal. They deserve, and need, total economic and domestic political collapse. As the world learned from Napoleon to Hitler to Hirohito, the only way you get rid of an imperialist death cult is by unconditional defeat.
Modern Russia - arguably Russia since the 15th century - is an imperialist Ponzi scheme. It exists only to expand and conquer.
A totally collapsed Russia would be very bad news for the West, in all sorts of ways.
You're usually a wiser and cooler head on PB, TimS.
Rubbish it is a blot on the landscape. If they cannot get some humans running the place it is better beggared.
Tulsi Gabbard growing less likely to be confirmed. I'd forgotten this one.
As we remember Japan’s aggression in the Pacific, we need to ask ourselves this question: is the remilitarization of Japan, which is presently underway, truly a good idea? We need to be careful that shortsighted, self-serving leaders do not end up bringing us again face-to-face with a remilitarized Japan. #PearlHarbor82.. https://x.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1732690475482755422
There's also the issue of the somewhat passive/aggressive history of the Japanese Defence Forces with their ally/enemy - a 328 foot tall radioactive lizard. Who breathes radioactive fire. I mean, he's not Jewish and it's not a laser beam. But....
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
Tulsi Gabbard growing less likely to be confirmed. I'd forgotten this one.
As we remember Japan’s aggression in the Pacific, we need to ask ourselves this question: is the remilitarization of Japan, which is presently underway, truly a good idea? We need to be careful that shortsighted, self-serving leaders do not end up bringing us again face-to-face with a remilitarized Japan. #PearlHarbor82.. https://x.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1732690475482755422
You know, I can think of positive things to say about almost every human being: yes, even Trump, @kle4 and RFK Jr.
Tulsi Gabbard, though, I'm really struggling. Can anyone think of a single positive characteristic?
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
And even then it's not easy, because there is so little capacity in the MH system.
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
Further, you might argue that bringing them back would be a good idea. But society has changed and won't tolerate the abuses that led to their ending and the changes to the ethical structure taught to doctors.
Much as in the case of social care for children, reintroducing Borstal and locking the kids up like criminals won't come back. Despite {REDACTED REDACTED.....}
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
My back garden fence blown down, been severe winds all day and still not great. Not going out to check how bad it is , can wait till tomorrow.
Hope the damage isn't too severe.
My garden wall was blown down in October 1987. When I left home it was 40ft of brick wall; when I got home it was 40ft of rubble. Fortunately nothing damaged by the collapse.
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
And even then it's not easy, because there is so little capacity in the MH system.
There is space for stabby, total loons. Because there are so few of those. The total number of loony murders, in loony bins, in the whole country - a couple of dozen?
What there isn't space for, is the regular type head-full-of-substandard-wiring types.
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
I wonder how the self destruct bill will deal with people who hate being in prison so much they'd prefer to die. Has that topic been covered, does anyone know?
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
And even then it's not easy, because there is so little capacity in the MH system.
There is space for stabby, total loons. Because there are so few of those. The total number of loony murders, in loony bins, in the whole country - a couple of dozen?
What there isn't space for, is the regular type head-full-of-substandard-wiring types.
The trouble is that there isn't the assessment capacity to distinguish those likely to go on stabby rampages from those who just have an unhealthy interest in such things.
The word cloud shows one fundamental thing. The public being polled wants solutions to a number of well known problems but does not want to pay for them, and furthermore wants them a bit more quickly than is feasible anyway. Farage and Reform are the only outfit offering this (bogusly of course) who have not already recently been tried out. Just one year ago Labour and Starmer were in that pole position.
Went out for a drink last night with a couple of neighbours. Bit younger than me, but not that much. One of them said that he'd been watching a lot of GB news "because he was fed up with the bias shown by the BBC and wanted the truth." He then went on about the amount of grooming of young girls by men of Pakistani origin. When he'd gone my remaining friend and I shook our heads sadly over hm.
I work at Uni and I am surrounded by people who mostly vote Labour or Lib Dem. Hard to find a Tory (or at least someone who would admit to it). It leads people who work here to believe that the whole country thinks as they do and so the shock at Brexit, and when Corbyn lost in 2019 etc is profound. The lack of engagement with 'normal people' feeds into this.
PB is rather like this. We have some who are not of the herd, but most are rather similar in views/beliefs. We are lucky that there are some outspoken outliers, otherwise we would be even more of an echo chamber than BSkyBBlueSky or whatever its called.
I'm not surprised at your neighbours attitudes. Lots of people think as they do. And currently they are flocking to Reform.
I would say this site skews towards professional, managerial, AB Class individuals. In the time I’ve been on this site I think the prevailing wind when it comes to views and debate has shifted very much in line with how that class appears to have shifted (quite significantly leftwards on cultural topics, a slight nudge leftwards on economics).
Let's shift it further left economically
"Politicians claim countries must be run like households, and that’s completely wrong." Richard J Murphy, YouTube, 23Jan2025, 13 mins, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FZmhyKkFdU
I wonder if Murph has a 103% of annual income credit card balance .
It's longterm debt more akin to a mortgage and banks are more than happy to lend on a 400% of income basis. I think it would be a safe bet that all the homeowners on PB bought their first home with a mortgage that was >100% of their annual income.
It's not remotely long term debt akin to a mortgage.
A mortgage you buy your home and then you own it. The mortgage doesn't keep going up annually, if you make your payments it's going down.
Our debt is going up not due to asset purchases like a mortgage, or investment like a mortgage, it's gone up because living expenses have exceeded revenues.
It's more akin to a mountain of credit card debt than a mortgage.
he's talking more sense than most (so will probably go nowhere). Keir Starmer was also talking sense. Sam Coates (in the quoted tweet) shows his lack of understanding of the specifics.
the A47 between Dereham and Norwich is a horrible road which has cost lives, (I know I use it regularly) and Dr Boswell was trying to stop a road project which was not only needed but popular in the county and supported by all of the local MPs and councillors. if these specific schemes didn't happen another one would have happened much later and at much higher cost. Dr Boswell was being crowdfunded and had a flimsy argument which should have been thrown out initially.
A better system for review of infrastructure projects is needed so it doesn't get to court in the first place. or if it has to it's once and quick.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
I wonder how the self destruct bill will deal with people who hate being in prison so much they'd prefer to die. Has that topic been covered, does anyone know?
Unless they're terminally ill and likely to die within six months they're not eligible. It's not about 'preference to die'.
I would not dream of questioning a reputable pollster but who are Find out now, and they seem to be the only weekly poster and the most Reform friendly? Because of their frequency if their methodology is even just slightly out they will skew all the averages.
After Southport I can see Labour getting spanked but why the Tories, they have done nothing wrong? All the changes are within MoE.
Their average for Reform is only a point or two above that of the other pollsters. Nothing remarkable.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
I'm surprised we haven't heard more from the Chechens yet, it would seem now would be an ideal opportunity to strike for them.
Not sure if Putin came down on them so hard there's no appetite there anymore or anything else but Putin is too stretched already.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
I suspect that the fall of Putin will be sudden and we won't see it coming. It'll start with someone from within the regime but where is stops will be anyone's guess. from like for like replacement to collapse of the Russian state with lots of new Siberian countries.
I'd also suggest watching Belarus for the same reasons as the Caucuses.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
I suspect that the fall of Putin will be sudden and we won't see it coming. It'll start with someone from within the regime but where is stops will be anyone's guess. from like for like replacement to collapse of the Russian state with lots of new Siberian countries.
I'd also suggest watching Belarus for the same reasons as the Caucuses.
Whenever politicians do this it's usually an attempt to shore up their own declining support.
Nah, the Royals are rather unpopular.
The most recent royal visit to Belize was in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, had to drop one of their engagements in the country in response to a protest.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
I'm surprised we haven't heard more from the Chechens yet, it would seem now would be an ideal opportunity to strike for them.
Not sure if Putin came down on them so hard there's no appetite there anymore or anything else but Putin is too stretched already.
wouldn't they need to dislodge Kadyrov first? That'd take some organising.
I hope they aren’t expecting British support, the next time Guatemala presses its territorial claim. Independence surely means standing on your own two feet.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
I'm surprised we haven't heard more from the Chechens yet, it would seem now would be an ideal opportunity to strike for them.
Not sure if Putin came down on them so hard there's no appetite there anymore or anything else but Putin is too stretched already.
wouldn't they need to dislodge Kadyrov first? That'd take some organising.
Well they got his father.
Or Kadyrov could choose now is the time to switch sides. The family has form.
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened ... they'd have much better health coverage."
The Canadian Liberals can't believe their luck with Trump. Since taking office they have already gone from facing annihilation in the polls to already some showing a hung parliament. He is of course wrong anyway, Canada has universal healthcare coverage unlike USA
Not true really. It's based on one pollster which is out of line with all the others.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
If you’re a Ukrainian, you’re fighting not to be murdered, deported, or raped, or have these things done to those you love. If you’re a Russian, you’re fighting for the greater glory of the dictator.
Whenever politicians do this it's usually an attempt to shore up their own declining support.
Nah, the Royals are rather unpopular.
The most recent royal visit to Belize was in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, had to drop one of their engagements in the country in response to a protest.
Plurality of support for monarchy in the latest survey there 48 to 43. Another sound country who see how silly and old fashioned republics are.
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened ... they'd have much better health coverage."
The Canadian Liberals can't believe their luck with Trump. Since taking office they have already gone from facing annihilation in the polls to already some showing a hung parliament. He is of course wrong anyway, Canada has universal healthcare coverage unlike USA
Not true really. It's based on one pollster which is out of line with all the others.
People tend to assume that a poll that is out of line with the rest is the real deal, rather than an outlier.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
I'm surprised we haven't heard more from the Chechens yet, it would seem now would be an ideal opportunity to strike for them.
Not sure if Putin came down on them so hard there's no appetite there anymore or anything else but Putin is too stretched already.
There are a fair few secessionist movements in Russia proper; all small, but some quite old.
the Administration is briefing trump will force a deal, but Europe will have to pay for both policing the border, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
At which point, we should be determining the conditions of the deal, not him.
I'm not seeing the credible Trump leverage on Putin to force any deal that isn't a clear win for Russia,
The biggest leverage, IMHO, is surging Russian inflation.
That's a very slow killer of a regime, though.
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
I'm surprised we haven't heard more from the Chechens yet, it would seem now would be an ideal opportunity to strike for them.
Not sure if Putin came down on them so hard there's no appetite there anymore or anything else but Putin is too stretched already.
wouldn't they need to dislodge Kadyrov first? That'd take some organising.
Well they got his father.
Or Kadyrov could choose now is the time to switch sides. The family has form.
Having hollowed out the military with the war in Ukraine, if Putin has hollowed out the economy and/or public finances as much then Chechnya would be one of the first places for 'cutbacks'. that could cause trouble
Whenever politicians do this it's usually an attempt to shore up their own declining support.
Nah, the Royals are rather unpopular.
The most recent royal visit to Belize was in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, had to drop one of their engagements in the country in response to a protest.
There are protests against royals in the UK too, but by no stretch of the imagination are they unpopular here. This is the same kind of logic that took a few thousand people screaming Corbyn's name as evidence he'd be the next PM.
Whenever politicians do this it's usually an attempt to shore up their own declining support.
Nah, the Royals are rather unpopular.
The most recent royal visit to Belize was in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, had to drop one of their engagements in the country in response to a protest.
There are protests against royals in the UK too, but by no stretch of the imagination are they unpopular here. This is the same kind of logic that took a few thousand people screaming Corbyn's name as evidence he'd be the next PM.
Hardly, they would just be getting more influence from Trump, China or in their case Lord Ashcroft.
Though they will be staying in the Commonwealth either way
It's OK, let them go. Most people in Belize see Spanish as their first language (57%), as opposed to the King's (just 6%), or even the local English Creole (37%).
Hardly, they would just be getting more influence from Trump, China or in their case Lord Ashcroft.
Though they will be staying in the Commonwealth either way
It's OK, let them go. Most people in Belize see Spanish as their first language (57%), as opposed to the King's (just 6%), or even the local English Creole (37%).
Belize has been independent since 1981, they still chose to keep the monarch as their head of state
Whenever politicians do this it's usually an attempt to shore up their own declining support.
Nah, the Royals are rather unpopular.
The most recent royal visit to Belize was in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, had to drop one of their engagements in the country in response to a protest.
There are protests against royals in the UK too, but by no stretch of the imagination are they unpopular here. This is the same kind of logic that took a few thousand people screaming Corbyn's name as evidence he'd be the next PM.
25% is even less than voted for Corbyn in 2019. If republicans can't even get almost all the 32% who voted for Corbyn in 2019, who was after all a republican himself, and with a King who is less popular than his mother was and son is too who can they get?
Whenever politicians do this it's usually an attempt to shore up their own declining support.
Nah, the Royals are rather unpopular.
The most recent royal visit to Belize was in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, had to drop one of their engagements in the country in response to a protest.
There are protests against royals in the UK too, but by no stretch of the imagination are they unpopular here. This is the same kind of logic that took a few thousand people screaming Corbyn's name as evidence he'd be the next PM.
The thing is, if you replace the monarchy with a presidency I'd not want one like the US with a political president. I'd want one doing a similar job in an apolitical position. at that point it's simpler to keep the status quo
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened ... they'd have much better health coverage."
The Canadian Liberals can't believe their luck with Trump. Since taking office they have already gone from facing annihilation in the polls to already some showing a hung parliament. He is of course wrong anyway, Canada has universal healthcare coverage unlike USA
Not true really. It's based on one pollster which is out of line with all the others.
Mainstreet too had the Liberals up to 26% after Trudeau resigned, the EKOS poll is the only poll published since Trump's inaugration and has the Conservative lead cut even further
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
Aren't Denmark in the EU?
The US doesn’t care, just look at the restrictions on chip exports.
I hope they aren’t expecting British support, the next time Guatemala presses its territorial claim. Independence surely means standing on your own two feet.
We hate ourselves and only want to prostrate ourselves on the world stage.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
And here is why the Grits are coming roaring back. Dollar for dollar is the only language he understands. They put one in hospital we put one in the morgue. Don't know why we're wasting time.
Hardly, they would just be getting more influence from Trump, China or in their case Lord Ashcroft.
Though they will be staying in the Commonwealth either way
It's OK, let them go. Most people in Belize see Spanish as their first language (57%), as opposed to the King's (just 6%), or even the local English Creole (37%).
Belize has been independent since 1981, they still chose to keep the monarch as their head of state
I haven't included them in my (hypothetical) Anglospheric Federation.
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
Unless someone is an obvious, immediate danger to themselves or the community, no doctor will sign off on locking people up and medicating them against their will.
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
I wonder how the self destruct bill will deal with people who hate being in prison so much they'd prefer to die. Has that topic been covered, does anyone know?
The law in Canada has been stretched to cover the incurably miserable.
“In one instance, veteran and paralympian Christine Gauthier said she was offered the option by the employee after she asked for a wheelchair ramp to be installed in her home.”
Hardly, they would just be getting more influence from Trump, China or in their case Lord Ashcroft.
Though they will be staying in the Commonwealth either way
It's OK, let them go. Most people in Belize see Spanish as their first language (57%), as opposed to the King's (just 6%), or even the local English Creole (37%).
Belize has been independent since 1981, they still chose to keep the monarch as their head of state
I haven't included them in my (hypothetical) Anglospheric Federation.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
Aren't Denmark in the EU?
The US doesn’t care, just look at the restrictions on chip exports.
To sell their cured meat products and Lego Denmark still have access to an enormous tariff free frictionless single market on their doorstep, unlike Britain since Starmer foolishly took us out of the EU.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
Aren't Denmark in the EU?
The US doesn’t care, just look at the restrictions on chip exports.
To sell their cured meat products and Lego Denmark still have access to an enormous tariff free frictionless single market on their doorstep, unlike Britain since Starmer foolishly took us out of the EU.
Then it’ll be like water off a duck’s back. Yet that isn’t consistent with the reports in the FT, is it?
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
When can we start photoshopping JD the VP into the "are we the baddies?" meme?
Hardly, they would just be getting more influence from Trump, China or in their case Lord Ashcroft.
Though they will be staying in the Commonwealth either way
It's OK, let them go. Most people in Belize see Spanish as their first language (57%), as opposed to the King's (just 6%), or even the local English Creole (37%).
Belize has been independent since 1981, they still chose to keep the monarch as their head of state
I haven't included them in my (hypothetical) Anglospheric Federation.
8 see you've survived your trip to Ashington!
Yes, and that morning I even did the York avoider (Holgate Jn to Skelton Jn) courtesy of the 1045 Lumo train ex-Kings Cross!
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
When can we start photoshopping JD the VP into the "are we the baddies?" meme?
They are going to make an offer the Danes can’t refuse.
he's talking more sense than most (so will probably go nowhere). Keir Starmer was also talking sense. Sam Coates (in the quoted tweet) shows his lack of understanding of the specifics.
the A47 between Dereham and Norwich is a horrible road which has cost lives, (I know I use it regularly) and Dr Boswell was trying to stop a road project which was not only needed but popular in the county and supported by all of the local MPs and councillors. if these specific schemes didn't happen another one would have happened much later and at much higher cost. Dr Boswell was being crowdfunded and had a flimsy argument which should have been thrown out initially.
A better system for review of infrastructure projects is needed so it doesn't get to court in the first place. or if it has to it's once and quick.
Further - it was pretty much certain from the starts that the objections were invalid. Lawfare, plain and simple.
In 1917, our Septic friends purchased the western half of the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million (say $600 million in today's money). These are the group now known as the US Virgin Islands.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
Aren't Denmark in the EU?
The US doesn’t care, just look at the restrictions on chip exports.
To sell their cured meat products and Lego Denmark still have access to an enormous tariff free frictionless single market on their doorstep, unlike Britain since Starmer foolishly took us out of the EU.
Then it’ll be like water off a duck’s back. Yet that isn’t consistent with the reports in the FT, is it?
No, you have me banged to rights. The Brexit interjection was entirely my confection.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
When can we start photoshopping JD the VP into the "are we the baddies?" meme?
They are going to make an offer the Danes can’t refuse.
Between Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal it's getting to be a bit insulting Trump hasn't made any overtures to subsume us yet.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
When can we start photoshopping JD the VP into the "are we the baddies?" meme?
They are going to make an offer the Danes can’t refuse.
Between Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal it's getting to be a bit insulting Trump hasn't made any overtures to subsume us yet.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
When can we start photoshopping JD the VP into the "are we the baddies?" meme?
They are going to make an offer the Danes can’t refuse.
Between Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal it's getting to be a bit insulting Trump hasn't made any overtures to subsume us yet.
Whenever we get onto the monarchy on here I always politely mention that it is largely retained through inertia and the fact that there is absolutely zero strong support or consensus about the alternative. We will keep our monarchy until such point as the monarch becomes actively damaging to the state (and no, that isn't the case now).
Other nations around the world have their own choice to make on ties to the British throne, but I can at least understand the stronger feeling in some nations around whether in 2025 it makes sense for someone who lives on the other side of the world and visits once every few years at most to be the nominal head of your country.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
When can we start photoshopping JD the VP into the "are we the baddies?" meme?
They are going to make an offer the Danes can’t refuse.
Between Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal it's getting to be a bit insulting Trump hasn't made any overtures to subsume us yet.
The big risk is that we might say yes.
We, read Charles, should propose the creation of the Dominion of North America, with Trump as its first viceroy.
That is your interpretation and not representative of the behind the paywall article.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
It’s an accurate description.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
When can we start photoshopping JD the VP into the "are we the baddies?" meme?
They are going to make an offer the Danes can’t refuse.
Between Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal it's getting to be a bit insulting Trump hasn't made any overtures to subsume us yet.
He'll just slowly take over, one golf course at a time.
Comments
In Corbyn’s time those politically engaged people were boosting Labour polling. Now they’re boosting Green and Reform.
I can well believe Reform is now in the 20s, but 26%? Seems a push when you look at local by-elections. And the Greens at 10%? Nah.
The Tories are the world’s great survivors. Come 2029 they (and Labour) will be comfortably back up in the mid 30s.
As Canada consists of 10 Provinces and 3 Territories, they would become the 51st through 63rd States!
That was only a preamble to total collapse, and even then highly dangerous for the short-sighted West at the time. It's a cliche, but we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history, without the use of any knowledge.
Hopefully it does next time.
Back to those examples: Napoleon, Hirohito, Hitler. Or for that matter Genghis or any other historical conqueror. They cannot and will not be bargained with. Only total defeat rids the world of their danger.
https://x.com/dan4barnet/status/1882774413977755680?s=61
Most likely it will be a ceasefire on current boundaries
The situations aren't comparable.
After Southport I can see Labour getting spanked but why the Tories, they have done nothing wrong? All the changes are within MoE.
https://x.com/_friedrichmerz/status/1882847942576623760
https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/usercode.py?scotcontrol=N&CON=23&LAB=22&LIB=12&Reform=26&Green=10&UKIP=&TVCON=&TVLAB=&TVLIB=&TVReform=&TVGreen=&TVUKIP=&SCOTCON=&SCOTLAB=&SCOTLIB=&SCOTReform=&SCOTGreen=&SCOTUKIP=&SCOTNAT=&display=AllChanged&regorseat=(none)&boundary=2024
I said they'd use it to try out attack lines against Reform.
I'd forgotten this one.
As we remember Japan’s aggression in the Pacific, we need to ask ourselves this question: is the remilitarization of Japan, which is presently underway, truly a good idea? We need to be careful that shortsighted, self-serving leaders do not end up bringing us again face-to-face with a remilitarized Japan. #PearlHarbor82..
https://x.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1732690475482755422
Disclosure will raise questions on what service knew about Axel Rudakubana’s state of mind before he carried out the atrocity
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/24/southport-killer-nhs-mental-health-axel-rudakubana/ (£££)
Is there a market on when Rudakubana is transferred to Ashworth or Rampton?
And is this another failure of Care in the Community which saw most psychiatric hospitals sold off for luxury flats? Might Rudakubana have been sectioned when turned down by Prevent as not a terrorist?
You can't bring back the old insane asylums, because you won't be able to get people inside them.
Tulsi Gabbard, though, I'm really struggling. Can anyone think of a single positive characteristic?
Much as in the case of social care for children, reintroducing Borstal and locking the kids up like criminals won't come back. Despite {REDACTED REDACTED.....}
My garden wall was blown down in October 1987. When I left home it was 40ft of brick wall; when I got home it was 40ft of rubble. Fortunately nothing damaged by the collapse.
What there isn't space for, is the regular type head-full-of-substandard-wiring types.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/labour-exempts-america-soldiers-children-private-school-vat/#:~:text=Following queries from a number,services' for these purposes.”
Another impractical, utopian, moronic euro-dream bites the dust.
Well you can, but not before it's too late.
A mortgage you buy your home and then you own it. The mortgage doesn't keep going up annually, if you make your payments it's going down.
Our debt is going up not due to asset purchases like a mortgage, or investment like a mortgage, it's gone up because living expenses have exceeded revenues.
It's more akin to a mountain of credit card debt than a mortgage.
the A47 between Dereham and Norwich is a horrible road which has cost lives, (I know I use it regularly) and Dr Boswell was trying to stop a road project which was not only needed but popular in the county and supported by all of the local MPs and councillors. if these specific schemes didn't happen another one would have happened much later and at much higher cost. Dr Boswell was being crowdfunded and had a flimsy argument which should have been thrown out initially.
A better system for review of infrastructure projects is needed so it doesn't get to court in the first place. or if it has to it's once and quick.
Belize replaces British monarch on bank notes with ‘national heroes’
John Briceño, the prime minister, said Belize “quite likely” to be the next state to become a republic
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/belize-replaces-british-monarch-on-bank-notes-with-national-heroes-s6fjf900b
Russia's internal security apparatus is incredibly strong.
Dissent is quickly found and sent to camps far from Moscow.
So... the current situation is this: Putin cannot survive peace, unless he has a clear victory. But he cannot get a clear victory, because right now he has a negligible amount of territory and 600,000 dead and wounded.
Ukraine could survive and accept some kind of peace. If they gave up the Crimea and the Eastern oblasts that have been lost, but join the EU and (coughs) NATO, then that would probably work for them.
But while they might accept that, grudgingly, Putin couldn't.
And I don't think the US government can force Ukraine to cede additional territory. And it can't make the EU not accept Ukraine.
So we have a bloody stalemate.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has the military strength to push for full victory. Meanwhile, Russia's economy is in serious trouble, but there's no obvious way to displace Putin.
Still, it's fundamentally an unstable equilibrium. At some point, a military unit will refuse to fight, and then it will all come cascading down for one side or the other.
My guess would be that it's more likely (although far from certain) to be a Russian unit.
Why?
Well, Russia has to advance, and Ukraine does not. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, and people will fight to keep what they have more than to gain something new. And, finally, Russia has already started to need to pull in troops from North Korea. That doesn't suggest they are finding it easy to get soldiers to the frontline.
Finally... watch the Caucuses. The more exposed the Russian military is to Ukraine, the less able it is to crack down on dissent there.
Though they will be staying in the Commonwealth either way
Not sure if Putin came down on them so hard there's no appetite there anymore or anything else but Putin is too stretched already.
I'd also suggest watching Belarus for the same reasons as the Caucuses.
The most recent royal visit to Belize was in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, had to drop one of their engagements in the country in response to a protest.
Or Kadyrov could choose now is the time to switch sides. The family has form.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separatism_in_Russia#Secessionist_movements
https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2024/09/01/support-for-an-elected-head-of-state-up-by-a-quarter-since-charles-became-king/
https://www.ft.com/content/ace02a6f-3307-43f8-aac3-16b6646b60f6
@Casino_Royale you are welcome to flag for that quip.
I think you might be a little too high on Trump's supply.
The Danes are now in crisis mode,” said one person briefed on the call. Another said: “The Danes are utterly freaked out by this.” A former Danish official added: “It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark such as targeted tariffs.”
Why should that be attractive?
Dollar for dollar is the only language he understands.
They put one in hospital we put one in the morgue. Don't know why we're wasting time.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64004329
“In one instance, veteran and paralympian Christine Gauthier said she was offered the option by the employee after she asked for a wheelchair ramp to be installed in her home.”
So…..
It's another thing entirely when you threaten retaliatory tariffs if fellow NATO member Denmark does not accede to your request.
Other nations around the world have their own choice to make on ties to the British throne, but I can at least understand the stronger feeling in some nations around whether in 2025 it makes sense for someone who lives on the other side of the world and visits once every few years at most to be the nominal head of your country.