Has the US Government formally legalised extortion now? Do they need to advertise the US Marines as for sale to any government with a few useful minerals in their land? Have we enough coal left in the old pits to hire them?
Ever since I got back from Singapore, it's been chilly mornings but glorious afternoons with wall to wall sunshine.
Reminds of the lockdown Spring in 2020.
Indeed - I well remember sitting in the garden in April 2020 enjoying two things - first, the clear air and second, the absence of traffic from the A406.
Typical one-note haranguing from Barnett, demanding that Rayner criticise Trump's actions when she knows full well that Rayner is hamstrung by diplomatic considerations.
I prefer that to the pretence that all is fine. It isn't.
Barnett is only (repeatedly) asking (the same) question because she knows Rayner can't answer it. If Rayner was in a position where she could say what she thought of Trump's actions then Barnett wouldn't ask that question, she'd probably harangue her about something that was sub judice instead. It doesn't advance the debate, but then that's not Barnett's purpose.
It illustrates the fact that the government cannot - or won't - comment. That is entirely fair game for the BBC. There's no "debate" to "advance" if ministers won't debate in public. And if Rayner can't come up with a more adroit way of getting that across and closing it down, that's her problem.
Other leaders are less circumspect.
..“Please fasten your seatbelts, we’re entering a turbulence zone, one could say” Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said today while opening a meeting of the Polish cabinet in Warsaw.
In his opening remarks, Tusk warned of “unprecedented” risks facing Europe, including “the biggest in the last few decades when it comes to security”. He urged ministers in his coalition government to put party differences aside as he expected the need to make “extraordinary” decisions.
“As you know, a decision was announced to suspend the US aid for Ukraine, and perhaps start lifting sanctions on Russia. We don’t have any reason to think these are just words,” he said.
He added that the reports he was getting from the Polish-Ukrainian border and the Polish logistics hub in Rzeszów-Jasionka, used for supplies for Ukraine, confirmed that the US decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine had been implemented.
“This puts Europe, Ukraine, Poland in a more difficult situation that we now need to face,” he said...
It is fair game but if Starmer spends more time doing stuff with Macron than Reeves, it suggests he doesn't really think all is cosy with Trump. At the end of the day governments have to govern and not just comment particularly when such comments make their job harder. If Rayner won't comment, by all means note it, but it isn't necessarily the gotcha the BBC pretends it to be.
When I lived in Southam, one of the local boys was killed in Afghanistan. His name was Private Jeff Doherty and he died under enemy fire two days after his 21st birthday. There was absolute silence - save for the wind rustling through the trees and the tolling church bells - as his coffin came down the High Street. HIs weeping family followed behind and the whole town, heads bowed, lined both sides of the road. They even brought the kids out of the schools, the ones he had attended, to pay their respects. It still brings tears to my eyes remembering it now.
This scene was repeated across the UK countless times, while similar ones happened in many other countries too. All because, for the only time in history, the US invoked NATO Article 5.
If I believed in hell I would be praying for JD Vance and his apologists to burn there for eternity.
Politically, if Labour and the Tories do not have the skill to bury the Trump/Vance/Putin-backing Reform party, they need to dissolve themselves and let someone else have a go
"From China's perspective, what is a key lesson to take away from the [#ZelenskyTrump] affair? It is the need for sufficient strategic composure and patience, without being overly reactive to every development...
...When a leader has all the advantages, resources and organisational structure of 🇺🇸 at his disposal, yet is unable to get #Ukraine to accept terms or influence the course of the 🇷🇺-🇺🇦 war, what else can he truly accomplish?"..
1. British households and businesses have spent too little and saved too much since the financial crisis. Private debt is way lower than it used to be. As a result government tax take is down and public debt is higher.
2. Labour came in on a manifesto of not raising VAT or income tax and employee NI, the big earners for the government.
3. Government needs more money and the economy needs more demand
Hence spend for victory. Here’s the bones of the speech: “We face the biggest security challenge since WW2, and we must fund a huge expansion in the defence budget while making sure we fix potholes, keep crime off the streets and reduce waiting lists. We promised not to raise tax. But you can do your bit. For every pound you spend on that new car (not Tesla) or that home extension or that trip to the cinema, or for you businesses that new IT system or warehouse automation, 20p goes straight to our fighting fund to get Britain growing and stick it to Putin. So I want you to go out and spend. Spend like you’ve never spent before. Your country needs you”
The people with the demand don't have the money.
The people with the money don't have the demand.
It leads back to housing, student debt and intergenerational inequality generally.
“Make saving expensive again”?
The previous govt was moving along those lines by lowering the amount of interest you could get before paying tax.
What Rachel Reeves could do is lower the limit you can pay into a cash ISA. It has been mooted.
If your savings cannot beat inflation then, apart from a buffer for an emergency, what is the point of it.
Other than house deposits, wedding funds, holidays, car replacements... absolutely nothing.
House deposits for FTB there is the lifetime ISA that beats inflation.
There is no reason whatsoever the others cannot be saved elsewhere.
Of course I just offer my view on cash savings. Not financial advice. I have most of my cash savings, small as it is, fixed at over 5%.
Sadly this will go down as it renews.
What is it in plz if you get over 5%?
Fixed rate savings bonds. With banks and building societies. Kent Reliance, Newcastle, Atom, Raisin.
I took these out over 12 months ago for 2 years though.
Renewing I doubt I will get anywhere near that. Was probably just lucky with timing. First time for everything.
Doesn't;t look as though Australia are going to make a match winning score against India, unless their bowlers can do better than their batsmen.
Still better than England of course.
I think it's appalling India has been allowed to play its games in Dubai which seems to have provided a good wicket for the Indian spinners.
I would have excluded India from the Champions Trophy for not being prepared to play in the host country.
The Kiwi brother-in-law thinks they have no chance against South Africa - I've had a play at Evens on the Kiwis and taken 22/1 about Williamson and van der Dussen to be the top scorers for their teams. Brother-in-law forgets the Saffers have only beaten England and Afghanistan - the match against the Aussies was rained off- so this will be their first real test.
Pretty clear that Zelenskyy will have to sign the extortion deal and offer a grovelling apology within days .
I just don’t see any other option.
Why? Trump will offer him nothing in return.
There's also the question of whether the rest of Ukraine's leadership would go along with such a decision. I honestly don't know which way any alternate (non puppet) leader would go if Zelensky were to step down, or be disappeared.
They are effectively being offered two impossible alternatives, neither of which holds any security for their future - and one of which necessitates grovelling before the guy who is forcing the choice.
Ever since I got back from Singapore, it's been chilly mornings but glorious afternoons with wall to wall sunshine.
Reminds of the lockdown Spring in 2020.
Indeed - I well remember sitting in the garden in April 2020 enjoying two things - first, the clear air and second, the absence of traffic from the A406.
"From China's perspective, what is a key lesson to take away from the [#ZelenskyTrump] affair? It is the need for sufficient strategic composure and patience, without being overly reactive to every development...
...When a leader has all the advantages, resources and organisational structure of 🇺🇸 at his disposal, yet is unable to get #Ukraine to accept terms or influence the course of the 🇷🇺-🇺🇦 war, what else can he truly accomplish?"..
This is the real reason Trump and his lickspittle Putin sympathising VP are so mad: Z came across as a man with integrity and they just came across as a couple of bullying thugs with none. There are those saying Z has no choice but to bow to Trump. Z is a man that refused to bow to Putin, and let's face it, Putin and Trump are two cheeks of the same bullying arse.
European and NATO allies were not informed in advance, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
This is a very important decision and the situation is very serious. "The decision was made without any information or consultation with NATO allies or the Ramstein Group," Pavel Vronsky told reporters..."
1. British households and businesses have spent too little and saved too much since the financial crisis. Private debt is way lower than it used to be. As a result government tax take is down and public debt is higher.
2. Labour came in on a manifesto of not raising VAT or income tax and employee NI, the big earners for the government.
3. Government needs more money and the economy needs more demand
Hence spend for victory. Here’s the bones of the speech: “We face the biggest security challenge since WW2, and we must fund a huge expansion in the defence budget while making sure we fix potholes, keep crime off the streets and reduce waiting lists. We promised not to raise tax. But you can do your bit. For every pound you spend on that new car (not Tesla) or that home extension or that trip to the cinema, or for you businesses that new IT system or warehouse automation, 20p goes straight to our fighting fund to get Britain growing and stick it to Putin. So I want you to go out and spend. Spend like you’ve never spent before. Your country needs you”
The people with the demand don't have the money.
The people with the money don't have the demand.
It leads back to housing, student debt and intergenerational inequality generally.
“Make saving expensive again”?
The previous govt was moving along those lines by lowering the amount of interest you could get before paying tax.
What Rachel Reeves could do is lower the limit you can pay into a cash ISA. It has been mooted.
If your savings cannot beat inflation then, apart from a buffer for an emergency, what is the point of it.
Other than house deposits, wedding funds, holidays, car replacements... absolutely nothing.
We started an ISA for each of our childen when they were born which was enough to pay for their maintainance fees at Uni and still leave enough for a house deposit. £100 a month each over 18 years with Skandia/Old Mutual (or whoever they have now become).
I’ve thought for a while now the govt, for the younger generations pensions, the govt should, for every child who turns 18, plonk £5,000 into a S&S ISA into something like an S&P 500 tracker, with low cost fees, which reinvests dividends and allow the power of compounding to do its work, and they would be able'to access this at the age of 67.
Doing it at birth and allowing access at 30 would be more useful. That would work a long way to a deposit and it's often when people need money the most.
Pretty clear that Zelenskyy will have to sign the extortion deal and offer a grovelling apology within days .
I just don’t see any other option.
And don't forget the suit and tie. But I'm not so sure. It could be Trump "overplaying his hand".
I really hate to see Zelenskyy humiliated in this way but I just don’t see he has any other options.
You could be right. But Donald Trump is outing himself as a person you can't do business with. The opposite, ironically, of what a "dealmaker" requires to be successful.
Pretty clear that Zelenskyy will have to sign the extortion deal and offer a grovelling apology within days .
I just don’t see any other option.
And don't forget the suit and tie. But I'm not so sure. It could be Trump "overplaying his hand".
I really hate to see Zelenskyy humiliated in this way but I just don’t see he has any other options.
You could be right. But Donald Trump is rapidly becoming a person you can't do business with. The opposite, ironically, of what a "dealmaker" requires to be successful.
Pretty clear that Zelenskyy will have to sign the extortion deal and offer a grovelling apology within days .
I just don’t see any other option.
And don't forget the suit and tie. But I'm not so sure. It could be Trump "overplaying his hand".
I really hate to see Zelenskyy humiliated in this way but I just don’t see he has any other options.
You could be right. But Donald Trump is rapidly becoming a person you can't do business with. The opposite, ironically, of what a "dealmaker" requires to be successful.
Zelenskyy should tell Trump to shove it. Ukraine has been battling against Russia for 3 years refusing to surrender. Why should it surrender now to the US who will just hand over chunks of the country to Russia and strip mine the rest?
laydees, gennulmen and inbetweeners, I have received my Certificate of Residence for the German Tax Authorities, only 16 months after I first applied
It is a single page document: stamped. I guess someone, somewhere, in the endless ranks of HMRC, actually decided to go into the actual office. Where they keep the stamps
"From China's perspective, what is a key lesson to take away from the [#ZelenskyTrump] affair? It is the need for sufficient strategic composure and patience, without being overly reactive to every development...
...When a leader has all the advantages, resources and organisational structure of 🇺🇸 at his disposal, yet is unable to get #Ukraine to accept terms or influence the course of the 🇷🇺-🇺🇦 war, what else can he truly accomplish?"..
This is a brave take. I'm almost surprised he didn't wheel out a childbirth analogy.
https://x.com/mkraju/status/1896774667832049873 Some Rs acknowledge that there could be higher prices with Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariffs but believe their constituents would be willing to stomach that to back Trump’s policies.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin told me "of course" he's worried tariffs could impact his state but argued that his constituents are willing to "do what it takes" to support the president's policy.
"Are the American people ready to get the country back on track and do what it takes to make that happen? Absolutely… It’s going to affect a lot of companies. We’re going to have to adjust some prices for it, but the president is tired of people taking advantage of our country.”
Asked if his constituents are ready to pay higher prices, Mullin said: “I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us.”
Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri told me he thinks tariffs are "going to have an impact," particularly on farmers, though he said he expects some "offsets" to the costs by increasing domestic energy production.
"We all have a role to play in this to right size our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts
Asked if he thinks his constituents feel the same way about shouldering some of the costs, Alford said: “I think so."..
"From China's perspective, what is a key lesson to take away from the [#ZelenskyTrump] affair? It is the need for sufficient strategic composure and patience, without being overly reactive to every development...
...When a leader has all the advantages, resources and organisational structure of 🇺🇸 at his disposal, yet is unable to get #Ukraine to accept terms or influence the course of the 🇷🇺-🇺🇦 war, what else can he truly accomplish?"..
China trolling Trump.
Who could see that coming?
I'm not even sure it's trolling. I think the guy means it.
Yup, he’s going to have to own this. This is of his making and he cannot blame the last administration.
JPow will be interesting on Friday.
Of course he can - and will - blame the last administration. You know how his mouth and brain works. Whether there's any justice in such blame is an entirely different matter.
By the way, and marginally related, it's two weeks or so to the next US spending crunch / federal shutdown. One to keep an eye on.
Yup, he’s going to have to own this. This is of his making and he cannot blame the last administration.
JPow will be interesting on Friday.
Of course he can - and will - blame the last administration. You know how his mouth and brain works. Whether there's any justice in such blame is an entirely different matter.
By the way, and marginally related, it's two weeks or so to the next US spending crunch / federal shutdown. One to keep an eye on.
Is there going to be anything left to actually shutdown?
Whoever it was, in the Inland Revenue, who woke up one morning and decided "you know what, today I won't spend the entire day on the sofa in my onesie, eating wasabl and Eccles cakes, pretending to look at my laptop, today I will actually go into work, in that office thing, and maybe get one document stamped, then I will go home again and watch the racing" - give that person a knighthood. This is service beyond duty to His Majesty's Realm
laydees, gennulmen and inbetweeners, I have received my Certificate of Residence for the German Tax Authorities, only 16 months after I first applied
It is a single page document: stamped. I guess someone, somewhere, in the endless ranks of HMRC, actually decided to go into the actual office. Where they keep the stamps
I applaud anything that isn't done on computers. More secure.
This is a brave take. I'm almost surprised he didn't wheel out a childbirth analogy.
https://x.com/mkraju/status/1896774667832049873 Some Rs acknowledge that there could be higher prices with Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariffs but believe their constituents would be willing to stomach that to back Trump’s policies.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin told me "of course" he's worried tariffs could impact his state but argued that his constituents are willing to "do what it takes" to support the president's policy.
"Are the American people ready to get the country back on track and do what it takes to make that happen? Absolutely… It’s going to affect a lot of companies. We’re going to have to adjust some prices for it, but the president is tired of people taking advantage of our country.”
Asked if his constituents are ready to pay higher prices, Mullin said: “I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us.”
Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri told me he thinks tariffs are "going to have an impact," particularly on farmers, though he said he expects some "offsets" to the costs by increasing domestic energy production.
"We all have a role to play in this to right size our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts
Asked if he thinks his constituents feel the same way about shouldering some of the costs, Alford said: “I think so."..
Narrator: Many Americans voted for Trump to get prices down.
Pretty clear that Zelenskyy will have to sign the extortion deal and offer a grovelling apology within days .
I just don’t see any other option.
Why? Trump will offer him nothing in return.
There's also the question of whether the rest of Ukraine's leadership would go along with such a decision. I honestly don't know which way any alternate (non puppet) leader would go if Zelensky were to step down, or be disappeared.
They are effectively being offered two impossible alternatives, neither of which holds any security for their future - and one of which necessitates grovelling before the guy who is forcing the choice.
Not just the leadership but the Ukrainian people, who can see the same options.
Doesn't;t look as though Australia are going to make a match winning score against India, unless their bowlers can do better than their batsmen.
Still better than England of course.
I think it's appalling India has been allowed to play its games in Dubai which seems to have provided a good wicket for the Indian spinners.
I would have excluded India from the Champions Trophy for not being prepared to play in the host country.
The Kiwi brother-in-law thinks they have no chance against South Africa - I've had a play at Evens on the Kiwis and taken 22/1 about Williamson and van der Dussen to be the top scorers for their teams. Brother-in-law forgets the Saffers have only beaten England and Afghanistan - the match against the Aussies was rained off- so this will be their first real test.
So much of an issue is we still don't know where the final will be played. Utterly farcical.
Yup, he’s going to have to own this. This is of his making and he cannot blame the last administration.
JPow will be interesting on Friday.
Of course he can - and will - blame the last administration. You know how his mouth and brain works. Whether there's any justice in such blame is an entirely different matter.
By the way, and marginally related, it's two weeks or so to the next US spending crunch / federal shutdown. One to keep an eye on.
Posted a bit earlier:
KUDLOW: What's left of the Biden economy is slumping so badly
laydees, gennulmen and inbetweeners, I have received my Certificate of Residence for the German Tax Authorities, only 16 months after I first applied
It is a single page document: stamped. I guess someone, somewhere, in the endless ranks of HMRC, actually decided to go into the actual office. Where they keep the stamps
I applaud anything that isn't done on computers. More secure.
Yeah well fuck that, this ridiculous lazy inertia has cost me £££££
I don't even believe it is that secure. How hard is it to fake a stamp?
It has been a left wing talking point my entire adult life that "trickle down" economics has failed.
The issue is - to coin a phrase - the “citizens of nowhere”.
In the past there were wealthy individuals. But they were part of their local communities and felt a sense of obligation to contribute.
These days the uber wealthy have no compunction about moving to Monaco to save 1% off their taxes. They have no loyalty or commitment.
It’s the divide between rich and poor not the difference that undermines society
Yes, but as companies more than as people? In the past, companies were rooted in local communities and felt a sense of obligation to contribute. These days, the big international companies have no compunction about moving activity or profits to somewhere else.
Both, although I think the old style of companies just reflected their ownership.
It’s more acute from a social pressure perspective of the billionaire living it up in London (while paying no tax) and hike you struggle to hear your tenement flat.
This is a brave take. I'm almost surprised he didn't wheel out a childbirth analogy.
https://x.com/mkraju/status/1896774667832049873 Some Rs acknowledge that there could be higher prices with Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariffs but believe their constituents would be willing to stomach that to back Trump’s policies.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin told me "of course" he's worried tariffs could impact his state but argued that his constituents are willing to "do what it takes" to support the president's policy.
"Are the American people ready to get the country back on track and do what it takes to make that happen? Absolutely… It’s going to affect a lot of companies. We’re going to have to adjust some prices for it, but the president is tired of people taking advantage of our country.”
Asked if his constituents are ready to pay higher prices, Mullin said: “I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us.”
Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri told me he thinks tariffs are "going to have an impact," particularly on farmers, though he said he expects some "offsets" to the costs by increasing domestic energy production.
"We all have a role to play in this to right size our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts
Asked if he thinks his constituents feel the same way about shouldering some of the costs, Alford said: “I think so."..
Narrator: Many Americans voted for Trump to get prices down.
Apparently not now according to the Trump lickspittles . Many voted for Trump because they were happy to see others screwed .
Zelenskyy should tell Trump to shove it. Ukraine has been battling against Russia for 3 years refusing to surrender. Why should it surrender now to the US who will just hand over chunks of the country to Russia and strip mine the rest?
I heard that Ukraine has 6 months of weapons stockpiled. Six months for other suppliers to step up if needed.
Trumps administration seem like the car salesman telling you he's had a lot of interest in the car you are looking at. They want to deal to go through and are applying pressure to make it happen.
Time for Ukraine to realise who its real friends are (well they probably already have) and tell Trump to shove it. He won't like for ever.
So more "shock" overnight then. Except it isn't because this US administration is nothing if not predictable. Assume maximum stupidity and malevolence and you're there. I reckon the whole notion of a "US security guarantee" for Ukraine is becoming nonsensical. Any such guarantee from Donald Trump is worth precious little when he is no more trustworthy than Vladimir Putin. The same goes for the (supposedly) gold standard insurance of NATO deterrence. What value does Art5 have if the US no longer stands behind it?
Exactly.
A week ago, without offering a security guarantee Donald Trump was asking for $500 billion from Ukraine for nothing.
Now, even with a security guarantee Donald Trump would be asking for $500 billion from Ukraine for nothing.
It's simply extortion, sign the deal or die.
China is less of a threat to Europe than the US right now, and the way the US is behaving they are getting ever closer to the level of Russia.
I know Starmer's not going to come out and say it, and he'll keep banging on about not choosing between Europe and the US, but inside government they must now be scrambling to deal with the real threat of the US as a direct adversary.
NATO, the Special Relationship, the Transatlantic Alliance, Five Eyes, all completely trashed in 43 days.
If this is what has happened after 43 days, I cannot see how the United States as a country can last the full four years.
It'll either be a failed state, civil war or just gone full on Nazi in this time. They are speedrunning the Fallout timeline/1933-1939 Germany in record time.
Whoever it was, in the Inland Revenue, who woke up one morning and decided "you know what, today I won't spend the entire day on the sofa in my onesie, eating wasabl and Eccles cakes, pretending to look at my laptop, today I will actually go into work, in that office thing, and maybe get one document stamped, then I will go home again and watch the racing" - give that person a knighthood. This is service beyond duty to His Majesty's Realm
I phoned BT this morning about an upcoming refit of our telephone line (Digital Voice and all that). Got through straight away and spoke to a very pleasant chap who was able to sort the issue out in a couple of minutes.
I was somewhat staggered.
No idea if he was at home sitting in his PJs though.
I'm going to show you all the stamp. The official, regal, elaborate imprimatur of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs. The Seal of Royal Approval. This thing that has taken well over a year, five earthly seasons, to be stamped in all in stampiness in the stamp-ready place on the page that has to be stampethed
Ever since I got back from Singapore, it's been chilly mornings but glorious afternoons with wall to wall sunshine.
Reminds of the lockdown Spring in 2020.
Indeed - I well remember sitting in the garden in April 2020 enjoying two things - first, the clear air and second, the absence of traffic from the A406.
Halcyon days.
Everyone's pandemic was different. Many hated it, many lost people, for many its a terrible memory best forgotten. Yet for some with nice houses and gardens, jobs that you could WFH (or even those lucky buggers getting paid 80% to do nothing) that spring is a happy memory of lovely weather, mandated 1 hours dog walks and for once a country mostly pulling together.
Zelenskyy should tell Trump to shove it. Ukraine has been battling against Russia for 3 years refusing to surrender. Why should it surrender now to the US who will just hand over chunks of the country to Russia and strip mine the rest?
I heard that Ukraine has 6 months of weapons stockpiled. Six months for other suppliers to step up if needed.
Trumps administration seem like the car salesman telling you he's had a lot of interest in the car you are looking at. They want to deal to go through and are applying pressure to make it happen.
Time for Ukraine to realise who its real friends are (well they probably already have) and tell Trump to shove it. He won't like for ever.
I think it's mainly countries like US that have a lot of problems if we tell Trump to shove it.
When I lived in Southam, one of the local boys was killed in Afghanistan. His name was Private Jeff Doherty and he died under enemy fire two days after his 21st birthday. There was absolute silence - save for the wind rustling through the trees and the tolling church bells - as his coffin came down the High Street. HIs weeping family followed behind and the whole town, heads bowed, lined both sides of the road. They even brought the kids out of the schools, the ones he had attended, to pay their respects. It still brings tears to my eyes remembering it now.
This scene was repeated across the UK countless times, while similar ones happened in many other countries too. All because, for the only time in history, the US invoked NATO Article 5.
If I believed in hell I would be praying for JD Vance and his apologists to burn there for eternity.
Politically, if Labour and the Tories do not have the skill to bury the Trump/Vance/Putin-backing Reform party, they need to dissolve themselves and let someone else have a go
Very sad and a very brave guy.
Article 5 was invoked immediately after 9/11 and as you well know obligates countries to "take such actions as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force".
I think you'll find that the generals and Downing Street needed no encouragement to deploy and to Helmand (Pte Doherty died in 2008), of all places, where it didn't do much except become a self-licking lollipop, heroically bravely fending off attack after attack by the Taliban until eventual withdrawal.
European and NATO allies were not informed in advance, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
This is a very important decision and the situation is very serious. "The decision was made without any information or consultation with NATO allies or the Ramstein Group," Pavel Vronsky told reporters..."
The US's 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, in direct violation of a Treaty President Trump himself signed, demonstrates the extent to which one can trust the current US administration to keep its word.
Not sure you could get any viable government out of that.
Next gov't will be a Labour minority backed up by the Tories and Lib Dems, you heard it here first. Farage LOTO.
As of now, I think the Conservatives would more likely support Labour, than Reform.
On foreign policy maybe, they and the LDs would demand Starmer cancelled the family farms tax, employers NI rise and WFA cut as the price of their support otherwise
Whoever it was, in the Inland Revenue, who woke up one morning and decided "you know what, today I won't spend the entire day on the sofa in my onesie, eating wasabl and Eccles cakes, pretending to look at my laptop, today I will actually go into work, in that office thing, and maybe get one document stamped, then I will go home again and watch the racing" - give that person a knighthood. This is service beyond duty to His Majesty's Realm
I phoned BT this morning about an upcoming refit of our telephone line (Digital Voice and all that). Got through straight away and spoke to a very pleasant chap who was able to sort the issue out in a couple of minutes.
I was somewhat staggered.
No idea if he was at home sitting in his PJs though.
Wait until you see the stamp on my HMRC Certificate of Residence. I can - in a way - see why it takes about 18 months to get it done. It probably involves special teams of blind Arab mares to carry the sovereign's wax from the Cumberland wax mines, to Ye Greattte Stammpingge Hous by the Steelyard of the Thamesis
Whoever it was, in the Inland Revenue, who woke up one morning and decided "you know what, today I won't spend the entire day on the sofa in my onesie, eating wasabl and Eccles cakes, pretending to look at my laptop, today I will actually go into work, in that office thing, and maybe get one document stamped, then I will go home again and watch the racing" - give that person a knighthood. This is service beyond duty to His Majesty's Realm
I phoned BT this morning about an upcoming refit of our telephone line (Digital Voice and all that). Got through straight away and spoke to a very pleasant chap who was able to sort the issue out in a couple of minutes.
I was somewhat staggered.
No idea if he was at home sitting in his PJs though.
Don't be too complacent. My dad had months of mistakes after a seemingly successful phone request.
Doesn't;t look as though Australia are going to make a match winning score against India, unless their bowlers can do better than their batsmen.
Still better than England of course.
I think it's appalling India has been allowed to play its games in Dubai which seems to have provided a good wicket for the Indian spinners.
I would have excluded India from the Champions Trophy for not being prepared to play in the host country.
The Kiwi brother-in-law thinks they have no chance against South Africa - I've had a play at Evens on the Kiwis and taken 22/1 about Williamson and van der Dussen to be the top scorers for their teams. Brother-in-law forgets the Saffers have only beaten England and Afghanistan - the match against the Aussies was rained off- so this will be their first real test.
South African work colleague thinks Kiwis are favourites, SA bowlers good but batters poor.
The United States differs from other powerful nations in the extraordinary amount of weapons in the hands of its people that are not under the control of its ruler.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
European and NATO allies were not informed in advance, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
This is a very important decision and the situation is very serious. "The decision was made without any information or consultation with NATO allies or the Ramstein Group," Pavel Vronsky told reporters..."
The US's 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, in direct violation of a Treaty President Trump himself signed, demonstrates the extent to which one can trust the current US administration to keep its word.
Congress needs to act. The suspension of arms is likely illegal.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
The United States differs from other powerful nations in the extraordinary amount of weapons in the hands of its people that are not under the control of its ruler.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
This is a brave take. I'm almost surprised he didn't wheel out a childbirth analogy.
https://x.com/mkraju/status/1896774667832049873 Some Rs acknowledge that there could be higher prices with Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariffs but believe their constituents would be willing to stomach that to back Trump’s policies.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin told me "of course" he's worried tariffs could impact his state but argued that his constituents are willing to "do what it takes" to support the president's policy.
"Are the American people ready to get the country back on track and do what it takes to make that happen? Absolutely… It’s going to affect a lot of companies. We’re going to have to adjust some prices for it, but the president is tired of people taking advantage of our country.”
Asked if his constituents are ready to pay higher prices, Mullin said: “I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us.”
Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri told me he thinks tariffs are "going to have an impact," particularly on farmers, though he said he expects some "offsets" to the costs by increasing domestic energy production.
"We all have a role to play in this to right size our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts
Asked if he thinks his constituents feel the same way about shouldering some of the costs, Alford said: “I think so."..
Narrator: Many Americans voted for Trump to get prices down.
No no. This intelligent Congressman says "he is tired of countries taking advantage over us" with the lower prices Americans enjoyed before the Trump Tariffs put them up.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
No stamp there !
This is, literally, the stamp
We still get, on occasion, a request for a University stamp on letters of reference etc. Totally archaic.
Vance derangement syndrome is in danger of becoming a thing. Heaven knows there is enough wrong with the American regime without deliberately grasping the wrong end of the stick.
It was like this during the campaign when it became impossible to call out Trump's brain-freeze moments because it was drowned out by all the numpties pointing out his shark schtick.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
I don't recall having to wave my own Tax Residency certificate around on here when I received mine.
Send it to your accountants love, that's what they are there for.
1. British households and businesses have spent too little and saved too much since the financial crisis. Private debt is way lower than it used to be. As a result government tax take is down and public debt is higher.
2. Labour came in on a manifesto of not raising VAT or income tax and employee NI, the big earners for the government.
3. Government needs more money and the economy needs more demand
Hence spend for victory. Here’s the bones of the speech: “We face the biggest security challenge since WW2, and we must fund a huge expansion in the defence budget while making sure we fix potholes, keep crime off the streets and reduce waiting lists. We promised not to raise tax. But you can do your bit. For every pound you spend on that new car (not Tesla) or that home extension or that trip to the cinema, or for you businesses that new IT system or warehouse automation, 20p goes straight to our fighting fund to get Britain growing and stick it to Putin. So I want you to go out and spend. Spend like you’ve never spent before. Your country needs you”
The people with the demand don't have the money.
The people with the money don't have the demand.
It leads back to housing, student debt and intergenerational inequality generally.
“Make saving expensive again”?
The previous govt was moving along those lines by lowering the amount of interest you could get before paying tax.
What Rachel Reeves could do is lower the limit you can pay into a cash ISA. It has been mooted.
If your savings cannot beat inflation then, apart from a buffer for an emergency, what is the point of it.
Other than house deposits, wedding funds, holidays, car replacements... absolutely nothing.
We started an ISA for each of our childen when they were born which was enough to pay for their maintainance fees at Uni and still leave enough for a house deposit. £100 a month each over 18 years with Skandia/Old Mutual (or whoever they have now become).
I’ve thought for a while now the govt, for the younger generations pensions, the govt should, for every child who turns 18, plonk £5,000 into a S&S ISA into something like an S&P 500 tracker, with low cost fees, which reinvests dividends and allow the power of compounding to do its work, and they would be able'to access this at the age of 67.
I would probably avoid putting it a solely US tracker: who knows what the US government is going to go after next.
European and NATO allies were not informed in advance, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
This is a very important decision and the situation is very serious. "The decision was made without any information or consultation with NATO allies or the Ramstein Group," Pavel Vronsky told reporters..."
The US's 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, in direct violation of a Treaty President Trump himself signed, demonstrates the extent to which one can trust the current US administration to keep its word.
Congress needs to act. The suspension of arms is likely illegal.
The GOP control Congress. Trump is master of all he surveys until the midterms next year, even if he near destroys the US economy with tariff wars and most US relationships with foreign allies in the meantime GOP representatives and Senators won't risk being primaried by MAGA.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
No stamp there !
This is, literally, the stamp
Hah ! Yes I see it now, lions and crowns fashioned from hot red wax.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
I don't recall having to wave my own Tax Residency certificate around on here when I received mine.
Send it to your accountants love, that's what they are there for.
Jeez, it's a joke
Lighten up. I'm taking the piss out of HMRC which took almost 18 months to produce one single page with that one single stamp on it. Moreover, I am entitled to take the piss as their absurd bureaucratic delay, straining so mightily to produce that gnat, has cost me spunkloads of money
Vance derangement syndrome is in danger of becoming a thing. Heaven knows there is enough wrong with the American regime without deliberately grasping the wrong end of the stick.
It was like this during the campaign when it became impossible to call out Trump's brain-freeze moments because it was drowned out by all the numpties pointing out his shark schtick.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
No stamp there !
This is, literally, the stamp
We still get, on occasion, a request for a University stamp on letters of reference etc. Totally archaic.
Local authorities and NHS trusts still execute most deeds under seal. Although these days, it’s usually an embossed sticker rather than hot wax.
I'm going to show you all the stamp. The official, regal, elaborate imprimatur of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs. The Seal of Royal Approval. This thing that has taken well over a year, five earthly seasons, to be stamped in all in stampiness in the stamp-ready place on the page that has to be stampethed
Prepare to be impressed
Or prepare to remember fondly the old off topic button.
Here it is. Worth the wait. Ye Great Seale of Taxation
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
No stamp there !
This is, literally, the stamp
Hah ! Yes I see it now, lions and crowns fashioned from hot red wax.
It's impressive isn't it? They probably keep it in some massive ivory chest, itself bound with straps of Jerez leather salvaged from the Spanish Armada
On special days teams of them probably bring out the stamp, manfully impose it on one document, then they all go home again to watch Australian Masterchef
Hasn't Farage said many times he's supporting Zelensky? Maybe I misheard.
Yes, but the anti-reform lot are (as usual) trying to lie about him in the hopes of preventing Reform winning the next GE.
Meanwhile, people who railed against Boris Johnson as a useless Prime Minister* despite his support being one of the key reasons Ukraine didn't lose in the first 48 hours of war are now trying to ramp a Prime Minister who is even more useless than Johnson on the basis that he's trying to get Ukraine a good deal in the current round of haggling.
*they were of course right - he was useless. Starmer at the same sort of time was of course not merely useless, but actively malevolent - his demands for never-ending lockdown (remember the "Johnson Variant"?) made it obvious he is completely unsuitable for high office.
On topic, it's going to be interesting to see if the Spring statement on 26th March changes anything:
Reeves has already reportedly used up her fiscal headroom and it's going to be hard to borrow more, so any increases in funding for defence and Ukraine mean:
- more tax rises - cuts to pensions/benefits - cuts to public services - cuts to investment e.g. Net Zero
Whoever it was, in the Inland Revenue, who woke up one morning and decided "you know what, today I won't spend the entire day on the sofa in my onesie, eating wasabl and Eccles cakes, pretending to look at my laptop, today I will actually go into work, in that office thing, and maybe get one document stamped, then I will go home again and watch the racing" - give that person a knighthood. This is service beyond duty to His Majesty's Realm
Well you're always either working from home or gallivanting around the world so you're the last one to be critical of "work from home" 😂
Is Trump illiterate? This is now a meme on social media after his failure to read the invitation letter from the King.
How do we know he didn’t read it?
He stared at it and then handed it back to Starmer and asked him to read that paragraph. As someone else suggested it might be that he refuses to wear spectacles.
Whoever it was, in the Inland Revenue, who woke up one morning and decided "you know what, today I won't spend the entire day on the sofa in my onesie, eating wasabl and Eccles cakes, pretending to look at my laptop, today I will actually go into work, in that office thing, and maybe get one document stamped, then I will go home again and watch the racing" - give that person a knighthood. This is service beyond duty to His Majesty's Realm
Well you're always either working from home or gallivanting around the world so you're the last one to be critical of "work from home" 😂
If Leon stopped gallivanting he might have the time to write another book. He used to be one of Britain's leading thriller-writers before he chucked it in for the easy life of photographing beer bottles on hotel balconies.
The ultimate irony that the US political system, expressly designed to be full of so many checks and balances to avoid it being taken over by a populist lunatic, has now been taken over by populist lunatic. The only question now is whether populism stays popular.
Pretty clear that Zelenskyy will have to sign the extortion deal and offer a grovelling apology within days .
I just don’t see any other option.
Why? Trump will offer him nothing in return.
I don’t think he has a choice . Clear that US won’t re-start any military aid without that .
It's not clear that the US will re-start any military aid with that
Grovelling and signing the deal might be necessary but not necessarily sufficient.
Zelensky won't hand 5 regions of his nation over to Putin for a deal, he will fight on regardless with the support he still gets from the non US Nato nations
Comments
This scene was repeated across the UK countless times, while similar ones happened in many other countries too. All because, for the only time in history, the US invoked NATO Article 5.
If I believed in hell I would be praying for JD Vance and his apologists to burn there for eternity.
Politically, if Labour and the Tories do not have the skill to bury the Trump/Vance/Putin-backing Reform party, they need to dissolve themselves and let someone else have a go
https://x.com/thomasdggeddes/status/1896875429627400596
Shen Yi (沈逸) in a new commentary published today:
"From China's perspective, what is a key lesson to take away from the [#ZelenskyTrump] affair? It is the need for sufficient strategic composure and patience, without being overly reactive to every development...
...When a leader has all the advantages, resources and organisational structure of 🇺🇸 at his disposal, yet is unable to get #Ukraine to accept terms or influence the course of the 🇷🇺-🇺🇦 war, what else can he truly accomplish?"..
Still better than England of course.
I took these out over 12 months ago for 2 years though.
Renewing I doubt I will get anywhere near that. Was probably just lucky with timing. First time for everything.
Zelenskyy may have not handled it brilliantly but if anyone needs to apologise it is Vance.
I would have excluded India from the Champions Trophy for not being prepared to play in the host country.
The Kiwi brother-in-law thinks they have no chance against South Africa - I've had a play at Evens on the Kiwis and taken 22/1 about Williamson and van der Dussen to be the top scorers for their teams. Brother-in-law forgets the Saffers have only beaten England and Afghanistan - the match against the Aussies was rained off- so this will be their first real test.
They are effectively being offered two impossible alternatives, neither of which holds any security for their future - and one of which necessitates grovelling before the guy who is forcing the choice.
JPow will be interesting on Friday.
Proposals for the EU to free up financing for €800bn of defence expenditure over 4 years. 6 minute video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-ApqrF3FnE
Roughly to facilitate (I assume with national sources) a 1.5% of GDP uplift in defence expenditure.
https://x.com/jurgen_nauditt/status/1896897383163711619
"Poland confirmed that US aid to Ukraine has been suspended.
European and NATO allies were not informed in advance, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
This is a very important decision and the situation is very serious. "The decision was made without any information or consultation with NATO allies or the Ramstein Group," Pavel Vronsky told reporters..."
Ben Obese-Jecty has now duly replaced Thangam Debonnaire as tte keeper of the Best Name in the Commona title.
Mobile again.
It is a single page document: stamped. I guess someone, somewhere, in the endless ranks of HMRC, actually decided to go into the actual office. Where they keep the stamps
Who could see that coming?
I'm almost surprised he didn't wheel out a childbirth analogy.
https://x.com/mkraju/status/1896774667832049873
Some Rs acknowledge that there could be higher prices with Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariffs but believe their constituents would be willing to stomach that to back Trump’s policies.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin told me "of course" he's worried tariffs could impact his state but argued that his constituents are willing to "do what it takes" to support the president's policy.
"Are the American people ready to get the country back on track and do what it takes to make that happen? Absolutely…
It’s going to affect a lot of companies. We’re going to have to adjust some prices for it, but the president is tired of people taking advantage of our country.”
Asked if his constituents are ready to pay higher prices, Mullin said: “I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us.”
Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri told me he thinks tariffs are "going to have an impact," particularly on farmers, though he said he expects some "offsets" to the costs by increasing domestic energy production.
"We all have a role to play in this to right size our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts
Asked if he thinks his constituents feel the same way about shouldering some of the costs, Alford said: “I think so."..
I think the guy means it.
By the way, and marginally related, it's two weeks or so to the next US spending crunch / federal shutdown. One to keep an eye on.
KUDLOW: What's left of the Biden economy is slumping so badly
LEAVITT: Truly, this administration is working around the clock to bring down the cost of living for the American people.
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1896671463756701865
I don't even believe it is that secure. How hard is it to fake a stamp?
It’s more acute from a social pressure perspective of the billionaire living it up in London (while paying no tax) and hike you struggle to hear your tenement flat.
Trumps administration seem like the car salesman telling you he's had a lot of interest in the car you are looking at. They want to deal to go through and are applying pressure to make it happen.
Time for Ukraine to realise who its real friends are (well they probably already have) and tell Trump to shove it. He won't like for ever.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunchi
It'll either be a failed state, civil war or just gone full on Nazi in this time.
They are speedrunning the Fallout timeline/1933-1939 Germany in record time.
I was somewhat staggered.
No idea if he was at home sitting in his PJs though.
Prepare to be impressed
Didn't last mind...
Article 5 was invoked immediately after 9/11 and as you well know obligates countries to "take such actions as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force".
I think you'll find that the generals and Downing Street needed no encouragement to deploy and to Helmand (Pte Doherty died in 2008), of all places, where it didn't do much except become a self-licking lollipop, heroically bravely fending off attack after attack by the Taliban until eventual withdrawal.
I don't think JD Vance was responsible for that.
Great story, though.
Not only would it take teams of Russian spies several decades to forge such an imposing stamp, by itself this stamp somehow carries the mystique and puissance of the British Nation: it is menacing in its grandeur
I don’t even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond.
https://x.com/JDVance/status/1896891416187703687
Vance derangement syndrome is in danger of becoming a thing. Heaven knows there is enough wrong with the American regime without deliberately grasping the wrong end of the stick.
It was like this during the campaign when it became impossible to call out Trump's brain-freeze moments because it was drowned out by all the numpties pointing out his shark schtick.
Trump rebrands party. GOP now stands for: ‘Good ole’ Putin
Send it to your accountants love, that's what they are there for.
The upheaval undermines the agency’s quest to tackle high-end tax cheating.
https://www.icij.org/inside-icij/2025/03/after-mass-firings-the-irs-is-poised-to-close-audits-of-wealthy-taxpayers-agents-say/
Reflecting on the regrettable persecution of Hunter Biden, the president has wisely decided it's only fair to give tax cheats a break.
Lighten up. I'm taking the piss out of HMRC which took almost 18 months to produce one single page with that one single stamp on it. Moreover, I am entitled to take the piss as their absurd bureaucratic delay, straining so mightily to produce that gnat, has cost me spunkloads of money
The knob.
On special days teams of them probably bring out the stamp, manfully impose it on one document, then they all go home again to watch Australian Masterchef
Meanwhile, people who railed against Boris Johnson as a useless Prime Minister* despite his support being one of the key reasons Ukraine didn't lose in the first 48 hours of war are now trying to ramp a Prime Minister who is even more useless than Johnson on the basis that he's trying to get Ukraine a good deal in the current round of haggling.
*they were of course right - he was useless. Starmer at the same sort of time was of course not merely useless, but actively malevolent - his demands for never-ending lockdown (remember the "Johnson Variant"?) made it obvious he is completely unsuitable for high office.
Reeves has already reportedly used up her fiscal headroom and it's going to be hard to borrow more, so any increases in funding for defence and Ukraine mean:
- more tax rises
- cuts to pensions/benefits
- cuts to public services
- cuts to investment e.g. Net Zero
State visit idea. Invite Vance too. But his programme just includes pubs in Aldershot.
Bobby J should be installing telephone lines about now...