The next cabinet minister to leave – politicalbetting.com

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The next cabinet minister to leave – politicalbetting.com

Looking at this market from Star Sports I am not sure there’s any value in this market but people may disagree with that.

Read the full story here

DavidL

Its going to be a traffic jam which, AIR, somewhat reduces the recovery even if you guess right. Knight of the moderately long knife.

geoffw

So you think it's all priced up correctly?

Fishing

I think Reeves has weathered the worst of it for the moment anyway. She's obviously completely incompetent and out of her depth, but that's been the case for the last year and she's still there. And there's nobody obvious who would be any better.

So I'd say the implied probability of Reeves leaving first is overstated in those odds. And the rest is just guesswork.

MattW

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

TheScreamingEagles

Now that Nicola Sturgeon has said she should have paused the GRR, I wonder if all her fervent supporters, ministers included, feel they were taken for a ride by her when they came out saying Alister Jack was attacking devolution when he actually did pause it!

https://x.com/holyroodmandy/status/1954792127788888523

Taz

Have we done Trumps shakedown of Nvidia and AMD for 15% of their revenues, not profit, selling into China.

https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1954648065693859917?s=61

Casino_Royale

I simply cannot believe the small print of that Chagos deal.

Casino_Royale

On topic, it's gambling in its true sense but I suspect it'd be a big name for something random - and won't be Reeves.

MattW

I can't see value, unless eg Donald Trump could throw a tantrum and demand David Lammy go, as a kind of black swan.

Are there any other possible "unpredictables"?

Given the announcement on drink driving, I'd say the Heidi Alexander is safe for a bit.

What does Hillary Benn do?

Theuniondivvie

Ar brave lads news.
A miracle that some courageous cop didn’t trip over a zimmer frame or feel a bit dizzy from a blast of Voltarol.

https://x.com/saulstaniforth/status/1954796764373905801?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

Foxy

I don't see much value here. Perhaps someone long odds for a random gaff or revolt, perhaps Phillipson.

Reeves is not a good CoE, but likely to stay. There's a need to raise taxes in tthe autumn and someone has to do it, so she won't go before then.

DavidL

Casino_Royale said:

On topic, it's gambling in its true sense but I suspect it'd be a big name for something random - and won't be Reeves.

The record of survival for PMs who misplace their Chancellors is not good, ask Maggie and Lawson, Truss and Kwarteng, Boris and Sunak, amongst others. Starmer would throw his own mother under the bus for a small advantage and has the loyalty of a tom cat but he will be conscious that losing Reeves is likely to be a preliminary to his own departure. That said, the numbers for her budget look horrendous following the various climb downs.

ydoethur

Phillipson, Cooper, Streeting - all in departments under various forms of pressure and highly reactive to sudden 'events.'

At the moment we have

Home Office - digital ID BS coming round again;
Health - reorganisation including the merger/abolition/whachmagot of NHS England which from what I know (not much) has been epically bungled so far;
Education - National Curriculum and OFSTED reviews, both of which have degenerated into absolute farce.

Any one of those could be suddenly fatal to the Minister, even leaving aside say, an academy chain or Foundation trust imploding or the police killing off a random BME person.

I would say the odds for those three being next out are bizarrely long and possibly value, if only as trading bets.

JosiasJessop

Taz said:

Have we done Trumps shakedown of Nvidia and AMD for 15% of their revenues, not profit, selling into China.

https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1954648065693859917?s=61

Trump's also attacked Intel's new CEO.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/president-trump-says-intels-new-ceo-must-resign-immediately/

Though in that case, I think he might have a point.

"Tan has been a prolific investor in Chinese tech companies, through his San Francisco-based venture capital firm as well as companies based in Hong Kong. His past investments have included Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, China’s largest chip manufacturer.
...
Before being appointed Intel CEO earlier this year, Tan ran California-based Cadence Design Systems, which last week admitted to violating US export controls by selling its chip design tools to a Chinese university with close ties to the military."

Tan led Cadence when it violated those export controls.

And in other news: Intel is fairly screwed anyway.

ydoethur

DavidL said:

Casino_Royale said:

On topic, it's gambling in its true sense but I suspect it'd be a big name for something random - and won't be Reeves.

The record of survival for PMs who misplace their Chancellors is not good, ask Maggie and Lawson, Truss and Kwarteng, Boris and Sunak, amongst others. Starmer would throw his own mother under the bus for a small advantage and has the loyalty of a tom cat but he will be conscious that losing Reeves is likely to be a preliminary to his own departure. That said, the numbers for her budget look horrendous following the various climb downs.

Balfour, Wilson and Major survived for several years after firing their chancellors, but none of them ever had the same authority again and all suffered major defeats at the following election (even if Wilson returned to office later).

Thatcher might be one exception as in 1983 she was able to shunt Howe to the Foreign Office which she passed off as a promotion. Lawson's departure saw a reversion to the norm though.

Attlee's dismissal of Dalton would be another.

After that I am really struggling.

Eabhal

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Eabhal

TheScreamingEagles said:

Now that Nicola Sturgeon has said she should have paused the GRR, I wonder if all her fervent supporters, ministers included, feel they were taken for a ride by her when they came out saying Alister Jack was attacking devolution when he actually did pause it!

https://x.com/holyroodmandy/status/1954792127788888523

Not really - it's for Holyrood to decide. We should be free to make our own mistakes, that's kinda the point of the Scottish Parliament.

Foxy

ydoethur said:

Phillipson, Cooper, Streeting - all in departments under various forms of pressure and highly reactive to sudden 'events.'

At the moment we have

Home Office - digital ID BS coming round again;
Health - reorganisation including the merger/abolition/whachmagot of NHS England which from what I know (not much) has been epically bungled so far;
Education - National Curriculum and OFSTED reviews, both of which have degenerated into absolute farce.

Any one of those could be suddenly fatal to the Minister, even leaving aside say, an academy chain or Foundation trust imploding or the police killing off a random BME person.

I would say the odds for those three being next out are bizarrely long and possibly value, if only as trading bets.

I can't see Streeting or Cooper resigning, and they are too much part of the Starmer project to be sacked. Phillopson is more ideologically driven and less close. She could either resign or be sacked.

Streeting's mass sackings at the ICBs and NHS England are creating paralysis where there needs to be action and serve up few benefits other than cheap headlines. He needs delivery and is sacking the delivery drivers.

Gallowgate

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

Carnyx

Theuniondivvie said:

Ar brave lads news.
A miracle that some courageous cop didn’t trip over a zimmer frame or feel a bit dizzy from a blast of Voltarol.

https://x.com/saulstaniforth/status/1954796764373905801?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

Mind, the polis themselves seem to have realised the realities more than the minister. No Dredd-style riot armour, apart from the antistab weskit which is normal anyway even for telling someone the way, and *very* careful handling of possibly osteoporotic limbs and necks. At least in that short clip.

squareroot2

Fishing said:

I think Reeves has weathered the worst of it for the moment anyway. She's obviously completely incompetent and out of her depth, but that's been the case for the last year and she's still there. And there's nobody obvious who would be any better.

So I'd say the implied probability of Reeves leaving first is overstated in those odds. And the rest is just guesswork.

Brown survived 10 yrs being useless and incompetent.

rottenborough

Foxy said:

ydoethur said:

Phillipson, Cooper, Streeting - all in departments under various forms of pressure and highly reactive to sudden 'events.'

At the moment we have

Home Office - digital ID BS coming round again;
Health - reorganisation including the merger/abolition/whachmagot of NHS England which from what I know (not much) has been epically bungled so far;
Education - National Curriculum and OFSTED reviews, both of which have degenerated into absolute farce.

Any one of those could be suddenly fatal to the Minister, even leaving aside say, an academy chain or Foundation trust imploding or the police killing off a random BME person.

I would say the odds for those three being next out are bizarrely long and possibly value, if only as trading bets.

I can't see Streeting or Cooper resigning, and they are too much part of the Starmer project to be sacked. Phillopson is more ideologically driven and less close. She could either resign or be sacked.

Streeting's mass sackings at the ICBs and NHS England are creating paralysis where there needs to be action and serve up few benefits other than cheap headlines. He needs delivery and is sacking the delivery drivers.

The value here is Nandy, but unless the book goes up on BF I can't be bothered with another bookie.

ydoethur

Foxy said:

ydoethur said:

Phillipson, Cooper, Streeting - all in departments under various forms of pressure and highly reactive to sudden 'events.'

At the moment we have

Home Office - digital ID BS coming round again;
Health - reorganisation including the merger/abolition/whachmagot of NHS England which from what I know (not much) has been epically bungled so far;
Education - National Curriculum and OFSTED reviews, both of which have degenerated into absolute farce.

Any one of those could be suddenly fatal to the Minister, even leaving aside say, an academy chain or Foundation trust imploding or the police killing off a random BME person.

I would say the odds for those three being next out are bizarrely long and possibly value, if only as trading bets.

I can't see Streeting or Cooper resigning, and they are too much part of the Starmer project to be sacked. Phillopson is more ideologically driven and less close. She could either resign or be sacked.

Streeting's mass sackings at the ICBs and NHS England are creating paralysis where there needs to be action and serve up few benefits other than cheap headlines. He needs delivery and is sacking the delivery drivers.

Has he considered a change of career to managing a Pizza Express?

Carnyx

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Also the spread of housing estates far beyond sensible, in terms of public transport. I see estates being built in farmland in places which are sometimes a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. Anyone living there is going to have problems when they get too old to tool around in their cars.

Dopermean

MattW said:

I can't see value, unless eg Donald Trump could throw a tantrum and demand David Lammy go, as a kind of black swan.

Are there any other possible "unpredictables"?

Given the announcement on drink driving, I'd say the Heidi Alexander is safe for a bit.

What does Hillary Benn do?

"Show some respect"
"Have you ever apologised for the end of slavery?"

Got to feel sorry for Lammy, he gets a top job at the absolute worst time

rottenborough

MattW said:

I can't see value, unless eg Donald Trump could throw a tantrum and demand David Lammy go, as a kind of black swan.

Are there any other possible "unpredictables"?

Given the announcement on drink driving, I'd say the Heidi Alexander is safe for a bit.

What does Hillary Benn do?

Benn is trying to stop riots in N Ireland.

Theuniondivvie

Carnyx said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Ar brave lads news.
A miracle that some courageous cop didn’t trip over a zimmer frame or feel a bit dizzy from a blast of Voltarol.

https://x.com/saulstaniforth/status/1954796764373905801?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q

Mind, the polis themselves seem to have realised the realities more than the minister. No Dredd-style riot armour, apart from the antistab weskit which is normal anyway even for telling someone the way, and *very* careful handling of possibly osteoporotic limbs and necks. At least in that short clip.

I wonder if subconsciously what that Lab sock puppet minister means is that the police were courageously willing to look terrible while doing the dirty work of enacting terrible government policy.

ydoethur

Also, on Phillipson, she clearly has something awkward she is trying to sit on. There was due to be a review into Oak National Academy published a year ago. It was delayed last December until 'early next [i.e. this] year' and now seems to have been completely suppressed.

Now, I don't know what was in it. But you don't suppress a review into a public body unless it is extremely damaging. We must therefore assume that it said much the same things I said in my thread header on the subject at the back end of 2024 - that Oak is an expensive (if well-intentioned) joke put together by morons and funded by the DfE because they are imbeciles who don't know what they're doing.

And, of course, the curriculum review is designed by and integrated into the Oak platform.

Will the report ever come out? Maybe not. But if it gets leaked, and is as bad as it must be for this level of secrecy, and Phillipson is nailed for the cover-up, she's more toasty than Tim Walz after WhatsAppGate.

HYUFD

Reeves must surely be next to leave if her autumn tax rises down not start to balance the books and prove unpopular

MattW

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

The package is quite comprehensive overall, because there have been a lot of bits and bobs slowly emerging. An example is the things about younger drivers from last year. And there has been a published paper about elderly eye tests from the previous Govt in iirc 2023 which supported the cost-benefit case. The Telegraph have a decent piece, which I can't post, but they are framing it as an attack on pensioners.

There are also drug tests proposed using cheek swabs, which is a step forward, and things like more secure number plates. I'm not sure about laughing gas, which is a very difficult one.

Skimming some media coverage there is strong support from eg the RAC and the AA and experts, so it could be a bit difficult positioning-wise for Cons and RefUK.

Watch what people like Susan Hall do, who embraced the Anti-ULEZ types, and perhaps Lord Mark Harper who went full culture-war before the Election.

I'll confidently say that the Govt won't be trying default 20 limits nationwide; they don't feel they have the political capital for that .

HYUFD

Carnyx said:

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Also the spread of housing estates far beyond sensible, in terms of public transport. I see estates being built in farmland in places which are sometimes a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. Anyone living there is going to have problems when they get too old to tool around in their cars.

Although community is quite strong in rural areas in terms of lifts and there are taxis of course too

stodge

DavidL said:

Casino_Royale said:

On topic, it's gambling in its true sense but I suspect it'd be a big name for something random - and won't be Reeves.

The record of survival for PMs who misplace their Chancellors is not good, ask Maggie and Lawson, Truss and Kwarteng, Boris and Sunak, amongst others. Starmer would throw his own mother under the bus for a small advantage and has the loyalty of a tom cat but he will be conscious that losing Reeves is likely to be a preliminary to his own departure. That said, the numbers for her budget look horrendous following the various climb downs.

I'd go further and say part of our "decline" since 1945 has been the breakdown of the relationship between Prime Minister and Chancellor in successive Governments. You either have a completely technocratic Chancellor such as a Barber or a Lawson with no political aspiration at No.11 or you have a potential political rival to the Prime Minister.

The latter is inherently destabilising, the former a useful human shield or sacrifice when it gets tough.

My guess is Starmer will dump Reeves well before the next election but he will probably have to put in a potential rival for the leadership and/or successor and that individual will take the political route rather than the economic route when it comes to decision making.

The technocrat can do the unpleasant things - the aspiring PM can't.

ydoethur

HYUFD said:

Carnyx said:

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Also the spread of housing estates far beyond sensible, in terms of public transport. I see estates being built in farmland in places which are sometimes a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. Anyone living there is going to have problems when they get too old to tool around in their cars.

Although community is quite strong in rural areas in terms of lifts and there are taxis of course too

'New housing estates' are not the same as 'rural communities.' They would be more like plantations with lots of new people moving in.

In towns with lots of farmland nearby taxis can be at rather a premium too. They hang out in major conurbations.

kinabalu

The Reeves price is excellent value - to lay.

Battlebus

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

No fun but interesting. Take a train from Paris to Albert (1.5 - 2 hours) and see the WW1 graves around there. Visual reminder of politics in action and its cost.

Stuartinromford

ydoethur said:

Also, on Phillipson, she clearly has something awkward she is trying to sit on. There was due to be a review into Oak National Academy published a year ago. It was delayed last December until 'early next [i.e. this] year' and now seems to have been completely suppressed.

Now, I don't know what was in it. But you don't suppress a review into a public body unless it is extremely damaging. We must therefore assume that it said much the same things I said in my thread header on the subject at the back end of 2024 - that Oak is an expensive (if well-intentioned) joke put together by morons and funded by the DfE because they are imbeciles who don't know what they're doing.

And, of course, the curriculum review is designed by and integrated into the Oak platform.

Will the report ever come out? Maybe not. But if it gets leaked, and is as bad as it must be for this level of secrecy, and Phillipson is nailed for the cover-up, she's more toasty than Tim Walz after WhatsAppGate.

Though why would Phillipson want to hide a bad review of a project of the previous government? (And mediocre and over-priced as Oak is, it's better than the current craze for "get Chat GPT to write your worksheets for you". At least there is some humanoid intervention.)

Gallowgate

Battlebus said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

No fun but interesting. Take a train from Paris to Albert (1.5 - 2 hours) and see the WW1 graves around there. Visual reminder of politics in action and its cost.

I will have the car so that and/or Normandy is an option. Thank you.

stodge

We have a 20 mph limit in Newham which is widely disregarded especially by the young boy racers in their souped up cars who enjoy the thrill of the pollution in their well-manicured hair as they reach 30mph in the narrow canyons of the local estate and do handbrake turns round the mini-roundabouts.

On a wider level, it's my experience fast cars and chasing girls transcends most religious and ethnic boundaries among young men - the Muslims, the Hindus, the Roma - all the same.

DecrepiterJohnL

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

Eurostar to London, recommended by the Gazette's top travel writer as probably the nicest place to live in the world.
https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/comment/5288474/#Comment_5288474

MattW

Battlebus said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

No fun but interesting. Take a train from Paris to Albert (1.5 - 2 hours) and see the WW1 graves around there. Visual reminder of politics in action and its cost.

Visit Monet's garden at Givenchy. There are day trips from Paris, or if driving it is on the way home.

If you are in Paris before or after, visit the Musee de l'Orangerie to see the Waterlillies paintings, then you get to see the garden that inspired them.

https://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/visitgb.htm
https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/node/197502

Gallowgate

MattW said:

Battlebus said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

No fun but interesting. Take a train from Paris to Albert (1.5 - 2 hours) and see the WW1 graves around there. Visual reminder of politics in action and its cost.

Visit Monet's garden at Givenchy. There are day trips from Paris, or if driving it is on the way home.

If you are in Paris before or after, visit the Musee de l'Orangerie to see the Waterlillies paintings, then you get to see the garden that inspired them.

https://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/visitgb.htm
https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/node/197502

That’s a really good idea thank you.

fitalass

TheScreamingEagles said:

Now that Nicola Sturgeon has said she should have paused the GRR, I wonder if all her fervent supporters, ministers included, feel they were taken for a ride by her when they came out saying Alister Jack was attacking devolution when he actually did pause it!

https://x.com/holyroodmandy/status/1954792127788888523

I am being utterly sincere when I say that from the moment I heard that Nicola Sturgeon had the brass neck to call her memoirs 'Frankly' I called it when I said she was literally doing what she has done for years and that was trolling us in plain sight. This is the politician who in the last few years when ever put in front of an inquiry under oath developed amnesia and simple ignored any invites to appear in front of the Scotland committee at Westminster while Pete Wishart totally ignored her arrogant dismal of the committee and didn't criticise her absence.

About fifteen years ago she and her then husband set out to create the carefully PR created persona that was to be the presidential like figure that was to became bigger than the SNP as a party and the ill informed UK media lapped it up without question and even the most basic journalistic investigation went out the window while only Andrew Neil and less than a handful of other inquiring journalists were prepared to robustly question her about her record and the various SNP Government scandals happening domestically in Scotland under her stewardship.

This memoir is yet another clearly cynical attempt by Nicola Sturgeon to rehabilitate her post scandal laden political image and attempts to set out a more softer post frontline narrative that she doesn't deserve and simple doesn't exist. But everyone woman who stood up and stuck their head above the parapet to fight her GRR bill will find this news cold comfort. I have been a SCon voter for nearly 40 years, I fought passionately for No in the Indy Ref in 2014, I fought as passionately to Remain in the EU Ref. Both campaigns fought across political party lines where I made so many friends across the politcal divide.

But a few years ago in Scotland I finally found the political hill I was absolutely finally prepared to die on, and I have met an amazing group of cross party women who felt like I did and it has always been about the hard fought for rights for women and protecting those womens rights to have safe spaces. Nicola Sturgeon told us that our concerns were not valid when it suited her and hounded out other females like Joanna Cherrie, Joan McAlpine and Ash Regan from her own party. She is not and never has been the feminist she has tried to portray herself as when it suits.

DecrepiterJohnL

Dopermean said:

MattW said:

I can't see value, unless eg Donald Trump could throw a tantrum and demand David Lammy go, as a kind of black swan.

Are there any other possible "unpredictables"?

Given the announcement on drink driving, I'd say the Heidi Alexander is safe for a bit.

What does Hillary Benn do?

"Show some respect"
"Have you ever apologised for the end of slavery?"

Got to feel sorry for Lammy, he gets a top job at the absolute worst time

David Lammy is the underrated star of this government. The Harvard-educated lawyer seems to have struck up a useful relationship with the Yale-educated lawyer JD Vance, and helped gain Britain a good deal with America (ok, it's all relative). Even in opposition, Lammy got Starmer an invitation to the D-Day commemorations.

MattW

Gallowgate said:

MattW said:

Battlebus said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

No fun but interesting. Take a train from Paris to Albert (1.5 - 2 hours) and see the WW1 graves around there. Visual reminder of politics in action and its cost.

Visit Monet's garden at Givenchy. There are day trips from Paris, or if driving it is on the way home.

If you are in Paris before or after, visit the Musee de l'Orangerie to see the Waterlillies paintings, then you get to see the garden that inspired them.

https://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/visitgb.htm
https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/node/197502

That’s a really good idea thank you.

I did it with parents in the 1980s when I was in 6th form. We stayed in La Defense and I walked the full length of the Champs Elysees one morning.

The only slight doubt is that summer would be better for flowers, but there is a lot of interest in the house and garden, and waterlillies are leaves, and French September is not Northern September !

ydoethur

Stuartinromford said:

ydoethur said:

Also, on Phillipson, she clearly has something awkward she is trying to sit on. There was due to be a review into Oak National Academy published a year ago. It was delayed last December until 'early next [i.e. this] year' and now seems to have been completely suppressed.

Now, I don't know what was in it. But you don't suppress a review into a public body unless it is extremely damaging. We must therefore assume that it said much the same things I said in my thread header on the subject at the back end of 2024 - that Oak is an expensive (if well-intentioned) joke put together by morons and funded by the DfE because they are imbeciles who don't know what they're doing.

And, of course, the curriculum review is designed by and integrated into the Oak platform.

Will the report ever come out? Maybe not. But if it gets leaked, and is as bad as it must be for this level of secrecy, and Phillipson is nailed for the cover-up, she's more toasty than Tim Walz after WhatsAppGate.

Though why would Phillipson want to hide a bad review of a project of the previous government? (And mediocre and over-priced as Oak is, it's better than the current craze for "get Chat GPT to write your worksheets for you". At least there is some humanoid intervention.)

Because she has completely integrated Oak into the new curriculum review. It's going to be, essentially, Oak writes what's taught, both in terms of outline and resources.

If that's going to get criticised that's going to be - suboptimal - for her.

Scott_xP

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Dopermean said:

MattW said:

I can't see value, unless eg Donald Trump could throw a tantrum and demand David Lammy go, as a kind of black swan.

Are there any other possible "unpredictables"?

Given the announcement on drink driving, I'd say the Heidi Alexander is safe for a bit.

What does Hillary Benn do?

"Show some respect"
"Have you ever apologised for the end of slavery?"

Got to feel sorry for Lammy, he gets a top job at the absolute worst time

David Lammy is the underrated star of this government. The Harvard-educated lawyer seems to have struck up a useful relationship with the Yale-educated lawyer JD Vance, and helped gain Britain a good deal with America (ok, it's all relative). Even in opposition, Lammy got Starmer an invitation to the D-Day commemorations.

Obviously the value in this market then

DecrepiterJohnL

Putin & Trump "isolate Europe & Ukraine": Russian press reacts to Alaska as summit venue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTy07cacBBA

TL;DR If Putin & Trump fail, it will be Europe's and Ukraine's fault according to Russian papers. There are no British spies in Alaska.

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg reviews the Russian newspapers.

kjh

HYUFD said:

Carnyx said:

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Also the spread of housing estates far beyond sensible, in terms of public transport. I see estates being built in farmland in places which are sometimes a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. Anyone living there is going to have problems when they get too old to tool around in their cars.

Although community is quite strong in rural areas in terms of lifts and there are taxis of course too

I very often go for a pint at around 5 pm. I wouldn't be able to do that. The idea that there is someone to give you a lift or a taxi will drive you 1 mile is for the birds. I could of course walk as I occasionally do, but that is more of a commitment in time. However if it is the right thing to do then so be it.

However like @Pulpstar and @DavidL I would like to know the accident stats between the new suggested lower limit and the existing limit. Is it a problem. If so bring in the new limit. If it isn't why bother.

I do agree with the eyesight test. Self diagnosis is daft. But it should go further. An observation/reaction test should be introduced, like you get on the driver awareness course. My father's sight was fine and he didn't have dementia, but he was plain dangerous behind a wheel and it took us years before we could get his keys off of him (aged 92).

70 sounds a bit low to me to start the tests. 75 seems more appropriate. I am thinking here of cost for little return as most 70 year old I know are very sharp. However I may not know a representative sample.

Stuff needs to be done at the lower end, particularly for new male drivers under 21. Maybe P plates for a year or no young passengers unless accompanied by an older person for 1 year (that latter one could be a bit restrictive).

Nigelb

deleted

DecrepiterJohnL

ydoethur said:

Stuartinromford said:

ydoethur said:

Also, on Phillipson, she clearly has something awkward she is trying to sit on. There was due to be a review into Oak National Academy published a year ago. It was delayed last December until 'early next [i.e. this] year' and now seems to have been completely suppressed.

Now, I don't know what was in it. But you don't suppress a review into a public body unless it is extremely damaging. We must therefore assume that it said much the same things I said in my thread header on the subject at the back end of 2024 - that Oak is an expensive (if well-intentioned) joke put together by morons and funded by the DfE because they are imbeciles who don't know what they're doing.

And, of course, the curriculum review is designed by and integrated into the Oak platform.

Will the report ever come out? Maybe not. But if it gets leaked, and is as bad as it must be for this level of secrecy, and Phillipson is nailed for the cover-up, she's more toasty than Tim Walz after WhatsAppGate.

Though why would Phillipson want to hide a bad review of a project of the previous government? (And mediocre and over-priced as Oak is, it's better than the current craze for "get Chat GPT to write your worksheets for you". At least there is some humanoid intervention.)

Because she has completely integrated Oak into the new curriculum review. It's going to be, essentially, Oak writes what's taught, both in terms of outline and resources.

If that's going to get criticised that's going to be - suboptimal - for her.

No-one cares.

'Far too many' white working class kids don't get results they need says Bridget Phillipson
Bridget Phillipson vowed to tackle the 'thorny' challenge of British white working-class kids falling behind their classmates ahead of A-level results day
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/far-many-white-working-class-35705710

Malmesbury

ydoethur said:

HYUFD said:

Carnyx said:

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Also the spread of housing estates far beyond sensible, in terms of public transport. I see estates being built in farmland in places which are sometimes a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. Anyone living there is going to have problems when they get too old to tool around in their cars.

Although community is quite strong in rural areas in terms of lifts and there are taxis of course too

'New housing estates' are not the same as 'rural communities.' They would be more like plantations with lots of new people moving in.

In towns with lots of farmland nearby taxis can be at rather a premium too. They hang out in major conurbations.

It's almost as if there is an advantage to building cities as a series of villages/small towns, each with their own facilities, merged into a larger structure by transport links.

OnlyLivingBoy

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

Versailles?

SandyRentool

According to rumours, both Lisa Nandy and Bridget Phillipson left their cabinet roles months ago.

So perhaps best not to bet based on tittle-tattle.

Malmesbury

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Putin & Trump "isolate Europe & Ukraine": Russian press reacts to Alaska as summit venue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTy07cacBBA

TL;DR If Putin & Trump fail, it will be Europe's and Ukraine's fault according to Russian papers. There are no British spies in Alaska.

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg reviews the Russian newspapers.

There is a lack of cathedral spires to inspect in Alaska.

There is, however, a very impressive set of mountain peaks referred to as The Cathedral Spires.

AugustusCarp2

OnlyLivingBoy said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

Versailles?

Versailles, particularly if they have the fountains switched on that day - check their (rather bad) website for the calendar.

another_richard

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

MattW

Gallowgate said:

MattW said:

Battlebus said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

No fun but interesting. Take a train from Paris to Albert (1.5 - 2 hours) and see the WW1 graves around there. Visual reminder of politics in action and its cost.

Visit Monet's garden at Givenchy. There are day trips from Paris, or if driving it is on the way home.

If you are in Paris before or after, visit the Musee de l'Orangerie to see the Waterlillies paintings, then you get to see the garden that inspired them.

https://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/visitgb.htm
https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/node/197502

That’s a really good idea thank you.

There is also infinite pleasure in Paris itself.

Another time I got hold of a copy of a book called "Secret Paris" and spent a week doing half a dozen walks-with-commentary, and it was as fascinating as walks I did in London following the routes of subterranean rivers.

Foe example there is the Promenade Plante, which is the original that inspired the New York "high line". Obviously it is far more interesting and stylish !

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/high-line-paris-walking

Piccie:

fitalass

Eabhal said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Now that Nicola Sturgeon has said she should have paused the GRR, I wonder if all her fervent supporters, ministers included, feel they were taken for a ride by her when they came out saying Alister Jack was attacking devolution when he actually did pause it!

https://x.com/holyroodmandy/status/1954792127788888523

Not really - it's for Holyrood to decide. We should be free to make our own mistakes, that's kinda the point of the Scottish Parliament.

And as a result the SNP Government scandals just keep piling up in the intray with little or no scrutiny from the UK media when they diligently do their job day in and out when it comes to the Westminster Government. Ditto what has been happening in Wales and Northern Ireland, its like the parties in charge of the devolved governments in the UK get a free pass to get out of any robust or diligent scruntiny when it comes to UK wide reporting of their scandals unless they are simple too big to be ignored. That is a real failure of the UK media.

DecrepiterJohnL

Top US comic Dave Chapelle on Obama and why Trump won first time round (language nsfw):-
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7c23jdr-gCs

Scott_xP

kjh said:

My father's sight was fine and he didn't have dementia, but he was plain dangerous behind a wheel and it took us years before we could get his keys off of him (aged 92).

My Dad stopped after seeing news reports of a pensioner being involved in a fatal accident

Theuniondivvie

OnlyLivingBoy said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

Versailles?

Hardly worth it I believe without a costly monarch attached.

Malmesbury

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Has this been checked for AI/invented subject, like the last one?

Morris_Dancer

Good morning, everyone.

Interesting, weird, very-2025 story about unemployed young Chinese paying to pretend to work in an office.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3ep76g3go

HYUFD

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

DecrepiterJohnL

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

I've never used a hot tub (or Jacuzzi). Every now and then I put it on my bucket list but then take it off again. It looks like all the fun of being at the wrong temperature, only wet as well.

bondegezou

kjh said:

HYUFD said:

Carnyx said:

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Also the spread of housing estates far beyond sensible, in terms of public transport. I see estates being built in farmland in places which are sometimes a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. Anyone living there is going to have problems when they get too old to tool around in their cars.

Although community is quite strong in rural areas in terms of lifts and there are taxis of course too

I very often go for a pint at around 5 pm. I wouldn't be able to do that. The idea that there is someone to give you a lift or a taxi will drive you 1 mile is for the birds. I could of course walk as I occasionally do, but that is more of a commitment in time. However if it is the right thing to do then so be it.

However like @Pulpstar and @DavidL I would like to know the accident stats between the new suggested lower limit and the existing limit. Is it a problem. If so bring in the new limit. If it isn't why bother.

I do agree with the eyesight test. Self diagnosis is daft. But it should go further. An observation/reaction test should be introduced, like you get on the driver awareness course. My father's sight was fine and he didn't have dementia, but he was plain dangerous behind a wheel and it took us years before we could get his keys off of him (aged 92).

70 sounds a bit low to me to start the tests. 75 seems more appropriate. I am thinking here of cost for little return as most 70 year old I know are very sharp. However I may not know a representative sample.

Stuff needs to be done at the lower end, particularly for new male drivers under 21. Maybe P plates for a year or no young passengers unless accompanied by an older person for 1 year (that latter one could be a bit restrictive).

There is a further interaction between alcohol and age.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0741832922000660

Quote:

Alcohol use is increasing among adults 65 and older and the size of this population is expanding rapidly. Aging is associated with systemic inflammation, sleep disturbances, cancers, cognitive decline, and increased risk of injury and death from falls and other accidents. Alcohol misuse exacerbates and accelerates these age-related changes. Older drinkers are more sensitive to acute alcohol-induced impairments in memory, coordination, reaction time, and driving performance. Oxidative stress and DNA damage resulting from chronic heavy alcohol consumption contribute to an increased risk of cancer, liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. Medication use increases with age and many medications prescribed to older adults can interact negatively with alcohol. The rapid expansion of the population aged 65 and older, combined with higher levels of alcohol use and AUD in the Baby Boomer cohort than the preceding generation, could significantly increase the burden of alcohol on the healthcare system resulting from AUD and alcohol-related injuries and diseases. Screening and brief intervention for hazardous alcohol use among older patients along with education regarding potential interactions between alcohol and medications could substantially reduce the risk of harms from alcohol but currently is underutilized.

rottenborough

HYUFD said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

Why do you need to heat it at this time of year?

Scott_xP

HYUFD said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

There is a static caravan site (what Americans would call a trailer park) not too far from me. They have garden hot tubs

HYUFD

ydoethur said:

HYUFD said:

Carnyx said:

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

Also the spread of housing estates far beyond sensible, in terms of public transport. I see estates being built in farmland in places which are sometimes a couple of miles from the nearest bus stop. Anyone living there is going to have problems when they get too old to tool around in their cars.

Although community is quite strong in rural areas in terms of lifts and there are taxis of course too

'New housing estates' are not the same as 'rural communities.' They would be more like plantations with lots of new people moving in.

In towns with lots of farmland nearby taxis can be at rather a premium too. They hang out in major conurbations.

Depends if said town has a train station or not

SandyRentool

The new drink driving limit: Sponsored by Guinness Zero.

algarkirk

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

I think this must be a spoof?

MarqueeMark

HYUFD said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

Oh, the inhumanity....

Stuartinromford

Scott_xP said:

HYUFD said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

There is a static caravan site (what Americans would call a trailer park) not too far from me. They have garden hot tubs

If you aren't currently paying for a house, it's very easy to live a good life on a relatively low income.

If you are currently paying for a house, it's very hard to live a good life on a relatively high income.

That paradox explains a lot of the discontent many people have with the status quo and the bafflement from those who don't understand the discontent.

Everything else, including all the wanging on about tax rates, is noise.

DecrepiterJohnL

Morris_Dancer said:

Good morning, everyone.

Interesting, weird, very-2025 story about unemployed young Chinese paying to pretend to work in an office.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3ep76g3go

From your link:-

And rather than attendees just sitting around, they can use the computers to search for jobs, or to try to launch their own start-up businesses.
...
"Due to economic transformation and the mismatch between education and the job market, young people need these places to think about their next steps, or to do odd jobs as a transition."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3ep76g3go

We have a similar misalignment here, with universities churning out more graduates than there are graduate jobs, indeed there are more jobseekers than jobs, and somewhere to hunt for employment seems a good wheeze. Tbh, I'm not sure some previous government schemes have not looked something like this.

Malmesbury

Theuniondivvie said:

OnlyLivingBoy said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

Versailles?

Hardly worth it I believe without a costly monarch attached.

Château de Chantilly?

HYUFD

Morris_Dancer said:

Good morning, everyone.

Interesting, weird, very-2025 story about unemployed young Chinese paying to pretend to work in an office.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3ep76g3go

They do job applications and build skills and look to create start ups there too

Malmesbury

Stuartinromford said:

Scott_xP said:

HYUFD said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

There is a static caravan site (what Americans would call a trailer park) not too far from me. They have garden hot tubs

If you aren't currently paying for a house, it's very easy to live a good life on a relatively low income.

If you are currently paying for a house, it's very hard to live a good life on a relatively high income.

That paradox explains a lot of the discontent many people have with the status quo and the bafflement from those who don't understand the discontent.

Everything else, including all the wanging on about tax rates, is noise.

Yes - for the majority of the people I know, they work to feed the mortgage/rent. The rest is almost noise.

Carnyx

Malmesbury said:

Theuniondivvie said:

OnlyLivingBoy said:

Gallowgate said:

PB brains trust, can you suggest anything fun to do for a day or so in France north of Paris in mid September?

Versailles?

Hardly worth it I believe without a costly monarch attached.

Château de Chantilly?

I wondered about Chateau Gaillard, never been but the relevant monarch was disposed of already so to speak.

DecrepiterJohnL

SandyRentool said:

The new drink driving limit: Sponsored by Guinness Zero.

By all accounts, alcohol-free booze has come on leaps and bounds so the designated driver no longer has to sip too-sweet soft drinks.

another_richard

algarkirk said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

I think this must be a spoof?

There are people who live beyond their means at every income level.

There are people who publicly wallow in self-pity at every income level.

More dangerously there are governments who pander to the above groups.

Malmesbury

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Morris_Dancer said:

Good morning, everyone.

Interesting, weird, very-2025 story about unemployed young Chinese paying to pretend to work in an office.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3ep76g3go

From your link:-

And rather than attendees just sitting around, they can use the computers to search for jobs, or to try to launch their own start-up businesses.
...
"Due to economic transformation and the mismatch between education and the job market, young people need these places to think about their next steps, or to do odd jobs as a transition."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3ep76g3go

We have a similar misalignment here, with universities churning out more graduates than there are graduate jobs, indeed there are more jobseekers than jobs, and somewhere to hunt for employment seems a good wheeze. Tbh, I'm not sure some previous government schemes have not looked something like this.

Places to look for jobs? It's a shame that Jobcentres seem to be not much use for that.

Peter_the_Punter

MattW said:

Eabhal said:

MattW said:

@TSE I'm just putting together a header on the changes to motoring law that I will submit a bit later - aiming for 9,30am so perhaps one for this afternoon.

I'm writing it then popping out for my walk before coming back for a final check.

@MattW one thing that occurs to me is that the new drink drive limit will likely catch out a lot of drivers in the morning. Anecdotally, that's what happened in Scotland with people driving to work on a Saturday morning only 7 hours after their last pint.

A bit after the horse has bolted though. Drug driving is now a bigger issue I think. On older people, politically fraught but there is very clear evidence driving standards fall dramatically after 70. This wasn't such a big issue when we had decent bus provision - now taking a licence away can be devastating for people.

The package is quite comprehensive overall, because there have been a lot of bits and bobs slowly emerging. An example is the things about younger drivers from last year. And there has been a published paper about elderly eye tests from the previous Govt in iirc 2023 which supported the cost-benefit case. The Telegraph have a decent piece, which I can't post, but they are framing it as an attack on pensioners.

There are also drug tests proposed using cheek swabs, which is a step forward, and things like more secure number plates. I'm not sure about laughing gas, which is a very difficult one.

Skimming some media coverage there is strong support from eg the RAC and the AA and experts, so it could be a bit difficult positioning-wise for Cons and RefUK.

Watch what people like Susan Hall do, who embraced the Anti-ULEZ types, and perhaps Lord Mark Harper who went full culture-war before the Election.

I'll confidently say that the Govt won't be trying default 20 limits nationwide; they don't feel they have the political capital for that .

Good post, Matt. I shall be following developments and your comments on this with great interest.

Fwiw, I consider it absurd that I am able to continue driving based on a short test I passed in 1965. My 81 year old recently gave up his licence voluntarily a few weeks ago. It is a miracle he didn't kill someone his driving had become so bad.

The whole business needs a drastic overhaul.

turbotubbs

DecrepiterJohnL said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

I've never used a hot tub (or Jacuzzi). Every now and then I put it on my bucket list but then take it off again. It looks like all the fun of being at the wrong temperature, only wet as well.

I think its a marmite thing. You either really like them or you don't.

Many years ago my wife and I went on a walking holiday with a newly coupled couple. They were desperate to get into the hot tub at the B and B we were staying in.

We did not fancy it after their turn...

Carnyx

algarkirk said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

I think this must be a spoof?

Note the careful ambiguity of "holidays" to tirgger the [edfit] target audience.

Note also the recent reports in the Eye about the DT's reverse ferrets about supposed case study/ies of people badly affected by VAT on private schools which, erm, are alleged to be quite imaginative really.

https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/nationals/faked-telegraph-article/

"The article has been widely discussed on social media and many have stated that it was generated by AI.This was also asserted by presenter Richard Osman on the latest Rest Is Entertainment podcast.

The article was, in fact, written by a real journalist, based on a real telephone interview with a man who appears to have deceived the reporter and given them a fake name."

DecrepiterJohnL

Legendary Blue Peter editor Biddy Baxter dies at 92
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c844nlk731go

Malmesbury

MarqueeMark said:

HYUFD said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

Oh, the inhumanity....

ahem

DecrepiterJohnL

Cyclist jumps the lights (what's new?), ploughs through pedestrians (quelle surprise) and pinches a phone:-
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iSsD3V1EPsw

kinabalu

SandyRentool said:

The new drink driving limit: Sponsored by Guinness Zero.

That really does taste like Guinness ... I'm told.

Carnyx

DecrepiterJohnL said:

SandyRentool said:

The new drink driving limit: Sponsored by Guinness Zero.

By all accounts, alcohol-free booze has come on leaps and bounds so the designated driver no longer has to sip too-sweet soft drinks.

It may not be coincidence, given the already lower limits in Scotland, that Black Isle Brewery in Scotland include two decent low/zero alcohol beers - I quite often have them for lunch rather than yet more caffeine. (They do online, and I include them in the mix of beers that I get.)

Theuniondivvie

kinabalu said:

SandyRentool said:

The new drink driving limit: Sponsored by Guinness Zero.

That really does taste like Guinness ... I'm told.

Why take the risk?

Malmesbury

Morris_Dancer said:

Good morning, everyone.

Interesting, weird, very-2025 story about unemployed young Chinese paying to pretend to work in an office.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3ep76g3go

So, ultra cheap WeWork.

Plus "Her university has an unwritten rule that students must sign an employment contract or provide proof of internship within one year of graduation; otherwise, they won't receive a diploma.
She sent the office scene to the school as proof of her internship. In reality, she paid the daily fee, and sat in the office writing online novels to earn some pocket money."

Fysics_Teacher

DecrepiterJohnL said:

SandyRentool said:

The new drink driving limit: Sponsored by Guinness Zero.

By all accounts, alcohol-free booze has come on leaps and bounds so the designated driver no longer has to sip too-sweet soft drinks.

Low alcohol and alcohol free beer is now my drink of choice at pubs and even in the evening: I can recommend Brewdog's "Hazy AF" and the rest of their AF range.

I haven't given up drinking, and haven't yet found a good low alcohol wine (and the concept of low alcohol spirits strikes me as bizarre), but for beer they taste good enough for me, and I can drink them and drive.

stodge

SandyRentool said:

According to rumours, both Lisa Nandy and Bridget Phillipson left their cabinet roles months ago.

So perhaps best not to bet based on tittle-tattle.

Ah, who says satire is dead? Not quite but this'll finish it off.

Scott_xP

I had a Beck's Blue on Friday for the first time. It was reasonably refreshing but it doesn't particularly taste like beer

JohnLilburne

Scott_xP said:

HYUFD said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

Most people don't even have a garden hot tub

There is a static caravan site (what Americans would call a trailer park) not too far from me. They have garden hot tubs

Depends on the reason people live in a mobile home. A work colleague sold their house and moved into a mobile home so they could spend the proceeds on travelling. Also, as it's on a managed estate, it is probably more convenient to leave the premises unattended for long periods.

Fysics_Teacher

Scott_xP said:

I had a Beck's Blue on Friday for the first time. It was reasonably refreshing but it doesn't particularly taste like beer

To be fair the same could be said of regular Beck's...

JohnLilburne

kinabalu said:

SandyRentool said:

The new drink driving limit: Sponsored by Guinness Zero.

That really does taste like Guinness ... I'm told.

The canned one certainly does, it is uncanny. Haven't had the draft yet.

Dopermean

Carnyx said:

algarkirk said:

another_richard said:

One for ydoethur here - a report from Cannock by Sky News:

Full-time workers in Middle England struggle to make ends meet | Cost of Living Crisis

https://youtu.be/lgrerIXK-ec?t=138

A teacher is featured - £80k household income, big house, three cars (including at least one BMW), horse riding lessons, lots of holidays - complaining she cannot use the garden hot tub because of electricity prices.

I think this must be a spoof?

Note the careful ambiguity of "holidays" to tirgger the [edfit] target audience.

Note also the recent reports in the Eye about the DT's reverse ferrets about supposed case study/ies of people badly affected by VAT on private schools which, erm, are alleged to be quite imaginative really.

https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/nationals/faked-telegraph-article/

"The article has been widely discussed on social media and many have stated that it was generated by AI.This was also asserted by presenter Richard Osman on the latest Rest Is Entertainment podcast.

The article was, in fact, written by a real journalist, based on a real telephone interview with a man who appears to have deceived the reporter and given them a fake name."

Surely a real journalist would have checked their source?
This is a writer from the Kuensberg school of repeating BS spoonfed to them.

MarqueeMark

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Legendary Blue Peter editor Biddy Baxter dies at 92
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c844nlk731go

Ah, ex-St. Mary's, Durham. Explains much!

Roger

Scott_xP said:

kjh said:

My father's sight was fine and he didn't have dementia, but he was plain dangerous behind a wheel and it took us years before we could get his keys off of him (aged 92).

My Dad stopped after seeing news reports of a pensioner being involved in a fatal accident

...........'But if you saw the lady driving towards you, why didn't you give her half the road?'
Motorist: 'I was going to, Your Honor, as soon as I could find out which half she wanted.'