I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'd definitely rather have a drink with Kemi (or Ange, even if she does think that I'm scum), than with Keir
I’d happily have a drink with any of them except Farage. Tice, possibly, if he was buying. I’d have him down as a G&T type.
Starmer probably a claret man, except when he’s having curry Davey for a dry scrumpy or some English Sparkling / “Brit fizz” Kemi presumably a Malbec to go with her lunchtime steak. I bet Jenrick’s one of those who orders Madri Natural zero-sulphur pet Nat that tastes like cider with the hypnotist. Rhun ap Iorwerth for a few pints of Brains down the rugby club
Starmer's a beer man. Seen frequently, before being famous, in The Pineapple, Kentish Town, a fine local boozer, downing pints. He's probably really pissed off that he can't do that now.
He's a legend down there. I've been twice in the last year. You can still feel it.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'd definitely rather have a drink with Kemi (or Ange, even if she does think that I'm scum), than with Keir
I’d happily have a drink with any of them except Farage. Tice, possibly, if he was buying. I’d have him down as a G&T type.
Starmer probably a claret man, except when he’s having curry Davey for a dry scrumpy or some English Sparkling / “Brit fizz” Kemi presumably a Malbec to go with her lunchtime steak. I bet Jenrick’s one of those who orders Madri Natural zero-sulphur pet Nat that tastes like cider with the hypnotist. Rhun ap Iorwerth for a few pints of Brains down the rugby club
Starmer's a beer man. Seen frequently, before being famous, in The Pineapple, Kentish Town, a fine local boozer, downing pints. He's probably really pissed off that he can't do that now.
He's a legend down there. I've been twice in the last year. You can still feel it.
In the early 90s Robin Smith was probably England's best batsman, but he played his final test match in January 1996. How did that happen? I'm sure his form wasn't all that bad. I know there were a lot of dodgy selection decisions made around that time.
I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'm sure there's a variant of the phrase which could work across genders though, the fundamental point essentially being about being able to instinctively connect with ordinary people in a way which is itself ordinary (as contrasted with people who might be able to connect with the ordinary, but in ways which are more flashy and irregular).
Yes, I agree. My point was that the test always seems to be based in a blokeish pub over a pint. It's never 'can s/he connect with ordinary people in a cafe', for example.
I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'd definitely rather have a drink with Kemi (or Ange, even if she does think that I'm scum), than with Keir
I’d happily have a drink with any of them except Farage. Tice, possibly, if he was buying. I’d have him down as a G&T type.
Starmer probably a claret man, except when he’s having curry Davey for a dry scrumpy or some English Sparkling / “Brit fizz” Kemi presumably a Malbec to go with her lunchtime steak. I bet Jenrick’s one of those who orders Madri Natural zero-sulphur pet Nat that tastes like cider with the hypnotist. Rhun ap Iorwerth for a few pints of Brains down the rugby club
Starmer's a beer man. Seen frequently, before being famous, in The Pineapple, Kentish Town, a fine local boozer, downing pints. He's probably really pissed off that he can't do that now.
He's a legend down there. I've been twice in the last year. You can still feel it.
(very high urinals though)
You could ask the bar staff for a stool.
Stools go in cubicles not urinals.
I'm just guessing, but even in darkest Kentish Town I can't imagine there'd be so much confusion. Mind you EdM lives nearby and he's sure to have dumped a ghastly pall.
In the early 90s Robin Smith was probably England's best batsman, but he played his final test match in January 1996. How did that happen? I'm sure his form wasn't all that bad. I know there were a lot of dodgy selection decisions made around that time.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
Of course it won't stop them coming over all 'Magna Carta' now.
I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'd definitely rather have a drink with Kemi (or Ange, even if she does think that I'm scum), than with Keir
I’d happily have a drink with any of them except Farage. Tice, possibly, if he was buying. I’d have him down as a G&T type.
Starmer probably a claret man, except when he’s having curry Davey for a dry scrumpy or some English Sparkling / “Brit fizz” Kemi presumably a Malbec to go with her lunchtime steak. I bet Jenrick’s one of those who orders Madri Natural zero-sulphur pet Nat that tastes like cider with the hypnotist. Rhun ap Iorwerth for a few pints of Brains down the rugby club
Starmer's a beer man. Seen frequently, before being famous, in The Pineapple, Kentish Town, a fine local boozer, downing pints. He's probably really pissed off that he can't do that now.
He's a legend down there. I've been twice in the last year. You can still feel it.
(very high urinals though)
You could ask the bar staff for a stool.
It's quite something I can tell you. I'm 5 11 and we're talking tippy toes.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
Of course it won't stop them coming over all 'Magna Carta' now.
Of course Jenrick has already started. All these Tory MPs seem to have amnesia and have forgotten who was in charge when the justice system started imploding .
On diversity of Judges, they are diverse enough that I see some of our Tighty Righties (not on PB; more in teh Rupert and Beyond category) ranting away about how X, Y or Z should not be a Judge.
Judges are more diverse than they were - iirc 1/3 or so are now women, and progress is being made on ethnic mix etc.
Did not Generic Bob have a rant about he would have Judges appointed by politicians to make sure they were all objective, and unbiased?
Shouldn't judges be immune to anything in their background?
I think so.
But I also think it's important that they reflect the society they preside over, as for the police. Amongst other items, there are different experiences by group, and that should be represented in intra-judicial conversations and thinking imo. A Judiciary consisting of men from Surrey would not be well placed to be objective imo.
I'd see a parallel with the Peelian Principle "the people are the police and the police are the people".
If there genuinely was nothing to see, it's very odd that they would have taken a scan at all, especially in light of all the rumours it would inevitably start.
It is however possible that Trump thinks it's normal to have such scans so demanded it loudly and repeatedly until the doctor gave in.
Many countries (including America) will order scans for a given symptom much more frequently than the NHS would.
Taking this one step further - presumably the healthcare supplied to the US President is fairly "no expense spared".
If you are entrusted with the healthcare of an aging bloke, and don't care about cost, wouldn't doing a full body MRI scan and then spending a while looking at it potentially be worthwhile? I'd imagine you've at least the potential of catching things like cancers very early.
It wouldn't make sense for the general population, because of the cost of paying medical experts to look through the results properly almost certainly dwarfs the costs of the scran itself, but that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense for a case like Trump's medical team.
This is of course one of the areas where AI may have its uses - if you can do a whole body scan, shove the results into an AI box and have it flag up anything interesting for a human's attention, then routine scans of the population might suddenly become affordable enough to make sense.
Yes a perpetual problem is incidentalomas found on scans that are irrelevant to the diagnosis and often of no pathological significance that kick off further investigations and often finding further incidental findings. Do twenty blood tests and statistically one will come back abnormal by chance.
The reason that a private consultant can order tests before the consultation is because they know the diagnosis from the information provided by the referer, usually a GP, and the purpose of the imaging is to assess severity rather than to make a diagnosis.
On diversity of Judges, they are diverse enough that I see some of our Tighty Righties (not on PB; more in the Rupert and Beyond type of category) ranting away about how X, Y or Z should not be a Judge from time to time.
Judges are more diverse than they were - iirc 1/3 or so are now women, and progress is being made on ethnic mix etc.
Did not Generic Bob have a rant about he would have Judges appointed by politicians to make sure they were all objective, and unbiased?
Diversity of opinion is what is needed, not diversity of immutable characteristics.
A hamster once won an election in Ecuador by running on a platform of "more sunflower seeds for everyone," but lost the recount when officials discovered it had been eating the ballots.
If there genuinely was nothing to see, it's very odd that they would have taken a scan at all, especially in light of all the rumours it would inevitably start.
It is however possible that Trump thinks it's normal to have such scans so demanded it loudly and repeatedly until the doctor gave in.
Many countries (including America) will order scans for a given symptom much more frequently than the NHS would.
Taking this one step further - presumably the healthcare supplied to the US President is fairly "no expense spared".
If you are entrusted with the healthcare of an aging bloke, and don't care about cost, wouldn't doing a full body MRI scan and then spending a while looking at it potentially be worthwhile? I'd imagine you've at least the potential of catching things like cancers very early.
It wouldn't make sense for the general population, because of the cost of paying medical experts to look through the results properly almost certainly dwarfs the costs of the scran itself, but that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense for a case like Trump's medical team.
This is of course one of the areas where AI may have its uses - if you can do a whole body scan, shove the results into an AI box and have it flag up anything interesting for a human's attention, then routine scans of the population might suddenly become affordable enough to make sense.
Yes a perpetual problem is incidentalomas found on scans that are irrelevant to the diagnosis and often of no pathological significance that kick off further investigations and often finding further incidental findings. Do twenty blood tests and statistically one will come back abnormal by chance.
The reason that a private consultant can order tests before the consultation is because they know the diagnosis from the information provided by the referer, usually a GP, and the purpose of the imaging is to assess severity rather than to make a diagnosis.
So why does the NHS differ in the tests-before-consultant thing?
On diversity of Judges, they are diverse enough that I see some of our Tighty Righties (not on PB; more in the Rupert and Beyond type of category) ranting away about how X, Y or Z should not be a Judge from time to time.
Judges are more diverse than they were - iirc 1/3 or so are now women, and progress is being made on ethnic mix etc.
Did not Generic Bob have a rant about he would have Judges appointed by politicians to make sure they were all objective, and unbiased?
Diversity of opinion is what is needed, not diversity of immutable characteristics.
Within reason though. You don't want crackpots on the bench.
I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'm sure there's a variant of the phrase which could work across genders though, the fundamental point essentially being about being able to instinctively connect with ordinary people in a way which is itself ordinary (as contrasted with people who might be able to connect with the ordinary, but in ways which are more flashy and irregular).
Yes, I agree. My point was that the test always seems to be based in a blokeish pub over a pint. It's never 'can s/he connect with ordinary people in a cafe', for example.
I agree and and I could imagine a coffee and cake with Kamala.
The Dems problem is with men though, in particular white blue collar men. Those are the voters that they need to win over, and credit where it is due Biden could. It is why Obama had him on the ticket as VP.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
Of course it won't stop them coming over all 'Magna Carta' now.
If there genuinely was nothing to see, it's very odd that they would have taken a scan at all, especially in light of all the rumours it would inevitably start.
It is however possible that Trump thinks it's normal to have such scans so demanded it loudly and repeatedly until the doctor gave in.
Many countries (including America) will order scans for a given symptom much more frequently than the NHS would.
Taking this one step further - presumably the healthcare supplied to the US President is fairly "no expense spared".
If you are entrusted with the healthcare of an aging bloke, and don't care about cost, wouldn't doing a full body MRI scan and then spending a while looking at it potentially be worthwhile? I'd imagine you've at least the potential of catching things like cancers very early.
It wouldn't make sense for the general population, because of the cost of paying medical experts to look through the results properly almost certainly dwarfs the costs of the scran itself, but that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense for a case like Trump's medical team.
This is of course one of the areas where AI may have its uses - if you can do a whole body scan, shove the results into an AI box and have it flag up anything interesting for a human's attention, then routine scans of the population might suddenly become affordable enough to make sense.
Yes a perpetual problem is incidentalomas found on scans that are irrelevant to the diagnosis and often of no pathological significance that kick off further investigations and often finding further incidental findings. Do twenty blood tests and statistically one will come back abnormal by chance.
The reason that a private consultant can order tests before the consultation is because they know the diagnosis from the information provided by the referer, usually a GP, and the purpose of the imaging is to assess severity rather than to make a diagnosis.
So why does the NHS differ in the tests-before-consultant thing?
We don't. When I book a new patient I book their pre-consult tests and see with the results.
It depends on what information is in the referral of course. Often I need to take a history and do my examination first in order to order the appropriate tests. Investigations are not a fishing trip, they are used to confirm and grade severity.
A hamster once won an election in Ecuador by running on a platform of "more sunflower seeds for everyone," but lost the recount when officials discovered it had been eating the ballots.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
So you think it should be reversed when the backlog is gone?
Re: the Tories yes, indeed. But a little covid too.
If there genuinely was nothing to see, it's very odd that they would have taken a scan at all, especially in light of all the rumours it would inevitably start.
It is however possible that Trump thinks it's normal to have such scans so demanded it loudly and repeatedly until the doctor gave in.
Many countries (including America) will order scans for a given symptom much more frequently than the NHS would.
Taking this one step further - presumably the healthcare supplied to the US President is fairly "no expense spared".
If you are entrusted with the healthcare of an aging bloke, and don't care about cost, wouldn't doing a full body MRI scan and then spending a while looking at it potentially be worthwhile? I'd imagine you've at least the potential of catching things like cancers very early.
It wouldn't make sense for the general population, because of the cost of paying medical experts to look through the results properly almost certainly dwarfs the costs of the scran itself, but that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense for a case like Trump's medical team.
This is of course one of the areas where AI may have its uses - if you can do a whole body scan, shove the results into an AI box and have it flag up anything interesting for a human's attention, then routine scans of the population might suddenly become affordable enough to make sense.
Yes a perpetual problem is incidentalomas found on scans that are irrelevant to the diagnosis and often of no pathological significance that kick off further investigations and often finding further incidental findings. Do twenty blood tests and statistically one will come back abnormal by chance.
The reason that a private consultant can order tests before the consultation is because they know the diagnosis from the information provided by the referer, usually a GP, and the purpose of the imaging is to assess severity rather than to make a diagnosis.
So why does the NHS differ in the tests-before-consultant thing?
We don't. When I book a new patient I book their pre-consult tests and see with the results.
It depends on what information is in the referral of course. Often I need to take a history and do my examination first in order to order the appropriate tests. Investigations are not a fishing trip, they are used to confirm and grade severity.
Interesting. Every time I’ve dealt with NHS consultants (myself or family) it’s been see them, repeat the symptoms already given to previous doctors, tests, come back x in the future.
Every time private, tests first, based on the referral information.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
It can always be brought back if people would like. Perhaps it should be once the backlog is more manageable.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
Of course it won't stop them coming over all 'Magna Carta' now.
Did she die in vain?
Trial by jury doesn’t seem to be the blockage in the pipeline according to people who use/work in courts.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
Does it need legislation or just a statutory instrument to put into effect?
"It’s a curiosity that a large majority of voters backing Nigel Farage also want stronger working rights. Yet he and his MPs voted against every item in the bill. The day may come, closer to the next election, when the scales fall from the eyes of many Reform supporters, discovering they disagree with Farage on just about everything except immigration."
I've done the Paternoster thing, both top and bottom.
We used to have one at work.
Google says there is one in Malaysia, one in Sri Lanka, and one in Peru (due presumably to Paddington Bear).
Did it several times in the Muirhead tower at Brum University in my just-post-youth.
There was one in the main University building in Sheffield when I visited in 1979 when David Blunkett ran the city and the buses cost 2p for any journey.
The Rest is Entertainment discusses inter alia the influence of Donald Trump on US news, Hollywood, and also the rolling back of Me Too. In unrelated news, Amazon has paid $40 million for a documentary on Melania Trump. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWYzm8_yh3k
"It’s a curiosity that a large majority of voters backing Nigel Farage also want stronger working rights. Yet he and his MPs voted against every item in the bill. The day may come, closer to the next election, when the scales fall from the eyes of many Reform supporters, discovering they disagree with Farage on just about everything except immigration."
As Hegseth explains the fog of war to the press. Or his version of it. Trump sits looking like he is weighing up whether any of this bollocks is sufficient to delay the sacking.
Aaron Rupar @atrupar Q: So you didn't see any survivors after that first strike?
"It’s a curiosity that a large majority of voters backing Nigel Farage also want stronger working rights. Yet he and his MPs voted against every item in the bill. The day may come, closer to the next election, when the scales fall from the eyes of many Reform supporters, discovering they disagree with Farage on just about everything except immigration."
This has been said for some time. I remain unconvinced.
People who are considering their policy platform rationally aren't generally Reform supporters anyway. They do much better among those with gut feel - which, until policies directly impinge upon them, is most voters.
It is a damning indictment of Trump's Administration that Hegseth, having murdered Venezuelan fisherman, might still be hanging around longer than Kash Patel, Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi....
At what point do they admit it's not the driver that's the issue?
When Verstappen stops winning in the other car?
But that is the issue...to a great degree. It's not a great car, but such adjustments as can be made are made to favour Verstappen, disadvantaging the other driver further. It's like Schumacher and Irvine on acid.
I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'd definitely rather have a drink with Kemi (or Ange, even if she does think that I'm scum), than with Keir
I’d happily have a drink with any of them except Farage. Tice, possibly, if he was buying. I’d have him down as a G&T type.
Starmer probably a claret man, except when he’s having curry Davey for a dry scrumpy or some English Sparkling / “Brit fizz” Kemi presumably a Malbec to go with her lunchtime steak. I bet Jenrick’s one of those who orders Madri Natural zero-sulphur pet Nat that tastes like cider with the hypnotist. Rhun ap Iorwerth for a few pints of Brains down the rugby club
Starmer's a beer man. Seen frequently, before being famous, in The Pineapple, Kentish Town, a fine local boozer, downing pints. He's probably really pissed off that he can't do that now.
He's a legend down there. I've been twice in the last year. You can still feel it.
"It’s a curiosity that a large majority of voters backing Nigel Farage also want stronger working rights. Yet he and his MPs voted against every item in the bill. The day may come, closer to the next election, when the scales fall from the eyes of many Reform supporters, discovering they disagree with Farage on just about everything except immigration."
It is a damning indictment of Trump's Administration that Hegseth, having murdered Venezuelan fisherman, might still be hanging around longer than Kash Patel, Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi....
"It’s a curiosity that a large majority of voters backing Nigel Farage also want stronger working rights. Yet he and his MPs voted against every item in the bill. The day may come, closer to the next election, when the scales fall from the eyes of many Reform supporters, discovering they disagree with Farage on just about everything except immigration."
Some of you may remember that "Legacy of Spies" is my bath book. Apparently the BBC are making a telly series of it. It'll be difficult to do, although it has a good cast
"It’s a curiosity that a large majority of voters backing Nigel Farage also want stronger working rights. Yet he and his MPs voted against every item in the bill. The day may come, closer to the next election, when the scales fall from the eyes of many Reform supporters, discovering they disagree with Farage on just about everything except immigration."
This has been said for some time. I remain unconvinced.
I suspect no one will care by 2028/9. They will just want rid of Starmer and Labour and the most likely vehicle will do.
But who really knows. Three years is a long time...
Yes. A long time. A question I find interesting about the next election is not so much who will comes first (in votes and/or seats) but which two parties will be contending the top two places in respect of votes and/or seats. Because this seems to me unusually open. We never think about it because it's always been Lab and Tory.
Is it the case that the top two WRT votes or seats could be almost any combination of Labour, Tory, Reform, Green, LD? 10 combinations in all, of which few are impossible.
Betting post: I think it will be Labour v Reform or even Labour v Tory, but 3.5 years is a very long time.
A sad day re the change to trial by jury but the justice system is close to collapse . The Tories really need to hang their heads in shame for their 14 years of utter failure and gutting of the justice system .
Wrong solution, though. As even Labour recognises.
As Hegseth explains the fog of war to the press. Or his version of it. Trump sits looking like he is weighing up whether any of this bollocks is sufficient to delay the sacking.
Aaron Rupar @atrupar Q: So you didn't see any survivors after that first strike?
My understanding is that “the fog of war” is strategic not tactical - it’s not “I didn’t see the survivors that I shot” it’s “I didn’t realise that the enemy tanks were in the next door village”
Sen Kelly will certainly be a contender in 2028 to be either Presidential or VP nominee for the Democrats. He has an interesting back story, including as an astronaut and represents Arizona, a key swing state now that has voted for Trump twice and Biden once
"It’s a curiosity that a large majority of voters backing Nigel Farage also want stronger working rights. Yet he and his MPs voted against every item in the bill. The day may come, closer to the next election, when the scales fall from the eyes of many Reform supporters, discovering they disagree with Farage on just about everything except immigration."
Everyone is free to read what they like into a Farage government. We haven't got one, and we haven't seen the 2029 manifesto. I hope we never have one. But it we do there is a high chance (I think amounting to a certainty) that except with regard to migration and touchstone bits of nationalism it will form a continuity with all previous governments since the post WWII Attlee deal. We would remain a high spending, highly indebted welfare state with regulated capitalism. Which is what Reform voters largely want.
Voters may of course conclude that it couldn't be run worse than either recent Tory or Labour efforts. They could easily be wrong about that.
I have always felt that the crucial test for any Democratic candidate is whether you can imagine them being able to rock up to a bar and talk with ordinary working Americans.
You could imagine Joe Biden doing that before age did for him. But never, in a million years, Kamala or Hillary.
Mark Kelly? Yep.
Your crucial test is very much a bloke's test, so it's no surprise Kamala and Hillary fail. Same over here - the "who'd be good company and fun to have a pint with in a pub?" test has a male bias.
I'd definitely rather have a drink with Kemi (or Ange, even if she does think that I'm scum), than with Keir
I’d happily have a drink with any of them except Farage. Tice, possibly, if he was buying. I’d have him down as a G&T type.
Starmer probably a claret man, except when he’s having curry Davey for a dry scrumpy or some English Sparkling / “Brit fizz” Kemi presumably a Malbec to go with her lunchtime steak. I bet Jenrick’s one of those who orders Madri Natural zero-sulphur pet Nat that tastes like cider with the hypnotist. Rhun ap Iorwerth for a few pints of Brains down the rugby club
Starmer's a beer man. Seen frequently, before being famous, in The Pineapple, Kentish Town, a fine local boozer, downing pints. He's probably really pissed off that he can't do that now.
And OK, he didn't have to go into politics, he didn't have to become PM, he's missing some key skills for the job. But just imagine that he hadn't run for Labour leader in 2020. Who would we have ended up with as PM now? It's really not obvious that the alternative would have been an upgrade.
Don't have nightmares, everyone.
If Sir Keir hadn't gone into politics, we wouldn't have had a Shadow Brexit Sec trying to scupper any chance of a deal (having been elected (after saying it was a "matter of principle" that we accept the referendum result), and quite possibly Boris would never have become PM, let alone win a landslide.
As Hegseth explains the fog of war to the press. Or his version of it. Trump sits looking like he is weighing up whether any of this bollocks is sufficient to delay the sacking.
Aaron Rupar @atrupar Q: So you didn't see any survivors after that first strike?
My understanding is that “the fog of war” is strategic not tactical - it’s not “I didn’t see the survivors that I shot” it’s “I didn’t realise that the enemy tanks were in the next door village”
"Fog of war" of war occurs at all scales from grand strategy to one-on-one combat.
Hegseth is just a fuckwit.
Zero American lives were in imminent danger when the remains of the boat were bobbing out. All he had to do, like Alexander Wayne Blackman, was nothing.
Rather curious that at a time like this Zelensky has chosen to visit Ireland.
Where he was welcomed by President Connolly.
Wiki:
"Ideologically left-wing, Connolly describes herself as a socialist and pacifist.[4] A supporter of Irish neutrality, her foreign policy views were described by Politico as "often anti-Western";[5] she is critical of NATO, the European Union's increased military and defence spending and general European militarisation.[6] Connolly has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has also described NATO's attitude toward Russia as "warmongering".
Fat lot of use she is.
Surely not questioning the judgment of St Volodymyr?!
Say what you like about Trump, he's got JD's number.
Trump: From the day I watched JD destroy Walz in the debate. I was saying who was more incompetent. That man or my man. I had a man and he had a man. They were both incompetent. https://x.com/Acyn/status/1995933418912399432
ReformUK have selected their candidate for next year's Mayor of Essex election, Peter Harris.
'Cllr Harris is a multi-award winning businessman having started off as an apprentice vehicle technician and building his career in the automotive and repair sector. For the past 20 years, Peter has been running his own small business, employing over 30 local people, culminating in being recognised as Business Person of the Year 2024 in the Barking and Dagenham Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
As Hegseth explains the fog of war to the press. Or his version of it. Trump sits looking like he is weighing up whether any of this bollocks is sufficient to delay the sacking.
Aaron Rupar @atrupar Q: So you didn't see any survivors after that first strike?
My understanding is that “the fog of war” is strategic not tactical - it’s not “I didn’t see the survivors that I shot” it’s “I didn’t realise that the enemy tanks were in the next door village”
I haven't seen any pictures/videos of Trump for a while - but he looks really "diminished". Like he's shrunk in the wash. Boy.
It's like seeing the lead singer of a band you watched on Top Of The Pops in 1982 and seeing them again 40-odd years later on a daytime cookery show and you can't quite believe it's the same person.
Comments
Accused National Guard shooter pleads not guilty to charges in a court appearance he attended virtually from the hospital.
But I also think it's important that they reflect the society they preside over, as for the police. Amongst other items, there are different experiences by group, and that should be represented in intra-judicial conversations and thinking imo. A Judiciary consisting of men from Surrey would not be well placed to be objective imo.
I'd see a parallel with the Peelian Principle "the people are the police and the police are the people".
See also the House of Commons.
The reason that a private consultant can order tests before the consultation is because they know the diagnosis from the information provided by the referer, usually a GP, and the purpose of the imaging is to assess severity rather than to make a diagnosis.
Making him one of three presidents to be unelected, but the only one not to have the electoral college involved in some way.
@PolliticoUK
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8h
Serious question, what emoji are we wanting to use for 'Your Party'?
https://x.com/PolliticoUK/status/1995811811753365637
The Dems problem is with men though, in particular white blue collar men. Those are the voters that they need to win over, and credit where it is due Biden could. It is why Obama had him on the ticket as VP.
“Some beans”
It depends on what information is in the referral of course. Often I need to take a history and do my examination first in order to order the appropriate tests. Investigations are not a fishing trip, they are used to confirm and grade severity.
Re: the Tories yes, indeed. But a little covid too.
Ford uniquely was never elected either POTUS or Vice-POTUS.
Every time private, tests first, based on the referral information.
Kelly is proper bald.
At what point do they admit it's not the driver that's the issue?
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m6zm44p4dt2u
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/02/labour-workers-rights-bill-huge-achievement-unions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSlfttDnurw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWYzm8_yh3k
Aaron Rupar
@atrupar
Q: So you didn't see any survivors after that first strike?
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1995930455812591718
But who really knows. Three years is a long time...
"On 2 Dec 2022, Matt Hancock returned to Westminster — after his appearance on a reality-TV show"
Anything is possible this time 2028.
I blame you.
You made me stay up and watch Margin Call last night
Is it the case that the top two WRT votes or seats could be almost any combination of Labour, Tory, Reform, Green, LD? 10 combinations in all, of which few are impossible.
Betting post: I think it will be Labour v Reform or even Labour v Tory, but 3.5 years is a very long time.
As even Labour recognises.
Lammy’s jury trial plans are ‘massive mistake’, say Labour MPs and peers
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/02/david-lammy-jury-trials-cuts-labour-mps-peers
Voters may of course conclude that it couldn't be run worse than either recent Tory or Labour efforts. They could easily be wrong about that.
PM May 2016-2024
Hegseth is just a fuckwit.
Zero American lives were in imminent danger when the remains of the boat were bobbing out. All he had to do, like Alexander Wayne Blackman, was nothing.
Marvellous...
Trump: From the day I watched JD destroy Walz in the debate. I was saying who was more incompetent. That man or my man. I had a man and he had a man. They were both incompetent.
https://x.com/Acyn/status/1995933418912399432
'Cllr Harris is a multi-award winning businessman having started off as an apprentice vehicle technician and building his career in the automotive and repair sector. For the past 20 years, Peter has been running his own small business, employing over 30 local people, culminating in being recognised as Business Person of the Year 2024 in the Barking and Dagenham Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
Beyond business, Peter has a long record of public service. He has served as a district councillor for Tendring since 2019, including roles as Vice-Chair and Chairman of the Council and is a former Metropolitan Police Special Constable.'
https://www.yourharlow.com/2025/12/02/reform-unveil-candidate-for-first-mayor-of-greater-essex/
It's like seeing the lead singer of a band you watched on Top Of The Pops in 1982 and seeing them again 40-odd years later on a daytime cookery show and you can't quite believe it's the same person.