Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Judging from the eerie quiet on here, everyone is currently stuck on a motorway making their Christmas get-a-way.
BBC says busiest day. People are really inflicting themselves on their families for a whole week?
This is a good day to be the people that the others all come to at Christmas instead of going to them. That plus judicious delegation of tasks to family members + Amazon works wonders.
Rather like bank holiday weekends when you live in north Cumberland. Don't go anywhere. Between you and the Solway is space with no people, no cars and lots of lizards basking in the sun. Just down the road is gridlock.
I think with the big day so later into next week, the big getaway today will not be that big. Even if you are going away from Christmas, Monday or Tuesday are plenty early enough. Guests, like fish, start to smell after three days…
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Too many sliding door moments. Here are a few. When it was decided to carry on borrowing £100s of billions after not during the crises of banking disaster and Covid, and continuing. When we decided to leave the EU but not join EEA/EFTA. Iraq. NATO letting Russia take Crimea. NATO not saying to Russia that an attack on Ukraine would be treated as if an Article 5 attack. Making Boris leader instead of Rory. Appointing Truss.
Back from Waitrose and just finished prepping for my dinner. I’m making pasta puttanesca
Apparently that might mean ‘whores pasta’ because you can put anything in it
When I’ve made it before I’ve made the tomato flavour overpowering. So I’ve decided to make it differently
I’m going to make a sauce by frying garlic, spring onion and anchovies in butter and the oil from the tin of anchovies. Once the anchovies dissolve, I’ll add white wine and some veg stock. Once they’re halfway boiled down, add capers, black olives and tinned peppered mackerel fillets. Then add a good splash of the pasta water
Concurrently cook the pasta until just before al dente; do the last minute or so of the cooking in the sauce
Also concurrently, bake halved cherry tomatoes with loads of black pepper and a bit of olive oil in the air fryer
Then mix it all together with chives and parsley, and maybe grate some Parmesan on top if it’s not salty enough
FFS, after the government briefed that we're on a "war footing", a decade and a half old fixed price procurement contract has yet again delayed the defence spending plan.
News sneaked out in a written statement just before Christmas.
Ajax probe delays Defence Investment Plan decisions https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/ajax-probe-delays-defence-investment-plan-decisions/ The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that ongoing investigations into the British Army’s Ajax armoured vehicle programme will directly shape decisions in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan, which has been delayed in recent weeks as ministers await clarity on the troubled programme.
In a written statement to Parliament ahead of the Christmas recess, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said multiple safety investigations into Ajax remain ongoing following reports of noise and vibration injuries among service personnel, and that their findings will now feed directly into investment decisions.
The statement provides the clearest indication yet that uncertainty around Ajax has contributed to the delayed publication of the Defence Investment Plan, as the government weighs future funding and capability choices linked to the Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme...
Everyone involved in defence procurement at the MoD, with any responsibility for decision making on this program during the last decade and a half, should be put on notice. Unless they can provide good cause (for example, if they were recruited a few months ago, or they are on record as having consistently opposed the way in which Ajax has been handled), they ought to be fired.
That might be hugely disruptive for a few months, but I don't see how it could be much worse than the current situation. And it might well improve things.
Good luck doing that. The military involved in the project (the majority on the customer side and a decent number on the project team) will have rotated in and out every two years. There will be a bit more consistency in the civilians, but not from the decision makers.
The whole enterprise, military and civilian, needs to have some accountability introduced. The quid pro quo being the freedom to act quickly and decisively if you take responsibility for the decision, and latitude to make a few mistakes through enhanced risk appetite (though not at this scale).
Whatever the solutions is - and obviously it needs a little more thinking than my rant - it's pretty clear that only a radical shakeup, with career consequences for those who have perpetrated this mess, is going to make any difference in the future.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Too many sliding door moments. Here are a few. When it was decided to carry on borrowing £100s of billions after not during the crises of banking disaster and Covid, and continuing. When we decided to leave the EU but not join EEA/EFTA. Iraq. NATO letting Russia take Crimea. NATO not saying to Russia that an attack on Ukraine would be treated as if an Article 5 attack. Making Boris leader instead of Rory. Appointing Truss.
It was Iraq and the fallout from that, and then the electorate's failure to punish Blair and Labour for it.
What the electorate said was that a government could lie to the nation, start a war on a flimsy pretext, have no plan for the aftermath of that war, hound a public servant to death for exposing their lies about all that - and then still get re-elected because house prices stayed high and the economy hadn't yet collapsed.
It probably didn't help that the Liberal Democrats, who should have been best-placed to give the public an alternative, were led by an alcoholic, thereby themselves being almost as unserious as the public.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
OT - If I want a grounded political viewpoint I'm not sure I;d go to a Lab SPAD (or indeed any SPAD) The SPAD culture has to be in the Top 10 courses of the collapse in quality of our political structures and culture
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
That made me look at the odds on Betfair's Exchange... at 25/1 I can't say I am tempted
Meanwhile just a reminder that Verian (formerly Kantar) one of the best UK pollsters out there (judging on recent past records) have finally put out a poll as others have no doubt noticed.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Pretty soundly didn't lose Scotland .. but then losing a Brexit referendum, and taking Scotland out of the EU against their will, screwed up their politics too, for the foreseeable future.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
SIX years. Not seven.
Was PM in part of seven years?😀
11 May 2010 – 13 July 2016. Six years, two months, two days
Meanwhile just a reminder that Verian (formerly Kantar) one of the best UK pollsters out there (judging on recent past records) have finally put out a poll as others have no doubt noticed.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
I asked what price people thought crossover between Reform and the Tories would be in 2026, and offered 2/7 No, 5/2 Yes as my best guess... Maybe that was too short the 'No'
Meanwhile just a reminder that Verian (formerly Kantar) one of the best UK pollsters out there (judging on recent past records) have finally put out a poll as others have no doubt noticed.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
More similar to YouGov than others by the look of it.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
In principle it's possible, but one of the disappointing features of this series for England is how they've lost their confidence and become more cautious, and less Bazball audacious, as it has gone on.
So who in the batting order is going to believe that they can hit Lyon for a hundred in order to get to the target?
It's lost in their heads already.
That said, if one of the players does somehow manage to turn it around it will be one of the greatest feats of sporting self-belief you will ever have seen, and so all the more impressive for how unlikely it was.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
That made me look at the odds on Betfair's Exchange... at 25/1 I can't say I am tempted
No I'd want bigger than that. But what the hell, £2 just to show where I stand.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
In principle it's possible, but one of the disappointing features of this series for England is how they've lost their confidence and become more cautious, and less Bazball audacious, as it has gone on.
So who in the batting order is going to believe that they can hit Lyon for a hundred in order to get to the target?
It's lost in their heads already.
That said, if one of the players does somehow manage to turn it around it will be one of the greatest feats of sporting self-belief you will ever have seen, and so all the more impressive for how unlikely it was.
The Guardian paraphrased the old "Only three things wrong with this England team; they can't bat, they can't bowl, and they can't field" line today
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
That made me look at the odds on Betfair's Exchange... at 25/1 I can't say I am tempted
No I'd want bigger than that. But what the hell, £2 just to show where I stand.
As the Aussies were knocking off the runs required to win the last test, my mate said England must be about 500/1 to win The Ashes now... I looked it up and we were something like 25/1 then. Australia were 1/10, which seemed like a cracking bet. I didn't have it though.
Athers mentioned on the podcast, and in his Times article, that a horse called Blowers won at 300/1 earlier in the week, which showed sporting miracles could happen He also referenced the 500/1 on offer at Headingley in 1981. 25/1 seems incredibly mean, but good luck, I hope it wins
Meanwhile just a reminder that Verian (formerly Kantar) one of the best UK pollsters out there (judging on recent past records) have finally put out a poll as others have no doubt noticed.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
I wonder whether we'll see any polls with the Tories in the lead in 2026.
As I've been saying, I think Kemi has seriously upped her game in the past few months and the non-VI ratings are improving very quickly. That will eventually tell in the VI, but whether it happens in time for the locals remains to be seen.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
In principle it's possible, but one of the disappointing features of this series for England is how they've lost their confidence and become more cautious, and less Bazball audacious, as it has gone on.
So who in the batting order is going to believe that they can hit Lyon for a hundred in order to get to the target?
It's lost in their heads already.
That said, if one of the players does somehow manage to turn it around it will be one of the greatest feats of sporting self-belief you will ever have seen, and so all the more impressive for how unlikely it was.
Yes, you don't even sense a 'bubbling under' miracle, do you. The ingredients are not there. Still, randomness can kick in and cricket over just two days is not immune to it. Let's just retain a sliver of hope until it's totally and utterly gone.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
In principle it's possible, but one of the disappointing features of this series for England is how they've lost their confidence and become more cautious, and less Bazball audacious, as it has gone on.
So who in the batting order is going to believe that they can hit Lyon for a hundred in order to get to the target?
It's lost in their heads already.
That said, if one of the players does somehow manage to turn it around it will be one of the greatest feats of sporting self-belief you will ever have seen, and so all the more impressive for how unlikely it was.
The Guardian paraphrased the old "Only three things wrong with this England team; they can't bat, they can't bowl, and they can't field" line today
That's sad. I remember watching cricket when England's fielding was so tight as to look almost miraculous to an ignoramus like me. Must be 40 & more years ago now.
The political class is obsessed with MPs defecting from one party to another. But I can't think of one in recent political history that has made any significant difference, especially where, in this case, the defection happens between two opposition parties.
So I think the Labour SPAD quoted is thinking wishfully.
Back from Waitrose and just finished prepping for my dinner. I’m making pasta puttanesca
Apparently that might mean ‘whores pasta’ because you can put anything in it
When I’ve made it before I’ve made the tomato flavour overpowering. So I’ve decided to make it differently
I’m going to make a sauce by frying garlic, spring onion and anchovies in butter and the oil from the tin of anchovies. Once the anchovies dissolve, I’ll add white wine and some veg stock. Once they’re halfway boiled down, add capers, black olives and tinned peppered mackerel fillets. Then add a good splash of the pasta water
Concurrently cook the pasta until just before al dente; do the last minute or so of the cooking in the sauce
Also concurrently, bake halved cherry tomatoes with loads of black pepper and a bit of olive oil in the air fryer
Then mix it all together with chives and parsley, and maybe grate some Parmesan on top if it’s not salty enough
Back from Waitrose and just finished prepping for my dinner. I’m making pasta puttanesca
Apparently that might mean ‘whores pasta’ because you can put anything in it
When I’ve made it before I’ve made the tomato flavour overpowering. So I’ve decided to make it differently
I’m going to make a sauce by frying garlic, spring onion and anchovies in butter and the oil from the tin of anchovies. Once the anchovies dissolve, I’ll add white wine and some veg stock. Once they’re halfway boiled down, add capers, black olives and tinned peppered mackerel fillets. Then add a good splash of the pasta water
Concurrently cook the pasta until just before al dente; do the last minute or so of the cooking in the sauce
Also concurrently, bake halved cherry tomatoes with loads of black pepper and a bit of olive oil in the air fryer
Then mix it all together with chives and parsley, and maybe grate some Parmesan on top if it’s not salty enough
Putin says no more wars if Russia is respected. Considering he considers defending against Russian attacks disrespectful it's not the most encouraging statement.
There's a lot of demanding "respect" going on between political leaders. Poland's newish President was demanding that Ukraine be more "grateful" for the Polish help it is receiving, aka, grovel and show respect for the privilege of fighting to defend Poland from Russia.
It's a sickening trend in world politics. The attitude of a violent school playground.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainians hit a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean, and tease about hitting another Black Sea warship.
Its hardly respect to unleash rapists and murderers on a civilian population. Putin should be hanged for war crimes, admittedly many of them committed against his own army. I notice he has been getting increasingly shrill this month- a sign that he sees the writing on the wall?
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
That seems a bit thin, boundaries require periodic review in any case, and the process still seems unpartisan. A good achievement of, i think, Boris, was to make imlplementation of the reviews less at whim of government.
Judging from the eerie quiet on here, everyone is currently stuck on a motorway making their Christmas get-a-way.
I'm halfway through returning from a week away visiting my daughter and I have timed it very badly. The shipping forecast suggests a force 8 for my ferry crossing, so perhaps it will be delayed/cancelled.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
That seems a bit thin, boundaries require periodic review in any case, and the process still seems unpartisan. A good achievement of, i think, Boris, was to make imlplementation of the reviews less at whim of government.
Incidentally, Plebgate was a direct result of the Cameron government refusing to gundeck various enquires, such as those into Hillsborough.
At the start of the Coalition, ACPO turned up at No. 10 with a list of demands. Which Cameron refused. Things like stopping investigations into the bizarre and illegal surveillance of domestic pressure groups, Hillsborough and a number of other matters.
When this was turned down, ACPO representatives claimed that the government had declared war on the police…
The author is, according to legend, a bestselling author. Surely these will disappear as AI can write me a murder in the style of Agatha Christie or a romance in the style of Barbara Cartland. Now David Walliams has been cancelled, Grok can write a children's story plotted like Charlie Higson's young Bond, rhyming like Dr Seuss with cute animal pictures on every page. This is probably why authors are up in arms about having their copyright nicked.
Maybe the columnist is right. So, in an important sense, were the Luddites. Jobs were lost, skills no longer needed. And yet, here we are.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
That seems a bit thin, boundaries require periodic review in any case, and the process still seems unpartisan. A good achievement of, i think, Boris, was to make imlplementation of the reviews less at whim of government.
Then you have not understood the evil genius of the way it was done. The process is unpartisan, so the key was to set up the parameters in order that the unpartisan process produced more seats in Conservative areas, and fewer in Labour areas.
Judging from the eerie quiet on here, everyone is currently stuck on a motorway making their Christmas get-a-way.
I'm halfway through returning from a week away visiting my daughter and I have timed it very badly. The shipping forecast suggests a force 8 for my ferry crossing, so perhaps it will be delayed/cancelled.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Meanwhile just a reminder that Verian (formerly Kantar) one of the best UK pollsters out there (judging on recent past records) have finally put out a poll as others have no doubt noticed.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
More similar to YouGov than others by the look of it.
LLG 46 RefCon 48
Or US style GOP 48 DEM 46. Who does FPTP (the EC) favour? And where's our rustbelt? I hope it's not the West Midlands. They have some odd ideas there sometimes.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
That seems a bit thin, boundaries require periodic review in any case, and the process still seems unpartisan. A good achievement of, i think, Boris, was to make imlplementation of the reviews less at whim of government.
Then you have not understood the evil genius of the way it was done. The process is unpartisan, so the key was to set up the parameters in order that the unpartisan process produced more seats in Conservative areas, and fewer in Labour areas.
Setting parameters is necessary and will inevitably be disputed to some degree. It doesnt seem to have prevented wholesake changes, and if the current government think the parameters remain unfair id look forward to their proposals to fix it.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
That made me look at the odds on Betfair's Exchange... at 25/1 I can't say I am tempted
No I'd want bigger than that. But what the hell, £2 just to show where I stand.
As the Aussies were knocking off the runs required to win the last test, my mate said England must be about 500/1 to win The Ashes now... I looked it up and we were something like 25/1 then. Australia were 1/10, which seemed like a cracking bet. I didn't have it though.
Athers mentioned on the podcast, and in his Times article, that a horse called Blowers won at 300/1 earlier in the week, which showed sporting miracles could happen He also referenced the 500/1 on offer at Headingley in 1981. 25/1 seems incredibly mean, but good luck, I hope it wins
The draw maybe. Oz bat on and on, seeking to grind us into the dust, then we get our heads down (like Stokes has twice done already) and bat out 4 sessions. 250 short, 2 wickets left.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
That seems a bit thin, boundaries require periodic review in any case, and the process still seems unpartisan. A good achievement of, i think, Boris, was to make imlplementation of the reviews less at whim of government.
Then you have not understood the evil genius of the way it was done. The process is unpartisan, so the key was to set up the parameters in order that the unpartisan process produced more seats in Conservative areas, and fewer in Labour areas.
Setting parameters is necessary and will inevitably be disputed to some degree. It doesnt seem to have prevented wholesake changes, and if the current government think the parameters remain unfair id look forward to their proposals to fix it.
You are too busy trying to prove me wrong. Consider the mechanics of what was done; the planning was impressive (and the tactic adopted by the GOP stateside). Ironically, this also led to Brexit and the end of Cameron. You may recall that panic set in when Cameron realised the overlap between demographics thought to favour Labour and those favouring the EU, which is why there was a last-minute voter registration drive, and the deadline was (controversially) postponed.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
That seems a bit thin, boundaries require periodic review in any case, and the process still seems unpartisan. A good achievement of, i think, Boris, was to make imlplementation of the reviews less at whim of government.
Then you have not understood the evil genius of the way it was done. The process is unpartisan, so the key was to set up the parameters in order that the unpartisan process produced more seats in Conservative areas, and fewer in Labour areas.
Setting parameters is necessary and will inevitably be disputed to some degree. It doesnt seem to have prevented wholesake changes, and if the current government think the parameters remain unfair id look forward to their proposals to fix it.
You are too busy trying to prove me wrong. Consider the mechanics of what was done; the planning was impressive (and the tactic adopted by the GOP stateside). Ironically, this also led to Brexit and the end of Cameron. You may recall that panic set in when Cameron realised the overlap between demographics thought to favour Labour and those favouring the EU, which is why there was a last-minute voter registration drive, and the deadline was (controversially) postponed.
Im not trying to prove you wrong, you just havent persuaded me of it yet, and that i dont recall suatained outrage about it from Labour, (or local LDs i know who have been very involved in reviews) even after getting back into power, makes me ponder how bad it could have been.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Lansley wasn’t plebgate, surely? I think the coalition set the national finances on the road to recovery. If you look around, most western governments have flatlined since 2007. What Gerrymandering are you refering too?
Good point. Two people with the same first name. Deliberate mistake. AI slop. Autocorrect.
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
That seems a bit thin, boundaries require periodic review in any case, and the process still seems unpartisan. A good achievement of, i think, Boris, was to make imlplementation of the reviews less at whim of government.
Then you have not understood the evil genius of the way it was done. The process is unpartisan, so the key was to set up the parameters in order that the unpartisan process produced more seats in Conservative areas, and fewer in Labour areas.
Setting parameters is necessary and will inevitably be disputed to some degree. It doesnt seem to have prevented wholesake changes, and if the current government think the parameters remain unfair id look forward to their proposals to fix it.
You are too busy trying to prove me wrong. Consider the mechanics of what was done; the planning was impressive (and the tactic adopted by the GOP stateside). Ironically, this also led to Brexit and the end of Cameron. You may recall that panic set in when Cameron realised the overlap between demographics thought to favour Labour and those favouring the EU, which is why there was a last-minute voter registration drive, and the deadline was (controversially) postponed.
Im not trying to prove you wrong, you just havent persuaded me of it yet, and that i dont recall suatained outrage about it from Labour, (or local LDs i know who have been very involved in reviews) even after getting back into power, makes me ponder how bad it could have been.
Postponent when changes are imminent may be reasonable, but if reorganisations are being delayed (the timetable was over ambitious) much better to go ahead, even if they go again relatively soon.
Meanwhile just a reminder that Verian (formerly Kantar) one of the best UK pollsters out there (judging on recent past records) have finally put out a poll as others have no doubt noticed.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
More similar to YouGov than others by the look of it.
LLG 46 RefCon 48
Or US style GOP 48 DEM 46. Who does FPTP (the EC) favour? And where's our rustbelt? I hope it's not the West Midlands. They have some odd ideas there sometimes.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
Since being hit by a car, I've become rather more expressive at drivers speeding past me
The traditional hand signal has become even more of a staple response
Yesterday some idiot drove past me at about 40 outside my house, where the limit is 20 (The ready reckoner is double the yards per second), he got the hand signal
He screeched to a halt, jumped out and yelled "Don't call me a wanker"
Quick as a whippet, I yelled back "I don't know the hand signal for c***. Fuck off and do it slowly"
I'm glad to report that he took my advice, to laughter from his passengers
Back from Waitrose and just finished prepping for my dinner. I’m making pasta puttanesca
Apparently that might mean ‘whores pasta’ because you can put anything in it
When I’ve made it before I’ve made the tomato flavour overpowering. So I’ve decided to make it differently
I’m going to make a sauce by frying garlic, spring onion and anchovies in butter and the oil from the tin of anchovies. Once the anchovies dissolve, I’ll add white wine and some veg stock. Once they’re halfway boiled down, add capers, black olives and tinned peppered mackerel fillets. Then add a good splash of the pasta water
Concurrently cook the pasta until just before al dente; do the last minute or so of the cooking in the sauce
Also concurrently, bake halved cherry tomatoes with loads of black pepper and a bit of olive oil in the air fryer
Then mix it all together with chives and parsley, and maybe grate some Parmesan on top if it’s not salty enough
I prefer the story that it got its name because of the mix of the scent and taste of the anchovies and olives were reminiscent of performance of cunnilingus on a lady of the night.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
100 losers in a room needs, to reflect each result:
Meanwhile just a reminder that Verian (formerly Kantar) one of the best UK pollsters out there (judging on recent past records) have finally put out a poll as others have no doubt noticed.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
More similar to YouGov than others by the look of it.
LLG 46 RefCon 48
Or US style GOP 48 DEM 46. Who does FPTP (the EC) favour? And where's our rustbelt? I hope it's not the West Midlands. They have some odd ideas there sometimes.
Oxford's a real dump?
It has been suggested (or possibly made up) that the script had Cambridge being the dump but Fry (Cambridge) altered it, adding to the verisimilitude of the Oxford man's reaction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKuHYO9TM5A
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
The point about the Scotland referendum was the direction of travel. Yes was gaining considerably in the face of Cameron's negative campaign – that Scotland was lsquo;too poor, too wee, too stupid’ for independence. It was only stopped when Gordon Brown and Ruth Davidson started to make the positive case for the union.
So, this test match. Is there a way to keep the Aussie lead down to around 450 and then chase it down? Crazy things do happen in sport. That's why we love it.
That made me look at the odds on Betfair's Exchange... at 25/1 I can't say I am tempted
No I'd want bigger than that. But what the hell, £2 just to show where I stand.
As the Aussies were knocking off the runs required to win the last test, my mate said England must be about 500/1 to win The Ashes now... I looked it up and we were something like 25/1 then. Australia were 1/10, which seemed like a cracking bet. I didn't have it though.
Athers mentioned on the podcast, and in his Times article, that a horse called Blowers won at 300/1 earlier in the week, which showed sporting miracles could happen He also referenced the 500/1 on offer at Headingley in 1981. 25/1 seems incredibly mean, but good luck, I hope it wins
Some of my pals bet on St Mirren at 13/2 to beat Celtic last weekend.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
100 losers in a room needs, to reflect each result:
Back from Waitrose and just finished prepping for my dinner. I’m making pasta puttanesca
Apparently that might mean ‘whores pasta’ because you can put anything in it
When I’ve made it before I’ve made the tomato flavour overpowering. So I’ve decided to make it differently
I’m going to make a sauce by frying garlic, spring onion and anchovies in butter and the oil from the tin of anchovies. Once the anchovies dissolve, I’ll add white wine and some veg stock. Once they’re halfway boiled down, add capers, black olives and tinned peppered mackerel fillets. Then add a good splash of the pasta water
Concurrently cook the pasta until just before al dente; do the last minute or so of the cooking in the sauce
Also concurrently, bake halved cherry tomatoes with loads of black pepper and a bit of olive oil in the air fryer
Then mix it all together with chives and parsley, and maybe grate some Parmesan on top if it’s not salty enough
I prefer the story that it got its name because of the mix of the scent and taste of the anchovies and olives were reminiscent of performance of cunnilingus on a lady of the night.
The story I heard (via Keith Floyd - so.. from a solid source) was just that it was quick to (ahem) 'knock up' between clients.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
There was a poll last week showing something like twice as many people blame the current govt for the mess we are in than do the Tories, although "Both" was the winner
it was IPSOS
When asked who is most responsible for the country moving in the wrong direction, 48% blame a combination of the current Labour government and past Conservative one (-3 from September) whereas 32% blame mainly the current Labour government (+4). 14% mainly blame the previous Conservative government (-1).
Once the leader has been changed and it has been a couple of years, I don't think people think of the old govt as the same party really. There are very few Tories in the shadow cabinet now that were well known before the last GE. People may blame Cameron, Osborne, Gove, Boris, May, Hancock, Sunak, and so on, but they've almost all gone.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
100 losers in a room needs, to reflect each result:
124 unionists;
108 leavers;
101 anti-devolutionists.
Scottish referendum wasn't close.
You had me until the last line. I was expecting 'And a partridge in a pear tree'.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
What's the basis for the Fukker -> tory swing apart from hopes and dreams?
If you're the type of small minded sociopath drawn to toryism/fukkerism then you might as well vote Fukker because there is zero meaningful policy distance between them but the Fukkers, at least, sound like they mean it. The tory offer is, the Fukkers are right about everything but vote for us instead because of Kemi's natural charm.
Somewhat related. We (.ac.uk) have an internal 'software service' which is operated by compsci students. Originally supposed to get them some dosh, and experience working on 'real' projects.
Over summer we hired them to revamp an old app that did some simple data transformations and gave people a basic web UI to interact. The old one worked fine - just a bit tired looking and the code was getting very out of support.
Couple of months of fruitless work and thousands of pounds later via the up-and-coming students. Eventually left with, effectively, no work of note done. So asked a coding LLM agent to do the same task with the same spec. Completed to order within a couple of hours at a cost of less than £10.
I don't blame the students for this at all. But they were being taught and overseen on very expensive degree programmes - often to Masters level. And were left with zero applicable skills to real world modern software projects.
Faced with the rise of these coding agents (hit or miss they may be) I'm not holding my breath for a lot of those student loans being paid back.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
100 losers in a room needs, to reflect each result:
124 unionists;
108 leavers;
101 anti-devolutionists.
Scottish referendum wasn't close.
You had me until the last line. I was expecting 'And a partridge in a pear tree'.
Christmas themes abound. Wordle today, for example. Still got it in three.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
The point about the Scotland referendum was the direction of travel. Yes was gaining considerably in the face of Cameron's negative campaign – that Scotland was lsquo;too poor, too wee, too stupid’ for independence. It was only stopped when Gordon Brown and Ruth Davidson started to make the positive case for the union.
At the risk of arusing the ire of the mods, David Cameron was shit at referenda. He took exactly the same approach to the Brexit one.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
What's the basis for the Fukker -> tory swing apart from hopes and dreams?
If you're the type of small minded sociopath drawn to toryism/fukkerism then you might as well vote Fukker because there is zero meaningful policy distance between them but the Fukkers, at least, sound like they mean it. The tory offer is, the Fukkers are right about everything but vote for us instead because of Kemi's natural charm.
Labour are going to fuck the economy so hard over the next few years that enough of the softer voters saying they'll vote Reform will peel back to the Tories. I think there will be ~17-20% that will turn out for Reform whatever the weather because of the immigration programme so if Labour fuck up the economy badly enough too many right wing voters will scream for mummy and come running back.
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
100 losers in a room needs, to reflect each result:
124 unionists;
108 leavers;
101 anti-devolutionists.
Scottish referendum wasn't close.
You had me until the last line. I was expecting 'And a partridge in a pear tree'.
Christmas themes abound. Wordle today, for example. Still got it in three.
Well so did I and I always start with the previous day's solution, and always make use of any clues en route, so there!
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
I'm a bit worried about 5 people liking that post. Don't take it personally David!
Somewhat belatedly, it is time to go and get the Christmas tree. Then put some decs up. Our son is coming home in the early hours for Christmas. Looking forward to that.
This has been a very unhappy hear for me in politics. I feel an orphan. I have nothing but contempt for the SNP government in Scotland and I am in despair about the Labour government in London. My enthusiasm and even interest has waned sharply. I may have a break from PB for a while.
We're in a dull phase right now.
That's certainly part of the problem. Sometimes, as with the bug going round at the moment, the only answer is to hunker down and wait for nature to do its thing. The current personnel aren't ideal casting, sure. But if the alternatives are worse, what are we to do?
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Besides, how did we get here and then get out? Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that we're demanding leadership qualities that go well beyond what we have any right to demand. Since Blair, we've had seven PMs, all of whom failed fairly unambiguously and fairly quickly. What was the sliding door moment where we could have avoided all this?
Unfair on Cameron. PM for seven years, led the best government of the last twenty years. Made one tiny miscalculation…
Cameron's “best government of the last twenty years” flatlined the economy, gerrymandered our electoral process (which arguably resulted in losing the referendum), broke the NHS (which is why there was no support for Lansley over plebgate), almost lost Scotland and did lose Europe.
Almost lost Scotland? The result was NO 55%.
Closer than initially predicted by many.
Not as close as Brexit, not as close as Wales '97!
Wales '97 was 50.3% yes to devolution, 49.7% no to devolution.
100 losers in a room needs, to reflect each result:
124 unionists;
108 leavers;
101 anti-devolutionists.
Scottish referendum wasn't close.
You had me until the last line. I was expecting 'And a partridge in a pear tree'.
Christmas themes abound. Wordle today, for example. Still got it in three.
Well so did I and I always start with the previous day's solution, and always make use of any clues en route, so there!
The government have left local councils moving to becoming unitaries to decide if they want elections next year, likely for just one year council seats, until the first elections for unitaries are held in 2027
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
What's the basis for the Fukker -> tory swing apart from hopes and dreams?
If you're the type of small minded sociopath drawn to toryism/fukkerism then you might as well vote Fukker because there is zero meaningful policy distance between them but the Fukkers, at least, sound like they mean it. The tory offer is, the Fukkers are right about everything but vote for us instead because of Kemi's natural charm.
Labour are going to fuck the economy so hard over the next few years that enough of the softer voters saying they'll vote Reform will peel back to the Tories. I think there will be ~17-20% that will turn out for Reform whatever the weather because of the immigration programme so if Labour fuck up the economy badly enough too many right wing voters will scream for mummy and come running back.
I'd have more faith in your economic predictions if you had warned us repeatedly how the Tories were going to fuck up the economy over the past 15 years.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
Interesting but optimistic and would require a lot more Reform voters to switch to the Conservatives,
On those numbers the Conservatives would likely win a small majority and even if only most seats would govern as a minority government not with Reform
Postponent when changes are imminent may be reasonable, but if reorganisations are being delayed (the timetable was over ambitious) much better to go ahead, even if they go again relatively soon.
The problem is given the pace at which government operates, they could still not be ready the year after that, so then you have some councillors serving a 7 year term.
The government have left local councils moving to becoming unitaries to decide if they want elections next year, likely for just one year council seats, until the first elections for unitaries are held in 2027
An offer the incumbents are hardly likely to refuse
The government have left local councils moving to becoming unitaries to decide if they want elections next year, likely for just one year council seats, until the first elections for unitaries are held in 2027
I know that but it looks iffy, is iffy, and the Electoral Commission is not happy
I'm trying to register a new Liebherr fridge for warranty. I have to set up an online account with them. They email me a verification code that has to be entered within 30 mins. The email takes 35 mins to arrive. I try again. The email takes 40 mins this time. Grrr!!
I hope their fridges work better than their online account set-up.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
What's the basis for the Fukker -> tory swing apart from hopes and dreams?
If you're the type of small minded sociopath drawn to toryism/fukkerism then you might as well vote Fukker because there is zero meaningful policy distance between them but the Fukkers, at least, sound like they mean it. The tory offer is, the Fukkers are right about everything but vote for us instead because of Kemi's natural charm.
Labour are going to fuck the economy so hard over the next few years that enough of the softer voters saying they'll vote Reform will peel back to the Tories. I think there will be ~17-20% that will turn out for Reform whatever the weather because of the immigration programme so if Labour fuck up the economy badly enough too many right wing voters will scream for mummy and come running back.
I'd have more faith in your economic predictions if you had warned us repeatedly how the Tories were going to fuck up the economy over the past 15 years.
I think you'll find I was one of the first to come out against Liz Truss pretty much as soon as she announced tax cuts without spending cuts.
Under the Tories we had the best growth among major European countries. It was only once we got to Boris and Liz that they really fucked it. Rishi and Hunt handed over an economy growing at an annualised rate of 1.9%, Labour have been in charge for less than two years and our annualised growth rate is close to 0.7%, unemployment is rising and UK inflation is out of step with the rest of Europe because of their tax rises.
You want it to be the other way around but it isn't. The facts are that Labour are screwing up the economy and we're still just one adverse fiscal event away from a sovereign debt crisis worse than what Liz Truss triggered.
Everyone involved in defence procurement at the MoD, with any responsibility for decision making on this program during the last decade and a half, should be put on notice. Unless they can provide good cause (for example, if they were recruited a few months ago, or they are on record as having consistently opposed the way in which Ajax has been handled), they ought to be fired.
This is a completely simplistic analysis and your proposed Nacht und Nebel in the MoD would solve nothing. It might be comforting to think that these programs might go better if only everyone were as knowledgeable, intelligent and industrious as a Daily Telegraph columnist or PB contributor. The underlying issue is these massive mega-projects have to serve multiple, diffuse and often contradictory objectives.
- Has to be built in Britain because we're the best at everything. - Has to create jobs in a politically convenient area. - The services want S-Tier equipment customised to their exact perceived needs and will leak like fuck to the Telegraph, Express, etc. if slighted. - These perceived needs change constantly over the life of the program. - The purchasing decision has to reinforce strategic alliances. (No point in buying Korean gear because we don't give a fuck what they think or want.)
The only way to improve it is to recast the purchasing decision as providing the most capability for the least money but that is (currently) politically impossible. Imagine the stink if we just had the FSS ships made in Vietnam for a third of the cost of pissing around in Belfast.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
What's the basis for the Fukker -> tory swing apart from hopes and dreams?
If you're the type of small minded sociopath drawn to toryism/fukkerism then you might as well vote Fukker because there is zero meaningful policy distance between them but the Fukkers, at least, sound like they mean it. The tory offer is, the Fukkers are right about everything but vote for us instead because of Kemi's natural charm.
Labour are going to fuck the economy so hard over the next few years that enough of the softer voters saying they'll vote Reform will peel back to the Tories. I think there will be ~17-20% that will turn out for Reform whatever the weather because of the immigration programme so if Labour fuck up the economy badly enough too many right wing voters will scream for mummy and come running back.
I'd have more faith in your economic predictions if you had warned us repeatedly how the Tories were going to fuck up the economy over the past 15 years.
The 14 year excuse is rapidly coming to an end as Starmer/Reeves own the economic mess they have now created all on their own
The government have left local councils moving to becoming unitaries to decide if they want elections next year, likely for just one year council seats, until the first elections for unitaries are held in 2027
I know that but it looks iffy, is iffy, and the Electoral Commission is not happy
I expect legal action to follow
Id be interested in what the case would be, as i imagine the law gives wide discretion on local elections to ministers, or legislation can be passed to do it.
The government have left local councils moving to becoming unitaries to decide if they want elections next year, likely for just one year council seats, until the first elections for unitaries are held in 2027
An offer the incumbents are hardly likely to refuse
Perhaps, but turnover can be high and not all cllrs will want or be able to go beyond the planned term for too long, so they might end up with a lot of by elections.
It's early out but I think I'm going to base my early betting strategy on this vote share in 2029:
C - 27 L - 19 R - 21 LD - 15 G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
What's the basis for the Fukker -> tory swing apart from hopes and dreams?
If you're the type of small minded sociopath drawn to toryism/fukkerism then you might as well vote Fukker because there is zero meaningful policy distance between them but the Fukkers, at least, sound like they mean it. The tory offer is, the Fukkers are right about everything but vote for us instead because of Kemi's natural charm.
Labour are going to fuck the economy so hard over the next few years that enough of the softer voters saying they'll vote Reform will peel back to the Tories. I think there will be ~17-20% that will turn out for Reform whatever the weather because of the immigration programme so if Labour fuck up the economy badly enough too many right wing voters will scream for mummy and come running back.
I'd have more faith in your economic predictions if you had warned us repeatedly how the Tories were going to fuck up the economy over the past 15 years.
The 14 year excuse is rapidly coming to an end as Starmer/Reeves own the economic mess they have now created all on their own
The last government blamed its predecessor for at least 10 years, as did the one before it.
Comments
Apparently that might mean ‘whores pasta’ because you can put anything in it
When I’ve made it before I’ve made the tomato flavour overpowering. So I’ve decided to make it differently
I’m going to make a sauce by frying garlic, spring onion and anchovies in butter and the oil from the tin of anchovies. Once the anchovies dissolve, I’ll add white wine and some veg stock. Once they’re halfway boiled down, add capers, black olives and tinned peppered mackerel fillets. Then add a good splash of the pasta water
Concurrently cook the pasta until just before al dente; do the last minute or so of the cooking in the sauce
Also concurrently, bake halved cherry tomatoes with loads of black pepper and a bit of olive oil in the air fryer
Then mix it all together with chives and parsley, and maybe grate some Parmesan on top if it’s not salty enough
What the electorate said was that a government could lie to the nation, start a war on a flimsy pretext, have no plan for the aftermath of that war, hound a public servant to death for exposing their lies about all that - and then still get re-elected because house prices stayed high and the economy hadn't yet collapsed.
It probably didn't help that the Liberal Democrats, who should have been best-placed to give the public an alternative, were led by an alcoholic, thereby themselves being almost as unserious as the public.
Sticking it in old oak barrels for 6 months now before storage and second fermentation.
REF 27, CON 21, LAB 18, LD 15, GRN 13
Only one poll - but worth about fifty from some other pollsters! Tends to match up to current LE trends reasonably well.
LLG 46 RefCon 48
So who in the batting order is going to believe that they can hit Lyon for a hundred in order to get to the target?
It's lost in their heads already.
That said, if one of the players does somehow manage to turn it around it will be one of the greatest feats of sporting self-belief you will ever have seen, and so all the more impressive for how unlikely it was.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/dec/18/ollie-pope-avatar-england-failings-australia-ashes-third-test-adelaide-cricket
Athers mentioned on the podcast, and in his Times article, that a horse called Blowers won at 300/1 earlier in the week, which showed sporting miracles could happen He also referenced the 500/1 on offer at Headingley in 1981. 25/1 seems incredibly mean, but good luck, I hope it wins
As I've been saying, I think Kemi has seriously upped her game in the past few months and the non-VI ratings are improving very quickly. That will eventually tell in the VI, but whether it happens in time for the locals remains to be seen.
So I think the Labour SPAD quoted is thinking wishfully.
Echos of Shakespeare's Jack Cade in a familiar voice ...
https://spectator.com/article/ai-will-kill-all-the-lawyers/
Until Osborne, we'd been largely tracking America's economy. Ours was recovering by the time of the election.
Gerrymandering. Cameron, Osborne and CCHQ generally had become convinced Labour had an unfair advantage, partly because they did not understand the notion of efficient vote spread, so needed to put their own thumb on the scale. Mainly this was done, in a ruse copied by the Republicans in America, by purging the electoral rolls and making registration harder, and then redrawing boundaries based on the new rolls, so that more seats were created in traditional Conservative areas than Labour ones. By also reducing the number of seats, they ensured every boundary had to be reconsidered. There was more to it than that but you get the gist.
At the start of the Coalition, ACPO turned up at No. 10 with a list of demands. Which Cameron refused. Things like stopping investigations into the bizarre and illegal surveillance of domestic pressure groups, Hillsborough and a number of other matters.
When this was turned down, ACPO representatives claimed that the government had declared war on the police…
Maybe the columnist is right. So, in an important sense, were the Luddites. Jobs were lost, skills no longer needed. And yet, here we are.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/19/alan-milburn-to-review-rise-in-youth-minimum-wage?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
C - 27
L - 19
R - 21
LD - 15
G - 12
I think we're going to end up with a Con/Ref coalition after the election. My gut feeling is that the "punishment" narrative that the media pushed so hard against the Tories last time has gone away and people just aren't responding to Labour's attempts to blame the current economic fuck ups on the previous government and they are taking the majority of the blame for falling jobs, higher inflation and falling investment because of their tax rise agenda.
I also think that by the time 2029 rolls around Labour will have gone through at least two more rounds of tax rises and working age people will be fed up and be willing to give the Tories a go just on the basis of cutting spending and stopping taxes from rising to pay for welfare.
Can you even start to imagine how labour would have reacted if Boris had proposed this ?
Legal challenges coming in from Reform ?
https://news.sky.com/story/watchdog-criticises-unprecedented-government-offer-to-delay-local-elections-as-five-councils-confirm-requests-for-postponement-13485625
The traditional hand signal has become even more of a staple response
Yesterday some idiot drove past me at about 40 outside my house, where the limit is 20 (The ready reckoner is double the yards per second), he got the hand signal
He screeched to a halt, jumped out and yelled "Don't call me a wanker"
Quick as a whippet, I yelled back "I don't know the hand signal for c***. Fuck off and do it slowly"
I'm glad to report that he took my advice, to laughter from his passengers
124 unionists;
108 leavers;
101 anti-devolutionists.
Scottish referendum wasn't close.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKuHYO9TM5A
it was IPSOS
When asked who is most responsible for the country moving in the wrong direction, 48% blame a combination of the current Labour government and past Conservative one (-3 from September) whereas 32% blame mainly the current Labour government (+4). 14% mainly blame the previous Conservative government (-1).
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/andy-burnham-preferred-keir-starmer-pm-narrowly-leads-nigel-farage
Once the leader has been changed and it has been a couple of years, I don't think people think of the old govt as the same party really. There are very few Tories in the shadow cabinet now that were well known before the last GE. People may blame Cameron, Osborne, Gove, Boris, May, Hancock, Sunak, and so on, but they've almost all gone.
If you're the type of small minded sociopath drawn to toryism/fukkerism then you might as well vote Fukker because there is zero meaningful policy distance between them but the Fukkers, at least, sound like they mean it. The tory offer is, the Fukkers are right about everything but vote for us instead because of Kemi's natural charm.
Over summer we hired them to revamp an old app that did some simple data transformations and gave people a basic web UI to interact. The old one worked fine - just a bit tired looking and the code was getting very out of support.
Couple of months of fruitless work and thousands of pounds later via the up-and-coming students. Eventually left with, effectively, no work of note done. So asked a coding LLM agent to do the same task with the same spec. Completed to order within a couple of hours at a cost of less than £10.
I don't blame the students for this at all. But they were being taught and overseen on very expensive degree programmes - often to Masters level. And were left with zero applicable skills to real world modern software projects.
Faced with the rise of these coding agents (hit or miss they may be) I'm not holding my breath for a lot of those student loans being paid back.
On those numbers the Conservatives would likely win a small majority and even if only most seats would govern as a minority government not with Reform
I expect legal action to follow
I hope their fridges work better than their online account set-up.
Under the Tories we had the best growth among major European countries. It was only once we got to Boris and Liz that they really fucked it. Rishi and Hunt handed over an economy growing at an annualised rate of 1.9%, Labour have been in charge for less than two years and our annualised growth rate is close to 0.7%, unemployment is rising and UK inflation is out of step with the rest of Europe because of their tax rises.
You want it to be the other way around but it isn't. The facts are that Labour are screwing up the economy and we're still just one adverse fiscal event away from a sovereign debt crisis worse than what Liz Truss triggered.
- Has to be built in Britain because we're the best at everything.
- Has to create jobs in a politically convenient area.
- The services want S-Tier equipment customised to their exact perceived needs and will leak like fuck to the Telegraph, Express, etc. if slighted.
- These perceived needs change constantly over the life of the program.
- The purchasing decision has to reinforce strategic alliances. (No point in buying Korean gear because we don't give a fuck what they think or want.)
The only way to improve it is to recast the purchasing decision as providing the most capability for the least money but that is (currently) politically impossible. Imagine the stink if we just had the FSS ships made in Vietnam for a third of the cost of pissing around in Belfast.
MeidasTouch
@MeidasTouch
JUST IN: Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming will NOT run for reelection in 2026
https://x.com/MeidasTouch/status/2002118553919783347